AUGGIE & ME Blog Tour and Giveaway

I'm back! And to celebrate I'm participating in the AUGGIE & ME blog tour and having a giveaway!

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories by R.J. Palacio (August 18, 2015, Knopf Books for Young Readers, ages 8 to 12, 320 pages).

Source: Knopf/Random House

Synopsis: If you've read R.J. Palacio's Wonder, you'll remember August Pullman, or Auggie, the boy with cranio-facial differences. (Here's my review from 2012.)  Previously available only as ebooks, these three first-person companion stories are now gathered in one hardcover volume. They give us an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.

Why I recommend it: Here's what I said about Wonder: "Astonishingly realistic characters populate an inspiring story with short chapters. That format and the clear, straightforward writing help to make a difficult subject easy to handle." And the same holds true for Auggie & Me.  Like Wonder, this is a character-driven book. These kids' voices are so real they jump off the page. And kudos to Ms. Palacio. As K.M. Walton did for YA readers in Cracked, here R.J. Palacio gives us the bully's side of the story, and makes us realize he's human too. I think my favorite story, though, is Christopher's. It's called "Pluto" and it gives us a lot of insight into what Auggie was like before Beecher Prep. 

Favorite lines: "Funny how all our stories kind of intertwine. Every person's story weaves in and out of someone else's story."  (from  "Shingaling," page 281)

R.J. Palacio's website

Follow R.J. Palacio on Twitter

And now for the giveaway: Knopf generously sent me one hardcover of Auggie & Me and one Wonder Journal, so I'm offering them both in a package to one lucky winner. To enter, you must be a follower of this blog and you must comment on this post. International entries welcome. This giveaway ends at 10 pm EDT on Sunday August 30 and the winner will be announced on Monday August 31. Good luck!

And the winner of THE UNLIKELY ADVENTURES OF MABEL JONES is...

I'm happy to announce that according to randomizer the winner of the hardcover of THE UNLIKELY ADVENTURES OF MABEL JONES by Will Mabbitt is....

Cindy 

(of Cindy Reads a Lot)

Congratulations, Cindy! Expect an email from me asking for your mailing address. Readers, if you haven't visited Cindy's blog, Cindy Reads a Lot, you should click on over there pronto!

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Please note that I'll be on a blogging break for at least the next month or so as I try to make headway on a much-needed rewrite of my fourth novel. I'll be back to visiting your blogs in late August. Enjoy the summer and stay cool!                   

THE UNLIKELY ADVENTURES OF MABEL JONES by Will Mabbitt - Guest post and giveaway!

The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt (hardcover, Penguin Random House, June 2015, for ages 8 to 12)

Source: hardcover from Penguin Random House

Synopsis (from the publisher): Have you ever picked your nose? Have you ever picked your nose and EATEN IT? Have you ever picked your nose, eaten it, and, by doing so, opened a portal to a world run by PIRATES?

Mabel Jones has.

Kidnapped, Mabel is forced to serve aboard The Feroshus Maggot with the strangest crew you’ll ever meet. And the captain—an odious wolf named Idryss Ebenezer Split—won’t let her go until she helps the pirates uncover the treasure they seek. 

Mabel’s voyage takes her across the Greasy Pole of Certain Death, into the belly of a whale, and underground to a decrepit crypt. And she does it all…in pajamas!

Why I recommend it: I didn't expect to like this book. It really didn't seem like my cup of tea. Then I started reading. And before I knew it, I was giggling, then snorting, then laughing out loud. A rip-roaring, snarky adventure with a lovable cast of characters. I was most impressed by Will Mabbitt's imagination. And I adore the drawings by Ross Collins. This will appeal to kids who like quirky books and lots of adventure and laughs.

Bonus: Visit the website (http://mabeljonesbooks.com) for a terrific trailer, the cast of characters, and some super-fun activities. Seriously, allow some time to explore. You can even learn how to make invisible ink! 

#MabelJones

And now, for a special treat, Will very kindly wrote an exclusive guest post about his writing process and where he gets his ideas.

Will Mabbitt from the website

Take it away, Will:

I have my best ideas when I am daydreaming. This is usually when I am supposed to be doing something else. This habit really annoys people I am with because it involves me not listening to a word they are saying. My wife will ask something like “Did you hang the clothes up to dry?” and I will reply “How long would it take for a human to be digested by a whale?”

When I get an idea it gets stored somewhere in my head. Then I usually forget it. Sometimes though, the idea will pop out a bit later and I will start writing it down properly. I begin by finding somewhere to write. The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones was written entirely on my daily train ride to and from London Bridge station. Now I mainly write in cafes. I’m writing this in a cafe as we speak. I’ve been here for hours but I’ve only bought one coffee. If the barista gets annoyed I will grudgingly buy the cheapest slice of cake that is available.

Sometimes I know that the words I write will never be used - maybe even this sentence right now will get deleted. If you are reading this then I guess it has made the grade. Sometimes I delete a whole days work. This makes me sad but I know that I need to do this to get to the days where I actually like what I write. 

After the first draft is done I wait for as long as I can manage then print it out and read it to myself. There are usually loads of mistakes. I don’t worry about mistakes when I am writing the first draft. I just want to get to the end. Then before I show it to anyone I start to edit it. I love this part as every single thing I do makes the story better. If there’s enough time I’ll also show it to my older brother. He writes snarky remarks about punctuation and grammar in the margin. He is annoyingly helpful like that. Sometimes I’ll show it to my writing group. They are a lovely bunch who are great at spotting things that maybe I am too close to see.

In the old days that would be the end of the process. The story would get saved on my computer and never read again. Something different happened with The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones. Someone at my writing group showed the first three chapters to an agent. The agent liked it and showed it to a publisher. The publisher liked it and then it became a book.

Now when I’ve finished something I always show it to my agent to check that it doesn’t have anything in it that will enrage my publisher. After all the swearing and violence has been taken out I send it on to my editor. Then I wait. The waiting is terrible. I haven’t been a professional writer very long and I am afraid they won’t like what I have written. Sometimes I think maybe they have got me confused for a different Will Mabbitt and commissioned the wrong book. Sometimes I imagine them all in a meeting laughing at how awful it is. Last time I was waiting for a manuscript back, my wife told me she dreamt I had received an email from my editor which just read: NOT FUNNY. 

Comments like that don’t really help. 

Luckily my editors are really nice and after a brief period of huffing, puffing, and moodily glaring out to sea I usually agree with their points - most of which are fairly minor. Then I change it for the last time. Then it’s done.

I love writing. I think I am very lucky to be able to do it everyday.

Thank you so much, Will! You are lucky to do what you love.  

Now for the giveaway:  One lucky reader will win a hardcover copy of The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones. To enter, you must be a follower of this blog and you must comment on this post. International entries welcome. If you spread the word via Twitter or Facebook (or other social media) please let me know and I'll give you extra chances for each mention. This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm EDT on Saturday July 11 and I'll announce the winner on Monday July 13, 2015. 

THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING by Krista Van Dolzer for MMGM

The Sound of Life and Everything by Krista Van Dolzer (Dial, May 5, 2015, for ages 10 and up) 

Source: I won this book from Literary Rambles and Krista herself.

Synopsis (from the publisher): Twelve-year-old Ella Mae Higbee is a sensible girl. She eats her vegetables and wants to be just like Sergeant Friday, her favorite character on Dragnet. So when her auntie Mildred starts spouting nonsense about a scientist who can bring her cousin back to life from blood on his dog tags, Ella Mae is skeptical—until he steps out of a bio-pod right before her eyes.

But the boy is not her cousin—he’s Japanese. And in California in the wake of World War II, the Japanese are still feared and despised. When her aunt refuses to take responsibility, Ella Mae and her Mama take him home instead. Determined to do what’s right by her new friend, Ella Mae teaches Takuma English and defends him from the reverend’s talk of H-E-double-toothpicks. But when his memories start to resurface, Ella Mae learns some shocking truths about her own family and more importantly, what it means to love.

Why I recommend it: Ella Mae's voice is spot-on. I was completely drawn in by page 2 and felt like Ella Mae and I were old friends. What also impressed me was the deft and graceful way the author handled some tough issues about life and death, balanced with just the right amount of humor. And finally, I've read a great many MG novels and very few of them give me chills anymore (the good kind of chills that tell me I'm reading something truly special). This one did. Especially when I reached the passage Krista talks about below. Historical fiction with a touch of the fantastical, this is a book I will read again.  

Favorite lines: The Japanese man, on the other hand, watched me through the glass. Neither of us said a word, but we still had a conversation.

Bonus: This book would be a great discussion-starter in classrooms.   

Krista's website: http://www.kristavandolzer.com/

Follow Krista on Twitter: @KristaVanDolzer

I asked Krista if she could explain the origin of the title for my readers, and she graciously agreed. Take it away, Krista!

I'm terrible at titles, so when the publisher said they wanted something a little more accessible to MG readers--the title at that time was THE REGENERATED MAN--I was more than happy to oblige. Except I still had no idea what the new title should be. Editor Shauna and I came up with several dozen titles over the course of several weeks, but nothing felt quite right. Luckily, she was doing one last read-through and stumbled across a passage that included the expression "the sound of life and death and everything" (which we ended up shortening to "the sound of life and everything"). Right away, she knew that line had to be the title, and though it took some convincing, I eventually saw the light. (Like I already said, I'm terrible at titles, so I don't always know a good one when I see one.) I'll let you guys read the book to find that passage for yourselves!


Thank you, Krista! It's a great title.  

Have you read The Sound of Life and Everything? What did you think?

MMGM is the brainchild of Shannon Messenger. Visit her blog for more posts.

A blogging conundrum

For the past few months I've been inundated with requests to review books. Inundated, I tell you. Not just one a month, or one a week, but at least one request a day. Is it because so many book bloggers have stopped blogging? Is it because more and more writers are getting published through non-traditional means?






(gif courtesy of Giphy.com)


Whatever the cause, I have to say thank you so very much for thinking of me, but I'm sorry; I can't possibly review--or even read--all the books from all the authors who request it.

Why?

Well, for one thing, I'm human, not a reading machine. Yes, I do read a lot, but there are only so many hours in the day, and I must spend time with my family, do household chores, get some form of exercise every day (I have RA and need to get up and move around), and of course block out time for my own writing and for reading other blogs. And yes, occasionally checking in with Twitter or Facebook.

Furthermore, let's be clear here. I post recommendations, not reviews. This blog only features books I love. Not every book can make the cut. And of course, I'm only one person, with one opinion. Your opinion may differ.

If you're similarly flooded with book review requests, how do you handle it?

Letter from Cassie Beasley and a Giveaway of CIRCUS MIRANDUS

Today's the day! The official release day for CIRCUS MIRANDUS by Cassie Beasley. So many wonderful blogs are participating in the Blogger Blitz; thank you for stopping by mine.

Thanks so much to Word Spelunking for organizing this event. Cassie herself has sent along a very special letter (below) sharing her feelings about seeing her book published and all of the amazing support she has received so far.

More details about the book are below, as well as a Rafflecopter giveaway for a bunch of swag items, courtesy of Penguin Young Readers. Enter for a chance to win at the bottom of this post.

About CIRCUS MIRANDUS:

Author: Cassie Beasley

Publisher: Dial

Release Date: June 2^nd 2015

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JwJsae

B&N: http://bit.ly/1Fxl1d2

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/1Ki3AhB

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1GmvnLy

Micah Tuttle believes in magic, even though his awful Great-Aunt Gertrudis doesn’t approve. Micah believes in the stories his dying Grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying birdwoman, and the magician more powerful than any other—the Man Who Bends Light. Finally, Grandpa Ephraim offers proof. The Circus is real—and the Lightbender owes Ephraim a miracle. With his friend Jenny Mendoza in tow, Micah sets out to find the Circus and the man he believes will save his grandfather. The only problem is, the Lightbender doesn't want to keep his promise. And now it's up to Micah to get the miracle he came for. Readers will fall in love with CIRCUS MIRANDUS, which celebrates the power of seeing magic in the world.

About Cassie Beasley:

CASSIE BEASLEY is from rural Georgia, where, when she's not writing, she helps out on the family pecan farm. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. CIRCUS MIRANDUS is her first novel.

Find Cassie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beasleywrites

Cassie's website: http://cassiebeasley.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8016035.Cassie_Beasley

Here's that special letter from Cassie herself:

Dear Readers,

Ages ago I hung a poster in my room with the words “The Circus Opens Summer 2015” in bold letters across the top. At the time, it seemed that Summer 2015 would never come. Now, miraculously, June 2 is here, and Circus Mirandus is springing up in bookshops all over the country.

In the story, those called to Circus Mirandus feel a change in the wind. They hear music on the air, pipes and drums leading them toward magic and hope and heart’s desires. Eventually they find themselves before the gates, standing, as I am now, on the threshold of somewhere both wonderful and unknowable.

As people read the pages into which I’ve poured so much time and self, I wonder what they’ll think of the world I’ve created. I wonder if they will love it as much as I do. It’s an exciting moment, stepping through these gates into a place I’ve imagined but never seen.

Thank you so much for making this journey with me. Thank you for supporting the book. Thank you, most of all, for believing.

Cassie Beasley

#1 on the Summer Kids’ Indie Next List!

Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers

“Every now and again a book comes along that completely captures my heart and imagination. Circus Mirandus is one of those books.”    

                                             —Laura Donohoe, Malaprops (Asheville, NC)

“This book is chock full of magic and love. Great storytelling, delightful characters—and that cover!”                                    —Francine Lucidon, The Voracious Reader (Larchmont, NY)  

“On one level, the book is a fantastical circus romp… On another, it's both serious and thick with longing… A delicious confection and much more: it shows that the human heart is delicate, that it matters, and that it must be handled with care.”                              —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Now here's what you've been waiting for: the giveaway!

Giveaway information:

There will be 5 winners, and the Giveaway will run from June 2^nd until June 16^th. Winners will receive:

• Signed hardcover of CIRCUS MIRANDUS
• Audio sampler
• Animal crackers
• Bookmarks (pack of 10)
• Poster

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tomorrow....

I'll be participating in the Circus Mirandus Release Day Blitz!

Come back Tuesday for details about Cassie Beasley's much-anticipated MG novel -- and for giveaway details!