Review and Giveaway: Plastic Polly by Jenny Lundquist

Today's March MG Madness stop features my review of Jenny Lundquist's Plastic Polly, which releases today! There's also a great giveaway for a signed copy.

Plastic Polly

Jenny Lundquist

3/19/13

Aladdin Mix

Format: ARC

Source: author

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Purchase: Amazon / B&N

Popularity has its pitfalls, and Polly is discovering them firsthand in this middle-grade M!X novel. Polly Pierce likes being the second-most popular girl at Winston Academy, right after her BFF, Kelsy. Popularity comes with special privileges, like a seat at the best table in the cafeteria and a coveted spot on the planning committee for the school’s big talent show competition, Groove It Up! And since all Polly has to do is agree with whatever Kelsy says, being popular is easy—even if kids do call her “Plastic Polly” behind her back.But when a freak accident takes Kelsy out of the picture, Polly is suddenly in charge of the Groove It Up! committee. She’s not prepared for her new status—and neither is anyone else. Backstabbing friends, an intimidating crush, and diva demands from an injured Kelsy all threaten to derail Polly’s plans. Can she prove to everyone—and herself—that she has a personality of her own?

I really loved Jenny Lundquist's other middle-grade novel Seeing Cinderella, so I was super excited to dive into her new book Plastic Polly, and Lundquist has once again captured the world of tweens with honesty, humor, and heart.

Polly is the second most popular girl in her middle school and the right hand gal to her BFF (and reigning queen bee), Kelsey. Polly enjoys being popular and all the privileges that come with it, like a seat at the Court in the cafeteria, invites to all the best parties, the envy of her peers, and getting to plan the annual Groove It Up. Groove It Up is a yearly talent competition between Polly's school and the other middle school in town, and this year's prizes include an exclusive concert from the famous Shattered Stars. Kelsey is the Groove It Up PlanMaster, until an accident lands Kelsey in the hospital and out of school for three weeks. As her second in command, Polly becomes the new PlanMaster, but she quickly learns that being popular isn't as great or easy as she once thought. Polly must deal with mean backstabbing frenemies, a complicated crush, a difficult mother, and a former BFF, all while trying to prove that she's more than Plastic Polly.

Plastic Polly does something that not many middle-grade books do: it focuses on a main character that is considered popular and not an outsider. I'll admit that I was a bit hesitant when I realized this because I tend to be a fan of the outcast, underdog characters, but I was pleasantly surprised with what Lundquist did with Polly and her story.

Lundquist knows how to capture the tween and young teen voice perfectly. And the middle school world she has created is pretty spot on. The tension between the popular kids, the brainy kids, and the artsy kids is crafted with unabashed honesty and realism (but always remains appropriate for its intended audience). The kids in this book act and talk like very real middle schoolers, which I think readers, especially young readers, will really appreciate. And Lundquist doesn't glorify or encourage the often nasty and mean behavior of her characters. I really like the way that this mean and bullyish behavior isn't limited to the popular kids; the unpopular kids are just as guilty of judging and insulting others as well.

Polly turned out to be a really fabulous character. With Polly, Lundquist has given a voice to what so many young people want and desire: to simply be accepted for who they are. Polly is smart, determined, brave, and kind, but she makes mistakes and doesn't always do the right thing, making her relatable and likable and easy to connect with. Polly's journey from follower Plastic Polly to strong, capable Polly with a voice of her own, is one that younger readers will be inspired by and parents will feel good about.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Plastic Polly surprised me in the best way possible! Jenny Lundquist has used her dazzling writing talent to weave a story that is full of laughs, heart, and memorable characters. This book left me with a happy heart and big smile.

MY RATING

Jenny Lundquist

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Jenny Lundquist grew up in Huntington Beach, California, wearing glasses and wishing they had magic powers. They didn't, but they did help her earn a degree in intercultural studies at Biola University. Jenny has painted an orphanage in Mexico, taught English at a university in Russia, and hopes one day to write a book at a café in Paris. Jenny and her husband live in northern California with their two sons and Rambo, the world's whiniest cat.

Win a signed copy of Plastic Polly plus swag!

Jenny Lundquist has generously offered one signed copy of her book, plus swag, to one winner.

DETAILS

-Open INT

-will run until 3/31

-must be 13+, one main entry per person

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

-I am NOT responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes

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Interview and Giveaway: Annie Rachel Cole

I'm thrilled to have Annie Rachel Cole stopping by to today talk about her middle-grade book How NOT to Train a Zombie. Be sure to check out the full March MG Madness schedule and enter the big box of books giveaways here.

How NOT to Train a Zombie 

by Annie Rachel Cole

2/10/13

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Purchase: Amazon

How does a thirteen-year old become the most popular kid in 8th grade? He trains a zombie to be a pet... And that's exactly what Max Taylor plans to do, even if he had to lie, steal, and lose his best friend in the process.

WS: What three words best describe HOW NOT TO TRAIN A ZOMBIE!!!? 

Don't try at home! (Ooops! That's four words :P )

WS: Can you give us your best one sentence pitch to convince readers (especially reluctant readers) why they should give HOW NOT TO TRAIN A ZOMBIE!!! a try? 

Wanting to be the most popular boy in 8th grade, Max Taylor decides to steal a zombie and train it like a pet dog, but of course everything goes wrong and now he has to save his best friend.

WS: Grab a copy of HOW NOT TO TRAIN A ZOMBIE!!! and answer the following:

Favorite chapter? 

chapter 4

Favorite page? 

149

Favorite character? 

Chad

Flip to a random page and give us 1-2 sentence teaser: 

"If none of these work, I'm coming after you Max Taylor." Chad pulled out the stopper and drank the contents of the vial.

WS: Why did you decide to write a middle-grade book? What do you love about writing middle-grade?                                                                                           

 "I'm going to sit down and write a middle grade book about zombies." Actually, nope. Didn't happen that way. Sorry:)The original idea of writing a zombie book actually was the result of several zombie nightmares I had. To deal with them, I started jotting down ideas and playing with them.Once I had the idea for the zombie book, the name Maxwell Taylor immediately popped into my mind (and yes, I tried changing his name--it didn't work! Characters can be so stubborn about little things like a name change.), but I didn't know anything about him.One day I was watching and listening to my students in the few minutes of free time they had before the bell rang, it suddenly dawned on me--this was the perfect age for Max--the awkward, "I rule the campus," want to be part of the in-crowd, "don't hug me mom," junior high kid.

WS: Why do you think middle-grade is such a popular and important category of books?                                                                                                                    

I think the reason middle grade books are so popular now is because of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Not only did it get children reading, but it got the adults reading too. The adults realized there were some really good middle grade books and they kept reading the books, often with their kids. Middle grade books are important because they deal with a lot of the issues middle grade students are currently dealing with, but they also feed into the fantasy/dystopian themes the kids love. Because of these things, we're getting a group of kids interested in reading which will hopefully make them life-long readers, and it will trickle down to their kids.

WS: What is your all time favorite middle-grade book?  

Harry Potter series, especially The Sorcerer's Stone

WS: Who is your favorite middle-grade hero and heroine?  

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger

WS: When writing HOW NOT TO TRAIN A ZOMBIE!!! were you inspired or influenced by any specific zombie pop culture (books, movies, tv shows)? Did you have a hard time writing a middle-grade appropriate zombie tale, since zombies are usually seen as scary?                                                                                                

I haven't read any zombie books, though I've got Rot and Ruin and Hollowland in my TBR (To Be Read) pile. I havent  had the chance to watch the Walking Dead series. my son has watched the first season and has told me I have to watch it. I want to go see Warm Bodies, but I doubt I'll be able to get hubby to go. He's not really into the horror movies.So what have I watched with zombies? I've watched a couple of the Resident Evil movies, Night of the Living Deadand Return of the Living Dead 1 and 2, but that's been a long time ago.So what inspired me to write a zombie story?Nightmares!!!Several nights of nightmares about zombies. When I have nightmares, I have some really scary ones. It was one of those, if I'm going to dream about them, I might as well write about them. I played around with the various ideas and then the next thing I knew, Max Taylor made himself known to me. Once I realized he was an 8th grader, the rest of the plot fell into place and I wrote the outline of the book.Funny thing, the zombie nightmares quit--haven't had one since I completed the outline. The outline sat for several months in my ideas binder. I found it during Christmas vacation while looking through the binder for some notes about another story idea. I didn't have a lot of problems writing for the middle grade audience. The hardest thing was trying to make it scary, but not too scary.

WS: Fill in the blanks:

My favorite middle-grade curse word or expletive is

oh flipping horsefeathers

I wish I could train a zombie to 

grade papers and do chores like cleaning the toilet and the cat box

If I could jump inside any middle-grade book, I'd choose

 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

The last great book I read was 

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey.

WS: If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by HOW NOT TO TRAIN A ZOMBIE!!!, what would it look and taste like, and what would you call it?             

The vanilla cake part would be grayish green with a blood red macroon center--the brains of the cupcake. The icing would also be grayish green. On top I would sprinkle some crushed Oreos to look like the dirt that obviously accumulates on zombies. I would have candy bones sticking out of the icing with splatter drops of red gel across the top to look like blood. Let's just call it the Zombie Exterminator Brain Special, just for the late night hunger attacks will hunting zombies.

Annie Rachel Cole
Website / Goodreads / Twitter 
I live in Texas with my husband, son, and two cats who think they run the place. I read, write, play Texas Hold’em poker, and occasionally compete in BBQ competitions with my husband. Our team name is Outcast Cookers. I also teach in a public school.

Win a signed copy of 

How NOT to Train a Zombie!

Annie has generously offered two signed copies of her book for two winners.

DETAILS

-INT

-there will be 2 winners who will each win one book

-will run from 3/7 - 3/31

-must be 13+, one main entry per person

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

-I am NOT responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes

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Interview and Giveaway: Maggie Lyons

I'm pleased to have middle-grade author, Maggie Lyons, back today for an interview! Today, Maggie is going to talk about her new book Dewi and the Seeds of Doom. Plus, there's a giveaway...

When Dewi is clobbered by a falling rat, the nosy Welsh dragon snoops his way into a challenging predicament. Helped by a toad with a passion for chemical wart cures, Dewi discovers that a megalomaniac baron is secretly breeding mutant corn at an unfriendly castle. To thwart the genetically modified-corn baron’s sickening plan, he must use moxie and firepower in a series of catastrophe-skirting capers.

From Halo Publishing

Released Oct. 2012

Purchase: Amazon / Halo Pub

WS: What three words best describe DEWI AND THE SEEDS OF DOOM?

Fantastic dragon detective

WS: Can you give us your best one sentence pitch to convince readers why they should read DEWI AND THE SEEDS OF DOOM?

If you love losing yourself in whirlwind adventure stories brimming over with surprises, mishaps, chaos, and comedy, you’ll find this Welsh dragon detective’s antics irresistible as he battles an evil baron who breeds genetically modified corn.

WS: What do you hope young readers will learn or take away from DEWI AND THE SEEDS OF DOOM?

• It’s good to be curious about things and ask questions.

• Friends are important.

• It would be a good idea to find out exactly what you are eating, especially if it comes off a supermarket shelf.

WS: Grab a copy of DEWI AND THE SEEDS OF DOOM and answer the following:

Favorite chapter? Chapter 1 in which Dewi decides to take up a challenge and dig into a mystery. Favorite page? When Dewi finds a last-minute hiding place and eavesdrops on the dastardly baron. Favorite character? Peegor, the baron’s long-suffering and equally ghastly servant. Flip to a random page and give us a 1-2 sentence teaser from that page: “What’s the matter, Peegor? Is your dungeon too warm and your straw mattress too comfy for you to get up until half the day has gone?” A very nasty laugh crawled through the gap in the baron’s rotten teeth.

WS: Besides your own character Dewi, who is your favorite dragon character from any book or movie? 

Hiccup’s pet dragon, Toothless, in Cressida Cowell’s hilarious How to Train Your Dragon book series.

WS: Imagine you've discovered a time machine and you step inside...do you go back in time or into the future? Where do you go?

I’d go back to the past, about two hundred years ago, to France or Britain, when the air was cleaner, food far more wholesome, and people much more sociable.

WS: What would the title of your autobiography or memoirs be called? 

What a Motley Slew!

WS: Random favorites:

Midnight snack? I’m asleep long before midnight. But if I can add a food I might dream about, it would be a small bowl of lobster bisque— no, make it a large bowl. Place to write? At my desk with a view from the window of ducks doing ducky things on the creek. Superhero? Jeffrey Smith courageous pioneer advocate for the right to know what’s in our food. Nail polish color? No polish. My fingernails are short because I play the piano, and I don’t want to highlight the fact they’re short—but wait! I just remembered I have toes. I paint my toenails metallic rusty red to match the hair on my head. And now that I think of it, that color may also match the rust inside my head. Obviously a Freudian insight here. Middle-grade appropriate curse word or expletive? Oh no!

WS: Fill in the blanks:

I'm really awesome at procrastinating, especially when it comes to filling a blank page. I'm embarrassed to admit that I like liver, onions, and spinach. Liver, onions, and spinach—oh my! My first literary crush (author or character) was Robert Louis Stephenson (Treasure Island). The last fantastic book I read was Jerry Spinelli’s The Wringer. Talk about a grab-your-thoughts, rend-your-heart, and stick-to-your-memory’s-ribs kind of story!

WS: If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by DEWI AND THE SEEDS OF DOOM what would it look and taste like and what would you call it?

Dewi’s lightly charcoaled lamb chops cupcake would taste of—surprise!—lamp chops and it would be served with flaming hot sauce.

Maggie Lyons: Site / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Google+
Maggie Lyons is a writer and editor who was born in Wales and crossed the pond to Virginia. With no regard for the well-being of her family and neighbors, she trained as a classical pianist. Then came a career of putting rear ends on seats—that is, orchestral management, marked by reams of marketing and fundraising writing and program note scribbling for audiences, many of whose first priority was to find their names in the donors’ lists. Editing for academic publishers also brought plenty of satisfaction—she admits she has a fondness for nerds—but nothing like the magic she discovered in writing fiction and nonfiction for children. Several of her articles, poetry, and a chapter book miraculously appeared in Stories for Children Magazine and knowonder! magazine. Her middle-grade fiction Vin and the Dorky Duet and Dewi and the Seeds of Doom are published by MuseItUp Publishing and Halo Publishing International. She hopes her stories encourage reluctant young readers to turn a page or two.

Win a copy of 

Dewi and the Seeds of Doom!

Maggie has generously offered one copy of her book, in the winner's choice of paperback or ebook, for one lucky winner. This is a perfect book for the younger readers in your life!

DETAILS

-OPEN INTERNATIONALLY

-Will run from 1/2 - 1/7

-One main entry per person, Must be 13+ to enter

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

-Word Spelunking is NOT responsible for lost, damaged, stolen prize in the mail

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Possession and Surrender Blog Tour: interview & giveaways

I'm thrilled to have the Possession and Surrender Blog Tour stopping by today with an interview with author Elana Johnson and several awesome giveaways.

The Possession Series

Possession (add on goodreads)

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even thinkabout kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Purchase: Amazon / B&N 

Surrender (add on goodreads)

Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque...

Purchase: Amazon / B&N 

WS: What three words best describe your Possession Series?
EJ: Snarky dystopian romance.

WS: Do you have a favorite character in your series to write and explore? What do you love about them?
EJ: Zenn Bower is my favorite character in the Possession series. I love him so much, and like exploring his history, that I wrote a short story told from his POV. It’s called Resist, and you can download it for free here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/106783

WS: Your series takes place in a dystopian setting, so I gotta ask, what's the scariest dystopian setting/world you've come across in any book, movie, or tv show? What would be the very last dystopian setting/world you'd want to find yourself in?
EJ: The Borg from Star Trek. I don’t want someone else to assimilate me and my personality. That’s really scary to me!

WS: Fill in the blanks:
EJ: 

I'm really awesome at eating bacon.
I'm embarrassed to admit that I break rules in libraries by sneaking in soda and snacks.
My first literary crush (author or character) was Scott Westerfeld.

The last awesome book I read was TEN by Gretchen McNeil.

WS: If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by your series (or one of the characters) what would it look and taste like and what would you call it?
EJ: Wow, this is much harder than I thought! It would definitely have chocolate, but with cream cheese frosting. Maybe some peanut butter mouse filling. We want a cupcake that is really worth breaking Rules to eat. I suppose we could call it The Rule-Breaker.

Elana Johnson: Site / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Elana Johnson’s work, including Possession, Surrender, and Regret, published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster), is available now everywhere books are sold. Her popular ebook, From the Query to the Call, is also available for download, as well as a Possession short story, Resist. School teacher by day, Query Ninja by night, you can find her online at her personal blog or Twitter. She also co-founded the Query Tracker blog, and contributes to the League of Extraordinary Writers.

There are three (3) giveaways running throughout the tour (all prizes provided by Elana Johnson) and you can enter them below or at any blog tour stop.

(read each description carefully to know which giveaways you are eligible for)

#1

Copies of Starcrossed, Witch Eyes, When We Broke Up and The Liar Society.
Open to US only
Ends 12/9/12

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#2
Hardcover of Surrender, a Possession paperback, an ecopy of Regret, bookmarks for both books, stickers for both books, and a Jag-inspired necklace. 
Open to US/Canada
Ends 12/9/12

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#3
Ebooks of Possession, Surrender and Regret.  
Open to those INT (outside the US only)
Ends 12/9/12

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Diary of a Penguin-Napper Blog Tour: Character Interview & Giveaway

I'm excited to have the Diary of a Penguin-Napper Blog Tour stopping by today with a character interview and a giveaway! Be sure to check out my review.

3 weeks ...

2 boys ... 

1 little penguin ...

What could possibly go wrong?

When 11 (and a half) year old Marty is partnered up with Jessica on the overnight science trip, he thinks all of this dreams are about to come true.  It's his big chance to impress the most beautiful girl in Year 7 (and probably the world) and he wouldn't miss it for anything.

Only problem is: Marty can't afford to go on the overnight trip. Yet.

Inspired by the urban myth that it is possible to steal a penguin from the zoo on a school visit, Diary of a Penguin-napper is a hilarious tale of growing up, bending the rules and how one big fuss can be caused by stealing just one little penguin.

Author Sally Harris is sitting down with her character Marty for an interview...

When I thought about interviewing one of the characters from Diary of a Penguin-

napper, there is one character who immediately comes to mind - 11 (and a half) year old penguin-napper, Marty Finn.

It might be hard for me to capture his personality in this short interview, but I’ll try! So, let’s meet Marty ...

Thank you for agreeing to do this interview, Marty.

No problem. It makes a nice change from having to shovel elephant dung at the zoo.

Tell us about your main goal in life.

To impress Jessica Blue enough to get her to go out with me.

Ah, yes. So tell us about Jessica. Don’t you have a little crush on her?

Yes. Well, who doesn't? She is the most beautiful girl in Year 7 and probably the world. She has this amazing hair that swishes when she walks. Swish, swish, swish. That hair is really fantastic. It is like watching a shampoo commercial.

And does she feel the same about you?

Of course she does. Or at least, I think she does. Or least, I wish she would. Actually, to be honest, I'm not sure that she exactly knows my name. That is why it is so important that we get to go on the overnight science trip together. That is my big

chance to impress her.

So what is standing in your way?

There are a few things that seem to be causing me a bit of trouble at the moment. The first thing is that Mum can't afford to pay for me to go on the overnight science trip and my sister, Jen, told her it was a waste of time anyway. The other problem

is the school bully, Tom the Terrible. He has repeated Year 7 four times and he has a full beard. A beard! It is very manly and Jessica seems to like him. That is a big

(hairy) problem for me.

But do you think you can overcome these problems?

I hope so. I've got my best mate, Turds, on hand and we have come up with a plan to help me get Jessica's attention. Having said that, with Turds around, our plans either go really well or they could turn out to be a disaster.

Oh dear. What’s the worst thing that has happened to you in the last week?

Well, let's see. I've been caught by my mother stealing a penguin, questioned by the police and have spent the best part of the weekend up to my elbows in elephant manure. What you should be asking is: could your week get any worse?

…And that would be Marty! I promise, he’s much more interesting, funny and likable

in the actual book, but it’s hard to show personality in a short interview.

Thank you Sally and Marty for that interview!

Sally Harris: Site / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Sally Harris is a 28-year-old teacher and author of Diary of a Penguin-napper. She lives in Melbourne and when she’s not writing, you can find her blogging, dancing, drinking chai lattes, reading children's books and scouring the paper for unlikely news articles to turn into exciting fiction. Sally loves animals, including penguins, and if she can't have one of those as a pet, a dog would be the next best thing.

She blogs at http://www.frankly-books.com and is currently doing a blog tour. 

On yesterday, she discussed her dream to be on The Apprentice and tomorrow she'll be finishing her blog tour with Heidi, the Geo Librarian, to discuss Australian fiction for children.

Purchase: Amazon (US) / Amazon (UK) / Smashwords

Win a paperback or ebook copy of 

Diary of a Penguin-Napper!!!

Sally Harris has generously offered up a paperback or ebook copy (winner's choice) of her book for one lucky cupcake.

DETAILS

-Will run from 11/29 - 12/7

-OPEN INT

-Must be 13+, One main entry per person

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

-Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes in the mail

Fill out the Rafflecopter form

a Rafflecopter giveaway