6th MMGM: Hyacinth and the Secrets Beneath by Jacob Sager Weinstein (guest post, giveaway)

Welcome to Day 30 of the 6th Annual March MG Madness featuring Jacob Sager Weinstein and his book, Hyacinth and the Secrets Beneath!

Hyacinth and the Secrets Beneath

by Jacob Sager Weinstein

May 23, 2017

Random House BFYR

Magic is real. History is a big, fat lie.

Before Hyacinth Hayward moves from Illinois to London, she reads up on the city's history. Too bad for her. Because the books are wrong. The truth is, London was built on magical rivers, and all the major events in its past have been about people trying to control the magic.

Hyacinth discovers this when her mom is kidnapped. In the chase to get her back, Hyacinth encounters a giant intelligent pig in a bathing suit, a boy with amnesia, an adorable tosher (whatever that is), a sarcastic old lady, and a very sketchy unicorn. Somehow Hyacinth has to figure out who to trust, so she can save her mom and, oh yeah, not cause a second Great Fire of London."

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

Top 8 Competitions

by Jacob Sager Weinstein

I didn’t think March Madness would be complete without a bracket. But I didn’t want this to be just any bracket: I wanted it to be the ultimate competition. And what could be more competitive than a competition among competitions? Nothing!

So I thought about my favorite fictional contests from the world of Middle Grade books. I came up with eight and matched them up against each other in a pulse-pounding tournament of tournaments. Here they are, in order of seeding:

8. “Win A Butler” From The Contest Kid & The Big Prize

What’s that, you say? You’ve never read Barbara Brooks Wallace’s The Contest Kid & The Big Prize?  Well, I haven’t read it lately myself, In fact, I lost my copy of it 35 years ago… but I still remember the story. It’s about a boy who finds a contest entry slip and sends it in without even knowing what the prize is. He ends up winning a butler! I don’t know how I’d feel about the book if I re-read it as a grownup—but I know it made a huge impression on me as a kid, as evidenced by the fact that I’m still thinking about it decades later. As the least known of the competitors, it’s going into the Tournament of Tournaments the decided underdog. But as the Contest Kid himself learned, sometimes you can win against all the odds.

7. “Flamingo Croquet” from Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland

It’s arguably one of the most iconic scenes in all of children’s literature. So why is the Queen of Hearts’ hedghog- and flamingo-riddled croquet match seeded so low? Because contests need rules, darn it, and  Rule #1 of the Contest of Contests is that contests without rules will score lower. Flamingo Croquet is wonderful, delicious, hysterically funny chaos. But as a Contest of Contests entrant, it’s odds do not look good.

6. “Calvinball” from Calvin & Hobbes

Yeah, yeah. I know Calvinball doesn’t really have rules, either. But Rule #2 of the Contest of Contests is that I get to make up the rules. And I say “Calvinball” is seeded higher than Flamingo Croquet. So there! If you don’t like it, I’m going to bonk you with the Calvinball.

5. The Westing Game from The Westing Game

Now we’re getting into the serious competitors. The Westing Game has clear rules and high stakes. It’s another book that made a huge impression on me as a child. The only reason it doesn’t rank higher is that I haven’t read it recently. If that seems arbitrary and unfair – well, see Rule #2.

4. The County Fair from Charlotte’s Web

Ask somebody what they remember from Charlotte’s Web, and they’ll tell you about the heart-stopping first line, or the relationship between Wilbur and Charlotte, or that beautiful, bittersweet ending. Nobody ever says “The moment where Wilbur wins a special prize at the County Fair.” But it’s a crucial and climactic moment, and it makes Charlotte’s Web a real contender in the Contest of Contests.

3. The Herding Competition From Babe: The Gallant Pig

The sheep-herding competition is nail-bitingly tense. The whole book builds up to it. And Babe wins it by being polite and kind. If you wouldn’t mind considering this as a real favorite in the Contest of Contests, I would be very grateful. Thank you.

2. Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets, from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory

Babe: The Gallant Pig is about the power of kindness to earn love. Charlie & The Chocolate Factory is about avoiding disaster long enough to earn chocolate. Adult Me loves Babe -- but Child Me loved, loved, loved Roal Dahl’s dark, anarchic humor. And Rule #1 of this contest is: kids come first.  (If you’re wondering how I can have two entirely different Rule #1s: please see Rule #2.)

1. Wizard Chess, from Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets

I know what you’re thinking. No quidditch? No Tri-Wizard Tournament? Well, Rule #3 of the Contest of Contests is: only one contest per author. Ruling out the minor Harry Potter pastimes was easy – we don’t know enough about Exploding Snap or Gobstones to even consider them.

After that, though, things got tough. Ultimately, I decided that quidditch is flawed because team sports shouldn’t be about waiting for one superstar player to catch the Golden Snitch—team sports should be about coming together as a team. (In case you’re wondering: yes, I do identify as a Hufflepuff.) And I eliminated the Tri-Wizard Tournament because (SPOILERS) the whole thing turned out to be fixed from the beginning. That left Ron’s heroic wizard chess battle. Scoff all you like, but I defy you to find a more heroic or exciting match in all of Middle Grade literature.

So there you have it: your eight entrants in the Contest of Contests. Here’s what the actual bracket looks like.

Now it’s your turn. Who do you think wins each match?

JACOB SAGER WEINSTEIN has written for the New Yorker, McSweeney’s, HBO, and the BBC. He lives in London with his family, close to where the Westbourne flows underground, but his bathroom faucet mixes hot and cold water nonetheless. He apologizes in advance for any Great Fires this may cause. His website is jacobsagerweinstein.com, and he is @jacobsw on Twitter.

Win an ARC of

Hyacinth and the Secrets Beneath!

Random House has generously offered one (1) ARC for one winner.

-US

-ends 4/5/17

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

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Michael Midas Champion: Book One {graphic novel}

I'm super excited to be spotlighting the graphic novel, Michael Midas Champion: Book One, today! Learn more about this comic and enter to win a copy below...

Michael Midas Champion

(book one)

by Jordan B. Gorfinkel

illustrated by Scott Benefiel

August 4, 2015

InkLit/Penguin-Random House

IT’S A SUPERHEROIC LIFE

As Champion, the crimson guardian of his hometown Urbana Falls, Michael Midas battles vengeful samurai, wicked sorcerers and evil creatures, earning the gratitude of the people he saves—and the heart of Dani, the woman he loves.

But being a superhero doesn’t pay the bills. All of Michael’s super-strength and stamina is defenseless against the daily trials and tribulations of making ends meet. Beneath his colorful costume, he’s another struggling blue collar worker, full of lingering self-doubt about his role as Champion. 

Then Michael’s super and civilian identities collide when he’s confronted by Truck, his grade school bully and romantic rival. His long-time nemesis has evolved into an endlessly adaptable, monstrous supervillain, determined to destroy the world—and he’s got the power to do it.

Torn between fulfilling conflicting responsibilities to his family and to mankind, can Michael Midas Champion find the power to fix the problems of his past and save the world? 

AMAZON / B&N / PRH

PRAISE FOR MICHAEL MIDAS CHAMPION

“Michael Midas Champion delivers a dynamic narrative and spectacular illustration. I truly enjoyed reading this story.”—Chris Renaud, Director, Despicable Me 

“Absolutely charming. Just a dash of The Princess Bride mixed with super-heroics. And I mean it.”—Paul Levitz, Former President and Publisher of DC Comics

As a DC Comics editor for nearly a decade, Jordan B. Gorfinkel managed the Batman franchise, including an explosion of licensed products and the successful development of Warner Bros’ Batman animal television series and film franchise. He masterminded “No Man’s Land,” a comic book series that spanned all of DC’s Batman comics for one entire calendar year. It was collected into a multiple volume graphic novel series and was published as a prose novel by Greg Rucka. Additionally, “No Man’s Land” was the inspiration for the acclaimed film “Batman Begins.” He also created Birds of Prey, the longest running superhero comic starring women since Wonder Woman. He currently is a writer, creator, newspaper cartoonist, animation and multimedia entertainment producer. Visit him online at  www.jewishcartoon.com/about.html.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

Scott Benefiel has been an illustrator for several years working as a storyboard, comic book, and conceptual artist for most of his professional life. Recently he has designed VFX storyboards for the new COSMOS television series due in 2014, and a cinematic storyboard artist on the immensely popular video game, Halo 4. Scott has been a professional comic book artist for over 20 years, working for numerous publishers such as Marvel, DC, Top Cow, Image, Wildstorm, Dark Horse, Disney, and a slew of others. Visit him online at http://scottbenefiel.com.

Win a copy of 

Michael Midas Champion: Book One!

Thanks to PRH, I have one brand new copy for one winner.

DETAILS

-US only 

-ends 8/10/15

please read full list of rules below rafflecopter

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