Check out Promenauts: The Avarune Necklace by J.C. Williams and maybe treat yourself to a copy today!
Promantheus: The Avarune Necklace
Genre: Fantasy Adventure/ Mystery/ Young Adult
Grades: 3 – 12
Azuelo is a strange boy who has woken up in the middle of the woods with no memory of his former life. When he finds his way to the city of Stormhold, he is quickly inducted into the ranks of the promenauts, a group of warriors sworn to protect their city from the violent gurgans lurking just outside their walls. Now, Azuelo must fight to help defend his new home, all while trying to reclaim his forgotten past with only one thing as his guide, the avarune necklace.
Justin Williams, the author of Promenauts, The Avarune Necklaceas well asthe CEO, president and supreme imperial pooh-bah of Justin Williams Books LLC.
Welcome to the tour for Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe by Tim DeRoche. Read on for more details!
Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe
Publication Date: January 24th, 2023 (In honor of Lewis Carroll’s birthday)
Genre: Children’s Humorous Poetry/ Grades 1 – 12
Publisher: Redtail Press
If your moral character is flimsy
Or your wit be rather slow,
Oh dare not read these tales of whimsy
For often do they end in woe.
Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe is quite possibly the most dangerous book of poetry ever written. Do you dare? It’s so good it will make you sneeze. What becomes of a girl who absolutely detests the color green? What about a king who joins a punk band? And the little boy who calls up God on the telephone? Monsters, bears, wizards, and talking vegetables―This book has something for everyone. Winner of the prestigious Baldersquash Medal, which honors the very best in highfalutin nonsense.
Tim DeRoche and Daniel González, author and illustrator of the best-selling Ballad of Huck & Miguel, return with a book of verse that will delight anyone who loves Lemony Snicket or Shel Silverstein.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Tim DeRoche emigrated to California to attend Pomona College, where he studied English literature. His first book, The Ballad of Huck & Miguel, was featured on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, the LA Review of Books, and the Mark Twain Forum. It was also selected by the Pasadena Public Library as the “One City, One Story” book for the Summer of 2019.
He has served as executive producer and writer of the children’s science series Grandpa’s Garage, produced by Turner, and is a graduate of the PBS Producers Academy at WGBH in Boston.
Tim lives with his wife Simone and three young kids in the La Crescenta neighborhood of Los Angeles.
In a strange little village called Witchetty Hollow, eleven-year-old Florizel is the first to run into the curious visitors who’ve come to open a brand new Daydream Delicatessen and sack-baby factory.
At first, it seems the daydream confection and cheap sack children are the best things that could have happened to the poor folk of the Hollow – after all, who has the money to rent their child from Storkhouse Services these days? But after a few weeks, Florizel starts to notice something odd happening to the adults of the town. First, they seem dreamy, then they lose all interest in their jobs and families. Soon they’re trading all their worldly goods in the newly-opened Pawnshop for money to buy daydreams. With no money for rent payments, the children of Witchetty Hollow are being reclaimed by Storkhouse Services at an alarming rate. Florizel needs to act.
A magical tale of intrigue and adventure from award-winning children’s author Victoria Williamson
About the Author
Victoria Williamson grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, and has worked as an educator in a number of different countries, including as an English teacher in China, a secondary science teacher in Cameroon, and a teacher trainer in Malawi.
As well as degrees in Physics and Mandarin Chinese, she has completed a Masters degree in Special Needs in Education. In the UK she works as a primary school special needs teacher, working with children with a range of additional support needs including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities and behavioural problems.
She is currently working as a full time writer of Middle Grade and YA contemporary fiction, science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on creating diverse characters reflecting the many cultural backgrounds and special needs of the children she has worked with, and building inclusive worlds where all children can see a reflection of themselves in heroic roles.
Victoria’s experiences teaching young children in a school with many families seeking asylum inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of redemption and unlikely friendship between Glaswegian bully Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.
Twenty percent of her author royalties for The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle are donated to the Scottish Refugee Council.
You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and upcoming events on her website: http://www.strangelymagical.com
My thoughts: this was a fun, magical story for independent readers, known as Middle Grade in publishing terms (which makes little sense in the UK, I know). I think a 9-10 year old would enjoy this as Florizel and Burble are about that age.
It’s a story about finding your place, your family, and defeating the evil Gobbelinos who turn all the adults into idiots and risk the children being taken away from them forever. Thankfully Florizel is clever and resourceful and Burble, helps. Their relationship is sweet, he’s a bit like a talking dog – he eats everything and is a bit clueless but loveable. Gently entertaining.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
“The Pen Thief will draw you in and take you on a journey toward self-discovery, friendship, and forgiveness.” – Kary Oberbrunner, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author
Happy publication day to Tasha Madison and congrats on the release on The Pen Thief and the Division of Destiny! Check out the book trailer and details below!
The Pen Thief and the Division of Destiny (The Pen Thief Series -Prequel)
Publication Date: June 6, 2023
Genre: YA Fantasy/ Grade 6 to 12
Gifted with Magic.
Tempted by Power.
United by Destiny.
A king with an appetite for absolute power. A magician with abilities he doesn’t fully understand. Future guardians torn between past prophesies, forgotten secrets, and a sworn oath to protect and defend.
A rebellion rises. As fates intertwine, a mysterious magic fights to find the true heirs of its enchantment. But, danger lurks in the shadows of the past. A dark force, determined to possess the mystical relics of the world for itself, seeks to destroy the veil of truth hidden by time.
Will destiny prevail or fall prey to the gluttonous desires of mankind?
Tasha Madison is a book nerd, editing ninja, and design geek. She has degrees in journalism, business, and law. She is the award-winning author of Fabric of a Generation and Pharaoh’s Shadow. When she’s not scrapbooking or competing in epicurean competitions with family members, you can find her writing poetry or jotting down story ideas about delicious family drama, humorous dialogue, unexpected twists, or tear-jerker surprises.
FIND YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE: linkin.bio/thetashamadison
Cheerful text and whimsical illustrations bring alive this heartwarming story of kindness and inclusion featuring a character with Down syndrome.
Jana has just learned how to put her socks on all by herself.
Jana also happens to have Down syndrome.
To celebrate her new skill, she gets loads of brightly coloured socks as a gift.
What happens when Jana shows them to everyone at school?
Join Jana on a fun-filled journey as she discovers what it means to be a true friend and the real value of kindness.
This is a heart-warming and beautifully illustrated book that celebrates friendship and inclusion. It encourages children to embrace the differences and similarities within us.
Socks were deliberately chosen in this story to reference the extra chromosome in Down syndrome. Chromosomes are shaped like socks. Even though we all have chromosomes that make us who we are, we are still all remarkably unique.
Writing is very much a part of who author Sally Fetouh is as a human being. As a child, writing was a way for her to express herself and all of the stories and ideas she had in her head. Now, as an adult, she has been inspired to write a beautiful story of kindness and friendship, Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks, a heartwarming picture book loosely based on her daughter who has Down syndrome.
It was important to Sally that her daughter and other children like her were able to see themselves represented in literature. The idea came to Sally when she visited her daughter’s preschool to read a story about a girl with Down syndrome. The loving, accepting, and inquisitive responses from her daughter’s classmates inspired her to write a story reflecting these caring friendships.
Sally believes a great book is one that has impactful characters and a story that provides a new experience or perspective to the reader that stays with them long after the book is closed. She hopes that her young readers with disabilities or those who are different in some way will be able to relate to the main character and see a little bit of themselves, while also aiming for other readers to gain insight into the world of Down syndrome and the importance and impact of kindness and friendship.
When she isn’t writing thought-provoking children’s books, Sally works as a lawyer and a photographer. She enjoys painting, hiking, and horse riding. She lives with her family in Sydney, Australia. Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks is her debut picture book.
Secret Santa Claus Club is a book about a little girl looking back at each Christmas and remembering the magic of the holiday. Toward the end of the book, she starts to doubt Santa Claus, but she isn’t ready to learn the truth just yet. The next year she’s ready to know, and her parents invite her to be part of the Secret Santa Claus Club. She learns that even though Santa Claus isn’t a real person, the magic of Christmas still exists through giving and creating magic. She realizes that her parents were Santa Claus the whole time, and how much work they did to make her holiday special. The very end of the book has rules of the Club, which include keeping the secret and helping spread the magic to believers.
Jeff Janke is a single dad who considers himself more of a problem solver than an author. When his daughter started questioning Santa, he wrote a book to help guide her from a world of believing in Santa to a community of truly becoming Santa. When his daughter wanted to invite other friends into the club (after they learned the secret), and after lots of encouragement from friends and family who have faced the same dilemma, he decided to publish Secret Santa Claus Club to help other parents and children too!
When Lizzy, her brother and sister, are evacuated to the village of Inglestone, they find their new home strange.
Under the shadow of the ruined Inglestone Manor, they meet Dorothy Inglestone, the last of her line, and the ever-watchful Mr and Mrs Gains. When they are told of a treasure hidden in a ruin manor, they can’t resist trying to find it.
In their hunt, they come across a strange boy roaming the ruins.
Not only is he wanted by the police, but he is also wanted by the Gains. Can the Allens keep a secret and not betray the boy? Before long, their loyalties will be tested. Buy Links
Originally from Guyana, a country in South America, S S Saywack came to London with his family in 1962. Educated in North London, he studied information graphics at a London college and then worked as a graphic designer for many years. He later changed careers and became a teacher at a sixth-form college in East London. Taking early retirement, he turned to a third career, being an author.
With a love for reading and history in general, he wrote his first novel that became the Mary Finch Series (four books for older children set in the fictional world of Sherlock Holmes and an additional chapter book to make five in total) and that was swiftly followed by Inglestone Manor.
His current writing scurries between children’s fiction and adult detective fiction.
To find out more about S S Saywack, you can visit his website, or find him on Facebook.
My thoughts: this was a great wartime kids book, all about trust, friendship and kindness, with a mystery at its heart. While hunting through Inglestone Manor for a treasure supposedly hidden there, the children meet another boy hiding in the grounds.
Keeping his secret and protecting him is important to their friendship. But with police circling and a war on, should they be hiding a wanted person?
For all I don’t enjoy wartime set books, that’s just an excuse for this clever book to get all the characters in one place, and the adventure plot is a lot of fun to read. I’d be passing this on to any young readers I know who like mystery, adventure and stories about friendship.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
If my hair looks like bright green seaweed, it’s because that’s exactly what it is. My eyes, a pair of abalone shells, polished blue by sand. Teeth, two rows of pebbles. And my skin is made of wax.
Corpse never asked to be a kid ghost. She doesn’t remember anything from her life – all she knows is her home on the rock-that-doesn’t-exist, her friend Simon the spider, and the vile Witches whose magic she steals.
So, when she discovers that there’s a powerful treasure which could give her all the answers to what she’s lost – her memories, her family, her name – Corpse sets off to find it. On her journey across the stormy sea, she must battle magic, sea monsters and a cruel figure from her past. But the Witches want the treasure too. And they’ll do anything to get it first.
A deliciously dark adventure, packed with chills, fizzing with magic and introducing a truly unforgettable heroine.
Reece Carter is a high-profile Australian nutritionist who has written two non-fiction books for adults, appeared on many of Australian’s major television networks, and written for magazines like GQ. He grew up in rural Western Australia and now lives in Sydney. He has always wanted to write for children and The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name is his first novel, perfect for fans of Tim Burton and Neil Gaiman.
My thoughts: this was a sweet, if somewhat sad, story of a ghost with no memory, a spider chum and three monstrous Witches who are chasing the same treasure – an item that could give Corpse the answers to their past. As Corpse and Simon the spider set off a dangerous adventure, you hope they’ll be OK and get some answers. But there’s always those awful Witches on their tail.
There’s a bit of magic in the story, it’s charming and Corpse is a resourceful protagonist, gently narrating their afterlife, their determination not to fade away and to find out who they were in life.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
In the year 2444, two noble sisters, Sasha (15) and Adrianne (11), have survived a nuclear fallout, only to be torn apart.
The ground splits open and Adrianne is thrown from her horse, plummeting into the ravine. Spurned on by the hope that Adrianne lives, Sasha embarks on a journey through the desert to face the ravine that claimed her only sister. Meanwhile, deep within the earth, Adrianne is running for her life. She took something that did not belong to her.
In The Intra-Earth Chronicles; Book I: The Two Sisters by Kara Jacobson we experience a fast-paced fantasy adventure woven within the earth, and the unshakeable bond between two sisters.
Kara Jacobson resides in the beautiful, rolling hills of Red Wing, MN with her husband and young son, Logan. She and her husband both work at the local hospital, where they first met. Born with an insatiable appetite for science fiction, Kara has always been intrigued with the notion of entire civilizations existing within the earth. She was a New Media Film Festival (2021) nominee for The Intra-Earth Chronicles, Book I: The Two Sisters.
Giveaway: 5 signed copies of The Intra-Earth Chronicles; Book I: The Two Sisters to give away, and two $25 Visa Gift Cards!
My thoughts: this is a fun adventure for 8-12 year old readers, featuring two sisters fighting against the odds to find one another in a post-apocalyptic future.
Adrienne has fallen into a world beneath the Earth’s crust and is held prisoner, things are very different where she’s ended up and she struggles to escape their hold.
Her sister Sasha is racing towards her, confronted with dangers at every turn but determined to save the only person she has left. Sparky and brave, these sisters share a strong bond. Both will learn a lot about themselves in their adventures.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Turn the lights on. Lock the door. Things are about to get SERIOUSLY SCARY!
The brand new must-read middle-grade novel from the author of super-spooky Crater Lake. Perfect for 9+ fans of R.L.Stine’s Goosebumps
It’s basically the worst school detention ever. When classmates (but not mate-mates) Hallie, Angelo, Gustav and Naira are forced to come to school on a SATURDAY, they think things can’t get much worse. But they’re wrong. Things are about to get seriously scary.
What has dragged their teacher underground? Why do the creepy caretakers keeping humming the tune to Itsy Bitsy Spider? And what horrors lurk in the shadows, getting stronger and meaner every minute…? Cut off from help and in danger each time they touch the ground, the gang’s only hope is to work together. But it’s no coincidence that they’re all there on detention. Someone has been watching and plotting and is out for revenge…
Jennifer Killick is the author of Crater Lake, the Alex Sparrow series, and middle-grade sci-fi adventure Mo, Lottie and the Junkers. She regularly visits schools and festivals, and her books have three times been selected for The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge. She lives in Uxbridge, in a house full of children, animals and Lego. When she isn’t busy mothering or step-mothering (which isn’t often) she loves to read, write and run, as fast as she can.
My thoughts: The Breakfast Club is one of my favourite films, with its group of misfits thrown together for a Saturday detention – something my school thankfully didn’t have. But Dread Wood school does, and this might be the worst detention ever because there’s something lurking in the grounds of the school and it’s hungry.
I should also state I am massively arachnophobic and reading this book freaked me out – a lot. If spiders aren’t your jam, don’t read this just before bed.
Angelo, Hallie, Gus and Naira are thrown together but they combine their individual smarts and talents as a group to fight back against those who want to hurt them and save the day, if not the school, but who hasn’t wanted to blow up at least one part of their school?
The first in a new series featuring this intrepid gang – The Loser Club – as Gus dubs them, it’s funny, smart and a bit creepy. There’s also bonus points for positive disability rep and diversity – no one is negative about the differences between them, which is great to see. And the gang do learn their lesson – they didn’t need to be menaced by monsters and crazed scientists to learn it either. Which bodes well for the rest of the series. Can’t wait.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 