How to use this Page

I am excited to be giving away Stranger Moon and doing it with Rafflecopter for the first time! I would love it if you tried out Rafflecopter with me by doing as many of the tasks as you can below and then getting all the possible points to win this AWESOME book. The contest goes until Sunday, March 11 at midnight (so enter on Saturday or before), and it is open to anyone–(Canada and U.S.–you can get a hard copy; overseas–you can get an e-book). So, here we go. . .

Stranger Moon by Heather Zydek
*Middle-grade novel, contemporary fiction
*12-year-old girl as main character
*Rating: I loved Stranger Moon! I think middle-grade readers will, too. It has several boy characters that are friends with Gaia, and it has bugs (LOL), so I think it will appeal to both boys and girls. If you have a child being bullied, this book is great conversation starter.

Short, short summary: It’s summer break, and Gaia is searching for a Luna moth after she finds a Luna moth wing pressed between the pages of an old insect guide. When she convinces her friends to go with her to search for the moth, they encounter a strange woman in the woods who EATS bugs. She freaks them out, of course, but she also peaks their interest, and they go on a hunt to find out whom she is. In the meantime, they pick up another misunderstood classmate, encounter the bullies– THE EMMAS, and deal with their own issues. Gaia has a father who pays NO ATTENTION to her since her mother died, and she is tired of feeling like she’s invisible in her own home. So, as you can see, there’s a lot going on in this book. As more information is revealed about the mystery woman, readers can try to guess her identity. Once it’s discovered, they can debate what they would do with the info. The author does a great job of moving the story forward and tying up all these subplots in the end.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. This is a terrific book to open up conversations with children about how they are feeling at home, about bullying, about friendships, and so on. Use the characters in the book. How did you feel when Gaia and her friends got into the big fight? What do you think about the Emmas? and so on.

2. Your young readers may or may not be into insects. If they are, then ask them to find out about Luna moths on their own. If they aren’t, what are they passionate about? What would they spend their summer vacation searching for? Have them write a journal entry about this and compare themselves to Gaia.

3. The characters in this book are complex and well-developed–they are perfect for character studies. You could teach character motivation, character feelings, and even problem-solving (how characters solve problems in the story). Allow students to choose their favorite character and then write a letter as if they are that character. They could also write a journal entry.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below! Please email margo (at) margodill.com if you run into any problems.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway.

Add a Comment

Today, I have the pleasure of featuring 4RV Publishing author Laurie Boris and her NEW contemporary novel The Joke's on Me (http://thejokesonme.net). Laurie and I have a lot in common, her book will also be released this month, she's a fellow 4RV author, and we're both ghostwriters.


Okay, now for the interview:

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a recovering perfectionist, a closet stand-up comedian, and an obsessive writer. I’ve scorched several pots of brown rice because I snuck away to my computer to write just a little bit more of the story. Once, even the smoke alarm and a horrid burning smell couldn’t penetrate my writing bubble. Finally, my mother bought me a rice cooker so I wouldn’t burn my house down.

What’s the novel about?

Love, redemption, family, baseball, tomatoes… you know, the usual stuff. Seriously, The Joke’s on Me is about Frankie Goldberg, a thirty-seven-year-old former stand-up comic and actress who has been in Hollywood struggling for success (and ignoring her family) for the last fifteen years. When a mudslide drops her bungalow into the Pacific, Frankie books it for home: her mother’s bed and breakfast in Woodstock, New York. But the joke’s on Frankie–there’s little TLC here, only the family she left behind. Her mother is now in a nursing home, and her older sister has taken over the business. Frankie needs to decide what role she wants to play in this new iteration of Goldbergs, if at all. When her childhood crush shows up, it makes her decision that much harder. And life a lot more interesting.

When did you decide to become a writer?

I always loved writing, and kept a journal (there have to be at least five dozen black marble composition books full of scribbled words in my closet, dating back from junior high), but I went to school for advertising and became a graphic designer. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties and between jobs that I decided to become a writer. It just felt like the right time. Plus, it gave me something to do between interviews and freelance gigs. I wrote a lot of really bad short stories at first, and eventually got better.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

More writing! By day I’m a freelance writer. I ghostwrite, blog, write educational materials for kids, whatever people will pay me to do. When I’m not staring at my computer or burning pots of brown rice, I love to read, cook, and watch baseball.

There are a lot of food references in The Joke’s on Me. Does this stem from your love of cooking?

Yes, and my love of eating! Among the older generations in my family, like in Frankie’s, food was love, food was warmth, a kind of social currency. My grandmothers and great aunts literally ran around offering people food, selling us on second helpings like they would jump out a window if we didn’t eat. They were my inspiration for Frankie’s stand-up routine.

Can you tell us about your challenges getting your first book published?

The first book I tried to get

Display Comments Add a Comment

photo by tibchris www.flickr.com

I am so happy to hold this contest on my blog today for Hate List by Jennifer Brown. I am IN LOVE with this book. It is perfect for tweens and teens, and I think all parents and teens should HAVE to read it. It’s great for a mother-daughter book club. So, I am going to give my copy away to a lucky winner. All you have to do is leave a comment about the book, about the photo I posted here (this is not the author, but this picture just reminded me of Hate List so I posted it), about high school, about your teenager or teaching teenagers, or a pick-me comment. Contest will close on the day we celebrate LOVE–February 14 at 8:00 pm CST.

*Young adult contemporary novel
*Senior girl as the main character
*Rating: Hate List will grab you from page one and keep you riveted until the end. It’s tragic and heartbreaking and shows there are no easy answers when it comes to being a teen. (Starred review from School Library Journal.)

Short, short summary: Valerie is getting ready to start her senior year in high school, which would normally be an exciting time for any girl. But this is not the case for Valerie. From page one, you learn that at the end of her junior year, her boyfriend Nick pulled a gun in the Commons and shot their classmates as revenge for the way he and Valerie were treated. Nick wound up shooting Valerie in the leg when she tried to stop him and then took his own life. Besides dealing with mental and physical pain, Valerie must also deal with the fact that many people at her high school and in her community (including her own family members) think she knew what Nick was planning and that she was a co-conspirator. Turns out, Valerie and Nick had a “hate list,” a notebook full of people they hated, and those same people were targets of the shooting. In Hate List, Jennifer Brown reveals what happened on that tragic day last May and how everyone is dealing with the aftermath. You follow Valerie through this book, hoping that somehow she can overcome one of the worst nightmares anyone has ever had to face.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. When you read a book like this with teenagers, they are bound to have strong opinions on Nick, Valerie, and the “bullies.” Some people will identify with Nick and Valerie; others will identify with the victims of the shooting. Brown does a good job of showing the reader that everything is not always as black and white as it seems, and I think this will bring out even stronger reader reactions because Brown has written a realistic book. Students and teens will need plenty of time to process, write about, and discuss this book. As a teacher or parent, you will want to give them space and time to express themselves without being hurtful to others. Set some ground rules, suggest students jot down notes or even free write before discussions take place, and try not to let it get too personal (as in naming teens) in your classroom. Students who need to talk personally could schedule a time with you, or you could put together a small group that you think would work for this type of discussion. Some themes to discuss: forgiveness, bullying, hate, divorce, honesty, and friendship.

2. Valerie uses art to help her through the healing process. You can do several things with this theme, depending on if you are using this book in a classroom, homeschool, or mother-daughter book club. In a smaller setting, you could give teens an opportunity to paint eith

Add a Comment