Albert Watkins Key, Jr., publishing under the name Watt Key, is an award-winning southern fiction author. A resident of Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

, his debut novel

Debut novel

A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...

 Alabama Moon

Alabama Moon (novel)

Alabama Moon is a 2006 novel by Watt Key. The story follows the adventures of Alabama native Moon Blake.The novel was originally published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 2006....

was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Farrar, Straus and Giroux is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger W. Straus, Jr. and John C. Farrar. Known primarily as Farrar, Straus in its first decade of existence, the company was renamed several times, including Farrar, Straus and Young and Farrar, Straus and Cudahy...

 in 2006 and was the 2007 winner of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award for older readers. It received a 2006 Parents' Choice Award

Parents' Choice Award

The Parents' Choice Award is an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It is considered a "prestigious" award among children's products, and has been...

. Key says that growing up relatively isolated in Point Clear, Alabama

Point Clear, Alabama

Point Clear is an unincorporated census-designated place in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,876. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, a rural area, inspired him to develop his imagination in a way that lead to his decision to write. Alabama Moon has been translated and published in seven languages as of 2011.

Further reading

• Book review, The New York Times
  The New York Times
  The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
  
  
• Book review, Booklist
  Booklist
  Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
  
  Online
• Book review, Decatur Daily
• Watt Key himself

Books Written

• Alabama Moon
  Alabama Moon (novel)
  Alabama Moon is a 2006 novel by Watt Key. The story follows the adventures of Alabama native Moon Blake.The novel was originally published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 2006....
  
  
• Dirt Road Home

External links

• Official site
• Award entry, Association of Booksellers for Children
• Fan page on Facebook
  Facebook
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• Macmillan