 I'm so thrilled that I Am Defiance has been nominated for the 2022-2023 Junior Tome It List! To see the full list, please click here.
So pleased for such a wonderful review from Kirkus for Over and Out, releasing March 1, 2022.  On the day she was born, Aug. 13, 1961, a wall went up that separated Sophie Ziegel from her family’s past.
Now 12, Sophie and her best friend, Katarina, daydream about escaping East Germany’s oppressive government by crossing the Berlin Wall into freedom in West Berlin. An aspiring scientist, Sophie knows the government will dictate her future as they did for Monika, her 18-year-old babysitter who dreamed of teaching school but has been directed to become a pharmacist instead. Complaining about her assignment lands Monika under the watchful eye of the Stasi, or secret police. Villainous agent Herr Becker threatens to put Sophie’s wheelchair-using mother in an institution if she doesn’t spy on Monika. Braving the “death strip” filled with trip wires, dogs, and armed guards that separates East from West seems like the only option. A surprise encounter with visitors from West Berlin along with Sophie’s Inventor’s Box of scavenged items lead to a high-stakes escape plan. Filled with adrenaline-inducing action and inspired by true stories, this novel evokes the perils of life in East Berlin and the risks some took in search of something better. The ingenuity Sophie and Katarina display in overcoming obstacles is compelling, and the no-win situation Sophie finds herself in rings painfully true. Page-turning action and dangerous intrigue fuel this Cold War–era novel. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-12) First reviewed on Kirkus Reviews site on December 15, 2021 https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jenni-l-walsh/over-and-out/  I'm very excited to announce that Over and Out has been chosen as a Spring 2022 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!
The Junior Library Guild has a reputation for a keen literary sense; and for selecting books that go on to become award-winners. Find out more about JLG on their website, www.juniorlibraryguild.com. Author of I AM DEFIANCE Jenni L. Walsh’s OVER AND OUT, set in Cold War Germany, in which a science-loving girl is forced to become a Stasi spy and risks everything for a better future on the other side of the Berlin Wall, to Olivia Valcarce at Scholastic, for publication in spring 2022, by Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency (world).
More information coming soon!
Watch the video below to learn more about a contest relating to I Am Defiance. Then, download a crossword scavenger hunt to get started! Contest ends 2/2/2022!
See rules and submit a completed crossword here.
 I take every opportunity possible to work on my kindergartener's writing so... here she is helping to reveal the title of my next middle grade book... I AM DEFIANCE, where 12yo Brigitte, a member of the Hitler Youth, begins to question all she's ever known when anti-Nazi flyers begin to arrive in the mail from a resistance group called the White Rose.
She's releasing from Scholastic on February 2, 2021 and I'm so dang excited!! If you're on Goodreads, I'd be so appreciative of any adds to your TBR. And, if you're a teacher or librarian, I'll be starting a Street Team very soon. Stay tuned! I'm very excited to announce a new middle grade novel with Scholastic, inspired by a real-life resistance group in Nazi Germany! Stay tuned for updates. This beauty is planned to hit shelves in early 2021!
 While my writing career so far has included historical novels (and I'll have more to come!), I'm so thrilled to be adding children's books to my repertoire and I'm very excited to announce the launch of my new middle grade biography series with Scholastic, featuring true stories from heroic women who, at a young age, accomplished daring feats of perseverance and bravery. As a mama in the process of raising brave tiny humans, it's been so rewarding to bring to life these stories. With every word written I had my kiddos in mind. What would be appropriate? What would engage them? What would incite inspiration? I'm so excited for these books to release today as we kick off a brand new year -- and I hope the series will be an inspiration to your own tiny humans. About the books
Do you've have a kiddo in your life who you think may enjoy these books? They're available online, in store, and look for them at upcoming Scholastic book fairs! Happy 2019!!
I'm very excited to be joining forces with Scholastic to bring true stories, featuring young women who accomplished daring feats of perseverance and bravery, to our kiddos!  To preorder your copies, reach out to your favorite local bookstore or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Indie Bound :)
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