The O.W.L.

Book Review: Quarantine: The Loners by Lex Thomas

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:03:00 +0000

Title: Quarantine

Author: Lex Thomas

It was just another ordinary day at McKinley High—until a massive explosion devastated the school. When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him. And that was just the beginning.

A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos. All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults. The school is under military quarantine. The teachers are gone. Violent gangs have formed based on high school social cliques. Without a gang, you’re as good as dead. And David has no gang. It’s just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.

In this frighteningly dark and captivating novel, Lex Thomas locks readers inside a school where kids don’t fight to be popular, they fight to stay alive.

My Thoughts

So there has been many many many dystopia type books out as you all know. I would put this book into that category even though it only focuses on the world inside the school. As as far as dystopia goes, I found it a good addition to the genre. It had enough unique points that set it apart from other books.

What I really liked was how the author (authors actually - if you didn't know it's written by two guys Lex Hrabe and Thomas Voorhies) used the cliques of high school to create the gangs that form in the school. Being a teacher it was very easy for me to envision something like that actually happening. And the fact that gang formed instead of them all working together seemed much more realistic to me. I don't think I would've bought the story if the kids would've joined all together and made some orderly world where everyone is safe and taken care of. The chaos in the school was way more what I'd except - sadly so! I also liked that it dealt less with the reason for the quarantine and more with the effects of it on the kids. Watching them trying to survive was a great focus instead of them trying to figure out the disease in them.

As for the main characters - David and Will. I liked them both. They were both flawed and very imperfect but in different ways. That again added into my ability to buy into the story. They were boys I could see as real and reacted in ways that seemed very real as well. Now beyond these two there is a huge cast of secondary characters. I did at points have a hard time keeping track of these characters. Every once in a while I would confuse them just because they played small parts and you would only meet them for a short bit. At points I kinda wished for a character guide. A page with the gangs and their colors listed as well as maybe their leader would've been a bit helpful.

The tension in the story is huge. It is a fight for survival from page one, and it never lets up even til the end. I had to take breaks once in a while because the tension was so intense! But it definitely kept the story moving. I never ever got bored! I think this is great for those readers that are more reluctant or struggle to stay with a book.

Final Thought: Enjoyed it and will pick up the sequel Quarantine: The Saints.
Ages: 14+ (upper YA for sure)

Book Review: Somebody Please Tell Me Who I Am.

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 22:28:00 +0000

Title: Somebody Please Tell Me Who I Am
Author: Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis

Ben has always had it pretty easy--with no acting experience, he landed the lead in his high school musical, and he's dating the prettiest girl in school. Haunted by memories of 9/11, he makes the decision to enlist in the army--with devastating consequences. Somehow nobody ever thought Ben would be one of the soldiers affected, but after his convoy gets caught in an explosion, Ben is in a coma for two months. When he wakes up, he doesn't know where he is, and he doesn't remember anything about his old life. His family and friends mourn what they see as a loss, but Ben perseveres. Although he will never be the person he once was, this is the story of his struggle and transformation.

My Thoughts

I'll be completely honest. I didn't love this book. I didn't hate it by any means either, but I had hoped for more. It's a super quick read (160 pages). I finished it in pretty much one setting. And for me that was part of the problem. I wanted to feel more connected to all of the main characters, and I didn't because there just wasn't time to create that connection for me. I didn't care about Ben or Ariel (his girlfriend) enough for it to have a huge impact on me. I guess I just wanted more.

What was good was that it gave me an understanding of a part of war I've hear a lot about on the news, but really didn't know much about - Traumatic Brain Injuries. I've heard over and over about these, but never really completely understood what they were. This book did do a great job in helping me understand what a TBI was and how it affects everyone from the actual soldier to his or her entire family. I definitely appreciate the book for giving me that. That alone made it worth my time to read.

The other aspect I really liked was the character of Chris - Ben's brother. Chris has autism, and he is one of the most realistic examples of autism I've seen. I also liked that it was played in a matter-of-fact kind of way. He had autism, and it was something they had to work with, but it wasn't made into a huge issue. It didn't take over the rest of the story, and I liked that.

All in all - I'd recommend this book to my students. They might not have the issues I had with it, and I think boys will like that it jumps into the action pretty quickly.

Final thought - I'm glad I read it because I did learn from it. I just wanted more.

This review also ran on my students' blog Hooked on Books

Guest Post: Jenny Meyerhoff Author of The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger +GIVEAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:30:00 +0000

Today I have the great excitement of welcoming Jenny Meyerhoff to the blog. She is the author of the new, super funny, warm-hearted book The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger (see my review later today!)

About the Book
Fifth grader Louie Burger figures that with a goofy name like his, he mustbe destined to be a king of comedy like his idol Lou Lafferman. But he’s only ever performed his stand-up act in his closet, where he and his dad created the most exclusive comedy club ever—if by “exclusive” you mean that no one’s ever allowed inside. With the school talent show coming up, Louie’s wondering if now is his moment to kill (that’s comedian talk for “make actual people laugh”). And maybe, if he brings down the house, he’ll win back his former best friend Nick—who seems to be turning into one of those annoying sporty types—and fend off his dad’s home-improvement obsession, which threatens to remodel Louie’s comedy closet into a private bedroom for his older sister. Barftrocious!

About Jenny
Jenny Meyerhoff is the author of a young adult novel, Queen of Secrets, and three books for young readers--Sami's Sleepaway Summer, Third Grade Baby, and most recently, The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger, a story about an aspiring stand-up comic with an unusual catch phrase. Unlike Louie, Jenny is not a comedian, but she does know a lot about barf. After all, she’s a mom. Her three kids love fluffernutters, comedy and reading. Jenny lives in Riverwoods, Illinois with her funny kids and her delightful husband. For more information, visit her website: www.jennymeyerhoff.com.

Welcome Jenny!

Hi. I’m Jenny Meyerhoff, author of the new middle grade novel, The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger. Louie wants to be a stand-up comedian, but he might be too chicken to cross the road and participate in the school talent show. And if that isn’t trouble enough, Louie’s best friend is turning into a sporty kid! He seems to have forgotten that sports are a torture sundae with a tennis ball on top.

If you’re still not sure you want to read about Louie’s adventures, Louie has prepared a little list to convince you. Here it is:

Louie Burger’s Top Five Reasons Why You Should Read

The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger

1. You should read it because it’s a book, and while you could use it as a Frisbee, a weapon or a helmet (if you also had some duct tape), it works best when you use it for its intended purpose.

2. You should read it because I, Louie Burger, do many embarrassing things. If you read about the embarrassing things that I do, you will feel much better about the embarrassing things that you do, since they are probably not as embarrassing. Unfortunately for me.

3. You should read it because it is filled with many great tips about how to be a stand-up comedian, such as, it doesn’t make any sense to have stage fright. It’s not like the stage can bite you or give you a wedgie.

4. You should read it in order to learn many new and important words, for example, Barftastic, Barfmazing, Barftrocious and Barfnoying. These words are very useful and you will find them popping up in your conversations all the time.

5. Marshmallow Fluff. (There is Marshmallow Fluff inside this book, and that makes The Barftastic Life of Louie Burger the book equivalent of a Fluffernutter. How can anyone resist that?!)

If you want to know more about Louie, check out Jenny’s website www.jennymeyerhoff.com or visit Louie’s facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Barftastic-Life-of-Louie-Burger/439990382742618.

If you enjoyed her guest post - you'll LOVE the book. Watch for my review later today.

Now up for grab is a copy of the book!

Must be at least 13

Must be a US resident

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:44:00 +0000

Title: Wednesdays in the Tower
Author: Jessica Day George

A castle that is constantly rearranging itself, and a young royal family sworn to protect it... Celie, Rolf, and their beloved Castle Glower are back in this exciting sequel.

Strange things are afoot in Castle Glower: new rooms, corridors, and even stables keep arriving, even when they aren't needed. Celie's brother Bran, the new Royal Wizard, has his hands full cataloguing an entire storeroom full of exotic and highly dangerous weapons, while Celie has her hands full . . . raising the creature that hatches from a giant egg she finds! Will they be able to find out what's making the Castle behave this way in time?

My Thoughts

Super cute, super fun book. I really enjoyed this one. I do have to admit that I hadn't read the first book in the series, Tuesdays at the Castle, yet, but to be honest it didn't affect my understanding of this one too much. It was just a cute fun read!

I've said it many many times in reviews, but I have a hard time with middle school age girls that seem unrealistic or too precocious. They just kinda annoy me (sorry!). But once again I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't find Celie that in any way. She was just was just a nice girl. I would say she was delightful, but that might sound silly. Ok Ok I'll say it - she was delightful! As you know I read YA as well as MG, and sometimes it's nice to just read a book where it doesn't have mean girls and high drama.

The plot: fun, just fun. I loved. From the appearing and disappearing rooms, hallways and towers to Rufus and his behavior. It was completely enjoyable. I liked that there was mystery because it kept the tension in the book a bit higher. Had it just been the story of Celia finding the secret in the tower without the mystery surrounding it that they had to figure out the story would not be as good.

Final Thought: Fun MG novel with charm and sweetness
Best stick-with-you image: Any description of Rufus!
Best for readers who: Enjoy magic, mystery and fun.
Best for ages: 9-12

For the Guys? Yes. The brother and sister has equal time in the story, so it will appeal to both.

Book Tour Review: The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos +GIVEAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:00:00 +0000

Title: The Planet Thieves
Author: Dan Krokos
Book Obtained: From publisher for honest review

The Planet Thieves is the first thrilling installment of a new middle-grade series by Dan Krokos.

Two weeks ago, thirteen-year-old Mason Stark and seventeen of his fellow cadets from the Academy for Earth Space Command boarded theSS Egypt. The trip was supposed to be a short routine voyage to log their required spacetime for summer quarter.

But routine goes out the airlock when they’re attacked by the Tremist, an alien race who have been at war with humanity for the last sixty years.

With the captain and crew dead, injured, or taken prisoner, Mason and the cadets are all that’s left to warn the ESC. And soon they find out exactly why the Tremist chose this ship to attack: the Egypt is carrying a weapon that could change the war forever.

Now Mason will have to lead the cadets in a daring assault to take back the ship, rescue the survivors, and recover the weapon. Before there isn’t a war left to fight.

My Thoughts

I'll admit it. I'm not a huge sci fi fan at all. Well that's a bit of a lie. I LOVE all the Star Wars movies. Love them! But when it comes to reading science fiction is not something I run to. BUT I'm always wanting to try something new, and I'm always looking for books that will hook the boys I teach into reading. This book fit both of those needs. And, in the end, I enjoyed the book.

I'm so use to pointing out the awesomeness of strong girl characters that sometimes I forget I need to make sure to find books with strong, courageous GOOD boys. This book has that. Mason is a fantastic character. He's strong, smart, full of courage and just a great kid. In the risk of sounding cheesy - he's a great role model for boys reading the book. And what I really like, he's not perfect. He messes up, teases his sister and doesn't know all the answers. What's great is none of that slows him down. If something goes wrong, he pushes past it and keeps working. I liked that.

As for the plot, I enjoyed it. Lots of tension and lots of action. It doesn't slow down much and that was good. It was especially good for someone like me that doesn't love sci fi. The action pulled me along any time I got hung up trying to keep all the new lingo and aliens straight. As I reader I'm not good at learning new stuff like that. Thankfully I found it pretty easy in this book! I wasn't overly slowed down or distracted by having to figure out this futuristic world. The plot contained enough description to keep it pictured in my head without over doing it.

Oh did I mention that there's plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and thinking and wonderful right up until the very last page??? Well there is. Love that.

Final thought: Great book even for people who are in to sci fi!
Best stick-with-you image: The first description of what the Tremist. They sounded creepy!
Best for readers who: Like actions mixed with twists and turns
Best for ages: 9-12

For the Guys? For sure!!!

The Giveaway

The publisher has offered up a copy of The Planet Thieves.

Just fill out the Rafflecopter

Must be at least 13 and a US resident

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway at Hooked on Books

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:46:00 +0000

Hey all my students have the first giveaway up on their blog.

It's for a copy of the first two books in the Tomorrow Girls Series.

Check it out HERE.

As my blog shuts down, you might want to follow them. They do the writing, posting, editing etc. Great place to hear real thoughts from real kids reading the books written for them!

Bookshelf Clean-Out

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:40:00 +0000

As I close up shop I have a few books that I can pass on to others.

They are all ARCs. I don't anything for them. Since they are ARCs and were given to me by publishers (unsolicited!) it would cool if you review them somewhere.

If you want them let me know in the comments.

First come first serve.

I'll email you for your address etc.

If you have books you could swap let me know what they are, but honestly I just need to pass these on.

They are:

Surfacing by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Screwed by Laurie Plissner

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Deviant by Helen Fitzgerald

This Is A Goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:07:00 +0000

After 3 and a half years of blogging I have decided to call it quits as of June 9th. I have a few blog tours I've committed to that go through the 6th. Since my last day of teaching for year is June 7th, I figured it would be a good time for The O.W.L. to soar into new places.

Why am I doing this???

My life is in a completely different place now than it was when I first started blogging. I've started a new job that is taking a lot of my time. I love it, but it's keeping me really really busy! AND I'm getting married. Spending time with my soon-to-be husband is so very important to me - way more important than blogging. I'm just in a whole new place now.

AND THIS.........

Me when I FIRST starting blogging.

Yes that's TWILIGHT!

That's not how I feel anymore :(

I've lost the complete joy in it. Not for reading (well ok for that some too since it has become more like a job for the blog than just for fun), but for blogging. I used to love sharing and writing about books - the author interviews (ok that's still cool to do!), and guest posts - the contact with writers. BUT now it seems more like a chore. And to be honest - I'm ok with letting it go because of this reason alone. If I'm not enjoying it whole heartily I shouldn't do it!

I need time to write. I've been dabbling in writing for a few years now, and it's time to jump in with two feet or give it up completely. When it comes to finding time to write I feel guilty not working on the blog. I can't have that. And I don't like feeling like I'm not giving the blog 100%. I don't like doing something unless I can devote all the time needed to do it well. I can't do that with the blog right now.

I want to read just to read. I want to share with my students like I use to - to have that joy for reading and writing and publishing be given to my students and my classroom and my school. And, since my students, have started their own book review blog HOOKED ON BOOKS I can get my blogging fix there if I need to :)

I won't lie and say I'll miss blogging, because at this point in my life I won't. I'll miss the interactions with other bloggers/readers, but I can still get that without blogging myself! I'm so very excited to go back to JUST reading for the joy of reading. It makes me smile huge when I think of it. I do have a Pinterest account (Jill the OWL) where I pin books I love and am excited about. It's a quick easy way to still share with the world my love of books. Feel free to follow me there. And I still have Twitter (justkeepreading), so I'll pop in there every now and again.

I wish you all the best of luck in blogging and life. I'm heading off into a happy place that I'm excited to explore.

I can't wait to see where it leads!

PS - I will post pictures of my wedding! It's the end of May. We are doing a book themed wedding, so of course I have to share :) :) :)

Author Interivew: T. Glen Coughlin Author of One Shot Away +GIVEAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:30:00 +0000

I have the honor of hosting T. Glen Coughlin author of One Shot Away.

He is on a blog tour hosted by Kismet Book Tours. I was lucky enough to be able to participate As an English teacher I'm constantly looking for "boy" books, and when I saw this one I was very excited. Especially when I saw it was about wrestling. Wrestling is huge in my school district!

A bit about the book

It’s senior year and the last season for Diggy, Jimmy, and Trevor on the Molly Pitcher High School varsity wrestling team. And they all want the same thing: to win.

But Diggy’s got to compete with his older brother’s legacy, and now he’s in danger of losing his spot to newcomer Trevor. Jimmy’s got the cops after him, and a girlfriend who looks down on him. Then Diggy does the unthinkable—he betrays a teammate. Can the team forgive him? And can he forgive himself?

Experience the pressure with Diggy, Jimmy, and Trevor as the stakes rise and loyalties splinter. They’ve got just one shot to make weight and get onto the mat. But pinning your opponent is about more than just winning.

About T. Glen Coughlin - Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

Coughlin’s first novel, The Hero of New York, was finished when he was 23 years old and explored the dark side of the middle class suburban dream. New York Times reviewer, Dennis Smith (1986) wrote, “The Hero of New York is solid tough-guy entertainment, and Mr. Coughlin’s descriptions can be hilarious.”

Coughlin’s second novel, Steady Eddie, is a coming-of-age story set in Long Island, New York in 1977. George Needham wrote “Coughlin neatly captures a person’s essence in the simplest gesture, but each character is drawn with sympathy and wit, even when the characters themselves lack these attributes. A fine novel.”

Coughlin has published short stories in Doubletake Magazine, the South Dakota Review[3] and DUCTS, an on-line magazine. His story, “The Grief Committee” was analyzed in The Politics of Mourning: Grief Management in a Cross-Cultural Fiction.[5] Coughlin”s poetry has appeared in The Dead Mule – School of Southern Literature and Hanging Moss Journal.

In 2012, Coughlin published his first YA novel, One Shot Away, A Wrestling Story, Harpercollins. The novel is the story of three high school wrestlers trying to balance their personal lives, family conflicts and maintain their weight class on the Varsity Squad.

Wecome T. Glen Coughlin to The O.W.L.!!

First lets start with the easy questions

What Point of View -1st or 3^rd:

One Shot Away is told in the 3^rd person from three different POVs: Trevor Crow, Diggy Masters and Jimmy O’Shea. This writing style is a departure from my first two novels, which were told in the first person. This is my first YA novel, although the other two were both coming of age novels.

Boy or Girl main character (or both!):

The novel has three main characters, all boys, and two minor girl characters, Jane and Roxanne.

Genre:

One Shot Away is a YA sports related coming-of-age novel.

Middle Grade or Young Adult:

The novel is more appropriate for a YA reader. The story line is a little edgy. The hardships and drama take a look at the serious side of competition, which can sometimes turn ugly.

More boy or girl book (stereotypically):

I was a bit surprised to learn that One Shot Away appeals to both boys and girls. Obviously, it has an appeal to anyone involved in the sport of wrestling (yes, girls are now wrestling!). The novel tells the story of three high school wrestlers living in the same community, but going through the insecurity of high school, a desire for acceptance, the emotional confusion of first relationships, and the pride of achievement. I know girls can relate to these issues.

The Serious Questions!

For One Shot Away what part/character/event are you most excited/proud about?

I am most proud of the end of the novel, as I didn’t sell out and make it a 100 percent “feel good” ending. My second novel, Steady Eddie, was criticized for having an ending where the two main characters sort of sailed happily into the sunset. In One Shot Away, I had many choices to make. I could have had Diggy, my most controversial character, get forgiven for all the havoc he caused. He could have wound up a success story (I don’t want to give away the ending here). But, I chose to tell the story with integrity and truth. I wanted my readers to learn that acts have consequences. Jimmy and Trevor are my success stories, which bring an abundance of light to the book. Diggy, although I do love him, had to pay some dues.

One Shot Away is a book for guys. One struggle I have as a middle school teacher is getting my boys to read more, so I’m glad to see books like yours. Can you talk about writing for “the guys” and in particular how this story will interest them?

From the first page, One Shot Away is filled with conflict that propels the action. It’s a book where things happen and it’s not always what the reader expects. The main characters, Trevor, Jimmy and Diggy, have interesting dilemmas. Each goes about solving their problems in different ways. Dialogue and all of the slang in the novel was basically pulled from real teens. The dialogue is snappy and real and boys will enjoy the exchanges. Lastly, the plot of the novel is more than just wrestling. It’s about the team concept. It’s about learning to respect a girlfriend. It’s about discrimination and overcoming hurtful words and bullies. Lastly, this novel is a fun read.

Tell about your writing process. How long did it take you to write One Shot Away from idea to finish? Please tell about revision if you can!

Good question, as I’m sure there are many potential writers who might read the book. Start to finish, the writing took about four years. I know that’s a long time, but I write on weekends and vacation days, as I work a full time job. I like to develop my characters before I even know my story. At the beginning of One Shot Away, I put Trevor Crow into motion. I am a big believer in knowing your character’s back-story. For instance, I wrote one hundred pages of back-story regarding Trevor’s father’s heritage as a Penobscot Native American.

At one point, One Shot Away ballooned to 440 pages! I had to cut it in half in order to increase the tension. Cutting is tough, but necessary for most writers. I know writers who fall in love with their own words and are unable to cut. I try to think of my reader. What will make the reader stay up late turning the pages?

My second character developed was Jimmy O’Shea. I wrote about his house, his room, what he ate. I gave him a girlfriend, Roxanne. I wrote a short story about Jimmy leading his wrestling team in practice. Next, I did the same for Diggy Masters.

Then, I introduced conflict through the plot. In Trevor’s case, he is facing the loss of his father, and the need to fulfill his father’s vision of being a varsity wrester. Jimmy’s father leads him down a dangerous path. Diggy makes his own trouble with poor choices.

Fine tuning the plot was the hardest part of finishing the novel. I needed it to be exciting, believable, and compelling, but also have the reader feel like they entered the character’s world. The plot must carry one chapter into the next. I wrote about twenty drafts of this novel (I’m not exaggerating). I would finish it, print it, read it, and then rewrite. It sounds like a lot of work; lucky for me I love the entire process of creating a novel.

When you were in middle school what kind of student were you? Did you write then?

I was a mediocre student. Report card day was always rough. I’d line up behind my three sisters, who had A’s and B’s. I never failed, but an A was as rare as steak at the hot lunch menu. Most of the time, I scraped by with a C or a B-. By the time I went to high school, I was scheduled into a lot of shop classes. I worked on cars, built cabinets, learned to weld metals. In ninth grade English, my teacher assigned Catcher in the Rye. I read it in two days (it was a half-year study). She began sneaking me novels by John Steinbeck, S.E Hinton, Claude Brown, Harper Lee and lots more. I realized I loved to read.

In the tenth grade, I joined a meat cutter’s union and worked 4 pm to 10 pm weekdays, and 8 am to 8 pm on Saturdays, cutting chickens. I didn’t have time for sports or much of anything, except work. After I cleaned the butcher shop at night, scraped all the cutting blocks and put down sawdust, I’d read in the break room. In my second novel, Steady Eddie, I wrote about my teen life, and was able to get some of it out of my system.

In the eleventh grade, my English teacher assigned the class a writing assignment; a two page fictional story. I remember writing about the end of the world. She liked it and read it to the class. I don’t think anyone ever told me I was good at anything, until that story. I began to believe that I could write a novel. I started carrying a notebook. I wrote scenes in the meat department break room that eventually evolved into The Hero of New York. I finished the novel about five years later. It was published when I was twenty-six.

And because it's the owl, my standard question always is: WHOOO do you admire when it comes to writing? OR WHOOO do you like to read or really enjoyed in HS or middle school?

In high school I enjoyed many YA novels that are now considered must reads. I read To Kill a Mocking Bird and loved it. I read all of John Steinbeck’s novels, my favorite being Of Mice and Men. I enjoyed S. E. Hinton’s novels, The Outsiders, Rumble Fish and That was Then, This is Now. I loved, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, everything by Ray Bradbury, Jack London, John Knowles, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Today, I read a lot of adult fiction, but also enjoy YA novels. Lately, I have enjoyed The Giver, by Lois Lowry, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, Bird Nerd, by Tracy Edward Wymer, the novels of Terry Trueman, and The Fault in our Stars, by John Green.

Presently I’m reading Ghosts of War, a true story by Ryan Smithson. It’s a terrific YA novel of a 19-year old GI sent to Iraq.

One novel that really changed my idea of fiction was The Wanderers, by Richard Price. I read it when I was a senior in high school. It breaks a lot of rules.

The Fun Questions! (based on what middle school students do!)

Do you chew gum?

Yes, I chew Wrigley’s “Solstice” –“A warm and cool winter.” Sugar-free – 15 to a pack. Try it!

Do you text?

Yes, I do text and I carry a blackberry. My son and daughter are text nuts.

Was school lunch just as yucky then as it is now?!

My mother wasn’t one to “pack a lunch.” It was hot lunch or no lunch. School lunch was a completely sad affair from 1^st to 8^th grade. The food was just terrible, watery tomato soup and wet PBJ’s, Sloppy Joe’s with unidentifiable red meat that smelled like four day old barbeque grease. Chinese night was cream of chicken chow mein!!! The cream grossed us out. Oh it was just the worst. I used to starve and save my lunch money. I’d buy a sandwich at a deli around the corner about once a week.

Thank you so much for joining us here on The O.W.L. I will be sharing with my students how many drafts you wrote! They need to hear things like that. Plus that you're reading Ghosts of War. I have it, and a few students have picked it up to read as well.

Stay tuned for my review of the book coming up later!

The Giveaway!

Up for grabs is a Kindle Paperwhite skinned in the One Shot Away cover art!

To enter fill out the rafflecopter.

And check out the rest of the stops on the tour!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Links: Twitter Facebook Goodreads

Book Links: Goodreads Amazon B&N Indiebound

Tour Schedule:

Monday, April 8th - Mundie Moms

Tuesday, April 9th - Froggarita's Bookcase

Wednesday, April 10th - Alice Marvels

Thursday, April 11th - Chick Loves Lit

Friday, April 12th - Simply Infatuated

Monday, April 15th - I Like These Books

Tuesday, April 16th - Sweet Southern Home

Wednesday, April 17th - The O.W.L. for YA

Thursday, April 18th - Basia's Bookshelf

Friday, April 19th - Chapter by Chapter

Monday, April 22nd - The Book Cellar

Tuesday, April 23rd - Contessa at the Crossroads

Wednesday, April 24th - The Bookswarm

Thursday, April 25th - Buried in Books

Friday, April 26th - The Page Turners

Check Out My Students' Book Review Blog: Hooked on Books

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:26:00 +0000

For those of you that don't know I teach advanced English grades 5-8. I decided to challenge my 6th graders this spring and have them start and run their own book review blog.

They are doing everything including

layout,

writing reviews,

editing,

writing features

and organizing the whole schedule!

It's a big undertaking and we are still getting things figured out. BUT they are up and running.

They would love for you to check them out.

They are called:

Hooked on Books

Author Interview: Kimberly Derting Author of Dead Silence +GIVEAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:30:00 +0000

Super excited today because I get to host Kimberly Derting for a stop on her blog tour for Dead Silence!! I love the Body Finder series, so I'm super thrilled to be able to promote it! Stayed tuned for my review later today!

First a bit about the book
Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

About Kimberly Derting

Kimberly Derting is the author of the BODY FINDER series (HarperCollins) and THE PLEDGE trilogy (Simon & Schuster). She lives in the Seattle area, with her husband and three children, who often find the outrageous things they say either in the pages of her books or posted on Twitter or Facebook for the entire world to see.

You can visit her website at www.kimberlyderting.com.

Welcome Kimberly to The O.W.L.!!!

First the easy questions.
What Point of View -1st or 3^rd: For the Body Finder series, 3^rd.
Boy or Girl main character (or both!): Girl, with a cute boy thrown in of course.
Genre: Supernatural-mystery-romance!
Middle Grade or Young Adult: Young Adult
More boy or girl book (stereotypically): Girl books

The Serious Questions

This is the 4^th book in the series so the characters are familiar to you, but for Dead Silence what part/character/event are you most excited/proud about?

I love that I’ve been allowed to explore the darker side of the killers’ perspectives as the series has gone on. Dead Silence is the darkest (and bloodiest) so far.

Dead Silence is part paranormal part mystery. I love the mystery part because so few YA books are mystery books. How difficult is it to pull a mystery together – to get all the parts to fit?

Because I’m not giving the reader all the clues to solve a crime, they’re really kind of a mash-up between mystery and thriller. But getting all the plot threads tied up and the holes filled is definitely the biggest challenge to the books, which usually takes some serious tweaking during revisions.

Tell about your writing process. How long did it take you to write Dead Silence from idea to finish? Please tell about revision if you can!

I had the idea for Dead Silence for quite a while before I actually sat down to write it—I knew I wanted it to be based on a Manson-like cult. But the actual first draft only took me about two months to write (deadlines will do that to you!). My editor and I went back and forth about three times, which is fairly typical for us. The first round is pretty intense. I get what I call “the compliment sandwich letter”. It starts off with something really positive, like, “This is a great first draft…” and then delves into all the bad stuff (eight pages of everything that needs to be fixed), and finishes up with more positive stuff, something along the lines of, “we know you can do it!” That round takes me about a month to turn around. The next round is lighter and takes me about a week, and the third round is generally light line edits (word changes, etc.), and takes me about a day or two.

When you were in middle school kind of student were you? Did you write then?

I’ve pretty much known that I wanted to write since the 7^th grade, when I took journalism as my elective credit. Of course back then I had big dreams of becoming a world famous jet-setting journalist covering wars and famines. When I was older, and realized what being a real journalist entailed (living in tents without showers, malaria, facing gunfire), I realized that writing books from the safety of my home would be a little less…dangerous, and a lot more clean!

And because it's the owl my standard question always is: WHOOO do you admire when it comes to writing? OR WHOOO do you like to read or really enjoyed in HS or middle school?

I’d love to say someone very literary, like Harper Lee since To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book ever. But honestly, I have to admit it’s much more likely that it was Stephen King. I grew up reading his books and wishing I could tell the kinds of stories he did (the ones that scared people the way he scared me). Yes, that sounds twisted. And yes, I blame Stephen King.

The Fun Questions! (based on what middle school students do!)

Do you chew gum? Yes or No If yes favorite kind?

Absolutely. My favorite is Nerds bubble gum!

Do you text?

Of course. I had to learn as soon as my kids became teens. If texting had been around when I was in school, I’m afraid my phone would have been confiscated way too often! :)

Was school lunch just as yucky then as it is now?!

I think it was even grosser and greasier then. I don’t think we even had salads.

Thank you Kimberly for joining us! And I will blame Stephen King, but only if I get to blame John Saul for all the stuff that scared me!!!

Ok the Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to CBB Tours for hosting! Check out the page for this tour HERE.

And check out the other tour stops!

April 1

I'm a Book Shark ~ Review

Candace's Book Blog ~ Review

April 2

Gizmos Reviews ~ Review

Bewitched Bookworms ~ Guest Post

April 3

Gone Pecan ~ Review & Interview

Vy's Blog ~ Review & Teaser Quotes

April 4

Beauty and the Bookshelf ~ Review

The Starry Eyed Revue ~ Review & Teaser Quote

April 5

Hope, Love and Happy Endings ~ Review & Teaser Quote

Reading Lark ~ Review & Book BFF

April 6

Curling Up With a Good Book ~ Review

Paperback Princess ~ Review & Interview

April 7

A GREAT Read ~ Review & Guest Post

April 8

Books Live Forever ~ Review & Teaser Quote

A Dream Within a Dream ~ Review

April 9

A Diary of a Book Addict ~ Review

Alice Marvels ~ Review & Playlist

April 10

Fic Fare ~ Review & Teaser Quote

Itching for Books ~ Guest Post

Dear Restless Reader ~ Review

April 11

TSK, TSK, What to Read? ~ Review & Teaser Quote

Novel Nerd ~ Review

April 12

Books-n-Kisses ~ Review

I Am A Reader, Not a Writer ~ Interview

April 13

Bittersweet Enchantment ~ Review & This or That Interview

Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks ~ Review and Teaser Quotes

April 14

Dana Square ~ Review & Teaser Quotes

Kindred Dreamheart ~ Guest Post

April 15

Blood, Sweat and Books ~ Interview

Books With Bite ~ Review & Teaser Quotes

The O.W.L. ~ Review & Interview

April New Release Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Welcome to my stop on the April New Release Hop being hosted by Book Twirps and Refracted Light Book Reviews.

For my stop I'm giving away a copy of:

The Program by Suzanne Young

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Open only to US residents. (Sorry I've got a wedding to pay for!)

Must be at least 13

Fill out the Rafflecopter to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To check out the rest of the giveaways on the hop click on the links
below!!

Some Different Publishing News

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:30:00 +0000

I don't usually do posts about publishing news, but I get several publishing newsletters and one of the latest from PW Children's Bookshelf had some different news I thought I'd share.

App for MirrorWorld (Reckless) by Cornelia Funke
I was excited to see an article about an app that Cornelia Funke helped created for her series Mirror World - Reckless and Fearless. The app is titled: MirrorWorld: Past the Reflection of Your World Into a Realm of Magic and Adventure, which releases as an app on April 17.

The article in PW says: "The app, which will only be available for the iPad before expanding to an abridged Kindle format at $2.99 “soon,” is a 110-minute multimedia experience with 16 original standalone spinoff stories based on the MirrorWorld books. There are also characters’ journals, lists of eccentric items maintained in MirrorWorld, enchanted artifacts, and treasures; the Ogre Tavern serves as the hub to every experience." I'm a bit sad it's only for Ipad now because I don't own an Ipad, but I'm hopeful for it coming to Android at some point. What I'm most excited about is just the idea of the app. There are several books that I'd love to have an app - Divergent and The Gone series by Michael Grant just to name a few. What are your thoughts on book apps like this? I'm all for them IF they include more reading for people not if they are only for games of some sort.

Here's a link to the full article: Cornelia Funke Partners with Mirada to Create MirrorWorld App

A New Patrick Ness Book!
This really excited me becuase I love Patrick Ness. He's Chaos Walking series is awesome and I loved what he did with Siobhan Dowd's A Monster Calls. It's called More Than This. Here's the summary:

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this. . . .

Sounds very interesting!

Lastly a great book trailer I want to share.

This part didn't come from PW Children's Bookshelf. I saw the book trailer for Margaret Stohl's new book Icons. Looks fantastic! I was lucky enough to score an ARC. Now I just need to fight over it with my students!! I showed them the trailer, and they all want it.

Here's the trailer

Book Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:30:00 +0000

Title: Hysteria
Author: Megan Miranda
Copy Obtained: Bought for blog tour

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.

Ok I LOVED this book. Really loved it!

Here is the internal monologue that went on in my head during large chunks of it.

"What?!?"

"Oh wow never saw that coming?"

"No waaaaaaay!"

"O.M.G. wow, wow, wow."

"Oooooooooh I get it!".

"Brilliant."

"Wow."

"How did she put this all together?????"

"Must stay awake and finish!"

Really that's what I was thinking! I was just a great book. I went into it thinking it was just going to be about Mallory dealing with what she had done - coming to terms with it. I didn't know all this other stuff was going to be there too. And to be honest all that other "stuff" is what made it a great book to me. It's what hooked me in and kept me reading. It's what made me want to know what the in the world was going on! I just love when I read a book and the author has constructed it in such a way that I just dieing to find out what really happened. When an author wraps me up in all the questions and then slow unwinds them pulling me along it's a story I'll love forever. That was the case here. Megan Miranda wrote a book that completely hooked me and dragged me along. She created a world where I didn't know what was happening, who I could trust, and where it would all end. Time and time again she pulled the rug out from under me when I felt all proud of myself for thinking I knew what was happening. I LOVED it! I'm not one for clearly predictable books. When an author pulls out a plot point I never expected AND it fits perfectly I stand in awe. And I stand in awe of Hysteria. Just a great book.

Quickly - what I also liked was Mallory. Had she been a whiny, weak, sniveling character I would've quit the book. She was none of that. Mallory carried this story fully. Yes she had help from friends like Colleen and Reid (loved Reid!), but it was fully on her shoulders and she carried it well. If she was a real person I'd love to meet her! So what I'm saying is not only was the plot strong - the main character was just as strong.

Final thought: Read my internal monologue above and then go read the book

Best stick-with-you image: Sooooooo hard to pick! Mallory's bruises were a big one though

Best for readers: Who love a story where they can't trust everything they read

Best for ages: 12+ There is a bit of "older" ya stuff in it, but not enough for me to see it as fully upper YA

For the Guys? Yes! I think guys would like the plot set-up of this one would hook guys just as well as girls.

SnapShot Monday (On Wednesday)

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:12:00 +0000

Hey all this is late, but I was on Spring Break!

This post is inspired by the meme It's Monday. What are You Reading hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. The only real difference is I take a pic of my current read and post it - nothing more!

Trying to keep it short and simple.

That's my motto these days!

Snapshot

First Line: It's harder to drive a polar bear into somebody's living room than you'd think.

Mega-Haul of Books at Goodwill!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:11:00 +0000

So I went to Goodwill to look for hardcover books to use as decorations at my book-themed wedding coming up in May.

Lo and behold one location had a ton of brand new looking hardcover YA books (and some MG)!

Someone must have cleared their shelves. So I bought and bought. I got 28 books for just under $62! Can't wait to share them with my students.

Here's a pic of the haul.

Review: The Farm by Emily McKay

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Title: The Farm
Author: Emily McKay
Copy Obtained: Purchases

Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...

I'm really now sure what I think of this one. I liked it, but there was so much going on it that sometimes it seemed a bit much. It's told from three different perspectives - Lily, Mel and Carter. It was neat to hear what each was thinking, but it did add to everything that was happening. To go with that you had all the people on The Farm to keep track of, the ticks and how they were formed, and the real vampires. Plus there is what is happening with Lily according to Carter and it just seemed like a lot.

Did I like it? Yes I did. It was interesting, and I did keep reading. Mostly because I had a theory about what was happening, and I wanted to find out if my theory was right. Plus it did have a lot of action, so that held my interest. I love zombie books, and this one had a zombie feel to it. The ticks act kind've like zombie in their actions, so there is that constant tension of needing to get away from them as they attack. That was definitely well done. I found myself holding my breath several times during those scenes.

As for the characters - I liked them especially Mel. Mel is autistic (Asbergers I think), and the chapters told from her point of view were very interesting. And I just liked how she was because she was the most honest person in the book. That alone made me like her a lot because everyone else has some secret they are keeping. Lily was the typical fighter. She was strong and I liked that. She knew that trust put her and Mel at risk, so she was very cautious. I got that, but sometimes I wanted her to just have some faith! I don't blame her for not though! The relationship between Mel and Lily was great. I haven't seen a twin relationship like it, so it was a nice twist in the book.

Final Thought: Good, but not sure if I'll pick up the sequel.
Best stick-with-you image: The stakes outside the Farm
Best for readers: Who are ok with vampires showing up in their dystopia story
Best for ages: 14+

For the Guys? I think guys could maybe get into this one. Some of the chapters are told from Carter's perspective, so that's nice.

Book Review: Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:30:00 +0000

Title: Going Vintage
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Copy Obtained: Netgalley

When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:
1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous

But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

First you need to know that the thought of giving up my cell phone, laptop or notebook makes me start to shake! I am firmly attached to my electronics. Sadly, so is my 5 year old! So when Mallory decides to give it all up, I felt my blood pressure going up. There's no way I could do it I thought! Yes, yes I am that sad....

Ok now that I have that out - about the book. I really enjoyed it. It was a quick fun read. I haven't read a realistic book in a bit, so it was a nice change of pace for me. I normally stay clear of realistic fiction because I need to escape reality! And because so many times I find them unrealistic and that's all I can focus on. Thankfully I didn't find that with Mallory and this book.

The story starts with Mallory breaking up with her boyfriend. Does she go a bit overboard? I didn't think so. I think for a 16 year old girl she handled it very realistically. I'm sitting in a room with 25 8th grade girls, and I can see them doing exactly what Mallory did! Now it did take a twist when she gets so upset she swears off technology and declares it a huge part of the problem and decides to head back to 1962 - an easier time. Now that was a bit overboard but not crazy so. I could see some girls doing that. And trust me there have been times I think my life would be easier if I could go "off the grid" more. And I liked how it forced her to look at what was really important and focus on the here and now.

Basically what this book boils down to is a girl figuring out how to trust herself and be ok with who she is. I like that. More girls need to do that. And thankfully the ending stuck with that. I can't tell you what happens (of course), but I was very pleased with the ending. The choices Mallory makes and the lessons she learns gave me a soft spot for her. And from not being so sure about how strong she is at the beginning of the book - I knew, by the end, she'd be just fine.

Ok I do have one issue. I was often confused by the description of Oliver - a boy that helps her. He was suppose to be trendy but yet quirky and very much himself I believe. But at times I had a hard time really visualizing him with the descriptions given. Maybe it's because I'm old and not in high school. This wasn't a big deal, but it did bug me a little.

Over-all it was a good book with likable characters, and interesting concept and a nice little message about trusting yourself and your own instincts. I would definitely hand it to my daughter to read.

Final Thought: Actually made me think about shutting down the electronics for awhile!
Best stick-with-you image:
Best for readers: Who like to see a girl take control on her own life
Best for ages: 14+

For the Guys? Nope not at all. Definately one for the girls!

Snapshot Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:07:00 +0000

This post is inspired by the meme It's Monday. What are You Reading hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. The only real difference is I take a pic of my current read and post it - nothing more!

Trying to keep it short and simple.

That's my motto these days!

Snapshot

First line:

Trevor Crow runs under low clouds on a rain-slicked road past houses already strung and lit for Christmas.

Cover Crush: One by Leigh Ann Kopans

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 06:30:00 +0000

I love book covers. Love love love them! I've been known to drag my sister around Barnes and Noble and show her all the covers I like. I'll hunt down certain students in the morning because I know they'll love a cover as much as me. I really think I develop a crush on certain covers!

Today I'm crushing on:

I don't know why but I really love this cover. The colors or something. All I know is that when I first saw it was was captured by it, and I had to find out what the book was about. It was just intriguing. Maybe it's the wing-like things on her. I just know I LOVE it!

*****************************************

When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

Books With Bad Luck

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 06:13:00 +0000

Today is the 13th. No not Friday the 13th, but still the 13th. I hate the number 13 - yes I guess I have triskaidekaphobia.

So for the 13th I'd thought I'd feature a book that is filled with bad luck. The main character just can't catch a break.

Maybe I'll make this a month feature :)

Our bad luck character is......

Limpy from Toad Rage

I read this book several years ago and loved it! Poor Limpy is a Cane Toad in Australia, and for most of the book he really can't catch a break. Things just keep happening to him over and over as he tries to get to the Olympics in an effort to convince people Cane Toads are not bad.

I've read it aloud to my 7th graders, and they loved it. It's definitely juvenile humor.

Limpy's family reckons humans don't hate cane toads, but Limpy knows otherwise. He's spotted the signs: the cross looks, the unkind comments, the way they squash cane toads with their cars. Limpy is desperate to save his species from ending up as pancakes. Somehow he must make humans see how fabulous cane toads really are. Risking everything, he sets off on a wart-tinglingly dangerous and daring journey to . . . the Olympics?
This is the epic story of a slightly squashed young cane toad's quest for the truth.

Snapshot Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:19:00 +0000

This post is inspired by the meme It's Monday. What are You Reading hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. The only real difference is I take a pic of my current read and post it - nothing more!

Trying to keep it short and simple.

That's my motto these days!

I'm afraid that I have to admit I'm still reading the same book from last Monday. (hanging my head) Last week was really busy. We ended the trimester at our school, so I had grading etc. So here's a replay of what I'm reading :)

Snapshot

Feel free to join in with your snapshot!

The more the merrier :)

Cover Crush: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:40:00 +0000

Today I'm crushing on:

Wow! Just wow. How could it not capture my attention?!!? What a cover. It's pretty sparse but what is there just reaches out and grabs me. When I saw this I had to look into it further!

Well done!

COLDTOWN WAS DANGEROUS, TANA KNEW. A GLAMOROUS CAGE, A PRISON FOR THE DAMNED AND ANYONE WHO WANTED TO PARTY WITH THEM.

Tana lived in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

Book Review: Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Don't miss my interview with the author from earlier today - HERE. There's a giveaway with it!

Title: Orleans
Author: Sherri L. Smith
Copy Obtained: From publicist

I absolutely adored this book. Ok maybe adore isn't the right word considering what happens in the story, but honestly it really fits how I felt about it.

I will admit that at first I wasn't sure how I was going to do with the book. The dialect Fen speaks with took a few pages for me to get use to BUT once I did I hardly noticed it. The dialect was an important part of her character. It in compassed so much - the years she's lived in the Delta, her survival ability, how she's different from Daniel and the Delta as a whole how it's now so separate from the rest of the United States. The dialect was Fen.

The concept of this book was fantastic. I've read so much dystopia but in most of it there is no United States anymore - at least not in any fashion that you can really recognize. It was very cool to have this set in a world where most of the US is just as it was (well mostly) with a large chunk pushed off separate. It was a fresh twist that I liked. I really wanted to see how a world like this would be. And it really led me to think about could we ever do this to a part of our country - just cut it off from the rest of us. I also like that it was centered around blood types because it was something we all can relate to because we all have one. Now I don't know my blood type, so I couldn't think about what group I'd fall into, but I kept thinking about how it would affect all of us. And I kept thinking about how it would affect my children and I if we couldn't be together!

The story had a lot of action that kept the tension high. Fen is never allowed to relax because that puts herself at risk. Because of how the action is kept strong I felt that. I was always on the edge helping me see a little how Fen felt. There were times I just wanted it to stop, but of course it couldn't but it never stops in the Delta.

Now Fen is not the only character. There is also Daniel. The story is partially told from his point of view and that was great. I loved how I could see how someone growing up in the Delta thought and reacted AND see how someone that really has no clue about what it's like there reactions and thinks. It just made the story completely whole. And if you read the interview with Sherri Smith HERE you'd see that this multiple point of view was something she struggled with and wanted to do right. I think she hit it perfectly. Daniel as a character was great. He was so naive and I wanted to shake him, but he needed to be for the story. I loved how he grew in his understanding and strength. I really liked him at the end.

The ending of Orleans was perfect. Would I want to know more? Sure. But how it wrapped up was enough to satisfy me completely.

Final Thought: Wonderful book that puts a fresh twist on dystopia
Best stick-with-you image: How Fen gets her scars - wow
Best for readers who: Like strong characters who keep fighting no matter what
Best for ages: 12+

For the Guys? For sure! I think they would like the action but also the concept of the world Fen lives in. Yes yes yes one of the main characters is a girl but I think she is a girl everyone can relate to.

Author Interview: Sherri L. Smith Author of Orleans +GIVEAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Jill the OWL) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Today I have the please of welcoming Sherri L. Smith to The O.W.L.

She is the author of Orleans just now released.

First came the storms.
Then came the Fever.
And the Wall.

After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.

Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.

A bit about Sherri L. Smith

Sherri L. Smith has written several award-winning novels for young adults. Flygirl (2010) won the California Book Award, was a YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, and has received fourteen State Award nominations. She lives near Los Angeles.

For more information, visit her website at http://www.sherrilsmith.com/index.htm or her blog, The Middle Hundred, at http://middlehundred.blogspot.com/.

Welcome Sherri!

First the easy questions

What Point of View -1st or 3^rd: Both

Boy or Girl main character (or both!): Girl

Genre: Speculative

Middle Grade or Young Adult: YA

More boy or girl book (stereotypically): Both!

The Serious Questions

First I have to say that I LOVED the book! It was so different from anything else that I’ve read lately. Fen was such a great character – so strong and determined and smart. (Thank you! It really means a lot!)

For Orleans what part/character/event are you most excited/proud about?
I am most proud of Fen. She’s such a spitfire and I admire that. Anyone who can survive that sort of crucible and still find their humanity is pretty incredible.
Orleans is set in the future where disease has taken over the area of New Orleans – please tell us about what research, if any, did you do to decide how this would look or how the disease spread?

The disease already existed in my head. I have a doctor friend I go to for help justifying what I’ve created. In this instance, she introduced me to a fantastic doctor of pediatric hematology and oncology. We had a rather disgusting lunch where I told him what I wanted based on spread and virility of the disease, and he guided me toward real-world parallels. It was cool, like your science teacher letting you make up the answers and then providing the questions. I left with a list of symptoms—like jaundiced skin and pica, or the compulsion to eat dirt for minerals—and ideas on how to treat (or not treat) them. From there, I reached out to one of my oldest friends, who is a biology teacher. Along with her research scientist sister, they helped me figure out how to destroy the virus. Aren’t friends just amazing?

Tell about your writing process. How long did it take you to write Orleans from idea to finish? Please tell about revision if you can!This book seemed to take FOREVER. It was actually about three years. I had the idea back in 2005 after Katrina, but I was working on something else. I wrote up a paragraph of ideas and dialogue in 2007, did research in 2008, but didn’t actually write the first draft until early 2009.

The biggest changes through the revision process came in points of view. It went from one (just Fen), to five, to three—a lot of time was spent with three points of view—and then down to two. I reached a point of real despair in the middle of it all. I started to feel like I was losing my way, then I lost my editor to the vagaries of corporate downsizing. For a while there, I felt like I never wanted to write again. But I got a new editor who helped me remember what I wanted to say. And a friend read my book’s tarot cards. Can you believe it? She confirmed what I knew—that the third POV needed to go. Then it was like hacking back a forest of weeds to find the garden I’d planted. But it was all there, waiting. I’m so glad it did!

When you were in middle school kind of student were you? Did you write then?

That’s a weird question because I never went to middle school. I grew up in Washington, D.C., where elementary goes to 6th grade, but I moved away before starting 7th grade in Junior High. I went to a Junior High for one year, then moved to Chicago where elementary school goes to 8th grade. And then I went straight into high school. So, if we focus on 7th grade, I would say I was quiet, I read a lot, and didn’t have a lot of friends because I was the new kid. Oh, and I had a bully who made fun of my awesome first-day-of-school clothes. But when she finally threw down the gauntlet (ie. shoved a chair at me in the cafeteria), I was so busy reading a book that I didn’t notice. I shoved it out of my way and walked past her. Apparently, that terrified her. She backed away and never bothered me again. Books are awesome. And yes, I was writing, even then. I wrote my first science fiction short story in 8th grade (elementary school again!) and won a contest! That was cool.

And because it’s the owl my standard question always is: WHOOO do you admire when it comes to writing? OR WHOOO do you like to read or really enjoyed in HS or middle school? My favorite authors back then were Susan Cooper (THE DARK IS RISING), Lloyd Alexander (CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN) and Michael Moorcock (ELRIC, ETERNAL CHAMPION Series). Oooh, and the DRAGONLANCE series by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis. I was a huge fantasy/SF reader. But I’ve never played D&D in my life. Go figure.

The Fun Questions! (based on what middle school students do!)

Do you chew gum? Yes or No If yes favorite kind? Yes, mint
Do you text? Yes
Was school lunch just as yucky then as it is now?! Yes. It gets better in high school, but not by much.

Thank you so much Sherri for joining us and sharing your writing process. I love hearing it!
And be sure to read my review of Orleans coming up later today.

Make sure to head over to GreenBeanTeenQueen tomorrow to hear more!

Now for the GIVEAWAY!

One lucky winner will receive a Delta Relief Kit, complete with a signed ARC, a blood type ID dog tag, a glow stick, and the ever-crucial Snickers bar—everything you need to navigate ORLEANS, at least from the comfort of your armchair! (U.S. only)

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