The Class of 2K10 is proud to congratulate the Class of 2K9 as they approach the end of their launch year. Please help us celebrate the wonderful success they have had with their debut novels by posting a comment. Share your thoughts about why the book sounds like one you will enjoy, or if you’ve already read one, tell us which characters you loved or how the book made a difference in your life.

• Contest Rules: For a chance to win one of the featured books, post a comment at the end of this entry (please include an LJ name or email address so we can contact you for a mailing address - or check back next week.). To enter multiple times, simply tweet, blog, or Facebook about this post, and include a link in your comment. Winners will be chosen at random. You must be at least 13 to enter. The contest will be open until midnight Saturday. Winners will be announced one week from today, and if a winner doesn't respond within one week, another winner will be drawn.
  
  HEART OF A SHEPHERD by Rosanne Parry
  
  
  
  With his father deployed to Iraq, sixth grader Ignatius–who goes by Brother–promises to keep the family ranch running perfectly in the hope that it will bring his father safely home. A year of hardship brings changes to the ranch and also reveals the man Brother is meant to become.

• Rosanne Parry is most likely to . . . be found in a tree house. Rosanne likes to do a lot of her writing in her backyard tree house.
• What the Class of 2K10 learned from Rosanne Parry . . . We all have our own road to follow and you'll find your path when you're ready.
  
  Find Rosanne Parry here: http://www.rosanneparry.com/
  or here: http://classof2k9.com/?q=node/22
  
  
  
  THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
  
  
  
  Eleven-year-old Eleanor “Groovy” Robinson plans to go to culinary school as soon as she’s old enough, but even her thoughtfully planned menus can’t fix the things that start to go wrong after her father is sent to jail. But as Groovy begins to expect the unexpected, she starts to understand the complex stories of the people in her family, and the importance of forgiveness.
  
• Kathryn Fitzmaurice is most likely to . . . open a restaurant. She has perfected the recipe for chocolate-covered strawberries. Yum!
• What the Class of 2K10 learned from Katherine Fitzmaurice . . . Expecting the unexpected is not scary but wonderful.
  
  Find Kathryn Fitzmaurice here: http://www.kathrynfitzmaurice.com/
  or here: http://classof2k9.com/?q=node/9
  
  
  BULL RIDER by Suzanne Morgan Williams
  
  
  
  When fourteen year old Cam O’Mara’s brother is seriously injured in the war in Iraq and returns to their central Nevada ranch to mend, Cam turns from skateboarding to bull riding, tradition, and family, to cope with loss and give his brother hope.
  
• Suzanne Morgan Williams is most likely to . . . ride a mechanical bull. Since she's such a spunky gal!
• What the Class of 2K10 learned from Suzanne Morgan Williams . . . Don't be afraid to put yourself out there.
  
  Find Suzanne Morgan Williams here: http://www.suzannemorganwilliams.com/
  or here: http://classof2k9.com/?q=node/20
  
  
  JANE IN BLOOM by Deborah Lytton
  
  
  
  In the wake of family tragedy, twelve-year-old Jane learns to look through her camera lens and frame life differently, embracing her broken family and understanding that every girl has her season to blossom.

• Deborah Lytton is most likely to . . . help someone recover from loss because she knows how it feels.
• What the Class of 2K10 learned from Deborah Lytton . . . Grief can open your heart.
  
  Find Deborah Lytton here: http://www.deborahlytton.com/
  or here: http://classof2k9.com/?q=node/14
  
  
  MY LIFE IN PINK&GREEN by Lisa Greenwald
  
  
  
  An entrepreneurial story with an environmental twist: a debut featuring a narrator who knows what she wants, whether it’s great makeup, a killer business plan, or a better world.

• Lisa Greenwald is most likely to . . . Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. In MY LIFE IN PINK & GREEN, young Lucy attempts to save her family's pharmacy in tough economic times by providing eco-friendly makeovers.
• What the Class of 2K10 learned from Lisa Greenwald . . . That you're never too young to make a difference.
  
  Find Lisa Greenwald here: http://www.lisagreenwald.com/
  or here: http://classof2k9.com/?q=node/51
  
  
  ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER by Ann Haywood Leal
  
  
  
  Harper’s world has been turned upside down–her father gone, her family evicted–which she could just about handle if it wasn’t for the poetry contest at school. If only she could get up on that stage and read her poems out loud . . .

• Ann Haywood Leal is most likely to . . . volunteer in a Soup Kitchen. Ann's experiences helping to feed homeless members of her community gave her the story idea for ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER.
• What the Class of 2K10 learned from Ann Haywood Leal . . . Give people a chance: they're not always what they appear to be.
  
  Find Ann Haywood Leal here: http://www.annhaywoodleal.com/
  or here: http://classof2k9.com/?q=node/11
  
  
  SECRETS OF THE CHEESE SYNDICATE by Donna St. Cyr
  
  
  
  When Robert Montasio finds a mysterious bottle of Madame Gorgonzola’s Effervescent Elixir on the bus, he has no idea it’s going to become the number one problem on his top ten list–and the biggest adventure of his life.

• Donna St. Cyr is most likely to . . . find her way through Neptune's realm. She can solve the most puzzling riddles!
• What the Class of 2K10 learned from Donna St. Cyr . . . Knowing your Greek myths can help you get out of a tight spot.
  
  Find Donna St. Cyr here: http://www.donnastcyr.com/
  or here: http://classof2k9.com/?q=node/6
  
  
  Don't forget to leave a comment to enter (and spread the word for extra entries!)
  
  

This is the blog of the Class of 2k10. We're a group of writers whose debut novels for young adults and middle-graders will come out in 2010. Click on our profile to the left to find out who we are and what we write, or click on "Next Post" above to navigate our blog.