Jennifer Robin Barr
@jrbarr
Author. Middle Grade Historical fiction author. GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING; THUNDER AND MERCY with Astra Publishing. Rep'd by TracyMarchini
And Justina Barrett of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Thank you!
Grateful for the support of so many, including @lyndamh.bsky.social!
Feeling a little retro? THUNDER AND MERCY is out today! Travel back to the 1970s while unraveling the secrets of the Culper Spy Ring and Revolutionary-era espionage. Perfect for the middle-school reader in your life, and anyone who loves a good mystery with a side of history. #middlegrade #MG
My first trade review for THUNDER AND MERCY is a ✨star✨ from School Library Journal! Thank you @slj.com! So honored!
Loved every minute of today's @slj.com History in Action panel. Honored to be included among so many talented authors!
An honor to have Justina Barrett, Chief Learning and Engagement Officer of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, read and blurb my upcoming middle grade historical fiction novel, THUNDER AND MERCY. I’m deeply grateful for your generosity, expertise, and belief in this story!
Thank you to NYT best-selling author @lyndamh.bsky.social for reading an advanced copy of THUNDER AND MERCY! Lynda’s books are among my favorite, with heart, humor, and realistic emotional depth. I am so grateful for her mentorship and kind words. An honor!
I hope you picked up one of these beauties at #NCTE! Thank you Astra Publishing for sharing ARCs of THUNDER AND MERCY, and to @magpiewrites.bsky.social for the photo!
Thrilled to share THUNDER AND MERCY! Female spies, a 1970s Philadelphia setting, and a surprise Revolutionary mystery, all woven through middle-grade friendship and belonging. Published by Astra/Calkins Creek with gorgeous cover art by @csneal.bsky.social. Coming July 2026. Pre-orders are open!
Enjoyed #ALAAC25 so much that I forgot to take photos - but thankfully @ellenlramseybooks.bsky.social did! Thanks to all who made this happen, and especially the volunteer teams at @scbwiepa.bsky.social & @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social #SCBWI #librarians #edusky #teachers #Libraries #Booksky
Passing through Rochester and so excited they had a copy. Congrats @halseanderson.bsky.social!
Thanks to everyone who has supported GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING over the years, especially readers picking it up for the first time! Look for my second Philadelphia-based #historicalfiction middle grade novel - THUNDER AND MERCY - in Fall 2026 w/ Astra Publishing House. #kidlit
So many photos were used for reference while #writing GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING. The boy peeking at Connie Mack acted as early inspiration for main character Jimmy Frank. #kidlit #HistoricalFiction #Athletics
A favorite image from GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING research: this 1910 Bromley Map featuring #Baseball Alley. Shibe Park (Athletics) & the Baker Bowl (Phillies) are five blocks apart along Lehigh Avenue. Jimmy & Lola's rooftop bleachers are circled! #HistoricalFiction #kidlit source: hiddencityphila.org
GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING is very much a story of two #friends - Jimmy and Lola - who are guided by their own set of rules. This inspiration is from wall art in my childhood home. #friendship #MGLit #Kidlit #HistoricalFiction
The Sporting News references are found throughout GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING, including this headline from August 30, 1934. #Baseball #SportingNews #kidlit
Two important characters in GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING are Connie Mack & Jimmie Foxx. Grateful for the historians/photographers/journalists/authors who so carefully document #baseball through the years. #Kidlit #HistoricalFiction Photo Credit: Leslie Jones Collection
Early inspiration for GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING came after reading TO EVERY THING A SEASON by Bruce Kuklick in 2009. If you love #Philly sports, pick up a copy! 8 years later he was kind enough to fact check my book. A great author & historian. #HistoricalFiction #baseball
And a few more from Philadelphia's Shibe Park in the later years of the right field rooftop bleachers. The fire marshal eventually required railings to be installed. #baseball
Philadelphia's Shibe Park rooftop bleachers went through many changes through the years. Some early photos show lack of safety features or railings. #baseball
Six years ago GOODBYE, MR. SPALDING! was released! Excited to introduce the BlueSky community to some of the history behind this story. Based in Shibe Park, home of the #PhiladelphiaAthletics, the right field rooftop bleachers overlooked the ballpark from 1909 - 1934. Photo: @bsmile.bsky.social
Stopped by to support my township library today. Found some friends along the way 📚📖 #FundLibraries #ForOurLibraries @jarrett-lerner.bsky.social @padmatv.bsky.social @lyndamh.bsky.social @baronchrisbaron.bsky.social
Just finished Safe Harbor - a powerful and thoughtful novel in verse. Loved every word. Congratulations @padmatv.bsky.social!