WHISTLE IN THE DARK has been named the 2015 winner of the Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children’s Literature, from Literary-Arts and the Oregon Book Awards. It’s also on the 2015-2016 Arkansas State Reading List for the Charlie May Simon Children’s Book Award.
An excerpt of WHISTLE IN THE DARK was awarded the Katherine Paterson Prize, middle-grade fiction category (judge, Katherine Paterson) from Hunger Mountain, the journal of the Vermont College of Fine Arts. It was also a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2013, and a Bank Street Best Book of 2014. ★“Long writes with modest restraint, never drifting into sentimentality or overpowering the story with historical details, while remaining squarely centered in the story’s time and place. The novel sings with graceful recurring motifs, true emotions, and devastating observations about the beauty that can be found in the darkest hours.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review “This coming-of-age story is eloquently told, and the characters are particularly well crafted… The story never feels episodic or overdrawn despite the multiple plot threads; the events are precisely paced, and the story unfolds naturally. … readers who have witnessed Clem’s struggles and growth over the course of the novel wouldn’t have [the ending] any other way.”–Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “Well-developed characters, rapid plot development, and interesting scenes make this a debut that will appeal to reluctant readers.”–School Library Journal “beautifully crafted historical fiction…”–Augusta Scattergood, Christian Science Monitor “As engaging historical fiction does best, this debut novel…vividly brings to light a period in time where values prove timeless.”–Booklist |