The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary An award-winning, big-hearted time capsule of one class’s poems during a transformative school year. “Entertaining . . . Shovan skillfully employs different poetic forms and styles…Characters… will inspire readers as they find the courage to save their school and make their voices heard, both as a united front […]
TAKEDOWN
Tuesday, 21 July 2020
Thursday, 27 December 2018
I am a dog mom. Sam the Schnauzer is my best furry friend. But three years ago, our family decided (with much convincing) that 8-year-old Sam needed a brother. Not a puppy. An older dog. A calm dog to show our very barky, anxious guy the joys of being chilled out. I went to the […]
Monday, 12 November 2018
This thoughtful review of my middle grade novel Takedown comes from former Howard County, MD librarian Barb Langridge. Barb is the founder of the website A Book and a Hug, which I wrote about in a post for All the Wonders a few years ago: “Discover Your Reading Personality: A Book and a Hug.” *** Two […]
Thursday, 1 November 2018
Welcome, readers and fans of Takedown. I have something special to share with you — an extra scene from the book! This road trip mini-chapter takes place at the end of Chapter 30, when Lev is taking a week off from wrestling. Go to the end of page 212 (in hardcover editions), and you’ll find […]
Friday, 20 July 2018
Going to ILA 2018 in Austin this weekend? I’ll see you there! This is where you’ll find me. Sunday, 7/22, 12 pm — Autograph session at the Random House Children’s Books booth. Sunday, 7/22, 5 pm — Panel session, “A Sense of Place: Middle-grade Novels on Loss and Connection.” With author/educator Ruth Freeman, […]
Thursday, 21 June 2018
Greetings and salutations, friends. Happy Poetry Friday! This week, I’m celebrating the launch of my second book for children, TAKEDOWN. (Read a review at the Nerdy Book Club.) I think of this novel as a friendship story set in the world of youth wrestling.It’s told by two sixth graders: Mikayla, who wants to be a wrestler […]
Sunday, 11 February 2018
Hello, friends and readers. One of my favorite things about being an author is doing research. When my children were in elementary school, I worked part-time as a features writer for Baltimore’s Child magazine and my local edition of The Baltimore Sun. As a newcomer to Maryland, the job helped me get to know my […]
Laura Shovan is the author of the award-winning middle grade novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary. Her second book, Takedown, is a Junior Library Guild and PJ Our Way selection. Look for A Place at the Table, co-written with Saadia Faruqi, in 2020. Laura is a poet-in-the-schools Maryland.
