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Ages 8-12 / Middle-Grade Fiction/ Farrar Straus & GirouxWin a set of Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire by
Brenda Ferber for your book club. Enter to win by emailing Brenda (write "KidsBookClubbing" in the subject line).
Dear R eader:
My favorite
place on earth is a small summer camp in northern Wisconsin called Birch Knoll.
I learned to water-ski and sail on its pristine lake, turned friends into
sisters, and created memories so sweet and powerful that I still dream about
camp thirty years later. It's no surprise I set my novel, JEMMA HARTMAN, CAMPER
EXTRAORDINAIRE, at such a camp.
When kids
curl up with JEMMA, I hope they'll feel the wind in their hair as they sail
across a cool lake on a hot summery day, the thrill of getting up on water-skis
for the first time,  the loneliness of seeing their best friend drift away, and
the joy of watching a new friendship bloom.
I love to
talk about my books with readers, teachers, librarians, and parents. You can
email me at brenda@brendaferber.com, and I'll write back.
Thanks!
Brenda
Ferber
Book Reviews for Jemma Hartman,
Camper Extraordinaire:
"For all
the tweens who believe in BFF but find out, to their great disappointment, that
it isn't for everyone, this is the book for them."
-Kirkus
Reviews
"This will
make a sunny summertime outing for readers."
-The
Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books
"Ferber has
drawn a realistic main character... The plot moves along swiftly, and Jemma's
first-person narrative rings true, as do the issues and the camp experience."
-School
Library Journal
Discussion Questions for Jemma Hartman,
Camper Extraordinaire:
1. Jemma wonders if it's possible to make new friends and
keep the old, like the song says. What do you think? What are the challenges in
doing that?
2. Why is it so important for Jemma to be a camper extraordinaire?
What do you think it means to be a camper extraordinaire?
3. Why does Tammy spend so much time with Brooke? Could she
have handled the situation differently? What would you have done?
4. How
is Delaney able to be herself so completely, even when her cabin mates think
she's odd or different? Does she have any insecurities? If so, how does she
handle them?
Visit the author's website
for more information about Brenda and Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire. And to watch a video of Brenda talking with librarians at
ALA about the book, see her publisher's website.
Author
call-in information: Brenda Ferber is happy to call-in or Skype with
your book
club. She can also meet with your group in person if you live in the
Chicagoland area. Email Brenda to submit
your request.
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Ages
10 and up / MIddle Grade Nonfiction / Disney-Hyperion
Win a set
of The Year of Goodbyes by Debbie Levy for your book club.
Enter to
win by emailing Debbie (write "KidsBookclubbing" in the subject
line).  Dear Reader:
In 1938,
when my mother was a young Jewish girl living in Hamburg, Germany, she
got a
brand-new poesiealbum. That's poesie + album = poetry album. Think:
autograph album.
That poesiealbum is at the heart of THE YEAR OF
GOODBYES, the st ory of my mother's last year in Nazi Germany. That
year -- 1938 -- was filled with fear,
but also with friends. Friends who
filled the album with thoughts that my mother carried across an ocean to
a new
life. . . .
Now I'm
inviting readers to continue the tradition in an online Year of Goodbyes Poesiealbum Project. Please click here for details. I hope to hear from
you, and your readers.
Best
regards,
Debbie Levy
"Artfully
weaving together her mother's poesiealbum (autograph/poetry album),
diary, and
her own verse, Levy crafts a poignant portrait of her Jewish mother's
life in
1938 Nazi Germany that crackles with adolescent vitality."
-Publishers
Weekly (starred
review)
"An outstanding and emotionally taut read."
-School
Library
Journal (starred
review)
"An immensely powerful experience."
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Discussion Questions for The Year
of Goodbyes:
1. Describe
what a poesiealbum was used for in the 1930s in Europe. How were the
pages
filled? Who would you ask to write in yours? What would you hope they
might
include? Is this a tradition that girls today would enjoy? Why or why
not?
2. Why do
you think the author decided to tell the story in free verse? Which poem
in the
book is your favorite? Why? What can you apply to your own writing?
3. Reconstruct
the
events that led the Salzbergs to seek asylum in America. Which events
would
convince you to leave your family and fortune behind? Why was it so
difficult
for Jewish families to leave Germany?
Watch a video and learn more about the
author and the
materials she used to research this book by visiting her website and her blog.
Debbie Levy is happy to call-in and
talk with your club. Email Debbie to submit your request. request.
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Ages
8-12 / Middle Grade Fiction / Holiday HouseWin a set
of Twenty Gold Falcons by Amy Gordon for your book club.Enter to
win (and tell Amy about a park you love and why) by emailing the author (write "KidsBookclubbing" in the
subject line).
 Dear
Reader,
I have seen
many young people sadly and unexpectedly lose a parent. In some cases,
they
have had to completely change their lives. This was the spark that
inspired the
story of Aiden whose father dies and then she and her mother must leave
their
farm and move to a city. I hope Aiden's journey  will bring hope and
comfort to
others.
Aiden has
to adapt to living in her uncle's tiny apartment and to a new school.
She
learns about a stash of valuable coins called Gold Falcons hidden in the
huge
Ingle Building. Hoping to rescue her farm, she goes looking for gold
with the
help of two cats, school-smart Adam, feisty Liesl, Rosie, the
elevator-operator, and Charles, the opera-loving mouse. Aiden discovers
some
family secrets along the way and is forced to make some important
choices. If you are familiar with The Gorillas of Gill Park and Return to Gill Park,
you will recognize the city Aiden
moves to.
Enjoy,
Amy Gordon
Book reviews for Twenty
Gold Falcons:"The characters
were so believable
I felt like I was in the story with them hunting for the gold. Amy
Gordon
is a master story teller. She drew her characters so well that you
could not help but dislike Marisa and Quentin. You felt the evil
exuding
from Grip. You wanted to sit in the elevator with Rosie and listen for
hours to her tell the stories of the old building."
-Sandra
Stiles,musingsofabookaddict.com
". . .the
cast of warm, eccentric characters are the story's greatest strength,
while the
artistic allusions and puzzle-like clues will appeal to fans of Blue
Balliett's Chasing Vermeer..."
-Gillian Engberg, Booklist
"This mystery
novel provides middle-grade readers with an appealing mix of intrigue,
humor, and adventure....A
bright and vivacious heroine sweetens the pot to make Twenty Gold
Falcons a
highly satisfying read."
-Yana V. Rodgers, Rutgers
University Project on Economics and Children
1. What
are some of things Aiden finds in her quest for gold?
2. If you
found twenty Gold Falcons, what would you do?
3. What do
you think of the choices Aiden finally makes?
Read a
Q&A, learn more about Amy, and subscribe to her blog via her
website. Amy Gordon is happy to call-in to your club. She also
loves to give workshops. Please e-mail Amy if you are
interested.
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Ages
12 and up / YA fiction / Simon & Schuster
Win a set
of The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan for your book club.
Enter to win by emailing Sarah (write
"KidsBookclubbing" in the subject line).
 Dear
Reader:
Family
takes center stage. And the bad guy takes the microphone.
They say a
bad boy can be good for a girl. From Mr. Rather Aloof At Parties Darcy to
vampires, they do seem to have an enduring fascination.
In the
Demon's Lexicon series, I wanted to get inside the  head of a boy like
that,
rather than regarding him from the outside, being able to see all his
anger and
how close he was to the edge. Meet Nick Ryves and his brother Alan, who
is
bookish, adorable, shoots to kill - and who is the only thing that
really
matters to Nick at all.
I also
wanted to have a girl who could really stand up to Nick: who wouldn't
put up
with awful behavior and had problems of her own, like rescuing her own
brother
from demons. Meet Mae Crawford.
A boy with
a secret. A girl with a plan.
Pen is
mightier than the sword,
Sarah Rees
Brennan
P.S. I'm very excited because the next book
in the series - The Demon's Covenant - comes out in 3 days!
Book Reviews for The
Demon's Lexicon:
"From the pitch-perfect opening paragraph to the heartbreaking final
pages, the narrative peels back layers of revelation, deftly ratcheting
up the
tension and horror to a series of shattering climaxes. Delicious."
-Kirkus Reviews, (starred review)
"Give this to fantasy and horror fans alike, but don't give away the
ending."
-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
"Even teens who don't consider themselves genre buffs will appreciate the
solid
writing, fast-paced plot, and sense of authenticity that Brennan gives
to the
shadowy world between ordinary, modern-day London and the otherworld of
demons
and magicians... Readers will no doubt clamor for the next book in this
planned
urban fantasy trilogy."
-School Library Journal, (starred review)
Discussion questions for The
Demon's Lexicon:
1. Family is
a central theme of the Demon's Lexicon series: what does the word "family" mean
to you, and how is family handled in The Demon's Lexicon? Are Nick and
Alan
family?
2. At the Goblin Market, you can buy many magical objects. If you could
buy any
magical object, what would it be and why?
3. The magicians pay for power by letting demons kill people. In return
they
can be beautiful, or famous, have perfect lives or anything they want.
Would
you be tempted - even a little?
4. The end of the book is a twist ending, as in mysteries where we find
out who
dunnit, movies like The Sixth Sense or other novels which just happen to
have
twists, like Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief. There should always be
clues to
the twist throughout the narrative, so it is possible to guess what
happens -
do you agree with that? Did you guess the twist?
5. Words are seen as an essential
part of humanity in these books: through knowing the words, you can
communicate
with and express affection to other humans. But communication is never
perfect,
and words can hurt those you love. Can you think of a time from the book
where
better communication would have helped the characters?
To watch
the book trailer and find out more about the series and the author,
visit Sarah's website.
Sarah Rees Brennan is happy
to Skype or IM with your club. Email Sarah to
submit your request.
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A maximum of 10 books is available for each book club giveaway.
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