Maria's Mélange

I read this fun adventure while on the plane heading toward my OWN adventure. You see, I'm a lifelong Pennsylvania gal who is moving to Austin, TX this summer. I'm sure I'll need to hit up my new local library to learn more about my new home, and I also had some questions for the author. Read his fun responses below! Who longs for all the knowledge of the universe at their fingertips? Who KNOWS they would make an excellent Librarian, even if they need to start as "Fourth Assistant Apprentice"? Who loves maps and penguins and tardigrades and ... well, you get the idea. Is that you? Is that a child you adore or a student in your classroom? If so, then The Library of Ever  by Zeno Alexander is the perfect book for you! AUTHOR Q & A 1) Do you have a special library memory? I'll share some of mine below, but I'd love to hear about yours! I have many, as I was fortunate to live near a wonderful library when I was a young child. One of ...

(Updated...2/7/18..)  Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by Her Granddaughters by   Charlotte Jones Voiklis ,  Léna Roy   (Goodreads Author) Hardcover, 176 pages Publication: February 6th 2018 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) ISBN 0374307644 (ISBN13: 9780374307646) (Goodreads Blurb)  This middle-grade biography explores the life and works of Madeleine L'Engle --written by her granddaughters--coming just in time for the all-new A Wrinkle in Time film, directed by Ava DuVernay. This elegant and insightful biography of Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) was written by her granddaughters, Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Lena Roy. Using never-before-seen archival materials that include photographs, poems, letters, and journal entries from when Madeleine was a child until just after the publication of her classic,  A Wrinkle in Time , her granddaughters weave together an in-depth and unique view of the famous writer. It is a...

As of the posting of this stop on the Heartless blog tour - there are SIX DAYS left until the book releases into the wild (on November 8th). You still have plenty of time to preorder and snag a copy the very first day it is on the shelves! When I first heard about this Countdown Blog tour, I wasn't sure what each day's task would be. I loved this book enough to happily volunteer as tribute - even if my task ended up being something like "make a picture of a character from Heartless out of M&Ms and hat pins". (True story, that's actually what I said in my email!)  A black heart for Heartless I did participate in many of the other Heartless Countdown activities.... as you can see by some of my favorite photos. My copy of Alice in Wonderland           Tea time with Heartless (and my puppy) Everyone deserves a crown       My assigned task, though, was much easier than handcrafting person...

Here are three books you absolutely want to put into your middle grade library this year!  The Stolen Moon  (Chase Garrety #2) by   Rachel Searles   (Goodreads Author) Hardcover, 368 pages Expected publication: January 27th 2015 by Feiwel & Friends ISBN 1250038804 (ISBN13: 9781250038807) Goodreads Blurb: This is what the boy is told: - His younger sister has an otherworldly (and sometimes annoying) ability. - The starship he now lives on has been infiltrated. - His friend Parker is working on the network hack of a lifetime. This is what Chase and Parker fear: - They won't be able to save the world in time. My Thoughts: Stolen Moon is an excellent science fiction novel for middle grade readers who like action packed adventure. We have a little more action for the girl characters in this one... but I'd still like to see that increase in book three. Students who enjoy space science fiction will definitely find a new and beloved home in...

Happy Star Wars Day to all! There are some amazing Star Wars books on the shelves today - with even more on the horizon. With the excitement over Star Wars Rebels and Episode VII building, I'm sure that they will continue to be easy to find. Take, for example, this upcoming series that was recently announced.. Dark Horse has ongoing comic series , and Chronicle Books has Jeff Brown's  Jedi Academy and adorable picture books (two are already out, and Goodnight Darth Vader is coming in July!) Yet the books that feature actual Star Wars characters and story-lines are just the tip of Sarlacc pit. If you jump in *, you'll find that authors writing today love to lace their stories with pop culture references to Star Wars. * I wouldn't recommend jumping into the Sarlacc pit, though, unless you relish the thought of being digested over several thousand years. In fact, perhaps I should try to find a better metaphor? Here are a few of the books I...

I’ve read a lot of great books recently. Being a part of an online community of readers like #NerdyBookClub means the majority of the books I even think about picking up have been strongly endorsed by those I trust. With all the excitement and hype over The Real Boy , I was chomping at the bit to have the chance to read it. Magic, adventure, friendship.. it sounded like this story would be right up my alley. Instead of finding a book I enjoyed and would happily pass on to my students, I found my newest “perfect match”. That's why I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this blog tour and share my thoughts about the book with you! The Real Boy by Anne Ursu (Goodreads Author), Erin Mcguire (Goodreads Author)(Illustrations) Hardcover, 288 pages Published September 24th 2013 by Walden Pond Press ISBN 0062015079 (ISBN13: 9780062015075) Source : I read an electronic ARC through Edelweiss, but have also purchased two copies for my classroom library. Goodreads Syn...

After you read my review, please be sure to jump back to my stop on the official Blog Tour . John David Anderson gives us a humorous look at his Top Ten Innocent Bystanders, and I am hosting a giveaway for a signed hardback copy of the book! Link below.  Sidekicked by John David Anderson (Goodreads Author) Hardcover, 384 pages Published June 25th 2013 by Walden Pond Press ISBN 0062133144 (ISBN13: 9780062133144) Goodreads Summary: With not nearly enough power comes way too much responsibility. Andrew Bean might be a part of H.E.R.O., a secret organization for the training of superhero sidekicks, but that doesn’t mean that life is all leaping tall buildings in single bounds. First, there’s Drew’s power: Possessed of super senses – his hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell are the most powerful on the planet – he’s literally the most sensitive kid in school. There’s his superhero mentor, a former legend who now spends more time straddling barstools than he does f...

In my quest to read more picture books AND find some great nonfiction to spark the thinking of my students, I discovered this gem. I'm sure one of my Twitter pals mentioned it to me... and I wish I could remember who it was so I could thank you! You Are Stardust by Elin Kelsey , Soyeon Kim (Illustrations) Hardcover, 32 pages Published September 11th 2012 by Owlkids Books ISBN 1926973356 (ISBN13: 9781926973357) Goodreads Summary:  You Are Stardust begins by introducing the idea that every tiny atom in our bodies came from a star that exploded long before we were born. From its opening pages, the book suggests that we are intimately connected to the natural world; it compares the way we learn to speak to the way baby birds learn to sing, and the growth of human bodies to the growth of forests. Award-winning author Elin Kelsey — along with a number of concerned parents and educators around the world — believes children are losing touch with nature. This innovative picture bo...

Wednesdays is all about nonfiction over at Kid Lit Frenzy . While she focuses on picture books, I'm going to stretch the rules a little bit and slip a graphic novel your way. Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy by Nathan Hale Hardcover, 128 pages Published August 1st 2012 by Harry N. Abrams ISBN141970396X (ISBN13: 9781419703966) Goodreads Summary: Nathan Hale, the author’s historical namesake, was America’s first spy, a Revolutionary War hero who famously said “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” before being hanged by the British. In the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, author Nathan Hale channels his namesake to present history’s roughest, toughest, and craziest stories in the graphic novel format. One Dead Spy tackles the story of Hale himself, who was an officer and spy for the American rebels during the Revolutionary War. Author Hale highlights the unusual, gruesome, and just plain unbelievable truth of historical Nathan Hal...

Once again, I traversed the universe to bring back the very best in scientific nonfiction for your children and classrooms. Whew, traveling at light-speed really makes time fly. Umm... or is that stand still? This relativity stuff is insane! Wait - I must be honest with you. My library isn't that far away. The two books I'm sharing this week would have been worth a little interstellar travel, though. Just be sure you skirt around the edges of any event horizon you may encounter on your way. In all seriousness, these are books I would have killed for as a kid. Both have concrete, clear explanations of some of the most amazing parts of our universe.  Let's begin with the older of the two. The Mysterious Universe:  Supernovae, Dark Energy, and Black Holes author: Ellen Jackson  photographer: Nic Bishop Hardcover ,  64 pages Published May 5th 2008 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children The universe is rapidly expanding. Of that much scientists...

I got the chance to read Outpost as part of an ARC tour through my Batty About Books partner - Kathy of The Brain Lair. I held onto my thoughts so I could post them this week. Outpost hit the bookstores Tuesday.  So what are you waiting for? Haven't read the first book? Enclave is still (as of this posting) only 2.99 as an ebook. No excuses! The Review: First of all... wow! Outpost ranks right up there with my favorite summer reads. I got to read a lot of amazing books this summer, and this one grabbed me and wouldn’t let go until the end. It isn’t often that the second book of a series really nails it. Usually it feels more like a setup for the final book. Aguirre? She got it right. This is a story that stands by itself, and yet connects to and develops the events from the first book. Yes, it left me hanging on (and pleading) for the finale, but I still felt completely satisfied by the arc itself. The heroine, Deuce, is a gem. In a world that seems to be bursting with ...

More information on Goodreads!  The Story Girl15 is part of an underground world; a world that struggles to survive in the aftermath of devastation to the world above. Her life revolves around her enclave, a small village that consists of Hunters, Builders, and Breeders. There are other enclaves, but trading with them requires venturing into the darkness and avoiding the attacks of deadly Freaks. In spite of the danger, Girl15 has her heart set on becoming a Huntress. Her training and dedication pay off, and she is awarded her adult name in a ceremony when she turns 15. Deuce, as she is now called, joins her new partner Fade on missions to capture meat for her tribe and protect them against Freak incursions. Yet there are secrets in her world. Secrets she manages to uncover. Secrets which the leadership of her enclave deny. Deuce’s journey is the tale of a heroine. As she ventures out beyond what she has ever known before, she must fight for survival, and for the survival o...