OMG: The Spell Bind - Guest Post & Giveaway

For fans of Lacey Unger-Ware, the wait for the third book in the Oh My Godmother series will be over soon.   Those of us at Kid Lit Frenzy are fans of the books and their creators, James Iver Mattson and Barbara Brauner and we are glad to host them, well James' cat Fred on the blog today.

Hi. I’m Fred. It’s time for the world to know the truth: even though my name isn’t on the cover of the Oh My Godmother books, there wouldn’t be a series at all except for me.

      I’ve been here since the beginning. OMG’s main character, Lacey Unger-Ware, has an orange cat named Julius. Barbara and James deny it, but that cat is really me! Julius starts the whole story when he eats the fairy godmother, Katarina. I’ve never eaten a fairy, but I do eat a lot of bugs, and that’s where they got the eating idea. Don’t believe me? Have you ever seen them eat bugs?

Now there’s a third Oh My Godmother book called OMG: The Spell Bind. This time, Lacey has to help a boy named Martin Shembly who wants to invent a jet pack. That was my idea, too. One time I tried to jump up on top of a bookcase, and James said I was trying to fly. Then, bam! The very next book has a flying jet pack in it. Pretty suspicious, if you ask me.

Artwork by Abigail Halpern

I think the book turned out pretty well. There’s a funny part where Katarina accidentally gets turned into a little bear. (I like books about tiny animals, because they remind me of mice and mice are the best.) There’s a crazy part where Martin Shembly knocks over the water tower at his school and almost washes the cafeteria away. And at the end, Lacey creates a magic carnival where everything is about pickles: pickle rides and pickle games and pickle cotton candy. It would have been better if everything was about mice, but pickles are pretty funny, too.

I’m including a picture of me yelling at Barbara and James. If I don’t stay on the table and supervise, they just watch funny videos on YouTube instead of working. In fact, that’s what they’re doing right now, so I better stop being such a chattercat and tell them to get busy. But it’s been nice talking to you, and I do hope you like The Spell Bind, even if it doesn’t have enough mice in it.

About James and Barbara:
Barbara Brauner and James Iver Mattson have worked together ever since they sold a feature film script about a very, very, bad cat, “Fluffy,” to Disney’s Hollywood Pictures. Their romantic comedy film script, “Deliver Us From Eva,” was produced by Focus Features. “Oh My Godmother: the Glitter Trap,” is their first book.

Barbara grew up in a house that had so many books her father had to brace the floors. After she moved to Los Angeles to work in the movie business, she met James, who’s been her writing partner ever since. Barbara lives with her bite-y, scratchy, and yet still oddly lovable rescue cat Jeeves.

Before he started writing with Barbara, James worked in motion picture special effects, which, just like Oh My Godmother, often involved a lot of sparkles. James’ cat is named Fred, who is Jeeves’ sweeter-natured brother.

Giveaway: One lucky reader will have a chance to win a copy of OMG: The Spell Bind by entering the rafflecopter below. You must be 13 years old and have a US mailing address. 

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The Spiritglass Blog Tour: Interview with Colleen Gleason

Kid Lit Frenzy is hosting Colleen Gleason on her blog tour for The Spiritglass Charade, which is the second book in the Stoker and Holmes series. Having been enthralled whilst reading the first book, The Clockwork Scarab, I've been excitedly anticipating the release of the second book. Here are some questions Colleen graciously answered for us:

What inspired you to create the alternate Victorian-Steampunk world that serves as the setting in the Stoker and Holmes novels? Are there any specific historical events that you created that supposedly shaped that world (other than electricity being banned by the government)?

Other than the banning of electricity by the government, I didn’t have any particular historical event in mind when defining my steampunk world. I wanted to create a world that looked and felt very similar to the actual Victorian London of 1889, and so I started there.

I began to look around online for inspiration—there is a lot of steampunk art and fashion out there—and I found this image. I literally gasped when I saw it and I thought, “This is my London!”

I tracked down the artist and asked for his permission to use the image of Odysseus’ Departure on my website and/or as I spoke and wrote about the book (should the need arise), as long as I credited him. He graciously agreed, and I was so pleased I bought a print of the image. It hangs in my office and is also my computer desktop wallpaper, so I see it every day.

[Photo credit to: Olek Zemplinski. http://www.biolinia.com/odysseus-departure/]

What made you think of having your protagonists be the relatives of such famed literary figures? Are there any other characters from Victorian literature we can expect in any of the books?

A traditional element of steampunk is the juxtaposition of literary characters with that of real historical figures, so I knew I’d be starting with that concept. Then, being a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, I knew I wanted to begin with a female version of the brilliant detective. When I learned that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker were actually friends, the idea of melding in a vampire element made a lot of sense—especially since I’d also written a series about a female vampire hunter during the time of Jane Austen.

Aside from Miss Adler, Mr. Holmes and Doctor Watson, there aren’t any other literary characters who’ve made an appearance yet. But I do have some ideas for other literary nods, though none have made appearances yet.

However, on the actual historical side, besides Bram Stoker, we do meet Olympia Babbage, the fictional granddaughter of the very real Charles Babbage—who designed but never built the first computer—in The Spiritglass Charade. We also meet Queen Victoria, Princess Alexandra, and we learn about Dr. Gray, who is the nephew of the author of Gray’s Anatomy.

Both books involve young women being taken advantage of in different ways. Do you think that the repression of women in Victorian society left women more vulnerable?

Women were vulnerable in Victorian society, there is no doubt about it. Think only of what they were forced to wear! They were literally and figuratively bound and restricted, protected and cossetted. Their clothing allowed for little movement, and surely the literal lack of oxygen from corsets and lack of exercise contributed to the repression and inability to do much of anything physical (including protect oneself).

However, whenever there is repression and restriction, there are those who are determined to rise above and beyond it—and it was those strict times, that sort of imprisonment, that inspired women like Millicent Fawcett and Emmeline Pankhurst to break out of that structure and create change.

The books explore time travel and the concept of there being an alternate world, but that's a secondary plot line. Any chance we'll see more of that in upcoming books?

Dylan remains a main character through the third book, which I’ve just finished writing (tentatively titled The Chess Queen Enigma, and due to be released October 2015). The whole concept of time travel is fascinating, and one that, of course, can be used to compare and contrast our society with that of Victorian England as well as raising moral questions. I’ve always loved playing with the idea of time travel and its implications, so I don’t foresee that element disappearing at all.

If you could live in any time period (including an altered historical time period), which would you choose?

Well, I’ve gotta be honest here…I pretty much love my heated blankets, automobile, air travel, and hot baths…so I think I’m just fine right here and now. However, to visit another world—knowing I could come back—I have a whole list of places—including Evaline and Mina’s London and the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Any chance that there will be a book 3? If not, what are you working on that you can share?

Indeed. Book three is complete and centers around a missing chess queen…along with the return of the Ankh.

What is your favorite indie bookstore and why is it a favorite?

I love Schuler’s Books in East Lansing, Michigan. It’s exactly what a bookstore should be: well-stocked, staffed by book-knowledgeable people, it has a great coffee shop, and the store creates and hosts wonderful events that bring book-lovers and authors together on a regular basis. I love going in there…and I always come out with a huge bag of books! 

The Spiritglass Charade
By Colleen Gleason
Chronicle Books, October 2014
udience: Ages 12 and Up

After the Affair of the Clockwork Scarab, Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes are eager to help Princess Alix with a new case. Seventeen-year-old Willa Aston is obsessed with spiritual mediums, convinced she is speaking with her mother from beyond the grave. What seems like a case of spiritualist fraud quickly devolves into something far more menacing: someone is trying to make Willa appear lunatic using an innocent-looking spiritglass to control her. The list of clues piles up: an unexpected murder, a gang of pickpockets, and the return of vampires to London. But are these events connected? As Uncle Sherlock would say, there are no coincidences. It will take all of Mina's wit and Evaline's muscle to keep London's sinister underground at bay.

Read an excerpt of The Clockwork Scarab | Read an excerpt of The Spiritglass Charade

Additional Resources: Common Core Aligned Teacher's Guide | Steampunk Party Kit | Steampunk Costume 

About the author:
Colleen Gleason is a New York Times bestselling author with more than two dozen novels in print, including the international bestselling paranormal romance series The Gardella Vampire Chronicles—about a female vampire hunter who lives during the time of Jane Austen. Check out her Stoker & Holmes Tumblr

Follow the Tour:

10/7/2014   Esther's Ever After    http://everafteresther.blogspot.com

10/8/2014   Chronicle Books Blog   http://www.chroniclebooks.com/blog/

10/9/2014   Anna's Book Blog   http://annavivian.blogspot.com/

10/10/2014   Kid Lit Frenzy   www.kidlitfrenzy.com

10/11/2014   Caught Between the Pages   http://caughtbetweenthepages.wordpress.com

10/12/2014   Mother Daughter Book Club   http://motherdaughterbookclub.com

10/13/2014   Cracking the Cover   www.crackingthecover.com

10/14/2014   The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia   http://hauntedorchid.blogspot.com

10/15/2014   Forever Young Adult   www.foreveryoungadult.com

10/16/2014   SciFiChick.com   Http://SciFiChick.com

10/17/2014   On Emily's Bookshelf   www.onemilysbookshelf.com

Interview with NUTS TO YOU author Lynn Rae Perkins

Today, I am welcoming Lynne Rae Perkins to Kid Lit Frenzy. Lynne's newest book is NUTS TO YOU.  

I loved the author's note and the description of the park and the squirrel and the peanut butter sandwich. As you wrote NUTS TO YOU, did you have other experiences where your characters surprised you?

I love it when characters surprise me, and they always do. There is a time in the writing of every book where the characters stop feeling like people/animals I made up, and start to take on a certain independence. Then I put them in situations and wait to see what they'll do, like an improv theatre troupe.

In NUTS, for example, I loved the moment when Chai, who has been a cautious squirrel and is so terrified when he is in the crevice with the bobcat waiting outside, loses his fear.

Writing a book where all of the characters are animals must be different than writing a story where it is clearly realistic fiction. Are there certain challenges or benefits to writing one type of story vs. the other?

My squirrels became quite real and individual to me while I worked on this book, and they are clearly more human than squirrels actually are. But it was fun to imagine the world from a squirrel's point-of-view -- for example, the part that describes the first time Chai saw hunters wearing camouflage and thought he was seeing floating human heads with no bodies.
The combination of animal qualities and human qualities puts us in a place where normal rules don't apply, and that is fun, and freeing. But it still has to feel believable within the new, made-up rules.

In looking through all of the books that you have written, I realized that you illustrated Seed by Seed (which I loved). (Thanks!)

Did you have to convince your publisher to allow you to do the illustrations for NUTS TO YOU? Do you think you will ever do other picture books? And do you ever sketch out characters or scenes when you are writing other books?

I've written and illustrated half a dozen picture books, and so far, all of my novels have drawings. The first time I submitted part of a novel with drawings (All Alone in the Universe), my then-editor said that as kids get older, they don't really want illustrations in their books. But by the time I finished it, she and the art director were saying, "More drawings!"

I think it's becoming more and more common for novels to include drawings in some way. It's pretty exciting -- there's a whole spectrum of possibilities between a straight-text novel and a graphic novel.

I was an artist before I was a writer so, for me, sometimes drawing feels like a better way to say something. But I really love how the two forms can work together. They have a little conversation.

I do sketch characters sometimes. My drawings tend to be either diagrams (of some unlikely things) or attempts to communicate a moment.

Do you have any special writing routines, and what is your writing space like (coffee shop, office, other)?  

My writing routine can vary, but it happens in two main places.

First thing in the morning, I sit in a chair in my bedroom with my notebook and a thermos of coffee. Morning is a great time to write, because my mind is fresh and uncluttered. Whatever I put in front of it, that's what it gets interested in. (My bedroom, however, is not nearly as uncluttered as it appears in this drawing.)

After about an hour, I get dressed and go downstairs to my studio, where there is both a big desk and a small couch. Also, a very big window that looks out into our backyard full of trees. And squirrels.

(It's a pretty big room. My desk, and two big tables, are not visible in this photo.)

I often start off by re-writing what I wrote the day before, by hand, with a pen in a notebook. I revise as I go, and new ideas pop up. I try to end the writing session when I have some kind of idea of what's coming, but not enough time to dive into it. That way, I know where to start the next time. And some part of my mind turns ideas over and sorts out tangles while I think I'm paying attention to making dinner, etc.

 Are you working on any new books/projects that you can share with us?

I'm working on the illustrations for a picture book, but I think I'd like to keep it a surprise. I'll just say it has a boy and a dog in it.

What has been your favorite question or letter from a reader (either at a school visit or in a letter/email form)?

I love hearing from parents who say that their child has to read this or that book every night. I loved the girl who wrote that she loved CRISS CROSS so much she wanted to marry it. Those things can really warm a writer's heart.

I think the one of the most thought-provoking questions I've been asked came a number of years ago. I had written and illustrated three picture books, and I was visiting a school in Iowa City.  A little boy there asked me why all my characters had blue eyes. The obvious answer was that many of the characters and stories were about me and my family, and we all have blue eyes. But it really made me think, and was probably the first step in expanding my cast of characters. If we go back to question #2, I could say that when your characters are animals, no one feels excluded because of race or eye color or culture.  I think that's a nice benefit.

What is your favorite Independent Bookstore and where is it located?

I have at least two. One is a tiny one called Dog Ears Books, in Northport, Michigan, which is about fifteen minutes from where I live. Pamela Grath, the bookseller there, sells both used and new books, and is such an avid reader and supporter of authors. I've launched my last two books there.

And in Traverse City, Michigan, is Horizon Books, a much bigger store that has been one of the downtown anchors for many years.

Now that you have me on this topic, I can think of so many -- to be honest, I haven't met an independent bookstore I didn't like! Going into a bookstore when visiting a new place always grounds me and makes me feel comfortable and connected and stimulated, all at once.

Thanks for including me in your blog: I'm honored! 

About the Author:
ynne Rae Perkins is the creator of several acclaimed children’s books. She was awarded the Newbery Medal for her novel Criss Cross, and its companion, All Alone in the Universe, was named an ALA Notable Book and ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice, among other honors. Her recent novels include As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth and her most recent title, Nuts to You. She has written and illustrated six picture books, including Snow Music and Home Lovely, both Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Books, as well as The Cardboard Piano, Pictures from Our Vacation, The Broken Cat, and Clouds for Dinner. She is also the illustrator of Seed by Seed, a picture book biography of Johnny Appleseed, by Esmé Raji Codell. Lynne Rae Perkins lives with her family in northern Michigan. For more about Lynne Rae Perkins, check out her website. 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: IVAN The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

IVAN: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla 
by Katherine Applegate; Illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Clarion Books (October 7, 2014)
Audience:  Kindergarten to Third Grade
Biographical * Gorillas * Animal Welfare
We Love Ivan Tumblr
IndieBound | WorldCat

Teacher's Guide

Description from GoodReads:
In a spare, powerful text and evocative illustrations, the Newbery medalist Katherine Applegate and the artist G. Brian Karas present the extraordinary real story of a special gorilla.
     Captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington, mall to attract shoppers. Gradually, public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta. From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact.
     This is his true story and includes photographs of Ivan in the back matter.

My thoughts on this book:
I have been waiting on this book since I first heard that Katherine Applegate was writing it. I loved The One and Only Ivan, and I have read it aloud in several classes. Sometimes I think of it as having the same impact on readers as Charlotte's Web. It is a beautiful and powerful book of hope and resilience.  

With the release of Ivan the Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla, younger audiences can now experience Ivan's story.  Additionally, Middle Grade audiences can learn of the story behind the story with this amazing picture book.

Applegate begins with Ivan as an infant with his family in Central Africa, and shares about his capture and purchase by a man in Washington State. She shares about his time living with a family before he became too large.

A cage in a shopping mall became Ivan's home.

The story goes on to tell of how people protested Ivan's containment in such a small space. Eventually Ivan was transferred to Zoo Atlanta.  

G. Brian Karas' illustrations capture the essence of Ivan and provide readers with another layer in understanding the text. The endnotes provide readers with further details of Ivan's story and several photos of the real Ivan. There are also links to websites to learn more about gorillas. The book closes with some memories of Ivan as shared by one of the zoo keepers in Atlanta. 

Schools considering an One Book One School celebration can now provide readers from kindergarten to sixth grade with Ivan's story.  Look for a copy of Ivan the Remarkable True Story at an indie bookstore or library near you.

The Official Book Trailer:

Katherine Applegate tells the true story of Ivan in her new picture book:

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction book reviews:

Arcadys Goal Blog Tour & Giveaway

This week the Arcady's Goal Blog Tour kicks off right here at Kid Lit Frenzy with a review and giveaway. Check out the links for all of the stops in the blog tour and for a chance to enter to win a copy of Eugene Yelchin's newest book.

Arcardy's Goal
by Eugene Yelchin
Henry Holt and Company (October 14, 2014)
Audience: Grades 4 to 7
Historical Fiction * Soviet Union * Soccer
IndieBound | WorldCat
Reviews: Kirkus | Publisher's Weekly 
Teacher's Guide

Description from GoodReads:
From Newbery Honor–winning author Eugene Yelchin comes another glimpse into Soviet Russia. For twelve-year-old Arcady, soccer is more than just a game. Sent to live in a children’s home after his parents are declared enemies of the state, it is a means of survival, securing extra rations, respect, and protection. Ultimately, it proves to be his chance to leave. But in Soviet Russia, second chances are few and far between. Will Arcady seize his opportunity and achieve his goal? Or will he miss his shot?

Thoughts about this book:

In 2012, when Breaking Stalin's Nose won a Newbery Honor, I immediately went out and got a copy to read. It was fascinating to me to read a story set in the former Soviet Union.  There were not many novels that I knew of that seemed as accessible as Breaking Stalin's Nose and also gave readers some insight to life in the Soviet Union.

Yelchin is back with another novel, Arcady's Goal, set in the early 1940's in the Communist Russia. And as with Breaking Stalin's Nose, Yelchin finds a smaller story that will reach children while giving them some insight into what life would have been like for those living in the Soviet Union.  

For children with limited understanding of the time period and the significance of reporting others to the authorities, it is helpful to read first the author's note at the end of the book. I also find that both the length of the book and the complexity of the time period makes this book an excellent choice for a classroom read aloud. In addition to talking about the events happening in the story, and how children will relate to Arcady and his love for soccer, there are many possibilities for significant discussion.

I found as I read Arcady's Goal, I had a clear understanding of Arcady and how he took risks in an effort to protect himself and survive.  It was through his gifted nature to play soccer so well that other possibilities open up to him.  And though we often see Ivan through Arcady's eyes, we learn of the struggles and losses that Ivan has faced with the loss of his wife and more. 

If you have not read Breaking Stalin's Nose, I would certainly add it to your "to-read" list along with Arcady's Goal.  Yelchin's ability to write with emotion and  genuineness makes these must have's for the classroom.  Additionally, Yelchin's pencil illustrations add an additional layer to the story.

Eugene Yelchin talking about his 2012 Newbery Honor Book - Breaking Stalin's Nose

About the author:
Eugene Yelchin is the author and illustrator of the Newbery Honor Book Breaking Stalin's Nose. Bord and educated in Russia, he left the former Soviet Union when he was twenty-severn years old.  Mr. Yelchin has also illustrated several books for children, including Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? and Won Ton.  He lives in California with his wife and children.  
website | facebook

Check out the other stops on the blog tour:

10/6 – Kid Lit Frenzy

10/7 – Eat the Book

10/8 – Watch. Connect. Read

10/9 – Read, Write, Reflect

10/10 – Nerdy Book Club

10/13 – Librarian in Cute Shoes

10/14 – The Busy Librarian

Giveaway:
To enter to win a copy of Arcady's Goal, please complete the Rafflecopter form below. All participants must have a US Mailing address and be 13 years old or older. 

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