Dispatches from Islandport

Another accolade for "Mercy"

We're thrilled to find out that "Mercy: The Last New England Vampire", by Sarah L. Thomson, has been named to the prestigious Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2011, produced by VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates). VOYA is the premier publication for young adult librarians.

Here's what the Top Shelf editors said about Mercy:

"Don't read this book alone at night. This is a classic horror story where every detail of Haley's life seems real and ordinary except for the smell of death and clay in Aunt Brown's house; a beloved cousin wasting away from an unexplainable blood disease; and an ancestor's glove that appears to have crawled out of its box. Haley is researching Mercy, an ancestor who died of tuberculosis in 1892. As others in her family died, hysteria grew in this small New England town, until someone whispered the word vampire. But did Mercy ever die or is she still feeding? Thomson sharply captures images in words the way her character Haley captures them with her camera." 

Congratulations, Sarah! Mercy is a great pick for reluctant readers; for middle schoolers who want a vampire novel that's age-appropriate, if you know what I mean; for kids who want a well-told story with a sympathetic protagonist; and really, for anyone who appreciates a well-written tale sprinkled with utterly believable creepiness and mystery! 

 

 

Portland author’s novel named to Barnes and Noble’s Best Young Adult Fiction of 2011 list

A Portland author’s young adult novel, inspired by the true story of a teen accused of being a vampire in 1890s Rhode Island, has been named one of the ten best YA books of 2011 by The Barnes and Noble Review.

Mercy: The Last New England Vampire, by Portland author Sarah L. Thomson and published by Islandport Press, is a contemporary story told through the eyes of 14-year-old Haley Brown. As Haley traces her family’s history for a school project, she stumbles across eerie signs and ghostly messages from the past. Ultimately, Haley must learn to overcome her fears, cope with loss, and find her own strength to save herself and her family.

Barnes and Noble reviewer Amy Benfer says Mercy “is a refreshing reminder that much of what we call supernatural phenomena are very human indeed.” Of the top ten books on the list, Benfer says, “They are books for people of all ages who appreciate what makes a story work on the page: fresh storytelling, a distinctive voice, and compelling use of language.”

Mercy was also awarded a silver medal in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards for young adult fiction (horror/mystery category).

Award-winning author Sarah L. Thomson has published more than 25 books for young readers. Her young adult titles include Dragon's Egg (Junior Literary Guild Premier Selection and Maine Lupine Award winner, 2007),The Dragon's Son, which Booklist called "a spellbinding tale of love, intrigue, and betrayal," The Manny ("worthy of Jane Austen," according to The Washington Post), The Secret of the Rose, and The Young Reader's Edition of Three Cups of Tea (a New York Times bestseller). A former children's book editor for HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, she now lives and writes in Portland, Maine.

 

 

 

Day Four of Online Book Auction Has Started; includes Gerry Boyle, Sarah Thomson

Day Four of the inaugural Islandport Press Online Literary Auction to Fight Hunger is under way.  Day Four features eight autographed books and a wonderful painting by Page O'Rourke. Today's list is: "Port City Black and White" and "Damaged Goods" signed by Gerry Boyle; "Maine Places, Maine Faces" signed by Fred Field; "The Fish House Door" signed by Astrid Sheckels; "Mercy" signed by Sarah L. Thomson; "Pine Point" a painting by Page O'Rourke; "Stealing History" and "Breaking Ground" by William Andrews; and "A is for Allagash" signed by Louis and Cathie Pelletier.

For the complete rules and a list of all the books in the five-day auction, please visit: www.islandportpress.com/fighthunger.

 

Great Signed Books Available on Day Three of Anti-Hunger Online Book Auction

We are at the mid-way point of our inaugural Islandport Press Online Literary Auction to Fight Hunger (yes, I think we need a catchier name next year) and very happy with how the event is developing this first year. I thank everyone who has bid so for and all the authors and illustrators who generously donated books and other items. Day Three features a tremendously strong line-up of autographed books (and book related items). Here we go: "King Hugo's Huge Ego," signed by Chris Van Dusen; Mike Bowditch Mystery Set featuring "Trespasser" and "The Poacher's Son," signed by Paul Doiron; "American Nations," signed by Colin Woodard; "At Home by the Sea," signed by photographer Brian Vanden Brink; "The Pig Scramble," signed by author Jessica Kinney; Cat at Night pillow, based on Dahlov Ipcar illustrations; "101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out," signed by author Josh Pahigian. For the full list of items, including those for Day Four and Five, please visit: www.islandportpress.com/fighthunger.

Day Two of Anti-Hunger Online Signed Book Auction Rolling Along

Bidding is well under way for all books scheduled for the second day of our five-day online
auction to raise money to support the Maine Credit Union's Campaign for Ending Hunger. Bidding on the 8 books (7 sets) will end tomorrow morning. Today's autographed books are: "The Silent Girl" signed by Tess Gerritsen; "The Cat at Night" signed by Dahlov Ipcar; "Islands in Time" signed by Philip Conkling; "The Scallop Christmas" signed by illustrator Astrid Sheckels; "My Wonderful Christmas Tree" signed by Dahlov Ipcar; "Old Maine Woman" signed by Glenna Johnson Smith; "Show Me Good Land" signed by Shonna Milliken Humphrey; and Beverly Hallam: An Odyssey in Art" signed by Carl Little. For full details and list of all books, please visit www.islandportpress.com/fighthunger.