The Gift: The Life and Times of Birdie Mae Hayes #1

By Jeri Anne Agee and Bryan Langdo

This series is laugh-out loud funny, which is so appealing for this age level. Birdie’s voice and perceptions of the world and people are spot on, but the series is also full of heart.

Southern fiction for children is rare, particularly for this younger age level. Typically the genre skews literary rather than mass-market contemporary, so the series will be very welcomed. Additionally, Southern fiction attracts review attention.

Multigenerational and small-town rural stories are always in demand.

Debut author Jeri Anne Agee is best friends with her college roommate, Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help. Stockett has pledged her support and social media outreach to promote Birdie Mae Hayes.

This is our chapter book lead for the season, following our strong launch of Project Droid, by international bestseller Nancy Krulik.

We are launching with two titles (simul HC & PB editions), and will publish one per season thereafter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sky Pony Press
• Release date: Feb 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781510724600

Jeri Anne Agee

Jeri Anne Agee grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, and graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’ s degree in communications. An avid reader and a mother of three, Jeri Anne retired early from the financial industry and, at the age of forty-four, began writing her first children’ s book. Her quest to combine her own stories of growing up in the South with a character who is strong, lovable, loyal, and funny resulted in Birdie Mae Hayes. Jeri Anne currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband, three children, and three rescue dogs.