Rachel Toalson
Award-winning MG, PB & YA author, poet, essayist
Something Maybe Magnificent
There’s a new man in her mom’s life, and Victoria is determined to get rid of him—no matter what. Both a standalone novel and a follow up to The First Magnificent Summer, this pitch-perfect middle grade story is destined to become a classic.
“… thoughtfully and sincerely explores themes of womanhood, family, anxiety, and identity. Tugs at the heartstrings and shows the importance of unconditional love.”
—Kirkus Review
The First Magnificent Summer
Twelve-year-old Victoria Reeves is all set for her “First Magnificent Summer with Dad,” even though it’s been more than two years since she last saw him. Victoria captures every moment of her less than magnificent summer in her journal—Dad’s multiple shaming jabs, her first period—and when Dad does the worst thing yet, she realizes she has a decision to make: will she let a man define her?
“Toalson’s healing love song to those who are growing up (or grew up) with imperfect parents, reminding us that their imperfection isn’t your imperfection; that you’re perfect just the way you are.”
—Kathleen March, Anderson’s Bookshop (Downer’s Grove, IL)
“Toalson handles difficult, complex subjects with nuance and care, never losing sight of who her readers are, and striking the delicate balance between honesty and hope.”
—Jordan Leigh Zwick, The Book Seller (Grass Valley, CA)
The First Magnificent Summer
Twelve-year-old Victoria Reeves is all set for her “First Magnificent Summer with Dad,” even though it’s been more than two years since she last saw him. Victoria captures every moment of her less than magnificent summer in her journal—Dad’s multiple shaming jabs, her first period—and when Dad does the worst thing yet, she realizes she has a decision to make: will she let a man define her?
“Toalson’s healing love song to those who are growing up (or grew up) with imperfect parents, reminding us that their imperfection isn’t your imperfection; that you’re perfect just the way you are.”
—Kathleen March, Anderson’s Bookshop (Downer’s Grove, IL)
“Toalson handles difficult, complex subjects with nuance and care, never losing sight of who her readers are, and striking the delicate balance between honesty and hope.”
—Jordan Leigh Zwick, The Book Seller (Grass Valley, CA)
“A supernatural wonder of a book. This Grimm-like fantasy is vividly detailed and will appeal to young and old readers alike.”
—School Library Journal, Starred review
“Toalson intersperses Lenora’s story with Richard’s journal excerpts and an enigmatic, menacing character’s first-person narrative, all of which lends context and dimension. The seamless blend of fantastical and realistic elements is particularly effective at exploring the multifaceted impact of tragedy and loss.”
—Booklist
“An ambitious…exploration of the power of family, transformative relationships, and adapting to changing circumstances…”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A strong addition to any middle grade collection in need of nuanced realistic fiction.”
—School Library Journal
“Both sorrowful and poignant, [The Colors of the Rain] finds Paulie dealing with huge issues at a young age. Important lessons in hope, love, and acceptance emerge from his tragedies and trials.”
—Catherine Thureson, Foreword Reviews
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Rachel’s Blog
Don’t be defeated by outside evaluations
I’d just recorded a video about how not everyone will like our books and we can’t possibly please everyone—and I got a trade review that rubbed all my insecure places. The reviewer clearly didn’t “get” the book and missed the whole point of it. She focused on strange...
Love what you do and know that it matters
Have I mentioned I love what I do? This is a frequent joke between my husband and me—because I mention it at least two times a week. I really, really love what I do. When people ask me if there’s a part of my writing process that I don’t like, I usually have a hard...
Fight for what matters
Battles are not my favorite. My first teenager fought his father and me about every little tiny thing; he had an endless energy to fight, it seemed, and it wore my husband and me down. Fortunately, the next teenager who came along was a laid-back, delightful kid. We...
How to write a book: build a writing practice
I have always been a person of action. It’s good to sit around and dream and talk about what we want to do. My husband and I have regular dream sessions, in which we dream about where we want to be in the future. We write things down and make seemingly...
How to slow down the speed of life
One of my goals for this year is to take off all the school holidays with my kids. It’s been my goal for several years, actually. But I always seem to find one reason or another not to do it. My sons recently had a winter break, which gave them a five-day...
What it means to live with integrity—and how to do it
When my kids were young, we identified some family values and spent a few years examining them. It was a way for us to frame our family lives, a way of living with integrity. We chose values like listening well, embracing creativity, honoring all people, believing in...
Meet Rachel
I write books. A lot of them. For everyone—kids, teens, adults, fiction lovers, poetry lovers, essay lovers. People who adore realistic stories, or magical realism, or fantasy, or tales that keep them up at night or make them laugh out loud. There’s a little something for everyone here, because all the world interests me, and all the things make it into my writing, at some point or another. I write the books I most want to read, which is the best way to entertain myself and my kids and get a little peace and quiet in my excessively loud home. I love peace and quiet. I also love stories. I get to live the best of all the worlds, and I am grateful for every day I get to write and read and spend time with my magnificent people.