Author: Rosemary Kiladitis

I'm a mom, a children's librarian, bibliophile, and obsessive knitter. I'm a pop culture junkie and a proud nerd, and favorite reads usually fall into Sci-Fi/Fantasy. I review comics and graphic novels at WhatchaReading (http://whatchareading.com). I'm also the co-founder of On Wednesdays We Wear Capes (http://www.onwednesdays.net/), where I discuss pop culture and geek fandom from a female point of view.
Posted in Graphic Novels, Young Adult/New Adult

Friendship ain’t easy: Friends is Friends

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

friends is friends_covFriends is Friends, by Greg Cook, (Aug. 2016, First Second), $19.99, ISBN: 9781596431058

Recommended for ages 16+

A series of short stories portray the complicated relationships between an elephant that’s down and out on his luck, a teddy and a ghost bear that follows him around, taunting him, and a family of pigs. Not a graphic novel for younger audiences (content and language), Friends is Friends is indie author/artist Greg Cook’s first major work in over a decade. The stories border surreal and loaded with dark humor. The artwork is in black and white, with white on black pages denoting the beginning of new vignettes.

I’ll be honest, this just wasn’t my book. I enjoy dark humor, but I just didn’t get into the stories or the characters. There were moments where I chuckled along – the opening short between the elephant and the young pig in particular – but other moments that just didn’t catch me. Friendship isn’t easy – that’s a key message contained in the book – but the characters just weren’t likable enough for me to want to be friends with them, to stick with them through the ups and downs of their relationships.

My teens aren’t the audience for this one. If you have a good YA and adult-level graphic novel collection, give this a read before you choose to add or not to add.

Posted in Intermediate, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Non-Fiction, Tween Reads

NatGeo’s Awesome 8 has the lists kids love!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

awesome8Awesome 8: 50 Picture-Packed Top 8 Lists! (National Geographic Kids), by Jen Agresta & Sarah Wassner Flynn, (May 2016, National Geographic), $12.99, ISBN: 978-1426323379

Recommended for ages 7-12

I love lists. I make them, I read them, it’s just a fun thing that people do. It gives you some cool insight into people, like when you read lists of their favorite books, foods, or things; it can make short work of a project, when you have a list of best books or coolest science fair projects. Bottom line, lists are helpful and fun. NatGeo Kids has taken that idea and run with it, giving us Awesome 8: 50 Picture-Packed Top 8 Lists!

This book is loaded with lists of the wildest things, from the most hair-raising roller coasters (that new Joker one at Six Flags Great Adventure may have to be in an updated version, tho’) to the the most bodacious buried treasures. Lists cover wild nature, history, food, and fun. Plan a trip to see some ridiculous roadside attractions (there really is a giant ball of string) and travel in the wackiest of ways, like on a monster school bus. Fun facts pop up throughout the book, as do extended features on some of the lists, like the spread discussing how icebergs flip, following Eight Awesome Things in Antarctica.

It’s a NatGeo book, so you know the pictures are stunning and the information covers different cultures and different parts of the world.There’s a full index in the back and a companion website, the Awesome 8 Hub, where you can find more Awesome 8 lists and log into NatGeo’s Kids portal, which offers resources for educators and homework help resources.

flipped-iceberg-antarctica_88301_990x742Icebergs can flip! Who knew? (from NationalGeographic.com)

I’m a huge NatGeo Kids fan, with good reason: the kids embrace the books, which are fun, factual, and contain beautiful photographs of the world around us. Know a kid who loves cool stuff? Consider this book. Looking for a summer program to put together on the spot? Maybe a spot the camouflaged creature game – there’s an Awesome 8 list dedicated to Coolest Camouflage, including this picture of three toads – can you find them?

toadsphoto from NationalGeographic.com

 

Posted in Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

The Night Flower series continues with Blood Orchid

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Blood Orchid tour bannerFollow the tour at http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/2016/04/blog-tour-sign-up-blood-orchid-night.html

 

Blood Orchid (Night Flower #2)
by Claire Warner

Genre: Historical Fiction/Paranormal/Romance
Release Date: June 2016

Blood Orchid

Summary from Goodreads:

Tied to Justin with bonds stronger than blood, Melissa De Vire heads into her new life with fear and anger. Anger at Emily, at Katherine and most of all, anger at Justin, fuels her resolve to find a cure for the curse. From the English court in 1752 to the fires of the French Revolution, Melissa struggles to survive her new existence and find forgiveness for Justin as clues to a cure begin to surface.

Add to Goodreads

Excerpt from Blood Orchid:

“Move,” Emily’s voice barked out the order and she began to run. Melissa followed as best she could. Her feet skidded on the slick messy cobbles that lined Paris’ streets and she slowed her progress, trying to stay upright.

“What the hell are you stopping for?” The blonde turned to face her, blue eyes angry beneath the large hat and hastily scraped back hair. Dressed in muddy breeches, an oversized shirt and carrying a long bloody dagger at her waist, she was a far cry from the poised, seductive creature she usually portrayed. At Emily’s insistence, Melissa had also ditched the long skirts and corsetry and was trying to keep pace with her lithe companion. “Come on,” Reaching out a hand, she seized hold of Melissa’s wrist and dragged her forward, across the unsteady surface with the grace of a cat. From some distance behind them, they could hear the catcalls and cries of the crowd that milled through the streets. The shouts bounced off ancient stone walls and the echoes produced amplified the sound so that it appeared to surround and envelop them.

“Why are we running?” Melissa choked out as Emily pulled her along an alley. “We won’t die,”

“Because I’d rather not know what decapitation feels like…” Emily’s voice was terse as she released Melissa’s arm and began to clamber over the wall. “You can stay and find out for me if you like,”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Melissa called as she reached up and found the first foothold. Pulling herself up the stone face she pondered how she had ended up with Emily as her companion for this mad dash through Paris.

“Then don’t talk nonsense,” Emily’s hands reached the top of the wall and she levered herself to the top. “And get a move on… I don’t want to get caught because you have the movement rate of a snail,”

Melissa gritted her teeth and pulled herself upward, her limbs stiff and uncoordinated since the loss of her last donor. Cold trickles of sweat rolled over her skin and she grunted with the effort of climbing. Emily reached down a hand and pulled her upwards, until they both straddled the top of the wall. Melissa stopped briefly and stared out across Paris. Fires flickered in the distance as shouts and screams echoed through the air of the ancient city. Emily had no such time for wool gathering as she began to lower herself to street level.

 

Also in the Night Flower series…

The Black Lotus ebook coverCheck out the promo for The Black Lotus (Night Flower #1) here, then head over to GoodReads for more info!

 

claire warnerAbout the Author

When I was a child, I made up games and characters when my sister and I played with dolls. As I grew older, I would make up scenarios and scenes, fully intending to write them down but never finding the time. In my late teens, I discovered the world of role playing and settled into an avid ‘geeky’ life of D&D, comics, sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Years passed and I finally gave voice to the stories in my head. I write romance, fantasy, action and adventure. I love tales of steampunk and history, tales of magical powers and dark curses lurking in the shadows. Though The Black Lotus is not my first attempt at a novel, it is the first I have finished.

And some fun facts about me:

I sew.

My favourite Disney film is Atlantis.

I’ve been a film extra and stood 5 feet away from Sam Rockwell.

Babylon 5 is my fave sci-fi show.

I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

Info to come.

 

YA Bounk Tour ButtonBlog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Tween Reads, Young Adult/New Adult

Sea Change: Memories of Summers Past

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

SEACHANGESea Change, by Frank Viva (May 2016, TOON Books), $18.95, ISBN: 9781935179924

Recommended for ages 10+

Twelve year-old Eliot is dreading summer vacation this year: his parents are shipping him off to his great-uncle’s fishing village in Point Aconi, in a remote area of Nova Scotia. Summer starts off pretty rough: his uncle is cranky, Eliot has to crew his fishing boat, which means he’s up before the sun is, and he’s not the most able-bodied crew member. Plus, there are bullies who can’t wait to get him alone and beat him up, just for being from somewhere different. This is a summer vacation? Slowly but surely, though, Eliot starts seeing Point Aconi through different eyes; he starts to see the place that his mother claims changed her life. Is he going to run back to his home in Lakefield when summer’s over, or will Point Aconi leave a little piece of itself in him?

Sea Change is a gorgeous coming-of-age story. It’s a graphic novel, but in a completely different sense from what pops into most people’s heads when they hear the words “graphic novel”: written in prose with quirky, evocative drawings in shades of blue, black, cream, and hot pink, the words themselves become part of the graphics: a curve, coming out of Eliot’s mouth as he describes being sick; following the trajectory of his uncle’s beard; morphing into a fishing line, where a day’s catch is hanging out to dry. The words and illustrations gel beautifully together to create an entire reading experience that will draw you in and leave you thinking of your own summer vacations. It’s all here: going fishing, swimming at the local swimming hole, a group of kids running barefoot and having fun, and the first blush of a summer romance. Skillfully woven into the story are some more serious topics about families in crisis.

This would make a great first book to introduce at the beginning of the next school year – don’t come at me with torches, I know we’re barely into summer vacation! – when the dreaded “what I did on my summer vacation” essays are assigned, maybe ask your readers to create art with their words and pictures. A picnic blanket, with the meal itself marching around the blanket, describing the treats laid out; words wandering up the edge of a beach umbrella or tossed on the sea, describing a day at the beach.

If you’re a kid, you’ll enjoy reading about another kid’s adventures over a summer break. If you’re an adult, read this book and just bask in the nostalgia of summers gone by. Then go create some new ones with the people in your life.

Frank Viva’s illustrations have appeared in the New York Times and The New Yorker. He’s also authored the TOON Book, A Trip to the Bottom of the World. Sea Change has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Shelf Awareness, and Publishers Weekly has also designated it one of the Best Books for Summer 2016. TOON offers a free, downloadable discussion guide for parents and educators.

 

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Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads

New spooky fun series! Bruce Hale’s Monstertown Mysteries!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

werehyenaMonstertown Mysteries: The Curse of the Were-Hyena, by Bruce Hale, (July 2016, Disney/Hyperion), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-4847-1325-9

Recommended for ages 8-12

It’s another day in Monterrosa, California, and buddies Carlos and Benny are in class with their favorite teacher, Mr. Chu. Who starts acting really weird. He’s laughing and growling, he’s quick to be angry and aggressive with students, and… well, you’ll read about the chicken incident. Carlos and Benny start investigating the situation, enlisting the help of their local comic book dealer and a classmate who elbows her way into the group, they discover that Mr. Chu has been bitten by a were-hyena, and unless they can find the alpha hyena in a couple of days – in time for the full moon – Mr. Chu is doomed to be a were-beast forever!

This is the first book in a new scary-fun series for middle graders by favorite, Bruce Hale, and it’s perfect for Goosebumps fans who are looking for new territory. The kids rule the stories, there’s great characterization, some laughs, and lots of excitement, adventure, and mystery. Adults take a backseat and let the kids get the work done, but they’re supportive and there to help, like Mrs. Tamasese, the former pro wrestler turned comic book shop owner.

There’s also some very nice diversity in the book, with characters of different ethnicities and abilities (including Mrs. Tamasese, who’s wheelchair-bound, but doesn’t let that stop her from going on adventures).

I loved the book, and think this one will work nicely with the kids here, who have read my Goosebumps collection (in both English and Spanish) until they fall apart. I introduced the Eerie Elementary books to my younger readers, and they’ve snapped them up; something tells me that Monstertown Mysteries are going to find a very happy home on my library’s shelves. The ending sets up for a series very nicely. There’s some fun black and white illustrations that will keep readers’ interest, especially once you get to the Big Bad Hyena.

Add this fun series (number two is due out in the Spring) to collections where spooky and fun go hand in hand. If you’ve got kids in your life who love creeptastic excitement, put this on your list.

Bruce Hale is a hugely popular children’s author: the Chet Gecko, the Underwhere, and School for S.P.I.E.S. series are just a few of his hits. You can check out his author website to learn more about his books, author visits, and find some cool downloads and activities.

Posted in Uncategorized

Know Before You Grow: 100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

100 things to know100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up, by Lisa M. Gerry, (March 2016, NatGeo Kids), $9.99, ISBN: 9781426323164

Recommended for ages 8-12

It’s a NatGeo week this week, because their publicists were kind enough to send me a bunch of books to check out for my blog (and, by extension, my library collection). Today, I’m looking at one of the latest in their 100 Things series, 100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up, by Lisa M. Gerry. Think of it as a life skills primer: there are icons coding each of the 100 things, related to attitude (curiosity, responsibility, empowerment), skills (observation, communication, collaboration, problem-solving), and knowledge (our human story, our living planet, critical species, and new frontiers). Together, all of these things help readers become well-rounded, responsible teens and, eventually, adults.

There are fun skills, like making snow ice cream, how to fold origami, and how to create papier mâché; practical skills, like pumping gas, doing laundry, and writing checks, personal growth explorations like being tolerant, resolving conflict peacefully, and apologizing. Whether you see this as a summer challenge for your kids or patrons (complete any five skills for a prize this summer!), a bucket list for your pre-adolescence, or just a good guide to being the best person you can be, there are some great tips in here, combined with beautiful photos and interesting facts.

100 Things to Know Before You Grow Up is a good grad gift for elementary and middle schoolers, and it’s a good add to tween collections.

Posted in Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Play Ball! Welcome to the Show takes us to Boston!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

welcome to the showWelcome to the Show (A Mickey Tussler novel, book 3), by Frank Nappi (Apr. 2016, Sky Pony Press), $9.99, ISBN: 9781634508292

Recommended for ages 13+

In the third book of Frank Nappi’s baseball series, it’s 1950 and Mickey Tussler, a pitching wunderkind with autism, Lester, his friend and fellow ballplayer, up from the Negro Leagues, and coach (and stepdad) Murph are playing for the big leagues now. They’re in Boston, playing for the Boston Braves, and Murph is managing the team, who’s not thrilled with the new leadership or their two newest players. At home, things are rough, too: Molly, Mickey’s mom, is not settling into life in Boston and feels increasingly isolated. She wants to go back to Milwaukee, but Murph, terrified that he’s about to lose everything he’s worked so hard for, begs her to give Boston a chance.

Mickey’s finding himself the darling of the crowds as they see what he can do, but the press is quick to pry and capitalize on his challenges, whether it be pushing too deeply into his personal life or misinterpreting his words. Mickey’s struggling with his memories and forming new relationships, with the game – and his newfound celebrity – presenting new challenges. It’s a game of balance, as Mickey, Murph, and Molly all have to figure out where they stand with regard to one another, the game, and everyone around them.

This is my first Mickey Tussler book, but I found myself able to quickly get myself up to speed, thanks to Frank Nappi’s excellent exposition; he lays out past events clearly enough that you have enough of an idea of what’s going on to dive right in. I’m normally not a sports fiction reader, but Nappi’s descriptions of the games, layered with inner monologue and wordless interplay between players on the field, kept me interested and wanting to see more. I’ve heard stories of pitchers and batters getting into it with one another on the field, with pitches buzzing ears (or more), and there’s plenty of that here. ‘Lots of axes to grind between teams makes for some good baseball, and we even get a bench-clearing brawl at one point. Beyond the baseball, we have a deep story about a family meeting challenges. All of the characters in Welcome to the Show are remarkably fleshed out: Mickey, Lester, Molly, and Murph have had two other novels to develop, but the supporting characters: Jolene and her brother, Mickey’s teammate, Ozmore, for instance, have interesting individual stories that make me want to know more. Mickey’s frustration and confusion radiates from the page, and does Murph’s feelings of frustration and helplessness give him greater depth.

I’d suggest this as more of a new adult book than a young teen book for some language and overall story; while Mickey is 17 in the first book of the series, by now, he’s a young man in his early 20s. Add this to collections where sports fiction is popular, and booktalk it to teens who loved Mike Lupica’s middle grade books and are ready to move up.

The first book in the series, A Mile in His Shoes, was made into a TV movie, starring Dean Cain, in 2011.   You can read an excerpt from Welcome to the Show here and watch the book trailer below:

Posted in Intermediate, Middle Grade, Non-fiction, Non-Fiction

National Geographic talks Angry Birds!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

angrybirds_natgeoNational Geographic: The Angry Birds Movie-Red’s Big Adventure, by Christy Ullrich Barcus (Apr. 2016, National Geographic Children’s Books), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1426216848

Recommended for ages 8-12

The Angry Birds have arrived on the big screen, and NatGeo Kids is there to celebrate with the release of their twelfth and latest Angry Birds title, Red’s Big Adventure. The book, set in the world of the Angry Birds movie, is set up in four levels: Bird Island, Bird Village, The Search for Mighty Eagle, and Beyond the Island, readers are introduced (or, really, familiarized with – they likely know most of these birds already) to the Angry Birds: Red, Matilda, Chuck, Bomb, Terence, Judge Peckinpah and Cyrus, the Mighty Eagle, and that rascally pig, Leonard. Each character gets a spotlight and a bio, and Red’s adventure is a thread that runs through the course of the book.

What we also get are breathtaking pictures and facts on  the animals and plants, the environments and natural wonders of the world’s islands, from Greenland to Galapagos. Learn how a bird’s beak is better than a Swiss Army knife in terms of multi-purpose use: it’s a weapon, a utensil, a mating signal, and a sensory organ. Learn about mountain ranges and how glaciers are formed; learn to create maps or navigate using the stars, like our forefathers did. Find out about some of the biggest animal migrations in history, or discover an island inhabited by pigs (is that were Leonard and his friends came from?)!

I love the NatGeo books. They have the perfect combination of fun and learning, whether it’s their handy, schoolbag-sized fun facts books, like the Angry Birds and the Weird But True books, their sticker books (my living room coffee table currently has all the Dino Sticker Activity book stickers on them, like it’s a mini-Jurassic Park), the First Big Books, or their atlases and almanacs. The photos are incredible, and the information is easily digestible and exciting in its presentation. My kids love them, and the kids at my library go berserk for them. I celebrated the Angry Birds movie release with an Angry Birds Treasure Hunt around the children’s room, where they had to locate different pictures of the birds and pig for a prize. I honestly wasn’t sure how it was going to go over: were younger kids that into Angry Birds anymore? The answer was a resounding YES.  About 30 kids took part in the treasure hunt, ensuring that this book and the 11 other NatGeo Angry Birds books will be in my next ordering cart.

Add to collections where nature books and Angry Birds are popular. You’ll be happy you did!

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Just. One. Book.

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I”m giving this a boost and hoping anyone, everyone, can help this library out. One book at a time; that’s how libraries are built. Please help if you can.

Margaret Elysia Garcia's avatarThrowing Chanclas

Just. One. Book.

I live in a town of 1200 people in the Northern Sierra Nevada –where it meets the Cascade Range near Mt. Lassen National Park and about two hours drive northwest of Reno, NV.  Two hundred of that population is students. Over the years as the population dwindled after mines closed, then mills–nothing except tourism and retirement have emerged as ‘industries.’ Many businesses have closed down and with it many things we take for granted—like libraries.

The local junior/senior high school has not been able to purchase new books since the 90s. Some of the “check outs” for old books are in the 1980s. There are no books by people of color in the library. Hardly any books by women are in the few book cases except your standard Austen and Lee. It’s an uninviting place. There hasn’t been a librarian for nearly a decade. And volunteers weren’t allowed. The…

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