Another contest to win free stuff--really cool free stuff, like a SIGNED copy of FOREST BORN and hot cocoa with those cute little marshmallows

I recently added the "followers" thingummy (that's the technical term, you know! ;) on my sidebar, and have decided to have a contest to actually get people to notice it... It hides in there so cozily at the moment.
First of all, the prizes:
The winner has a choice of two prizes. The first shall henceforth be known as "THE READER'S JOY" and shall contain: one copy of our most recent A+ graded book, Shannon Hale's Forest Born, signed by the author; a bookmark; gummy bears; a box of hot chocolate--with those cute little marshmallows. The second shall be called "THE WRITER'S SURVIVAL KIT" and shall contain: a leatherbound notebook; pens in fun colors; a mug; coffee or tea; chocolate candy bar.
How to Enter:
-Become a follower, and post a comment here letting us know. (1 entry)
-Post an entry on your blog linking to this contest, and post a comment here letting us know. (for a second entry)
-Place a link to this blog on your blog or website, and post a comment here etc. (for a third entry)
Per the usual procedure, one winner will be chosen at random; make sure we have your email address so we can contact you. The contest will be open for entries through October 31, 2009.
Good luck!

Special Topic: If at first you don't succeed...

I recently came across a book by one of my favorite authors—and I hated it. The story was so cloying and poorly written that I often found myself convulsed in laughter. The characters are terribly unbelievable and too perfect to be likable; the events are hilariously cliché; the plot is unoriginal and dreadfully predictable. Here’s a sample of dialogue:

…he stood beside her and held his hat above her head, saying, “Will you accept the only shelter I can give? The damp drops falling on your hair will chill you.” (NOTE: Aren’t all drops damp??)

As she looked up to thank him, she saw blood upon his hand. “You have wounded yourself. How did it happen?” she asked.

“It is nothing but a scratch from the rough stones, and won in a good cause,” he answered, smiling.

“But it was gained in moving them for me. It must be painful. Let me bind it with my handkerchief,” she asked timidly.

“If you please, but ‘tis not worth the trouble.”

And as Edith stooped to place it on his hand, Amy saw a strange, bright smile rest upon his face as he looked upon her head, bent before him with the raindrops shining in her dark, disordered hair, which fell upon her shoulder…

I should have clarified: this is a RANDOM example of dialogue. There are worse.

When you’re done gagging, consider this: the excerpt above is from the book The Inheritance, the first novel completed by Louisa May Alcott, when she was seventeen years old. It wasn’t published then. It probably shouldn’t be now, except to serve as an example to all of us of a few things:

1) It’s a rare teenager who can get past the passions and inexperience of adolescence to write a book worthy of publishing. Even the author of Little Women couldn’t manage it.

2) Perfect characters are muy boring.

3) Don’t let rejection stop you. Just because an editor hates your book (or just because I hate your book!) doesn’t mean you don’t have what it takes to become a great author. You have to have a hide of steel and a lot of perseverance; you also have to have an ear for honest constructive criticism. Louisa May Alcott was lucky enough to have editors, friends, and family members who were willing to point out her flaws in writing. She fixed (most of) them. She kept writing. She became one of the most beloved authors of all time. And if she was alive now, she would be rolling in what she made from the movie deal.

I address this in particular to the many young writers out there: By all means, don’t stop writing when you recognize flaws in your writing, or when finishing a story is harder than you anticipated, or when even your mom thinks your book stinks. Keep writing. Keep living. Keep gaining maturity and experience and keep piling up criticism and rejections (though I wouldn’t recommend actually submitting anything to a publisher until someone other than you and your mom love it—try contests for young writers instead). Remember that drops are always damp.

Try, try again.

Reporter's Review: Forest Born (Book 4 in the Books of Bayern), by Shannon Hale

Bloomsbury; September, 2009
Overall Grade: A+

Rin has had a happy childhood in the Forest of Bayern. But as she grows older, she realizes that she doesn’t know who she is, what she is supposed to be--or if she even likes what she might become. To discover herself, she leaves the forest, her beloved trees and even more beloved family, to become a handmaid to Isi, her brother Razo’s friend--who also happens to be the Queen of Bayern. War has only just ended, but a new, mysterious threat faces the monarchs. Rin joins Isi, Enna, and Dasha (the three mysterious “fire sisters” who can speak the languages of wind, fire, and water) on a mission to save Bayern and the queen’s own son. Rin soon realizes that in order to be truly helpful, she must find her own self (and maybe her own language) along the way.
Those of you who regularly follow this blog (or just look at my lists) already know that Shannon Hale is, in my opinion, one of the best contemporary authors, so you’ll know it means a lot when I say that Forest Born is one of my favorites of her books, and that Rin is my favorite character. Upon beginning the book, I felt a little disappointed with Rin, feeling that her character wasn’t as well developed or interesting as Bayern’s other heroines--but then I was knocked over with Shannon Hale’s ability to use a seeming flaw as a crucial element to the plot. I hate spoilers, so I won’t give anything away…but Rin’s struggles and victories make her arguably the strongest Hale character yet. For those of you who follow Shannon Hale’s work religiously, I felt that Forest Born’s plot was not as heart-stopping as Enna Burning’s or as well-paced as Princess Academy’s, and that the humor was not quite up to the level of River Secrets. (But they’re still very good.) On the other hand, her descriptions and metaphors are better than ever, and…the characters! Every book has its own particular strength and Forest Born’s is the characters. Rin is inspirational, and you’ll be pleased to see the old cast of friends come back into play.
Readers will love Forest Born, but I should add that writers could use it as a lesson in creating a story that can simultaneously follow a protagonist’s growth, learning and development as well as an intriguing action plot. These elements, to me, are what made Forest Born one of the most enjoyable stories I’ve read this year.

Literary Quality: A+
Plot: A-
Voice: A
Originality: A+
Descriptive Ability: A+
Humor: A-
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A+
Believability of Situations: A
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A
Possibly objectionable topics*: war; violence

Reporter's Review: Road to Tater Hill, by Edith Hemingway

Delacorte; September, 2009
Overall Grade: B+/A-

Annie has spent every summer with her grandparents in North Carolina, but in the summer of 1963, she expects things to be different: her military father is overseas in Germany and her mother is expecting a baby, Annie’s first sibling. But things turn out more different than she could have imagined: the baby, Mary Kate, dies shortly after a premature birth, Annie’s mother is caught in a cruel state of depression, and Annie meets a strange woman…who just might be a murderer, if the town gossips are right--or who just might be the only person who can understand Annie and help her overcome her grief.
Edith Hemingway crafts Road to Tater Hill with considerable literary skill. The plot is slightly slow and not particularly original, but don’t let the slow beginning keep you from getting to the heart of the story. Annie’s voice is fresh and genuine, showcasing a clear understanding of the mind and heart of a 10-year-old girl. Some lovely descriptions very successfully bring to life the time period and setting; the little North Carolina town has a personality all its own, nearly as vibrant as the characters who occupy it.

Literary Quality: A
Plot: B-
Voice: A
Originality: B
Descriptive Ability: A
Humor: n/a
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A
Believability of Situations: B+
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A

Possibly objectionable topics*: death; depression; story told involving violence between spouses

Reporter's Review: When the Whistle Blows, by Fran Cannon Slayton

Philomel; June 2009
Overall Grade: A+

Growing up in the 1940’s railroad town of Rowlesburg, West Virginia, Jimmy Cannon just wants to grow up and work on the steam engines like his family has for generations. Oh, and keep his no-nonsense father from finding out about his antics. And stick up for his friends. And win the championship football game for his high school. And grow up to become a man…maybe more like his father than he would have ever guessed.
When the Whistle Blows is an example of an excellently-written story teamed with a tangible, charming setting, a cast of believable, lovable characters and a touching plot. I could go on for a long time about everything I love about this novel, but I’ll limit myself to only a few: 1) Voice. Fran Cannon Slayton uses the first person voice of her narrator with incredible skill, adroitly expressing setting and time period not so much by what is said as by how it is said…and that also serves to make this an excellent read-aloud. 2) Style. Each chapter is presented vignette-style, presenting several consecutive All Hallows’ Eves, each with its own story…which leads to 3) Plot. Although each chapter is a vignette, each perfectly advances the overall plot, which is beautifully wrapped-up in the final chapter, while still leaving the reader with plenty to reflect upon.
Very highly recommended.

Literary Quality: A+
Plot: A
Voice: A+
Originality: A-
Descriptive Ability: A
Humor: n/a
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A+
Believability of Situations: A+
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A+

Possibly objectionable topics*: small amounts of violence; death

Reporter's Review: Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

Scholastic; September 2009
Overall Grade: A+

Katniss Everdeen, recent winner of the cruel Hunger Games imposed by her tyrannical government, is back home, “enjoying” the spoils of victory and trying to help her starving neighbors—until the president of the country himself turns up and blames her for sparking a revolt. As he threatens her more and more in several malicious twists, Katniss must decide what is more important: protecting her family and herself, or giving her countrymen a chance for a free life.
Considering that Catching Fire (along with its prequel, The Hunger Games) is currently at the top of the children’s bestseller list, it hardly needs my recommendation—but it was so well-written it more than deserves my praise. Anyone of the thousands of people who read The Hunger Games can attest to Suzanne Collins’ “mad skills” in plotting, but what amazed me in the sequel was her ability to pace her plot so perfectly. I’ve read stories with great plots that fall short because of pacing alone; Suzanne Collins is the exact opposite. Her sense of timing within the telling of her story is so perfect that it immediately sets her book apart. She makes an art out of the “I-can’t-put-this-book-down” factor.
On top of that, Catching Fire is a perfect sequel. There’s no awkwardness or forcing of back story, but the plot of Hunger Games is made clear while allowing the story of this book to stand completely on its own.
Lastly (not really, but the last thing I’ll mention), the characters are amazing. Katniss may be the most realistic non-girly girl I’ve ever read. The secondary characters are so real, you worry about them as much as Katniss does. Even the minor characters are three-dimensional and believable; you could imagine any one of them suddenly becoming a major player in Book Three.
(One proviso: if you usually skip over the “possibly objectionable topics”, they’re worth taking a look at this time. Catching Fire is very violent; consider that the central event of the trilogy is a gladiator-type “game” where the players fight to the death. If you have a weak stomach, you may wish to avoid this novel. Obviously all readers have different levels of tolerance, but I would recommend this book to mature readers only.)

Literary Quality: A-
Plot: A+
Voice: A+
Originality: A+
Descriptive Ability: B (but as the story is told in first person, the descriptions are appropriate to the narrator)
Humor: n/a
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A+
Believability of Situations: A
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A+

Possibly objectionable topics*: graphic violence; extremely intense situations; many secondary or tertiary characters live amoral lifestlyes, so there is some mention of drugs and sex, and frequent mention of alcohol

Reporter's Review: Sliding on the Edge, by C. Lee McKenzie

West Side Books, April 2009
Overall Grade: A-

When her mother leaves her in a Las Vegas slum apartment with nothing but a name and a phone number of the grandmother she’s never met, Shawna decides it’s worth facing the unknown…considering how dire the known is looking. She ends up in Sweet River, California, on her grandmother Kay’s horse farm—and finds, to her dismay, that “the unknown” involves lots of chores, lots of rules, lots of beat-up trucks and plaid and denim and boring country living. It’s an easier life than Vegas, but will a wholesome lifestyle and the friendship of a hurt, neglected horse be able to help her fight the problems she brought with her?
Despite its many serious topics, not-super-original plot and often melancholic back story, Sliding on the Edge is a surprisingly gripping and uplifting novel. C. Lee McKenzie’s writing skill is significant; not a single metaphor is overused or cliché, and her characterization, particularly of Kay, is impressive. It was particularly refreshing to see a book which could so easily have fallen into the “issue” category yet managed to keep its story firmly focused on the characters themselves instead of over-emphasizing their problems alone.

Literary Quality: B+
Plot: B-
Voice: A-
Originality: B-
Descriptive Ability: A+
Humor: n/a
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A
Believability of Situations: A
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A

Possibly objectionable topics*: broken family; child abuse and neglect; crude language; some sensuality; psychological issues involving cutting one’s self and attempted suicide

Reporter's Review: Prophecy of the Sisters, by Michelle Zink

Little, Brown; August 2009
Overall Grade: B+

There are so many things in her life that Lia can’t explain: the unaccountable, unexpected deaths of both her parents, her twin sister Alice’s distance and strange behavior, a mysterious scar-like mark that appears on her own wrist, the discovery that her two new friends bear similar marks. When she discovers her role in an ancient prophecy, a prophecy that for thousands of years has turned sisters against each other in an age-old battle against evil, she finds some answers…but the questions of what she must do become more and more confusing.
Prophecy of the Sisters contains arguably some of the best writing I’ve encountered this year. Michelle Zink has created a unique dilemma and unique characters to face it; I loved the way she gave the protagonist a very complex personality and allowed her the opportunity to use her free will to fight what seems to be her fate. However, I found the plot somewhat bothersome. While the events were dramatic and story-worthy, I thought the overall situation was lacking an element crucial to the kind of epic-style fantasy the story implies. Namely, while the evil power is very clear in this story, there doesn’t seem to be any equivalent good power. Particularly in a story set in our own world, against the backdrop of real world religions, this lack of good was disorienting. It brought up many unanswered questions: Who made the prophecy in the first place? Who or what are the good characters working for? If it is simply a lack of evil, it diminishes the story’s significance and makes a happy outcome seem less complete.
This issue is complex enough that I believe I shall have to address it further in a “special topic” handling epic fantasy plot in general; for now, let’s hope that Ms Zink has plans to answer these questions in Prophecy’s sequel and bring the story to a satisfying end.

Literary Quality: A
Plot: C+
Voice: A
Originality: A
Descriptive Ability: B
Humor: n/a
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A
Believability of Situations: A-
Overall Reading Enjoyment: B

Possibly objectionable topics*: demons, violence, murder, suicide, spellcasting, contact with the dead through a spiritualist, indication of plurality of gods

Author(s) Interview: Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance

Please give a warm welcome to...Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance, co-authors of A Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading, the story of Bethany and Mona, two self-proclaimed geeks who challenge stereotypes when they try out for their high school's varsity cheerleading squad. (And, while they may be geeky, their story is really cool. Read my original review here: http://thechildrensbookreporter.blogspot.com/2009/07/reporters-review-geek-girls-guide-to.html)

CBR: The characters in A Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading are comprised of many types of people, all faithfully represented: geeks, cheerleaders, etc. What category do you find yourselves in, or do you fit into more than one? If only one, how did you research "life on the other side"?

C: In high school, I really felt like I fell into the geek category. And since I work for a software company as a technical writer, I’m still pretty geeky. That being said, both Darcy and I have known a lot of different types of people thanks to various life experiences. One thing I think is important is any character (the antagonist, a secondary character, a bit player) is the hero of his/her own story. Even if they don’t have a point of view in the story, keeping that in mind can help you write more well-rounded characters.

D: When I was a teenager I moved in and out of a lot of different groups: the geeks, the free spirits, the strivers, the jocks, the slackers; I had friends (and enemies) (and frenemies, come to think of it) in each of them. These days, I manage an amazing bunch of high school and college volunteers. Some of them are misfits, some are prom queens. As an adult it is so much easier to see that the differences between these kids are really so slight compared to all they have in common.

CBR: Did you ever take a risk similar to Bethany and Moni's when you were a kid? If so, how did it turn out? If not, what do you wish you'd done?

C: Well, the premise for The Geek Girls Guide to Cheerleading is based on real life, sort of. A friend convinced me to try out for cheerleading, although she wasn’t as serious about it as Moni is in the story. We both made the squad, but the similarities (mostly) end there. I don’t know if I took risks so much as stuck with things. I stayed with Girls Scouts all through high school, which was a terribly geeky thing to do. But! We ended up going to France and England between junior and senior year of high school. And that was undeniably cool.

D: When I was 16, we moved to the same small town where my mom had gone to high school. She pushed me to be more involved in school activities there, and I did. I told myself I was just doing it to make her happy – but the truth is – I really liked it. I wrote for the school newspaper, went to all the football and basketball games, helped out with the prom committee and had an amazing time that entire year (while pretending to my city friends that I was really too cool for all of it). My senior year I went back to my old school and back to being too cool. I did continue to write for the school paper but I wish I’d had the courage to stay involved. I probably would have had more fun.

CBR: What was it like for you both co-authoring a book? What were your biggest surprises and challenges and what did you like best about it?

C: It was fun, hard, challenging, and fun. Did I say fun? I think that may have been the biggest surprise. I have this hazy memory of having both the master copy of our manuscript plus the marked up copy from Darcy on my computer screen (fortunately, I have a wide screen) and the marked up pages from our editor on a document holder, to one side, and Darcy in IM on the other. It was crazy--clearly. We really only had one big argument over a plot point, but it all worked out in the end (both the plot point and our partnership).

D: Co-authoring with Charity has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve never had a sister, but I imagine writing a book with someone feels a lot like that. You share so much. Some of it is hard, but all of it is amazing.

CBR: What is one writing tool (a special chair, notebook, pen, mug, etc.) that you couldn't do without?

C: When I write longhand, I really like using the Uni-ball vision pens and I like writing on notepads instead of in notebooks. Of course, I leave a couple of blanks pages on top so no one can see all the secrets I’m writing.

D: I’m partial to Mirado Black pencils when I’m trying to pull the knots out of a scene, but other than that, I’m pretty flexible.

CBR: As a geek myself, I just have to ask... Star Wars or Star Trek???

C: Oh, this is a toughie. Star Wars was my first love. I was very young when Star Trek first aired—and people kept dying; I didn’t like that. (I was too young to get the concept of the “red shirt.”) But, while in college, I had this ancient black and white TV that only picked up one channel. That one channel aired Star Trek: TNG along with the original series. It was a steady diet, kind of like the mac and cheese in the hot pot. Still, I saw the original Star Wars in the theater fifteen times. I’m thinking I have to call this one a draw.

D: Star Wars! Although I loves me some vintage Trek (especially TNG) I was actually too busy last spring to catch the Star Trek movie while it was in theaters. I cannot imagine a set of circumstances that would cause me to miss a Star Wars movie on the big screen. Even if the world was coming to an end and I had the only secret *whatever* that could save us all, I’d still probably be all – Hold on, I’ll be there after the 7 o’clock show!

CBR: You have another book coming out next year... Anything you'd like to share about that?

C: Actually, we don’t have a book coming out next year (but we wish we did!). We are working on several projects, in various stages of completion.

D: I wish we had another book coming out next year too. We do have a few things we’re working on, both solo and together. Right now I’m at the beginning stages of a non-fiction book for middle graders that I’m pretty excited about and trying to lure Charity into helping me with. We’ve also got a couple of geek girl style stories in the works that are a lot of fun.

CBR: Finally, you have the chance here to answer any question you've always wished to be asked... or just spout random interesting facts. We like that, too.

D: I’m all about the random interesting facts. Remember that non-fiction book I mentioned? It’s about the national anthems of North America -- which sounds like a pretty dull topic, but No! Did you know that Canada’s national anthem took 100 years to write? Or that the Cayman Islands anthem discusses rare juices? Or that the lyricist for the Cuban anthem shouted the words to his song as he faced a firing squad?

CBR: No...I didn't! But thanks--I love learning random facts... And thank you both so much for this interview!

Reporter's Review: Secrets of the Cheese Syndicate, by Donna St. Cyr

CBAY Books, August 2009
Overall Grade: B+/A-

Robert Montasio didn’t have the most normal of lives; his father, after all had disappeared a few years ago with no warning or explanation…and his little sister Janine had to be more annoying than the average. But nothing could have prepared him for the day when she would drink a strange elixir and shrink to bug-size. In order to get her back to normal, Robert discovers he must take his place in an age-old society: The Cheese Syndicate, of which his father was a member and for whose mission he disappeared. Robert must complete the mission and find an ancient, magical cheese if he ever wants to see his dad and a normal-sized Janine again.
Secrets of the Cheese Syndicate has a lot going for it: fast-paced action, very believable relationships, good humor which makes the story remarkably readable. Fans of Percy Jackson will doubtless enjoy the references to mythology and the non-stop action plot, though it could be argued (of both books, it must be admitted) that the amount of action at times clouds the character development the reader hopes for with such a funny, likeable protagonist. Additionally, some of the magical elements seemed to be too random, weakening the overall effect of the plot. I was never sure, for example, exactly why the magical cheeses were so important to the world as to necessitate a secret society for their protection. Or why a magical dog could appear out of the blue three times to save Robert—but only three times, as he failed to mention until his last visit. But as the book ended with the perfect set-up for a sequel, perhaps these are questions Donna St. Cyr is planning on giving us answers to later. She certainly has the makings of a good storyteller; as this is her first published work, it can only be assumed that her later novels (like the best cheeses, as she would say) will get better and better with age.

Literary Quality: A-
Plot: B
Voice: A-
Originality: A-
Descriptive Ability: B
Humor: A
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A+
Believability of Situations: C
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A-

Possibly objectionable topics*: mild violence

Reporter's Review: Mudshark, by Gary Paulsen

Wendy Lamb Books, 2009
Overall Grade: A

Mudshark is cool. He’s athletic, he’s friendly, and he’s smart. Really, really smart. He can remember everything, and reigns supreme as item-finder and mystery-solver at his middle school…until a strange, “telepathic” parrot takes up residence in the library, just as things around his school are beginning to get very strange.
Mudshark (I mean the book this time) is clever and very, very funny. Because it is clearly early middle grade, the plot is small; I would argue that even as a middle grade book, it could have been slightly better developed… In particular, I would have been more satisfied if the reader had more insight/emotional involvement in the solving of the mystery, as the outcome seemed rather sudden. However, the characters were lovable and unique, the narrative voice was excellent, and the humor was superb. Highly recommended to readers ages 8-10 in particular.

Literary Quality: B
Plot: B
Voice: A+
Originality: A-
Descriptive Ability: A-
Humor: A+
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A+ (although the development is minimal in such a short book, it is very accurate)
Believability of Situations: A-
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A

Possibly objectionable topics*: none

Reporter's Review: Here's How I See It; Here's How It Is, by Heather Hensen

Simon & Schuster 2009
Overall Grade: B+

Junebug lives in a dream world for an aspiring actress: her family owns a summer stock theatre, her father is an actor, director, and playwright—she practically gets to live in the theatre all summer long. Unfortunately, she also lives in her own dream world sometimes, imagining up her world as it should be, and is often disappointed by the way it really is. She’s not a starring actress; she’s a gofer. She doesn’t have hordes of devoted fans; she’s ignored unless someone needs a chore done. She doesn’t have a devoted family; she’s left confused and lonely when her parents decide to split up for the summer. And when a boy named Trace comes along to “help out” for the summer, Junebug feels more displaced and confused than ever as she tries to adjust to his strange ways.
Here’s How I See It; Here’s How It Is used a unique setting and format to tell a touching story, making an otherwise fair plot still intriguing. Junebug’s character and her relationship with her family was very well-crafted, although some of the secondary characters seemed cliché. (But, then, some actors seem cliché in real life…) Also, Junebug’s relationship with Trace and Trace’s own difficulties could have been developed further; I felt these elements were secondary to, instead of intrinsic in, the overall story. However, I will be forever grateful to Heather Hensen for bravely setting forth a happy ending, despite popular trends, which was completely real and unforced without the slightest bit of melodrama.

Literary Quality: B
Plot: B
Voice: A
Originality: A-
Descriptive Ability: A-
Humor: A-
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: B
Believability of Situations: A
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A-

Possibly objectionable topics*: broken family