HarperCollins Presents: The Dark Days of Supernatural Contest

Brace yourself for the Dark Days ahead.
Paranormal thrillers. Supernatural romance. Otherworldly adventures.
Discover new books from acclaimed authors Ellen Schreiber, Claudia Gray,
and Kimberly Derting, as well as from debut authors Cynthia Hand and
Courtney Allison Moulton, on tour this winter.
Darkness falls this winter. Be prepared.

Here is your opportunity to win a copy of all 5 books being featured in this tour.  Click on the photostream to see the 5 books being featured.  For more information about The Dark Days of Supernatural Contest, please click here.

One winner will be selected out of all of the submitted entries.  This contest is only open to residents of the United States.  Please note that Harper Collins will be sending out the prize pack to the winner in March 2011 after the release of AFTERLIFE by Claudia Gray.  

The contest will run from Sunday, January 23rd to Sunday, January 30th at 11:59 p.m PST. 

All contestants must be 13 years older to enter and must complete the entry form below.  Though comments are nice and appreciated, adding personal information in the comment section will result in a comment being deleted. 

Dreaming of Books Giveway Hop!!!

This hop was organized by Kathy from I am a Reader, Not a Writer, and Martha from Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf.

Over 160 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another.  The hop runs from Friday, January 14th through Monday, January 17th.

I have selected to do a Book Award Themed Giveaway in honor of the ALA Youth Media Awards Announcements earlier in the week.

Giveaway #1 the Caldecott Award:

Description from GoodReads:
Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee’s case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favor.






Giveaway #2 the Newbery Award:

Description from GoodReads: 
he movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby. I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I’d seen only in Gideon’s stories: Manifest—A Town with a rich past and a bright future.

Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.
Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”
Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.

Powerful in its simplicity and rich in historical detail, Clare Vanderpool’s debut is a gripping story of loss and redemption.

Giveaway #3 the Schneider Family YA Award:

Description from GoodReads: 
The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig. The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.
The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?
Piper can&#39t hear Dumb&#39s music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.



I was especially thrilled that FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB won a Schneider Family Award.  Were there any books that you were cheering for that won? - Aly

Rules for the Contest:

1. Please do not enter any personal information in the comments section, you must complete the Entry Form to officially enter the contest.
2.  The Contest runs from 12:00 a.m. PST on January 14th to 11:59 p.m. PST on January 17th.
3.  You must be a follower of this blog to enter.
4.  You must be 13 or older to participate in this contest.
5.  You must indicate at least two giveaways that you would like to enter.  There will be a total of 3 winners selected.
6.  If you are selected as a winner, I will notify you by e-mail.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.
8.  International participants are welcome to enter the contest.

ALA MidWinter, Youth Media Awards, and Celebrating My Inner Book Geek

Two years ago, I accidentally outed myself as a book geek.  I had always been a book geek but I just usually kept it quite.  No need to reveal just how obsessed I could be about books.  If someone asked about a book, I would share and leave it at that.  Due to several life circumstances aligning themselves in a fateful way, I started exploring where I could find other book geeks. One thing led to another, and I recently found myself in San Diego, CA at the American Library Association's (ALA) MidWinter Meeting. 

I thought that having been a frequent attender at the L.A. Times Festival of Books would have prepared me for ALA but this was a very different concentration of bibliophiles.  Walking around the exhibit hall surrounded by publishers, vendors, books, lots of people, more books, authors, even more books, I was in heaven.  And what was so cool is that no one was wondering why you would spend hours looking at books, talking about books, or gushing about books to editors and publishers.

An Abrahms Rep with some of their Award Winners!!!

Here are some of my highlights:

* Meeting up with Twitter Pals such as Mr. Schu (@mrschureads), Shannon Messenger (@sw_messenger), Suzanne Santillan (@suesantillan),  Cindy Pon (@cindypon) and many, many more...
* Being invited to a special luncheon hosted by MacMillan Children's Publishing Group on behalf of Mary Pearson (if you haven't read Mary's books go out and do so immediately) - not only did I get to spend time with Mary but also some wonderful ALA folks like Teri Lesesne, Walter Mayes, Liz Burns among others
* Spending time with my book buds Alethea (@frootjoos) and Marianne (@penwallace)
* Hearing Mitali Perkins speak at the USBBY Presentation
* Chatting with author/illustrator Kathryn Otoshi - she signed a copy of ZERO & ONE for me
* Networking with Publishers, Sales Reps, Editors, and more
And of course....Attending the Press Conference for the ALA Youth Media Awards

Congratulations to Random House on some heavy medal winners!!!

I was a lucky receiver of a signed copy of JANIS JOPLIN by Ann Angel.  Winner of the YALSA Excellence in Non-fiction.

Speaking of the ALA Youth Media Award...

Congratulations to BINK & GOLLIE  for winning the Giesel Award.  A definite favorite of mine and listed on my End of the Year MG picks.

Congratulations to FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB for receiving the Schneider Family Award - YA Pick.  This was my top YA book of 2010.  (When this was announced, I nearly jumped out of my seat.)

Congratulations to THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN for receiving a Schneider Family Award for Picture Book.  This was featured in my National Inclusive School's Week picks.

Congratulations to ONE CRAZY SUMMER - not only did it receive a Coretta Scott King Award Author Award but also a Newbery Honor Medal.  This was one of my choices for the Newbery. 

Congratulations to DAVE THE POTTER: ARTIST, POET, SLAVE - this beautiful book received a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and a Caldecott Honor Medal.  I had listed this is my Caldecott predictions.

Congratulations to JIMI: SOUNDS LIKE A RAINBOW which received the Coretta Scott King Illustrator honor award.  Another book I really loved and featured on the blog.

Congratulations to THE DREAMER which received a Belpre Author Award.  I loved this book and had it on my Newbery list.

Congratulations to A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE which walked away with the prestigious Caldecott Medal.  If CHALK couldn't win, then I am thrilled that AMOS did.

Congratulations to MOON OVER MANIFEST by Clare Vanderpool whose debut middle grade novel walked away with the big one - the Newbery Medal.  I wasn't expecting this but going to move it up to the top of my to-read pile.

HarperCollins Presents: The Dark Days of Supernatural Tour

Brace yourself for the Dark Days ahead.
Paranormal thrillers. Supernatural romance. Otherworldly adventures.
Discover new books from acclaimed authors Ellen Schreiber, Claudia Gray,
and Kimberly Derting, as well as from debut authors Cynthia Hand and
Courtney Allison Moulton, on tour this winter.
Darkness falls this winter. Be prepared.

Once In A Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber

Release Date: 12/28/10

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: 1/4/11

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Release Date: 2/15/11

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Release Date: 2/15/11

Afterlife by Claudia Gray

Release Date: 3/8/11

Become a fan at facebook.com/PitchDarkBooks

Follow @pitchdarkbooks and use #DarkDays in your tweets

Check out the Trailer for The Dark Days of Supernatural Tour:

It's that time of the year - Newbery Predictions

On Monday, January 10, 2011, the American Library Association will announce all of their Youth Media Awards at their Midwinter Conference in San Diego.  Last year, the announcements were made from Boston and I woke up at 5 a.m. (on my day off) to listen to as they were reported as well as watch the Twitter feed.  I was thrilled to have read WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead prior to the announcement of it's selection as the Newbery Medal winner.  And I was shocked that I actually recognized the winner of the Caldecott Medal - Jerry Pinkey's THE LION & THE MOUSE.  However, I have to admit that I hadn't paid much attention to what might end up on the short list for the awards that year.

This year, I started paying attention to the buzz around mid-year as to what books might be considered.  As a result, I started reading several of these much discussed books.  And thanks to the Midwinter Conference being closer to home, I am hoping to be present for the Award's Press Conference.

Here are the five books that I expect to be walking away with the prestigious John Newbery Medal or one of the Newbery honor medals given "to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children".

 

ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia
This coming of age, historical novel set in 1968 in San Francisco tells the story of Delphine and her sisters as they spend the summer with their mother who abandoned them 7 years earlier.  A powerful look at a time filled with protests and social turmoil through the eyes of a young girl. ONE CRAZY SUMMER is a beautiful story which I am excited to say recently received the Scott O'Dell Award for best historical fiction. 

 OUT OF MY MIND by Sharon M. Draper
This touching story of a 10 year old with severe cerebral palsy who discovers her voice through the use of an assistive communication device is my personal favorite for an award.  I would be super thrilled if it received both a nod for a Newbery as well as a Schneider Family Award. 

COUNTDOWN by Deborah Wiles
This seems to be the year for 1960's historical fiction.  Whereas, One Crazy Summer is looking at Civil Rights in San Francisco in 1968, Countdown is set in 1962 in Washington D.C. during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Countdown is told through the eyes of a 12 year old girl living in Washington, D.C. at the time.  It also is filled with amazing photos and media images from that time period.

THE DREAMER by Pamela Munoz Ryan
Told in a poetic and lyrical manner portrays a young boy (Neftali) who overcomes shyness and a harsh life under the rule of his father to become the widely known poet, Pablo Neruda. Though a fictional portrayal of Neruda's childhood, this book is filled with the poetry of one of the world's most famous poets.

MOCKINGBIRD by Kathryn Erskine
This story of a young girl with Asperger's who after a tragic event must learn to deal with the loss of her brother and how to navigate her world has already been awarded a National Book Award for Young People.  As a result of the significant interest in this book, I expect that this will be a strong contender.    

For another peek at several of the books listed above, click here to check out Mr. Schu's, a K-5 Librarian, post on his Newbery Predictions.