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Zazakeley the aye-aye Apologies for no Writer's Block updates over the last few days. I have just spent a few days on the lovely island of Jersey with my mum - it was her birthday treat. I was also able to visit Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and enjoyed seeing the lemurs there. To be honest a break away was just what I needed as a few days ago I got two rejections on the same day so I was feeling pretty low. I'd sent email queries to two agents based in America, one said they weren't interested just from the query and the second from my query and first three chapters & outline. Sometimes a rejection is no big deal but once in a while you start to question if it's worth struggling on. Two in one day prompted the latter feeling. Still I've decided to keep trying and this weekend I'll be putting together another submission package and at least the agents' responses were speedy. Now if you're wondering what that strange creature at the top of today's blog is, it's an aye-aye a nocturnal lemur from Madagascar. During my research for Dr Midas and the Pirates I read Gerald Durrell's book 'The Aye-Aye and I' and had a couple of technical questions. I wrote a letter to his widow Dr Lee Durrell and she very kindly replied. As a thank you and because I was keen to support conservation efforts in Madagascar, I decided to become a member of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Since then I have also sponsored a black and white ruffed lemur called Bassett and when that finished I was able to sponsor Zazakeley. I was able to see the aye-ayes and other lemurs at Jersey along with narrow striped mongooses, giant jumping rats and lots of birdlife from Madagascar. I took lots of photographs and hopefully one or two might be good enough to add to my website www.drmidas.co.uk

Title: Saving Grace

Written by: Katherine Spencer

Soft cover: 246 pages

Ages: 12 & up

Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.

ISBN: 978-0-15-205740-4

Publication: October 2006

Grace Stanley is like any other 15-year-old high school girl until tragedy strikes her so-called wonderful life. Her older brother (whom she adored), Matt, is killed in a car accident. Grace’s life is shattered and she cannot help but blame herself for his death. She becomes a recluse for the remainder of the summer months and shuts out the people closest to her.

Grace’s parents are consumed by their own grief and spend an enormous amount of time at church and are unaware how grief ridden and troubled Grace truly is.

At the start of junior year Grace makes a radical change in attitude and behavior. She becomes involved with the “it” crowd and tailspins out of control by dropping her best friends, cutting classes, and escapes into a faze of alcohol, expensive shopping sprees and risky behavior with dating.

With the truth of her brother’s death too horrible to deal with, and the choices she makes and the lies she tells to cover her tracks, it all becomes too much for her to cope with.

At the most unexpected time in Grace’s life the strange new girl at school, Philomena, befriends Grace and guides her back to the secure circle of her parents and best friends and reinstates her belief in God.

Katherine Spencer expertly tackles the emotions of being a 15-year-old girl who is forced to deal with the tragedy of her brother’s untimely death and the roller coaster ride of finding her place among her peers.

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Reviewed by Donna McDine for the National Writing for Children Center