Candlewick Blog Tour Giveaway-Interrupting Chicken with David Ezra Stein

Candlewick Press Blog Tour with David Ezra Stein - Book Giveaway Contest

I am delighted to be a part of this blog tour featuring Interrupting Chicken, by David Ezra Stein. I shared this wonderful book with you a few weeks ago,(review) and now have exciting news! Candlewick Press has graciously donated two copies for a book giveaway of this charming book. You will love this book: the pictures the characters and the story.

When you read with children enthusiasm often wins over patience, as demonstrated by Little Chicken. Isn't this cover the best?



Easy to enter:

1) Leave a comment on this post with you coded email address. You have until August 31st to enter. :)

2) Tweet about the contest and share the link. +2 chances

3) Blog or include this in your sidebar. +2chances

4) Add your name to my follower list on my sidebar. +2 chances

Note: Participants must reside in the United States or Canada for this giveaway.

Synopsis from the publisher:
It’s time for the little red chicken’s bedtime story --and a reminder from Papa to try not to interrupt. But the chicken can’t help herself! Whether the tale is HANSEL AND GRETEL or LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD or even CHICKEN LITTLE, she jumps into the story to save its hapless characters from doing some dangerous or silly thing. Now it’s the little red chicken’s turn to tell a story, but will her yawning papa make it to the end without his own kind of interrupting? Energetically illustrated with glowing colors --and offering humorous story-within-a-story views --this all-too-familiar tale is sure to amuse (and hold the attention of ) spirited little chicks.

A favorite joke inspires this charming tale, in which a little chicken’s habit of interrupting bedtime stories is gleefully turned on its head.

Blog Tour Events:

Aug. 9 – Picture Book Review, http://picturebookreview.com/

Aug. 10 - Katie's Literature Lounge, http://katiesliteraturelounge.blogspot.com/

Aug. 11 – Readaholic, http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/

Aug. 12 - Two Writing Teachers, http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com

Aug. 13 - Not Just for Kids, http://notjustforkids.blogspot.com/

Aug. 14 - Milk and Cookies, Comfort Reading . . ., http://janasbooklist.blogspot.com/

Aug. 15 - Bookworm's Dinner, http://bookwormsdinner.blogspot.com/

Aug. 16 - Where the Best Books Are, http://wherethebestbooksare.blogspot.com/

Aug. 17 – KidsLit review, http://kidslit.menashalibrary.org/

Good Luck to everyone!

Thank you again to Candlewick Press and Laura Rivas, for my copy and the two giveaway copies of Interrupting Chicken.

© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Review-The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

THE LOST SUMMER OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
Kelly O'Connor McNees
Amy Einhorn Books
G.P.Putnam's Sons-Penguin Group, USA
0399156526
352 pages
$24.95/$31.00(CAN)








I don't know why it took so long to review this book. I loved it. I read about Louisa May Alcott when I was a teenager and her story was one of wonder then. Kelly O'Connor McNees, shares my passion for the writer and admits that after reading Martha Saxton's Louisa May Alcott: A Modern Biography she became even more obsessed. I can't remember the biography that I read as a child. It was one of those biography series for young adults. I know my mom used to treat me to new books often and Alcott was among them.

I have read Little Women twice and have seen two versions of the movie. So, I was worried about reading a fictional story about the author. I quickly realized that my worries were for naught as The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott was a treasure. If anything it just enhanced my desire to revisit her biography as I noted the Saxton version on my wishlist.

McNees invents a story of the years when Louisa May Alcott lived in Walpole, New Hampshire during 1855. When she discovered that there were gaps in the historical information available during the summer of that year, her story began to materialize.
McNees shapes a character of Louisa May Alcott that feels genuine and at times you need to remind yourself that it is a historical fiction version. The life Alcott chooses to lead and the decisions she makes are believable because her personality is not compromised in this fictional story. Biographies depict her strength and views on women's roles and marriage which are played out in McNees' novel. Through the author's research she inserts familiar historical events to create a realistic setting for her story. The Fugitive Slave Act and the Anthony Burns trial, Women's Rights, Walt Whitman's publication of The Leaves of Grass, Nathanial Hawthorne's presence as a neighbor, all enhance the plausibility of the story. While her mother shows her support for Louisa's dreams, her father is disappointed. Louisa is driven to make money to survive as a single woman, making her own way.

If you love Little Women, and have a curiosity about Louisa May Alcott, please read a biography of her life. Once you have done that, treat yourself to Kelly O’Connor NcNees’ historical fiction story that honors her memory with warmth and imagination.

Disclosure: Sent to me by the publisher.



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

It's All About Children Thursday, August 12, 2010

This week on All About Children Thursday, I have a perfect book for the young reader in grades 4-6. If you want to join the meme go to the link above to read all about it. This is a meme all about children and books they might like. I'm excited to share books for children with you and can't wait to see what everyone is reading.

The traditional tale of The Three Little Pigs was always one of my childhood favorites. As a media specialist I have discovered so many different versions of the original story throughout my years reading with kids. I am so lucky, because I get to enjoy the new spin each author has added to their retell in many new ways. Much more then I had as a child. There are so many versions, quickly brought up through an internet search.

Here are just a few of the titles you may have heard of:

Three Little Cajun Pigs, by Mike Artell
Alaska’s Three Pigs, by Arlene Laverde
Three Little Hawaiian Pigs and the Magic Shark, by Donivee Martin Laird
The Three Little Pigs: An Architectural Tale, by Steven Guarnaccia
The Three Little Pigs, by David Weisner (Caldecott Winner)
The Three Little Gators, by Helen Ketterman
The Three Little Dinosaurs, by Jim Harris
The Three Little Pigs: The Graphic Novel, by Lisa Trumbauer and Aaron Blecha
The Three Little Pigs, by Steven Kellogg
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, by Jon Scieszka and illustrator Lane Smith
The Three Little Wolves and The Big Bad Pig, by Eugene Trivizas


THE THREE LITTLE TAMALES
by, Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Valeria Docampo
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb
March 1, 2009
978-0761455196

Eric Kimmel is one of my favorite children’s authors. My students squeal and laugh hysterically when I share his stories of Anansi the spider. He has already written one version of the three little pigs called, The Three Cabritos. His release last year of The Three Little Tamales is another creative and imaginative retell.

In most cases, the three little pig stories involve some terrified trio, normally an animal and a big bully, salivating as he pursues his dinner. Not so in The Three Little Tamales, as the three tamales unlike animal versions, are already wrapped up, cooked and ready to be eaten. One day, when a rolling tortilla passes by, they ask where he is going. When the traveling tortilla explains that he is running away so that he won’t be eaten, he tells them they will be eaten too. So the three little tamales waste no time climbing out of there dish to escape their fate.

So as the story goes, they build three little casitas. A sagebrush house, a cornstalk house and a cactus house. We all know the story, but I won’t give away the ending. Let’s just say Señor Lobo the cactus house presents a spiny challenge in his quest and his vision of a wolf tamale is not how he wants to end up.

The Three Little Tamales is a spicy hot Mexican version, with a familiar rhyming dialogue between Lobo and the tamales that matches the setting. Tossed about are a few Spanish words to add flavor, with translations provided in the beginning.

I can’t wait to add this to my author study of Eric A. Kimmel or for a unit on fractured tales. In any case, I know this read aloud will be a hit as the story comes alive through a perfect collaboration of talent. Eric Kimmel’s clever wit and Valerie Docampo’s beautiful oil illustrations.









© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Review-The Good Daughters, by Joyce Maynard

THE GOOD DAUGHTERS
Joyce Maynard
William Morrow
September 2010
978-0-06-199431-9
$24.99, 288 pages







Power lines are down, trees are falling, winds gusting pushing rain to vertical, but you would expect that in a hurricane. So, as this story opens in October 1949, this violent storm surrounds the Plank and Dickerson families in New Hamphire. The aftermath of a hurricane can be devastating and permanent, and so like the hurricane, when Ruth and Dana are born, nine months later, their births are permanent but the devastation will not show up until many years later.

The story is told by Ruth Plank and Dana Dickerson in alternating chapters. In this way the author allows an intimate view of their persona and thoughts. Without this form, I doubt the reader would feel the empathy of their struggle. The families couldn’t be more different, and so there are clues from the onset that there is some mix-up with the two girls.

The Planks live on a farm with permanence and consistency. Val Dickerson is an artist, her husband a dreamer with a penchant for get rich patents. In contrast, their lives are transient and inconsistent.

Ruth and Dana go through life feeling an odd sense of disconnect with their families, but shirk it off as nothing to worry about. They each feel, it just is what it is. Ruth accepts her mother’s distance and focuses on her drawings, obsessing about Ray Dickerson, Dana’s sexy brother. Dana, yearns to be a farmer, increasingly aware that she is a lesbian, and finds love with Clarice.

This clever story of innuendo and secrets provides a curious puzzle as you witness the girls lives unfold. The author’s use of foreshadowing throughout keeps your mind spinning. Like gossip, you keep wanting more details. You feel increasing compassion for the ultimate betrayal the girls will discover. Yes, and you will probably cry with this one too. The reality is, the reader still has much to learn and figure out as the author reveals the ultimate devastation this hurricane left behind.


Disclosure: This was sent to me from the publisher for review for Library Thing, Early Reviewer Group.

Article first published as Book Review- The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard on Blogcritics.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Wordless Wednesday, August 11, 2010

A Sighthound on Duty
Lion with Wizard behind, a more peaceful walk on the green today.

Penguin Giveaway #2 in August

I have another book to giveaway compliments of Penguin. Isn't there 75th Celebration Year spectacular? I have seen so many gifts and opportunities to win books all over book blogger land.

This time I have a copy of THE TRUE STORY OF HANSEL AND GRETEL, by Loise Murphy.
I first read this last year and and my review was written just a little over a year ago, and posted to my blog in July, 2009. (REVIEW) I have since recommended this novel to many of my friends. Those of you drawn to stories about World War II will really want to read this one.



Contest Details:

Contest ends on August 31, 2010.

Contestants must be from the US and provide an email address for notification.

To enter: Leave a comment about this post with your email address and follow my blog by adding your name to the Google Follower sidebar link on the right side. (one chance)

Tweet about the contest. (two chances)

Post this contest on your sidebar. (two chances)

Mention this contest on your blog. (two chances)

Wow...so many chances to win! Good luck to all. :)



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Review-The Gift of Rain, by Tan Twan Eng

THE GIFT OF RAIN
Tan Twan Eng
Weinstein Books
Published 2008
978-160286074-2

448 pages


“I was born with the gift of rain, an ancient soothsayer in an even more ancient temple once told me.” The first line of the story begins as the elder Philip Hutton recalls his life’s story. The fortune-teller cautions Philip early on: “You were born with the gift of rain. Your life will be abundant with wealth and success. But life will test you greatly. Remember-the rain also brings the flood.”

Philip is the storyteller, his listener is Michiko Murakami a woman who shows up one evening at his home, during the rain. She brings with her a package, a sword. A sword Philip immediately recognizes as that of his beloved Endo-san, his sensei. It is not until the end of the story that the significance of this sword will be learned.

The Gift of Rain takes place on the Malayan island of Penang in 1939. Philip is the son of an affluent British merchant of social prominence living on the Malayan island of Penang at the beginning of World War II. His father owns Hutton & Sons, a company founded by his great-grandfather. His father’s first wife died leaving three children. His mother was Yu Lian, his father’s second wife. Philip has vague memories of his mother who died when he was a young boy. His father and he were never close, his business consumed his life. Philip never felt a connection with his siblings, being of mixed parentage, he always felt different. He was not accepted by the Chinese or the English so he drifted his own way alone. His studies were important to him and he became fluent multiple languages.

Feeling isolated it is no wonder that Philip becomes the student of Endo-san, a Japanese diplomat living on an island nearby. His lessons are in aikijutsu, but his studies take him far beyond the rudiments of the physical discipline. Endo-san’s teachings are broad and far reaching, Philip learns to trust his teacher, their bond is unique, cohesive and loving. When the Japanese invade Penang, Philip’s loyalty to family and loyalty to his sensei are tested. When the lives of his family are placed in jeopardy, his fateful decision will label him a traitor, but to him a choice he had to make.

I love the character of Philip, his vulnerability, his alienation, his determination, his self discovery and his blind loving trust that he develops with Endo-san. Endo-san, older and much more worldly, has a plan for Philip. He takes advantage of his youth and the takeover of Penang works in his favor. They are on opposing sides and it is war. The trust they share is a precarious place for both.


The Gift of Rain will touch you in its sweet grip and shock you with its brutality. It is a thought provoking look at the lives of those who endured the Japanese occupation of Penang during World War II. A camera lens in text provides a historical look at the culture of the Chinese residents, the Japanese invaders and the British merchants who either stayed or fled. Tan Twan Eng’s beautiful poetic prose is a marvelous melody of emotions. His words should be unhurried, letting them linger, an echo to be heard again. It is easy to see why The Gift of Rain received the Man Booker Prize in 2007. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: Self purchase.



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Teaser Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,

hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Anyone can play along!

This week my teaser comes from:
RUSSIAN WINTER
Daphne Kalotay
Harper Collins Publishers

The edition is an ARE, so the quoted text may be different in the final edition. Thanks to Harper Collins for sending me Russian Winter.

"People think I fled Russia to escape communism. Really I was escaping my mother-in-law." page 9

Well I'd say that is a bit harsh, don't you think?



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Review- All That Is Beautiful, by Roxane Tepfer Sanford

ALL THAT IS BEAUTIFUL
Roxane Tepfer Sanford,
Lumina Press, JUNE 2010,
$16.96,pb/$34.95,hc
310pp,
978-1-60594-460-9/978-1-60594-461-6

Synopsis from the publisher:

It is the year 1878, and at last, Lillian, now a young woman, is free from the prison called Sutton Hall and the evil grandmother who ruled. After years locked away and far from her beloved lighthouse on Jasper Island, she finds her only escape through sheer luck and the generosity of one man, Richard Parker, an aspiring commercial illustrator. Though Lillian is shamed by the sins of her parents, and the unspeakable act committed by Warren Stone, she entrusts her life to the charismatic, though married, Richard Parker, until it is safe to return home.

However life, as unpredictable as the sea, has other plans for Lillian.

Not long after leaving, she is caught up in an adult world of money, greed, drugs, and sinful pleasures, turning her life upside down once again.

It is only when Lillian discovers the shocking truth to Richard’s cruel years of deception that she finally returns to her lighthouse, desperate to recapture her lost years, and most of all, lost love.

But fate has one more devastating surprise in store, leaving Lillian with incomprehensible choices, and ultimately, tearing her beautiful new world apart.

My Evaluation:

Lillian Arrington was first introduced in The Girl in the Lighthouse. After reading the first book, one would think that Lillian had lived through enough and had endured enough. In the sequel, All That is Beautiful, Lillian begins what she expects to be a new life, full of promise. One that she hopes will allow her to forget the scars of her past. It seems her destiny is a tragic one. As I began to read, I wondered if she would ever recover?

There are times when I think Lillian is a selfish little brat, childlike and unrealistic. Yet, she really is still a child, and had never really lived a normal childhood. Even though at times she appears confused, disillusioned and living in a fantasy, her character survives. You may come to embrace or at least understand her actions when you reflect upon her past. She is desperate for love, desperate for a happy and safe life. After returning to Jasper Island she believes she has found solace.

Sometimes the sequel to a book does not live up to the original. Roxane Tepfer Sanford has written a startling and touching end that offers dramatic closure. All That Is Beautiful is a delicate journey, a story of Lillian’s precipitous life. Soulfully memorable with the potential for unimaginable tears, this is a story that will paralyze your heart.



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Mailbox Monday, August 9, 2010

(The pic is from The National Postal Museum, 1907)

Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme created by Marcia from The Printed Page where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week. Mailbox
Monday currently is on tour, and this month’s host is Shanyn from Chick Loves Lit.

To Your Dog's Health
by Mark Poveromo
978-0-9843017-0-6
$14.95, February 2010
104 pages
Poor Man's Press


I was delighted to receive this book in last weeks mail, sent to me by the publicist. Taking care of my greyhounds and maintaining their health is extremely important to me, so I am anxious to read this book. The writer happens to own Thomaston Feed store in a town not too far away from me in Connecticut. I hope to take a visit up to his store sometime soon, but until then, his book looks like a must have for pet owners who are OCD about their fur babies. I can't wait to tell you all about this one.



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Sunday Salon, August 8, 2010

Happy Weekend to everyone! Yesterday was beautiful in Connecticut and I decided to take my fur babies to the downtown green for a walk. Lion has a hard time walking on pavement, so recently I have been taking them to our famous quintessential New England green for a dog walk. The mistake I made yesterday was not getting there earlier. I normally take them 9:00AM, but today I was lazy and so were they. We didn't get downtown till close to 11:00. Everyone loves my guys, and when three greyhounds walk together it is a spectacular and often unique site for many. People are really curious about greyhounds and their past life as racers. They are always surprised at how docile and calm they are. Ordinarily, I would totally agree.

I saw trouble coming toward me when a small dog darted out of nowhere on the end of a retractable lease. I am not a fan of retractable leases and personally believe they are an accident waiting to happen. They are so dangerous and unnecessary. So as this tiny dog charges toward my greyhounds, running behind them are small children. People don't always think when approaching other peoples dogs with children and other animals to proceed slowly and cautiously. I sensed Mystery's sudden fear and the tension in her lease.

I am a rather small female, not even quite 5' tall, so when my three fur kids decide to move together, I have my hands full. The combined force of all three is over 200 pounds pulling on my wrist. Mystery, is my alpha baby and if she says, "Go, it's a bunny." They all listen!

So here I am with three salivating greyhounds, surrounded by the Saturday downtown crowd, one puppy who looks like a bunny and me trying to control the situation. I won, or at least I maintained my position as the alpha and all three stayed close to me. Mystery is awfully cute, but she is also the most bold and protective of all three. You would never know it to look at her.

Needless to say, my quiet, happy, quality time with my greyhounds didn't quite work out the way I wanted. Fortunately, as soon as the owners of the "bunny" puppy saw that my dogs didn't want to make friends today, they quickly changed direction. I decided to go home and spend the rest of the day reading.

Today, with threats of rain and thundershowers, I plan to stay indoors reading. I started Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater last night, and I can't wait to get back to it. So many of you told me how good this series is, and I would have to agree.

Yesterday, I finished The Good Daughters, by Joyce Maynard. I was given this book from Library Thing, an Early Reviewer book. This is an enjoyable and quick story, somewhat predictable, but nevertheless well written. This week I finished reading several books and each one seemed sadder then the previous one. I also finished All That is Beautiful, by Roxan Tepfer Stanford and The Gift of Ran by Tan Twan Eng. I was crying so much, I had to take a break. Fortunately, The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams, by Rhonda Hayter ushered in a period of light reading and laughter.

Whether I was crying or laughing, this was an emotionally satisfying week of reading. I enjoyed and would recommend all these books. What about you? How did your books touch your emotions this week?



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Check-out-Passages to the Past Book Giveaway

Check this out....If you head on over to Passages to the Past, Amy has a current giveaway for three, yep three copies of The Red Queen, by Philippa Gregory. Anyone who has read her books knows they will love this one too. I am a fan and I am hoping I win a copy, but I'm giving a shout out to increase my chances.

Here is the link, and the contest ends August 17th.

Don't forget to enter my current contest for The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. You will see it on the sidebar.