Thought for the day:
A gift for my writer friends:
Here are a three links I think you will find valuable.
For my fabulous giveaway, the winner is Christina Mercer! (Cue the spotlight!) Christina, I will be sending you a signed copy of The Ballad of Jessie Pearl. Christina is also a children’s writer. You can read her blog, Christina’s Writing Buzz, by clicking HERE. Check it out and see what she’s buzzing about. I have another giveaway for today, so stay tuned.
I’m doing something a little different today. In an effort to make your last minute holiday shopping a breeze, I’m linking you to several of the books I reviewed this year for Sacramento Book Review or in a couple of cases, books I reviewed on my blog. I wrote over 150 book reviews this year, so there are lots of choices, but I’m going to link you to the ones I enjoyed the most in several categories. There is something for everyone here. Make sure you read all the way through, because at the end of this I will feature one book that will be my giveaway for this week. If you click on the title of any of these books, you will be linked to the review I wrote. The reviews are short, but will give you a pretty good idea of the book.
For the very youngest booklovers (Picture Book readers) I have five recommendations:
Neville by Norton Juster
You Can’t Scare a Princess by Gillian Rogers
Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
The Unruly Queen by E. S. Redmond
For the middle-grade crowd, I recommend these:
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
A Diamond in the Desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo
What Came from the Stars by Gary D. Schmidt
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
The Amazing Harry Kellar: Great American Magician by Gail Jarrow
I don’t read as many books for teens, but I have these to recommend:
Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk
Warriors in the Crossfire by Nancy Bo Flood
Just Write: Here’s How! by Walter Dean Myers
What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
I even have a few recommendations for the grown-ups on your list:
Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: a New English Version by Philip Pullman
The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds by John Muir Laws
Lies, Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koertge Andrea Dezo
For absolutely anyone, I recommend:
An Awesome Book by Dallas Clayton
You might win a gently-read copy of Illusionology by Albert Schafer. It’s great fun for those who love magic and is suitable for middle-graders on up. You can see the review HERE. I will put your name in my proverbial hat if you are kind enough to leave a comment. Link this post on your blog or Facebook or Tweet about it, let me know, and your name will be entered twice. In your comment, please share what your favorite book of 2012 was. I’m always looking for a good book to read!
Don’t forget to stop by Shannon Messenger’s wonderful blog for more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday links. Click HERE to find it.