They asked, I answered! Here are my favorite interviews about JESSICA DARLING’S IT LIST the middle grade prequel to SLOPPY FIRSTS on sale now.

School Library Journal “Those ‘Darling’ Middle School Years”

“Whenever she’s gets close to figuring out middle school—BAM!—she’s hit with another ‘WHAT THE HECK?!’ moment. For Jessica Darling, growing up is a comedy of trials and many, many errors.”

Time For Kids “Wits About Her”

“Jessica Darling is both an insider and an outsider. She notices things, she thinks too much, and sometimes she doesn’t think enough. She’s flawed and she makes mistakes, and I think it’s those mistakes that make her relatable.”

Publisher’s Weekly “A Fresh Start for Jessica Darling”

“This series is for the 10 and up reader who is meeting Jessica Darling for the first time…I would love my older readers to read it and then give it to the tween in their lives and say, ‘Here’s this great girl, Jessica Darling. She was one of my favorites growing up and now you can read her, too.”

Forever Young Adult: Between Two Lockers Interview “HRH Stops By FYA to Dish About Junior High Jessica Darling (& Marcus Flutie!)

“I’m inspired to write middle grade fiction by the tweens in my real life, including my son, his friends, my friends’ daughters, and my nieces. I also volunteer at my son’s school library so I hear first-hand what kids care about—in books and beyond. They remind me that their passions and preoccupations aren’t all that different than mine when I was their age. I keep that in mind as I’m writing. That’s it.”

Entertainment Weekly “Check Out The Cover for Megan McCafferty’s Jessica Darling Prequel!”

“People have asked me if I saw myself continuing Jessica’s story and quite honestly I don’t. I don’t see myself writing beyond Perfect Fifths. I agree with you: I love the way that story ends; it’s exactly how I wanted it to be. But this is different: It’s deepening a story without messing with the ending.”  

“Told in the hilariously authentic voice of a preteen girl, this book will have readers laughing out loud at Jessica’s high jinks, especially her disastrous stint as the school’s mascot.”–School Library Journal Continue reading “This book will have readers laughing out loud at Jessica’s high jinks…” Thanks, School Library Journal! →

“My long lost friend Jessica Darling is back! I feel so lucky to have a peek into her middle school years in Megan McCafferty’s sparkly new series. How I’ve missed you so, Jessica Darling!”

–Jenny Han, New York Times bestselling author of the Summer series and Shug

“Jessica Darling won’t really tell you how to be popular; instead she’ll mock and subvert the entire middle-school popularity system while you laugh hysterically. Trust me, you’ll adore her ten different ways.”

— E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks Continue reading Awesome Authors Celebrate the Return of Jessica Darling! →

“Not only were books three, four, and five bestsellers, but Jessica and her fictional friends have spawned fan fiction, more than one Jessica Darling-themed Tumblr, and even a tribute video set to Barry Manilow’s “Can’t Smile Without You.”

What gets readers hooked on this character? Ask McCafferty’s editor, Elizabeth Bewley, a longtime fan who has been a Jessica Darling fan since reading Sloppy Firsts not long after it came out. She cited Jessica’s sense of humor and personality quirks; this is a character who says her number one hobby is “thinking about things,” after all. “I also love that she is sort of a salty and sweet character,” Bewley said. “She has her moments where she is not proud of herself for decisions that she’s made. And I think that most of us can relate to that.”

Read the whole article here!

My middle grade sequel to SLOPPY FIRSTS goes on sale on September 3rd! But for a limited time you can download the first seven chapters for FREE. It’s your opportunity to get a sneak peek at the novel Kirkus called a “humorously spot-on” take on junior high! 

Read about the prequel to SLOPPY FIRSTS in this exclusive Q&A with Entertainment Weekly!

Introducing the middle grade prequel to SLOPPY FIRSTS.

I hadn’t even gotten to homeroom yet and I’d already discovered five hard truths about junior high:

1. My best friend had turned pretty.
2. She didn’t know it yet.
3. It wouldn’t be long before she did.
4. That knowledge would change everything between us.
5. And there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.

It’s the first day of seventh grade. Is Jessica Darling doomed for dorkdom?

New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty’s hilarious series opener will have you laughing, cringing, and cheering for Jessica Darling as she learns that being herself beats being popular, pretty & perfect any day.

ADVANCE PRAISE:

“My long lost friend Jessica Darling is back! I feel so lucky to have a peek into her middle school years in Megan McCafferty’s sparkly new series. How I’ve miss you so, Jessica Darling!”

–Jenny Han, New York Times bestselling author of the Summer series and Shug

“Jessica Darling won’t really tell you how to be popular; instead she’ll mock and subvert the entire middle-school popularity system while you laugh hysterically. Trust me, you’ll adore her ten different ways.”

— E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

“I first fell in love with Megan McCafferty’s irrepressible and hilarious Jessica Darling in Sloppy Firsts. I’m thrilled to turn back the clock and watch her navigate the highs and lows of seventh grade. I laughed and cheered for her and so will a new generation of readers.”

–Wendy Mass, author of The Candymakers

“If I had to do seventh grade all over again, there’s nobody I’d rather have by my side than Jessica Darling.  Funny, winning, and completely relatable, she makes for delightful company as she navigates her way through a new school, and it’s impossible not to root for her through all her misadventures.  I’m already excited to find out what the next chapter of her story might bring!”

–Jennifer E. Smith, author of This is What Happy Looks Like, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and The Storm Makers