(5th MMGM) Summerlost by Ally Condie (spotlight and giveaway)

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Summerlost

by Ally Condie

March 29, 2016

Penguin

It's the first real summer since the devastating accident that killed Cedar's father and younger brother, Ben. But now Cedar and what’s left of her family are returning to the town of Iron Creek for the summer. They’re just settling into their new house when a boy named Leo, dressed in costume, rides by on his bike. Intrigued, Cedar follows him to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival. Soon, she not only has a new friend in Leo and a job working concessions at the festival, she finds herself surrounded by mystery. The mystery of the tragic, too-short life of the Hollywood actress who haunts the halls of Summerlost. And the mystery of the strange gifts that keep appearing for Cedar. 

Infused with emotion and rich with understanding, Summerlost is the touching middle grade debut from Ally Condie, the international bestselling author of the Matched series, that highlights the strength of family and personal resilience in the face of tragedy.

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Praise for Summerlost

A Spring 2016 Kids' Indie Next List Top 10 Pick!

Named one of Publishers Weekly’s Most Anticipated Children’s and YA Books of Spring 2016

★ “Condie (Matched) strikes a deep emotional chord with this coming-of-age story.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “Multiple, seemingly random details, including a family of turkey vultures that now roost outside Cedar’s window, an absurd soap opera narrative of a woman buried alive, and Leo’s quest for a trip with his father, coalesce into metaphors that help Cedar make sense of her grief and the life she now has to look forward to. Thoughtful, poetic chapter endings guide readers new to psychological depth toward meaningful connections between plot events and thematic reflections.” – BCCB

“A moving tale of friendship and loss. I loved these characters—I wish we could have been friends when I was a kid.” –Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Five Kingdoms series

“Ally Condie’s first middle grade book might also be my favorite out of ALL her books to date. Summerlost is a story packed with nostalgia, heart, and gorgeous prose.” – The Novel Novice

“A nuanced portrait of grief deeply grounded in the middle-school mind-set.” – Booklist

“Honest, lovely, and sad.” – Kirkus Reviews

“A sweet, heartfelt story.” – School Library Journal

“Achingly good.” – Summer Laurie, Books Inc.

Letter from Ally Condie

Dear Readers,

I think most of us have had our hearts broken. Sometimes we can see it coming, and sometimes it comes down with the unexpected force of a sudden gale of wind or a rising of waters that we thought were still and safe. Loss is universal to human experience, but the way we each feel and recover is one of the most personal things we do.

In Summerlost, Cedar is dealing with the loss of her father and younger brother. And my intent was to show how hard their deaths are for her. But this is also a book about the healing power of friendship. Most of us have been broken-hearted; I hope that most of us have also discovered the miracle of friendships that were just what we needed. Cedar and Leo’s friendship is based on someone I met when I was twelve. Like Leo, my friend was fun and liked to enlist me in crazy adventures (although we never gave a secret guided tour of our town the way they do in Summerlost). And, like Leo, he thought I was wonderful and of worth at a time when I needed it most.

SUMMERLOST is my attempt to pay tribute both to the pain we feel and the friendships that save us. Thank you so much for supporting this book, and for your willingness to give Cedar’s story a try. I hope it makes you think of a wonderful friend of your own, whether that is someone you met in the pages of a favorite book or outside, in the world where it is often hard and beautiful to live.

Best wishes and happy reading always,

Ally Condie

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ally Condie is a former high school English teacher who lives with her husband, three sons and one daughter outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, running, eating, and listening to her husband play guitar.

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(5th MMGM) The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin (review, guest post, giveaway)

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The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin

By Elinor Teele

April 12, 2016

Walden Pond Press

A quirky, humorous, whimsical, and heartwarming middle grade debut about a young boy who runs away from home with his sister to escape working in the family coffin business—and discovers even more adventure than he bargained for.

John Coggin is no ordinary boy. He is devising an invention that nobody has ever seen before, something that just might change the world, or at least make life a little bit better for him and his litter sister, Page. But that’s only when he can sneak a break from his loathsome job: building coffins for the family business under the beady gaze of his cruel great-aunt Beauregard. Having lost their parents when Page was a baby, how else are they supposed to survive?

Perhaps by taking an enormous risk—a risk that arrives in the form of a red-haired scamp named Boz. When Great-Aunt Beauregard informs John that she’s going to make him a permanent partner in Coggin Family Coffins—and train Page to be an undertaker—John and Page sign on with Boz and hit the road. Before long, they’ve fallen in with a host of colorful characters, all of whom, like John and Page, are in search of a place they can call home. But home, they realize, isn’t something you find so much as something you fight for, and John soon realizes that he and Page are in for the fight of their lives.

Elinor Teele’s picaresque debut is a rollicking tale filled with wild adventures, daring escapes, and—thanks to Boz—more than a little catastrophe.

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Praise for The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin

A charming fantasy/adventure to add to larger middle grade collections.” School Library Journal

☆ “A sly, side-splitting hoot from start to finish. ” Kirkus Starred Review.

Parent-less and penniless, 11 year-old John Coggin and his six year old sister, Page, must live with their mean Great-Aunt. John is forced to work in the family coffin making business and, while he’s very good at making coffins, he rather be inventing wondrous things. When their Great-Aunt announces that she is making John a partner in the company and will be training Page as an undertaker, the two young Coggins know they must runaway.  With the help of a peculiar man named Boz, John and Page find themselves on a grand adventure full of unexpected people and discoveries.

Elinor Teele’s The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin is an utter delight! This book is so many things- heartfelt, whimsical, quirky, fun, wildly entertaining- and I found myself completely enchanted by its fresh, funny voice and magical storytelling. Teele is a wonderful word weaver and creates a story so full of humor, heart, imagination, and adventure. Young readers will find themselves chuckling at Boz’s oddly charming manners, yearning to join John and Page in their escapades, and swept away by Teele’s superb brand of whimsy.

John and Page find themselves working in a circus, living with the sweetest of bakers, and assisting an oddball archaeologist, during their travels, and each new experience brings a new round of fun adventure, thoughtful lessons, and, of course, colorful new friends and allies. The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin is just bursting with so many eclectic, eccentric, engaging characters for readers to love and laugh with!

my final thoughts: From its spectacular storytelling, unforgettable characters, and sparkly imagination, The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin has everything readers could want (and so much more) in a middle-grade book!

The Germ of an Idea

by Elinor Teele

In the lead-up to the publication of The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin, I’ve been asking my expert panel – kids of my acquaintance – what they’d like to know about an author’s life.

“Can you really wear the same clothes to work everyday?” (Black socks never get dirty.)

“Are you going to have a theme park?” (Probably not.)

The real puzzler came during a visit to my nieces and nephews:

“Where do you get your ideas?”

It’s a well-known question, but it knocked me on my heels. I hadn’t thought about it before. I went home, I shoveled snow, I cleaned the loo, I clipped my toenails, but I was flummoxed. Where did I get my ideas?

After a fair amount of cogitating, I’ve decided that the order of the words is wrong. You don’t get ideas. Ideas get you.

They glom onto you in childhood. They cling to you after conversations. They lurk in dark corners, ignored and forgotten, and invade your brain when you least expect it.

• The idea for a coffin workshop? My next-door neighbor was part of an undertaking family. Woodworking noises could be heard in his house late at night.

• The deluge of steam engines and automobiles and things that go BOOM? As a kid, I was a huge fan of Jack Lemmon in The Great Race. (Alas, my Leslie is considerably less debonair that Tony Curtis.)

• The bakeries of Littlemere? To a girl carrying a 40-pound pack on a raw winter’s day in York, the combined smell of bread, muffins, and pastries was a thing of sheer poetry.

I didn’t write these ideas down before I started my story. I simply began at the beginning and ended at the end. I only realized where they came from after the fact, when editors started asking me about “inspiration.”

This a diverting exercise, to be sure. Only what should I say to the kid who is longing to be an author and just wants some practical advice?

After further cogitating, here’s my answer:

Stay open to infection. It’s a dangerous world out there, and our first instinct is to trap ourselves in bubbles.

But stories grow from unexpected encounters, from listening at doors, from frightening and puzzling and joyful experiences. Live a full life, read as much as you can, and pay attention to other people’s tales.

And don’t worry – the ideas will get you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

1/2 Brit and 1/2 Yankee, Elinor Teele currently resides in New England. She lived with her family in New Zealand for eight years and still considers it a beloved homeland.

In 2000, Elinor took a slow plane to England for doctoral work in Anglo-Saxon literature at the University of Cambridge. She wrote her thesis on the Old English Riddles, a compilation of bawdy and lyrical poems in the language of Beowulf. She graduated with a PhD in 2005.

To earn her daily bread, she is a freelance copywriter with her own business, Squam Creative Services. Website * Facebook

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(5th MMGM) Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson (review & giveaway)

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Ms. Bixby’s Last Day

By John David Anderson

June 21, 2016

Walden Pond Press

Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The good ones. The not-so-good ones. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard. The ones you’ll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. But Ms. Bixby is none of these. She’s the sort of teacher who makes you feel like the indignity of school is worthwhile. Who makes the idea of growing up less terrifying. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one of a kind.

Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she is very sick and won’t be able to finish the school year, they come up with a plan. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand just what Ms. Bixby means to Topher, Brand, and Steve—and what they are willing to go to such great lengths to tell her.

John David Anderson, the acclaimed author of Sidekicked, returns with a story of three kids, a very special teacher, and one day that none of them will ever forget.

Goodreads

Praise for Ms. Bixby’s Last Day

“What a beautiful book—a full-hearted and emotional exploration of friendship, grief, imagination, and the inner life of boys. But most of all, it reminds us about the power of the 'Good Ones:' those once-in-a-lifetime teachers who not only saved us, but also became a part of us, long after they’re gone. Kids won't just love this book. They need it.”

Soman Chainani, New York Times-bestselling author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

“Forget the dragons. Forget the swords and shields. Here is the true quest: to face the unendurable, knowing defeat is inevitable, and yet continuing with dignity and honor and purpose and, even, joy. Each page crackles as we embark on the greatest adventure of all.”

Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and author of OKAY FOR NOW

“A story of that one teacher we all have who we’ll never forget, told with laugh-out-loud humor and oh, so much heart.”

Gordon Korman, New York Times-bestselling author of UNGIFTED

“Brand, Steve and Topher are a comic, lovable crew, and wise, pink-haired Ms. Bixby is the teacher every child deserves. This is a touching, often hilarious story of endings, beginnings, and self-discovery. As Brand would say, frawesome!”

Tricia Springstubb, author of MOONPENNY ISLAND

With her pink striped hair, friendly smile, and quirky disposition, Ms. Bixby is the kind of teacher you dream of having and never forget. She definitely means a great deal to best friends, Topher, Steve, and Brand. But when she announces that she has cancer and cannot finish the school year, the three BFFs are devastated...so they concoct a wild and crazy plan to insure that Ms. Bixby’s has the best last day ever and knows how much she means to them.

John David Anderson’s Ms. Bixby’s Last Day is a superb middle-grade, bursting with humor, wonderful characters, and unforgettable heart! Anderson amuses, delights, and captivates with his touching story of three young boys and the teacher they love. The quirky, laugh-out-loud humor and fun adventure I’ve come to expect from Anderson is 100% present in Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, and is joined by thought-provoking and heartfelt emotion. Told from the alternating perspectives of Topher, Steve, and Brand, we get to know each endearing, relatable boy, while getting to see Ms. Bixby through each of their honest, sweet eyes. Readers will enjoy spending time with each unique and engaging boy and will come to love Ms. Bixby as much as them.

The boys go on quite the adventure, as they skip school to see Ms. Bixby and young readers will get a thrill following the boys as their well meaning plans go hilariously awry! From squished cheesecakes, to eccentric shop owners, sharks in a toilet, and more, readers are in for a wild and unpredictable day. And through all the fun and excitement, Anderson beautifully explores tough issues like grief, self-doubt, feeling alone, feeling not good enough, and all the confusing things that come with being twelve.

I was surprised, but pleased to see that Anderson seems to incorporate a young character (one of the three main boys) who may be LGBT. This isn’t done loudly, it’s subtly alluded to, and the words “gay” or “crush” aren’t ever used, but the threads are definitely there. This particular character is merely starting to become aware that maybe he looks at and feels things for his BFF that go beyond admiration and friendship. Again, this aspect of the character and book is more alluded to than actually discussed, and many young readers may not catch it all...but, I think young readers who are experiencing the same questions and confusion WILL see it and get it, and that’s SO amazing and important!

My final thoughts: Ms. Bixby’s Last Day is such a wonderfully written and lovely story that will make readers laugh, think, and cry, and is sure to stay with them for a long time!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John David Anderson is the author of many books for young readers, includingSidekicked, Minion and The Dungeoneers. A dedicated root beer connoisseur and chocolate fiend, he lives with his wife, two kids, and perpetually whiny cat in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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(5th MMGM) The Secrets of Solace Blog Tour (review & giveaway)

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The Secrets of Solace

By Jaleigh Johnson

March 8, 2016

Random House

From Jaleigh Johnson, the acclaimed author of The Mark of the Dragonfly, comes another thrilling adventure in the magical world of Solace.

Lina Winterbock lives in the mountain strongholds of Solace. She’s an apprentice to the archivists, the wise men and women whose lives are dedicated to cataloging, studying, and preserving the objects that mysteriously fall from the sky in the scrap towns.

Lina should be spending her days with books, but the Iron War has changed everything. The strongholds are now a refuge, and the people Lina once counted on no longer have time for her, so she spends her days exploring the hidden tunnels and passages of her home. The strongholds are vast and old, with twisting paths, forgotten rooms, and collapsed chambers, some of them containing objects that have been lost and forgotten even by the archivists.

And in one of the forgotten chambers, Lina discovers a secret.

Hidden deep in a cavern is a half-buried airship like nothing she has ever seen before. She’s determined to dig it out and restore it. But Lina needs help, and she doesn’t know anyone she can trust with her secret.

Then she meets Ozben, a mysterious boy who has a secret of his own—a secret that’s so dangerous it could change the course of the Iron War and the world of Solace forever.

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Praise for The Secrets of Solace

“An engaging world rich in detail, mayhem, and adventure…All aboard for fantasy lovers with a dual penchant for girl power and keeping up with the Indiana Joneses.”—Kirkus Reviews

Deep within the mountains of Solace, young Lina Winterbock studies as an archivist apprentice. The archivists study the many objects that fall onto Solace from other worlds. Lina discovers something extraordinary: a buried airship unlike anything she’s seen. Lina must keep her discovery a secret as she tries to dig it out, but she soon finds that the intense Iron War, between the Merrow Kingdom and the Dragonfly Kingdom, is fast approaching her mountains. When Lina meets the mysterious Ozben, the two find themselves on an incredible journey that just might save all of Solace!

In The Secrets of Solace, a companion to The Mark of the Dragonfly, author Jaleigh Johnson returns to her enthralling and unforgettable world, where objects fall from the sky. Like its companion novel, The Secrets of Solace excites, enchants, charms, and dazzles with superb storytelling, captivating world-building, and irresistible characters. The world of Solace, with its clever mix of fantasy, sci-fi, and steampunk elements, is beyond awesome. Johnson has done a wonderful job of creating a complex, fully realized world that young readers will love escaping to. The world of the archivists, in their mountain strongholds, vividly comes to life through lush world-building, smart details, and fantastical elements. This world is infused with so much imagination!

Lina and Ozben make for an engaging and likable heroine and hero. Both young characters are bursting with courage, compassion, heart, and intelligence. I just love their genuine, endearing friendship! Their adventures take them high and low, near and far, and up against friends and foes, and through it all they rely on their own special talents, and their bond, to get them through. Young readers will be rooting for these two until the very end!

My final thoughts: Returning to the magical, thrilling world of Solace was such a treat! The Secrets of Solace is a spectacular companion novel in a thoroughly enjoyable and special series!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jaleigh Johnson is a lifelong reader, gamer, and moviegoer. She loves nothing better than to escape into fictional worlds and take part in fantastic adventures. She lives and writes in the wilds of the Midwest, but you can visit her online at jaleighjohnson.com or on Twitter @JaleighJohnson.

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