NEW release: The Winter of Red Snow

Hello Readers! I'm happy to share news from Scholastic:

The Winter of Red Snow

The beloved, bestselling Dear America series returns in a new, stunning deluxe paperback, with critically acclaimed author Kristiana Gregory's thrilling story of the Revolutionary War, The Winter of Red Snow. Perfect for celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence!

Eleven-year-old Abigail Jane Stewart's life in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania has been haunted by war for two years now, but she and her family have thrived all the same. Until everything is upended when Abby is woken by the unfamiliar sound of drums.

General George Washington is leading the Continental soldiers into their winter encampment at Valley Forge.

Abby's diary tells the stories of her family, friends, and neighbors, and the sides they have to choose, during one of the most memorable and crucial winters in American history.

The Dear America series transformed the way millions of readers learned about American history. These new editions will be beautifully packaged as deluxe paperbacks with gold foil, and are perfect for a new generation of readers.

1996 cover

New Release! The Stowaway: A Tale of California Pirates

    

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I'm delighted to share a new release of The Stowaway: A Tale of California Pirates. 

Originally published by Scholastic, I've added an author interview with behind-the-scenes, idea origins, and fresh maps and covers by my son Cody Rutty. We have a lot of fun collaborating from our remote desks: his in San Francisco, mine in Boise, Idaho. I hope you enjoy our latest edition! E-book and paperback with both covers available on Amazon.

** A Best Pick of 1995, Parents Magazine: "This riveting drama is based on an actual pirate attack in the early 1800s."

It's1818 in Monterey, California, a peaceful coastal village. When the sails of two buccaneer ships first appear on the horizon, 11-year-old Carlito and his friends are excited. They can't wait for the ships to arrive, so they can see what real pirates look like. But once the 42-gun frigate Argentina and the corvette Santa Rosa drop anchor, the tranquility in Monterey ends. The pirates attack. And on one terrible night, Carlito witnesses a brutal murder -- his father's. Carlito declares he will take revenge, but as soon as he sneaks aboard the murderer's ship, he is trapped. The pirates have set sail, and Carlito is a stowaway. He can't stay hidden for long. Danger will find him. Before he can bring his father's killer to justice, Carlito must save another life -- his own.

NEW release! My Darlin' Clementine

Hello Readers!

 kindle & paperback

I hope you enjoy this fresh edition of My Darlin' Clementine! It's enhanced with a discussion guide, author interview and some "behind the scenes" of storytelling. Interior art and cover are by my son, Cody Rutty.

My Darlin' Clementine was originally published in 2010 by Holiday House. Inspired by a popular folksong of that name, I set it in a lawless mining camp in Idaho Territory, 1866. It's third in my trilogy of gold rush novels: Seeds of Hope and Madame Mustache and the Boys of Bodie. 

"As told by the Kidd sisters in 1867, Josie and Clementine, on the occasion of murder and romance, tragedy and redemption, not necessarily in that order, but their true account, to the best of their recollection."

2010 Idaho Choice Award for the National Book Festival, sponsored by the Library of Congress. 

Update! Jimmy Spoon and the Pony Express

 kindle & paperback

I'm happy to announce an updated Jimmy Spoon & the Pony Express! Originally published by Scholastic in 1994 this sequel to the best-selling The Legend of Jimmy Spoon includes an author interview, glossary and historical notes. New cover art by Cody Rutty.

"Exciting ... those who have not read Legend will certainly want to do so after finishing this one." -- School Library Journal

"Terrific." VOYA [Voice of Youth Advocates]

Jimmy knew from the moment he laid eyes on the ad, that he had to ride for the Pony Express:  "WANTED: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily, orphans preferred. Wages $24 a week ... "

And no one was more qualified than Jimmy.  He had lived with the Shoshoni for years and had learned their ways.  No white boy could ride like Jimmy Spoon.  But fifty miles a day isn't an easy ride -- even for him.  And the trails are dangerous.  Living conditions are primitive; there are outlaws, angry tribes, blistering heat, and below-zero winters.  And all along, Jimmy yearns to return to his Shoshoni family, especially to rekindle his friendship with the lovely Nahanee.

Readers asking for Part 3, will have fun seeing Jimmy and Nahanee and their special surprise in The Great Railroad Race: The Diary of Libby West; Utah Territory 1868. 

The Jimmy Spoon stories are based on the adventures of Elijah Nicholas Wilson, a Pony Express rider who lived with the Shoshone Indians as a boy in the 1850s. The town of Wilson, Wyoming at the base of Teton Pass is named after him.

 

Bronte's Book Club, UPDATED

Hello Readers,

Kindle & paperback

I'm happy to announce an updated Bronte's Book Club with a new cover by my son Cody Rutty, an author interview, a brownie recipe, and tips for starting your own book club. The story:

It's a pretty summer day at Gray's Beach when 12-year-old Bronte moves to this small California beach town. Shy and lonely, she tries to form a book club in order to make friends. It has a rocky start with jealously, quarrels, and gossip. But as the girls discuss the historical novel Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, they see parallels in their lives and that of the main character, Karana, the real-life Chumash Indian who had lived alone on San Nicholas Island during the mid-18oos. As the girls reflect on, and quote from the story, they begin to discover true friendship. And of course, a good dog is involved!

Gray's Beach is also the setting for Cabin Creek Mysteries #10 & #11: The Shadow at Shark Cove and The Legend of the Haunted Lighthouse, when Bronte's cousins Jeff, David and Claire visit for the summer.

New release! Earthquake at Dawn: San Francisco 1906

Kindle & paperback

Dear Parents and Teachers, 

I'm happy to announce an updated Earthquake at Dawn, with a fresh Discussion Guide and Author Interview. Originally published by Harcourt for their Great Episodes Series, it won the Silver Medal for Best Book of the Year (1992) by the Commonwealth Club of California. It also was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. The story:

It's April 18, 1906, and a powerful earthquake has just rocked San Francisco. Twenty-two year old photographer Edith Irvine and her assistant, Daisy Valentine (age 15), survive the tragedy. Armed with Edith's camera, the two women set out to document the shocking devastation--even as buildings crumble around them and soldiers promise to shoot anyone trying to photograph the crippled city.

Based on a 32-page letter written by earthquake survivor Mary Exa Atkins Campbell and the actual photographs taken by Edith Irvine, Earthquake at Dawn is a harrowing story of the courage and compassion of San Francisco's citizens, catastrophically thrown together in a world turned upside down. 

** A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

** A YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults

**An NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies

** "Touching and exciting, this close-up has immediacy and an authentic voice that brings history vividly to life." -- Kirkus Reviews

** "Gregory does a good job of making the suffering and confusion dramatically vivid, and her writing style has vigor and pace." -- The Bulletin

NEW!! Cabin Creek #12: Alone in the Dark, Dark Woods

Hello friends! 

I'm happy to announce a new Cabin Creek Mystery for readers aged 7 to 10. It's illustrated by my son, Cody Rutty, who now lives in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, with his wife and kitty. We're grateful for the technology that lets us collaborate from different coffee shops; mine near a snowy mountain, his with palm trees and village roosters.

click here

The story: 

It's summer in the mountain town of Cabin Creek with a new adventure for brothers Jeff and David and their cousin Claire. They've started a project to help their community: the Cabin Creek Pup Express. Their caravan of bikes and wagons picks up lonely dogs who need a walk or playtime by the lake. Along the way, the Pup Express follows a strange creature they see in the woods. 

 
When the animal appears to be injured they investigate what it is and from where it came. Their search takes them along a dangerous river through the dark woods, to a surprise discovery ... then to another surprise discovery!

Joyful Sunflower

"The Twist"

 A new burst of whimsy graces a corner of our living room: a joyful sunflower dancing in the wind. "The Twist," painted in acrylic and oil, makes me happy each morning when I wander in, coffee in hand, to start the day. 

The artist, my son Cody Rutty, has illustrated many of my books, including my Cabin Creek Mystery series (available on Amazon). For years we've had fun collaborating, but agree that the process of creating stories and art is mostly done, as he says, "in a sort of vast solitude." 

with the artist

To see a flower standing alone in the crack of a sidewalk, is to see beauty. It's just there, doing what it must. "Hello there!" it seems to say. This painting shows a solitary sunflower, "standing ebulliently wrapped in a scroll of its own making," says Cody. "It reminds me of the act of artistic creation."

When Characters Go Swimming

 The water temperature was 46 degrees when these Seattle swimmers plunged into Elliott Bay last April. Some wore wetsuits, others were bare armed. Yikes, I thought, as I watched from the beach with these two seagulls. 

This reminded me of an editor's comment: "Kristi, I noticed that in all your books a character goes swimming. Even Cleopatra." Well, yes, of course! I'm a swimmer. When writing about Egypt, the Oregon Trail, or a sunny beach in California I get thirsty. Hot. Oh, if only Bronte or the Cabin Creek cousins could jump in and cool off ... hey, wait! They can! My pen soon describes the scene and all is well. I can finish the story. 

The Shadow at Shark Cove

Bronte's Book Club and Cabin Creek Mysteries #10 and #11 are set in Gray's Beach, a small town by the sea on the West Coast. It was fun to add sharks and octopuses, boogie boards and salt water. Diving under waves is a cold thrill but definitely 20 degrees warmer than in Seattle. 

I'm not sure if I'll write about an ice water swim. But you know, on second thought, I've heard that an amazing creature lives deep in Elliott Bay: the Giant Pacific Octopus.  Now that is an interesting story!

UPDATE!! Cabin Creek Mystery #10

Hello Friends and Readers!  I'm excited to tell you about a recent update for the Cabin Creek #10: The Shadow at Shark Cove.

Cousins Jeff (13), David (11), and Claire (10) fly to Gray's Beach, California to spend the summer with their cousin Bronte Bella (13). 

Home of the GPO, Giant Pacific Octopus, they hope to see one up close. Their curiosity is sparked further when they learn about ancient cave drawings in one of the shoreline cliffs: a sea monster with eight arms sinking a canoe. Did this really happen or is it just a legend? 

When a shadowy creature bumps their little boat then swims into a forest of kelp, they have another mystery to solve!  For a link to Amazon click here.

** Bronte's Book Club introduces Bronte when she moved from New Mexico to this small town by the sea.

Old friends in the library

6th graders, field trip

In 1960, in California, a few of us neighborhood kids started the Manhattan Beach 4th Street Book and Snack Club That wasn't its official name, but that's how we thought of it. We were nine years old. With younger siblings tagging along, we rode our bikes to the pier then up the hill to the library where whispering--quiet whispering--was strictly enforced. There we roamed the stacks until we each found a book to check out, its plastic cover then crackling against our handlebars as we rode home, fast, because of the treats that awaited us. It was the best part of the club, eating our snacks while looking out at the ocean. Though we never actually discussed the stories we read, we sure had fun. 

old friends

The other day my niece Hailey sent a photo from a nearby library where she found a modest section of my books. "We're on a field trip to the Palos Verdes Public Library," she texted. "And here you are." My heart soared to see original editions from the Dear America and Royal Diaries series, somewhat ragged, but still in circulation. I have reprinted several different titles through Amazon, and thought it would be fun to post a link here.

The Great Railroad Race was one of my favorite to research and write: 

click here

As the daughter of a newspaper reporter, 14-year-old Libby West keeps a diary account of the exciting events surrounding her during the building of the railroad in the West in 1868. 

I'm still thrilled to read letters from teachers and students studying American history. And our public library is still one of my happy places.

Playing pretend with a three-year-old

Jack, ferryboat captain

    The most fun playing with a three-year-old is their imagination. I recently hung out with our grandson Jack after he broke his leg on a trampoline. Despite his red cast he scooted around the house, rolled, and spun, laughing and narrating his games. The toy I brought him was a familiar kitchen item: an empty paper towel tube. He immediately knew its purpose and over several days put it into action: a sword, a telescope, a stick for his bongo drum. Among Legos it became a house chimney, an airport control tower, then a tunnel for tiny race cars. When he called himself a ferryboat captain I asked if he could see a lighthouse. 

    "Umm ... yes. There!" he said, aiming his spyglass at the dog. 

    I look forward to when Jack and I can read a Cabin Creek Mystery together. He's a little young now but I'm sure he'll be able to imagine a giant Pacific Octopus, a shark, and the tall haunted lighthouse.

click here

When a real cat inspires a Cabin Creek Mystery

Leon, guarding the fish tank

Our neighbor's cat, Leon, often visits when he sees my husband and me in the garden or on our deck reading. Sometimes he brings us a wiggly mouse or a sad little bird, but mostly he likes lounging near us. When he jumps on the table we grab our coffees just before he knocks them over, then with a dramatic flop he settles in with purring.  Click here for a link to the book on Amazon. I hope you enjoy meeting Leon in THE SHADOW AT SHARK COVE where the cousins try to solve the mystery of the disappearing octopus.

Our good neighbor, Leon

3rd graders love Cabin Creek Mysteries

A wonderful surprise just made my day. My post office box was stuffed with letters from 3rd graders in North Carolina. In various degrees of beautiful penmanship with charming drawings, they explained that their teacher reads two chapters a day to them. They were thrilled with the stories, but "very, very sad" that #8 was about to end. "Please write more," they said. In a separate note their teacher added,
       I wanted you to see how your Cabin Creek Mysteries have motivated my 3rd-grade students to love mysteries. Recently one of my students came to me all excited that he had found book 9 in your CCM. Naturally I had to add it to my collection. We are currently writing mysteries in class and many students have incorporated your books into their story. Thanks for helping my students love "read alouds".
     My pleasure! And thank you to teachers and parents who pass on a love of story to children. I'm privileged to be part of this adventure, and 'very, very happy' to tell them #10 is on the way: "The Curse of Shark Cove," set in a California town by the sea.

NEW Cabin Creek Mystery

Hello everyone! I'm happy to announce a new Cabin Creek Mystery: Danger on Lost Island.

       The cousins are excited for their first campout on Lost Island with their friends Vimila and Anupam [from #8: The Case of the Spying Drone].  When they hear distressing cries of an animal and from their Lookout Tower see what appears to be a baby bear on the shore of Grizzly Paw Wilderness, limping and shivering, they want to save it. They fear its ferocious mother however, especially after discovering that a bear has ravaged their fort and food. Plans for rescue are thwarted by a storm, making it dangerous to row across the inlet.  Worse though, their boat has come untied and is drifting out onto the lake: They're stranded! Growing hungrier by the hour the five kids must decide how to safely leave the island before their parents begin to worry.

      And stay tuned for Cabin Creek #10! I'm working on The Curse of Shark Cove and can't wait to share it with you. Here's a quick peek: Jeff, David, and Claire travel to California to visit their cousin Bronte Bella, who lives in Gray's Beach [from my middle-grade novel Bronte's Book Club]. The four cousins have a surprising adventure in this small town by the sea, where strange and unexplained things are happening.

new release: The Great Railroad Race

RL 4th-6th grade

Hello Readers!
     I'm happy to announce new editions of The Great Railroad Race: The Diary of Libby West, Utah Territory 1868.
     Originally published in Scholastic's Dear America series, it's now available in paperback and on Kindle:
     As the daughter of a newspaper reporter, fourteen-year-old Libby keeps a diary account of the exciting events surrounding her during the building of the railroad in the West in 1868.
     I had a blast researching this momentous time in American history and exploring Promontory Summit Utah with our teenage sons. With the Wasatch Mountains in the background, it was a thrill to witness a reenactment: the chugging-chugging of Locomotive No. 119, its smokestack billowing steam and its shrill whistle as it met nose-to-nose with Jupiter. Years earlier I had lived in Salt Lake City blocks from Brigham Young's house and other spots featured in this story. Being able to see and touch historic sites has always enriched my imagination, and made writing so much fun.
    And for fans of Jimmy Spoon and the Pony Express, I wove in scenes with Jimmy, Nahanee and their "little surprise." I hope you enjoy these new editions!

neighborhood library

Poppy loves our library

Boise's Library! at Cole & Ustick received a Gold LEED certification for its green features and sustainable design. "Flowing" river rock and xeri-scape gives it a beautiful Idaho feel. And here's Poppy, super excited about the electric vehicle charging station.

Mandarin translations

 Look what FedEx just delivered! Chinese translations for Scholastic Royal Diaries.

I don't have links yet, but here they are for the English:

Catherine: The Great Journey, Russia 1743

Cleopatra: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt 57 B.C.

Mother's Day

 

A pretty day to plant a Mother's Day hydrangea with Poppy (garden supervisor) and my friend Savannah.

our new gardener

Poppy, aka Captain Judy Muffinhead

It's a beautiful spring day in Boise.

After a brief inspection of the perimeter, our yard supervisor took to the shade. Her folded front paw indicates she's thinking about things.