Confessions of a Bibliovore

Very excited today to be a part of the blog tour for Hooper hosted by JeanBookNerd  (check the link for more info)! I have so many boys who enjoy Geoff Herbach's books, so I knew it was something I wanted to share!  And even more excited because I have a guest post as well!  SYNOPSIS From Geoff Herbach, the critically acclaimed author of the Stupid Fast series, comes a compelling new YA novel about basketball, prejudice, privilege, and family, perfect for fans of Jordan Sonnenblick, Andrew Smith, and Matt de la Peña. For Adam Reed, basketball is a passport. Adam’s basketball skills have taken him from an orphanage in Poland to a loving adoptive mother in Minnesota. When he’s tapped to play on a select AAU team along with some of the best players in the state, it just confirms that basketball is his ticket to the good life: to new friendships, to the girl of his dreams, to a better future. But life is more complicated off the court. When an incident with the police threate...

I love audiobooks!  I listen to them in the car as much as I can.  They make my car trips bearable.  If I try to listen to the radio I find myself switch stations over and over, but with an audiobook, I hit play and go!   So because of that, I was super interested to learn what middle grade and young adult books are finalists for the Audie Awards! Here they are! MIDDLE GRADE The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora , written and narrated by Pablo Cartaya, published by Listening Library Patina by Jason Reynolds, narrated by Heather Alicia Simms, published by Simon & Schuster Audio Refugee by Alan Gratz, narrated by Michael Goldstrom, Kyla Garcia, and Assaf Cohen, published by Scholastic Audio See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng, narrated by Kivlighan de Montebello, Brittany Pressley, Michael Crouch, Graham Halstead, Jason Culp, and a Full Cast, published by Listening Library                           ...

Title: Black Ice Author: Becca Fitzpatrick Narrator:  Jenna Lamia Brit Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage. Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there…and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target. But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally? There were parts of this book that I really liked, but there were a...

Yesterday MYRA (MN Youth Reading Awards) announced the winners of the Maud Hart Lovelace award.  I love this award because it's based on kids' favorites.   They read.  They vote!  The announcement we held at The Red Balloon bookstore.  My son came with and we got our picture taken! And here are the winners!  (Division 1 is grades 3-5 and Division 2 is grades 6-8) My students were in love with The War that Saved My Life and Beneath .  And of course, we loved Turn Left at the Cow because of its Minnesota connection.   They also announced the nominees for next year.  Here they are: What have you read of these??? I know I've got some reading to do now!  Images are taken from MYRA

I was introduced to Children's Book Review awhile back and really enjoying visiting the site.  They always have information I need and can use!  As a media specialist, they are very helpful when I'm looking to add books to the media center.   They are celebrating 10 years of growing readers!   To celebrate they have an amazing giveaway! First about Children's Book Review The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association For Library Service To Children) Great Web Sites For Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literature and literacy. TCBR publishes reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. TCBR also produces author and illustrator interviews and shares literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, caregivers, teachers and librarians to grow readers. Bianca Schulze is the founder of TCBR and the bestselling author of 101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up (Walter Foster Jr. 2016), an Amazon “Best Book of the Mon...

Very excited today to be a part of the Nerd Blast for The Summer of Broken Things by Margaret Peterson Haddix!!! I love Margaret Peterson Haddix, so I was very excited at the chance to promote her latest book!  To find out more check out the information at Jean BookNerd . SYNOPSIS From  New York Times  bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes a haunting novel about friendship and what it really means to be a family in the face of lies and betrayal. Fourteen-year-old Avery Armisted is athletic, rich, and pretty. Sixteen-year-old Kayla Butts is known as “butt-girl” at school. The two girls were friends as little kids, but that’s ancient history now. So it’s a huge surprise when Avery’s father offers to bring Kayla along on a summer trip to Spain. Avery is horrified that her father thinks he can choose her friends—and make her miss soccer camp. Kayla struggles just to imagine leaving the confines of her small town. But in Spain, the two uncover a secret their f...

Welcome to Day #4 of The Argos Blog Tour! To celebrate the paperback release of Argos: The Story of Odysseus as Told by His Loyal Dog  on March 27th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Ralph Hardy and 5 chances to win a copy of the book! My Favorite Middle School Novels by Ralph Hardy Growing up in a small town in eastern North Carolina I struggled to find books to read, particularly in the summer when school was out. There were no bookstores in my town, and even if there were, my father was raising five kids on his own after my mother died, so there wasn't any money for books. Moreover, my brother and I spent the weekends in the country with my childless aunt and uncle, and there was no library for miles around.  But there was a general store on the country road that led to my aunt's house, and we stopped there every Friday afternoon and bought comic books, and later, cheap paperbacks, particularly those written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. As a result, Ta...