Book Trailer for Fablehaven 4: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull

Just saw this on Brandon Mull's blog... can't wait.

My 2008 Top 10 Favorite Kid's/YA books

This was a most difficult list to narrow down (there were so many great books this year!) And unfortunately there were many books I didn't get to that would probably be included here if I had (but more about that later). So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top 10 books published in 2008:

> Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

> Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

> The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

> Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass

> The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

> Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper by Michael Reisman

> Rules by Cynthia Lord

> Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

> Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

> Savvy by Ingrid Law

Were hard to leave off:

> Puddlejumpers by Mark Jean and Christopher C. Carlson

> Nick of Time by Ted Bell

> The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

And now, 10+ books published this year that I wish I'd read and might have been on this list if I had read them before now.... again, in no particular order.

> Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

> 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

> The Hunger Game by Suzanne Collins

> Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer

> The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling

> The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

> Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

> Ever by Gail Carson Levine

> The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

> The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

> If You're Reading This, It's Too late by Pseudonymous Bosch

> Paper Towns by John Green

> Graceling by Kristin Cashore

> Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega

Obviously, there was much reading to be done that didn't get done. And I'm REALLY behind now because I'm spending much of my reading time reading the entries submitted for the 2008/2009 CISD Writing Contest -- for which I am honored to be a judge. 

2009 looks to be a great year, with anticipated books from Brandon Mull, Michael Scott, a new series from Cindy Williams Chima... and of course (on the movie front) HP6 on the screen.

What were your favorite books that came out last year? I'd love to hear.

Happy new year to all my faithful readers! Looking forward to a wonderful 2009!

Do you "relish" the holidays?

If you do, you'll love this festive holiday video. A word of warning, however, if you think pickles should be heard and not eaten, this may be disturbing. But if your humor skews a little bit twisted, watch on!

Coming Attractions: The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series (The Lightning Thief, etc.) recently posted on his blog http://rickriordan.blogspot.com that "The Demigod Files" will be released on February 10. This is a companion book to the series and will include three short stories (including one 50-page title that will be published separately in the UK). It also includes a map of camp, a peek inside Annabeth's camp chest, portraits and interviews with the main characters... and best of all, there will be a sneak peek of Percy Jackson 5: The Last Olympian (which we can look forward to reading in May). I would LOVE to review this book (hint hint Mr. Riordan!) and I'm sure there are many Percy Jackson fans who can't wait for this one!

The Dangerous days of Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

James Patterson has found YA success with his Maximum Ride series, and now he (and co-author Ledwidge) delve into sci-fi with a wonderful teenage boy named Daniel. He's no ordinary boy. He's an alien hunter. After witnessing aliens kill his parents at age 3, he now has taken over the list of aliens on Earth that his father kept and is hunting them down one by one, working his way up to public enemy #1 -- the alien who killed his parents.

As I said, though, Daniel is not an ordinary boy. He has powers, extraordinary powers. He's a very creative young man, and i mean that literally. He can not only manipulate objects and animals with his mind (which is pretty funny sometimes), and recreate himself in any shape he chooses (which I don't know why he doesn't use more often to get out of tight spots), but he can also create friends for himself, and his dead family, and pretty much any other living being he chooses. He lives a solitary life, hunting down aliens, except for these created counterparts, and they help him survive, emotionally and physically.

This is a great adventure that middle school boys will enjoy -- and true to Patterson's pledge to become "king of the great page-turners, he has, in my opinion, delivered in spades on this series. I look forward to reading more about Daniel (because we really need to know exactly how he survived at 3 after his parents died....) The book is also now available in graphic novel version for those who like their novels in frames. I give this 3 1/2 bookmarks, leaning toward 4.

Fablehaven 4 cover released

Brandon Mull has posted the cover art for his new book "Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary" and here it is.... the release date is March 24, 2009 so you've got about three months to re-read the first three Fablehaven books in preparation! Yay!

Author Interview: Cinda Williams Chima

Our first interview on Cool Kids Read is with Cinda Williams Chima, author of The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir and her most recent book The Dragon Heir. This is a wonderful fantasy YA series. I've read the first two and am reading the third and I highly recommend them, especially for the young teenage boys on your Christmas list!


Ms. Chima was kind enough to grant me an interview, and here's what she had to say:

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: I wrote a poem in fifth grade that was framed and posted up at the science fair, and I was totally taken with the notoriety. In junior high school, I began writing romances starring me and all my friends. I wrote constantly through junior high and high school, but got away from it when I was in college and working full time. A few years ago I got serious about my writing again and began publishing newspaper and magazine articles on a regular basis.

Q: You are a big Lord of the Rings fan -- so why did you start out writing romance?
A: At the time I was writing romances, I hadn't read Lord of the Rings! I didn't read that until I was in college. I remember staying up until 2 a.m., trembling in my bed, scared of those Black Riders. And then I said to myself, How did he do that (Tolkien)? I mean, this is MADE UP!

These days, I read a wide variety of books, not only fantasy, but mainstream, YA, thrillers, romances, nonfiction. I think that's how you grow as a writer.

Q: What inspired the idea for The Warrior Heir?
A: I loved reading fantasy. When my sons were 13 and 16, I decided to write something that they might like to read. I wanted to write a truly American contemporary fantasy, that would seem possible in any high school in the U.S. I love the notion that there may be magically gifted people all around us and we don't know it.

Q: Of all the characters in the trilogy, which is your favorite to write?
A: Thats a tough one, that's like choosing among my children. I love Jason, which surprises many people, but he's such a bad boy, but vulnerable and has such a need to prove himself. Seph is complicated-cynical and worldly, but always expecting too much of himself. And Madison has so many qualities I wish I had. Ellen is so uncomplicated and direct. You see? Love them all!!!

Q: You recently wrote in your blog about the differences between movies and books and the interaction between the audience and the story. Is a film version of The Warrior Heir in the works?
A: A subagent is repping the film rights, but we're still waiting for someone to show us the money!

Q: Who were your biggest writing influences growing up?
A: My mother was a major influence, because she came from a family of storytellers. She was also a great reader; we brought armloads of books home from the library. As a teen, I think pain and heartbreak were my muses, because my writing always reflected that. In my opinion, anyone who thinks the teenage years are carefree should not be writing for teens.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your new writing project?
A: The Heir Chronicles are classed as urban fantasies, though they're set in a contemporary Midwestern small town. The new Demon King trilogy is a high fantasy, in a traditional medieval setting. The viewpoint characters are a semi-reformed street gang leader and a rebellious princess. I'm really excited about it. The first book, The Demon King, will be out October 20, 2009 and the first chapter is posted on my website http://cindachima.com/Projects/current%20projects.htm

Q: Anything else you'd like to share?
A: I often hear from (mostly) young writers, asking advice on how to be successful writers. I think to succeed in this game, you have to love the process of writing so much that you will continue to do it in the face of rejection and disappointment. You have to love it so much that you will do it whether you ever are published or not.

Still have Christmas shopping to do?

The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau

I am a HUGE "Books of Ember" fan. (I was a bit disappointed with the film, however, but that's another story.) City of Ember, the first in the series by Jeanne DuPrau, was in my opinion simply brilliant. A city powered by electric lights, but the generator is wheezing and the food stores are running out. Two kids find the secret of their lost city -- that hundreds of years ago, a world on the brink of destruction built Ember deep under the ground as a way to preserve human life. There was an escape plan, for 200 years in the future, but the line of secret keepers was broken and so more than 200 years went by until the City didn't even know where they were. Lina and Doon find the secret way out of the dying city, and in book two they come upon Sparks, one of the settlements above ground where the descendants of survivors live. These first two books were just great. DuPrau tells an intriguing and moving futuristic tale. I highly recommend both.

Then, in the third installment, The Prophet of Yonwood, DuPrau swerves off the storyline to backtrack and show us the time leading up to the population of Ember in the first place. This third book just didn't work for me at all; I suppose I really just wanted to know what was going to happen with Lina and Doon. Seems to me Yonwood would have been better as the fourth book, after Darkhold.

WHICH brings me to this review (finally!). The fourth book begins nine months after The People of Sparks ends. The winter is upon them, and much like the colonists or pioneers, the people of Sparks are having a tough time of it. When Doon's father cuts his hand and there is a fear of infection, Doon and Lina decide to head back to Ember to get some Anti-B. But when they get there, they discover not only has a strange family settled in the now dark and abandoned city, but they have come across yet another secret of Ember.

This book was so great -- I was totally hooked from the first chapter. We get lots of backstory to fill in the gaps and I would say it's still up in the air whether this is truly the last book of Ember or not. If you liked the other books in the series, you will enjoy this one.  4 bookmarks!

JK Rowling Interview on Today

Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass

Witnessing a total solar eclipse is something that not many people can claim to do. But the three main characters in the latest book from Wendy Mass (Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life and A Mango Shaped Space) do just that... and they learn a little about themselves in the bargain. 

Told from the perspective of three kids: model wanna-be Bree, slightly overweight loner Jack and homeschooled astronomer in the making Ally, Every Soul A Star explores the wonders of space, Earth and how everybody has to find their own place on it.

Ally has grown up in the boonies, her parents built Moon Shadow campground out in the wilderness as a place for stargazers to pilgrimage to, and this particular summer, they'll be coming in droves as the camp is in the direct path of a total solar eclipse. She loves living under a blanket of stars, and has looked forward to this summer pretty much her whole life. But there's a catch. After the eclipse her family is going to be moving to the city for the first time ever. 

City girl Bree has just found out her family is moving to Moon Shadow to take over for Ally's family, and she's none too happy about being away from her cell phone and friend network. She's more concerned about her toenail polish than which constellations are which, and has no problem letting Ally know that she's getting the raw deal.

Jack finds himself in Moon Shadow as a way to make up for a failing science grade, and summer school. Not exactly one of Bree's popular crowd, Jack just wants to get through the summer and enjoy the outdoors while doing it.

Mass weaves these three stories together masterfully, all told in first person POV yet retaining unique voices for each. Even the snobby Bree comes off as sympathetic and likable.

I'm a huge fan of Jeremy Fink and Mango Shaped Space, and have looked forward to Mass's latest dip into a fascinating subject. She demonstrates why astronomy is so fascinating and young readers will enjoy the celestial tidbits of info they'll pick up along the way. 4 bookmarks -- would make a great holiday gift!!

(NOTE:

I'm hoping to have an interview with the author in the near future, so if you've read Every Soul a Star and have a question for Wendy Mass, post them in the comments section and I'll try to include them in the interview.)

Author Rick Riordan from Texas Monthly Talks on Vimeo.


Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson series) was recently interviewed by Evan Smith on Texas Monthly Talks. He discusses his latest book "39 Clues" and what's next for Percy Jackson.

Classic 5-Bookmark Recommendations -- Mandy by Julie Andrews

This is the first "chapter book" I ever read by myself in second grade. I was a huge fan of Julie Andrews (yes, THAT Julie Andrews) from Mary Poppins and Sound of Music and I completely fell in love with this sweet story.

Mandy is an orphan (why Disney never made a movie out of this, I'll never know) and she lives in a big sprawling orphanage in the midst of lots of land, somewhere in England (I think, at least that's always the impression I had, but that could have come from Julie Andrews' voice in my head as I read the book.)

She's an independent sort and one day she climbs over the garden wall to explore the land beyond the orphanage grounds. There she finds a rundown little cottage in need of a young girl's touch. The rest of the story takes us through Mandy's adventures as she works to fix up her secret hideaway and what happens to her on one dark and rainy night.

Mandy is a squeaky clean, lovely read for any young girl (but boys might like it too). It recently celebrated it's 35th year in print (okay, don't do the math there...) and it is well deserved.