Be Light Like a Bird Guest Post & Giveaway!

I am delighted to feature a special new middle grade novel on the blog today, and even more excited about one of you winning a copy!!

Available September 1, 2016

Thank you, Nicole, for inviting me to write a short piece about Be Light Like a Bird for your blog.

When people ask me, "What is your new book about?" I often retell the plot. But I think Be Light Like a Bird is also about forgiveness and relates to a fundamental question most people, young and old, have to deal with at some point in their life: How do we forgive those who hurt us? Wren is devastated and hurt after the loss of her father. Her mother's distant and cold behaviour adds to her pain and out of her desperation she even wants to lash out against her mother. It takes a long time for Wren to finally learn what causes her mother to act the way she does. Her mother had kept a secret from her and the truth had to come out for Wren to be able to forgive.

Finally, knowing the truth enables Wren to see her mother with more empathy and be less judgmental. It may not be possible for a 12-year old to see past her own emotions when judging a parent but I hope that reading about Wren and her mother helps young readers to realize that adults have their own struggles to deal with, and these may cause them to act in ways children might find inexplicable.

~Monika Schroder 

Good luck!