new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts from the Reviews category, dated 5/18/2012 [Help]
Results 26 - 50 of 64
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts from blogs in the Reviews category in the JacketFlap blog reader. These posts are sorted by date, with the most recent posts at the top of the page. There are hundreds of new posts here every day on a variety of topics related to children's publishing. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. Click a tag in the right column to view posts about that topic. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
By: Molly,
on 5/18/2012
Blog:
the pageturn
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
This Wednesday, we plied our local librarian friends with coffee and treats to meet us very very very early in the morning to hear about our Fall 2012 titles, straight from the mouths of our truly masterful editors. Our attendees live-tweeted under the hashtag #harperfallpreview and it was really exciting for us to see those enthusiastic tweets roll in. Thanks, guys!
Everyone with their listening caps on.
Greenwillow Editor Martha Mihalick (follow her on Twitter @MarthaMihalick) and VP/Publisher Virginia Duncan holding up the f&g of Michael Hall’s September 2012 title, CAT TALE, one that prompted a lot of great discussion. We always learn something new from librarians!
Balzer + Bray Editor Kristin Rens and VP/Publisher Alessandra Balzer holding books from their fall list: DEFIANCE, by C.J. Redwine, and THE OTHER NORMALS, by Ned Vizzini.
Now, for some great This Meets That’s:
Can you believe that in a little more than a month, we’ll be at the ALA Annual meeting in Anaheim, California? Because we sure can’t (cue folders flying, frantic packing). But if you’ll be there too, please make sure to stop by, say hello, and grab galleys of the titles above. Booth #2558– see you there!
By: Molly,
on 5/18/2012
Blog:
the pageturn
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
HarperCollins,
YA,
ALA,
teens,
libraries,
Books,
Mo Willems,
young adult,
Picture Books,
middle grade,
Beginning Readers,
American Library Association,
book discussion,
tween,
YA Books,
Booktalks,
Greenwillow,
Greenwillow Books,
Tween books,
Katherine Tegen,
Lauren Oliver,
Blogs and bloggers,
Add a tag
This Wednesday, we plied our local librarian friends with coffee and treats to meet us very very very early in the morning to hear about our Fall 2012 titles, straight from the mouths of our truly masterful editors. Our attendees live-tweeted under the hashtag #harperfallpreview and it was really exciting for us to see those enthusiastic tweets roll in. Thanks, guys!
Everyone with their listening caps on.
Greenwillow Editor Martha Mihalick (follow her on Twitter @MarthaMihalick) and VP/Publisher Virginia Duncan holding up the f&g of Michael Hall’s September 2012 title, CAT TALE, one that prompted a lot of great discussion. We always learn something new from librarians!
Balzer + Bray Editor Kristin Rens and VP/Publisher Alessandra Balzer holding books from their fall list: DEFIANCE, by C.J. Redwine, and THE OTHER NORMALS, by Ned Vizzini.
Now, for some great This Meets That’s:
Can you believe that in a little more than a month, we’ll be at the ALA Annual meeting in Anaheim, California? Because we sure can’t (cue folders flying, frantic packing). But if you’ll be there too, please make sure to stop by, say hello, and grab galleys of the titles above. Booth #2558– see you there!
.jpeg?picon=3541)
By: Julie,
on 5/18/2012
Blog:
Book Hooked
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
I'm trying out using a GoodReads summary today guys - I've spent two days agonizing over how to write a non-book-report-ish summary for this and all my attempts have been lame. From the book's GoodReads page:
Eva never really wanted to be a mother - and certainly not the mother of the unlovable boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much-adored teacher who tried to befriend him, all two days before his sixteenth birthday. Now, two years later, it is time for her to come to terms with marriage, career, family, parenthood, and Kevin's horrific rampage in a series of startlingly direct correspondences with her estranged husband, Franklin. Uneasy with the sacrifices and social demotion of motherhood from the start, Eva fears that her alarming dislike for her own son may be responsible for driving him so nihilistically off the rails.
Ok are we all on the same page now? Here are my thoughts:
Writing
The writing was very well done, obviously. The book is an award winner (Orange Prize in 2005) for good reasons. My favorite aspect of the writing is the characters. I found most of the characters in this book intensely dislikable, but still fascinating. The fact that we're given the story by Eva, a very unreliable narrator, just makes her character, as well as Kevin's all the more interesting. Eva is a character who is simultaneously dislikable and pitiable. And the issue of nature versus nurture is a great frame for her character to develop within. There are several moments in the narration when Eva specifically contradicts her earlier writing, and those were the best moments of the book for me. I loved trying to figure out what really happened.
Entertainment Value
I'm not going to use the "this book's subject matter is too dark to be called entertaining" lie because I was entertained by this book. I was caught up in the story and in trying to figure out what was wrong with Kevin and if Eva was the cause of Kevin's evil or the victim. So for me, it was a very enjoyable read. It does need to be said that it is a dark read though, and one that I may have felt very different about if I were a mother. As Kevin grows up, he does some truly terrible things that are difficult to read about.
Overall
I recommend the book to those who aren't easily disturbed and who enjoy psychological intrigue in a book. Also to those who enjoy unreliable narrators and ambiguity in literature. It's not an easy or fast read but it's rewarding.
By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 18, 2012
Laurisa Reyes
Laurisa White Reyes has been writing since the age of 5 when she wrote her first poem on a scrap of poster board. After earning a degree in English at California State University at Northridge, she spent thirteen years writing for various magazines and newspapers, working as a book editor, and teaching creative writing. She gave up all that six years ago to follow her lifelong dream of writing novels. Her first book, The Rock of Ivanore, released in May 2012. She lives in Southern California with her husband, 5 children, 4 birds, 2 lizards, 2 turtles, 1 fish, 1 dog, and a partridge in a pear tree.
TCBR: After writing in newspapers and magazines for many years, your first novel, a middle grade fantasy called The Rock of Ivanore, has hit the shelves. Thirteen years is a long time to wait. Why the wait? And what made you choose to pursue this story first?
Laurisa Reyes: I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. After college, I spent a decade writing for magazines and newspapers. But what I really wanted to do was write novels. So about six years ago I turned my attention to fiction. I have five children and I read to them at night before bed. One night my son asked me to make up a story instead. That story eventually became The Rock of Ivanore. I spent a year writing it, two years submitting it to publishers, and three years getting it from contract to publication. It’s been a long process, but well worth the wait.
Described as having more twists and turns than a labyrinth, and a story in which nothing is as it seems, what do you think (or hope) children will enjoy the most about your debut novel?
I think kids have always enjoyed fantasy stories and magic. I hope my readers will not only enjoy the fast-paced adventure, but will also relate to the characters who face the same kinds of challenges we all face—self-doubt, building friendships, making choices between right and wrong. But mostly I hope kids will want to read the entire series.
Tony Abbott (author of popular humor, fantasy, and adventure books) said, “[The Rock of Ivanore] is a swift and compelling epic that readers of high fantasy will love!” How does it feel having such a great blurb from one of your favorite authors?
I met Tony at a writer’s conference in Los Angeles a few years ago. He is the author of the popular chapter book fantasy series The Secrets of Droon, but he also writes contemporary fiction. My favorite is a book called Firegirl. I had left my copy at home, so he was gracious enough to mail me a new signed copy. When I later asked him if he’d look at The Rock of Ivanore, he was happy to do it even though he’s very busy. He’s a very kind and generous man.
What does it take for a children’s book author to be considered a favorite of yours?
I just have to love their books! I’m a big fan of Newbery Award winning fiction. L
By: John Mark Boling,
on 5/18/2012
Blog:
The Winged Elephant
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
Add a tag
Jose Emilio Fuentes Fonseca, Memoria & Memory, 2009
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
0
0
1
303
1732
Overlook Press
14
4
2031
14.0
<![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
JA
X-NONE
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>
Author Showcase
The Children’s Book Review
Published: May 18, 2012
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Release Date: May 15, 2012
Ages: 8 & up
Page Count: 356
Flamingnet scored The Rock of Ivanore 9 out of 10, and awarded it a Flamingnet Top Choice Award.
“Young readers…will delight in this opening title in The Celestine Chronicles series, which delivers a fantasy adventure for a reluctant readership.” – Booklist
“Marcus is a hero who engages challenges in a way that is both human and admirable.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“This is a swift and compelling epic that readers of high fantasy will love!” — Tony Abbott, author of The Secrets of Droon
“Magic! Swords! Mysterious cloaked figures! A good choice for middle-grade fantasy lovers.” – Marissa Burt, author of Storybound
“If we could take the tone of Lord of the Rings and make it 10-year-old friendly, we’d have The Rock of Ivanore.” – Shannon O’ Donnell, Project Mayhem
“Fast paced and very engaging.” – So Simply Sara
“Elementary school libraries and middle school libraries can confidently add this book to their collections.” – Cerulean Librarian
ABOUT THE ROCK OF IVANORE:
The annual Great Quest is about to be announced in Quendel, a task that will determine the future of Marcus and the other boys from the village who are coming of age. The wizard Zyll commands them to find the Rock of Ivanore, but he doesn’t tell them what the Rock is exactly or where it can be found. Marcus must reach deep within himself to develop new powers of magic and find the strength to survive the wild lands and fierce enemies he encounters as he searches for the illusive Rock. If he succeeds, he will live a life of honor; if he fails, he will live a life of menial labor in shame. With more twists and turns than a labyrinth, and a story in which nothing is as it seems, this tale of deception and discovery keeps readers in suspense until the end.
Middle readers will find that The Rock of Ivanore fits nicely among the traditional fantasies they so enjoy. They will also appreciate its fresh and inventive take on the genre.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Laurisa White Reyes has been writing since the age of 5 when she wrote her first poem on a scrap of poster board. After earning a degree in English at California State University at Northridge, she spent thirteen years writing for various magazines and newspapers, working as a book editor, and teaching creative writing. She gave up all that six years ago to follow her lifelong dream of writing novels. Her first book, The Rock of Ivanore, released in May 2012.
Besides writing, Laurisa is also a voracious reader. She also loves musical theater, chocolate, sushi, ancient history, bearded dragons, and rain storms. She lives in Southern California with her husband, 5 children, 4 birds, 2 lizards, 2 turtles, 1 fish, 1 dog, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Welcome to Author Jennifer Anderson.
I'm a Mommy, wife and now author. Even though I've spent many years on either coast, I've spent a majority of my life in the Midwest. Here is where my heart grows with the love and support of my family and friends and here is where I find inspiration for my stories.
I didn't grow up wanting to be an author but knew I needed to do something creative. After many years or moving from one job to the next and not finding happiness, I set pen to paper and began work on a Young Adult novel that will never see the light of day. And that's okay.
Finally, after a year or two of bringing life to the stories in my head, I got a break. My first published novella, Ice Princess, was published in April 2012 by Turquoise Morning Press.
LinksWebsite:
http://www.jenandersonauthor.com/Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/JenniA8677
Interview
If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
Past…definitely. I’d want to travel back to the 1930s when my grandmother was a young girl in Japan. Her life was full of mystery and tidbits she never had the chance to share with me before she passed. There is so much I want to know.
What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
I’m a Twi-hard at heart so Breaking Dawn Part 2 is top on my list. Book? It’s tough to narrow it down but 1. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare 2.Endure by Carrie Jones although by the time this list releases, I might have both in my eager hands!
What was your favorite children's book?
The Monster at the End of This Book. Now, when I read to my children, I exaggerate turning each page…gasp!
What do you do in your free time?
As a mom, I don’t get much free time. But when I’m allowed some, I love to watch The Food Network or throw myself into a good book.
If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?I Had No Idea
Favorite places to travel? Ireland. As a family, we went about 2 years ago and I fell in love. The people were wonderful. The scenery breathtaking. And the history of a country that has faced so many trials kept our attention for hours.
Regular or Diet?
Diet
Coke or Pepsi?
Coke. I don’t like the P-word mentioned in my house!
Horror or Romance?
Romance. I’m a big chicken.
Action or Drama?
Drama.
Sweet or Salty?
Sweet.
Summer or Winter?
Winter because I love snuggling up in front of a fire with a good book or a loved one.
Beach or Pool?
Pool. I try to avoid sand in questionable places.
Shoes or Sandals?
Sandals. My toes need to breathe plus I love to show off a good pedi.
Cats or Dog?
Cat
Apples or Oranges?
Welcome to Authors Valerie Thomas & Stacy Kramer
Valerie Thomas is a writer of young adult novels. She spent many years working in the film industry as a producer and screenwriter until she escaped to the relative calm of the book world.
Stacy Kramer is a former film producer and currently writes movies, tv and magazine articles. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and three children.
Links:http://www.stacykramerandvaleriethomas.com/http://www.facebook.com/FromWhatIRememberhttps://twitter.com/#!/val_thomashttps://twitter.com/#!/stacy_kramerInterview:If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?Definitely the future. We’re all about what’s next…
If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose? We’d love a table full of great writers. Nothing is more fun than a dinner party filled with loquacious authors. We’re going to go with people who are all alive (as choosing from the dead would be too difficult), so we’re thinking Martin Amis, Junot Diaz, Aravind Adiga, J. K. Rowling, Judy Blume and we’ll be serving paella.
If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you? We’d want caffeine, our laptops and unlimited power (for the laptops).
If you could have any superpower what would you choose? We’d love to read people’s minds. We’re always trying but it never seems to work.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Stacy: green tea (as lame as it sounds, it’s true). Valerie: mint chocolate chip.
If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose? This is a toughie as there are so many but we’re going to go with J.D. Salinger, provided he’d be pleasant enough to chat. We didn
I LOVE my Kindle, don’t get me wrong. Being able to instantly download books, no matter where I am, having access to a huge library, being able to carry so many books without adding to the weight. It’s a delight. BUT I’ve bought ebooks from various platforms over time, and I find it really irritating that I can’t easily transfer ebooks from other platforms to my Kindle, or from my Kindle to other ebook readers, without using third-party software.
I don’t think it should be like that. A book should be a book. Once you buy it, it should be yours to enjoy on any device you want to, and lend to who you want. I am probably in the minority of authors who think like that, but it just seems wrong to me to have closed-formats for ebooks. It’s frustrating for the consumer, because you can get locked in to the specific ebook reader you buy, or you can’t easily lend a book, the way you can when you buy paper books. And you can’t easily comparison shop, like say between B&N and Amazon, for the same ebook, without running into problems if you have only one ebook reading device.
I understand wanting some restrictions, but I think if we made it easier for people to read ebooks, no matter what ebook reader they have, and easier for people to lend their ebooks (and then get them back), we might find people buying and sharing and getting excited about books even more.
Some publishers have already put this into practice, like Baen, but they are in the minority.
What are your thoughts on this?
STEM Friday focuses on books that promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Over the year I’ll be sharing the preschool program I created for the library and that I’m presenting once a month. The concept behind the program is to introduce science topics by combining fiction and nonfiction, songs and mini-experiments, action rhymes and hands-on times. As a preschool program the information conveyed is basic, and intended to encourage a questioning, observational approach to scientific topics. At the end, I leave up the mini-experiments for the kids to explore with me or a parent, and I explain that experiments should be done with a grown-up.
Growing ThingsBook: Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move, by Joann Early Macken
Experiment: What’s a seed?
Look at and identify different kinds of seeds like acorn, sunflower seeds, corn kernels, seeds in an apple core, maple tree seed pods, and whatever else can be found.Book: Whose Garden is It?, by Mary Ann Hoberman
Experiment: What a Plant Needs
What does a plant need to thrive? Show on paper or felt board with cutouts representing soil, sun, water, seeds, earthworms, flowers and bees. Or act it out!Book: From Seed to Pumpkin, by Wendy Pfeffer
Experiment: How Plants Drink
Take a stalk of celery and cut off a ½ inch off the bottom. Before the program, put it in a glass of water with food coloring. Wait one hour, and cut the celery lengthwise to see the colored water making its way up the stalk.Book: The Curious Garden, by Peter Brown
Experiment: Plant Seeds
Put a few seeds on a paper towel. Add two tablespoons or so of water. Put in a plastic bag with a little space for air. Take it home to see them sprout. Links to material on Amazon.com contained within this post may be affiliate links for the Amazon Associates program, for which this site may receive a referral fee.
Dominic
William Steig ~ Farrar Straus Giroux, 1972
Today's post is going to be about reading and dogs...
First off, we did end up putting Sugar down on Wednesday. We've been fighting cancer with him for a number of years, and having been through two surgeries to remove tumors, the one that began growing behind his eye a few weeks ago was simply too much for his precious body to bear. My husband took him out to rest at our farm, and although I'm heartbroken to lose a friend, I'm happy that he's not suffering anymore and has a nice quiet forever spot among the oaks.
Secondly, being a massive reader and book person, you all know I've struggled with my expectations of the Spanish immersion program my son is in. The not reading in English until the third grade aspect of it has really freaked me out, and this year has been, not necessarily a struggle for him, but a real uphill battle in learning a new language which has translated into a minor reluctance to read on his part. Obviously the Spanish learning has sucked some of the fun out of reading for him, and I was beginning to lament all the age-appropriate classics he would miss in these years between.
Soooo, this year has been about reading books in Spanish (which up until a few weeks ago, he was able to read beautifully but still struggling as far as comprehension goes), getting read aloud all sorts of wonderful novels by yours truly, and continuing to read the sort of books in English that he read in kindergarten. I love Mo Willems, but really, how many times can you read the Elephant and Piggie books before your brain begins to tweak?
That said, last night we had a breakthrough. Apparently, this week the school librarian explained to his class about summer reading lists and all the contests that occur at various libraries and book stores regarding just that very thing. He was so jacked up about it that he made a chart right away, and sat and read ten books, both in Spanish and English without my even asking, and then he turned around and read me aloud the first quarter of Esio Trot (in English!) by Roald Dahl with relative ease. He genuinely seemed excited, as if a light switch went off in his head and all of a sudden he knew in his heart that he could read in English, and that he was actually pretty good at it, and even better still, he might even get rewarded for it.... with more books!
After Sugar died, my son and
Welcome to Author James Ross
It took many years of living to fabricate a story. Once the words were put on paper the fingers worked non-stop. One story has generated several more.
The setting is Prairie Winds Golf Course. The site sits high atop the Mississippi river bluffs just east of St. Louis.
Enjoy the commentary on social issues, the eclectic cast of characters and the lessons that the game of golf provides to everyday living. Visit my world and join my growing list of readers!
Website:
http://www.authorjamesross.com/GUEST POSTSETTINGS
Perhaps the most important decision facing an author is the setting with which he is going to place his characters. It is much more comfortable to write about a subject or place that the author can relate to. If the setting does not seem believable then readers will realize that immediately and lose interest.
An author can fool people some of the time but if he wants to sustain longevity then he must show expertise in the field that is discussed. The reading public is not naïve. They can find the holes in the story.
My hobby in life has been golf. Our family grew up in a golf course subdivision and a few members of my family made a living in the golf business. It was a natural for me to pick a clubhouse with a pro shop and dining area. I can see that setting vividly in my mind. When the action goes outside many times it goes directly to the golf course. Since I’ve spent a lot of time on the golf course then that setting is a natural as well.
The significance of that is that I can very easily pop right into my stories. The description is second nature. The lines are believable. The writing holds the reader’s interest. The words consequently flow off of the keyb
After joining Twitter about a year or so ago, I have to say that I love it. That says a lot coming from someone who was reluctant to join the social media scene--I was the last person in my book club to join Facebook and only did so due to peer pressure. I'm on Twitter much more than Facebook these days because I like the immediate back and forth it allows between people, and I enjoy the constant stream of information. NOTE: If you don't yet follow me on Twitter, you can do so by clicking the twitter icon on the side, or just click here. All the cool kids are. ;) Here are a few tips I thought I'd pass along, and please add your own observations/tips in the comments:
DO
1) Share useful information. I love it when people pass along informative links or RT articles on the publishing industry.
2) Engage with others. Though it's great to share, don't solely rely on RT's and links to other things. Spend some time engaging with your fellow writers and industry peers.
3) Be yourself. The people that I enjoy following the most are those that seem to just be themselves. Whether you are naturally interesting, witty, or funny--embrace it and do that. Trying to present as something other than you are comes through.
DON'T
1) Promote your book constantly. One of the few things that will cause me to immediately unfollow someone is if they follow me and I follow them back--only to get a "message" a minute later asking me to buy their book or check out their site. Don't do this!
2) Follow people just so they'll follow you back, and then unfollow them to jack up your numbers. Rather than making you look popular, you look like a [insert favorite curse word]. NOTE: People reading this post are clearly awesome people who don't do this.
3) Don't exclude. Even if I can't follow everyone back (because it's only possible to keep track of so many people in my feed), I always respond to @replies. Unless you're Neil Gaiman, you are not too cool for school, and will come across as a [insert favorite curse word] when you are only seen interacting with published writers.
What are your Twitter tips? Do you autofollow everyone? Share below.
Nobody seems to hear
'Til I scream and shout
Even if you tie me down
And you blow my candle out
I'll still glow
I'll be the perfect someone
That you'll never know
I'll still glow
- selected lyrics from the song Glow by Katy Rose
Listen to the song.
View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.
View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.
Learn more about Poetry Friday.
Thanks to my boss for passing this along to me:
Sometimes I wonder why I give one book 4 cookies and one book 5. When I really enjoy a book, why can't I just give it 5?
This week I figured it out...
I recently read The False Prince, my most recent 5 cookie book, I wanted to turn around and read the whole book again right away. I didn't, but there were certain scenes I did go back and re-read a few times over the next few days after I was done. And still now I find myself thinking about the book. And put under my pillow at night.
With a 4 cookie book I finish feeling good and satisfied and happy, but I don't necessarily want to re-read the book or any parts of it.
There's the big difference!
How do you distinguish between 3 or 4 or 5 cookie (or star) books?
Hi all,
The Children's Book Week event was a success. We had a total of 471 entries, which is great.
Here are the winners and they have been contacted:
Tote bag of GAP books - Janet Smart
Picture Book Manuscript Critique by Margot Finke - Katrina Simpkins
Thanks to all who participated!
The kids around school have been reading up a storm lately! I don't know what it is, the the amount of fiction that I have been shelving lately, is epic! Here are some of the titles that I have been shelving over, and over, and over again!
Throne of Fire, by Rick Riordan
The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
A Month of Sundays, by Ruth White
Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool
We'll Always Have Summer, by Jenny Han
Every now and again I have to pinch myself. I work in a school where there is an amazing reading culture. Readers advisory is seen as a skill, and our kids pick up on it and book talk back to us all of the time. I can't wait to hear about what they read over the summer!
At reddit:
I'm not at all a speed reader--I move my lips while I read. But I am dogged and I do like to read. I even like to write, which probably sounds even more unlikely. And you're right: I don't do a lot that other people do. Very few movies. Almost no television. I try to keep my interactions with computers restricted to writing and emails. Hence, no Facebook or social networking, which I regard as time-sinks. I come from a working class family and as a kid I really wanted to feel at home in the world, and through reading books I gained something of that sense of being educated, even--dread word--cosmopolitan. But mostly I like learning things and books to me are still the primary way of doing that.
(via GalleyCat)
Welcome to Fish for a Free Book!
If you are hosting a children's book giveaway, or if you found a giveaway somewhere on the net that you just have to share, I'd love to have you share your links with us here on our weekly giveaway linky so that we can all stop by and enter.
If you're looking for more children's book giveaways, be sure to visit
Brimful Curiosities' Full to the Brim,
Winning Readings (listings of adult and children's book giveaways),
and Got Great Giveaways? (linky of adult and children's book giveaways at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer)
Please post your links however you wish. Some like to include their blog name, some just want to leave the prize and the ending date. Post it whatever way you feel like, but make sure that the prize listing and the date the giveaway ends is listed. And make sure you post a link directly to your giveaway - not just to your main blog page.
Here's an example:
Your name: Lori Calabrese Writes--Two YA Novels--6/24
Your URL: http://loricalabrese.blogspot.com/2011/06/welcome-to-midsummers-eve-giveaway-hop.html
Now it's your turn. Leave your links here...
(If you're reading this in a reader, please click through to the original post)
At Blogging Censorship:
This is the first time I’ve been directly involved in this sort of thing (due to social media, etc), but it’s not the first time it’s happened. A few years ago, I happened upon an ACLU Report that said the book had been banned at a school in Texas.
And early on (2003 — the year it was published), I got an email from a librarian saying that she had received the books she’d ordered for a library, but now that she’d seen the book she had to throw it out.
Welcome to this Sunday's round-up of the middle grade fantasy/sci fi related blog postings (at least, those that I, in my week of blog reading, found and remembered to save the links to after finding). Please send me links I missed! And also, since the point of this whole round-up business is to make it easier for us mg sff fans to find reviews (I myself started doing this because I wanted someone else to have already started doing it), feel free to spread the word that these round-ups exist (thank you those who already have!)
Biggest news of the week: The Freedom Maze, by Delia Sherman, has won the Andre Norton Award! (Nebula for YA sci fi/fantasy), and the novel winner is Among Others, by Jo Walton. (Here's the whole list). And City of Lies, by Lian Tanner, has won the Aurealis Award for Children's Fiction (Australian sci fi/fantasy)
The Reviews
Akata Witch, by Nnedi Okorafor, at Bibliofile
Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide, by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, at Wondrous Reads
Beware the Ninja Weenies, by David Lubar, at Intergalactic Academy
The Cabinet of Earths, by Anne Nesbet, at Random Musings of a Bibliophile
Cold Cereal, by Adam Rex, at Book Nut
The Dragon's Eye, by Kaza Kingsley, at Fantasy Literature
A Face Like Glass, by Frances Hardinge, at Fantastic Reads
The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen, at My Brain on Books
Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins, at Wandering Librarians
3 Comments on This Sunday's round-up of middle grade fantasy and science fiction, last added: 5/21/2012
Clarice Bean Spells Trouble. by Lauren Child. 2006. Candlewick. 189 pages. ISBN: 9780763629038I love Lauren Child’s Charlie and Lola picture books, so it seemed only natural that I would also enjoy Clarice Bean. Interestingly, I did not enjoy
Utterly Me, Clarice Bean, the first chapter book in the series, but came back for more anyway. And it’s a good thing because this book is a thousand times better!
Clarice Bean Tuesday begins this book with an ominous hint toward something terrible she’s done, then flashes back to tell the reader the whole sordid story. The situation involves an impending spelling bee, certain to embarrass Clarice Bean beyond her wildest imaginings, the class “bad boy” Karl Wrenbury, whose behavior continue to escalate the longer his father is away, a class production of The Sound of Music, and the wisdom of Ruby Redfort, Clarice Bean’s favorite literary character, about whom a movie will soon be released. Based on Ruby’s advice about friendship, Clarice Bean does something to help Karl, which in turn lands her in hot water, but also somehow makes her a better person and more likeable character.
What I like so much about this particular book is that Clarice Bean isn’t a perfect goody two-shoes, but she also isn’t an inherently “bad” kid. She falls in that in-between area where I think so many kids would place themselves. She tries to obey authority, but finds it difficult when an authority figure is unfair, and her empathy for a friend keeps her from being able to ignore his feelings. She is kind of a combination between a character like Junie B. Jones, who also has a lot of smart-mouthed things to say about her experiences at school, and Just Grace, whose quests to save her friends from disaster often end in unexpected ways.
Whereas Clarice Bean sounded a lot like Lola in the first novel, in this one she has her own voice, which is filled with great phrases like “nosy parker” and a strong sense of humor. I also found the Ruby Redfort references to be far less annoying in this book, possibly because they related more closely to the plot.
All in all, this is a fantastic chapter book that exposes American kids to a slightly different writing style and use of language. Kids who have grown up with Charlie and Lola and the Clarice Bean picture books will ease right into the chapter book series, and fans of other spunky middle grade girls will also take to Clarice Bean right away.
I borrowed Clarice Bean Spells Trouble from my local public library.
View Next 13 Posts
.jpeg?picon=2691)
.jpg?picon=980)
.jpg?picon=441)
.jpg?picon=1267)
This is one of those books I hear about and I forget to just look up on Goodreads and see what the plot is. So this is a good review. I didn't know this was the plot. I think I'm going to check it out. Thanks.
This was a very difficult book to read but memorable, so amazing. I love the unreliable character of Eva but initially hated it but in the end it was the perfect choice. A wow book.
I don't necessarily care for ambiguity and unreliable narrators but I have been wanting to read this for so long, LOL. I actually got it from the library recently so I plan to get to it soon! I hear it leaves tons to think and talk about!
I highly recommend it, Wendy. It's one of the best books I've read this year.
Wasn't Eva just perfect as a narrator? I think her ambiguity really made the book for me.
Jenny,
I'm anxious to hear what you think about it. It was an amazing read for me, and it certainly provides a lot to think on. My online book club read it and had a great discussion.