Newbery Award-Winners Jerry Spinelli and Clare Vanderpool at Needham Library

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Enter Jerry Spinelli’s Hokey Pokey, a land of never-ending childhood and happiness…  that is, until things begin to unravel. Or be swept away by Clare Vanderpool’s new book, Navigating Early, which traces two boys’ quest along the Appalachian Trail. Join these two Newbery award-winning authors for a conversation on the magic and adventure of writing for young readers in a unique author panel at the Needham Public Free Library. The authors will be taking questions from the audience and signing books after their presentation.

PLEASE NOTE: While this event is free and open to the public, to enter the signing line, attendees must have purchased a copy of Hokey Pokey or Navigating Early from Wellesley Books. Please be prepared to show proof of purchase. Books will be available for purchase at the store, at wellesleybooks.com, and at the event.

ABOUT THE BOOKS

HOKEY POKEY -- Welcome to Hokey Pokey, where childhood is at its best: games to play, bikes to ride, adventures, and no adults. But when one of the biggest kids, Jack, has his beloved bike stolen, the world of Hokey Pokey turns to chaos. Master storyteller Jerry Spinelli has written a dizzyingly inventive fable of growing up and letting go, of leaving childhood and its imaginative play behind for the more dazzling adventures of adolescence, and of learning to accept not only the sunny part of day, but the arrival of night, as well.  

NAVIGATING EARLY -- When newcomer Jack Baker and strange and fanciful Early Auden find themselves unexpectedly alone at school, the two boys set out across the Appalachian Trail in search of the legendary great black bear—though what they find and who they meet along the way will change how they see themselves and others. With a carefully woven narrative that encompasses action, wry humor, and touches of sadness, Navigating Early will captivate readers with its timeless style of storytelling, reminiscent of such American classics as Treasure Island, Hatchet, and Huckleberry Finn.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
JERRY SPINELLI is the author of more than a dozen books for young readers, including Maniac Magee, winner of the Newbery Medal, and Stargirl a New York Times bestseller and an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. Learn more at www.jerryspinelli.com.

CLARE VANDERPOOL is the Newbery award-winning author of Moon Over Manifest (2010). She lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband and their four children. Learn more at ClareVanderpool.com.