This announcement has been a very long time coming. Many, many thanks to Rebecca Serle and Dan Farah for your passion, creativity and tenacity. And to all the die-hard readers who’ve assembled dream casts for nearly 20 years: I hope we find the perfectly imperfect Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie too.
All posts by megan
NEW MG NOVEL IN 2020
Introducing TRUE TO YOUR SELFIE, my new middle grade novel with Scholastic.
I love these timeless characters asking a very of-the-moment question: “Friends for life? Or friends for LIKES?” So excited to share this story with tweens and tweens at heart. On sale February 4, 2020 but pre-order any time!
SLOPPY FIRSTS ON STAGE
Congratulations to the Newton High School (Elmhurst, NY) Pioneer Players for the first-ever public high school production of SLOPPY FIRSTS. I laughed! I cringed! I’d happily sit front row center again! If you’re part of a high school drama program and are interested in putting on SLOPPY FIRSTS, email megan[at]meganmccafferty[dot]com.
Teen Book Bash at Princeton Public Library
Join me for Princeton Public Library’s TEEN BOOK BASH, where I’ll be moderating a panel of six incredible authors (Claire Legrand, Emily X.R. Pan, Anica Mrose Rissi, Nisha Sharma, Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison). If you like listening to authors talk about books, this is definitely your jam.
THE MALL: MY NEXT YA NOVEL
It’s official. THE MALL. Coming Spring/Summer 2020 from Wednesday Books.
WORLD PREMIERE: SLOPPY FIRSTS ON STAGE
What an opening night! Congratulations to the phenomenally talented Round House Theater Teen Performance Company. I couldn’t be happier that this premiere was entirely produced and performed by high school students.
The cast and crew vividly captured all the humor and heartache of Pineville High School. A special shout-out to Victoria Keith and Cole Greenberg whose nuanced performances stayed true to Jessica Darling and Marcus Flutie we know and love while still making the characters their own.
This was an unforgettable world premiere that I hope is the first of many productions to come. If you’re involved in a teen theater program and are interested in bringing SLOPPY FIRSTS to your stage, please contact me via megan@meganmccafferty.com.
SLOPPY FIRSTS ON STAGE MARCH 2018
Yes! It’s true. I adapted SLOPPY FIRSTS for a world premiere this March 16th-18th at Round House Theater, recently lauded by the Washington Post as one of the area’s best and most ambitious regional theaters. This is the 16th Sarah Metzger Memorial play to be produced and presented by RH’S Teen Performance Program, an incredible year-round intensive that puts high school students totally in charge of running every aspect of the show. (Well, with input from adult mentors Iike me.)
I spent my entire childhood and adolescence involved in local theater, so my young and dramatic self is SO JEALOUS. My grown up self is beyond thrilled for this creative, collaborative opportunity to bring life to Jessica Darling, Marcus Flutie and the world of Pineville High in a whole new way.
Tickets are available RIGHT NOW. I’ll be at every performance. For sure.
SLOPPY FIRSTS TURNS BITTERSWEET 16
Thank you Barnes & Noble Teen Blog for this lovely tribute.
And thank you readers who continue to discover (and rediscover) Jessica Darling
I am celebrating the occasion by working on my first YA novel in five years.
Jessica Darling’s IT List
The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Popularity, Prettiness & Perfection
“Move over, Dork Diaries! Jessica Darling, star of Megan McCafferty’s bestselling Jessica Darling series for adults, is back in a hilarious new series perfect for tween (10 to 14) girls.”
I hadn’t even gotten to homeroom yet and I’d already discovered five hard truths about junior high:
1. My best friend had turned pretty.
2. She didn’t know it yet.
3. It wouldn’t be long before she did.
4. That knowledge would change everything between us.
5. And there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.
It’s the first day of seventh grade. Is Jessica Darling doomed for dorkdom?
New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty’s hilarious series opener will have you laughing, cringing, and cheering for Jessica Darling as she learns that being herself beats being popular, pretty & perfect any day.
“Readers meeting Jessica for the first time will be charmed by this authentic and funny girl who makes well-tread territory feel as new as a pair of first-day-of-school sneakers.”—Publishers Weekly
“Jessica is a winning heroine, and as she stumbles and fumbles (and literally falls flat on her face), readers will laugh alongside her and, yes, cheer as she comes into her authentic self.”—Booklist
“Brief characterizations of teachers and students are often humorously spot-on, and rules, such as those for cutting lines, fully capture the junior high social scene in all its often distressing ignominy.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Told in the hilariously authentic voice of a preteen girl, this book will have readers laughing out loud at Jessica’s high jinks, especially her disastrous stint as the school’s mascot.”—School Library Journal
Trans Youth Forum 5/20/17
This is my third year volunteering for the NJ Trans Youth Forum sponsored by HiTOPS and GLSEN Central NJ. It’s the only conference in the state for trans-spectrum youth, allies and educators and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have been a part of it from the very beginning. This year I’m beyond excited to announce an #ownvoices author panel featuring Tyler Ford (MTV contributor), Alex Gino (GEORGE), Meredith Russo (IF I WAS YOUR GIRL) and Pat Schmatz (LIZARD RADIO), moderated by youth librarian and reviewer Kyle Lukoff. This event is run on a microbudget, so please consider making a donation to sponsor trans youth who will otherwise be unable to attend.