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Children’s Book Week Hop

Children's Book Week

Children’s Book Week

Children’s Book Week Giveaway Hop

May 13th – 19th
Hosted by
& I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

What is Children’s Book Week?

Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running literacy initiative in the country. Each year, books for young people and the joy of reading are feted for a full week with author and illustrator appearances, storytelling, parties, and other book-related events at schools, libraries, bookstores, museums, and homes from coast to coast!

For more information please visit: http://www.bookweekonline.com/

Children’s Book Week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. In the school library we do a lot of fun activities to celebrate and of course I give a way autographed books to my students.

The Give A Way is for anyone with a U.S. shipping address.

For this hop I am giving away two prizes.

Finn Finnegan

Finn Finnegan

The first prize is an autographed copy of Finn, Finnegan by Darby Karchut.

Goodreads SummaryFinnegan MacCullen: a thirteen-year-old apprentice with the famous Irish temperament.
Gideon Lir: a legendary Celtic warrior with a bit of a temper of his own.

Secretly, these blue-collar warriors battle the hobgoblins infesting their suburban neighborhood…when they are not battling each other.

Finn (not bleedin’ Finnegan) MacCullen is eager to begin his apprenticeship. He soon discovers the ups and downs of hunting monsters in a suburban neighborhood under the demanding tutelage of the Knight, Gideon Lir. Both master and apprentice are descendents of the Tuatha De Danaan, a magical race of warriors from Ireland. Scattered long ago to the four corners of the world, the De Danaan wage a two thousand year old clandestine battle with their ancient enemy, the Amandán, a breed of goblin-like creatures.

Now with the beasts concentrating their attacks on Finn, he and his master must race to locate the lost Spear of the Tuatha De Danaan, the only weapon that can destroy the Amandán, all the while hiding his true identity from his new friends, Rafe and Savannah, twins whose South African roots may hold a key to Finn’s survival. 

Armed with a bronze dagger, some ancient Celtic magic, and a hair-trigger temper, Finn is about to show his enemies the true meaning of “fighting Irish.”

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

Prize 2 is a copy of this year’s Newbery Winner – The One And Only Ivan. It’s not autographed but it is an awesome read.

Goodreads summary:  Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

 

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment with the following information:

1. Name

2. Title of your favorite Children’s Book

3. Means of contacting you should you win.

4.  Which book would you want if you win?

 

For a list of participating blogs, check out KidLitFrenzy

 
24 Comments

Posted by on May 13, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

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RAK – May 2013

RAK

RAK

RAK is a monthly meme hosted by Book Soulmates. You can join in on the fun HERE.

What is a RAK?For those of you who don’t know, a RAK is a Random Act of Kindness. People sign up with their wishlist and then can look at other people’s wish-lists and send them a Random Act of Kindness. It is really simple, but here are the rules:

COMPLETE RULES RE-CAP:

  • Please read carefully and follow all rules! Thank you!
  • Please sign-up each month that you can participate (and by participate, we mean give as well as receive).
  • Show off your participation by grabbing our RAK button (code is in the right sidebar of the Book Soulmates page).
  • Create a wish list (on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog, etc) and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
  • If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger directly for their information.
  • Once you receive a RAK, send us an our new email to [rakbybooksoulmates @ gmail . com] so that we can update the Google Doc. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SEND EMAILS TO THIS ADDRESS!
  • E-book participation is limited to files being gifted directly to a person from the e-book store. Amazon’s Kindle Store is set up to allow this, as well as the Kobo store and we believe Barnes & Noble with Nook as well.
  • At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K by making a “RAK Wrap-Up” post. This post should include who you SENT gifts to as well who you RECEIVED gifts from.

OPEN TO EVERYONE including all of our INTERNATIONAL brethren!

Remember, there’s always the Book Depository or Fishpond, and they offer FREE shipping!

My RAK wishlist can be found here.  My top five wishes are:

  1. Tequila Mockingbird by Tim Federle
  2. Reached by Ally Condi
  3. Griffin’s Rising by Darby Karchut
  4. The Rhyme’s Library by Kristy Tate
  5. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia

I hope you guys all have a happy RAK month!

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Friday Memes

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Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda’s Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

 

Rump

Rump

 

RUMP: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

Book Beginnings:  ”My mother named me after a cow’s rear end.”

 

Friday 56:  Red’s eyes saddened. I don’t think you’re an idiot Rump.

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on May 3, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Topped Chef by Lucy Burdette Blog Tour

Topped Chef

Topped Chef

I’m honored to be a part of the blog tour for Topped Chef by Lucy Burdette, but I have to be honest.

Between the end of school year crazyness and my wacked out personal life I haven’t finished the book in time for the post. And to make matters worse, the emails with the information for the guest post have disappeared into cyber space.  I take full responsibility. I think I need a personal keeper.  All of that aside, I didn’t want there to be a whole in teh tour, so I’m going to give you my initial thoughts (I was up late last night reading and the only reason I fell asleep before finishing the book is because I’m old and can’t do the late night readings like I used to.)

 

Here’s a summary about the book from Goodreads (you can also win a signed copy from Goodreads, too. Last day to enter is May 3rd)

Summary:  TOPPED CHEF–The third book in the Key West food critic mystery series

Stakes are high when food critic Hayley Snow is tapped as a judge on a reality TV cooking show: The winner could become the next cooking superstar. When another judge turns up murdered, Hayley must figure out who’s taking the contest too seriously–or become the next victim. 

“What fun! Lucy Burdette writes evocatively about Key West and food–a winning combination. I can’t wait for the next entry in this charming series.” Diane Mott Davidson

“The victim may not be coming back for seconds, but readers certainly will!” Julie Hyzy

“All the elements of a winning recipe: Key West, food, and fun! Lucy Burdette’s exquisite plotting and sly prose set her apart.” Julia Spencer-Fleming

This is the third book in the series. I have not read the first two books, but after starting Topped Chef, I plan to go back and read them.  While I generally like to read series books in order (just so I can get to know the characters better) it’s not necessary with Topped Chef.  You can easily follow the story without having read them in order. I’m just surprised that I had not discovered this series before now. It’s just the type of Cozy Mystery I enjoy. A smooth flowing, even paced read.  I really like Haley and I’m looking forward to learning more about her.

Check out Lucy’s post today on Mystery Lover’s Kitchen where she shares a delicious recipe from Topped Chef.  You will also want to check out this great giveaway in connection with blog tour.

Check back in the next day or two for my full review. Release date for the book is May 7th.

 
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Posted by on May 2, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Bout of Books Read A Thon

Bout of Books

Bout of Books

Considering how crazy my schedule is with the end of school just around the corner, signing up for a read-a-thon, might not be the smartest thing to do – but one can try.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team.

I’m not sure what goal I’m going to set – I could go for a book a day if I give up sleep. Though they way I normally look when I haven’t slept would be sure to frighten my students.  Maybe I’ll just leave it open ended and see what happens.

 
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Posted by on April 30, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Blog Tour: The Great Debate

 

literary loom tour

Blog Tour Schedule

 

The Big Debate (Literary Loom #1)

A bizarre corpse . . .
A strange girl . . .
A creepy teacher . . .
A cool invention . . .
Combine these with an old school and a new student anxious to fit in—and the adventure begins.
Fifteen-year-old Josh’s big mouth gets him in trouble at first. But after walking in the shoes of great men of history in the Literary Loom, he uses that mouth to bring down the bad guy and ultimately solve the mystery behind the murder—and the strange girl.

 

Amazon * Amazon Kindle

Author Carolyn Twede Frank

Carolyn has always liked to create. There were always gardens full of beautiful plants in her life, plenty of frilly, homemade dresses for her daughters—and don’t leave out the puppets. Ever since third grade, Carolyn also liked to write. She is the author of Promises, a teen historical fiction novel, and the author/illustrator of two children’s picture books. Carolyn lives in Utah with her husband and teenage daughter, where she runs her puppet-related business in between family time and writing time.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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2 Comments

Posted by on April 30, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

ARC Review: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

FTC Discolsure:  I received a free copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Goodreads SummaryMore than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings — merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing — kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery — one that will change Rithmatics — and their world — forever.

I really love Sanderson’s Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians so I thought I might like this book.  I didn’t, not really. And it’s a bit difficult to pin point why. The concept of an alternate earth where people have the ability to create magical drawings was an interesting one, but one that didn’t quite flesh out.  I spent a great deal of the book confused. Perhaps it needed more of a back story? As for the diagrams of the chalklings, I found them to be more of a distraction and they really didn’t help my confusion at all.  I never connected in any way with the characters. Yes, I’m a reader that needs to be moved by the characters. I don’t have to like them, but I have to be interested in their story.

It’s possible that this is simply a story that wasn’t meant for me.  I think I will just stick with the Alcatraz books.

 
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Posted by on April 25, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

World Book Night (Day)

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief

You may already know that yesterday was World Book Night (or World Book Day if you are an elementary school librarian.

Thanks to the generous sponsors of this program, I was able to present 20 students with a free copy of The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.  It’s always a good day when I can put a book in a child’s hands.

 
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Posted by on April 24, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Friday Memes

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Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda’s Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

 

There Was An Old Woman

There Was An Old Woman

There Was An Old Woman by Hallie Ephron

Book Beginnings:

Mina Yetner sat in her living room, inspecting the death notices in the Daily News.  She got through two full columns before she found someone older than herself.

 

Friday 56

Evie texted him backa terse “Sorry, can’t make it,” shoved the phone back in her pocket and got back to work.

 
6 Comments

Posted by on April 19, 2013 in Uncategorized

 

Review: The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders

Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop

Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders

Goodreads Summary: Welcome to the most magical house in London. 

The family of eleven-year-old twins Oz and Lily have inherited it, together with the mysterious shop downstairs. Long ago, the shop’s famous chocolate-makers, who also happen to be Oz and Lily’s great uncles, were clever sorcerers. Now evil villians are hunting for the secret of their greatest recipe. The terrifying powers of this magic chocolate have the ability to destroy the world.  

Soon, Oz and Lily are swept into a thrilling battle, helped by an invisible cat, a talking rat, and the ghost of an elephant. It’s up to them to stop the villians and keep the magical chocolate recipe out of harm’s way. Their family and the world depends on it.

I loved this book, but I have to warn you.  The title might make you think this a sweet story about a candy shop. Not so. It’s got murder (yea, I know a tad disconcerting for an elementary age level book but there are no violent details) magic, international intrigue, a rather lovable villain, talking animals (including an immortal, invisible body glitter wearing cat) and dyslexia.  Saunders magically weaves it all together to make an engaging, easy read.

A villain is redeemed, a young girl discovers hidden courage and the knowledge that she is more than her dyslexia and of course the world is saved – all by 11 year old children.  What child wouldn’t love this book? It would be an excellent choice for a classroom read aloud.

I checked this book out from the public library because I thought it might be a good title for my Mock Newbery club in the fall.  Though the writing is certainly good enough for the Newbery (IMHO), it isn’t eligible since Saunders is not an American author.  However, I know my students will love this book and I’ve already ordered two copies for the library.

 

 
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Posted by on April 7, 2013 in Uncategorized

 
 
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