Happy Book Birthday to AFTER ZERO!
In this middle grade novel, twelve-year-old Elise carries a notebook full of tallies, each page marking a day spent at her new public school, each stroke of her pencil marking a word spoken. A word that can’t be taken back. Five tally marks isn’t so bad. Two is pretty good. But zero? Zero is perfect. Zero means no wrong answers called out in class, no secrets accidentally spilled, no conversations to agonize over at night when sleep is far away.
But now months have passed, and Elise isn’t sure she could speak even if she wanted to―not to keep her only friend, Mel, from drifting further away―or to ask if anyone else has seen her English teacher’s stuffed raven come to life. Then, the discovery of a shocking family secret helps Elise realize that her silence might just be the key to unlocking everything she’s ever hoped for…
We’re so happy you’re at our party for AFTER ZERO. Join in the fun…
PARTY SOUNDS…
Show tunes like “Quiet” from Matilda the Musical and “The Girl I Mean to Be” from The Secret Garden the Musical, which totally have Elise vibes, are played (feel free to sing along!), as well as calming, anxiety-reducing music like Beethoven’s “Für Elise” (which translates to “For Elise” — the name of AFTER ZERO’s protagonist!). There’s also some fast-paced fiddle music, like the kind Elise hears–and loves–at one point during her journey…
PARTY FOOD…
Sticky buns and all the other delicious-smelling baked goods you would find at Pastry’s Pastries, Elise’s favorite bakery in AFTER ZERO. Plus cupcakes with raven toppers!
PARTY GAMES…
Popping outside for a bird-watching session is a must! Maybe you’ll even spot Beady, Elise’s raven “stalker”…
PARTY FAVORS…
Raven feathers (to wear in your hair or tuck behind your ear, like Elise does), Selective Mutism Awareness notebooks, and bookmarks–because one can always use bookmarks!
AFTER ZERO is written by Christina Collins and published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. You can buy this book at the retailers below…
Christina Collins grew up in Massachusetts and lives in Northern Ireland, where she’s always on the lookout for castle ruins and secret gardens. She holds an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University and is finishing a PhD in creative writing at Queen’s University Belfast. She has taught at both universities and been a writer-in-residence at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts as well as the Art Commune program in Armenia. You can find her on both Twitter and Instagram as @stinacoll, or visit her website at www.christinacollinsbooks.com.
Did you have fun at the party? Tell the author in the comments!
KEEP CELEBRATING! BUY THIS BOOK AT: An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Cafe (ships to US, Canada, UK & Australia) | The Silver Unicorn Bookstore | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Book Depository
BONUS GIVEAWAY!