Claire Swinarski in conversation with Laura Anne Bird

Join us for an evening with author Claire Swinarski for her new middle grade novel Each and Every Spark: an engrossing, timely, and propulsive story of two girls in Paris—one living under Nazi rule in the 1940s; the other in present day—and the mysterious painting that unites them. Swinarski will be in conversation with middle grade author Laura Anne Bird.

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About :
Paris, present day. Penny Marks has never felt so alone. Forced to move to France for some fancy job her mom couldn’t turn down, she’s now miles away from her old life. If she hadn’t quit art after all that drama went down last year, she’d at least have something to keep her mind off the fact that life back home is moving on without her.

Paris, 1943. Marie Bonnet has never felt so afraid. When the German army seized power over France, she and her sister Heloise watched their father get taken away, leaving them on their own. Then Marie finds evidence that Heloise has secretly been working for the French Resistance—a group of rebels set on a Nazi takedown—and while it has danger written all over it, she's desperate to join. Any small act of uprising could help their country…but it could also cost them their lives.

Penny and Marie’s worlds collide when an old painting resurfaces in present-day Paris after decades of being hidden. Along with it is a note whose message may lead Penny to Marie…and the fate that awaited her.

About the authors:
Claire Swinarski was born and raised in Wisconsin, where she still lives with her family and writes stories for readers of all ages. What Happens Next was her debut middle grade novel and was followed by The Kate in Between and What Happened to Rachel Riley, which was an ALA Notable Children’s Book, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults title, a Cybils Award nominee, and an Edgar Award nominee. These were followed by Take It from the Top. She thinks wandering around a library can solve 95 percent of life’s problems.

Laura Anne Bird is a Milwaukee native and the author of and . She graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in English. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, three big kids, and little dog. When she’s not reading, writing, or reviewing books, she loves to exercise and explore the outdoors.

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