Children's and YA Books from Indie Authors
Independent Authors Offer Great Reading for Young People
As a librarian and experienced book reviewer for some large publishing houses, I am often asked to review books by independent authors. The fact that these writers are not going through a major publishing house does not diminish the quality of many of their books, I have found. Yes, sometimes a book could use more editing or a more professional layout, but I have been delighted by many of the authors whose work I have reviewed. I hope you will also enjoy the YA (Young Adult, in librarian lingo) titles I've chosen to share here. Great stories are the stuff of great books,
The String Quartet
A Story that Mixes Music and German Mythology with History and Teen Drama
This delightful book from Dan Hupalo weaves so much culture and history into a story, yet keeps it appealing to young readers. What happens when you play classical music with your friends (and maybe some kids who are not so friendly yet) on a magic cello? What if it somehow connects you to the grandfather you never knew, the Valkries, and a magical kingdom ruled by a despot?
If this sounds intriguing, get this book to meet some teens with fairly normal problems who end up in a mess that goes well beyond normal. They will to use their wits and get over their petty differences to get back home together. This story will appeal to both boys and girls.
International Adventure from Princila Murrell
Girl of the Book
I reviewed this book in detail on my blog. Princila Murrell did a wonderful job telling the story of a South African girl who must move to Saudi Arabia with her family for her father's new job. Being the new kid at school is an experience many kids go through, so they will identify with some of the problems Courtney faces. Courtney, however, has more problems than usual at her new school: She is from another country, another religion, and another culture/language, so opportunities for accidental misunderstandings abound. This could be a miserable disaster--or an opportunity to grow!
It will encourage readers that Courtney does find friends, despite difficulties. It takes time, but she learns to make adjustments and some of her classmates accept her.
More about Indie Publishing
Why do Authors Choose to Publish Independently?
The advent of e-books and print-on-demand publishing has made it possible for almost anyone to publish a book. While this does mean there are some bad books floating around, full of typos and poorly formatted, it also means a new author has the chance to get read without going through all the hassles of the traditional publishing route.
Instead of sending proposals to publishers and waiting for responses, an indie author can simply pay a proofreader, pay someone to format their book (or learn formatting) and publish almost instantly through Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, CreateSpace, or other platforms.