Last Minute Shopping

Thought for the Day:

“Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be a very silent place

if no birds sang except the best.” 

~ Henry van Dyke, poet ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Fiction writers can learn a lot from screenwriters. HERE is a good post from Go Teen Writers by Caitlin Eha with 5 good tips. 

A good villain makes every book a little bit better. Laurence MacNaughton has a   post HERE on Fiction University that can help you build a great villain. 

Wonderful post on query letters HERE on Kathy Temean’s Writing and Illustrating written by Erika Wassal.   

First of all, I want to wish all of you happiest of holidays. I will be taking the next two or possibly three weeks off from posting to spend extra time with my family. 

Last week I offered a copy of Welcome to Wonderland #2: Beach Party Surf Monkey to one of you. This week's winner is Zoie. You can find out more about her at her blog, Whisked Away by Words HERE. Congratulations, Zoie! I will get your book out to you this week. No giveaway this week. Just good suggestions.

For those of you who may still have some last-minute shopping for the holidays, books always make a great gift. Here are my suggestions for some of the great books I ran across in my reviewing this year. A few of my reviews haven't been published yet, so I have linked to them on Goodreads. If you click on the title, it will take you to my review or the Goodreads page.

Picture Books

Bear's House of Books by Poppy Bishop Illustrated by Alison Edgson

Cricket in the Thicket by Carol Murray Illustrated by Melissa Sweet

William's Winter Nap by Linda Ashman Illustrated by Chuck Groenink

Second Grade Holdout by Audrey Veronica Illustrated by Matthew Cordell

Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman

Middle Grade

Not on Fifth Street by Kathy Weichman Cannon

Ronit & Jamil by Pamela L. Laskin

Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart

Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting by Joe Ballarini

Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin

Young Adult

Bull by David Elliott

Yearbook by Jess Edward Johnson

Solo by Kwame Alexander

Victoria: Portrait of a Queen by Catherine Reef

Adult

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

When You Never Said Good-Bye by Meg Kearney

Last Shift -- Poems by Philip Levine 

The Seasonal Kitchen by Kerry Dunnington

I hope all of you have a most wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year. I'll see you here in 2018. In the mean time, don't forget to find more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle HERE.

Welcome to Wonderland #2: Beach Party Surf Monkey -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Writing is so difficult that I feel that writers, having had their hell on earth, will escape all punishment hereafter.”

~ Jessamyn West ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Writer’s Rumpus has a good post HERE about the hard work of revision. 

Steven Pressfield always has good advice, but the post HERE may have the best advice for writers. 

For those of us who write picture books, the post HERE by Melissa Manlove of Chronicle Books will be invaluable. 

Last week I offered a copy of Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade by Jordan Sonnenblick. Our winner this time is Joyce Moyer Hostetter! If you don't know Joyce, what cave have you been living in? She is a prolific writer from North Carolina, author of award winning books such as Blue and Healing Water and others. I'm so thrilled she reads my blog! Congratulations, Joyce. I will get your book out to you this week. Yes, for the rest of you, I do have another giveaway this week, so keep reading.

I mentioned a few weeks ago when I reviewed another Chris Grabenstein book that I would be reviewing Welcome to Wonderland #2: Beach Party Surf Monkey soon. This is the week and here is the review I wrote for the San Francisco Book Review. 

P. T. and Gloria are back in this sequel to Welcome to Wonderland #1: Home Sweet Motel and are still trying to save the Wonderland. This time they face a formidable opponent, Mr. Conch, and his nefarious daughter. Conch has built a huge resort next door and covets the very land Wonderland sits on. A movie is being filmed in town, and all the hotels and motels compete to be the setting for the film. P. T. and Gloria put on a presentation that wins the contract, and the games begin. 

Author Chris Grabenstein has a wicked sense of humor, and it populates every

Chris Grabenstein

page in this silly middle-grade novel. How can anyone not love a book that has a surfing monkey at its core? All the characters are fully-rounded and fully funny. Even the bad guys aren’t all that bad and will leave readers laughing. And of course there is poop. It’s a Chris Grabenstein book. And middle-graders love a little poop humor. Illustrator Brooke Allen adds to the fun with lots of cute cartoonish illustrations scattered throughout to support the story and keep wondering young minds pulled in. This one is a winner. 

I have a gently-read paperback for of this 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 Greg Pattridge's blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways. He has graciously agreed to take over temporarily for Shannon Messenger while she is running around promoting her latest book. Thanks, Greg, and go forth and sell books, Shannon!

Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you

whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories.

Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.

~ Octavia Butler ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Dana Nuenighoff has a great post HERE on Writer’s Rumpus about Finding Your Voice. The Voice Cheatsheet is terrific. 

How well do you know your antagonist? Angela Ackerman has a guest post at Riders in the Storm HERE that is full of really important ideas about our villains. 

Anne Rice has had some success in the writing business. HERE is a post with 20 great hints to make your writing better. 

When last we met here, I offered a copy of The Theory of Hummingbirds by Michelle Kadarusman to one of you. Our winner this week is Patricia Tilton. If you don't know her, Patricia is an Ohio writer who has wonderful book reviews on her blog, Children's Books Heal. Check it out HERE. Congratulations, Patricia!

I will get your book out to you this week. For the rest of you, I have another giveaway, so stay tuned.

I read a review somewhere (I have to start writing this stuff down) that made me ask the Manhattan Book Review to request a copy of Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade by Jordan Sonnenblick. Here is the review I wrote for them.

Maverick hasn’t had an easy time. His father died when he was pretty young -- well, Maverick is still pretty young, just starting sixth grade -- and his home life isn’t pretty. His mother has had a string of abusive boyfriends and is either about to be fired or has just been fired for not showing up, caused by her excessive drinking. Needless to say, Maverick has to take care of himself. The one thing he has from his father is a sheriff’s badge he keeps as a reminder of his father’s heroics and the hero Maverick can be. Sixth grade is a new start, and, even though he is the smallest, he will stand up for himself and anyone else being bullied. But trying to do the right thing might seem wrong to others, and Assistant Principal Mr. Overbye doesn’t tolerate trouble. It doesn’t take long for Maverick to make The Bee’s acquaintance. 

Author Jordan Sonnenblick tells a page-turner of a story about Maverick and his troubles that will have kids riveted. Great characters, a perfect setting, and strong writing will carry readers through. Even though it’s a little preachy at the end, this is a winner. 

Jason Sonnenblick

I have a gently-read paperback for of this 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 Greg Pattridge's blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways. He has graciously agreed to take over temporarily for Shannon Messenger while she is running around promoting her latest book. Thanks, Greg, and go forth and sell books, Shannon!