Young adult literature author Faith Harkey to speak Sept. 11 at Monmouth College

by Duane Bonifer

Monmouth, IL (09/05/2018) — Fans of young adult literature have an opportunity to hear about the craft from one of the genre's exciting new voices.

Faith Harkey, the author of two recent novels aimed at middle-grade students, will give a talk at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11, in Room 273 of Monmouth College's Center for Science and Business. Sponsored by the Monmouth Educational Studies Department, the talk is free and open to the public.

Harkey, who lives in Tallahassee, Fla., is the author of Genuine Sweet, published in 2016, and Sneak Thief, published earlier this year. Both novels are set in the imaginary rural town of Sass, Ga., which has been called a "a mashup of rural Florida, Georgia and Idaho."

"She's going to address some of the things she experienced growing up in a rural area and how that informed her writing," said Monmouth educational studies professor Tammy La Prad.

La Prad, who uses Harkey's two novels in her Monmouth educational studies classes, said Harkey "uses language in such a delightful way."

"Both adults and children find her writing style to be a joyful one and an interesting one," said La Prad. "She also highlights a lot of assets that rural communities have."

In addition to her public talk Sept. 11, Harkey will meet with Monmouth educational studies students to discuss several topics, including how to select books for elementary school students.

"When we teach our students how to choose books in their classrooms, we want to help them understand how they might help their students connect to those books by identifying to some of the characters in those books," said La Prad.

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Monmouth College

Young adult literature author Faith Harkey to speak Sept. 11 at Monmouth College

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Monmouth College

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