Wed Rabbit -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

"Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts.

You need to start somewhere." 

~ Anne Lamott ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Flashbacks are tricky, but sometimes they are necessary. HERE Randy Ingermanson has a good post on just that topic. 

Anne R. Allen offers fixes for plot holes in your manuscript HERE. My favorite section is called Too Dumb to Live. 

This is a lot of fun. HERE is a post with 25 synonyms you should be using.

My daughter Maggie, who is between acting gigs right at the moment, is spending some time building a website for me. We are hoping to be able to go live in the next week or two, so changes are coming! I'm pretty excited about it and am busy sending her stuff that will make me look good. I think it's time for me to make this move. I hope I can invite you all to check it out very soon.

Last week I offered a gently-read hardback of Saturdays with Hitchcock by Ellen Wittlinger to one of you. This time our winner is Danielle Hammelef, who always shares the link to my blog a lot of places. Thanks for doing that Danielle. I will get your book out to you soon. Congratulations! For the rest of you, I have another book to give away and this one is FUNNY and has some fun fantasy as well.

When I looked over a list for review books from the Manhattan Book Review, I ran across a book called Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans. At first I thought it was a picture book, but when I looked it up, found it to be a middle-grade novel. When I saw the cover (Don't you LOVE it?), I hearkened back to Bunnicula, one of my all-time favorites, so I knew I had to have it, and I snatched it right up. I had no idea what a fun ride I was in for. Here is the review I wrote for the Manhattan Book Review.

Fidge is eleven, and she is tired of having to read The Wimbley Woos book to her four-year-old sister, Minnie, over and over. And that’s not the only thing that’s annoying about Minnie. She has annoying toys, especially Wed Wabbit, and she always gets her way even if it gets in the way of the one thing Fidge wants. Fidge is so angry and retaliates in the smallest way, but the worst thing happens. She has to stay with her scaredy-cat cousin, Graham, and during a storm both of them are transported into the Land of Wimbley Woos. Strange things are happening there, and when they find out Wed Wabbit has taken over as king, things get really interesting. They have to get Wed Wabbit and get him back to Maddie. It’s quite a challenge.

Author Lissa Evans has written the most refreshingly funny and smart book to

Lissa Evans

come out in quite a while. This is a page turner of the first order and has great messages about friendship, courage, loyalty, and much more, but the messages are well hidden in this clever, laugh-out-loud funny story. Get thee to a bookstore and buy this book!

I have a gently-read hardback 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.

Saturdays with Hitchcock -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat,

determination and hard work.”

~ Colin Powell ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

First I want to mention Jess Carroll to you. Jess has the most awesome service for those who write picture books, especially rhyming ones. Her critiques are AMAZING! And she will soon be starting an on-line rhyme academy. You can check out her services and other things HERE and friend her on Facebook to stay apprised of her upcoming classes. 

BookFox has an interesting post HERE on chapter lengths. It’s not something I have thought a lot about, but I think I should. 

Just for fun — an article HERE about the strange and wonderful things found between the pages of books. 

I am an over-explainer. I know it. I have to cut, cut, cut to get my over-explaining out. Janice Hardy has a great post HERE on just that topic. 

When last we met, I offered a paperback copy of the wonderfully funny book, Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage. This week's winner is cschwanke2013, who, I surmise, works at the Charlotte Mecklinberg Library in North Carolina. Congratulations to you, cschwanke2013. I will get your book out to you soon. Thanks for reading and commenting. For the rest of you, I have another fun giveaway this week, so read on!

I am a bit of a movie junkie and, as a kid, spent every possible Saturday at the movies. So when I saw a book called Saturdays with Hitchcock by Ellen Wittlinger on the list for the Manhattan Book Review, I had to grab it. This is not her first rodeo. Check out all the books listed on her website! Here is the review I wrote for them. 

Small town life is simple, especially if you are a twelve-year-old girl, right? Maybe not so much if your ne’er-do-well but favorite uncle is injured on the film set and comes home to visit just as your mother loses her job, your grandmother seems to be losing her memory, a new boy joins you and your best friend in activities and it is clear he has a crush on you, your best friend forever confides to you that he is gay and that he like-likes the new guy, and your grandmother’s old boy-friend shows up and it’s clear he is still smitten with her after all these years. Yeah, maybe not so simple. Maisie, aka Hitchcock, loves movies and wants to make them. It would be nice if it were just her and her best friend, Cyrus, as it has been forever, but life changes, and Maisie’s life is quite a balancing act.

Author Ellen Wittlinger has written a truly important middle-grade novel that

Ellen Wittlinger

addresses a lot of difficult issues today’s kids are likely to face. Her writing is strong, her dialogue pitch-perfect, and the story is compelling. Not to be missed.

I have a gently-read hardback 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.

The Theory of Hummingbirds -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”

~ Pele ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

We all want to create anticipation in our stories. HERE is a really good post on doing that. It also has a link in it to another post on raising the stakes. Lots of good stuff. 

Revision. The bane of my existence. HERE is a good article with 9 Techniques for Crisp, Powerful Revisions. 

My critique partners have heard me rail for years against the lack of the Oxford comma. I am not alone in this quest for proper usage of this belittled punctuation mark. HERE is a passionate plea for use of the Oxford comma. 

I hope all of you had a lovely Thanksgiving with lots of family time. I did. My exchange student, Amandine, was quite amazed to see her first turkey. She tried everything and has found some new things she really likes, especially turkey and cranberry sauce.

No giveaway last week (because I am selfish and wanted to keep the book all to myself!), so we will get right to this week's book, The Theory of Hummingbirds by Michelle Kadarusman. I was captured by the title when I saw it and was glad I chose it for review. Here is the review I wrote for the Manhattan Book Review.

Alba and Levi have been best friends always, but life brings many changes, especially when one reaches sixth grade. For Levi, a science nerd, changes aren’t so readily apparent. His debilitating asthma attacks are still a part of his life. For Alba, though, a huge change is coming. For her whole life, she has lived with her left foot, which is “directionally challenged” to the point of having a name — Cleo. Cleo has had many surgeries and has always either been in a cast or a brace, causing Alba to walk with crutches and not be able to be part of many activities. She has long been the time-keeper for the cross-country team, but Cleo’s final cast is about to come off, and Alba dreams of running her first race. When she shares her dream with Levi, he cautions her not to hope too much, a message Alba doesn’t want to hear.

Michelle Kadarusman

Author Michelle Kadarusman has written a gentle but powerful story of dealing with differences and problems in friendships within a coming-of-age story. The writing is lyrical, the characters believable and well-rounded, and the metaphor of Alba as a hummingbird is heartbreakingly perfect.

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 good luck, Shannon!

Women Who Dared -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, 

the farther you get.”  

~ Michael Phelps ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Jane Friedman has a wonderful post HERE on How to Immediately Improve Your Query Letter’s Effectiveness. 

Adventures in YA Publishing has some good, instructive posts. The post HERE will help you Strengthen Your Verbs and Your Writing. 

Greg Pattridge has another great post HERE about editing — searching for problem, over-used words. 

Last week, my daughter Maggie was in town from New York. We had a lovely family dinner, and I never got around to writing my blog post. Next Saturday morning, I will load my two grandkids, Gehrig and Gracie, into my Prius and move on down the road. We are driving to Denver for a couple days, then on to Montrose, Colorado, to visit friends and family. I will be on the road for the next two Sundays, so I won't be blogging. See you here again in three weeks.

For those who need reminding how much patience is needed in the business of writing, I have a story for you. I had an email about ten days ago from an editor at Humpty Dumpty magazine. She reminded me I had sent them a little story in 2015 and wondered if it was still available.They wanted to buy it for their September/October issue. I had given up on finding a home for that little story. So hang in there. You never know when you'll find a little success.

Last time I posted, I promised one of you an ARC of Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart. The winner this time is Jenni Enzor. Congratulations, Jenni! If you don't know Jenni, she is a writer from Oregon who blogs HERE and has great book reviews and posts for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. It's definitely worth a look. Jenni, I will get your book out soon. For the rest of you, keep reading. I have another fun book to giveaway. 

I've been on a bit of a non-fiction kick lately and have another one for you this week. The Manhattan Book Review had Women Who Dared: 52 Fearless Daredevils, Adventurers, and Legends by Linda Skeers on their review list recently so I grabbed it. I love reading about these interesting women. Here is the review I wrote for the Review. 

What do a wing walker, a wrestler, a cosmonaut, a lighthouse keeper, and a spy all have in common? They are all women who did these things long before it was acceptable for women to be in such professions. Author Linda Skeers has gathered the stories of 52 women who did amazing and wonderful things with their lives in times and places when, according to their societies, they had absolutely no business doing them. Take Rose Fortune for instance. She was a former slave who escaped to Canada with her family in the late 1700s. She was an entrepreneur who built a business on transporting luggage and making wake up calls. This is just one example of these many fascinating women. Each has a full-page biography with some fun graphics, created by illustrator Livi Gosling,

Linda Skeers

and a full-page drawing of the woman. Young readers, ages eight and up, will find wonderful role models and their compelling stories in these pages that may give them the impetus to try new things and take the steps they need to create their own daring moments in life. The writing is snappy and the illustrations fun. This is a winner.

I have a gently-read ARC of this book to share with 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.

Innocent Heroes -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.” 

~ Stephen King ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I have a writing acquaintance who announced one day, “If you don’t write every single day, you are not really a writer.” I don’t write every day, and that really put me off. It’s good to know I’m not the only one. HERE is a post from Jami Gold that will give you permission to take some time off, if you need that. 

The Guide to Literary Agents blog has a guest post HERE by Jolina Petersheim that will give you 10 Tips for (Re)Writing a Novel. It’s refreshing. 

Writing your author bio can be pretty daunting. HERE are tips to make your bio more interesting. 

It's after seven in the evening and the temperature is down to 105. We are having quite a heat wave here. Welcome to Sacramento summer. We are supposed to have three days of 109, but then it will cool down to 106 and, finally by Friday 100. Praying for the marine layer and the Delta breeze to return. Please send cooling thoughts our way.

Last week I promised an ARC of Kate DiCamillo's cute new book, Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package. This week's winner is Greg Pattridge. Congratulations, Greg! If you don't know Greg, he is a middle-grade writer and teacher from Colorado. He has a terrific blog, Always in the Middle, with wonderful book reviews and great writing tips. Check it out HERE. Greg, I will get your book out this week. For the rest of you I have another terrific book giveaway, so keep reading.

Checking out the list of available books for the Manhattan Book Review, I ran across a book called Innocent Heroes: Stories of Animals in the First World War by Sigmund Brouwer. I couldn't figure out if it was fiction or non-fiction, but it sounded intriguing, so I grabbed it. It's kind of a hybrid and absolutely fascinating. What a great way for kids to learn about this chapter in our history. Here is the review I wrote for the Manhattan Book Review. 

War was quite different in the days of WWI. Allied soldiers spent miserable days and nights in cold, muddy trenches waiting for the many horrors the German army would throw at them. Besides the usual shelling and attacks with bayoneted rifles, the Germans used deadly gas that caused any caught in it to die horrible deaths. Radio communication was unreliable. Consequently, the men sometimes had to rely on animals — carrier pigeons, cats, specially-trained dogs of various breeds, and horses and mules. Several of these animals saved many lives and acted in truly heroic ways, even when badly injured. Some were even awarded medals for their brave acts. This book is historical fiction, following three fictional Canadian soldiers through the build-up to a great battle. Each chapter tells a bit of their story and how a heroic animal impacted what they experienced. Each fictional chapter is followed by a good write-up of a real heroic animal and its story. These include some grainy photographs. Excellent

Sigmund Brouwer

back-matter gives even more information. The writing is fine and the stories captivating. This will be a great introduction to WWI for the middle-grade set and others. Don’t miss this one.

I have a gently-read hardback of this book to share with 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.

Big and Little Questions (According to Wren Jo Byrd) -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

”Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do---the actual act of writing -- turns out to be the best part. It's like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward. 

~ Anne Lamott ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Cathy Ballou Mealy has a terrific post HERE on changing your perspective to give you a kick in the writing pants. 

Writer’s Digest publishes some interesting guest posts. HERE Catherine Egan gives us 7 Writing Rules You Can Ignore. 

Augusta Scattergood has a nice post about naming HERE on the Nerdy Book Club blog.

I don't mention picture books too often here, but I won a copy of a new picture book from Carol Federlin Baldwin and Joyce Moyer Hostetter on their Talking Story newsletter. You can visit HERE. The book is a wonderful new biography of Dorothea Lange and if you enjoy picture book biographies, you are sure to enjoy this one by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Sarah Green.

Last week, I offered an ARC of Ronit & Jamil to one of you. This week's winner is Ruth Tenzer Feldman. If you don't know Ruth, she is a very well-published author from the Pacific Northwest. You can learn more about her and her books HERE. Congratulations, Ruth! I will be getting the book out to you this week. For the rest of you, please keep reading. I have a very sweet book to give away.

I read about a middle-grade novel somewhere -- wish I could remember where -- and asked the folks at Manhattan Book Review to try to get a copy for me. They did, and I'm happy to share it with you today. The book is Big & Little Questions (According to Wren Jo Byrd) by Julie Bowe and here is the review I wrote for Manhattan Book Review.

Wren, nine years old, has been away for two months staying with her grandparents. She hasn’t texted or talked with her best friend, Amber, all that time. She just doesn’t know what to say or how to tell Amber that Wren’s family isn’t a family any more. Her parents are getting a divorce. But when Wren gets back at the end of summer, she discovers Amber is pretty mad and she has made a new friend, Mariana, who doesn’t seem very nice. But things aren’t always what they seem to be. Navigating middle school is tough enough without a disintegrating family, but Wren finds her way through the morass of having divorcing parents and living in two homes, and she also finds some new friendships and renews some old ones.

Julie Bowe has written a very engaging book for younger middle-graders that

Julie Bowe
Photo Credit: Jake Avery

tackles some tough topics — divorce, friendship, lying, secrets, and more. The voice (first-person narration) is spot on, the characters, both children and adults, are very believable, and the small-town setting is perfect to contain this story. This should be very popular with the middle-grade set and beyond. 

I have a gently-read hardback copy of this sweet book to share with 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.

Ronit & Jamil -- a Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

~ Zig Ziglar ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Janice Hardy again with a great revision trick HERE about getting rid of passive voice. 

I received an email from Alex at Ride the Pen with a link to this absolutely spectacular post about getting rid of thought verbs and strengthening your writing HERE. Do not miss this one. 

Writer’s in the Storm has a great post HERE on how to get your characters through adversity. 

Maybe I will find the way back to my writing. The flip house I have been working on is finished and went on the market yesterday. Fingers crossed! If you are interested in seeing what we came up with, you can click HERE. And if you know anyone who lives near Sacramento and needs a house, send them this way. 

Last week I offered a chance to win one copy each of Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere by Elise Gravel and Stick Cat by Tom Watson along with some art work from both. I've never done a giveaway from a publisher before, but the way it works is I send them the winner's information and they will send out the prize, so I have little control on timing. This week's winner is Dorine White. Congratulations, Dorine! If you don't know Dorine, she is a writer of YA and MG fantasy and has several books published. You can read more about her and find some good book reviews at her blog, The Write Path, HERE. Dorine, I will ask the publisher to send your prize post haste. For the rest of you, please keep reading. I have another giveaway.

I am becoming more and more enamored with books in verse, so I always grab them when they come up for review. Part of the attraction for me is the brevity. I simply can get through more books when they are written in verse, but beyond that they are generally great stories and really well written. They sometimes attack difficult subjects and are a conduit to good discussions with young people who see books in verse as very accessible. This week's choice was offered to me through Manhattan Book Review, and I snapped it right up. The book is Ronit & Jamil by Pamela L. Laskin, and here is the review I wrote for them.

Ronit, an Israeli teen, lives with her parents and sisters near the wall that separates her village from the Palestinian territory. Ronit goes with her father, a pharmacist, to a clinic in East Jerusalem run by an Arab doctor. The doctor’s son, Jamil, is there. Both fathers warn their children to not look at the other. Of course, they do look at each other and find each is fascinated with the other. Soon they are finding ways to meet and spend time together, and, inevitably, they fall in love. Over time, their love deepens, and they become more and more desperate to be together. But the danger is always that their families will discover their relationship and put an end to it.

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is one many young Americans know little about.

Pamela L. Laskin

This modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is an excellent story to use to introduce the issue. It is a short book, beautifully written in spare, lyrical verse that incorporates lines from Shakespeare’s play as well as from Middle-Eastern poetry. Author Pamela L. Laskin also uses some Middle-Eastern poetic forms. This book will likely become a classroom favorite.

I have an ARC of this lovely tome to share with 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. 

Clayton Stone, Facing Off -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it’s work. … Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle in the gutter of an

abandoned neighborhood can stand for everything.” 

~ Stephen King ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

We all make mistakes, but mistakes in our writing life can be really costly. Adventures in YA Publishing has a good post HERE written by editor Emma D. Dryden that will help you avoid the most common mistakes writers make. 

Dear Editor has a tiny hint, but a powerful one, HERE. I like it! 

Alex Limburg has a guest post on Kristen Lamb’s blog HERE that will tell you How to Make EVERY Page of Your Story Interesting. 

Last week I offered a copy of Orphan Trains: Taking the Rails to a New Life by Rebecca Langston George to one of you. This week's winner is Nancy Kelly Allen. Congratulations, Nancy! If you don't know Nancy, she is a Kentucky children's writer with over thirty books out there. (My personal favorite is Barreling Over Niagara Falls. Check it out!) You can learn more about her HERE. Nancy, I will get your book out to you this week. For the rest of you, I have another giveaway, so please keep reading. 

Just a little heads up before I get to business. I am going to New York this week to spend a few days with my daughter Maggie. I seriously doubt I will get around to posting next weekend, so if I'm MIA, that's the reason. 

I have mentioned Greg Pattridge's blog before. He writes really intriguing book reviews and when he says something is worth a look, I always pay attention. You can find his blog HERE. It's always worth a look. Anyway, he reviewed and recommended the first two books of the Clayton Stone series on his blog sometime back, and they sounded like terrific books. I checked my reviewing options and was able to pick up Clayton Stone, Facing Off by Ena Jones for the Manhattan Book Review. What a fun read! Here is the review I wrote.

Clayton Stone is happy at his middle school. His lacrosse team is destined for the playoffs, and all is right with his world. But his grandmother tells Clayton he needs to go undercover at a rival middle school. It’s necessary. The president’s only child, Kyle, also a lacrosse player, goes to that school, and chatter has been picked up that is deemed to be a threat. Clayton is disguised and sent to the new school where he can play on the lacrosse team and try to make friends and stay close to Kyle. But when a bully starts making everyone’s lives miserable and a mysterious boy shows up as a new student, things get pretty interesting. 

Tweens and teens as secret agents and spies aren’t uncommon in kidlit, but, for the most part, they end up sounding and often acting like they are thirty-five. Not this time. Author Ena Jones has created a spunky young character who tells his story in a pitch perfect twelve-year-old boy’s voice. Clayton is smart and funny, with just the perfect amount of wonder at his secret-agent grandmother and all the spy toys he gets to use. Don’t miss this!

Ena Jones

I have a gently-read hardback 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.