Miriam Spitzer Franklin - Kid Lit Editorial
EXTRAORDINARY (Skypony Press, May 2015)
Ten-year-old Pansy plans to become an extraordinary person...but she has only 14.5 weeks to reach her goal! That's when her best friend is having surgery that she hopes will cure her after a brain injury, and she's determined her friend will wake up and forgive her for all her broken promises.
Here's what the critics are saying about EXTRAORDINARY:
“A moving novel… crystal-clear writing is filled with rich detail and believable characters. The sensitive story will resonate with young girls wrestling with friendship pains.” – Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“In this effective debut, an elementary-school student tries to cope with the absence of her longtime best friend.” -Booklist
“A gentle story about two ten-year-old best friends divided by illness…readers will recognize that Pansy’s dedication to her friend is plenty extraordinary…” Publisher’s Weekly
“A fine addition to upper elementary and middle school collections where weighty realistic fiction is in demand.- School Library Journal, Jessica Ko, Los Angeles Public Library
“Pansy is a delightful character! You can’t help but cheer for her as she seeks to become “extraordinary” for her best friend, who is set to have surgery in the near future… a heartwarming and solid debut from Spitzer Franklin.” Katie Posey, Bookish Illuminations
“Extraordinary is a tender coming of age story that exemplifies the meaning of friendship, and gently reminds the reader that we are capable of more than we think.”- Compass Book Rating
CALL ME SUNFLOWER (Skypony Press May 2017)
Eleven-year-old Sunny comes up with a "totally awesome plan" to reunite her parents, but first must reconcile their past and present or risk losing their future after she finds a photograph that changes everything.
Here's what the critics are saying about CALL ME SUNFLOWER:
"Readers will be both heartbroken and warmed by the way Sunny views the world and her attempts to change it. This is a story of love, family, resilience, and grief—themes that resonate with many. Sunny is a relatable heroine with a noble cause that readers won't soon forget." —Erin Entrada Kelly, Newbery Award winner of Hello, Universe, Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space
"A beautifully told and at times poignant story about how difficult it can be for children to navigate their changing world. Franklin’s Sunflower is a lovable, creative character, and her attempts to reunite her parents, make new friendships, and form a bond with her grandmother will have readers glued to the page and heartened by the story’s themes of love and resilience." —Wendy McLeod MacKnight, author of Copy Cat and The Frame-up
"A moving and realistic story . . . Sunflower shines with emotion, convincing dialogue, and relatable characters." —Atlanta Journal-Constitutional
EMILY OUT OF FOCUS (Skypony Press May 2019)
An aspiring photojournalist travels to China to adopt her little sister and is pulled into a secret adventure to help another big sister in the search for her birth mom.
"A true-to-life story about one family's joys and struggles during the overseas adoption process." —Kirkus Reviews
"A heartfelt story exploring the complexities of family and friendship. Emily is so relatable, she flies right off the page and straight into your heart." —Abby Cooper, author of Sticks & Stones and Bulbbes
"Told through the lens of twelve-year-old Emily, an aspiring photojournalist, this story honestly relates the joy and struggle of a family as they pick up their long-awaited daughter, Mei Lin, from an orphanage in YiYang City in China. Readers will cheer Emily on as she transforms from a reluctant big sister and trepidatious traveler who is harboring a few secrets to a welcoming big sister." —Hillary Homzie, author of Apple Pie Promises and Pumpkin Spice Secrets