“First, a cat has suddenly shape-shifted into a fish, then its owner is mysteriously murdered. Next, fossils of a giant unknown creature go missing. The second book in William Ritter’s Jackaby series has Jackaby, a fantastical Sherlock Holmes, and Abigail Rook, his intuitive and intelligent Watson, teamed up with a host of characters to solve …
The UO Duck Store threw a party for UO alum William Ritter. He was recognized as 2015 PNBA Book Award Winner for his novel published by Algonquin Young Readers, Jackaby. The event featured a reading and signing as well as the award plaque presentation. photos by Laura White of the UO Duck Store
I’ve gotten a lot of questions about inspiration since publishing Jackaby. What inspired me to write about X, Y, or Z; what do I do when I don’t feel inspired; where does inspiration come from? Inspiration is weird. Here’s my best advice on the subject. Inspiration is a marvelous thing. There are times when whole …
We’re delighted to announce the winners of the 2015 Pacific Northwest Book Awards! A volunteer committee of independent booksellers chose these six books from more than 250 nominated titles published in 2014. A Shortlist of 15 finalists was announced in November. Original essays from each of the winners will be featured on this site over the …
Abigail Rook has always wanted to pave her own way, going against her parents’ wishes of a college education and instead going on an archaeological dig. When her dreams don’t pan out, she cannot return home and face her parents so she instead embarks on a journey across the Atlantic to New Fiddleham in New …
The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association PNBA Award Committee announced a shortlist of 15 titles for the 2015 PNBA Award. Up to six of the shortlisted books will be selected as 2015 PNBA Award Winners; the winners will be announced in January 2015. Award Committee members will share reflections on the shortlisted titles on this site …
Springfield, Oregon author William Ritter’s recently released 12-and-up novel Jackaby (Algonquin Young Readers) earned the BuzzBooks contest title this past weekend at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association annual tradeshow, in Tacoma, Sept 26-28. Nearly 200 booksellers and librarians from around the Northwest made stops at publisher booths on the show floor to hear pitches …
If I could give every teenager in the world one thing, it would be J-Hall. When I was in high school, J-Hall was my haven. The nerds ruled J-Hall. It housed the band, choir, and theater departments, and at the end of the hall, far from the clamor of the crowded cafeteria, sat a magical …
