There’s a new hedgehog in town…Ginny Louise and the School Showdown

Hey, buckaroos!

June 16 is the release date for Ginny Louise and the School Showdown (Disney*Hyperion).

*throws marshmallows* (<–Psst. You’ll have to read the book to find out why.)

I am honored and thrilled to have a book with THE Lynn Munsinger.

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The Skinny…

The Truman Elementary Troublemakers are a bad bunch. Especially these three: Cap’n Catastrophe, Destructo Dude, and Make-My-Day May. But they are no match for Ginny Louise, the new hedgehog in school. Her unwavering cheerfulness in the face of their bullying will make young readers holler with glee. Full of rhymes, wordplay, and comic misunderstanding, this book will lend itself well to reading aloud as well as discussions about peer dynamics.

Since I have always liked to know a little behind-the-scenes information about books, I thought I’d share some “Official Ginny Louise Scoop.”

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The inspiration…

I got the idea for this book while at a school visit. A few years ago, upon arriving at Marlow Elementary in Marlow, Oklahoma, I discovered that the school mascot was not your typical Knight or Tiger. Nope. At Marlow Elementary, the mascot was an Outlaw. In honor of my visit, the kids were decked out in outlaw gear, right down to the handlebar moustache. Plus, there was a huge banner in the gym. It read, “You’re not at Cowboy Camp anymore, Tammi Sauer. Welcome to OUTLAW CAMP!” Right away, I knew I had to write a picture book about an elementary school full of bad guys. The book is dedicated to the Marlow Elementary Outlaws, and I am heading back to Marlow in September to celebrate.

 

For The Marlow Elementary Outlaws

–T.S.

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A peek at the real deal halls of Marlow Elementary….

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The revision…

Originally, the manuscript was called The Marlow Elementary Outlaws. My editor, Steph Lurie at Disney*Hyperion, suggested I make the “bad guys” in the book more than just a trio of bandits. Steph is a genius, so naturally, I revised. This called for taking out two bandits and adding a pirate and a super villain to the mix. 🙂

The Marlow Elementary Outlaws soon become the Truman Elementary Troublemakers—Cap’n Catastrophe, Destructo Dude, and Make-My-Day May. On this spread, they are laying eyes on Ginny Louise for the very first time.

The surprise…

The entire time that I was writing this book, I pictured Ginny Louise as being an adorable little girl. Lynn Munsinger, illustrator extraordinaire, had other ideas.

It turns out Ginny Louise is actually a hedgehog. 🙂

The little known fact…

Sweet, cheerful Ginny Louise is loosely based on my friend Ginny Muse.

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The obvious fact…

Ginny Muse is not a hedgehog.

The relief…

So far, the book has received lovely reviews.

“Never underestimate the power of good, especially when it’s wrapped up in as sweet a package as Ginny Louise.”–Kirkus

Lively illustrations, the subtle western theme, and a positive message will have kids kicking up their heels in their own hoedowns. Yippee-ki-yay!–Booklist

The follow-up…

Next summer, more mayhem takes place at Truman Elementary in Ginny Louise and the School Field Day.

The shameless plea…

If you happen to read Ginny Louise and the School Showdown, please consider adding a rating and/or review of the book on Amazon and/or GoodReads.

The celebration…

At the end of this month, I will randomly select one lucky commenter to receive a signed copy of Ginny Louise and the School Showdown. If you mention this post on Facebook or Twitter, I will give you a BONUS entry. Just let me know that you did so in your comment.

THE END.

Tammi Sauer

Tammi Sauer, a former teacher and library media specialist, is a full-time children's book author who presents at schools and conferences across the country. She has more than 30 published picture books and has many others on the way. Her books have received awards, earned starred reviews, made lists, been made into musicals, and been translated into many different languages. Most importantly, kids really like her books! To learn more about Tammi and her books, please visit tammisauer.com and follow her on Twitter at @SauerTammi.

63 Comments:

  1. I love hedgehogs :). Looking forward to reading about Ginny Louise’s adventures!

  2. Tammi, I LOVE that you based Ginny on a real-life friend who demonstrates unwavering cheerfulness! Well done!

  3. This is so sweet, and so brilliant! I love that this story has a take on bullying that lightens up a bit what we can get so grave about. I think that playful humor like this is the BEST way to approach tough subjects! Well done and can’t wait to see it!

    **Just tweeted for an extra point!

  4. Melonie Johnson

    I can’t wait to add this to my Tammi Sauer collection in our school library! 🙂 Congratulations on another wonderful book!
    *I’m sharing this on my Facebook page and our school library page ! 🙂

  5. Kathy Mazurowski

    I can’t wait to read this book! Congratulations on another sure to be favorite.

  6. What an AMAZING story idea!! I wish I had thought of it! : ) It sounds like it has all of the makings of a book children will love. I know I’M looking forward to reading it! And the illustrations are FANTASTIC!

  7. So cool the book was inspired by a school visit. Love it!

  8. Kelly Ramsdell Fineman

    LOVE all this so much!! And Ginny is cute in real life, AND as a hedgehog!

  9. I can’t wait to read this! And I’ll be teaching 1st grade at an international school here (in Korea) and want to share it w/them. I just tweeted it.

  10. Carole Stedronsky

    The story sounds wonderful, and I love that Ginny Louise is a hedgehog! I’m looking forward to reading this book myself (many times), and sharing it with my hedgehog-loving friends.

  11. So stinking adorable! Will be buying my copy soon! Love those troublemakers and Ginny L.

  12. Congratulations. This book looks adorable! I said so on my Facebook page too!

  13. This book looks perfectly charming. I will be on the lookout for it. Thanks for a chance to win a copy.

  14. Thanks for this terrific overview of “There’s a New Hedgehog in Town” and its conception. I look forward to reading it. It’s good to know that there’s more to come. I love the school’s theme and I’m so happy to hear that you’ll visit it again soon! I can see how the school and the students’ dress inspired a book.

    • Thanks, Linda!

      I’ve already seen Lynn’s sketches for GINNY LOUISE AND THE SCHOOL FIELD DAY and am blown away by how she brings so much to the story through her art.

  15. Looking for this one pronto! Can’t wait to read it!

  16. This looks terrific, Tammi! Can’t wait to get my hands on it! Congratulations!

  17. Tammi, Can’t wait for this one! Thanks for the giveaway. I mentioned on both FB and twitter.

  18. Ashley Bankhead

    I am very excited to read this book. It looks adorable. Thank you for your post. I shared it on Facebook

  19. Love your writing, love Lynn’s artwork. Sounds like a winner all around, Tammi!

  20. This looks like so much fun, Tammi. Congrats, congrats!

  21. I can’t wait to read this! Is the name Truman Elementary from Norman, OK? I’ve posted on FB and Twitter.

    • I actually have visited Truman Primary in Norman a couple of times! Great school!

      I chose Truman for the name of the school in the book for two reasons:
      1) Truman sounds great with Troublemakers (The first line in the book is “The Truman Elementary Troublemakers were a bad bunch.”
      2) Lots of schools are named Truman, so many kids will enjoy the fun of seeing their school’s name in a book.

  22. I’m looking forward to reading about Ginny Louise and I love the Marlow Outlaw Code!

  23. i hope this goes thru. I am on the Ringling Brothers train-my daughter invited me for some summer fun in Veags!! And we are traving to Arizona!
    I am a media clerk in a elementary media center on Boynton Beach Florida.
    I can’t wait to read this book it sounds so much fun!!
    Cissy Noland

  24. Ooooh, can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on your new book, Tammi! It looks like so much fun. And, yippee to Marlow Elementary for inspiring it! Congratulations on another book birthday.

  25. What fun! Thanks for sharing!

  26. Congratulations, Tammi! Can’t wait to read/see it. Love hearing the back story and inspiration— Hooray!!!!!!

  27. Love this! Great job, Tammi! And yes, I am tweeting about this!

  28. Can’t wait to read all about Ginny Louise! Congrats!

  29. I’ll look for it today. Wish it had come out in time for the NJ conference so I could get it signed. Next time!

  30. What a cool elementary school! I can’t wait to read your book.

    P.S. I loved your presentation in NJ. I’m guessing you have a background in drama? You know how to rock a crowd. 🙂

  31. Rita D. Russell

    What a marvelous idea for a PB! Congrats, Tammi! You’ve done it again. 🙂

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