Author Archives: Greg Pattridge

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About Greg Pattridge

Climbing another mountain...always striving to reach the next peak in my life and career.

ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Growing up I wouldn’t touch a book with a female narrator if my life (or grade) depended on it. Seems I’ve gotten over that affliction with my recent middle grade titles. Since January I’ve been touched by the lives of … Continue reading →

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THE KINDLING for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

My quest to read at least one title from every middle grade series this year got a much needed kick when I crossed paths with author Braden Bell. We share similar teaching backgrounds in the trenches with middle level kids. … Continue reading →

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TURN LEFT AT THE COW for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

This Upper MG book is by Lisa Bullard, new to the MG world, but hardly new to being an author. She has a long list of successful picture books and non-fiction books for the K-4 audience. She  also has a … Continue reading →

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The Most Important Slush Pile of All

I taught creative writing (among other things) to 11-12 year old students for 20 years. I’d go home weekends with a pile of stories to read. The range of abilities was tremendous. Most could put a 1-3 page story together, … Continue reading →

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HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

It’s time to get back to more recent releases. How about one from last month? HOPE IS A FERRIS WHEEL, a debut by author Robin Herrera, is told from the perspective of young Star Mackie. It’s an unusual MG book … Continue reading →

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The Gift Of Poetry

I had the opportunity the past week to talk with two classrooms – one filled with energetic 8-year-olds and the other with 28 5th and 6th graders. The topic was Becoming a Better Writer. People who make educational decisions should … Continue reading →

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I AM NOT JOEY PIGZA for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

It’s been a long time since I was first introduced to Joey Pigza. In fact, 1998 to be exact. I picked up a copy of JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY and loved the story of Joey, a boy getting engulfed … Continue reading →

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An Evening at The Boulder Bookstore with Agents Sara Megibow & Shannon Hassan

What a pleasure to listen as Sara Megibow (Nelson Literary) and Shannon Hassan (Marsal Lyon Literary) answered questions about book publishing last night. I hope you find their comments as helpful as I did. 50% of our queries get rejected … Continue reading →

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BOOM! for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

In 1994 I took my one and only trip to London. I loved every precious minute spent in the city, but have unfortunately never been back. On my last day before coming home I wandered into a charming bookstore. My … Continue reading →

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‘Bloom’ing Book Report

The dreaded book report is something we all have dealt with either as a teacher, parent, or student. It’s no wonder with some of these droll assignments:                                                  Summarize the plot of the book in three paragraphs.                                                           Describe your … Continue reading →

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