Greetings:

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

 -  Thea, the main character in Catherine Greenman's HOOKED, a story about "imperfect situations and imperfect love."

 - author Sarah Darer Littman who talks about her chilling new novel about online dating for teens, WANT TO GO PRIVATE?

 - and Emma Rose, a quiet, under-the-radar middle-school kid, who creates the most eye-popping and whimsical fashions in WHO WHAT WEAR by Olivia Bennett. 

Warm wishes,

Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp

kidsbookclubbook.com

        Ages 14 and up / YA fiction / Delacorte Books for Young Readers      

Win a set of HOOKED for your book club. Enter to win by emailing the author (write "KidsBookclubbing" in the subject line).

Dear Reader,

When I first had a baby, in addition to thinking, "This is really hard, this baby thing!" I thought a lot about when I was a kid and how much I'd changed. I started wondering what it would have been like to have a baby when I was much younger. What kind of mistakes would I have made? How would I be different now?

That's how my character, Thea, came about. Thea is a senior in high school in New York City who finds herself inadvertently pregnant by her boyfriend, Will. In the middle of all the senior year college craziness, Thea decides to take a different road: She defers NYU and convinces Will to have the baby and raise it together.

Her parents are not thrilled, to put it mildly. Needless to say, don't try this at home! But they love Thea, and ultimately Hooked is a story about working through imperfect situations and coming to terms with imperfect love.

I hope you like it!

Catherine Greenman

Book reviews:     

Featured title in TeenVogue.com's  "25 Must-Read Summer Books"

Discussion questions:    

1.  What factors do you think contributed to Thea's decision to keep her baby? 

2.  Do you think Thea's and Will's parents were too lenient in helping them when they

announced their plans to keep Ian? What do you think they could have done differently?   

3.  Are Will's actions after Ian's accident justifiable?   

4.  Ted wants Thea to live as normal a  life as possible as a young mom.  Does his role as a parent change after the baby is born? How?   

5.  How do Thea's feelings about her dad change after she and Ian move in? 

Author call-in information: Catherine Greenman is happy to Skype with your club. Email her to submit your request.

       Ages 14 and up / Young Adult fiction / Scholastic

 "Want to Go Private? is a bold investigation of a potentially lethal, if common, mixture for teen girls: emotional immaturity, technology and emerging sexuality."

 - LA Times  

"Fast paced and very suspenseful! Abby's world feels dangerously real."

- Jay Asher, New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why   

"A harrowing cautionary tale about the dangers that lurk online...Littman demonstrates how easy it is to fall under the sway of a charming predator."

- Publishers Weekly 

 
Discussion questions: 

 1.     With the transition to high school, Abby finds that her friendship with her best friend Faith changes. Have you experienced changing friendships? How have you handled them?

2.     Abby asks Faith, "Why can't you all just like me for who I am?" How does Faith reply? Do you think Faith is being a good friend to Abby? Why or why not?   

3.      Why do you think Abby finds it so easy to open up to Luke? What would Faith do if Abby talked as honestly with her?

4.     Abby does things for Luke in front of the webcam that she would never consider doing in real life with Billy, things that make her feel uncomfortable. What are some of the differences between the Internet and real life that lead her to make the choices she does? Have you ever done something you didn't really want to? Why did you do it? How would you handle the situation if you had it to do over?

Watch and listen to Sarah Darer Littman talking about the origins of WANT TO GO PRIVATE? and download a full curriculum guide.  Also visit CHEZTEEN.com, a place for teens to learn to surf the web wisely.

Author call-in information: Sarah Darer Littman is happy to Skype with your book club.  To set up a free 20-minute Skype visit with your teen library group or book club that has read WANT TO GO PRIVATE?, email Sarah. To arrange a live, non-cyber visit, please contact Antonio Gonzalez, 212-389-3772.

  Ages 8 - 12 / Middle Grade Fiction / Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Win a set of THE ALLEGRA BISCOTTI COLLECTION series for your book club. Enter to win by emailing the publisher (write "KidsBookclubbing - Allegra Biscotti" in the subject line). 

Dear Reader,  

I've always loved to create and I've always been interested in fashion.  To me, what people wear says so much about who they are and how the world sees them. I've always admired people who take fashion risks and have the vision to create something wonderful out of scraps or even old clothes -- and so Allegra Biscotti was born.    

THE ALLEGRA  BISCOTTI COLLECTION is a series about fourteen-year-old Emma Rose. By day, Emma is a quiet, under-the-radar middle-school kid, but after school, with her sewing machine, she creates the most eye-popping and whimsical fashions. Through a happy accident, she is discovered by Madison magazine (the bible of all fashionistas) and the Allegra Biscotti Collection is launched.  But Allegra's true identity is a secret.  Fashion is all about image and Emma knows the trend-setting stiletto set will get behind a hot, new Italian designer -- not an ordinary kid. But can Emma keep the secret?  Especially when her first client turns out to be the most popular girl in her school?

I hope you grow to love Emma as much as I do.  Emma must juggle the world of high fashion, the ups and downs of middle school, and meaning of loyalty and friendship.  She must learn who to trust -- including herself -- and do some quick thinking (and sewing) to be sure her designs are true-to-her-vision and magazine-cover ready.   

Fashionably yours,     

Olivia Bennett     

Book reviews:

"Fashionistas, rejoice! Allegra Biscotti (aka eighth-grader Emma Rose) has arrived on the scene... Here, it's fashion, fashion, fashion, and readers will learn something about the industry even as they're caught up in the story of Emma trying to live her dream. Pencil-and-wash pictures of Emma's designs dot almost every page, adding to the fun."

- Booklist   

"[An] effervescent series . . .credible characterizations and dialogue keep the novel real."

- Publishers Weekly 

"Kids interested in fashion are sure to become fans of the Allegra Biscotti collection."  

 - School Library Journal 

Discussion questions:

1.     How would you describe Rylan's relationship with her mother? How does this relationship affect her relationship with her friends?

2.     Was Emma correct in not giving her client (Mrs. Sinclare) what she ordered and paid for?

3.     As Emma/Allegra grows her business, should she keep Francesca on? Is she a help or a hindrance?

4.     Emma keeps Allegra Biscotti a secret from most of the world.  Is she right in keeping this secret?

5.     In witnessing Rylan's mother in action, Emma realizes that she doesn't have it as badly as she thought with her own mother.  Has going to your own friends' house ever made you realize that you like your own family more . . .or less?

Author call-in information:  Olivia Bennett is happy to call-in or Skype with your book club. Email Olivia to submit your request (write "Kidsbookclubbing - Olivia Bennett" in the subject line).  

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