Graceling

I was one of those that STILL had not read Kristin Cashore's Graceling. So, when I went on a trip recently, I tucked it in and took it along - the only problem? I had to slow myself down - I didn't want to finish it and have nothing to read the rest of the trip! It was riveting - that is the only word I can think of to tell how good it was. TOTALLY had me on the edge of my seat - I am impatiently waiting to read the sequel, Fire - oh we have it here at our library - it just needs to come in!!! The story is of Katsa - a teen learning how to deal with the "Grace" she was born with. She meets up with Po, another teen born with a "Grace" of his own, and together they work to use their "graces" for good while helping others.
My only "disclaimer" on this novel is that there are sex scenes and they are more graphic in nature. I know that some read my reviews and then pass books onto their teens- this one is a bit more graphic so take that into consideration - while I loved the storyline - I do wish the sex would have been less.

Artsy-Fartsy

So I will admit it - I am NOT a graphic novel reader or comic book reader - but when I read books with these great line drawings in them - I think "I could get used to this!" Karla Oceanak's Artsy-Fartsy is one of those books! Aldo is the main character of this new series and "he's not athletic like his older brother, he's not a rock hound like his best friend, but he does like bacon." Cracks me up - just like so many other parts of this book - your younger set will LOVE it. Oh yes, and here's the best part - each book focuses on a letter of the alphabet, so in the back of each book is an illustrated glossary of "A" words or whichever letter that particular book is featuring. You just can't go wrong and I do think the kids that read Wimpy Kid will enjoy this new series.

The second book, Bogus, will be published in May. Go HERE to see Aldo on his own website!!

Big Nate in A Class by Himself

Lincoln Peirce has done it! I didn't know how anyone could come close to Wimpy Kid but I think he has done it with Big Nate! Even Jeff Kinney, author of Wimpy Kid says, "Big Nate is funny, big time." And I agree! Big Nate is laugh-out-loud funny. It is reminiscent of Wimpy Kid with the clever line drawings and humor. I have FINALLY found a book that I can say with assurity, "IF you like Wimpy Kid, you will like this one too!!" Don't miss Big Nate - or his secret code throughout the book!

Watch an interview with Lincoln Peirce here of visit the website HERE.

Breakthrough to Clarity Bible Contest and Giveaway

The New Living Translation Break Through to Clarity Bible Contest and Giveaway

Visit www.facebook.com/NewLivingTranslation and click on the tab that says "Sweepstakes"

Fill out a simple form, take a quick Bible clarity survey, invite your friends to join and you'll be entered to win one of our exciting prizes.

With each fan number milestone a new prize will be given away.

Grand Prize

Apple iPad 64G and a Life Application Study Bible

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32G iPod Touch and a Life Application Study Bible

Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the fourth milestone

Retail Value: $300.00

3rd Prize - Will be awarded when fan count hits: 3500

Kindle DX and a Life Application Study Bible

Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the third milestone

Retail Value: $489.00

4th Prize Will be awarded when fan count hits: TBD

Apple iPad 16G and a Life Application Study Bible

Awarded when the New Living Translation Fan Page hits the second milestone

Retail Value: $499.00

5th Prize Will be awarded when fan count hits: TBD

Apple iPad 32G and a Life Application Study Bible

Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the first milestone

Retail Value: $599.00

Prize Eligibility - Recently updated to include more countries

Sweepstakes participants and winner(s) can be U.S. residents of the 50

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old, as determined by the Company.

Sweepstakes Starts

March 17, 2010 @ 10:24 am (PDT)

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April 30, 2010 @ 10:24 am (PDT)

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Year of the Tiger

Year of the Tiger by Alison Lloyd is another book I dropped in my husband's lap. I wasn't sure it was one I would devour so I asked him to try it. He didn't think he'd enjoy it but once he started reading he said it really was a great read. He felt that boys, especially, would enjoy this read - which made me smile as I'm always looking to promote good boy-reads!! Here are his words:

The year of the Tiger is a fun and engaging read. Two boys at opposite ends of the social order who are thrust together for a common goal - winning an archery tournament. The setting is ancient China in a city positioned alongside The Great Wall.

One boy, Hu, is the son of peasant; the other boy, Ren, is the son of a military general. Each has a different motivation for winning the tournament. The story is engaging and captures your attention as you follow the lives of these two boys.

The author does a great job of introducing you to the culture of China. A strong, rich culture which has not changed much from the past.

Incarceron

I asked my AVID reader-husband to give me a synopsis of the book he last finished, Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher. He said he absolutely LOVED it and highly recommended it. Here are his words:

Incarceron is set in the distant future. A future where there are basically two worlds. The first is a world much like our own except for a decision to suspend development in all areas of society in preference to the idealized age of the Renaissance. Every decision, action, clothing style, building, food and social interaction is required to be era compliant. This is considered following protocol. The people in this world are restricted to the technology of that time. This includes lighting, transportation, industry and even health care.

The other world is that of Incarceron itself. Incarceron is a prison. The prison is ruled by the Warden who has the responsibility of insuring no one ever leaves. Incarceron was a grand social experiment. It was to be a utopia for criminals. It was intended to be a completely self sustaining environment where the prison itself would insure order and provide for the citizens.

There are two main characters. The first, is a girl named Claudia. Claudia is a member of the aristocracy and has been privileged in receiving the proper training to eventually become queen. Claudia is the daughter of the Warden and was betrothed to the prince but is very unhappy about the arrangements. The second character is, Finn, a boy who is in Incarceron. Finn is an orphan who cannot remember his past. Finn has a type of epileptic seizure and during these seizures he has visions of life outside of Incarceron.

The author takes you on a journey as Claudia and Finn become connected through a series of chance encounters. Along the way you challenged with issues on a variety of levels. The main idea is that of putting away the worlds undesirables in the self-sustaining prison. Another is that of maintaining the status quo, in all areas of society, rather than allowing advancement. A third is the idea of a man-made, man controlled utopia which in the end fails miserably.

One area of thought that stood out to me is that of protocol. Every society has what is considered to be proper protocol. There are always socially acceptable and unacceptable actions. There are always those who want to maintain the status quo and their are always those who are pushing the limits in order to achieve change. The book ends with the strong possibility of a sequel. I hope the author continues to explores the topic of maintaining protocol and the need for advancement and change in the next book.

So there you have it - much more philosophical and thought-provoking than any of my reviews - but that's what I love about him!!

Lerner Goodies

Another GREAT box was sent to me for review purposes from Lerner - I LOVE to see the new books and let you in on all the ones NOT TO MISS!!

Lisa Wheeler has done it again with Dino-Baseball - dinosaur and baseball lovers are SURE to enjoy this great read.  It rhymes - which kids love, and is a wonderful addition to Dino-Hockey and Dino-Soccer.

Noah's Bark by Stephen Krensky left me laughing - yes, that noise on the ark must have been something - but Noah, smart as he is, had a great idea in this book for how to solve the noise problem!  Very fun!

What is it about the "color" books that we just can not keep them on our library shelves??  This new series in Lightning Bolt Books will be no exception.  Red Everywhere is just one of the titles that will have teachers and kids alike "seeing red." 

The Elsewhere Chronicles continue with Book Four:  The Calling - I have to say, these books are pretty popular here.  This is a graphic novel series but even our younger readers are enjoying it - and they are clean graphic novels - you can recommend them without worrying!







A new series IS THAT A FACT?  takes a fun look at questions - it makes learning intriguing - I'm always on the lookout for that.  There are five books so far in this series - questions about animals, Earth, Health, Space and one last one - questions you've always wanted to ask.  This looks good - will appeal to our middle grade readers.

The Horrors of Andersonville: Life and Death Inside a Civil War Prison by Catherine Gourley is quite a read.  I KNOW I will be able to "sell" this one easily.  Civil War buffs (ok and even those that aren't) will find this title appealing.  I was immediately interested when I started looking through this book - it has actual photographs, letters, diary entries - very intriguing history.

Fallen

Always on the lookout for another Twilight-read alike so Fallen by Lauren Kate caught my eye.  This is an interesting read and VERY different from Twilight.  It took me MOST of the book before I began to figure out the identity of the main character's boyfriend.  It is an intriguing story, and it was a page turner for me.  It is the story of Luce - she is a teen girl that is being sent to Sword and Cross, a school for students that have gotten into a large amount of trouble.  She isn't even sure what she did - but she is being punished by being sent away.  Her first day at Sword and Cross, she meets Daniel - a boys she is SURE she knows from somewhere.  The story unfolds as Luce has this odd friendship/relationship with Daniel - one day he sits and talks with her, the next he is distant and even mean to her.  There are a lot of unexpected turns and the ending is surprising.  It truly leaves you anticipating the next book - which is scheduled to be released in September.  I will say that there is a lot of swearing in this book - very unlike the Twilight Series, so I will be a bit more cautious in who I recommend it to - but it is a good read and one that will keep readers excited for it's sequel.  If you are curious - check out the trailer HERE.

Thaw Blogsplash

Ruth's diary is the new novel by Fiona Robyn, called Thaw. She has decided to blog the novel in its entirety over the next few months, so you can read it for free.
Ruth's first entry is below, and you can continue reading tomorrow here.
*
These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It’s a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we’re being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.
The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they’re stuck to the outside of her hands. They’re a colour that’s difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.
I’m trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I’m giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don’t think I’m alone in wondering whether it’s all worth it. I’ve seen the look in people’s eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I’ve heard the weary grief in my dad’s voice.
So where do I start with all this? What do you want to know about me? I’m Ruth White, thirty-two years old, going on a hundred. I live alone with no boyfriend and no cat in a tiny flat in central London. In fact, I had a non-relationship with a man at work, Dan, for seven years. I’m sitting in my bedroom-cum-living room right now, looking up every so often at the thin rain slanting across a flat grey sky. I work in a city hospital lab as a microbiologist. My dad is an accountant and lives with his sensible second wife Julie, in a sensible second home. Mother finished dying when I was fourteen, three years after her first diagnosis. What else? What else is there?
Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. I looked at her hands for twelve minutes. It was odd describing what I was seeing in words. Usually the picture just sits inside my head and I swish it around like tasting wine. I have huge books all over my flat; books you have to take in both hands to lift. I’ve had the photo habit for years. Mother bought me my first book, black and white landscapes by Ansel Adams. When she got really ill, I used to take it to bed with me and look at it for hours, concentrating on the huge trees, the still water, the never-ending skies. I suppose it helped me think about something other than what was happening. I learned to focus on one photo at a time rather than flicking from scene to scene in search of something to hold me. If I concentrate, then everything stands still. Although I use them to escape the world, I also think they bring me closer to it. I’ve still got that book. When I take it out, I handle the pages as though they might flake into dust.
Mother used to write a journal. When I was small, I sat by her bed in the early mornings on a hard chair and looked at her face as her pen spat out sentences in short bursts. I imagined what she might have been writing about; princesses dressed in star-patterned silk, talking horses, adventures with pirates. More likely she was writing about what she was going to cook for dinner and how irritating Dad’s snoring was.
I’ve always wanted to write my own journal, and this is my chance. Maybe my last chance. The idea is that every night for three months, I’ll take one of these heavy sheets of pure white paper, rough under my fingertips, and fill it up on both sides. If my suicide note is nearly a hundred pages long, then no-one can accuse me of not thinking it through. No-one can say; ‘It makes no sense; she was a polite, cheerful girl, had everything to live for’, before adding that I did keep myself to myself. It’ll all be here. I’m using a silver fountain pen with purple ink. A bit flamboyant for me, I know. I need these idiosyncratic rituals; they hold things in place. Like the way I make tea, squeezing the tea-bag three times, the exact amount of milk, seven stirs. My writing is small and neat; I’m striping the paper. I’m near the bottom of the page now. Only ninety-one more days to go before I’m allowed to make my decision. That’s it for today. It’s begun.
Continue reading tomorrow here...

Double Trouble Blog Tour

I am part of a blog tour for Susan May Warren's latest release Double Trouble - with her previous novel, Nothing But Trouble, thrown in for good measure!
I have to say - I may not normally pick this style of book up for a read, but I am glad I did.  Warren has come up with a character, PJ Sugar, that is an absolute riot!  She kept me laughing and yet compelled to finish to find out how she solves her mysteries.  What a great series - I am hoping there are more to come!  I know our library patrons will think this one is a hit so I will be waiting to share this hilarious series with them!!  (Thank you to the blog tour for sending me both copies to read and review.)

Dinosaurs

What book can you give a boy to get them to read!?!?!?  Anything dinosaurs of course!  SO when Chronicle Books sent me this new book, Dinosaurs by Dennis Schatz - I knew it would be a hit here at our library!  Oh man!  Give a boy stereo speakers, pictures of dinosaurs fighting and sounds to accompany - I'm thinking that's about all you need - oh, maybe batteries that NEVER run out!!  This one will never be on our shelves!

CONTEST ALERT!!!

I am excited to review both Double Trouble and Nothing But Trouble by Susan May Warren later on this month, but for now you need to know that a contest is in the works!!  Don't miss - it looks like a great one!

 

About the contest!

Be sure to enter the Double Trouble Prize Package Giveaway by clicking on the ‘Double the Sass” button (code for button is above)! Susan’s giving away an iPod prize package that is anything but troubling! Check it out!

Prize Details:
Double Trouble, the brand new PJ Sugar novel by Susan May Warren, is in stores now! To celebrate the release, we’re running a HUMDINGER of a contest!!
One Grand Prize winner will receive a $150 SUPER SLEUTH prize package that includes:

* A brand new iPod Shuffle (perfect for those all-night stakeouts)

* A $10 iTunes gift card (we recommend the ALIAS soundtrack)

* A $10 Amazon gift card (why yes, they do sell spy pens)

* A $10 Starbucks gift card (for fuel, obviously)

* A pair of designer sunglasses (be stealthy AND super chic)

* A gorgeous scarf from World Market (can also be used as a blindfold, and/or for tying up bad guys)

* AND signed copies of both Nothing But Trouble & Double Trouble. (romance! danger! intrigue! sooo much better than Surveillance for Dummies!)

We’ll announce our super sleuth winner on March 1st.

Big Wolf and Little Wolf

Nadine Brun-Cosme and Olivier Tallec's Big Wolf and Little Wolf is one of the most tender children's stories I have read in a LONG TIME!  I just loved everything about it - from the illustrations that are wonderful - all the way to the sweet story line. 

Big Wolf didn't even know what it was to love something other than himself until Little Wolf came along.  At first he thought maybe Little Wolf was something to be jealous of, but he soon learned that no jealousy was needed - just love and care for this Little Wolf.  He began to share things he had never shared before, and look out for Little Wolf like his own - until Little Wolf leaves.  The simplistic nature of this story won't escape the reader - it is truly wonderful! 

My favorite line:  "For the first time he said to himself that a little one, indeed a very little one, had taken up space in his heart.  A lot of space."  And every parent can relate to that!

Ripple Reader

I love this idea!!


The new site www.RippleReader.com enables people to record themselves reading children's pictures books. Grandparents are using it to read to long- distance grandchildren. Soldiers and business travelers are sharing bedtime stories with kids back home. Ripple is also helping libraries raise vital funds! For details, see the lower right of Ripple's home page.  For a limited time, you can try Ripple free, so visit today! 

Beautiful

I was honored to be a part of the blog tour for Cindy Coloma - I was sent a copy of her latest book, Beautiful, and haven't been able to put it down since!  This is a riveting Young Adult read - a wonderful look at what REALLY makes a person who they are - is it how they look or could losing your beautiful looks really not be the end of the world???  It was a truly great read - with Christian underpinnings - I appreciate that in young adult novels - our teens NEED it!

Cindy was also gracious enough to add her thoughts on how to become a writer, which I think some of my readers may appreciate:


Becoming A Writer


“How do I become a writer?” It’s a question that people often ask me. 
There’s the practical response – study writing, get a degree, attend writers conferences, read read read, write most every day, perfect your manuscript, seek a reputable agent, etc. 


Then there’s the impractical – it must be your passion first and perseverance is more important than talent. 
A writer needs to be passionate about stories, about words, about living a life in a creative mode. It’s not a job that you leave at an office. In most careers, a person is not what they do, but for writers, like other creatives, writing is what we are. It’s a way of seeing the world, interacting with others, and living every day both while in front of the computer and out in life. 


Recently, I spent the weekend with a friend from high school who is also a writer. The group of people we were with kept laughing at us because we’d make up story ideas at nearly every topic the group discussed. It’s who we are. It’s a passion that runs through us like blood in our viens.


The other essential part of becoming a writer is perseverance. It’s what keeps you going through rejection, through the long lonely journey of creating a story, through having to continually rewrite and editoral reviews and the hard hard work of growing as a writer. 


How do you become a writer? Start with a writer’s heart and will. 

Cindy Martinusen Coloma
cindycoloma@gmail.com


www.cindycoloma.com
www.cindycoloma-ya.com 

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

One of the recent Newbery Honor Winners was The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly.  This was one I read before the list came out (yeah for me!!) and I was glad I read it.  I enjoyed this character - 11 year old, Callie - she is just a sweet character.  She is not so sure she wants to follow the typical "girl" expectations of the 1800's and so hangs out with her Grandfather and explores science!  This is where Darwin/Evolution comes into the novel - her Grandfather is a strong proponent of Evolution and it's theories.  Even though that might not be something you adhere to, it is still a very tender story of a granddaughter and her grandfather.  It is also wonderful about the struggles of growing up and fitting in in a larger family.  It was a good read - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to our junior high readers.

Scones and Sensibility

Lindsay Eland has written a novel that I just fell in love with - Scones and Sensibility is such a sweet junior high novel.  Do you love Anne of Green Gables?  Do you love Pride and Prejudice?  Well so does 12 year old Polly Madassa and she talks like those characters and even LIVES like those characters!  I loved Polly - she was a character that just drew me in - she made me laugh right out loud - and that doesn't happen often while I'm reading!  She is not to be missed - your junior high readers will LOVE her!!

The Yellow Tutu

The Yellow Tutu by Kirsten Bramsen is a new book we have at our library.  This book is just wonderful!!  I love the child that is not afraid to be just who they want to be - even when others may not see the humor!  That is Margo - she is not afraid to be herself and wear her Yellow Tutu to school because it can be SO many things!!  Too cute and promotes being exactly who you are - and have some fun with it!

Could be great with a colors storytime or friends storytime.

Award Books by Age

This blogger had a wonderful breakdown of the award winning books by age - this is worth the read!!!

Big Day for Awards

It is the BIG day - when SO many great awards are announced:
Newberry Award - pleased to say I've read all but ONE!!!  (That always makes me proud!)  The winner was:  When you Reach Me  by Rebecca Stead - a story I enjoyed - although certainly not one of my all-time favorites for the year - but they do this to me almost every year - I'm not surprised!

Caldecott Award - this one I fell short - but they are now all on order for our library! I had not seen the winner - The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney - but it looks fabulous!

So there you go - now you are "in the know" too!!  Enjoy!