Posts Tagged ‘May B.’

Nov

7

2011

Class of 2k12 in the Spotlight-THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST by Sarvenaz Tash

Filed under: Apocalypsies, The Class of 2k12, Touching the Surface, YA Books

I don’t know if I explained this last time I wrote about a 2k12 book, as each member of the Class of 2k12 gets an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of their book, we’ve been circulating the books throughout the twenty class members.  It’s called an ARC Tour and as long as the author wants us to, we make notes inside the book as were reading and after the book has made the rounds, it will go back to the author as a kind of souvenir of our time together.  *heart squish*  I’m so looking forward to letting these wonderful new friends read TOUCHING THE SURFACE.

I just finished my second ARC Tour book, THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST by Sarvenaz Tash.  This was also a middle grade novel and while very different than MAY B. by Caroline Starr Rose, it was just as wonderful.  Let me tell you a little bit about the book.  All the information I’m providing about Mapmaker and Sarvenaz, comes directly from her website.

Ages: 8-12
Grades: 3-7
Pages: 256 pp 
ISBN-13: 9780802723406
ISBN-10: 0802723403
Publisher: Bloomsbury/Walker
On sale: April 24, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Price: $16.99

Goldenrod Moram loves nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to map the forest right behind her home. This task is complicated, however, by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . . . or an ordinary quest.

Kimberly Sabatini’s Review of THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST

I can’t wait to get my own copy of The Mapmaker and the Ghost. This is one that I’m dying to re-read with my boys. They’re going to love this story. Mapmaker has all the components of a great middle grade book, starting with the fact that it’s funny. The cool part, is that that the humor is written with multiple layers. It’s “gross” and slap-stick, to amuse the MG reader and equally as intelligent and quirky for the adult reading out loud. The characters and the plot are grounded in truth, making them believable and relatable, but the magical realism makes everything unique and very interesting. To top it all off, the reader gets to learn a little bit about maps and history along the way. I know the minute my kids finish reading this book, they’ll be out in the woods, having adventures and making maps of their own. I can’t ask for more than that.

First I’ll give you a crash course in how to pronounce Sarvenaz’s name.  This way you can rock her world when you catch her at a book signing.

– My name is pronounced Sar (like the first part of Sara) – ve (rhymes with meh) – naz (rhymes with ‘cuz).

Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. This means she got to spend most of college running around and making movies (it was a lot of fun). She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn, NY where all the streets are laid out in a delightfully simple grid system. THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST is her debut novel.

You can find out more about Sarvenaz Tash and THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST here…

The Class of 2k12

The Apocalypsies

Sarvenaz Tash’s Web Site

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

The Mapmaker and the Ghost is now available for pre-order from Barnes & Noble and Amazon

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Oct

24

2011

Class of 2k12 In the Spotlight–May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

Filed under: Contests, The Class of 2k12

Today I wanted to share something special with you.  It’s the first book that I’ve read from the Class of 2k12.  I loved Caroline Starr Rose’s MG novel in verse and want to give you a sneak peek into the life of May B.  Here is a little bit about the book taken right off of Caroline’s web site.
Coming January 2012!


MAY B.
Schwartz and Wade (Random House Children’s Books), January 2012
I watch the wagon
until I see nothing on the open plain.
For the first time ever,
I am alone. 
May is helping out on a neighbor’s homestead—just until Christmas, her pa promises. But when a terrible turn of events leaves her all alone, she must try to find food and fuel—and courage—to make it through the approaching winter. 
This gorgeous  novel in verse by Caroline Starr Rose will transport you to the Kansas prairie—to the endless grassland, and to the suffocating closeness of the sod house where May is stranded. 
May’s eloquent yet straightforward voice, and her bravery, determination, and willingness to risk it all will capture your heart. 
May B. has also received wonderful reviews.  There is more on Caroline’s website, but here is my favorite and of course mine…
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2011
As unforgiving as the western Kansas prairies, this extraordinary verse novel—Rose’s debut—paints a gritty picture of late-19th-century frontier life from the perspective of a 12-year-old dyslexic girl named Mavis Elizabeth Betterly… May B. for short.
If May is a brave, stubborn fighter, the short, free-verse lines are one-two punches in this Laura Ingalls Wilder–inspired ode to the human spirit. (Historical fiction. 9-14)

Reviewed by Kimberly Sabatini, October 21, 2011

May B is the perfect mix of Laurie Halse Anderson’s historical fiction, Ellen Hopkins’ seamless and moving poetry and the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I instantly connected with the character of May, but I fell in love with the book when I realized that May was dyslexic.  As a mom of a child with dyslexia, I have to say that Caroline Starr Rose got it right.  This book, in conjunction with Rose’s additional information available for teachers, should easily make this book a fixture on teacher’s lesson plans and on classroom book shelves.  May B is a quiet book that is an exciting read–an amazing combination.  Don’t miss this one.

Above I mention that Caroline has created additional materials for teachers to use in the classroom.  You can find these on the For Teachers section of her web site.  Additionally, you still have time to sign up for this amazing May B. contest…

* May B. Book Club Kit Giveaway *


Enter to win a May B. Book Club Kit. One classroom, library, or reading circle will win the following: 
10 copies of May B.
discussion questions
background on the storyline and setting
10 copies of Where in the World Are We Reading (see For Teachers section)
ideas for social studies and poetry tie-ins (if applicable)
bookmarks
May B. book trailer on CD
interactive Skype visit
All groups to enter will receive bookmarks for their readers. 
Please contact me at caroline@carolinestarrrose.com. Tell me about your readers and why you’d like to win. That’s it! This contest is open to readers internationally and will close November 1, 2011.

You can find additional information about Caroline Starr Rose and May B. on…


Caroline’s Web Site
Goodreads
Facebook
The Class of 2k12
The Apocalypsies
Caroline’s Blog



Caroline Starr Rose is a children’s author represented by the fabulous Michelle Humphrey (International Creative Management). Her debut middle-grade novel, MAY B., will be released January 2012 by Schwartz and Wade, an imprint of Random House.

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