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Clean Teen Publishing: Oh Snap! It's Giveaway Time... Again! Huge Awesome... : It's that time of year again! You don't have to be headed back to school to take advantage of this huge giveaway from Clean Teen ...

GOD DOESN'T WRITE WITH A PEN A True Story of Undaunted Faith and Mighty Miracles by Christi Lynn Pauline Cedar Fort, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4621-1173-2 Inspirational Nonfiction Review copy  provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, is war-torn and chaotic after the election of 1994. Joao Bernardo Vierra is elected president in spite of fierce opposition, magnifying the already tense political situation. As war ravages the country, pharmacy owner, Blema Fangamou and his wife, Fatoumatou, are separated from their children. For over twelve years, the couple is tested and tried with hardships, all the while wondering whether their children are alive. Through the Lord, Blema and Fatoumatou are strengthened, helping them to maintain love and hope. This true story of the Fangamou family’s journey through loss, recovery, and miracles helps us recognize the tender mercies given to

I REMEMBER MOMMY'S SMILE by Dina Wolfman Baker, illustrated by Rachel Nagelberg Baker's Dozen Press, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-615-44752-0 Picture Book Grades 1-5 Review copy provided by author in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Sometimes it can be difficult to know how to talk with a child about the illness or death of a parent. I Remember Mommy’s Smile offers parents and other caregivers an opportunity to open the door to dialogue. It also shows children that they are not alone or strange; others have gone through this type of sadness and loss, and they have ended up okay. As author Dina Wolfman Baker understands from her own experience, knowing you’re not alone can mean a great deal. These are her memoirs…written from her child self to other children, with the sensitivity, honesty and directness that can only come from having been there. REVIEW Death is a very personal, sensitive subject, especially for childre

ERUPTION Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives by Elizabeth Rusch, photographs by Tom Uhlman Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2013 978-0-547-50350-9 MG/YA Nonfiction Reviewed from purchased copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK “At 11:35 p.m., as Radio Armero played cheerful music, a towering wave of mud and rocks bulldozed through the village, roaring like a squadron of fighter jets.” Twenty-three thousand people died in the 1985 eruption of Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz. Today, more than one billion people worldwide live in volcanic danger zones. In this riveting nonfiction book—filled with spectacular photographs and sidebars—Rusch reveals the perilous, adrenaline-fueled, life-saving work of an international volcano crisis team (VDAP) and the sleeping giants they study, from Colombia to the Philippines, from Chile to Indonesia. ABOUT THE AUTHOR ELIZABETH RUSCH is an award-winning children's book author and magazine writer. She

HEROES OF FAITH True Stories of Courage & Strength by Marlene Bateman Sullivan Cedar Fort, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4621-1128-2 LDS Nonfiction Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Our fast-paced society loves adventure and it loves a hero—but what about Latter-day Saint heroes? Are there any? There are plenty! Heroes of Faith, True Stories of Faith and Courage , is a collection of twenty-four riveting stories about people who rose above difficulties and impossible odds to emerge triumphant. You’ll read about stalwart men and women who stood firm and valiant in the gospel in spite of dangerous mobs, flying bullets, physical handicaps, extreme hardships, and dictatorial regimes. It's fascinating to read about the exploits of real heroes and when that hero is acting in accordance with the principles of the gospel, the adventure is not only thrilling, but inspiring as well. In t

CHICK-O-SAURUS REX by Lenore & Daniel Jennewein Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4424-5186-5 Picture Book Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK A bullied little chicken discovers his inner strength along with some surprising dinosaur ancestry in this farmyard tale with huge heart.   Little Chick just wants to belong, but the bullies of the barnyard—Little Donkey, Little Pig, and Little Sheep—won’t let him play in their tree house because he is a chicken, and chickens are not strong and brave. Little Chick sees their point: What have chickens done besides invent the chicken dance and cross the road? But when his father shows Little Chick the family photo album, he learns something HUGE: He is related to the gigantic and ferocious Tyrannosaurus rex! Armed with this new knowledge, Little Chick returns to the tree house just in time to rescue the bullies fr

STUDENT COUNCIL SMACKDOWN! The Classroom #2 directed by Robin Mellom, filmed by Stephen Gilpin Disney-Hyperion, 2013 ISBN: 978-142315064-0 Middle Grade Contemporary/Humor Review copy provided by publisher in return for honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Libby Gardner and Cindy Applegate are smile-without-teeth friends, but they are fierce rivals when it comes to politics. Cindy owned the student council elections in fourth and sixth grades, while Libby came out on top in fifth. Now, they both hunger for the prestigious title of seventh grade class president. But middle school elections have their own rules...and pressures. When Trevor Jones is forced to join the presidential race, he devises a plan to make sure his best friend Libby wins. That all changes when he discovers that Libby has oh-so-sneakily gone behind his back by hiring Molly Decker to be her campaign manager. Now, he's in it to win it. And things are going to get

Bruce Hale/Playing With Fire Twitter Chat Hashtag : #PlayingWithFire **All tweets in the chat should include this hashtag** Date/Time: Wednesday, August 14 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern Duration: 30 Minutes Participants : Bruce Hale - @storyguy1 Disney Hyperion - @DisneyHyperion (Moderator) Agenda  (times in Pacific): 1pm – Writing/Publishing ·           @DisneyHyperion will kick off the chat, introduce participants, congratulate Bruce, and intro the book ·           Bruce, bloggers, and fans will discuss the writing process/publishing in general ·           Fans will be encouraged (by @DisneyHyperion) to ask Bruce specific questions about being an author 1:15 – Playing With Fire ·           @DisneyHyperion will ask Bruce to summarize the book in a single tweet, kicking off the “story” section of the chat ·           Group will discuss favorite scenes, techniques, characters from Playing With Fire and describe what originally drew th

DINOSAUR KISSES by David Ezra Stein Candlewick Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-7636-6104-5 Picture Book Reviewed from purchased copy. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK WHOMP! An energetic young dinosaur figures out her own way to give a kiss in the latest from the creator of the Caldecott Honor–winning Interrupting Chicken. For newly hatched dinosaur Dinah, the world is an exciting place. There is so much to see and do. She tries this — STOMP! And she tries that — CHOMP! Then she sees a kiss and knows just what she wants to try next. Who can she kiss? And after a few disastrous attempts, can she figure out how to give someone a kiss without whomping, chomping, or stomping them first? Young children will chuckle and cheer when Dinah finds just the right creature for her dinosaur kisses in this funny new picture book from David Ezra Stein. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Award-winning children's author and illustrator David Ezra Stein was born in Brooklyn, NY. By

JOURNEY by Aaron Becker Candlewick Press, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-7636-6053-6 Wordless Picture Book Grades K and up Reviewed from purchased copy. ABOUT THE BOOK Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination — and unexpected friendship. A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also lead her home and to her heart’s desire? With supple line, luminous color, and nimble flights of fancy, author-illustrator Aaron Becker launches an ordinary child on an extraordinary journey toward her greatest and most exciting adventure of all. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aaron Becker h

THE CIRCLE The Sidhe, #1 by Cindy Cipriano Odyssey Books, 2013 ISBN:  9781922200044 Middle Grade Fantasy Grades 3-6 ABOUT THE BOOK Calum Ranson is sure of three things: his cousin Finley is alive, Calum will find him, and no one knows Calum and his family are Sidhe. No one until Laurel shows up at his mother’s bookstore wearing a dark clan’s mark. When Calum learns the details surrounding the disappearance of Laurel’s brother, he suspects the evil Hobayeth clan. Calum and Laurel work together in the Realm of Man and the Otherworld to rescue her brother – revealing a connection between Calum and Laurel that may cost Finley his life. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cindy Cipriano lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and 27 pets. Okay, maybe not 27. More like three dogs, one cat, and many, many, fish. Cindy enjoys spending time with her family, writing, and the avoidance of cooking. Cindy is a 2012 recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund PRISM award, and was named outstan

PENUMBRAS Middle School Magic #2 Sweetwater Books, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4621-1220-3 Middle Grade Fantasy Grades 4-8 E-copy provided by author for blog tour. All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE  BOOK Conner Dell didn't meant to blow up the school bus. Or the bathrooms. In fact, he only wanted to go to sleep and possibly dream about Melanie Stephens. But explosions had a funny way of happening when Conner and his friends were around. *** Conner Dell wants to be good--he really does. But he is terrified that he might be turning into a Darkhand, especially when new powers start to surface. What's worse, the Stalker is following Conner, but no one else seems to be able to see him. The Magi think he might be hallucinating, the guilt of what happened in the Shadowbox keeps weighing on him, and his relationship with Melanie Stephens is complicating things. Even for a Magi, Conner knows his life is anything but normal.  Note: I