{Adults}

Teen Author coming October 9

 

On Thursday evening, October 9 at 7 pm, author Doug Wilhelm will be speaking at the Stowe Free Library about his book Falling.  This author program is being held as a kick-off to the American Library Association’s Teen Read Week (October 13-18), during which libraries across the country hold events to encourage teens to read.

 

Doug Wilhelm is a full-time writer and the author of eleven novels for young adults. He lives in Rutland, Vermont, the setting for his newest young adult novel Falling, published in 2007 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Falling tackles the tough issue of drug abuse among teens, as well as issues of friendship and trust. In the book fifteen-year-old Matt Shaw, the star of his high school basketball team, suddenly quits playing. He becomes a loner, wandering the streets of Rutland after school, listening to his Ipod. His only communication is with a stranger he meets in an online chat room. His friends and parents start to worry that he may be doing drugs. What they don’t know is that Matt is not the one with the drug problem – it is his “perfect” older brother Neal. Matt can’t tell anyone what he knows until he meets a girl online. But can she keep a secret? 

 

Reviewers have said Wilhelm has an unparalleled ear for teen dialogue and emotions.  The characters are strong and appealing, and they deal with the world around them in an authentic way. The theme is not uncommon but the author’s observations on how teens communicate through social networking, text messaging, and cell phones is spot on, as is the portrayal of young adults struggling with difficult issues.

 

 Doug’s previous book, The Revealers (FSG, 2003), a book about bullying, has been read and discussed by hundreds of schools across the country and overseas, including more than 100 schools in Vermont. It was nominated by young readers to be on the American Library Association’s “Teens Top Ten” list, and has been on several state Reader’s Choice Award lists. Doug previously wrote Raising the Shades (FSG, 2001), along with eight novels in the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series, books popular in the 1990’s. A former journalist who once covered Vermont for the Boston Globe, Doug has been a full-time, self-employed writer for more than 20 years. Last June, Doug was presented with the annual Kids Count award by the non-profit organization Voices for Vermont’s Children, for making a difference in the lives of Vermont’s young people. He has one son, Bradley, who studies Chinese and plays football at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Doug studied English and played basketball at Kenyon College in Ohio. As everyone tends to notice when they meet him, he is six feet, 10 inches tall. 

This program is free. Refreshments will be served and copies of Falling will be available for purchase and for author signing. For more information, please call the Stowe Free Library at 253-6145.