One Lovely Blog Award

When I woke up this morning and checked my email, I had a lovely note from Louisse from Soul Sisters Blog telling me that she and Keila had given my blog the One Lovely Blog Award. It has been fun seeing various blogs bestowing awards on fellow bloggers. It is a great way to support one another and in recognizing everyone's hard work and commitment to spreading the news about good books.

Thanks Soul Sisters!!! As part of the award, the recipient turns around and awards it to another 10 to 15 bloggers. I would like to recognize the following bloggers with the One Lovely Blog Award. Congratulations to the following (Please click on the blog names to check out their blogs):

Kathy over at The Brain Lair
Renee over at Notes In The Margrin
Vi over at Young Adult Literature Review
Marisa over at Elegant Bloggery
Stacy, Nancy, and Shannon over at Girls In The Stack
Alethea over at Read Now, Sleep Later
Mel over at He Followed Me Home
Sara over at The Hiding Spot
Jennifer over at Crazy For Books
Stacie & Leigh over at Whimsical Fic-ery

Congratulations Everyone!

Thank You for Following Contest

Update 8/31/10: In celebration of the release of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, anyone entering this contest (see information below) will automatically be entered into an additional drawing for 1 of 2 Clockwork Angel posters.  They are beautiful.  Plus the two bookmark packs now include a Mockingjay Bookmark and Tattoo.  WooHoo! Remember - contest ends at 11:59 PDT tonight.

When I realized that I was going to need to move my blog from WordPress, I felt horrible for everyone that had already signed up. Then it hit me, why not hold a contest as a thank you for everyone who signed on and then moved with the blog. However, I didn't want new people to feel bad either so I have a little something for new followers as well.

For followers who moved over from WordPress:
You have a chance to win one of the following books -



Description from GoodReads:
When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.


Note: This is a hardcover signed by Ally Carter.




Description from GoodReads:
Growing up in a world of wealth and pastel-tinted entitlement, fifteen-year-old Carly has always relied on the constancy—and authenticity—of her sister, Anna. But when fourteen-year-old Anna turns plastic-perfect-pretty over the course of a single summer, everything starts to change. And there are boys involved, complicating things as boys always do. With warmth, insight, and an unparalleled gift for finding humor even in stormy situations, beloved author Lauren Myracle dives into the tumultuous waters of sisterhood and shows that even very different sisters can learn to help each other stay afloat.

Note: This is a paperback copy but it is signed by Lauren Myracle.



Description from GoodReads:
How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

Note: This is an advanced readers copy. It is not signed.

I will pick two winners who will be able to chose one book each from the selection of three books. I can not promise that you will receive your first choice though I have asked you to indicate your preference on the entry form.

Now on to new followers:

If you are a new follower and enter the contest, you have a chance to win a collection of bookmarks. There will be two winners chosen.

Collection One are all debut authors - Anastasia Hopcus, Kimberly Derting, Kay Cassidy, Heidi R. Kling, Jennifer Cervantes, Christina Diaz Gonzalez and Rhonda Hayter.

Collection Two is a variety of 2010 releases - Michelle Zink, Lisa Schroeder, Maggie Stiefvater, Jennifer Cervantes, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, and Heidi R. Kling.

Just for fun - some of them are even signed.


Here are the Rules:
1. Everyone who is interested in participating must fill out the form below.
2. Contestants must be 13 years or older.
3. Each contestant can only enter one time. Any duplicate entries will be disqualified.
4. This contest will run through Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 11:59 PDT.

Book Review - A Long Piece of String

Author/Illustrator: William Wondriska
Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 25, 2010)
Ages: 4 to 8 years old
Source: Publisher for review
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Description from GoodReads:

Look! A long piece of string. Let's follow it! Stunning in both its boldness and simplicity, this rediscovered classic by distinguished graphic designer William Wondriska, originally published in 1963, leads readers on a clever journey of discovery and delight.

There truly is a simplicity with this book that moves it into a whole other category. When I first held Wondriska's A Long Piece of String in my hands, I sensed this was something unique. As I turned the pages, I was greeted by a wordless story told basically by a piece of black string that leads the reader through a journey of illustrations. Each picture represents a different letter of the alphabet with this dark inky thread tying it together.

The simplicity of this re-issued 47 year old book is also in the dichromatic pages contrasting black string with orange-red illustrations. I couldn't help but chuckle at some of the depictions. A skeleton key for the letter K, or the old gas station for the letter G. However, most of the other pictures really stand the test of time. The jet plane looks remarkably similar to it's present day counterpart, and an alligator is still an alligator.

For those individuals who particularly enjoy collecting alphabet books, I would strongly recommend adding Wondriska's A Long Piece of String to their collection. As for teachers or parents, A Long Piece of String can be used to facilitate a conversation between adult and child about similarities shared by a present day alphabet book and one with a different history.

Book Review - Chicken Big

Author/Illustrator: Keith Graves
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Ages: 4 to 8 years old
Source: Publisher for Review
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Description from GoodReads:

On a teeny little farm, in an itty-bitty coop, a very small hen laid a big, giant egg. And out of this egg came one big, humongous . . . something. "It's big!" clucked the little rooster. "It's enormous!" clucked the small chicken. "It's an elephant!" peeped the smallest chicken. "Run for your lives!" they cried. No matter how they try, these clueless chickens can't make sense of the gigantic new member of their family—until he saves the day. With wacky, laugh-out- loud humor and silliness to spare, this BIG twist on the classic Chicken Little story lends a whole new perspective to what it means to be chicken.

I love books that you have fun with right from the beginning. I also really appreciate books that children will enjoy but additionally has a level of humor that adults can appreciate. Keith Graves' Chicken Big meets both of those criteria for me.

Chicken Big is a twist on the classic Chicken Little story. In the beginning, we are introduced to a very small hen who has laid a humongous egg and from the egg a humongous chick pops out. The odd collection of chickens and the lone rooster attempts to identify this strange being while the smallest and "not the sharpest beak in the flock" yells out odd responses.

The humongous chick with his dry wit, along side the easily frenzied chickens led by the smallest chick's dire predictions produces a story that is entertaining and even educational. Each page, the chickens try to decipher what this creature is. Done through a series of observations, statements and guesses, the gang continues to guess wrong. The chick is forced numerous times to rescue this clueless gang until finally when rescuing them one last time realization hits and they recognize him for what he truly is.

Graves has created a story that will delight readers of all ages. Zany illustrations support visually interesting text. I loved the detail in the pictures and especially loved the facial expressions given to all of the chickens including the over-sized chick. This is a book that I eagerly look forward to sharing as a read aloud in many of the classes at my school. I can see both Kinders and Fifth graders both getting a laugh out of this tale.

What's This? Two websites? Oh No! Not Really

When I decided to jump into the whole world of blogging, I thought I would set up a blog on WordPress. There were some features about WordPress that I really liked. I also thought that one way of setting up my blog would work better on WordPress. Come to find out...it didn't work. With the support and input of a couple of blogger friends, I have decided to bring my blog over to Blogger. With lots of tech support from Alethea (@frootjoos on Twitter) and design support from Marisa (@elegantsnobbery on Twitter), I am moving all of my posts from WordPress.

If you were following me over at Kid Lit Frenzy on WordPress, I hope you will switch over and follow me here.

Thanks for your support & understanding,
-Aly