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Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: middle reader, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 13 of 13
1. Every town has ghost stories: The Headmaster’s Cave

Every town has their ghost stories and tales of the past that remains mysteries to this day. That’s why The Headmaster’s Cave book review with matching activities was an intriguing journey!

The Headmaster's Cave

The Headmaster’s Cave Book Review

In D.S. Allen’s book The Headmaster’s Cave, the town of Ballymagee is tainted by a horrible past: the murder of seven students by their headmaster. Descendants of the victims still mourn their families, but they all accept the mystery at face value—that the crazy headmaster kidnapped the kids and murdered them in a cave by the coast.
When friends George, Katie, and Dougie receive a mysterious email asking them to come to Headmaster’s Cave (a dangerous journey), they are both intrigued and frightened. They all three want answers, especially Dougie and George, both descendants of victims, however, George and Katie both recognize the danger of the journey and agree to go on a different, less lethal, adventure. But this isn’t good enough for Dougie. When George and Katie, along with George’s best four-legged friend Flanagan, realize that Dougie has decided to meet the sender of the mysterious emails, they have no choice but to go after their friend and help him.

After encountering many trials along the way—bullies, The Magic Forest, Old Maggie and her pack of bloodthirsty dogs, and bullies again—they are saved by a gentle giant by the name of Leonard who seems to appear out of nowhere. He explains that he can lead them to Dougie, who is already waiting for them at the cave. Little do the friends know (well, maybe Flanagan knew; dogs are intuitive after all), that they are walking right into a trap!
Will they solve the mystery of The Headmaster’s Cave? And most importantly, will they survive to tell the tale?

This is an intense, action-packed adventure, great for both guy and girl readers! The two main characters, George and Katie, are a great pair, both powerful and intelligent in their own ways. I love how important George’s dog, Flan, was to the story mainly because I think that dogs are awesome! This was definitely a riveting story.

DISCLAIMER. This book has some intense material and scenes. This book should be reserved for intermediate – middle school aged kids (Age Level: 8 – 12, Grade Level: 3 – 6). They’ll love the action, mystery, and adventure! Get ready for a couple good ghost stories.

Thanks to the author D.S. Allen and Renee from Mother/Daughter Book Club for providing a review copy.

The Headmaster’s Cave Activities-Something To Do

1. George’s dog Flanagan is very crucial to this story. He’s basically a main character. Are you thinking about getting a four-legged friend? Then here’s a quiz to help you find the perfect, loyal dog breed for you!
Headmaster's Cave activities
2. George prided himself on the fact that he knew how to make a fire, however, he accepted Katie’s help when he realized he might not know as much as he thought. Here’s two fire tutorials: one real and one a nice decoration for the holidays:
Headmaster's Cave activities
Headmaster's Cave Activities
3. Interested in learning chess like George and Dougie? Here’s a chess 101 lesson from Enchanted Yankee:

**some of the above links are affiliate links. I was gifted a copy of Headmaster’s Cave and the opinions expressed are purely my own.

Note from Valarie: As the holiday season approaches, consider adding the gift of books to your shopping list. There are many wonderful booklists available for parents looking to give their child the gift of reading and adventure. A book makes a great gift because they are meaningful, beautiful, portable, appealing, and inexpensive and it’s a gift that can be opened again and again. Books are the perfect gift for any age and a gift that doesn’t require batteries or sizing instruction!

Book love sale

If you would like to get started on your family reading adventure, or would just like to add to your family bookshelf, Audrey Press has some special deals on their catalog of books to get readers and gift-givers on their merry way. From November 30th to December 15th, give the gift of reading, adventure and education at extra-special (and extended) Black Friday prices! Go here for the full scoop on the Holiday Book Love Sale!

The post Every town has ghost stories: The Headmaster’s Cave appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

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2. An Air of Mystery: Middle Reader Mystery Books & Activity Round-up

Lately, I have been in the mood for a good mystery and I also remember when my kids were growing up how much joy they got out of books like the Nancy Drew series and the Hardy Boys Mystery series. It seems to me that kidlit mystery books these days just keep getting better and better so I want to share past JIAB “air of mystery” bookjumps that will not only keep your little sleuths reading, but offer up activities to compliment those books as well.

mystery booklist

 

Holes by Louis Sachar (And some Holes-inspired Activities)

Holes is my favorite Louis Sachar book. The history of Kate Barlow and Stanley’s great-great grandfather woven into the story brings a new dimension to a children’s chapter book. He gives children the ability to make connections between history and Stanley Yelnat’s story. He pulls you into the harsh conditions of Camp Green Lake and keeps you captivated with the mystery surrounding it. None of the camps I ever went to had buried treasure. I read this with my mom when I was ill. It’s not just a story for kids, but for kids and parents to enjoy together.

Cootie Catcher Nickname Generator

Creepy Castles, Dark Dungeons and Powerful Palaces! Haunted Histories by Marilyn Scott-Waters and J.H. Everett

haunted

A great book that spawned a fun blog post full of mysterious and medivial activities!

How to Make a Popsicle Stick Catapult 

New_Catapult

Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright, is a delightful, beautifully written story, and one of those books that stirs my desire to explore. The story begin with a brother and sister who arrive via train from the city  to visit their country cousin. The children discover an old, mostly abandoned summer colony of houses near a swamp that used to be a lake. There, they meet another brother and sister team with the most peculiar names. The children come across a group of old houses, mysteriously vacant and abandoned on the shore of a swampy lake. Somebody has been there — there’s a warning and an inscription carved into a rock. Can the children keep their find a secret? Who left the houses and where did they go? What’s lurking in the lake?

gone away

The Girl from Felony Bay by J.E. Thompson

The Girl from Felony Bay

Abbie Force has a mission: solve the mystery of her father’s accident and alleged theft. Since he has been in a coma for nine months and cannot defend himself, it is Abbie’s job to put the pieces together. Her life has been uprooted—her father’s unavailable; her home has been sold to a new family; she has to leave her beloved school; and now she has to live with her mean aunt and uncle that don’t give one lick about her. Her summer is starting off horribly. That is until she meets the new family that has moved into her old house with the same last name and a daughter near her age—Bee. These two adventurous girls become fast friends and on their many adventures through the plantation, discover a plot afoot right under their very noses.

The Danger Box

“The Danger Box” by Blue Balliett is a wonderfully fun and quirky mystery by the author of “Chasing Vermeer” and ” The Wright 3″. The Danger Box is her fourth novel where she leaves the art scene of her previous three books behind and plants us firmly in the rural town of Three Oaks Michigan. There we find Zoomy, a sweet, legally blind 12 year old boy, living with his grandparents. Zoomy is a boy who notices everything. When his head gets too full of things it makes him nervous and he starts tapping and twitching to relieve his brain.  His grandmother after noticing this tendancy, bought him some notebooks and encouraged him to write his thoughts down. Now every time he observes something it gets placed on a list, written with a purple pen inside his notebooks.

mystery

Horten’s Miraculous Mechanisms BookJump Adventure

Ten year old Stuart stumbles on a note daring him to find his great-uncle’s hidden workshop full of wonderful mechanisms, trickery, and magic.

“I have to go away, and I may not be able to get back. If I don’t return, then my workshop and all it contains is yours if you can find it- then you’re the right sort of boy to have it.

Affectionately,

Your Uncle Tony

P.S. Start in the telephone booth on Main Street.

magicbox

Would you like to create a afternoon of sleuthing, mysteries and mysterious adventures? Grab a copy of our FREE Secret Codes, Mysteries and Adventure downloadable PDF Activity Guide! This guide is 19 pages of fun including activities like Creating and Deciphering Invisible Messages, baking “I Spy” Cookies and learn more about the US President who was a master decoder! Click the image below to get your free copy!

secret_code2

The post An Air of Mystery: Middle Reader Mystery Books & Activity Round-up appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

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3. Three Months of Book Giveaways! {Beautiful Barefoot Books Giveaway Bundle}

Welcome to Jump Into a Book’s Three Months of Book Giveaways!

3 months of book giveaways

With the winter months upon us, I feel this is a great time for readers of all ages to snuggle in with a good book. I have been blessed with tons of amazing books titles for kids over these last few months and I want to get these books into the hands of young readers. SO, for the next three months Jump Into a Book will be hosting a book giveaway every Wednesday! Some giveaways will be a single title, some will be a “Book Bundle,” but all will be books that your readers will love and cherish. I think these books will also make great gifts as well!

giveaway 4

This Book Bundle Giveaway includes four beautiful books from Barefoot Books that will appeal to both boys girls. Once lucky winner will win one copy of each of these books: Barefoot Book of Pirates, Grandpa’s Garden, The Boy Who Grew Flowers and Barefoot Book’s Mother/Daughter Tales.

Barefoot Book of Pirates by Richard Walker

Barefoot Book of Pirates

This swashbuckling collection of pirate tales is brimful with drama and adventure on the high seas. Young children will meet fierce characters such as the captain in the German tale, Kobold and the Pirates; others, like young Mochimitsu in the Japanese tale, are friendly and funny. They will also meet the infamous Grace O’Malley, one of Ireland’s most feared pirates. Specially compiled for young readers, these tales are perfect for reading aloud.

Grandpa’s Garden by Stella Fry

grandpa's garden

This beautifully told story follows Billy from early spring to late summer as he helps his grandpa on his vegetable patch. They dig the hard ground, sow rows of seeds, and keep them watered and safe from slugs. When harvest time arrives they can pick all the vegetables and fruit they have grown. Children will be drawn in by the poetry of the language and the warm illustrations, while also catching the excitement of watching things grow!

The Boy Who Grew Flowers by

The Boy who Grew Flowers

Rink is a very unusual boy who grows beautiful flowers all over his body whenever the moon is full. In town and at school, Rink and his family are treated as outcasts although no-one knows his strange botanical secret. But one day a new girl arrives at school, and Rink discovers she has some unique qualities of her own.

Barefoot Book’s Mother/Daughter Tales by Josephine Everts

mother daughter
A meaningful collection of tales of mothers and daughters from around the world, from the familiar Naomi and Ruth story of Jewish tradition, to lesser known Chinese and Iroquois stories. These tales provide an exploration of the themes of womanhood and the mysterious process of life, death and rebirth.

 

DETAILS ON GIVEAWAY:

ONE winner each receive a one copy of all three books. Giveaway begins October 22th and ends October 29th

  • Prizing & samples  courtesy of Audrey Press
  • Giveaway open to US addresses only
  • ONE lucky winner will win one copy of.
  • Residents of USA only please.
  • Must be 18 years or older to enter
  • One entry per household.
  • Staff and family members of Audrey Press are not eligible.
  • Grand Prize winner has 48 hours to claim prize
  • Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on October 23rd

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Three Months of Book Giveaways! {Beautiful Barefoot Books Giveaway Bundle} appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

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4. Kidlit Book Bundle Giveaway: Great Books for Girls!

Welcome to Jump Into a Book’s Three Months of Book Giveaways!

3 months of book giveaways

With the winter months upon us, I feel this is a great time for readers of all ages to snuggle in with a good book. I have been blessed with tons of amazing books titles for kids over these last few months and I want to get these books into the hands of young readers. SO, for the next three months Jump Into a Book will be hosting a book giveaway every Wednesday! Some giveaways will be a single title, some will be a “Book Bundle,” but all will be books that your readers will love and cherish. I think these books will also make great gifts as well!

This Book Bundle Giveaway includes three excellent chapter books that would appeal to girls (boys will love these books too!) and I’ve listed these books below. A few of them I’ve already done reviews on (I’ve included the links if that is the case) and the we’ve the requirements to enter-to-win short-n-sweet! Good luck!

ENTER TO WIN:
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Breadcrumbs

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it’s up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” Breadcrumbs is a stunningly original fairy tale of modern-day America, a dazzling ode to the power of fantasy, and a heartbreaking meditation on how growing up is as much a choice as it is something that happens to us.

In Breadcrumbs, Anne Ursu tells, in her one-of-a-kind voice, a story that brings together fifty years of children’s literature in a tale as modern as it is timeless. Hazel’s journey to come to terms with her evolving friendship with Jack will deeply resonate with young readers. To read about JIAB’s review of Breadcrumbs with accompanying activities, go here.

The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern

maggie

As befits a future President of the United States of America, Maggie Mayfield has decided to write a memoir of the past year of her life. And what a banner year it’s been! During this period she’s Student of the Month on a regular basis, an official shareholder of Coca-Cola stock, and defending Science Fair champion. Most importantly, though, this is the year Maggie has to pull up her bootstraps (the family motto) and finally learn why her cool-dude dad is in a wheelchair, no matter how scary that is. To read about JIAB’s review of The Meaning of Maggie with accompanying activities, go here.
Father Daughter Tales from Barefoot Books

Father & Daughter Tales

A companion volume to “The Barefoot Book of Mother and Daughter Tales”, this anthology features ten thought-provoking stories, all of them showing the importance of the father-daughter bond, not only in traditional societies but also in the modern world.

Rules and Guidelines for the Giveaway!

*One lucky winner will win their own copy each of the three books listed above (ONE winner each receive a copy of Breadcrumbs,
The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern and Father Daughter Tales from Barefoot Books).
*Giveaway begins October 15th and ends October 22th

• Prizing & samples courtesy of Audrey Press
• Giveaway open to US addresses only
• Residents of USA only please.
• Must be 18 years or older to enter
• One entry per household.
• Staff and family members of Audrey Press are not eligible.
• Grand Prize winner has 48 hours to claim prize
• Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on October 23rd

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Need gift ideas for the holidays? NOW AVAILABLE! The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook by Donna Ashton. Click the image below for more details and ordering information.

The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook

 

The post Kidlit Book Bundle Giveaway: Great Books for Girls! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.

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5. BOOK OF THE DAY: The June 2012 List!

BOOK OF THE DAY-June

Plan in advance for father’s day! The month of June is dedicated to books for dads and boys…don’t worry, a few dads & daughter books thrown in too! Good list for reluctant readers as well as summer vacation. Enjoy!

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6. BOOK OF THE DAY: The May 2012 List

BOOK OF THE DAY-May

In celebration of Mother’s day, moms, women and daughters, recommendations span ages and areas of interest. Great for summer vacation reading too!

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7. Book of the day: April

BOOK OF THE DAY-April

The full April list is here. Get a sneak peak at the 2nd half of the month and stock up for summer vacation too!

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8. Holiday Gift Guide: Middle Readers & YA

coatescover 150x150 Holiday Gift Guide: Middle Readers & YAA Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk
Out of the books I’ve read about the Lost Boys, Jan Coates’ A Hare in the Elephant’s Trunk just may be the most vivid and riveting one I’ve read. I very much appreciated the depths in which the author goes into giving us a portrait of not just the main character (Jacob), but also of his companions throughout this amazing journey. Because of this, readers are able to get an incredibly detailed look at the affects of war and conflict on innocent children.

The Hare in the Elephant is a must-read for both teens and adults. If we truly want a better world for all, stories such as this need to be read and shared with those around us.

Cannibals REV Holiday Gift Guide: Middle Readers & YAAn Accidental Adventure series (We Are Not Eaten By Yaks / We Dine With Cannibals)
This series is simply a tremendous amount of fun. The Navel twins are not the typical characters you often see in tween adventure books as they are extremely reluctant adventurers to say the least. They are the envy of their classmates as they have traveled from one exotic locale to another with their world-famous Explorer Club member parents, meanwhile only hoping to catch their next favorite episodes on television.

Parents and teachers will love this series as it provides further learning opportunities to find out more about some of the exotic locations and myths and legends surrounding the Navel twins adventures. In fact, you can visit C. Alexander London’s website and check out some information about Tibet and the Amazon (the settings for each of the stories).

AshfallCover Holiday Gift Guide: Middle Readers & YA

Ashfall
I must say I was enthralled and very impressed by Mike Mullin’s first novel. One of the things which most impressed me was how the book’s story had a factual and scientific basis. There is a supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park which could quite possibly be due for an eruption at any time. This aspect of scientific reality made this book mesmerizing. I kept thinking while I read it that this is something which can really happen and it was frightening to think about. At the conclusion of the book, Mike has a section about the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone which is a must read and excellent companion to the book.

Add Mike Mullin to the list of authors who have kept me up way too late reading their novels. Readers will want to keep turning Ashfall‘s pages to find out if Alex and Darla make it to their destination.

beynd lucky lg 198x300 Holiday Gift Guide: Middle Readers & YA 0 Comments on Holiday Gift Guide: Middle Readers & YA as of 1/1/1900

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9. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Told from the point of view of a rapidly developing 6th grader, When You Reach Me is a bit like an updated A Wrinkle in Time, with a few decidedly contemporary twists. Set in New York in the 1970's, this very sweet (but not saccharine) coming of age story features a single mother, an only child, and freshly illustrated racial tension. It also features time travel. When Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes that seem to predict the future, the story really starts to pick up. Immaculately crafted, such that many clues are set from first chapter well into the last, When You Reach Me is a great choice for attentive readers who enjoy a bit of puzzle-solving in their reading, not quite to the extent of The Westing Game, but perhaps akin to The Mysterious Benedict Society. And, for those in the 8-12 age range who are just dying to grow up as fast as possible, there's even a bit of romance, albeit, very age-appropriate romance (think kiss and then run for your life). Newbery Winners are not announced for 2010 until January 16th, but this book already has its fair share of buzz.

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10. Clockwork by Philip Pullman

Pullman, author of the amazing Dark Materials Trilogy, (which I plan to reread around Christmas, it's an awesome cold-weather read) is expert at taking large, complex ideas and making them accessible for kids. In this case, rather than a making a deftly crafted treatise against organized religion, Pullman turns his eye on storytelling. And, in less than two hundred pages, he doesn't just address the writer's side, but also the process in which stories are created and the many mechanisms within stories that make them move forward. Hence the very apt comparison to clocks, which are, throughout the entire story, a relentless motif. That was my reading of it.


But what really makes this book awesome is that it's a good, straight ahead story, too. It boasts a rich cast of characters, including a brave young heroine, an overwhelmed clockmaker, a writer and a man who may or may not be the devil himself. It does have a few scary moments (murders can be rough for the more sensitive readers and this one is pretty visceral), and so generally I would recommend it for ages eight and up to avoid nightmares with the younger, precocious readers who read above their level. It's not as creepy as Coraline, by Neil Gaiman (which I also totally recommend, a succinct, fun but totally creeperiffic) which I have received more than one angry customer complaint about on the grounds that it is too, too scary. But it IS scarier than, say, a Roald Dahl book, even if that headmistress CAN chuck you into the great, blue yonder.

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11. Book Review: Three Good Deeds, by Vivian Vande Velde




Three Good Deeds
By Vivian Vande Velde
Harcourt Books
http://www.harcourtbooks.com/
ISBN:0-15-205382-4
Copyright 2005
Hardcover, 147 pages, $16.00
Ages 8-12

Reviewed by Mayra Calvani

Howard is your typical nice yet sometimes not-so-nice young boy. For one thing, he loves to play pranks, specially on defenceless geese and poor old women who look like witches.

One day he tries to steal goose eggs from an old woman in his town…. with disastrous consequences—this old woman, you see, happens to be a real witch who, to teach him a lesson, turns him into a goose. There’s only one way for Howard to break the witch’s curse and turn back into a boy: he must do three good deeds.

Easier said than done. As Howard tries to think up possible good deeds, he goes into a self-discovering journey without even realizing it, and becomes a much better person for it.

Three Good Deeds is a delight to read. The dialogue is engaging and the visual images transport the reader to the pond with the geese. The devious simplicity of the tale is what makes this book stand out. This is one of those excellent books which can work on two levels: as a light, fun, superficial story, and as a deeper, more complex one with a serious theme. The author doesn’t “spell out” the obvious to the young reader, allowing him/her to find out the reason why Howard’s presumably “good” deeds are not really good deeds at all. The ending is touching and transcends the more common, cute endings in many middle-reader novels published these days; though actually serious in tone, it serves to both contrast and complement the earlier part of the book beautifully.

*This review first appeared on www.ArmchairInterviews.com

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12. Q#4" Now that you are published, does your family appreciate your work? (3 of 3)

[info]jenlibrarian asks:  "Do your parents (children/spouses/household members) finally appreciate you/your work?

PART 3 OF 3

Stephanie Hale (REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN, Berkley Jam)

 

Absolutely! NOT!

Don't get me wrong, my family is my world. But they are very "in the box" job kind of people. Pretty much the only writing time I have is when my kids sleep so nobody ever sees me working so it's still like I don't. I suppose maybe when I get my cover they might realize what's happening, but I'm not holding my breath!

It was funny how no one had a problem asking me how much money I was going to make though! I just told them it depended on how many copies they bought

 

Marlane Kennedy (ME AND THE PUMPKIN QUEEN, Greenwillow/HarperCollins)

 

My family has always been great, even though it took me fourteen years to be published.  My father has been bragging to people for years that he had a daughter that was a children's book author.  Pre-contract I found that pretty embarrassing, but I appreciated the fact he thought what I was doing was worthwhile.  And now that I will actually have a book in print you can imagine how much more bragging he is doing.  My husband has always made time for me to write.  I can't even begin to count the number of times he has taken our kids places or entertained them so I coud have some quiet time to write without the usual interruptions.  Never once has he grumbled--even when it seemed like my writing was destined to be a hobby only.  He certainly was happy though, when the first advance check came in! 

 

Marissa Doyle (BEWITCHING SEASON, Henry Holt)

 

My family has always been very supportive, especially my uber-god of a husband who has, at times, been more sure of my selling than I have.  My children have slowly been trained not to go chat with Mommy while the door to her writing room is closed and have finally come to accept that this is my "job".  My 15 yr old son is one of my draft readers, and one of the first things one of the girls asked me was, "So we'll be able to go into Barnes & Noble and see your book there?  Wow!"

My one sadness connected with writing and family has to do with my father-in-law.  Although I don't think he's picked up a book since graduating from Marlborough College in VT after WWII, he himself wrote poetry and had an enormous respect for the written word.  When I first started writing about three years ago I found out that he was bragging to everyone about his daughter-in-law who was a writer, and how many manuscripts I'd completed, and so on...however, at about the same time (though we didn't know it) he was in the early stages of Lewy Body Disease, an Alzheimer's-like illness.  He still recognizes me about half the time when I stop in to see him, but as for being able to understand that I actually sold...no, not really.  I know how pleased and proud he would have been, and I'm very sad that I haven't been able to share the whole publishing process with him.

 

Sara Zarr (STORY OF A GIRL, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

 

My husband has always been supportive and has taken me seriously ever since I took myself seriously, and I think my extended family has always been hopeful even when they didn't fully understand what I was doing. What a contract has done for me is make me more secure in how I talk about my writing and in my own identity. Those things were always bigger issues for me than what my friends and family thought.

 

Sarah Aronson (HEAD CASE, Roaring Brook Press)

 

My kids have been great.  We like to joke that while I've been writing and working toward an MFA, they've been raised by wolves.

Wolves make very good parents!!

 

 

Got a question for the Debut Authors? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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13. Book Mystery Solved

The results are in….

And the prize of an autographed copy of an advanced reader copy of PRINCESS ON THE BRINK (she promised not to post spoilers) goes to Corinna of Austin, TX, who correctly named the author and title of the mystery book. Which is:

THE SABLE MOON

by the fantastically talented fantasy author Nancy Springer.

Here's a quick synopsis I cobbled together from reader reviews online:

The Sable Moon is a "coming of age" story, an ?adult fairy tale,' a tapestry of mystery, magic, and romance. The main character, Trevyn, starts out a self-absorbed teenage prince (the kind you wouldn't mind strangling). Unfortunately, that makes him the perfect target for old enemies. When Trevyn's selfishness causes him to run away, he turns up in a village just in time to save Megan, a village girl, from an attack. From there, Prince Trevyn must embark on a quest to free his homeland from evil's grip and realize his own legendary destiny....

Oh, yeah. Nancy Springer gives good book (cue: Peaches' “You Love It”).

I ordered my own copy here! I highly recommend you get one for yourself, as well. You won't regret it. Sadly the book is out of print, but maybe if enough of us demand a reprint, Nancy's publisher will pony up!

Thanks to all the many many helpful readers who wrote in with their tips and guesses. You totally saved me! And if you are ever looking for a book and can't remember the title or author, numerous librarians wrote to me to advise going here (they have a different search engine for each genre). I tried it, and it TOTALLY worked. Thanks, librarians, Allreaders, and the Gordonator! (cue: Peaches' “Boys Wanna Be Her”)

While I was ordering The Sable Moon, I started feeling all nostalgic for other books I'd read and love in the past (as one does), so I bought this, too:


Why, yes, that IS a copy of my favorite book of all time, COLD COMFORT FARM, with a new cover by my favorite cartoonist of all time, Roz Chast. How stoked am I? (cue: Peaches' “Rock the Shocker”)

Oh, and then I bought this:

Because nothing rules (when you're a little depressed because you have so little time and SO MUCH TO DO) more than re-reading the witty banter between Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane.

For those of you unfamiliar with Lord Peter and Harriet, start with the above, then go on to:

then dive into

and finish up with a delicious dose of

(cue: Peaches' “Stick It”)

You won't regret it. Just get a bilingual friend to translate the naughty parts, which are all in French.

And then, since I was having such a good time ordering stuff, my finger slipped or something, and I ended up ordering this:

YEAH! GAMEBOY! IN PINK!!!!
And also some old school

to play on it. Because some addictions you just never get over, no matter how long it's been.
(cue: Peaches' “Get It”)

Oh, and, obviously, I ordered this:

She's NAUGHTY. In a good way.

Anyway, for those of you who tried to sign up for the AvonFanLit and couldn't because it's for people over 18, fear not: Harper Teen will be having a similar contest soon. I will keep you posted when I know more. DON'T TELL ANYONE I GAVE YOU A HEAD'S UP!!! But if I were you, I'd start brainstorming ideas now. Because I might be one of the judges.

Lastly, if you like celebrity gossip, and you haven't been going here, don't worry, I won't tell anyone.

Thanks again to Corinna and EVERYONE who wrote in to help with my Book Mystery. I owe you one..

I have to go read now. I mean, write my book. Bye!

More later.

Much love,

Meg

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