Giveaway Results

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

9781454917519_cvrThe winner of Cici Reno#MiddleSchoolMatchmaker is Sue Kooky. She reviews books on her blog, KITTY CAT AT THE LIBRARY.  Enjoy the book and thanks to all those that commented.

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National Geographic Shines with New Releases

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

Happy Earth Day tomorrow!

Did you know 2016 is the 100th year anniversary of the founding of the National Parks Service? natparksTime sure flies! And, through the Every Kid in a Park program, 4th graders can visit ANY national park for free though August 2016!

This week is National Parks Appreciation Week, but National Geographic is celebrating all year with new explorations of the power of the parks. What better way than to begin with this gorgeous handbook – NATIONAL PARKS GUIDE U.S.A. by Sarah Wassner Flynn and Julie Beer.

The photography is stunning and your favorite park is easy to find. Arranged by geographic location, parks are introduced with four pages of information, photos, and a map. Here’s a sample:

national parks

The guide also aims to raise preservation awareness, offering conservation tips, and detailing the best parks in which to spot endangered species like gray wolves and California condors. Packing checklists and suggested bicycling and spelunking excursions round out this comprehensive guide.

Kids and adults alike will certainly be rewarded by the many fun facts. The only fights you’ll have in the car now is who gets to read this fantastic guide first.

I have one copy to give to the first person (U.S. Resident only) who gets this answer correct in the comments below: According to this guide, what National Park is known for its UFO sightings?

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Need more guides? I have two courtesy of National Geographic!

BIRDS by Julie Beer and ROCKS & MINERALS by Nancy Honovich. Both are a part of the National birdsGeographic KIDS ULTIMATE Explorer FIELD GUIDE series. They are durable and portable – just right for the pocket or backpack.

BIRDS is loaded with facts. Your kids kids will learn how, when, and where to spot birds in their own backyard. In full color throughout, my favorite parts were the special features called Birdtastics. Here you will find a closer look at unique bird habitats, strange bird behaviors, birds that are now extinct and much more.

rocksROCKS AND MINERALS is equally compelling. This guide will spill all the secrets for the explorer in your house. The result will be true rock hound superstars with everything they dig up on excursions or field trips. The ground we walk on will have new meaning with this handy guide.

Colorful, informative, and just hard to put down.

I also have one copy of each of these guides. They will go to the first U.S. resident who can answer either or both of these questions in the comments below:

ROCKS & MINERALS GIVEAWAY:  What mineral is often mistakenly assumed to be formed from coal, but in reality it forms in an igneous rock called peridotite? Sarah S. correctly submitted Diamonds and is the winner of the Rocks & Minerals book.

BIRDS GIVEAWAY: What bird is known as the Clown of the Seas? (Violet Tiger correctly guessed The Puffin and is the winner of the Birds’ book!))

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If you have a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world then find out more from National Geographic. You will find great articles, thousands of videos, pages just for kids, and so much more. A great resource!

 

 

Posted in Giveaways, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

A Chat with Kristina Springer- Author of CiCi Reno:#MiddleSchoolMatchmaker

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

I posted my review of CiCi Reno:#Middle School Matchmaker yesterday on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. You may comment on that post, or today’s, or both for a chance to win a giveaway of this great new title. (U.S. and Canadian residents only on this one). I’ll announce the winner on April 25th.

Author Kristina Springer was gracious enough to stop by on her busy launch day toKSpringer_Color touch base on a variety of topics.

Hi Kristina and welcome to ALWAYS in the MIDDLE on a very special day – the release of your new MG novel CiCi Reno: #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker. You aren’t new to book birthdays going back to your first, THE ESPRESSOLOGIST (Oct. 27, 2009, and many more after including MY FAKE BOYFRIEND IS BETTER THAN YOURS (Aug. 10, 2010) and JUST YOUR AVERAGE PRINCESS (Oct. 11, 2011). How is this launch for Cici the same or different from your other books?

Thanks for having me! This launch feels MUCH different for me. For one, I kinda feel like I know what I’m doing now. When my first book, The Espressologist, came out I did hardly any promotion. I think I thought magical marketing fairies would do all of the work and while there is a great publicity team with your publisher (Sterling Children’s has the BEST!), authors have to also do a lot of promotion. I also feel like my writing has improved a lot as well since then. The Espressologist was only the second book I ever wrote (the first one was never subbed to publishers). Since then I’ve written a dozen books and another half dozen partial books.

9781454917519_cvrCici Reno’s helpful personality, her modern girl outlook on the middle school world, and her love of yoga had me cheering for her throughout the story. Where did you come up with the unique personality traits for Cici?

Cici is a compilation of a lot of different characters I know (and don’t know). There are bits of her that are similar to my daughters and their friends and my nieces. But then I also wanted her to have the kind of confidence a Gilmore Girl would have (I’m obsessed with the Gilmore Girls!). There’s also a piece of her reminiscent of a yoga instructor I had who was just really chill and laid back. I wanted Cici to be this cool kid who I’d love to have had as a friend in middle school.

How did you approach writing Cici Reno: #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker? Did you have the entire plot in your head and let the words flow or did you just write and hope the story worked itself out?

I tend to be able to see the beginning and end of a book right away. So I always kinda know where I want to go with it. With this book I didn’t make a strict outline ahead of time but I would jot down scenes as I thought of them and throw those all into a notes file in Word. Then as I wrote the book I’d read through all of my notes for ideas on where I wanted to go with each chapter and loosely organized it there. The last thing I did was figure out the yoga poses that Cici would tweet at the beginning of each chapter because I wanted the pose to help with a situation that happened in that chapter.

Will there be more from Cici in future books? And/or… what are you working on now?

Yes! And I’m so happy about this—I love Cici! I just finished outlining book 2 in the Yoga Girl series and I’ve written the first few chapters.

I read your complete bio and you went down many roads before becoming a MG and YA writer. From the experiences you’ve had getting to this point as a successful author, what advice would you give to young aspiring writers?

I would tell them two things: 1) Write. You have to get something down on the page, even if it’s terrible writing. You can always go back and fix it later. Try not to get hung up on your first draft. And 2) Be stubborn and believe in yourself. There’s so, so much rejection in this industry and you just have to let it roll off your back and keep trying. With the first young adult book I wrote I had queried 100 agents (not all at once—in batches of ten). I signed with the 87th agent I’d queried. That’s a heck of a lot of people telling me no. And then we didn’t even send that book out to publishers. By that time I had written The Espressologist and was really excited about it. We sent it out right away and within a few weeks had an auction between four publishing houses.

A few just for fun:

Favorite time of the day to write? 11am-2pm

Favorite Middle Grade word? Like

Favorite yoga pose? Savasana (aka, corpse pose). My daughters tease me because it’s basically lying on your back, relaxing, but it’s always the last pose of the class and my very favorite—love it!

Favorite social media site?Ooh, it’s a tie. I adore Twitter (@TinaSpringer) but I also newly love Instagram. I’m obsessed. I only got actively into it about six months ago but I’m super hooked. https://www.instagram.com/kristinaspringerauthor/

Favorite part of a book launch?

My very favorite part will always be first seeing the book on the shelf at the bookstore. But I also love giving stuff away and I will be giving out Cici Reno themed prizes packs all day on twitter, Instagram, and facebook on 4/19.

Twitter: @TinaSpringer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaspringerauthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristinaSpringer/

Thanks for taking the time to chat. Good luck with the launch and have a fun day, Kristina.

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CiCi Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

Today is the review, and tomorrow I have a special interview with the author, Kristina Springer, on launch day of this fun new MG novel, Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker.

Comment either today or tomorrow and receive an entry (or two) into the giveaway for your own copy of Cici Reno #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker (U.S. and Canadian residents only on this one). I will announce the winner next Monday, April 25th.cicireno

So… who is Cici Reno? She’s an almost 13-year-old seventh grader who has it all together. She’s smart, gives great advice to friends, and frequently participates in her mom’s yoga classes. Life couldn’t be better until her best friend, Aggie, returns from summer break. Cici, who looks closer to elementary age, discovers her friend has sprouted into puberty. Yikes.

Nothing she can do about that, but Cici does help a tongue tied Aggie talk to a boy she likes. Cici does the talking with a fake Twitter account and soon realizes she is the one who really likes this boy. Middle school heartbreak at its highest level.

Fast paced, endearing characters, and a compelling theme – one that explores how hitting puberty at different times effects friendships and your rung on the social ladder.

PUBLICATION DATE: April 19, 2016   Page Count: 208

FULL PLOT (From Kristina Springer’s Web Site)

“Take Cici’s advice, Madison. She’s always right.”

When all the kids in school need advice, Cici Reno is the one they trust. She’s cool, she’s funny, AND she’s enlightened (thanks to yoga classes at her mom’s studio). So when her pretty best friend Aggie is too shy to speak to the boy she’s crushing on, Cici goes online and does the talking for her. The only problem is, no matter how hard she tries to quash her feelings, Cici really likes him herself. What’s a girl to do?

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: CiCi Reno: #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker by Kristina Springer

  1. Yoga. Each chapter begins with a Tweet from Cici describing a yoga pose and how it helps you. So much fun to read and they’re tied perfectly to the plot.
  2. The Twitter conversations Cici has with Aggie’s crush, Drew, paints the perfect picture of how difficult these middle school years can be. Exciting, sad, scary, heartwarming, gut wrenching, butterflies… usually bouncing from one to the next in a span of a few minutes
  3. The chapters are short and leave you with a sense of urgency to read more. I zipped through this in a few days and would welcome a sequel.
  4. There are no mean sabotaging seventh grade girls looking for their next victim. This is a book about support for each other. Kindness and honesty do occur in middle schools. Yay!
  5. Twitter and direct messaging have never been so integrated into a MG plot line. A fun look at how some kids are communicating in our always on world.

FAVORITE LINES: I like myself well enough. But that thing about looks being deceiving is totally true in my case. My outside just hasn’t caught up to my inside yet. On the inside, I’m heading toward high school, and on the outside, I’m just starting fifth grade.

AUTHOR QUOTE: 

…I’m still writing lots of books and loving it. This is seriously the best job ever—from writing the first line to editing the finished book to getting the final cover and seeing each book on the bookshelf in a store. I finally found exactly what I want to do and it’s an awesome, awesome thing.

Kristina’s author website… Twitter… Facebook.

Stop by tomorrow and meet Kristina!

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Make a comment if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them. Just click on the REPLY or Comments word below.

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

MMGM2

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Five More for the Future

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

Earlier this year I added five anticipated MG novels to my sky high future read list. In just four months I’ve reduced that list to One for the Future as I zipped through the first four close to their release date. Here then are another five I can’t wait to crack open – hopefully by the end of 2016:

41cgwaGtcjL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_The Best Man (Richard Peck) Sept. 20, 2016 I’ve enjoyed many Peck novels over the past few decades and glad to see at 82 he is still cranking them out. This one probably wouldn’t have been published back in 1972 when Richard Peck’s first book was released.

Book Jacket Synopsis: When Archer is in sixth grade, his beloved uncle Paul marries another man—Archer’s favorite student teacher. But that’s getting ahead of the story, and a wonderful story it is. In Archer’s sweetly naïve but observant voice, his life through elementary school is recounted: the outspoken, ever-loyal friends he makes, the teachers who blunder or inspire, and the family members who serve as his role models. From one exhilarating, unexpected episode to another, Archer’s story rolls along as he puzzles over the people in his life and the kind of person he wants to become…and manages to help his uncle become his best self as well.

The Boy with 17 Senses (Sheila Grau) Sept. 13, 2016 I had the opportunity to teach a student 51idg6STSRL._SX367_BO1,204,203,200_who shared this unusual trait. I think I learned more from him than the other way around. This one puts a fantasy bent to the ability that is sure to please.

Every resident of the planet Yipsmix has synesthesia—they don’t just hear sounds; they see and taste them, too. On this unusual planet, poor Jaq Rollop must save his family’s farm. To do so, Jaq is forced to sell his beloved pet and only friend. Trusting and naïve, Jaq gets swindled into trading his pet for a seemingly worthless key. But then something very strange happens. The key leads Jaq through a wormhole to a terrifying and magical land full of riches, overwhelming sensations, and giants. The name of this frightening land? Earth. This clever middle-grade fantasy will appeal to fans of the Sisters Grimm, A Tale Dark & Grimm, and the Land of Stories series.

51l2-khcC6L._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_The Seventh Wish (Kate Messner) June 7, 2016 Her books are always popular with kids. The Ranger in Time series is one of her best, but this new story has one of the more unique plots.

Charlie feels like she’s always coming in last. From her Mom’s new job to her sister’s life away at college, everything else always seems to be more important than Charlie’s upcoming dance competition or science project. Unsure of how to get her family’s attention, Charlie comes across the surprise of her life one day while ice-fishing . . . in the form of a floppy, scaly fish offering to grant her a wish in exchange for its freedom. Charlie can’t believe her luck until she realizes that this fish has a funny way of granting wishes, despite her best intentions. But when her family faces a challenge bigger than any they’ve ever experienced, Charlie wonders if some things might be too important to risk on a wish.

Mighty Jack (Ben Hatke) Sept. 6, 2016  I like contemporary stories that shift into fantasy. I 25648247can’t wait to get my hands on this one.

Jack might be the only kid in the world who’s dreading summer. But he’s got a good reason: summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his autistic kid sister, Maddy. It’s a lot of responsibility, and it’s boring, too, because Maddy doesn’t talk. Ever. But then, one day at the flea market, Maddy does talk―to tell Jack to trade their mom’s car for a box of mysterious seeds. It’s the best mistake Jack has ever made.

What starts as a normal little garden out back behind the house quickly grows up into a wild, magical jungle with tiny onion babies running amok, huge, pink pumpkins that bite, and, on one moonlit night that changes everything…a dragon.

614x3Up6YIL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_Rookie of the Year (Rip and Red) (Phil Bildner) July 12, 2016 I enjoyed the first story in this series, A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME, and these unique friends are back with another tale.

Just when they think they’ve got the hang of things, Rip and Red find that fifth grade continues to challenge them in head-spinning ways. Tiki, a new girl whose Egyptian dad is an animal-rights activist, has just joined their class. She’s charismatic, funny―and she’s got game! Rip has his world turned upside down as Tiki proves to be tough competition on the Clifton United basketball team and leads a rebellion against the lousy new food service in the school cafeteria. Red―a kid on the autism spectrum―is struggling with the upheavals as well. But as these two funky and funny best friends discover, sometimes radical change is the right move, on the court and off.

That’s it for now. My TBR stack just tipped over!

 

 

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THE DRAGON WHISTLER for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

Playbill Ad

The cover pulled me in from the get go. When I heard the story was partially set in my home state, I couldn’t resist. The story begins in Colorado Springs where Willow lives with her mother and the newly arrived uncle and cousins. The dragon lives nearby in Cheyenne Mountain where very few know of its existence or the six other dragons stashed away across the globe.

In the real world Cheyenne Mountain is a great place to take out of town guests. The world famous Broadmoor Resort is there and a also a great zoo. More intriguing is what is inside Cheyenne Mountain – NORAD – the  military center watching the skies over North America. You can’t get in there anymore but I did back in the late 90’s on an educator tour.

I’m looking forward to another visit to Cheyenne Mountain after reading THE DRAGON WHISTLER. It’s an exciting adventure wrought with mystery and fun moments. Readers will also enjoy the other setting as 12-year-old Willow and Cousins Ben and Marcus take a dragon flight to England in an attempt to basically save the world.

Smart and believable characters make this tale a winning title for any young reader looking for a magical ride. The final pages also set up a much anticipated sequel with Texas as the new location.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2015   PAGE COUNT: 216

FULL PLOT (From AMAZON) Willow McLain thinks dragons exist only in fairy tales…until she accidentally wakes one from a thousand-year hibernation. Who knew sneaking away from summer camp with her cousin Ben to explore an old abandoned hotel could land them, and their entire town, in danger of becoming dragon flambé? Who could have guessed that the slender whistle carved from bone Willow found in the hotel attic was stolen from a secret order of Dragon Guardians who’d spent the last thousand years watching over seven hibernating dragons? Now, as one of the dragon’s “Whistlers,” Willow is the only one who can play the magical tunes that control her. Too bad things don’t return to normal once Willow lures the dragon back into her den. And when one of the Guardians turns evil, planning to use all seven dragons to control the legendary Dragon Treasure, Willow must wake her dragon again to help protect mankind’s only source of hope.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE DRAGON WHISTLER (Secrets of the Soul Treasure) by Kimberly J. Smith

  1. There is a strong sense of family. Willow’s parents are divorced and her cousins’ mother tragically passed away. Little do they know at the start how close they will become by the end.
  2. Music is the key for the entire story. Violinist Willow learns  to play the whistle she and Ben found in an abandoned hotel and that is what initially wakens the nearby dragon. Ben is a drummer and his skills also come into play. Two very different kids who connect via music.
  3. With a touch of international intrigue, the plot is imaginative and balances the fantasy and real life elements nicely.
  4. The book begins with the unexpected when a dragon blasts through the mountain. The next chapters delve into what happened in the week before to cause this event to happen. It’s a great way to bring the story to life.
  5. Dragons. That pretty much says it all. Fantasy loving kids can’t get enough of dragons in their choice of books and they can’t go wrong with this one.

FAVORITE LINES:  Drynfyre didn’t respond, swinging her head toward the back of the cave. She snorted a ball of flame. Willow shrieked. The work crew scattered as the fireball exploded against the back wall, high over their heads. Drynfyre shook her head like a horse. Sorry. I had a tickle in my nose.

AUTHOR BIO:  Kimberly J. Smith writes novel for children and is an advertising creative director with 20+ years of experience telling brand stories for companies both large and small. Her passion for storytelling extends into children’s literature where she loves to tell tales with a twist on familiar legends–be they dragons, ghosts, or fairytales. A voracious reader of many genres, her favorite stories (both to read and to write) tend to revolve around those that reveal the fantastical hidden within the folds of reality.

Born and raised in Colorado, and a graduate of Colorado State University, she now resides in North Texas with her husband and two sons.

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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 Unique Series: WILLAKAVILLE

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

Screen Shot 2016-03-21 at 7.21.39 PM

This collection of short stories centers around the unusual happenings in Willakaville. On the surface it appears to be a normal town, but read a few of the stories and you will find it to be a rather bizarre place. The titles inside only hint at the humor and weirdness set to unleash: The Mushroom Virus, Amayonaising, Robot Insects, War of the Weird, and Agent Jellyfish to name a few.

Author Mathew Heinecke (AKA BALD GUY) has written a series perfect to read aloud in the classroom or for those minutes before lights out. Reluctant readers would especially enjoy the books. They’re the kids who judge a book by its weight and anything too daunting will result in a sigh and an eye roll. These short stories should have them smiling and wanting to read more.

The greatest feature is what you’ll find inside each tale. There are lessons to be learned about life and growing up. Bald Guy said it succinctly in a recent Willakaville Blog Post:

Having kids of my own, I have always tried to teach them as much as I can. I want them to take advantage of all the life lessons I have learned over the past 40 years. But there is only so much time in a day and time in a childhood. Since children spend a majority of their time in school, I think it would be great if they would also teach some of these life lessons too. That is one thing I try to do with my Willakaville books. Hopefully, some kids can get those lessons in a fun way.
Math, reading, and history are all important. However, imagine if we taught kids how to deal better with their emotions. Now imagine how much better the world would be when they grow up. People will work better together, solve problems, and help each other more. This ultimately benefits society by reducing conflict, crime and inefficiencies. I would happily pay more taxes to keep my kids in school longer for this purpose.
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Hard to argue with that line of thought. If you like entertaining stories and some quick reading give WILLAKAVILLE a try.
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THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

I used to watch reruns of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. They had excellent scriptwriters creating many thought provoking stories. This debut novel by Jennifer Maschari would certainly make a great story for them to consider if the show ever returns.price

Charlie Price is a boy in grief after losing his mother to cancer. I anticipated a sad tale and many parts were, but Charlie’s journey to understand involves much more, especially when he finds a parallel world. It’s a place his younger sister discovered first through a portal under her bed. This world is just like their real one except for one crucial difference – Charlies deceased mom and his best friend who disappeared without a trace are alive and appear to be the same they were in the regular world.

What could be a fantastic solution to eliminating his sadness soon turns into questions about what this new world is really trying to accomplish. It is through this journey of discovery that Charlie finds a the future that will be different, but also hopeful.

A nice addition to the middle grade shelves.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2016   PAGE COUNT: 290

FULL PLOT (From AMAZON) Ever since twelve-year-old Charlie Price’s mom died, he feels like his world has been split into two parts. Before included stargazing and Mathletes and Saturday scavenger hunts with his family. After means a dad who’s completely checked out, comically bad dinners, and grief group that’s anything but helpful. It seems like losing Mom meant losing everything else he loved, too.

Just when Charlie thinks things can’t get any worse, his sister, Imogen, starts acting erratically—missing school and making up lies about their mother. But everything changes when one day he follows her down a secret passageway in the middle of her bedroom and sees for himself.

Imogen has found a parallel world where Mom is alive!

There’s hot cocoa and Scrabble and scavenger hunts again and everything is perfect . . . at first. But something doesn’t feel right. Whenever Charlie returns to the real world, things are different, and not in a good way. And Imogen wants to spend more and more time on the other side. It’s almost as if she wants to leave the real world for good. If Charlie doesn’t uncover the truth, he could lose himself, the true memory of their mother, and Imogen . . . forever.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE by Jennifer Maschari

  1. The concept and the resulting story bring readers much more than expected. It is a fascinating look at how we deal with grief and even in fantasy, a lesson we can all use.
  2. The characters will be ones you care about deeply, and when the ends rolls around too quick you’ll smile knowing the author brought them to life in expert fashion.
  3. The story is actually an uplifting journey fit for kids and adults.
  4. Charlie’s devotion to his friends and sister was a touching tribute to just how emotionally heartfelt 12-year-old kids can be.
  5. Kids who are dealing with a loss in their life have a story to bring a sense of peace to their confusion.

FAVORITE LINE:  And even though Mom wasn’t here to cheer him on and he couldn’t quite depend on Dad to actually put an apple in his lunch, two plus two still equaled four.

AUTHOR QUOTE:  I loved school so much that I became a teacher! I taught science and language arts for many years. It was the greatest thing to be able to talk about books I loved and to share my passion for writing (and for science!). My favorite things to teach were poetry and about outer space. We had a leopard gecko in our classroom named Garbanzo, and I had a mountain of frog stuffed animals in our reading corner. (I love frogs!) I taught a lot of great kids, and we had a lot of fun learning. Now, I still work with kids but as a tutor and an author. (Read more at Jennifer’s Author Web Site)

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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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No Foolin’… It’s Going to be a Big Month

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

ALWAYS in the MIDDLE is preparing for a huge month of April. I kid you not. There’s book reviews of new releases, giveaways, interviews, and even a little non-fiction thrown in the mix. Since I’m so busy preparing for the big events, I’m sending this greeting to you a day early:

aprilfools-happyday

Here’s the run-down on a very special upcoming month around here…

Week One: A review of a new release, THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF CHARLIE PRICE. Later that week I’ll fill you in on the WILLAKAVILLE short story series.

Week Two: A review of THE DRAGON WHISTLER by former Colorado resident, Kimberly J. Smith

Week Three: Things get real exciting. First a review and giveaway of CICI RENO: #MIDDLE GRADE MATCHMAKER. Later that week to celebrate Earth Day and the 100th anniversary of the National Parks, I’ll be featuring and giving away three new releases for kids from National Geographic. They are something special.

Week Four: Can it get any better? Yes… this final week of April is devoted to the release of CURIOSITY HOUSE: THE SCREAMING STATUE (Book 2 in the series). I’ll have an interview with one of the characters from the book followed by an interview with the two authors.  There will also be a giveaway and a review of this second book.

I hope you’ll stop by and enter one of the contests and get a taste of all these great Middle Grade books.

Posted in Giveaways, Reviews | 8 Comments

CHASING SECRETS for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Greg Pattridge

There are two reasons why this ended up on my books to read list last year. First was the author, Gennifer Choldenko. I had fondly remembered reading one of her other novels, AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS, the story of Moose Flanagan and his family’s life on Alcatraz Island.

The second reason was not the cover or the title, but instead the sub-title or logline for the book: A DEADLY SURPRISE IN A CITY OF LIES. There is so much mystery and intrigue in those eight words. Yes, I waited too long to enjoy this author again, especially with this journey back to 1900 San Francisco.51MTBA-t9-L._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_

Narrated by Lizzie, a spunky 13-year-0ld who doesn’t fit in with expectations that girls are trained for future lives as wives, her voice shines throughout. Front and center though is the Bubonic Plague and Lizzie’s attempts to understand its ramifications through her older brother, her father, and a Chinese boy she befriends. This clash of race and culture is not acceptable  and Lizzie and Noah must be careful when and where they meet.

The pacing is excellent and the 36 chapters fly by like the wind. You know this is going to be a sad tale, but with doses of humor and a coming of age innocence, I hope you will add this one to your list.

PUBLICATION DATE: 2015   WORD COUNT: 53,449  READING LEVEL: 3.7

FULL PLOT (From AMAZON) San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people . . . but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city—a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague.
The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: CHASING SECRETS by GENNIFER CHOLDENKO

  1. The author notes are rich with more information about the plague, Chinatown, and medical insights during that time period. Many more secrets are revealed here.
  2. Issues of racism, immigration, and discrimination are set forth for young readers in an understandable way and make way for comparisons to today’s world. Excellent discussion starter.
  3. History doesn’t have to be boring! This little known historical event is presented through a fascinating series of events. Some funny, many more heart wrenching.
  4. Lizzie is a strong female character we can cheer for. She questions even the brightest minds about the inconsistencies in medicine and in her relationships with family and hired help. Lizzie tries  to shape her own world view.
  5. Like today and 116 years ago, money often gets in the way of good decisions. It was nice to have a story that framed this theme so perfectly.

FAVORITE LINES:(A conversation between Lizzie and Noah)

“You think I’m stupid?”

“You’re not as smart as I am.”

“What? That’s not a nice thing to say. How would you know, anyway?”

“You’re a girl. You’ll get married, like all girls do.”

“I’m not getting married.” The flush rises in my cheeks. “Wives have to do what they’re told.”

“Maybe you could marry a stupid husband, and then you could make all the decisions.”

I frown. “What would I do with a stupid husband?”

“If you got tired of him, you could take him to the auction.”

“A stupid-husband auction?” I ask. “Would the amount of money you got for him be based on how stupid he was?”

AUTHOR QUOTE (From Gennifer Choldenko’s web site:  I am the youngest child in a large, loud family. We are so loud, in fact, that strangers sometimes asked us if our parents were deaf.

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Make a comment below if you have time. I enjoy reading all of them.

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

MMGM2

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