Fast Backward by David Patneaude with Giveaway!

FAST BACKWARD

by David Patneaude
YA Science Fiction/Time Travel

Fifteen-year-old Bobby Hastings witnesses an atomic explosion near a top secret New Mexico army base in July of 1945.

 Terrified, he soon heads off on his bike for home, only to encounter something that rivals the blast for drama. A girl his age stands naked at the side of the lonely desert road: underweight, unwell, and speaking with a German accent. In the coming days, she unveils an impossible story about time travel and a heartbreaking outcome of the war. She begs people to believe her warning and prevent the awful future she claims to know too well. But even if they do believe her, and the story is true, the biggest question remains: can history be undone?

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David Patneaude finally heeded the advice, "It's never too late to have a happy childhood," and began writing seriously (more or less) in the mid 1980's. His first novel, SOMEONE WAS WATCHING, winner of South Dakota and Utah book awards, was published in 1993. His books have been placed on young readers' lists in more than thirty states and honored by the New York Public Library (THE LAST MAN'S REWARD), the Society of School Librarians International (FRAMED IN FIRE), the Winnetka (Illinois) Public Library's "One Book, Two Villages" program (THIN WOOD WALLS), and the Washington State Public Library (THIN WOOD WALLS). His newest book, EPITAPH ROAD, was first published in March 2010. A revised digital edition was published in February 2017. Enjoy! When he's not sitting in a coffee shop writing, or at a school or library or conference talking about writing, or out on the running trail thinking about writing, he's at home in Woodinville, Washington with his wife Judy, a junior high librarian.

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Review: Twain's Treasure: The Phantom Files by William B. Wolfe

THE PHANTOM FILES

Twain's Treasure, Book One

by William B. Wolfe

Dreaming Robot Press

Middle Grade Fantasy

ages 9 to 12

250 pages

Dead men tell no tales. Except to me. When I’m around, they can’t shut up.

My name is Alex April, and I see ghosts. Worse, they see me. If my paranormal-obsessed best friend Bones knew, he’d be crazy happy. But only one thing happens when I acknowledge their presence. Trouble.

I’ve gotten so good at hiding my ability, everyone believes it. Even the ghosts…most of the time.

Except now I’ve got the nightmare of all homework assignments: write a book report about Mark Twain. Trouble is, I have to go to the library to check out a book. Not just any library—the Hannibal, Missouri’s Free Library, the most haunted building in town. And it’s haunted by none other than Samuel Langhorne Clemens himself.

Following me everywhere I go, desperate to find the legendary Twain Treasure. What exactly is that treasure? Not even Sam can say.

Well, Bones has always wanted to go on a real-life ghost adventure. I just hope this one doesn’t land us both in ZIP code 63409-DEAD.

MY TIDBITS

Ghosts, humor and adventure make this a fun read while giving a wonderful glimpse into the life of one of America's most famous authors, Mark Twain.

Alex can see and hear ghosts, and they know he can. Too bad his parents and everyone else have always believed he suffers from schizophrenia. Now, in the town of Hannibal, he's off to a fresh start, and now, he's old enough to know how to avoid ghosts as much as he can. Unfortunately, his best friend is a paranormal fan...an extreme fan. Just when Alex thinks he can balance it all, his teacher assigns the class to finish a report involving Mark Twain by the end of school break. And he insists they use the town's library—one of the most haunted buildings in Hannibal. And it's hear that Alex runs into the most persistent, determined ghost ever.

This is a wonderful mixture of adventure and history. The story is fast-paced and full of unexpected twists and turns as Alex goes from a ghostly cheerleader in a graveyard to a much too alive and violent football player to a ghost who doesn't follow any of the 'ghostly rules'. And amid all of this, he has to solve a mystery too. It's a fun mixture and teaches things along the way without ever having that 'learning' feel.

Alex is a great kid, who has a fairly troubled past thanks to his ridiculous 'talent' to see and hear ghosts. How difficult his past has been is shown in flash-backs, which are strewn throughout the book. By putting these in italics, the author makes the transitions very clear and smooth. And they come just a little bit at a time, exactly the amount needed to gradually gain a deeper understanding of Alex and respect how much he's tackled in his life so far. He's easy to sympathize with, definitely not a pansy, and deals with things as best he can.

His best friend, Bones, adds a nice and, at times, humorous note. Although Bones never develops as a character as much as Alex does, he gives the entire story a lovely twist and keeps Alex grounded without even realizing it.

This is a fun start to what appears to be an exciting series, one which even teachers and homeschoolers are sure to appreciate.


And here he is...

If it's unbelievable, William Wolfe probably believes in it—and writes about it. From ghosts to extraterrestrials, psychic cats, fairy folk, and black-eyed kids, nothing is too weird to guest star in his stories and books. “Too weird,” he believes, is just about the right amount of weird. He grew up near the weirdly named community of Monkey’s Eyebrow, Kentucky, reading every science fiction and fantasy book he could lay hands on and eventually becoming a journalist, where he learned that the truth is often more unbelievable than fiction. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his weird family and their weirder cat, Mr. Bite

Review: God's Blessing Day By Day by Johnny Hunt

GOD'S BLESSING DAY BY DAY

My Daily Devotional for Kids

by Johnny Hunt

Thomas Nelson

Children's Religious

Non-Fiction

ages 4 to 8

Share the blessing of God with your child every day. During the busyness of your day, it can be difficult to find time to sit down with your child and share God's blessings. In this book are valuable lessons on such topics as God's blessings, the gift of Jesus, thankfulness, obedience, being kind, loving others, and many more. God's Word is share using simple language, and the devotions feature charming illustrations. This collection of prayers and devotions written by pastors, children ministers, and other church leaders will teach your child about God's blessings and the joy of spending time with Him every day.

MY TIDBITS

With sweetness and gentle moments, these short devotions are perfect for spending a few minutes every day with children and thoughts on God.

These pages offer one devotion every day for a year. It simply starts with 'Week 1, Monday' making it easy to start any time during the year and still maintain a daily schedule. Each devotion starts with a short title, a verse out of the Bible (from a translation just right for kids), and ends with a very short prayer. To make sure the message is clear and pointed out, a last thought of only a few words is left for kids to take with them. Of course, every page is accompanied by a sweet, cheerful illustration. Each of these depicts cute animals in a simple and gentle situation (like holding a flower or riding a bike). To make everything easy to find, there's a table of contents in the beginning as well as a couple of indexes at the back of the book: one with a list of the contributors and the correlating devotion, and one with a list of the used Bible verse and the page on which they can be found.

The devotions are written in a very simple manner with situations young listeners can easily identify with. Most don't feel preachy but offer food for thought in a way kids understand...and something even adults can consider. The Bible verses come from different translations, each which is pointed out with a short abbreviation, which is explained in the very front of the book in the small type. Obviously, the translations are a personal thing, some being better than others. Most (if not all) of the contributors come from the Baptist church, but the messages in the pages are still general enough to meet most denominations. 

We found the devotions sweet, quick and just right for a pause to think about God and our lives. It offers a warming atmosphere with the kids, doesn't feel pressured but rather natural, and offers great openings for discussions and thoughts. In other words, it's a lovely book to help remind adult/parents to take the time each day to sit with their children and explore the Bible verse and thoughts of God.

I received a complimentary copy through Booklook Bloggers and my children and I enjoy the devotions enough to have us want to leave our honest thoughts.

Guest Post with author Meg Leder, Letting Go of Gravity, and Giveaway!

Letting Go of Gravity 

by Meg Leder 

Simon Pulse

July 17th 2018

YA Contemporary

“The anticipation and slow burn of Parker and Finn’s relationship is electric…[an] absorbing novel that will appeal to fans of Rainbow Rowell.” —Booklist 

Parker struggles to reconnect with her twin brother, Charlie—who’s recovering from cancer—as she tries to deal with her anxiety about the future in this powerful new novel.
Twins Parker and Charlie are polar opposites.
Where Charlie is fearless, Parker is careful.
Charlie is confident while Parker aims to please.
Charlie is outgoing and outspoken; Parker is introverted and reserved.
And of course, there’s the one other major difference: Charlie got cancer. Parker didn’t.
But now that Charlie is officially in remission, life couldn’t be going better for Parker. She’s landed a prestigious summer internship at the hospital and is headed to Harvard in the fall to study pediatric oncology—which is why the anxiety she’s felt since her Harvard acceptance is so unsettling. And it doesn’t help that her relationship with Charlie has been on the rocks since his diagnosis.
Enter Finn, a boy who’s been leaving strange graffiti messages all over town. Parker can’t stop thinking about those messages, or about Finn, who makes her feel free for the first time: free to doubt, free to make mistakes, and free to confront the truth that Parker has been hiding from for a long time.
That she keeps trying to save Charlie, when the person who really needs saving is herself.

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GUEST POST by MEG LEDER...

In my new book Letting Go of Gravity, my main character Parker struggles with anxiety, even though she doesn’t quite know what’s going on until the end of the book. As someone who also has a hard time getting out of her own head, like Parker, I’ve discovered a few ways to help manage my busy mind. Here are some of the tricks Parker and I have used to calm ourselves:

• Immerse yourself in the words of others. For Parker, it’s listening to Taylor Swift. For me, it’s finding a book that I can lose myself in. Sometimes, the mere act of letting yourself spend time with other voices is enough to give your worried mind a break.

• Get busy. In my book, Parker starts helping out at a local ceramics shop, working with a group of old women while discovering the joy of making things with her own two hands. For me, it’s writing and being a reading buddy at a local elementary school. Creating and volunteering are both great ways of slowing the worry train, letting your mind focus on other avenues.

• Be kind to yourself. It’s very easy to be mad at yourself when you’re anxious. You know that you’re not thinking rationally, but that doesn’t stop the anxious thoughts. But being mad at yourself doesn’t help you feel better—in fact, it makes Parker (and me) feel worse. Instead of being hard on yourself, be kind. You can’t always stop the thoughts, but you can at recognize that anxiety is hard and you’re doing the best you can.

• Talk to your friends and family. Throughout the book, Parker’s new friends Ruby and Finn encourage her to talk about her feelings, and it’s only when she starts to tell people that she’s worried and scared that things start to get better. I’ve found that being open about my worried thoughts with people I trust—my family, my best friends, my therapist—is often the first step toward owning and overcoming my anxiety.

• Know that it’s okay to seek help. It takes Parker a long time (a whole book!) to recognize she needs help in managing her worry. It took me twenty-plus years. More than anything, I hope that anyone who sees a little or a lot of themselves in Parker knows it’s okay to ask for help, whether it’s from a teacher, trusted adult, therapist, or good friend. Anxiety can be a hard road, but having someone on your side can make the journey a lot easier.

I hope you enjoy Letting Go of Gravity, and if you’re anxious too, please know you’re not alone—Parker and I are both with you.

And here she is...

A former bookseller and teacher, Meg Leder currently works as a book editor in New York City. Her role models are Harriet the Spy and Anne Shirley. She is the coauthor of The Happy Book, and spends her free time reading, looking for street art, and people watching. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. 

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Review: Everything I Know About You by Barbara Dee

EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT YOU

by Barbara Dee

Aladdin

June 12, 2018

Middle Grade Contemporary

ages 9 to 12

320 pages

Misfit Tally is forced to room with queen bee Ava on the seventh grade field trip to Washington, DC, and discovers several surprising things about her roommate—including the possibility of an eating disorder—in this timely new novel from the author of Star-Crossed and Halfway Normal.

During a class trip to DC, twelve-year-old Tally and her best friends, Sonnet and Caleb (a.k.a. Spider) are less than thrilled when they are assigned roommates and are paired with kids who are essentially their sworn enemies. For Tally, rooming with “clonegirl” Ava Seely feels like punishment, rather than potential for fun.

But the trip is full of surprises. Despite a pact to stick together as much as they can, Sonnet pulls away, and spider befriends Marco, the boy who tormented him last year. And Marco just might “like” Tally—what’s that about?

But the uneasy peace in Ava and Tally’s room is quickly upended when Tally begins to suspect something is off about Ava. She has a weird notebook full of random numbers, and doesn’t seem to eat anything during meals. When Tally confronts Ava, Ava threatens to share an embarrassing picture of Tally with the class if Tally says anything to anyone about her suspicions. But will Tally endanger more than her pride by keeping her secret?

This is one class trip full of lessons Tally will never forget: how to stay true to yourself, how to love yourself and embrace your flaws, and how being a good friend can actually mean telling a secret you promised to keep…

MY TIDBITS

With a little bit of humor, a spunky character and heaps of finesse, this book takes on a difficult topic not often mentioned in middle grade novels.

Tally's class trip is heading toward Washington D.C., something she's theoretically excited about...if it weren't for most of the people in her class. To make matters worse, the teacher has placed Tally and each of her two friends with their corresponding worst enemies ever. To help get through it, Tally starts a game. Her and her friends come up with tiny secrets for each one of their enemies and tell each other each day. While some personal secrets are silly and cute, Tally discovers something very confusing about her enemy—a notebook with numbers which don't appear to have any clear meaning. As she tries to uncover the secret of these numbers, she stumbles across something which changes everything she thought she knew about her worst enemy.

Eating disorders aren't one of the themes usually handled in middle grade books, but it's a topic which does, unfortunately, affect even some within this age group. While being a difficult problem to address, the author does a wonderful job in these pages and brings the message home without hammering it in or taking wrong turns along the way.

Tally is a bit of a strange character. She's a twelve-year-old who doesn't fit in, except with her two friends, but still packs a spunky punch. Her style is way out there, and even when she's unsure of her decisions, she holds to her individuality and faces the world. At the same time, she bites. The first chapters do not present a mild personality, but she attacks her enemies with snark and harshness. This gives her corners which aren't always likable but definitely realistic. Tally has things to learn.

Although this takes place during a class trip, this is a book about people and their relationships. Tally not only makes surprising discoveries about those who she considered enemies, but also about her own friends. The bounds of friendship and enemies bend and twist in this tale while staying down-to-earth and believable. Each character has something to offer, surprises of their own and brings fuel to the tale. This is a story about feelings, middle school drama, getting to really know people, and realizing that everyone has their own monsters to battle. In this sense, Tally's sharpness turns to careful fingers and kindness which offers inspiration and food for thought.

And here she is...

Barbara Dee is the author of The (Almost) Perfect Guide to Imperfect Boys, Trauma Queen, This Is Me Fro Now On, Solving Zoe (Bank Street Best Children's Books) and Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life (Publishers Weekly starred review) and Truth or Dare. Barbara is one of the  founders and directors of he Chappaqua Children's Book Festival. She lives in Westchester County, New York with her family, tow naughty cats, and a rescue hound dog named Ripley. Barbara blogs at www.Frothemixedupfiles.com.
Read more about Barbara at www.BarbaraDeeBooks.com.