Word Spelunking’s temporary hiatus is now permanent. All requests are closed and there will be no new content. Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with and everyone who has read and supported this blog. Y’all are awesome!!
Goodie Basket...is a weekly feature hosted here at Word Spelunking that showcases all the goodies (books, bookish things, reviews, interviews/giveaways/guest posts, blog tours, etc) that popped up in the Goodie Basket that is Word Spelunking each week.
Big THANK YOU's to Macmillan, Harper Collins, Algonquin, Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Little Brown, Random House, JL Bryan, and Ciye Cho for all the bookish awesomeness this week!
Does Tucker Pierce have what it takes to be a hero when the U.S. military quarantines his island?
Fourteen-year-old Tucker Pierce prefers to fly under the radar. He’s used to navigating around summer tourists in his hometown on idyllic Pemberwick Island, Maine. He’s content to sit on the sidelines as a backup player on the high school football team. And though his best friend Quinn tells him to “go for it,” he’s too chicken to ask Tori Sleeper on a date. There’s always tomorrow, he figures. Then Pemberwick Island is invaded by a mysterious branch of the U.S. military called SYLO. And sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for Tucker, because tomorrow may never come.
It’s up to Tucker, Quinn, and Tori to uncover the truth about the singing aircraft that appears only at night—and the stranger named Feit who’s pushing a red crystal he calls the Ruby that brings unique powers to all who take it. Tucker and his friends must rescue not just Pemberwick Island, but the fate of the world—and all before tomorrow is too late.
#1 New York Times bestselling author D.J. MacHale brings his brilliant plotting and breathless pacing to SYLO, the first in this ultimate end-of-the-world adventure trilogy.
You think your school's scary? Get a load of these teachers: Ms. Fang, an 850-year-old vampire Dr. Dragonbreath, who just might eat you before recess Mr. Snakeskin—science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombie Mrs. T—break the rules and spend your detention with a hungryTyrannosaurus rex! Plus Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose The world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch And The narrator's an eleven-year-old ghost! Join Charles "New Kid" Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends—including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf—and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky!
Hello
everyone. My name is Derek Taylor Kent (AKA Derek the Ghost). I’m
the author of the middle-grade book series Scary
School from
HarperCollins. Book one came out last year and received some great
notices and even won the Children Literature Network award for
funniest chapter book of 2011! Book 2 of the series came out June 26,
2012 and Book 3 the June after that. In case you don’t know much
about it, it’s a series about a school where just making it to
lunch with all your arms and legs is considered the great day.
For
this blog, I was asked to talk about what inspired me to become a
writer. It’s a question I get asked a lot. As a children’s author
I do many school visits and it’s one of the most common questions
asked by kids. So, I have a few stock answers in my back pocket that
I’m always ready to pull out.
However,
now that I’m sitting down and really analyzing the question, I
realize that inspiration is a very mysterious thing that deserves to
be delved into more deeply than my back pocket.
I
think a profession is very special that requires inspiration before
even being considered. Do accountants get the question: What inspired
you to become an accountant? Or: what inspired you to become a
lawyer? Or even: What inspired you to become a doctor? I’m not
saying that great stories of inspiration aren’t possible for those
professions, I’m just saying that I don’t think it’s a question
they get asked a lot because inspiration is not a prerequisite. Plus
the story of inspiration probably wouldn’t be very interesting.
Most would probably be: I was inspired by the idea of having a
steady, well-paying job for the next forty-five years.
Fair
enough.
Sometimes,
I envy them for having that stability, but alas, that will probably
not be the case for me, because I am inspired to write children’s
books. I get paid in the sound of children’s laughter and the joy
of enriching young minds. I also get a little bit of money, but not
yet enough that I can quit my day job fixing things in my apartment
complex. But, to be honest, I’d rather have half my arm down a
toilet drain than be crunching numbers or looking at blood all day,
so it will do for now.
I
believe that inspiration for a profession can be broken down into
three categories:
Childhood
environment.
Moments
of epiphany.
Adulthood
passions.
I’ll
go through how each one of these inspired me to become a writer.
Number
one. My home environment.
I
grew up in a very artistic household. My mom is a very popular artist
named Melanie Taylor Kent. I’ll wait while you Google her to see
her artwork. Pretty amazing, right?
When
my mom’s art career took off, my father quit his job as a lawyer to
stay at home and run the art business. So I grew up in an environment
where the example was that pursuit of creative endeavors can not only
be viable, but can be hugely successful. Granted, it was the 80s.
My
mom’s art business was huge. She was doing commissioned works for
Disney, Warner Bros., Lucasfilm, Steven Spielberg, Hanna Barbara and
countless others. Plus, my mom was always very, very encouraging of
mine and my sister’s creativity. She seemed to desperately want us
to follow in her footsteps. I wasn’t a good artist, but my sister
is. I gravitated more toward writing and acting, and Mom’s eyes, I
was William Shakespeare and Robin Williams rolled into one.
So,
I had a lot of support at home, as well as an in-house example that
creativity can be quite lucrative. I was probably doomed.
But
that’s not to say that there wasn’t an example of hard work being
essential. My mom taught art classes in LAUSD schools for ten years.
When she started trying to sell her paintings, every gallery and
publisher rejected her. She had to go to art shows in parks for years
to prove that there was a market for her art and that it could sell.
And that’s exactly the stage that I’m at right now. Every weekend
I’m at bookfairs and author festivals, signing my books and trying
my best to create a sensation one book at a time.
I
have no idea if it will eventually pay off like my mom’s did. But I
am a little bit hopeful because kid’s books are pretty much
recession-proof, while her art business was not.
Number
two. Moments of epiphany.
I
think we all know these specific moments of great clarity and
happiness where our destiny seems crystal clear before our eyes. I
remember when I was nine years old I wrote a story in my fourth grade
creative writing class. It was a story about how far I would go eat
my favorite food, which at the time was Stouffer’s frozen noodles
romanoff.
The
teacher read the stories in class the next day, but I was out sick.
However, the teacher sent home a card with my sister. It was a
get-well card from my class, but on it, my classmates had written how
funny the story was and that the teacher had said it was the best
story in the class. Apparently I had everyone on the floor laughing,
but I wasn’t even there to see it. It’s probably much better in
my imagination anyway. I had an epiphany that writing stories that
would make all my friends laugh was what I wanted to do. The
following years I would be writing skits and plays constantly to
perform for the class and all of that pretty much continues to this
day. It still comes very easily for me to make my friends laugh and
also nine-year-olds.
Number
Three. Adulthood passions.
When
I was fifteen years old, I became obsessed with Dr. Seuss. Like all
kids, I loved him when I was six, but I reread his books when I got
older with a whole new appreciation for the imagination, poetry, and
creative wordplay.
I
really, really wanted to be the next Dr. Seuss. So, I started writing
children’s picture books in his style. The intention was to have my
mom illustrate them and we could sell them as a mother-son duo. There
were just a few problems. My stories were epic.
Way too long for picture books. They turned out to be more of a cross
between Lord of the Rings and Wizard of Oz told in rhyming couplets
than your average five-minute picture book. Nobody had every seen
anything like it. The other problem was I had left for college and my
mom was going through a divorce and she couldn’t finish the
illustrations (although there are countless incredible sketches of
the fantastical world we created).
But
I kept plugging away with this epic book series for ten years. I even
got an agent for it at one point, but nothing would ever come of it.
Just as my Dr. Seuss dreams were fading, I started reading the Harry
Potter series. I had another moment of epiphany that occurred through
following my passion for literature. This is what I should be doing!
Writing novels where I can create an entire unique world and not be
foiled by the constraints of picture books.
It
was my love of Dr. Seuss that gave me the bug for writing children’s
books and my obsession with Harry Potter that inspired the idea of
writing novels.
There
were several failed attempts of novels at first, but eventually I
finally got my first book deal with the Scary
School series.
And now, I receive emails from kids every day telling me how much the
book makes them laugh. And every time I get one, I’m nine-year-old
Derek again having an epiphany that I’m doing exactly what I’m
supposed to be doing.
You
can check out more about the Scary School book series at
www.ScarySchool.com
Derek is an eleven-year-old ghost who haunts the classrooms and hallways of Scary School, writing down all the spine-tingling often hilarious things that go on there. Despite his ghostly state, Derek still enjoys reading comic books and hopes to one day become a master ninja. If that doesn’t work out, he will continue to share the fun of this very special, very secret school, so all kids can experience the scariest school on earth. Derek the Ghost communicates through the first-time ghost whisperer Derek Taylor Kent, who is a writer and performer in Los Angeles, California.
Win an ebook copy of Scary School #1!
Derek has generously offered an ebook copy of the first Scary School book to one lucky winner. If you have a young reader in your life, this would make the perfect summer read.
DETAILS
-open to anyone who can read ebooks
-will end 7/7
-must be 13+, one main/free entry per person
-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours
With her weak eyes and useless lungs that often leave her gasping for air, Nere feels more at home swimming with the dolphins her mother studies than she does hanging out with her classmates. Nere has never understood why she is so much more comfortable and confident in the water than on land until the day she learns the shocking truth—she is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the "Neptune Project" are supposed to build a better future under the waves, safe from the terrible famines and wars and that rock the surface world.
But there are some big challenges ahead of her: no one ever asked Nere if she wanted to be part of a science experiment; the other Neptune kids aren't exactly the friendliest bunch, and in order to reach the safe haven of the new Neptune colony, Nere and her fellow mutates must swim across hundreds of miles of dangerous ocean, relying on their wits, their loyal dolphins and one another to evade terrifying undersea creatures and a government that will stop at nothing to capture the Neptune kids ... dead or alive.
Fierce battle and daring escapes abound as Nere and her friend race to safety in this action-packed marine adventure.
(I received an ARC of this title from the pub in exchange for my honest review)
Polly Holyoke makes a fantastic splash
with her middle-grade debut The Neptune Project!
Part dystopian, part sci-fi, and overflowing with adventure, action,
and suspense, this middle-grade read kept me captivated for hours.
Nere
Hanson lives in a grim dystopian future where the Earth has been
ravaged by global warming and humans lack of care. Nere has always
felt like a freak, with her super pale skin, weak lungs, and
telepathic abilities, but she learns that she's special. Nere
and her companions were genetically altered to be able to live in the
sea, and when the corrupt government finds out what Nere's scientist
parents have done, she and the other altered kids must take to the
sea and travel hundreds of miles to an underwater safe haven. Guarded
by her beloved dolphins, Nere and her companions must face dangers,
like sharks and the government divers after them, and fight to
survive.
The Neptune Project was
such a fun, fantastic middle-grade read! Holyoke as crafted a truly
original and unique dystopian/sci-world and has done so wonderfully.
With superb underwater world-building, an exciting plot, and great
characters, The Neptune Project is
sure to please readers of all ages.
The
thrills, chills, and twists are plentiful and the underwater setting
makes for an endlessly exciting and unpredictable story. I have one issue with this book, which I'll get out of the way first, and
that is the world-building outside of the ocean. Nere obviously
lives in a dystopian future where the seas have risen, the air is
polluted, the government is corrupt, and important wars have taken
place, but I don't feel like we are given enough history or backstory
regarding how and why the world has become like it is. We're pretty
much plopped right into Nere's world and I would have appreciated a
little more information. But that aside, the underwater
world-building is superb, and 95% of the book takes place in the
ocean, so this world-building is the most important.
Holyoke
has clearly done her oceanography research and it shows in the
realistic underwater world she has created. This ocean landscape is
breathtakingly vivid and detailed; every smell, sound, taste, and
color jumps off the page. I felt completely immersed in this
beautiful, mysterious, and thrillingly dangerous world. This
underwater world is full of mesmerizing beauty, wondrous mysteries,
and terrifying dangers, and I love that Holyoke doesn't hold anything
back when painting this world. This is a world that will simply
enchant and enthrall young readers.
There's
a great diverse group of characters that includes humans and
dolphins. Each of the characters brings something worthwhile and
interesting to the table and together they create an eclectic,
amusing bunch. Nere is a wonderful heroine, full of curiosity,
intelligence, bravery, and compassion. I really enjoyed watching her
grow throughout the story and become a capable leader. Nere gets a
few cute boys to interact with (I'm totally Team Tobin), and the
romantic elements are very innocent and appropriate for the book's
audience. I really loved all the dolphins and how each is given their
own personality, and the way they interacted with the altered kids.
I
was pleasantly surprised to find how intensely suspenseful The
Neptune Project is.
The action-packed plot, electrifying dangers, and wicked chapter
cliffhangers kept me on the edge of my seat and turning pages with
gusto until the very end.
MY
FINAL THOUGHTS: Polly Holyoke had me completely hooked with this
excellent midle-grade adventure. The Neptune
Project has
enough action, scares, romance, and awesome underwater world-building
to keep even the pickiest readers entertained. This would make a
fantastic summer read for all ages!
Polly Holyoke has been imagining stories since she was in fifth grade. When she isn’t writing, Polly loves reading, camping, skiing, scuba diving and hiking in the desert (where she quite stupidly got herself bitten by a rattlesnake). She lives with three rescue dogs, two spoiled cats and a nice husband who is tolerant about the piles of books all over their house. Her debut middlegrade novel, THE NEPTUNE PROJECT, is the story of a young girl leading a group of genetically altered teens fighting to survive in the sea. She is thrilled that this novel will be published by Disney/Hyperion and Puffin Books UK summer, 2013. She thinks the best part about being an author is going to work in her sweatpants and getting paid for daydreaming!
I've been given the fun task of picking a dream cast for some of the characters in The Neptune Project. Here are some of my picks...
Ana
only knows her name because of the tag she finds pinned to her
jumpsuit. Waking in the featureless compartment of a rocket ship, she
opens the hatch to discover that she has landed on a barren alien
world. Instructions in her pocket tell her to observe and to survive,
no doubt with help from the wicked-looking knives she carries on her
belt. But to what purpose?
Meeting
up with three other teens--one boy seems strangely familiar--Ana
treks across the inhospitable landscape, occasionally encountering
odd twists of light that carry glimpses of people back on Earth.
They're working on some sort of problem, and the situation is
critical. What is the connection between Ana's mission on this planet
and the crisis back on Earth, and how is she supposed to figure out
the answer when she can't remember anything?
(I received an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review)
A.J. Paquette's Paradox is
an out of this world post-apocalyptic adventure that features an
intriguing premise, a strong, capable heroine, and cool sci-fi
elements.
Paradox begins
with Ana waking aboard a spaceship with no memory of who she is or
where she is. Ana soon discovers that she is on a desolate planet
called Paradox and has clear instructions to observe and survive.
This planet is home to a terrifying and huge worm like creature, as
well as strange streams of light that give Ana a glimpse of life back
on Earth. Ana encounters three other teens who have the same
instructions and the four set out to the sea and the safe-haven
colony supposedly there. But the worm creature follows them and the
four must face dangerous obstacles and their own fears as the
critical situation on Earth depends on their success.
I
was instantly drawn to Paradox because
of its wicked cool sounding premise (and maybe because the worm-like
creature on the cover reminded me of the Graboids in the “Tremors”
films!), and, for the most part, the premise really lived up to my
expectations. Paquette took me on a wild, twisted, sci-fi filled
thrill ride full of the unexpected and the intriguing.
The
world-building in Paradox is
really great. Paquette has crafted a complex, layered, and fully
realized world that is both refreshingly post-apocalyptic and sci-fi.
Like Ana, readers “arrive” on Paradox with no preconceived ideas
or information regarding this strange planet, and we get to discover
all the wondrous and unusual things this dangerously alluring planet
has to offer. And Paradox the planet, with its pink sky; two suns;
purple sands; and green ocean, makes for an awesome setting. Tidbits
about the dire situation on Earth and the events that have led up to
the exploration of Paradox are sprinkled throughout the book in the
form of news articles. I appreciated this background information, but
think this aspect of the story needed some fleshing out and further
explanation to create complete logical reasoning behind the
sci-elements.
Ana
begins her journey with no memories, but I loved that we still get to
know who she was and who she is in the present, and I really liked
her as whole. She's got a great feisty, curious nature and is a
capable, clever heroine. The flirty interaction between Ana and Todd
is fun and amusing, but I like that the romantic aspects don't
dominate the story.
Ana's
time on Paradox takes some thrilling and shocking twists and turns,
creating a refreshingly unpredictable plot. Paquette weaves a really
clever and innovative story that leads up to a thought-provoking
climax. Expect the unexpected, y'all!
MY
FINAL THOUGHTS: Paradox is
a fast-paced, thrilling read with really awesome and well crafted
sci-fi elements. A.J. Paquette's imaginative and innovative world
kept me entertained and enthralled from beginning to end.
A.J.
Paquette has been writing stories since early childhood. She and her
sister would spend hours creating masterpieces of stapled paper and
handwritten words, complete with pen-and-ink covers and boxed
illustrations. The
road to publication was long and winding, peppered with many small
successes including: a variety of national magazine publications,
being a 2005 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award honoree,
and receiving the 2008 SCBWI’s Susan Landers Glass Scholarship
Award, for the book that would later become Nowhere Girl. Her first
picture book, The
Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies,
was published in 2009. She
now lives with her husband and two daughters in the Boston area,
where she continues to write books for children and young adults. She
is also an agent with the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
A.J. Paquette is giving away three Paradox ARCs during this tour in a blog tour wide giveaway!
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