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    Jake Burt, Author of The Right Hook of Devin Velma | Selfie and a Shelfie

    Bianca SchulzeBy Bianca Schulze3 Mins Read Ages 9-12 Author Interviews Best Kids Stories Novels for Kids and Teens Teens: Young Adults
    Jake Burt Author of The Right Hook of Devin Velma Selfie and a Shelfie
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    The Children’s Book Review | March 15, 2019

    Jake Burt’s Selfie with The Right Hook of Devin Velma

    This is just your average 40-year-old-dude-hanging-upside-down-off-the-monkey-bars-in-the-dead-of-winter picture. I know, I know – if you’ve seen one of ’em, you’ve seen ’em all. But I had a good reason. In The Right Hook of Devin Velma, Addison Gerhardt’s best friend, Devin Velma, is trying to make enough money to pay for his father’s heart surgery. His plan is simple: make a wild YouTube video, get it to go viral, then rake in the advertisement money. All Devin needs is for Addison to help him record something weird enough, dangerous enough, and breathtaking enough to capture the nation’s attention. Devin’s first attempt? The death-defying danger of the Double-Barreled Monkey Bar Backflip of Doom…

    Jake-Burt-Selfie.jpg

    Jake Burt’s Shelfie

    This is the top shelf of my classroom library, tucked underneath our reading loft. It’s reserved for newer books, and particularly those featuring diverse casts of characters. Many of the titles here are ones I’ve read and enjoyed over the past couple of years, and lots of these were written by my very good friends. I use these books to highlight the fact that there are new classics being written every year, and that no matter who you are, you can find yourself represented in middle grade books (and if you can’t, I know a whole mess of talented people who’ll write that book for you). I hope this shelf reflects my passion for sharing stories with kids, my love of books across genres, and my ever-growing relationship with the writerly community

    Jake-Burt-Shelfie.jpg

    —

    The Right Hook of Devin VelmaThe Right Hook of Devin Velma

    Written by Jake Burt

    Publisher’s Synopsis: From the author of Greetings from Witness Protection! comes another unforgettable middle-grade novel about friendship and family.

    Devin wants to hit it big on the internet by pulling a stunt at an NBA game―one the entire nation will be watching. Addison can’t turn Devin down, but he can barely manage talking to his teachers without freezing up. How’s he supposed to handle the possibility of being a viral sensation?

    Addi’s not sure why Devin is bent on pulling off this almost-impossible feat. Maybe it has something to do with Devin’s dad’s hospital bills. Maybe it all goes back to the Double-Barreled Monkey Bar Backflip of Doom. Or maybe it’s something else entirely. No matter what, though, it’s risky for both of them, and when the big day finally comes, Devin’s plan threatens more than just their friendship.

    With memorable protagonists and a wonderful supporting cast, The Right Hook of Devin Velma is a one-of-kind knockout in middle-grade fiction.

    Ages 10-14 | Publisher: Feiwel & Friends | October 2, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1250168627

    Available Here

    Text, logoBuy on AmazonLogo

    About the Author

    Jake Burt is an award-winning author of middle grade fiction, including Greetings from Witness Protection!, The Right Hook of Devin Velma, The Tornado (Fall 2019), and Cleo Porter and the Body Electric (Fall 2020). He’s also a fifth grade teacher in New Haven, Connecticut. When he’s not writing or teaching, he plays the banjo, messes around with board games, and bakes a killer cinnamon pull-apart bread, which he then hides from his wife and daughter so they don’t eat it all before he gets a taste.

    Find him on the web at http://www.jburtbooks.com and on Twitter @jburtbooks.

    Discover more books like ‘The Right Hook of Devin Velma,’ written by Jake Burt, by checking out our reviews and articles tagged with Family, Friendship, and Middle Grade Books; and be sure to follow along with our Selfie and a Shelfie series.

    What to Read Next:

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    2. Padma Venkatraman’s Selfie with The Bridge Home
    3. Lizzy and the Good Luck Girl, by Susan Lubner | Speed Interview
    4. The Patron Thief of Bread, by Lindsay Eagar | Book Review

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Family Feiwel & Friends Friendship Jake Burt Middle Grade Books Selfie and a Shelfie
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    Bianca Schulze
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    Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

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