Deborah Wiles

One of our favorite writers for young readers, Deborah Wiles is an Alabama native who spent her summers in Mississippi, and it is to this enchanting setting that she returns again and again with her delightful novels, including Love, Ruby Lavender and the National Book Award finalist, Each Little Bird That Sings. As she did in those novels, Wiles populates The Aurora County-All Stars with memorable characters who will all learn a valuable lesson by summer’s end. Set in the fictional Aurora County, Mississippi, these aren’t stories for only either boys or girls, nor are they necessarily just for readers 8-12, as suggested. (We know as many adults who love Wiles as much as the kids.) What’s for certain is the quality of her writing and storytelling. This is among the best literature for children today.