Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison revealed!

Brandon Mull hosted a fantastic live chat last night and revealed this mind-blowing cover to the final Fablehaven book.... look for it on the shelves next year!

First look at the new Fablehaven book this Friday

Brandon Mull posted this for his fans on Facebook today so I thought I'd post it here as well. Make note of the date for THIS FRIDAY for a Live Chat with the author and a reveal of the cover of the last Fablehaven book!

One of the most exciting parts of preparing my books for publication is seeing the new cover. I've been getting questions for about a year concerning what color the final book in the Fablehaven series will be, and what image it will depict. For much of the past year, I've also been asking those questions myself.

Brandon Dorman has illustrated all of my books so far, including my latest release, our picture book PINGO.I’m always excited to see what images he will create. He’s so talented that he seems to always exceed my expectations, but I think he saved the best for last. I got to help plan the cover for Fablehaven 5, but still the image he created blew me away. I think it visually helps reflect the content of the book, which contains the most action and adventure of any story I have written so far.

I will be conducting a live Q&A online this Friday, October 30th, at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.

During the live Q&A I will be revealing the new cover for Fablehaven 5, as well as answering questions about my books, my future plans, and of course the upcoming finale of the Fablehaven series. If you have the evening open, be sure to drop by and shoot me a few questions.

Please join me this Friday. You can watch it athttp://www.ustream.tv/channel/fablehaven or athttp://www.fablehaven.com/ustream

The broadcast will be through the web site Ustream.com. If you have a Ustream account (totally free to create) you can ask questions live. Otherwise, email me questions at brandon@fablehaven.com and tune in Friday at 6 p.m. MST.

Thanks a lot,
Brandon

Don't Judge A Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter

I am a big fan of The Gallagher Girls series. Equal parts teen romance and adventure story, the first two books by Ally Carter — I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Hyperion, 2006) and Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Hyperion, 2007) — were highly entertaining reads, ones I recommend for readers 10 and up.

Book #3 in the series — Don't Judge A Girl by Her Cover (Hyperion, 2009) — is unfortunately my least favorite of the three. Cammie Morgan (aka The Cameleon) and her entourage of Gallagher Academy girls are about to enter their junior year at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women — a super secret training school for young female spies.

Their newest BFF, Macey McHenry, has spent the summer on the campaign trail with her father who is running for vice president of the United States. To wrap up summer break, Cammie joins her friend in Boston, where, a kidnapping attempt puts their training to a life and death test.

Back at school, with Secret Service hovering around Macey 24/7 and a personal body guard in the form of Cammie's aunt Abby, the girls' cov-ops lessons start hitting a little too close to home.

As the mysteries pile up around her, Cammie uncovers secrets about her family and her school, and the boy she's crushing on... all leading up to a cliffhanger ending that will have fans marking their calendars for book #4.

While I wasn't as swept up in this story as I was in the previous books, Carter does a good job of continuing the arc, feeding us hints about Zach, Mr. Solomon and even Cammie's father that make us wonder.

As Cammie often says, Gallagher Girls know that nothing is ever as it appears. But it's quite clear that Cammie's story is certain to have more twists and turns to come.

3 1/2 bookmarks.

Picture Book Flashback: Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

Budding chefs (or anyone with a sweet tooth) will eat up this delicious picture book from illustration/author team and sisters Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel (1999, Harcourt Brace & Company).

Okay, no more foodie words, but kids interested in concocting things in the kitchen will truly enjoy this retelling of the Little Red Hen.

Great, grandson of the hen mentioned above, Rooster is sick of chicken feed. He wants to make something yummy, and he's got his Great-Granny's cookbook to help him do it. Of course, Dog, Cat and Goose refuse to help, but luckily, Rooster has Turtle, Iguana and Pig. Now what child wouldn't want those three to help out in the kitchen?

The book takes readers through the process of preparing a strawberry shortcake in a very sweet (sorry, I did it again) and informative way, with interesting sidebars with cooking tips and culinary education. Repetition and engaging banter make for a fun out-loud read. And if the story inspires your little Rachel Ray or Gordon Ramsey, the sisters have included the recipe on the final page.

A classic Texas Bluebonnet award winner, COOK-a-Doodle-Doo gets 4 1/2 bookmarks. Yum.

Fablehaven The Movie -- casting rumors.

Apparently there are some rumors flying about some sort of casting call in Salt Lake City for a Fablehaven movie. Wanting to find out the truth, I went straight to the source: Brandon Mull himself. Here was his response:

"No casting news yet. There is still no production schedule for Fablehaven. They are still rewriting the screenplay. I'll definitely post about it on my websites and my Facebook if such info ever becomes available.

So the rumor was false!

But Fablehaven 5 will be out March 23, and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. I believe it will take readers on the best ride yet!"

I know I, for one, was disappointed to hear we are still so far away from what will no doubt be an EXCELLENT film.

On a positive note, March 23rd is only months away, so put the release date on your calendar and start re-reading the first four books NOW in preparation!!

The Demon King out tomorrow!

Fans of the Warrior/Wizard/Dragon Heir trilogy take note! Cinda Williams Chima has a new series and the first book hits bookshelves tomorrow so hop on out and pick one up! I'm reading it now so keep an eye out for a CKR review in the near future.