Happy Monday, everyone! Today on Pop! Goes The Reader I’m thrilled to to welcome my friend, and one of my favourite middle grade authors, Alison Cherry, to the blog as we reveal the cover of Alison’s forthcoming novel, Ella Unleashed! Coming to a bookstore and library near you September 25th 2018 from Aladdin, Ella Unleashed is a contemporary middle grade novel that tells the story of Ella Cohen, a young girl who tries to reconcile the disparate elements of her life in attempting to find a girlfriend for her biological father, who has been struggling since her parent’s divorce, while also preparing for her place in the prestigious and world–renowned National Dog Show. Alison’s previous middle grade novels, The Classy Crooks Club and Willows vs. Wolverines, are two of my favourite middle grade books of all time, so when I heard Alison was working on another middle grade title, this one set on the dog show circuit, I could not have been happier or more excited! The cover of Ella Unleashed was illustrated by Angela Li.
About Alison Cherry
Alison Cherry is the author of the middle grade novels The Classy Crooks Club and Willows vs. Wolverines and the young adult novels Red, For Real, and Look Both Ways. She also co-wrote Best. Night. Ever. and The Pros of Cons. She is a professional photographer and spent many years working as a lighting designer for theater, dance, and opera productions. Despite her fascination with the world of dog shows, she has always been a cat person.
Title Ella Unleashed
Author Alison Cherry
Pages 320 Pages
Intended Target Audience Middle Grade
Genre Contemporary
Publication Date September 25th 2018 by Aladdin
Find It On Goodreads ● Amazon.com ● Chapters ● The Book Depository
Ella Cohen was skeptical when her mom started dating again after her parents’ divorce, but two years later, she loves having her stepfather, Krishnan, around. When Ella enters a junior dog show, he even lets her handle his champion dog, Elvis. Though her first attempt ends in disaster, she’s confident she can master the dog show circuit with enough hard work.
Ella’s dad, however, presents another problem. He used to be lighthearted and fun, but he hasn’t been himself since the divorce, and Ella worries that he’s depressed. Plus he refuses to be near Krishnan long enough to watch Ella compete, even when she secures a spot in the prestigious National Dog Show.
When Ella’s friends suggest that she find her dad a new girlfriend, it seems like the perfect solution. If her dad fell in love again, surely he’d turn back into his old self, happy and relaxed enough to watch her win. So she creates a fake online dating profile for him and throws herself into playing matchmaker.
But it turns out that people, much like dogs, aren’t always easy to control, and Ella’s perfect plan isn’t as foolproof as she expects. Will she manage to bring her divided life together in time for her moment in the spotlight?
