Stories Behind the Story

Poster, Prints and Cards

A Couple of Artists Talk:

Clay Carmichael &

sculptor Mike Roig make art from life and a life together from art here.

More praise for Wild Things:

"Wonderfully written with contrasting points of view from the cat and Zoë, the core of the novel is the family you're born with can let you down. But the families we create can be unbreakable.

—Angela Nolet, Children’s Librarian, You Choose the Next Newbery, King Co. Library System, WA.

"It's hard to resist the voice of 11-year-old narrator Zoë, who stars in Carmichael's swiftly-paced first novel, alongside a supporting cast of eccentric characters nearly as wild as she."—Shelf Awareness

"Carmichael’s a smooth and evocative stylist, and the classic elements of the orphan story retain their appeal as Zoë begins to come to terms with her sad past in the face of her loving present."— BCCB

Carmichael casts a spell over the reader with her spare beauty of language and the enchantment of her tale….This is a book for those who love the sounds and silences of the natural world, for those who crave both love and independence, and for anyone, of any age, who wonders. Read it once for the story, again for its beauty, and many times more for its unsentimental, down-to-earth, heart-lifting spirit.--Luli Gray, author of Falcon’s Egg

“I loved the story [and] all the characters, especially the girl and the cat…I loved the element of mystery and slight hint of magic…I read it in one sitting, so it certainly kept me hooked…congrats to you on another wonderful piece of work. I continue to be a big fan! (You rock!) --Karin Michels, Head of Youth Services, Chapel Hill Public Library, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

"Every single one of you should read this book. Really, young or old, I want you to read this and then tell me how far in love with the characters you fell. I was enchanted with the story, loving the characters, and so sad when it ended...yet happy. A beautifully written book, screaming out for readers."

—A Patchwork of Books

"It reminds me of Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins."—KaaVonia Hinton, co-author of Young Adult Literature: Exploration, Evaluation and Appreciation (Prentice Hall, 2009)