Charles Benoit. YOU

You begins with a cryptic scene where one of the characters appears to be dying. Then the novel backs up to tell the story of "the last year of your life." Of course, I'm intrigued.

Kyle Chase is a high school sophomore hoodie. In middle school, he was on the fast track to go to the "smart" high school with all of the opportunities therein. He had friends who studied and made smart choices preparing for their futures. But Kyle made a few bad choices and derailed himself from the "smart" course. He ended up at the "other"high school. The one with less opportunities and a new group of friends who lead him into drinking, crime and general delinquency. He could have stood up for himself in several instances, but he just goes along with everyone. He sees his life as pretty much "same crap, different day." He's nursed a crush on Ashley for months and can't get up the nerve to ask her out. He's good in math, but puts in no effort. He's just going along, trying not to get caught or noticed.

Then Zack McDade transfers to the school. He definitely livens things up. He's unusual, to say the least. He dresses kind of geeky, yet is suave and clever in so many ways. He reminds me of Ducky from Pretty in Pink for two reasons: The way he talks ("My good man, Chase.") and the way he confidently dresses how he wants, rather than according to what's in style. (Just an observation.) Zack befriends Kyle. They work together to take revenge on a jock that was harassing Kyle. When Kyle begins to hear negative things about Zack, he ignores the warnings. Should he be more careful?

The second-person narrative threw me for a loop, at first. I almost didn't continue. I've never seen it done successfully before. But, I'm glad I carried on. This is a suspenseful, clever, thrilling book. I enjoyed the little bits of foreshadowing along the way. It keeps you guessing, for sure. The adult characters feel a little too depressing and sad. Perhaps that's because we're viewing the story through Kyle's distorted viewpoint. Anyway, the teen characters feel authentic. Kyle is a typical teen who made decision after decision and didn't realize how they would all pile up in the end. Zack was extremely smart, conniving and deranged- not a typical teen, but all the more delicious to read about!

The author is extremely talented to pull off such an unusual book! There are no chapters. There are snippets of verse thrown in. The foreshadowing is pretty blatant, but still makes you keep reading. And finally, as mentioned earlier, it's in second-person! Pretty freaking-cool!
Go here for his snazzy looking website.

You'll enjoy YOU!

Keith McGowan. THE WITCH'S GUIDE TO COOKING WITH CHILDREN

The title alone would've grabbed me, if I haven't been alerted to this book because it's on next year's Bluebonnet List. When I read the title, I knew I needed to read it right away!

When the first words from the witch's diary say this:

"I love children. Eating them, that is.
I've eaten quite a few children over the centuries. You may wonder where I get them all."

You know it's gonna be good! But that really isn't enough to make a whole book. So then we're introduced to two wonderful children. Eleven-year-old Sol and eight-year-old Connie are siblings. They're unaware of the bizarre situation their parents are in, which is why they aren't curious when their dad drops them off and leaves them in town. However, they're smart kids and are able to figure out some mysteries on their own.

I don't want to give any more away. But you will absolutely love it! The tone reminds me a lot of SCHOOL OF FEAR - with the matter of fact voice and the old-fashioned feel. I loved that tone in Gitty Daneshavari's writing, as well. (LOVE her). But what made me keep reading was the hysterical beginning. What starts out as a sort of re-telling of Hansel & Gretel but ends up way more delicious!

The illustrations by Yoko Tanaka (SPARROW GIRL) give it the old-fashioned, but creepy feel the story deserves! They're perfect!

Lauren Oliver. BEFORE I FALL

On the surface, Samantha Kingston seems to have the perfect life. She's popular, has a wonderful group of friends and a boyfriend, who most girls in school would die for. But when she dies and begins reliving her last day over and over, she begins to question her choices. She begins to see people differently. Perhaps the boy she wrote off as a loser, really isn't. Perhaps there is more to the girl who everyone called psycho. Maybe her perfect boyfriend isn't really so perfect. With each passing "last" day, Sam learns more and more about what it means to be alive.

I've been hearing about this book for a while. Now I understand what all the praise was about. I'm stunned that this is Lauren Oliver's debut novel. It's unbelievably beautiful, heartbreaking and complex. I love it! I didn't want it to end. Sam and her friends are written realistically. The setting and events felt very real. (Maybe because it felt like a giant flashback to my own high school days...). She captured the teen environment perfectly. The actions and reactions by Sam, her friends, Kent and Juliet felt natural. I couldn't put it down. The ending was brilliant!
If you haven't read it yet - go get it now! You won't regret it!

Lauren Oliver's next novel is due out next month. It's on my list! Check her out here.
Check out the trailer

Sharon Draper. OUT OF MY MIND.

This is another one of those books that I'll always remember. I liken it to STUCK IN NEUTRAL in that respect. It's also has a similar premise, so maybe that's why I linked them. However, the premise is the only thing they have in common. The two stories play out way differently.

Melody is incredibly smart. She has a photographic memory, so she remembers everything she learns. However, no one knows this but her. She cannot talk, walk or communicate in any way. She's wheelchair bound and has been since birth. She has cerebral palsy.

Her parents have always believed that she is intelligent. Unfortunately, she hasn't always had the most perceptive teachers. She's had a few that feed her brain and curiosity, but mostly they've been lacking. Typically teachers replay nursery rhymes and reteach the alphabet over and over.

Luckily, a more capable and supportive teacher aide named Catherine is assigned to work with Melody. One afternoon, she discovers a device that could help her speak. Melody is over the moon!

Her parents agree to purchase the machine. After being stuck inside her head her entire life, Melody is finally able to communicate. Catherine and her parents are not surprised at all by how smart Melody is. But the other kids and teachers at school aren't so ready to accept Melody's newfound skills.

Wow. You will be amazed. It will give you a new appreciation for people who on the surface don't seem to be as capable as others. You will fall in love with Melody. You will be moved.

Check out this book trailer I found:




Also, check out the author's website here.

Melissa de la Cruz. MISGUIDED ANGEL

If you like suspense, action, history, richness and mystery in your novels, you will not be able to put down this installment of the BLUE BLOODS saga.

MISGUIDED ANGEL begins with Schuyler and Jack plotting their escape from the Countess who had given them safe haven in the last book. Safe haven and protection had evolved into imprisonment. Although the Countess afforded them every luxury, she also didn't allow any freedom. Schuyler and Jack want to leave and continue their hunt for Gate of Promise.

Meanwhile back in New York, Mimi is suffering the dual emotions of mourning over Kinglsy and fiery revenge against Jack. To make things more complicated for her, she's been named Regis. The disappearance of Lawrence left the Conclave no choice. Just as Mimi takes on the role, her leadership is tested. She's sent a recording of a captured vampire with the threat of burning her alive. The abductors threaten the conspiracy and the very existence of vampires.

A new character is introduced- a Venator from Shanghai, Deming Chan. She's intriguing and I liked the relationship she formed with Mimi. In each book, I begin to like Mimi more and more. The more you learn about her, the more you understand her. Anyway, I'm thrilled that it appears Deming will be continuing on in the next book.

This series gets richer with each installment. When I finished this one, I remember how I felt after the first book. I knew it would be good, but I had no idea the depths the story would reach. I really love it! I'm attached to the characters. I hate being left hanging at the end, but that's certainly the best way to keep us wanting more!

Also, a few points about sequels and (not) remembering what happened previously. I like the way that the author gave us what we needed to remember important points from previous books withougt going into the long narratives you can get sometimes with other books. Although, there were still a few things that I wished I remembered better. Many characters have multiple names because of the reincarnation cycles. So, I would really love it if someone would write a book with all the characters lineage, multiple names and the major plot points summed up quickly. Some type of a BLUE BLOODS reference book or website would be nice. (I guess maybe someone could flesh out the Wikipedia entry...). But really, I'm just a curious librarian, so I want all the details of everything for further pondering. Don't get me wrong - my little questions didn't hamper my full enjoyment of the book, at all! I loved it!

As you may remember, I had the honor of interviewing the author, Melissa de la Cruz for the release of the previous book in the series. Go here to check it out. I've reviewed the previous books too. Go here for those. And here for the author's website.

Finally, here's the trailer for a brief taste of the book:

Gitty Daneshvari. SCHOOL OF FEAR: CLASS IS NOT DISMISSED!

This sequel to SCHOOL OF FEAR is just as wonderful as the first book. Mrs. Wellington requests the presence of Madeline, Theo, Lulu and Garrison for another summer at School of Fear. She discovered that each of them has secretly regressed and need a follow up session.

The students are disappointed to learn that a fifth student will be joining them. The young girl's name is Hyacinth, and she brings her pet ferret, Celery, with her to the mansion. Hyacinth's fear is being alone, which causes her to be very clingy. Once she grabs someone's hand, she does not let go. Plus, she creates annoying nicknames for everyone and professes that they are all Bff's or "besties."

But that really is a minor challenge to some of the other fun times that ensue at Summerstone for the second session of School of Fear. Without giving too much of the plot away and spoiling the fun, I will just say that this summer the big challenge is saving the school or their phobias will never be cured!

This was just as hilarious as the first one, maybe more in some ways. I'm in total awe of Gitty Daneshvari's writing. She does witty humor better than anyone! (She's right up there with Adam Selzer in my book - and he's downright hysterical!). I cannot count how many times I woke up my husband laughing out loud through this book.

I will be first in line to buy her next book.
Check her out here

Nora Raleigh Baskin. ANYTHING BUT TYPICAL

Jason Blake is an autistic twelve-year-old in 6th grade. School is a struggle, to say the least. It's not the work. Dealing with people in a socially acceptable way is a challenge for Jason. For the previous few years, he had an aide with him all day. She was always there as a sort of translator to help him know how to deal with people. She would remind him of little things like looking people in the eye when talking and to answer when spoken to. People expect him to behave the way everyone else does.

Even though Jason has trouble interacting in person, he's a wonderful writer. He writes stories on an online community called Storyboard. He gets positive feedback on his writing. He even makes a friend. When he writes, he doesn't have to worry about any of the in-person struggles he as with reading facial expressions, looking in someone eyes, determining tone of voice, etc.

His parents surprise him with tickets to the Storyboard writing conference. His excitement is short-lived, though. As soon as he hears that his friend will also be attending, he worries about attending at all.  He's afraid of exposing himself completely. If she sees what he's really like, will she still want to be his friend? If the meeting is anything like his previous interactions and friendship attempts, it's doomed. Will she be different. Should he try to be different?

I loved this book! Nora Raleigh Baskin is a genius. She's woven so many fantastic threads together to form a brilliant story. You can feel how Jason is trapped by his situation - not being able to act sometimes, even when he knows he must. But through his fictional stories, you also feel his need to stand up for himself as the person he was born to be and not necessarily conform.

You will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation for what it's like for kids who see the world differently. I also think that kids from grade 4th all the way through high school would love this book. Because of the richness in character and story, different age groups will glean different levels of beauty and insight.

It's an unforgettable book. Trust me.
Check out the author's website here.

I put both the hardcover picture & the paperback, because I like them both. I think they both fit in their own way.

Tom Angleberger. THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA

When I first heard about this book last month during Book Fair, all I could think was...what a bizarre title. Then it was named to the Bluebonnet Award nominees list, so I decided to read it. It's quite surprising!

It's about a quirky, sometimes wise, sometimes baffling 6th grader named Dwight. He's always done some strange things, but now he begins carrying around an Origami Yoda  that he created himself. People ask the Yoda questions (while Dwight holds him up on his finger), and Yoda answers.
The surprising thing is that most of the time his answers are spot on.

Fellow classmates, Tommy and Harvey, decide to study this Origami Yoda and determine whether he's the real thing or a fake that Dwight has created. The book is organized with a different student narrating each different chapter, each of which are case studies. Each chapter end with comments at the end by Tommy and Harvey. Tommy makes arguments that Origami Yoda is real, while Harvey insists that Origami Yoda is a fake.

I laughed out loud many times! This is a fun novel that has an uncanny insight into the minds of sixth graders! Check out the author's website here, for so much more Origami Yoda fun stuff & details about the sequel!

Lori Calabrese. THE BUG THAT PLAGUED THE ENTIRE THIRD GRADE.

I'm honored to be part of Lori Calabrese's Virtual Book Tour & Book Launch Party for THE BUG THAT PLAGUED THE ENTIRE THIRD GRADE!

Matt discovers an intriguing bug on his dad's car. He really wanted to win his school's Bug-a-Fair, so he scoured all his bug books, but couldn't figure out what kind of bug it was. That makes him ever more anxious to enter it in the Bug-a-Fair. But the next morning, he catches a different kind of bug, so his mom makes him stay home. Will he ever figure out what the bug is. Will he make it back to school in time?

Boys and bugs are a perfect match! The text is engaging and the illustrations are lively! This would be a great book to support insect curriculum, but it could work just as well in a poetry unit. In fact, the book has its own website with plenty of ideas and activities to use it in the classroom. Check it out here!

Lori Calabrese is a new author with a fascinating past. Check out this great interview here.

Also, check out the great book trailer:

Suzanne Weyn. DISTANT WAVES: A NOVEL OF THE TITANIC

I was really struck by the beauty of this cover. So I jumped right in without reading the book jacket or anything. I was blown away. It's a magical book!

It begins in 1898 in New York City. After witnessing their mom, Maude Taylor, contact the dead in a seance, the five Taylor sisters encounter an earthquake in the middle of New York City. Actually, what feels like an earthquake turns out to be a science experiment gone awry by the renowned scientist Nikola Tesla. The girls and their mother meet Tesla when he runs outside to save them from the "earthquake." They follow him upstairs to watch him crush his invention to stop the rumble of the city. After an interesting conversation with Tesla, the chance encounter becomes a turning point for their family. Since her husband died a year before, Maude had been struggling to make ends meet, so she decides to move her family to upstate New York to a town known for spiritualists and mediums called Spirit Vale. After a series of fortunate events, she's able to set up shop there to make a living.

Most of the novel occurs before the sailing of the Titanic. This is what makes it such an amazing novel. All of the events that lead up to it are what make the story so compelling. Even after seeing the blockbuster Titanic movie and reading several books about it, I was still entranced by this completely fresh telling of the events. The various historical characters intermingling with the fictional family made it a fascinating read.

The author did a stellar job of  weaving together so many cool aspects of this time period. There was a spiritual movement where many people took psychics and mediums seriously, while other were continually trying to prove them to be fakes. Some of the fascinating people we encounter are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, John Jacob Astor, Benjamin Guggenheim, WT Stead and the aforementioned Nikola Tesla. The climax of the sinking of the Titanic made for an incredible amount of suspense.

I also loved the Author's Note chapter at the end that explained what was real and what was fiction in the book. I'm usually compelled to do a bunch of research at the conclusion of a historical fiction book, but this was way better, and saved me a lot of Googling at midnight after finishing the book!
I loved this book immensely and now want to read the author's other books.

I can't recommend this book enough! It's fascinating and and the characters are wonderful!

Click here for the author's site.
Check out this cool book trailer:

Anne Mazer. ALL THAT GLITTERS ISN'T GOLD

Abby Hayes has never wanted a cell phone. In fact, when she notices how everywhere she goes, people are on their cell phone, it drives her crazy! She decides she really never, ever wants one! Her entire family agrees.

But one day on the bus, when fancy pants Brianna shows off her new mePhone, Abby is awestruck. She cannot believe a cell phone can be that shiny and wonderful. She instantly wants one.

Then her friends all begin texting each other and taking pictures on their cell phones. Abby is convinced that she must have a cell phone. The only hard part will be convincing her parents.

I heard about this series and thought it would be perfect for my school, since I noticed that we didn't have enough girl books. It's a great series for reluctant readers from around 3rd grade to 5th grade. There are about 20 books in the series. It will certainly fill a need! I know the girls will love Abby Hayes!

Gitty Daneshvari. SCHOOL OF FEAR

SCHOOL OF FEAR is bizarre, witty and so much fun! Four kids with irrational fears are sent to this highly secretive school that professes to be able to cure kids of their phobias. Madeline is so terrified of bugs that she wears a veil and carries bug spray everywhere. Theo is so afraid of dying that he can spout off random safety statistics. Lulu is afraid of confined spaces, while Garrison is great at all sports, except water sports, because he's deathly afraid of bodies of water.

The four kids arrive at school of fear to discover that they are the only four kids enrolled. They expected it to be more like summer camp, with lots of kids. They also didn't expect a former beauty queen has-been to be their "teacher."
Lulu questions Mrs. Wellington by asking her about her credentials. Mrs. Wellington goes on and on about her resume that includes various titles to all types of beauty pageants.

    So Lulu interrupts and says, "I meant your credentials to teach us!"
    "Oh, you silly girl! Teachers don't need credentials. That's an old wives' tale."
    "So you have absolutely no credentials to teach us about fears?" Madeline says in shock.
And here is where the kids begin to get a glimpse into who they are dealing with when Mrs. Wellington replies
    "I assure you that one doesn't need credentials for fears when one has a Fearnasium."

The kids' anxiety grows when they learn about the school's library, which doesn't contain books at all. But of course, it's a Library of Smelly Foods! The school and their teacher grow more and more bizarre, and the kids really begin to question the validity of the whole experience. They wonder how this teacher can cure them when half the time she doesn't even make sense.They wonder why she continues to call them "contestants," why learning good posture has anything to do with fears and finally, why does their food taste so bad!

Two additional characters add to the mystery. Schmidty serves as Mrs. Wellington's butler and an English bulldog named Macaroni is treated very much like a person and gets to eat at the dinner table with everyone else.

The ending is unexpected and enjoyable. Really, you must enroll in the School of Fear! You won't be disappointed!

Lisa Graff Interview & GIVEAWAY!!

Yay! Lisa Graff was kind enough to stop by on her Blog Tour! I got a chance to interview her, and we have a giveaway! Keep reading after the interview for your chance to win a FREE COPY of her new book SOPHIE SIMON SOLVES THEM ALL! (click here for my review of Sophie Simon).

Hello!! Thanks so much for your time. My readers & I appreciate it. I know you’re busy with the success of your previous books. How did it feel to have UMBRELLA SUMMER and THE THING ABOUT GEORGIE named to so many award lists?

Well, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me! I’m thrilled to visit.

I can’t tell you how exciting it’s been to be on so many state lists. It’s a big, big deal for an author, because you know kids are actually reading your books, and that teachers and librarians are behind them, too. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have on my side than teachers and librarians! It means a lot.

I love to ask authors what books they read while growing up. Did you have some favorite authors or genres?

I really enjoyed funny books when I was a kid (and I still do!). A few of my very favorite authors were Roald Dahl (Matilda and The Twits were my favorites), Beverly Cleary, and Louis Sachar. A few years ago I was lucky enough to meet Louis Sachar, and I turned into a giddy fan girl. I could barely remember how to talk! The other books I absolutely devoured as a child were The Baby-Sitters Club books. I think I owned about 60 of them, and I loved them so much I wrote my name in all the covers. When I left for college, my mom made me donate them to the local middle school, which I was furious about at the time, although obviously it was a wonderful thing to do. Anyway, I think it’s funny now, because that same library has lots of copies of books I’ve written, too, so now kids can read books with my name on both the inside and the outside. :)

When did you start writing?

I’ve always written for fun, mostly because my older brother, Ryan, was such a good writer (he writes screenplays), and I wanted to be just like him. When I was in first grade I won second place in a writing contest at school for a story about a birthday party at the zoo which goes disastrously awry when one of the animals gets the hiccups. But I never really took myself seriously as a writer until my freshman year of high school, when two very important things happened. The first thing was that I joined the school writing club, which was lead by Mr. Harrison, who may very well be one of the top five awesome English teachers in the world. Being in that club was so wonderful because it encouraged me not only to produce a lot of work and look at it critically, but it also introduced me to many great friends who also took writing very seriously.

The second important thing that happened to me that year was that my half-brother, Robert, was born. This was important for many reasons, obviously, but in terms of my writing it was significant because I began writing a book for him (the first novel I would ever attempt to write). It took me four years to finish and was absolutely terrible—but terrible or not, it showed me that writing novels (and specifically novels for children) was a lot of fun, and something I might really want to do. That novel was never published (I’m very happy for that), but The Thing About Georgie, which was my first published book, is dedicated to Robert and my other half-brother, David, who is a few years younger.

Did you know you wanted to be a writer while growing up?

I really had no idea, actually. I liked books and reading (my mother is a librarian, so we always had a lot of great books to read), but my favorite subjects in school were math and science, and all growing up I thought I was going to be a doctor. I actually started college as a pre-med student, and it took me a few years to realize that I thought writing was more fun than studying protists (which are eukaryotic microorganisms, in case anyone was wondering. They are not very fun.).

If you weren’t an author, what would you be doing?

I think I would either want to be a children’s book editor (which I was for several years, until I left to write full time) or a high school biology teacher.

UMBRELLA SUMMER is a current popular title in my library, so I’d love to ask about that book first. I love Annie. Was there someone in your life who inspired you to create her? 

I’m so glad you love Annie! That character is mostly based on me as a child, although I wasn’t quite as feisty as she was. That book is probably the closest to my heart, since it came out of an experience I had as a kid. When I was nine years old, my older brother, Ryan, got very sick and was in the hospital for a long time, and even though he got better (thank goodness!) and is perfectly healthy now, I’ve always remembered how scary that time was, and how worried I was not only for my brother, but for myself, too. So it was wonderful to finally be able to write about all of those feelings, and equally amazing to hear that my book has helped some other families in similar situations.

Now about your newest book, SOPHIE SIMON SOLVES THEM ALL. You create the best characters. Sophie is super smart and knows what she wants. She wants to spend time learning, not making friends. How did you come up with the idea for this book?

Thanks so much! Sophie Simon was a character I’d had in my head for many, many years, but I could never seem to find the right book for her. I loved the idea of this super smart little girl who knew how to do absolutely everything—except talk to people her own age. I used to put her into exercises we would do in graduate school (I got my MFA for Creative Writing for Children in 2005), and I even once had a professor say, “This character is wonderful, but you’ll never find a story for her.” It wasn’t until I started thinking of her as sort of a hired problem solver, someone who could solve other kids’ problems, even if she didn’t like the kids themselves, that the ideas really started flowing. Still, it took about four years after that for me to find the right story for her!

I think you’ve set up the beginning of a great series! Are you planning more Sophie books?

I would love to write more Sophie books! I have ideas and outlines for many more Sophie stories, but I’ve been so busy writing other books lately I haven’t gotten a chance to get to them yet. Hopefully soon!

What are you working on now? Can you give us any teasers for any upcoming publications?

Right now I’m revising my next middle-grade novel (for the same age group at Georgie and Umbrella Summer). It’s called Double Dog Dare, and it’s about two kids, a boy and a girl, who are mortal enemies and keep daring each other to do more and more ridiculous things—until they discover that they have something surprising in common. It’s coming out late next year.

On your website, you say that you wanted to legally change your name to Lisa Graff, Great Scientist. Can we hear more about that?

At some point when I was very young, someone informed me that you could change your name when you turned 18, and I thought this was the best thing I’d ever heard. I went through a whole slew of ideas (the only other one I remember is “Cupcake,” but my mother absolutely put her foot down at that one), but “Lisa Graff, Great Scientist” was the one that stuck. I think I even made people call me that for several weeks. My brother will never let me live it down.

Thanks again! I appreciate your time. J

Thanks to you for letting me visit! This has been a blast. I hope your school year goes wonderfully!

 HERE IT IS....for your very own copy of SOPHIE SIMON...

Farrar, Straus & Giroux is giving away a free copy of Sophie Simon Solves Them All to one lucky blog reader! Just send an email to graff.lisa@yahoo.com, along with the name of this blog (Mrs. Hill's Book Blog), for a chance to win (winners will be notified within the week). Or follow along on the rest of Lisa's blog tour for more chances. For the full schedule of stops, visit www.lisagraff.com.

Lisa Graff. SOPHIE SIMON SOLVES THEM ALL

Sophie Simon is a third grader who enjoys learning calculus in her spare time. That alone is pretty unusal. But the really unusual (and funny) thing about Sophie is her parents. They just want Sophie to be "well-adjusted." They feel like all her reading and studying is just not normal for a third grader. Here's one of my favorite parts

Her parents have found an offending item in her backpack:
   "Oh, Maxwell, you won't believe what I've found in our daughters bag! It's a..." She pulled out the item, and her husband snatched it from her.
   "No!" he gasped.
   "Yes!" Sophie's mother cried.
   "It's a textbook!"
   "A college textbook!"
   "Mom," Sophie said. "Dad. I--" But she didn't get a chance to explain.
   "Advanced Concepts in Modern Calculus." her father read. "Oh Aileen, just imagine! Our well-adjusted daughter, exposed to this....educational material! The kind of stuff most adults don't understand!"
   Sophie's mother put a hand on his shoulder. "Now Maxwell, calm down. We don't even know if this book belongs to Sophie. Someone could have slipped it in her bag without her noticing. Let's give her a chance to explain before we get worked up."

It's as if her parents have found drugs in her backpack. It's hysterical! Sophie's parents are obsessed with her making friends. But Sophie is perfectly fine without them. She's only interested in learning. But as she learns more about calculus, she realizes she needs a graphing calculator. Her parents refuse to buy her one. So, Sophie uses her genius brain to work on a plan to get one. One by one, she notices other students with similar  problems. Then her problem solving skills really come in handy. Sophie realizes that she can help other students and get her calculator at the same time.

What a wonderful, silly, smart book! Sophie is a fun character. All the additional characters are just as unique and enjoyable. The illustrations are perfect too! Kids will love Sophie and her creative schemes to help everyone. I know just the students who will appreciate her.

You may recognize Lisa Graff from her book UMBRELLA SUMMER (my review here). That was a great book (current Texas Bluebonnet selection). I look forward to more from Lisa Graff. (Check out her website here.) Her characters are endearing and real. I'm hoping that Sophie is the beginning of a series!
Here is the Book trailer for Sophie

Jon Scieszka. SPACEHEADZ

I adore every single one of  Jon Scieszka's picture books (MATH CURSE, THE TRUE STORY OF THE 3 LITTLE PIGS, ETC). ALL OF THEM!! He's the best! So, when I saw this chapter book of his, I jumped on it instantly. Now I'm sure I had most of you at Jon Scieszka, but for the remaining few, here's the summary:

The book is called Spaceheadz. It's the first day of school for Michael K. and it's not going so well. He's new and he gets grouped with two other very unusual new students. He thinks they're off their rocker and doesn't want to be associated with them. Here are some of the things that he noticed right away:
1. The new girl had eaten half of his only pencil
2. The new boy had just told him they were Spaceheadz from another planet.

It only gets worse as the kids recite commercial jingles throughout the day like: I'm Lovin' it, Just Do it, and Get Ready to RRRRUMBLE!!
They explain to Michael, I'm sorry, I mean their hamster explains to Michael that they are from another planet and they have to recruit 3.4 million earth people to be Spaceheadz or the planet Earth will be turned off. So, you can imagine that Michael was a little flummoxed after hearing this news.
There is another interesting character. Mr. Umber is an agent for AAA (the anti-alien agency) and he's sort of the bad guy, in a fumbling idiot kind of way.

Anyway, you'll love it. AND it's going to be a series! The next one comes out in December. Here's the cover for that:

There are also several awesome websites that go along with the book:

SPHDZ.COM  (go ahead! Sign up to be a Spaceheadz!)**

Anti-Alien Agency (AAA)

And of course, you should check out Jon Scieszka's website here.

**You can get your own Spaceheadz name! Mine is
Instant Margarine-SPHDZ.PH

Lisa Greenwald. MY LIFE IN PINK & GREEN

Lucy Desberg is worried about her family pharmacy. It isn't doing as well as it did in the good old days. Nowadays, people are buying everything at one mega-store, not at a bunch of little stores.While spending her afternoons helping out at the pharmacy, Lucy overhears her mother and grandmother discussing how the pharmacy is in trouble and may have to close down. Lucy can't bear the thought of it closing for good - it's been in their family for generations.

But she doesn't merely worrry, she takes action by implementing new ideas to promote the pharmacy. Her first action happens by accident one Saturday when she saves the homecoming queen's hair on the night of the big dance. Then other teens start coming to Lucy to get their makeup done. Plus, she designs a relaxation room that really catches on with customers. But the biggest act Lucy wants to do to help the pharmacy, she can't do alone. So she enlists her sister to help her. If everything works out, perhaps she really can save her family pharmacy!

This is a fun book that shows girls that they really can make a difference in their lives even at a young age. Lucy is a smart, capable character that I really admire! Lucy's best friend Suny is supportive and a great friend. Suny's brother Yamir is hysterical and quite the character!

I hope to read more from this author. You should check out her fantastic website here. It's really one of the coolest author websites!

Kieran Scott. SHE'S SO DEAD TO US

Ally Ryan had the perfect life. Her parents were wealthy and they lived in an exclusive mansion-filled neighborhood called Orchard Hill. She had a group of close friends that she had grown up with. Then her father caused a huge scandal by nearly bankrupting her friends families with poor investing. Because of the scandal, Ally and her family have to leave suddenly one night. She doesn't even get to say goodbye to her friends.

Cut to two years in the future, Ally's mom gets a job in Orchard Hill, so they move back. It's just Ally and her mom because her father ran off shortly after the scandal. Ally is nervous about her return. She knows what her friends must think of her, but surely they will understand that it was her father, not her, who lost their money.

When Ally gets to town, she makes her way to her old house to take a look and encounters the new occupant, Jake Graydon. He's really cute and seems interested in Ally. However, when Ally's old friends give her the cold shoulder, Jake decides to go along with them.

Will Ally ever fit in again with her old friends, and more importantly, does she even want to now?

This was so much fun! It kept me up reading late at night trying to feverishly get to the end. And let me tell you ~ there better be a sequel!  I loved the little snippets of conversation at the beginning of each chapter. They were gossip of coming events in the chapter. Scott seems to really zero in on exactly what teens are saying and doing. I really enjoy all of her books!

Click here for my reviews of her other books. Here are a few of the covers:

  

Rachel Ward. NUMBERS

The day her mother died, Jem saw numbers in her eyes. She didn't realize until later that those numbers corresponded with the date of her death. She was young and unsure of what she was seeing. But ever since then, when she sees the numbers, she knows what they are. She's even tried to change them by preventing a death. She has never succeeded.

She has trouble forming relationships, because she doesn't like to look in peoples eyes and see how long they have. But then she begins to get closer to someone who really gets her. His name is Spider. They begin spending a lot of time together. One day while at a public event, Jem begins noticing that all the people around them have the same date in their eyes. Today's date. She notices a few creepy things and decides that something big will be happening there in moments. They have to get out of there. She grabs Spider and they run. Moments later, an explosion erupts and kills a lot of people. Unfortunately, video captured them running moments before the explosion, so the cops put their pictures on TV and begin a manhunt. Turns out that the explosion was an act of terrorism, and Jem & Spider are the chief suspects/witnesses. 

Since they've both had their share of trouble with the law, they figure they cops will find something to pin on them, so they go on the run. To make her life even more complicated, Jen knows Spider's numbers and she really wishes she could do something to change them.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book right away. I thought it would be more about Jem's ability, but it wasn't. there is a lot more to the story. It's in England, so it has quite a different feel to it. The surroundings and the dialogue is different and interesting. The mood feels kind of dystopian, although that really isn't the genre at all. It's hard to describe. It's gritty and very unique. It's not an easy read - it's an up close look at teens on the fringe. Teens who definitely aren't on the fast track to college, but rather those who would need a lot of encouragement to finish high school in the first place. The ending is truly shocking!

You won't read anything like it, for sure.  For a debut novel, this is pretty amazing. Plus, I just found out that the sequel just came out. (in England - not sure if it's in the US yet) For more on the author go here 

Here's the cover for the sequel:

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Kate Klise & M. Sarah Klise. DYING TO MEET YOU: 43 OLD CEMETERY ROAD BOOK 1

A famous author of ghost stories named Ignatius Grumply moves into a house for the summer to help him focus on writing. He hasn't published anything in 20 years. He moves in to find that there is an 11-year-old boy living there. In his haste to get the lease signed, he didn't read the fine print. Apparently, he's been roped into taking care of the boy and his cat.

To make matters worse, the boy, Seymour, claims there is another occupant living with them, Olive C. Spense, the ghost of the original owner of 43 Old Cemetery Road.

You might assume that an author of GHOST stories would understand and believe Seymour, but you would be wrong. Ignatius thinks the boy is crazy. Plus, he cannot focus on his writing with all the door slamming and piano playing that goes on.

Will Ignatius Grumply be able to make nice and finish his book or will he be forced out - like all the previous occupants before him?

This is a witty, adorable book. The constant word play had me giggling from page one. The quirky characters kept me intrigued to the very last page. I also enjoyed how the whole story is told in letters. It would be a great way to teach children how to properly format letters. Each character has his or her style and signature to tell them all apart.

The second book in the series has already been published. It's going on my "to read" list!

For more on these authors go here.

Sarah Mlynowski. GIMME A CALL

I loved this one! Wow, it's so much fun! It's one of those adventures that you wish you could live out in real life. Check it out:

Devi is sulking about how her life as turned out. It's a few days before prom, but she's recently broken up with her long time boyfriend Bryan. They were together for almost 4 years. Because of the intensity of that relationship, Devi's best friends drifted away. She no longer had time with them. Now that she's broken up with Bryan, she has no one left. While thinking about how she wishes she could go back in time & re-do some of her decisions, she drops her phone in the "make a wish" fountain at the mall. After clumsily traipsing  through the fountain to retrieve the phone, she turns it on. Of course it doesn't work after being dunked. But then, she pushes a few more buttons and it comes on and calls some girl who identifies herself as Devi. Devi and the other girl go round and round and finally come to the conclusion that they are talking to themselves - four years apart. In other words, Senior Devi has called Freshman Devi.

Oooh, Senior Devi likes this! She figures she can make some changes to really set herself up in the future. But what she doesn't realize is that every decision has a consequence, some good, some not so good. And what if Freshman Devi doesn't want to go along with this plan to re-do her life?

This was a hysterical adventure with lots of plot twists. I love the idea of how one decision can change the whole course of your life. It's really a neat concept executed flawlessly.

I enjoyed a few other books by the lovely Sarah Mlynowksi. Check out the reviews here.

She's written a ton of great books, go here for her website.

Robin Brande. FAT CAT

Imagine cutting out all modern technology (cell phone, TV, computer, cars) AND all junk food (including all pre-made food) at the same time! I'm sure I could handle this for maybe a few days. But imagine doing this for an entire school year!

This is what teenager Cat Locke intends to do. She's determined to win the science fair this year and beat Matt, her nemesis and former best friend. To make a huge impression on the science fair judges, she decides to make herself the experiment. She wants to know if people would be healthier today if we lived as the early hominins (Homo erectus to be exact) from 1.8 million years ago did. If she eats what they did and engages in more physical activity like they did, will she be a healthier person. Would we be a healthier society?

It certainly won't be easy for her. But, since Cat can cook, she plans to cook all her food from scratch using only ingredients available to the ancient hominins. She begins walking to school and work. The withdrawals from sugar, artificial sweeteners and caffeine are rough at first, but she hangs in there. Her revenge against Matt fuels her in the beginning. She's been mad at him since the 7th grade for betraying her. Luckily she has an amazing best friend named Amanda who supports her 100%.

Cat has always been a little overweight. When the healthy eating and exercise cause her to slim down, the boys begin to notice her. Cat decides to take on an additional angle in her research. Are the guys noticing her because of the weight loss or is it her new found confidence?

There are so many wonderful things going on in this book, it's really difficult to articulate it all in this review. Cat is an intelligent, likable character, Her friend Amanda is an incredible best friend and seems like she'd be a lot of fun to hang with. Matt is a neat guy too. Even Amanda's boyfriend is written well. Cat really inspired me, and I hope that she inspires teen girls to think about their health and their bodies. I love the way science, health, confidence, friendship and love are all intertwined in such a smart and wonderful book!

I've heard a lot about the author's other book:

I think I'll have to read it now!



Click here to see more about the book and the author.

Author Interview: ADAM SELZER

Yay! I scored an interview with one of my favorite authors - Adam Selzer. You know him from HOW TO GET SUSPENDED AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE, ANDREW NORTH BLOWS UP THE WORLD, I PUT A SPELL ON YOU, as well as his newest I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT.
So without further delay...

My readers & I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer a few burning questions. I’ll begin with a few of the typical author-type questions.

Did you read a lot as a child/teen? Who were your favorite authors then?

Of course I did! In grade school I was into Daniel Pinkwater, Gordon Korman, Judy Blume and Barbara Park. In middle school I went through a brief Christopher Pike phase before moving onto Dean Koontz, Harlan Ellison, and the Beat Generation guys.

Who are your favorite authors now?

I tend to breathe better when I’m reading Dickens – I’ve read just about all of his stuff now. But I went back to some old Barbara Park lately and couldn’t believe how hilarious it was. Writing funny stuff in middle grade is extraordinarily hard, and she just makes it look effortless. I’ve also been reading the Captain Underpants series with my stepson – I love how many “big” words are in there.  I’ll take my hat off to anyone who can use the word “gastrointestinal” in a chapter book.

I agree that it takes a lot to make middle schoolers laugh. When did you start writing? Tell us about the first story you remember writing.

The first real story I remember was one called Vampires in the Woods that I wrote in second grade – it was about a friend of mine and I going camping and being harassed by a vampire. Everyone in class had to write a story, and we all sort of tried to outdo each other in terms of creativity (a pretty wonderful sort of competition to have).  Every kid in the school had to write a story that would be in a big book that everyone got at the end of the year – I still have my copy!

Wow, so really it was YOU who started the big vampire trend, huh? 
Was HOW TO GET SUSPENDED the first book you tried to get published?

Nope – the first one I tried to publish was called INSTANT KARMA, back when I was a teenager. It was a Dean Koontz-type metaphysical thriller.  I still have it around here, but I’m tempted to destroy it. I don’t think I’m famous enough that people will want to publish every extra scrap after my demise, but better safe than sorry!

How did you realize that you wanted to write for young adults? (It’s way cooler, of course, but are there other reasons?)

When I got started with writing, I thought the YA scene was much more exciting than the adult books that were coming out – and it seemed like they needed more funny books to go along with all of the books about issues. It’s also more of a subversive thrill to be a smartass in a book for younger readers, really.

I bet you have a lot of characters floating around in your head that you haven’t been able to use yet. Describe one for us.

I’ve got this one idea for a kid called Brendan Butte The Poop Salesman. He takes some snake poop to school for show and tell, and some kid offers him a buck for it, giving him the get rich quick scheme of the century…

Now that I'm in an elementary school, I can say with certainty, Brendan would be a huge hit! Do you base your characters on people you know? (we promise not to tell)

I have a t-shirt that says “careful, or you’ll end up in my novel,” but in reality I try to bury anything autobiographical.

Are you as funny in person as your characters?

I have my moments, but most of the time I’m pretty quiet.

You seem to really like history. Was that your favorite class in school?

A couple of semesters it was – it really depended on the teacher and what the assignments were like. It’s very easy to make history boring.

I’ve heard you say that high school really isn’t the best years of your life. Well, if my high school experience was more like HOW TO GET SUSPENDED AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE, it might have ranked higher. What was high school like for you? What “group” did you hang out with?

I went to high school in Snellville, GA, when it was in sort of a transition period between being a total hick town and a middle class suburb. I’d just moved to Georgia from Iowa and going through some culture shock – I didn’t realize that ‘y’all’ was singular (the plural form is “all y’all”).  I got picked on by hillbillies a lot, and no one else seemed that bothered by the fact that the health teacher used his whole class to preach at us. I had plenty of friends (mostly smart, left-of-center sort of kids), but I never seemed to have any classes with them.  In my senior year I switched over to the local “alternative” school twenty miles away – they ran it like a college there. They treated the students like adults and expected us to act like it – and we did. The school had a reputation for being the place where the bad kids, stoners, and pregnant girls went, but in those days it was actually wall-to-wall smart kids.

You grew up in Idaho, right? But you’re in Chicago now? Why did you move?

Iowa, actually - then I did high school and college in Georgia. Georgia never did grow on me, so I left for Chicago right after college. I loved the idea of living in a city where I wouldn’t need a car. I think of moving back to Iowa now and then, but I love that I get paid for talking about Chicago history. No one’s going to pay me to talk about Iowa history. They might pay me to shut up about it, though.

Oops, my bad on the geography, sorry! About the ghost hunting… are you still doing that? Or is writing keeping you busy full time?

For those who don’t know, I worked professionally in the ghost busting industry for a several years – primarily doing historical research and running ghost tours, but with plenty of actual investigating thrown in. I still do it occasionally. I’ve never found anything that really made me believe in ghosts, but poking around old buildings looking for cool stuff is great fun. You’re apt to find plenty of cool stuff besides just dead people – at one old theatre, back in a little alcove we found several lip prints on the wall, which were signed and dated in the 1930s by a vaudeville dance troop.

That does sound fascinating. One more occupational question: If you weren’t a writer, how would you spend your days?

I’d probably still be in retail or restaurant gigs – that’s about all most college degrees qualify you for nowadays.

According to your website, you have a book coming out next year tentatively called Fairy Godmother. Is this a sequel or simply a book with characters we know from Cornersville Trace? Can you tell us about it?

It’s a sequel to both I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT and I PUT A SPELL ON YOU. It’s a comic noir mystery set in the same world as ZOMBIE, featuring musical theatre, vampires, magic spells, con artists, and a whole lot of unicorn poop.  I’m working full time on it lately.

Will you give us a peek into any other books you’re working on?

I’m a bit superstitious about talking about books that haven’t sold yet, but I can tell you about one called TANGLED UP IN BLUE that I think will be out in 2012 – it’s John Hughes-esque story about a girl who gets over an unrequited crush by embarking on a “holy quest” with a couple of misfits who have invented their own religion.

Wow, there's not a topic you won't tackle!

To take a look at all of Adam Selzer's books, check out his website.


For more kicks and giggles, go to the website dedicated to I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT. You will find interviews, reviews, pictures and other goodies. Like this:
<--The pamphlet that Alley reads about converting - it's really too much. LOL!

Adam Selzer. I KISSED A ZOMBIE, AND I LIKED IT

What a hoot!! I've loved all of Adam Selzer's books so far, and this one is no exception. His sense of humor is unique and surprising.

This is another book set in the fictional suburb called Cornersville Trace. (I think all his books are set there, and I find this fascinating and totally something I would do if I was an author). Alley the main character is a smart, witty girl who would never date a guy her age, because they're all idiots. She hangs out with a group called the Vicious Circle. They all write for the school newspaper (actually an online blog). It's called the vicious circle because they make fun of people in brilliant and witty ways. Oh, and they now live in the post-human era. There are still humans, of course. But now all the vampires have come out of the closet, or "coffin" so to speak. It all happened after the Megamart created a bunch of zombies to work as slaves for them. It became such a big deal that the vampires advocated for them and in the process made themselves known, along with the werewolves.

Obviously, all the girls would die to date a vampire or zombie. It's a major status symbol. Alley thinks it's all so stupid...until she meets one herself. She doesn't realize that Doug is a zombie at first. (And I guess this would be a spoiler, if the title didn't already give it away). But after she's already fallen hard for him, she realizes the truth and doesn't care. She even begins considering wildly different options for her life than she had planned all along - all for love.Will she come to her senses or will she be like all the other girls who lose themselves for a guy?

This is a hilarious satirical look at the huge popularity of the undead out there including vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. I found it to be the perfect combination of sweet romance and funky paranormal. Alley is an intriguing character. And the jokes and funny lines! I could go on and on. But you should just read it for yourself!

For more on Selzer, go here for his website. And be sure to check out this website for more about the book (and tons of funny bits). And go here to see all the books I've reviewed by Selzer, which should be all of his books. I think I've read them all; someone let me know if I've missed one!

Gary Paulsen. MUDSHARK

When I think of Gary Paulsen, I think about the outdoors as in HATCHET or his Iditarod books. But Mr. Paulsen has quite the funny bone too. Exhibit #1: MUDSHARK. This is a terribly funny book! I love it!

Mudshark (or properly Lyle Williams) is a talented twelve-year-old. He can find anything. If a kid lost his homework, Mudshark can remember exactly where the kid was 3 days before and what he was doing and therefore place exactly what the kid did with said homework. He's known as the local detective, but Mudshark simply pays attention - way more than anyone else, so he remembers everything. All the kids come to him to find their missing balls, pets, a parent's car, etc.

But when an even bigger mystery begins to develop in the school, the principal himself has to enlist Mudshark's help. Will Mudshark come through on his biggest case yet?

There are so many hysterical aspects in this book, I'm not sure where to begin. Let me just say that among the smarty-pants parrot, the multiplying crayfish, the hidden art connoisseur, the mysterious faculty bathroom and triplet sisters of Mudshark, you will find much to laugh at!

Entertaining and unique! Highly Recommended!

Go here for more about the talented and amazing Gary Paulsen.

Lisa Graff. UMBRELLA SUMMER

Annie Richards lost her brother suddenly. He died from a rare heart condition that no one could have known about. That event caused Annie to because extremely cautious in everything she does. When she bikes she wears not only her helmet, but also various pads and tape for her her ankles. She's even been caught wearing her helmet while walking down the street. She becomes engrossed in a book about preventing disease. She figures since they didn't catch what was wrong with her brother that she could easily catch something too. If she feels slightly bad, she fears she has various conditions like African Sleeping Sickness. Plus, she avoids foods she used to love like hot dogs, because they may have e coli. She doesn't see how this is causing her to miss out on her life and normal 10-year-old fun. Her friends and family notice her caution, but aren't able stop her behavior.
Then a very special neighbor moves in across the street. Mrs. Finch has recently lost someone too, so maybe that's why Annie listens to her. They become friends and Mrs. Finch is able to help Annie see how to embrace life again. And maybe Annie can now help her parents learn to move on after her brother's death too.
This was a lovely, charming and funny book. Annie is quite the character. She is able to make you see how all of her precautions make perfect sense. Her voice fells like an authentic 10-year-old girl.
I also love the sense of community and friendship in this book. You won't regret reading this sensitive, hopeful book.

Click here for more about the author & to check out her other books.

Tom Dolby. SECRET SOCIETY

The prologue intrigues you immediately. A body turns up dead at Cleopatra's Needle in  Manhattan's Central Park. Maybe not so unusual in New York City? However, the small tattoo on the back of his neck in the shape of an ankh, the Egyptian symbol for life, is sort of unusual.  

Three juniors at Chadwick, an exclusive private school in Manhattan,  become friends because they all receive the same cryptic text message directing them to show up at an address at a specified time. 

The find out they've been invited to a special club. They aren't sure why they were picked. The also get the impression they weren't really invited, but actually have become members through coercion. 

Pheobe is new to New York and Chadwick. She figures that it might be a way to make some friends. Nick has heard about this society from his dad over the years and realizes that it's probably his destiny to be a part of the exclusive organization. Lauren is thrilled at first because the society begins granting her secret wishes. However, after a few months of secrecy and hidden agendas, the three teens begin to ask questions. Questions that are looked upon unfavorably by the society. When one new member ends up dead, the three get worried. 

To add more drama, Nick's friend Patch wasn't invited to the society. Patch is a video blogger and decides that he will infiltrate the society. Will this put Patch's life in danger or worse - will all of the teens be in danger when Patch does his digging? 

This was definitely a page-turner! It kept me up late at night. I enjoyed all of the main characters, especially Nick & Phoebe. The ending left me wanting to read the sequel. And I recently found out that it is due out next February.

Click here for more about Tom Dolby and all of his books.