To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan, Meg Wolitzer Published by Dial Books on February 12, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Middle Grade
Pages: 304
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Hardcover
ISBN: 0525553231
Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | IndieBound
From two extraordinary authors comes a moving, exuberant, laugh-out-loud novel about friendship and family, told entirely in emails and letters.
Avery Bloom, who's bookish, intense, and afraid of many things, particularly deep water, lives in New York City. Bett Devlin, who's fearless, outgoing, and loves all animals as well as the ocean, lives in California. What they have in common is that they are both twelve years old, and are both being raised by single, gay dads.
When their dads fall in love, Bett and Avery are sent, against their will, to the same sleepaway camp. Their dads hope that they will find common ground and become friends--and possibly, one day, even sisters.
But things soon go off the rails for the girls (and for their dads too), and they find themselves on a summer adventure that neither of them could have predicted. Now that they can't imagine life without each other, will the two girls (who sometimes call themselves Night Owl and Dogfish) figure out a way to be a family?
I am excited to be participating in the blog tour for To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Golberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. A middle-grade contemporary novel about friendship and family. Through emails and letters we get to know the main characters, Bett Devlin and Avery Bloom as they navigate summer camp.
Because Bett and Avery communicate via email, as pen pals, I had the pleasure of partnering with Harker from the blog, The Hermit Librarian. Together, we’re bringing you food inspired by the book. So be sure to check out Harker’s post!
To kick off the post, here is a special treat from the authors, Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer, as they share how food plays a role in their novel, To Night Owl from Dogfish. You can read the first part of the interview on Harker’s blog, The Hermit Librarian. Enjoy!
Food and Camping
HGS: At the American Library Association mid-winter conference, the food was designed around camp. S’mores seem to be the number one thing people associate with camping. By the way, were you much of a camper as a kid? I mean, I know you went to summer camp (I love THE INTERESTINGS!), but did your family take a tent and go off into the woods? I’ve never asked you that.
MW: We were not a camping family, but we did give it a try a few times. At least, there is photographic evidence that we did. One photo in particular depicts me and my sister with our heads poking out of a pup tent. But camping was not a dominant activity for us. A dominant activity was playing Twister.
HGS: When I was eight years old, my family lived for three months in a tent. I would say that this three month period of my childhood is the most vivid. It wasn’t like The Glass Castle. My family traveled around Europe going from campground to campground. My father was a professor and we’d spent a year in Holland. When our school was over, they packed me and my two brothers into a VW station wagon, and with a map book and a restaurant guide we hit the road.
MW: Wow, that’s wild, and it really does sound like its own book. I strongly suggest you write it, because I would want to read it, and other people would too. I learn something new about you every day. We are getting ready to go out onto the road on book tour for two weeks.
HGS: One of our stops is Houston, and while all I can think about is the great barbeque, we’ll find a way to make it work. We know our own limitations.
MW: Yes. I lived in Houston teaching college for one semester, and I had a great time, though it didn’t include barbecue, given my food preferences. And we are also going to Boston, Miami, and Seattle. I imagine the seafood opportunities there will be excellent.
HGS: As they should be. Meg, what’s your favorite food? Don’t think. Just tell me!
MW: Spaghetti. And yours?
HGS: Apricots. Very ripe. Nothing better.
Thank you to Holly Golberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer for sharing their memories from camp and favorite foods. Now it is my turn to share with you food inspired by the book.
Inspired by the Book: Food
Within the novel, To Night Owl from Dogfish, they mention places they’ve traveled to. One of the characters Bett Devlin, also mentions enjoying eating bacon, despite Avery Bloom’s warnings about bacon. This reminded me of my own travels and my visit to London, England. While there I had a bacon roll from the West Cornwall Pasty Co and I can still remember it being a food I really liked. It was simple, bacon in a roll.
For my dish inspired by the book, I am going to share a recipe for my version of the bacon roll that I liked eating from London.
Bacon Roll
Ingredients:
1 – roll or 2 – slices of bread (any type)
4 slices of bacon
But if you want to get more creative than just bacon and bread, here are some add-ons that you can do:
- Bacon and Egg Roll (add 2 eggs, cooked the way you like)
- BLT (add lettuce and a couple slices of tomato. Can also add mayo, if desired.)
- Bacon, Sunflower Butter, and 1 banana sliced
Bon Appéti!
Another food that is inspired by this book is…
Lemon Spaghetti Pasta
1 packet of of spaghetti
1/2 cup of olive oil
lemon zest
grated Parmesan
Garlic
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:
- Cook the uncooked pasta in boiling water
- In a separate skillet, cook the olive oil and garlic until cooked.
- Then mix the olive oil and garlic with the cooked pasta while adding the Parmesan and red pepper flakes, to taste.
- Once it is to your liking, go ahead and serve.
- Add-on: bread and salad to complement the dish.
This dish was inspired by the book, because it is similar to what Bett and Avery served the campers when it was their turn to make dinner.
Thank you again for reading and don’t forget to check out To Night Owl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. Releases on February 12, 2019.
Cheers!
About Holly Goldberg Sloan
Holly Goldberg Sloan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spent her childhood living in California, the Netherlands, Istanbul, Washington, DC, and Oregon (where she graduated from high school). She wrote the screenplay for Angels in the Outfield and directed The Big Green, as well as a number of other successful family feature films.
The mother of two sons, Holly lives with her husband (the writer/illustrator Gary Rosen) in Santa Monica, California. I'll Be There was her debut novel. Her next book, Counting By 7s, was Amazon's best novel of the year for middle grade. Her book Just Call My Name is a follow up to I'll Be There and takes place several months after the ending of the first novel.
Appleblossom the Possum was written by Sloan and Illustrated by Rosen and comes out of Sloan's love for Charlotte's Web. Her next novel will be published in January of 2017 from Dial/Penguin Random House
About Meg Wolitzer
Meg Wolitzer is the New York Times–bestselling author of The Interestings, The Uncoupling, The Ten-Year Nap, The Position, The Wife, and Sleepwalking. She is also the author of the young adult novel Belzhar. Wolitzer lives in New York City.
