Baby Penguins Love Their Mama Blog Tour - Interview & Giveaway

Today on Kid Lit Frenzy, I have the pleasure of interviewing Melissa Guion, the author and illustrator of BABY PENGUINS LOVE THEIR MAMA.

I have noticed that many books for toddlers and preschoolers/kinders often show a mama penguin and baby penguins. Why do you think young children seem to connect so well with penguins? Was there a reason for creating the story - Baby Penguins Love Their Mama - using penguins rather than other animals? 

I honestly went with penguins because I like to draw them. But you’re right, kids love them, probably for the same reasons I do. They’re cute! They’re silly! They’re always slipping and falling down, and waving their useless, comical wings. Then they jump in the water and transform like Clark Kent into Superman, rocketing around with amazing speed and skill. It’s fantastic. Also, penguins spend a lot of time with their parents, which children get. I remember thinking as a child how sad it would be to be a salmon. Never even meeting your parents. And then there’s Happy Feet. Everyone loves Happy Feet. That’s a lot of reasons.

When you are working on a picture book, what comes first - pictures or text? Do you create an outline?

My books are so short that I don’t outline. I just write. When I have a text I start making thumbnail sketches to figure out the basic pacing across the 32 pages I have to work with. Then I make a dummy. Eventually the art picks up momentum, and what’s going on there can dictate changes in the text. It’s a fluid process.

What is your creative process in drawing your illustrations? 

The world of this book was already established in BABY PENGUINS EVERYWHERE, so I was able to dive into the art pretty fast once I had my story. I made the artwork on 300lb watercolor paper with a graphite bar and watercolors. (I filmed a little of the process and posted it on YouTube. See below.) I make a few rudimentary marks on the paper from a sketch, using a lightbox, so I know generally where things are supposed to be on the page. But I don’t flesh it out much because I want a feeling of live drawing in the final art. With the toothy paper and dark graphite I use, it’s hard to make changes, so I work with whatever happens. If it’s truly horrible I start over.

Who most influenced your art and writing? 

I’ve looked a lot at William Steig and Alexander Calder. I love Steig’s line quality and his soulfulness. I admire Calder’s playfulness and the variety of his work. And I’ve said this before, I really admire the way James Marshall wrote. His stories are tight and funny and full of feeling. He made it seem so simple: George did this. Martha said that. The End. But it’s so, so funny. His artwork always filled in the blanks. The spread in GEORGE AND MARTHA where George is sitting in the balloon basket is one of the funniest pages of any book anywhere.

What is the one book that you read over and over again as a child? What book did you never return to the library because you loved it so much and couldn’t let it go?

I pored over Richard Scarry’s books. I only had one. When I went to a friend’s house who had the others I would grab them and go in a corner and obsess over every page. As far as real reading, I don’t think I was a huge re-reader. I remember re-reading THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE a few times. There were other books I loved very much that you can’t really re-read, like TUCK EVERLASTING. Once you read it, you’re done. It has happened to you.

What question do you wish I had asked?

These were terrific questions. I don’t know, how about what’s that great yellow you used for the penguins’ beaks? It’s called Gamboge. I do love yellow.

Photo Credit John Trotter

About the author/illustrator:
Melissa Guion's first picture book, Baby Penguins Everywhere!, was selected for The Original Art 2012, an exhibition of the year's best illustrated children's books. Melissa swears she could draw baby penguins all day, but she may take a hiatus to do a book about her daughter's guinea pigs. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. For more information, visit her website: http://www.melissaguion.com/

Be sure to follow the adorable mama and baby penguins on Melissa Guion’s blog tour!

Monday, Jan 13	Susan Heim on Parenting	http://susanheim.blogspot.com/
Tues, Jan 14	The Children's Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Wed, Jan 15	Once Upon a Story	http://www.novalibrarymom.com/
Thurs, Jan 16	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Fri, Jan 17	Momma Drama	http://blogginmommadrama.blogspot.com/
Sat, Jan 18	Booking Mama	http://www.bookingmama.net/
Mon, Jan 20	5 Minutes for Books	http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/feature-columns/5-minutes-for-books/
Tues, Jan 21	Just a Little Creativity	http://www.justalittlecreativity.com/
Wed, Jan 22	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	http://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com/
Thurs, Jan 23	Geo Librarian	http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/
Fri, Jan 24	As They Grow Up	http://www.astheygrowup.com/
Sat, Jan 25	Obsessive Mommy	http://obsessivemommy.com

And don't forget to check out this awesome giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a deliciously-scented mama and baby penguin goat's milk soap (for preening practice, of course!) and a signed copy of BABY PENGUINS LOVE THEIR MAMA.

 

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FOSSIL Blog Tour & Special Guest Post with Bill Thomson

At the beginning of November, I had a chance to meet up with the amazing, Bill Thomson in person.  He emailed me to say he would be in town and did I want to get together.  Well, I didn't need to think about it.  Of course, I wanted to meet up.  I picked Bill up at a local artist's studio and we headed over to Kidspace Children's Museum in Pasadena.   It's a great space to hang and I wanted to introduce Bill to one of the staff at the museum.  As we walked around the museum, we talked about Bill's newest book, FOSSIL and about children and imagination and science and more.

After leaving Kidspace, we headed over to Montrose and stopped by Once Upon a Time Bookstore.  We were lucky that owner Maureen Palacios was in and I had a chance to introduce Bill to her.  I must have done a pretty fabulous job book talking Gris Grimly's Frankenstein because Bill picked up a copy while we were there.

We then headed to a small barbeque place for dinner where we managed to talk books and creative process for a couple more hours.

Here's a few things you need to learn about me...I will never make a great reporter.  I managed to not take a single picture or take notes throughout my whole time with Bill.  It just felt wrong somehow.  It would have completely messed up the tone of the afternoon/evening.  Another thing about me, I was plotting the whole time about how I might be able to create several events around Bill and his books.  Did you notice that I was taking him to places that could be potential event spots? *smile*

Now, here is the fun stuff.  During our dinner, Bill was talking to me about how he sometimes makes creative decisions with his art so that it will work better for children who are viewing his books.  I was fascinated with what he was sharing.  He then offered to share some images with the readers of my blog.  If you haven't figured this out yet, Bill is one of the nicest people I have ever met, and I am very blessed to have had the chance to spend so much time with him.  

This is what Bill shared with the readers of my blog about creating the Pteranodon in the book.

From Bill - Here are the steps used to create the illustration:

My initial thumbnail sketch establishes the basic idea.

Then I take the reference photos so I can make the details looks as convincing as possible. I shot photos from higher vantage point matching my thumbnail sketch, but I thought a lower perspective worked better. I shot over 10,000 reference photos for this book, and usually take multiple vantages for each illustration to see what works best. I have a very skinny nephew named Sam and used his back as the basis for my pteranodon. The pteranodon was a mix of a figure that I painted, Sam’s back, lizard photos, ptranodon research, and stuff I made up. I was originally going to make him brownish, but then opted for a reddish color so he would stand out from the other colored fossils and also to add more color to the book.

Looking at the reference photos, I make a tight pencil drawing.

Then I paint a light coat of yellow acrylic paint over my entire pencil drawing, and add black acrylic paint on top to establish the darkest areas.

I paint over the entire illustration with a light coat of purple oil paint and remove the areas of sunlight with an eraser. This creates a yellow and purple under painting, establishing base colors for light and shadow.

I always paint backgrounds first. The flat blue color of the sky was painted with an airbrush to keep it smooth, and the ground painted with a sponge to create texture. Many of the illustrations in the book had actual rock mixed in with the paint, but the ground in this illustration was from a farther vantage point.

Then I create a tight acrylic painting on top of the under painting. This is the most time consuming part of the process.  And finally, I go over the entire illustration with colored pencil to refine the illustration. This final step is also quite time consuming, but brings the illustration to life with subtle details and textures.

Other illustrations with closer views of the ground included actual volcanic rock in the paint:

To create texture in ground on the closer scenes, I mixed rock in with my paint and dabbed it on with a sea sponge.

While the printing process can’t reproduce the three dimensional aspects of the rock, it does capture how the paint reacts to it. I liked including actual rocks in the paint for the illustrations of a book about fossils.

And then you have this amazing book trailer:

For more information about Bill Thomson:

Bill Thomson has been called “a master at visual storytelling.” He is the illustrator of several children’s books, including Chalk (Two Lions/Amazon Children’s Publishing, 2010), which received many accolades. Thomson is also Professor of Illustration at the University of Hartford. He lives with his family in Connecticut. Visit Bill at www.billthomson.com.

To download a copy of the educator guide or student activity guide click on the images:

To check out all of the stops for the FOSSIL Blog Tour:

Sat, Nov 9	Booking Mama	http://www.bookingmama.net/
Mon, Nov 11	NC Teacher Stuff	http://ncteacherstuff.blogspot.com/
Tues, Nov 12	Just a Little Creativity	http://www.justalittlecreativity.com/
Wed, Nov 13	There's a Book	http://www.theresabook.com/
Thurs, Nov 14	Sharpread	http://sharpread.wordpress.com/
Fri, Nov 15	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Mon, Nov 18	Once Upon a Story	http://www.novalibrarymom.com/
Tues, Nov 19	The Children's Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Wed, Nov 20	5 Minutes for Books	http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/feature-columns/5-minutes-for-books/
Thurs, Nov 21	Geo Librarian	http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/
Fri, Nov 22	Growing with Science	http://blog.growingwithscience.com/

For a chance to win a copy of FOSSIL, complete the form below.  Winner must be 13 or older and have a US mailing address.

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For the Good of Mankind Blog Tour - Interview with Vicki Oransky Wittenstein

 

For the Good of Mankind

by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein

Lerner/Twenty-First Century Books (October 1, 2013)

Today, as part of the For the Good of Mankind Blog Tour, author Vicki Oransky Wittenstein stops by to answer a few questions.

FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND was fascinating to read. I appreciated how you made readers think about the implications of the research. What drew you to this topic and what made you want to write this book? 

I was appalled by the experiments . . . yet riveted. Many of the unethical experiments horrified me . . . yet they drew me in. With some digging, I uncovered numerous examples (too many) where people suffered pain, injury, humiliation, and even death. No question about it, the experiments paved the way for great medical advancements. But in the process, people’s individual rights were violated, many of whom did not give consent. Before the 1980’s, when laws were finally enacted to protect subjects, medical researchers took advantage of whomever they could—orphans, prisoners, the mentally ill and African Americans—people who were powerless to speak out, whether from lack of education, poverty, or simply because their social status deemed them “unimportant.”

How was it possible that I had not known about these experiments before? I asked my family and friends. Most people knew about the Nazi experiments on concentration camp inmates during World War II and the Tuskegee syphilis experiments. But like me, few knew about the long history of human medical experimentation dating back to ancient times. Many had read about the pharmaceutical industry’s clinical trials that are so prevalent today, but again, few had thought about the ethical implications of these trials and other human medical experiments in developing areas of medicine, such as genetic therapies, DNA sequencing and stem cell research.

I was curious about why the unethical experimentation was permitted. What events occurred throughout history that reflected and changed society’s view of medical science? So, for example, during the years of slavery, doctors freely experimented on African American slaves who were bought just for the purpose of medical experimentation. Later, medical ethics fell by the wayside during times of war when the U.S. government had to amass huge numbers of troops and prepare them for combat. And during the Cold War, the government created a climate of secrecy. Many people were unknowingly exposed to experiments with radiation, such as the eighteen random patients in hospitals across the country whom Manhattan Project doctors injected with plutonium.

I wanted readers to understand this history, debate the ethics, and learn from our past mistakes. Like most things in life, ethical human medical experimentation requires a balance. How can we pursue society’s goal of medical advancement without stepping on the individual’s right to be free from harm? Young readers today will be the future leaders in law, government, medicine and science. They will be hit from all sides with ethical questions, and they will have to act with fairness and justice. I hope the book challenges them to stand up for what they believe in.

Your book just recently came out. Have you had a chance to do any school visits yet? What type of feedback have you received from teachers (if any)? 

I haven’t visited any schools yet, but just a couple of weeks ago I was invited to speak on the nonfiction panel at the New York City Librarian’s Annual Fall Conference for librarians in New York State. Both librarians and teachers were concerned about how to use the Common Core State Standards with their students, and were happy to learn about ways to connect the book to their history and English curricula. Questions at the back of the book provoke critical analysis of each chapter. Additionally, Lerner, my publisher, has suggested student projects and debates that teachers can utilize and link to specific Common Core State Standards (the activities are available on my website and on the Lerner website).

The research behind writing books fascinates me. Listening to where authors found primary and secondary sources, sometimes leads me to ideas that I can use with students in writing exercises. What was the research process like while your worked on FOR THE GOOD OF MANKIND?

The research was fascinating and led to some wonderful interviews. I spoke to several bioethicists, including Jerry Menikoff, M.D., Director of the Office for Human Research Protection, who helped me understand many of the current ethical issues in the field today. I also spoke with Eva Mozes Kor, a twin and survivor of Dr. Joseph Mengele’s experiments on twins at Auschwitz. Her story deeply saddened me. But she also gave me an authentic and meaningful way to discuss a difficult topic with young readers. Similarly, a conversation I had with Joshua Shaw, whose four-year-old brother was flown to the U.S. for treatment, but instead was injected with plutonium, put a human face to a painful story. Today, students can access many primary and secondary sources online, including material from the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, U.S. Department of Energy hearings on the radiation experiments, the laws promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and many newspaper clippings and journal articles.

Can you share about any future projects that you are working on?

Right now I’m researching a fascinating book for Lerner about the history of reproductive rights in America, abroad, and in developing countries, which will explore the history of birth control and reproductive freedom from ancient herbal concoctions and birth control devices, to 20th Century pioneer Margaret Sanger and the legalization of birth control in the U.S, the invention of the Pill, and the anti-abortion movement. I’m super excited!

Do you have a favorite independent bookstore that you like to visit? 

(If you have a link to the store's website that would be great.) I have two favorite independent bookstores in New York City. BookCourt (www.bookcourt.com) is in Brooklyn, and the Bank Street Bookstore (www.bankstreetbooks.com) is located in Manhattan.

Can we get a glimpse at your TBR (to-be-read) pile? Anything that you are most excited about reading next?

 Here I am with my pile—lots of books on the history of reproductive rights!

Thanks for hosting me, Alyson.

About the author:  VICKI ORANSKY WITTENSTEIN has always been curious about new ideas, people, and places. That curiosity has taken her life in many different directions.  So far, she has been a student, a criminal prosecutor, a writer, and an advocate for children and families.  She is the author of a number of science and history articles for young readers, as well as the book Planet Hunter: Geoff Marcy and the Search for Other Earths, which won the 2013 Science Communication Award from the American Institute of Physics.  She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. For more information, and for a free discussion guide, visit http://vickiwittenstein.com/.
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Follow the Blog Tour:

Mon, Nov 4	proseandkahn	http://proseandkahn.blogspot.com/
Tues, Nov 5	The Prosen People	http://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/_blog/The_ProsenPeople/
Thurs, Nov 7	The Nonfiction Detectives	http://www.nonfictiondetectives.com/
Fri, Nov 8	Growing with Science	http://blog.growingwithscience.com/
Mon, Nov 11	Ms. Yingling Reads	http://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/
Tues, Nov 12	Through the Wardrobe	http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com/
Wed, Nov 13	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Thurs, Nov14	GreenBeanTeenQueen	http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/
Fri, Nov 15	The Fourth Musketeer	www.fourthmusketeer.blogspot.com

We are happy to give away one copy of For the Good of Mankind (US mailing addresses only). To enter complete the form below.

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Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Mitchell Goes Bowling Blog Tour and Special Author & lllustrator Interview

Today I am thrilled to have author, Hallie Durand and illustrator, Tony Fucile stop by Kid Lit Frenzy. Check out this great interview where Hallie and Tony interview each other about bowling.

Tony Fucile interviews Hallie Durand

Who, from the Durand clan, has the best “strike” celebration dance?

I’d have to award this to my husband Michael. While he was fulfilling his ROTC obligation in Germany, he had his own “turkey” dance (“turkey” is three strikes in a row). The “dance” consisted of: shooting index fingers to the right, then left (quickly and with attitude), a 360-degree turn, and then a split. Pretty impressive, especially cause he could stand up right after the split! (He’s a good dancer.)

Describe your image of the perfect bowling ball.

The perfect bowling ball is not too heavy, and my fingers fit perfectly in the holes. Then the ball moves strong and fast down the lane and knocks all the pins down. The ball is red.

Who’s the most competitive bowler in the family?

That might be a tie, because we’re all fairly bad at the game, but we love to get Xs and we all hoot and holler when all those pins go down. My son has the hardest time with being behind, but he is also the youngest, 8. He has no problem letting loose when he gets a strike (none of us do!). We all need a few mozzarella sticks when we’re losing.

Who’s your favorite fictional bowler (excluding Dad and Mitchell)?

He’s in my mind. And he’s a raccoon who washes the ball with his little hand claws before he bowls. We had a pet raccoon when I was little, and he always washed his hard-boiled eggs with his hand claws. I’d like to see that raccoon bowl! Go Bandit!!

Hallie Durand interviews Tony Fucile

What’s your bowling average, and do you use gutter guards?

Since having kids I use gutter guards. It’s fun! The guards allow me to experiment with different deliveries and throwing techniques (mostly stuff I learned from watching The Flintstones) that would ordinarily land my ball in the next lane or two. I’ve never figured out a bowling average (I like to look on the bright side of things).

How did you nail the illustration of Dad’s “triple steamin’ hot potato dance?” How did you figure out how to draw this, cause it’s perfect!?

I shot video of myself and then selected poses from the footage to draw from. It always helps to get up and physically act things out to get fresh ideas. You never fail to surprise yourself with something. In this case something pretty ridiculous. This is why the evidence has been destroyed.

What do you snack on when you’re bowling?

Anything with melted cheese on it. That includes beer.

October is National Learn to Bowl Month. Celebrate with Mitchell Goes Bowling by Hallie Durand and illustrated by Tony Fucile.

About the Author:
Hallie Durand is the author of Mitchell’s License, now available in paperback as Mitchell Goes Driving, among other books for children. About Mitchell Goes Bowling, she says, "I love hanging out at the lanes with my crew, especially when I get a couple of Xs!" She lives with her family in Maplewood, New Jersey. To learn more, visit her website at http://www.halliedurand.com/.

About the Illustrator:
Tony Fucile is the author-illustrator of Let's Do Nothing! as well as the illustrator of the Bink & Gollie series by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee. He has spent more than twenty years designing and animating characters for numerous feature films, including The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles. He lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay area.

Readers can follow Mitchell as he tours the web! 

Sat, Oct 5	Booking Mama	http://www.bookingmama.net/
Mon, Oct 7	The Children's Book Review	http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/
Tues, Oct 8	Susan Heim on Parenting	http://susanheim.blogspot.com/
Wed, Oct 9	Sharpread	http://sharpread.wordpress.com/
Thurs, Oct 10	There's a Book	http://www.theresabook.com/
Fri, Oct 11	Just a Little Creativity	http://www.justalittlecreativity.com/
Mon, Oct 14	Once Upon a Story	http://www.novalibrarymom.com/
Tues, Oct 15	Geo Librarian	http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/
Wed, Oct 16	5 Minutes for Books	http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/feature-columns/5-minutes-for-books/
Thurs, Oct 17	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Fri, Oct 18	As They Grow Up	http://www.astheygrowup.com/

And don't forget to complete the form below to enter for a chance to win a copy of Mitchel Goes Bowling.  You must be 13 years or older and have a US or Canadian mailing address.


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The Misadventure of the Magician's Dog Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway

I am excited to be able to host debut author, Frances Sackett today on Kid Lit Frenzy.  Join us as we celebrate the release of her first middle grade novel and the magic of middle grade boy readers. Thanks Frances for stopping by.

First of all, I want to thank Alyson so much for hosting me! This is an amazing blog: I’ve gotten a number of good book recommendations for my own kids by reading through it.

I wanted to write today about middle-grade boys. This is a topic that’s very dear to my heart, since I spend most of my waking hours with two of them (my son and my boyfriend’s son, both of whom are ten). And everyone knows that if you have a house with two ten-year-old boys, then as often as not, you’ll find yourself with three ten-year-old boys, or four… It’s a little like the premise for If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Ten-year-old boys like nothing more than other ten-year-old boys; as a result, my house is generally overflowing with them.

What does this mean? It means I hear a lot of poop jokes on a daily basis. The word “balls” in almost any context will elicit an unbelievable amount of laughter. I find wrinkled, smelly socks left in every corner of every room, and way too often in the yard (why do boys take off their socks outside? Can someone explain this?). There are constant, SERIOUS discussions of Minecraft that mirror the passionate intensity with which members of the U.N. might debate solving world hunger.

Sometimes, when you’re dealing with all of these stereotypical ten-year-old boy qualities, it’s easy to forget how enormous those same boys’ hearts are. That even though they don’t always show it, they remember that two minutes ago they were toddlers who liked nothing better than to curl on your lap while you sang lullabies. That they’re paying attention to every word you say and every thing you do, trying to understand how to transition from that little child to the grown man they are rapidly becoming.

And that they need books to help them do this.

But boys don’t like “issue” books, you might argue. Girls will read about life and death and loss and love, but many boys are reluctant readers. They want adventure! And excitement! They want to laugh, for goodness sake! They don’t want to read about FEELINGS.

I’d agree with all of this except the last sentence. Yes, boys like page turners, and adventure, and excitement, and humor, just like they like poop jokes and video games. But I think we make a mistake when we underestimate their emotional capacity. They want to read about life and death and loss and love too, because—just like middle-grade girls—they sense the adult world, lurking just out of their reach, and they’re looking for points of entry.

But that said, they want their “issue” books in a different package. I will be honest: my ten-year-old boys are not picking up serious literary novels to read in a quiet moment. At their age, I read Jane Eyre and Gone With the Wind. They’re not even close. But if you put emotional depth in a story that’s also got adventure, fantasy, fun, and poop, they’ll gobble it up—and look for more. I don’t know that middle-grade boys like mine are always served well when the publishing industry puts “issue” books on one shelf and “fun” books on another.

My passion for fun middle-grade boy books with emotional depth was one of the driving forces behind my debut novel, The Misadventures of the Magician’s Dog. The main character in my book is a twelve-year-old named Peter Lubinsky who adopts a dog that can talk and do magic. The dog offers to teach Peter how to do magic too—but only if Peter first helps rescue the dog’s former master, a magician who has accidentally turned himself into a rock. There’s plenty of wacky humor and adventure: in his quest to rescue the magician, Peter gets to fly; he visits a magic carnival; and he’s attacked by dinosaurs too. But the novel has some serious emotions at its heart. Peter is the son of a deployed air force pilot, and throughout the book, he struggles to understand his complicated feelings around his beloved father’s absence. He’s insecure and pretty lonely, and his relationship with one of his sisters isn’t always easy. In fact, when he first learns magic, the only way he can do it is by tapping into his unacknowledged anger at all the things that aren’t right about his life—and how powerless he feels to change them.

Though many of my readers may not have deployed parents—and, sadly, probably don’t have magic dogs!—I wanted to write about emotions with which many middle grade boys could identify. But I also wanted to write a story that would keep those same boys flipping pages to find out what happens next.

Middle-grade boys are pretty amazing. I love their zany humor, their boundless energy, the profound joy they find in each other’s company. I also love the intensity with which they feel emotions: there’s nothing more heartbreaking than their grief or more heartwarming than their love. They deserve books that reflect the full scope of their wonderful complexity—poop jokes and all.

Photo credit: Rita Crayon Huang

For more information about author, Frances Sackett, check her website: author's website

To check out all of the stops in the blog tour:

Monday, Sept 30 - I Am a Reader - Interview

Tuesday, Oct 1 - Read Now Sleep Later - Review

Wednesday, Oct 2 - Kid Lit Frenzy - Guest Post

Thursday, Oct 3 - Sharpreads - Review & Guest Post

Friday, Oct 4 - Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms - Review

Monday, Oct 7 - The Serial Reader - Interview and Review

to be cross-posted at I Am a Reader

Tuesday, Oct 8 - Dee's Reads - Review

Wednesday, Oct 9 - Paperback Writer - Guest Post

To enter the giveaway:

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