Kurtis Scaletta

Mudville
Knopf, 2009
ages 9 to 12, ISBN 978-0375855795

Welcome to Moundville, where it’s been raining for longer Roy McGuire has been alive. Most people say the town is cursed—right in the middle of their biggest baseball game against rival town Sinister Bend, black clouds crept across the sky and it started to rain. That was 22 years ago...and it’s still pouring.

Baseball camp is over, and Roy knows he’s in for a dreary, soggy summer. But when he returns home, he finds a foster kid named Sturgis sprawled out on his couch. As if this isn’t weird enough, just a few days after Sturgis’s arrival, the sun comes out. No one can explain why the rain has finally stopped, but as far as Roy’s concerned, it’s time to play some baseball. It’s time to get a Moundville team together and finish what was started 22 years ago. It’s time for a rematch.

Kurtis was born in Louisiana, but moved frequently, and lived in places as varied as Brasilia, Brazil; Monrovia, Liberia; Hays, Kansas; Orono, Maine; and Grand Forks, North Dakota. He is reasonably sure he's the only person who's lived in all the places he's lived. He has lived in Minneapolis since 1995, and currently works at the University of Minnesota helping college teachers use technology in their classes. His past jobs include puppeteering, making computer games, and teaching writing. Kurtis is also a regular facilitator of "Guys Read" groups for Hennepin County Libraries. He and his wife Angela are devoted animal lovers and have five cats.

He has been writing for most of his life, but only recently began publishing his efforts, beginning with a short story in Cicada magazine in 2006. His first novel will be published in 2009. He is currently writing a book set in West Africa, involving a boy who befriends one of the world's deadliest snakes.

Speaking/school visit information: As a new writer, Kurtis does not have much experience visiting schools, at least not without puppets. He has limited availability due to his day job, but is happy to schedule the occasional visit to classrooms in the Twin Cities to talk about reading, writing, traveling, puppets, computer games, traffic safety, and responsible pet ownership.