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Scholastic has enlisted 13 children’s books authors to help with the Summer Reading Challenge program.

The participants include R.L. Stine, Maggie Stiefvater and Jackson Pierce, Gordon Korman, Michael Northtrop, Varian Johnson, Jude Watson, Blue Balliet, Patrik Henry Bass, Roland Smith, Tui T. Sutherland, Lauren Tarshis, and Wendy Wan-Long Shang. These writers will create original short stories; kids will be able to access these “rewards” by tracking the minutes they spend reading.

According to the press release, “each of the authors has written a unique short story using the same opening sentence which is, ‘I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that no one had followed me into the shadowy library, then took a deep breath and opened the glowing book…'” The organizers behind this venture hope to break the record of 304,749,681 minutes (spent reading) that was set last summer.

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I’m putting the following books on my to-read list. I chose these particular books of the many the above authors have written because either these particular characters or the genres (fantasy, adventure, and historical fiction) are the most different from my own work.

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By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: September 3, 2012

Here’s the scoop on the most popular destinations on The Children’s Book Review site, the most coveted new releases and bestsellers.

Gearing Up for Kindergarten

Best Halloween Books for Kids: Scary, Spooky, and Silly

Review: Scat by Carl Hiaasen

How Picture Books Play a Role in a Child’s Development

Where to Find Free eBooks for Children Online

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THE NEW RELEASES

The most coveted books that release this month:

Llama Llama Time to Share

by Anna Dewdney

(Ages 3-5)

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas

by Eric Litwin

(Ages 4-8)

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs: As Retold by Mo Willems

by Mo Willems

(Ages 3-7)

Shatterproof (The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers, Book 4)

by Roland Smith

(Ages 8-12)

Caught (Missing)

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

(Ages 9-12)

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THE BEST SELLERS

The best selling children’s books this month:

PICTURE BOOKS

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

by William Joyce

(Ages 4-8)

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

by Eric Litwin

(Ages 4-7)

I Want My Hat Back

by Jon Klassen

(Ages 4-8)

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site

by Sherri Duskey Rinker (Author), Tom Lichtenheld (Illustrator)

(Ages 4-8)

Press Here

by Herve Tullet

(Ages 4-8)

_______

CHAPTER BOOKS

The Heroes of Olympus: The Demigod Diaries

by Rick Riordan

(Ages 10-14)

Insurgent (Divergent)

by Veronica Roth

(Ages 14 and up)

The Fault in our Stars

by John Green

(Ages 14-17)

Wonder

by R.J. Palacio

(Ages 8-12)

Heroes of Olympus, The, Book Two: The Son of Neptune

by Rick Riordan

(Ages 9-11)

_______

PAPERBACK BOOKS

Divergent

by Veronica Roth

(Ages 14 and up)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky

(Ages 14 and up)

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak

(Ages 14 and up)

Thirteen Reasons Why

by Jay Asher

(Ages 12 and up)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

(Ages 12 and up)

_______

SERIES BOOKS

Hunger Games Trilogy

by Suzanne Collins

(Ages 12 and up)

Maximum Ride

by James Patterson

(Ages 13-17)

Dork Diaries

by Rachel Renee Russell

(Ages 9-12)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

by Jeff Kinney

(Ages 9 to 12)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

by Rick Riordan

(Ages 9 to 12)

This information was gathered from the New York Times Best Sellers list, which reflects the sales of books from books sold nationwide, including independent and chain stores. It is correct at the time of publication and presented in random order. Visit: www.nytimes.com.

Original article: September 2012: Best Selling Kids’ Books, New Releases, and More …

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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I was contemplating cryptids this week after having picked up the first two books is Roland Smith's terrific Cryptid Hunters series published by Hyperion and Scholastic:  The series features the adventures of thirteen-year-old twins Marty and Grace and their cryptid-hunting uncle.  In the first book, they're off to Africa to save the sauropod-shaped mokele-mbembe from facing a new extinction.  In the second, they're on a ship off the coast of New Zealand to find a giant squid.  Two more books are forthcoming...

Anyway, it got me thinking.  As a young reader, in addition to dinosaurs, one of the things that I was absolutely fascinated by was crytpids (although the word didn't actually exist back then): Bigfoot, Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster,  mokele-mbembe, and the like.  Just the idea that there were these creatures that could exist below the radar in our (apparently) very advanced world fascinated me.  And how cool would it have been to have come face to face with one or any of these?  Of course, in 1938, that very thing happened with the discovery of live coelacanths, thought to have gone extinct at the time of the dinosaurs...

The difference, of course, between dinosaurs and (most) cryptids is that the former were real, but they still tap into that same craving to see them live and that same wonder about what would happen if we encountered them today.  In the flesh.  And this fascination has been ongoing since very nearly the dawn of the dinosaurs themselves.

 The earliest life-sized sculptures were the "Crystal Palace dinosaurs" of Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, built in the early 1850's, not long after Richard Owen coined the term "dinosaur."  Nowadays, of course, just about every natural history museum has skeletal and/or static or animatronic recreations.

1 Comments on Cryptids!, last added: 7/8/2011

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brian yansky said, on 7/8/2011 6:10:00 AM

Interesting post, Greg.

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Waaaay back in October of 2008, I raved about a little YA book called I,Q: Independence Hall by Roland Smith. I found it thrilling, page-turning, and a clean read for teens. Great for reluctant readers. Here's a bit more of what I said:

"Once I sat down and began reading this young adult novel, I had to keep making excuses to come back to it. I brought it into a restaurant, read it on a "hike" with the hubby and the dog, and kept turning the light back on at night to continue it. The thrill ride starts with the first page and doesn't ever let up. From page to page the reader isn't quite sure who the bad guys are or if everyone is a bad guy! The writing is fantastic, perfect for teens and middle graders, and the characters really display true emotion. If this were to actually happen to a couple of kids, I can see them reacting in exactly the way Q and Angela do.

My favorite part of the book is the fact that there is really a perfect amount of techy talk, action, and thrills, but not too much of any of them. So many books in this genre are filled with characters getting killed and bad language, but I, Q really keeps everything in perspective. There is talk of guns and some slight violence, but I would have no problem recommending this to my teens and middle school patrons and would have confidence telling their parents it is a safe read."

You can read my full review here.


Well, to promote I,Q: The White House, the second title in this series, Sleeping Bear Press is giving us some sneak peeks into the book, which is being published later this month. So far, there are two sneak peeks up...both verrrry interesting teasers, and you can go here to find them.

Sleeping Bear Press also thought it would be nice to give away THREE copies of the first book, I, Q: Independence Hall, to get those new to the series geared up for the release of book 2. How nice is that?


To enter:
Leave a comment on this post by Sunday night, March 7th at 11:59pm Eastern time. Be sure to leave an email address where I can reach you, if you don't have a blog.


An extra entry if you Tweet this and an extra entry if you're ALREADY a follower. I know how many I have!


Please leave a separate comment for EACH entry. Three winners will be chosen Monday morning and the publisher will send you a copy of the book! Good luck!

To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon. I am an Associate and will receive a small percentage of the purchase price. Thanks!

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Roland Smith is definitely high on my list for authors to check out. He has been since I read Zach's Lie several years ago and with the completion of his newest, I am completely enthralled with his ability to combine true, human emotion and intense thrills and action.

I, Q Book One: Independence Hall, centers on Q, short for Quest, and his new stepsister Angela, as they begin a tour of the United States with their famous musician parents. When their fancy tour bus breaks down and Boone, an old roadie of Q's mom's band miraculously shows up in the desert to fix it, Q and Angela start to smell something a bit fishy about him. When Angela realizes she is being followed, Boone soon reveals that he is part of the U.S. Secret Service trying to learn if Angela's mother, a former agent herself killed in the line of duty, is actually still alive.

Each page introduces new info to the story, as Q and Angela and thrown into the midst of a huge cover-up conspiracy. Boone and his comrades are not only trying to find Angela's mother, but have also been sent to keep the kids and their parents safe on the tour. The step-siblings are soon helping the mission just as much as the agents are, all while trying to keep themselves alive.

Once I sat down and began reading this young adult novel, I had to keep making excuses to come back to it. I brought it into a restaurant, read it on a "hike" with the hubby and the dog, and kept turning the light back on at night to continue it. The thrill ride starts with the first page and doesn't ever let up. From page to page the reader isn't quite sure who the bad guys are or if everyone is a bad guy! The writing is fantastic, perfect for teens and middle graders, and the characters really display true emotion. If this were to actually happen to a couple of kids, I can see them reacting in exactly the way Q and Angela do.

My favorite part of the book is the fact that there is really a perfect amount of techy talk, action, and thrills, but not too much of any of them. So many books in this genre are filled with characters getting killed and bad language, but I, Q really keeps everything in perspective. There is talk of guns and some slight violence, but I would have no problem recommending this to my teens and middle school patrons and would have confidence telling their parents it is a safe read.

If you want to read more about I, Q (which is the first in a series...YAY!!!!!) or to purchase click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.

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