Give-Away And Series Spotlight

Today I'm spotlighting the Edgar-and Agatha Award-nominated book, The Wizard of Dark Street and its sequel, The Magician's Tower all written by Shawn Thomas Odyssey. These are all part of the Oona Crate Mystery Series.

Since I'm a few days late with my MMGM post I'm also going to be giving away one copy of The Magicians Tower!! How's that for some magic?

About The Book: Oona Crate was born to be the Wizard’s apprentice, but she has another destiny in mind.

Despite possessing the rare gift of natural magic, Oona wants to be a detective. Eager for a case to prove herself, she wants to show her uncle—the Wizard of Dark Street—that logic is as powerful as magic. But when someone attacks the Wizard, Oona must delve even deeper into the world of magic to discover who wanted her uncle dead.

Full of magic, odd characters, evil henchmen, and a street where nothing is normal, The Wizard of Dark Street will have you guessing until the very end. —Goodreads

First Line: On the fourth of November, 1876, the Wizard of Dark Street placed rthe following advertisement in the classified section of the New York Times:

                  WANTED: ONE WIZARD'S APPRENTICE.

What Other's Have Said: *Starred Review* "Odyssey's lyrical descriptions ("It was a place as ancient as the wind, where candlestick trees replaced light posts, and street clocks told jokes as well as time") and consummate world-building result in a wonderfully fresh fantasy-detective story." —Publishers Weekly

Bloggers:

Ageless Pages Reviews

Books For Your Kids

About The Book: Despite her extraordinary magical abilities and sleuthing skills, Oona Crate’s detective agency has failed to take off. But a new challenge captures her attention—The Magician’s Tower Contest.
Held every five years, no one has ever completed the array of dangerous tasks (such as racing on flying carpets or defeating a horde of angry apes). As the competition commences, a case emerges. A rare punchbowl—one with unparalleled magical powers—has disappeared from the carnival surrounding the Magician’s Tower. If Oona can find the culprit, she could use the bowl to answer her question about her mother’s and sister’s tragic deaths so many years ago—was she really at fault?

First Line: One the sixth of March, 1852, historian Arthur Blackstone gave the following speech to the  Historical Society in New York City. "Like the houw hand on a clock, Dark Street spins through the Drift."

What Others Are Saying: This clever sequel to The Wizard of Dark Street (2011) features an admirable heroine and an original plot laced with logic puzzles. Fantasy lovers will have a great time with this one. —Booklist
A traditional mystery structure and word puzzles mix nicely with action-packed magical stunts. Michael Buckley's The Sisters Grimm readers will find this series worth following.  —School Library Journal

Bloggers: 

GEO Librarian (Giving away the same book, only 8 hours left to enter!) 

Escaping Reality
The Hopeful Heroine

What I Thought: Confession; I haven't finished them yet. What I have read, I'm enjoying and love the mystery linked with magic. Odyssey has an incredible imagination and, as you will learn, extremely talented.

About The Author:
Shawn Thomas Odyssey

Website
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Who:For eight mysterious years Shawn Thomas Odyssey labored extremely long hours in a 140-seat (and rumored to be haunted) professional theatre in Santa Barbara, California. There he worked as an actor, a musician, a stagehand, a set builder, a scenic painter, casting coordinator, and was the person they sent into the dank, dark underbelly of the theatre to find rusty old props and spider infested wigs.

Upon his perilous escape from this life of daring stagecraft, he began an equally death-defying career as a music composer for film, television, and video games, creating scores for HBO’s Deadwood, and the Activision/Dreamworks video game Kung Fu Panda.

As if these daunting careers were not enough, he sought out even more fearsome territory by writing all kinds of treacherous stories, plays, and books, and acquired a tireless obsession for research into a subject he likes to call “the Dark Street phenomenon.” He is married to a mysterious dancer whom he met while working at the haunted theatre, and along with a passion for collecting magic wands, he enjoys playing unusually dangerous music in a band whose name to this day remains a tightly held secret.

Shawn lives in California. —Website

And now for the giveaway!

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MMGM: Alligators Overhead by C. Lee McKenzie

Date Published: July 1, 2012
ISBN: 1432784730
Genre: Middle grade, fantasy,
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
Themes: fantasy, friendship, magic, ecology, mystery, wildlife
Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

About The Book: Alligators, witches and a spooky mansion aren't your average neighbors unless you live at the edge of the Ornofree swamp in the backwater town of Hadleyville. The town's bad boy, Pete Riley, may only be twelve, but he's up to his eyeballs in big trouble, and this time he isn't the cause. This time the trouble arrives when a legendary hundred-year-old mansion materializes next door and the Ornofree alligators declare war to save their swamp from bulldozers. Things only get worse when Pete's guardian aunt and several of her close friends vanish while trying to restore order using outdated witchcraft. Now Pete must find the witches and stop the war. He might stand a chance if his one friend, Weasel, sticks with him, but even then, they may not have what it takes.

First Line: Pete chewed on what was left of his right thumb nail, stared up at the round-faced clock above Aunt Lizzy's and watched it tick off his last minutes of freedom.

What Others Are Saying:  "McKenzie pens a swampy middle-grade story full of humor, hauntings, quirky characters and a mystery that continues to develop to the very end.

"The folksy diction and lyrical, verb-heavy storytelling will leave readers turning the pages all the way to the end, where big surprises await and the real villains are revealed. A short, fun story that will excite both young and old imaginations." —Kirkus Reviews

Book Bloggers Weigh In:
Annie McMahon
Novellarella
There's A Body In The Library
Teach Mentor Texts

What I Thought: I always like to share when I find a great boys read. The action is very fun with lots of twists and turns. I really liked the messages of environmental responsibility and respecting habitats. It was difficult imagining talking alligators but I believe that is just my own weakness in the imagination department. It was a fun read.

My Analysis:

1. POV: Third-person limited omniscience: participant
2. 210 pages
3. The Hook: Mysterious things begin happening, the crowning incident being a mysterious call telling him that said, "Today is the day, Peter Riley."
4. Inciting event: A mansion appears in the vacant lot.
6. Voice: In spite of the fact it is in third person, Pete's voice comes through in the way he describes things and his thoughts.

About The Author: 
C. Lee McKenzie
Website
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Who:  In her other life--the one before she began writing for teens and younger readers--C. Lee was a teacher and administrator at California State University, San Jose. Her field of Linguistics and Inter-cultural Communication has carried her to a lot of places in the world to explore different cultures and languages. She can say, “Where’s the toilet?” and “I’m lost!” in at least five languages and two dialects.

Her idea of a perfect day is one or all of the following: starting a new novel, finishing writing a blockbuster novel, hiking on a misty morning trail in the Santa Cruz Mountains, saying Namaste after a great yoga practice, sipping a cappuccino topped at a bustling café, reading in front of a fire with snow outside, swimming in an ocean someplace.

Check out the other MMGM reviewers in my sidebar!

Next Week: Joy of Apex by Napatsi Folger

Project Madison Website Launch and MMGM Review

That's right. Yesterday, the Project Madison Website went live. Besides some great content, you'll find contests, activities and podcasts. The sneak preview of chapter one is ready to be downloaded or listened to. This is so exciting. I look forward to hearing what you think.

Project Madison Website 


And now for your MMGM Review

About The Book: The exciting adventure of a resourceful boy who discovers his hidden gift as a fortune-hunting pirate
Fish--nicknamed for his incredible swimming abilities--is a twelve-year-old boy from a poor farming family. After taking a job as a courier for his uncle, Fish is waylaid by pirates, who steal the package he's carrying. He soon learns that it's the key to locating the Chain of Chuacar, a legendary treasure. As he works to earn the trust of Cobb, the fortune-hunting captain of the Scurvy Mistress, Fish learns of a mutiny headed by a nasty pirate called Scab. With time running out to find the Chain, Fish and some fellow shipmates still loyal to Cobb must thwart Scab's dastardly plan.

Cover Art: Jake Parker 
Website
Blog
Great Interview

First Line: The rain had been falling heavily for weeks.

One Great Line: "The line dragged him through a multicolored underwater world full of purple, fernlike, waving plants, giant yellow rocks covered with small grooves and channels, fish of all shapes and colors and sizes." (154)

What Others Are Saying: "Mone seamlessly integrates factual information into his tale of friendship, loyalty, and exploration. As Fish travels from farm to city to ship, he discovers his place in the world, and his moral compass helps to ground and direct the story." -School Library Journal

"Chock full of real historic curiosities about pirates, sly humor for grownups, excellent action scenes and general quantities of swash and buckle, Fish is a great, self-contained addition to the canon of fun pirate fiction. Perfect for young readers, even better for reading aloud at bed-time, thanks to the plentiful cliff-hangers." -Cory Doctorow


Kid Review: "I liked Fish and how he felt so good swimming in the water and that it made him different than his family but ended up being what saved his family. I also really liked the big quiet Pirate, Moravius. I never knew pirates were kind of like a family." -Dylan, age 7

What I Thought: This adventure gets off to a fast start and doesn't slow, ever. Each chapter ends in a cliffhanger that leaves readers and listeners begging for more. A great read-aloud, characters jump off the page as Mone describes unique quirks and physical characteristics. The mucky wet and smelly pirates permeate each page so vividly your nose crinkles as if you're standing on the slippery deck. 

About The Author: Gregory Mone
Website
Blog

Who: Gregory Mone comes from an Irish-American family of swimmers and storytellers. There were no pirates in the family, but some details in Fish were borrowed from family history. Maurice "Fish" Reidy was named for Gregory's grandfather, and though the real Maurice wasn't much of a swimmer, he did cross the ocean on a boat when he immigrated to the United States from Ireland. Gregory's grandmother Brigid was forced to leave her family farm when their horse, Shamrock, died. She, too, came to America and, like Fish, had to send money back home to support her family.

Striking A Balance Between Planning and Surprise: An Interview with Daniel McInerny

Why do you write for children?

I love writing middle grade fiction because it’s addressed to kids ready for a more nuanced narrative and emotional palette, but who haven’t yet been inveigled out of their natural sense of innocent enchantment about the world. That sense of enchantment includes a robust spirit of adventure and mystery, as well as a love of comedy. All of those ingredients make middle grade the perfect mix for me.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a writer.

I’m a not-quite-48-year-old husband and father of three who lives in Northern Virginia not terribly far from Washington, D.C. I am a native of South Bend, Indiana (just downriver from Patria), a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (BA in English), and a holder of a PhD in philosophy. I spent nearly 18 years teaching and working at various universities in the United States, and just over a year ago left academia and launched Trojan Tub Entertainment.


I have been writing fiction all of my adult life, but only recently have begun to publish. I don’t only write children’s fiction. Last month I published my first novel for adults, a dark comic thriller called High Concepts: A Hollywood Nightmare. I also write short stories and screenplays and am currently at work on a radio play for a competition sponsored by the BBC.

See My Review Here!

What was the inspiration for your Kingdom of Patria series?I am a great fan of the comic stories of P.G. Wodehouse. In praising Wodehouse’s tales of feckless bachelors and wise butlers, Evelyn Waugh spoke of Wodehouse as creating a “fairy tale” world. It occurred to me that it would be fun to turn Waugh’s comment on its head and set out to create a fairy tale world that aspired to be as comical as the books of Wodehouse. My Patria stories are first and foremost meant to be laugh-out-load funny. Their plots revolve around adventure and mystery, but the tone is always light and fluffy. Their humor owes a lot to Wodehouse, but also to that of Roald Dahl, as well as J.K. Rowling in the more whimsical portions of the Harry Potter books. One of my reviewers on Amazon compared Stout Hearts & Whizzing Biscuits to the film version of Ian Fleming’ children’s novel, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I like that comparison. Rob Reiner’s film, The Princess Bride, from a script by William Goldman, also masterfully hits the tone I am striving for.

Tell us about your process.

I will usually get an almost hopelessly vague but nonetheless exciting germ of an idea and then follow it up with a lot of note-taking and outlining before actually getting going on composing the story. My Patria books involve a lot of characters mixed up in complicated, farcical plots, so that it’s simply not practical to plunge in like Hemingway and start writing to see where the story leads. If I proceeded in that way, I would eventually have to stop and start note-taking and outlining, because again, my stories have too many moving parts to keep straight without some kind of roadmap (to mix my metaphor).

The trap for me is that I can linger too long over the note-taking and outlining, becoming too left-brained about the process. I thus have to strike a balance between the desire to plan and know every aspect of the plot beforehand and the need to just start writing and let my imagination surprise me. I’m better than I used to be at striking this balance, but I still, with every project, reach a point where I become too analytical and where I need to simply put aside the notes and outlines and start writing.

  

What does a typical writing day look like?


I’m a morning writer. Afternoons when a deadline presses. Practically never in the evenings. These days I start pretty early and write until about mid-day.

Where is your favorite place to write?

The ideal for me is to be able to write anywhere, to be prepared to put words on paper even if my regular routine is upended. That being said, I enjoy writing in my home office the most. That’s where I am most comfortable and disciplined. I like being surrounded by all my books, having Internet access if I have to look something up or I want to read the paper during a break, and being able to go downstairs at will for a cup of coffee or tea.

Public spaces, like a Barnes & Noble, can work well for background work and a change of scene, but it takes a great deal of concentration for me to actually compose fiction in such a setting. Sometimes I do, but rarely.
What did or do you find most challenging in creating the story and getting it published? What do you wish you would have known?

These days, there’s really no reason to experience any significant trouble in self-publishing one’s books (as I do). Advances in digital technology and the new distribution platforms provided by Amazon and others make publishing a breeze. The real challenges come with the marketing.

I wish I had learned a little earlier than I did that the best kind of marketing is “content marketing,” i.e. providing rich fictional and other entertainment and informational content, some of it for a price, but a lot of it for free, in order to draw my audience in. The free content on the Kingdom of Patria site--the short stories, the activities that the two clubs are involved with, the character blogs, the Kingdom of Patria Storytime Radio--all helps kids and parents become familiar and comfortable with my brand. 

I've heard it said that from the Internet people are looking for either information or entertainment. A lot of self-pubbers do a great job at content marketing through information, "How To" articles and the like. All that is great and I consume a fair amount of it and produce some too, but my favored approach is to entertain by providing free fictional content. That's what interests me most and what I feel I'm best at.
What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

“A writer is someone who writes.” That’s an unromantic, lunch pail, craftsman’s take on what it means to be a writer, and I think it’s the best advice that any writer can begin with and return to.

When it comes to entire books on writing, I like Dorothea Brande’s Becoming A Writer, Stephen King’s On Writing, Robert McKee’s Story, and Flannery O’Connor’s Mystery and Manners.

Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?


I could tell you about it, but then I would have to send the Knights of the Blue Sock out to hunt you down! :)

Among other things I do have a new children’s book brewing. I’m just getting started with it. All I’m able to say is that it’s a kind of prequel to the two Patria novels I’ve released. Why should George Lucas and Peter Jackson have all the fun!

What advice would you give others that write for children?

First and foremost I would urge them to enjoy the process, to play with the story, to let one’s own childlikeness (not childishness) come through in the writing. Second, to keep in mind that children’s literature is not only for children, but should be of such a quality that it can be enjoyed by anyone. Third, not to introduce children, in the hopes of being “relevant” or “edgy,” to aspects of the adult world that are beyond their maturity level.

Everyone is always welcome to the Kingdom of Patria! You can also keep up with the news from Patria by “liking” the Trojan Tub Entertainment Facebook page. Daniel McInerny can be found on his blog at the Kingdom of Patria, at his author site,danielmcinerny.com, and on Twitter: @kingdomofpatria.

MMGM Giveaway: Stout Hearts And Whizzing Biscuits by Daniel McInerny

Book One 

About The Book:  When Oliver Stoop, age 11, moves with his family to a remote piece of land in northern Indiana, he soon discovers that someone is already living there - an entire kingdom of someones, in fact. These are the good citizens of Patria, a secret land founded by refugees from the Trojan War who sailed across the Atlantic in a reconfigured Trojan Horse - 3,000 years ago!
     For Oliver, Patria is a land of wonders - and for the first time in his life, friendship. There's young Prince Farnsworth Vesuvius, inventor of the Magna-Pneumatic Whizzing Biscuit Blaster, and his formidable sister, Princess Rose, whose inedible, stone-hard biscuits provide the blaster's ammunition. But there's also the rest of the eccentric and lovable Patrian Royal Family, the boy warriors in the Potawatomi Indian Camp, not to mention the Viking kids from the Geat Village, newcomers to the area who only arrived 1,000 years ago.
    Yet when the noble Knights of the Blue Sock threaten to drive off the Stoops by force of arms, Oliver has to decide where his loyalties lie, and whether he has the courage to undertake the quest that is both Patria's, and his family's, last, best hope of peace.
   Join Oliver now as he discovers a new world of fun and excitement right in his backyard!   —Amazon

Book Two

Illustrator: Theodore Schluenderfritz

Website

Imagekind

First Line: Every once in a great while—perhaps no more than once—life hits you over the head with an adventure. 

One Great Passage:  "I want you to draw up a list of rhymes for the names Farnsworth and Oliver.”
“Very good, Your Majesty. May I I immediately suggest, for Master Farnsworth, “yarn’s worth, barn’s dirt, and darn squirt”?

What Others Are Saying:  "The adventure is amusing and fast paced. I appreciated that it stays fairly light—although the mystery is important, you don’t get the “OMG the world is going to END!” feel that so many books for tweens have." —Reads 4 Teens

"This story is filled with unconventional characters and circumstances that reflect the imagination of the Author Daniel McInerny. an enchanting read for middle grade children and for adults as well."—Confessions of A Reader

What I Thought: Author, Daniel McInerny has created the ultimate adventure for Tweens—one that never ends. How has he done it? He begins with an eleven-year-old character that's curious and has the bravery to back it up. Add to that an entire kingdom at the edge of his property, a mystery to be solved and a quest and Oliver is the one that can sort it all out.  Like Oliver you will find yourself confused as you start to piece together what is going on, all the characters and a huge shot of alternate history. Once you get your bearings you will find this story difficult to put down, which makes it incredibly convenient that it is an ebook. But, that's not all, the adventure continues online with added content, character interaction and games. Instead of closing the cover and impatiently waiting for the sequel Tweens will engage actively with the story and the author, taking an active role in creating and interacting with the world of Patria. 

Good News: Book two is already out! Stoop of Mastadon Meadow

Interactive Website: Kingdom of Patria

About The Author: Daniel McInerny 

Who: Daniel McInerny, founder and CEO of Trojan Tub Entertainment and honorary member of the order of the Blue Sock, is a native of South Bend, Indiana (just downriver from Patria). He holds a PhD in philosophy, and taught for many years at various universities in the United States. He currently lives in Virginia with his wife, Amy, and his children, Lucy, Rita and Francis. He also writes the blog, High Concepts, devoted to the arts, entertainment and culture. —Ignitum Today

This is an exciting development in book publishing. It's not just about the book anymore. I will be interviewing Daniel in the very near future. You won't want to miss it.

Be sure to check out all the other awesome MMGM posters. You can find them in my sidebar!


Be sure to leave a comment before next Monday to be entered into a drawing for the free E-book!  

Give-Away & MMGM: Nate Rocks The Boat by Karen Pokras Toz

About The Book: The Adventure Continues...With fourth grade finally winding down, 10-year-old Nathan Rockledge is looking forward to a fun and relaxing summer at home with his friends. That is, until his mom decides he has to go to overnight camp with his annoying older sister. When his best friend, Tommy, decides to tag along, Nathan thinks maybe his summer won’t actually be so bad. After all, he does get to be away from his mom's awful cooking for an entire six weeks. Amongst Color War competitions, a flaky counselor, and a bully named "No-Neck,” Nathan turns to his trusty sketchpad, transforming himself into Nate Rocks: 10-year-old extraordinaire. His speedboat ready for action, Nate saves the day time and agan from the perils of floods, snakes, ghosts, and even the most wanted criminals. Join Nathan, Tommy, Abby, and a whole new cast of characters as Nate Rocks once again proves nothing can hold him back. -Goodreads
First Line: "But, why Mom?"
One Great Line: "The children's menu is on the back along with some games," the waitress said pointing to the placemats.
    Really? Going into fifth grade and she thinks Tommy and I are only interested in grilled cheese sandwiches in the shape of boats. Not to mention the fact that I am so hungry I feel like I could eat five burgers.


What Others Are Saying: “Nate Rocks is back and better than ever! This is a must have for the young readers in your life!” -Stacey Rourke, Author of The Gryphon Series 


"Karen Toz has done it again! It's very difficult to find a book that boys will love. Nate fills the bill. This is the second installment in the Nate series. It's fantastic to read about a great kid who knows how to use his imagination. There is a great lesson about friendship in this book. The lesson is given in a fun to read manner. Kids, especially boys, will love this book. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for Nate's next adventure." -Donna Lawrence, Book Lovers Paradise

What I Thought: You know what I love about Nate? His frank and honest tone. Jake's tween view of the world is exactly the right combination of sardonic spark and hopeful optimism.  This is the perfect book for boys who need to have something happening on every page, either adventure or hilarious banter.  

Other books: Nate Rocks The World- See my review and Interview with Karen here. 
   

About The Author:
Karen Pokras Toz
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Who: Karen Pokras Toz is a writer, wife, and mom. Karen grew up in the small town of Orange, Connecticut and graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Finance. She also attended the University of Richmond, where she studied law and business, receiving both a JD and an MBA. Karen is a member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Karen lives in Montgomery County, PA with her husband and three children.


Be sure to check the other awesome MMGM reviewers in my sidebar.


Come back tomorrow for the second half Socia's look at Twitter.


Wednesday: Interview with Jodi Meadows

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MMGM: Crush by Gary Paulsen

Release Date: May 8, 2012
About The Book:Readers met the comical Kevin in Liar, Liar and Flat Broke. Kevin gets serious about Tina Zabinski, the Most Beautiful Girl in the World. Finally, finally, he's worked up his courage—he's going to ask her out. Or will his trademark scheming get in his way?


First Line: I'm the most romantic guy you'll ever meet.


One Hilarious Line: That plastic-looking, fake-named, phony-friendly doofus wasn't going to waltz into my school and take my girlfriend away from me. (10)


What Others Are Saying: "Kevin takes his understanding
 of the scientific method and attempts to apply to it learning 
about romance. His naivete and innocence about relationships 
and dating makes not only this character, but even his crazy 
antics all the more endearing. The girls who were bored by Hatchet will love Crush." -Mrs. Bond on Goodreads


What I Thought: There are few books that make me literally laugh out-loud and this one did. I don't think there was a page that lacked something outrageosusly funny. Middle school readers will love every minute of Kevin's experiments of love. I hadn't had a chance to read Kevin's other adventures and I definitely want to pick them up,now. Paulsen really has an authentic middle grade voice and makes this story believable.

About The Author: Gary Paulsen


Who: Born May 17, 1939, Gary Paulsen is one of America's most popular writers for young people. Although he was never a dedicated student, Paulsen developed a passion for reading at an early age. After a librarian gave him a book to read — along with his own library card — he was hooked. He began spending hours alone in the basement of his apartment building, reading one book after another.

Running away from home at the age of 14 and traveling with a carnival, Paulsen acquired a taste for adventure. A youthful summer of rigorous chores on a farm; jobs as an engineer, construction worker, ranch hand, truck driver, and sailor; and two rounds of the 1,180-mile Alaskan dog sled race, the Iditarod; have provided ample material from which he creates his powerful stories.-Random House
How: Writing is so much a part of the way I live that I would be lost without the discipline and routine. I write every day—every day—and it gives me balance and focus. Every day I wake up, usually at 4:30 a.m., with the sole purpose of sitting down to write with a cup of hot tea and a computer or a laptop or a pad of paper—it doesn’t matter. I’ve written whole books in my office, in a dog kennel with a headlamp, on more airplanes than I can remember, on the trampoline of my catamaran off the shores of Fiji—it never matters where I write, just where the writing takes me.-Random House

MMGM: The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman

About The Book: The first time his father disappeared, Tucker Feye had just turned thirteen. The Reverend Feye simply climbed on the roof to fix a shingle, let out a scream, and vanished — only to walk up the driveway an hour later, looking older and worn, with a strange girl named Lahlia in tow. In the months that followed, Tucker watched his father grow distant and his once loving mother slide into madness. But then both of his parents disappear.

Now in the care of his wild Uncle Kosh, Tucker begins to suspect that the disks of shimmering air he keeps seeing — one right on top of the roof — hold the answer to restoring his family. And when he dares to step into one, he's launched on a time-twisting journey — from a small Midwestern town to a futuristic hospital run by digitally augmented healers, from the death of an ancient prophet to a forest at the end of time. Inevitably, Tucker's actions alter the past and future, changing his world forever.

First Line: The first time his father disappeared, Tucker Feye had only just turned thirteen.


What Others Are Saying:"This might be Hautman’s most daring book yet. Throughout, Hautman raises significant issues concerning family, faith, and destiny. Well-developed and complex characters, a fascinating time travel framework (including dispatches from the far future), and a heart-stopping conclusion will leave readers looking forward to the next book." —Publishers Weekly(starred review.)

Vivid imagination and deft storytelling make for refreshing speculative fiction in this time-travel tale... Part science fiction, part adventure, part mystery, but every bit engrossing; be sure to start the hold list for the sequel. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

What I Thought: Since I hadn't read any of Hautman's earlier work, I didn't have anything to compare to. There's a lot going on in the first book in the Klaatu trilogy series. World building, mystery spinning and   intense adventure that captivate the reader. Of course, my favorite part is the time travel because I love that stuff! Tucker is no simple character as he navigates between challenges with no easy answers. Often you're left wondering what else could possibly go wrong. While I'm not normally a science fiction reader, I enjoyed Hautman's ability to bring so many places and times together. Either that or my watching Dr. Who with my husband has opened the sciencey-fictiony part of my brain.  

About The Author: 
Pete Hautman

Website
Blog:Pete Hautman Says...
Twitter:@petehautman

Publisher: Candlewick

Who:  I was born in 1952 in Berkeley, California. I lived in the Bay Area until I was five, by which time I had three younger siblings. In 1958 we moved to St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where my parents continued to produce offspring. By 1964 I had four brothers and two sisters. I attended Cedar Manor Elementary School (also the alma mater of Al Franken and the Coen brothers), and eventually graduated honor-free from St. Louis Park High School.

For the next seven years I attended college, first at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, then at the University of Minnesota, where I took nearly every one-level class offered, but very few three- or five-level classes. I left college without graduating, but knowing a little bit about nearly everything, and a great deal about absolutely nothing. That superficial education now serves me well at cocktail parties, and as a novelist.

After college I worked various jobs for which I was ill-suited, including sign painter, graphic artist, marketing executive, painter cap salesman, pineapple slicer, etc. Eventually, having no better options, I decided to write a novel. I finished writing Drawing Dead in 1991. Two years later it was published by Simon & Schuster. -Pete Hautman.com

MMGM: The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-long Shang

(Whoops! This was the one for today...)
About The Book: In this humorous and heartfelt debut about a split cultural identity, nothing goes according to plan for sixth-grader Lucy Wu.Lucy Wu, aspiring basketball star and interior designer, is on the verge of having the best year of her life. She's ready to rule the school as a sixth grader and take over the bedroom she has always shared with her sister. In an instant, though, her plans are shattered when she finds out that Yi Po, her beloved grandmother's sister, is coming to visit for several months -- and is staying in Lucy's room. Lucy's vision of a perfect year begins to crumble, and in its place come an unwelcome roommate, foiled birthday plans, and Chinese school with the awful Talent Chang.

First Line: There is a Chinese story that goes like this: An old man lived at the edge of the northern frontier.

One Great Line: The whole party was becoming a mess wrapped up in a disaster covered in a mistake.(210)

What Other's Have Said: "In Lucy Wu, author Wendy Wan-Long Shang has accomplished something quite difficult: She's made a girl who constantly feels sorry for herself extremely funny and relatable as Lucy attempts to strike a balance between parental expectation and self-fulfillment, her Chinese heritage and the American lifestyle." —Susan Carpenter LA Times

"There’s little in the way of plot twists that experienced readers won’t see coming, but the cultural depiction of the Chinese-American family, Shang’s use of traditional tales and Yi Po’s heart-wrenching story add dimensionality and heft, and the novel’s final scenes are genuinely touching." —Kirkus

What I Thought: I love, love, love Lucy Wu. She is clearly trying to navigate the issues of duel cultures and Shang does an excellent job of contrasting her U.S. upbringing with her heritage. When her Great Aunt comes to live with her you can just feel her embarrassment. Lucy is the perfect mix of teen angst. Complete with sardonic moping and crazy humor, so hilarious you can't help but like her.  

Awards: (Holy jumpin' gummi bears!)

2012-2013 Georgia Children’s Book Award Nominee 2012 Kansas Reading Circle Catalog
2013 Maine State Book Award Nominee
2013 Rhode Island Children's Book Award
2012-2013 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Master List (Vermont)

Many thanks to the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for selecting LUCY for its CCBC Choices List and to Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee, for including LUCY for its Best Children's Books of the Year list.

The Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association has awarded LUCY its 2012 Children's Literature Award. And my fellow Mixed-Up Files blogger Sheela Chari received Honors in this category for her amazing book, Vanished.

LUCY was a finalist in the CYBILS (Children's and Young Adult Blogger Literary Awards) Middle-Grade Fiction category for 2011!

The Wall Street Journal blog, Speakeasy, mentioned LUCY as part of its "Best of Asia and Asian-America 2011".

The American Booksellers Association has made LUCY a New Voices middle grade book selection! New Voices selections represent ten middle grade and ten young adult books by debut authors. Now I've got some reading to do!

LUCY has received Silver Honors from Parents' Choice! Parents' Choice "honors material that respects a child’s age, interests and abilities, and adheres to universal human values".

Wendy  Shang

About The Author: 
Wendy Wan-Long Shang

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Who:I was born in Wilmington, Delaware. After a brief stay in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my family moved to northern Virginia, outside of Washington, DC, and I live there now. My husband is also from this area, and we feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by lots of family. We have three kids, one dog and two cats.-Website

When:Like many writers, I loved to write as a kid. I wrote my first book when I was about five - it was called The Big Fight and it was about a bunny and a sheep arguing over who was the fluffiest. Like many writers, I went on to law school. (Well, not right after being five. A little later than that.)-Website

MMGM: The Green Man by Michael Bedard

 Release Date: April 10, 2012

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About the Book: Teenaged O – never call her Ophelia – is about to spend the summer with her aunt Emily. Emily is a poet and the owner of an antiquarian book store, The Green Man. A proud, independent woman, Emily’s been made frail by a heart attack. O will be a help to her. Just how crucial that help will be unfolds as O first tackles Emily’s badly neglected home, then the chaotic shop. But soon she discovers that there are mysteries and long-buried dark forces that she cannot sweep away, though they threaten to awaken once more. At once an exploration of poetry, a story of family relationships, and an intriguing mystery, The Green Man is Michael Bedard at his finest.

First Line: In the middle of the night the phone rang, wrenching O from a dead sleep.

What Others Are Saying: “…Bedard provides a quietly compelling and satisfyingly atmospheric tale. With its shifting narrators, the tension builds slowly as readers catch glimpses of Emily’s unsettling dreams, her mounting anxiety and the gradual revelation of her story…. The book is a successful and engaging mystery while also offering much more…. It is a subtle and complex tale, filled with magic and mysticism, poets and dreamers, and unbreakable family ties … it will linger in the minds of more introspective readers and provide them with a richly rewarding reading experience.” —Recommended, CM Magazine


What I Thought: O, not Ophelia and quirky Emily are great characters and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow. When I picked this up I hadn't ever heard of the author or the fact that his prior debut fiction was the first in the series, but I didn't feel like anything was missing. The mystery permeated each page right from the first and weaved it's vines around tightly pulling me along until the very end. The subtle overtones of the Green Man mythology of death, rebirth, Spring and Summer could have been explored more deeply and only whetted my appetite for a new line of research. It can't be denied that Bedard is a wonderful story teller.  

About The Author: 
Michael Bedard
Publisher: Tundra

Michael Bedard grew up in a busy household in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. His first experience with writing came in high school when a teacher introduced him to poets such as William Blake, John Keats, T. S. Eliot, and Emily Dickinson, and he soon determined to become a writer himself. Studying both English and philosophy at the University of Toronto, Bedard graduated in 1971 and took a job in a university library. He also married and started a family. While working as a pressman for a small print shop, he found a publisher for his first two original fairy tale collections for children, Woodsedge and Other Tales and Pipe and Pearls.
From the outset, Bedard followed a challenging path as a writer. In both his early collections he made few concessions to young readers in terms of language. Although some reviewers complained, this adult tone is a quality Bedard has maintained throughout his fiction.

Debut Fiction: A Darker Magic
It began innocently enough with the discovery of an old flyer announcing a long-forgotten magic show held on Saturday, August 8, 1936. But since then, Emily and her teacher, Miss Potts, have been drawn into sinister and frightening shadows from another realm. In a life-and-death struggle, the unlikely pair must overpower the evil that lies waiting at the old railway depot. But time is running out. Again this year, August 8 falls on a Saturday and Emily's classmate, Craig Chandler, is in grave danger. He has befriended a mysterious boy and fallen under the spell of a darker magic.





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More interesting Green Man information here.

MMGM: Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt

About The Book: Midwesterner Gary D. Schmidt won Newbery Honor awards for Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boys and The Wednesday Wars, two coming-of-age novels about unlikely friends finding a bond. Okay For Now, his latest novel, explores another seemingly improbable alliance, this one between new outsider in town Doug Swieteck and Lil Spicer, the savvy spitfire daughter of his deli owner boss. With her challenging assistance, Doug discovers new sides of himself. Along the way, he also readjusts his relationship with his abusive father, his school peers, and his older brother, a newly returned war victim of Vietnam.
                                                                                                  -Goodreads
First Two Lines: Joe Pepitone once gave me his New York yankees baseball cap. I'm not lying.

Another Great Line: "Or maybe something starts out whole and then it turns into junk, like Joe Pepitone's cap getting rained on in a gutter somewhere." (176)

What Others Are Saying: "Readers will miss Doug and his world when they're done, and will feel richer for having experienced his engaging, tough, and endearing story."— School Library Journal, starred review


What I Thought: Okay For Now is labeled a YA, but since Doug is going into seventh grade I took a chance and was glad I did. Doug is like a Sour Patch candy, when you first start to eat it your tongue quivers, your cheeks pucker and your mouth is flooded with saliva but after the initial shock you get to the sweeter part and then you want it to last forever. Voice oozes from every page and as a writer you come away saying, yes, that's why I write, I want to give that to my readers. I especially appreciate when an author weaves deeper meaning through something concrete like Schmidt does with the Audubon paintings. The connections are subtle enough that they don't hit you over the head but resonate strongly long after the book ends. The sense of place is rooted in tangible things like the library, The Dump and the school. Places that anchor Doug in the 1960 time period. This is a real story, one that needs to be told because it's honest and gives voice to the real pain and struggle that loss can have on an already fragile family. Another great thing is while I suggest you read Wednesday Wars it isn't necessary because this is a companion book not a sequel.

About The Author: Gary D. Schmidt
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Article in The Calvin Spark

Quote: "Write what you know. That’s too limiting. You write what you are desperate to know." —Gary Schmidt (More here.)

Hope you enjoy this video of Gary as much as I did. There is a wealth of interviews and information about him so be sure to check out the links.

Be sure to check out all the MMGM reviews today. You can find links to all of them in my sidebar!


On Wednesday I'll be interviewing debut author Annie Crawford. Her new book The Curse of the Jade Amulet is now available on Amazon and Smashwords!