Watch Out for Flying Kids -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

"Start writing something and the ideas will come. You have to turn 

the faucet on before the water starts to flow." 

~ Louis L’Amour ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

The Write Practice has an interesting post on Point of View. Most writers know a lot of what’s HERE, but there are some new things. 

Writers Helping Writers is such a good blog. Everyone should read it all the time. I don’t mention it here nearly enough. A guest post by PK Hrezo on voice (click HERE) is really worth your time. Don’t miss it. 

K. M. Weiland has a really important post on paragraph mistakes and how to avoid them. Check it out HERE. 

I am a little brain-dead tonight as I write this. It was another baseball tournament weekend. On Saturday our boys did not play well and were soundly beaten in one game and barely squeaked a win in the other putting them in 5th position of six teams. That meant an 8:00 am game today, which they won handily. Then we had to wait around for a second game at 12:45, which they again won handily. That meant we would play for the championship at 5:30. More sitting around waiting and then a bit tougher game, but still they won handily. It was a very fun and exciting day, but we were gone for fourteen hours today and I am tired! So if there are typos and such, please be kind.

Last week I promised one of you an ARC of The Safest Lie by Angela Cerrito. This weeks winner is Kim Aippersbach. Congratulations, Kim! I will get your book out to you this week. Kim is a writer, reviewer, and now a Cybils judge. You should check out Kim's blog Dead Houseplants (Don't you love that title?) HERE. I have another great giveaway this week, so please keep reading.

I recently read and reviewed an amazing book by Cynthia Levinson, author of We've Got a Job, a MG non-fiction about the 1963 Birmingham Children's March. Her new book is really a stunner. It is Watch Out for Flying Kids and here is my five-star review for the San Francisco Book Review. 

When most people think of a circus, they probably think of a big tent and clowns and wild animals, but there is another kind of circus people should know about. Fortunately, Cynthia Levinson has written a marvelous new book to tell the story of the social youth circus. Basically that means putting young people together who normally would be on opposite sides of something— class or race or politics or religion — then teaching the kids performance skills that require trust and cooperation. One of these circuses is in St. Louis, Missouri and one is in Israel.

Readers are introduced to members of the companies and some of their instructors through very insightful profiles and photographs. The St. Louis circus, Arches, visits and works with the one in Israel, Galilee Circus. The young performers are further challenged by language differences, being homesick, unfamiliar foods, and even acts of violence in the area.

“The Arches couldn’t tell who was Jewish and who was Arab. 

All of the Israelis looked and sounded foreign to them.”

A great deal of extra information is presented throughout in sidebars that

Cynthia Levinson

enhance this inspiring story, a story of courage, perseverance, and, most of all, hope. It will appeal to children as young as 9 and to people as old as 109 and deserves a broad readership.

I have an ARC of this wonderful book I would be happy to send to 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. 

The Safest Lie -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

"You can fix anything but a blank page." 

~ Nora Roberts ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I have been saving this one for quite awhile. So just in time for Halloween writing: Adventures in YA Publishing has a great post up called How to Write Scary by Gretchen McNeil. I know I would like to be better at writing scary. Click HERE to give it a read. 

Aerogramme Writers’ Studio has a post by Patti Frazee called Who is Your Boo Radley? Finding Characters Who Motivate You to Write. Click HERE for a very worthwhile post. 

Rachelle Gardner has a great post on creating a compelling book title HERE. This is something a lot of us struggle with. I know I do.

Last week, I offered a gently-read ARC of The Girl in the Torch by Robert Sharenow to one of you. It was nice to see poet Liz Steinglass pop in and leave a comment, and it was her name that popped out of the hat. Congratulations, Liz! If you aren't familiar with Liz or her work, hop on over to her page HERE and check it out. Liz, I will get your book out to you this week. For the rest of you, I do have another great giveaway this week.

When I choose the books I review for the San Francisco Book Review, I always

keep my eyes open for good historical fiction. Even though I reviewed one last week, I can't resist reviewing another this week. Angela Cerrito wrote a wonderful middle-grade historical that came out this summer called The Safest Lie. Here is the five-star review I wrote. 

Life in the Warsaw Ghetto is almost unimaginable, even for those living it. Nine-year-old Anna Bauman is shocked each time she sees the number of people begging for crumbs from those who have so little. Her mother tells her she must become someone else and begins teaching her Catholic prayers and the life history of a girl named Anna Karwolska, who Anna is to become. Soon a young woman smuggles Anna out of the Ghetto and to a Catholic orphanage.  There for three years, she witnesses the huge sacrifices the nuns make to shelter and protect children from the despicable acts of Nazis. From the orphanage she is moved to a Polish farm family, always keeping her secret, always being Ana Karwolska, always praying to rejoin her parents.

“I must not forget being Anna Bauman. Remembering my real self is a bright flame of truth inside me.”

Angela Cerrito has written a powerful story in honor of and based on the life of

Angela Cerrito

Irena Sendler, a woman who worked with the resistance to save thousands of Jewish children. Cerrito traveled to Poland to meet with Sendler and to research for this book. All that work shows. This is historical fiction at it’s very best and deserves readership far beyond its targeted middle-grade audience.

I have a very gently-read ARC 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.

The Girl in the Torch -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

"Don't quit. It's very easy to quit during the first 10 years. Nobody cares whether you write or not, and it's very hard to write when nobody cares one way or the other. You can't get fired if you don't write, and most of the time you don't get rewarded if you do. But don't quit."

~ Andre Dubus ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

WritinGeekery has quite an interesting post HERE entitled Rock Your First Chapter, No Excuses. It’s a good one. 

The Writer’s Circle has a good article HERE on words you should banish from your writing. Yes, BANISH! 

Janice Hardy has a great post HERE on what it really means to start with action.

Last week I was able to have some great giveaways and have three winners to announce. The two lucky people who will receive signed copies of Water Runs Through This Book by Nancy Bo Flood are @dmsfiles and Nancy. Congratulations to both! I will be contacting you for addresses and how you would like your books signed. And, for your listening pleasure, Susan will be receiving a CD of Stripped Down by the beautiful and talented Maggie Hollinbeck! Nancy is a loyal reader, Susan is a time-travel expert and blogs HERE,and @dmsfiles can be found blogging HERE. Both blogs are worth your time. I have another giveaway, so keep reading please!

I recently won a whole box of middle-grade books and a Starbucks card (Thanks, Greg!!!) from the very generous Greg Pattridge who writes and blogs

about middle-grade writing and reading at Always in the Middle HERE. He has great reviews and discusses the writing process. Don't miss it. Anyway, in that box of books was one I had already read and really enjoyed. I'm happy to share it here. It's called The Girl in the Torch by Robert Sharenow. I have to admit, this book has really stayed with me since I read it a couple months ago. I do love historical fiction and this one has a compelling story and wonderful characters, but that's not why it has stayed with me. One of the first rules of writing for children is that the main character has to solve his/her own problem. I don't think I am giving too much away, but I would love to know if Sharenow had any push back on that. His main character, Sarah, does a lot of things along the way to help herself, but ultimately some wonderful adults step in to bail her out of her biggest problem. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who has read this book and what you think about this. If you haven't read the book, it's really good. Here is the review I wrote for the San Francisco Book Review.

It is early in the 1900s, and 12-year-old Sarah lives in a small village when her father is killed by powerful men. She and her mother take what little they have and buy passage to America to start a new life where Jews are not persecuted. During the voyage, Sarah’s mother becomes quite ill, and when they arrive at Ellis Island, she dies, leaving Sarah with no one. A search for some relatives in New York comes up empty, and Sarah is put on a ship to return to her homeland, but she jumps overboard and swims to Liberty Island. She scavenges food during the day and sleeps in the crown at night, trying to figure out a way to get to the mainland and find a way to live. But there is a night guard between her and freedom, and when he falls and is injured, there is no one to help him but Sarah. Thus begins an odd partnership.

“She hadn’t been bathed by anyone since her mother had done

it when she was a little girl. Her mother had a much gentler hand. 

But it felt nice to be taken care again, even if it was by a tough 

old Chinese woman she barely knew.”

Robert Sharenow has written a terrific story with complex characters and interesting relationships set in a time and place young readers will find

Robert Sharenow

fascinating. The writing is lovely and the story compelling. This is a winner.

I have a very gently-read ARC 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.

Water Runs Through This Book -- Review and TRIPLE Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man 

contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”  

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

GREAT post on commas HERE. The comma is the most misused punctuation in America. 

Anne R. Allen has some fun Tips for the Care and Feeding of Your Muse HERE. 

Barbara Kyle has a guest post on The Writing Desk HERE on the Anatomy of a Page-Turner. Very instructive.

Last week, I promised one of you a gently-read copy of Out at Home by Cal Ripken, Jr. and Kevin Cowherd. This week's winner is Molly. Congratulations, Molly! She is a semi-retired teacher and an aspiring writer and reviews middle-grade books at My Cozy Book Nook. Check it out HERE. If you didn't win, take heart. I have THREE giveaways this week. Keep on reading.

I am really pleased to tell you about a new book by Nancy Bo Flood. Nancy is one of the most talented and generous writers I know. I have reviewed two of her books on my blog -- a MG poetry collection called Cowboy Up! (review HERE) and a marvelous picture book, The Hogan that Great-Grandfather Jack Built (review HERE). I simply love her work. It is so original and so beautiful. Her poetry is stunning. Her new book, Water Runs Through This Book, is unlike anything you might have ever read. Here is the five-star review I wrote for the San Francisco Book Review. 

People can live a very long time without food or shelter, but they can only live two or three days without water. The only more critical element for life is oxygen. Our brains are mostly water. Our bodies are two-thirds water. Water connects all people. Nearly 70% of the Earth is covered by water, and rivers were the first thoroughfares. Water shapes the land. Even as people explore the moon and other planets, the key they look for is evidence of water. Water is life. But most don’t think about water very much until they don’t have it. This precious resource needs to be protected. For some peoples, water is a necessary component for ceremonies and rites. Water is sacred.

“Wilma Mankiller was an activist and the first female chief of the 

Cherokee Nation. For Wilma, ‘going to water’ meant home, 

family, and a healing place of prayer.”

Nancy Bo Flood is a teacher, poet, and writer. In this book, Flood uses both prose and poetry to

Nancy Bo Flood

accompany the spectacular photographs by Jan Sonnenmair to tell the story of this important resource in a way young people will understand and be engaged. Flood’s prose is succinct and lovely to read, and her poetry is spare and lyrical. This wonderful book will be appreciated by middle-grade readers, their parents, their teachers, and more. 

I read a wonderful interview with Nancy recently at Jennifer Wolf Kam's blog, and I think you will enjoy it as well. If you click HERE you can read it. Nancy has generously offered TWO signed copies of her book for giveaways this week! See. I told you she is generous! Thanks, Nancy. But I promised you a TRIPLE giveaway, so I am not done yet.

I am sure I have mentioned our daughter Maggie who is an actor in the national

tour of Once. She is also a singer/songwriter and released her second album last weekend. It is called Stripped Down (it's all acoustic). She not only wrote most of the songs, but did the photography for the cover, did all the design, and recorded the tracks herself! We are so proud of her. This album has three covers and eight of her own songs. I love it and have decided to share it with you.HERE is a link to her album and you can listen to a sample song and hear why I want to share her work. You can, of course, order a copy of her album if you like and help a starving artist. I have decided to give away a copy of her album as well. I'll bet I can even get her to sign it for the lucky winner. 

To win any of these wonderful prizes, 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.