Amazon and Barnes & Noble are both selling the paperback version at a 32% discount right now. I don’t know how long this sale price will last, but I recommend you grab it while you can!
Also don’t forget about the party we’re having on Facebook tonight! So many great giveaways!
It is now less than a month until the release of my middle grade mystery Seven Riddles to Nowhere!
Where has all the time gone?
Like I did with Angelhood, there will be a launch party on Facebook with lots of fun giveaways! You might win a copy of Seven Riddles to Nowhere, Angelhood, book marks, pens, or one of many other children’s books (from picture books up to young adult books) that my writing friends have generously donated.
So if you’re on Facebook, come join us here on Wednesday, August 31, from 7-9 p.m. Central Time.
Every year I try to read the Edgar Award nominees for juvenile and young adult fiction before the winners are announced. Due to time constraints with the doctorate program, I completely failed this year. However, I did manage to read the winner in the juvenile category recently, so here it is!
Title: Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy
Author: Susan Vaught
Genre: mystery
Age group: middle grade
Synopsis: Footer Davis’s mother has bipolar disorder. Sometimes she’s just fine–but not if she doesn’t take her pills. Prior to the opening of our story, there was a terrible fire on a neighbor’s farm. The two Abrams kids who live there haven’t been seen since. Were they so badly burned in the fire no one could find their remains? Or have they fled? Footer and her best friend Peavine decide to investigate, and what Footer finds scares her into thinking maybe she had something to do with the fire herself.
Author Susan Vaught works in the mental health field, so she’s definitely writing about something she has experience with here. The story is told in first-person from the perspective of young Footer Davis. Footer has a very unique voice. It’s one of the strengths of this story, but I’ll also admit it’s part of what made this story a little hard for me to get into at first. After all, Footer Davis “probably is crazy,” and her thoughts can be hard to follow. When are we being told the truth? When are we experiencing visions or a dream through Footer’s perspective? Or is she just remembering the past?
Thankfully, once you get used to Footer’s unique voice, the story moves along very rapidly. The author also does a great job with the ending. Often in middle grade mysteries, I can guess where the author is headed. It took almost until the surprising ending for me to figure out where this was all headed. And then once I figured it out, I wanted to shout at Footer, “Hey! Don’t you see what’s going on here?!?”
Some might wonder with all of this talk of mental illness if this is appropriate for middle grade readers. Yes, it’s definitely told with a middle grade voice, not a YA voice. I would put it a little akin to the great story So B. It by Sarah Weeks which deals with a character whose mother is mentally challenged.
So if you’re into middle grade mysteries with unique main characters, check out Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy.
The Sign of the Carved Cross is the second book in the Chime Travelers series. I suppose I really should have read the first book in the series before diving into book 2, but luckily, Lisa Hendey fills in enough details that if you missed book 1, you can still read book 2!
The Chime Travelers series is about a brother and sister who travel back in time and visit with saints. Their time-travel journeys start with the chiming of church bells.
Title: The Sign of the Carved Cross
Author: Lisa Hendey
Genre: Mystery
Age group: chapter book (grades 2-4)
Synopsis: When a new girl starts at Katie’s school, Katie joins her friends in excluding her from all their fun. But when Katie and her family help clean the church and the bells begin to chime, Katie is suddenly transported back to 1675. Tossed into a Native American village, Katie gets a sense of what it’s like to be “the new girl.” Luckily, she finds a friend in Tekakwitha, a young woman who knows what it’s like to be an outsider. Tekakwitha has scars on her face from a terrible disease, and her uncle’s family looks down on her for being a Christian. While Tekakwitha and Katie bond, things become worse in the village for Tekakwitha, and soon the girls are forced to run away in the middle of the night.
You may have guessed that Tekakwitha turns out to be St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American woman to be canonized. While I remember hearing about St. Kateri in school and I remember her being canonized in 2012, I really didn’t know too much about her. This book is a delightful introduction to this beautiful saint. Not only is this a lovely, intimate way to learn about St. Kateri, but it’s a fun read as well. Hendey keeps the story moving along quickly, and young people will enjoy getting to know Katie and her family through this series. I love that the very “real life” problems of bullying and exclusion are worked so nicely into this story and in ways that children can easily relate to.
The book also includes discussion questions, a prayer in honor of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and a prayer before receiving Communion. There are at least four books in the series out now. You can check them out here.
For news on my upcoming middle grade mystery and a chance to win a free copy, be sure to join my Insiders Club here.
I’m so excited to share with you the cover for Seven Riddles to Nowhere!
What do you think? Tell me in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
All seventh grader Kameron Boyd wants to do is keep his little Catholic school from closing. It’s the only school where they’ve made life as a selective mute somewhat bearable. As the school faces financial distress, Kam learns he is one of many potential heirs to a fortune large enough to keep his school open.
With the school’s bully as one of the other potential heirs, Kam and his friends race to solve the riddles first. Their journey takes them through the churches of Chicago to decipher the hidden meanings in artwork all while avoiding the mysterious men following them. But creepy men in trench coats won’t stop them! They’re on a quest–not only to keep the school open, but to help Kam recover his voice.
Last weekend, I went out and did some photo shoots of some of the Chicagoland locations used in my upcoming middle grade mystery Seven Riddles to Nowhere.
In this video, I take you behind the scenes of the Chicago suburban location that started it all!
For more behind-the-scenes peaks, be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter!
I squeezed in another YA book over winter break! My doctorate program at Loyola doesn’t restart for another couple weeks, so I’m hoping to squeeze in at least one more book review before the month is out. For right now, here’s another book from Joelle Charbonneau, whom I met at an ACFW meeting last March and who is the author of the New York Times bestselling dystopian trilogy The Testing.
Title: NEED
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Genre: Thriller
Age group: YA
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Kaylee Dunham knows what she needs–a kidney for her sick younger brother. However, the person who might best be a match is her dad, and he’s run off. Meanwhile, a new social networking site has appeared, and it’s quickly gathering popularity at Kaylee’s high school. All you have to do is tell it what you need, and then it gives you a simple set of instructions to follow in order to have your need request fulfilled. The instructions seem harmless at first, but the consequences quickly turn deadly. For example, one boy is told to leave a package on the front steps of the house of a girl he likes. He doesn’t know that inside the package are cookies made with ground peanuts, and the girl he likes has a severe peanut allergy. When Kaylee figures out the dangerous game the NEED system is playing with them, she needs to put an end to hit before someone she loves gets hurt. Or worse.
This is definitely a YA book, not a middle grade. I would say that if parents are okay with their children reading The Hunger Games or Divergent, then they’ll be fine with this one, too. What I really like about it is that it could become a good discussion starter for the dangers of social media. Charbonneau raises some interesting questions about how far someone may be willing to go to get what they think they need and how “anonymity” online can make people behave in ways they wouldn’t otherwise.
The book was definitely chilling in the way it built up the creepiness factor as the story progressed. After a while, it’s pretty hard to put down. That’s why on my Instagram account, I posted the photo to the right with the caption: “If you NEED me, I’ll be reading this book by @joellejcharbonneau.” The book is 334 pages, but I polished it off in just a few days during my winter break.
As an author and middle school English teacher, I get a lot of requests from parents about what books I might recommend to their children. Since the school I teach at started early this year, I’ve already been listening to my students’ book talks on what they chose to read this summer. It hit me this past week that there are definitely some recurring favorites that have popped up many times over recent years.
So if you’re looking for a book to recommend to your child in middle school, here are some of the repeat favorites as recommended by their own peers! (In other words, the kids really like these books.)
1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio–If you haven’t yet discovered this gem about a boy with physical deformities heading back to a regular school after years of being home-schooled, please do yourself a favor and get a copy. I adored Wonder, I have nieces who have read it multiple times, and a ton of my students have enjoyed it and called it one of their favorites as well. You can read my original review here.
2. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart–Fun, fun, fun series of books by an author I got to meet years ago when the first book came out and he came to visit my school. A group of gifted children are invited to join a secret society only to find out they have been chosen for a very special mission. The Mysterious Benedict Society has a creative cast of characters, fun puzzles and riddles to solve, and an engaging plot. Even my mom read this one! Original review here.
3. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin–This one is for lovers of fables and folklore. Grace Lin’s drawings are gorgeous, and her writing will sweep you away. In this story, a young girl travels to meet the Old Man in the Moon in order to save her poor family from famine. Original review here. Lovely tale!
4. So B. It by Sarah Weeks–A lovely contemporary story with a bit of a mystery to solve. Twelve-year-old Heidi lives with her mother who is mentally challenged. Her mom can only speak a few words, but Heidi is determined to get to the bottom of one word in particular that she can’t quite figure out. Original review here.
5. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate–This Newbery Medal Winner is reminiscent of Charlotte’s Web. A silverback gorilla named Ivan is the top attraction at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. His best friend is an elephant named Stella. When a new baby elephant arrives, Ivan decides he needs to find a better life for her than the Big Top Mall. Original review here. Probably most appropriate for younger middle school readers.
6. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull–A great series for fantasy lovers who have finished Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and are looking for something else with magical creatures. I first reviewed this book back in 2013, and I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be participating in the official blog tour for Brandon Mull’s next book: The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven. Watch for my special post in October!
7. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead–Fans of quirky mysteries with a major plot twist at the end will love this story of sixth grader Miranda who keeps receiving mysterious messages. The notes eerily predict the future and carry warnings of what might come. I can’t say too much about this book because I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say it was one of those books where the ending made it all worthwhile! Check out my review here.
8. Hidden Talents by David Lubar–If you have a reluctant reader, this is the book I recommend. I’ll warn that it comes with a little mild language, but I’ve found that nearly every child I’ve read this book to (I change damn to darn and sucks to stinks when I read it aloud) loves it. There’s a sequel too. The kids often ask if there’s a third book and are really disappointed when I inform them there isn’t. Original review here.
One of my favorite things to read is a middle grade mystery with puzzles that the reader can play along with, and Chris Grabenstein delivers just such a treat in his Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. (And seeing how I’ve just returned from a trip to Italy where I partook of a bit of limoncello, this book seemed like the perfect choice for my next Monday book review. 😉 )
Title: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
Author: Chris Grabenstein
Genre: mystery
Age group: middle grade
Synopsis: Kyle Keeley loves playing all sorts of games, especially board games designed by his hero Luigi Lemoncello. After Mr. Lemoncello designs the new town library, Kyle wins one of the 12 coveted spots to participate in a special “library lock-in” to celebrate its opening. However, Mr. Lemoncello has created a special game for this lock-in. The kids have to solve a series of riddles and puzzles in order to get out of the library. Whoever gets out first will star in a commercial for Mr. Lemoncello’s next board game!
I really enjoyed how much the reader can play along with the puzzles in this book. To me, a mystery isn’t fun if you can’t play detective along with the main character. Author Chris Grabenstein does a nice job of making many of these games “playable” with Kyle. I also enjoyed how he integrated many popular children’s book titles into the games and into Mr. Lemoncello’s speech. Grabenstein made use of classic titles like Anne of Green Gables (you know I’d like that!) and newer books I love like When You Reach Me.
The one little thing I wish were different about the book is that I wish there were more at stake than starring in a commercial. As an author myself, I’ve read many times that you have to decide what “terrible thing” will happen to your character if he does not succeed in his goal. Otherwise, why do we care? For that reason, the beginning of the book felt a little slow to me. I didn’t know why I should care if Kyle won this game or not. When I found out that the only thing at stake was starring in a commercial, it seemed a little shallow. Perhaps, if there’d been a financial prize, and Kyle’s family needed the money to keep their house or something, then I might’ve felt a bit more invested.
Fortunately, the riddles the kids have to solve were fun enough to keep a book lover like me entertained. Also, the library that Lemoncello (or really Grabenstein) dreams up is very cool, and I’d love to visit a library like that someday.
If you (or a kid you know) loves to read and solve puzzles, I’d definitely recommend this book. There’s even a fun puzzle-within-the-puzzle for the reader to solve at the end of the story.
This week on the Spin Cycle, Ginny Marie is asking for our summer reading lists. Here are a few things on my Kindle app that I’m hoping to get read this summer.
1. Capturing Today by Jess Evander–I read the first book in the series (Saving Yesterday) last year, and I’ve been really looking forward to the sequel, which just came out. It’s about a girl who discovers her blood holds a secret; namely, that she can time travel. In fact, she needs to time travel because the very existence of our planet depends on it.
2. Implanted by Heather Letto–This is another sequel to a book I read last year. You can see my review for Impervious here. Think YA dystopian but with a Christian allegorical slant.
3. Storm Siren by Mary Weber–Okay, I’m behind on this series. The sequel just came out, and I haven’t even read the first one yet. But doesn’t that cover look super cool? The sequel cover is just as gorgeous.
4. Worth the Time by Laura Jackson–This has been on my to-be-read list for a while now. I don’t read a lot of straight contemporary stories. I’m more of a mystery and fantasy sort of girl, but this story looks cute.
5. Sisters of the Last Straw by Karen Kelly Boyce–I just heard about this one recently, but it sounds kind of cute. It’s a middle grade mystery involving nuns that get involved in capers. And how can you not love nuns that get into capers?
What’s on your summer reading list? Click on the link below to see what others are reading this summer. Or link up your own blog post!
