Celebrating Lisa Graff {review and giveaway}

I'm thrilled to help celebrate the wonderful Lisa Graff today by reviewing her newest middle-grade book and by giving away a bundle of her paperbacks...

A Clatter of Jars

(A Tangle of Knots Companion)

by Lisa Graff

May 24, 2016

Philomel

In this companion to A Tangle of Knots, it's summertime and everyone is heading off to camp. For Talented kids, the place to be is Camp Atropos, where they can sing songs by the campfire, practice for the Talent show, and take some nice long dips in the lake. But what the kids don't know is that they've been gathered for a reason--one that the camp's director wants to keep hidden at all costs.

Meanwhile, a Talent jar that has been dropped to the bottom of the lake has sprung a leak, and strange things have begun to happen. Dozens of seemingly empty jars have been washing up on the shoreline, Talents have been swapped, and memories have been ripped from one camper's head and placed into another. And no one knows why.

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

Praise for Lisa Graff’s novels

A Clatter of Jars:

“Graff is a master of the magical realism genre, and this offering is worthy of a spot in any middle grade collection.”—School Library Journal

“Graff’s vivid character development and world building makes for tight plotting and nicely negotiable complexity. A great fit for fans of Louis Sachar’s Holes.”—Booklist

“Graff’s prose and plot construction is as pleasing as ever, and A Clatter of Jars will appeal to a wide range of readers.”—Bookpage

A Tangle of Knots

“Lisa Graff has created a beautiful world of deliciously interconnected stories that draw you in.”—Abby West, Entertainment Weekly, A-

* “Subtle and intricate, rich with humor and insight, this quietly magical adventure delights.”—Kirkus Reviews *STARRED REVIEW*

* “Combining the literary sensibility of E. B. White with the insouciance of Louis Sachar, Graff has written a tangle that should satisfy readers for years to come.”—Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*

Lost in the Sun

* “Graff writes with stunning insight [and] consistently demonstrates why character-driven novels can live from generation to generation.”—Kirkus Reviews *STARRED REVIEW*

* “Graff creates layered, vulnerable characters that are worth getting to know.”—Booklist *STARRED REVIEW*

* “[A]n ambitious and gracefully executed story.”—Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW*

* “Weighty matters deftly handled with humor and grace will give this book wide appeal.”—School Library Journal *STARRED REVIEW*

* “Characterization is thoughtful.”—BCCB *STARRED REVIEW*

“This is a novel that speaks powerfully, honestly, almost shockingly about our human pain and our human redemption. This book will change you.”—Gary Schmidt, author of The Wednesday Wars

“Lisa Graff crafts a compelling story about a boy touched with tragedy and the world of people he cares about. And like all the best stories, it ends at a new beginning.”—Richard Peck, author of A Year Down Yonder

A Tangle of Knots made me a definite Lisa Graff fan and I was super excited to read its companion, A Clatter of Jars...and thankfully, this companion does not disappoint!

With her signature sparkling storytelling, laugh-out-loud humor, and ability to craft unforgettable characters, Lisa Graff  returns to the twisty and thrilling world of Talents in A Clatter of Jars. Bursting with magic, mayhem, and marvelous Talents, A Clatter of Jars is fun from beginning to the end. The summer camp setting is perfect for summertime reading and young readers will love escaping into this summery, parent-free world for a few hours.

Graff’s world of quirky, amazing, and sometimes simply bizarre Talents is a unique and delightful one! In A Clatter of Jars, we are introduced to some even more wacky, unbelievable, surprisingly useful, and awesomely strange Talents. Young readers’ imaginations will be inspired by this world’s creativity and innovativeness.

There’s a fun, eclectic group of characters in A Clatter of Jars, both young and old, and I had a blast getting to know their secrets, rooting for their epic triumphs, and laughing at their epic fails. The characters in A Clatter of Jars must deal with some crazy Talent swapping and, of course, the results are seriously funny!

My final thoughts: A Clatter of Jars is full of humor and heart, engaging storytelling, fantastical elements, and great characters, and sends young readers a wonderful message about loving themselves and finding the true magic within.

MY RATING

4/5 Cupcakes

Lisa Graff (www.lisagraff.com) is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of the National Book Award nominee A Tangle of Knots, as well asLost in the Sun, Absolutely Almost, Double Dog Dare, Umbrella Summer, The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower,The Thing About Georgie and Sophie Simon Solves Them All. Originally from California, she lived for many years in New York City and now makes her home just outside of Philadelphia. @lisagraff

Win a bundle of four Lisa Graff paperbacks!

Thanks to the awesome folks at Penguin, one winner will get paperback copies of Lost in the Sun, A Tangle of Knots, Absolutely Almost, and Double Dog Dare.

-US only

-ends 6/24/16

-one winner will get all four paperbacks

-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours

-Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, stolen prizes

-please read full rules below

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