We preach patience so often in this business, but I've been foaming at the mouth for months in anticipation of the release of Matt Myklusch's JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION with Aladdin Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. Is it rabies, you ask? Probably not (although I have been petting wild raccoons lately). It's because this book is full of twists, turns, laughs, and big surprises, and I've been dying for everyone to read it. And now you can!JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION is the story of an orphan boy who, after fighting off a robot zombie straight out of one of his comic books, is whisked away to a secret island where all the fantastic things in our world originate, including him. It's got ninjas, super heroes, the aforementioned robot zombies, spaceships, sword-wielding kids, and a terrific mixture of action and humor that will appeal to even the most reluctant of boy readers.
Matt was the second author I signed back when I started agenting. I first read his query and sample pages when I was an intern, and even then I knew I'd found something special. Here was a take on a classic story--orphaned boy comes to learn he's special--but told in a really fantastic and fresh way. And when I came to know Matt, I realized he was driven, professional, down to earth, and an eternal optimist. At each stage on the road to publication he's believed in this story and these characters, and it's so wonderful to see the book finally on shelves.If you're hungry for a great summer read or want something to give to the reluctant readers in your life, go out and snag your own copy of JACK BLANK AND THE IMAGINE NATION.Bonus material!