The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin
by Elinor Teele
Cover Illustration & Blog Tour Header: Ben Whitehouse
Walden Pond Press (April 12, 2016)
Fiction * Siblings * Runaways
Audience: Grades 4 to 7
Indiebound | WorldCat
Summary from GoodReads:
A quirky, humorous, whimsical, and heartwarming middle grade debut about a young boy who runs away from home with his sister to escape working in the family coffin business—and discovers even more adventure than he bargained for.
John Coggin is no ordinary boy. He is devising an invention that nobody has ever seen before, something that just might change the world, or at least make life a little bit better for him and his litter sister, Page. But that’s only when he can sneak a break from his loathsome job: building coffins for the family business under the beady gaze of his cruel great-aunt Beauregard. Having lost their parents when Page was a baby, how else are they supposed to survive?
Perhaps by taking an enormous risk—a risk that arrives in the form of a red-haired scamp named Boz. When Great-Aunt Beauregard informs John that she’s going to make him a permanent partner in Coggin Family Coffins—and train Page to be an undertaker—John and Page sign on with Boz and hit the road. Before long, they’ve fallen in with a host of colorful characters, all of whom, like John and Page, are in search of a place they can call home. But home, they realize, isn’t something you find so much as something you fight for, and John soon realizes that he and Page are in for the fight of their lives.
Elinor Teele’s picaresque debut is a rollicking tale filled with wild adventures, daring escapes, and—thanks to Boz—more than a little catastrophe.
Check out the official book trailer:
As I looked through the other posts on the blog tour, I wondered if people were checking out all of the great reviews and interviews. Hopefully by highlighting some of the other posts, readers will not only want to check out these great reviews and interviews, but also get their hands on a fabulous debut adventure by Elinor Teele.
Here is a sneak-peek....
April 11 - Bluestocking Thinking - Nicole shares some quick thoughts about The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin to kick off the blog tour.
April 12 - Novel Novice - Elinor Teele kicks off a series of character interviews by interviewing John's and Page's great-aunt, Miss Coggin. Great-Aunt Beauregard is not always forthcoming in her responses but no one said it would be easy to get answers out of her.
April 13 – This Kid Reviews Books - Erik shares a review and his thoughts about The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin. I have to agree with Erik when he says that the book "can happen anywhere and maybe even anytime." This timelessness is a great quality in the book and one that I hope will help kids relate to it.
April 14 - Maria's Melange - Elinor interviews John Coggin on Maria's blog. Find out what John thinks about his friend, Boz.
April 15 - Unleashing Readers - Remember hearing about Boz on Maria's blog? Well get to know more about this firecracker of a character with Elinor's interview of Boz. Kellee also shares some ideas for using The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin in the classroom.
April 18 - Next Best Book - Mindi shares her thoughts on the book and hosts a giveaway.
April 19 - Foodie Bibliophile - Beth is hosting a giveaway of The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin on her blog.
April 20 - For Those About to Mock - Interested in hearing another perspective on The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin? Check out the team's review and their musings about who would most enjoy this adventure.
April 21 - Walden Media Tumblr - Check out the exclusive interview with Miss Patricia M. Doyle, an archeologist found within the pages of John Coggin's story. I loved this interview of Miss Doyle by Elinor Teele.
April 22 - Charlotte's Library - Elinor Toole interviews Maria Persimmons, the kindly baker, in The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin. Learn about some tips to live by in Maria's responses to Elinor's questions.
April 25 – Flashlight Reader - Check out the giveaway for extra chances to win a copy of the book.
April 26 - Teach Mentor Texts - Check out Jen's interview with Elinor. Learn how Elinor tackles character development and creates unique and multi-faceted characters. She also talks about the best writing advice she received.
April 27 - Librarian's Quest - Check out Margie's very in-depth review and interview with Elinor Teele. Stop by and find out where Elinor spends her time writing.
April 28 - Kid Lit Frenzy - That's us!
April 29 - Novel Novice - Check out their post on Friday.
And don't forget to check out the Educational Activity Kit, here.
About Elinor Teele:
1/2 Brit and 1/2 Yankee, Elinor Teele currently resides in New England. She lived with her family in New Zealand for eight years and still considers it a beloved homeland.
In 2000, Elinor took a slow plane to England for doctoral work in Anglo-Saxon literature at the University of Cambridge. She wrote her thesis on the Old English Riddles, a compilation of bawdy and lyrical poems in the language of Beowulf. She graduated with a PhD in 2005.
To earn her daily bread, she is a freelance copywriter with her own business, Squam Creative Services. For more information, check out Elinor's website here.
THE GIVEAWAY!
One winner will be selected to receive a signed copy of The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin
Terms & Conditions: Winner must be 13 years or older and have a US mailing address. Please complete the rafflecopter entry below to enter.