I’m super excited to be apart of this blog tour and to have the chance to interview the author.
This MG title looks really cute! The daughter and I can’t wait to read it!
The Peddler's Road by Matthew Cody
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on October 27th 2015
Genres: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology, Fantasy & Magic, Middle Grade
Goodreads
Today tough, pink-haired Max and her little brother, Carter, are stuck in modern-day Hamelin with their father . . . until they are also led away by the Piper to a place called the Summer Isle. There they meet the original stolen children, who haven’t aged a day and who have formed their own village, vigilantly guarded from the many nightmarish beings that roam the land.
No one knows why the Piper stole them, but Max and Carter’s appearance may be the key to returning the lost children of Hamelin—and to going home themselves. But to discover the secrets of the Piper, Max and Carter will have to set out on a mysterious quest down the dangerous Peddler’s Road.
B: What is your favorite quote from this book?
C: Hmm. Here’s one I like:
“There were no stars to wish upon in that foreign room so far, far away from home, so she wished upon the dark instead. It was an awkward wish, all tangled up with worries about her parents’ marriage and her brother and how Max herself was getting older. Everything in her life felt twisted together and impossible to pull apart, like a knot of pink hair.
Just make it all better, she wished. The dark, of course, didn’t answer back. But something heard.”
B: What inspired THE PEDDLER’S ROAD?
C: The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin has been a favorite of mine for years because it leaves you wondering at the end—where did all the children go? That unanswered question is the perfect ending, but it’s been two hundred years since the Brothers Grimm wrote down their version of the story, and longer since people shared it as a folktale. I figured it was time to give it a try.
B: Were any of your characters inspired by people you know or yourself?
C: Not by anyone I know, per se, but I think both Max and her brother share a lot of the feelings I had about growing up. In some ways, they are two sides of that experience—Carter is the sense of adventure, of potential, that the experience brings, while Max is the worry, the awkwardness that we all suffer through. Their journey is about how those feelings change for both of them.
B: Tell us something about Max that isn’t in the book.
C: She’s awesome at basketball.
B: You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?
C: Oh, that’s a horrible thought! Let’s see . . . can I choose The Lord of the Rings? If you make me narrow it down, then I’d choose The Fellowship of the Ring. I already re-read it every few years anyway.
B: If someone dared you to write “book nerd” on your forehead while wearing your favorite pajamas—and then share a photo of it—would you do it? (If so, we double-dog-dare you to do it and share it with us right here!) 🙂
C: No, I would not. However, if you asked a seven-year-old to sneak up on his daddy while napping and take said picture, I bet he would.
About Matthew Cody
Originally from the Midwest, Matthew Cody now lives in New York City with his wife and son. When not writing books or goofing off with his family, he teaches creative writing to kids of all ages.
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Gorgeous post Crystal. <3 That cover looks so awesome 😀 I adore middle grade books. Not sure if this one is for me ;p But I hope you and your girl will end up loving it 😀 Thank you for sharing about it sweetie. <3 So so curious to see what you think of this one.
Daughter is super excited for it! She’s been asking when it would be here for a while, so I hope we get to read it soon!
What a beautiful cover. I know my children would enjoy reading this one.