Blog Tour: Ms. Bixby's Last Day

Ms. Bixby's Last Day
by John David Anderson
Walden Pond Press (June 21, 2016)
Audience: Ages 9 to 12 years
Fiction * School * Teachers
Indiebound | Worldcat

Description of the book: 
Everyone knows there are different kinds of teachers. The good ones. The not-so-good ones. The boring ones, the mean ones, the ones who try too hard. The ones you’ll never remember, and the ones you want to forget. But Ms. Bixby is none of these. She’s the sort of teacher who makes you feel like the indignity of school is worthwhile. Who makes the idea of growing up less terrifying. Who you never want to disappoint. What Ms. Bixby is, is one of a kind.

Topher, Brand, and Steve know this better than anyone. And so when Ms. Bixby unexpectedly announces that she is very sick and won’t be able to finish the school year, they come up with a plan. Through the three very different stories they tell, we begin to understand just what Ms. Bixby means to Topher, Brand, and Steve—and what they are willing to go to such great lengths to tell her.

Take a look at Walden TV as they talk about their favorite teachers: 

Celebrating special teachers is an opportunity one should never miss out on. I am thankful to be able to participate in Ms. Bixby's Last Day Blog Tour. Today, I get to share about a favorite teacher. The teacher I want to celebrate is one that I have known for the past ten years. I have observed her leading a lesson, working with children in small groups and one on one, and I have had the great pleasure of actually collaborating with her on lessons. 

Miss Sylvia is one of those teachers that can teach at any grade level. She is a master at building relationships with students and creating a warm, encouraging learning environment. Students kn0w that Miss Sylvia cares about them, and as a result, they do their absolute best. 

If I could give any teacher a "teacher of the year" award, I would give it to Miss Sylvia over and over again. Every student, should have a teacher just like Miss Sylvia every year. 

About the author: 

John David Anderson is the author of many books for young readers, including Sidekicked and The Dungeoneers. A dedicated root beer connoisseur and chocolate fiend, he lives with his wife, two kids, and perpetually whiny cat in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can visit him online at www.johndavidanderson.org.

Follow the Tour: 

6/2/2016     Nerdy Book Club

6/3/2016     Next Best Book

6/6/2016     Walden Media Tumblr

6/7/2016      Teach Mentor Texts

6/8/2016      This Kid Reviews Books

6/9/2016      Read, Write, Reflect

6/10/2016     Flashlight Reader

6/13/2016     Julie Falatko

6/14/2016     A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust

6/15/2016     About to Mock

6/16/2016     Kid Lit Frenzy

6/16/2016     The Hiding Spot

6/17/2016     Unleashing Readers

6/20/2016    Ms. Yingling Reads
                      Novel Novice

6/21/2016     Maria's Melange
                     Novel Novice
                     All the Wonders

6/22/2016    Lit Coach Lou
                     Novel Novice

6/23/2016    Novel Novice

6/24/2016    Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
                     Novel Novice

6/27/2016    Librarian's Quest

6/28/2016    Educate.Empower.Inspire...Teach

6/29/2016    Bluestocking Thinking

6/30/2016    Mindjacked

7/1/2016      All the Wonders

Enter to win: 

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Penny and Jelly Slumber Under the Stars

Penny and Jelly Slumber Under the Stars
by Maria Gianferrari; Illustrated by Thyra Heder
HMH Books for Young Readers (June 14, 2016)
Audience: PreK to 3rd Grade
Fiction * Friendship * Pets
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads: 
In this picture-book companion to Penny & Jelly: The School Show, Penny is invited to a slumber-under-the-stars sleepover! But there's one small detail that derails the dynamic kid-dog duo: no pets allowed. Penny and Jelly have to think quick—if the real Jelly can't go, then maybe a pretend Jelly can! A paper Jelly? Too rough. A yarn Jelly? Too soft. Jelly after Jelly just doesn’t work. But with a little creativity and a lot of heart, Penny figures out how to go to the sleepover—and bring Jelly along with her.

Review & Recipe:
Penny and her best buddy Jelly are back and this time they are planning for a sleepover under the stars. Everyone remembers their first sleepover and all of the excitement surrounding it and how there is just a tinge of nervousness because of being away from home for the first time. 

For Penny, it is even harder because this sleepover doesn't allow pets. Oh no! What's a girl to do?

I give Penny lots of credit for her creativity in trying to create alternative versions of Penny out of paper, and yarn and other materials. But of course, it is just not the same. I can imagine that a young child might even feel this way if they wanted to bring a special stuffed toy. What would the other girls (in this case) think about needing to bring something to a party.

Well, you are going to need to read the book in order to find out how Penny and Jelly resolve the dilemma.

When I was thinking about a sleepover, I was thinking about how there could be theme-related snacks. I went in search of the perfect snack. (Isn't Google wonderful?) There were lots of ideas but my favorite is from the blog BAKE LOVE GIVE. 

Full credit for the image goes to the BAKE LOVE GIVE blog.

Isn't this a great idea? Campfire Trail Mix. All of the flavors of a S'more but without the mess. For the recipe, click here. Now if I could find mini-graham crackers in the shape of stars?! 

The other snack I found and can't wait to try are Baked Cheddar Crackers in the shape of small stars from the blog by Winter Monroe. 

Full credit for the image goes to Winter Monroe blog.

For the recipe, click here. 

 What snack ideas would you want to try for a sleepover? 

About the Author: 

Maria Gianferrari hasn’t slumbered under the stars recently, but she has two favorite stars: the dog star, Sirius, like Penny and Jelly, and Betelgeuse—just because it’s so fun to say! Maria stargazes from her backyard in Virginia with her husband, Niko, an amateur astrophotographer, her artist-daughter, Anya, and the dog star of her household, Becca. This is her second book for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. For more information about Maria, please visit her website, mariagianferrari.com.

You can also visit Penny & Jelly at their website: http://www.pennyandjelly.com/

Follow the blog tour: 
June 9th  Pragmatic Mom
June 10th  Mamabelly’s Lunches with Love
June 13th  Little Crooked Cottage + Homemade City
June 14th  Kid Lit Frenzy
June 15th  Miss Marple’s Musings
June 16th  Bildebok
June 17th  Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

Extra feature:
June 24th  Picture Book Builders

Enter to win a copy of Penny & Jelly: Slumber Under the Stars:   Winner must have a US mailing address and be 13 years or older.

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How to Disappear Blog Tour & Giveaway

How To Disappear
by Ann Redisch Stampler
Simon Pulse (June 14, 2016)
Audience: Young Adult
Fiction * Thriller/Suspense
Indiebound | WorldCat

Description of the book: 
This electric cross-country thriller follows the game of cat and mouse between a girl on the run from a murder she witnessed—or committed?—and the boy who’s sent to kill her.

Nicolette Holland is the girl everyone likes. Up for adventure. Loyal to a fault. And she’s pretty sure she can get away with anything...until a young woman is brutally murdered in the woods near Nicolette’s house. Which is why she has to disappear.

Jack Manx has always been the stand-up guy with the killer last name. But straight A’s and athletic trophies can’t make people forget that his father was a hit man and his brother is doing time for armed assault. Just when Jack is about to graduate from his Las Vegas high school and head east for college, his brother pulls him into the family business with inescapable instructions: find this ruthless Nicolette Holland and get rid of her. Or else Jack and everyone he loves will pay the price.

As Nicolette and Jack race to outsmart each other, tensions—and attractions—run high. Told in alternating voices, this tightly plotted mystery and tense love story challenges our assumptions about right and wrong, guilt and innocence, truth and lies.

 Carolyn's thoughts on the book:
Those of you familiar with my blogging experience know that the majority of books I review are fantasy and historical fiction, so it was a treat to get to review a thriller for once. How To Disappear is a tense and suspenseful thriller centering around two characters, Jack and Nicolette, and their fraught pursuit of their individual goals. For Jack, catching and killing Nicolette is his only chance to protect his mother and the closest way to avenge his friend's death. For Nicolette, running is her only chance at safety. But when the two of them meet, each hiding their own secrets, they find themselves drawn toward one another - with deadly consequences. 

At the beginning, as both characters make their separate ways across the country, each are deeply developed to gain the reader's trust (not an easy task, seeing as one is a hit man, but one that Stampler deftly achieves). Sympathy is further garnered with each character's equally tragic backstory: Nicolette's mother died at a young age, leaving her in the hands of a stepfather embroiled in underground crime; Jack's crime-boss father was killed by a rival, leaving him to take care of a criminal brother and a mother all-too-vulnerable to threats. Parents also provide each character with their motives: Nicolette flees from her stepfather after she witnesses him bury a body, and Jack is ordered to kill Nicolette (or his mother will be killed). Their fraught family lives serve to further complicate their already-troubled consciences, which each wrestle with throughout the book.

When Jack and Nicolette finally meet in Los Angeles, each is living under an assumed name and has their own agenda. But when they become romantically entangled, the stakes are only further raised. Together, they have a shot at preventing any more bloodshed...as long as they aren't hiding any more ulterior motives. Twists and turns abound, and nothing is what you think - while I can't give anything away, I will say that Stampler is a master of the coup de théâtre.

How to Disappear is perfect for fans of mysteries and thrillers, with twists right to the end.

About the author: 
Ann Redisch Stampler is the author of the young adult novels Afterparty and Where It Began as well as half a dozen picture books. Her work has garnered an Aesop accolade, the National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor honors, the Middle East Book Award, and Bank Street Best Books of the Year mentions. How to Disappear (Simon Pulse, 2016), her first young adult thriller, will be released on June 14, 2016. Ann lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband Rick. You can find Ann on Facebook | Twitter

Check out how to Preorder HOW TO DISAPPEAR and win a Swag Pack on Ann's website, here.  Or enter to win a copy of the book below. Follow the Blog Tour, here. 

Enter to win: Complete the rafflecopter in order to win the prize pack above. Winner must be 13 or older and have a US mailing address.

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Carolyn is a teen blogger who shares her favorite YA reads and favorite book related finds with readers on Fridays.

The Seven Princesses Blog Tour

The Seven Princesses
by Smiljana Coh
Running Press Kids (May 24, 2016)
Fiction * Family * Siblings
Audience: Ages 4 to 8
Indiebound | Worldcat

About the book: 
Once upon a time, there were seven princess sisters who did everything together, from horseback riding to jumping in royal leaf piles to throwing legendary piñata parties. But one day, they had the biggest fight in the entire history of princess fighting. There was no worse sound than the sound of this fight. Will the sisters ever find a way to fill their kingdom with sounds of laughter and playing again?

Princesses of all sizes will royally delight in this modern-day fairy tale of sibling rivalry, adventure, and unconditional sisterly love.

Quick thoughts on the book:
If you are looking for a traditional princess book, The Seven Princesses is not that book. The seven princesses in this book are diverse in appearances and talents.  Really, this is more of a book about sisters than a book about princesses. 

These seven siblings do all things together, every day. 

As with any siblings, all that shared time together can and often do lead to arguments. Ask any parent, they can attest to the fact that siblings can have some of the most intense fights. And these seven princesses are no different. 

And just like real-life siblings, these princesses learn that time apart is not always as fun as being together. The Seven Princesses will fit in nicely with other anti-princess books and also make a fun read aloud.

Pick up a copy of The Seven Princesses at your local indie bookstore or local library.

Check out the other stops on the tour:

5/18 Anastasia Suen

5/21 Mom Read It  

5/23 Reading Through Life

5/24 Unpacking the POWER of Picture Books

Bubonic Panic: Blog Tour & Giveaway

Bubonic Panic: When Plague Invaded America
by Gail Jarrow
Calkins Creek (May 10, 2016)
Nonfiction * History * Disease and Illness
Audience: Ages 10 and up
Indiebound | Worldcat
Teacher's Guide

About the book: 
In March 1900, San Francisco’s health department investigated a strange and horrible death in Chinatown. A man had died of bubonic plague, one of the world’s deadliest diseases. But how could that be possible? Bubonic Panic tells the true story of America’s first plague epidemic—the public health doctors who desperately fought to end it, the political leaders who tried to keep it hidden, and the brave scientists who uncovered the plague’s secrets. Once again, acclaimed author and scientific expert Gail Jarrow brings the history of a medical mystery to life in vivid and exciting detail for young readers. This title includes photographs and drawings, a glossary, a timeline, further resources, an author’s note, and source notes.

My thoughts on the book:
Years ago, I read Connie Willis' Doomsday Book (Oxford Time Travel #1). The premise of the book dealt with plagues - one in the future and one in the past. A character in the future, a graduate

student studying history, travels back in time and ends up in the middle of the Black Plague. It was a fascinating story concept. Imagine being vaccinated against the exact plague that is infecting a whole village. The book haunted me for years and probably was one of the reasons that out of the three titles in Gail Jarrow's Deadly Diseases Trilogy that BUBONIC PANIC was the one I was most eager to read.  

And Jarrow doesn't disappoint. Similar to her previous two books, readers are drawn into the book, led through history and in this case to the United States and the plague's arrival in San Francisco. I was fascinated to learn of the history of the plague and also how in the 19th and early 20th century scientists, doctors, health workers and others worked to educate people in order to stop the plague. Through the use of photographs, illustrations, and news headlines, Jarrow adds an additional element of reality for young readers who may be learning about the plague for the first time. 

End resources:

At the end of the book, Jarrow includes of glossary of key terms, a timeline, web resources, bibliography and source notes.

Don't miss out on BUBONIC PANIC. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library.

Check out the other books in Jarrow's Deadly Diseases series:

RED MADNESS: HOW A MEDICAL MYSTERY CHANGED WHAT WE EAT (2014)

FATAL FEVER: TRACKING DOWN TYPHOID MARY (2015)

About the author: 
Gail Jarrow’s nonfiction books have received numerous awards and distinctions, including YALSA Nonfiction Award Nominations, an NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book, National Science Teachers Association Recommended Book, Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, and a VOYA Honor Book. A graduate of Duke University and Dartmouth College, she lives in Ithaca, New York. Visit her online at gailjarrow.com.

Follow the tour: 

Monday, May 16      The Nonfiction Detectives

Tuesday, May 17          KidLit Frenzy

Wednesday, May 18    Unleashing Readers

Thursday, May 19       Teach Mentor Texts

Friday, May 20          Sally's Bookshelf

Enter to win a copy of BUBONIC PANIC:
Winner must be 13 years old and have a US mailing address. Complete the Rafflecopter to officially enter.

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