“Our advice to an aspiring author
today might be to do one of two things: either build a time machine and travel
ten years into the past to
query their work -- or self-publish
today”.
~Hugh Howey and Data Guy
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
Anne
R. Allen has a really good post on creating atmosphere. Check it out HERE.
The
Editor’s Blog has a terrific post HERE titled Get Pushy—Push Character Conflict
and Reader Emotion.
Writer’s
Digest posted a guest post by literary agent Barbara Poelle that is chock full
of good advice and great humor HERE titled Answers to 14 Questions You’re Too
Afraid to Ask Literary Agents. Do yourself a favor and read this one.
When last we were here together, I promised an ARC of Fish in a Tree by the incomparable Lynda Mullaly Hunt to one of you. Sometimes being last will get you first -- The last commenter on the post, Susan Olson, is the winner this week. Susan writes reviews of time-travel YA and MG books at Time Travel Times Two. Click on the title to visit and get some great book suggestions. Susan, I will get the book out to you this week. Congratulations!
This week I have a funny one for you. The Terrible Two is written by two very funny guys, Mac Barnett and Jory John, and illustrated by another very funny guy, Kevin Cornell. I do have one reservation about recommending this book. I'm not sure it's smart to give all these ideas to middle-graders! That said, this is just too much fun to not pass along. Here is the review I wrote for the San Francisco Book Review.
Miles
Murphy and his mother move to the small town of Yawnee Valley, a place with a
preponderance of cows, and Miles is not happy. He had recently confirmed his
place as the greatest prankster at his old school. Now he would have to start
over at building his reputation. When he arrives at his new school, someone has
parked the principal’s car at the top of the stairs in front of the school
door. Principal Barkin somehow gets it in his head that the new kid, Miles,
must be to blame, but since he can’t prove it, he assigns Niles Sparks, perfect
kids and school helper, to show Miles around. Niles, it turns out, is a
well-hidden prankster. Pranking wars begin, but it takes cows to make the best
prank of all.
“This morning was the
culmination of more than a week’s worth of planning that had taken up six full
pages in Miles Murphy’s pranking notebook. It was Miles’s greatest achievement.”
Mac Barnett and Jory John have written a very funny, very
creative book that middle-schoolers, both boys and girls, will love. Kevin
Cornell’s silly illustrations are the perfect complement to this over-the-top
wacky story. The most reluctant of reluctant reader will be unable to resist
this one. Librarians may want to order multiple copies for what is sure to be a
very popular book.
I have a gently-read ARC of The Terrible Two for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a
US address, be a subscriber or follower and tell me that in a comment
you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click
HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like
extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet,
blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you
have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for
each that you do.
Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.
