S1 E3: Megan E Freeman and Alone

Today’s episode is with middle grade author, Megan E Freeman. The Read to Write Kidlit book club read Alone this month. We read closely to notice what Megan did to bring us in to her story and then asked her questions about writing craft. Our goal is to learn more about writing craft through discussions with each other, our reading, and our discussion with the author. We hope you also learn more about writing after this podcast.

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Music credits: Will Saulnier

About Megan E Freeman

* Has been a writer since forever

* Award-winning teacher

* Member of SCBWI and other writing organizations

Perfect for fans of Hatchet and the I Survived series, this harrowing middle grade debut novel-in-verse from a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet tells the story of a young girl who wakes up one day to find herself utterly alone in her small Colorado town.

When twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She’s alone—left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned.

With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. Her only companions are a Rottweiler named George and all the books she can read. After a rough start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a place that has been deserted and forgotten.

As months pass, she escapes natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie’s most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie’s stubborn will to survive carry her through the most frightening experience of her life?

* Colorado Book Award

* Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont children’s book awards

* NCTE Notable Verse Novel

* Included on over two dozen "best of" and state reading lists.

Looking Ahead

We have an amazing line up in 2024! Order the books now and join our discussion.

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