Finding an Audience

I have been very fortunate to get so much positive feedback from readers of Fouling Out. As it is summer and I am not working with children at the moment, the current batch of praise is coming from adults, particularly people ranging in age from their thirties to their eighties. One person from Colorado emailed me to say, "I guess I've finally found the right reading level."

When I wrote Fouling Out, I intended for it to be a quick read. The short chapters provided ample opportunities for reading breaks to stop and think about the characters and plot or to wolf down a bag of barbecue potato chips. (Hopefully readers remember to wash their hands before returning to the book. Orange-colored smudges in the margins create an unexpected mystery for the next reader. People who solve the mystery find it a little bit gross.) The thrill for me is that so many people keep on reading. When someone says, "I couldn't put it down", that is high praise.

Adults, keep reading the book and recommending it to others. I am so grateful! As well, I would love to hear more reactions from readers between the ages of 10 and 14. Are the characters realistic? Can you make connections with them or with events in the book?

I believe Fouling Out makes a wonderful summertime read. Read a chapter while in the car en route to the pool. Read another while waiting for a friend to come over. Talk about it. (I think talking about books adds to the pleasure of reading. I am referring to casual conversations, not stilted talks based on teacher questions.)

As teachers get ready for a new school year, I also hope they will consider using
Fouling Out as a novel study or a read aloud in grade six, seven or eight. I would love to share my email for students and teachers to send questions and comments. Of course, any reader is welcome to post a comment here on the blog.

Read on!