Media

Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz interview with Deborah Kalb of Book Q & As
I started this book with two story ideas, and I threw both at 12-year-old Evie in the opening chapters. First, she has to deal with the humiliating prospect of her mom going on a date with her school’s assistant principal. Second, she’s volunteered to tutor a boy—a cute boy—who she hasn’t spoken to since their playdates in kindergarten.
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Living The Next Chapter Podcast
Diana Harmon Asher—Author of Sidetracked, Upstaged, and Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz
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Kidlit Love Podcast
Family, Friendship & Fellowship: Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz
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Jewish Book Council: “Grow­ing Up as the Cantor’s Daugh­ter: Writ­ing a Jew­ish Amer­i­can Mid­dle Grade Novel”
When I wrote my first two mid­dle grade nov­els, Judaism crept in where I didn’t expect it to. In Side­tracked, Grandpa’s kvetch­ing and greps­ing became a favorite with young read­ers, even at the Chris­t­ian ele­men­tary school in Nashville where Side­tracked was an all-school read. In Upstaged, Shira’s Chi­nese Amer­i­can friend Jason Lee has been to enough bar mitz­vahs that he proud­ly has the first torah bless­ing memorized.
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Sidetracked was on a “Back to School” list of books in the New York Times
Karina Yan Glaser, author of the Vanderbeekers series, recommends picture books, chapter books and novels for preschool to middle grade readers.
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Article by Diana: The best middle grade novels about music, art, and friendship
Love of the arts can bring kids together in surprising ways. The characters in these books face varied challenges, home lives, and predicaments. But for all of them, it’s the support of friends, a dose of courage, and inspiration from the arts that get them through. That’s why I’ve chosen these five wonderful, readable, un-put-downable books.
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Upstaged interview with Deborah Kalb of Book Q & As
Today, so often strength seems to be measured by visibility and volume… I hope Shira’s story shows that you can be introverted, but still be brave and talented and strong.
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The Scarsdale Inquirer: “Local author’s acclaimed book featured in Japan”
Asher’s critically acclaimed book, Sidetracked, was the topic of two award-winning student essays in Japan’s National Youth Book Report Contest.”
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Bookpage: “Behind the Book”
When my oldest son started running cross-country, I learned about singlets and starting guns, warmups and runners cramps, muddy trails and fartleks. And really, what aspiring children’s book author could resist writing about a sport that has a term like ‘fartlek?’
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An Indies Introduce Q&A with Dave Shallenberger, co-owner of Little Shop of Stories
Dave: One of my favorite aspects of Sidetracked was Joseph’s voice; it felt very authentic. What was your process for capturing a seventh-grade boy’s inner thoughts so effectively?
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Sidetracked interview with Deborah Kalb of Book Q & As
I’ve spoken with kids who tell me they trudged through their summer reading assignments, resenting every minute of it, then they flew through Sidetracked and really enjoyed it. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.
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