Name: Torrey Maldonado
Biographical Information: Torrey Maldonado’s first novel, Secret Saturdays, is inspired by his life and his students’ struggles with being their true selves, bullying, friendship challenges, fatherlessness, tough choices, and city schools and neighborhoods. Maldonado was born and raised in the Red Hook projects of Brooklyn, New York. Overcoming neighborhood poverty and violence, he graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in Sociology and earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration at Baruch College. He has taught in a Brooklyn public school for nearly ten years. Prior to that, he trained teachers and administrators through Safe Horizon to run conflict resolution programs.
Featured Book: Secret Saturdays. A gripping look into one twelve-year-old’s struggles with friendship and trust. Sean is Justin’s best friend, at least Justin thought so. Lately Sean’s different. Sean’s telling lies, getting into trouble at school, hanging with a tougher crowd, and even getting into fights. When Justin finally discovers Sean’s been hiding a secret that’s spinning him out of control, Justin wants to help. But what if confronting Sean means Justin loses their friendship? Set in one of New York’s toughest neighborhoods, Booklist calls Secret Saturdays “infectiously readable.” Library Media Connection praises it as “a fast read, entertaining and high interest.”
Age Group of Materials Published: Pre-teen.
Honors:
ALA Quick Pick nominee
Featured on NBC, ABC, the New York Daily News and the New York Post.