The Marble Queen, Stephanie J. Blake
The Marble Queen, Stephanie J. Blake
List: $14.99 | Sale: $10.50
Club: $7.49

The Marble Queen

Author: Stephanie J. Blake

Narrator: Kelly Fogwell

Unabridged: 4 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/18/2012

Synopsis

Freedom Jane McKenzie isn’t good at following the rules. She’s good at getting into trouble—and playing marbles. All she wants is to enter the marble competition at the Autumn Jubilee and show the boys in the neighborhood that she’s the best player. First, Freedom has to convince her mother to let her enter. But there’s a new baby on the way, Freedom’s daddy is drinking too much, her little brother is a handful, and her mother is even more difficult than usual. Freedom learns that when it comes to love, friendship, and family, sometimes there are no rules. Set in 1959, The Marble Queen is a timeless story about growing up.“I wanted to stay with Freedom and her oh-so-real family forever. I wanted to keep watching her play marbles with the boys. And I wanted just one more visit with the kind but eccentric next-door neighbor. Blake has combined the fascinating world of childhood marble-playing with the ups and downs of perfectly realistic characters. A winner!” —Barbara O’Connor, author of How to Steal a Dog and Greetings from Nowhere“Rich with historical details, The Marble Queen will pull you back to 1959, but Freedom Jane McKenzie is a protagonist for all time. Whether she’s knee-deep in family struggles or proving to the world she has what it takes to play marbles with the boys, Freedom’s voice rings out with determination, humor, and warmth.” —Nan Marino, author of Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle and Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me

About Stephanie J. Blake

Stephanie J. Blake loves black jellybeans. She is scared of the dark. She reads lots of books. She’s a terrible driver. She eats chocolate. A lot. Sometimes she has déjà vu, and she likes it. Her middle name is Jane. The Marble Queen is her first book. When she’s not in front of the computer, she can be found in her backyard in Colorado with her husband, their three boys, and their two dogs. If she weren’t a writer, she’d be a country singer. Or maybe a pastry chef. Stephanie is also a member of the Apocalypsies, a group of children’s and young adult authors debuting in 2012, and Smack Dab in the Middle, a middle grade authors’ blog.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Aeicha on March 22, 2013

Stephanie Blake's The Marble Queen is an honest, amusing, and surprisingly poignant look at the coming of age of experiences one little girl in 1959 struggles and triumphs through. Ten year old Freedom Jane McKenzie isn't the kind of little girl her mother wants her to be. Freedom rather play marble......more

Goodreads review by Margo on January 01, 2013

Debut author Stephanie J. Blake has written an appealing middle-grade novel about a heroine with an unusual name: Freedom Jane McKenzie. It's 1959, and Freedom is a tomboy through and through. She'd rather be playing marbles with the boys than engaging in more lady-like pursuits like tea parties and......more

Goodreads review by Kristin on February 17, 2013

This book wasn't too sure what it wanted to be. What I think it turned out to be is an attempt at reconstructing Beverly Cleary's Ramona series but with a side of alcoholism and random and unnecessary historical references. This book wasn't what I thought it was going to be upon picking it up. A lot......more

Goodreads review by Mary on July 21, 2014

It's the summer of 1959 and Freedom Jane McKenzie just celebrated her tenth birthday, receiving a hula hoop, paint-by-number set, and Barbie doll. Freedom would rather have new roller skates, shoot marbles with her old friend, Daniel, who now avoids her; and she'd like the opportunity to enter the m......more

Goodreads review by Carol on January 06, 2013

This is Colorado author Stephanie J. Blake's first novel. Historical fiction, set in 1959. Freedom Jane is the best mibster (marble player) in her grade/neighborhood, and wants to enter a marble contest, but her mama says she is too old to be playing marbles with the boys. Freedom isn't ready to giv......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List