Magical Storytelling Pick: Wink Poppy Midnight

 

Wink Poppy Midnight

by April Genevieve Tucholke

Dial Books

2016

247 pages

ISBN: 9780803740488

 

 

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/14/april-genevieve-tucholke-wink-poppy-midnight-excerpt

 

"Tucholke walks a fine, spine-chilling line. . .  An eerie, tangled story with plenty of questions: Who can be trusted? Who—or what—pulls the strings? . . . The book keeps readers wondering. Nicely constructed and planned, with unexpected twists to intrigue and entertain.”  

—Kirkus starred review

“A dark, unpredictable mystery that . . . shimmer[s] with sumptuous descriptions and complicated psychologies. . . . Occult accoutrements, descriptions of the wild landscape, and a twisting-turning plot create an uncertain atmosphere that constantly shift readers’ perceptions of who is trustworthy.”

 —Publishers Weekly

 

From the author's website:

 

Spring 2016 Kids’ Indie Next List

 

Amazon Editors' Best Books of the month, March 2016

 

A Junior Library Guild Selection

 

Teen Vogue’s Best New YA Books of 2016

 

PureWow's Best of Spring

 

Wink Poppy Midnight is that rare book: equal parts magic, mystery, romance and intrigue. Textured and rich, the prose sings off the pages. Tucholke is one fine storyteller; she pulls you in, makes you believe in magic, throws crazy plot twists at you, adds a few red herrings for spice, plays you like a fiddle and then leaves you breathless, confused and delighted. "Every story needs a hero. Every story needs a villain. Every story needs a secret." (from the inside cover). Readers will not see this story's ending coming, and believe me, there's no way to prepare for it--any of it.

 

Wink is a masterful storyteller who believes, truly believes--to the depths of her being--in fairy tales. Poppy is a mean girl; the girl who seemingly has no heart. She cares nothing for any one and she only acts in her own self-interest. She's a true sociopath. She plays with both Midnight and Wink, toying with their hearts and heads until Wink can bear it no more. Wink convinces Midnight of a plan to bring Poppy down a notch or two.

When their plan goes off the rails, Poppy disappears. Both Wink and Midnight feel guilt, but Wink knows Poppy is still playing a game with them. Wink knows Poppy like she knows herself. Midnight once loved Poppy, and he still smells her perfume in his room. Is she a ghost? Is he seeing things? If she's alive, why won't she come back?

Someone is pulling the strings and someone is lying, but whom? Is it Poppy manipulating others into thinking she is dead? Or is it Wink, the pixie storyteller? Everyone loves Wink, but with her intelligence and creative, whimsical mind, could she be the mastermind for murder? Or is it someone else behind the scenes? Someone Poppy used to love?

Minor characters are drawn into the mystery and add to the suspense. Wink's younger siblings think Poppy has drowned, and Wink might even believe it.

After a chilling séance, an accidental fire burns down the spooky Roman Luck House and the kids escape, everyone except Midnight. Wink fears Midnight is dead, but (spoiler alert) someone or something pulled him from the house. Only Midnight knows what really happened but he's not talking--he has too much to lose.

Heroes and villains are never truly heroic nor truly evil. Sometimes it's hard to tell the good from the bad--unlike most fairy tales where ugly ogres and cackling witches are bad and beautiful princesses and handsome heroes are always good. Wink needs her fairy tales to make sense of her life and she is such a lyrical storyteller, she has all the other kids  believing in fairy magic and heroic quests. When they listen to Wink, they believe in princesses and witches.

Wink Poppy Midnight will haunt you long after you have finished reading. The only thing missing for me was a more gothic setting. This book could have gone southern gothic or gothic romance, but it didn't. Perhaps that is the way the author intended.

Cover art captures magic elements of Wink's stories: a snake, a full moon, a spider's web, an owl, an apple, flowers, a butterfly.

 

Highly, highly recommended for mature readers. Mature situations. Poppy is quite a seductress.

 

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

 

 

 

 

Now in Paperback! Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School

Now in Paperback!

Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School

By Jen Calonita

February 2, 2016; Tradepaper ISBN 9781492620815

 

Book Info:

Title: Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School

Author: Jen Calonita

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

 

Praise for Flunked: Fairy Tale Reform School

 

“Spellbinding and wickedly clever.” –Leslie Margolis, author of the Annabelle Unleashed novels and the Maggie Brooklyn mysteries

 

“A fresh and funny take on the enchanted world. (And, who hasn’t always wanted to know what happened to Cinderella’s stepmother?)” –Julia DeVillers, author of the Trading Faces series and Emma Emmets, Playground Matchmaker

 

“Charming fairy-tale fun.” –Sarah Mlynowski, author of the Whatever After series

 

“Fairy tale fans will love this clever and lively tale of magic, friendship, and courage.” –Discovery Girls Magazine

 

“Gilly’s plucky spirit and determination to oust the culprit will make Flunked a popular choice for tweens” –School Library Journal

 

“Calonita blithely samples from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and folklore in this lighthearted first book in the Fairy Tale Reform School series.” –Publishers Weekly

“There’s much to amuse and entertain fans of classic tales with a twist.” –Booklist

 

Summary:

 

Would you send a villain to do a hero’s job?

 

Flunked is an exciting new twisted fairy tale from the award-winning author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series.

 

Gilly wouldn’t call herself wicked, exactly…but when you have five little brothers and sisters and live in a run-down boot, you have to get creative to make ends meet. Gilly’s a pretty good thief (if she does say so herself).

 

Until she gets caught.

 

Gilly’s sentenced to three months at Fairy Tale Reform School where all of the teachers are former (super-scary) villains like the Big Bad Wolf, the Evil Queen, and Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother. Harsh. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there’s more to this school than its heroic mission. There’s a battle brewing and Gilly has to wonder: can a villain really change?

 

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996359-flunked?from_search=true&search_version=service

 

Buy Links:

Amazon- http://ow.ly/WeJLe

Apple- http://ow.ly/WeK0H

Barnes&Noble- http://ow.ly/WeK6d

BooksAMillion- http://ow.ly/WeKdn

!ndigo- http://ow.ly/WeKih

Indiebound- http://ow.ly/WeKox

 

About the Author:

 

Jen Calonita is the author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series and other books like Sleepaway Girls and Summer State of Mind, but Fairy Tale Reform School is her first middle-grade series. She rules Long Island, New York, with her husband Mike, princes Tyler and Dylan, and Chihuahua Captain Jack Sparrow, but the only castle she’d ever want to live in is Cinderella’s at Disney World. She’d love for you to visit her at jencalonitaonline.com and keep the fairy-tale fun going at happilyeverafterscrolls.net 

 

Social Networking Links:

 

Author Website: http://www.jencalonitaonline.com/MG_Flunked.html

Book Website: http://books.sourcebooks.com/enchantasia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FairyTaleReformSchool

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenCalonita?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jencalonita/

 

Excerpt from Flunked Fairy Tale Reform School:

There’s a boy up there, standing on the crystal chandelier! He has slightly curly blond hair and is wearing a uniform—­a navy sweater vest over a white shirt with khaki pants—­but his boots are muddy. He’s stepping on priceless crystals with cruddy boots? Is he insane?

“Jax! What are you doing up there?” Kayla whispers heatedly.

“I’m cleaning the crystal for Flora,” Jax says and rolls his eyes. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m making

a break for it.”

Kayla applauds. “Yay! This time I know you can do it.”

I shade my eyes from the light bursting through the stained-­glass window next to the chandelier Jax is perched on. “Busting out? Why?” I ask Kayla. “I thought you said this place was cool.”

Jax laughs loudly and looks at me. I feel slightly stunned. I’ve never seen violet eyes before. “FTRS was fun for a while, but strange things have started happening and I don’t want to be here when something bad goes down.”

Strange things? What kind of strange things? Why does Kayla suddenly look pale?

“He’s exaggerating,” Kayla tells me, but she doesn’t sound convincing.

Drip. Whatever Jax is holding is leaking. Kayla and I move out of the way so we don’t get wet. “Grease,” Jax explains to me. “It lubes the window.” He swings the chandelier, and as it nears the window, he uses a fork to try to pry the window open. “A few more tries and I’ll have it.”

“Then what are you going to do, genius?” I ask. “You’re two stories up.”

Jax’s eyes gleam. “I’ve jumped from higher spots before.”

“It’s true,” Kayla says to me. “Jax once jumped from the gym to the dining hall turret. That was three stories up. We call him the Escape Artist. One time he even managed to break into Azalea and Dahlia’s rooms and borrowed their keys to the indoor pool so the whole dorm could take a midnight swim.”

“Impressive,” I tell him. “And I thought I was good at tricking obnoxious royals.”

“She stole a dragon’s tooth clip from one this morning,” Kayla fills him in.

“Nice,” Jax says. “Your first pull?”

“No, I’ve been doing it for a while,” I brag.

“Me too,” Jax says. “My father is a farmer. You can only get so far trading vegetables. I needed to kick things up a notch.”

For some reason, I don’t think any of us are going to make the transformation Headmistress Flora is looking for. “Why do you want to break out so bad?”

“I’ve got places to see, and Enchantasia isn’t one of them.” Jax swings the chandelier so hard the crystals clang together. The window latch pops open, and I watch Jax leap from the chandelier to the tiny window ledge. I’m in awe. Jax looks down at us smugly before pushing open the window. “Are you sure you two don’t want to join me?”

“There’s no time for us,” Kayla says. “Get out of here. Wait!” Her eyes widen. “You deactivated the alarm on the window, right?”

“There isn’t one,” Jax insists. “If there was, I wouldn’t be able to do this.” But when Jax lifts the window, we hear:

EEEEEE! EEEE! EEEE! Unauthorized exit! Unauthorized exit!

The shrieking sound is so intense that Kayla and I cover our ears. Within seconds, Flora is out of her office and running toward us.

Swoosh!

I feel something brush past me and I whirl around. When I look up at Jax again, a large, muscular man with a long mane of hair is hanging on to the window ledge, his furry hands pulling Jax back by his shirt. How did the man get up there without a ladder?

“Mr. Jax,” the man says in a low growl, “we really must stop meeting like this.”

 

ALSO BY JEN CALONITA:

 

Charmed: Fairy Tale Reform School

Available March 1, 2016; Hardcover: 9781492604044

 

 

Summary:

 

Charmed is the exciting sequel to the wildly popular Flunked -- second in the brand new Fairy Tale Reform School series where the teachers are (former) villains. "Charming fairy-tale fun." -Sarah Mlynowski, author of the New York Times bestselling Whatever After series.

 

It takes a (mostly) reformed thief to catch a spy. Which is why Gilly Cobbler, Enchantasia’s most notorious pickpocket, volunteers to stay locked up at Fairy Tale Reform School…indefinitely. Gilly and her friends may have defeated the Evil Queen and become reluctant heroes, but the battle for Enchantasia has just begun.

 

Alva, aka The Wicked One who cursed Sleeping Beauty, has declared war on the Princesses, and she wants the students of Fairy Tale Reform School to join her.  As her criminal classmates give in to temptation, Gilly goes undercover as a Royal Lady in Waiting (don’t laugh) to unmask a spy…before the mole can hand Alva the keys to the kingdom.

 

Her parents think Gilly the Hero is completely reformed, but sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. Sometimes it’s good to be bad…

 

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25879858-charmed?from_search=true&search_version=service

 

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon- http://ow.ly/WeOuR

Apple- http://ow.ly/WeOzZ

Barnes&Noble- http://ow.ly/WeOFR

BooksAMillion- http://ow.ly/WeOKq

!ndigo- http://ow.ly/WeOPV

Indiebound- http://ow.ly/WeOWC

 

Rafflecopter Giveaway Fairy Tale Princess Book Pack

Runs December 23^rd -Feb 29^th (US and Canada only)

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/54ca7af7268/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="54ca7af7268" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_seegfnxr">a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blog Tour and Book Giveaway: The Wild Swans

Book Tour: Visit the next stop on the book tour

Rockin' Book Reviews

 

The Wild Swans

by Jackie Morris

Full color illustrations

Francis Lincoln Children's Books

(Janetta Otter-Barry Books)

2015

173 pages

ISBN: 9781847805362

 

 I have 5 copies of The Wild Swans up for grabs. What a beautiful book! Everyone will want a copy of this one!  For a chance to win, you simply post a comment to the blog. Please include first name, city, state and email contact. Deadline for posts is November 2 at noon MST. Winners are chosen randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be contacted Nov. 2. Please check your email on that date. Books will ship from New York. Good luck and start posting!
Pamela
 

MORE ABOUT THE BOOK AND AUTHOR

 

 

The Wild Swans

Retold and illustrated by Jackie Morris

 

This very beautiful and lyrical extended version of the fairy tale 'The Wild Swans' by Hans Christian Andersen is the much anticipated companion to East of the Sun, West of the Moon. With strong characterization of the heroine and also with more rounded characterization of the wicked stepmother than in the original version, and with delicate watercolor paintings throughout, this is both a wonderful story and delightful gift.

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie Morris lives in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with children, dogs and cats. Ever since leaving college, Bath Academy of Art, at least one cat has watched over her while she works. Big cats and small are a passion in her life, and it was while reading and watching her cat Pixie sleeping in winter that the idea for I am Cat came about. Among her many books for Frances Lincoln are The Ice Bear, The Snow Leopard, and Tell me a Dragon.

 

AUTHOR WEBSITE

http://www.jackiemorris.co.uk/blog/

Fairy Tale Pick: The Wild Swans

The Wild Swans
by Jackie Morris
color illustrations
Janetta Otter-Barry Books
2015
173 pages
ISBN: 9781847805362

Simply a stunning children's book! Beautifully imagined illustrations will captivate and are ethereal, lovely, and delicate.

Eliza is a happy young princess whose doting father and loving mother keep her safe in their care and the warmth of their love envelops her. Her eleven older brothers are strong, handsome and brave and love her dearly. Everything is sunshine and roses until her mother dies. Suddenly the castle is quiet and cold, foreboding even. Her father grieves and leaves daily to hunt with his men in the forest.

One day, Eliza's father comes home with a strange catch. Her father has a new bride and Eliza's brothers are not to come home. Eliza misses her brothers almost as much as she misses her dead mother. This new "mother" is not loving and caring. The new queen discovers her husband's sons and turns them all into swans. Eliza sees her brothers take flight and leave one by one. Now she has no one save her mother's favorite giant dog. The dog and Eliza bond, both having lost the lady their so dearly loved. The evil stepmother (now queen) casts Eliza out and poor, doomed Eliza wanders the woods until she finds a Fairy Queen who tells her how to save her brothers and break the spell.

Eliza must endure years of toil and loneliness in order to save her brothers and reunite her family with her father. This retelling of a story by Hans Christian Andersen is inspiring and breathtaking. A crowning achievement for author/illustrator Jackie Morris!

Look for a FREE giveaway on of this book on my blog within the next few days. You could win a free copy!

Highly, highly recommended for any fairy tale fan. A must for all fairy tale collections.

Suitable grade 4-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Fairy Tale Twist: Prince of a Frog

Prince of a Frog
story and illustrations by Jackie Urbanovic
Orchard Books (Scholastic Inc.)
2015
32 pages
ISBN: 9780545636520


Prince of a Frog takes the classic fairy tale and twists it in such a way that it will have kids giggling and their parents and grandparents amazed at the transformation from classic tale to new story.

Hopper is a gregarious frog who longs for fun and games, so much so, that he just doesn't fit in at the small pond. A wise old turtle advises him that he may not be a frog at all; perhaps he is a prince. Hopper isn't sure what that means but he knows he has to find a princess and kiss her. He looks high and low and nearly runs into trouble in the woods but is saved by a likeable, outgoing dog. The dog is kind and sweet and shows him that he truly is a prince and has been one all along.

Charming and sweet, Hopper and Princess are two cute characters bound to become favorites. Jackie Urbanovic hits all the right notes in this retelling of a well-known tale.

The illustrations capture the friendship and joy between the two main characters and the final page is sheer beauty!

Highly, highly recommended for any beginning reader and perfect for a friendship story.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Fairy Tale Pick: Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School)

Flunked
(Fairy Tale Reform School)
by Jen Calonita
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2015
244 pages
ISBN: 9781492601562

Snarky and fun, Flunked is a real page turner. This book may be my new favorite in the fairy tale remix/retelling trend.

Gilly isn't really a bad person; she steals to help feed her family. They used to do okay when Gilly's dad made his living designing shoes. He came up with the design for the original glass slipper, but since Ella became queen, she has her own cobblers make the shoes. Gilly's family lives in a seedy side of town in an old boot (The Little Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe). When Gilly steals a beautiful hair clip from an unsuspecting young princess, the police come to take her away to Fairy Tale Reform School.


Gilly finds that Fairy Tale Reform School isn't all that bad; in fact, she may even stick around for awhile. Where else can a girl ride on a flying pegasus or be taught history by The Big Bad Wolf? Only in Enchantasia at the Fairy Tale Reform School. Where else can a girl meet  fairies, trolls, goblins, mermaids, witches, and princesses? Only at the Fairy Tale Reform School.

The question is: who wants the royals dead? And who is sabotaging the school? And who are Gilly's friends and who are her enemies?

One plucky, perky, snarky girl with mad attitude takes on any and every spell they throw at her. Readers will like the retelling and mash-up.

Highly recommended grade 6-up. Avid middle grade readers will also be entertained, No adult d
content.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Fairy Tale Pick: Egg & Spoon

Egg & Spoon
by Gregory Maguire
Candlewick
2014
475 pages
ISBN: 9780763672201

Read a sample chapter

Click here for a Discussion Guide

Times are tough for Russian peasants. No longer serfs, but not better off, the people of the Russian countryside are starving. Crops and animals are dying and there is nothing to eat. Elena's father died years ago, one brother is fighting in the war, and another brother has been kidnapped. Elena alone must try and find food and medicine to keep her ailing mother alive. The village is empty except for the old "doctor"--who is really a veterinarian, an old grandmother, Elena and her sick mother, and a few women with babies.

Russia is unfair with its wealth. The poor get sick, starve and die. The rich eat succulent meats and creamy pastries and wear silk and satin finery and travel to visit the Tsar's palace. Someday Elena vows, she will go to the Tsar and tell him of her starving village and her sick mother. Surely, he will help. After all, he is the Tsar, right?

One day after a terrible storm, a beautiful train arrives in the village. The depot has long been closed. Even the elderly barely remember when trains used to stop there. Elena is curious. What caused  this fine train to  stop in her dusty village and who so rich could afford such luxury? The village has never seen such a train. The engineer explains that the bridge has been washed out ahead and will take time to repair. Until then, the train is stuck. Elena is captivated and soon discovers a girl her  own age on board.

Through a twist of fate, Elena leaves on the train and Ekaterina finds herself left behind in Elena's squalid village. Elena realizes that the grown ups will mistake her for the rich heiress, so she decides to go with it. She wears Ekaterina's clothing and with the help of the governess, pretends to be the rich girl.

On her own adventure the real Ekaterina ventures away and into woods where magic abounds. It is here she meets the witch of lore: Baba Yaga.

Two girls switched by fate: one poor urchin off to the palace and one rich princess off to the woods. Who would you put your money on?

Egg & Spoon is well crafted and written with a keen eye for plot development. My main concern about this book is the cover. It's not what I would call eye-catching or eye-candy for young readers. This cover will not draw them in. The mere girth of the novel is another problem--tipping the scales at 475 pages, it is not a short read for middle grades. I have a feeling this book will win awards and be recognized for its craft, but it will not be popular with middle grade readers. For that, I am sorry. It's a great read that teachers and librarians are going to have to lead readers to.

Highly recommended grade 5-up. Good readers should not have a problem with this book. It is entertaining and well-written but lengthy.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Tales from a Not-So-Happily-Ever-After (Dork Diaries, book 8)

Tales From a Not-So-Happily Ever After
Dork Diaries, book 8
by Rachel Renee Russell
Aladdin
2014
295 pages
ISBN: 9781481421843

Read an excerpt

Fans of this series will be excited to get the newest book. The cover has massive tween girl appeal with its overload of pretty glitter and the eye-catching purple (lavender?) color will help the book fly off the shelf.

The story (sadly) does not live up to its packaging. The previous Dork Diaries were cute, funny, snarky, and fun to read. Tales From a Not-So-Happily Every After falls flat. Brianna is still a pain in the neck, Mackenzie is still a mean-girl diva, Brandon is still swoon-able and Nikki is as dorky as ever, but the story veers off into fairy-tale land. When Nikki is hit in the head during a brutal game of dodge ball, she blacks out. During her blackout, she "dreams" of every child's fairy tale imaginable: Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Cinderella, and many others.

I wish this Dork Diaries had more of a creative story. I felt a bit cheated that the author used well-known tales to tell a new??? story.

The book will probably have good sales and may make it to the bestseller list on the strength of the titles that came before. Readers may choose to skip the next book (if there is one). It is a shame that the latest in the series is the weakest one of all. The previous Dork Diaries--Tales From a Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker--was Russell at her best; too bad the newest title followed such a strong book.

Recommended for fans of the series. Grade 4-up.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

YA Book Giveaway: Unhinged

Unhinged (Splintered, Book 2)
by A.G. Howard
Amulet

Read a free excerpt of a Splintered novella here

I have 3 FREE copies of this exciting new book by A.G. Howard up for grabs. Unhinged picks up where Splintered left us. Readers who love a retelling or reimagined fairy tale will love this series! Out of this world beautiful cover art will have this book flying off the shelf.

From the publisher's website:


Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole. She was crowned Queen of the Red Court and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the boy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly appealing Morpheus. Now all she has to do is graduate high school.


That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.
Could she leave Jeb and her parents behind again, for the sake of a man she knows has manipulated her before? Will her mother and Jeb trust her to do what’s right? Readers will swoon over the satisfying return to Howard’s bold, sensual reimagining of Carroll’s classic.

Praise for Unhinged
"Howard excels in sensory and sensuous descriptions."
--Kirkus Reviews


For your chance to win a FREE copy, post a comment to the blog. Please include first name, city, state and email. Deadline for posts is January 20, 2014 at noon MST. Winners are chosen randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be notified via email shortly after noon on January 20, 2014. Please check your email on that date. Winners have 24 hours to respond to my email to claim their prize. Books will ship from New York courtesy of Amulet.

Good luck, and start posting! Pamela

Guest Post: Anna Staniszewski

Anna Staniszewski, author of My Very UnFairy Tale Life and My Epic Fairy Tale Fail talks about her writing in a post she calls Fantasy Recast:

"Fantasy Recast






When I first started writing about Jenny the Adventurer several years ago, I discovered that her opinion of magical creatures was very different from mine: she thought they were pretty darn annoying. As I started sending Jenny on adventures, I realized why these creatures drove her nuts: they were nothing like fairy tale creatures were supposed to be. Unicorns that like to stab you, gnomes that only think about candy, brave knights that won’t stop saving you from absolutely everything. No wonder they made Jenny crazy!





If I had to choose which creatures I liked re-imagning the most, I would have to say the villains. In the first book, My Very UnFairy Tale Life, the bad guy is a sorcerer…and a clown…and a mouthless one at that. Don’t ask me where the idea for his character came from (perhaps from a nightmare?) but I loved taking readers’ ideas of what a sorcerer is and twisting them.





I used the same approach in the second book, My Epic Fairy Tale Fail. The villain in that story is an evil witch. I bet you’re imagining warts and all, right? Well, Jenny is surprised to learn that the witch in this story wears sparkly sweaters and gaudy earrings—in fact, she totally reminds Jenny of her math teacher.





And finally, in the third book, My Sort Of Fairy Tale Ending—which I’m working on right now—the villain is a fairy queen. Wings? Nope. Wand? Nope. I won’t spoil too much, but let’s just say her character was influenced by her obsession with a particular Disney cartoon.





Working on this series has allowed me to combine my love of fairy tales with my wacky sense of humor. I love traditional tales because they feel so comfortable and familiar, but when it comes to Jenny’s stories, I enjoy twisting her (and our) expectations and seeing what happens."

Blog Tour/YA book Giveaway: My Epic Fairy Tale Fail

My Epic Fairy Tale Fail Blog Tour! Join the Fun!

Check out the book trailer

My Epic Fairy Tale Fail
by Anna Staniszewski
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2013
224 pages

I have ONE FREE copy of each book (that's TWO books!)for one lucky winner. Simply post a comment to the blog. Be sure to include your first name, city, state, and email contact. Sorry, only U.S. and Canada addresses. The winner will be chosen randomly by Randomizer. Deadline for posting is Thursday, March 28 at noon MST. The winner will be contacted by email by me on March 28. Please check your email that afternoon. The winner has 24 hours to provide me with her/his mailing address. I will give this information to the publisher. The books will ship courtesy of Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.


Read Chapter 1 here

Get your free book club packet here (courtesy of Kidlit)

Read Chapter One from My Very UnFairy Tale Life here

Tween Pick: My Epic Fairy Tale Fail

My Epic Fairy Tale Fail
by Anna Staniszewski
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2013
224 pages

Jenny is an adventurer--an ordinary girl who just happens to pop into magical kingdoms to right the wrongs of magical and strange creatures. When the Merpeople can't get along, Jenny shows up to save the day; however, things aren't going as planned. Anthony, a garden gnome who is her guide, pops in  and takes her out of there in the knick of time. He tells her that the Committee has other plans for her.

Jenny is being sent to The Land of Tales--where all the magical fairy tales do come true. A wicked witch has stopped the land's magic and the kingdom is suffering. Jenny has to perform three impossible tasks and the witch will give the kingdom back its magic, and Jenny makes a deal with the witch--the witch will tell her where to find her missing parents.

Her friends Trish and Melissa join her in her quest. The girls meet a variety of quirky characters: a wolf who can't catch a giant rooster, the king and queen who have been turned into a chair and a rug, a princess who needs a good night's sleep, angry villagers who want her to leave and blame her parents for bringing the curse upon them, and a brave but silly knight in shining armor who is prisoner to the metal suit. He clangs and clunks throughout the novel offering comic relief.

Jenny is able to complete her tasks and the kingdom gets its magic back but she is not much closer to finding her parents. She has only one clue to go on: they were taken by the fairies, but Jenny has no idea how to find the fairies or how to work with them.

Jenny is spunky and snarky with a fast wit and sarcastic tongue. Readers will like her and admire her tenacity in tough situations.

Recommended grade 5-up. Anyone who enjoys the recent popularity of stories with fairy tale elements will like My Epic Fairy Tale Fail.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Fairy Tale Pick: If the Shoe Fits (Whatever After, 2)

If the Shoe Fits (Whatever After #2)
Sarah Mlynowski
Scholastic Press
2013
174 pages

Available January 9, 2013



This is the second book in a charming series of fairy tales meet spunky girl Abby and her funny younger brother Jonah. The kids are determined to visit the land of Zamel again and find Snow White and claim Abby’s favorite pajamas. They try the magic mirror in the basement three nights in a row to no avail. On the fourth night, however, they are sucked through the mirror and end up on the floor of a giant coat closet in a beautiful castle. No one there knows Snow White, but the kids soon find out they are in the wrong fairy tale altogether.

Abby realizes they have entered the castle and are attending a ball—it’s the Cinderella story. Abby feels horribly underdressed. She’s wearing pink pajamas with purple polka dots and sees the Floom flag—and finds out she’s actually wearing their flag on her pajamas. The people welcome her to the party.

The ball goes like the fairy tale, Cinderella enters and dances with the prince all night and runs away as the clock is striking twelve. She leaves one glass slipper behind and the kids chase her to her home in the hopes that she might have a magic mirror at her house that will transport them back home.

Cinderella injures her foot and by morning, her toes are swollen. There is no way a glass slipper is going to fit! Her fairy godmother refuses to help saying that if she wants to become a princess, Cinderella needs to gain some responsibility for herself. The kids try to help Cinderella figure out her strengths and what kind of job she can get to please her fairy godmother and marry the prince.

The brotherly/sisterly love and quick-witted banter between Jonah and Abby is sweet and funny. Mlynowski has a great ear for dialog and humor. Spot-on characters of both children make this book a lively, fun read. Funny details like Abby hating to wear her least favorite underwear because they cause wedgies and having to eat pizza three days in a row because her parents no longer cook or do the laundry, make Abby's home life funny and relatable. I hope there are many more fairy tales waiting to be deftly retold by Sarah Mlynowski.

You don’t need to read book 1 to understand book 2, but why wouldn’t you want the first book? Both books Fairest of All and If the Shoe Fits make the perfect gift for any tween reader.

Highly, highly recommended grade 5-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Classic Twist Pick: Splintered

Splintered
by A.G.Howard
Amulet
2013
371 pages

View the book trailer here

Magical, enchanting, captivating and mesmerizing, Splintered is a new twist on an old tale. Lewis Carroll wrote about Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and a garden tea party he made real for millions of childen.

Generations later, Alyssa is the great, great, great granddaughter of Alice Liddell, the original Alice that Carroll made famous in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa is fearful her family's curse of madness may have finally found her. She has been hearing bugs and plants talk to her for some time but now she's having visions of a dark and mysterious young man who seems to be beckoning her down the rabbithole.

In order to save her own mother's sanity, Alyssa hatches a plan to travel to England, find the fountain that hides the rabbithole and visit Alice's Wonderland. She takes a flashlight and the original text of the book for help. What she doesn't plan for is that her best friend Jeb has followed her and now she's responsible for getting both of them safely through Wonderland and back home.

The original Alice mucked things up in Wonderland and until Alyssa can set things right again, her family curse will never be lifted.

Jeb and Alyssa face monstrous creatures like the octobenus--a weird mutant walrus creature famous for his enormous insatiable appetite, the Mad Hatter--who isn't mad at all but quite a well-respected maker of hats, and a steady stream of Carrollian creatures. Finally, Alyssa meets Morpheus, the dark but fascinating creature who called her to Wonderland. Morpheus agrees to help Alyssa and Jeb and send them both home if Wonderland can be repaired.

What are Morpheus's real intentions? It seems that Wonderland has been corrupted and no one is who they seem to be. Can Alyssa save Jeb and find a way back home? Now that Jeb realizes his true intentions, will he remember Alyssa?

The cover art is both captivating and colorful and sure to draw in legions of teen readers. This one is sure to jump off of store shelves.

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up. A few kisses. Some Wonderland violence.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Fairy Tale Pick: Wooden Bones

Wooden Bones
By Scott William Carter
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2012
160 pages

Available August 7, 2012

Imaginative, magically lyrical, and highly entertaining, Wooden Bones is a retelling of the Pinocchio story—-it is bound to be a hit with fairy tale fans and readers who like a good adventure story.

Pino is an apprentice to his father Geppetto, a master wood carver in a small village. Geppetto is widowed and lonely, that is, until Pino becomes a real live, breathing boy. Soon enough, villagers catch on and want Geppetto to bring back their long lost (dead) relatives, but Geppetto knows the danger of this and tries to make Pino understand.

They flee the village when an angry mob turns against them and Geppetto is seriously injured. Pino must use his wits (and believe me, he’s going to need help!) and some intervention from a magical friend or two. Geppetto is saved by a crippled Elendrew who exacts her own pound of flesh. Geppetto teaches Pino, “Some people can never be happy…They’re always going to see what they don’t have rather than what they do.”

Pino longs to be a “real” boy-- not a puppet come to life, and then he realizes that he has a great gift—the gift of being himself and being “different.”

Masterful storytelling and a fast-paced plot will have readers speeding through this breezy read. Just right for that summer read!

Highly, highly recommended grades 4-8 and anyone who likes fairy tales and the current trend of retelling and reshaping them.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this novel from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Fairy Tale Fantasy Pick: Between the Lines

Between the Lines
by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer
Simon Pulse
2012
352 pages


Breathtakingly beautiful, pensively poignant, and exceedingly entertaining, Jodi Picoult works with her own teen daughter to create a new kind of ya novel. Between the Lines is a refreshing take on a fairy tale with a happy ending. This one has it all: a quiet, loner teen girl captivated by a fairy tale book she checks out from the library. This book is different, though. Something keeps tugging her into the story, and suddenly the story changes. Things begin to appear on pages that were never there before. She thinks she's imagining things, or worse, she's going a bit crazy.

Oliver is a shy prince who isn't the least bit valiant; in fact, he is quite un-brave. He uses his wits to get past dragons, trolls and villians, not his boldness or swagger. He feels trapped in the same story forever...until, one day a Reader sees him, no...really sees him. He is able to talk to her and she can actually hear him.

Both Delilah and Oliver  think this new twist is exciting and weird, and Oliver begs Delilah to try to rescue him from  the story. What if Oliver could escape his world, and live a real life in hers?

The action is told sometimes in Delilah's world of high school hallways and her bedroom; sometimes the story is told as the Reader is reading the fairy tale and the action is forever and always the same for Oliver because he is merely an actor in the story, and sometimes the story is told as Oliver tries to escape his fairy tale life. The best times are when Delilah, the real girl, is talking to storybook character Oliver--who is real on the pages in front of her.

Fans of Picoult will see the mother's deft touch and hear her teen daughter's youthful voice in the voice of the main characters. What a team! It is the brilliant match-up--the seasoned writer with a new and vibrant, young voice of today's ya reader. This is sheer marketing genius! The cover shouts Jodi Picoult's name, so Picoult fans will likely pick it up and the teen girl on the cover invites high school readers to become new fans of Picoult and Van Leer.

I haven't read a book quite like this one. It's new and exciting, and I bet someone in Hollywood would like to see this story on the big screen--I know I would.  Bidding on this book's movie rights  is about to get fierce.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. Finally, a book so entertaining, our middle school readers can access and high school readers will love.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Girl Pick: Whatever After: Fairest of All

Whatever After: Fairest of All
by Sarah Mlynowski
Scholastic Press
2012
192 pages

Available May 2012 (date not yet on publisher's website)

Fresh, funny, and fairest of all, Whatever After: Fairest of All is book one in what appears to be a planned series. It is a great beginning full of fun and puns!

Siblings Abby and Jonah have just moved cross country to Smithville, a small town that pales in comparison to Abby's beloved Chicago. They live in a creepy old house where Jonah has discovered something quite strange in the basement. He wakes his sister up and together they venture downstairs in the middle of the night. Jonah shows Abby how he knocked on the mirror and it began to shimmer and hiss and suddenly they are sucked into the ornate mirror and find themselves in a huge forrest.

Everything is weirdly off and they have no way of getting back home. Suddenly the basement and Smithville are looking better and better! They run into a wrinkled grandmotherly old lady who is just rude. Abby can't believe a grandmother type can be rude--grandmothers are supposed to be nice. They follow her to a small cottage where she tries to trick the occupant into letting her in. Jonah is starving, and when the grandmother offers the girl inside the cottage an apple, Jonah begs for the apple. He thwarts the woman's plan of poisoning the girl, and now the kids have to set the fairy tale right again.

The old woman is really the witch/queen from the castle and the girl in the cottage is none other than Snow White. The queen has stolen the castle and banished Snow to the woods where she lives with the seven dwarfs. Except these dwarfs have names like
Alan and Stan and there's even female dwarfs Enid and Tara!

The kids realize that by not eating the poison apple, Snow cannot go to sleep and the prince can't come and fall in love with her and kiss her and live happily ever after. They feel responsible for Snow's predicament and decide to right the wrong. After that, they can figure out how to go home.

The dialog between Abby and Jonah is precious and lovely. Two siblings have never been better together. Abby is one of the funniest and snarkiest characters in a tween novel. She is freshly captivating and clever; her voice is spot on. Girls will want to be her or--in the least--be her BFF.

Fairest of All is a sure hit and should not be missed by any girl who loves a funny fairy tale with clever comedic pitch.

Highly, highly recommended grades 4-up. Easy to read and easy to love.

FTC Required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Girl Pick: Once Upon a Toad

Once Upon a Toad
by Heather Vogel Frederick
Simon & Schuster
2012
272 pages

Available April 10, 2012 (page count and publication date from publisher's website)

Clever, cute, quirky, and good clean fun, Once Upon a Toad delivers non-stop laughs and outrageous antics!

Twelve year old Catriona Skye Starr (Dad calls her Kit-Cat)is visiting her dad, step-mom, step-sister Olivia and little brother Geoffrey. Her astronaut mother was called at the last minute for a space mission. So while Mom is literally out of this world, Cat's Great Aunt Abyssinia is even more far out. She lives in her r.v. with a weird cat and travels around the country to all the national parks. Not only that, Abyssinia is one eccentric auntie--with a family secret that is about to get Cat in trouble.

Cat is not happy to be sharing a room with Olivia; Olivia is conceited and spoiled, a true "mean girl." Cat tries to be nice but living with Olivia is out of the question. It gets worse after a visit from Aunt Abyssinia. All of a sudden, each time Cat speaks, a toad drops from her throat! To make matters worse and pour salt into the wound, each time Olivia speaks, diamonds and flowers flow from her mouth.

Once their secret is discovered, everyone wants a piece of them--media and press are camped out on their lawn, an FBI guy shows up wanting to take Olivia to Area 51 for "study," kidnappers nab Geoffrey--holding him for ransom until they get their hands on the "Diamond Girl."

Cat can't wait to get away from Olivia but she needs to fix their problem: toads and diamonds are everywhere! And then, Cat remebers that Abyssinia visited right before the weird happenings. She has to find Aunt Abyssinia and figure out what she knows about the girls' problem. The girls will have to work together to out-manoeuver the FBI guy, outsmart the kidnappers, and outrun the police.

Recommended for girls who love a funny story with a little fairy tale magic grades 5-7. Older girls may also like quirky Cat.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.