Ages 8-12 / Middle-Grade Contemporary Fiction/ HarperCollins
 Win a set of autographed copies of Kimchi & Calamari for your book club!
Enter to win by emailing Rose Kent (write "KidsBookClubbing" in the subject line).
 Dear Reader:
"Kimchi and calamari" is a quirky food fusion - and exactly how
Joseph Calderaro feels about himself. Why wouldn't a wisecracking
adopted Korean middle-schooler feel like a combo platter given his face
in the mirror and his proud Italian family?
I wrote Kimchi &
Calamari because I'm an adoptive mom who was always looking for books
that featured adopted kids. But a funny thing happened after I wrote
the story and got talking to kids about Joseph, who calls himself an
"ethnic sandwich." All kinds of kids told me they too feel
"sandwiched" by mixed ethnicity, divorce, friend conflicts, or by
pressure to be superstars. So this story is for every kid who feels
pulled in different directions and wonders about his or her identity.
Wond ering is a wondrous thing!
It's a joy to talk with readers,
librarians and booksellers. Thanks to all the support that has put the
book on several state reading lists. Please visit my website
www.RoseKent.com and do send an email!
Here's to happy reading and tasty eating,
Rose Kent
Book Reviews for Kimchi & Calamari:
"Kent has done an excellent job of creating a likable protagonist whose confusion about his status is touching, and also funny."
-School Library Journal
"This will have special appeal for adoptees, but the questions about family roots that Kent raises are universal."
-ALA Booklist
"I personally come from a mixed-culture family, and others with similar
backgrounds will definitely be able to relate. But whether you are in a
similar situation to Joseph or not, you'll love this book."
-Andie (Little Rock, AR)
Discussion Questions for Kimchi & Calamari:
1. What role does food play in this book? Why does Joseph half-jokingly describe himself as an "ethnic sandwich"?
2. Was Joseph's choice to "make up" an essay understandable, or was it deceitful? What other option could he have considered?
3. Did Joseph's teacher assign an essay that was inherently flawed for certain kids? Do such things occur regularly in school?
4. Was Joseph ready to embark on a search for his birth mother?
Visit
Rose's website for more tasty info on Kimchi &
Calamari as well as Rose's next book, Rocky Road, coming from Knopf
Publishers in June 2010. And connect with Rose via Twitter and Facebook.
Rose Kent is happy to call-in to your club. She can also meet with your group if you live in the upstate New York or western Massachusetts area. Email Rose to submit your request.
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Ages
12 and up / YA Fiction / ClarionWin a set of The Other Side of Blue by Valerie O. Patterson for your book club.
Enter
to win by emailing Valerie
(write "KidsBookclubbing" in the subject line).
 r Reader:
Teens long to find themselves in the novels they read and to understand where they fit in-both in their families and the broader world. The Other Side of Blue depicts fifteen-year-old Cyan's journey to discover the truth of her father's death the year before, while vacationing on the Caribbean island the family visits every June. More importantly, it explores the sometimes-d ifficult path toward reconciliation with those with whom we are closest and our need to find our own path ahead. Ultimately, Blue is about hope.
I'd enjoy hearing what you think about Blue. Please write to me through my website www.valerieopatterson.com, on which I've posted a reader's guide along with photographs of Curaçao, where the book is set. Or write to me on Facebook.
Thanks,
Valerie O. Patterson
Book Reviews for The Other Side of Blue:"In her memorable first-person voice, filled with the minute observations of a young artist, Cyan sketches out with believable detail the beautiful setting, the unspoken family tension, and her fragile recovery of hope after loss."-Booklist "There's a smoothness and a clarity here that recall Zibby Oneal or Frances O'Roark Dowell, and fans of those writers as well as readers drawn by family dramas with a bit of mystery will relish a sojourn on the island with Cyan."-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
2. Three mothers are portrayed in the book -
Martia, Mrs. Bindas, and Cyan's mother. For better or worse, how does
each woman fulfill that role in your view? From Cyan's viewpoint?
3. The
cave is a literary device that has been used in other novels and movies, such
as Passage to India and Star Wars. What do you think does the
cave symbolizes for Cyan?
4. Do
you think Cyan's views of her father change over the course of the novel?
If so, how?
5. Why
does Cyan ultimately not tell her mother about the secret note? Is her
decision selfish?
6. Why do you think the author chose to end the book
as she did?Read an excerpt and learn more about the author at her website.Valerie O. Patterson is happy to call-in to your club. She can also meet with your group if you live in the Washington, DC metro area. Email Valerie to submit your request.
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Ages
12 and up / YA Fiction / Dutton Win a set of Hold Still by Nina LaCour for your book club.
Enter to win by emailing Nina
(write "KidsBookclubbing" in the subject line).  Dear Reader,
When
I was in 9th grade, one of my classmates took his life. He was not a
close friend of mine, but we acted in Drama together and sat next to each other
in Art One. He was friendly and talented and he often made me laugh.
Then,
one morning, I learned that he had committed suicide. I remember sitting with a
group of other kids, trying to make sense out of what had happened. It is still
a mystery to me, and that day remains one of the saddest days of my life.
But Hold Still is more about struggle than it is about sadness. Sometimes struggle
can be a good thing. In Caitlin Madison's case, she struggles against grief to
discover who she is and what she loves. Struggle leads her into the homes of
her new friends; it draws her out of her suburban town and onto the inspiring
streets of San Francisco; it welcomes her to the darkroom to develop
photographs; and finally, it enables her to push forward in her new life.
Please
visit my website
to learn all about Hold Still and to get in touch with me. I would love to hear
from you!
All
my best,
Nina
LaCour
Book Reviews for Hold Still:
"LaCour
makes an impressive debut with an emotionally charged young adult novel about
friendship and loss."
-Publishers Weekly, Pick of the Week,
starred review
"A
beautifully written, gently moving account of a long goodbye that will resonate
with anyone who has ever had to let go before they were ready."
-Sara
Zarr, author of Story of a Girl
You are a high school
English teacher. Did your students
influence your writing?
Actually I started writing Hold Still in graduate
school, before I ever seriously considered teaching high school. I was working on a novel for adults, but as
soon as I began writing this one, it just took off. I was 22, which felt like a perfect age to write about high
school - I was distant enough to have a clear perspective of what it was like,
but close enough to still remember vividly all the excitements and longings and
disappointments of that time.
What were your other
inspirations?
Art,
specifically photography. Right before
I wrote the first pages, I visited my mom's classroom to look at her students'
work (My mom is a high school photography teacher). One image still haunts me. It is a black-and-white dramatically lit
photograph of a girl with the words ugly, fat, stupid carved into her
stomach. The photograph is
heartbreaking; but it is also beautiful.
I was simultaneously troubled by the image and in awe of the
photographer's work.
To read an
excerpt and full book group discussion guide, author bio, watch a trailer,
learn about author events and more, see Penguin's Point of View Books website and the author's website.
Nina LaCour is happy to
call-in to your club. Email
Penguin's marketing department to
submit your request.
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Ages
12 and up / Illustrated / HarperCollins
Win a set of Evidence of Angels by Suza Scalora for your book club.
Enter to win by emailing Suza (write
"KidsBookclubbing" in the subject line).
 Dear Reader:
My new book, Evidence of Angels, co-written with Francesca Lia Block, is based on my own personal experience of losing a loved one. The loss represented a dark time in my life, which caused me to lose faith and doubt the presence of angels.
My intention was to write a book, which could transport the reader to a place of hope and courage within his or her own self. Adults grapple with this, as do teens and children since this is a universal theme.
Ultimately, the message of this book is nothing truly dies and we can still have a relationship with loved ones after they pass on, it is just a different relationship because their form is no longer here on earth with us.
Evidence of Angels is a 64-page color photographic journey into the unseen world of angels. I believe angels are important for many reasons: they are messengers and givers of Light. They point to the existence of something larger than ourselves and I believe they speak to our deepest desire as human beings to aspire to our goodness and higher selves. 
My wish is that Evidence of Angels will inspire hope, joy and conversations with readers of all ages.
Enjoy!
Suza Scalora
Book Reviews for Evidence of Angels:
"Scalora, with Block, has crafted an alluring book for anyone who hopes angels are real. Big, glossy pages introduce such spirits as the Angel of Peace, Angel of Sorrow, and Angel of Courage, each depicted as winged, humanlike forms made abstract by lush sunbursts and vivid smudges, as if each were seen through a crystal."
-Booklist
"A beautifully illustrated book of poetic emotion."
-TeenSceneWaco.blogspot.com
Discussion
Questions for Evidence of Angels:
1. Have
you ever seen an angel?
2. Can
you share experience of seeing an angel?
3. What did the angel look like and did the angel
speak to you?
For more information, see Suza's website and Facebook page.
Suza Scalora is happy to call-in to your club. She can also meet with your group if you live in the greater New York City area. E-mail Suza to submit your request.
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