OCTOBER 2019 UPDATE
My Kickstarter for the ILLUSTRATED version of The Contenders in now LIVE!
I never thought when I wrote THE CONTENDERS that it could look like the middle-grade novels that I read growing up like Ramona the Pest, Harriet the Spy, Charlotte’s Web, and Little House on the Prairie, where the illustrations were as important as the story itself.
But thanks to Erin Kubo, an amazing illustrator that I found through a chance encounter on Twitter, The Contenders now looks exactly how I pictured it!
Erin and I worked collaboratively this summer to add 18 fun, engaging, and emotionally-truthful illustrations to THE CONTENDERS story. Almost every chapter has its own illustration. We’re can’t wait to get it out into the world. Won’t you help us?
PLEDGE TODAY to reserve your copy of The Contenders, illustrated edition!
Once the Kickstarter ends on October 23, 2019 (9PM Pacific Time), the wheels will be in motion to print the illustrated edition and remove the first edition from Amazon. People who make pledges for the paperback will receive their books by early December 2019.
By 2020, I’ll no longer sell my books on Amazon and will instead sell them in my own Etsy shop. To hear about when that happens and stay up-to-date on my latest books and stories, subscribe to my newsletter. Thanks for your support!
By the way, you can buy the non-illustrated book by clicking the button below but I really hope you’ll go for the illustrated one instead.
Can enemies become friends? That’s the question at the heart of The Contenders, a novel featuring two fifth graders who couldn’t be more different or hate each other more.
THE CONTENDERS is the middle grade novel you’ve been waiting for: diverse characters who are funny and real. Highly recommended for every middle school collection.
— Lizz Zitron, Librarian & Adjunct Professor, Pacific Lutheran UniversityWhat a sweet and uplifting story about learning to understand your enemies. A pitch perfect and timely tale that is certainly about bullying, but also gives young readers a deeper message about the way we all feel like outsiders. — Sandra Evans, Author, This is Not a Werewolf Story
This is a great coming of age story that anyone can enjoy. I got sucked in and couldn’t put it down. — Matthew
The Contenders by Peg Cheng is the kind of story I sift through libraries to find. Cheng’s portrayal of girls, people of color, single-parent and lower-income families, recluse introverts, and the kids who act out in class are positive and fair-minded–encouraging young readers to really get to know others and to look beyond the perceptible, seemingly insurmountable, differences between themselves and those around them. — Noell
What an awesome book. I gave this book to my ten year-old niece, after checking out the synopsis and liking what I read about the story’s themes. To my complete surprise, my niece finished the book quickly, and was very excited to tell me about Eunice’s story. — Patrick