2. The best bad luck I ever had By: Kristin Levine

3. info Is THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD based on a true story? Sort of. It’s more accurate to say it was inspired by a true story. In the 1970s my grandfather, Harry Otis Sims, wrote down his memories of growing up in the South. Many of the events and people in THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD came from the memoirs, although I changed many of the details. Did you always want to be a writer? No. In fact I remember distinctly a day in 4th grade when my best friend at the time said she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. I thought she was absolutely crazy. Why would anyone want to write a book when there were so many good books to read? Obviously, I changed my mind. And I did find this Polaroid picture of me at one-and-a-half, typing away. So maybe the answer is yes after all.

4. Kristin Levine biography Kristin Levine received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in German from Swarthmore College and a Master of Fine Arts in film and video from American University. She spent a year in Vienna, Austria, working as an au pair and has taught screenwriting at American University. The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had, both a Virginia Readers' Choice and 2010 ALA Best Books for Young Adults selection, is her first novel. Based in part on her grandfather’s memoir, the novel tells the story of a friendship between a white farm boy, Did, and an African-American city girl, Emma. It’s set in 1917 rural Alabama. In addition to their friendship, the story deals with issues of racism and justice in a small town. Originally written as a screenplay, Levine turned The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had into a novel after being told that it was difficult to sell a screenplay that was a period piece with kids as leads.

5. When 12-year-old Emma Walker comes to Moundville, Ala., with her father, the new postmaster, Harry "Dit" Sims feels it's "the worst piece of bad luck" he's ever had.

6. A but her other books LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK The remarkable story of the Little Rock Nine is familiar to many, but what happened next? In this quietly powerful page-turner, Levine focuses her attention on the events that unfolded in Little Rock the year after the integration of the city's public schools.

7. THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD ! by Takira Jennings

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9. Kierra Jones