BLOOD GUARD a finalist for Utah’s 2015-16 Beehive Book Award!

The third wonder of this spring was learning that The Blood Guard has been nominated for Utah’s 2015-16 Beehive Book Award. Like the Iowa Children’s Choice Award and the Maine Student Book Award, this award is voted upon by students across the great state of Utah after a year spent reading the ten nominees. And like those other awards I’ve mentioned, just knowing that The Blood Guard is going to be read and talked about by the very readers it was written for makes me happier than I can express with mere words.

The other nine nominees are all great books, make no mistake: from Cece Bell’s funny and moving El Deafo to Jude Watson’s great Loot, each of these novels is among the best of the year. I am beyond grateful to find The Blood Guard rubbing shoulders with this lot, and only hope that Ronan, Greta, Sammy, and Jack prevail when all the votes are tallied!