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I LOVE this title. It raises so many questions, and suggests that Mara is going to become an even more complex, strong and driven heroine. There are so many aspects of Mara that could be evolving, but I suspect the title will come to have a new and unexpected meaning once we finally get our hands on the book! I can't wait to see the cover they come up with for this one!

According to Michelle, the release date hasn't been confirmed and there's no official synopsis out there yet -- so if you see one, it's probably inaccurate. Keep an eye on Michelle's blog for more details as they're available!

If you haven't read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer yet, now is a good time to start so you'll be ready when book 2 hits shelves!

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A heroine is a female character who is admired for her noble qualities. We think it's someone who meets the world head on. This doesn't mean she has to be a hardcore girl who can beat up anyone who crosses her path (though those girls certainly qualify). Your favorite can be anyone you admire, for any reason. The important thing is that she is extraordinary in some way or another-- be that the way she handles other people, her inexhaustible humor, or her skill with a crossbow. We encourage you to think outside the box! Search your bookshelves for the female characters who inspire you, who make you want to be better, who prove that our world doesn't have to be a man's world.

I don't know about you, but when I hear "extraordinary" and "outside the box," I think of Mara Dyer. She's fiercely loyal and always willing to take a stand. She has a strong sense of justice and more than a few vigilante tendencies. She's a survivor, not to mention smart, sassy and a little bit scary. So that's why I've taken on the role of being Mara's advocate in the tournament!



Our first challenger is Karou from The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, advocated by Enna of SqueakyBooks. Karou is great and all, but she's got nothing on our girl Mara! So be sure to come out and support Team Mara on December 15th! Word on the street (AKA on Michelle Hodkin's twitter feed) is that if Mara makes it into round 2, there will be more of THIS Noah-licious outtake PLUS an extra treat (an extra scene? the uncut too-hot-to-handle trailer? Bradley the trailer actor reading Noah passages from the book?)

Here are the tournament brackets:

Click to embiggen

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WHERE: The Bookish Type and Pure Imagination

WHY: To chat with Michelle (who is one of the nicest people you will ever meet) and get answers about this mysterious, mind-bending novel

HOW: Come back to The Bookish Type or Pure Imagination at 8 pm EST TONIGHT to join the chat! Both sites will feature the exact same chat room.

<p><p><p><a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=6793fd2fcc" >Michelle Hodkin Chat</a></p></p></p>

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You won't want to miss it :)

Thanks to Michelle for inviting me and Lori to host! This is going to be epic!

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Release Date: September 27, 2011
Series: Mara Dyer #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Mara's life changes forever the day she awakes from a coma to discover her best friends are dead and her memories of the accident that killed them are gone. Something strange happened that fateful night, but no one has any answers -- except, perhaps, a beautiful boy who is just as broken as Mara herself. As Mara struggles to piece together the events that led to her friends' deaths, she's drawn into a terrifying world of nightmares and confusion, kidnappings and hallucinations. And as the bodies start piling up, Mara begins to doubt everyone and everything -- including herself.

Dark. Sexy. Hilarious. Mysterious. Heart-pounding. Hair-raising. In short, this novel is incredible. In her unforgettable debut, Michelle Hodkin crafts a spine-tingling tale of death and desire that will leave readers clamoring for more. Mara Dyer is the best kind of heroine -- cynical and witty, biting and deeply flawed. Her struggles with insanity are enthralling, and her search for truth gripping. In her upside down world, it's impossible to tell what's real and what's just a terrible nightmare.

Mara is sharp and sassy, refusing to let anyone walk over her -- whether it be her controlling mother, the school's requisite Queen Bee, or even snarky boys with British accents and smoldering looks. Noah Shaw had me at "British accent." He is simultaneously sexy and infuriating, a bewitching combination that will leave readers (and Mara) befuddled. Though he possesses the casual arrogance of the drop-dead gorgeous, he has more than a few secrets of his own, revealing a sweet vulnerability that makes him utterly irresistible. Noah's hauteur is a mask -- one that crumbles in the face of Mara's unflinching directness. They have both met their match, and their delicious dynamic will leave readers ravenous for more.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer features some of the best flirtatious banter I've ever read. Noah and Mara are intellectual equals who can keep pace with one another's rapid-fire minds (and mouths). Their smart and snappy repartee will have readers writhing with laughter even in the midst of this psychological nightmare. The back-and-forth is constant, an unexpected contrast to the hidden horrors lurking just beneath the surface. Thankfully, Hodkin steers clear of the unbelievable love-at-first sight, instead letting their love/hate chemistry burn its way into an undeniable attraction. Noah and Mara are like fire and gasoline, and Hodkin ratchets up the sexual tension until readers are ready to explode.

It's impossible to know what's coming next in this twisting, turning thriller of a romance. Hodkin keeps the answers both Mara and readers so desperat

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The girls are back, and this time they are tackling some Austen as well as a cultural exchange of sorts!

The girls are 15 now and everyone seems to know what they want to do with their lives except for Jess. She’s throwing herself into her life at the Academy, and things are better since she no longer has to room with snotty Savannah (who is turning out not to be so snotty after all). She’s singing in the MardriGals and now her mom has her enrolled in a cake decorating class. It’s not really her thing, but she feels like she has to do it since she doesn’t really get to see her family as much as she used to.

Cassidy is still into hockey but her nice surprise is that she’s bonding with Stanley more than ever. Who knew her dorky step-dad would be such a sports nut and go to bat for Cassidy with her mom so that she can play with the elite girl’s team in the area? He’s even getting up at the crack of dawn to drive her to practice.

Megan’s passion for fashion is going strong, and she’s adding an anonymous blog to her resume. “Fashionista Jane” is a helpful yet snarky commentator on the world of fashion at her school. Not only is she showing readers how to rework their wardrobes, she also has a fashion faux pas section which is super popular. Too bad it bruises a few egos along the way.

The biggest change is in store for Emma and her family who up and leave for England for a year. At first Emma and Darcy aren’t thrilled with their parents’ announcement. They only got 2 weeks notice! But the allure of England and Jane Austen territory in particular is thrilling for Emma. Yes, she’ll miss Stewart, but it is only for a year.

Vogel Frederick has written another installment that is fun filled yet more grown up than the previous titles. She has managed to keep the girls innocent yet believable, and bringing the Hawthornes to England was a great way to introduce new characters and switch the focus a bit. Romances abound and will keep readers titillated without resorting to choosing “teams”. I don’t want to give too many plot points away, but suffice it to say that the laughter that came with the reading was familiar, while the tears were not. Fans will be delighted, and new readers will be able to jump right in.

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It's 8th grade year for the girls and changes are afoot. Jess is surprised to learn that she has just received a scholarship to snooty Colonial Academy. Jess could care less about the scholarship...she just wants to stay at Walden Middle School with her friends. Her parents, however, keep talking about opportunities, and college, and want to reach a compromise of having Jess board at the school during the week and come home to help at Half Moon farm on the weekends.

Without Jess at Walden, Emma is a bit sad. She misses Jess, and even though things are warming up with Stewart and she is editor of the paper, she still feels like something is missing. If only her parents would finally say yes to a dog...

Megan's grandmother has moved into the house and Megan finally feels like someone understands her. Gigi is totally into fashion and travel. She is an amazing cook who even uses meat (gasp!) in her dishes. But the closer Megan gets to Gigi, the more annoyed her own mother seems to get.

Among all of the changes, Becca and Cassidy actually have something common. Their mothers seem to be going a bit crazy. Mrs. Chadwick has discovered a whole new her, complete with outrageous outfits, spiky hair, and animal print glasses. Mrs. Sloane-Kincaid is always tired. She's nauseous and napping.

The book club is changing too. The club is reading Daddy-Long-Legs, by Jean Webster, but what is new to the club are the pen-pals. Mrs. Hawthorne has been in touch with her old college friend who has her own mother-daughter book club, and they thought it would be great for the girls to write to each other while reading the same book. Some of the girls aren't too pleased about this...after all, who even writes letters anymore. Texting or emailing would be so much easier. But the moms stand firm. Old fashioned letters with stamps will be sent!

What follows is a story complete with nasty room-mates, sleep-over pranks, road trips, first kisses and secrets kept from friends and mothers alike. Heather Vogel Frederick's latest installment in the series will not disappoint fans of the first two books. The girls are growing in real time, and their 8th grade problems are different form their 6th grade ones. Each character, though somewhat typed, brings something fresh to the table in Dear Pen Pal. Cassidy's growing away from her jock persona and Emma's geek is ascending the social ladder with the help of her girlfriend status. But the characters never lose their souls over it. The changes simply feel true to the tumultuous times of middle schoolers.

I can't wait to see what the book club reads next!

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A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend Simon and Schuster's Librarian Preview. Many books were discussed, and lots of focus was on the elections, but this cutey patootie cover stuck out for me. I was delighted to have this arc in my goody bag!

Annie, Zoe and Genna used to do everything together. Now that 8th grade is coming to a close, however, things seem to be shifting. Genna is into her acting, Zoe is all about tennis and Annie is nervous about convincing her grandmother Louisa that she is indeed old enough to be a barista at The Steeping Leaf. The Leaf is Louisa's store, and it used to be a hangout for Annie, Zoe and Genna. They even used to call themselves the teashop girls! Now it seems like Annie is the only one interested in the place.

After successfully gaining employment at the Leaf, Annie makes a disheartening discovery. Louisa's shop is in trouble. Since her grandfather passed away and a certain chain shop opened up, business is bad. Leaf hottie and budding entrepreneur Jonathan has a few ideas about saving the shop. Annie doesn't agree with his tactics, but is wary of saying anything to ruin her chances with him.

When things go from bad to worse, can Annie rally her friends in order to save the Leaf? Will Zoe and Genna even be interested in their own hangout anymore?

Laura Schaefer has written a tea filled story about friendship and change. Annie is a girl who hangs on tightly to the past, and her friends are moving right along with their Middle School lives. Friendships are pushed and pulled and there is just the right dash of romance. Chapters begin with quotes about tea, and old advertisements are placed at the end of the chapters. I know much more about tea than I did when I cracked open this book. This is sure contender for a book club choice of the mother daughter variety.

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I was lucky enough to attend a book preview this morning at Simon and Schuster. Some wonderful books were discussed including Nikki Grimes' and Bryan Collier's Barack Obama Son of Promise, Child of Hope, My Dad, John McCain, by Meghan McCain, and Hillary Rodham Clinton Dreams taking Flight. Bryan Collier spoke passionately about his project, and showed us some amazing original art from the book. Other highlights were Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Must Love Black, by Kelly McClymer and A is for Art, by Stephen T. Johnson.

But the book that stole my heart is none other than Chalk and Cheese, by Tim Warnes.

Chalk and Cheese are as different as, well, chalk and cheese! Cheese has come over to NYC from the British country side to visit his buddy Chalk, and he can't wait to see the sights. Readers are treated to a two page spread of postcard exchanges where the personalities of Chalk and Cheese are laid out. Cheese is ready to see skyscrapers, King Kong, and is hoping for a Stuart Little sighting! Chalk is certainly ready to play tour guide.

From riding the subway and befriending a cockroach (named Cutey Pops!), to seeing the Empire State Building, Chalk and Cheese are in it together. Even a little disagreement can't stop them from being friends.

The illustrations are made up of sequential panels complete with speech bubbles, and the art made me do a bit of a happy dance, because after opening up this book at the back of the presentation room, I just knew that I had to include it on my list of books that I will be presenting at LREI's Annual Family Book Night. This year our theme is graphic novels (sequential art etc), and this is simply perfect for the younger spectrum of our list. We have some FANTASTIC authors/illustrators coming to present, and I am so pleased to place Chalk and Cheese on the list for our attendees!

So fun.

Do yourselves a favour and pick this one up in late October. I know that I will be getting multiple copies!

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I love the camp story almost as much as the boarding school story, so imagine my delight when this gem of a graphic novel showed up at work.

Abby is the first girl to show up at camp. She cannot wait to see her friend Rose, who is a cabin assistant this year. Their age difference has never been an issue before, but now, things seem different. Add on the fact that Deni, the girl who claimed the bunk below Abby, does nothing but talk and complain all the time. After listening to Deni all day, Abby is worried that she will never get any sleep. But Deni doesn't talk all night ... she scratches! What is going on?

Before long, Deni goes home and Abby has a new bunk mate named Shasta. Shasta is cool and pretty and she actually likes all of the things that Abby does. The thing is, that none of Abby's other friends like Shasta. Abby is wondering...do they like her? Afterall, she and Shasta are kind of similar.

Hope Larson has penned a graphic novel that rings so true on themes of frienship, identity, first crushes, summertime freedom and the idea of loyalty. The black and white artwork perfectly compliments the story, and readers will be falling in love with Abby before they know it! Chiggers should be in the luggage of every girl heading off for camp this July!

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I first grabbed this book off the pile at work because of the cover. Being married to a skater means that our family life is surrounded by things skateboarding related. Also, a good skateboarding story by Gutman would serve well at my school. Is this book about skating? Not-so-much.

Jimmy and his buddies (and little sister) are all on a plane, heading for California and the X-Games. Jimmy, David, and Henry (a.k.a. the woodpushers) are going to skate around and try to find sponsorship....or at least some free gear. Jimmy can't wait to get there. Not that he's scared to fly, but he just feels better on the ground.

Before they can get too far, the unthinkable happens. Terrorists are on the plane, hijacking it with plans on crashing. They quickly kill a stewardess and breech the cockpit. Jimmy can't believe it. His worst nightmare is happening, and the only other people on the plane are a bunch of old ladies heading to a knitting convention. They boys, with the help of hot stewardess Arcadia, put a plan in action to take down the terrorists.

The plane does end up crashing, and the boys, Jimmy's little sis Julia, Arcadia and one of the old women (Mildred) survive. But how will they end up surviving in the woods of the Canadian wilderness?

Now, I have never been a tween boy, but if this is what tween boy fantasies are like, then wow! This is a fast-paced adventure story that necessitates suspension of belief. Quite a bit happens in the week time period, but I won't pretend that I wasn't entertained. I just think that it's important to know that despite the cover (with a big gaff concerning the placement of the trucks on the skateboard pointed out by aforementioned husband) this is a survival story...not a skate story.

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I don't suppose that this sort of thing is limited to librarians, but certainly members of my profession would take an interest in the prizes. DK Publishing is riding the publicity machine via a contest. Whaddaya win?

GRAND PRIZE
One grand prize winner will receive 100 Eyewitness books* of their choosing!
(*based on availability)

RUNNERS-UP
Five Runners-Up will receive a set of the four new Eyewitness titles, plus a set of the eight re-launched backlist titles!

THIRD PLACE
25 Third Place winners will receive a set of the four new Eyewitness titles!

Eyewitness has its charms. Nobody in their right mind would ever use it as a reliable reference text, but for those kids who bat their long lashes at you and plead for something ANYTHING on one topic or another, they tend to do very well. Go wild, pretty kitties.

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