ESCAPING THE TIGER

ESCAPING THE TIGER, by Laura Manivong (HarperCollins 2010)(10+). It's 1982 and twelve year-old Vonlai and his family have escaped from communist Laos across the Mekong into neighboring Thailand.

There, they are held at the squalid Na Pho refugee camp, where they must struggle if they are ever to survive to the brighter future they are hoping for. But when his sister is threatened, Vonlai takes matters into his own hands...

ESCAPING THE TIGER offers an engaging protagonist in a poignant and thought-provoking story of family and dignity. Vonlai's hopes and fears ring true as he deals with family, friends, and foes alike, and as he comes of age in the refugee camp. Flashbacks to their lives in communist Laos provide additional texture and contrast.

FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK

FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK, by Melina Marchetta (Candlewick 2010)(12+). At the age of nine, Finnikin, son of the captain of the King's Guard, witnesses a bloody coup in the kingdom of Lumatere. After a brutal massacre, the kingdom is placed under a curse: no one can enter or leave. But Finnikin himself has been spirited away.

Ten years later, Finnikin trains with the former king's first man, traveling to refugee camps, seeking out fellow Lumaterans in exile. Then they encounter the mysterious Evanjalin, who claims she can speak, in her dreams, to those trapped inside Lumatere. And she might just have a plan to release the curse and overthrow the imposter...

FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK is a thoroughly enjoyable, thrilling and textured tale of survival, hope, love, and justice. The plot is complex and the fantasy world richly-detailed. Characters are layered, likeable, and believable. Altogether, FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK is a compelling read, full of action and adventure and heart.

THE AGENCY: THE BODY AT THE TOWER

THE BODY AT THE TOWER (THE AGENCY, BOOK 2), by Y.S. Lee (Candlewick 2010). Mary Quinn is back in this sequel to THE AGENCY: A SPY IN THE HOUSE. This time, she's disguised as a 12 year-old errand boy at the Palace of Westminster construction site to uncover the truth behind the fall of a bricklayer from atop St. Stephen's Tower. Along the way, she discovers plots within plots and finds herself having to negotiate who and what she is and wants to be...

THE AGENCY: THE BODY IN THE TOWER is another finely-wrought historical mystery, bringing to life the seamier side of a richly-imagined Victorian London. Readers will eagerly anticipate Book 3.

TYGER, TYGER

TYGER, TYGER, by Kersten Hamilton, (Clarion 2010)(12+). Sixteen year-old Chicagoan Teagan Wyllston's life is turned upside down when her seventeen year-old cousin, Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives to live with the family. It turns out that the mysterious and streetwise Finn is destined to lead the battle against the goblins -- the unearthly and evil sidhe of lore -- but has inadvertently led them to Teagan and her five year-old brother Aidan, who may have powers of their own. When their father is kidnapped by the goblins, Teagen must discover what and who she is and undertakes a rescue mission that leads her directly into Mag Mell, the heart of goblin power.

In TYGER, TYGER, Hamilton provides an intricately-wrought, suspenseful, fantasy adventure-mystery. Major and minor characters alike are well-drawn, believable, and, occasionally, funny. In short, TYGER, TYGER is an elegant and compelling update on the stuff of Irish myth and legend.

Orlando dinosaurs...

Since this year's NCTE/ALAN conference is being held in Orlando, I thought I'd post a bit about the area's dinosaur attractions :-). Photos are from a couple years ago.

Jurassic Park, Universal Studios (Orlando FL). You enter through the King-Kong gates just like in the movie (and to the movie soundtrack!). Inside, they've got Mesozoic plants and recreations of Tyrannosaurus rex and Spinosaurus looming over the Jurassic Park Ford Explorers. A "hands on" lab lets you get up close and personal with eggs, skeletons, and other reproductions. Oh, and the water ride is absolutely terrific.

Spinosaurus and me.

Dinoland USA, Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom (Orlando FL). They've got skeletons of Tyrannosaurus rex and Brachiosaurus, as well as reproductions of Ornithomimus, Corythosaurus, and Triceratops in a Mesozoic plant setting. (Their big ride is also supposed to be great, but we didn't get a chance to go on it).

Corythosaurus and me.

Also at Disney's Animal Kingdom is an attraction they call "Conservation Station," which involves a look at wildlife conservation efforts. And, they've got the life-sized cutout below of a rhinoceros, which I include for the sake of comparison :-).

TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T

TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T, by Bethany Hegedus (Delacorte 2010)(ages 8-12). Eleven year-old Maebelle T. is excited to be spending the summer with her musician grandparents in their newly-inherited antebellum mansion. But it turns out her newly-adopted cousin Isaac from Chicago, the trumpet prodigy, is going to be spending the summer there, too.

Worse, Maebelle has been dropped from the Gifted and Talented program at her school. Can she find her talent in time for the town's anniversary celebration and return to Atlanta at summer's end? And what's with the deal with the mansion's locked wing?

TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T is an enjoyable, honest, and thought-provoking story of friendship, history, and family secrets. Told with humor and full of Southern charm and wit, TRUTH WITH THE CAPITAL T will have readers wanting to march right down to Tweedle, Gerogia in time for the festivities.

Hollerin' Loudly

Last Sunday was the release party at Book People for Cynthia Leitich Smith, Bethany Hegedus, and Brian Yansky and their Fall 2010 releases, HOLLER LOUDLY, TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T, and ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES! Here are some pics! Also check out Cyn's report for more.

As y'all can see, the place was packed! In the photo above, I'm manning the computer for the PowerPoint and videos.
The refreshments table, including cake with all three book covers, fruit plate, assorted cheeses, crock pot, and Anne Bustard's alien sugar cookies!
A closer view of the refreshments, including Bethany's own turkey chili!
Here, Carmen Oliver and daughter work the press-on alien-head tattoo table.

Bethany and Brian look on while Cyn speaks.

Thanks to everyone who came, and especially to BookPeople and Anne Bustard and Carmen Oliver.

More Hollering...Happy Release Day! [Updated]

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

We just received the box of author copies of HOLLER LOUDLY!

Cyn has a new interview with Shannon Morgan on the Holler Loudly Teacher Guides!

Update 11/11: Check out an interview with illustrator Barry Gott!

And, just a reminder, at 2 PM, Sunday, November 14, 2010, at Book People, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Bethany Hegedus, and Brian Yansky are having a Texas-sized launch party for their Fall 2010 releases, HOLLER LOUDLY, TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T, and ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES:


Admission is free and open to the public. There will be cake and cookies and chili and giveaways!

Check out an interview with Bethany at Through the Tollbooth, and a guest post by Brian at Cynsations!

TIME TRAVELER: IN SEARCH OF DINOSAURS AND ANCIENT MAMMALS FROM MONTANA TO MONGOLIA

TIME TRAVELER: IN SEARCH OF DINOSAURS AND ANCIENT MAMMALS FROM MONTANA TO MONGOLIA, by Michael Novacek (FSG 2002). Published for adults, but also excellent for any teen with an interest in science in general and paleontology in particular. TIME TRAVELER is an enormously readable memoir by the Senior Vice President and Provost of Science at the American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Novacek carries the reader into the field, from the late 1960s when he was a lowly graduate student, to the turn of the century, when he led ground-breaking expeditions into formerly off-limits sites in Mongolia.

Fascinating and compelling, TIME TRAVELER is a tale of adventure, science, occasional disappointment, and the triumph of curiosity.

November happenings...

If you happen to be in Kalamazoo, Michigan this Friday, check out the KPL Youth Lit. seminar, where Cynthia will be speaking on "Crossing Borders." Other speakers include Gillian Engberg, YA editor of Book List magazine; Debbie Reese, Indian Studies professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Western Michigan University professors Maria Perez-Stable and Beth Amidon.

Also, check out Cynthia's interviews at the RIF blog, and at Book Reviews and More.

And don't forget! At 2 PM, Sunday, November 14, 2010, at Book People, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Bethany Hegedus, and Brian Yansky are having a Texas-sized launch party for their Fall 2010 releases, HOLLER LOUDLY, TRUTH WITH A CAPITAL T, and ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES.