R.A. Spratt's Blog, page 18
January 6, 2016
Come to my book launch!
That’s Beecroft in Sydney, Australia. If you’re in the USA you’re going to have to wait a few weeks until I’m in your country. And if you’re elsewhere in Australia keep an eye on my website. I will be touring later in the year.
January 5, 2016
Amazon.com chooses FRIDAY BARNES, GIRL DETECTIVE as one of their ‘Best Books of the Month’ for January 2016
I’m so proud that the editors at Amazon.com like my book ! It’s only two weeks until it hits stores in the USA. I can’t wait! If you can’t wait either, you can pre-order now. Here’s the link… Friday Barnes, Girl Detective – Best Books of the Month: Ages 9-12 (Middle Grade)
January 3, 2016
December 23, 2015
Best Christmas pressie ever! A beautiful Nanny Piggins cake.
Thanks to my super talented cake making friend, Beejay. We’re both red faced and sweaty because we’d just finished an epic Xmas eve without at the gym. #crossfitsohi
December 22, 2015
December 16, 2015
Are you a Nanny Piggins fan in Richmond,VA (USA)?
Sales of Nanny Piggins books in the Richmond, Virginia area have exploded in the last six months and I’m trying to figure out why, which isn’t easy from thousands of miles away here in Bowral, Australia. So if you’re a Nanny Piggins fan in Richmond, USA please get in touch and tell me if there is a school teacher or local bookshop that introduced you to the world’s greatest flying pig. I’m going to be touring the USA in 2017 and if I can figure out this mystery I might just include a visit to Richmond on my next tour.
December 14, 2015
Friday gets amazing starred review from Booklist!
Spratt, R. A. (author).
Illustrated by Phil Gosier.
Jan. 2016. 272p. Roaring Brook, hardcover, $13.99 (9781626722972). Grades 3-6.
REVIEW. First published December 15, 2015 (Booklist).
Friday is the youngest, most overlooked Barnes child. But being overlooked has given her the time to develop into a top-notch detective. After handily solving a particularly tricky jewel theft, she’s given a hefty reward, and she’s going to use it the best way she knows how: tuition for fancy boarding school. When she arrives, she discovers her new school is full of mysteries to be solved—all for the right price. To do so, she must avoid cute but devious Ian Wainscott and keep from getting in so much trouble she gets expelled. That, and deal with the bully who convinces their classmates to cruelly ignore Friday. Spratt has created a sharp, plucky main character, whose brainy investigations and candid, sometimes tactless observations will appeal to mystery lovers of any gender. The diminutive detective’s not so great at social conventions, which gives Spratt a great opportunity to playfully skewer stereotypical middle-school plots. Spratt’s matter-of-fact tone and punchy sentences bring Friday to life, and the age-appropriate touch of romance is a sweet addition. With off-the-wall plot turns and small mysteries scattered throughout, this is the perfect choice for mystery fans with a silly sense of humor, and the cliff-hanger ending promises more sleuthing on the horizon. Gosier’s black-and-white spot illustrations add to the charming atmosphere. A sheer delight.— Snow Wildsmith
November 29, 2015
Just got author copies of Friday Barnes 4!
Also got several thousand bookmarks. Time flies. I can’t believe this book is out in a few weeks.
