Author in Residence Lisa Ann Sandell: Her Books!

Our third awesome Author in Residence, Lisa Ann Sandell, is a deeply insightful writer who will be on the rgz team through August! Check out her mini-issue at the rgz website.
Throughout her visit, she will be posting at the readergirlz blog (watch her first vlog, about writing inspirations, and her second, about the power of art).

Check out her list of awesome books, and then check out the books themselves!

Lisa told us that her first novel, The Weight of the Sky, is loosely autobiographical. This book tells the story of Sarah, an American teenager who travels to Israel on her first trip away from home by herself.In Israel, Sarah volunteers on a kibbutz, or communal farm, and falls in love with the land - and a boy - and comes to appreciate what really matters to her in life, what she wants to do and who she wants to be. A coming-of-age story about self-discovery.

Published March 2006

Song of the Sparrow tells the story of Elaine, a young woman who, with her father and brothers, lives in a military camp led by Arthur of Britain. The men fight against invaders from many directions, and Elaine does what she can to help the Britains by learning the healing arts to tend to wounded soldiers. There is romance and lots of adventure.

Lisa says, "What I love best about the stories of King Arthur are the

themes of friendship, equality, and justice - I think these ideals are what make the human race noble. I also tried to inject this novel with the notion that girls can be as strong as men, even if they aren't doing the same things. We all have a role to play and the role of girls and women is just as important as that of men."

Published May 2007

In A Map of the Known World, Cora Bradley's older brother has died in a car crash. Now she finds solace in drawing maps of and envisioning herself in exotic locales. Then, as she begins high school, Cora begins to spend time with Damian, the handsome, brooding boy who was in the car with Nate the night he died, and she uncovers her brother's sec

ret artistic life, and realizes she had more in common with him than she ever imagined. The themes of this novel cover the redemptive powers of art, friendship, and love.

Published April 2009
Did You Know?

Both Song of the Sparrow and Weight of the Sky are verse novels.

Lisa's short story entitled "See Me" was published in the anthology 21 Proms.