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KidsBuzz
 
   April 1,  2011  

  Kids' Authors Share Their Stories
Plus

Fabulous Book Giveaways for Your Club

     
                            thosethatwake                           OneDay                             

 



Dear Readers,

 

In this issue of KidsBuzz, featuring book giveaways and behind-the-scenes stories from top kids' authors, you'll:

 

... meet Jesse Karp, author of THOSE THAT WAKE, as he makes us think about the world we live in and how it works

 

... and experience an amazing day in Joanne Rocklin's book on friendship, loss, forgiveness and the importance of community in ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET.

 

Warm wishes,

 

Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp

kidsbookclubbook.com 

 




FirstBlockAges 12 and up / YA fiction / Houghton MIfflin Harcourt

Win a set of THOSE THAT WAKE for your book club.  Enter to win by emailing the author.  (Write "KidsBookclubbing" in the subject line.)

 

thosethatwakeDear Reader,

 

I like a book that makes you ask what you would do in a situation: What if you woke up one day and your parents had no idea who you were? What do you do with a door that wasn't there an hour ago? I read for fun, but also to be asked questions that make me a little bit uneasy; that make me consider that the world might not be what I always thought it was.

           

So that's the book I wrote. Those That Wake takes thiKarpngs that are real: the theory of idea transference, the actions corporations will take to make us buy their products, the balance between the way we use technology and the way it uses us. It takes those things and twists them into a nightmare world that you will want the characters to escape from, but will make you want to return to, in the form of questions about the world you live in and how it really works.

           

I hope you enjoy it, but I also hope you're a little disturbed by it, too. 

  

Jesse Karp

  

Book reviews:

 

"The story is quick moving and full of action, both physical and intellectual....It is highly recommended for teen and adult readers who are willing to take on a challenging read for the payoff of a well-written, intricately plotted story." 

- VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)

 

Discussion questions:

 

1.     Mal and Mike are hostile in different ways. How would you describe each of them in this regard? What caused this characteristic in each of them? Can you see any advantages in the way that each of them won't back down? What disadvantages do you see?

 

2.     Laura's and Remak's outlooks seem diametrically opposed. What advantages and disadvantages does Laura's ability to see the underlying emotional aspects of a situation afford her? What does Remak's more analytical and hyper-rational perspective allow him to do that others can't? Does this perspective seem to rob him of anything important?

 

3.     Technology such as cell phones and television gives us extraordinary benefits. Can you think of three? Can you think of three ways they may be causing damage to us in either personal relationships or on a larger cultural level?

 

4.     What kind of influences do corporations have over how we act (what we want, what we buy)? How do they develop this influence?

 

5.     Those That Wake's Global Dynamic theory suggests that our actions are connected to much larger social events in hidden ways. What are some of the ways that larger events affect our daily lives and feelings? Do you ever see examples of those feelings being "contagious" or transferring to other people who may not know about the event that caused them?

 

For more information about Those That Wake (and its author), please visit beyondwhereyoustand.

 





SecondBlockAges 8 - 12 / Middle-grade fiction / Abrams

Win a set of  ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET for your book club. Enter to win by emailing the author. (Write "KidsBookclubbing" in the subject line.)



ONe day Dear Reader,   

 

I wanted to write about the magic of the ordinary.  So I began with an old orange tree, like the one in my L.A. backyard.        

I wanted to write about kids with secrets.  I myself was once a kid with secrets.Rocklin 

 

I wanted to write about pets, birds, insects, rodents.   About forgetting, and remembering again.

 

I wanted to write about the history of a place, how a street is like a book of stories, all different, yet bound together.          

Surprise!  One amazing morning, these stories became intertwined.  A surprise to me, too, which is what makes writing itself so magical.

Enjoy,

 

Joanne Rocklin 

 

Book reviews:

 

"Fully realized characters and setting definitely make this one morning on Orange Street amazing."

- Kirkus Reviews, starred

 

"...realistic, evocative novel, which features a warm and believable community of adults and children... culminating in a confrontation that resolves several mysteries and brings out the best in everyone."

- Publishers Weekly

 

"In one marvelous chapter the tree tells its own history...This deceptively simple book reminds us how important the things we sometimes take for granted are: friendship, family, love, and the interconnectedness of our everyday world."

- New York Journal of Books

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1.  Have you ever had an experience that you'd consider "magical"?  Perhaps it involved an amazing coincidence, or something you'd been wishing for, or a connection of the past with the present that surprised you.    
       

2.   "A street is like a book of stories, all different but bound together."  Does this quote from the book apply to you in any way?   How are the people on your street or in your neighborhood important to you and your family?

         

3.  Can you think of a day in your life that seemed "ordinary" as you were living it, but has changed your life in some way, as you look back on it?    
               

4.  The orange tree in ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET could tell many stories if it could speak.  Is there something on your street that would be the repository of your neighborhood's history-- something in nature, or a building, perhaps?  What stories would it tell, if it could?  Do you have any historical information about your street or neighborhood?     

5.  Discuss how the characters in the novel were able to surmount each of their private worries on one amazing morning.  Have you ever had a similar moment or experience?   
    

AUTHOR CALL-IN INFORMATION:  Joanne Rocklin is happy to call-in to or Skype with your club. She can also meet with your group if you live in the Northern California area, within driving distance of Oakland.  Occasionally she visits Southern California as well. Email Joanne Rocklin to submit your request. 



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