The Day My Sons Met Jeff Kinney

This past weekend my sons were able to meet the author of the books they have both read over and over and over and over and over.  

I'm talking about The Diary of  a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney.  

Honestly I think they've read each book like 10 times!

Well Jeff Kinney came to a bookstore near us, and we were lucky enough to get a ticket.  They were only allowing 300 people in because he was only there for an hour.  You had to get "tickets".  When I got the email I signed up right away which was good because they were gone fast! 

Saturday morning we got up and headed out.  

My youngest wasn't so sure I knew what I was doing when there was a road closure and I had to ignore GPS and wind around, but we found the place!

Here they are waiting in line.

Now for the signing.  

He liked my son's shirt and was surprised that his book was already signed.  I had given him a signed copy I found for Christmas.  He wanted Jeff to sign it in person too!

Picture of all three

My 8 yr old didn't quite know what to do for the picture

It was a whirlwind because he was on a time frame, but he was very nice and chatted with them as he signed.  

Thanks Wild Rumpus for hosting this event!

I Met Sarah Dessen!!!!!!

A few weeks back I received an email inviting me to a pizza dinner with Sarah Dessen in celebration of her new book Saint Anything! 

I couldn't believe it! Sara Dessen!

The media specialist I work with came along, and we got to sit around a table and chat with her.  It was amazing. 

She did talk a bit to the whole group about where the book came from and how it was a story she had wanted to write for a long time, but she could just never get it down right.  Finally the way to tell the story came to her and Saint Anything was written!

Here are pictures.

We had pizza because of the role it has in the book.  

Plus on the table were suckers - also part of the book :)

She signed our books

With her

My good friend with her

It was an amazing evening!!

Patrick Carman School Visit +GIVEAWAY

A few weeks back Patrick Carman visited our school. 

I'm very good friends with our media specialist, and she asked if I would help out by getting Patrick where he needed to be throughout the day.  I was able to rearrange my schedule and help out most of the day! It was so fun.  

We chatted about writing, reading, traveling and what it's like doing school visits.  

If you haven meet Patrick Carman I suggest you do if given the chance.  He's laid back, nice, funny AND writes great books!

Some pictures of the day. These are from when he visited the public library that evening.  I was too busy working to take pics during the day! 

 Great turn out to see him!

Patrick and Me

Patrick and our Media Specialist Sandi

I've highlighted a few times on the blog

The Ghost in the Machine

About Him and Skeleton Creek

Floors

I also had him sign several books for me including two for a giveaway!

Dark Eden

Pulse

To enter
Must be at least 13
Must have a US address

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Signings

I've been to a few author events lately, so I thought I'd share some quick pictures.  

The first was for the author Nancy Farmer.  

I loved her book The House of the Scorpion, so I was really excited to see her.  She talked about her life and how different people helped her become a storyteller.  

Fascinating stories!

Nancy Farmer 

My friend and I.  Sorry for the blurry picture.  Someone took it for us!

Then I went to a middle grade author panel at Addendum Books (love them!)

I got to see:

William Alexander author of Goblin Secrets

Kelly Barnhill author of The Mostly True Story of Jack

Brian Farrey author of The Vengekeep Prophecies series

Jacqueline West author of The Books of Elsewhere series

Skype Visit with Holly Schindler and Review of The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky

Awhile back Holly Schindler put out an email looking for help promoting her new middle grade book The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky.  I jumped at the chance because the book sounded awesome and I'm always looking for new books for my middle schoolers.  Well then Holly took it one step further - she offered to Skype with my students! So after getting the book and getting into reading it aloud to my 5th graders, we set up a date to Skype.



It was fantastic! I had my students come up with questions ahead of time, and they had some great ones.

 Lots and lots of questions about the names in the book.  The main character and her grandfather share the same name! And wonderful questions about the rich language - we've talked a lot about the figurative language in the book.  Plus they wanted to know about the art that Auggie create with her grandfather - how did Holly come up with those ideas AND the whole process of writing a book.  Holly was so gracious and answered each question so fully that my students really got an understanding of the novel and writing.  It was a great experience, and I'm so glad my students were given the opportunity!


Now about the book The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky

August “Auggie” Jones lives with her Grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town. So when her wealthy classmate’s father starts the House Beautification Committee, it’s homes like Auggie’s that are deemed “in violation.” Auggie is determined to prove that she is not as run-down as the outside of her house might suggest. Using the kind of items Gus usually hauls to the scrap heap, a broken toaster becomes a flower; church windows turn into a rainbow walkway; and an old car gets new life as spinning whirligigs. What starts out as a home renovation project becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew they had—and redefine a whole town’s perception of beauty, one recycled sculpture at a time. Auggie’s talent for creating found art will remind readers that one girl’s trash really is another girl’s treasure.

I just did a guest post on the "magic" of middle grade books - how they can touch the lives of middle grade readers.  This is one of those middle grade books.  It is wonderful. Auggie is such a great girl.  I loved her! She was sweet and smart and easily frustrated (like me!) and so determined to do what needs to be done to help her neighborhood.  I could only wish to have her level of determination! As an adult, I see the uphill battle that Auggie is going to have to wage against this committee.  It's a battle that many adult would debate whether to fight at all.  Not Auggie - she digs her teeth into solving it and refuses to give up! It's the kind of tenacity that we adult envy in kids.  

But the story is more than Auggie's fight with the beautification committee.  It's also the story of her relationship with her grandfather and her absent mother.  I found that part of the story very real and very touching.  It added a level of depth that took the book from a good middle school book to a GREAT middle school book.

If you're looking for a story with heart, hope and love - then check this one out! 

Heather Brewer Book Signing +GIVEAWAY

Just this past Thursday I was extremely lucky to attend a book signing by Heather Brewer. I have loved the Vladimir Tod books forever, so having the chance to meet her was amazing! She was promoting her new book series - a spin off from the Vlad books title The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill. It follows the story of Joss a character out of the Vlad series. I'm super excited to hear more about Joss's life. What's really neat is that Heather said that Joss's books take place during the summer between the Vlad books (the Vlad books follow the school year).

That's pretty cool! But the coolest part of the signing was just listening to Heather talk. She was amazing. She really shared a lot about her life from the fact she was bullied all the way through school - everything from being kicked, punched, hit, pinched and spit on - to what it took to finally get published. It was very inspiring to hear all that she went through and see where she is now. I've been to a lot of author signings, but her's was the best I've been too just because of the message she gave. If you ever get a chance to see her I say go!

Sidenote: one of my former students came to the signing too, and it was so fun to see how excited she was to meet Heather.  And then to watch Heather chat with her was fantastic!  I know it was a great experience for her!

Here's a few pics 

Heather just talking to us 

Signing books

Me with her (and I have no clue what I was doing to look so goofy in this pic!) 

Now for a giveaway!!! I bought a copy of The Slayer Chronicles - First Kill and had Heather sign it. It's up for grabs!! 

To enter: 

Must be a US resident (sorry international followers!) 

Must be at least 13 

No PO Boxes

Fill out THIS FORM! 

Ends in one week Oct 2nd midnight

The Return of IMM + Andrea Cremer Signing and GIVEAWAY!

Not a ton of people voted in my poll about whether you want to see IMM posts from me, but those that did clearly indicated that they would.  The people talk, and I listen.  I will return to doing an IMM post.  I may not do one each week (maybe bi-weekly), but I will jump back into them.

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren each week.

Here is a pic of what I got this week!

For Review

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (there will also be a giveaway so stay tuned!)

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

When my daughter saw this one she thought for sure it was part of the Wake/Fade/Gone series

The Fox Inheritance (audio book) by Mary E. Pearson

From Paperback Swap

Tempted by P.C. Cast and Kirstin Cast

Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

From NetGalley

Eve by Anna Carey

Variant by Robinson Wells

LAUNCH PARTY

Lastly! I was lucky enough to go to the launch party for Andrea Cremer and Wolfsbane. 

 It was super cool, and she was very nice and down to earth.  Below are a few pics.  

She read a small part of Wolfsbane and signed books.

For one lucky reader I have a SIGNED copy of Nightshade to give out!

TO ENTER:

Must be US resident

I'm going old fashioned! MUST LEAVE A CONTACT METHOD (EMAIL or TWITTER NAME)

AND MUST welcome me back to the world of IMM (silly one I know!)

Ends in one week, so Saturday Aug 13.

Author Visit Jonathan Friesen +GIVEAWAY!

A few weeks ago my school had the privilege of having Jonathan Friesen visit our school and speak to our students.  To put it simply - he was amazing! When I had an 8th grade boy tell me "He was awesome. He was really good.  He made me want to read his books. I won't but he made me want to." Now you have to understand that the student who said that is one of my biggest non-readers!

If you don't know Jonathan Friesen has Tourette Syndrome.  He spoke about his life with tourettes from the time he was young, through a really dark time for him through now.  The way he spoke pulled the kids and held them there.  I've never seen them so quiet and listen so intently.  He emphasized over and over that people want the answer to two questions and it's those two questions he explores in his books.  They are:

Do you see me?

Do you like what you see?

How people hear the answer to these questions affects every part of their lives.  He encouraged them all to see the people around them and help them hear a strong yes to those two questions.  A girl in his school answered yes to both of those questions for him and it changed his life - by just "seeing" him and saying who he was was good.  Every day now I hear those two sentences and I try to make sure that the people around me hear a yes to both.  It was something that I, as a teacher, needed to remember.

After his talk I was able to chat with him a bit and get some books signed.  I'm so glad our wonderful Media Specialist brought him in.  He truly affected the way I see the people around me.

Here are Jonathan's books (stay tuned below for a giveaway)

Jerk, California

This Schneider Family Book Award winner changed the face of Tourette's Syndrome for modern teens. Wrought with tension, romance, and hope, Jerk, California tells the story of Sam, who sets out on a cross-country quest to learn the truth about his family and his inherited Tourette's Syndrome, along the way finding both love and acceptance.

Rush

Jake King is a full-fledged adrenaline junkie. He'll jump off of a waterfall, ride his bike down the side of a mountain, rock climb without harnesses…anything to feel the rush. Besides his best friend and secret love of his life, the beautiful Salome Lee, getting his adrenaline pumping is the only thing that clears his head. So when he's offered a spot on a hotshot crew of firefighters who rappel into wildfires, it's the perfect opportunity. Never mind that the crew members call themselves the Immortals, and that they have a habit of dying young. Salome knows there's more to the crew's mortality rate than bad luck, and to save Jake, she puts their friendship—and their unspoken romance—on the line. But to Jake, firefighting is like breathing pure adrenaline. And if he doesn't stop soon, they could all get burned. . . .

The Last Martin

There's always a Martin. One Martin. Martin Boyle already has plenty to worry about. His germaphobic mother keeps him home from school if she hears so much as a sneeze, and his father is always off somewhere reenacting old war battles. Julia, the most beautiful girl in school, won't even speak to Martin, and the gym teacher is officially out to get him. Which is why Martin really doesn't need this curse hanging over his head. On a trip to the family cemetery, Martin wanders among the tombstones of his ancestors and discovers a disturbing pattern: when one Martin is born, the previous Martin dies. And---just his luck---Martin's aunt is about to give birth to a baby boy, who will, according to tradition, be named Martin. Martin must find a way to break the curse, but every clue seems to lead to a dead end. And time is running out.

Giveaway

I've got one SIGNED copy of Jerk California

Must be 13

Must be US resident

Fill out THIS FORM

Ends March 25

Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go and SIGNED copy Giveaway!

Title: The Knife of Never Letting Go
Author: Patrick Ness

From Goodreads
Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

My Review
I had heard about this book a long, long time again.  It was one of the first books that I found through blogging, but for some reason I never got around to reading it until just lately. I went into the book with high expectations after everything I had heard about the series.  That isn't always the best way to go into a book.  At first I wasn't sure what I thought.  I was confused about what was happening - the "noise" of hearing everything that was thought was part of it.  When Todd lets the thought rush over him, I felt lost in the story, but I think that also helped me feel how it might be like to hear this mass of thoughts all the time.  I was also lost because the history of Todd's village wasn't completely explained, things were said as if I should just know what it was about - what the history was.  BUT I really do thing some of this was done to mirror what Todd was feeling.  At the start of the book, everything Todd thought he knew was completely thrown out and he was left confused, uncertain and questioning - exactly how I felt!  Thankfully about the time I felt like giving up because answers weren't coming - the came! And like Todd  began to make sense of everything. In the end I really did enjoy this book, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

 I to talk about the amount of running in this book.  Todd and the girl run and run and run and run! I really started to feel tired after reading it.  You can feel the exhaustion they must have felt.  When I meet Patrick Ness I commented on this.  He is a runner and that may be how that constant running got into the book.  Now mixed within this constant running, there is fear because Todd doesn't know what to do, who do believe and why he is being chased.  This tension builds along with all the running - building and building until it all comes to a head at the end.  Thankfully I had been warned that the ending was dramatic and I'd want the next book right away.  That was no a lie! Wow cliffhanger! I was literally left crying out "NO!!!".

Final Thought: If you're confused at the beginning, give it time, things will become clearer as you're pulled deeper and deeper in the the story.
Best stick-with-you image: The running and running and running!
Best for readers who are: Ok with a certain amount of confusion and unknown
Best for age: 12+

I had the great opportunity to meeting Patrick Ness a few weeks back.  He was awesome and once again we got to just chat.  I love that! 

I picked up an extra copy of The Knife of Never Letting Go and had him sign it. 

This signed copy is up for grabs! 

To Enter:

 Just leave a comment with your email. 

Ends Friday October 29

Must be a US resident

No P.O. Box addresses

Pics from the signing

I Got to See Suzanne Collins!

On Saturday I was lucky enough to see two authors - Patrict Ness and Suzanne Collins.  I'll be posting about Patrick Ness later this week along with a giveaway! But for now it's all about Suzanne.

The signing started at 2, but we got there at 1, and I'm glad we did.  The Red Balloon (a great indie bookstore) isn't very big, so it filled up soon as you can see by the picture.

My daughter tired while waiting.

Right at two Suzanne came out.  She joked with us a bit and then did two readings, one from Catching Fire and one from Mockingjay.  It was super cool to hear how she read the voice of Katniss.  She explained that see read Katniss as she hears her in her mind, with a slight Appalachian accent. I'd never thought of Katniss that way!  Funny side note too.  She read the word Panama and I had been pronouncing it differently than she did.  I find stuff like that interesting.

After her reading we were able to get into line based on the number we received when buying a book.  My daughter and I were 107 and 108.  The line moved really fast! I was happy to see you could get a quick snapshot with her.  I got one, and so did my daughter who had her Gregor the Overlander book stamped instead of a Hunger Games books (although she's read them).  She was stamping them because apparently she had something wrong with her hand. 

Over-all it was really funny to go and see her.  It was my first signing of a big author.  The others I've been to have allowed me to chat some, so this was different.  I think the best part was seeing all the people that loved The Hunger Games.  They were of all ages! It did my English teacher's heart good to see that many people giving love to a book!