Azalea, Unschooled

Liza Kleinman is a freelance writer who lives in Portland, Maine. Her short fiction has appeared in several magazines and in the anthology Writes of Passage: Coming-of-Age Stories from the Hudson Review. She also writes language arts educational materials for elementary, middle, and high school students.

 

Author photo by Kevin Bennett for Islandport Press

Brook Gideon is an artist from southeastern Massachusetts. A graduate of the Children’s Book Illustration certificate program at the Rhode Island School of Design, she also has a degree in biology from the University of Tampa. She survived the Blizzard of ‘78, a Garanimals wardrobe from Bradlees, big hair of the 80s, and palmetto bugs crawling over her during the 90s so she could pursue writing and illustrating children’s books. Her favorite media for illustrating are any combination of ink, linocuts and watercolors. Brook now lives in central Massachusetts with her book-hoarding-intervention-counselor husband, their two children, and numerous vacuums to slay the ghost Wookiees arising from two large dogs and a herd of cats.

 

"With everyday challenges come valuable lessons, and both parents and kids can be educated by this fascinating perspective." —Foreword Reviews

 

“a fun mystery book for middle graders (which makes a great read aloud for younger children as well). The book’s real focus lies within the importance of family and friendship. . . A quick, page turner with sweet, black and white illustrations.” ––Children's Book Review, Instagram (@childrens_book_review)

 

"Azalea, Unschooled is a sweet story with imaginative and thoughtful young characters. Young readers will be intrigued to find out that there are options when it comes to attending school and perhaps start conversations with their parents about how they might learn best."—Jerri Blatt, homeschooling parent & children's librarian

 

"Kleinman’s use of language is well balanced and seemingly effortless. She maintains a consistent storyline with diverse and evolving (yet always relatable) characters, and expertly juggles multiple themes – family conflict, young friendship, and trust among them. With a moving plot and some unexpected turns, Kleinman upholds a sophistication that’s rarely seen in middle-reader books."
—Sarah Giles, Bangor Daily News Blogger

 

"The middle-grade novel has a good old-fashioned “whodunnit” that adds just enough suspense . . ."
—Portland Press Herald 

 

"[Azalea, Unschooled is] a clever, fun story containing well-crafted life lessons about family and friend relationships, parents and children, and the things they learn when faced with unexpected challenges."
—Bill Bushnell, Kennebec Journal