Create your own book trailer contest!

I know lots of kids are putting book trailers together for some of their favorite books. I'd love to see them! In fact, I'd love to see them so much I'm having a contest.

First, GET YOUR PARENT'S PERMISSION.
Please, do this.

Then, send me a link to your book trailer (it has to be hosted somewhere online like You Tube or something). I'll post all the book trailers (as long as they don't have any obscenities or anything) and everyone can vote on them. The trailer that gets the most positive comments wins a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card.

There are two ways to enter. Either leave me a comment on this post or email me at kimberlyjsmith1@mac.com. DO NOT GIVE ME ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION. Just an email address of how to contact you. If you're the winner then I'll email you to let you know.

Deadline is Sunday March 8th. I look forward to seeing how creative you all are!!

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!

Review #3 -- Nick of Time by Ted Bell

This was one of those books that I judged by its cover. That and the obvious subject matter of time travel (a favorite of mine). I was very excited to read it, and it didn't completely disappoint. It is definitely geared toward boys, I would say more like 13 years and up. The subject matter can't help but contain violence and some disturbing concepts, so not for the easily freaked out.

Nick is a sailor at heart, and he lives on a quaint little island in the English Channel. In a lighthouse. Okay, I love lighthouses. The idea of living in one is really cool... and Bell makes it quaint and not creepy, which was great (they have the potential to be creepy, dontcha think?) In the early days of WWII, before England was officially at war, rumors were flying about this amazing submarine the Nazi's had apparently invented. Nick ends up spotting one, and nothing is the same after that.

He and his little sister get embroiled in an adventure filled with tense moments -- discovering the secret hideout of the famous island recluse, run-ins with infamous Nazi's and pirates alike, and secret missions from Winston Churchill himself. 

Bell is a former ad guy, and much like another famous ad guy turned novelist (James Patterson), he knows how to hook an audience and string them along page after page. I enjoyed this read, but a fan of war I'm not. There was a little too much detail in the battles, but I can see teenage boys loving it. 

It's pretty obvious there's a book two in the works, which I'd probably read just to see where Bell takes Nick next and if/how he plans to link this series with his Alex Hawke series...

I give it 3.75 bookmarks. Visit www.tedbellbooks.com. He posted his interview with Glenn Beck, about what a great book it is for boys.  Check it out!

New Reviews... soon?

I'm hoping. I've been reading, when I can squeeze it in, but I've decided I'm only going to post positive reviews here. I don't want to trash any author just because their book wasn't my cup of tea. Odds are, someone else loved it and I wouldn't want to negatively influence anyone. So, that being said, I'm having a little trouble finding the next book to be reviewed... there is one in progress that I have high hopes for, despite a sluggish mid-section. So we may see in a few days. (Depends on how much time I spend in the car -- gotta love those audio books!)

In the meantime, I'm open to anyone who wants to guest blog about a favorite read as of late. Email me at kimberlyjsmith1@mac.com.

Oh, and by the way... HG, I totally agree with your review of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. I thought this was a WONDERFUL book and I bawled at the end (so did my husband when he read it!) 

Review #1 -- Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus

Scott Mebus obviously has a thing for New York. Not surprising, as he's a long-time resident, working in theater, music production and television (VH-1 and MTV). Gods of Manhattan is his homage to the mysteries of Manhattan, the island borough of New York -- where more rich people live in the smallest amount of space than anywhere else in America. The island has a rich history, and Mebus mines it for his story "Gods of Manhattan." (Penguin/Dutton, May 2008).

13-year old Rory Calhoun and his little sister Bridget get introduced to a Manhattan they never knew existed. It's sort of an alternate reality, called Mannahatta. It's a place where people who have made some sort of impact on the history of the island go after they die -- it is populated by figures such as Babe Ruth, Walt Whitman, Dorothy Parker and major players in New York history from its New Amsterdam days. Rory has some sort of connection to this world, as he soon discovers he is what is called a "Light" which gives him the ability to see and even enter this world. Of course, this ability makes him a target for the evil-doers (of which, like its namesake, Mannahatta has many).

There are talking cockroaches (which reinforced the shades of "Gregor the Overlander" I was seeing), magicians, characters made from papier mache, and one adventurous scene after another. Mebus writes with a wit that reveals his stand-up comedian roots, but pulls a Stephen King in that he gives his young heroes an intellect beyond their years (especially Bridget).

The history lesson in the story is not an easy one to follow. Younger readers might have a hard time understanding the historical references, but the characterizations are interesting enough to keep tweens and above turning pages. The story really dug its hooks in for me about halfway through -- and I enjoyed it -- but the more I thought about it, the more I started scratching my head about a few things.

After Googling around about it, I found a review from School Library Journal which kind of sums up what I was thinking. Read the review here 

SPOILER ALERT: the linked review gives away major plot points from the ending, so be forewarned.

Without revealing too much, let me say that Mr. Mebus' Gods do not accurately represent the melting pot that is New York to the extent that I would have liked. This is especially true of the Council of Twelve, who boast only one member of a race other than white. And the resolution surrounding the Native American Mumsees and their imprisonment in Central Park was disappointing in the least and offensive in the worst (again, see the SLJ review for more). 

However, given the wrap up, I have no doubt Gods of Manhattan 2 is being written as we speak.

While this was an entertaining read, and an extremely enticing concept, I found myself wishing Mebus had done something different, something that truly demonstrated the historical implications of all those millions of people from different walks of life and different cultures coming together in that small section of the country... something that fictionalized the history lesson in a broader way.

That said, I give Gods of Manhattan three bookmarks on the Cool Kids Read scale.

Have you read it? Post your thoughts!

Debut of Cool Kids Book Reviews

Welcome to Cool Kids Book Reviews -- here I'll be reviewing some great middle grade and YA reads. I'll also host some guest reviewers from our readers and hope to post author interviews with some of your favorites as well.

If you'd like to recommend a title to be reviewed, or submit a review of a book that you've written, please post it in the comments section.

My first review will be on "Gods of Manhattan" by Scott Mebus. I just finished it and hope to have the review posted in the next couple of days.

And thanks for visiting Cool Kids Book Reviews! Hope you find your new favorite book here!