Jennifer Ziegler is not only My Favorite Author in the Whole Wide World, she’s also the creator of an exceptional new middle grade novel, Worser. She and I have been married nearly nine years, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Jennifer has had this book brewing for most of the time I’ve known her.

In the brief video above, Jennifer discusses her connection with the book’s title character, who by this point almost feels like part of our household. At last, Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House is publishing Worser next week, and I’m thrilled to celebrate the occasion by giving away four personalized copies.

Subscribers to my monthly Bartography Express newsletter (folks can sign up here) are eligible for one of those signed copies of Worser.

If you’d like one of the winners to be you, by the end of March either say so in the comments below or email me directly, and you’ll be in the running. (U.S. mailing addresses only.)

Good luck, and in the meantime, have a look at these starred reviews that Worser has already received before it’s even officially out in the world:

“This wonderfully layered story unfolds its many facets gently: finding refuge, garnering peer appreciation, questioning the way things were, and facing the toll of untreated trauma. . . . The author has developed her main character so well it’s hard to believe it’s not biography—but it can certainly pass as the most entertaining New York Times crossword artillery you’ll ever read.”

–Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Full of SAT-worthy vocabulary and wordplay, this is a touching story about grief, trauma, and embracing change. This story is especially powerful due to its sensitive depictions of non-death-related grief, which Ziegler accurately captures.”

–Booklist, Starred Review