# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read 81 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A thoughtful exploration about finding oneself, learning to hope after loss, and recognizi...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Mark H. Parsons (The 9:09 Project)!

Meet the Author: Mark H. Parsons

Mark H. Parsons is a writer and musician living on the Central Coast of California with his wife (also a writer and musician). They have two sons with whom they occasionally make loud music under the name Risky Whippet. Mark enjoys the three "R's"-reading, running, and rock 'n' roll.
About the Book: The 9:09 Project
A thoughtful exploration about finding oneself, learning to hope after loss, and recognizing the role that family, friends, and even strangers can play in the healing process if you are open and willing to share your experience with others.
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I'd been through a bit of a time and I had a vague idea-really, more of a vibe than anything concrete-about the healing power of art. Creativity helps many of us navigate life, so I decided to just jump in, listen to my characters, and see where they might take me.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Jamison. He's just a bright, lonely guy trying to find his place in the world.

No... I think it's Ollie. The snarky-yet-loving sister everyone needs.

No wait, Assi. Definitely Assi. She's awesome!

On the other hand... Ms. Montinello. I would have loved having her as a teacher.

Don't make me choose. I love them all.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
It's a funny story. I had a working title first-before I started the story-and it sort of guided me through the writing of the novel. Then at the end I realized 'The 9:09 Project' was a better title, so we went with that. So: title à novel à title.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
The scene at the drive-through. And that's all I'm going to say about that! 😊
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what's the most important thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?
The value of paying attention to pacing, and how revision can be a tool to bring that into line. My editor-Beverly Horowitz-was really helpful with this.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
That it's simple, graphic, and striking. And that the nearly monochromatic character surrounded by swirls of color hints at the story's exploration of synesthesia.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2022?
The new Karen McManus-NOTHING MORE TO TELL. She's a master of the multi-POV thriller.
YABC: What's a book you've recently read and loved?
THE PEACH REBELLION, by Wendelin Van Draanen. Wow. I dare you to read that opening scene and not be fully invested in the story of these girls. (And not to cry.)
YABC: What's up next for you?
I'm working on a YA thriller. It's been challenging (in the best way) because along with the characters and setting and overall vibe, the mystery events have to fit together like a multi-faceted puzzle. So in a way, it feels like starting over... which is both scary and super fun!
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
The scene where Jamison's mother dies, absolutely. That was hard to write, but I knew we had to see it to fully understand Jamison. I ended up placing it in the middle of an otherwise-uplifting chapter, not just for contrast but to give the reader-and myself, to be honest-a buoy after that scene.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
Kennedy. She started out as just sort of a 'mean girl,' but as Jamison (and I) got to know her better, she became much more complex and nuanced. Her story probably required more revision than anyone else's, but in the end she became a fully-fleshed, three-dimensional character.
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
I would hope the reader who approaches this book with an open heart will take something away from it, but I would be the last person to say what that is. Reading is a collaboration... the reading experience is a combination of the words on the page and what the reader brings to the table.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
That's funny... in the book, Jamison says he thinks everyone has a minor superpower. Not sure if that applies in my case. But I will say, however, that I love putting stories on the page, to the point where I would pay to write. Does that count?
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I think the people of Ukraine are in everyone's heart these days, including mine.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
Don't place too much importance on what people on social media are saying about writing. Instead, trust yourself, focus on YOUR story, and write!

Author: Mark H. Parsons

Release Date: Nov. 15, 2022

Publisher: Delacorte Press/Random House

Genre: Realistic/Contemporary YA

Age Range: 12 and up

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Interview With Author Mark H. Parsons (THE 9:09 PROJECT)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Mark H. Parsons (The 9:09 Project)! Meet the Author: Mark H. Parsons Mark H. Parsons is a writer and musician living on the Central Coast of California with his wife (also a writer and musician).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read 7,502 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A slick, twisty YA page-turner about the daughter of a con artist who is taken hostage i...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Born in a mountain cabin to a punk-rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural northern California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing colony of formerly feral cats. She is the author of Barbed Wire Heart, the critically acclaimed YA novel Far From You and the upcoming Jurassic World prequel, The Evolution of Claire. She is also the co-editor of Toil & Trouble, a feminist anthology about witches. Her short fiction has been featured in All Out, an anthology edited by Saundra Mitchell.
Tess is represented byJim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Literary Management. Please send all rights inquiries and blurb requests to Jim.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Born in a mountain cabin to a punk-rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural northern California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing colony of formerly feral cats. She is the author of Barbed Wire Heart, the critically acclaimed YA novel Far From You and the upcoming Jurassic World prequel, The Evolution of Claire.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Back to the Future meets The Joy Luck Club in this YA c…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Being a first-generation Asian American immigrant is hard. You know what’s harder? Being the daughter of one.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maybelline Chen isn’t the Chinese Taiwanese American da…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Graphic novel superstars Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gene Luen Yang & LeUyen Pham - Lunar New Year Love Story - with Ellen Oh

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Song of Achilles and Circe get a sapphic, young adu…

# data[].attributes.headline
An Interview with Rebecca Caprara and Madeline Miller

# data[].attributes.subject
An Interview with Rebecca Caprara and Madeline Miller

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Madeline Miller and Rebecca Caprara reexamine the women of Greek mythology | Book of the Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read 3,613 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Mors vincit omnia. Death conquers all. London, 1883. The Veil between the living and de...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An interracial friendship between two teenaged girls go…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Andrew Joseph White (he/him) grew up in Virginia and began writing before he could actually write, offering scribbled paper to his parents with demands that they read the illegible nonsense back to him. After drafting several novels in middle and high school, he attended George Mason University for his bachelor’s and master’s in creative writing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Excerpt Read Aloud: Author Lesa-Cline Ransome Shares FOR LAMB

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A resourceful teenager in rural Vermont struggles to ho…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Finalist, National Book Awards 2023 for Young People's Literature

ISBN 9781536231113
Candlewick Press

Kenneth M. Cadow

Kenneth M. Cadow is an educator and writer who lives in Pompanoosuc, Vermont. Gather is his first young adult novel. More about this author >

From the publisher:
Ian Gray isn't supposed to have a dog, but a lot of things that shouldn't happen end up happening anyway. And Gather, Ian's adopted pup, is good company now that Ian has to quit the basketball team, find a job, and take care of his mom as she tries to overcome her opioid addiction. Despite the obstacles thrown their way, Ian is determined to keep his family afloat no matter what it takes. And for a little while, things are looking up: Ian makes friends, and his fondness for the outdoors and for fixing things lands him work helping neighbors. But an unforeseen tragedy results in Ian and his dog taking off on the run, trying to evade a future that would mean leaving their house and their land. Even if the community comes together to help him, would Ian and Gather have a home to return to?

Told in a wry, cautious first-person voice that meanders like a dog circling to be sure it's safe to lie down, Kenneth M. Cadow's resonant debut brings an emotional and ultimately hopeful story of one teen's resilience in the face of unthinkable hardships.

Judges Citation

Gather is a dog, but Gather is about gathering together resources, people, and love. Kenneth M. Cadow tells a story about finding value in what-and who-might be easily overlooked. Ian's struggles and triumphs-within himself, his family, and his community-explore larger questions about belonging to a place and a way of life. In familiar yet transcendent prose, each intricate sentence, doubling back satisfyingly upon itself, forces us to pay attention until the very end.

This site contains affiliate links. The National Book Foundation may earn from qualifying purchases through programs with Amazon.com, Bookshop.org, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Levenger. Privacy Policy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A resourceful teenager in rural Vermont struggles to hold on to the family home while his mom recovers from addiction in this striking debut novel.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read 5,744 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A debut novel about a queer Mexican American girl navigating Catholic school, while fall...

# data[].attributes.headline
Banned Book Club Event Interview with the Author

# data[].attributes.subject
Banned Book Club Event Interview with the Author

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Banned Book Club Event with Sonora Reyes: The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School