River City Secrets: Stories from Richmond

by Lana Krumwiede, Kristi Tuck Austin (contributer), Elle Blair (contributer)

Twenty-four stories of imagination and adventure, each set in one of Richmond's many popular history locations.

- A huge phantom dog appears in the Hollywood Cemetery during a thunderstorm.
- An experimental Civil War submarine blows up a river boat near Tredegar Ironworks.
- The ghosts of two alligators keep watch over the Jefferson Hotel.
- At the Richmond Folk Festival, three young performers contend with an alpaca stampede to reach their stage on time.
- A basketball-playing rat with mad skills has to shake off her pre-game jitters at the Science Museum of Virginia.
- And many more!

This collection of stories showcases Richmond's fantastic history, sites, and scenery like never before. Kids and adults alike will experience this rich river city in a unique way.

Genres: Anthologies

284 pages, Paperback

Published September 15, 2016

About the author

In third grade, Lana wrote in her autobiography that she wanted to be a mother, a writer, and the church organist. Two out of three ain't bad! Her work has appeared in Highlights, High Five, Spider, Babybug, The Friend, and Chicken Soup for the Child's Soul. Freakling is her first novel.

Lana has tried psi many times, particularly when it comes to household chores, but she could never make it work. She does have a few mildly supernatural abilities, which include untying knots, peeling oranges, and winning at board games. Her perfect day would include reading, writing, swimming, cooking, telling jokes, spending time with family, and pie.

And maybe a board game or two.

Reviews

[Lana Krumwiede · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Richmond and I love stories for young readers. This book has been a dream of mine for many years; it's a thrill to see it become a reality. To all Virginians (former, current, future, and wishful) with fanciful imaginations: Enjoy!

[Janet Flora Corso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading stories about places that are familiar to me. It is especially nice when I learn a thing or two, have a few laughs and shed some tears. All of these MG level short stories are set in sections or at landmarks of Richmond, VA, where I once lived and will always be connected.
It is an old city full of secrets, and stories, as well as history, art, and an amazing community of people from many cultures and walks of life. The stories vary from contemporary to fantasy to historical fiction with a few interesting genre mashups. The authors' styles vary too which gives readers a good overview of the talent in Virginia's kidlit community and is a good way to find a new favorite writer to explore further. It is a fun read, whether you skip around searching for your favorite RVA sites (like I did over several months), or read all the way through and learn more about this old, historic city on the James River.