April 30, 2012

Cover Crush: Arise (Hereafter #2)


I love book covers.  Love love love them! I've been known to drag my sister around Barnes and Noble and show her all the covers I like. I'll hunt down certain students in the morning because I know they'll love a cover as much as me.  I really think I develop a crush on certain covers!

Today I'm crushing on:


Arise (Hereafter #2) by Tara Hudson
It's so pretty!  And right now I like pretty.  But I also like the "ghosted" image with the gravestones because it makes me wonder what this installment is going to be about since the last one centered around water!


April 26, 2012

Interview: Sue Cowing - You Will Call Me Drog +GIVEAWAY

Today I welcome Sue Cowing author of You Will Call Me Drog!

Bold, crazy and a little bit creepy, Call Me Drog is an unforgettable coming of age story. 
Parker is a quiet, introverted eleven-year-old boy, coming to terms with his parents' divorce, when he stumbles upon Drog, an ugly green puppet left in the rubbish. But Drog is no ordinary puppet; he’s a sarcastic, obnoxious talking puppet ... who won’t let go of Parker’s hand! Worst of all, no one believes that Drog – not Parker – is saying all of the outrageous things that get Parker into trouble.
Welcome Sue!!!

Let's start with the easy questions. Point of View: 1st or 3rd 1st
Boy or Girl main character: Boy, but there’s also an important girl.
Genre:  Magical realism (everything realistic except for one magical element).
Middle Grade or Young Adult: Upper Middle Grade
More boy or girl book (stereotypically): Both,.with an edge toward boy

The Serious Questions! 
What part/character/event are you most excited/proud about In You Will Call Me Drog? 
I’m amazed by Drog, the puppet you hate to love. He’s bossy and funny and drives the book. While I was writing, I made the puppet and wore it so I could hear Drog’s voice, and right away he started saying things I would never say to anyone. I really don’t know quite where he came from! I had a lot of fun in the scene where Drog tries out for Preposterous Puppets of Peoria by being as insulting as possible. Drog is Drog, but Parker is my hero. He has to believe in himself when no one else believes in him and solve his awful puppet problem alone. In the end, he has figured out some things many adults never learn. Wren gets some hero points too, because she’s so determined to save her best-friendship with Parker.

Tell about your writing process. I get up at 4:30 AM seven days a week and work until breakfast, about 7. Of course that means I have to go to bed really early, unless I take a nap in the afternoon! Then on Wednesdays, I also work from 8-4 with a break for lunch, and I don’t talk to anyone or answer the phone or read email on that day, I need a lot of uninterrupted quiet time to have ideas and write. How long did it take you to write You Will Call Me Drog from idea to finish? New writers, please don’t be discouraged; it took me seven years. The first draft was done in two years, so most of that was rewriting. Please tell about revision if you can! Even after I got an agent, she had me do two complete revisions. Then I did another two major revisions for my editor Andrew Karre. I used to dread revising, but now I look forward to it because I know the book is only going to get better. I realized very late that there was a scene I was leaving out of this book—a face-to-face between Parker’s Dad and Drog. I didn’t want to write it because I thought it would be too painful for Parker, and I wanted to protect him. Drog wouldn’t let me. So I finally wrote that scene, and now it’s one of my favorites in the book.

When you were in middle school kind of student were you? Did you write then? 
I have to admit I was only a good student in classes I liked, like chorus and art and sometimes English. I nearly flunked Algebra, and I was a phonetic speller, which won’t win you any spelling bees! I always, always, liked to write poems and stories, but I didn’t really think about being a writer until long after I was out of school.

And because it's the owl my standard question always is: WHOOO do you admire when it comes to writing? OR WHOOO do you like to read or really enjoyed in HS or middle school? 
You might not have room to print all the writers I like to read, so let me just name a few of the ones who write for middle grade and young adult readers I’ll read anything by Katherine Patterson, Gary Schmidt, John H. Ritter, Graham Salisbury, Kate DeCamillo, Richard Peck, Gary Paulson, Phillip Pullman, Kathleen Duey, Christopher Paul Curtis, Markus Zusak, Grace Lin, and Tom Angleberger, the Orgiami Yoda guy. Tom and I have agreed by email that Drog and Darth Paper should probably meet someday!


The Fun Questions! (based on what 7th graders do!) Do you chew gum? Yes or No If yes favorite kind? Not anymore, thanks to Miss Weinberg. I used to like Dentyne best.


Do you text? Nope. .

Was school lunch just as yucky then as it is now?! If it was, we could only blame ourselves, because we brought our own lunch to school! So I never got to taste mystery meat—did I miss something?

Now for the giveaway!
Sue has offered up a copy of her book to one lucky reader.

Fill out the Rafflecopter
US residents only


April 25, 2012

Guest Post: Davy DeGreeff - How J.K. Rowling is Tiger Woods :)

A very long while back (loooooooong while! Sorry Davy!) Davy DeGreeff contacted me simply because he realized we were kinda neighbors.  
I love when writers and bloggers reach out to each other like that!  It's such a sign of support and respect.  
I checked out what Davy had written and offered to highlight his books.  In return he wrote this awesome guest post!


First tho you need to hear about his writing!


He wrote these super fun looking series of books Tommy Bomani: Teen Warrior about the adventures of a twelve-year-old boy who discovers he can turn into a cat and is involved in a war dating back to ancient Egypt.  
Just because his last name means "Warrior" in Egyptian doesn't mean 12-year-old Tommy Bomani has had it easy. He's small, unpopular, and constantly being picked on by the school's two angriest bullies. When he finally fights back, Tommy unleashes incredible powers within himself. These powers lead him to finish the fight begun by his warrior ancestors. But will Tommy be warrior enough to save the world from evil? A action-packed series filled with a battle that will grab the attention of your young reader!
Now hear how J.K. Rowling is Tiger Woods
Welcome Davy!

JK ROWLING IS TIGER WOODS

Attempting to carve out a career as a children’s writer can be extremely challenging, and it often becomes easy to forget that, in this current tumultuous era of the publishing industry, those who write for kids and teenagers actually often have a better chance to succeed than those writing books for other demographics.  That statement may not eliminate the occasional feelings of helplessness felt by those of us not comfortably perched atop the best-seller lists, but I think it’s important to remember that children’s writers as a whole are more fortunate than others, and I think it’s equally interesting to realize that a good deal of that opportunity is thanks to JK Rowling doing her best Tiger Woods impression.

You don’t have to push me, I’ll be the first to admit it – there are a couple of differences between JK Rowling and Tiger Woods. Maybe even three or four. But the two are very similar, and very important, in one very impressive manner – they both revolutionized what it means to be successful in their respectful professional fields, and by doing so, made wider the doorway to success for others who have dared to try occupying their arenas.

Tiger Woods joined the PGA Tour in 1996. Ten years previous to that, the leading money maker on tour was Greg Norman, who won just over $650,000 in the 1986 season. By the time Tiger joined, the money leader was Tom Lehman with $1.78 million, which is altogether a healthy, natural growth rate. But when Tiger, an athletic, charismatic young black man, began winning tournaments, everything changed – suddenly golf wasn’t just the game of the crusty elite, and the sport was introduced to an entirely new section of the population. Golf went mainstream, and the transition was displayed with dollar signs – ten years after he’d joined the tour, Tiger became the money leader for the sixth time, this time making $10.6 million in a single season.

Because of the sudden popularity explosion, Tiger Woods wasn’t the only beneficiary of golf’s growth. The same 2005 season that Tiger led with $10.6 million, a golfer named Michael Allen finished in 130th place for the season and earned over $590,000, or just a little behind what Greg Norman made as the tour leader twenty years earlier. In 1989, Curtis Strange became the first golfer to make over $1 million in a season. When Tiger joined in 1996, the number of millionaire golfers had grown to nine. By 2005, 78 different golfers on the PGA Tour had season earnings in excess of $1 million. Tiger Woods brought golf to a level of popularity and respect it had never seen in the professional sports world, and because of his success, hundreds, if not thousands of other professional golfers around the world have been able to make their dreams come true in a way they would never have imagined if not for Tiger’s accomplishments.

As Tiger Woods is to golf, JK Rowling is to middle-grade and young adult literature.

The classic young adult book, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”, published in 1970, is the 20th best-selling children’s book of all time, with sales of around 6.4 million copies. The 8th best-selling children’s book is “The Poky Little Puppy”, an original Golden Book that sold 14.8 million copies. The rest of the top of the list belongs to the Harry Potter series. At last count, the worst seller in the series is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”, with sales of 44 million copies, or roughly three times the amount of copies sold of the best-selling non-Harry Potter book. At the top of the list is “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, the first book of the series, published in 1997, with 107 million copies sold. Rowling’s books have sold a combined 450 million copies and counting, which is a number most people previous to 1997 would have said was impossible to reach for a series of fantasy books written for the market of children and pre-teens.

Because of their quality and universal enjoyability, Rowling’s books were able to expand beyond the realm of middle-grade and young adult’s usual readers to help people realize that legitimate literature was being produced in areas they had previously overlooked, and just like Tiger Woods brought a spotlight to golf, JK Rowling brought a new level of attention to children’s books that was easily proven in the sales figures, and more importantly, in the new wave of reading excitement in children and teenagers. “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret” is a wonderful book and has sold 6.4 million copies over the last forty years, but compare that to Jeff Kinney’s “Cabin Fever”, the fourth book in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, which sold 4 million copies in 2011 alone. Nearly every Dr. Suess book is a classic, but can you remember people of all ages lining up at book stores for midnight release parties? Neither can I, but I can remember things in that vein happening all over the US each time a new “Series of Unfortunate Events” book was released. And anyone who believes the “Twilight” books would have attained their success without Rowling turning most of those readers on to books in the first place is foolish at the very least.

JK Rowling has made it possible for writers of middle-grade and young adult books to find success in ways that had previously never existed, and the literary world is better for it. With the aid of my agent, I’m currently pitching a middle-grade novel about a twelve-year-old sleuth/mustache-growing prodigy, and I know that if I manage to find any success on the bookshelves, it will have more than a little to do with a British book about a boy wizard, one that demonstrated to people of all ages that just because a children’s book might seem a little fantastic, that doesn’t mean it isn’t well-written and entirely worth reading. JK Rowling is the premiere face on the Mount Rushmore of modern children’s literature, and each time I sit down at the keyboard, I do my best to remember that, and to be thankful – because without her, far more of those who dream of someday writing books for children as a living would be stuck doing nothing but dreaming. Sometimes it’s important to simply remember things like this, and to be thankful. Writing professionally can be a long, lonely road, but I think it’s comforting to know there are people like Rowling making sure there is at least a road to follow.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!!!!!

April 24, 2012

2K12 Guest Post: Jennifer Shaw Wolf - Breaking Beautiful


A long while back I was approached by Caroline Starr Rose to help promote the fantastic group of authors in the Class of 2k12.  These are a group of authors being published in 2012.  I jumped at the chance to help out.  
What we came up with was a series of guest posts.  The topic: 
MIDDLE SCHOOL!
 Since I teach 7th grade I live and breath middle school (ok some of you can stop shuddering now). 2

So over the course of 2012 you will get to hear from some the the 2k12 authors and their memories/thoughts about that time in their life.  I thank each of them for jumping in a tackling the subject!
To learn about all the 2k12 authors check out their site: Class of 2k12: Fiction that Rocks

Today our 2k12-er is:

Jennifer Shaw Wolf


Book: Breaking Beautiful
Published: Walker Books for Young Readers, April 24, 2012
Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

What Were You Like in Middle School?

I can honestly say, middle school (or junior high as we called it) was one of the hardest times of my life. My best friend was sent to another school, so I started seventh grade alone. I felt completely clueless when it came to fashion, or boys, or anything that you’re supposed to know about in middle school. It felt like I was constantly doing or saying dumb things. I was heavy, I had thick glasses, and generally bad hair. I still cringe when I look back on pictures of myself at that age. By the end of seventh grade I’d made friends with the younger sister of my sister’s best friend, so I thought I was doing okay. Then eighth grade hit.

From the outside, my eighth grade year appeared good; I was the eighth grade vice president, I worked on the school newspaper and yearbook staff, I made the honor roll every semester, and I won third place in a regional science fair with a fifty dollar prize. Then my new best friend dumped me because I wasn’t cool enough for her, and the friends I tried to hang out with (old friends from grade school) literally ran away so they wouldn’t have to eat lunch with me. I lived for Wednesdays when I could eat lunch in Mr. Angel’s classroom as we worked on the newspaper and I wouldn’t have to eat alone.

I’d like to say that there was some breakthrough that saved me, that I miraculously found friends or fit in, but it didn’t happen in junior high. I will say that I loved high school, and my high school friend were some of the best I could imagine.

My bad experiences in middle school lead me to read and read and read for escape. I learned a lot about compassion and treating other people with respect.  I also learned that sometimes you just need to put yourself out there to make friends (what I finally did to make friends my freshman year). As painful as they were these experiences helped me as a writer to create characters who feel like outsiders, and to approach the crazy beginnings of adolescence with some degree of understanding.

I read for escape a ton too!  I always had a book with me for that reason I think.  Thank you so much for sharing.  
If you want to know more about Jennifer check out her website.

April 23, 2012

2K12 Guest Post: Sarvenaz Tash - The Mapmaker and the Ghost


A long while back I was approached by Caroline Starr Rose to help promote the fantastic group of authors in the Class of 2k12.  These are a group of authors being published in 2012.  I jumped at the chance to help out.  
What we came up with was a series of guest posts.  The topic: 
MIDDLE SCHOOL!
 Since I teach 7th grade I live and breath middle school (ok some of you can stop shuddering now). 2

So over the course of 2012 you will get to hear from some the the 2k12 authors and their memories/thoughts about that time in their life.  I thank each of them for jumping in a tackling the subject!
To learn about all the 2k12 authors check out their site: Class of 2k12: Fiction that Rocks

Today our 2k12-er is:

Sarvenaz Tash


Book: The Mapmaker and the Ghost
Published: April 24, 2012, Walker Books for Young 
Readers

Goldenrod Moram loves nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to map the forest right behind her home. This task is complicated, however, by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . . . or an ordinary quest. Debut author Sarvenaz Tash combines an edge-of-your-seat adventure, a uniquely clever voice, and an unforgettable cast of characters to prove that sometimes the best adventures of all are waiting right in your own backyard.

What Were You Like as a Middle Schooler?

As a middle schooler, I was very shy. I felt awkward and out-of-place, especially with a strange name no one could pronounce and the fact that I could never seem to understand what were the “right” clothes to wear.

I spent a lot of my free time reading. Or, at least, I spent the time not fretting about not fitting in reading.

I had a handful of friends I liked a lot. For the most part, we all didn’t fit in together. (And, for the record, some of those friends are still my very good friends.)

When it was time to go to college, I went to film school. Guess what I found there? A whole slew of people who didn’t fit in! I think I had a grin on my face the whole four years.

I’ve come to realize that my quirky viewpoint, my obsession with spending my free time writing, even my crazy name: they are all a part of what has brought me to where I am. And I am very happy with where I am.

But I hope I never forget that middle school was hard. High school was hard. They were some of the hardest times of my life and it was because I was struggling to figure out who I was and to be okay with it. I think that’s why writing tween and teenaged characters is so compelling. Their struggles are very real and very universal. And having a character discover who they are throughout the course of a story will always make for a fulfilling read.

To find out more about Sarvenaz check out her website!!! Then go check out her book because it sounds sooooooo cute and perfect for the middle grade reader!

April 21, 2012

Ok So I'm Lame!!!!

Ever since I finished The March of Middle Grade I have been lame and not gotten many posts up.  Sorry about that.  
I'm especially sorry to those who are waiting for me to get specific posts up! 
I will be back full time this week!

Also for those that won books - I'll be mailing them out on Monday.  I've passed along your info to authors if they are ones sending them.  

Thanks for your patience!!!


April 18, 2012

Prom Theme GIVEAWAY! (and you get to see me in a fancy dress)

Well everyone it's that time of year - prom season.  It's been awhile since I've been to prom <cough> 23 <cough> years <cough, cough>, but I really never tire of looking at the prom dresses and all that fanciness that go with them. 
 I'll admit that I'm a girly girly and love frilly full dresses. 
 If I could pick a dress right now I think I'd like the one below:


It's so pretty :)

But the last prom I went to was in 1989 and here is a pic!
Don't you just love the gold????? :)



With shoes like this!

Oh the memories!



Well to help with these memories I get to offer you a prom themed giveaway courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group.

Up for grabs:



illuminate.gifIlluminate by Aimee Agresti
March 2012 | $17.99 hardcover | ISBN 9780547626147
Prom night at the posh Lexington Hotel sounds like a dream come true, but Haven Terra soon learns all is not what it seems. Can she save her classmates souls from a group of glamorous  yet diabolical angels in training? “Equal parts romantic and mysterious!”—Seventeen.com




CEC.jpgAu Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
October 2011 | $16.99 hardcover | ISBN 9780547577388
Perry finally has a gig scheduled with his band in the Big Apple, but it’s prom night and he is forced to take quiet, geeky exchange student Gobi. Turns out, though, Gobi is a trained assassin and the night turns from deadly dull to just plain deadly.  
A laugh-out-loud page turner.


Jessica.jpgJessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
February 2009 | $8.99 paperback | ISBN 9780547259406
Not everybody finds out during their senior year that they are a Romanian vampire princess by birth. But being bloodsucking royalty gets more complicated for Jessica Packwood when she finds out her betrothed is the annoyingly hot Lucius Vladescu. Will they happily dance the night away or will a devious cheerleader succeed in stealing Lucius away?



fashionjacket.gifThe Fashion Coloring Book  by carol + lulu
March 2012 | $12.99 paperback | ISBN 9780547553955
Thinking about designing your own prom dress? This coloring book by artist Carol and fashion blogger Lulu features pages inspired by some of today’s hottest designers and will get your inner fashionista started!


Plus! Follow us on Facebook at HMHTeen  and spread the word that they'll be doing a prom-themed giveaway in April, with a prize package of books, gift card for prom accessories, and more! 

To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below.
Must be a US resident
Must be at least 13 unless you are one of my students



April 17, 2012

2K12 Author: J. Anderson Coats - The Wicked and the Just


A long while back I was approached by Caroline Starr Rose to help promote the fantastic group of authors in the Class of 2k12.  These are a group of authors being published in 2012.  I jumped at the chance to help out.  
What we came up with was a series of guest posts.  The topic: 
MIDDLE SCHOOL!
 Since I teach 7th grade I live and breath middle school (ok some of you can stop shuddering now). 2

So over the course of 2012 you will get to hear from some the the 2k12 authors and their memories/thoughts about that time in their life.  I thank each of them for jumping in a tackling the subject!
To learn about all the 2k12 authors check out their site: Class of 2k12: Fiction that Rocks


Today our 2k12-er is:


J. Anderson Coats



Book: THE WICKED AND THE JUST
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 17 April 2012

About her book:
Cecily’s father has ruined her life. He’s moving them to occupied Wales, where the king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least Cecily will finally be the lady of the house.

Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there herself, until the English destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now she must wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl.

While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners, Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And outside the city walls, tensions are rising ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point.

What were you like as a middle-schooler?

Here is J at age 12:  Bright.  Cheerful.  The kind of perky overachiever that makes most other kids roll their eyes.  Begs her parents for purple-painted bedroom walls and a dual-cassette tape deck so she can listen to Paula Abdul.  Bold.  Sassy.  Opinionated.  But also helpful, curious and actively writing stories about horses in pink spiral notebooks.

Here is J at age 13:  Surly.  Touchy.  Cannot wear enough black, down to her fingernails inked with Sharpie.  Her parents have to pry out two words back to back.  Sleepwalks from class to class.  Pretends not to hear the whispers and snickering.  Cuts deep lines into her upper arms and other hidden places with a rusty exacto knife stolen from the art room.  Will never write again.

Then J’s father makes her an offer: write him a novel – any novel, about anything – and he’ll give her ten dollars.  J wants the money, so she writes the novel.  It’s a hundred pages long, typed, single-spaced, about a girl who goes to summer camp.

She never shows it to him.  He never asks to see it.  But J starts writing again.  Her notebooks now have skulls erased into the covers, but she’s scribbling like mad in them.

J keeps wearing black.  She starts talking again.  She throws away the blade.  She still ignores the whispers and giggles well into high school.

But now she writes.

Thank you so much for coming to The O.W.L. today! I absolutely love this guest post especially being a teacher of 12 and 13 year olds!!!!  So right on.

And about the book.  Sounds fantastic! And the cover is just perfect.  

April 16, 2012

Cover Crush: Split


I love book covers.  Love love love them! I've been known to drag my sister around Barnes and Noble and show her all the covers I like. I'll hunt down certain students in the morning because I know they'll love a cover as much as me.  I really think I develop a crush on certain covers!

Today I'm crushing on:


by Swati Avasthi

This must be the paperback cover for Split.  I absolutely love it.  You can almost feel the sadness or desperation I want to say coming off of this boy! 
So simple yet so perfect.  Then the tag is added:
"Somet things you can't just walk away from"
Love it all!!!!

April 11, 2012

WINNERS!!!!!!! (Finally)


Hey everyone! 
I'm soooooooo sorry that it has taken forever for me to get the winners of all the March of Middle Grade giveaways.  
Easter.  School conferences blah blah blah got in the way.

So here we go!!!!!

After this posts I will begin emailing the winners.  
You'll need to respond within 48 hours or another winner will be picked.

Krista - Bookreview

Carolsue A.

Gina (My Precious)

Debbie B.

Megan - already announced and emailed!

Nancy R.

Katie (Call Me Crazy)

TL Conway

Maria S.

Tricia C.

Hg195@.......

Terri Lynne

Nevey

 Sara selected Jenn Reese's Above World
Evie selected Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember.


I'll email you as the person before you picks her books so you'll know what is left.
#1 Melissa@1lbr - choice of 3 books
#2 Cecelia - choice of 2 books
#3 Jasmine - choice of 1 book

April 6, 2012

Mirror, Mirror The Movie........A Giveaway

I'm pretty excited for the two Snow White movies coming out, so when I was given the oppurtunity to promote Mirror Mirror and provide my readers with a giveaway I jumped at the chance!


Synopsis:
One of the most beloved stories of all time is coming to life in the motion picture event for the whole family, Mirror Mirror.  A fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend, Mirror Mirror features breakout star Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, a princess in exile, and Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over.  The film also stars Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as the Prince, and Nathan Lane (The Birdcage) as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen.





MIRROR MIRROR IN THEATERS MARCH 30
‘Like’ Mirror Mirror on Facebook
Visit the official website to watch the trailer & grab free downloads!
Follow Mirror Mirror on Pinterest for behind the scenes photos and more!


And really fun - Relativity Media and Scholastic Inc. have released “Mirror Mirror The Movie Novel” in conjunction with the theatrical release of MIRROR MIRROR.






What's the prize you ask???


Well........

One (1) winner will receive:
·         $25 Fandango Gift Card
·         Mirror Mirror: The Movie Novel

Two (2) additional winners will receive a copy of Mirror Mirror: The Movie Novel

Prizing courtesy of Relativity Media


Enter using the Rafflecopter below.
Must be at least 13
US Mailing address only





a Rafflecopter giveaway

April 1, 2012

March of Middle Grade Wrap-Up

Well everyone it's April 1st.  That brings to conclusion the March of Middle Grade! I can't believe March is over.  
Wow did it go fast!!!

As I reflect on the March of Middle Grade there are some things I've learned:

  • Yes you need to start in January to plan an event that spans an entire month!
  • People are amazing in their generosity and time
  • There is a love of middle grade books out there that is far greater than I had ever know!! I've so excited and happy to see the love!
  • Schedule as many posts as possible so you aren't trying to do them the night before! This happened one week and that was a stressful week!
  • Get a widget for people to put on their blogs to help spread the word.  I wish I had done this.  If my February hadn't been so bad I would have, but that was one things that fell through the cracks.
  • Although it would be great to make an extra entry in the giveaway be spreading the word - not having to check them all is fantastic!!
  • I'm so happy that I got to share and promote some authors that not everyone was aware of! That made me very happy.  I love to see good authors get the spotlight :)
  • Plan, plan, plan.  Organize, organize, organize!!! You can't over plan or over organize!!!!!!! I'm so worried I missed someone who sent me stuff to post.  Please let me know if I did and I will go overboard in April to show your stuff!!!!!!!
  • Use Rafflecopter for the giveaways because I could duplicate the forms and schedule them  to start and end.  Saved me some time.
  • And lastly - SMILE because people found some new MG to love and enjoy!!!


Ok  now for the giveaways! They all end by the end of this week, so next Sunday I'll be announcing winners. You have through April 4th to link up your reviews for the big giveaway!

All the other giveaways are linked at the top of the right side column -------------------------->

Thank you all for making The March of Middle Grade a success!!!!!!! 
Go MIDDLE GRADE LIT!!!!!!