Interview and Giveaway: Sally Harris

Today Sally Harris is stopping by the March MG Madness to talk about her hilarious book Diary of a Penguin-napper. And you can win an ebook copy!

Diary of a Penguin-napper

Sally Harris

11/15/12

Frankly Books

add on goodreads

Purchase: Amazon / Smashwords

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.

What three words best describe DIARY OF A PENGUIN-NAPPER?

Funny. Giggleworthy. Hilarious! Page-turner. Penguin-thievery.

Can you give us your best one sentence pitch to convince readers (especially reluctant readers) why they should give DIARY OF A PENGUIN-NAPPER a try?

There are short chapters, laughes, cartoon pictures and lots of elephant poo - Diary of a Penguin-napper is totally for you!

Grab a copy of DIARY OF A PENGUIN-NAPPER and answer the following:

Favorite chapter?

That would have to be Chapter 17.  Let’s just say there is a great moment involving a pygmy hippopotamus!  How many authors can say that about their book?

Favorite page?

The first one! (I’ve read it so much that I think I know it off by heart!)

Favorite character?

That’s a tough one.  I’d probably have to say Marty.  I love his single-minded focus, creative attempts to problem solve and his perseverance. He keeps on going long after the rest of us would probably have given up!

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

Penguin poop. Almost every surface of the bathroom was covered in penguin poop.

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

As a teacher, I’ve found that students often become disengaged with reading in the middle years, particularly if they find reading difficult.  They want to be reading what they see as ‘proper novels’ but there aren’t many books that cater for the reluctant reader AND look like books that other kids of that age would be reading.  That really inspired me to write Diary of a Penguin-napper. I really wanted to cater for that group of readers.I love writing for middle grade readers because they like to laugh and be entertained.  And I like to laugh and be entertained. So it is pretty much a perfect match!

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

Middle grade is such an important and popular category of books because it is, in my opinion, where readers really become readers.  It is that step between being a confident young adult reader and learning to read as a child.  It is where independent reading really takes off and readers begin to form opinions about which authors and books they really like.  It is so important that books aimed at middle grade readers really capture their imagination and inspires them to keep reading into adulthood.

What is your all time favorite middle-grade book?

Right now, I’ve just fallen back in love with Roald Dahl’s Matilda.  It’s my absolute favourite.  Although it is hard to pick just one Roald Dahl book!

Who is your favorite middle-grade hero and heroine?

I adore Hermione Granger as a heroine in this age group.  She is so well developed as a character and really represents bright girls so beautifully.  I love dressing up as her during Book Week celebrations at school.  As for a hero, I’m loving August Pullman in Wonder. He is so entirely unique that he has stayed with me long after I finished the book.

Your characters commit a bit of penguin-napping, so I gotta ask: if you could get away with it, what kind of animal would you kidnap from the zoo?

If I knew that I could get away with it, I think I’d probably go for an elephant.  A small one, because I live on the third floor of an apartment block, and I wouldn’t want to disturb the neighbours..

Fill in the blanks:

I'm really awesome at

cutting and pasting. As a teacher that is very important!

I'm really embarrassed to admit that 

I can’t whistle. I’ve been trying to learn for about 20 years and still can’t do it.

If I could be best friends with any book character it would be 

Andy in the ‘Just’ series by Andy Griffiths. Life would never be dull with him around!

My favorite middle-grade curse word or expletive is 

Far out Brussels sprout!

The last great book I read was 

The One and Only Ivan.

If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by DIARY OF A PENGUIN-NAPPER, what would it look and taste like, and what would you call it?

It would be a vanilla cupcake with sea-salted caramel pieces, peaks of blue icing and a bemused fondant penguin on each one.

Sally Harris
Site / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook
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. 

Win an ebook copy of

Diary of a Penguin-napper!

Sally Harris has generously offered up one ebook copy of her funny book.

DETAILS

-OPEN INT

-will end 3/31

-one main entry per person, must be 13+

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

Fill out Rafflecopter form

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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

Review: Diary of a Penguin-napper by Sally Harris

Check out my Diary of a Penguin-napper Blog Tour stop where Sally Harris interviews her character Marty, plus there's a giveaway!

Diary of a Penguin-napper

Sally Harris

11/15/12

Frankly Books

Format: pb ARC

Source: from author for review

add on goodreads

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.

THREE WORDS: Super Cute & Fun

MY REVIEW: With a title like Diary of a Penguin-napper, I just knew I was in for a wild and wacky ride when I began Sally Harris' middle-grade novel. And I was very right. This quick read is chock full of both the wild and the wacky!

Diary of a Penguin-napper follows the adventures of one eleven year old Marty, as he and his best friend Turds set out to kidnap a penguin from the zoo. Marty is paired up with his crush and the most beautiful girl in Year 7, Jessica, for an overnight science trip, but there's one little problem- Marty's mom can't afford the trip. Thus, the two young boys resort to penguin-napping and selling, and hilarity and mayhem ensue.

At a little over 150 pages, Diary of a Penguin-napper is a super quick, but super cute and fun read. Sally Harris has concocted an imaginative and exciting tale that will have readers laughing out loud and ready to put their own clever schemes into motion.

Because of the book's shorter length, delightful adventure, and funny dialogue I easily devoured it in one sitting, not wanting to put it down until I knew how Marty's story ended. Harris begins the story at the end and works backwards, as Marty tells his tale to his mother and the two cops who have shown up for the missing penguin. I like this “starting at the end” structure because it really makes you feel like you too, are being told a story. I felt like I was sitting in that living room with Marty, his mom, and the cops, munching on cookies and being delighted and amused by the unbelievable and engrossing story.

And what a zany, funny story it is! I love how outrageous and outlandish the idea of kidnapping a penguin from a zoo sounds, yet at the same time, like Marty and Turds, I too, totally believed it made perfect sense and could be pulled off. It's the kind of scheme that you know can't end well, but you must see how it plays out. And this penguin-napping scheme definitely kept me entertained and full of giggles. Harris writes with an age-appropriate voice that is both cheeky and adorable.

Harris' characters are a quirky, charming bunch. Marty narrates his own tale, so we get to know him the best, and he's an endearing guy. I love that Marty did everything in the name of love! Turds is the kind of BFF one need for a penguin-napping scheme, he's loyal, handy, and not afraid to get in trouble. And, of course, we have the lovely and surprisingly sweet Jessica.

The book ends on a satisfying and happy note that had me “Awww'ing”.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Diary of a Penguin-napper is an amusing, cute, and fun read that will entertain readers of all ages, but I think younger MG readers will get the most enjoyment out of it. An entertaining book for fans of wacky and funny adventures (and penguins!) and the trouble-makers in all of us.

MY RATING

Connect with the author: Site / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase: Amazon / Smashwords

Now hop on over to my blog tour stop!