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Blog Tour with Author Guest Post, Review, Book Trailer, and Giveaway!: The Dungeoneers by John David Anderson

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The Dungeoneers
Author: John David Anderson
Published June 23, 2015 by Walden Pond Press

Publishers Summary: The Dungeoneers is an action-packed, funny, and heartbreaking middle grade fantasy-adventure from the author of the acclaimed Sidekicked and Minion, John David Anderson.

The world is not a fair place, and Colm Candorly knows it. While his parents and eight sisters seem content living on a lowly cobbler’s earnings, Colm can’t help but feel that everyone has the right to a more comfortable life. It’s just a question of how far you’re willing to go to get it.

In an effort to help make ends meet, Colm uses his natural gift for pickpocketing to pilfer a pile of gold from the richer residents of town, but his actions place him at the mercy of a mysterious man named Finn Argos, a gilded-toothed, smooth-tongued rogue who gives Colm a choice: he can be punished for his thievery, or he can become a member of Thwodin’s Legions, a guild of dungeoneers who take what they want and live as they will. Colm soon finds himself part of a family of warriors, mages, and hunters, learning to work together in their quest for endless treasure. But not all families are perfect, and even as Colm hones his skills with fellow recruits, it becomes clear that something from outside threatens the dungeoneers–and perhaps something from inside as well.

My Review: This is one of those fantasy novels that transports you to another place and throws you into an adventure that keeps you guessing and reading. In The Dungeoneers, I loved going to school with Colm and learning all about dungeoneering ways including how to be the best rogue, history of dungeoneering, swordplay, and all about monsters. This aspect reminded me a bit of Harry Potter because I got so sucked into his schooling and education, like I did with Harry’s, because I wanted to know everything I could about this world. The Dungeoneers also has some majorly suspenseful moments which makes sense in a book about stealing treasure from dungeons. In addition to his world building, he really knows how to build some characters! The three other members of Colm’s guild are such well-rounded characters and all so different. I can picture each of them, and I so want to be their friends (even Lena, who is a bit barbaric). I also loved the plot twist at the climax of the book! I did not see it coming! Just wait for it everyone!

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation/We Flagged: First and foremost, if you teach middle school, you should probably buy this for your classroom. High fantasy and adventure lovers are going to eat this one up.

Also, if you want to talk to students about building characters or setting, this book can definitely be a help with either. There are specific sections in this book that could be pulled out and used to discuss imagery, word choice, and characterization:

“In the flickering torchlight it was hard to make out all of her features clearly, but he couldn’t miss the sharp chisel of her chin, like a weapon itself. Her crimson hair was cropped short in the back, falling across one eye in front, the other shining brown in the flicker of light. Her lips were pursed, pulled tight against her teeth in a determined smirk.” (p. 93)

“Except Quinn didn’t look like he could call lightning from the sky or produce fireballs from his fingers. Colm had expected the first wizard he met to be more in keeping with the descriptions from his book–white-bearded and billowing and larger than life. Quinn looked barely big enough to summon his own shadow.” (p. 96)

“In contrast to the dreary tunnel behind them, the great hall before them was filled with light. Huge chandeliers hung from chains of gold, the flicker of a thousand candles casting fiery halos against the ceiling. Giant marble pillars anchored the four corners of the room, and a hug winding staircase with gold rails led both up and down in its center like a vortex. The floors were polished marble as well, dark green and buffed to a mirror sheen. A strange clock with twenty-four separate hourglasses hung over a set of huge double doors…” (p. 115)

Discussion Questions: If you were Colm, would you have gone with Finn?; What secret do you think Wolfe is keeping?; Lena is expected by her family to do well as a barbarian because of her upbringing. How would it feel to have that type of pressure put on you?; Colm makes a decision at the end of the book–do you agree with it or not?

Book Trailer: 

John David Anderson’s Top Five Dungeoneers

Obviously The Dungeoneers owes a lot to fantasy tropes and conventions that have been around since Gandalf packed his first pipe. In fact, while writing it I sometimes felt like I should roll a d20 to see what my characters would do next (here’s hoping the book is a critical hit—ah, nerd humor). Afternoons spent playing Baldur’s Gate or reading Mercedes Lackey (or in my younger days, Lloyd Alexander) coalesced into a love of sword-swinging, lock-picking, monster-bashing rogues who risk everything on the hopes of finding that fabled cache of riches at the end of the corridor. In short, I was raised by dragons. Maybe I’m a Targaryen.

Obviously popular culture is not hurting for dungeoneers of interest, but I thought I would pick five key dungeon divers that had a distinct influence on me and the book. Note: I am defining a dungeoneer as anyone who willingly enters into some dank, creature-and-trap-infested cavern, catacomb, crypt, tomb or lair with the express purpose of taking whatever shiny, valuable objects are to be had. In other words, I’m kind of liberal with my use of the word.

5. Minsc and Boo: If you’ve ever played the game Baldur’s Gate, you will know these two. Minsc, the butt-kicking, infinitely quotable ranger, and his trusty hamster, Boo. Minsc was a tank and liked to carry big swords. More than that he had a big heart and recognized a noble enterprise, especially when it required some head bashing. Favorite quote: “Make way evil! I’m armed to the teeth and packing a hamster!

4. Ellen Ripley. All right, this one is a stretch, I admit, but in Aliens she does go down into a lair and fight off monsters (lots of them, including a queen) to rescue something she treasures (the little girl, Newt). Plus ever since I saw Aliens I’ve been drawn to tough female characters. I won’t lie—there’s a little bit of warrant officer Ripley’s feistiness in The Dungeoneers’ Lena Proudmore, though Lena doesn’t get to fire a grenade launcher (much to her chagrin).

3. Bilbo Baggins. You could name several characters from Tolkien’s mythos that fought their way out of dungeons, but Bilbo gets the cake for not coming out empty-handed. In fact, it’s the Burglar’s snatching of the Precious that drives the mythology. What did you find down there in the goblin caves, Bilbo? Oh—just the makings of a gazillion-dollar franchise. Finn Argos would be proud. 

2. Link. Yes, it’s another video game, but for me, Link was the start of my love affair with dungeoneering. Link never met a rupee he didn’t like and spelunking through monster-infested lairs in search of Zelda was in his spritely 8-bit blood. I can still remember playing the original Zelda and getting eaten by an undulating stack of pancakes or impaled by a triceratops all because I didn’t know I was supposed to feed it bombs. To this day I still carry around a candle and a big stick of meat. Thank you Nintendo for stimulating my imagination and sucking away my time.

1. Indiana Jones. No sword (except in the second movie, and then it’s more of a machete). No armor. No dragons or ogres or orcs (though the Nazis are monstrous enough). But Indy, for me, is the archetypal treasure-hunter. Not only was he the dashing film hero of my childhood (and what I wanted to be when I grew up until I realized that everything cool had already been dug up already), he also helped engender my love for wise-cracking, whip-smart, ruggedly-charming, and occasionally flawed protagonists. His make-it-up-as-you go philosophy and daredevil antics were often replicated by a young, eight year old boy named Dave, who would pretend the floor was made of lava as he jumped from dining room table to couch and back again. Plus Indy knew that the greatest treasures always came at a price, a lesson that struck a chord with me.

So those are my top five. I’m sure your list is different. That’s the cool thing about inspiration—there are a lot of wells, and we get to drink from whichever ones we please. Who knows, maybe in twenty years some kid will be making a list of his favorite dungeoneers and put Colm Candorly somewhere near the top.

Right behind a bald guy and his hamster.

About the Author: John David Anderson is the author of Sidekicked and Minion. A dedicated root beer connoisseur in his spare time, he lives with his wife, two kids, and perpetually whiny cat in Indianapolis. You can visit him online at www.johndavidanderson.org.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anderson_author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnDavidAndersonAuthor?ref=hl

Dave Anderson author photo

Read This If You Loved: Hero’s Guide (series) by Christopher Healy, Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling, Foiled (series) by Jane Yolen, Giants Beware! (series) by Jorge Aguirre

Recommended For: 

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GIVEAWAY!


Make sure to visit other stops on the blog tour: 

6/2/2015 Maria’s Melange                                    ​mariaselke.com
6/5/2015 Unleashing Readers                             unleashingreaders.com
6/6/2015 The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia      hauntedorchid.blogspot.com
6/7/2015 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers     insatiablereaders.blogspot.com
6/8/2015 This Kid Reviews Books                     thiskidreviewsbooks.com
6/8/2015 Ms Yingling Reads                             ​msyinglingreads.blogspot.com
6/9/2015 Read Now Sleep Later                         http://www.readnowsleeplater.org/
6/10/2015 Charlotte’s Library                         charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com
6/11/2015    Nerdy Book Club                     https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/
6/12/2015 The Hiding Spot                         thehidingspot.blogspot.com

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**Thank you to Walden Pond Press for providing a copy for review and giveaway!**

Links for Walden Pond Press:

Blog Tour, Giveaway, and Author Guest Post!: Cast Off by Eve Yohalem

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Cast Off

Cast Off: The Strange Adventures of Petra de Winter and Bram Broen
Author: Eve Yohalem
Published: March 10, 2015 by Calkins Creek

GoodReads Summary: It’s 1663 and there is an extra passenger on board a Dutch merchant ship setting sail for the East Indies. Twelve-year-old Petra has stowed away to escape her abusive father. But she quickly realizes that surviving for months at sea will be impossible without help. So when Bram, the half-Dutch / Half-Javanese son of the ship’s carpenter, finds her hiding spot, Petra convinces him to help her stay hidden . . .and help disguise her as a boy.

If Petra is discovered and exposed as a girl, she could be tossed overboard, or worse . . . returned to her father. And if Bram is exposed for helping her, he could lose the only home—and family—he has. As tensions rise on the ship, with pirates attacking, deadly illness, and even mutiny, Petra and Bram face impossible decisions that test their friendship and threaten their dreams of freedom.

Told in alternating voices and filled with secrets and intrigue, this richly researched novel is historical fiction at its best.

Review: Take me away! This book whisked me off on a marvelous adventure filled with grave dangers, stow aways, tall ships, and mutiny. I couldn’t help but be reminded of one of my childhood favorites, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. Petra escapes from a horribly abusive relationship with her father, and her bravery is an excellent model for young readers. She is discovered by Bram, the illegitimate son of the ship’s carpenter, and they form a very special friendship. This book delivers richly realized themes—particularly those of loyalty, heroism, sexism, and racism—that are very relevant to readers across time. I imagine a wide variety of audiences would appreciate this text because it touches on so many fascinating topics. It is clear that the author did her homework, and the result is magnificently entertaining.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book is an excellent example of a text that could be analyzed with a critical theorist lens. (See Appleman’s book about teaching critical theory to students of all levels.) I imagine rich classroom discussions would evolve from the application of gender theory or race theory, for instance, to this text. This is a compliment to the author and the depth of this book.

Discussion Questions: In what ways do gender and race play a role in this text?; How does the author weave history into the story?; What does Petra and Bram’s friendship teach us about humans in general?; How do the main characters display qualities of bravery?

Read This If You Loved: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi; Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld; Secrets of the Realm by Bev Stout; Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Recommended For:

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Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of CAST OFF: The Strange Adventures of Petra De Winter and Bram Broen (U.S. addresses; allow 4-6 weeks for delivery; offer ends 7/10/15).

Guest Post from Eve Yohalem, Author of Cast Off!

Eve Yohalem photo

In 2009 I got this great idea for a seafaring adventure about two kids who sail from Amsterdam to the East Indies in the seventeenth century. There was just one problem: I knew next to nothing about the seventeenth century. Or the Netherlands. Or the East Indies. Or sailing.

No matter. I like a challenge. I researched for a full year before I started writing, and after I started writing, I kept researching. I’m still researching. (I like researching.)

Today my Cast Off file has more than four hundred different source notes. I read lots of books: scholarly academic stuff, journalistic stuff, fiction, memoirs, journals, every first person account I could find. I spoke to people who knew much more than me—VOC scholars, maritime scholars, curators, my husband (he sails), surgeons, and dentists. I hung out in oddball museums. I traveled to Indonesia, where I slept in the jungle and held baby orangutans, and to the Netherlands, where I retraced every step of my characters that I could and explored the dark nooks of two different full-scale East Indiamen replicas.

I have no research training. It would have helped if I’d majored in history in college, but I didn’t. Mostly, I followed my nose. I knew that my story would begin in Amsterdam and take place mostly at sea on an East Indiaman bound for Batavia. I knew two of my characters: a Dutch girl and an East Indian boy, both twelve years old. That’s a lot to get started with.

What’s surgery like by candlelight below deck on a rocking ship before the invention of anesthesia? How do you fire a 4,000 pound canon without getting crushed by the recoil? These were the kinds of questions I tried to answer.

I tried to convey what it felt like to cram three hundred men onto a 150-foot long vessel for six months (damp, dark, and airless below, smelled bad, no privacy). The layout of the ship is based on actual ships of the period, as are the various jobs, daily schedule, terrible food.

For my characters’ medical knowledge, I have to thank John Woodall’s The Surgeon’s Mate, a seventeenth century medical guide no ship’s surgeon would have been without.

And in case anyone’s wondering, I got most of my slang from the always entertaining A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew: In Its Several Tribes of Gypsies, Beggars, Thieves, Cheats, &c., with an Addition of Some Proverbs, Phrases, Figurative Speeches, &c. by B. E. Gent, c 1698. In my opinion, some of these terms should be brought back into everyday use. Please help make “Kiss my blind cheeks!” go viral!

Follow Cast Off on the blog tour:
 
Mon, June 1
Book Monsters
Tues, June 2
The Hiding Spot
Wed, June 3
Books Unbound
Thurs, June 4
Unleashing Readers
Fri, June 5
Read Now, Sleep Later
Mon, June 8
Mother Daughter Book Club
Tues, June 9
Cracking the Cover
Wed, June 10
The Compulsive Reader
Thurs, June 11
The Children’s Book Review
Fri, June 12
I Read Banned Books

*Thank you to Barbara at BlueSlip Media for sending this book for review!*

Blog Tour with Author Guest Post and Giveaway!: “Doing It Over…and Over…and Over Again” by Pete Hautman, Author of Eden West

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Doing It Over…and Over…and Over Again

“How long does it take to write a book?”

That’s one of the top five questions* I get asked when visiting middle schools. I like that question because it can be answered any number of ways.

My answer is always different, but it always starts with, “It depends…”

I wrote the first draft of Invisible, for example, in five weeks. Even to an eighth grader, that sounds fast.

But wait, there’s more! My first revision of Invisible took eight weeks. My second revision, a month. My editor then had some suggestions, and I took another month to revise it a third time. The final revision went quickly—just two or three weeks.

Total time from first keystroke to final manuscript? Six months of active work, spread out over about a year. That’s by far the fastest I’ve ever written a novel—and 80% of that time was spent on revising.

Eden West, the story of a boy who grows up  on an isolated doomsday cult compound in Montana, took twelve years. During those years of on-and-off writing and revising the setting changed, the number and names of the characters changed, the voice of the main character changed, the ending changed, and the title changed. I made two extended visits to Montana, where the book is set. I read seemingly endless pages of Biblical apocrypha, Mormon texts, and other scripture. The first few chapters I wrote were revised so often and so drastically that they are unrecognizable. Several times I had to set the book aside for a few weeks or months and let my subconscious work on it. Often, I worked on other things and simply let Eden West have a little alone time without me.

Typing a new scene, researching, revising, and dreaming are all parts of writing. Many of my best ideas come while I’m revising.

There may be writers out there who can write a publishable first draft, but I don’t know any. If there are any, I hate them. But the vast majority of us would no more forgo revision than we would eat an uncooked potato, or wear a pair of jeans that hadn’t been stitched together, or live in a home with gaping holes in the roof.

So how long does it take to write a book?

It depends…

P. S. The other four most asked questions are: 1)Where do you get your ideas?; 2) What is your favorite book?; 3) Are you going to write a sequel to (name of book they just read)?; 4) Will (name of book they just read) be made into a movie?

Pete Hautman’s newest book is Eden West published April 14th, 2015 by Candlewick Press. 

eden west

About Eden West: Twelve square miles of paradise, surrounded by an eight-foot-high chain-link fence: this is Nodd, the land of the Grace. It is all seventeen-year-old Jacob knows. Beyond the fence lies the World, a wicked, terrible place, doomed to destruction. When the Archangel Zerachiel descends from Heaven, only the Grace will be spared the horrors of the Apocalypse. But something is rotten in paradise. A wolf invades Nodd, slaughtering the Grace’s sheep. A new boy arrives from outside, and his scorn and disdain threaten to tarnish Jacob’s contentment. Then, while patrolling the borders of Nodd, Jacob meets Lynna, a girl from the adjoining ranch, who tempts him to sample the forbidden Worldly pleasures that lie beyond the fence. Jacob’s faith, his devotion, and his grip on reality are tested as his feelings for Lynna blossom into something greater and the End Days grow ever closer. Eden West is the story of two worlds, two hearts, the power of faith, and the resilience of the human spirit.

About Pete Hautman: Pete Hautman is the author of many books for young adults and adults, including the National Book Award–winning Godless and the recent Klaatu Diskos trilogy. He splits his time between Wisconsin and Minnesota. You can learn more about him at petehautman.com.

Visit the other stops on the Eden West blog tour: 

Word Nerds May 19 https://thewordnerds.wordpress.com/
Creatures ‘n’ Crooks May 20 http://cncbooksblog.wordpress.com/
My Book Views May 21 http://my-book-views.blogspot.com/
The Children’s Book Review May 22 http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
My Mercurial Musings May 26 http://www.mymercurialmusings.com/
The Roarbots May 27 http://theroarbots.com/
Unleashing Readers May 29 https://www.unleashingreaders.com/
Hudson Booksellers June 1 http://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/

GIVEAWAY!

Candlewick is kindly offering THREE copies of Eden West for giveaway!


Thank you to Pete Hautman for his guest post and Candlewick for having us be part of the Eden West blog tour!

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**Thank you to Jamie at Candlewick Press for providing copies for review!**

Blog Tour with Author Guest Post and Giveaway!: “Be Brave!” by Charlie Alder, Author of Daredevil Duck

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“Be Brave!” by Charlie Alder, Author of Daredevil Duck

As I sit here, looking at a blank computer screen, trying to think of the right words for my first ever guest blog post I realise I need to take some advice from Daredevil Duck. What would he tell me…?

Be Brave!
Have a go!
You never know till you try!

Ok, I’ll try, here we go…

Daredevil Duck is my first author-illustrated picture book. The story actually started as a simple sketch of Daredevil Duck. Looking at the timid little bird smiling out of the page, I thought it would be funny to have a superhero that was also a bit of a scaredy-duck. As I began writing I realised this little character felt very familiar to me, he was just like my 5-year-old son! I started to think about the hopes and fears of a five year old, starting school, making friends, or playing a new sport. I thought it would be lovely to include this in the narrative.

The main premise of my story, and the most important idea that I wanted children (and adults!) to take away with them was twofold. I wanted to show them that being fearful is ok, it’s a positive emotion in some respects, but sometimes it can stop you in your tracks. The fear of failure can prevent you from embracing your hopes and dreams. Daredevil Duck wants to be brave, but time and again he gets scared. Secondly, I wanted to show the reader that the hardest step to take is often the first one. If you really want to achieve something, it’s up to you, start with the first step and you may surprise yourself.

It was also important to illustrate that the road to bravery is a bumpy one for Daredevil Duck. There are characters in the story that support and cheer him on, and there are those who mock and belittle him, much like life. However, it was vital for me to demonstrate that there is a positive resolution to this, and in the end his critics become his biggest fans!

Another key point that I wanted to convey towards the end of the book was that just because Daredevil Duck had performed one brave deed, it didn’t make him a huge invincible superhero. He was still the same Daredevil Duck, and still scared of the same obstacles in his life. Now however, he tried the things that had scared him before, sometimes with friends for support, sometimes on his own. He still looks concerned about various tasks, but at the back of your mind you know he’s going to try his Daredevil Duck best!

daredevil duck

Summary: Meet Daredevil Duck.
He is afraid of everything. But that doesn’t stop him from DREAMING of being brave.
Then one day he is given the biggest challenge of all . . .
Can Daredevil Duck prove that he is the bravest duck in the whole wide world?

This delightful picture book is filled with bright, playful illustrations and cleverly placed interactive flaps and gatefolds. Daredevil Duck is a lovable hero who, despite having a long list of fears, isn’t afraid to dream big. Alder brings this character to life with her expressions, humorous narration, and one big adventurous story. At its heart, Daredevil Duck shows that enjoying the moment and believing in oneself can open up a whole new and exciting world.

About Charlie Alder: Charlie Alder has illustrated many books for children, including Toot! and Express Yourself! Daredevil Duck is her first authored and illustrated picture book. She lives in Devon, England, with her husband and son, whose exploits on a squeaky red tricycle inspired the creation of her feathered hero. When not drawing ducks, Charlie can be found in her studio drinking coffee, arranging her crayons, and inventing more accidental superheroes. You can visit her at charliealder.com and on Twitter @chuckie346.

Giveaway!


Stop by another stop on Daredevil Duck‘s blog tour!

5/4 Wife Hat, Mom Hat
5/5 Geo Librarian
5/6 In The Pages
5/7 Stacking Books
5/9 Bea’s Book Nook
5/10 ReaderKidz
5/11 Coffee for the Brain
5/12 The Picture Book Review
5/13 Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms
5/14 Mom Read It
5/15 Unpacking the POWER of Picture Books
5/16 Cheryl Rainfield
5/17 Unleashing Readers

Thank you to Charlie Alder for stopping by! We adore what Daredevil Duck stands for!

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**Thank you for Cassie at Running Press for hosting the blog tour and giveaway!**

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors We’d Love to Meet

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Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

 Today’s Topic: Top Ten Authors We’d Love to Meet

[beyond those we’ve already met]

We are very fortunate to have met some of our favorite authors at the NCTE convention and the ALAN Workshop. The ALAN Cocktail Reception allows members to sip wine as they chat with the authors! But these lists include authors we haven’t had the chance to meet personally.

Ricki

1. Kevin Brooks

This man’s work is incredible. Every year, I cross my fingers that he will be at the ALAN Workshop. I suspect this is because he lives in a different country.

2. Harper Lee

This is an obvious choice. She is one of the most intriguing authors in history (IMO).

3. Jennifer Niven

After reading her book (following the last ALAN Workshop), I am hoping to meet her! I am crossing my fingers she is at the next ALAN Workshop.

4. Elizabeth Wein

She must be a genius. Her work is so complex, I would be nervous to talk to her!

5. Geneva Gay

I greatly respect her work about culturally responsive teaching. She is a professional role model for me.

Kellee

I have been so lucky to meet most of the people on my “author bucket list,” but here are some authors I still cannot wait to meet!

1. Patrick Ness

After reading the Chaos Walking series and A Monster Calls, I have been fascinated with Ness’s work and would love to meet him.

2. Rick Riordan

Um, he wrote Percy Jackson!!

3. Doug TenNapel

Doug TenNapel’s graphic novels are some of my favorite because of how unique they are. I would love to meet the man who made them.

4. Neil Gaiman

I don’t think I have to explain this one. He is a genius.

5. Mo Willems

I love Mo Willems’s picture books, and would love to have him sign my Elephant & Piggie books!

Which authors would you love to meet?

RickiSig and Signature

Blog Tour with Review, Giveaway, and Author Guest Post!: Go Pea Go! by Joe Moshier and Chris Sonnenburg

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Go, Pea, Go!
Authors and Illustrators: Joe Moshier and Chris Sonnenburg
Published April 28th, 2015 by Running Press Kids

Goodreads Summary: Pea Junior has to go, go, go, go! The end feels so far away, but with his family and friends cheering him on, Pea knows he can make it and go number one!

My Review: This is a perfect book to use during potty training! The fun illustrations, which remind me of Wreck-It-Ralph, make the whole activity seem like a game instead of a chore. The book comes with a chart and stickers which make the whole training even more fun! Anyone with small children, enter below to win your own copy of Go, Pea, Go! and a prize pack that includes a pea plush, pea beach ball, pea tote bag, pea hair clips, stickers, and a copy of the book. THREE people will win a pack including a pea beach ball, pea postcards, stickers, and a copy of the book. FIVE runners up will receive a copy of the book and stickers.

A Message From The Authors: Everyone loves to cheer and root someone on!

It is in our nature as humans to cheer for someone to win a race, to hit a homerun, to score a goal, to ace a test, or even to be brave and make a new friend. As parents, we cheer on our children from day one from their cute little coo’s to their first roll-over and then to their first steps and on and on and on it goes. It feels good for everyone involved. Cheering is a positive feeling, and happiness, like a smile, is contagious.

Our new book, Go, Pea, Go! is all about cheering and rooting on Pea Junior as he races towards the giant Pea Bowl, ignoring all the fun distractions along the way.  Children who read the book get to interact and yell out the phrase “GO, PEA, GO! “at the end of every page to show their support. Just like in real life, there is a point in the book where Pea Junior starts to loose his focus and doubt himself. It’s during these times of struggle and difficulty that cheering from loved ones and friends has an even stronger impact.

As with Pea Junior running the race, there will be obstacles, there will be distractions but there will also be victories and there will always be someone who loves you to cheer you on!

Make sure to visit the other stops on the blog tour: 

4/22 A Girl and a Boy

4/23 Stacking Books

4/24 Geo Librarian

4/25 Art, Books, Coffee

4/27 Coffee for the Brain

4/28 Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms

4/29 Unpacking the POWER of Picture Books

4/30 Booktalking #kidlit

5/1 Unleashing Readers

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Giveaway!


Review and Author’s Guest Post!: “Josh, Harrison & Dad’s Excellent Adventure” by Henry L. Herz, Author of Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes

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Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes
Authors: Henry, Josh, and Harrison Herz
Illustrator: Abigail Larson
Published February 7th, 2015 by Pelican Publishing Company

Goodreads Summary: Enter an enchanted land of mythical creatures where manticores reign and ogres roar-a land of mystery and fright. A unique twist on traditional rhymes of everyone’s youth, “Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes” presents a more sinister approach to these childhood classics, and yet the sing-song nature of the poems renders them playful and jovial at the same time. Little Witch Muffet is not frightened by a silly, little spider; she simply adds him to her stew!

Rotten zombies, giants, dwarves, and goblins mingle with werewolves, centaurs, and fauns. Follow along the skeleton stepping stones, scale up a palisade, claw at the window of a tasty child and bake him into a pumpkin shell. Monsters cook up delicious elvish pie, too! Every kid who has an eensy weensy bit of sense wants a pet with feathers white as snow, who flies like an eagle and bleats like a goat-a hippogriff, of course!

Six forest sprites with four times as many pixies escape from a loaf of bread atop the elaborate table of the fey queen; her feast has flown away! If you enjoy mischief and have a penchant for the morbidly hilarious, the Herzs’ rhymes will satisfy your mythological curiosities.

Larson’s illustrations give new life to these ancient figures, and her artistic style employs the bold lines and colorful movement of an action-packed comic book. The author also includes a “bestiary” with information about the book’s legendary creatures, which hail from Scotland, Germany, Italy, Persia, Haiti, and Scandinavia.

Kellee’s Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Really like the creativity of mashing monster/mythology and nursery rhymes. A great intro to all things traditional lit and fantasy in a rhyming, fun way. I especially liked that the creatures hail from a variety of places and that the author included an appendix that includes information about each of them. I think this book would be a great way to introduce mythology as well as give students an opportunity to make their own parody of a nursery rhyme using a creature.

One thing that makes this book special is that Henry Herz wrote this book with his two sons. I am happy to share with you a post about their collaboration:

Josh, Harrison, and Dad’s Excellent Adventure

Henry, Josh & Harrison Herz

The astute observer will notice that there are three author credits for Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes. That’s because my young sons were involved in its creation. This is the tale of how two boys became traditionally published authors.

A few years ago (in a galaxy far away), I wanted to share my love of fantasy with my young sons.  They were too little for watching most of the fantasy and sci-fi movie classics, and there are only so many good fantasy books available for that age range.  Struck by inspiration one day, I came up with a way to share the joy of entering the magical realms of fantasy. I would write a fantasy book for them.

What I did not anticipate was that my boys would give me feedback on the story.  They devised some of the character (Nimpentoad) and creature (Neebel) names and made plot line suggestions.  And who better to help make the story appealing to kids than other kids?  So, the goal of interesting my sons in fantasy transformed into also encouraging them to write.

Originally, I only shared the story of Nimpentoad with family, for their own enjoyment.  I had no thoughts of having the book published.  But one day, my sister-in-law suggested that I consider publication because she felt the story was much better than many of the books she was seeing for her similarly-aged kids.  I thought about it for a while, and decided to give it a try.

The first step was to find the right artist. Once again, my sons were involved, this time in providing art direction.  We would explain in words what each illustration should contain.  Collaborating remotely via email and DropBox, our artist would give us a rough sketch, and we would provide feedback on details and color palette.  Nimpentoad came to life, while my boys added another dimension to their experience.

Given the amount of time that had passed, as well as the anticipated challenges with finding an agent or publisher willing to take a chance on an unproven writer, we decided to indie-publish.  The response to Nimpentoad was encouraging, and we subsequently indie-published Twignibble (an easy reader about a mechanically-inclined sloth, who travels the world helping his endangered animal friends), and How the Rhino Got His Skin (an updated picture book version of Rudyard Kipling’s classic).

We’ve done book readings and signings at schools, libraries, museums, farmer’s markets, book fairs, and bookstores. My boys are now experienced sales professionals! They know how to handle themselves with new people, and easily sell more books than I do.

Like any good author, I am committed to honing my craft. I belong to critique groups, participate in Tara Lazar’s annual Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) event, and took a picture book writing class at UCSD. Part of the class curriculum was to draft some picture book manuscripts. Kids love monsters and I love monsters (being a big kid myself), and so the idea for Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes was born.

As with our other collaborations, I drafted the book, and then had my sons review it. Then it went through my critique group and more revisions. I subsequently attended the Orange County Editor’s Day event hosted by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes won best picture book. After that, it was time to query agents and editors. Happily, several editors expressed interest. We chose Pelican Publishing, and the rest is history.

Writing rhyming picture books is very challenging (see why at http://wp.me/p31Xf4-K0). I jokingly encourage newbie writers to visit www.DontDoRhyme.com (not a real website). The irony is not lost on me that my debut traditionally published picture book is in rhyme. My only excuse is that I didn’t have to invent the meter, I just had to twist the words to fit the existing meter.

If you want to interest your kids in mythological creatures, or fantasy literature in general, give Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes a look. Just take care – Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes is a gateway book to The Lightning Thief and, eventually, to The Lord of the Rings.

Learn more about Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes at http://www.birchtreepub.com/mgnr.htm.

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**Thank you to Henry L. Herz for providing a copy for review and for the guest post!**