A Night of Soccer & Secrets: Laurie Morrison in conversation w/ Erin Becker

Join beloved author Laurie Morrison for the release of her new book, WHERE ELLA WENT (ages 10-14), a gripping, funny, multiformat mystery in the vein of other upper middle grade favorites like WHAT HAPPENED TO RACHEL RILEY? If you’re familiar with Laurie’s novels, you already know she is adept at writing coming-of-age stories that shine a revealing light on middle school relationships, both on and off the field. Laurie will be in conversation with Erin Becker, whose upper middle grade novel CRUSHING IT similarly uses soccer as a gateway to exploring rich adolescent themes. The authors will discuss challenges and opportunities inherent in writing for the tween and young teen audience, share stories of their own turbulent adolescences, and give listeners a window into their writing processes.

Following the conversation, the authors will hold a Q&A with the audience, followed by a signing line. Your ticket comes with a pre-signed hardcover copy of WHERE ELLA WENT. Past titles by both authors will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Parents of children under 12 must remain on the premises but can wait on the adult side if they don’t wish to purchase a ticket. Anyone attending the event must have a ticket.

About Where Ella Went
Why did Ella leave? Eighth Graders Sadie and Pug don’t have anything in common except for their love of soccer and their loyalty to Ella, the overachieving team captain. So when Ella doesn’t show up for the most important game of the season and her parents pull her out of school, Sadie and Pug are determined to find out what happened, even though they don’t usually get along. There’s no way Ella abandoned the team!

But as Sadie and Pug dig deeper, they begin to realize that Ella’s life wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. And maybe Sadie and Pug have a few secrets that need to come to light, too. Maybe all their classmates do…

Told in recordings, letters, texts, journal entries, and emails, Where Ella Went is a funny and absorbing slice-of-life mystery about friendship, teamwork, and the pressures of being in middle school.

About Laurie Morrison
Laurie Morrison is a middle school teacher and the author of six middle-grade novels, including Keeping Pace, Coming Up Short, Saint Ivy, and Up for Air. Her books have earned starred reviews and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and they have appeared on state award lists and other best-of lists, including School Library Journal's Best Middle Grade Books and Publishers Weekly's Best Summer Reads. Laurie holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she lives with her family in Philadelphia, PA. You can find her at lauriemorrisonwrites.com.

About Erin Becker
Erin Becker (she/her) is an author and marketer living in Washington, DC. She grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was a Morehead-Cain scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and holds her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Crushing It–think Bend It Like Beckham meets “enemies-to-first-crushes” for the preteen set–was her first novel and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. When she’s not writing, you can find her at the gym, or occasionally playing soccer (though not nearly as well as Mel and Tory). Learn more at erinbecker.me.

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