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In: Action & Adventure, Action & Adventure (YA), Middle Grade Reviews, Mystery & Suspense, Mystery & Suspense (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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Best-Selling adult suspense author Harlan Coben makes his young adult debut with Shelter (A Mickey Bolitar Novel).  He joins plenty of other high profile adult writers venturing into the waters of children and teen lit, carrying over his signature style, plot twists and turns, and high-stakes scenarios to the next generation.  Like Kathy Reichs, Coben creates a protagonist for his new series who’s related to an already beloved character.  In this series, Mickey is reluctant detective Myron Bolitar’s estranged nephew.   Readers (especially guys) who like a lot of action, fast pacing, economical prose, and surprise plot hooks will get a thrill from Shelter and will eagerly await Mickey’sRead More →

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The September issue of our newsletter is out now! Bringing book industry news, info on new releases and cool websites, book reviews, opportunities to win free books, author spotlights and much more to you, our awesome readers! Not signed up for our email mailing list? It’s easy- just find the Join Our Mailing List link on the right sidebar of this blog. (Or, click here) In the meantime, just in case you didn’t get one, check out the newsletter here. Did we mention you could win free books? Check it out to find out more! 10/3/11 Update: The September Sweepstakes is now closed.  Congratulations to Jayne P. this month’s winner!Read More →

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In: Action & Adventure, Action & Adventure (YA), Middle Grade Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews
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I have a rule, inspired by Wallace Wallace from Gordon Korman’s No More Dead Dogs, that I don’t read books about dogs.  Even if the dogs don’t die, aren’t abused, or if live the best life you could ever hope for them, I just can’t read books about dogs. They make my heart ache because I always, always fall in love with the dog and no matter what happens to him (or her) I am too emotional to finish. So, what was I thinking when I broke my rule and read Tim Willocks’ children’s debut, Doglands? I have no idea.  A number of times theRead More →

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We’re giving away one copy of The Death Cure ARC! Learn More About the Book: This is the final installment of the Maze Runner trilogy, from the New York Times bestselling author of the 13th Reality series, James Dashner. Thomas knows that Wicked can’t be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they’ve collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It’s up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test. What Wicked doesn’t know isRead More →

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NBC News will convene the largest gathering of teachers from across the country for the second-annual nationally televised “Teacher Town Hall.” This special event will be held on Sunday, September 25th, and broadcast live on MSNBC at Noon/ET. Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News,” will moderate the discussion with help from MSNBC’s Tamron Hall, who will facilitate questions from the audience. NBC News’ Chief Education Correspondent Rehema Ellis will be moderating and reporting an online conversation with teachers across the country during the two-hour live event. The program-for and about teachers- will focus on the most important challenges and opportunities facingRead More →

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In: Grants and Fundraising, Ideas You Can Use, Sweepstakes, This is interesting
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Scholastic and Fiskars have teamed up to provide a $1000 gift card to one lucky teacher! Along with the super simple sweepstakes entry form (Upload your school supply list and you are entered), they have made fun lesson plans available online. From their website: “Want to hook every student in the class? Break out the old-fashioned scissors and glue. While improving their fine motor skills, students who engage in tactile, hands-on crafts activate their brains in powerful ways–increasing memory and knowledge. Try these colorful activities to meet the standards in math, science, and more, and watch kids’ confidence take off!” Read More Here The sweepstakesRead More →

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In: Action & Adventure, Action & Adventure (YA), Middle Grade Reviews, Mystery & Suspense, Mystery & Suspense (YA), Sci Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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“I wondered if this was what it was like when the end of the world came. A sudden overturning that made every day like stepping alone into an empty room, everything you longed for, every handhold you used to pull yourself along, vanished.” (Stephen, from The Eleventh Plague)  Much has been made in recent months about the darker bent of YA lit and the growing fascination with end-of-the-world scenarios and dystopias taking over the once sunny, wholesome world of tween/YA lit (was it ever really so?).  So I thought it particularly interesting that the 2 books next in my stack to read were both post-apocalyptic stories: AaronRead More →

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Cloudette, by the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Duck! Rabbit! Tom Lichtenheld, is a cute story of how even the littlest cloud can make a difference. Cloudette,  “a cute little cumulus” likes being little and the advantages her small size can bring. But sometimes she wants to go with the bigger clouds on their adventures! Then she finds out that little clouds can make a big difference, its all about finding where you can be of the most use. Easily relate-able to small children, especially younger siblings, this cute little story is full of surprising and fun details. Everything from the usually boring copyright page (with a specialRead More →