Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Uncategorized

Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles is Back with The Woe of Jade Doe!

Last year, I raved a new middle grade series, Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles, about two sisters living with their very unconventional grandmother and forming a roller derby team. This book was too much fun, and I immediately began asking the authors, via Twitter, for more. Well, the time has come –  I present to you, a Sourcebooks Jabberwocky spotlight on Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: The Woe of Jade Doe. Review to come!

Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: Woe of Jade Doe

By Meghan Dougherty

Illustrated by Alece Birnbach

August 4, 2015; ISBN 9781492601470

jade doeBook Information:

Title: Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: Woe of Jade Doe

Author: Meghan Dougherty

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Publisher Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

 

Summary:

When times get tough, just keep skating…

 Ever since Dorothy joined the Slugs & Hisses Derby team, her life has been one adventure after another. Dorothy’s onetime enemy Alex is now a friend, while her friend Jade keeps missing practices. Then the skating rink shuts down, and Dorothy’s life becomes as jumbled as a derby jam. And that’s not to mention the bizarre things happening to anyone who enters the rink (maybe it’s haunted?)… 

Can Dorothy restore order to the new life she’s finally settling into, or will her world become a crazy mess she can’t skate away from?

 Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25782850-dorothy-s-derby-chronicles-woe-of-jade-doe

Buy Links:

Amazon- http://ow.ly/OHPtn

Barnes & Noble- http://ow.ly/OHPz9

Books A Million- http://ow.ly/OHPPE

iBooks- http://ow.ly/OHQnp

!ndigo- http://ow.ly/OHQvD

Indiebound- http://ow.ly/OHQJN

 

About the Author and Illustrator:

Meghan Dougherty is a full-time PR consultant. In 2007 she joined the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls roller derby league. She lives in Colorado.

Alece Birnbach owned her own advertising agency before creating designs that appear on more than 100 products. She lives in Colorado.

Social Networking Links:

Website: http://www.dorothysderby.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dorothysderby

Instagram: https://instagram.com/dorothysderby/

 

Excerpt from Dorothy’s Derby Chronicles: Woe of Jade Doe

“You okay, Dorth?” Max asked, squeezing Dorothy’s hand.

Dorothy stared into Max’s chocolate-­brown eyes. Words weren’t coming. From the tip-­top of her curly red hair down to her hand-­me-­down roller skates, Dorothy was buzzing with delight. She wasn’t even twelve yet, and she had just been kissed! She had thought the night couldn’t get any better after coaching her team, the Slugs ’n’ Hisses, to a win at the Halloween championship bout. But here she was, hand in hand with the boy of her dreams.

Floating on a cloud of bliss, Dorothy was barely aware of the roller rink under her feet or her nearby team chanting, “I’m a roller derby girl. Derby, derby, roller, yeah!”

And there was another sound too, like a squeal—­but not a happy squeal. More like a metallic screech, actually. And it was growing louder. Dorothy’s gaze shot upward and her bliss vanished, replaced instead with heart-­pounding terror.

Suddenly, everything and everyone in the dimly lit, outdated Galactic Skate was moving in slow motion. The dusty ceiling fans ticked as slowly as the second hand on a clock. The people in the stands lumbered toward the door like molasses on the faded, star-­patterned carpet.

“Get off the floor!” Dorothy screamed. “Now!

Her team stopped chanting and turned to look at her with puzzled faces.

“Frappit,” Dorothy said, dropping Max’s hand. She rocketed toward her team, her arms waving frantically above her head. “Move it!” A second later, time was in hyperdrive.

You heard your coach!” Grandma Sally yelled. Her tight, fishnet stockings made Grandma’s thighs look like a pair of misshapen waffles. Unaware that her sexy nun costume was riding up dangerously high, she hooked Jade by the arm and pulled her toward the bleachers.

“Ouch, Grandma! Easy,” Jade complained, hopping on one foot. “My ankle, remember?”

The next few seconds were a blur of confusion with the clack and swoosh of skate wheels, the cries of “Run!” from the few remaining fans standing in the bleachers, and above it all, a metallic banshee shriek growing louder each second.

In the chaos, Dorothy realized she had lost track of Sam. Cold fingers of panic wrapped around Dorothy’s throat and squeezed. Her nine-­year-­old sister had been there just a minute ago, chanting and celebrating with her team. Where was she now? In the frenzy, Dorothy slowed way down, carefully scanning the people running past the rundown refreshment area and blackened popcorn machine and the restrooms with the groovy guy-­and-­gal signage. No Sam.

Then it happened. With a bang like a gun going off, the chain that held the giant disco ball to the ceiling snapped. Dorothy turned and watched helplessly as the ball fell. Time slowed again. It was like a horror movie version of the Times Square countdown on New Year’s Eve—­a glittering ball of death was plummeting toward the floor, and there wasn’t a single thing Dorothy or anyone could do to stop it.

Sam!” she cried desperately, but all she heard in return were the screams of her terrified teammates and shattering glass.

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Posted in Fiction, Uncategorized

Conspiracy Girl- a new heroine on the scene?

conspiracy girlConspiracy Girl, by Karen Chacek/Illus. by Abraham Balcazar (Sept 2015, Cinco Puntos Press), $14.95, ISBN: 9781935955986

Recommended for ages 8-13

It all starts when Nina’s born. She’s a girl, which sets off riots, because everyone expected a boy. Then, these mangy, shifty looking birds follow her home from the hospital. All Nina needs is her dad’s laughter, though, to see through grown-ups’ crazy behavior, and a box of cereal and her imagination to fend off the birds. It seems that the birds are out to get Nina, and she’s going to save the world by seeing them for what they really are.

While I enjoyed the art for Conspiracy Girl, the story took several readings to click for me. I’m concerned it will go over many younger readers’ heads, and that older readers – think fans of Emily the Strange -may have a hard time connecting with Nina and her story. That said, it does make for an interesting read, and can spark some interesting discussions about Nina, her father, and how exactly she’s going to save the world.

Conspiracy Girl was originally published in Spanish in 2009.

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Roller Girl brings roller derby to tweens! A WhatchaReading review!

I love a good roller derby story, and I love a good graphic novel. I got to enjoy both when I picked up Victoria Jamieson’s Roller Girl. I’d read the advance reviews on this one, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. In fact, I ordered it for my library, and was the first person to borrow it. Since then, I’ve pressed it into the hands of two girls at my library, and my niece has her own copy after I raved about it for an entire lunch date.

RollerGirlCVR

Check out what I had to say about Roller Girl over at WhatchaReading!

 

Posted in Teen, Uncategorized, Young Adult/New Adult

Book Blitz: Persuasion, by Janette Fuller (Ambrosial Acres #1)!

Persuasion
(Ambrosial Acres #1)
Release
Date: 04/29/15
Splice
Publishing
160
pages
Summary from Goodreads:
Agent Yagil is a seasoned Guardian
Angel, but his newest assignment is going to take every bit of strength and commitment he has.
Seventeen-year old Amber Reynolds is looking for freedom and independence from her rigid lifestyle. Going behind her parents’ back, she takes a part-time job at the renowned Inn located within Ambrosial Acres.As Agent Yagil watches over Amber, he discovers that despite its mysterious
beauty, Ambrosial Acres hides a dark and supernatural secret.Between Amber’s new coworker crushes, her menacing stalker, a mysterious online
stranger, and the evil Agents out to lead her down a path of self destruction, Agent Yagil faces the fight of his career.

Life is all about choices. Can he help Amber make the right ones, before it’s
too late?

Check out an excerpt from Persuasion!

Hallelujah! After five classes, second period lunch, and several bathroom breaks, the last bell of the day finally buzzes. I follow her out of the school and through the student parking lot, waiting for her to hop inside the Jeep. Once she cranks it up, I leap into the air and glide overhead as we leave the school grounds.

She speeds down the Parkway and slams on the brakes, whipping the Jeep onto Coppice Lane. But I, on the other hand, continue to go straight, heading for a group of laurels. Oomph! Ow. That. Really. Hurt. I peel my face off the tree and spit out a few leaves.

I better get a promotion for this.

Holding onto a tree limb, I bend my knees and spring forward, following her down the dirt road for about a mile. The Jeep begins to slow down and then finally comes to a halt—right in front of wrought iron gates. My eyes wander upward, gaping at the cherubim statutes, crisscrossing their gleaming swords on top of one another. They tower over a metal sign that says WELCOME TO AMBROSIAL ACRES.

The gates swing inward and Amber drives through. A tall man with a brawny physique walks out in the middle of the road. His long, jet-black hair blows behind him as he throws a hand up, signaling Amber to stop.

“Welcome. I’m Micah…the groundskeeper.” He studies her for a brief moment, and then continues, “In order to get to the Inn, continue to drive down this road until you reach the four-way intersection. Then follow the sign pointing to the south. Once you see a wooded parking lot, you’ll know you’ve arrived. Park anywhere you’d like, and may your visit go well.”

“Thanks,” Amber says timidly.

Buy
Links:

 

About the Author
Jannette Fuller is the author of Persuasion (Book
One in the Ambrosial Acres Series).  She lives in the beautiful and majestic mountains of Boone, North Carolina with her husband and children. And even though she loves coming up with fantastical ideas for her stories, and bringing them to life, she fancies other things as well: exercising, going on nature walks, watching Netflix, recording on
Singsnap, drinking coffee, and she enjoys foot massages too, but that only happens when her husband’s in the mood to give her one.

 

 

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Author Links:
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Posted in Science Fiction, Teen, Uncategorized, Young Adult/New Adult

Edge of Forever – a murder mystery travels through time

edge of foreverThe Edge of Forever, by Melissa Hurst (2015, Sky Horse) $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-63220-424-0

Recommended for ages 12+

In 2146, a group of teens takes a school trip back in time to observe a crucial point in history. Bridger, a 17 year-old boy in the class, sees his father in the crowd – but his father’s dead. Before Bridger loses track of his dad, he receives a cryptic message to prevent a murder in another time.

In 2013, 16 year-old Alora lives with her Aunt Grace and has so many questions about the family who abandoned her to Grace’s care 11 years earlier. Alora knows her aunt knows more than she’s letting on, and Alora is determined to find out what’s going on – but she’s also desperate to find out why she blacks out and wakes up in a different place.

Bridger time shifts to 2013 to carry out his father’s mission, but his determination to stay uninvolved in events that could change the timestream is challenged when he meets Alora – who happens to be the object of his mission.

Edge of Forever is a good sci-fi story, with interesting and conflicted characters and a strong plot and subplot. There are conspiracies and plot twists throughout the story to keep readers on their toes, and you will cringe every time you realize that Bridger is about to corrupt the time stream (the Trekkie in me yelled, “Don’t violate the Prime Directive!” at least three times).

There are moments that readers may need to go back and re-read – there are a lot of threads to keep sorted here – but when is that a bad thing? I’m interested in whether or not we’re getting a sequel, because I need to know more about some of the characters that were introduced. Everyone here has the potential for deep storytelling, making this book a hot choice for summer reading and book club chats.

The Edge of Forever is Melissa Hurst’s first book. You can check out her author site to follow her on social media, read her blog, and check out some interviews and guest posts from the Edge of Forever blog tour.

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Mysteries of Cove, Book 1: Fires of Invention – a new sci-fi/steampunk adventure for middle graders!

coveMysteries of Cove, Book 1: Fires of Invention, by J. Scott Savage (Sept. 2015, Shadow Mountain Publishing), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1629720920

Recommended for ages 10-14

Steampunk meets dragons in this new sci-fi series from author J. Scott Savage! Trenton is a young teen living in the city of Cove – a city created over a century before by a civilization fleeing environmental destruction. He’s got a knack for anything mechanical, but in the city of Cove, technology, creativity, and inventing are against the law. In fact, to call someone an inventor is akin to being cursed with the worst of slurs. Kallista Babbage is also a teen living in Cove. The daughter of a notorious inventor, Leo Babbage, who died in an explosion caused by his own creativity, has been scapegoated by Cove leadership as proof of the dangers of technology and forward thinking.

Trenton discovers strange pieces of tools hidden in Cove, which leads him to Kallista. Could these tools be part of a secret message to Kallista from her father? Working together, Trenton and Kallista follow the clues Babbage left behind; on the way, they uncover all of Cove’s secrets. But will the leaders of Cove allow them to share what they’ve learned, or imprison them for retraining?

The Cove series reminds me very much of the City of Ember series in that it involves a teen boy and girl, living in a hidden city because of an environmental cataclysm, and discovering the truth about the city’s history. The sci-fi twist that we get in the last third of the book is a pleasant surprise and will perk readers up as they head into the first book’s conclusion. There’s a lot of storytelling here, with in-depth character development, and plenty of action and adventure.

I’d include this book in a maker collection to spur imaginations and – GASP – creativity!

J. Scott Savage is the author of the hugely popular Case File 13 series. You can follow him on Twitter @jscottsavage, or visit his author site to check out his blog and learn more about author visits.

Salt Lake City readers, want a shot at being in the book trailer? Details are on the Shadow Mountain Facebook page! They’ll be shooting the Fires of Invention trailer on Thursday, July 2nd, in Salt Lake City, and you and a friend can enter to win spots as extras! Like and Share the Shadow Mountain Facebook post, and check out the rules. Open only to US residents. Not affiliated with Facebook or MomReadIt. The trailer will be shown at SLC Comic Con and will be a lot of fun to make!

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

Hi-Lo Historical Fiction from Lorimer: Mystery in the Frozen Lands

cover62877-medium Mystery in the Frozen Lands, by Martyn Godfrey (2015, Lorimer) $12.95, ISBN: 9781459408425

Recommended for ages 12-16

It’s 1857, and teenager Peter Griffin joins a sea mission to solve a world-famous mystery: what happened to his uncle, Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin. Franklin and his crew of 128 men had sailed from England twelve years earlier in search of the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Mysteriously, the entire Franklin expedition disappeared without a trace. Subsequent expeditions have yet to recover any of the ship’s crew or discover what happened; Peter signs on to be ship’s boy for the latest expedition, hoping to solve the mystery. Mystery in the Frozen Lands is Peter’s fictional journal.

Based on true events and real people, Peter’s fictional first-person account brings this Arctic adventure to new life. His journal details the long, dark days cooped up on the ship, the ever-present dangers lurking in the forbidding, icy landscape, and the sadness that he and his shipmates experience as they come closer to realizing the Franklin and his crew’s ultimate end. The book includes an introductory background on the 2014 discovery of the wreck of Franklin’s HMS Erebus, a timeline of events, and additional resources for readers.

Lorimer’s Hi-Lo Readers are excellent for readers who are ready for deeper material. The books are over 100 pages, but the storytelling is accomplished with direct sentences that maintain a vivid level of description and information. Give this one to your historical fiction fans and watch them tear through it, then show them this Daily Mail article, which identifies through facial reconstruction, a member of the Erebus crew.

Canadian author Martyn Godfrey died in 2000, but lives on through the annual Martyn Godfrey Young Writer’s Award presented by the Young Alberta Book Society, through the Albert Weekly Newspapers Association.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

A Shot in the Dark – Sports Hi-Lo Reading from Lorimer

shot in the darkA Shot in the Dark, by Janet M. Whyte (2015, Lorimer) $9.95CAD, ISBN: 9781459408500

Recommended for ages 12-16

Micah is a legally blind 8th grader. He’s excited to have made the junior goalball team, but he’s got some stuff going on that is stressing him out. For starters, his utevitis is flaring up again – it’s the degenerative eye condition that’s taking his sight, and hurts like crazy. His parents want to get him a guide dog, which rankles him because he feels like it’s a decision they’re making for him, and he doesn’t want to feel dependent on the dog. Finally, a new player joins the goalball team, and he’s good. Really good. Micah’s frustration shows on the goalball court, and almost costs him his spot on the team, and some friendships. Luckily, he’s got a lot of support in his corner, from his parents to the specialist, Cam, who’s helping him work out walking with a cane and talking out his feelings.

This is another Hi-Lo book from Lorimer, and it’s a great choice middle schoolers and high schoolers. We’ve got a lead character who works with his disability, and he’s a jock on top of it! Ms. Whyte takes the time to explain and narrate goalball the way Mike Lupica writes about sports, so readers will discover a new sport and learn that disabilities are obstacles that can be overcome. We get insight into navigating school and life for a kid with a disability, and it’s presented realistically, as empowering as it is frustrating for Micah. Sports gives most kids confidence, and we see that here, illustrated with Micah’s love for goalball.

This is a great summer reading choice that works nicely with the #WeNeedDiverseBooks intiative. As with other Lorimer Hi-Lo selections, it’s age appropriate and offers a deeper read, ready for reluctant and struggling readers who have worked on their skills and are ready for the next step.

 

Posted in Non-Fiction, Uncategorized

The Alphabet of Bugs is perfect for young nature buffs!

alphabet of bugsThe Alphabet of Bugs: An ABC Book, by Valerie Gates/Photography by Ann Cutting (June 2015, Sky Pony Press), $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-63220-407-3

Recommended for ages 3+

Ready to go beyond ladybugs and butterflies? Then this is the book for you. Award-winning photographer Ann Cutting presents 26 different bugs in beautiful detail, with alphabetical alliteration by Emmy Award-winning art director Valerie Gates. From the Ailanthus Webworm Moth to the Zebra Longwing Butterfly, there are beautiful, detailed pictures with fun sentences that will kids will love to look at and giggle over again and again.

I’ve already ordered copies of this book for my libraries. The photos are amazing – so crisp and clear, with unbelievable detail. Each page has something exciting to see – a colorful page with a huge letter of the alphabet and a fun, alliterative sentence on the left side, and a full-page photo of an insect, against a colorful background to set off the picture, on the right. And what kids aren’t interested in bugs? The sentences make learning fun, and the book introduces kids to a world of insects they likely haven’t heard of before, expanding their world. There’s also a “Did You Know?” glossary with additional facts at the end of the book.

The Alphabet of Bugs hits stores on June 2. Visit Valerie Gates’ website to purchase a companion poster!

 

Posted in Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle School, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Are you a Book Scavenger? Read, Play, and Find Out!

bookscavengerBook Scavenger, by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (June 2015, Henry Holt), $16.99, ISBN: 9781627791151

Twelve year-old Emily is on the move again. Her unconventional parents are on a quest to live in all 50 states, so she and her brother don’t get a chance to put roots down anywhere. This move takes them to San Francisco, where Emily’s idol-Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the game Book Scavenger-lives. Shortly after arriving, she and her new friend James discover a strangely new copy of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story, The Gold Bug; they learn that Griswold has been viciously attacked and is in the hospital, and people start showing an unusual interest in her copy of The Gold Bug. Could there be a connection?

This is a new spin on the middle grade mystery, with a real-life tie in that’s interesting and brings kids into the world of The Book Scavenger. Influenced by the online site Book Crossing, where you leave books for people and record where you’ve left and discovered books, Book Scavenger creates a game where you can attain levels of detective-dom by finding books and hiding books using clues to lead your fellow players to them. Chambliss and publisher Henry Holt have brought Book Scavenger to life, hiding advance review copies of Book Scavenger all over the country and inviting readers to locate them – go to http://bookscavenger.com/ to get on board and join the fun!

There is some great discussion on cryptography and hidden codes used in the book – James and Emily are fans that bring the practice into their school after being caught passing notes – and the book becomes a true whodunit, with readers trying to figure out who could have been behind the attack on Garrison Griswold, and more importantly, what is the secret of The Gold Bug? The characters are likable, even if Emily does become frustrating in her single-mindedness over solving the mystery at points, and Book Scavenger makes for exciting summer reading.

Check out Jennifer Chambliss Bertman’s author page for updates on what she’s working on.