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News
CRYSTAL FALLS — U.P author Ann Dallman will be featured at an author event, held via Zoom, on June 10 at 6 p.m.
The event will be held by the Crystal Falls Community District Library, in partnership with the U.P. Publishers & Authors Association, featuring winners of the U.P. Notable Book List. The events are open to all U.P. residents free of charge.
Dallman’s award-winning book “Cady and the Bear Necklace” has the brought representation of middle-grade Native American characters to the fore in this adventure set in the U.P.
Dallman has roots in the U.P. and more than two decades of teaching experience. According to Dallman, she enjoys writing about artists, mysteries and people of all ages who have overcome challenges. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree Viterbo University.
According to the event’s news release, Dallman got her start as a newspaper reporter, and returned to journalism after retiring from teaching. Dallman loves delving into “the story behind the story” whether it be of persons, places or things. She continues to freelance for several publications while writing additional middle-grade novels about 13-year-old Cady and the challenges she faces while solving mysteries
Cady, a 13-year-old girl of Native American heritage, has experienced big changes in the past year — her father’s marriage to a much younger woman, a new baby brother, and a move from Minnesota to Michigan where she is attending a reservation school for the first time in her life. One day at school, Cady finds an eagle feather on the hallway floor and reports it to the principal. He thanks her for this act of honor and tells her that a mystery might soon appear in her life.
Not long after, Cady discovers an antique Indian beaded necklace hidden under the floor of her bedroom closet. She knows she’s found it for a reason but what is the reason? Is this the mystery the principal predicted might appear? She consults with the elders who tell her it is her “job” to find out why. In the process of solving this mystery, Cady’s home life calms down and she draws closer to the teachings and traditions of her culture. Helping her are new friends Irish, John Ray Chicaug, and a crazy talking blue jay.
In addition to the honor of 2020 U.P. Notable Book, “Cady and the Bear Necklace” was the recipient of the following awards: Historical Society of Michigan 2020 State History Award (Books: Children and Youth); 2020 Midwest Book Award Winner: Young Adult Fiction category; 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist: Young Adult category; 2020 New Mexico - Arizona Book Award Winner (Multicultural); 2020 SCBWI Members-for-Members Scholarship (Michigan); 2020 Readers Favorite 5-Star Review: Young Adult/Coming of Age category
Those interested in attending should contact CFDL Library Director Evelyn Gathu in advance by email at egathu@uproc.lib.mi.us, or by calling 906-875-3344. More information about the U.P. Notable Book list, U.P. Book Review, and UPPAA can be found on UPNotable.com.
--About the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA)
Established in 1998 to support authors and publishers who live in or write about the Upper Peninsula, UPPAA is a Michigan nonprofit association with more than 100 members, many of whose books are featured on the organization’s website at www.uppaa.org. UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a UP connection who is interested in writing.