Tag Archive | communication

A2Z Blog Challenge this year? My TBR shelf says yes!

Feb18

logo of A to Z Blog Challenge April 2014 Every spring, I agonize over whether or not to participate in the April AtoZ Blog Challenge.

Twenty-six posts in 26 days…

By no means impossible, but it sure is tough for me to get all the posts’ subjects to align with the A-through-Z daily schedule in April (we have Sundays off, thank God!).

However, my to-be-reviewed shelf of worthwhile reads is so overflowing that I  easily set aside 26 great books, each with a wee-bitty alpha tag, just waiting for April – and I still have scads more to write about in the meantime!

So yes, I’m committing myself to 26 A2Z posts in April again – third time’s a charm? See me at #785 on the AtoZ list?  (This will also help immensely with my pre-2014 books backlog as part of the Bookish blog TBR2014 Challenge)

Are you up for the Challenge too?
**kmm

Team Human, by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan (book review) – love your local vampire?

Feb14

Team HumanHazmat suit? Check.
Fountain pen and journal? Check.
Vampire enrolling in high school, 200 years late? Check.
Craunston High may not be ready for Francis, but Cathy sure is – and Mel wants to stop that relationship ASAP!

Read an excerpt here for that first schoolday as Cathy swoons over coolly distant Francis, whom Mel judges as “a crazy astronaut suit full of trouble” – and that’s before she meets the human teenage boy who lives in the same vampire house!

You should easily be able to find Team Human  in your favorite local library or independent bookstore after its 2013 paperback release (also available as eBook).

Would you give up sunshine, chocolate, and your best friend for love?
**kmm

Book info: Team Human / Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan. Harper Teen, 2012 (paperback 2013).  [Justine’s site]   [Sarah’s site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy from personal collection; cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When her best friend falls in love with a vampire and wants to change over, Mel just cannot let it happen!

It’s all so civilized in this New England town founded by vampires, with sunproof windows in every building and the Zombie Disposal Unit on call (unfortunate side effect for 20% of vampire changes) and volunteer blood banks.

Recently, the principal’s husband ran away with a vampire, leaving her and Mel’s classmate Anna alone. Then debonair Francis enrolls in their high school, and ultimate undead fan Cathy falls for him.  Why is this well-educated 200 year old vampire suddenly risking daytime travel to school? Mel is sure he’s up to no good.

No, Cathy’s not a modern soul, but what if Francis stops loving her after she risks the change?
Yes, Kit is hot, but the human teen living with Francis’s vampire family is planning to change, too!

Maybe Mel is a bit sensitive about vampires, but she won’t stop investigating Francis’s real reasons for coming to school if it will keep her best (her only) friend on Team Human!   (One of 7,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Winter of the Robots, by Kurtis Scaletta (book review) – robots good, bad, on the loose!

Jan20

book cover of Winter of the Robots by Kurtis Scaletta published by Alfred A KnopfResearching urban otters instead of making fake robots,
Working with cute Rocky for the science fair,
Solving a mystery in snow-bound Minneapolis –
all great until something or someone attacks them!

The ‘keep out’ signs at the abandoned site are there for a reason, Jim, but staying out won’t keep the mysterious whatevers inside the fence!

Scaletta wrote about the deadly snake that Linus encountered at Mamba Point – is this new snow-cloaked peril even more dangerous?

**kmm

Book info: The Winter of the Robots / Kurtis Scaletta.  Alfred Knopf, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Metal skritching, big clawprints in the snow – the abandoned tech site hides something scarier than Jim and his friends can imagine…and it’s ready to escape!

Maybe it awoke when Jim decided not to be genius Oliver’s sidekick for the 7th grade science fair. Or when their new partners’ ideas got Dmitri kidnapped and Rochelle stuck in the junkyard fence looking for otters. Or when the security cameras they borrowed from Jim’s dad spotted something moving way too fast in the Minneapolis snow to be an otter.

After the creatures chase them out of the old Half Street research site, Jim and Rocky decide to send in robots with cameras to figure out what’s going on, even if Oliver won’t help.

Robot competitions, school closed for snow days, pocket burgers – here’s Jim’s chance to impress Rocky, to uncover whatever is haunting Half Street, and to show Oliver that he can build robots, too…if the things don’t attack the science fair partners first!  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Relic, by Heather Terrell (book review) – frozen secrets, fiery ambition

Jan15

book cover of Relic by Heather Terrell published by Soho TeenHumanity’s remnants dwell on a single Arctic island,
shunning the technology which led to Earth’s near-destruction by flood,
purposely bound by medieval rules more rigid than the ice Ringwall protecting New North.

Eva isn’t a meek Maiden, content to embroider and to make an advantageous marriage. She can’t leave her family’s honor Quest unfulfilled following her brother’s mysterious death – she must venture into the frozen wasteland outside the Aerie as the first female Testor in generations. To prevent her from succeeding, someone is willing to do anything…

Read a selection from the prequel novella Chronicle here, then rush to get Relic at your local library or favorite independent bookstore now – you won’t want to miss a chilling moment of Eva’s quest for answers.

Is technology still our tool, or has it become our master, as the Triad claims?
**kmm

Book info: Relic (Books of Eva,  book 1) / Heather Terrell. Soho Teen, 2013. [author site]  [publisher site]  [author interview video] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When her twin brother suddenly dies, Eva feels compelled to fulfill his Quest, despite all odds…and sabotage.

Eamon and the other Testors had long trained for the Boundary Land’s frozen challenges – discover a Relic, write its cautionary tale, earn respect in the Aerie where the words of Lex rule everything.

So Eva searches the Lex and finds a precedent which allows her to participate,
even though true Maidens know their place – at home,
even though the Triad elders grudgingly allow her to go – hoping that she fails,
even though Eva’s discovery in the ice may shatter her society’s foundation.

Their ring-walled city survived when technology’s evils doomed the world to die by flood, but can it survive the truth which Eva uncovers?  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Headed for KidLitCon!

Nov8
photo of Congress Street, Austin Texas by Mister-E Chris Eason

(c) Chris Eason

Austin, here we come!

Yes, the Kidlitosphere is descending on the capital of Texas to talk blogging, kids’ books, middle grade books, young adult books, and reading as KidLitCon begins tonight with a meet-and-greet (plus ARC swap), followed by a full day of breakout sessions on Saturday, including keynote by Cynthia Leitich Smith!

Charlotte, Melissa, and I will start the conversation about Blogging Middle Grade Books during the last breakout session. Can’t wait to hear what the bloggers, authors, illustrators, and librarians there to have to say about its challenges and joys.

“On the road again…”

*kmm

Photo of the State Capitol (c) Chris Eason (Mister-E), used under Creative Commons license.

My Basmati Bat Mitzvah, by Paula J. Freedman (book review) – Bollywood plus Hebrew School?

Nov1

Book cover of My Basmati Bat Mitzvah by Paula J. Freedman published by Amulet BooksHebrew school – check.
Bollywood movie DVD collection – check.
Punjabi and Yiddish grandparents at the same celebration – oy vey!

It’s worth a special trip to your favorite local library or independent bookstore to meet Tara and friends in My Basmati Bat Mitzvah if you like

  • interesting family dynamics
  • a look into two different cultural heritages
  • guys and gals who are trying to sort out relationships and other complicated things
  • middle school experiences that are both funny and typical
  • a strong-minded main character who still has big questions
  • conversations about faith and God that aren’t self-righteous sermons
  • chances to be “both X and Y” instead of having to be “either X or Y”

Samosas at the bat mitzvah reception and chilies in the matzoh ball soup? Count me in!
**kmm

Book info:  My Basmati Bat Mitzvah / Paula J. Freedman. Amulet Books, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Tara just wants to add a hint of India to her bat mitzvah ceremony, to stay friends with her best friends, and to win the robotics contest – how can this all be so hard?!

The twelve-year-old loves her Yiddish-speaking Gran and her Punjabi grandpa, Bollywood movies and cheezy monster flicks, the Diwali and Hanukkah festivals of light that each side of her family celebrates.

Attending Hebrew school in preparation for her bat mitzvah at age 13, she’s confused about God – better talk to Rabbi Aron some more. And she’s confused by best buddy Ben-O’s sudden blushes and breath mints, by the class clown’s attentions, by Rebecca wanting to be best friends with her and that snooty Sheila at the same time.

A mishap with an heirloom sari and continuing jibes that her Indian mother’s conversion to Judaism didn’t really make her Jewish collide with problems on the robotics team and a glimpse into Sheila’s not-so-perfect purple life in the hectic weeks leading up to her bat mitzvah.

How can she balance new friendships and old?
Why are boys so weird now?
Can she really mix India and New York City in her bat mitzvah?

The importance of family traditions and questions about faith thread through this coming-of-age story like the golden threads in Daadiji’s beautiful sari.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Two Lies and a Spy, by Kat Carlton (book review) – spy family crisis, doubled

Oct25

book cover of Two Lies and a Spy by Kat Carlton published by Simon SchusterRendezvous point compromised,
agent contacts cease,
where are Mom & Dad?

Yep, spying runs in the family for Kari and Charlie, but something has gone terribly wrong with the pre-arranged emergency plan.

Much more serious than Ben’s tongue-in-cheek adventures at Spy School  and Spy Camp  (my reviews here and here) or Maggie’s undercover gig at a ritzy private high school in Also Known As  (review here), Two Lies and a Spy keeps you wondering what the lies are…and who’s telling them.

**kmm

Book info: Two Lies and a Spy / Kat Carlton. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: The code black message from her spy parents puts Kari on alert, but when their meet-up plans fail, the teen and her genius little brother are on the run – from their own government!

Kari doesn’t mind leaving school early (even if Luke and Evan the new British guy see her), but she’s concerned when other agents show up at the rendezvous site – her parents would never send someone else to pick up her and Charlie in this situation! After plans A, B, and C for their meet-up all go wrong, Kari is getting frantic with worry.

Her best friend Rita overheard her dad the senator say the Andrews are a now menace to the country. Luke’s dad is CIA director and let slip that her mom is in custody. Kari’s still trying to get in touch with Aunt Rita, the only family they have.

Desperate times, desperate plans – no way her folks are Russian double-agents!

Which are lies and what’s the truth?
Will Kari’s friends help find her parents?
Can she keep Charlie safe until they do?

A spy story with a twist, as Kari tries to ignore Evan’s flirting, stop daydreaming over Luke, and maintain a calm image for 7-year-old Charlie while staying clear of the CIA in the heart of Washington, D.C. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

I’m With Stupid, by Geoff Herbach (book review) – play football where? change life how?

Oct18

book cover of I'm With Stupid by Geoff Herbach published by Sourcebooks FireStress!
Decisions!
Pressure!

Felton’s senior year was never going to be a cakewalk, but knowing that his college choice will be televised live on ESPN!?!? The road trip craziness of the previous summer chronicled in Nothing Special (my no-spoiler review here) was nothing compared to this!

Ask for I’m With Stupid  at your local library or independent bookstore (just saying the title is crazy) and also read YA authors’ own teen-wacky stories at I’mWithStupidStories.

Ever had an out-of-control situation like Felton’s?
**kmm

Book info: I’m With Stupid / Geoff Herbach. Sourcebooks Fire, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Felton’s college choice for football will be televised live! Too much stress, as he visits colleges, looks for something meaningful in his life for those entrance essays, and tries to survive senior year.

He knows he’s a super-fast football player, a sorta-okay big brother and son and grandson, but not sure about anything else. So he decides to do something with his senior year, something worthwhile – then maybe he’ll be able to figure out what college to pick.

Mentoring a bullied freshman boy, visiting colleges where coaches want him to change everything about his game, trying to ignore his mom dating the dad of the girl he wants to date, running over football opponents like crazy, wishing he could ask his dead dad for advice – fall is nuts for Felton.

Too bad he can’t just make wacky videos with Gus instead of worrying about that college commit date looming ahead, can’t keep his girlfriend from breaking up with him, can’t keep a friend from making terrible choices.

Where should he play college football?
What’s with Heather and the peach schnapps?
Why is this all so difficult?

The Stupid Fast  guy who considers himself Nothing Special  off the football field has to figure things out now so future friends won’t be wearing that “I’m With Stupid” shirt in this wild conclusion to Geoff Herbach’s story of Felton Reinstein’s high school years.

(One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Monster in the Mudball, by S.P. Gates (book review) – ancient hunger, on the loose!

Oct9

book cover of Monster in the Mudball by SP Gates published by Tu BooksTrapped for decades,
she awakens hungry,
violently hungry…

Every time ancient Zilombo is reborn, the monster from deep in an African lake has new and frightening powers that help her hunt – this time in England!

Try out three chapters for free here and you’ll be hooked as Jin, Frankie, and Mizz Z go after The Monster in the Mudball  along the Oozeburn River’s littered shores.

Do you hear the shivery jangle of a bottle cap anklet…  or is it just me?
**kmm

Book info:  Monster in the Mudball (An Artifact Inspector Book) / S. P. Gates. Tu Books, 2013.  [author biography]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: A baby, a monster older than the world, and a mysterious inspector – Jin and Frankie need the last one to help them rescue the first one from the middle one, before Zilombo eats him!

No one would expect that dusty old ball of mud contained an African monster which would gladly eat anything, especially when the mudball had been high on a shelf in a small British house for 20 years. How the dried dirt became mud again, hatched out its oversize feet and huge-clawed hands, escaped from its exile just before the Inspector of Ancient Artifacts arrived on her annual inspection… Jin knows, and Mizz Z the inspector knows that his baby brother is in great danger if this Zilombo monster isn’t caught – soon!

After such a long imprisonment, ancient Zilombo needs food and a hiding place, so she runs toward the scent of water, finding a secret spot near the river and sniffing for the delicious scent of that Smiler baby – oh, how she will enjoy eating it!

Jin and Mizz Z are on Zilombo’s trail, recruiting big sister Frankie along the way, but they may be too late, as baby Smiler chooses this night to take his first steps at Grandma and Grandad Tang’s riverside house.

Why does Mizz Z know so much about this ancient monster?
What new powers does Zilombo have in her newest form?
Can Jin and Frankie really save their baby brother?

Wild adventure along the muddy banks of the deceptively calm Oozeburn River as Jin, Frankie, and Mizz Z try to recapture the monster with her jangling ankle bracelet of soda bottle caps before she strikes again.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

To Be Perfectly Honest, by Sonya Sones (book review) – truth=lies, if Colette is talking

Sep30

book cover of To Be Perfectly Honest by Sonya Sones published by Simon SchusterExaggerations,
Embellishments,
Calling them “lies” is so…caustic.

Colette stretches the truth about her movie-star mom, long-absent dad, and winsome little brother – to protect them, of course. Or to keep the world from discovering how unspecial she is. Or none of the above. Definitely an “unreliable narrator” here.

Luckily, Sonya Sones is honest when she writes a “Dear Teen Me” letter to tell her younger self that her experiences would become part of much-loved novels-in-verse someday.

Find Collette’s story today at your local library or independent bookstore, and decide for yourself if Collette can ever be honest, even with herself.

**kmm

Book info: To Be Perfectly Honest: a Novel Based on an Untrue Story / Sonya Sones.  Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Colette’s movie-star mom is entirely gorgeous, the 15-year-old isn’t, but invents some crazy tales to make herself more interesting. When it counts, though, Colette may have told too many lies to get ever back to the truth.

Teen guys in L.A. seem interested in only one thing, but Colette refuses to be just another conquest. She might even miss their groping if Mom insists on dragging her and little brother Will along to the small town where her next film is being shot. She will die of boredom, truly.

Thankfully, a gorgeous guy on a motorcycle starts talking to her in the town park. She certainly can’t let him know who her mom really is, so the stories start flowing again.

Connor is so sweet and thoughtful, a great pal to Will, and so handsome. Colette senses that he has a secret sorrow, and it nearly breaks her heart when he finally tells her. Loving the most special girl in the world is on his ‘bucket list’ he says, and Colette is the one.

Should she let Connor be the one for her?
What if the doctors are wrong and his time is ticking away too fast?
Would he still adore her if he knew how many lies she’s told him?

“But there’s no law against
a girl making up stories.
And I sure am lucky
there isn’t.
Or I’d be serving
a life sentence by now.”

Sones gives readers a charmingly unreliable narrator in this compulsively readable novel-in-verse – sometimes it’s smoke and mirrors, sometimes it’s truer than true. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)