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Sally Murphy, Australian author

It’s a Bookday!

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Happy Bookday to you, Happy Bookday to you, Happy Bookday dear Pearl! Happy…

Oh, hello there. So glad you dropped by. Don’t mind my offkey singing. I’m pretty excited, you see, because today is the Bookday of the US edition of my children’s verse novel, Pearl Verses the World.
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might have already heard a bit about this book, because the Australian edition was released in 2009, and the UK edition (renamed Pearl,  and with a different cover) was released in 2010. But now, for the first time, Pearl Verses the World has been released in the United States by the awesome Candlewick Press. And, to make it even more exciting, it’s coming out in hardcover. Hooray!
If you’re not a regular to this blog, let me tell you just a little bit about the book. The publisher’s blurb:
Pearl likes to write poems, but despite the insistence of her teacher, Ms. Bruff, Pearl’s poems don’t rhyme, and neither does she. She wishes she could grow gills so she could stay underwater in swim class without drowning. And she hasn’t a clue why perfect Prudence bumps her desk and sends her pencils flying. Pearl thinks there’s no nicer sound than the bell at the end of the day, even though back at home, Granny, always a crucial part of their family of three, sometimes doesn’t recognize Pearl, and Mom is tired from providing constant care. In a lyrical novel told with clear-eyed sympathy, humor, and heart, Sally Murphy follows a girl who holds fast to her individuality even as she learns to let go– and in daring to share her voice, discovers that maybe she’s not a group of one after all.
At school, Pearl is a group of one, and at home her beloved granny is fading. A poignant gem of a tale about independence, grief, and finding your place.
You can also view a brief trailer for the book here (yes, that’s my voice on the trailer – except for the voice of Pearl, played by Murphlet 6) .

Want more? There are some excellent reviews online for the book, including a starred review at Kirkus (huzzah!) and some lovely reviews at Goodreads, which you can see here. Oh, and if you’re a teacher or librarian, Candlewick has released a teacher’s guide.
Pearl Verses the World is now available from good brick and mortar bookstores, or online from Amazon. And if you do come across Pearl in a bookstore or library, I’d love to hear about it!

Comments

  2. Wow! Reading the synopsis there, kinda excited me to search for your book! Hope I get a chance to find it here in the Philippines. 😀

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