Free Kindle Book Promotion

For Five Days only receive a copy of the following Kindle book for Free

Title: The Search for Artemis

Series: Chronicles of Landon Wicker

Author: P. D. Griffith

Publisher: Gryff Publishing, Ltd.

Release Date: June 1, 2011

Promotion Dates: 5/2/2013 - 5/6/2013

Original Price: $4.99

Promo Price: $0.00

Link to Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B0053DQOIQ

Book Description: Consumed with guilt after a horrible tragedy, LANDON WICKER is forced into a life where teenagers can lift city buses with their minds and people don’t just see—but control—the world around them. Landon struggles to accept his new reality but finds solace in the company of hundreds of teenagers just like him when he’s taken to a secret training facility for psychokinetics—the Gymnasium.

But everything changes after a chance encounter with a mysterious girl. She propels Landon on a hunt for answers about the true nature of his abilities and his new home, and he soon uncovers some dark truths the Gymnasium would do anything to keep hidden.

Will he discover the truth? What is hidden in the Restricted Tower? And who is Artemis? Landon must choose where his loyalties lie, while he comes to terms with his past—and his future.

After you've read this book then check out the second book in the series "The Prince's Trap" which came out in December.

Off the Grid

To all of you who have been participating in the Spring Reading Challenge or who have been following my blog, I will be off the grid until this weekend (fingers crossed).  We are moving today and we will not have internet until sometime on Friday they tell us.  We hope.

Blog Tour: Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Publisher:  Lazy Day Publishing

Format:  ebook

Source:  Received a review copy from author

Genre:  Young Adult, Dystopian

Book Synopsis:

            In the future dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system.  There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone.  The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations.  Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison.  The only crime committed, her existence.  Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen."  The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system. 

            With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run.  Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together.  Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven.  New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay.  Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands.  Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her.  Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.      

My Thoughts:

          

             I absolutely love reading dystopian novels.  We just finished doing a study of dystopian literature, music and poetry in my middle grade class.  There was no hesitation in agreeing to read and review this book.  Ruth Silver is a very talented writer.  The world she created is so realistic that  as a reader I was sucked into it from the beginning.  I was carried along with the action right along with Olivia and Joshua.  With the advances we are making in science today this world was scary real.  I could not imagine a world where your spouse is chosen for you.  I also could not imagine a world where women could no longer have children naturally and they had to be "made" in a lab.

           I was horrified to realize that Olivia was imprisoned because her mother was a rarity.  Leaving the only home she has ever known was scary for me as I read the book.  I was glad she and Joshua were together through all of the hardships they faced.  This is one of those books that you really don't want to say too much because you would give away too much.  I will say that anyone who loved the Hunger Games will definitely love this book.  They will sit and tensely wait for the next book in this series.  After all, everything is not as it seems.

Author Biography:

            Ruth Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005.  While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004.  Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories.  Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia.  Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing.  She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories.  Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager.  She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois. You can find Ruth by following her on Twitter @writeawaybliss, or on Facebook: writeawaybliss

The paper back edition of this book comes out July 9th.

Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17696943-aberrant

Enter the Goodreads giveaway for a chance to win one of three signed copies

Purchase the ebook from Amazon here.
Purchase the ebook from Barnes and Noble here

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Student Saturday - The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan

 Student Saturday is a day I post reviews written by other students.  The review that follows is written by Noah H.

The book The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan is an amazing book with lots of action and nonstop excitement.  I found it was one of my favorite books and if you like books that have lots of excitement, adventure, and action. I guarantee that this will be one of your favorite books too.

Jason, Piper, and Leo go on a quest to free Hera from a cage. To get there they fly on a metal dragon so that she can help them take down one of Gaea’s monsters. Also, so she can give Jason his memories back from when he was at a Roman camp for half-bloods. There are many different settings in the book sin e they are flying on a metal dragon, but several important ones are the Grand Canyon, Camp Half-Blood, The House of Gold and the Wolf House.

I think this is my favorite book by Rick Riordan yet.  This book is so unpredictable; you can’t really guess what will happen next. Also, Rick Riordan makes his characters pop to life because he puts so much detail into his writing.

I can relate to Leo because I think Dragons are awesome. I can compare myself to Leo because I have gone in caves, and I have gone camping before

Unplug & Read Blog Tour and a Book Review

Imagine going about your day without the trappings of screen media: no phones, computers, tablets, televisions. Preschoolers today spend as much as 4.1 to 4.6 hours per day on one screen or another. Including multi-tasking, children 8 to 18 spend 7.5 hours per day with screens. This Spring, Random House Children’s Books is issuing a challenge: UNPLUG & READ during Screen Free Week April 29 – May 5.

Inspired by Dan Yaccarino’s Doug Unplugged (On sale February 12, 2013) about a robot who discovers that the real world trumps the virtual, we are launching Random House Unplugs: A Screen Free Week promotion. We are committed to supporting teachers, librarians, booksellers and parents in their efforts to encourage children to UNPLUG & READ during Screen Free Week from April 29 – May 5.

Screen Free Week is the annual celebration from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) that encourages turning off screens and turning on life. CCFC’s Screen Free Week is a creative response to growing public health concerns about the unprecedented time children spend with entertainment screen media—television, computers, video games, and smart phones. Studies show that Preschoolers spend as much as 4.1 to 4.6 hours per day using screen media. Including multi-tasking, children 8 to 18 spend 7.5 hours per day with screens. Unplugging for one week provides an opportunity to reset media habits, establishing a healthy, sustainable tradition of media consumption in households and schools.

When Random House invited me to be a part of this tour I was excited to accept. I am a teacher and I'm always looking for ways to get students to read more. I have been promoting and preparing my students for Screen Free Week since the beginning of the month. I am always encouraging students to get outside. I want them to learn to use their imagination. Students who learn to use their imagination bring so much more to the books they read and become better writers. Random House also provided me with a book to read and review. I was thrilled they took the time to see what would be a good fit for my blog. I am even more thrilled to introduce you to the book that I will be recommending not only to my class, but to the media specialist at my school.

My Book Recommendation for Screen Free Week/Unplug & Read

Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Pages: 336

Source: received review copy in exchange for my honest review

Genre:  Middle Grade Realistic Fantasy

Young Bee is an orphan.  When her parents are killed while working for a carnival she is allowed to stay on with Pauline.  Pauline raises her until their boss sends Pauline away. Then her friend Bobby, who runs the pig races goes off to work in a factory.  Bee has always felt alone, but never as alone as she does now.  She is born with a birthmark that covers one side of her face. This subjects her to taunts and teasing.  Now her protectors are gone.  Bee decides it is time to leave the carnival and find a permanent place to stay.  She and a dog she had found set off until they find the perfect gingerbread looking house.  There she finds Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter.  Mrs. Potter has been visiting her since her parents died.  The problem is no one else can see her or Mrs. Swift.  Through their love and lessons Bee must learn to stand on her own and become the person she was born to be.  You must read this book.  I was sucked in emotionally form the beginning.  You want to pity Bee, but at the same time you want to scream at her to stand up to those who bully her.  It is a story that takes place during the time when America is at war with Japan.  Families are separated and people are bullied for all kinds of things.  Being different brought out the bully in people you wouldn't expect to be bullies.  There are lessons for everyone to learn.  Kids will love this book because they will be able to relate to the different types of bullying.  They will learn because they will be able to sympathize with the victims.  This is a book that not only kids but adults will enjoy.  If I could make it a rule every school would read this book at the beginning of the year.  In many ways it reminded me of the book Wonder.  If you liked that book you will LOVE this one. 

Student Saturdays: Middle School the Worst Years of My Life

Student Reviewer:  Ashley C

Please be kind.  These reviews are written by sixth graders.  These are their own opinions of the books they read.

Middle School The Worst Years of My Life - James Patterson

Rafe Whatchadorian is in sixth grade.  It's the first day of school and Rafe has a bully at school named Miller.  At home Rafe has a sister named Georgia, and his mom has a boyfriend named Bear.  That's how Rafe calls his mom's boyfriend.  But, Bear and Rafe don't get along with each other because they're always yelling at each other.  But, if I was his mom I wouldn't want my boyfriend yelling at my kid.  Rafe has a crush on a girl named Jennie. At school Rafe tries to act bad and gives himself points for every rule he breaks.  I think it's dumb for a person to try to act bad just to get attention from other people.  I really liked this book and hope you enjoyed my review.

Captain Disaster - Del Shannon

Publisher: Story Arts Media
Pages:  236
Genre:  Middle Grade


Kevin Tobin is an ordinary twelve-year-old dealing with the aftermath of his father's tragic death in a mountain biking accident near their home in Boulder, Colorado. To escape from his emotional turmoil, Kevin has developed his imagination into a dangerous foil and a powerful ally. While he antagonizes his sister through his super hero antics, his ability to escape inside a character's head becomes critical to his survival after his life is once-again turned upside down a year after his father's death.
A mysterious package arrives in the mail, Kevin and his best friend are hunted down by a ruthless villain set upon world domination, and after enlisting Kevin's teenage sister and her pizza-delivery boyfriend in a battle for control over time itself, the secret of Kevin's whole existence is revealed to him by a source we never expected.

This is a book that I read and reviewed a while back.  Since that time the book has been picked up by a publisher and been republished under an new name with a new title.

Kevin's Point of View was one of those strange books that grabbed me at the beginning and then confused me a little.  I decided to hang in with the reading thinking it was my inability to focus due to intermittent reading while I tried to prepare for company.  I'm glad I stuck with it.  The books starts out with Kevin having a delusional moment.  He's lost his father in the past year and is having an extremely hard time dealing with it.  Counseling doesn't seem to help.  Then we switch to a device called an Influxitron.  Kevin has received this mysterious gift and doesn't know what it is or who it is from.  The device is dangerous and suddenly Kevin and his best friend, his sister and her boyfriend all find themselves being pursued by someone who is evil.  I will stop there because to try to explain anymore will give it away.  I will tell you that I was totally blown away by the ending.  The twists and turns this book took kept me reading and I did not expect the ending at all.  For me it is a gift when an author can write so that you think one thing and then bam you are hit with something you weren't expecting.  I was asked to read and review this e-book and I want to thank the author for allowing me the opportunity.  It truly was an awesome book.

Check out his website here
Read about the author here
Read an excerpt here

The Boy and the Ocean - Max Lucado

Publisher:  Crossways

Pages:  48 pages

Source:  I was able to view a preview copy of this book from Publisher’s Weekly.

Genre:  Children’s Picture Book

How big is God’s love?  Max Lucado has written a children’s book that answers this question.    A young boy watches the ocean from his bedroom window.  When he stands at his window he realizes he can see the birds and clouds above it, and the ships on it, but can’t see the  end of the ocean.  His mom takes him to the ocean to play.  As they wade in she tells him that God’s love is like the ocean. “It’s always here. I’s always deep. It never ends. God’s love is special.”  This was a wonderful way to describe God’s love for us.  Another favorite quote form the book came about when the mother put her young boy to bed.  She whispers to him, “The ocean will not leave. The ocean will not change. The ocean is like God’s love—“

I believe we should not only share this book with our children and grandchildren, but that we should share it with our adult friends.  Sometimes it takes a simple book like this to remind us that when we are going through trials that God doesn’t leave us.  He is always there.  His love is unending.  I think one of the reasons I love Max Lucado’s  books for children is because the message is not only for children, but for the adults who read the books to them.  This is a book I can’t wait to purchase for each  of my children to share with their kids.  Not only will they enjoy and learn from the story but there is so much to discuss with younger children in the wonderful illustrations, painted by T. Lively Fluharty.

About the Author

Max Lucado is a best-selling inspirational author and speaker, a minister of preaching at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. He is the author of numerous cildren’s books including You are Special and If Only I had a Green Nose.

About the Illustrator:

T. Lively Fluharty is an accomplished illustrator whose artwork has appeared in such publications as Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Focus on the Family. His work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, Communications Arts, and Spectrum.  Fluharty illustrated The Barber Who Wanted to Pray and The Boy and the Ocean, as well as Fool Moon Rising  which he co-wrote with his wife, Kristi.

Student Saturday: Big Nate From the Top

Student Reviewer:  Destiny

Please be kind.  This review is written by a sixth grader and is her own personal opinion.

Big Nate From the Top -  by Lincoln Pierce



I really enjoyed this book.  As a kid I understand what Nate is going through.  He likes to shop alone just like me.  Big Nate and his dad, the teacher, his friend and Sheila, they are the characters in this book.  This book is really cool.  I love it.  This book has a lot of action, like all the time.  It is like a comic book.  This book is really, really, really, funny.  It's setting takes place at a school, at home and in a clothing store.  This book was fun to read.  I cannot wait to show this to my brother. The reason why is because he is just like Nate.  he is at the school with his friends talking to them and in detention.  He is outside talking and playing and he is at the clothing store for school shopping.

If this isn't enough information for you then please read the books and fine out more.
My students love them.

Student Saturday - Hatchet - Gary Paulsen

Student Saturday is a day I post reviews written by other students.  The review that follows is written byPlacido

Thirteen year old Brian Robinson is on a plane going to see his father. There are only two people in the plane, him and the pilot. While flying the pilot has a heart attack. The plane starts to go down. The plane falls in a lake. Brian gets out scared and hardly believing that he was alive. Brian has to manage to survive in the wilderness by himself. Brian is in the wild for quite a while. He manages to survive by hunting with things or weapons that he had to make. He looks for food and makes his own shelter. One day he goes into the plane and gets some supplies. Things that Brian ate were fish, berries and things like that. That’s when he remembered that the fish that he was eating were eating the pilot in the lake. A couple of weeks later he was rescued and taken back home. I thought this book was really good. This book reminded me of when I was seven and got lost in my sister’s back yard. I too made my own little survival on my own, even though it was in her back yard. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking forward to reading a good book. I think this is a great book.