GreenBeanTeenQueen

If you are anything like the tweens and teens at my library, you can't wait for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters to hit the big screen! I think it's all we've talked about at the library for the past two weeks! :) If you're excited for the movie, then you are in luck! Thanks to Big Honcho Media and 20th Century Fox, I have a Percy Jackson giveaway just for you! Want a chance to win? All you need to do is fill out the form below! -Contest open to US address only -Ages 13+ -One entry per person -Contest Ends Monday August 5 - One (1) lucky winner will receive: ·           A $15 Visa gift card to see the film ·           The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson & the Olympians)  movie tie-in  paperback book Loading...

Naomi Kinsman is the author of the From Sadie’s Sketchbook series, and founder of Society of Young Inklings, an organization dedicated to unleashing the power of young writer’s stories through classes, one on one mentorships and publishing opportunities. The Inklings offers opportunities for writers nationwide, and can be explored at www.younginklings.com . Naomi blogs at www.naomikinsman.com and at www.sadies-sketchbook.com . Recently, at a school visit, a parent asked me if I had children. When I answered that I do not, she cocked her head and gave me a puzzled look. “Why do you write for kids, then?” The question has stuck with me, not because I haven’t been asked this exact question before, but because the question came from such a unique perspective. Usually, I’m asked why I write books by a middle-grade book enthusiast who isn’t puzzled by my passion. My standard answer has to do with falling in love with books when I was six and seven and eight, and that love spurri

I love the marketing behind cover changes from hardcover to paperback. Here are some recent changes I've come across: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater Hardcover: Paperback: -I like this cover change and I don't like it at the same time. I like how the boys are on the paperback but I also like it's just the raven on the hardcover and I think there's a bit too much on the paperback. In Darkness by Nick Lake   Hardcover: Paperback: -This is another one that I'm torn on. I like the hardcover because I think it stands out and looks different than other covers out there. But I also think the paperback looks a bit more emotional than the hardcover. The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats Hardcover: Paperback: -I really like how the hardcover has a historical feel, but I do like the paperback showing the different narrators. And this one isn't a hardcover to paperback but instead an Engli

I love book marketing. One of my favorite things as a librarian is to go to publisher previews (either at conferences or via webinars) and hear about all the new titles coming out. I love hearing how the publisher is marketing the book including the "meets" about all the books-like it's this popular book/movie/TV show meets that popular book/movie/TV show. But sometimes this marketing strategy makes me do a double take. Here are some interesting book meets that have had me puzzled and interested about the books at the same time: Graceling seems like a popular readlike: Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta  " Star Wars meets Graceling "  Cruel Beauty by Rosmund Hodge " Beauty and the Beast meets Graceling "  And Stephen King is popular to compare things to, which is strange because he doesn't write YA: The End Games by T. Michael Martin "John Green meets The Stand "  Thanks to Kelly  for finding th

Please welcome Krista McGee to GreenBeanTeenQueen! Krista is the author of several young adult novels, including her newest release, Anomaly. Check it out on Goodreads! About the Book: The world has been destroyed by nuclear war, so in the future, Scientists rule and everyone lives in Pods underground. Thalli is a musician, meant to play music to enhance the work of others. But Thalli knows she is different-she is curious and feels emotions. She knows she is an anomaly. When her secret is discovered, she becomes an experiment. But she also meets others around her who can help save her-and discover there is more to the world than the Scientists are letting on.   Anomaly reminded me a bit of a cross between Matched and The City of Ember (mostly because of the setting). I think it fits in nicely with the current crop of dystopian lit as the world building is well done and I was engaged and interested in Thalli's story.  Thalli is curious and questions authority, which alwa

Amy Koester is a children’s librarian with the St. Charles City-County (MO) Library District. She blogs about books, programs, and services for youth as the Show Me Librarian So you want to read middle grade? Hooray! Maybe you’ve enjoyed forays into YA lit, and now you want to explore a bit further down the main character age spectrum. Maybe you have kids in your life--your own children, nieces and nephews, a “little” through Big Brothers Big Sisters--with whom you want to be able to discuss books. Whatever the reason for wanting to read MG, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. That’s where I can help, at least a bit. You see, the array of MG lit is vast--there are books on every topic of interest, about every type of character, covering every genre (and frequently blending a few). That diversity can be overwhelming to readers used to the more cut and dry genre labels you see in adult sections of bookstores and many libraries. To help you get started, I’v

So I knew it was coming because I had to answer some interview questions. But there is nothing more amazing than opening your email inbox and Twitter feed and having it filled with your friends sending you messages saying "OMG! You're in the Goodreads newsletter!!!" And yep, that's what happened Friday afternoon. I saw this Goodreads Voice interview in my inbox:   Honestly, it's still a bit surreal. People read it. And commented! And I just can't believe that Goodreads even asked me to be a featured interviewed member!   If you're curious about what books I love to recommend and what life is like as a librarian, check it out! And add me as a friend on Goodreads if you'd like! I love sharing books with other readers!

Rating: 4/5 Stars Genre: Graphic Novel Release Date: 7/23/2013 Add to Goodreads About the Book: In the summer of 1908 a visiting vaudeville troupe is spending the summer in Bluffton. Henry and his friends have a chance to visit and spend time with tightrope walkers, exotic animals and make friends with a young slapstick performer named Buster Keaton. Buster is indestructible-he be tossed around, jump anywhere and never get hurt. Henry longs to learn Buster's tricks, but Buster wants to play ball with Henry and his friends. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I remember first hearing about this book at ALA Midwinter last year. All of the librarians gasped with excitement when they heard Matt Phelan and Buster Keaton used in the same sentence-myself included. So when an advanced copy crossed my desk at work, I knew I had to read it. Happily, I was not disappointed. Bluffton is a story about Buster Keaton told through the eyes of Henry, a boy from a neighboring town who is fascinat

Jen Robinson has been reading middle grade literature since the 1970s. She has never stopped, though things like college, grad school, starting a business, and having a child have slowed her reading pace at different times. She especially enjoys reading outdoors. Jen blogs about children's and young adult books and children's literacy at Jen Robinson's Book Page: http://jkrbooks.typepad.com. She also publishes a bi-weekly Growing Bookworms newsletter, and shares reading-related links @JensBookPage and http://facebook.com/GrowingBookworms I wouldn't go as far as Jeanne Birdsall to say that middle grade fiction saved my life (see the May/June 2013 issue of Horn Book Magazine). But I do think that it made me who I am today. I believe that middle grade novels helped me to develop my core value system. I learned resilience from Sara Crewe and independence from Pippi Longstocking. I learned about loyalty from Anne Shirley. I learned that it's ok not to fit in from