Category Archives: Children’s Education

Mid September News Roundup

Wil was recently honored at Rutgers University by the New Jersey Center for the Book and the Library of Congress for his “…role in the advancement and support of the literary culture in the state of New Jersey.” Congratulations to him on this tremendous accolade!

Wil is also going to be a featured author at the annual conference of the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) this November. During the event, he will co-chair a discussion panel along with New York Times bestselling children’s author Wendy Mass (A Mango-Shaped Space) as well as the NJASL’s 2016 Author / Illustrator of the Year, Trinka Hakes Noble.

#TEAMWIL

Another Amazon # 1 !!!

Congratulations to Wil for scoring another Amazon bestseller—his most recent nonfiction title for children, If You Were a Kid in the Thirteen Colonies, published by Scholastic, has already reached the # 1 spot in its category just six days after its release! This is a particularly rare achievement for any book intended primarily for the school library markets!

Wil’s Nonfiction Title on the Kennedy Assassination Scores a Huge Review

Wil’s recent title The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, released by Scholastic Publishing last fall, received this phenomenal review from the library-industry journal Children’s Literature

“This book goes a long way toward enabling young readers to understand the impact on Americans of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Mara, in a methodical and compelling style, presents what he calls the “most plausible version” of the day, as well as what transpired later. In five chapters, further divided by engaging subheads (“Profile of a Killer,” “Not One Death, But Two,” “Acquisition of the Murder Weapon”), Mara recreates the event with tension and immediacy by relying on abundant historical photos, quotes from interviews, and details from police reports and newspaper accounts. Sidebars convey interesting information without breaking into the narrative structure. In an early chapter, young readers follow the entire day of the assassination, beginning in the pre-dawn hours at the home of Lee Harvey Oswald, moving toward the shots fired into the open convertible of President Kennedy, and, finally, the swearing in of Lyndon Johnson as the new president. Later, readers learn how Jack Ruby, just two days later on live television, shot and killed Oswald, leaving a host of questions unanswered. In what Mara calls “The Ultimate Whodunit,” he presents a full discussion of the many conspiracy theories that have been debated for years and are still unresolved today. Back matter will assist the young researcher who wishes to learn more about this historic event. Included are chapter notes, references for further research (books, DVDs, and websites), and a full bibliography of books, articles, and interviews. This highly readable, thorough, fair-handed presentation of the Kennedy assassination is an excellent addition to the classroom or home library.”

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Wil’s New JFK Assassination Title is Now Available

Wil’s new title on that fateful day in Dallas, ‘The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy,’ is now available for purchase. You can find it through all leading online retailers. It is also being offered through our eShop (signed, with free shipping, and at a considerably lower price than any online merchant) HERE.

For a free look at the first chapter, click HERE.

Scholastic, the world’s leading publisher of books for children, is confident that this title will become a library standard for years to come. It is a deeply informative and generously illustrated volume that should adequately satisfy any student’s curiosity on the subject.

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Free Preview of Wil’s The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy Available Now

The first chapter of Wil’s forthcoming book The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy is now available for free by clicking HERE.

This title is a nonfiction companion to Wil’s 2013 bestseller Frame 232. It will be released by Scholastic, the world’s leading publisher of books for children (the ‘Harry Potter’ series, ‘Goosebumps,’ etc.), on September 1 and available through all major retailers. Signed copies will also be offered exclusively through our eShop—the perfect back-to-school gift or early purchase for the forthcoming holiday season.

Enjoy!

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