Authors and Publishers, I am happy to receive ARCs and published children's, middle grade, and YA books for review. When I finish it, I will review it. If you need the review posted in a certain time period, please let me know and I will move it to the top of the stack. Please note: my reviews are honest, but they are my opinion. If you don't want that, please don't ask. Email Me for reviews.
I have loved following Bermudaonion's and Booking Mama's Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies! What better way to end the event than with a virtual cookie swap. Cookies are something that I love to bake. I am always on the lookout for new cookie recipes, especially around the holidays, so I can't wait to visit the other bloggers participating, to see what cookie recipes they share. Mine, is one that I absolutely love. I have made this one many times for cookie swaps and gifts for friends. They are super easy! I hope you'll try them.
No Bake Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (can use creamy if you'd like)
3 cups quick cooking oats
Directions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, peanut butter, and oats. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow cookies to cool for at least 1 hour. Store in airtight container.
I hope that this post finds you well after the Thanksgiving holidays. I didn't get as much accomplished as I'd have liked, but I did do a lot of Cybils reading (for Thankfully Reading), got away from the computer (for Blogger Unplugged) and worked around the house. It was fun to spend time with family I hadn't seen in awhile and relax with my husband watching tv. All in all, it's been a good break for us. Tomorrow, it's back to work.
Welcome to another edition of In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday, where I show you what books came into my house via the mailbox. In My Mailbox is hosted every Sunday by Kristi at The Story Siren and Mailbox Monday is hosted on Mondays by Marcia at the Printed Page. Both ladies have wonderful blogs, that I hope you will take the time to visit. I appreciate each of them for hosting these memes so that book bloggers can share the books that they receive to review. To see what others have gotten this week, visit these ladies and check it out!
Here's what came into my house over the last week:
For Review:
The Century for Young People: Becoming Modern America: 1901-1936 by Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster, from Delacorte Press Experience the greatest moments of the 20th century with an accessible narrative that makes history come alive. Adapted from the #1 national bestseller especially for young readers!
The twentieth century was a time of tremendous change, the most eventful hundred years in human history. Join Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster for a fascinating journey back in time to experience, through vivid first-person accounts, the most surprising and the most terrifying events of the past hundred years. These are the voices of ordinary people—children and adults who were a part of history in the making. Their joys and sorrows, their hopes and fears provide a compelling insider's look at momentous events that have reshaped the world.
The Century for Young People: Defining America: 1936-1961 by Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster, from Delacorte Press Experience the greatest moments of the 20th century with an accessible narrative that makes history come alive. Adapted from the #1 national bestseller especially for young readers!
The twentieth century was a time of tremendous change, the most eventful hundred years in human history. Join Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster for a fascinating journey back in time to experience, through vivid first-person accounts, the most surprising and the most terrifying events of the past hundred years. These are the voices of ordinary people—children and adults who were a part of history in the making. Their joys and sorrows, their hopes and fears provide a compelling insider's look at momentous events that have reshaped the world.
The Century for Young People: Changing America: 1961-1999 by Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster, from Delacorte Press Experience the greatest moments of the 20th century with an accessible narrative that makes history come alive. Adapted from the #1 national bestseller especially for young readers!
The twentieth century was a time of tremendous change, the most eventful hundred years in human history. Join Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster for a fascinating journey back in time to experience, through vivid first-person accounts, the most surprising and the most terrifying events of the past hundred years. These are the voices of ordinary people—children and adults who were a part of history in the making. Their joys and sorrows, their hopes and fears provide a compelling insider's look at momentous events that have reshaped the world.
Raven Summer by David Almond, from Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group
Liam and his friend Max are playing in their neighborhood when the call of a bird leads them out into a field beyond their town. There, they find a baby lying alone atop a pile of stones—with a note pinned to her clothing. Mystified, Liam brings the baby home to his parents. They agree to take her in, but police searches turn up no sign of the baby’s parents. Finally they must surrender the baby to a foster family, who name her Allison. Visiting her in Northumberland, Liam meets Oliver, a foster son from Liberia who claims to be a refugee from the war there, and Crystal, a foster daughter. When Liam’s parents decide to adopt Allison, Crystal and Oliver are invited to her christening. There, Oliver tells Liam about how he will be slaughtered if he is sent back to Liberia. The next time Liam sees Crystal, it is when she and Oliver have run away from their foster homes, desperate to keep Oliver from being sent back to Liberia. In a cave where the two are hiding, Liam learns the truth behind Oliver’s dark past—and is forced to ponder what all children are capable of.
Scurvy Goonda by Chris McCoy, from Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group One can’t just give up an imaginary pirate without seriously weird consequences.
In Book One of this two-part story, an endearing misfit embarks on an amazing adventure in search of his friend Scurvy Goonda, an outrageous invisible pirate with an insatiable love for bacon.
Part friendship story, part madcap adventure, readers who love stories in which almost-ordinary kids travel to fantastical lands and become heroes will revel in the imaginative landscape and characters featured in this original debut. While adventure-loving vegetarians will find much to savor, this is a must-read for all who love bacon—which plays a key role in the story’s sizzling climax!
The Promises of Dr. Sigmundus: The Resurrection Fields by Brian Keaney, from Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group
Beginning where Book 2, The Cracked Mirror, left off, this finale to the Promises of Dr. Sigmundus trilogy takes readers into bizarre realms with fanciful creatures, continuing its signature exploration of the price of freedom and self-determination. Focusing on the ongoing struggles of its teenaged protagonists, Dante and Bea, it is a journey at once thrilling and thoughtful, with plenty to offer for pure reading enjoyment and book discussion. This trilogy is satisfying for fantasy fans but also accessible to the less-than-hardcore genre enthusiast.
• Every atom in your body has almost certainly passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way to being you?
• If you are an average-sized kid, you have enough potential energy inside you to explode with the force of several hydrogen bombs?
And—What happened to dinosaurs? How big is the universe? Why are oceans salty? Is a meteor going to hit us?
Tackling everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bill Bryson’s inimitable storytelling skill makes the why, how, and, just as importantly, the who of scientific discovery entertaining and accessible for young readers.
Talk to Me Like I'm Someone You Love: Relationship Repair in a Flash (ARC) by Nancy Dreyfus, Psy.D., from Tarcher/Penguin via Shelf Awareness A groundbreaking, interactive relationship tool that literally places in the hands of couples the power to transform chronically frustrating relationship dynamics.
We've all been there. A conversation with a loved one escalates into conflict. Voices rise to a fever pitch and angry, accusative words fly through the air. At times like these, it seems impossible to find the magic words that will lead to healing. Enter Talk to Me Like I'm Someone You Love.
A psychotherapist with decades of experience in counseling couples, Nancy Dreyfus hit upon the revolutionary practice outlined in this book during a couples-therapy session in which a wife's unrelenting criticism of her husband was causing him to become emotionally withdrawn. In the midst of this, Dreyfus found herself scribbling on a scrap of paper, "Talk to me like I'm someone you love" and gestured to the husband that he should hold it up. He did and within seconds the familiar power differential between the two shifted, and a gentler, more genuine connection emerged. Dreyfus was startled, then intrigued, and then motivated to create a tool that could help others.
This elegantly packaged spiral-bound book features more than one hundred of Dreyfus's "flash cards for real life"-written statements that express what we wish we could communicate to the person we love, but either can't find the right words or the right tone in which to say it. The statements include:
*Taking responsibility: "I realize I'm overreacting. Can you give me a minute to get sane again?"
*Apologizing: "I know I've really hurt you. What can I do to help you trust me again?"
*Loving: "You are precious, and I get that I haven't been treating you like you are."
A one-of-a-kind, practical relationship tool, Talk to Me Like I'm Someone You Love will help couples to stop arguing and begin healing.
Lockdown (ARC) by Walter Dean Myers, from Harper Collins
For Cybils judging:
Bella & Bean
Can You Make a Scary Face
Chaucer's FirstWinter
Dinosaur Woods
Firefighter Ted
Goblin & the Empty Chair
Great Dog Wash
Guess Again
Hair of Zoe Fleeferbache
Hello Baby
Hermit Crab
Hush, Baby Ghostling
I Love Christmas
Long Shot
My Mom is Trying to Ruin my Life
My People
Please Pick Me Up, Mama
Posy
Rhyming Dust Bunnies
Scarecrow's Dance
Spells
Two of A Kind
My Name is Buttonz
1. Wait! Wait, don't forget we have leftovers.
2. Yard work followed at once by a long hot bath.
3. The trouble is there's so much to do I'm not sure where to start.
4. Some of my family is many miles away.
5. With a faint pop the fire started.
6. Night in the country is shadowy and ominous.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with my husband, tomorrow my plans include reading and decorating and Sunday, I want to read and enjoy the lights of the Christmas tree!
Thanks to you, my readers, I've made some new friends.
Thanks to you, my readers, I'm never alone on the computer.
Thanks to you, my readers, I continue to be able to host giveaways.
I know that many of you are taking off tomorrow, putting the computer aside, for family and friends. I will be doing the same. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to let each of you know how thankful I am that you have come into my life, through this blog, twitter, facebook, and your own blogs. Thank you for sharing a part of yourself with me and allowing me to do the same. My hope for you is that you will have a blessed time with family and friends tomorrow and over the weekend. Remember to take the time to thank someone and be thankful for what you have. We are all blessed in many ways!!
To say thank you, I want to hold a very fast giveaway. You have until Friday night at midnight to enter this one. Tell everyone you know, in order to earn extra entries.
You can win your choice of the following audiobooks. Please let me know, in the comments, which one you'd like to win.
The Lovely Bones
"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."
So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.
The major motion picture version of THE LOVELY BONES, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, and Saoirse Ronan is scheduled for release on December 11, 2009.
My non-reading husband is listening to this one with me, in the truck, right now. He can't wait for us to go somewhere together so that he can "read!"
Say You're One of Them
Uwem Akpan's stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel they've ever encountered Africa so immediately. The eight-year-old narrator of "An Ex-Mas Feast" needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school. Even when his twelve-year-old sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream can't be granted. Food comes first. His family lives in a street shanty in Nairobi, Kenya, but their way of both loving and taking advantage of each other strikes a universal chord.
In the second of his stories published in a New Yorker special fiction issue, Akpan takes us far beyond what we thought we knew about the tribal conflict in Rwanda. The story is told by a young girl, who, with her little brother, witnesses the worst possible scenario between parents. They are asked to do the previously unimaginable in order to protect their children. This singular collection will also take the reader inside Nigeria, Benin, and Ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in Africa.
Akpan's voice is a literary miracle, rendering lives of almost unimaginable deprivation and terror into stories that are nothing short of transcendent.
So, there you have it! Leave a comment about which book you'd like. Earn an extra entry for sharing this on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. Come back and leave me the link. Hurry...ends Friday at midnight.
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
Whisper
By Phoebe Kitanidis
Publication Date: pril 27th 2010 by Balzer + Bray
I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…
Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears Jessica whisper: I want to kill my Hearing dead, and kill me too if that’s what it takes, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.
I just love the fact that Joy hears people. One of my favorite shows is ghost whisperer, and this sounds a little like that to me, except that Joy hears people who are alive. It just sounds very interesting to me. I'm very curious about the boy and his secret!
I'm always thankful for time to read, and so, that's what I'll be doing with my holiday weekend. Won't you consider joining me and many other bloggers? Book Blog Social Club has all the details!
Welcome to another edition of In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday, where I show you what books came into my house via the mailbox. In My Mailbox is hosted every Sunday by Kristi at The Story Siren and Mailbox Monday is hosted on Mondays by Marcia at the Printed Page. Both ladies have wonderful blogs, that I hope you will take the time to visit. I appreciate each of them for hosting these memes so that book bloggers can share the books that they receive to review. To see what others have gotten this week, visit these ladies and check it out!
Here's what came into my house over the last week:
THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS hardly needs an introduction. First published in 1980, and with over four million copies in print, this story of a feisty princess and her hapless prince has captured the hearts of readers young and old all around the world. THE NEW YORK TIMES called it one “of the best children’s books ever written,” while it has appeared countless times on Best Books lists across North America.
Now, even toddlers can enjoy this modern classic. While retaining the original storyline with all its humor and panache, a revised text for the 2-to-4-year old makes this version appropriate for pre-schoolers. The sturdy board book format is perfect for little hands.
Together by Hazel Hutchins, from Annick Press Acclaimed children’s writer Hazel Hutchins explores the concept of what-goes-with-what in her new picture book for pre-schoolers, whether it’s buttons that keep your shirt together, or shoelaces that keep your feet in your shoes. Playful text coupled with lively illustrations will keep children engaged and encourage them to build their vocabulary.
As young children struggle, literally, with keeping it all together, here’s the book to help them from coming undone, blowing away or falling apart. From getting dressed at the start of the day to leaving school at the end, there is plenty of opportunity throughout the story to make connections.
Camp Fossil Eyes: Digging for the Origins of Words by Mark Abley, from Annick Press See into the past and discover how English evolved from more than 350 languages.
In this fanciful book about etymology, 15-year-old Jill Boswell and her 13-year-old brother, Alex, are sent to summer camp in a bizarre badlands region -- the only place in the world where words are fossilized in rock. Armed with water bottles, spades and backpacks, the campers hike from ridge to ridge in search of their ancient quarry. The budding word hounds soon realize they are on an amazing journey of discovery.
Traveling through the mountains of fossilized words -- from ancient Greece (television, demon, gorilla, catastrophe) to Spain (mosquito, ten-gallon, burrito) and from the language of the Goths (heathen, home, haunt) to Dutch (booze, dock, pickle, cookie) -- they find that even current words like podcast and gossip originated hundreds of years ago!
What were famous authors like as kids? Our childhood experiences shape us into the adults we become. Born to Write tells the stories of how six extraordinary children transformed early struggles into spellbinding bedtime reading for kids around the world. To ease the pain of being ostracized by her classmates, Madeleine L'Engle escaped to an invented world every night in her bedroom. Lucy Maud Montgomery lost her mother as a baby, and her father appeared only sporadically throughout her life. And Philip Pullman, a seasoned traveler by age 10, used his long journeys by ship as inspiration for his remarkable novels. In Born to Write, Charis Cotter chronicles the early lives of these and other much-loved children's writers, including Christopher Paul Curtis, C.S. Lewis and E.B.White, revealing how each author's achievements, losses, triumphs and tragedies helped shape our most beloved books. Interspersed throughout are sidebars highlighting other well-known children's authors, such as Hans Christian Andersen and Louisa May Alcott, whose works served as inspiration.
The Snowman's Song: A Christmas Story by Marilee Joy Mayfield The Snowman's Song is an enchanting tale of longing and fulfillment. A little snowman yearns to sing Christmas carols, but is desolate because he hasn't a voice. From the kindness of others, he dares to believe in the impossible and experiences a Christmas miracle. Beautifully told in melodic verse, this inspirational story shows that impossible dreams do come true and reminds us of the true reason for the season. This heartwarming story is a multimedia experience - a bonus CD contains a reading of the entire story told in the author s voice, sure to transport rapt young listeners to the snowman' s winter wonderland.
The world has not always loved dragons, but dragons have always loved the world. They love the simple beauty of nature’s fleeting flowers, the armor left behind by knights who come to slay but end up playing with them. They love the birds with whom they share the skies, and they love books that entrance them. Often cast as villains associated with destruction, in this enchanting picture book dragons are depicted as great spirits and protectors of the natural world, ancient beings in touch with the beauty and rhythms of the earth. Collage art of dragons compiled from the things they love fill every page of this book, which is sure to spark young imaginations.
Gifts
Yum! !MmMm! Que' Rico!: America's Sproutings by Pat Mora, a thank you from Lee & Low A collection of haiku focusing on fourteen foods native to the Americas, celebrating the fun of the foods as well as their origins.
In a series of poetic sentences, a young boy (biracial Mexican/Caucasian) tells about some of the everyday things for which he is thankful.
For Cybils Judging
I got huge Cybils deliveries this week, so I'm only going to post the titles. You can see book covers and click to read more or order in the Cybils widget, top of right sidebar.
The Negro Speaks of Rivers Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem Pennies for Elephants Magic Box Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed Spoon Let's Do Nothing Finn Throws a Fit! Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates The Circus Ship How Do You Wokka-Wokka? Wiggins Learns his Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant Bee Wigged There are Cats in This Book Who Wants to be a Poodle I Don't Maggie's Monkeys Kissed on the Wind Higher! Higher! The Dunderheads The Clever Stick Boo Hoo Bird Family Huddle No Snow for Christmas Ron's Big Mission Wink: The Ninja who Wanted to be Noticed Put it on the List! In Our Mothers' House Before You Were Here, Mi Amor Me with You Llama Llama Misses Mama Hugging Hour! Muriel's Red Sweater Tsunami Otis Crow Call My Little Round House The Yankee at the Seder I Call My Grandpa Papa A Carousel Tale The Book That Eats People Ned's New Home The Curious Garden The Lion and The Mouse All Kinds of Families Martha Doesn't Say Sorry! Dewey There's a Cat in the Library!
About the Book: Tessa is a 10-year-old girl who wants to understand the confusing world of cancer and then to be able to explain it to other children. She embarks on her quest by asking questions of her Nana, whose answers are designed to both ease children’s fears and provide them with factual information.
My Review: What a great little book for children who have loved ones with cancer! More and more children today have loved ones battling cancer, have survived cancer, or who have passed away from cancer, but they don't always understand what their loved one is going through. This book is a great conversation starter for young ones, or an independent read and then discussion point, for older children. I'm so glad there is a book that puts cancer into terms that children can understand.
Nana, What's Cancer is a beautifully illustrated book that poses a new question about cancer in each chapter. They are actually questions that children would have and they are answered in a story like way that is easily understood. Some of the questions include: "What causes cancer?", "Why are some cancers worse than others?", "Do animals ever get cancer?", and Do children get cancer too?" Altogether, there are 12 questions, each answered in 2 or 3 pages of text and pictures. In the text, there are bold words, which are further explained in the glossary at the back of the book.
The author, is a cancer survivor, and the co-author, her granddaughter was 8 years old when they started writing the book. Tess, the granddaughter, actually had the idea for the book, because all of her grandparents had cancer and she wanted a book that would explain it to children. Kudos to her for her idea!! The illustrator is a cancer survivor also. The pictures she created for this book are very realistic. She took actual pictures of Beveryle and Tess and recreated them in her illustrations. They are just beautiful! You can see expressions and emotion in each one.
I was very impressed with this book and will be passing it on to my 6 year old grand daughter because we just recently learned that her mawmaw has colon cancer. I think my step-daughter will be glad to answer some of her questions with this book. I hope that you will consider purchasing it for someone you know.
This post was supposed to go live on the 19th, but thanks to Blogger, it apparently did not. I apologize to Lauren, to Random House, and to my readers for this. I hope you all will forgive me. Without further adieu, here is Lauren's post.
From the Mind Swamp to the Page:
Where A Novel Comes From
One of the hardest questions an author is asked is “how did you come up with the idea?” It's a fair question. After all, novels don't grow on trees, or come delivered to your door by UPS (if only). But I know very few writers who can answer the question, because the truth is we don't really know. With Cycler, there was no eureka moment. In the past, I've described the creative process as a kind of mind swamp where ideas (characters, scenes, bits of dialog, themes, etc.) swim around like little fish competing for survival. Some of these idea-fish are doomed by their own appalling stupidity and rapidly go extinct. Others get eaten by more robust idea-fish. While I'm writing one story, others are competing for survival in this teeming swamp of the mind. The one gets written next is the one that has eaten all the others.
By the time I finally got around to writing Cycler, it had been swimming in the mind-swamp for almost fifteen years. It was a pretty robust little fish. I think it had been feeding on all of my thoughts and feelings on the subject of gender and on the way we play the game of gender in our society. Although things are getting better all the time, I still think, by and large, we play gender as a cruel game. We have a tendency to cling to a hard duality with masculine on one side and feminine on the other, and to punish those who wander across the border. But, to me, the border is fake and somewhat arbitrary. To me, gender is a creative construct, a kind of alchemy of biology and culture. What we consider “feminine” today would have been deemed outrageous to our great grandmothers and even to many people in different cultures today. And yet we insist that our way is the “natural” way. It's not, of course. It's just one way. Just recently, in fact, the New York Times profiled several high school students whose gender creativity was accepted by their peers. Of course, there were even more students whose gender creativity was not accepted. But this is part of the continuum of change.
What I wanted to do with Cycler was to create a character who, for reasons of biology, could not be either male or female. I wanted to eliminate the possibility of duality and see what happened. What I found was the urge to conform, an urge so strong that the dominant female persona actually buried (or tried to bury) the male persona. Once that happened I had a delicious scenario on my hands, because there is nothing more narratively rich than a desperate conformist with a ruinous secret.
Ironically what, to me, seemed narratively rich seemed, to a few angry readers, like outright sexism. To critique gender stereotypes, you have to show them. And I did with Cycler. The mother character, in particular, is a fountain of man-hating anti-feminist clap trap who unfortunately has a big influence on her daughter. But, to my surprise and horror, some readers mistook the counter-argument of the novel for the argument. That was odd. But such is the nature of publishing. Once a novel is out there in the wild, it no longer belongs to the author. It belongs to its readers.
At any rate, those responses were very much in the minority, and I was heartened and humbled to receive letters and emails from young readers thanking me for my openness on the subject of gender. In particular, I received a lot of great feedback about my inclusion of a bisexual character. There seems to be a shortage of positive bi characters in teen fiction and, if I do say so myself, the bi character in Cycler (I won't say who it is, in case people haven't read it yet) is severely swoon-worthy.
In the end, after all the reviews, the up and down Amazon rankings, the brilliant blog analyses and angry personal attacks, for me the most compelling response of all is the note from a kid thanking me for making him feel a little less weird. That's what gets me. That's what keeps me going.
Be sure to check out the trailer for Lauren's book.
1. We need more time to get it all done.
2. You said "thank you," and it made me smile.
3. If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.
4. I'm happy because I get to teach today.
5. Massachusetts has a proposed 5% sales tax on elective cosmetic surgery; I think that's good.
6. Family, food, and fun makes for a happy holiday.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to time with my husband, tomorrow my plans include fence building and Sunday, I want to read for the Cybils!
Sorry to have missed posting last week, but I was waiting on this week to post a particular author, and I didn't have another person ready to post last week. So, that being said, if you'd like to be featured here next week or another Tuesday, please contact me. You don't have to be an author.
This week, I bring you another author. Please allow me to introduce Shelly Nicholson, author of Jake the Snake and the Stupid Time Out Chair. I will be reviewing Shelly's book later this week, but until then, let her tell you her story, Because of a Book.
I am the author of "Jake the Snake and the Stupid Time-Out Chair," and my soon to be released 2nd book "A Stinky Surprise for Jake the Snake," two laugh out loud early chapter books for children ages 5-8. Visit me at www.booksbyshelly.com...besides being a children's author, I am also the mother of four, 3 sons and a daughter. I enjoy freelance writing for children's magazines, reading, shopping, skiing, running and hanging out with my kids...hope you will visit my website and meet Jake the Snake and other characters from my book!
My childhood happened during the 1970s and 1980s and like any other girl who grew up in that era, I was in love with Greg Brady. I spent my Saturday mornings watching the Smurfs. My favorite movie was Grease. My favorite super hero was Wonder Woman. I collected dolls and Lisa Frank stickers that I placed just so in my Lisa Frank sticker album. And my favorite series of books was Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie.
I was the youngest of 5 children. And there was a 10 year gap between me and my next youngest sibling. Growing up on a dairy farm, I always had lots of room to play, ride my bike, fly my kite, and I always had a pet (usually cats, dogs, rabbits, and lots of cows that weren’t really pets). My cousins were my favorite playmates, because they were my age. Every Sunday we would get together for a big family dinner and my cousins and I would play board games, put on musical concerts (we all played some sort of instrument: me, the piano), ride our Big Wheels, swim, or jump on the trampoline (that didn‘t have a safety net and was cemented into the ground). We even created a secret club where our motto was “No Boys Allowed!” and we put on plays for family members to raise money for our “club events.”
Back then there were no fancy video games. Only Atari with bad graphics and 2 games that I remember, Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. There were no DVD players. Only VCRs that you had to rent from the video rental store (if you were lucky). Nobody owned a VCR in the 80’s because I’m pretty sure they were priced upwards of $500. Nobody owned a cell phone. There was no text messaging or internet. I don’t even think computers existed, unless you were a gazillionaire. The closest thing I had to a computer was my electronic game, Simon, which was high tech back then! Times were simpler. Kids had more fun creating things to do. And more time for reading! I have to admit I was a book worm. I loved to read, read, read. Books from my childhood that have stuck in my mind are the Little House on the Prairie series, Anne of Green Gables, Where the Red Fern Grows, Charlotte’s Web, The Chronicles of Narnia, Little Women, and the Babysitter’s Club.
I always loved to read. And I always loved to write and make up stories. When I was in 5th grade I wrote a story about a lollipop forest where unicorns dwelled. I remember getting the paper back with a star on top and a note from my teacher that said, “You should be an author someday.”
That idea stuck in my mind all those years. After I grew up and had four children of my own, I began making up stories for them. Each of my children has given me inspiration for every story I’ve written. Whether it is a story for a magazine, a story just for fun, or my “Jake the Snake” series. My kids are my inspiration!
I graduated twice from the Institute of Children’s Literature, first from their Writing for Children and Teen’s course and then from their Beyond the Basics course. My Jake the Snake and the Stupid Time-Out Chair manuscript was the last assignment for my first course. After much revising, editing, and submitting, the book finally came into print in May 2009. And now I have a second book in the series A Stinky Surpise for Jake the Snake being released early in 2010! If you enjoy the first two books there will be at least one more book in the series, as I have my manuscript for the third book well underway!
In my writing, it is my intention to get early readers interested in reading through laugh-out-loud humor, while instilling a valuable lesson in the plot. Today, kids are so much more advanced than we were back in the 80’s. So much more is expected out of kids. Reading is not always fun or a favorite pastime. Especially for boys. That’s why I like to make my stories super funny and relatable to young readers. And that is why my Jake the Snake series is written in the voice of a young boy who is full of mischief and possesses a candid voice, but who is also very endearing with a big heart.
I hope that your child will laugh when they read my books, but will also learn a great lesson in the end. Jake the Snake and the Stupid Time-Out Chair deals with thinking of others first. A classic lesson for everybody, whether young or old, male or female, born in the 1970s or in the new millennium!
Happy Reading! And Happy Writing! :) Shelly Faith Nicholson
About Little House on the Prairie: They were howling in the moonlight - enormous, and so close Laura could almost see their glittering eyes. "Pa," she whispered, turning from the window, "the wolves have made a circle around the whole house. What will we do?"
About Jake the Snake and the Stupid Time Out Chair: Jake the Snake is a rambunctious kindergartner who is always getting into mischief! And when that happens, he is sent to the “stupid time-out chair.” Jake the Snake is scared Santa Claus is watching and will bring a stupid lump of coal for Christmas ’cause Christmas isn’t far away! When Jake the Snake drowns his brother’s pet lizard in chocolate sauce, he is really afraid. But things only get worse when Jake the Snake goes to the mall to visit Santa and barfs in the mall elf’s hat! Will Jake the Snake get a stupid lump of coal for Christmas? Or will Santa forgive him for all the naughty things he’s done all year?
Welcome to another edition of In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday, where I show you what books came into my house via the mailbox. In My Mailbox is hosted every Sunday by Kristi at The Story Siren and Mailbox Monday is hosted on Mondays by Marcia at the Printed Page. Both ladies have wonderful blogs, that I hope you will take the time to visit. I appreciate each of them for hosting these memes so that book bloggers can share the books that they receive to review. To see what others have gotten this week, visit these ladies and check it out!
Here's what came into my house over the last week:
Set in New Orleans in the years after the Civil War, A Separate Country is based on the incredible life of John Bell Hood, arguably one of the most controversial generals of the Confederate Army--and one of its most tragic figures. Robert E. Lee promoted him to major general after the Battle of Antietam. But the Civil War would mark him forever. At Gettysburg, he lost the use of his left arm. At the Battle of Chickamauga, his right leg was amputated. Starting fresh after the war, he married Anna Marie Hennen and fathered 11 children with her, including three sets of twins.
Brisinger: Deluxe Edition by Christopher Paolini, from Knopf
Experience the bestselling phenomenon of Brisingr, now in a deluxe edition!
This deluxe edition includes deleted scenes, an exclusive foldout poster, never-before-seen art by the author, and a guide to dwarf runes.
Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still, there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
First is Eragon's oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran's beloved from King Galbatorix's clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength—as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices—choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice.
In Eragon lies the greatest hope for a better Alagaësia. Can this once simple farm boy rise to become the leader he must to unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
A #1 USA Today Bestseller
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller
A Publishers Weekly Bestseller
An IndieBound Bestseller
The Silent Gift by Michael Landon Jr and Cindy Kelley, from Bethany House
The 1930s were a decade of enormous uncertainty--for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of love and enormous sacrifices in the face of circumstances horrendous beyond belief. When her husband leaves her for someone whose time isn't wrapped up in a silent, handicapped kid, Mary and little Jack are out on their own in a world that has no room for the poor and disabled. Especially not at a time when most Americans are simply trying to survive their economic woes and job losses. But then arrives The Gift...where has it come from, and why? How can a young boy who can neither hear nor speak provide comfort, direction, and sometimes challenges to seekers who learn of the special ability? Whatever the source, its presence brings a single shaft of light and hope to Mary and her beloved Jack. Will it be enough?
Just Breeze by Beverly Stowe McClure, from 4RV Publishing for a Pump Up Your Book Promotions blog tour
Eighth grade starts out the same as every other year for Breeze Brannigan. She's still the tallest student, boy or girl, in her class, wears shoes that would fit an elephant, and her smile reveals dazzling braces that blind everyone within ten feet. Then she meets Cam , the new boy in school who speaks with an accent and must be from another planet, for none of the earthling boys she knows are so polite. He also has a secret, a secret that could mean life or death for Cam and his mother and that Breeze must help him keep.
Eragon's Guide to Alagaesia by Christopher Paolini, from Knopf
From the creators of the bestselling books Dragonology, Egyptology, Piratelogy, and others, this is a never-before-seen glimpse into the world of Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance cycle. Alagaësia comes alive in a lush and detailed look at an unforgettable magical land. From elves, dwarves, Urgals, humans, and dragons, to the natural landscape and the magic it contains, Eragon himself offers the reader an unsurpassed tour. This oversized, full-color book provides 15 spreads chock full of spectacular artwork, engaging novelty elements, and fascinating insights into Eragon’s home. With gorgeous jewels adorning the cover and pages filled with envelopes, gatefolds, samples of dragon skin, and more, Eragon’s Guide to Alagaësia is sure to appeal to the legions of fans of Christopher Paolini’s bestselling Inheritance cycle.
For Cybil's Judging:
A Tree for Emmy by Mary Ann Rodman, from Peachtree Publishing
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is good food and family. (if you don't celebrate thanksgiving, insert your favorite holiday)
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is almost done.
4. Thoughts of my husband fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear my pajamas to work.
6. Bagpipes make beautiful music.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with my husband watching DVR'd shows from this week, tomorrow my plans include walking in the buddy walk for Down's Syndrome and Sunday, I want to rest!
If you'd like to play along, stop by the Friday Fill-Ins site!
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:
The River
By Mary Jane Beaufrand
Publication Date: February 10th 2010 by Little, Brown Young Readers
Veronica Severance feels cut off from the world. Forced to move from the city to rural Oregon with her parents, she is haunted by loneliness and by the chilling sounds of the Santiam, the river that runs through her backyard.
Through the fog of isolation, Ronnie finds herself becoming close with Karen, a young girl who she babysits. But when she discovers Karen's body on the banks of the Santiam, the victim of a supposed accident, Ronnie feels compelled to uncover the truth.
As she becomes increasingly obsessed with solving Karen's death, Ronnie is led deeper and deeper into the woods surrounding the river and to the dark secret hidden within its midst.
This book sounds very intriguing. The storyline is mysterious and I love any plot surrounded by mystery. I like that the cover is mysterious looking as well.
