Welcome, Maureen Johnson!

We are super-psyched to welcome the mighty Maureen Johnson to the featured author slot this month. Her duet of Scarlett novels are our September picks! Check out our interview with Maureen, book party ideas themed around her book, and our Reach Out project idea--as well as the awesome soundtrack Maureen has chosen for the book--on readergirlz.com.

Here's a little about Suite Scarlett:

Scarlett Martin's family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City, and Scarlett lives there with her siblings, Spencer, Lola, and Marlene. When each of the Martins turns fifteen, they are expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett's fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest called Mrs. Amberson.

Scarlett doesn't quite know what to make of this C-list starlet who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn. Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deceptions. But in the city where anything can happen, she just might be able to pull it off.

And Scarlett Fever:

In the sequel, Scarlett Fever, Scarlett ends up at the beck and call of a Broadway star (her own age!), dealing with territorial doormen, and walking a small dog with insecurity issues - all while starting her sophomore year at one of New York’s most rigorous high schools.

Meanwhile, her older brother Spencer has become New York City’s most controversial TV villain, her ever-reliable older sister Lola is sliding off the rails, and her younger sister Marlene, most worryingly, has suddenly become... nice. But somehow Scarlett will prevail... right?

And the buzz...

ALA Best Books for Young Adults 2009 (Suite Scarlett)

"Utterly winning, madcap Manhattan farce, crafted with a winking, urbane narrative and tight, wry dialogue." - Booklist, starred review (for Suite Scarlett)

"You'll never want to check out of Suite Scarlett! Maureen Johnson writes with a deft and clever hand. I can't wait until my room at the Hopewell is ready." - Meg Cabot

"Maureen Johnson has a magical writing unicorn in her desk drawer who crafted this delightfully witty, madcap, and thoroughly enchanting tale of love, family, weird hotels, burned food, New York City, DIY theater, and finding yourself where you least expect it. (Unless, of course, MJ is herself a magical writing unicorn, which I have long suspected.)" - Libba Bray

"The sequel measures well above its predecessor . . . the characterizations are a dream." - Kirkus Reviews (for Scarlett Fever)

"Charming, smart, and laugh-out-loud funny, Scarlett Fever is the kind of book you give to your best friend and say, 'Please hurry up and read this, so we can talk about it.'" - Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan a.k.a. The Fug Girls

"Very, very rarely, I read a book that makes me want to live somewhere other than Maine. Even less often, I read a book that makes me want to live somewhere urban. This series falls into both categories - the trials and tribulations of Scarlett Martin make me daydream about living in New York City. Thumbs up, yet again, for Maureen Johnson." - Bookshelves of Doom

We are so excited to have the awesome Maureen Johnson with us this month! Join us all month right here on the blog for discussions and mark your calendars a LIVE #rgz twitter chat on Wednesday, September 22nd at 6pm PST/9pm EST.

Happy September, readergirlz!