Blog Tour: Halloween Kentucky Style

I am pleased to be partnering with a new to me publishing company, Diversion Press, for some blog tours this month and next.  Hopefully it's the start of a great relationship!  Today's guest is Charles Suddeth, author of the book, Halloween Kentucky Style.

Although he was born in Indiana and grew up in Michigan, he has spent most of his life in Kentucky. He lives in Louisville with his two cats, Binks and Wendy (Wendy says it should be Wendy and Binks). He is a graduate of Michigan State University. He has also done graduate work at MSU, Spalding University, and the University of Louisville. He is a member of Green River Writers of Louisville, a PAL member of SCBWI (children’s books writers and illustrators), and is active in the Midsouth division (Kentucky and Tennessee).

About Halloween Kentucky Style:  For Halloween 1959, best friends Mike and Timmy try to scare their cousins, Alice and Rose. The trick’s on them when a homeless man and their younger neighbor team up to give them a Halloween scare that they will never forget! It’s Halloween Kentucky Style!

Stats on Halloween Kentucky Style:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Diversion Press, Inc. (October 15, 2010)
• Language: English

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For today's tour stop, I asked Charles to tell us the back story of Halloween Kentucky Style.  Here is what he had to say:

The Birth of Halloween Kentucky Style

I write for only one reason. Joy! I love writing stories, and I want kids to love reading. Once reading becomes fun, they will read more and read better and exercise their minds. Halloween is my favorite holiday. It’s dark and scary so thoroughly mixed up with fun and silly that you can’t tell one from the other. And you don’t want to.

“Halloween Kentucky Style” is not true but….Some of the people, places, and events bear ghostly resemblances to some real ones. And horses? While I live in the suburbs, and I’m not a horse person, I love the critters. And what would a story taking place in Kentucky be without them? 1959? It was a simpler time. And Halloween 1959 fell on Saturday, which is the perfect day for Halloween because school is out. Boo!

Charles Suddeth

I hope that you will visit the other stops on Charles' tour and look for more Diversion Press tour stops and authors on the blog, in the future.

Diversion Press April 25
Buried in Books http://wwwburiedinbooks.blogspot.com April 26

Tales from the Bayou http://ritamonette.blogspot.com May 3

Outrageously Wonderful Literature From the Middle Grades http://owlforya.blogspot.com/  May 10

Blog Tour: Adventures in Nowhere

I am pleased to be participating in another blog tour for Pump Up Your Book Promotions!

 

Title:  Adventures in Nowhere

Author:  John Ames

Review Copy Provided by:  publisher, Pineapple Press

About the Book:  Before Disney and far from the palm-lined Florida beaches, ten-year-old Danny Ryan is transplanted to a tiny community on the hyacinth-choked Hillsborough River outside Tampa, a place his older sister calls Nowhere. But for Danny and his best friend, the irrepressible Alfred Bagley, whose fondest desire is to grow up to be a junk dealer, Nowhere is where adventures lurk and lure them into more trouble than they can handle. More trouble is not what Danny needs as he copes with a family that includes a father sinking into schizophrenia; two sisters, one very ill and the other ready to run away with a shady boyfriend; and a mother trying her best to hold it all together.  

My Thoughts:  This wasn't an easy book for me to get into.  I'm not sure why, though.  After I got past the first chapter or so, it was an easy read.

This story is written from a young boy's perspective and set in the 1950's.  It takes the reader back to a time when youth was innocent, and young kids could run free without being afraid.  It's a very compelling coming of age story.

I loved Danny's character!  He was strong, witty, and independent.  Danny is like many kids today who come from a troubled family.  He does what he needs to do, within himself, to get through his childhood and become a strong, independent adult.    His family is dysfunctional: a dying sister, a father who could blow his top, at any moment, and a mom who tries to hold it all together, the best she can.  He doesn't have many friends, but the ones he does have stick by him.  John Ames has written a wonderful character in Danny; one I'd like to know in real life.

The story pulls you in, takes hold, and doesn't let go, even after you've turned the last page.  Ames has written a winner.  Open the cover and take a trip back in time with Danny; you'll be glad you did!

Mailbox Monday - 3/7/2011

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme started by Marcia at The Printed Page.  You can read all about it at the Mailbox Monday blog.  Well, the mailbox has gone on tour.  This month's host is I'm Booking It.

I love this meme because it lets me take a peek into other bloggers' mailboxes and find out what they received over the last week.  I will warn you, it does lead to more books as you will find many that you want because of others mailboxes.  If you'd like to join in on the fun, post about your books and link up!


Here's what came into my house, via the mailbox, this week:

Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt, from Knopf Books for Young Readers
Kickers Book 4: Game-Day Jitters by Rich Wallace, from Knopf Books for Young Readers
Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit by Jarrett J. Krosoczka, from Knopf Books for Young Readers

Gingerbread Man Loose in the School (F&G) by Laura Murray, from Putnam
Scritch-Scratch a Perfect Match (F&G) by Kimberly Marcus, from Penguin
Baby's First Year (F&G) by Rick Walton, from Putnam

School Days According to Humphrey (ARC) by Betty G. Birney, from Putnam
On the Volcano (ARC) by James Nelson, from Putnam
Sparrow Road (ARC) by Sheila O'Connor, from Putnam

Last but not least, I received Arranged by Catherine McKenzie, from Cindy's Love of Books.  This is a signed copy that I won on Cindy's blog.  I loved finding the surprise bookmarks tucked inside the book along with a sweet note from Cindy. The Anne Geddes bookmark is my favorite!  Thanks, Cindy;  I love my blogging friends!

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Possum Summer

"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:

Possum Summer
By Jen K Blom
Publication:  March 11th 2011 by Holiday House
 
from Goodreads:  Eleven-year-old P (short for Princess, a name she loathes) longs for a pet, but her father insists that all animals on their Oklahoma farm must earn their keep. While he's away on combat duty in Iraq, P tries to turn his cattle dog into her pet and rescues an orphaned opossum that she names Ike. She hand-feeds him, smuggles him into school, and soon he is following her everywhere.

P knows she can't keep him forever. Can she teach Ike to survive in the wild before her father gets home and if she does, can she bear to let him go? 

How could I not read this one?  I mean, really!  I'm from the south and in the south we have possums...not sure I'd have one for a pet, but to each his own, or in this case her own.  I like that it's set in present day too, with a father serving in Iraq.  There are many little girls out there that could relate to this.  I'm a sucker for animal stories, like those written by Bill Wallace. (I used to read them aloud and suggest them to my students when we went to the library.)  When I saw what Mr. Wallace had to say about this one, I knew I should read it.  "A heartwarming, vibrant story. It's a book that middle graders will want to read." --Bill Wallace, author of A Dog Called Kitty  If he likes it, I'm sure I will too.

Review: Artsy-Fartsy

Title:  Artsy-Fartsy
Author/Illustrator:  Karla Oceanak/Kendra Spanjer
Review Copy Provided by:  Bailiwick Press

About the Book:  Aldo Zelnick is the star of a new comic novel series for children. Ten-year-old Aldo lives with his family in Colorado. He's not athletic like his older brother, he's not a rock hound like his best friend, but he does like bacon. And when his artist grandmother, Goosy, gives him a sketchbook to "record all his artsy-fartsy ideas" during summer vacation, it turns out Aldo is a pretty good cartoonist. In addition to an engaging cartoon story, Artsy-Fartsy includes an illustrated glossary of fun A words used throughout the book, such as absurd, abominable, and audacious. 

My Review:  This was my first comic novel, and I really enjoyed it.  The interspersing of pictures throughout the story, in paragraphs, on the edges, on pages of their own, etc., helped to make this one a fun, quick read.

Artsy-Fartsy was released in December 2009 as a book for kids aged 8-13.  It has a male main character, which I think is great!  The reason I think so many of my male students picked up Diary of  A Wimpy Kid was because it was about a boy.  I think they will pick this one up for the same reason. 

This book is centered around a red letter sketchbook that Aldo received from "Goosy," his grandmother.  In fact, the sketchbook is the book you are reading.  I had my students create Writing Notebooks in my class and this reminded me so much of what some of them did and what was my ultimate goal for their notebooks.  It is a place to write, draw, add your secrets, treasures, etc.  If I were back in the classroom, I would definitely use this book to inspire my students, especially the boys because they usually think the notebooks are more like diaries, which are for girls!

Aldo's not real sure what to put in his sketchbook, but as he adds thoughts, stories, drawings, he realizes that his sketchbook is whatever he wants it to be: a place to be himself.   And, he didn't even want the sketchbook at first, but by the end he may be ready for another one.  Interesting turn of events, right?

I love the added bonuses with this book.  Aldo uses and asterisks many "A" words in his sketchbook.  The definitions to all of these words is included in the back of the book.  You and/or your child can learn more about Aldo, hear how the words are pronounced, get recipes, coloring pages, see the author/illustrator's appearance schedule and sign up for the email list by visiting Aldo's Website.  Aldo is also on Twitter: @AldoZelnick

By the way, Artsy-Fartsy is the first book in the Aldo Zelnick Comic Novel Series.  I bet you're thinking, "since this book focused on 'A' words, then the next book must focus on 'B' words."  Well, you're absolutely right!  The next book in the series, coming Spring 2010, is Bogus

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This just in from Bailiwick Press:

We're a Book of the Year Award Finalist!

Foreword Reviews just named Artsy-Fartsy a Book of the Year Award finalist in not one but TWO categories:

juvenile fiction

AND
graphic novels!

The contest honors the best books published by independent publishers from across the country. The top three winners in each category will be announced at Book Expo America on May 25th.
Yay Aldo!

In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday - 2/08/10

Welcome to another edition of my combo meme In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday.  You can find these hosted by some wonderful ladies: Kristi at The Story Siren and Marcia at The Printed Page, respectively.  They host these memes so that book bloggers can share the books that come into their houses.  I appreciate them both and hope that you will visit their blogs.

I had another light week, but got some good reads!

Alphatudes: The Alphabet of Gratitude by Michele Wahlder, from The Cadence Group for a Pump Up Your Book blog tour
Alphatudes reveals that gratitude is the unexpected, simple secret of living a joyful life. In a world obsessed with negativity, we must deliberately choose to focus on the positive. Alphatudes uses your earliest grade school victory the ABCs to help you achieve a sustainable shift in thinking that leads to contentment, optimism and peace of mind. An alphatude is defined as: a person, place or thing for which one alphabetically expresses gratitude. Filled with vibrant illustrations, Alphatudes takes you on an inspiring 26-step journey where you ll discover how to: heighten your awareness of life s daily gifts; attract opportunities with a positive mind-set; find blessings in difficult situations; and become free from worry, negativity and resentment.

Letter to My Daughter (ARC) by George Bishop, from Ballentine Books via Shelf Awareness
Dear Elizabeth,
It’s early morning and I’m sitting here wondering where you are, hoping you’re all right.

A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry—and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz’s return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to convey “everything I’ve always meant to tell you but never have.”

In her painfully candid confession, Laura shares memories of her own troubled adolescence in rural Louisiana, growing up in an intensely conservative household. She recounts her relationship with a boy she loved despite her parents’ disapproval, the fateful events that led to her being sent away to a strict Catholic boarding school, the personal tragedy brought upon her by the Vietnam War, and, finally,  the meaning of the enigmatic tattoo below her right hip.

We the Children: Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers of the School by Andrew Clements, from Atheneum Books for Young Readers
We the Children asks:  Can a kid change the course of history? 

After by Kristin Harmel, from Knopf Delacorte Dell
Lacey's world shatters when her dad is killed in a car accident. And secretly? She feels like it’s her fault. If she hadn’t taken her own sweet time getting ready that morning . . . well, it never would have happened. Her mom wouldn’t be a basket case. Her brother Logan wouldn’t drink. And her little brother would still have two parents.

But life goes on even if you don’t want it to. And when Lacey gets the chance to make a difference in the lives of some people at school, she jumps at it. Making lemonade out of lemons is her specialty. Except she didn’t count on meeting a guy like Sam. Or that sometimes? Lemonade can be a pretty bitter drink to swallow.

Review: Kyle's Island

Title:  Kyle's Island
Author:  Sally Derby
ARC Provided by:  Charlesbridge Publishing
Publishing date:  February 2010

About the book:  For as far back as Kyle can remember, he spent summers at Gram's cottage on the lake--fishing all day, and hanging out with the whole family. But this year is different. His father has moved out, his grandmother has died, and his mother is selling the cottage because they can't afford the upkeep.

My Review:  I really enjoyed this one!  Sally is an author that I was familiar with, through her children's book, No Mush Today, which I have read and reviewed.   When I saw that she was releasing a middle grade book, I wanted to read it. 

This is a great book for middle graders and even young teens.  One thing I liked is that it had a strong male main character.  Kyle knows what he wants and he will do whatever it takes to get it.  Kids today could learn a lot from Kyle.  He goes through his parents' separation with the same feelings that many kids have.  He feels he has already lost his father, and now he is about to lose one of the other constants in his life, that he loves dearly; the cottage at the lake.  But, through the story, he learns a much greater lesson.  He makes a new friend that he never would have thought about and learns to forgive and go on even though life isn't happening the way he wants it to.  There are just so many lessons in this book, for young kids to learn from!

Sally Derby does a great job not only telling Kyle's story, but delivering a middle grade novel that boys and girls alike will enjoy!  The male point of view is not prevalent in a lot of stories today, so it was refreshing to read.  Positive values and lessons in a realistic fiction story, make this a must read for tweens and an excellent addition to a school library.

Charlesbridge Publishing has a Discussion and Activity Guide to accompany Kyle's Island.  What a great tool to use in the classroom!

Happy Halloween Treats!

Halloween is meant to be a time for treats, and what better to treat you with than books?!  I have the awesome opportunity, thanks to my friends at Random House, to offer my readers some fabulous books that are halloween related in one way or another. 

Take a look at the titles and descriptions, and leave a comment as to which one you would like to win.  You can pick more than one, if you are interested.  I will choose one commenter for each book.  Since Halloween is Saturday, this will be a quick contest.  I will choose the winners next Friday. 

So, comment and get the word out via your blog, twitter, facebook, whatever.  I will give extra entries for spreading the word, as long as you leave me a link to where you post it.  You can also have an extra entry if you are a follower of my blog: new or old.  Also leave your email address or I won't be able to contact you should you win.  Look for past contest winners to be announced this weekend and more contests to come.

For the young reader looking for a spooky, fireside read:

The Hanging Hill by Chris Grabenstein

Zack, Judy, and Zipper are back! Judy and Zack are planning to spend a few weeks in Chatham, Connecticut, rehearsing for a new musical based on Judy’s bestselling children’s books. Too bad the theater is haunted with a cast of its own, and the director has other plans—to raise a horde of evil specters from the dead. With the help of a new friend, Megan, Zack is back in spook-busting action, but can he escape the evil clutches of a necromancer director and some menacing demonic spirits?

For the slightly more advanced reader looking for a funny, clever romp:

Rapacia: The Second Circle of Heck by Dale E. Basye

This sequel to Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go finds Marlo left behind in Heck when Milton escapes in a “soul balloon” made of old clothes. Marlo is sent straight to Rapacia, the circle where greedy kids are tormented daily by a glittering shopper’s paradise called Mallvana that’s always just out of reach. Back on Earth, Milton’s having his own issues. He’s got to find a way to communicate with Marlo and get her out of Heck, but it’s hard to concentrate when his body and soul don’t seem to hold together like they used to.

For the teen girl looking for romance with a supernatural twist:

The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore
A broken leg has put a halt to Sylvie Davis’s ballet career, and her broken home causes even more pain. After her father’s death and her mother’s remarriage, Sylvie sets herself on a road to self-destruction. Her mother intervenes, sending her off for the summer to her relatives in Alabama, where a distant cousin is restoring the family home. It turns out that the house, and her family, have more history than Sylvie imagined. Two handsome guys only add to the drama when they begin vying for her affections.

Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well? With a spirited, spot-on heroine, richly drawn setting, and plenty of suspense to keep the pages turning, this southern gothic romance is sure to enthrall teen readers.