Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Dragon of Cripple Creek by Troy Howell

The Dragon of Cripple Creek

Author: Troy Howell
 
Publisher: Amulet Books

4 out of 5 stars

Tumbling. Falling. Down, down, down. You spin and roll down the chute wondering how you got into this mess. A scream escapes your lips and echoes off of the mine’s walls. Your hair streams behind you as the wind whistles past your face, causing tears to form in your eyes. Your glasses are whipped off your face and you think, Oh, great. Not only did I fall and lose my way but now I can’t see as well. However, that doesn’t seem to matter as it is pitch black and you can’t see around you anyway. You wonder when you will stop falling when suddenly you land on the floor with a loud thump! Everything hurts and you are scratched up and bruised. You think you might have twisted your ankle too, as it hurts even to move it. You don’t want to move, you don’t want to even get up. You wish you could just stay here, lying on the rocky floor, but you know that people will be looking for you and your family will be worried sick. I guess this is what you get for not paying attention to where you’re going.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life As We Knew It

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
 
Publisher: Harcourt Books

5 out of 5 stars

Millions reported dead so far, and millions more missing. Waves have swallowed most of the east coast, leaving cities such as New York and Boston underwater. Los Angeles has been destroyed by an earthquake, and Hawaii’s paradise has been swallowed by volcanic eruptions. Right now we can only hope for the best, but it would be safe to say that things might stay like this for awhile. If you can, you should store up on food, water, and other necessities. The electricity has been going on and off ever since the meteor hit. We can only speculate why the moon was knocked out of orbit and moved so much closer than was ever expected. Now we go to John Delry at the Griffith Observatory who is talking with noted astronomer Blake Greene. John…

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Debugging Tori Redding by Jason Ancona

Debugging Tori Redding

Author: Jason Ancona

Publisher: Jason Ancona (Create Space)

4 out of 5 stars

Pi: 3.14159265… You could go on, but you’ll stop for now. What was that list of vocabulary words you were supposed to memorize for your test tomorrow? Oh yeah, assimilate, copious, dilatory, laconic... Why go on, you obviously know them all. What was the color of everyone’s shoes in your last class? It was white, blue, teal, black, white, grey, red, and many more. What if you’re brain worked like this all of the time? You could call it photographic memory, but it’s much more than that. You remember every touch, taste, smell, sound, and everything you see. You have the five senses covered. Your brain is a database of information, and you always remember everything. I mean everything. This is it, the upgraded, the latest… Tori 2.0.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Interviews With Authors: Eden Unger Bowditch

I'm so excited to post my second Interviews With Authors!  Eden Unger Bowditch, author of The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black was kind enough to answer some questions about her new book and what it is like being an author.  I highly recommend this book, as it will have you searching for possible clues, being stunned by the five young inventors' intelligence, and laughing along as well.  You can find my full review of The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black here

In honor of today's release of The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black here is Interviews With Authors: A Talk With Eden Unger Bowditch!


A Talk With Eden Unger Bowditch

Author of The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black

By T.B.

1) What prompted you to start writing your new book, The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black?

We loved the Harry Potter books. But at some point, my son, Julius, said “I love magic but it’s always disappointing at the end when you can’t do it.” That made me totally bummed out because I feel like there is magic everywhere! A tree grows out of a tiny seed! And science is magic, and invention. Chemistry and invention are both magic you can do! That made me think about real magic…and then the characters began to take form and then the whole world around them.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Stop On By!

Blogger Interview at The Lovely Getaway!


I've been interviewed!  Today I'll be over at Diana's blog, The Lovely Getaway!  Diana was kind enough to interview me as part of her Blogger Interviews.  Her questions were a lot of fun, and they were really well thought out.  If you'd be interested in participating in one of Diana's Blogger Interviews than just let her know.  Please stop on by and check it out!  Let me know what you think, and feel free to share your thoughts on either blog!



Also, keep an eye out for my upcoming Interviews With Authors: A Talk With Eden Unger Bowditch, Author of The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black.  It will be posted on March 15, 2011 in honor of the release of The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black.  Make sure to check it out, and I can't wait to hear what you think!


You can find my review of The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black here.

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf...
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Dogsled Dreams by Terry Lynn Johnson

Dogsled Dreams

Author: Terry Lynn Johnson

Publisher: 4RV Publishing

3½ out of 5 stars

“Gee! Gee!” you shout, your throat hoarse as the wind whips away your words. Your sled dogs’ ears twitch back, listening intently to your commands. They respond immediately, turning to the right, as your sled tilts to the left and you lean your body in. Your breath puffs in front of you in clouds as trees shoot past. The icy air stings your cheeks making them glow red. The dogs are sleek as they kick up snow, following the trail, steadfastly keeping their pace. They pull you along, and you glance back seeing their tracks and the double trail of the sled in the snow. This is the life alright. Sledding with your dogs in the chilly snow and losing yourself in the run. This is the life that twelve-year-old Rebecca Bourdon gets to live every single day.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Those That Wake by Jesse Karp

Those That Wake

Author: Jesse Karp

Publisher: Harcourt Publishing

2½ out of 5 stars

They have no memory of you whatsoever. Your family, friends, colleagues, and even acquaintances you just made today. To them you’re just some stranger who is bothering them, wasting their time. They really would like to help you, but they claim to have never seen you in their entire life. They wonder if you’re feeling okay, as you insist that you are their daughter, wife, friend, boss, or sister. They think, wouldn’t I know if you were my cousin or my best friend? Wouldn’t the sight of you spark some recognition and it would all come rushing back in an instant? Sadly, it wouldn’t, because you have just been wiped from the memories of all of those that have ever known you.