In February, I was delighted to attend the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association Annual Children’s Authors and Literacy Dinner (see my earlier post about it.) One of the wonderful authors I got to meet was Sherry Shahan, author of the new book, Purple Daze.

Here’s a booktalk to introduce you to this enthralling free verse novel set in the San Fernando Valley in 1965 and depicting the impact of the Vietnam War and other historic events on six teenagers:

(The booktalk was recorded using VoiceThread. You need Flash and a mic on your computer to hear and view it. If you don’t have one or the other, you can see the text here.)

And here’s a photo of a letter Sherry Shahan received from her friend stationed in Vietnam who was the model for Phil in this autobiographical novel: