Moonpenny Island -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to 
have the right ones form themselves into the proper patterns at

the right moment.”

~ Hart Crane ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends: 

Revising? Check out the post HERE from Fiction University about slashing word count.

Thinking of using song lyrics or a poem in your work? Better check out The Editor’s Blog HERE before you do.

If  you need a little inspiration to keep on keepin’ on (and who among us doesn’t?) read the post HERE on Anne R. Allen’s blog. 

Last week, I offered my ARC of The Terrible Two to one of you and our winner is Paddy Lawton! Congratulations, Paddy. I will get your book out to you this week. Fear not, readers. I have another giveaway this week.

I'm lucky to be a book reviewer for the San Francisco Book Review. I get to read a lot of great books and get most of the books I give away here from them. A couple months ago I read an enchanting novel that just came out this month. I loved it. So I want to spread the word. The book is Moonpenny Island by Tricia Springstubb. Here is the five-star review I wrote for the Review.

Flor and Sylvie are best friends. They have been forever. They live on a tiny island in the middle of a huge lake. In summer, the island teems with people, but when autumn comes, the summer people leave and Flor and Sylvie are the only two eleven-year-old girls for miles. But when this summer ends, things change. Sylvie’s parents send her to live with relatives on the mainland and go to school there. Flor and Sylvie can email and talk on the phone, but it isn’t the same. Flor’s mother also leaves to stay with her mother and sisters on the mainland because, she says, her mother is ill. In addition, Flor’s older sister, Cecelia, seems to be pulling away and just isn’t there for Flor anymore. Their father seems to work all the time. Flor is bereft and lonely.

“And now Flor feels herself shrinking too. Something whittles away at her, scraping off bits and more bits, pieces of her flying off, till all that’s left is her heart, exposed to the air and light, nothing at all to protect it.”

 

Tricia Springstubb has written an absolutely engaging and charming novel that

Tricia Springstubb

will capture the tween set and older readers as well. The writing is lively, the characters well-rounded and interesting and believable, and the story one with which young readers will fully relate and understand. Spingstubb explores friendship, young love, and family dynamics in ways specific to middle-graders.

I have a gently-read ARC of Moonpenny Island for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

The Terrible Two -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Our advice to an aspiring author today might be to do one of two things: either build a time machine and travel ten years into the past to

query their work -- or self-publish today”.

~Hugh Howey and Data Guy

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Anne R. Allen has a really good post on creating atmosphere. Check it out HERE.

The Editor’s Blog has a terrific post HERE titled Get Pushy—Push Character Conflict and Reader Emotion.

Writer’s Digest posted a guest post by literary agent Barbara Poelle that is chock full of good advice and great humor HERE titled Answers to 14 Questions You’re Too Afraid to Ask Literary Agents. Do yourself a favor and read this one. 

When last we were here together, I promised an ARC of Fish in a Tree by the incomparable  Lynda Mullaly Hunt to one of you. Sometimes being last will get you first -- The last commenter on the post, Susan Olson, is the winner this week. Susan writes reviews of time-travel YA and MG books at Time Travel Times Two. Click on the title to visit and get some great book suggestions. Susan, I will get the book out to you this week. Congratulations!

This week I have a funny one for you. The Terrible Two is written by two very funny guys, Mac Barnett and Jory John, and illustrated by another very funny guy, Kevin Cornell. I do have one reservation about recommending this book. I'm not sure it's smart to give all these ideas to middle-graders! That said, this is just too much fun to not pass along. Here is the review I wrote for the San Francisco Book Review.

Miles Murphy and his mother move to the small town of Yawnee Valley, a place with a preponderance of cows, and Miles is not happy. He had recently confirmed his place as the greatest prankster at his old school. Now he would have to start over at building his reputation. When he arrives at his new school, someone has parked the principal’s car at the top of the stairs in front of the school door. Principal Barkin somehow gets it in his head that the new kid, Miles, must be to blame, but since he can’t prove it, he assigns Niles Sparks, perfect kids and school helper, to show Miles around. Niles, it turns out, is a well-hidden prankster. Pranking wars begin, but it takes cows to make the best prank of all.

“This morning was the culmination of more than a week’s worth of planning that had taken up six full pages in Miles Murphy’s pranking notebook. It was Miles’s greatest achievement.”

Mac Barnett and Jory John have written a very funny, very creative book that middle-schoolers, both boys and girls, will love. Kevin Cornell’s silly illustrations are the perfect complement to this over-the-top wacky story. The most reluctant of reluctant reader will be unable to resist this one. Librarians may want to order multiple copies for what is sure to be a very popular book. 

I have a gently-read ARC of The Terrible Two for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.