HOW TO ACE THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

The official study guide is now in its fifth edition and 2017’s version brings the first update since 2012. You don’t have to be a Bee participant to enjoy this book. The middle section includes over 40 pages of sample questions. Use them in the classroom during those few spare moments  at the end or beginning of a class. You could even have a mini-competition at home. Here’s a sample question from the State Final Round:

The tropical island of Negros [NAY-grohs] borders the Sulu Sea and is part of which Asian island country? (Answer is below)

If you are participating in the National Geographic Bee then this guide is a must. It begins with an explanation of Geography and its importance. Next comes a description of how the contest works followed by ten study tips. These tips are the key to a successful run in the contest and many could be helpful in other curriculum areas.

Still a bit anxious? The next chapter has tips from past Bee champions and a list of other sources you can go to increase your chances of becoming a master of geography. But wait—the best is yet to come. The book ends with a full index for countries of the world. Each country is listed along with its Area, Capital, Population, Growth rate, Percentage of Urban Population, Official Language (an estimated 7,100 are spoken world wide!), and Religion. A valuable resource.

Did you guess correctly to the question above? The answer is—the Philippines.

Whether right or wrong with your answer, you’ll want to get this guide for causal fun at home or for more serious National Geographic Bee preparation.

For more information visit the National Geographic web site.

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Coming up next Monday is:

If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love on a Monday (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count–but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you’re featuring and a link to your blog at gpcolo (at) gmail (dot) com

 (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and please don’t forget to say what book you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.

Thank you so much for being a part of this awesome tradition begun by Shannon Messenger and for spreading the middle grade love!

*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.

 

 

Posted in non fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

MMGM LINKS—11/20/17

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

MMGM LINKS for November 20, 2017

(Click on a star to take you to their site)
Sue Kooky from Kitty Cat at the Library returns with a review of Nightfall by Shannon Messenger.
Dorine White is back with a Picture Book Palooza.
Rosi Hollinbeck at The Write Stuff has a review of Not on Fifth Street.
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin features Andy and Lucy Neanderthal: The Stone Cold Age at Middle Grade Mafioso.
Patricia Tilton at Children’s Books Heal is reviewing Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind by Darlene Foster.
Zoie at Whisked Away By Words celebrates the release of Shannon Messenger’s novel, Nightfall, with a love letter to the Keeper of the Lost Cities series.
The Reading Nook Reviews gives you a first row review of Olive and the Backstage Ghost.
Mark Baker at Carstairs Considers features a review of Spy School Secret Service by Stuart Gibbs.
Karen Yingling always has some awesome MMGM Picks.
And… Check out my review below of CROSSING THE LINE by Bibi Belford (Also linked via the blue star).
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun and get your own star on the walkway, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love on a Monday (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count–but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you’re featuring and a link to your blog at gpcolo (at) gmail (dot) com
 (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and please don’t forget to say what book you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.
Thanks for spreading the middle grade love and for being a part of this awesome tradition begun by Shannon Messenger and carried on here at ALWAYS in the MIDDLE!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

CROSSING THE LINE for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

On July 27, 1919 Eugene Williams, an African American teenager, was stoned to death by white men when his raft crossed the line to the whites only beach. It set off what is known as the Chicago race riots. This new book by Bibi Belford leads us up to that fateful day with the story of two boys and their friendship.

After reading this engrossing tale it made me sad to think of what little progress we’ve made in 98 years. All you have to do is listen or read the breaking news reports from 2017 on racial tension. There’s no easy way to solve the problem but a start might be to require every fifth grader to read this book. It’s that powerful.

Billy and his new friend Foster can only be friends in hiding for fear of what might happen to themselves or their family. The tidbits on life in 1919 surround the story and put you into that world. Billy narrates in first person perfection. It’s surprising and heartfelt. I’m racing out right now to give my copy to a neighborhood school.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017   PAGE COUNT: 304

FULL PLOT (From AMAZON)

Billy’s family has fallen on hard times, what with his da hospitalized after the Great War and his ma barely scraping by. But it’s no hardship for him when there’s not enough money to pay the tuition for Nativity of Our Lord, the private Catholic school everyone in his neighborhood attends. Billy’s not big on education.

When he transfers to James Ward, a Chicago public school, he finds out there’s a big difference at public school: the kids aren’t all Irish—in fact, they aren’t even all white. It isn’t long before Billy’s found a new best friend in Foster, another fifth grader who also doesn’t have any money, loves baseball, and just happens to be black.

Billy is pretty sure skin color doesn’t matter. Not when he and Foster are just horsing around, playing baseball, working on the docks of the canal, and building a raft at their secret hideout near Bridgeport’s Bubbly Creek. But in the Red Summer of 1919, it does matter.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: CROSSING THE LINE

  1. Historical Fiction can be a tough sell to kids. When done right like this one it won’t be so difficult to convince them to read.
  2. Tension builds throughout to the surprising end. I stayed up late to finish then couldn’t get to sleep thinking about it.
  3. Billy is an Irish kid with a big heart and a lot of confusion in his head. He’s the kind of character you’d like to see what the next chapter in his life brings.
  4. I didn’t know much about this time period and have done some additional reading since finishing CROSSING THE LINE. Ms. Belford got everything right and hit the high note on each page.
  5. This would make a rich source for discussion or as a starting point in a unit on racism.

FAVORITE LINES:

If I was Foster I would be mad, too.

I feel embarrassed. Guilty. I wish were all born one color. A dark color that don’t sunburn. Being friends with Foster makes me sit up and take notice, like a dog that hears a noise. I’m ashamed I didn’t notice before that. I’m ashamed it’s come to this, when every day in school we stand up and pledge liberty and justice for all.

FROM an INTERVIEW in the Chicago Tribune

While “Crossing the Line” deals with a heavy topic for middle-grade readers, it attempts to do so while keeping certain sensitivities in mind, said Rachel Stark, the book’s editor at Sky Pony, an imprint of Skyhorse.

“We took some considerations with readers’ ages,” she said. “But kids today are grappling with this stuff. They’re as scared and concerned as we are, and it’s our responsibility to give them tools to teach them.”

Exposing young people to these tools is part of a healing educational process, Belford said.

“It’s important for me as a white writer to say I want healing, I want there to be peace in our world and for people to be tolerant of each other,” she said. “My goal is for readers to see that character and say to themselves, ‘That’s like me and I can make a difference in my school, my community, my world. It’s my life, who I open the door for, who I help on the street. I can learn, I can grow, I can be a better person tomorrow.’”

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Have a super Thanksgiving!

Posted in New Release, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

ADVENTURE AGAINST THE ENDERMAN

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

Jump into the world of Minecraft, the wildly popular computer game that both kids and adults can play. In its basic form you create towers and full cities with virtual blocks. Beyond that there’s trial and error, problem solving, and each player becomes their own engineer for the world they create.

What better way to tap into the of 100 million users than a fiction series that puts the characters in their own adventure story. The first six book series began with ESCAPE FROM THE OVERWORLD in 2015. Here’s what you missed:

Stevie is in for a big surprise while building his treehouse: he’s first attacked by a creeper, and then must take on a group of zombies! The near miss has him feeling like the worst mob fighter in Minecraft, so when he finds a portal into a brand-new world, he’s willing to take his chances.

He steps out of a computer screen and into the room of a sixth- grade girl Maison, who’s a talented builder. Stevie is shocked by how different this world is, and Maison takes him under her wing. But soon the two friends learn zombies have also made their way out of the portal!

Stevie and friends are back in the new ADVENTURE AGAINST THE ENDERMAN. It has short chapters and just 112 pages. The appeal is a fast moving plot—action packed into every page as the creepy Enderman are up to no good like destroying villages and turning villagers into more Enderman. Here’s an excerpt:

In the tunnel, everything felt more brutal. It was darker; it was closer together. The hisses of the Enderman were so close now that they rose up in a single, terrible roar. It was the kind of noise to fill your nightmares.

Book 1 ends with promise for more excitement in future installments. It’s the perfect remedy for those that can’t get enough of Minecraft. It’s also a sneaky way to get kids to read when they’re favorite game becomes a thrilling adventure.

Here’s what to expect:

The Overworld is in danger once again, this time from vicious Endermen! Mayor Alexandra summons Stevie, Alex, Maison, Yancy, and Destiny to try and stop the attacks. When the friends investigate, they quickly realize that the Endermen are looking for something. Could it be Stevie’s Ender crystal?

Soon the group of friends—now an Overworld task force—are caught up in a battle larger than any they could have imagined. Can they protect the world of Minecraft from Endermen—and the larger threat of the crystal?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Danica Davidson has written for MTV, The Onion, the Los Angeles Times, and about fifty other publications. She is also the author of the Unofficial Overworld Adventure series, as well as Manga Art for Beginners from Skyhorse Publishing.

 

 

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Coming up next Monday is:

If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love on a Monday (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count–but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you’re featuring and a link to your blog at gpcolo (at) gmail (dot) com

 (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and please don’t forget to say what book you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.

Thank you so much for being a part of this awesome tradition begun by Shannon Messenger and for spreading the middle grade love!

*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

MMGM LINKS—11/13/17

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

MMGM LINKS FOR November 13, 2017

(Click on a star to take you to their site)
Zoie at Whisked Away By Words joins the MMGM walkway with a feature on a graphic novel by Na Liu and Andrés Vera Martínez called Little White Duck: A Childhood in China
Suzanne Warr at Tales From The Raven is spotlighting Persephone the Phony and Athena the Wise, both from the Goddess Girl series by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams.
Sydne Gernaat joins the MMGM walkway with a review of HYACINTH AND THE SECRETS BENEATH by Jacob Sager Weinstein
Patricia Tilton at Children’s Books Heal is reviewing Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Completely Full Bookshelf is recommending Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Justin Talks Books features the classic Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Dorine White has a review of The Werewolf of Davenport by DT Vaughn
Rosi Hollinbeck at The Write Stuff has a review and giveaway of Ashes to Asheville
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin, the Middle Grade Mafioso, has a review of  EDDIE RED UNDERCOVER
Karen Yingling always has some awesome MMGM Picks
And… Check out my review below of RESTART (Also linked via the white star)
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun and get your own star on the walkway, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love on a Monday (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count–but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you’re featuring and a link to your blog at gpcolo (at) gmail (dot) com
 (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and please don’t forget to say what book you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.
Thanks for spreading the middle grade love and for being a part of this awesome tradition begun by Shannon Messenger and carried on here at ALWAYS in the MIDDLE!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.
Posted in MMGM Links | Tagged | 5 Comments

RESTART for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

I’m not a big fan of multiple viewpoints in books. I don’t mind two alternating narratives, but beyond that it breaks up the flow of the story for me. Gordon Korman though is the master of this technique in writing. His new novel includes seven first person viewpoints scattered among thirty chapters.

Here’s the real truth—I loved this story. It is a perfectly constructed plot. What if the most feared bully in a middle school accidentally falls off the roof of his house? The result might bring quiet redemption for his victims. But Chase Ambrose wakes up in the hospital with a severe case of amnesia. He can’t remember the total jerk he was before the fall.

This sets up the plot as Chase has to navigate learning about his past and decide if he wants to be the old Chase or the new more understanding one. The hardest part is becoming friendly again with the boy he tormented. His bullying caused the boy to switch schools.

It’s an honest look at how a few kids can make life miserable for others. Read it, discuss it, and savor in its healing powers.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017   PAGE COUNT: 256

FULL PLOT (From SCHOLASTIC PRESS)

A boy who’s been a bully and hanging out with the wrong friends gets a new start after a memory-loss-inducing accident. But can someone really change who he is, or will the old him merely come back over time? #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman harkens back to his No More Dead Dogs days in this stand-alone that takes a tone more serious than you’ve ever seen from him before.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: RESTART

  1. The thoughts and feelings of the bullied characters and how they come to grips with the new nicer Chase Ambrose.
  2. Mr. Solway, the nursing home war veteran. He’s not given his own chapters for reflection, but his voice comes out through the eyes and ears of others.
  3. Yes, there is even humor scattered across the pages—mostly form Brendan (a former victim of the bullying) who is always chasing after the set-up for his next You Tube video.
  4. Chase the bully is the star on the football team pre-accident and the star of the video club after the accident. Such delicious irony.
  5. This is one of Korman’s most beautifully written stories… Period.

FAVORITE LINES: 

I can’t help asking. “What did you do? To earn the medal, I mean.”

I can still only see one eye, but it’s impossible to miss the flash of impatience. “I stood on my head and spit nickles. Listen, smart guy, when you get to be my age, you don’t always remember the details of every single event in your life. But I don’t expect a young punk like you to understand that.” He closes the door.

Old people are supposed to have wisdom, but Mr. Solway is definitely wrong about me.

I’ve already forgotten more than he’ll ever know.

AUTHOR QUOTE:

When I was two years old, I wanted to be a dog when I grew up. I don’t actually remember this, but my parents tell me that I used to eat dinner under the table in preparation for this career. Good thing I wound up a writer. I never could have gotten into the union. (See more at Gordon Korman’s website.)

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Make a comment if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them. Click on the comments link below.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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A MYSTERY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

The fascinating history of this man-powered submarine is told in just enough detail to peak the interest of  middle grade kids.

The Hunley was designed to attack Union ships during the Civil War. It’s history was short with many missions ending in defeat and death.  This includes the original financier of the sub, Horace Lawson Hunley, who road along on one of its fateful journeys.

If there was ever a image to go with “If at once you fail, try, try again” this story would be it.

The vessel was propelled by seven men who hand cranked the device. An eighth man served as the navigator. On the night of February 17, 1864 the Hunley had its first and last success by sinking the USS Housatonic. The Hunley never resurfaced until efforts to find and recover it more than 130 years later brought the vessel back. When the conservation and stabilization work is complete, the submarine will be on display at the former Navy Base in North Charleston, South Carolina

The engrossing story is accompanied with color illustrations vividly depicting the submarine or fish boat as it was called. Modern day photographs show the Hunley as it looks today, along with many of the dedicated workers bringing it back to life. The last part of the book is a nice feature on one of the conservators and archaeologists  and what their job entails. A great teaser for kids who may have interest in this line of work as a career.

Easy to read and a sure winner for anyone’s historical library.

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WORD FROM THE PUBLISHERS

The story of the H. L. Hunley submarine is about American ingenuity and real people who were inventive, loyal, brave, resilient, persistent, and adventurous. The Hunley, built by the Confederate Army during the Civil War, was the first submarine to sink an enemy ship during wartime. After that historic feat, the Hunley disappeared.

For more than a century, the fate and location of the Confederate submarine remained unknown. In The H. L. Hunley Submarine, Fran Hawk tells the exciting and compelling tale of how the “fish boat” was invented, how it underwent trials and tribulations in war, and how it got from the bottom of the ocean to its current resting place in the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Who invented the H. L. Hunley? How did it operate without an engine? How and why did it sink? What did researchers find when they investigated the submarine? Archaeologists and conservationists from all over the world have studied the historic vessel in search of answers. Which mysteries have they solved,and which mysteries remain for future generations to answers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR

Fran Hawk is the author of The Story of the H. L. Hunley and Queenie’s Coin, Ten Tips for Raising Readers, and Countdown to Fall. She worked as a school librarian for ten years while writing a weekly children’s book-review column for the Charleston Post & Courier. Hawk later served as a librarian at a small alternative school for at-risk children. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Randolph College and a master’s of library science from Vanderbilt University. She lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, not far from where the Hunley crew lived and worked.

Monica Wyrick has a fine arts degree from the University of Dayton and has worked in advertising, as a muralist, and as an art instructor. Wyrick and her husband live in South Carolina and have three grown children.

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Coming up next Monday is:

If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love on a Monday (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count–but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you’re featuring and a link to your blog at gpcolo (at) gmail (dot) com

 (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and please don’t forget to say what book you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.
Thank you so much for being a part of this awesome tradition begun by Shannon Messenger and for spreading the middle grade love!

*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.

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If you have a few minutes this weekend, check out my Middle Grade Historical Fiction entry in the 2017 Pitch Wars contest. It was one of 41 MG finalists and it garnered some interest from a wonderful batch of agents.

That’s all for now. See you next week for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday!

Posted in New Release, non fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

MMGM LINKS (11/6/17)

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

 

 MMGM LINKS FOR November 6, 2017

(Click on a star to take you to their site)
The Boy’s Read Blog is thrilled to present the final results of the World Series of Reading Contest
Natalie at Literary Rambles is interviewing debut author Jodi Kendall and giving away a copy of her MG contemporary THE UNLIKELY STORY OF A PIG IN THE CITY
Completely Full Bookshelf is recommending Fly Away by Patricia MacLachlan
Patricia Tilton at Children’s Books Heal is reviewing The War I Finally Won, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin has a lot to say about David Barclay Moore’s THE STARS BENEATH OUR FEET at Project Mayhem
Rosi Hollinbeck is reviewing and giving away Jabber-Walking at The Write Stuff
Susan M. Olson at Time Travel Times Two is featuring PARSLEY, SAGE, ROSEMARY AND THYME
Justin Talks Books is coming off the bench and reviewing FOOTBALL HERO
Dorine White is featuring Adventure Against the Endermen, A Mindcraft adventure
Andrea Mack gives a shout out to FALCON WILD by Terry Lynn Johnson
Karen Yingling always has some awesome MMGM Picks
And… Check out my review below of BOBBY LEE CLAREMONT AND THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT (Also linked via the blue star)
If you would like to join in the MMGM fun and get your own star on the walkway, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love on a Monday (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count–but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you’re featuring and a link to your blog at gpcolo (at) gmail (dot) com
 (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and please don’t forget to say what book you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.
Thanks for spreading the middle grade love and for being a part of this awesome tradition begun by Shannon Messenger and carried on here at ALWAYS in the MIDDLE!
*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.

 

Posted in MMGM Links | Tagged | 8 Comments

BOBBY LEE CLAREMONT AND THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

It’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday!

Take a journey back in time with Bobby Lee as he flees his orphanage in 1923 New Orleans and boards a train to Chicago. His goal—a new life as a criminal. A full blown murder mystery unfolds on the rails with a widow and a lot of people up to no good. Bobby Lee meets up with two other boys who ride in the “colored only” car and together they try to figure out what’s going on.

A train is the perfect setting for unleashing tension at every stop. They tug at Bobby Lee’s heart and make him wonder if he’s doing the right thing. By the end of the trip your own heart will ache at the decisions Bobby makes along the way but also hopeful that the positive adults in his life will steer him to the good side.

Heartwarming and funny at times, Jeannie Mobley has nailed this time period with perfection. I enjoyed the trip immensely.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2017   PAGE COUNT: 246

FULL PLOT (from Amazon)

All aboard for a fast-paced, Jazz Age–era murder mystery set aboard a Chicago-bound train! It’s 1923, and thirteen-year-old Bobby Lee Claremont is leaving the Sisters of Charitable Mercy orphanage in New Orleans, certain a better life awaits in Chicago’s glamorous-sounding mob scene. But his plans unravel when he boards his train and meets the recently widowed Nanette O’Halloran, her two traveling companions, and a cop who suspects the trio of murdering Nanette’s husband. Bobby Lee is sure Nanette’s innocent. But what about her companions? As Bobby Lee digs for answers, he discovers the
mob, Prohibition, segregation, and a famed jazz band are all pieces of an increasingly dangerous puzzle.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT:

BOBBY LEE CLAREMONT  AND THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT

  1. All the hot topics of the time period unfold before our eyes: Segregation, Prohibition, and inter racial marriage. We see it through Bobby Lee’s viewpoint, and his engaging thoughts are understandable for young readers to grasp.
  2. A few extra features add to the book’s authenticity. There a handy map at the beginning of the book showing the section of the country the train travels through. The Author’s Note at the end is must reading where you will find out how Steve Goodman’s “City of New Orleans” became the inspiration for the story.
  3. Terrance and Leon are two memorable secondary characters. They’re just two kids trying to make the best of being in a white man’s world.
  4. This would be a great one to read on a current day train trip. The pages would flip by quicker than the images passing by your window.
  5. And of course—Bobby Lee Claremont. The train ride is also a ride through his conscience. You’ll remember him long after closing the book.

FAVORITE LINES: 

Mrs. O’Halloran nodded. “Thank you, Bobby Lee. You are a good boy.”

A good boy. She wouldn’t think so if she knew about my plans to become a first-rate crook in Chicago. Good folks didn’t get ahead in the world. Being good to me was what killed Maman. I was done with good. So why did it warm my empty belly to hear her say it?

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I am a writer with eclectic taste. Whether it is books, music, food, or art, I seem to like all kinds of things and never limit myself to one variety of anything.When it comes to my writing, I’m the same way–I have written humor, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, fantasy. Right now I am focusing on historical fiction, but who knows what I may be writing in the near future. Maybe it will be humorous historical fiction with a fantastical yet contemporary twist. After all, why limit myself.

When I am not being a writer, I am an archaeologist and a college professor.

I have worked on archaeological sites from North Dakota to El Salvador, but I specialize in the archaeology of the American Southwest and the prehistoric cultures around Mesa Verde in southwest Colorado.

I have lived most of my life in Colorado, but have ventured out of its boundaries on numerous occasions, some adventurous and others mundane. I love the mountains, the forests, the quiet of the country side. I love, too, to think about the extraordinary nature of ordinary lives.

Whether it is the ruins of Mesa Verde or the remains of gold miner’s cabins, Colorado is full of reminders of those who came before. Though the people of the past are now silent, their stories come to me in the things they left behind. This is what drew me to both my callings, as an archaeologist, exploring the past through science, and as a writer, giving voice to the fullness of life’s experiences.

(For more about Jeannie and her books visit her author web page and catch my interview last week with Jeannie right here.)

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A Chat with Author Jeannie Mobley

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Greg Pattridge

Jeannie Mobley, author of the new historical novel, BOBBY LEE CLAREMONT AND THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT, joins me today and has graciously offered to answer a few questions.  The story line and time period of this novel sure pulled me in and I’m sure it will do the same for you:

All aboard for a fast-paced, Jazz Age–era murder mystery set aboard a Chicago-bound train! It’s 1923, and thirteen-year-old Bobby Lee Claremont is leaving the Sisters of Charitable Mercy orphanage in New Orleans, certain a better life awaits in Chicago’s glamorous-sounding mob scene. But his plans unravel when he boards his train and meets the recently widowed Nanette O’Halloran, her two traveling companions, and a cop who suspects the trio of murdering Nanette’s husband. Bobby Lee is sure Nanette’s innocent. But what about her companions? As Bobby Lee digs for answers, he discovers the mob, Prohibition, segregation, and a famed jazz band are all pieces of an increasingly dangerous puzzle.

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Hi Jeannie and welcome to ALWAYS in the MIDDLE. Congratulations on your new historical novel. I’ll have a review next week right here on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. First off, how did you decide to become a writer?

Hmm. To be honest, I’m not sure I ever decided to become a writer. I think I was an innocent victim of a whole bunch of stories that kept leaping out of shadows and demanding to be told. This all started when I was in grade school. When I got to college, I managed to hide behind schoolwork for a while, but eventually in graduate school a story caught me again, and I was powerless against it. That was about twenty years ago. When I finished my dissertation–rather miraculously, considering how much time I was spending on writing fiction instead of research—I decided I would pursue publication in the world of fiction and apply for jobs in my field of study (anthropology) and whichever career panned out would be the one I would pursue. Here I am twelve years later with a full time job in anthropology and three published novels, still waiting for my answer.

You obviously love what you do on both fronts. Now this new story is set in 1923 on a train as it travels from New Orleans to Chicago. What brought you to using this setting and time period as the backdrop for your story?

This setting has a rather spurious beginning, I’m afraid. The initial inspiration for the story came to me while I was singing in the shower. The song was City of New Orleans, and the various scenes in the song made me start thinking about what a fun bunch of characters and setting it was. I was intrigued by the challenge of telling a story on a train for two reasons. One, the characters are trapped in a very small, setting that limits their movement and the range of things they can do or access, which is a challenge for plotting. Second, this closed setting is itself moving, from the South to the North of the country at the height of segregation and Jim Crow laws, when even the definition of White and Black changed from state to state. This really let me play with a range of situations in the social setting.

The main character, thirteen-year-old Bobby Lee Claremont, wants to be a criminal. How were you able to make him so endearing to readers?

I think he has two qualities that make him endearing. First, is the voice. The story is told in first person narrative, which allowed Bobby Lee a lot of space to express his charming, quirky, Southern self. He likes to use funny metaphors and similes, and is very open with his less-than-reverent views on society, money, crime, and even God. But at the same time he expresses his somewhat cynical views on the world, they are never sharp edged, bitter, or cruel. Booklist, in a starred review, called Bobby Lee “cocky but disarmingly naïve,” and I think this is the second key to his likeability. He himself thinks he’s got a black heart, but the reader can see pretty clearly that it’s gold, and we are all just waiting for Bobby Lee to realize it. His bad is never as bad as he believes it to be, and his good is much, much better, so in the end, he’s pretty lovable.

You’ve written several other historical novels (Colorado Book Award winners’ KATARINA’S WISH and SEARCHING FOR SLIVERHEELS). Was the experience of writing BOBBY LEE CLAREMONT AND THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT different from those first two? What new challenges did you face?

The process really wasn’t much different. Every novel has its own unique problems and research. My previous two books were both set in my home state of Colorado, so I felt a little more at home with the settings of those, but since this book was set more on a train than in any one place, and I have spent some time on old trains (thank goodness for all the historic trains in Colorado and my dad’s love of them that has given me chances to ride them), I didn’t have to worry about intricate knowledge of a strange city. I did do some research on every location that is described in the book, so since the train passes through many towns and stops at many depots, I did look for historic photographs or descriptions of all of them, but didn’t have to go into great detail. Had I set the story only in one place, it would have saved me some time, but the research was fascinating, so I regret nothing.

What three wishes do you hope young readers will leave with after reading the story?

Above anything, I just want my readers to enjoy the experience. While there are social issues in the book that could be discussed, and the book could educate readers on aspects of American history, I think the main thing I want is for the mystery, the humor, and the characters to take reader on a fun, exciting romp. That said, I personally like reading a book that can be discussed on many levels, so for readers who feel that way, I hope BOBBY LEE provides enough depth for that as well.

That’s not exactly three wishes, but really, naming three is too hard when every reader should be free to find whatever kind of enjoyment they want in reading.

Do you have any big plans to celebrate sending Bobbie Lee out into the world?

I’ve already been celebrating, with a variety of events in Denver, Boulder, and even Austin, Texas. But my BIG event is coming up this Sunday, November 5, 2:00 at the Tattered Cover in Denver, at 2:00. Come on by and you can hear more about the book, enjoy some nibbles, and get a chance to learn some 1920s dances to 1920s music! You can check out my website for additional information on upcoming events. www.jeanniemobley.com

Thanks, Jeannie, and best of luck with Bobby Lee. For more about BOBBY LEE CLAREMONT AND THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT look for my review here next week at the new temporary home for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.

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