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My name is Fran Cannon Slayton and my debut middle grade novel, WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS, came out June 11, 2009!

My editor is Patricia Lee Gauch, Editor-at-Large at Philomel Books, a division of Penguin's Young Reader Group.

"An unassuming masterpiece . . . " Kirkus, starred review.

"This is nostalgia done right . . . " School Library Journal, starred review.

“When the Whistle Blows is reminiscent of classic tales by Jack London, William Golding and Robert Louis Stevenson, yet carries the remarkable, fresh voice of its author. Fran Cannon Slayton should be extremely proud of this, her debut novel.”
—Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank and Identical and National Book Award finalist

“With wit and warmth Fran Cannon Slayton recounts a steam-driven coming of age story in the last of the real railroad days.”
—Richard Peck, author of A Year Down Yonder

“I loved When the Whistle Blows.”
—Barbara Keifer, Charlotte S. Huck Professor of Children’s Literature at Ohio State University and editor of Charlotte Huck’s on Children’s Literature college textbook.

“A highly engaging, well-written, really good read.”
—Dr. Joel Taxel, University of Georgia, Department of Language and Literary Education

“From its whip-smart opening to its look at the complexity of father/son relationships, Slayton’s loving novel takes a long hard look at the death of people and that intangible idea of ‘home’ . . . ‘When the Whistle Blows’ stopped me in my tracks.”
—Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse #8 Production (School Library Journal)

My name is Fran Cannon Slayton and my debut middle grade novel, WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS, came out June 11, 2009! My editor is Patricia Lee Gauch, Editor-at-Large at Philomel Books, a division of Penguin's Young Reader Group. "An unassuming masterpiece . . . " Kirkus, starred review. "This is nostalgia done right . . . " School Library Journal, starred review. “When the Whistle Blows is rem... More