#MMGM with The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

In order to prepare to read The Fire Chronicle (provided by the publisher) by John Stephens, I needed to read the first in the series. This one:

I cannot begin to tell you how good it was. No, wait a minute! Yes I can. The fantasy world, character development and plotting was so good I was marveling when I wasn't lost in the world created. I also really enjoyed all the hints of other fairytales, books, mythology that were included-added a surprising depth and reality to the book that made me admire the author's skills even more. Plus, I must add that the plot is a little complicated and I truly appreciated how the author recapped-it was done so well and it never felt like an information dump. Some might feel this way? I am not sure. But he did it via characters having to update each other on what had happened to them. I found how he did this rather kind of well done. Would be interested to see what others think. Each of the siblings had their own arc that was subtle and believable and there were moments where the author backed them into a corner you would think they couldn't possibly get out. I won't tell you who gets out of what mess, but will encourage you to read this and also recommend it to your young readers who are fans of fantasy with some serious scary moments and battles. 

I will be reading The Fire Chronicle this week and I must say I am very excited to be doing so.

More on the book from the publisher:

Called “A new Narnia for the tween set” by the New York Times and perfect for fans of the His Dark Materials series, The Emerald Atlas brims with humor and action as it charts Kate, Michael, and Emma's extraordinary adventures through an unforgettable, enchanted world.

 
These three siblings have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.
 
Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.
 
Until now.
 
Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey through time to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem.  And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.

Happy Marvelous Middle Grade Monday all and here is the link to head back to Shannon Messenger's. She's the one who started all this Monday fun for us Middle Grade readers. And she has a review and a giveaway to day!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with one of my #Bookaday Reads-RUMP by Liesl Shurtliff

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The end of June is fast approaching. As some of you know I am taking part in Nerdy Book Club's #bookaday Summer Reading challenge. Wasn't going to start until end of June when school is out in these parts (Alberta, Canada), but..too fun to not start. Will also say this is more like a book every other day or so challenge. So, for this Marvelous Middle Grade Monday I will be sharing one of my reads so far. This is one that a few of you have already read and loved. I can see why the love is there.

From Goodreads: In a magical kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. With each thread he spins, he weaves himself deeper into a curse.

To break the spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest, fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples, and a wickedly foolish queen. The odds are against him, but with courage and friendship—and a cheeky sense of humor—he just might triumph in the end.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I truly enjoyed this book. Loved it, actually and with each page turn was so impressed with the author's writing skill and how she drew me into Rump's story and had me laughing and crying for him. He is a true hero in my books and absolutely the kind of character you want to cheer on and on for. The journey he embarks on is one that he thinks he has no choice on and yet he learns that he really is in charge of his own destiny. Plus, this is a darn witty imagining of the Rumplestilkin tale that weaves in a variety of other fairy tales and the people and creatures therein. By doing so she gives even greater depth and fun to this story. I should add that not a single use of other fairytales whether just referenced or an integral part of the main story was gratuitous and at the same time I don't think you have to know every tale that is referenced to be able to enjoy the book. This is a character kids will relate too. A kid trying to find his way, make friends and feel like he belongs. When I was finished and preparing this post I went to the author's site to see if there would be more because I didn't want to end my stay and plus her writing is so good I want to read more of it. The answer can be found here. And that answer is yes. She is working on a companion novel that is set in the same world.  I am already looking forward to heading back.

As for sharing this with kids when I start to work full time in the library this fall? You can bet I will be.


Happy Marvelous Middle Grade Monday all! Here is the link so you can head back to Shannon Messenger's website and carry on with your reading list building and seeing what others think of books you've read.

Fifth Annual #Bookaday Reading Challenge

The Nerdy Book Club Book's #Bookaday Challenge is just what I have been looking for. My TBR piles are massive and marvelous and ever growing, so this challenge will keep me reading and focused on trying to get a book a day read. Will I achieve this? Not sure, but I going to have a whole lot of fun trying. And as they say, there may be day where you don't get a book read, but another where you get two...and it still counts.

I will be reading a lot of  middle grade and picture books. I also have three professional books I will read as I prepare for my new position at a k-3 school. Mrs. Marshall in the house!

My to choose from areas for  #bookaday include:

Some Middle Grade I have yet to read and that have been on to read lists for rather too long. This includes Newberry award  winners like:

The One and Only Ivan
Moon Over Manifest
Kira-Kira
A Year Down Yonder
Maniac Magee
Lincoln A Photobiography
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nim

Picture Books focus on 2013 releases with some retro can-you-believe-I-have-not-read-this-one reads

Teen Fiction-thinking Cassandra Clare's series, plus I have quite a number that I have read book one and not book two or three...

Adult Fiction:

James Pattersons Woman's Mystery Club

Professional reading:

The Book Whisperer
The Daily Five
The Cafe Book
Reading Essentials

I will be starting June 28 as that will be my first day of summer!

48 Hour Book Challenge-FinishLine

Made it! I have participated in this before but this is by far the most I have read so pretty darned pleased with that. Thanks to Ms. Yingling and Abby the Librarian for running the challenge this year. Looking forward to next year already. In the meantime I am on the hunt for the next read-a-thon. Kinda love doing them.

Here's my final breakdown:

Pages read-1863

Hours read: 22 hours 24 Minutes

Blogging-2.5 hours

The books:

Besides the ones I read in this post I also read:


GRAVE MERCY by Robin Lefevers-was already half way through this one and was glad to have the time to finally finish it. Very good. The setting, the history, the fantasy elements, the political intrigue,  the assassin nuns kept me hooked and reading to the last page at which time I just closed the book and sighed. A solid good read. Best part is I have book two in the series!v Purchased this one.

HOLES by Louis B. Sachar. Yep. In spite of my many years in the library this was one I had not read. Read it now and must say I do see why it won the Newbery. I've also talked to many a kid who has read a loved it, either on their own or as part of a classroom. Borrowed from the library.

SAVING ARMPIT by Natalie Hyde-Underdog baseball team, underdog town, underdog post office all come together in a flurry of baseball, mail (and delicious danishes) and doing what it takes to come out on top. My gosh, what a delightful and funny read for fans of baseball and fans of laugh out loud funny and fans of seeing the underdog win. Netgalley ARC.

IN SEARCH OF GOLIATHUS HERCULES by Jennifer Angus-What a concept for a book. The author wrote and intriguing tale about a boy who talks to insects and runs away to join the circus-a flea circus of course. Woven in that is the mystery of what happened to his father and an evil woman who has a rather unhealthly interest in the boy and his insect abilities. Combine that an well developed historical setting and what I think is a great middle grade read. And twist. Oh the twist! Netgalley ARC.

48 Hour Book Challenge Stats and Reading So Far

Getting my pics up a tad late, but here is where I have been reading from. Now, I tried and I tried to get this one to flip around the right way but could not for the life of me get it to work, hence the sideways views!

This is the pile of books I have been choosing from. It includes my Kindle because I have a few books on there, too. Would that I could read fast enough to get through those piles!







So far I have read:

FAR FAR AWAY by Tom McNeal

From GOODREADS: It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specificially, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm. Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion. And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings. . .

Thoughts: At first I thought this was off to a too slow start for a MG but then realized this is a YA. Not sure where I got that notion but once I realigned my thinking I found myself sinking further and further into this one. Just some darn good writing that wove in the paranormal in the form of one of the Brothers Grimm along with the mystery of missing children. And the echoes of fairy tales within the story was just darn brilliant. The first half was like the quiet beige the storm, settin up the last half which I could not read fast enough. Everything came into play for a crazy tension filled run to the end. Got this from the publisher via Net Galley.

 ZERO TOLERANCE by Claudia Mills

Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard has always been the perfect student, so when she sees that she accidentally brought her mother's lunch bag to school, including a paring knife, she immediately turns in the knife at the school office. Much to her surprise, her beloved principal places her in in-school suspension and sets a hearing for her expulsion, citing the school's ironclad no weapons policy. While there, Sierra spends time with Luke, a boy who's known as a troublemaker, and discovers that he's not the person she assumed he would be--and that the lines between good and bad aren't as clear as she once thought. 




Thoughts: Found this one quite captivating, especially watching what happens when a kid gets caught between two adults (father and principal) who won't back down, can't back down and their posturing only makes things work. That is quite a scenario to be trying to spread your wings and figure out who you are besides the school's champion of doing the right thing, following the rules. In spite of it all Sierra realizes things are not so black and white. The friendship between good girl and bad boy was really well done and the evolving potential for girlfriend boyfriend perfectly believable for the tween crowd.

And for a complete change of pace I have been listened to and read THE 4th OF JULY by James Patterson. Fast paced and I quite enjoyed it, but not as much as the first three. Fin shed this one this morning. Tried to power through last night, but when the clock struck midnight my eyes closed and I couldn't stay awake.

Next up is HOLES by Louis B. Sacher. I have read many many of this author's books-but not this one. Yeah. After I am done holes not sure which one will be next.

Stats:

Hours-13.0

 -reading-11.0
 -blogging and social Media-2.0

Pages-891

48 Hour Book Challenge-Starting Line

EDITED: Now that I have taken a breath and sloooowed myself down, I am going to say that I will be taking part in the 48 Hour Book Challenge until tomorrow at midnight. That basically means I will not be counting any reading time from yesterday because I TOTALLY missed the boat on signing up in time. So, this start up post is also a check-in post for today.

Here's what I am reading:

James Patterson's THE FOURTH OF JULY (Women's Murder Club) and Tom McNeal's Far Far Away. Should be done both of those with the next few hours as am now speedy fasting up my reading.

Speaking of speedy fasting it up. I will use my one hour time of social media right now, then hustle back to the reading.

Hope you are all reading up a storm!

Quick stats:

reading time-2 hours
social media- 30 mins
pages-not sure

Now. I have some serious reading/hours to put in between now and tomorrow night. Ciao fellow readers and will be back later with an update during my next 30 mins of social media. Off to read for three hours!

MMGM-The Farwalkers Quest by Joni Sensel plus some giveaway WINNERS!

Greetings and a happy late Marvelous Middle Grade Monday all. Was busy and fun past week for me with lots of reading of middle grade for #middlegrademay, which was my plan to get caught up with some middle grade reads that have been in my TBR piles for a rather long time. Did get quite caught up, not as much as I would have liked, but still more than if I had not put on the big push! Now it back to regular MMGM posts as inspired by Shannon Messenger! This week I am talking about a fantasy that I kind of LOVED. The Farwalkers Quest by Joni Sensil. And keep on reading for the winner of giveaway announcements.

 
From Goodreads: Ariel has always been curious, but when she and her best friend Zeke stumble upon a mysterious old telling dart she feels an unexplained need to figure out what it means. Magically flying great distances and only revealing their messages to the intended recipient, telling darts haven’t been used for years, and no one knows how they work. So when two strangers show up looking for the dart, Ariel and Zeke realize that their discovery is not only interesting, but very dangerous. The telling dart and the strangers lead them on a journey more perilous and encompassing than either can imagine, and in the process both Zeke and Ariel find their true calling.

From me: Loved this book. Still think about it from writer's perspective because the writing is so tight, the world building amazing, the tension, the pacing, bang on. When I didn't think things could get much worse for Ariel-they did, but the author managed to not crush her character in a way that made me think she could not possibly recover-Ariel was always up for the challenge (until of course she thought she couldn't do it, but by then we know she can). And when Ariel did find that strength it was completely and utterly believable. Her sidekick is darn good too. Always there, supporting her, Zeke is a fully drawn character in his own right, but not a scene stealer. In other words he didn't over shadow her. The mentor? FaBUlous. He was not obvious at first, but you hope its him. And the bad guy is bad. He will do anything to get what he wants. He is cruel and there is no doubt that this is a life or death quest for Ariel and her freinds. I was on the edge of my seat, I was crying, I was laughing. This is one I am excited to hand over to young readers. Pretty sure they are going to like it, too.

Next up are some giveaway winners.

****** Armchair Giveaway Winner*******

I used Random.Org and the result was:

Tallulah of MAD Hoydenish -congrats!!! congrats!!! 

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to comment, share books and or posts. Love Armchair BEA oh yes I do. See you all next year!

*********Marvelous Middle Grade May Winners**********

Read One Middle Grade Book:

25 dollar gift certificate  from a book location of your choice goes to 

JONI!

Read Two to Five Middle Grade Books 

40 dollar gift certificate from a book location of your choice goes to

JENNIFER!

Read Six or More Middle Grade Books

60 dollar gift certificate of from a book location of your choice and a middle grade six pack that includes the first three first three of Arthur Slade's The Hunchback Assignments goes to

TONETTE!

Thanks so much for taking part everyone. Hope you see you in 2014 when Akoss and I take on Middle Grade March a.k.a. March of the Middle Grade!