Graphic Pick: Making Friends

Making Friends
by Kristen Gudsnuk
Graphix/Scholastic
272 pages; full color illustrations
2018
ISBN: 9781338139211

Available July 31, 2018

Danny had her tight circle of friends in sixth grade but now that she's in middle school, she's a little lost. Everyone has a different lunch shift and different classes than she does. She's feeling a little left out--a lot left out! When she "inherits" her great aunt's sketch book, she discovers that her kooky aunt might actually have had magical powers. Danny accidentally creates her new best friend. Suddenly "Making Friends" is exactly that! Creating a new person!

For fans of graphic novels and ages 8-12 should enjoy this spirited romp.

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

Tween Pick: Absolutely Truly

Absolutely Truly
(A Pumpkin Falls Mystery)
by Heather Vogel Frederick
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2015
355 pages
ISBN: 9781442429734

Truly Lovejoy is an absolutely plucky twelve year old heroine who is seriously  entertaining and fun. Truly is not having any fun at all. Uprooted from what was supposed to be her forever home in Austin, Texas, the family goes back to her father's roots in teensy Pumpkin, Falls, New Hampshire. They move into her great, great, great, well... many great-grandfather's home and her father  takes over the challenge of running a small town family owned book store with his sister (Truly's aunt).

Truly is from a large family: four siblings and her mother and father. Her dad used to be fun...that is, until he came home from the war. It's hard for her father to re-enter normal life as an amputee (he lost an arm). He's not happy to have to move, let alone run a bookstore and live in the old family home. His injury and PTSD are dictating his life and he feels trapped.

The small town charm, snowy paths, cold weather, bare trees, the charming book store, quirky town folk, the large house which has housed generations of Lovejoys, and the warmth of a family who loves one another make this book a real Norman Rockwell moment--one that readers are sure to love. So many kids will relate to this book. Any reader who has a parent in the military, anyone who's had to move cross country and felt like a fish out of water, any geeky or awkward tween will find something to love in this book. Truly is six feet tall and towers over all the other middle school kids. That alone would be enough to make her a social pariah, but add to that---being the outsider from out of town surely makes Truly the different one--the new girl.

When Truly finds a strange note in a first edition of Charlotte's Web, she senses a mystery--a mystery that she sets out to solve. The mystery is quite tame, nearly too tame, for my taste. A bit more danger and skullduggery would have made it more exciting but then that would take away from the book's  timeless charm.

The cover art captures a nearly bygone era. The covered bridge, snow and walking figures look like a page from a Rockwell calendar. Pumpkin Falls is a charming name for a small town, and the addition of a mystery--though tame-- will draw in readers.

Highly, highly recommended grade 4-up. Most reviewers agree that this is THE go to book for tween girls.

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)

Tween Pick: Allie, First and Last

Allie, First and Last
by Angela Cervantes
Scholastic Press
2016
208 pages
ISBN: 9780545812238

Available March 29, 2016


Middle school student Allie Velasco is tired of being overshadowed. Everyone in her family is an over-achiever--her grandfather was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, her younger sister is the star of television commercials, her brother is a stellar soccer player and her older sister won  a national debate. Allie dreams of making her mark, of being the best or of being the first. She wants to prove to her family  that she, Allie, is good at something. She wants that first place  trophy or that blue ribbon. Allie spends so much time pining to be the best that she misses life happening around her.

When her science fair project goes awry, Allie is mad at another student who tried to help her. She is devastated when her family decides not to go to Allie's restaurant choice but  to instead go  an Italian restaurant to honor her sister's new commercial. Everyone is excited about Ava's success,--everyone but sister Adriana and Allie's grandfather who both come to her rescue. Readers will empathize with Allie who longs to be noticed as a success but feels only failure.

A new contest is announced in English class, and Allie is hoping to win. No one from Sendak has ever won the Trailblazer Award before, Allie realizes that if she were to win the award she would be the FIRST Sendak student to win. This makes it all the more important for Allie. Allie is concerned that her best friend Sarah is acting aloof. What is causing her best friend to act this way?

Middle school is a tough time--full of angst, full of questions, full of misgivings and full of misunderstandings. Allie learns a few lessons in her search for self achievement. Sometimes being the best or being the first isn't the most important thing. Sometimes the most important things are the people around you and the experience itself.

Recommended grade 5-up. This is a quick read with short chapters and 209 pages.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC  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)

Blog Tour and Book Giveaway: Model Undercover: New York

Model Undercover: New York

By Carina Axelsson

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

January 6, 2014

 

Book Info:

Axelle Anderson is an ace at two things: solving mysteries and modeling. So when the world’s most famous black diamond is stolen from a cover shoot in New York City, it’s no surprise that Axelle is called in to work her skills as an undercover model. But with a witness who won’t talk, a blackmailing thief, and an agent intent on filling Axelle’s schedule with interviews and photo shoots, will she be able to crack the case?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BAM|!ndigo | IndieBound |  Kobo

 

 

Carina Axelsson is a writer, illustrator, and former model. She grew up in California with her Swedish father and Mexican mother. After high school, Carina moved to New York City to model, then on to Paris where she published her first book. She currently lives in in the forests of Germany with four dogs and a very large aquarium full of fish.

Also by Carina Axelsson:

Model Undercover: Paris

Book Info: Axelle travels to Paris to find missing fashion designer Belle La Lune in another fabulous fashion mystery!

 

 

Book Giveaway:

Rafflecopter HTML (Open 1/6-1/31) – 1 Print Copy of Model Undercover New York

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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)

Book Release: My Year of Epic Rock

My Year of Epic Rock
by Andrea Pyros
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2014

Available September 2, 2014

visit the author's website

Kirkus reviews

Guest Post: Author Andrea Pyros

Andrea Pyros, author, My Year of Epic Rock 
August 12, 2014
For Books by Pamela Thompson 

Food Allergies & Feeling Left Out 

I started working on My Year of Epic Rock, which features a main character with food allergies, right after I discovered my then one-year-old daughter had multiple allergies, including to eggs, dairy and nuts. Since she was still so young, I knew I’d be able to protect her by cooking for her, carefully reading labels and bringing her own safe foods if we were out and about, but what would happen when she got older and saw all her classmates eating birthday treats or talking about how some awesome pizza parlor that she couldn’t visit, or she had to decide whether or not to eat a snack offered to her by a teacher or friend? 

What was middle school was like for kids with food allergies, I wondered. Studies show that about a third of schoolchildren with allergies are bullied because of their dietary restrictions, which is pretty awful. Being different during those years isn’t easy. You get picked on for being tall or short, the new kid, the best student or the worst. For kids with food allergies, they stand out because of what they can’t eat, and even though food allergies are increasingly common in people under 18, it can still be a lonely and isolating condition. 

The thing about not fitting in, though, is that after the initial “ouch” of it, it can be really freeing. You live through having someone tease you, or not want to hang out with you anymore, and you realize you can survive and move on and make new friends and discover cool stuff about yourself. That’s what I was hoping to explore in My Year of Epic Rock. Not that food allergies suck (even though they do!), but how once you get over your desire to fit in, you might find a way to an even better place, even if you can’t eat a PB&J sandwich. 

Sweet Tween Pick: Frosting and Friendship

Frosting and Friendship
by Lisa Schroeder
Aladdin
2013
216 pages
ISBN: 9781442473966

Frothy, friendly, feminine and flirty, Frosting and Friendship is a fun read for tweens who love adventures in food!


Lily joins a mother-daughter book club with her mom and is excited until...she realizes that the host of each month's  meeting has a bake a beautiful culinary confection. Lily is so doomed! Her baking disasters have haunted her for years. She considers herself a zero when it comes to baking and wishes that the other girls would allow the hostess to simply buy a dessert from the store or local bakery. The other girls are emphatic: the dessert must be home-made. Lily has only two months to learn how to bake and the bar is set for high standards.

Lily's mom assures her that two months is a long time, and they can figure this baking thing out together. Lily is still not sure and spends her time practicing with her garage band. When the school announces that it's having its Spring Fling, the band is excited to try out for it. Lily is torn between spending time with her band mates and practicing or learning to  bake something over the top in order to wow The Baking Bookworms.

Those two endeavors  would be enough for any tween to balance, but then Lily agrees to help plan and host a surprise  birthday party for her friend Sophie.  Being pulled in three different directions is not pleasant and something has got  to give.

Each short chapter is has a cute title: "Music Lovers Cupcakes: A Perfect Harmony of Chocolate and Vanilla" and "Lollipops : Happiness on a Stick." This is a quick read and should appeal to girls, reluctant readers and "Koodies"--kids who are foodies.

For a sweet, sweet time reading, Frosting and Friendship takes the cake (yes, pun intended). Fans of Schroeder's culinary themed  books It's Raining Cupcakes and Sprinkles and Secrets will like Frosting and Friendship.

Recommended grade 5 and 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)

Dork Diaries Pick: Tales From a Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker (Dork Diaries, book 6)

Tales From a Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker (Dork Diaries, book 6)
by Rachel Renee Russell
Aladdin
2013
340 pages



Find out more about Nikki and tons more stuff

Once again, Russell has created a sweet book that girls (and boys) will love! And it's all about love...well, and jealousy, embarrassment, heartbreak, sadness, teen angst, major drama, and...SQUEEE! Happiness!

Love is in the air and Nikki is still crushing on Brandon. It appears the feeling might just be mutual. Brandon invites Nikki to have a burger at Crazy Burger, that is, until MacKenzie crashes his birthday party and suddenly Brandon is super busy. The school dance is days away, and Nikki keeps putting off asking Brandon. Everytime she gathers her nerve, something goes wrong and she backs out.

An unexpected snowstorm causes the dance to be postponed, giving Nikki more time to completely freak out. Putting her trust into a teen magazine article, Nikki learns "How To Know if a Guy Is Just Not Into You!" She goes down the list, checking off all the things Brandon has done. Nikki realizes that Brandon is just not that into her! She decides not to ask him to the dance.

Mackenzie is up to no good as usual. She continues to taunt, torment and torture Nikki. Chloe and Zoe are the best BFF's ever. Little sister Brianna tries to help her big sis,and Nikki is beginning to realize that Brianna is not just a little brat, she is sometimes a sweet sister, too.

Nikki is a dynamic, funny, self-deprecating and loveable dork that girls are sure to identify with. Tales From a Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker is the best Dork Diaries yet! I enjoyed the Nikki and Brandon in this installment over all the previous books.

Highly, highly recommended grade 5-up. Fans of the series will want to watch out for the next title due soon.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for the library. 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)

Tween Pick: Lauren's Beach Crush (Crush #1)

Lauren's Beach Crush
by Angela Darling
Simon Spotlight
2013
176 pages

Tweens will gravitate to this promising series. Good, clean fun and sweet romance will draw them in and keep them reading.

Twelve year old Lauren Silver has been crushing on gorgeous Charlie for two years! She's been planning how to make Charlie notice her and fall in love with her. This year at her family's beach house, she will set her plan in motion. She has watched Charlie...no studied Charlie...okay, almost stalked Charlie, but it's all for her research. Like her dad, Lauren is overly organized. She's "very precise" referring to her plan as "Operation Cell Phone."

Lauren is excited for her summer at the beach until her mother informs her that Chrissy Porter, her mother's friend's daughter, is joining them for the summer. Lauren isn't sure she wants Chrissy around or involved in her plan, but she tries to make the best of things.

Sometimes the best of plans go awry, but sometimes things have a way of working out.

Girls will empathize with Lauren and her dramatic feelings. They will cheer for her and feel her sadness.

Recommended for tweens grade 5-up.

FTC Required disclaimer: I received the arc 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)

Ghostly Pick: The Watcher in the Shadows

The Watcher in the Shadows
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Little, Brown and Company
2013
262 pages

See what the author says about his young adult books

Master storyteller Carlos Ruiz Zafon (The Shadow of the Wind, The Prince of Mist) has done it again! The Watcher in the Shadows is that rare and beautiful book that will captivate young readers. It has all the elements a reader craves: a dark mystery, an eccentric inventor who lives in a strange mansion--Cravenmoore--so aptly named--it's a dark name, a gothic name. The mansion is full of whimsical inventions but some are truly terrifying. The setting: the rugged coast of Normandy. The characters: Irene Sauville, a fourteen year old girl who moves to Normandy with her widowed mother and younger brother Dorian. Irene's mother, Simone takes the position of manager of Cravenmoore for the strange and quirky inventor Lazarus Jann (even the name Lazarus is creepy--in the Bible, Lazarus rose from the dead).

Irene meets a local boy named Ismael who shows her the town and takes her sailing. They are smitten with one another and soon are inseparable. Lazarus tells young Dorian a strange story of a man who makes a deal with the devil, so to speak. The man and his shadow are separated and his shadow runs rampant on a murdering spree. The shadow is a doppelganger (a copy) of the man. Dorian likes spending time with the strange inventor even though some of his automatons (robots) scare him.

When a murder occurs near Cravenmoore, villagers begin to spread rumors. Ismael and Irene  investigate and soon find danger everywhere they turn. The kids will need to act fast if they want to save their own lives and Irene's mother and brother. What evil invention has Lazarus brought to life? And why is it intent on killing them? What is the strange fascination Lazarus has for Simone? What secrets are hidden in the secret rooms of Cravenmoore?

Richly imagined, finely tuned, fast paced and fun, The Watcher in the Shadows delivers.

Highly, highly recommended grade 5-up. A must read for lovers of ghost stories and gothic literature.

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)

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.

Ghostly Pick: Girl Meets Ghost

Girl Meets Ghost (Book 1)
by Lauren Barnholdt
Aladdin
2013
213 pages

Clever, quirky, and cute, Girl Meets Ghost is a surefire way to begin a series (this being book 1). Girls will love Kendall--she's feisty but fun, grouchy but gossipy, complaining but comic, and she will keep tween readers entertained.

Kendall sees ghosts! Not only that, they can communicate with her and she helps them to move on. While ghost whispering sounds like a cool gift to possess, actually it is quite annoying, at least for Kendall. When she's trying to concentrate in math class--not her greatest subject, by the way--she sees a cute girl in a gymnast suit. A blond--of course--cute--of course--and a ghost--of course--who won't leave Kendall alone until Kendall agrees to help her.

Kendall and her bestie Ellie are excited about having a real boyfriend this year. Kendall likes Brandon and Ellie is crushing on Kyle. Kendall plots a way to spend time with Brandon--ask him to tutor her in math--it is his best subject, after all. He agrees and brings along Kyle and Ellie. Instead of the library, the kids take a city bus to the mall. Kendall did tell her father she was studying after school; she just didn't say it was at the mall! Her father is furious when he catches her at the mall with a boy!

The gymnast ghost Daniella wants Kendall to figure out why she can't pass on, but Daniella doesn't really know any details and until she remembers, she is an irritating presence. Soon, Kendall sees a second scary ghost--an older woman who appears menacing.

How is Kendall supposed to help Daniella and try to start a romance with Brendon? Ghosts keep getting in her way, and Kendall is sick of it.

Recommended grade 5-up. This is a fun tween pick.

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)

Tween Pick: My Summer of Pink & Green (sequel)

My Summer of Pink and Green
by Lisa Greenwald
Amulet
2013
272 pages
Available May 7, 2013

Lucy Desberg is back and now she’s helping her family open an eco-friendly green day spa inside their pharmacy. At the end of the first book My Life in Pink & Green, Lucy just won a grant that will finance the spa idea and save her family’s business. She’s happy it’s summer because her sister Claudia is due home from college and Lucy is looking forward to spending hours at the pool with her cool sis. When Claudia shows up with boyfriend Bean and announces that they are in love, Lucy is jealous and hurt. She thought she had the whole summer with Claudia to herself.

The spa was Lucy’s idea, but her grandmother and mother hire a consultant to help them open the spa. Lucy feels underappreciated by her elders and sister. Then Lucy is left out when some close friends begin making plans excluding her. What is going on? The last straw is when investor Gary shows up with his pesky, but earnest daughter Bevin. The summer is going down the tubes, and fast!

It seems the grown-ups don’t give Lucy any credit or want to hear any of her fab ideas. If Anais, the spa consultant, would only listen, Lucy has great ideas for make-overs and make-up. Lucy can set up scheduling and check emails and track new appointments. Lucy can come up with great marketing ideas like giving free two minute massages at the Grand Opening. She says they can pass out samples of make-up and product. No one seems to listen.

Lucy secretly attends a meeting for new business owners at a nearby library. She is serious about learning all she can about business to help her family; even if it means sneaking around behind their backs. The spa finally opens with a full house, Lucy is able to make a few apologies and reach out to people she’s been short with, and old friend Yamir is pleased that Lucy is back to normal.

This tween novel will resonate with any reader who is caught in the middle between being treated like a child, but experiencing the changes and angst of puberty.

Recommended for tweens and teens (grade 5-up) and anyone who loves make-up and spa treatments. Fans of the first book will want to pick up this read.

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)

Book Giveaway: Recipe For Trouble

I have ONE copy of Recipe For Trouble. Win your free copy of this fun new tween read complete with tween friendly recipes!

Post a comment on the blog. Please include your first name, city, state, and email address.

Deadline for posts is October 15 at noon MST. Winners will be notified on October 15. Please check your email. Winners must respond to my email notification within 24 hours. The book will ship from New York City courtesy of Sourcebooks.

Read the next post for the full review. Here's a fun recipe from the book (with permission):

Jeremy’s Pastalicious Cupcakes

Spaghetti Cupcakes

Makes 6

1 Cup tomato sauce

4 ounces ricotta cheese

3 ounce Parmesan cheese

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

1 tablespoon milk

1 egg

1 package pre-cooked whole wheat spaghetti

1 package of turkey meatballs


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, grated mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon of milk, and 1 egg.

3. Pour the cooked spaghetti into the bowl with the tomato sauce cheese mixture. Toss the spaghetti in the mixture, making sure to coat all of the noodles.

4. Add spoonfuls of the mixture into greased muffin tins. It can come up to just below the top of each opening. Press down so the noodles are packed into muffin tin—they will apart if not packed enough.

5. Dip the turkey meatballs intomato sauce and the top of cupcakes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

6. Bake for eighteen to twenty-two minutes.

7. Let cool for a few minutes. Run a butter knife around each one to loosen.

Book Giveaway: The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee

The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee
By Tom Angleberger
Amulet Books
2012
208 pages

Available August 7, 2012

I have 5 copies of this great new addition to the series. Author Tom Angleberger’s earlier books The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back were hits with the middle grades and tween crowd. Win a copy of the new book.

Post a comment and include your name, city, state, and email. Deadline for posts is August 15 at noon MST. Winners are randomly chosen by Randomizer and will be notified on August 15. Please check your email. Books will ship from New York.

More about the book:

From the publisher’s website:

About the book:
With Dwight attending Tippett Academy this semester, the kids of McQuarrie Middle School are on their own—no Origami Yoda to give advice and help them navigate the treacherous waters of middle school. Then Sara gets a gift she says is from Dwight—a paper fortune-teller in the form of Chewbacca. It’s a Fortune Wookiee, and it seems to give advice that’s just as good as Yoda’s—even if, in the hands of the girls, it seems too preoccupied with romance. In the meantime, Dwight is fitting in a little too well at Tippett. Has the unimaginable happened? Has Dwight become normal? It’s up to his old friends at McQuarrie to remind their kooky friend that it’s in his weirdness that his greatness lies.
With his proven knack for humorously exploring the intrigues, fads, and dramas of middle school, Tom Angleberger has crafted a worthy follow-up to his breakout bestsellers The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back.

Visit the author’s website here

Now get busy and post a comment :)
Good luck! Pamela

Tween Pick: The Encyclopedia of Me

The Encyclopedia of Me
by Karen Rivers
Arthur A. Levine Books
2012
256 pages

Available September 1, 2012 (cover and publishing date from author's website)

Cute, clever, quirky, cool, sneaky, snarky and sarcastic, The Encyclopedia of Me is a great romp for girls with a sense of humor. Author Meg Cabot says, “What every girl will be reading this year!” (from the cover) and I couldn’t agree more.

Twelve year old (almost thirteen! Ta-da! Exclamation point!) Tink is on restriction at home and must find a way to deal with all her free time. Ta-da! She has an a-ha! moment and begins writing an encyclopedia of all things in her world.

She has entries for her bestie Freddie Blue and both her brothers; funny entries are Alaska, Nemo, Finding , Ballet and Barbie Dolls. Tink has a unique voice—that of a fetching and captivating “almost teen” diva. Her adventures and funny take on the language that Freddie Blue and she make up will have girls chortling. The girls shorten words and do backwards words—“malg” for example, is the opposite of “glam” or glamorous.

Tink is more fun than Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries put together. The snarky footnotes at the base of almost every page make for plenty of laughs.

Highly, highly recommended grades 6-up. No language, no sex.

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

Football Fan Pick: Game Changers

Game Changers
by Mike Lupica
Scholastic Press
2012
224 pages

Available May 8, 2012

Mike Lupica continues to deliver high energy boy books that center around sports. The latest, Game Changers, features Ben McBain, a likeable eleven year old with a passion for all sports and a special love for football. Ben likens himself to Doug Flutie--who, like Ben, was considered undersized and too short to be a quarterback, but who won the National Championship for Boston College and went on to have a terrific NFL career. No one expects the coach to select Ben as starting quarterback even though he has the speed, skills, heart, soul and arm to tackle the job (pun intended).

The team is surprised that Coach O'Brien has moved to town from a successful career in the NFL and having sold his chain of restaurants, has ample time to coach them. His own son Shawn is a great quarterback, too. It comes as no surprise when the coach's son becomes the starting quarterback even though he does not perform consistently. Ben, on the other hand, is nothing if not consistent. Every play, every down, Ben gives it his all. Ben doesn't think that Shawn has the same love of the game that he does.

The two boys are in competition for the entire season. Ben is the harder worker and is motivated to win. Shawn seems to be motivated because he wants his dad's approval and love, not because he wants to win. When the team wins the championship, it's Ben's big day, and Coach gives Ben the game ball. The little guy is really the biggest guy on the team, after all.

An uplifting book for any kid who has ever been told that he/she is too short, too little, too light to play a sport.

Recommended for boys and girls who love sports and football.

Grades 5-up.

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

Tween/Teen Pick: The Summer Before Boys

The Summer Before Boys
by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Simon & Schuster
2011
208 pages

Moving, poignant, and simple, yet satisfying and sublime, The Summer Before Boys is a novel about relationships--childhood friendship, mother/daughter relationships, strained relationships, and adolescent relationships.

Two girls are ready to leave childhood behind but worry that boys will ruin their long childhood friendhip--a true friendship where they promised to be "friends forever." Eliza and Julia spend long summers on the mountain, swimming and hiking, playing with dolls, slipping into the Mohawk Hotel, and gossiping with Pam, the gift shop lady who secretly slips them ice cream, telling them it's her treat "just this once." The summers seen to last forever, and the girls are inseparable.

Julia's mother signed up for the National Guard thinking that the extra money would be great and that a few week-ends away was just like going to summer camp. This all changes when she's called up for a tour in Afghanistan, and Julia is terrified her mother may never come home. When people tell her what a hero her mother is and how brave and patriotic she is and how proud she should be of her mom, she doesn't feel any of that. She just wants her mother home...safe and alive. Julia's father works long hours and never seems to be around for her.


The summer she is twelve, Julia has her first crush; she spends hours daydreaming and writing Micheal's name in her diary, and Eliza feels left behind. The two "friends forever" have a major falling out that may be unfixable.

Sometimes wars take more than human lives. Simply because the soldier comes home "unharmed" doesn't mean she is the same person. On the last day of being twelve, Julia and her mother play make believe in the attic with her mother's old Cabbage Patch dolls, and life seems good.

Recommended for tweens and teens grades 5-9. This novel will resonate with those readers who have a parent who is deployed.

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

Tween Pick: Odd Girl In

Odd Girl In
by Jo Whittemore
Mix (Aladdin Mix)
2011
234 pages

Funny, snarky, laugh out loud punny (puns everywhere!), and wickedly entertaining, Odd Girl In is a surprise! I read this tween ya novel with wild abandon and laughed at the antics of tomboy Alex (Alexis) Evins and her twin brothers Parker and Nick.

When Alex accidentally sets fire to the neighbor's patio furniture, (she actually lit a bag of dog poop on fire--on the neighbor's porch, no less--in the hopes he would stomp it out, get dog poop all over his shoes, and "then maybe wave a wrinkly fist and yell Old People Gibberish"), she was hoping for a funny sight but instead was cited for a misdemeanor. It's the last straw for Alex's long suffering professor father. He has had enough of the twin's practical jokes and all the siblings' fighting, and he enrolls them in a special program for Champs!

The kids can't think of anything more degrading than a program to build their self-esteem, make them team players--and make them work together, instill pride and leadership skills, and allow them to practice athletic ability and making friends. Each of the Evins' children has to make progress or else Dad will send them to a private school the following school year.

Poor Alex! She really has no girl-y-ness about her. Growing up in a household full of testosterone and without a mother figure, she's hopelessly lame in make-up application, glitter penmanship, and fashionista know-how. Now she has to attend slumber parties and listen to girls moon over dreamy boys. She decides to make the best of it and takes a leadership roll when trying to explain the rules and basics of hockey to the Hockey Boosters--girls who joined the club because the boy hockey players are so cute!--not because the girls know anything remotely about hockey. They actually think a Zamboni is a sports car! ( for those of you who don't know, Zamboni is the brand name of a machine that smooths the ice on the rink surface).

Alex is far more entertaining than most tween protagonists! Her practical joker brothers remind one of the Weasley twins, Fred and George, in Harry Potter. Jo Whittemore has a wicked sense of fun, and I personally couldn't get enough of Alex!

A must-read for girls ages 11-15 and older if they like a spunky female character who is OVER THE TOP FUNNY!

Highly, highly recommended grades 4-8.

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

Tween Pick: The Hot List

The Hot List
by Hillary Homzie
Aladdin Mix (Simon & Schuster)
2011
244 pages

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Hilarious, poignant, and believable, The Hot List will have tweens and teens rooting for Sophie!

Tweens will love Sophie Fanuchi, the principal's daughter who (cringe) can't stand the fact that she goes to school where her dad is the principal, and they will be equally drawn to her BFF Maddie. Maddie and Sophie have been BFF's since grade school: having sleepovers, discussing magazine clothing and make-up, staying up late, sucking down Cherry Slurpee's, but then Nia Tate--the most popular girl at Travis Middle School--starts texting Maddie and wants to be her friend. Sophie feels left out and comes up with a brilliant, on-the-spot, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants idea: why not create a hot list? A list of all the hottest boys and girls in the middle school? What could go wrong?

Sophie and Maddie get right to work and post their colorful, glittery creation in the last stall of the girls' room. Sophie should know better than to write on walls with permanent marker, but once in the moment, she wants to impress Maddie and keep her as her very own BFF--excluding Nia.

When word gets around about who is hot and who is not--the social fabric of the entire school changes. Everyone is talking about who made it and who didn't. If you were lucky enough to be on the Hot List, you have an instant "in" with all the popular crowd and you are suddenly fabulously cool. When Nia makes an impossible bet with Sophie, Sophie will go to any lengths to make nerdy Squid Rodriguez "cool" and list-worthy. The Hot List becomes its own entity--like magic, someone keeps posting a new list weekly. It's not Sophie and it's not Maddie.

How can Sophie win her BFF back and control the list?

Highly, highly recommended for tweens ages 11-14.

No sex, no language--just middle school angst.

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