Refugee by Alan Gratz (Scholastic)

 

Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

By Yara – OnceUponaTwilight.com

Refugee by Alan Gratz, published by Scholastic, is a powerful middle-grade novel that doesn’t shy away from heavy truths. It follows three young characters from different time periods and countries as they each flee their homes in search of safety. Their journeys are intense, emotional, and surprisingly connected.

What drew me to this book wasn’t just the buzz or the cover. I picked it up during our middle school Scholastic Book Fair after seeing that one of the stories follows a Cuban girl named Isabel who escapes on a boat with her family during the 1990s. That hit home. My husband fled Cuba the same way around the same time. Reading Isabel’s journey stirred up memories I’ve only heard about but could now see through a child’s eyes. And here’s the part that completely caught me off guard, one of the other characters is escaping to Cuba. That kind of full-circle storytelling really stuck with me.

Gratz also introduces us to Josef, a Jewish boy escaping Nazi Germany, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy caught in the chaos of modern-day civil war. All three stories are gripping, but I’ll admit one of them didn’t hit quite as hard for me as the others. It’s the only reason I’m giving this 4.5 instead of a full 5 stars.

Still, Refugee is one of those rare books that educates and moves you at the same time. It’s beautifully written and incredibly important, especially for younger readers. If you’ve ever wondered what courage looks like in real life, this book shows you.

Highly recommend adding this to any school or home library.

#MortalEngines In Theaters December 2018!

MORTAL ENGINES – In Theaters December 14, 2018

 Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | #MortalEngines

The film adaptation is from the award-winning book series by Philip Reeve, published in 2001 by Scholastic.

Thousands of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, humankind has adapted and a new way of living has evolved.  Gigantic moving cities now roam the Earth, ruthlessly preying upon smaller traction towns.  Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan)—who hails from a Lower Tier of the great traction city of London—finds himself fighting for his own survival after he encounters the dangerous fugitive Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar).  Two opposites, whose paths should never have crossed, forge an unlikely alliance that is destined to change the course of the future.  

Mortal Engines is the startling, new epic adventure directed by Oscar®-winning visual-effects artist Christian Rivers (King Kong).  Joining Rivers are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies three-time Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who have penned the screenplay.  The Universal and MRC adaptation is from the award-winning book series by Philip Reeve, published in 2001 by Scholastic.  

On board as producers are Zane Weiner (The Hobbit trilogy), Amanda Walker (The Hobbit trilogy) and Deborah Forte (Goosebumps), as well as Walsh and Jackson.  Ken Kamins (The Hobbit trilogy) joins Boyens as executive producer.  Universal will distribute the film worldwide.  

Genre:3D Epic Adventure    

Cast: Hugo Weaving, Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide and Stephen Lang

Directed by: Christian Rivers

Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson

Based on the Book by: Philip Reeve

Produced by: Zane Weiner, Amanda Walker, Deborah Forte, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson

Executive Producers: Ken Kamins, Philippa Boyens

Peter Jackson's New Saga #MortalEngines Dec 2018

Peter Jackson presents an epic new saga.

In theaters December 2018, the adaptation is from the award-winning book series by Philip Reeve, published in 2001 by Scholastic.

MORTAL ENGINES – In Theaters December 14, 2018

Thousands of years after civilization was destroyed by a cataclysmic event, humankind has adapted and a new way of living has evolved. Gigantic moving cities now roam the Earth, ruthlessly preying upon smaller traction towns. Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan)—who hails from a Lower Tier of the great traction city of London—finds himself fighting for his own survival after he encounters the dangerous fugitive Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar). Two opposites, whose paths should never have crossed, forge an unlikely alliance that is destined to change the course of the future.

Mortal Engines is the startling, new epic adventure directed by Oscar®-winning visual-effects artist Christian Rivers (King Kong). Joining Rivers are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies three-time Academy Award®-winning filmmakers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who have penned the screenplay. The Universal and MRC adaptation is from the award-winning book series by Philip Reeve, published in 2001 by Scholastic.

On board as producers are Zane Weiner (The Hobbit trilogy), Amanda Walker (The Hobbit trilogy) and Deborah Forte (Goosebumps), as well as Walsh and Jackson. Ken Kamins (The Hobbit trilogy) joins Boyens as executive producer. Universal will distribute the film worldwide.

Genre: 3D Epic Adventure
Cast: Hugo Weaving, Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide and Stephen Lang
Directed by: Christian Rivers
Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
Based on the Book by: Philip Reeve
Produced by: Zane Weiner, Amanda Walker, Deborah Forte, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Executive Producers: Ken Kamins, Philippa Boyens

Book Review: Lucky in Love by Kasie West

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Lucky in Love
Author: Kasie West
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: July 25th 2017
Review Source: Scholastic | Edelweiss

Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

Kasie West is easily one of my favorite YA authors. Everytime I read one her books I get lost and won’t get up for anything until I’m finished. It pains me more than anything to say Lucky in Love wasn’t one of those times. While I did still enjoy it and most definitely had everything I love in a contemporary YA, it just wasn’t my favorite. Which is bound to happen when I fall so deeply for each and every one of her books.

Maddie is gearing up for graduation and waiting for her college acceptance letters to be coming any day now. She has spent her whole life trying to get to this point in her life. She had to get the grades so she could get the scholarships or else she wouldn’t be able to afford to go. Her father lost his job and was having a hard time finding a new one, her brother was even taking time off from school to save up and then return, and she kept her sights on colleges nearby because of issues in her family that she couldn’t help but try to fix. So on one not so great 18th birthday, Maddie goes to the convenience store to indulge in her sweet tooth when the store clerk convinced her to buy a lottery ticket. Maddie knows the odds, she knows a lot of random facts, but she went with it anyways. And low and behold she won! She was now a millionaire, she was able to afford college, help her parents out, and her brother. Her problems were officially solved, or were they?

Maddie was now in the limelight, everyone knew about her winnings, except for her crush Seth, who has been grounded from the internet and phone and would’ve missed all the news about a town local winning. She finds out after winning the lottery it becomes hard to find out who she can trust and since Seth doesn’t know she starts to open up more to now then she had in the past. Which starts to blossom their relationship.

As I stated this wasn’t exactly my favorite Kasie West book and I’m not really sure where it went wrong for me. I don’t think I swooned for Seth as much as I would’ve loved to. Or maybe I’m just jealous I haven’t won the lottery yet, but it was just something and I don’t know where this book fell short with me. Again though, I did enjoy it, I loved seeing how someone would navigate winning the lottery, especially in high school where she flew under the radar until her winnings. There were times I just shook my head and said “girlllll I wouldn’t do that” and times I would’ve splurged just like her. It was cute and though I didn’t swoon for Seth, I did really like him, he had some good quips in there that I loved and wanted more of.

Nonetheless Kasie West is and always will be an autobuy author for me. I’ll never get enough of her writing. She is, in my opinion, one of the best contemporary YA authors out there. She never fails at getting me out of a reading slump and making me fall in love all over again.

Author News: Live Video Chat with New York Times Bestselling Author Ally Carter - 5/5/15

This Tuesday, don't miss an exciting event with author Ally Carter. Scholastic will host a live video chat alongside some special guest stars. 

EVENT DETAILS

Tuesday, May 5^th

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. EST

http://www.shindig.com/event/allycarter

Ally Carter & Friends Video Chat and Book Cover Reveal

Join New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter and fellow authors Carrie Ryan, Rachel Hawkins and Sophie Jordan as they take a break from their writing retreat to chat and debut the cover for Embassy Row Book 2: See How They Run. Ally will do a live Q&A with fans, moderated by her editor, David Levithan. Fans will be able to interact with Ally (and with each other) face-to-face on video chat!

  

ABOUT EMBASSY ROW

This exciting new series from author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row. 

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay--in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved. 

Book 1: ALL FALL DOWN is in stores now.  Click here to read an excerpt and find links to purchase.

Book 2: SEE HOW THEY RUN will be released January 2016.

ABOUT ALLY CARTER

Ally Carter writes books about spies, thieves, and teenagers. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Heist Society series and the Gallagher Girls series, which together have sold over two million copies and have been published in more than twenty countries. She lives in Oklahoma where her life is either very ordinary or the best deep-cover legend ever.

She'd tell you more, but...well...you know...

OFFICIAL LINKS

Learn more about Embassy Row

Visit Ally Carter on her Official Website

Follow Ally Carter on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr

Follow This is Teen on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr

#EmbassyRow #SeeHowTheyRun

Book Review: Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger

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Lying Out Loud
The DUFF companion novel
Author: Kody Keplinger
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: April 28, 2015
Review Source: Scholastic

Kody Keplinger returns to the world of The DUFF in this brand-new companion novel!

Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with -- secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.

Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand -- a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?

Sonny is a liar. She lies. All. The Time. Who can blame her? Girl has it rough compared to her best friend, Amy Rush. What they do agree on is that the new kid, Ryder, is an annoying snob that has the biggest crush on Amy. So one night, he emails her asking her out and Sonny, being the mean-spirited person she is, decides to reply back with some very rude choice words. That leads to Ryder and Sonny chatting all night. Only Ryder thought it was Amy the entire time. And, now Sonny sees Ryder for who he truly is and is falling for him. But, like I said, she's a liar and instead of coming clean that it was her whom he was speaking with it all snowballs into some major problem that becomes too big for lies.

Basically, this is one big catfish story. And, to be honest, with the MTV show Catfish being so popular, I'm surprised there aren't more books like Lying Out Loud. With Kody Keplinger's writing style though it is easy to finish the book within a couple of hours. I love her writing style! It's easy to follow and paced well enough that you won't want to set the book down. Sonny's character is a riot. While she did annoy me throughout most of it, her quick wit was amusing and definitely made up for it. I also wasn't a big fan of Amy, until the end of the book. Speaking of, I move that Amy should get her own companion novel! Mostly because I just love Wesley and Bianca so much and I need more of this world Keplinger has created!

If you're a fan of The DUFF you will love following it with Lying Out Loud. Wesley and Bianca are in this more than you'd expect and *sighs* are still the best at bantering as ever! Now, I will say I loved The DUFF more. I felt Lying Out Loud fell short in few ways. I liked the characters well enough but didn't feel connected to them. The romance aspect was okay, but not as epic and Wes and Bianca's was. I hate comparing the two, but it happens. I would still recommend Lying Out Loud nonetheless because I really do love Kody's writing style. You'll be hooked for sure!

Book Review: Wickedpedia by Chris Van Etten

Wickedpedia
Point Horror
Author: Chris Van Etten
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Released: June 24, 2014
Review Source: Scholastic Inc. | Netgalley

It's the return of Point Horror for the Internet generation! Don't open the door. Don't answer your phone. And whatever you do, DON'T turn on your computer. . . .

Cole and Gavin love playing practical jokes through Wikipedia. They edit key articles and watch their classmates crash and burn giving oral reports on historical figures like Genghis Khan, the first female astronaut on Jupiter. So after the star soccer player steals Cole's girlfriend, the boys take their revenge by creating a Wikipedia page for him, an entry full of outlandish information including details about his bizarre death on the soccer field.

It's all in good fun, until the soccer player is killed in a freak accident . . . just as Cole and Gavin predicted. The uneasy boys vow to leave Wikipedia alone but someone continues to edit articles about classmates dying in gruesome ways . . . and those entries start to come true as well.

To his horror, Cole soon discovers that someone has created a Wikipedia page for him, and included a date of death. He has one week to figure out who's behind the murders, or else he's set to meet a pretty grisly end.

Horror galore! Wickedpedia definitely brought the gore! (Hey, did that rhyme?!) Anyway, Chris Van Etten has come up with a genuinely clever way to bring gruesome deaths into books. I love the idea behind using Wickipedia to predict deaths.

It's hard not to compare this book to my latest review of Followers. Mostly, because they came out around the same time and they both are in the horror genre. But, I feel Wickedpedia outshines. I love not predicting who the villain is, although I had my good guess I didn't truly know until the end. THE END. Oh my God. If you need a reason to read Wickedpedia, that reason would be the way it ends. It's totally gross. In a good way! Ha.

So, have you searched for yourself on Wickipedia?

Book Review: The Drowning by Rachel Ward

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The Drowning
IF PART OF A SERIES
Author: Rachel Ward
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Mystery
Released: April 29th 2014
Review Source: Chicken House

Water, water, everywhere: His brother has drowned, but Carl can't remember a thing. Until it all comes flooding back...with a vengeance. By the author of the internationally bestselling NUMBERS series.

With a jolt, Carl opens his eyes. He's on the bank of a lake, soaked to the bone. Rob, his brother, is being zipped up in a body bag. And a girl, drenched and trembling, is talking to the police. Who is she? What happened in the water? And why can't he remember any of it?

"Bring her to me . . ."
At first Carl thinks it's his grief speaking. Remembering Rob. The sound of his voice, things he used to say.

"Bring her to me . . ."
But then Carl starts to see him. Rob's face in the water before it washes down the drain. His ghost rising up from the puddles. His hands clawing out of the moldy, rain-rotted walls. Like a dripping tap, he won't stop. "Bring her to me!"

Rob may be dead. But he's not gone. Because he wants to finish what he started, and he won't go under alone.

By the author of the internationally bestselling NUMBERS series, THE DROWNING is a dark psychodrama about love and brothers, crimes and consequences, redemption and revenge.

Let me start by coming clean. From the start I had to fight off the urge to cheat and jump ahead to the last chapter!

Right from the start we are introduced to 15 year old Carl. He has woken after being pulled from a lake. He has no memory of how or why he is there but one thing he is sure of, that was his brother that was just zipped up and taken away in a body bag. And then there is the girl, the girl sitting across from him in the ambulance, crying. Who is she?

I cannot help but to feel sympathy for Carl, not only because of what he has woken up to, but for what waits for him at home. Carl lives at home with his mother, they both have just learned that his oldest brother has died as a result of a tragic accident, a drowning. I love the way the author tied all of the characters to Carl. It was easy to feel the way he felt about his mother, his brother and most of all, about the girl in the ambulance. However, I did not like Carl's brother from the beginning, just a few key sentences made the sympathy at his death just disappear.

What immediately begins to unfold is completely unexpected, I wouldn't say scary, but eery for sure. Carl is hearing voices, but not just any voice. And then there is the drip, the drip from the faucet.

This book was a lot of fun to read, it was exciting and it surprised me with the reasoning behind some of the events that occurred. I did would say that all ages will enjoy it, but you may have to read it with the all of your lights on!

Giveaway: The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher

What is The Killing Woods???

“A gripping, heartbreaking, emotionally substantial look at [the] allure of danger.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review 

Fatal attraction, primal fear, survival in the forest: From the author of the Printz Honor Book STOLEN, the highly anticipated thriller about deadly games played in the dark.

Ashlee Parker is dead, and Emily Shepherd's dad is accused of the crime. A former soldier suffering from PTSD, he emerges from the woods carrying the girl's broken body. "Gone," he says, then retreats into silence.

What really happened that wild night? Emily knows in her bones that her father is innocent -- isn't he? Before he's convicted, she's got to find out the truth. Does Damon Hilary, Ashlee's charismatic boyfriend, have the answers? Or is he only playing games with her -- the kinds of games that can kill?

The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher
Published by Scholastic Inc.
Released January 7th 2014
Read the 1st chapter of The Killing Woods today or watch below Printz Honor author Lucy Christopher read chapter 1 herself.

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Prizing courtesy of Scholastic Inc. Giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only. Two winners will receive a copy of The Killing Wood. Read the terms and condition in the rafflecopter below.

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Book Review: The Last Present by Wendy Mass

The Last Present
Willow Falls #4
Author: Wendy Mass
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Released: September 24th 2013
Review Source: Scholastic Press

Don't miss the latest entry in the incredible Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass!

Amanda and Leo have a history with birthdays. Now their friend's little sister, Grace, has fallen into a strange frozen state on her birthday, and Amanda and Leo must travel in time in order to fix whatever's wrong. As they journey back to each of Grace's birthdays, they start seeing all sorts of patterns . . . which raise all sorts of questions.

Amanda and Leo are going to have to unravel the threads of the past and present - and travel much further than they ever imagined - if they're going to save Grace. Luckily, a little birthday magic always helps in the charming and funny Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass, where everything is possible and there are no coincidences.

At First Sight: The cover is quite cute and complements the covers of the previous 3 books in the series. It isn't exciting enough that it makes me want to jump right into the novel. But it does add some suspense of what is the "Last Present."

Storyline: Many of the Willow Falls characters have come together one last time, and have a mystery to solve. Grace a supporting character is frozen, unable to wake up. Amanda and Leo work aimlessly to find out why.

Something I Loved: Angelina's character was very interesting and truly added to the pace of the novel.

Something I Disliked: Sometimes as reviewers we receive books that we may not have received previous titles in the series. This is such a book. I really depended on Goodread summaries of the first 3 books to understand what was going on in book 4. It was very hard to follow because of that lack of story background.

Would I Recommend It: Yes, I would recommend this book to younger readers. However, it is an absolute must to start with the first 3 books!

Blog Tour: The Darkest Path | Jeff Hirsch | Review | Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on THE DARKEST PATH blog tour for author Jeff Hirsch. This tour is hosted by Book Nerd Tours. View full tour schedule here. 

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The Darkest Path
Author: Jeff Hirsch
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopian
Released: September 24th 2013
Review Source: Blog Tour
Publisher: Scholastic Press
    

USA TODAY bestselling author Jeff Hirsch once again creates a futuristic world with stunning, dramatic realism.

A civil war rages between the Glorious Path–a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier–and what’s left of the US government. Fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert six years ago. Cal has been working in the Path’s dog kennels, and is very close to becoming one of the Path’s deadliest secret agents. Then Cal befriends a stray dog named Bear and kills a commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends Cal and Bear on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal’s loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on.

Including a country at war with its self and a cultish regime that threatens to tear apart two brothers, the Darkest Path strikes you as a hauntingly original novel. With Darkest Path being his third book, Jeff Hirsch shows improvement in his mastery of storytelling. On a whole, Hirsch’s writing really shines when he creates scenes of tension and turmoil. It’s the dramatics that pull the reader in and invoke such strong emotions. But lets not forget about how he also manages to create great characters that helps set his writing apart.

Set in a modernistic world, America struggles in a civil war between the US government and a crazy cult regime named the Glorious Path. Caught at a young age by the regime, Callum and his brother James struggle to sustain loyalties. Callum works hard to earn a role in the regime with a viscous dog trainer to support James who has an asthma problem. One day Cal befriends a dog that forces him to act against his boss who wants to turn the dog into a monstrosity. This forces Cal and James to go on the run sending them on a journey that will change his life forever. Through out his journey Cal faces terrible obstacles that ultimately shows him where his true path lays. Jeff Hirsch shows his writing talent in his best book yet, demanding a share of the limelight in the young adult genre. With his extreme character and dramatic writing Hirsch leaves me after reading his book, hoping for a sequel.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I live in upstate New York with my wife and a small passel of animals. I used to write plays (I actually have an MFA in it, which is number 8 on US News and World Report’s list of the top twenty most useless masters degrees) and now I write books for teens. I’ve written three, The Eleventh Plague, Magisterium and The Darkest Path.

• A few random facts about me:
• I’m incredibly superstitious.
• I believe in baking as the ultimate stress reliever. I mean, sure, I write pretty good books but have you tasted my Triple Chocolate Espresso Cookies?
• I’m deeply obsessed with the work of Joss Whedon, Stephen King, Bryan K. Vaughn, Prince and Tom Waits.
• I started writing because of two women—Susan Cooper, author of the Dark Is Rising Series and Denise Stewart, my 7th grade English teacher.

You can visit Jeff Hirsch at http://www.jeff-hirsch.com 

  

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Giveaway: 3 Winners will receive a Signed Copy of The Darkest Path by Jeff Hirsch. 5 Winners will receive a Surprise ART Bookmark by James Vallesteros. Must be 13+ to Enter. International Giveaway.

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