Shannon Hitchcock Writes a Sequel (13 years later)

Middle grade fans are in for a treat -- coming March 3, 2026. Shannon Hitchcock's forthcoming novel, Wild Mountain Ivy, is a sequel to her historical fiction The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, and let me tell you, the thirteen year wait was worth it! Not only that, I've got a cover reveal for a 13-year old novel ... Read on!

Shannon Hitchcock writes middle grade and picture books. Many of her stories are inspired by her childhood growing up on a North Carolina farm. The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, published in 2013, was her first. That book, based on Shannon's own family history, is set in North Carolina in the 1920s, during the tuberculosis outbreak. The TB pandemic upends 14-year-old Jessie Pearl's plans for her future as she must stay home and take care of her nephew and the family farm. You can read more about Shannon's writing process here.

Although a friend urged Shannon to write a sequel about what happened next in Jessie Pearl's life, she turned instead to other writing projects, both fiction and nonfiction. Then Covid-19 arrived. 

While she was writing about tuberculosis, Shannon never suspected she'd live through a subsequent pandemic herself. But the arrival of Covid brought inspiration for the plot of a Jessie Pearl sequel. As Shannon contemplated the similarities between the two pandemics, she decided to write a ghost story weaving together the stories of two young protagonists from two different pandemics, a century apart. 

In Wild Mountain Ivy, 12-year-old Ivy is suffering from long Covid. Hoping it will help her to rest and recover, Ivy's mother takes her to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina for the summer. Ivy's uncle owns an inn there, an inn that was once a tuberculosis sanitarium. Ivy becomes intrigued with the mystery of the fate of a long-ago sanitarium resident, Jessie Pearl. Without spoiling the story, I can say there's a bit of the supernatural in this tale about illness and resilience, music and family, healing and hope. I particularly enjoyed the musical elements, including watching Ivy learn to play the dulcimer, and the actual Ballad of Jessie Pearl. This is a lovely, heartfelt, and uplifting read.

And there's some bonus good news. Years ago, the original Ballad of Jessie Pearl publisher, namelos, closed down and returned all rights to the authors. In March, after being out of print for some time, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl will be back! Lerner/Carolrhoda Books, in addition to publishing the sequel, is re-releasing The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, with brand new cover art. Ta-DA!

New Cover, 2026

Wild Mountain Ivy is available for pre-order now. You can order direct from the publisher here, at IndieBound here, or visit your favorite local bookseller. You'll be glad you did! 

Shannon Hitchcock lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she can see the mountains. She is the author of many books for children, including Flying Over Water, cowritten with N.H. Senzai (a Kirkus Best Book of the Year) and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection Dancing in the Storm, co-written with Amie Darnell Specht. Visit her website to find out more.  

Dancing in the Storm: A Middle Grade w/ Disability Representation: Craft Chat with Amie Darnell Specht & Shannon Hitchcock by Kathy Halsey

The GROG is excited to feature DANCING IN THE STORM, a realistic middle grade novel, as our first past after our summer hiatus. I've known Shannon since some of her earliest books and was excited to meet co-author Amie Darnell Specht through our craft chat. We’ll be discussing co-authoring, secondary characters, and writing about disabilities. In Amie’s case, it is a rare genetic disorder, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).

DANCING IN THE STORM Book Review 

DANCING IN THE STORM, a realistic, contemporary middle grade book, features the typical pursuits of changing friendships, sports, and first crushes through the lens of main character Kate who discovers at age 12 that she has FOP (fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva) a rare musculoskeletal condition with no cure. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as Kate is a competitive gymnast who can’t imagine not being a part of her school team. With this disorder comes the wish to have her old life back, or at least for others to see her without thinking she's inspirational or to be pitied. She wants to have her new normal to be accepted as "her normal".

I welcomed the opportunity to explore more children’s literature that focuses on disability representation. DANCING IN THE STORM is a solid choice to expand our experiences and knowledge of the challenges and joys that disabilities bring. This middle grade novel's authentic voice comes from author Amie and co-author Shannon Hitchcock. Having a seamless voice with 2 authors is not easy, and this duo does it well.  Kate’s character mirrors many of the same experiences and feelings Amie discovered coping with her disorder. FOP develops bone in areas of the body where it is not normally present such as ligaments, tendons, and skeletal muscles. 

The novel has an engaging epistolary style with Kate writing penpal emails to the fictional Amie Specht, her 35 year old mentor who also has FOB. With her mentor’s help, Kate sees she is able to find a new normal by keeping a “flexible mind” in an “inflexible” body. Her friends, family, and classmates also have adjustments to make, too, in their relationships to Kate. How family, friends and classmates navigate mixed feelings adds even more depth to this story. 

With her support system finally in place, Kate also conquers her fear of speaking when gives a motivational speech for her entire middle school and a call for action to raise funds and awareness for FOP.

As a former 7th grade English teacher and school librarian, I wholeheartedly recommend this book for school and classroom libraries as well as a class read aloud that will engage multiple audiences. While Kate’s story centers on a specific disability, it speaks to the universal experience we all have coping with the ups and downs of life, especially those tender, turbulent  middle school years.

Craft Chat with Amie Darnell Specht & Shannon Hitchcock

Kathy: Amie and Shannon, what are your tips for writers who have never written a book together before? What are the benefits of joint authorship? Are there any drawbacks?

We didn’t know each other very well and so we got to know each other by filling out this character worksheet: https://www.novel-software.com/character-questionnaire/. The worksheet served two purposes. It was a great conversation starter and it also allowed us to start developing our characters. 

Amie: benefit to joint authorship: I had never written a book before so Shannon was able to guide me through the process. 

Shannon: The benefit to me is that I wasn’t starting with a blank slate since much of the book is drawn from Amie’s life. The drawback to collaborating is it is a slower process since every decision requires two people to come to consensus. 

Kathy: I know from Amie's Author Note that much of this book is autobiographical. How did you weave in the fiction with the information from your life?

Amie: I changed most of the names and ages of characters that are inspired by real people. The timeline of the book differs from my life as well. I was diagnosed with FOP at four and a half rather than twelve like our main character. When I would tell Shannon about my life, (like managing my high school’s gymnastics team), she would often say we could use that in our plot and just change it to middle school.  

Kathy: Have you done any author visits together? What are you finding that readers like most about this middle grade?

Amie: We had a joint book launch and we’ve spoken to a book club. Due to my disability, travel is hard for me and so our joint in-person appearances are limited. We’d love the opportunity to connect virtually though and recently appeared on the Reading With Your Kids podcast. You can listen to us here: 

https://readingwithyourkids.libsyn.com/how-fantasy-and-realism-can-educate-and-inspire-young-readers

Amie: I find readers are very curious about what it’s like to live with a rare genetic disorder and I’m always honest in my replies.

Kathy: It's refreshing to read a book where siblings support each other as Chris and Kate do. I like the secondary cast of characters and the themes of diversity. How many secondary characters do you recommend a middle grade book have? How do you flesh out secondary characters, making them more than just the main character’s sidekick?

Amie: We don’t have a recommendation for how many secondary characters a middle grade book needs. It truly depends on the story. 

Shannon: I will share an anecdote though from a critique I had with Richard Peck on my book, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl. He pointed out that two of my characters were similar and recommended that I combine them. So… my advice is to be sure each of your characters is unique and that your story has a definite need for every one of them. To quote Richard Peck, “I’m afraid you have too many characters auditioning for a part in your novel.”

Amie: I combined characters as well. In Dancing In The Storm, the character Mindy is a combination of a lot of my friends. Izaak is a combination of my husband and other guys I have been friends with. 

Kathy: What would you both like readers to take away about the challenges of FOP and other genetic disorders? Genetics and DNA are mainstream topics, and we see advertisements from 23andMe and companies like them. What are your thoughts on gene testing as a "gift"? (I had genetic testing and counseling a few years ago when we discovered Lynch syndrome in our family. I had complicated feelings about it. One of us tested positive for it, while four of us have had various forms of cancer.)

Amie: A big problem with genetic disorders is there are so many of them and even the same disorder presents itself differently from person to person. This is a quote from page 49 of our book. “…just like no two zebras have identical stripes, no two people with FOP experience it exactly the same way.”

I have used 23andMe for fun, but it doesn’t take the place of genetic counseling. 

Shannon: The only genetic testing I’ve done was to determine if I had any of the genetic markers for breast cancer. This was done by a simple blood test at the doctor’s office. 

As for a takeaway, I hope young readers stretch their empathetic muscles and step inside the shoes of someone whose life experience is different than theirs. And if we’ve done our jobs well, they will also see that people with disabilities have a lot to offer as friends and colleagues. 

Author Contact Information

Amie Darnell Specht worked in tech support for a large computer company for many years. She and her husband live in North Carolina with lots of pets. She has Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), and this, her first novel, is heavily influenced by her story. 

Visit amiespecht.com for more information.

Instagram: @amiespecht

Shannon Hitchcock was born and still lives in North Carolina and grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is the author of four previous acclaimed novels for children, including Flying Over Water and Ruby Lee & Me. 

Visit shannonhitchcock.com for more information. 

Instagram: @hitchcock_shannon

Saving Grandaddy's Stories - an Interview with Shannon Hitchcock

Leslie Colin Tribble

Years ago, when there was such a thing as in-person conferences, I traveled from Wyoming to Georgia to a lovely state park to participate in WOW, A Week of Writing. I met the other Groggers there as well as many other talented writers, one of whom was Shannon Hitchcock. Shannon recently released her debut picture book biography, Saving Granddaddy's Stories. I caught up with her via email and I'm so happy she let me tell the story of this wonderful book. 

Where did the idea for your book come from? Why was it important for you to write this story?

In 1983, the year I graduated from Appalachian State University, Ray Hicks was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. I tucked that information away in my mind, and many years later when I was searching for my next writing project, I dreamed about Ray. Ray is famous for telling Jack Tales, and my mother read Jack and the Beanstalk to me many times when I growing up.

How long did you work on the manuscript?

This is a really embarrassing question. I tried writing picture book biographies, (with no success), before I ever tried writing middle grade novels. In 2009, an early draft of this manuscript was nominated for the Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award, but never published. The feedback I received was it was too regional.

You usually write MG novels? Why did you want to write a picture book?

I never wanted to write a picture book, but a picture book biography. They are my favorite kind of picture book—probably because I love history.

Do you have other pb manuscripts in the works?

Yes, I recently signed a contract for two more picture books. Saving Granddaddy’s Stories will be the first book in an Appalachian trilogy. I asked my editor, Wiley Blevins, if he would be interested in looking at a second manuscript of mine about an Appalachian ballad singer. He really liked the manuscript, but thought it should be a trilogy. I didn't have a third book written so I got busy and wrote one. It really was a case of an editor connecting with a story. Wiley is from West Virginia so the mountains and Appalachian culture resonated with him. I also included in my pitch that educators could use Saving Granddaddy's Stories as a tool to  teach figurative language, for analyzing how Jack and the Beanstalk has been retold by different cultures, and for exploring the Appalachian Region and its traditions.

Do you have an agent and who publishes your works?

My agent is Deborah Warren at East/West Literary Agency. My middle grade novels are published by Scholastic Trade and my picture books by Reycraft.

Do you have a favorite page in the book?

Yes, I like the spread with the beanstalk and the cow.

Did the publisher pair you with the illustrator? What do you like about her illustrations?

Reycraft chose Sophie Page to illustrate the entire series. Sophie is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and the folk art feel of her illustrations pairs perfectly with my figurative language. Sophie crafts her images in two and three dimensions using clay, paper, fabric, and wire.

How are you promoting your book during COVID time?

Covid complicates everything, but I’m doing virtual events and blog posts and hoping for the best. I will be participating in an SLJ event tomorrow, but it will be taped and available until December: https://www.slj.com/?event=school-library-journal-day-of-dialog-fall

I also have a middle grade novel, (FLYING OVER WATER) releasing on October 20th and I'm doing a virtual launch through The Writing Barn, but will also give a shoutout to Saving Granddaddy's Stories: https://www.thewritingbarn.com/class/free-book-launch-celebration-shannon-hitchcock-n-h-senzai/

I'm scheduled to appear on Kirby Larson's blog for Friend Friday on January 29th.

Thanks, Shannon for giving us this wonderful story. I really enjoyed reading it and think it will resonate with lots of children and adults. 

Cover Reveal of Shannon Hitchcock's ONE TRUE WAY by Kathy Halsey

Today we have a real treat from the author of RUBY LEE & ME, Scholastic 2016, and THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL, namelos 2013. Shannon Hitchcock has chosen the GROG for her cover reveal of ONE TRUE WAY, her newest middle grade historical fiction. Advanced Review Copies aren't available until July and the book drops late February, 2018, so this is your exclusive look unless you are lucky enough to score an ARC. (Look for a review from me by summer's end.)

The cover art was created by Maeve Norton, Scholastic book designer as well as writer/illustrator. The cover conveys plot via the image of two girls holding hands and begs the question: Why are they hiding their friendship? (Notice clasped hands under the desks.) Yet the color combination reminds us that this IS middle grade and the plot will follow suit. Some of Maeve's other covers include ME AND MARVIN GARDENS by A. S. King and SPARROW by Cannaday Chapman. For more on effective cover art, check out this post from PW. 

Like her highly regarded RUBY LEE & ME, ONE TRUE WAY is historical fiction mixed with some true-to-life elements from Shannon's own life. For me, this mixture of elements creates a highly accessible view into history that tugs at the heart.  For this novel, Shannon delves into the  "climate in 1977" as Anita Bryant's SAVE OUR CHILDREN campaign traveled the country with messages to deny equal rights to homosexuals. You Tube clips of Bryant's speeches are a great introduction to set the scene for this book, according to Shannon.

A Conversation with the Author

Together, Shannon and I discussed ONE TRUE WAY and her  inspiration for the book via email. As you peruse this interview, you will notice how cognizant Shannon was of her audience's maturity level. (This former school librarian appreciates that and her dedication to research when writing historical fiction.)

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K: What was your inspiration for this novel?

S:  I got the idea for writing ONE TRUE WAY at the 2014 National Council of Teachers of English Convention. As I listened to a diversity panel, the moderator spoke about the lack of middle grade books dealing with homosexuality. There are picture books, think HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES, AND TANGO MAKES THREE, and of course in YA literature, authors like David Levithan, Bill Konigsberg, Benjamin Alire Saenz, and Becky Albertalli have written beautiful books, but at that time, there were very few books available in the Middle Grade realm. The moderator went on to praise Tim Federle’s novel, BETTER NATE THAN EVER, and as she spoke, I made a note to read Tim’s book. Tim had found a way to write about a gay character for a middle grade audience, and I wanted to do the same.

K: What personal experiences did you draw upon to create this story?

S: I was drawn to the topic for a very personal reason. When we were in our early twenties, my best friend came out to me. I have never been more shocked in my life. Prior to that, I thought I had no prejudice toward gay individuals, but when it struck so close to home, it was a different matter entirely. I had to let go of “my dreams.” I had had dreams of someday vacationing together, my friend and her husband, and me with mine, of being godmothers to each other’s children, of a future that would now look different than the one I had imagined. Finally, my husband said to me, “You are making this all about YOU, and it’s not. You have a choice to make: you either have a best friend who is gay, or you don’t have a best friend anymore.” After that the answer was crystal clear. My friend was just fine, but I needed to change. All these years later, I am still ashamed of my initial reaction.

K. I've read both of Tim's books, and agree that he found the perfect formula to showcase Nate! What process did you take then?
S: After NCTE, my first order of business was to read BETTER NATE THAN EVER. I adore Tim’s book, but could never have written it. Tim Federle is hysterically funny, and well, that’s not my  strength. So I looked at my two prior books, THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL, and RUBY LEE & ME. Those books hold the key to who I am as a writer. My modus operandi is to use history and write about a girl who lived in that time period, to explore how history affected her. I write simple, heartfelt stories. That’s what I do.

K: How does Allie's story fit into middle grade?
S:  There is a huge difference in writing about homosexuality from a Middle Grade perspective. Probably the biggest is there is no sex. ONE TRUE WAY is about a first crush. I pitched it to Scholastic this way, “From the moment Allie Drake meets Samantha Johnson at Daniel Boone Middle School, she knows there is something special between them. But Allie never knew a first crush could be so wonderful…or cause so many problems.”

K: Tell us more.
S: Allie loves being around Sam. Her heart beats faster, she can’t wait for the phone to ring, she wants to hold her hand. It’s innocent and exciting, but the problems ensue when Allie’s mom finds out about her same sex crush. The feelings are the same whether the crush is between two girls, two boys, or a boy and a girl. The difference is in the way the adults around them react to it. One of my favorite lines in the book is when Allie says to her mom, “If I’m not too young to have feelings for a boy, then I’m not too young to have feelings for a girl.” I think this is very true, but we as children’s writers have tended to steer clear for obvious reasons.

K: Are there more books you can recommend on this topic?

S: Since that fateful session at NCTE, several Middle Grade books dealing with homosexuality have either been published or acquired. In addition to ONE TRUE WAY, be on the lookout for STAR-CROSSED by Barbara Dee, P.S. I MISS YOU by Jen Petro-Roy, and HURRICANE CHILD by Kheryn Callender.

K: Any parting words for us? 

S: I have no way of knowing how ONE TRUE WAY will be received, but I’m reminded of a quote from MG author, Donna Gephart, “Being brave doesn’t mean we’re not afraid. It means we are afraid, but choose to do what feels right anyway. I promise to keep writing bravely. If you promise to keep sharing books bravely. Together, we’ll make this world a kinder, gentler, more inclusive place.”

I hope GROG readers have enjoyed this cover reveal and a peek

into Shannon's newest novel. I know I've been inspired by both Shannon and Donna! Stay tuned after our summer hiatus, for my review of ONE TRUE WAY!  The last GROG post will be June 29, 2017, when our own Patricia Toth is interviewed about her newest picture book, ALL ABOARD THE LONDON BUS.

For more on Shannon Hitchcock, find her on twitter here, her blog here, and check out Patty Toth's post on RUBY LEE.