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Tuesday, September 12, 2017

THE GREAT HIBERNATION by Tara Dairman- Release Day Giveaway!

Today is the day!

Tara Dairman's fourth book, THE GREAT HIBERNATION, is out in the world, and you don't want to miss it. Leave a comment to be entered to win an eBook~ winner will be chosen on 9/19. UPDATE: THE WINNER IS VERONICA BARTLES. Congratulations, Veronica! I'll get in touch via your social media.

I could go on and on about the cleverness and heart of this book~ about the characters and the setting~ about Jean Huddy's courage~ about a town where the PARENTS ALL FALL ASLEEP! When I told my 8-year-old the premise, she said, "OMG, Mom. That is so cool."

She was excited to hear that she'll be seeing Tara and getting a signed book at One More Page Books in Arlington, VA on Saturday, September 23, at 3:00 pm (psst, you can come too!). Read on for a book summary and much praise from reviewers.

The most important tradition in tiny St. Polonius is the annual Tasting of the Sacred Bear Liver. Each citizen over twelve must eat one bite of liver to prevent the recurrence of the Great Hibernation, when the town founders fell asleep for months.
This year is Jean Huddy’s first time to taste the liver. It doesn’t go well.
A few hours later, all the adults fall into a sleep from which they cannot be woken, and the kids are left to run things. At first, they have a blast. But then the town bullies take over the mayor’s office and the police force, and pretty soon Jean begins to suspect that this “hibernation” was actually engineered by someone in town.
Courage, teamwork, and scientific smarts unlock an unusual mystery in this delightful and funny story about one girl who inspires the kids around her to join together to save their home.
Praise for The Great Hibernation
“Definitely will not induce drowsiness. Utterly original.”ADAM REX
author of The True Meaning of Smekday and the Cold Cereal Saga
“Imagine Lord of the Flies as a comedy set in snowy terrain and you have The Great Hibernation: a hilarious, whip-smart page-turner you don’t want to miss.”
—JENNIFER CHAMBLISS BERTMAN
New York Times bestselling author of Book Scavenger and The Unbreakable Code
Memorably humorous…Lighthearted enough to entice readers with the silly premise and whimsical illustrations sprinkled throughout, this middle grade book nonetheless explores some rather important political ideas about individuality and the need for a balance of powers in governance. A strong selection for most middle grade shelves.
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Quirky without being over-the-top, Dairman’s novel is a funny, wintry romp that explores just what might happen if kids were in charge.”-BOOKLIST
“[A] whimsical mystery…The fast-paced plot belies the sleepy small-town setting, and it’s refreshing to see a cast of characters who genuinely love their village and their families, whatever their quirks, instead of yearning to escape them.”-BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS (BCCB) 

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Under the Bottle Bridge~ Release Day, Reviews, & Events


Today is release day for Under the Bottle Bridge! Leave a comment on this post to enter to win a hardcover~ I'll pick a winner on Saturday, September 16.

If you read Under the Bottle Bridge, you'll meet:
Minna Treat, Crash Hardly, a mysterious newcomer, mischievous twins named after tea, an uncle with 82 parenting books (and counting), and an Irish Wolfhound named Beast.

You'll encounter:
Bottle messages, historic disasters, lots of sneaking around, and a stinky incident involving pumpkin-flavored pickles & pickled pumpkin slices.

And you just might:
Want to take up woodcraft/glassblowing/candlemaking, buy tick spray, get the urge to go foraging for wild edibles, think twice next time geese honk overhead, and wonder where your personal bridge is taking you in life.

Here are a few review excerpts:

"Beautifully written, with vivid characters, this exploration of family and friendship shines from the first page...Give to fans of Holly Goldberg Sloan's Counting By 7s." -School Library Journal

Minna's coming-of-age story is as solid and well-crafted as the furniture made by her uncle, and the bottle mystery is engrossing...truly poignant. Hand this to fans of Turnage's Three Times Lucky." -Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

"Lawson creates an engaging cast of characters." -Kirkus Reviews

Here's where I'll be online and in-person in the coming weeks. I'd love to see you in the comments of a post or in-person!

ONLINE
Wednesday, September 6: I'll be at one of my favorite blogs, Literary Rambles. I'm giving away a hardcover and my AMAZING agent Tina Wexler is offering a free query critique!

Thursday, September 7: I'll be at Tara Dairman's blog with a recipe for hearth milk and a hardcover giveaway.

IN-PERSON EVENTS
Books of Wonder – New York, NY 
Sunday, September 17, 4 pm
Middle-grade panel and launch party! (with Tara Dairman, Tracey Baptiste, & Alison Cherry)

One More Page Books – Arlington, VA 
Saturday, September 23, 3pm
Kidlit panel! (with Tracey Baptiste, Caroline Carlson, & Tara Dairman, moderated by Madelyn Rosenberg)

Here are some links, for anyone looking to get a copy:

IndieBound (find your nearest independent bookstore)
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

Under the Bottle Bridge is also available as an audiobook, via Dreamscape.

PUBLISHER SUMMARY
In the tradition of Rooftoppers and Three Times Lucky, critically acclaimed author Jessica Lawson returns with her fourth whimsical, lyrical, and heartfelt middle grade novel about a girl who’s desperately trying to keep her life together, when everything seems to be falling apart.

In the weeks leading up to Gilbreth, New York’s annual AutumnFest, twelve-year-old woodcraft legacy Minna Treat is struggling with looming deadlines, an uncle trying to hide Very Bad News, and a secret personal quest. When she discovers mysterious bottle messages under one of the village’s 300-year-old bridges, she can’t help but wonder who’s leaving them, what they mean, and, most importantly…could the messages be for her?

Along with best friend Crash and a mystery-loving newcomer full of suspicious theories, Minna is determined to discover whether the bottles are miraculously leading her toward long-lost answers she’s been looking for, or drawing her into a disaster of historic proportions.