FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                   Contact: Shanta Small
On sale June 28, 2005                                                   (212) 782-9677
                                                                                ssmall@randomhouse.com
 
 

NOVEL REACHES OUT TO CHILDREN OF CONVICTS
          
Harry Sue
BY SUE STAUFFACHER
 
“The bittersweet story is chock-full of quirky, touching characters and sidesplitting dialogue, but Stauffacher also tackles some serious issues, including child neglect and parental incarceration… Hyperbolic and charming, Harry Sue is a triumphant symbol of the resilience of children.”
                                                                                                        —Booklist

“Written with humor and heart, this is intricately plotted and full of unlikely but charming coincidences and characters of endearing eccentricity.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred 

                                                                
In 2003 Sue Stauffacher drew critical acclaim for her middle-grade novel, Donuthead. The book received three starred reviews and put Stauffacher on the map as a talented new voice in children’s literature. This summer Stauffacher raises the bar with a heart-wrenching new novel, HARRY SUE (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers / on sale June 28, 2005 / $15.95), in which she addresses a forgotten, but no less important part of our society—children with convicted parents.
 
Most children resent their parents because they work too much or because they dole out chores. But imagine a child whose parent is nine hours away, behind bars, unable to work or cook or help with homework. Imagine a child whose parent is in prison.
 
In HARRY SUE author/journalist Sue Stauffacher tells the story of one such girl. Eleven-year-old Harry Sue Clotkin is the only child of convicted felons. She has been sentenced to live with her abusive Granny who runs a squalid in-home daycare center. When she’s not protecting the “crumb-snatchers” from her cruel Granny, visiting her best friend who is a quadriplegic or maintaining her tough-girl image at school, Harry Sue dreams of becoming a “conette” and joining her mother in prison. But as hard as she tries to be tough, Harry Sue cannot ignore the suffering of those around her, nor can she deny that throbbing in her chest—her heart.
 
Stauffacher’s exquisite novel is both starkly realistic and magical at the same time. The author loosely parallels Harry Sue’s journey to that of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Like Dorothy, our young protagonist must find strength, heart and courage as she embarks upon a long and perilous road home.
 
Between 1977 and 2001 the number of female prisoners in the United States grew 592%. The media has run numerous stories about female inmates, but has ignored the fate of their children. There
are currently millions of disenfranchised boys and girls in the U.S. grappling with the humiliation of having a parent in prison. HARRY SUE gives a voice to those children whose stories would otherwise go unheard.
 
Sue Stauffacher is a professional journalist and has been writing a children’s book review column for 10 years. She also conducts writing workshops with women who have been separated from their children due to imprisonment or neglect as a result of their drug use. These have resulted in heartbreaking poems and letters available both on her web site at www.suestauffacher.com and on the Family and Corrections Network (FCN) website (www.fcnetwork.org).  FCN is a non-profit advocacy group based in Virginia that focuses on the well-being of prisoners and their families. Stauffacher lives in Grand Rapids, MI.
 
HARRY SUE
By Sue Stauffacher
An Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers hardcover / on sale June 28, 2005
0-375-83274-2 / 304 pages / $15.95 / $22.95 Can / Ages 8-12
 
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers is an imprint of the Random House Children’s Books division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG. Visit us at www.randomhouse.com/kids
 
Praise for Donuthead
“Franklin’s engaging narration will keep readers enthralled. Stauffacher’s insightful novel offers a good-natured optimism as well as some hilarious asides.” —Publishers Weekly, starred
 
“Refreshing[ly] light and funny. An appealing story with…memorable characters and a lot of heart.”
                                                                                       —School Library Journal, starred 

“Touching, funny, and gloriously human.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred