The Wig in the Window Blog Tour & Giveaway


The Wig in the Window
by Kristen Kittscher
Publication Date: June 18, 2013 by HarperCollins

About the book:
Sophie Young and Grace Yang have made a game of spying on their neighbors, but when they stake out the home of notoriously phony middle school counselor Dr. Charlotte Agford (aka Dr. Awkward), they stumble across a terrifying scene.

Or do they? The girls are convinced that Dr. Agford’s sugary sweet façade hides a dark secret. But as they get closer to the truth about Agford, the strain of the investigation pushes Sophie and Grace farther apart. Even if they crack their case, will their friendship survive?

Perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Wig in the Window is a smart, funny middle-grade mystery with a Rear Window twist.

Jax, Age 12 and her mom talk about the book:

I am sitting here with Jackie (you know her from the Interview Video) and her mom talking about The Wig in the Window.

Mom:  Why did you think I liked this book?

Jax: I think you liked this book because it kept you on the edge of your seat and it captured you from the start and you didn't want to put it down... 

Mom:  Can I put words in your mouth?  You told me that it needed to be captivating for me because I had a short attention span.

(now they are trying to bribe me not to write this)

Jax: That is so true.  Mom, do you relate to any of the characters  and why?

Mom: Kids aren't suppose to ask questions like that...hmmmm...well...I relate more to the kids than the adults because when you break rules, I haven't been successful in taking your phone for any length of time...  And I do like the idea of spying on neighbors.

Jax: How do you know I haven't already done so?

Mom:  Give me your phone, girl! *waits, turns to me* See she won't give it to me... Jackie, I felt this book brought us closer.  I want to start a spy business with you now.

Jax:  Am I getting paid for that?

Mom: You can stick to making fan videos!  Why did you like the book?

Jax:  I liked the book partially for the same reasons; kept me on the edge of my seat, there were these smooth turns that kept me wanting to read it. It, it grabs your chest, I mean it, it holds your heart.

Mom: Are you trying to say it made you anxious or excited or that the book grew arms and attacked you?

*laughter all around at this point*

Jax: No, it was like...I wanted to use a big word...It is inevitable that...

Mom:  ...You will devour it, much liked pickled beets?  ...I bet those tasted horrible.  What a loser gift.  I never trusted that counselor.  Anyhow, Did you think it was realistic?

Jax:  I thought it was realistic because of what the characters went through seemed realistic, plus they seemed realistic and the plot line seemed realistic and the scenes were realistic...

Mom: can you say realistic one more time...*giggles*

Jax: *rolls eyes* Realistic, I said it one more time.

Mom: When I read it, it sounded realistic (don't write that word!) and I went "no way... way... they'd never... well maybe... no way!... way!  where am I going with this? 

Jax: Did you have a fight inside your head?  Wait, what do you call that?

Mom: Domestic violence?

Me: Dang this has just deterioriated...maybe we need to go back to...

Mom: I do have a short attention span!!

Me:....maybe we need to just watch the video.

 And now for a special treat - Jackie and Amelia's Shameless Promotion Video


The Wig in the Window: Jackie & Amelia's Shameless Promotion from Alyson Beecher on Vimeo.


About the author:  "Kristen Kittscher was a child neighborhood spy but (allegedly) grew up to be an upstanding citizen and middle school English teacher. A graduate of Brown University, she now works as a writing tutor in Pasadena, California where she lives with her husband, Kai, and their hyperactive lab mix. The Wig in the Window is her first novel. Visit kristenkittscher.com to investigate more about her and Young & Yang's next adventure, The Tiara on the Terrace."

Kristen Kittscher: website | facebook | twitter |

If you haven't seen, the Author interview conducted by Jackie and Amelia, click here.  Check out the official book trailer, here.

To check out all of the blog tour stops, click here.



As part of the blog tour, I am giving away a signed hardcover of The Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher.

This giveaway is open to those with US and Canadian mailing addresses:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nonfiction Picture Books - June Releases



As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, I try to give a heads up on new releases for the month.  Lately, it has been taking a little more searching to find new releases.  Here are several new recent releases and a few coming out this month.  I am excited to go in search of these new releases. 



Saving Animal Babies by Amy Shields (National Geographic, April 2013)


The Mighty Lalouche by Matthew Olshan; Illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Random House, May 2013)


Pedal It! How Bicycles Are Changing the World by Michelle Mulder (Orca, May 2013)


Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton by Meghan McCarthy (Simon & Schuster, June 2013)


The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman; Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Roaring Brook, June 2013)


Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her by Amy Novesky; Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton

 Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:


Books for Younger Readers for Summer - Early Reader/Early Chapter Books

Often I find it easy to pile on full-length Middle Grade novels onto my "TBR" pile for summer reading.  However, finding books for 1st to 3rd graders can be a bit more challenging.  Here are three new releases to check out this summer with young readers.



Dodsworth in Tokyo
Author/Illustrator: Tim Egan
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin (April 16, 2013)

Description from GoodReads:
With trips to New York, Paris, London, and Rome under their belts, Dodsworth and the duck head for Japan: “The plane glided over Mount Fuji. Tokyo sparkled in the distance. Dodsworth was a little nervous.” Dodsworth has good reason to be nervous—the duck bumps into a rickshaw, falls into a koi pond (he can’t swim), and knocks over a tray of wagashi! Readers will love the slapstick humor and the odd-couple friendship between Dodsworth and the duck. Four engaging chapters of short sentences, clean design, and gem-like little paintings of the Land of the Rising Sun make it easy for early readers to enjoy the journey.

Quick thoughts:
 Dodsworth and Duck are on the go again and this time to Tokyo.  This four chapter story takes readers on a journey to the Land of the Rising Sun.  How will the adventurous Duck deal with a culture that respects order?  Will Dodsworth survive Duck's exuberance in returning a little girl's kendama (toy)? Will Tokyo ever be the same?  Another fun travel adventure with the odd couple of Dodsworth and Duck.


The Meanest Birthday Girl
Author/Illustrator: Josh Schneider
Publisher: Clarion (May 7, 2013)

Description from GoodReads:
It’s Dana’s birthday, so she can do what she likes. And what Dana likes to do is pinch. And call people names. And steal her classmates’ desserts. You probably know a kid like Dana. What can stop her from being so mean? In this story, it’s not what you might expect. Because sometimes, it takes a little creativity (and possibly a very large pet) to change a mean kid’s ways. Five short chapters with comical full-color illustrations offer a fresh, fun take on bullying and birthdays (and pet elephants).

Quick thoughts:
Schneider won the Geisel in 2012 for Tales for Very Picky Eaters.  His newest book is told in 5 chapters and helps young readers think about the consequences for mean behaviors.  Dana's behavior is less than nice, but a friend gives her a birthday present that soon has her re-thinking all of those actions.  Large elephants with brightly colored toe nails take on new significance in this story about learning appropriate behaviors. Loved the twist at the end. 


Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach
Creator: James Dean
Publisher: HarperCollins (May 21, 2013)

Description from GoodReads:
Pete and his mom and brother go to the beach! Pete has lots of fun collecting shells and building a sand castle. But he's very, very hot . . . and he isn't sure he wants to go in the water. The water looks scary! When his brother Bob offers to give him a surfing lesson, will Pete give it a try?

Rock and roll with Pete in this brand-new story about everyone's favorite groovy cat, perfect for beginning readers!

Quick thoughts:
Pete the Cat fans will love this early reader with simple sentences.  Pete, his mother, and his brother head out to the beach for a day of fun.  Pete must learn to work through his fear of the water if he is going to have some excitement with his brother while at the beach.  Emergent readers will share in Pete the Cat's enthusiasm for conquering his fears and learning a new skill.

Look for each of these books at your local library or independent bookstore.  Happy reading!

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to Young Adult - 6/10/13



It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

Recently, I have been reading some powerful Middle Grade books which has resulted in a heavier picture book and early reader stack this week.  Sometimes, I am just not ready to leave the feeling I had when reading a book.  What I find best in these situations is move to something completely different.  Also, check back on Wednesday for some nonfiction picture books that made it into last week's pile. 

Here is what jumped out of the stack this week:


Sea Monster and the Bossy Fish by Kate Messner; Illustrated by Andy Rash  (Chronicle Books, July 9, 2013) - Sea Monster is back and will be available in time for the start of the school year.  Kinder and first grade teachers add this to you opening school year books to read aloud list.


The Monstore by Tara Lazar; Illustrated by James Burks (Aladdin, June 4, 2013) - More to come on this one.


Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos; Illustrated by Joy Ang  (Clarion Books, May 14, 2013) - What a funny book to read aloud.  Kids are going to enjoy this one.


Dodsworth in Tokyo by Tim Egan (Houghton Mifflin Books, April 16, 2013) - The newest installment in this series finds Dodsworth and Duck in Tokyo.


The Meanest Birthday Girl by Josh Shneider (Clarion Books, May 7, 2013) - What do you give a mean birthday girl?  Read this early reader/chapter book from Geisel winner Josh Schneider.


Battle Bunny by Jon Scieszka and Mac Bartnett; Ilustrated by Matthew Myers  (Simon & Schuster, October 22, 2013) - Ok, the adults are going to find this one hysterical.  Will have to see how it reads as a read aloud and if young kids get it at the same level as the "big" kids.



Feed by M.T. Anderson (Candlewick Press, 2002) - This came up on my TBR list because we were reading it for book group.  Kind of prophetic, kind of sad, kind of scary.  That's all I am saying.

What I am re-reading this week and most excited about this week:


Pie by Sarah Weeks (Scholastic, 2011) - I am leading a Middle Grade book club on Wednesday and PIE is up for discussion.  Thought I should re-read it in time for the meeting.


Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani; Illustrated by Maris Wicks (First Second, June 11, 2013) - I received my shipping notice that this will be at my house on Tuesday.  Yay!


Book Review - Doll Bones

Author: Holly Black
Illustrator:  Eliza Wheeler
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (May 7, 2013)
Source:  Finished Copy for review by publisher
Audience: Ages 9 to 13
Fiction * Friendship * Coming of Age * Ghost Story

Description from GoodReads:
Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity...

My thoughts on the book:
Doll Bones by Holly Black is a middle grade tale that will hook readers in and hold onto them until the end. It is the story of three 12 year olds – Zach, Alice, and Poppy – who have created an elaborate storytelling/role-playing game with action figures and dolls. When Zach’s father throws away Zach’s bag of action figures in a misguided attempt to help his son “grow up”, it sets in motion a series of actions and reactions that lead the three children on a journey of discovery and change.

Zach’s refusal to play the storytelling games and his fear in telling Alice and Poppy the truth leads Poppy to remove the “Queen” (a bone china doll) from her mother’s cabinet. Poppy reveals to Alice and Zach that the doll contains the actual ashes of a young girl who died. The girl’s ghost has asked to be returned to her grave in East Liverpool, OH (which is a long bus ride from where the children live in PA). Whether Alice and Zach really believe Poppy, each child strikes out on the journey for his/her own reasons. The reader is left to decide whether the doll is really communicating with Poppy.

Part of Black’s brilliance in her storytelling is that she has chosen to keep the story firmly in reality. Readers like the children have to come to their own conclusion about the Doll; however, each piece of the journey never seems contrived, but seems like something a group of tweens could have undertaken. This also keeps the balance between being just right scary vs. frightening scary.

Ultimately, Doll Bones is significantly more than a ghost story. It is a deep story of friendship, change, growing up, and leaving things behind. This is a journey story that results in characters growing and evolving in a meaningful way. The story is well-crafted without using more words than are needed. The pacing moves deliberately and never once did I want to scan a paragraph or skip a page. Additionally, Black is spot on with the voice of each of the tweens. It is easy to have children sound younger or older than they are, but here, the dialogue was real. The inclusion of dramatic dialogue that comes from times when the children fall into their character roles never dominates or takes over the story and just works to enhance the adventure.

In my opinion, Black has written her best story to date.  A book that will be in high demand once the children in classrooms or libraries learn about it.  And though I have absolutely no control over the decisions of the 2014 Newbery Committee, may I just say, I would be ecstatic if Doll Bones came away as a winner.

This is Holly Black's first foray back into the world of books for Middle Graders after a string of successful Young Adult novels.  For young fans, who may have missed her work on the Spiderwick Chronicles with Tony DiTerlizzi, Simon and Schuster has re-released the series with all new covers to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide.  Click here to see all of the covers.


For more information on Holly Black: website | blog | twitter | facebook | tumblr | pinterest