The Girl Who Had a Giveaway on a Blog of Her Own Making

UPDATE: The winner is ClayOnWords!! Congratulations :-D 

I am pleased to break my Renaissance-saturated blogging sabbatical to announce that I am having my very first giveaway!!

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairy Land in a Ship of Her Own Making is a new book (with a fantastic title, might I add) from author Catherynne M. Valente. I will let PR people who are much more articulate than myself tell you a bit about this new fantasy title:

"Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn?t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful."

 

The giveaway has ended! Tomorrow, I will use Random.org to select my winner and contact you via email as well as announcing it on my blog, Twitter, etc. Huzzah!

I will be reviewing the book here soon, so even if you don't win, make sure to keep checking back and see if you think it sounds like a keeper. Assuming you care what I think, that is :-)

Future winner, just so you know, the book will be shipping directly from Macmillian, so if they take a long time, please don't shower me with Hater-aid! The book can shipped to US and Canadian addresses only.

If you'd like, spend some time learning more about the book, the author, and enjoy the book trailer below. I look forward to reading your comments!

More About the Book

More About the Author

I am....

Still Here!

Will be back in July when I can read something other than primary sources from the Renaissance...

In the meantime, here is a link to the presentation I did today for Morehead State University's School Librarian Symposium. SOO much fun!


http://prezi.com/vkk41j0gnw2f/social-media-school-libraries/

Me ... Jane

For my next couple of posts, I am deviating from my norm of covering only middle grades books. I have been reading some incredible picture books with my sons lately, and there are two that I just have to share! The first is, quite obviously, Me... Jane by Patrick McDonnell.

First in my list of reasons that you should literally go buy this book right now and treasure it forever, is that it is simply beautiful to look at. The illustrations are muted in earthy, but vibrant colors. The cover and pages are a wonderful matte. If this book isn't in the running for a Caldecott, I will be very surprised.

Secondly, this book is completely inspirational. It clearly chronicles how Jane held on to her childhood dreams and aspirations to grow up and accomplish exactly what she had planned. As an adult, reading this tugged on the heart strings, because it is so childlike, simplistic and lovely.

In reading it to my 7 year old I saw just how encouraging it could be, because he was just so excited that she actually grew up and did just what she had intended to do at 10 years old. From his perspective, it makes his dreams of being a space scientist all the more plausible.

This lovely picture book is a wonderful introduction and tribute to Jane Goodall, her quietly powerful life, and her incredible work.

Sharing: They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group

        It has taken me weeks to finish this book. This was entirely due to how busy I was with school, because the book was fascinating and intense. The history of the Ku Klux Klan is detailed with chilling accuracy in They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group. 

image via Amazon.com

Beginning with the origins of this terrorist group in the days that followed the end of the Civil War as evidenced by Robert E. Lee's surrender to Ulysses S. Grant, and chronicling them with painful accuracy to all the way to the Civil Rights Movement, Susan Campbell Bartoletti again gives evidence as to why she deserves her previous Newbery Honor and Sibert Medal. 

Even as someone who has studied history, there were many facts presented by Bartoletti that were new to me, and even familiar ones were brought to life in new and startling ways. The stories of William Luke, Cornelius McBride, and Jim Williams are told with depth, accuracy and a subtle sense of just how brave they were to take a stand against these terrorists.

Dictionary.com defines a terrorist as :

a person who terrorizes  or frightens others. It is apparent that Bartoletti was exceedingly accurate in calling the KKK exactly what they are - a homegrown terrorist organization. 

Bartoletti glosses over nothing and gives the reader a glimpse of the very real horror that was experienced during the height of the KKK. The eerie photograph on the cover is of a real Klan hood that was stolen after this picture is taken. The inclusion of documents and personal accounts adds a somber and startling reality to what might otherwise seem like a nightmarish work of fiction.

This book is an absolute must-read for American history students, teachers, or even those who are casually interested. It would also be of great benefit in classrooms with struggling readers who may not typically gravitate toward non-fiction. The book is summed up with succinctness and a subtle sense of victory by including a Civil Rights Timeline that concludes with the election of Barack Obama in 2008, the United States' first African-American president.

On Earth Day: THE GIVER

One of Lois Lowry's classics has stubbornly positioned itself in the back of my mind for years. There are so many phrases and the mental images those phrases created that will come to mind at, seemingly, the most random of times. All day today - on Earth Day - I have been thinking of THE GIVER.

via Google Images

There are so many haunting moments from that book - when Jonas realizes exactly what weighs the Giver down so heavily, when he feels pain for the first time, and sees the brutal realities of life, when he realizes the atrocities his father mercilessly commits, and when he realizes the baby he has grown to love, Gabriel, will meet the same fate. But one seemingly subtle, but equally haunting moment has been on my mind the most today - when Jonas starts to see in color.




The beauty of the world around us is something that we definitely take for granted until we are given the opportunity to see it through the eyes of someone for whom it is all new - in this case, a very special 11 year old who previously had only seen in black and white. The first glimpse of color he sees - a glimmer of red from an apple - changes him forever.


Celebrate Earth Day today by appreciating the beauty all around, and maybe by doing something to keep it green.

Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day!

I LOVE National Poetry Month, yet this day is one that I knew nothing about until I joined Twitter and connected with my ever-brilliant group of librarians, teachers, and children's lit experts.

Poem In Your Pocket Day is a day where you, quite simply, carry a poem in your pocket all day. I think it would be fun to randomly pull the poem out and read it to people, say standing in grocery line or sitting in a waiting room! I also think since the poem is, in fact, in your pocket, it should be rather short.

That brings me to my Poem In Your Pocket Day offering, courtesy of one of my heroes, Dorothy Parker:

A Very Short Song

Once, when I was young and true,
Someone left me sad-
Broke my brittle heart in two;
And that is very bad.

Love is for unlucky folk,
Love is but a curse.
Once there was a heart I broke;
And that, I think, is worse.

A breath of fresh air and just the right size to fit into your pocket :-)

However, if you don't have your own favorite poem to put into your pocket, here are some great resources to help you find one:

image via Amazon

You can actually tear the pages of poetry from this book to store in your pocket! Perfect for those days when you just need a poem in your pocket.

image via Amazon

This is a great introductory book of poetry for those middle schoolers that really need something that is going to resonate and be relevant.

image via Google

And, as always, Teen Ink is a great place to get inspiration and get your teens published.





Enjoy Poem in Your Pocket Day, and the rest of National Poetry Month, by finding a new favorite poem today!

Horton Halfpott

First of all, how great is that name?
The upcoming release of Horton Halfpott: Or, the Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; Or, the Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset by Tom Angleberger on May 1 is one of my most anticipated of the year!

If Tom's name sounds familiar that's probably because you read his successful debut, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda! After reading Origami Yoda, I would have definitely picked up his next book, simply because I loved his debut work so much. However, Horton Halfpott sounds wonderful in its own right.

The premise seems to be a parody of English mysteries, made extra silly for his middle grade audiences (and overgrown kids like me). To quote Amazon:

Tom Angleberger's latest, loopiest middle-grade novel begins when M'Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset (it's never been loosened before!), thereby setting off a chain of events in which all the strict rules of Smugwick Manor are abandoned. When, as a result of "the Loosening," the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks look for someone to blame. Is it Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can't tell a lie? Or one of the many colorful cast members in this silly romp of a mystery.

I am very much looking forward to meeting Horton on May 1!

In the meantime, take a look at the book's blog @ http://hortonhalfpott.wordpress.com/

(Here's a little preview for my fellow map nerds!)