Today’s post is sponsored by Neal Porter Books and Scattergood!
Title Scattergood
Author H.M. Bouwman
Intended Target Audience Middle Grade
Publication Date January 21st 2025 by Neal Porter Books
Find It On Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Blackwell’s ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
In rural Iowa in 1941, twelve-year-old Peggy’s quiet life is turned upside down by refugee arrivals, first love, and a heartbreaking diagnosis.
Growing up a farm girl, Peggy’s life has never been particularly exciting. But a lot changes in 1941. Her friend Joe starts acting strange around her. The Quaker hostel nearby reopens to house Jewish refugees from Europe, including a handsome boy named Gunther and a troubled professor of nothing. And her cousin and best friend, Delia, is diagnosed with leukemia — and doesn’t even know it.
Peggy has always been rational. She may not be able to understand poetry and speak in metaphors like Delia, but she has to believe she can find a way out of this mess, for both of them. There has to be a cure. And yet the more she tries to control, the more powerless she feels. She can’t make Gunther see her the way she sees him. She can’t help the Professor find his missing daughter. She’s tired of feeling young and naive, but growing up is proving even worse.
A historical coming-of-age novel that feels as alive and present as today, Scattergood offers even readers familiar with World War II a fascinating new glimpse of history, far from the battlefields of Europe and the shores of New York City. H.M. Bouwman presents a raw and unapologetic snapshot of a girl battling her own shortcomings and the random nature of life.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Do! Judge A Book By Its Cover is a regular feature on Pop! Goes The Reader in which I pay tribute to some of the best and brightest the publishing world has to offer in the way of book cover design.
Please Note: As always, I’ve done my best to credit the designers and artists responsible for the stunning covers below, but was unable to find this information for a number of those listed. If you know of an uncredited designer and/or artist responsible for any of these book covers or if I’ve credited someone incorrectly, please let me know and I would be happy to include proper attribution in this post. Their work is important and deserves attribution.
01. Mystery of the Haunted Dancehall by Charis Cotter
02. The Boy, The Mountain, and The Serpent Who Ate The Moon by Caris Avendaño Cruz
Cover design by Julia Bianchi, Cover art by Marianne J. Palita
03. The Last Rhee Witch and The Nine-Tailed Fox by Jenna Lee-Yun
Cover design by Zareen Johnson, Cover art by Deb JJ Lee
04. Where There Be Monsters by Alby C. Williams
Cover design by Aurora Parlagreco, Cover art by Bex Glendining
05. The Girl In The Walls by Meg Eden Kuyatt
Cover design by Cassy Price, Cover art by James Firnhaber
06. Starry, Starry Heist by Karen Briner
07. Neshama by Marcella Pixley
Cover art by Vesper Stamper
08. Octopus Moon by Bobbie Pyron
Cover art by Kirbi Fagan
09. The Blossoming Summer by Anna Rose Johnson
Cover art by Stephanie Son
10. Zarina Divided by Reem Faruqi
Cover design by Molly Fehr, Cover art by Shehzil Malik
11. The Dog Who Made It Better by Katherin Nolte
12. The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
13. Junius Leak and The Spiraling Vortex of Doom by Allan Wolf
Cover art by Lavanya Naidu
14. So Over Sharing by Elissa Brent Weissman
Cover design by Kristie Radwikowicz, Cover art by Charis Jackson Barrios
15. Snow by Meera Trehan
Cover art by Cornelia Li
16. Gigi Shin, Live From Manhattan by Lyla Lee
Cover art by Karyn Lee
17. Weird Sad and Silent by Alison McGhee
Cover design by Jessica Jenkins, Cover art by Jana Fak
18. The Ripple Effect by Rebecca Caprara
Cover design by Kristen Nobles, Cover art by Maike Plenzke
19. Going Overboard by Caroline Huntoon
Cover art by Ricardo Bessa
20. Family Week by Sarah Moon
21. El Niño by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Cover design by Marijka Kostiw, Cover art by Joe Cepeda
22. A Hero’s Guide To Summer Vacation by Pablo Cartaya
Cover design by Jessica Jenkins, Cover art by Ericka Lugo
23. The Accidental Stowaway by Judith Eagle
Cover art by Jo Rioux
24. A Field Guide To Broken Promises by Leah Stecher
Cover art by Anna Kuptsova
25. Free Piano by Whitney Gardner
Cover art by Whitney Gardner
