GreenBeanTeenQueen

Cover I Love: Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

2012-05-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure when it was I first heard about Lindsey Leavitt's new novel, Going Vintage, but I was sold on the premise: A girl is brokenhearted after her boyfriend cheats on her with an online girlfriend. So she decides to give up modern technology and live by a list of goals written by her grandmother in 1962.

If I could, I would totally be a mod 60s girl (too bad being fashionably vintage is also terribly expensive!) So the next best thing is to read about it, right? And when I saw the cover release for Going Vintage I knew I had to share! Who else shares my affinity for 60s culture? And isn't this the greatest cover ever??

Tween Tuesday: Hide and Seek by Katy Grant

2012-05-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great middle grade reads for tweens! Join the fun, add your post below and discover a new read!

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Release Date: 8/1/2012

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About the Book: While out biking and hunting for a geocache, Chase comes across a cache with a message inside: WE NE. He's not sure what it means or if it's a joke. So he returns the next day and the message has more: WE NEED FOOD. Chase wants to help and he begins to worry that maybe someone is lost in the desert. When Chase finds two boys that need his help, he's not sure if he should believe all their stories or not. Something about what they're telling him just seems off. Can Chase help the boys? And what exactly is the truth?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I picked up Hide and Seek because it's on our state book award list for next year. And if your award reading lists are anything like ours, there are always lots of mysteries or sad, depressing books. Yes, the kids like those, but where are the exciting adventure books? I was so glad to see that Hide and Seek fills the need for an exciting adventure story that's a bit mystery, lots of survival and suspense and a great read. I also really liked that the book uses geocaching. My librarian self got excited because this could tie in together with a really nice geocaching program for all ages.

Sure, some of Chase's actions might be goofy. I wanted to tell him to talk to an adult. (He learns at least!) But kids will love the adventure to it all and overlook anything that seems a bit too convenient. I will be recommending this one to tweens looking for a book that has survival themes and I think they'll easily get caught up in Chase's story.

Book Pairings: Kidnapped Series by Gordon Korman, Escape Under the Forever Sky by Eve Yohalem

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from finished copy I checked out from my local library

The Letter Q Giveaway

2012-05-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would it say? What do you wish you had known back then that you know now? What encouragement and advice would you tell teen you? Those are the questions posed to sixty-four award winning authors and illustrators writing to their younger selves. It's touching, emotional and beautiful. I mean just the book trailer brings warm fuzzies to you, doesn't it? Doesn't it make you want to go back and hug your younger self?

Would you like to win a copy? Thanks to Scholastic, I have two copies of The Letter Q: Queer Writers's Notes to Their Younger Selves to giveaway!

About the book: In this anthology, sixty-four award-winning authors and illustrators such as Michael Cunningham, Amy Bloom, Jacqueline, Woodson, Terrence McNally, Gregory Maguire, David Levithan, and Armistead Maupin, make imaginative journeys into their pasts, telling their younger selves what they would have liked to know then about their lives as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people. Through stories, in pictures, with bracing honesty, these are words of love, messages of understanding, reasons to hold on for the better future ahead. They will tell you things about your favorite authors that you never knew before. And they will tell you about yourself.

To Enter:

-Fill out form below

-Contest ends at midnight central time May 27, 2012

-One entry per person

-US Shipping Address Only

-2 winners will be drawn via random drawing

-13+ to enter

Thanks to Scholastic and Big Honcho Media for the giveaway!

Flash Reviews: Audiobooks

2012-05-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

In committee news, committee reading is kicking my butt! And I can't share what I've read, which makes it hard to post. I'm going to be posting a lot more audiobook reviews though! :)

Flash reviews are short reviews of lots of titles. I have an audiobook addiction which means I have a lot of audiobooks to review! I don't read a lot of adult titles, but I sneak some in sometimes, so here's what I've listened to recently:

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Rating: 3/5 Stars

The Waverley family has always been eccentric. Their garden has rumored prophetic fruit that will show you the greatest moment of your life. Claire avoids the fruit trees, but uses her family's mystical garden and her talent in the kitchen to create a catering company. When Claire's estranged sister Sydney returns home after escaping their small town years ago, Claire's carefully constructed life comes crashing down. And a new neighbor who has shown an interest in Claire and won't take no for an answer, and Claire finds herself having to deal with the pain of the past so she can enjoy her future.

I was recommended this book because I enjoy Cecelia Ahern's novels and I like a bit of magical realism in my fiction. Garden Spells is a good story and I really enjoyed the characters of Sydney and Claire. There's also a nice touch of romance which I liked. I really loved the character of cousin Evanelle-she's such a fun, eccentric old lady and she was a wonderful supporting character. The story is a bit predictable but it was fun and a nice fluffy read-or listen. I liked this audiobook enough to give Sarah Addison Allen's other books a try.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Rating: 2/5 Stars

Victoria has been in and out of the foster care system. Now she's 18, she's aged out, and she's on her own. Victoria tries to make it on her own and makes a few friends along the way, including a flower shop owner who gives Victoria a job. Victoria discovers a skill for flowers, but life gets in the way and she's afraid her past will be repeated.

I don't want to say more without spoilers because there's a bit of a twist halfway throughout the book. Unfortunately, that's also where the book lost me. I had a hard time feeling bad for Victoria. She had people around trying to help, but she keeps pushing them away. Victoria also had a foster mother, Elizabeth, who wanted to adopt her. But Elizabeth becomes selfish and lets her own selfishness and problems with her sister get in the way of taking care of Victoria. There were just so many characters that I ended up really disliking, which made me end up disliking the book as a whole.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan and I were carpooling to work and I missed my audiobook time, so I decided to track down one we would both enjoy. Since we're fans of 30 Rock, I thought we would both like this audiobook. Plus, it's narrated by Tina Fey which made it even better.

I'm not a big fan of memoirs, but Bossypants I liked. (So did Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan). We laughed throughout the audiobook and it was a very fun listen. I think I liked it so much because it's not just a straight "this is the story of my life" memoir, but it's more vignettes and random thoughts from Tina Fey's life. Listening to her narrated it made it seem like a friend was telling you a bunch of funny stories and I liked her narration a lot.

Full Disclosure: I am an Audible Affiliate. Purchasing audiobooks from links will earn me a commission to use for prizing and giveaways for the blog.

Reviewed from audiobooks I purchased from Audible (Garden Spells and Language of Flowers) or checked out from the library (Bossypants)

My Current TV Obsessions

2012-05-09T07:31:00.000-05:00

When I need to take a break from all my committee reading, I turn to my trusty TV! I have to share my current obsessions-anyone else hooked on these shows?

I have to thank Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan for getting me hooked on Game of Thrones. He'd read the books and couldn't wait until the show aired. I'm trying to read book one in the series, but it's slow going (have you seen how huge those books are?) It's fantasy, but not so much fantasy that non-fantasy fans won't enjoy it. The TV series is amazing-wonderful writing and storytelling, a fantastic cast, everything is done so well! My favorite characters are Jon, Arya and Tyrion. Jon because he's a bit sensitive and he's smart (and OK, Jon Snow is pretty cute!), Arya because she kicks butt, and Tyrion because I love his wit and every scene Peter Dinklage is in, he just rocks. I also have hopes that the actress who plays Arya grows up and plays Katsa in a Graceling movie-it would be so perfect! There's a lot to follow, so I'm glad I have Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan to help me. If you do watch it and have questions, he'd be happy to help guide you through the series-you can follow him on Twitter at @crazywriterblog

And really, if you're not watching Game of Thrones, you should be!

My other Sunday night treat-Sherlock. At least for three weeks anyway. I love this updated version of Sherlock Holmes-so much snark and wit and humor-what's not to love?? I also have a bit of a crush on Benedict Cumberbatch!

If you've read my blog before, you know about my obsession with Downton Abbey. Soapy goodness in a historical drama? Yes please!! Season three seems so far away, so I'll re-watch Seasons one and two until I can get more gossip on the abbey!

After everyone telling us about Big Bang Theory forever, Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan and I decided to finally watch it. And I'm not surprised at all to find that we like it! We're always looking for new shows to watch together and hopefully fill the Scrubs-sized hole in our hearts. While it's not my favorite, it's pretty funny and we're working our way through the DVDs to catch up!

So what's your current TV Obsession? Any shows I need to catch up on and start watching? Old favorites I need to check out?

YA Movie News

2012-05-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

Don't forget! Sherlock season 2 airs on Sunday! Who else is excited? Now I have two Sunday night shows to look forward to-Game of Thrones and Sherlock!! Sunday is going to be an amazing night of TV! :)

-First up, the news that I'm most excited about! Charlie Kaufman is going to adapt The Knife of Never Letting Go for the big screen. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my favorite movies ever and I really think this is a beautiful partnership. It makes so much sense to me and I'm very excited for this movie!!

-The Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck is also heading to the big screen. MTV announced that Julie Pec, the series writer and executive producer behind The Vampire Diaries, will be writing the screenplay. I think this is another great match since Ms. Pec has a background in writing supernatural and paranormal.

-Cynopsis reports that Neil Gaiman's Newbery winner, The Graveyard Book, has been acquired for the big screen by Disney. I'll admit this makes me nervous. I want to this book on the big screen, but I don't know that Disney is the right studio. Thanks to Cynopsis Kids for the news!

-Harry Potter scriptwriter Steve Kloves is in talks to write the script for a live action version of The Jungle Book for Warner Brothers. Thanks to Cynopsis Kids for the news!

-Author Kristina Springer shared some exciting news this week! Her novel, The Espressologist, has been optioned by film company Vuguru. They specialize in web television series, so maybe someday soon we'll be watching The Espressologist online! Congrats Kristina!!

-More casting news for the Beautiful Creatures movie. Variety reports that Kyle Gallner has been cast as Larkin.

-Fox Animation has acquired The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, a recently released middle grade novel that I can't wait to read! Thanks to Cynopsis Kids for the news.

-OK and this one isn't YA movie related, but I can't help but notice that Hollywood seems to have Downton Abbey fever as well. ABC has a period drama in the works titled Gilded Lilys, a series set in an 1895 luxury hotel that of course is full of scandals. Then this week's Cynopsis news report included a blurb from E! who apparently is getting in on the scripted drama game by adding a show called The 400, which is about the rise of the Vanderbilt dynasty in the 1890s. What do think? Can Hollywood recreate the soapy goodness that is Downton Abbey?

Wentworth Hall Giveaway

2012-05-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have an obsession with Downton Abbey. And since this season ended, I've been wanting anything I can find that has a similar feel of drama and family secrets. I don't know what it is about historical period dramas with secrets and scandal that make me love them, but they make for perfect reads on a rainy afternoon, don't you think?

If you're a Downton Abbey fan like myself, be sure to check out the new YA novel, Wentworth Hall. There's plenty of family drama, secrets, scandal and lots of upstairs/downstairs happenings. You'll want to get caught up in the happenings of Wentworth Hall, the household and the staff- it's a good book to have on hand while we all wait for Downton Abbey Season Three!

Sound like your kind of read? It's your lucky day because I have a copy of Wentworth Hall and your very own gilded journal (to keep track of your own scandals and secrets, of course!) to give away! (Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the prizes!)

About the Book: And you thought there were secrets in the Abbey . . .

The Darlington family of Wentworth Hall, an elite British family, fills their time by caring for their extensive estate, and looking over their shoulders as they struggle to keep up an elaborate charade to hide their scandalous secrets of illicit romances, and bitter betrayals.

Wentworth Hall is a lush historical novel by debut author Abby Grahame, which is spot-on perfect for fans of Downton Abbey!

Check out an excerpt of the novel!

Want to win?
-Open to US Address Only
-Open to ages 13+
-Contest ends on May 9 at midnight, CT
-One entry per person
-Fill out form below to enter
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Tween Tuesday: Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-Detectives Extraordinaire by Polly Horvath

2012-05-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens. Add your link below and discover a new read!

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery/Humor

Release Date: 2/14/2012

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About the Book: Poor Madeline. All she wants is some new white shoes to attend her school graduation ceremony and accept an award from Prince Charles. It's a very big deal, except her hippie parents don't seem to agree. They're too busy celebrating Luminara. When some foxes need the help of Madeline's code-decoder relative Uncle Runyon, they kidnap Madeline's parents instead, hoping they can lead them to Uncle Runyon's address. Good thing Mrs. and Mrs. have just taken up detective work-all for the fedora, of course. The bunnies are on the case!

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: It's rare that I find a book that appeals to my inner 9-year-old self and my adult self all in one. But that's just what Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-Dectectives Extraordinaire has done.

The satire is hilarious-from mystery novels, to hippie parents, to the long-married Mr. and Mrs. Bunny who have a wonderful banter, there is so much here that will leave adults laughing. But it's not just the adults who will get a kick out of this book. There are plenty of hijinks, silly animals, and twists and turns to delight younger readers. This is a book that made me wish I had a classroom of 4th or 5th graders to read this book aloud to-it's a book that begs to be read by adult and child together.

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny cracked me up. Mrs. Bunny is always changing her hobbies and she decides that Mr. and Mrs. Bunny should become detectives, because detectives get to wear fedoras-perfectly reasonable, right? I loved the banter back and forth between Mr. and Mrs. Bunny-it reminded me a lot of myself and Mr. GreenBeanSexyMan, if we were bunnies, of course. And Madeline is smart (she's read Pride and Prejudice!) and she's the one who ends up telling the adults-human and bunny-what to do. Not in a bossy way, but she just ends up being the logical one. With Madeline leading the quest to find her parents, tween readers will be cheering her on and laughing about the silliness the bunnies find themselves in. Then there's the foxes who are trying to learn English, Madeline's hippie parents, and a marmot who loves garlic bread and really, why aren't you reading this book already??

This one has a nice mix of classic storytelling and satire and it's great for readers of all ages. Add in Sophie Blackall's beautiful illustrations, and you've got a book that you'll want to put on your library shelf right now. Be sure to booktalk this one to your tween readers-and your adult readers!

Book Pairings: The Willoughby's by Lois Lowry, The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from copy I checked out from my local library

A Harry Potter Resurgence!!

2012-04-30T18:33:00.000-05:00

I had a favorite librarian moment last week. A young patron, about age 9, came into the library a few weeks ago looking for the Harry Potter series. He had just started reading them and was looking for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (my favorite in the series). Of course, this started us talking about the Harry Potter series, what characters we liked, what our favorite scenes were, and how much we enjoyed the series. He came in again last week looking for book four since he had just devoured book three. His mom said he had just started reading the books and was obsessed with the series. Then, after each book was read, the entire family was watching the movies. I told them about Pottermore and how they should check it out-I wish I would have had Pottermore the first time I read the series! It was one of those wonderful moments as a librarian where you get to share with a reader about your favorite books-it's what makes my job worth getting up for every day.

After my discussion with my new favorite patron, I realized that I haven't seen a single Harry Potter book on the shelf at my library in weeks-or make that months! I'd noticed a lot of younger patrons coming into the library and asking for the Harry Potter books and it got me thinking about how Harry Potter is now having a resurgence.

It's been five years since the last book came out, the movies are over, so why the sudden interest in Harry Potter? I'm sure the public opening of Pottermore and the fact that the books are now available as ebooks, didn't hurt Harry's popularity at all, but I'd been noticing patrons coming in asking for the books long before Pottermore went live. In fact, I looked up our circulation stats on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, just to see if I was correct about the series being popular again. Our library system owns 12 copies of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and the books have been checked out 54 times from January 1st. With books having a checkout of three weeks, and that averaging out to about a checkout per book, per month, no wonder I haven't seen any copies of the books around this year. A checkout per month might not seem like a lot, but that's all 12 copies being checked out every week this year so far. And the audiobooks 7 audiobooks we own have circulated 26 times so far this year. These are books that are getting read A LOT!

Whenever there was a new Harry Potter book or movie coming out, you couldn't find a copy on the shelf. But after the craze about the movie or the re-reads before the next book was released was over, the books came back and sat on the shelf. But that's changing. There are no more movies and no more books in the series to help generate the interest. This is a book that's been out for thirteen years.

I think we're seeing readers who were too young to enjoy Harry Potter the first time around and kids of readers who read it when it first came out starting to read the series. I love being part of this next generation of Harry Potter readers. I love getting to talk to kids who are discovering and reading the series for the first time.

So I'm wondering. Has anyone else noticed a resurgence in Harry Potter? Do you have young readers discovering the series for the first time? Are your copies of Harry Potter being checked out more than usual this year?

Tween Tuesday: The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson

2012-04-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen. Add your links below and discover new reads for tweens!

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Genre: Animal Fantasy

Release Date: 9/7/2010

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About the Book: Aldywn is a typical ally cat-trying to find food and running away from the local animal bounty hunter. When Aldywn is running for his life, he ducks into a pet store to escape. But this isn't just any pet store-it's a pet store for familiars, animal companions to wizards. Aldywn doesn't know anything about the wizarding world or magic, so it's just his luck that a young wizard chooses him to be his familiar!

Aldwyn tries to fake his way in his new home and pretends to be a magical cat. When the familiars young wizards are kidnapped, Aldwyn and his new familiar friends must help them before it's too late-and Aldwyn has to decide if he should reveal the truth or not.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I remember when this book first came out and it looked fun, but I'm not the biggest fan of animal fantasy, so I passed on it. I picked up it again for two reasons-1) it's nominated for our state book award and 2) a co-worker's third-grade son said it was the best book he ever read. So with those things pushing me to read The Familiars, I decided to give it a try.

The Familiars is very much The Warriors Series meets Harry Potter. (I was all excited to think of that "meets" line and than realized that Michael Buckley says the same thing on the back of the book-so much for being creative!:) It really is the best way to sell this book to tweens though and I think young fans of both series will enjoy The Familiars.

The Familiars has everything tweens will love-lots of adventure and excitement, humor, good guys versus bad guys, magic, danger, secrets and friendship. It's a non-stop adventure-filled ride and even though the book is long, it's easy to get caught up in the story and it ends up being a very fast paced read. Add in the fact that it's the start to a series, and I think this one will end up being very popular with tweens.

For adults, it's a bit predictable, but it's great for younger readers looking for excitement and adventure and a fun magical series. Since we put this out on our award shelf, it hasn't stayed long! Lots of fun for readers who enjoy magic and animals.

Judge a Book By It's Cover

2012-04-23T12:54:00.003-05:00

I love looking at cover changes from hardcover to paperback. Some are good, some can be bad, and they're always interesting!

I'm highlighting cover changes that have happened mid-series this time around. I hate whey they change covers mid-series both as a librarian and a reader. It can be very frustrating as a librarian because now our first book in the series doesn't match what the teens are seeing online or in stores, so they don't think we have the book. And the cover that pulls up in the catalog now is different from what we actually have on our shelves. When a patron comes into the library asking for one cover and you show them a different one, it can be very frustrating-especially when working with kids and teens who only want the book they saw.

As a I reader, I just don't like when my books don't match.

So let's take a look at some series changes:

This is the hardcover for Black Hole Sun. I actually kind of like this cover-it's simple, but I think I can tell this is a science fiction book.

And here's the paperback. I like and I don't like it at the same time. I like that this one looks more action packed than the hardcover and I like that it really looks like a science fiction book-I know from the cover what to expect from the book. I do think the guy is brooding a little too much, although I guess I can see him as Durango-he can be somewhat moody.

This cover is OK, but it really doesn't say anything about secret societies or justice. It looks a bit like a generic mystery novel instead. So I can understand why the covers changed before book two was released.

But as much as I like this cover in general, I don't like it for this series. This looks like a 1940s noir murder mystery, which the book is not. I think it's even more misleading than the original cover.

I really like this cover. It's simple, yet I think it tells a lot about the book. It has a science fiction feel and I think it shows the struggle of the main character is a nice, simplistic way. She looks troubled and tortured, which fits the book exactly.

Here's the new cover. I think it's nice and it's more colorful which I like, but I think it really blends into everything else that's on the shelves right now. I also think it looks a bit paranormal meets science fiction.

I really like this cover-shiny, mysterious and colorful. I can tell it's a paranormal-something about the girl's eyes make her look like she has a secret and I'm interested in finding out what it is.

Secret is blow-she's a werewolf! This one doesn't have as much mystery or color to it and I'm just not a fan. I think the girl/wolf thing on the cover is just a bit creepy.

I liked this cover because it was different and it really stood out. But at the same time I can see where it lacks appeal for teens.

I'm OK with this cover change. I think it retains the mystery of the original cover, yet adds some teen appeal into the mix.

So what do you think? Do you like cover changes mid-series? Do you think the changes got the series right? Or should they have stayed with the originals?

YA Movie News

2012-04-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

-The search for a Catching Fire director didn't last long! Director Francis Lawrence, who directed I Am Legend and Water for Elephants, will be directing Catching Fire. I really like this choice-what does everyone else think??

-And speaking of The Hunger Games, the IMAX run for the movie has been extended to May 3. Did anyone see it in IMAX? What did you think?

-For all you Ender's Game fans, the producers have set a up a tumblr to follow the movie's production.

-According to Publisher's Weekly, Palomar Pictures has optioned the rights to Julie Kagawa's new series, Blood of Eden. Julie Kagawa also has a blog post up about the exciting news. Congrats Julie!

-Laika films, who made Coraline, optioned Philip Reeve's new novel, Goblins, which is out in the UK this year. They've also hired the director of The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Mark Gustafson, to direct. I love the idea about one of Philip Reeve's books being in stop motion animation-I think it really fits his writing style well. I'm also really hoping we get to read it over here in the US before the film is released! Thanks to Publisher's Weekly for the news!

-Stephenie Meyer's production company Fickle Fish Films has optioned Lois Duncan's 1974 novel Down a Dark Hall. It's been awhile since Lois Duncan books have been adapted for film, but this one is set in a boarding school, which I think is forever popular. The company also has a adaptation of Shannon Hale's novel, Austenland, starring Keri Russel in production. Thanks to Publisher's Weekly for the news.

-The Wimpy Kid movies keep coming! The trailer for Dog Days is out-thanks to Early Word for sharing it!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It's So Hard to Not Talk About Books!!-or my committee year so far

2012-04-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Credit: Anna Destefano, Facebook

As many of you know, I am serving on the 2013 Printz Committee, which means no YA reviews from me this year. I can't talk about YA books unless it's with my committee members, which I'm sure you can guess is really hard! But I thought I would share a little bit about my committee experience so far-and hopefully share advice for those you wanting to be part of a committee in the future.

-People in the YA book world know about the Printz Award. People in the non-bookish world or adult bookish world know about Caldecott and Newbery, but not the Printz. This is somewhat understandable-the award is a fairly new award. The first Printz Award was given in 2000, so it only has twelve years under its belt. What that means though is that we need to do our work to promote this award! Not just the committee members, but librarians, readers, teachers and bloggers. We need to spread the word. Read the books, recommend them to others, blog about them, use them in the classroom, make a display at the library. Share the love!! There are some amazing books that have won Printz medals and they need to be shared!

-I've also noticed that people in the book and library world don't know about the Printz Award-or if they do, it's not given the respect of the Caldecott and Newbery Awards. Again, I think this is partly due to the age of the awards. One of my goals while I'm on the committee is to teach my library staff about the award and bring awareness to all the ALA awards. People may know of the awards that are given, but so many seem to get lost in the shuffle and aren't recognized outside of the kidlit and YA world. The more we can do to highlight these awards will help in getting them the respect they deserve. They are prestigious awards that need to be noticed! I would love any ideas others might have on how we can bring these awards into the forefront of the book world.

-You don't have to be an ALA member to nominate a title. (OK, yes I knew that before this year, but it's still worth repeating!!) If you read a book this year that you think the committee needs to take a look at, nominate it! The Printz nomination form is on the YALSA site and doesn't take long to fill out. Don't worry about making it sound all professional and critical. Just write why you think the book should be considered in your own words. Nominations are open for several of the YALSA awards-you can find the entire list of nomination forms on the YALSA site. So nominate away!

-There is a lot of reading. It's a lot of work. Yes, I know that sounds like a no-brainer. I mean, you're serving on a committee that is charged with reading a lot of books. But as much as you hear it from everyone, I don't think it really hits you until it starts happening to you. Until you start checking the mailbox and see towers of books. My advice? Be prepared. Clear out a space for your books. Use a sorting system or a labeling system. This helps A LOT when you're trying to organize your books. And really, who better to organize their books than librarians? You know we've all got organization systems happening for everything we read.

-Make sure you take a break. It's easy to start to feel overwhelmed and stressed, so make sure you take time to do other things besides read. And don't neglect your husband or your dogs-they won't like that very much.

-Have fun and enjoy every moment. This is your year to make one of your professional dreams happen and make sure you take time to savor the good moments!

Tween Tuesday: Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

2012-04-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen. Post about tween reads, share the link and discover some new reads!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: 10/12/2010

Add to Goodreads

About the Book: A group of students are having mixed feelings about starting fifth grade with a new teacher Mr. Terupt. Seven of the students share their stories-the bully, the shy student, the outcast, the smart kid, the one who hates school, the troublemaker, and the new girl. Never did they think they would care about their teacher-or each other. But when a tragedy strikes Mr. Terupt's classroom, the students join together and learn more about each other than Mr. Terupt could ever teach them.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I picked this book up because it's on our state book award list for grades 4-6 (The Mark Twain Award). Sometimes these books can be hit or miss, so I never go into reading the nominated titles with high expectations. Yet sometimes a book comes along that finds the perfect balance of sappy and sweet without being too much of one or the other. And when that happens, that book hits just the right notes and I know it deserves a spot on the list and the tweens that will be reading it that year will love-as will the adult readers.

Because of Mr. Terupt takes on a challenging premise-telling the story of a school year in seven different voices. Author Rob Buyea manages to make each story work and each voice is distinct. I never felt as though there was one character I didn't get to know as well as the others-each one is well developed and they all felt like real students to me.

The chapters are short which helps in making this book a fast paced read. I read it in one sitting and finished it quickly and I'm sure many tween readers will find themselves unable to put it down as well. It's not that it's action packed for full of adventure. I felt like I knew these kids, that I was part of their schoolyear and I wanted to find out what happened to them. I cared about each of their stories and I had to keep reading. I'm pleased to find a companion novel coming out later this year-I won't mind another trip back to the classroom with these kids!

Perfect for readers that enjoy quieter, character driven stories that have moments that will make you laugh and cry.

Book Pairings: Love Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur, Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

Full Disclosure: Checked out from my local library

Storytime: Sarah's Favorite Books

2012-04-15T14:09:00.000-05:00

I had to put together a storytime at the last minute when my staff called in sick, so I threw together what I called "Sarah's Favorite Books!" I used this plan twice-once with Toddlers and once with Preschool. I also included stations and crafts in this plan.

Honestly, I go back and forth on if I like stations and crafts-I like that they add an extension to the storytime, but I very often see them being used as playtime for the kids and the parents don't really understand that it's a time to play and talk about the books they've just heard. I think when we do stations, we need to explain their purpose. OK, enough soapboxing-here's the storytime plan:

Opening Song: Shake Your Sillies Out by The Wiggles

Literacy Skill: Love Books! I explained to parents that when they read books that they love and enjoy, that comes through in their reading and they are sharing that enjoyment with their kids. So make sure you read your favorite books with kids too!

Book: It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw-I used this one with both toddlers and preschool since we have it in a big book format-great for large storytime groups!

Song-Toddlers: These Are My Glasses by Laurie Berkner
Song-Preschool: Where Is Thumbkin by The Wiggles-preschool

(note: I've used These Are My Glasses with preschool before and they like it, but I really wanted an excuse to use Where Is Thumbkin since toddlers aren't coordinated enough yet for that song!)

Book-Toddlers:If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberly and Ed Emberly-Toddlers-This book is a great sing along and the toddlers love it!

Book-Preschool King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood-my all time favorite picture book! This is another one we had a big book format in and it's great so the kids can see the detailed illustrations.

Activity-Toddlers: The Freeze Song by Greg and Steve
Activity-Preschool: Listen and Move by Greg and Steve

(I love, love, love Greg and Steve and highly recommend them for storytime collections!)

Book: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean-This is another book I used with both sessions-I love how it can be used with all ages. The toddlers love the jazzy song and are beginning to recognize the colors and the preschoolers love the question and answer portions of the book. Plus the repetition in the text makes it easy to catch on and sing along.

Stations:

Bubbles-from King Bidgood and just for fun with the toddlers

Music Station with instruments-from Pete

Crafts:

Toddlers-
Monster Puppets-from If You're A Monster-I used circles of construction paper and glued them to popsicle sticks. The kids then glued on various scrap pieces of papers and used dot stickers and crayons to decorate their puppets.

Preschool-
Mask Making-from King Bidgood-Using the cuttout we have for masks, I made masks and gave the preschoolers dot stickers, scrap paper and crayons to decorate masks. We then glued a posicle stick to one end so we could hold it up at the masquerade ball.

Both-
Spilt Milk Paper-I took various scrapes of white paper and had the kids tear (toddlers) or cut (preschool) the paper up into their own spilt milk/cloud shapes.

Gathering Back Together Song:

Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

Closing Book:

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle-I've used this book as my closing book for about a year now and it's so fun to watch the kids learn how to move like the animals (espcially for toddlers!)

Closing Song: Skin-a-marink

If you need lyrics or more info on the crafts, let me know-I'm happy to share!

YA Movie News

2012-04-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

-Beautiful Creatures had to make a last minute casting change before filming. Goodbye to the old Ethan (Jack O'Connell) and say hello to new Ethan-Alden Ehrenreich. What do you think? Jack O'Connell had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts, but I have to say I think Alden Ehrenreich looks more like I pictured Ethan.

-If you're interested in being an extra in the Beautiful Creatures film, there's an open casting call in New Orleans!

-I'm sure everyone has seen the news about Gary Ross not returning for Catching Fire. Like other fans, I am very saddened that he won't return-I thought he took care with the script and made a wonderful adaptation and stayed loyal to the books. I'm also not impressed with the shortlist that MTV posted-not sure if this is real or speculation. I would really hate it if Alfonso Cuaron directed-he directed what I think is the worst of the Harry Potter movies with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

-Writers have been named for the movie adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars-Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber will be adapting the book for the big screen. This duo wrote 500 Days of Summer, so I think it's a fantastic fit!

-Director Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of The Secret Life of Bees, is in talks to direct the film version of Before I Fall. According to Hollywood Reporter she will also do a rewrite of the script.

-There has been a lot of news about The Mortal Instruments movie and there has been speculation about the film actually being made. But an official release date has been set-the film will be hitting theaters August 23, 2013.

-Lilly Collins is becoming a book to movie queen-she's in talks to star in a film version of the upcoming YA novel When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle. The film is titled Rosaline and the story is a Romeo and Juliet retelling that shares Rosaline's side of the story.

-I was not excited about the Percy Jackson sequel, but I keep liking their new casting choices! The film has cast The Hunger Games' Levin Rambin to play Clarrise. (She played Glimmer in The Hunger Games) She's not exactly how I pictured Clarrise, but I think she'll have the attitude perfect! Filming starts next week.

-Early Word has a fantastic list of movies based on books coming in 2013.

J.K. Rowling's New Book-Title & Release Date

2012-04-12T09:57:00.000-05:00

I have been eagerly awaiting this news since I heard about J.K. Rowling's new book back in February. Today Little Brown has released more information to tease us readers with! The novel will be called The Casual Vacancy and will be published on September 27. The plot is being called "blacky comic" and according to Publishers Weekly:

"The novel is set in a small English town called Pagford, which comes undone after one of its denizens, a man in his early 40s named Barry Fairweather, unexpectedly dies. The event shakes the town and reveals the rampant unrest bubbling under the surface in the deceptively perfect hamlet."

Here's the link to the full release from Publishers Weekly

So now that we have more details, will you be reading the book? Honestly, I would read it even if was my least favorite genres! I can't be the only one!:)

Tween Tuesday: Giants Beware! by Jorge Aguiree and Rafael Rosado

2012-04-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun, add your post below, and help us discover great reads for tweens!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Graphic Novel/Comic/Fantasy

Release Date: 4/10/2012

Add to Goodreads

About the Book: Claudette dreams of being a giant slayer. But her village has no threats from giants since a giant slayer years ago. Claudette doesn't believe the stories though and she believes it's her duty to find and slay the giant that lives beyond her city. Along with her best friend Marie (an aspiring princess) and her brother Gaston (a pastry chef in the making), Claudette sets out on a fantastical journey to slay the giant and become a hero-so giants beware!!

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: If your library tweens are anything like mine, they are always asking for the graphic novel series Bone. Giants Beware is the perfect graphic novel to hand over to those readers who like humor mixed into their adventure fantasy. It reminded me of Bone crossed with The Princess Bride with a touch of the adventure from Amulet.

The full color illustrations make this graphic novel fun to read. There is a lot of detail in the artwork, which I always enjoy and I felt as though I really got to know the characters. Claudette is strong and very spunky-she will get her way no matter what! She's a bit selfish and thinks of herself first, but she learns the importance of her friendship with Marie and Gaston along the way. And how could you not love Gaston and Marie? They both have dreams that might seem silly to anyone else, but they fully believe they can make them come true and you can't help but cheer them on. The three together make a delightful group that you would want to tag along with you on any adventure.

The supporting characters all felt fleshed out-from the townsfolk to Claudette and Gaston's father-each character was fully realized, even if they only appeared briefly. In many ways this graphic novel read like an animated film-the illustrations, the jokes, the characters-all could transition easily to the big screen which could make a nice selling point to readers.

Add this one to your graphic novel collection and I'm sure it will fly off your library shelf. While the story wraps up, there are some loose ends that leave a possibility of a sequel (or several) featuring Claudette, Marie and Gaston and I'm really hoping this isn't the last we've seen of them!

Book Pairings: How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell Bone by Jeff Smith, Amulet by Kazu Kabuishi

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from copy sent by publisher

Mirror Mirror Prize Pack Giveaway

2012-04-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you read GreenBeanTeenQueen, you know I love celebrating the movies! So of course I was thrilled when I found out about this awesome Mirror Mirror Prize Pack for my readers!

One lucky winner will receive:

-$25 Fandango Gift Card

-Mirror Mirror: The Movie Novel

Two lucky runner ups will receive:

-Mirror Mirror: The Movie Novel

Prizeing courtesy of Relativity Media

About the film: One of the most beloved stories of all time is coming to life in the motion picture event for the whole family, Mirror Mirror. A fresh and funny retelling of the Snow White legend, Mirror Mirror features breakout star Lily Collins (The Blind Side) as Snow White, a princess in exile, and Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts as the evil Queen who ruthlessly rules her captured kingdom. Seven courageous rebel dwarfs join forces with Snow White as she fights to reclaim her birthright and win her Prince in this magical comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over. The film also stars Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as the Prince, and Nathan Lane (The Birdcage) as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen.

Rated PG

http://mirrormirrorfilm.com/

Here are the giveaway rules:

-Open to US mailing addresses only

-Ages 13+

-Contest ends Friday April 13 at midnight CT

-One entry per person

Want to enter? Leave a comment below with your favorite fairy tale! Good luck! :)

Blog Tour: Joanne Rocklin Guest Post

2012-04-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

(photo credit: Gerry Nelson)

Welcome to the next stop on the tour for The Five Lives of our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin! I am thrilled to be hosting Ms. Rocklin today on the blog. As I love to do, I asked Ms. Rocklin to share her memories of the library and I found I related very much to her story! I was an indoor kid who loved spending my time at the library. I was shy and always found solace in books. That's what I love so much about sharing these stories-we find true kindred spirits! I'm sure many of you can relate! :)

My childhood library was a Catholic chapel in my Montreal neighborhood.

(photo: Benny Library, Montreal Quebec)

The fact that it was a converted chapel was unimportant to me, an imaginative Jewish girl. Books lined the walls, and a librarian in a sweater-set, rather than priestly robes, presided solemnly at the front desk. But to me, it was still a church, the very first one I’d ever been inside. It had high windows and soaring rafters, a clean, real-wood smell, and pious-looking people sitting very still. In other words, the works.

The library wasn’t very far away from my home, but too far to walk to by myself. I was always “dropped off,” to be “picked up” again in a couple of hours. And I did, indeed, experience a feeling of joyous weightlessness. I remember tugging the heavy front door and kind of floating into that quiet chapel. And not to carry the metaphor too far—I was ecstatic to be there. A couple of hours of heaven in the Chapel of Books.

No other kid I knew enjoyed the library as much as I did. Everyone else was ice skating or riding bikes or playing at one thing or another, usually involving a ball. I was terrible at sports. I was shy. Nerdy, I suppose. And I was teased. I should have gotten my eyeglasses sooner than I did; perhaps that would have helped. I felt very alone much of the time.

Except in that chapel. There, I was in a room with other fortunate people, all of us reading our hearts out, all of us discovering the secret of life. The secret of life is reading! How miraculous, to visit other worlds, to meet terrific people like plucky Anne of Green Gables, adventurous Heidi, and strong Jo, of Little Women! To absorb the words of all those kind scientists whose books explained the world to me, a girl too timid to ask questions in class.

(photo: Joanne Rocklin as a tween, aprox. 11 years old)

Eventually, I discovered other kids with plans to read every author from A to Z, kids who kept journals, who wrote stories, whose books taught them confidence. When I visit schools, I like to tell students I was shy and nerdy, and how much happiness that little library provided. I watch their faces; I know they are listening. With books, you are never alone, I say. You will always find someone just like you, or someone to help you aspire to your best self.

I often contemplate the miracle of our alphabet, which creates words, which in turn create images and ideas and feelings to connect us. When words show up on my own blank pages, I take nothing for granted.

My early experience in that tiny chapel affected me deeply all of my life, and I still enter a library with reverence, and gratitude.

Thanks so much for sharing!! Be sure to check out The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook-you don't want to miss out on this charming book!

Tween Tuesday: The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin

2012-04-03T07:55:00.000-05:00

Tween Tuesday is a meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your link below! (And yes, Tween Tuesday posts have been scarce-I'm deep in YA reading now, but I promise I'll post more tween posts in the coming weeks!)

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: 4/1/2012

Add to Goodreads

About the Book: Oona is worried about her cat Zook-he's not doing so well and Oona wants to figure out a way to break him out of the vet's office and bring him home. As Oona tries to take care of everything, she tells Fred that cats have nine lives, so they don't need to worry about Zook. Oona decides to make up the stories of Zook's previous lives. Oona always worries about her brother, Fred, who hasn't had the best appetite since their father died two years ago. And on top of that, Oona's mom has started to date The Villain...well, really Dylan-but Oona's sure he's a villain! Oona's determined to find out the truth about Zook's illness, and discover the truth about why her mom shouldn't be interested in The Villain and along the way she may just discover some truths about herself.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Alright fellow readers. Do you ever find yourself in the mood for a charming middle grade novel? One that hits all the right notes when it comes to family and growing up? And that maybe evens has the feel of some of the classics you read as a tween yourself? Add The Five Lives of our Cat Zook into your secret pile when you're looking for that special book.

Oona was a narrator that I liked and she made me laugh a lot. Her observations are smart and funny which made me like her. I also liked how much she took care of brother and taught him to read. She has many different theories about things-a name theory, a whopper theory-and each time Oona revealed a new theory, I liked her even more. She felt like a mix of Claudia (From the Mixed Up Files...) and Anne (Anne of Green Gables). She has some crazy ideas, but that's part of what I liked about her. She was loyal to her friends and family, even if meant coming up with a crazy idea of how to help them. Sure her plans didn't always work, but she had to try!

This is a very sweet book about a cat, siblings, and parents. Oona isn't quite ready for her mom to move on and Oona herself won't stop wearing her Dad's Raiders sweatshirt. While the book is about Zook and Oona's stories about Zook, it's also about grief and learning to live after a loss. Oona's story isn't obvious-we're not hit over the head with lessons that she's learned. Instead, she comes to an understanding slowly and we go through the process with her, which adds to the books charm.

I would recommend this one to readers who like family stories and animal stories and anyone looking for a good old fashioned book. You'll be glad you got to know Oona and Zook!

Book Pairings: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsell

Narnia Themed Playroom

2012-04-02T15:45:00.000-05:00

I want this playroom! I used to figure out how to get to Narnia from my house (sadly, I didn't have a magic wardrobe). But this is the next best thing! Thanks to BoingBoing for sharing!!

YA Movie News

2012-03-30T11:06:00.002-05:00

So who saw The Hunger Games?? I've already seen it twice! I really thought they did a good job and it was a great adaptation of the book. The things I missed were seeing more struggle from Katniss with her feelings for Peeta and more admission that she was playing the game, the gift from District 11 in the arena to Katniss and more working for sponsors from Katniss. I think they could have played up the reality TV aspect with the sponsors and the supposed love story. I also thought the end was somewhat rushed. Overall though I thought it was great and I adored Peeta and thought Katniss was great!

Enough Hunger Games talk! Here's what's happening in YA movie news:

-Remember that Percy Jackson & The Olympains: Sea of Monsters movie in the works? First they cast Nathan Fillion as Hermes nd now they've added Anthony Stewart Head, who is taking over the role of Chiron. I wasn't thrilled with the first Percy movie, so why does the sequel keep making casting decisions that pull me in?? Not fair at all!!

-Deadline has the first photo from The CW's The Carrie Diaries. What do you think?

-Indiewire has a list of YA books that could be the next big thing in Hollywood and their production status. It's a pretty cool list and I hope those movies that are in development get made! I love seeing books hit the big screen!!

-Mirror, Mirror opens this weekend. I think this movie looks like it could be cute, but I'm not sure if I'll see it in theaters. Anyone else?

-Cartoon Network has a TV series based on How To Train Your Dragon coming this Fall. I know this will be popular with my tween readers, who loved the movie and the books! Thanks to Cynopsis Kids for the news!

-If you can't wait until Sunday's debut of Game of Thrones Season 2, you can watch some clips thanks to Indiewire!

And this week's trailer is for the Rise of the Guardians based on Willam Joyce's books.

Erebos Blog Tour

2012-03-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Erebos Blog Tour! Erebos is a new YA book by Ursula Poznanski from Annick Press.

About the Book: An intelligent computer game with a disturbing agenda.

When 16-year-old Nick receives a package containing the mysterious computer game Erebos, he wonders if it will explain the behavior of his classmates, who have been secretive lately. Players of the game must obey strict rules: always play alone, never talk about the game, and never tell anyone your nickname.

Curious, Nick joins the game and quickly becomes addicted. But Erebos knows a lot about the players and begins to manipulate their lives. When it sends Nick on a deadly assignment, he refuses and is banished from the game.

Now unable to play, Nick turns to a friend for help in finding out who controls the game. The two set off on a dangerous mission in which the border between reality and the virtual world begins to blur. This utterly convincing and suspenseful thriller originated in Germany, where it has become a runaway bestseller.

Sounds pretty cool, right?

I love asking authors about libraries, and Ursula was no exception! Here's what she had to say and I just love her story!!

I have been frequenting libraries fromvery early on and got my own card when I was about four years old. My love forbooks soon led to a strong career aspiration: I wanted to be a librarian. I was quite desperate when I found out that this would be impossible, for a terrible and unchangeable reason: I had the wrong name.

I guess I have to explain that. See,I’m Austrian, and in Austriawe speak German (kinda). The German word for “librarian“ is "Bibliothekar." The female version – and all the librarians I knew were female – is "Bibliothekarin." My four-year-old ears never heard anything else than "Bibliothek-Karin," which would mean"Library-Karin." My parents failed to baptize me Karin, although it was a really popular name at the time. But alas, my first name was Ursula, and I was convinced that I didn't meet the basic demand for the profession of mychoice, and never would.

In the end I found something else I could do with books – surprisingly most of the other professions seemed to beallowed to all kinds of different names – but it took me quite a while too vercome the disappointment.

I love it! I'm glad you were able to find a career in books!!

Check out the Erebos trailer and find it at your local library!

Follow the Tour:
March 25: YA Bookshelf, www.yabookshelf.com
March 26: Bookosaur, http://bookosaur.wordpress.com
March 28: The Pen Stroke, http://ideogun.wordpress.com
March 29: I Read Banned Books, www.jenbigheart.com
March 30: Between the Covers, www.betweenthecoversblog.net
March 31: Tahleen's Mixed-Up Files, http://tahleenreads.blogspot.com

Galahad Legacy Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour

2012-03-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

I am thrilled to be participating in the Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour for Dom Testa's latest book, Galahad Legacy. While Galahad Legacy is the final book in the series, each book can be read on their own. This series is full of adventure and great for science fiction fans.

To celebrate the release of The Galahad Legacy, Tor is hosting a scavenger hunt. Following the participating blogs, readers can discover excerpts from the book and even have a chance to enter to win prizes! Check out the entire Galahad Scavenger Hunt lineup! And now for your special excerpt for today's stop:

“Denied,” Triana said with a slight smile. “No rest for you.”
“You’re a tyrant. But welcome back anyway.”
“Thank you, Roc. I missed you...I think.”
The computer expelled a pouting grunt. “I’m overwhelmed by your sentimentality. Don’t think for a moment that my circuits don’t have feelings.”
“Oh, I’d never make that mistake,” Triana said. “But this has nothing to do with you, believe me. It’s just that the week I was gone—it was a week, right?—is still somewhat jumbled. I don’t remember missing much of anything. There wasn’t time for that kind of thinking.”
“Well, I look forward to your report. Especially when you explain exactly what that thing is you brought aboard.”

Please visit Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf for the next excerpt from the second chapter of The Galahad Legacy.

Intrigued?? Want to read more? I have a chance for you to win the entire series thanks to Tor!

-One entry per person

-Ages 13+

-Contest ends March 27 at midnight CT