"Love, Penelope"

Joanne Rocklin's children’s books have garnered starred reviews, as well as awards, including The SCBWI Golden Kite, Parents’ Choice Gold Medal, Sydney Taylor Notable, ALA Notable, California Library Association Beatty Award, and others. They are also on many state lists.

Rocklin applied the Page 69 Test to her new middle grade novel, Love, Penelope, and reported the following:

Page 69 gives us much insight into the foibles and joys of Penny’s life, crammed into just one and a half entries. Penny tells her unborn sibling about her jealousy of the new girl Hazel’s budding friendship with Penny’s best friend, Gabby. She brags about the amazing Warrior wins in games against the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings. She worries about the snoring of Mama because of the pregnancy and the driest January on record.

And, as an extra bonus, glancing over at page 68, the reader can’t help but notice the talent of illustrator Lucy Knisley, whose brilliant drawings are scattered throughout the journal entries. Page 68 shows a wonderfully humorous line drawing of Penny imagining herself revealing a negative truth about herself to Martin Luther King, Jr., whom she reveres.

Watch the Love Penelope video trailer, and visit Joanne Rocklin's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Joanne Rocklin & Zoe.

My Book, The Movie: Love, Penelope.

--Marshal Zeringue