ReaderKidZ Review - Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas

Chinese New Year (Jan. 31, 2014) is just around the corner fellow readers and bloggers. May the Year of the Horse fill you with great wealth, long life, and good luck!

Check out my ReaderKidZ review for Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim, Illustrated by Grace Zong (Charlesbridge, 2014). Click HERE.

Not only will readers uncover a thing or two about the celebrations of Chinese New Year but they'll laugh along at Goldy's unfortunate luck in this spirited retelling of the classic fairy tale "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."

ReaderKidZ Review and Interview with LITTLE RED WRITING Author Joan Holub

Author/Illustrator Joan Holub drops by ReaderKidZ to talk about her latest book Little Red Writing, illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet (Chronicle Books, 2013). Click HERE to read our interview.

Having written and/or illustrated over 130 books for young people, Joan knows a thing or two about telling stories. This retelling of fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood is humorous and filled with lots of plot twists and turns. It's fresh and original and a must-have-addition for your library.

It's Humor month at ReaderKidZ so be sure and check out all the posts highlighting funny and outrageous books especially Make Them Laugh. Help Them Read by Ann Jacobus. It highlights several favorite books in our household too!

ReaderKidZ Interview with Author Melissa Stewart

Melissa Stewart drops by ReaderKidZ to talk about her latest book No Monkeys, No Chocolate, co-authored with Allen Young, illustrated by Nicole Wong (Charlesbridge, 2013). Click HERE to read Part I of our interview.

Having written over 150 books for young people, Melissa knows a thing or two about writing nonfiction! And she shares research tips for young readers, too. Perfect timing as 4th and 5th graders will be starting their science projects next month in central Texas. I also adore her advice on organizing writing ideas. 

Be sure and check back for Part II of our interview which will air later in the week on ReaderKidZ but I'll post the link here, too.

Click HERE for Part II of the interview with Melissa. Enjoy!

ReaderKidZ Review - Ode to Halloween

It's hard to believe fall is knocking on our door again and Halloween is around the corner. Trick or Treat!

We're shopping for pumpkins. Are you?

Kids carving pumpkins in 2012

Brainstorming costume ideas. What will we be this year?

2011's costumes with the family

Baking pumpkin chocolate cupcakes, thanks for inspiring us author Cory Putman Oakes (get recipe HERE)!

And naturally, reading scary and sweet books! Today, I highlight two new books to hit library and bookstore shelves and I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!  Just hop on over to ReaderKidZ and read my review "Ode to Halloween!".

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

ReaderKidZ Review - Prisoner 88

Over at ReaderKidZ it's Historical Fiction month, and I couldn't be happier than to review Leah Pileggi's debut novel Prisoner 88 (Charlesbridge, 2013) for their many readers! To read the review click HERE.

Prisoner 88 is one of those novels that will get under your skin. You'll feel for Jake and his predicament. The ten-year-old is in jail for killing a man. For killing a man who was trying to harm his father. It's a great example of cause and effect. How life can turn on a dime. How one decision can change your life. One minute your life is flowing in one direction, and in another it's overflowing its banks and taking you into uncharted territory. Pileggi peers deep inside her protagonist and peels back the layers for us. Jake's courage, hope, and unfailing resolve to see the good in people, to make the most of his situation, and to carve a new path for his future are nothing short of inspirational. Prisoner 88 is unputdownable and unforgettable.

Make sure you check out Odette's Secrets by Maryann Macdonald (Bloomsbury, 2013) too. It's about a young Jewish girl surviving World War II in France. Click HERE to read an interview with the author.

Check in at ReaderKidZ throughout the month of October for many more great books, resources, reviews, interviews, and activities surrounding the theme of Historical Fiction!

ReaderKidZ Review - The Cart That Carried Martin

Today, I'm really excited because the interview with my buddy Don Tate is live at ReaderKidZ, and he's shared his views and emotions with young readers about illustrating his latest book The Cart That Carried Martin written by Eve Bunting (Charlesbridge, 2013). Click HERE to read the interview.

I'm also participating in Nonfiction Monday. Check out Sally's Bookshelf to read reviews on the latest nonfiction books by kidlit bloggers. Sally is reviewing Best Foot Forward by Ingo Arndt (Holiday House, 2013) and she'll host rounding up many more titles worth checking out before this Monday is through.

The Cart That Carried Martin written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Don Tate (Charlesbridge, 2013). For ages 6-9.

Jacket Flap:

"The cart was old. Nobody wanted it.

There was a faded wooden cart outside Cook's Antiques and Stuff. The store was closed, so two men borrowed it and painted it green. They hitched it to Belle and Ada, the mules chosen to pull it through the streets of Atlanta from the Ebenezer Baptist Church to Morehouse College.

It seemed like an ordinary car pulled by ordinary mules. But it wasn't. The cart carried greatness. It carried the body of Martin Luther King Jr. on the day of his funeral."

Bunting and Tate's collaboration bring us the story about the “humble cart that, not so long ago, carried greatness.” It is a poignant tale that pays tribute to the late reverend and how the American people honored Dr. King. Bunting's words are poetically chosen and rich with emotion and Tate's illustrations create light on a very dark day. Young readers will discover the depth of how Martin Luther King Jr. touched the souls of thousands as they turn the pages in The Cart That Carried Martin and the story behind the borrowed cart.

Texas Book Festival 2013 Children's and Young Adult Lineup Revealed

Today is more than just a hump day. Today, the Texas Book Festival revealed their children's and young adult author and illustrator lineup for the two day event on October 26 & 27, 2013. I've got goose bumps trailing up and down my arm as many local Austin SCBWI and Texas authors and illustrators are confirmed.

The full author list, including all genres, can be found by clicking HERE.

Congrats to some of my friends who are featured this year!

Illustrator Don Tate featuring picture book Hope's Gift written by Kelly Starling Lyons (Putnam Juvenille, 2012).

Author Liz Scanlon featuring picture book Happy Birthday, Bunny! illustrated by Stephanie Graegin (Beach Lane Books, 2013)

New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith featuring her latest YA novel Feral Nights (Candelwick, 2013).

P.J. Hoover featuring her debut YA novel Solstice (Tor Teen, 2013).

Brian Yansky featuring his latest YA novel Homicidal Aliens & Other Disappointments (Candelwick, 2013)

Amy Rose Capetta and her debut YA novel Entangled (Hougton Miflin, 2013).

As of press time, here is the list of children's and young adult authors and illustrators provided by the 2013 Texas Book Festival. 

Children’s – Young Adult

Jon Agee, Little Santa

Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ivan

Mac Barnett and Jon Scieszka, Battle Bunny

John Bemelmans Marciano, Madeline and the Old House in Paris

Sophie Blackall, Ivy & Bean

Monica Brown, Marisol McDonald and the Clash Bash

Clark Burbidge, The Prodigals: Giants in the Land

Amy Rose Capetta, Entangled

Alexandra Coutts, Tumble & Fall

Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin, Click, Clack, Boo!: A Tricky Treat

Caprice Crane, Confessions of a Hater

Matt de la Pena, The Living

Tracy Deebs, Doomed

Kristina Ellis, Confessions of a Scholarship Winner: The Secrets That Helped Me Win $500,000 in Free Money for College-How You Can Too!

Brian Floca, Locomotive

Gayle Forman, Just One Year

Kami Garcia, Unbreakable

Xavier Garza, Maximillian and the Bingo Rematch

Adam Gidwitz, The Grimm Conclusion

Marcia Goldman, Lola Goes to Work: A Nine-to-Five Therapy Dog

Karen Harrington, Sure Signs of Crazy

Edward Hemingway, Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship  

P.J. Hoover, Solstice

Kate Hosford, Infinity and Me

Gordon Korman, The Hypnotist: Book 1

Jessica Khoury, Origin

Claire Legrand, The Year of Shadows

Cynthia Leitich Smith, Feral Nights

Diana Lopez, Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel

Bennett Madison, September Girls

Yuyi Morales, Niño Wrestles the World

Herman Parish, Amelia Bedelia Chapter Book #1: Amelia Bedelia Means Business

Joanna Philbin, Rules of Summer

Aprilynne Pike, Earthbound

James Preller, Scary Tales: Good Night Zombie

Chris Raschka, Daisy Gets Lost

Adam Rex, Moonday

Adam Rubin, Secret Pizza Party

Sergio Ruzzier, Bear and Bee

Leila Sales, This Song Will Save Your Life

Liz Scanlon, Happy Birthday, Bunny!

Bob Shea, Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great

Steve Sheinkin, The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery

Neal Shusterman, UnSouled

Lemony Snicket, “When Did You See her Last?” (All the Wrong Questions)

Bob Staake, Bluebird

R.L. Stine, A Midsummer Night’s Scream

Elizabeth Suneby, Razia’s Ray of Hope: One Girl’s Dream of an Education

James Swanson, The President Has Been Shot: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

Don Tate (illustrator), Hope’s Gift

Heather Terrell, Relic: The Books of Eva

Duncan Tonatiuh, Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale

Jude Watson, The 39 Clues: Unstoppable: Nowhere to Run

Brian Yansky, Homicidal Aliens & Other Disappointments

Gabrielle Zevin, Birthright: In the Age of Love and Chocolate

What a lineup for Texas families to enjoy with their children. Way to go, 2013 Texas Book Festival!