Read Four Questions for Joan Bauer in Publishers Weekly

From Joan: My husband and I moved from Brooklyn, New York to just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’ve now got urban and high desert in me. I like that a lot. As always, I’ve been writing. I finished the screenplay of my book, Hope Was Here, well on its way to becoming an Indy film. I finished the musical adaptation of my first YA novel, Squashed. I finished my first novel for adult readers, a story of a singer/songwriter trying to find her voice when everything in her past comes crashing in. Big change changes us. Coyotes howl at night here, I’m learning to bake at high altitude, I’m learning to not need street lights to find my way home. I will forever love Brooklyn, but these sunsets, these sunrises… God is surely showing off.

Raising Lumie

Read Joan’s essay, What Love Can Do, at the Nerdy Book Club.

"This is a funny, fast-paced book about an ordinary girl with an extraordinary ambition."

"This wacky ride through affairs of the heart never grows predictable!"

"Good characters, humor, and an engaging plot...a solid piece of middle-grade fiction. "

"...engaging characters, a light love interest, and dramatic tension in a well-paced plot, this is another great read from Bauer."

"A great cast of characters, witty dialog along with Jenna's droll asides, and an insight into business ethics highlight this winning title..."

"{Full of} fabulous and somewhat flamboyant characters, witty dialogue, and memorable scenes...Bauer's best yet."

"An eloquent story of ordinary heroes."

"It's as if the novel had been written by someone actually coming of age."

"A winsome entry into issues of journalistic free speech and the impact of sensationalism in the media..."

"{A} heartwarming novel about a determined girl who faces adversity with humor, heart -- and cupcakes."

“Sugar's anger, fear, humility, and resolve are portrayed with insight and compassion.”

"Bauer has done an exceptional job of informing young readers about human trafficking without being heavy-handed or speaking down to her audience."

"Triumphant and moving."

"Raising Lumie is a touching, optimistic story about decent, well-intentioned people.”

Winter Reading : HOPE WAS HERE (a Newbery Honor Book)

When hope gets released in a place, anything is possible.

"It's as if the novel had been written by someone actually coming of age."
The New York Times Book Review

Featured Novel: SOAR

A boy who can’t run gives a town wings.

"Triumphant and moving."
School Library Journal

Joan Bauer in the Classroom

See why students and teachers like Joan Bauer’s books so much.

Teaching and Reading Guides

Meet Joan

“One of the things I want to do most in this world is to help kids find the hero they’ve got inside.”