Friday, April 25, 2014

Susan Beth Pfeffer

Meet Susan Beth Pfeffer. 

That's Pfeffer... like this...
      Say this...


She writes young adult fiction… really good ones.







You can find out all about her at her blog.




Meteors, moons, and me. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2014, from             http://susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com/

    This is Pfeffer’s own personal blog, Meteors, Moons, and Me. Here you can find out all about Pfeffer and her journey as an author. It has a lot of information about her life as an author. The blog has links to her Twitter account, email, fun games, and even has pictures of her cat Scooter.  

Scooter

She blogs about her writings, awards she has won, her feelings towards us (the fans), and even about interviews she has given about her books. The last blog entry discusses her retirement from writing. Her blog is the perfect way to really find out about what Pfeffer likes, dislikes, and who she really is. 



Interview with Susan Beth Pfeffer. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://yareview.net/2010/02/interview-with-susan-beth-pfeffer/

     Here is a interview YARN (Young Adult Review Network) did with Pfeffer. In this interview they talked about how she got her first book deal in college. They also discuss figure skating. She has characters modeled after famous skaters!  Pfeffer also talks to the interviewer about the foods she eats. They discuss what a day-in-the-life of an author looks like. Finally, they talk about some of her books and the characters in them. This is a great interview to help get to know Pfeffer better. 


Here is a list of 20 things to know about Susan Beth Pfeffer. 


I love number 7! 

We have met her… learned how to pronounce that name… and learned a little about what she does...let’s find out about some of her books 
(You know... the ones you really want to read.)



The Year Without Michael  

Pfeffer, S. B. (2003). The year without Michael. New York: Delacorte.


     This is the story of a family ripped apart when Michael, a 12 year old boy, disappears one day while he has gone to visit at a friend’s house. The story is told from the viewpoint of his sister, Jody. It explores the emotional journey, one full of waiting and devastation, a family goes through in the search for Michael. The search involves foul play, detectives, and fear. This book was named as one of the top 100 best books for young adults.



Ghostly Tales: Four Tales 
Pfeffer, S. B. (2002). Ghostly tales: Four tales.

           
     This is one of Pfeffer’s Portraits of Little Women series. It is four short stories about the March sisters set in Concord, Massachusetts during the 19th century. The supernatural story tells about getting lost in the woods, exploring a dark, scary castle, and finding treasure in an old attic. It also tells about the girls encountering frightening spirits in their own home. In each story, one of the four girls finds herself facing an apparition. This is truly an eerie, creepy book that all ages will surely love.



Blood Wounds 
Pfeffer, S. B. (2012). Blood wounds. Boston: Graphia.

          
    Blood Wounds is the story of Willa, a sixteen year old girl. She has lived through a relationship with an abusive father and with her mother has found a new family, one that is nice and loving. Suddenly it all changes with a call that her birth father has murdered his family and is rumored to be on his way to murder Willa and her mother. This is a story of struggle, both with the current situation, but with how Willa is coming to terms with her internal struggle over her abuse. Publishers Weekly reviewed this as an intense psychological drama that should not be missed. 


Life as We Knew It  
Pfeffer, S. B. (2008). Life as we knew it. Orlando: Harcourt.




            Life as We Knew It (LAWKI) is the first book of the Last Survivors Series. This story, told through a year’s worth of journal entries, is about Miranda and the first year after an asteroid crashes into the moon. It is a story of how Miranda and her family learn and prepare to survive in a world where tsunamis have swept the coasts, earthquakes have shaken the land, and volcanic ash covers the sky. This first year, in a scary new future, is a struggle to survive and find hope. This award winning book is a great beginning to a wonderful series.


The Dead and the Gone
 Pfeffer, S. B. (2008). The dead and the gone. Orlando [Fla.: Harcourt.

  “Even the rats are drowning,' Alex said. Nah,' Kevin said. 'They've been taking swimming lessons at the Y.” 



"Some big thing hit the moon last night, a planet or a comet or something. And it knocked the moon out of whack. It's closer to Earth now. Tidal waves. Flooding, blackouts, panic." pg. 9



            The Dead and the Gone is the second book in the apocalyptic Last Survivors series.  This book is a companion novel to the first, Life as We Knew It. It tells the story from New York, where Alex, with his parent missing, must care for his two sisters. The city is quickly running out of everything needed to keep them alive. Alex, relying heavily on his Catholic faith, must make decisions on how best to save them all. This powerful and realistic story about survival is a great addition to the series. 


This World We Live In
 Pfeffer, S. B. (2010). Life as we knew it: This world we live in. Boston: Graphia.


Life's sloppy...You think you know how tomorrow's going to be, you've made your plans, everything is set in place, and then the unimaginable happens. Life catches you by surprise. It always does. But there's good mixed in with the bad. It's there. You just have to recognize it.” 



            This World We Live In is the next, third, in the Last Survivors series. It is a year later for both Miranda and Alex. They are still learning how to survive in this new world. It suddenly becomes a bit harder when Miranda’s dad and family show up, with Alex and his sisters with him. Alex and Miranda find themselves drawn to each other, but there are other plans that may keep them apart. 


The Shade of the Moon 
Pfeffer, S. B. (2013). The shade of the moon.

           
 Newly released, The Shade of the Moon, is the eagerly awaited fourth book in the Last Survivors series. It is two years later and the family has left Pennsylvania. This story focuses on Jon and his entry into a protected enclave because of his soccer skills. Jon struggles with his guilt and the things he must continue to do to stay in this safer environment. The world has become one of the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Which one will Jon choose? 

Is Scooter preparing a survival kit? 

I hope you have fallen in love with Susan Beth Pfeffer and want to read all her books.


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