Books by Patty Campbell

Wounded Marine veteran, MSgt Misty Beachy, is retired from active duty and has found a niche in civilian life. She trains sniffer dogs for U.S. Customs. Her life is going according to plan until an older officer, Jack Hawk, a hardheaded close-air support combat pilot reappears and turns her world upside down. Misty Beachy is never far from Colonel Jonathan Hawk's mind. They met during briefings in the heat of battle in Iraq. She commanded Marine ground troops but looks like a high school cheerleader. Misty -- prickly, tough, and fearless. An intriguing mystery to him. He never expected to see her again, then suddenly, there she is.

Joe Hamilton has spent years conquering his demons, his war wounds. Some the medics could fix, and some were up to him. Now he's retired from the Marines and on track to a satisfying future as a civilian. A husband. A father. Sandy Cassidy is the woman Joe only dreamed about meeting. Miraculously she's attracted to him. What is she hiding? Something that can prevent them from having a future together?

This book examines the presentation of spiritual issues in young adult fiction. It looks at how religious ideas, and those matters that are defined more broadly as spiritual, are represented. YA novels are selected by the authors, who then explain how these pieces of literature can appear as metaphors or as more direct theological references.

At the request of her many fans, Patty Campbell, editor of the Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature series, has selected some of her best essays, articles, columns, and speeches in Campbells Scoop. These pieces define the boundaries between childrens and adult literature and review the trends, censorship, problems, and glories of the genre. Other essays reflect on some concerns and interests of young adult literature as it has matured: the verse novel, ambivalent endings, violence, the sometimes dubious value of awards and honor lists, the graphic novel, and the difficulties of the genres recent overwhelming success. A section titled "e;Inside ALA"e; looks at the authors many years of service to that organization with, among other pieces, a firsthand look at the Best Books committee at work and a report of her attempt to unite booksellers and librarians in common cause.Many of these selections show the idiosyncratic wit and passion that have made Campbells column a favorite with Horn Book readers: an exploration of the meaning of the glut of YA novels with death as a theme or character; an indignant denunciation of the fictional abuse of animals; a snarky analysis of "e;chick lit;"e; and a technical review from the belly-dancing critic of a YA novel featuring that ancient art. On a more serious note, Campbell pleads for what she calls "e;Godsearch"e; in books for teens and pays tribute to her late friend Robert Cormier. Without question, the essays in Campbells Scoop provide readers with the unique insights of an advocate who is passionate about young adult literature and its future.