Happy Book Birthday to BONE'S GIFT by Angie Smibert!

I’m delighted to wish a superb book and it's author, Angie Smibert, the very happiest of book birthdays! 

BONE'S GIFT is a supernatural historical mystery about twelve-year-old Bone, who possesses a Gift that allows her to see the stories in everyday objects. When she receives a note that says her mother's Gift killed her, Bone seeks to unravel the mysteries of her mother's death, the schisms in her family, and the Gifts themselves.

In a southern Virginia coal-mining town in 1942, Bone Phillips has just reached the age when most members of her family discover their Gift. Bone has a Gift that disturbs her; she can sense stories when she touches an object that was important to someone. She sees both sad and happy--the death of a deer in an arrowhead, the pain of a beating in a baseball cap, and the sense of joy in a fiddle. There are also stories woven into her dead mama's butter-yellow sweater--stories Bone yearns for and fears. When Bone receives a note that says her mama's Gift is what killed her, Bone tries to uncover the truth. Could Bone's Gift do the same? This beautifully resonant coming-of-age tale is about learning to trust the power of your own story.

Read on for our excellent reviews!

★ “This mystical mystery makes good use of its World War II backdrop, with sure-fire markers of the times ranging from Pearl Harbor to Negro League Baseball. It also effectively evokes the Appalachian culture with written dialect and a cultural emphasis on storytelling that’ll snag even history-resistant readers...No worries about what’s to come for Bone and her family, though; Bone’s Gift is just the opening installment of the Ghosts of Ordinary Objects trilogy.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“[Bone’s Gift] is a middle-grade book, but it has much wider appeal than that. I loved this book. When it comes out on March 20th, I highly recommend grabbing it. The setting is beautiful, the characters rich, and the plot just windy enough to keep you interested (but not confused).” — Blogger & Librarian, Rebecca Ciota

"An intriguing blend of history and magic." — Kirkus Reviews

"This well-researched novel has a strong sense of place...The narrative includes stories from both Appalachian and Cherokee traditions, and offers complex perspectives on child labor, duty, and the effects illness and war had on rural communities."— Booklist

Please find BONE'S GIFT at your library or local bookstore. Congrats and happiest of Pub Days to Angie — stop by her site, here and here, to say hello!