5 Tips to Help Reluctant Readers Fall in Love With Books

Tips to help reluctant readers fall in love with books

1.       Listen to audiobooks.

2.      Choose visually appealing books.

3.      Take turns reading.

4.      Choose books with white space (that means avoid densely packed/wordy pages). Your child wants to feel successful turning each page. Slow page-turns can make reading feel weighty.

5.      Help your child choose books with subjects that are fun and interesting to them.

THE TRUTH ABOUT 5th GRADE (HarperCollins), written by award-winning author Kim Tomsic and award-winning cartoonist, Mark Parisi, is ideal for 2^nd-5^th grade readers who love humor, sloths, wild science, and a funny touch of poetry. This laugh-out-loud story is written as "he-said/she-said" diary entries by two BFFs with different perspectives about the "truth" about fifth grade. For avid readers, reluctant readers, and for fans of Invisible Emmie and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Critical praise:

"The truth is: readers are going to LOVE this HILARIOUS he-said/she-said diary!” — Sarah Mlynowski, author of the NYT Bestselling Whatever After series

 

"The book includes plenty of humor, such as a memory of a ladybug flying up Alex’s nose... The illustrations are appealing and break up the text, making it accessible to reluctant readers. ... “Lively, fun, and deeply relatable."  — Kirkus Reviews

 

"As the besties struggle to get on the same page, [Alex and Charli] navigate friendship rivalries, pranks, and violations of privacy via fast-paced chapters that highlight their differences—and similarities—and offer laugh-out-loud moments."  — Publishers Weekly

“This illustrated diary-style novel delves into the changes and frustrations fifth grade can bring … [It’s a] comical tale of fifth grade that fans of Diary of Wimpy Kid and similar books will enjoy.” — School Library Journal

A family curse. An “innocent” prank. A magic candle THE 12TH CANDLE

THE 12TH CANDLE by Kim Tomsic 

(October 8, 2019 Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins) ISBN 978-0062654977

Since birth, Sage Sassafras has been plagued by the Contrarium Curse, aka the Curse of the Opposites, and it has pitted her against tall, rich, basketball star, Priscilla Petty. When Priscilla lands dunk shots, Sage throws bricks. When Priscilla has a good hair day, Sage gets tangles, and when Priscilla’s father lands a big promotion at work, things go really sour for Sage’s daddy.

So when Noodler, the biggest search-engine company in the world, challenges students at Goldview K-8 to the Doodle for Noodler art contest, Sage is determined to win fame before Priscilla can, and thereby change her reputation from infamous to famous. Plus, with a little help from the magic candle she received on her 12^th birthday, she believes she can do even more! The candle brings pizza, art supplies, and new clothing—maybe it can change the curse, too, so Sage makes the ultimate wish—she asks for a curse-reverse.

When the consequences of her wish take a terrible turn, she has to team up with her frenimies and figure out how to break the curse and its reverse for good, she’ll be doomed to a life of opposites forever!

CRITICAL PRAISE:

“A thoughtful look at curse versus choice and an encouragement to youngsters to make their own paths.”—Kirkus Review

“Friendship, magic, and pink lightning—this book is a wish come true!” —Lauren Myracle

 “This sweetly magical novel is a lesson in kindness. There is magic in all of us.” –Kristen Gilligan, owner, Tattered Cover Book Store

“A heartfelt and humorous story about the ups and downs of middle school, touching on the ways acts of forgiveness can change an entire community. The 12^th Candle is a wish come true!” –McCourt Thomas, Head of Youth Services, Lyons Regional Library District

“An enchanting and heartfelt story for anyone who has ever tried to wish away their problems!” –Ida Olson, Library Media Specialist, McCormick Junior High School

If you would like a signed copy, please order through the following bookstores and let them know you'd like your copy personalized:

Changing Hands Bookstore: https://www.changinghands.com/book/9780062654977

Tattered Cover Bookstore: https://www.tatteredcover.com/book/9780062654977

BookBar Denver https://www.bookbardenver.com/book/9780062654977

Boulder Bookstore: https://www.boulderbookstore.net/book/9780062654977

PUBLIC EVENTS:

October 8th, 7:00 PM Tattered Cover Bookstore, 2526 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver

October 12th, noon, SCBWI Rocky Mountains

October 26th, 2:00 PM Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S. McClintock, Tempe AZ

November 9th:  Boulder Connect, Boulder Colorado

School visits (not listed here) have been scheduled through:  BookBar Denver, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Boulder Bookstore, and Changing Hands Bookstore. 

Buying Link: Indie Bound https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062654977

Would you like to know about the author:

Please visit Kim Tomsic's Website:  http://kimtomsic.com/

ISBN 978-0062654977

The Great Hibernation by Tara Dairman

Author Tara Dairman (All Four Stars series) has another great book coming out this fall. 
In The Great Hibernation, (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House Kids, September 12, 2017) all the parents and teens in the town of St. Polonius fall fast asleep in a mysterious state of hibernation, and science-minded Jean Huddy can’t help but wonder if there’s a strange illness…or worse, a curse—a curse that Jean has brought upon the town.

With parents and teens out for the count, Magnus, the son of the Mayor, proclaims the town charter requires the children of St. Polonius must take over their parents’ jobs, especially since St. Polonius is remotely located on a fjord and a blizzard has hit thereby preventing access to help. Naturally, the twelve and under crowd step up and start running things.

Almost everyone is excited: The daughter of the librarian wants to throw out the Dewey Decimal system and file books by color; Axel Gorson, who is only eight, now drives the snowplow; and six-year-old Annemarie Hammerstein (the daughter of the local doctor) starts practicing stitches on her dollies! But it’s not all fun and games, because Magnus the Mayor is ready to run things with a Mafia-esque iron fist.

Jean, her brother Micah, and a sheep named Rambo lead this story in adventure and hilarity, but also woven in are a handful of beautiful yet subtle devices in which this story deals with cultural differences and prejudices. For example, after a horrible kitchen incident where Jean doesn’t know what to do or how to act, Isara, the now proprietor of the restaurant whose family moved to St. Polonius from Thailand, comes to rescue. He offers a kind hand and says he knows what it’s like to, “be in a place where nothing makes sense. Were you don't know the rules. Sometimes, you need someone to show you the way.”

The Great Hibernation delivers page-turning doses of intrigue, adventure, and humor with one fun-filled complication after another, a truly can’t-put-downable book!

Buying Links listed alphabetically:

Amazon  

BookBar (a beautiful independent bookstore)

Second Star to the Right (a beautiful independent bookstore)

Boulder Book Store (signing event at this bookstore in September!) 

Barnes and Noble

The Great Hibernation fall book tour

Books of Wonder – New York, NY
Sunday, September 17, 1 pm
Middle-grade panel and launch party! (with Jessica Lawson, Tracey Baptiste,  & Allison Cherry)

The Voracious Reader  – Larchmont, NY
Monday, September 18, evening (time TBA)
Science & magic! A middle grade event with Sarah Albee, & Corey Ann Haydu

Trident Booksellers & Cafe – Boston, MA
Tuesday, September 19, 6:30 pm
Super middle-grade panel! (with Debbi Michiko Florence, Ammi-Joan Paquette, Jen Malone, & Katie Slivensky, moderated by Dana Alison Levy)

One More Page Books – Arlington, VA
Saturday, September 23, 3pm
Kidlit panel! (with Tracey Baptiste, Caroline Carlson, & Jessica Lawson, moderated by Madelyn Rosenberg)

Boulder Book Store – Boulder, CO
Tuesday, September 26, 6:30 pm
Middle-grade book launch party! (with Jeannie Mobley & Melanie Crowder)

BookPeople – Austin, TX
Sunday, October 8, 2 pm
A Triple Launch Party! (with Christina Soontornvat & Jeannie Mobley)

Author:	Tara Dairman
Publisher:	Wendy Lamb Books / Random House Childrens Books
Date Published:	September 12, 2017
Street Date:	September 12, 2017
Format:	Hardcover
Length:	272 pages
Language:	English
ISBN:	1524717851 / 9781524717858
Categories:	Kids & Teens / Fiction & Literature / Family & Social Issues / General
	Kids & Teens / Fiction & Literature / Health / Illness & Injuries
	Kids & Teens / Fiction & Literature / Family & Social Issues / Friendship
Audience:	Children's - Grade 4-6, Age 9-11

Picture Books: Visual Treats for Halloween

It Eye Candy Palooza in my town! The picture book section at my local bookstore featured a pile of visual treats, so of course I want to share them with you.

Jampires by Sarah McIntyre and David O'Connell. It's the great doughnut mystery! The jam has been sucked out of Sam's doughnuts. Who's the culprit?
And if the illustrations don't push you over the edge to want to own this book, read the cute opening:
“THERE’S NO JAM!” yelled Sam. “This doughnut is wrinkly! This doughnut is jamless and dry!
Someone has got to this doughnut before me and sucked out the jamminess! WHY?”

TheLittlest Mummy by Brandi Doughtery

“Mae is the littlest mummy in the Spooky Wood.

Too little to moan, groan, and look scary.

Too little to shuffle and wear wrappings.

Too little to dance at the big Halloween bash.

But she's not too little to make a friend.”

Creepy Carrots by (author)Aaron Reynolds and
(illustrator) Peter Brown.
You've probably heard of this one, it won a Caldecott Honor after all.
"Jasper Rabbit loves carrots—especially Crackenhopper Field carrots. 
He eats them on the way to school.
He eats them going to Little League.
He eats them walking home.
Until the day the carrots start following him...or are they?
     Celebrated artist Peter Brown’s stylish illustrations pair perfectly with Aaron Reynold’s text in this hilarious picture book that shows it’s all fun and games…until you get too greedy."

Julie's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke

I could spend an hour enjoying the cute and clever details in this book featuring the lost creatures who show up after Julie hangs a welcome sign.

Jacketflap:

" When Julia and her walking house come to town, she likes everything about her new neighborhood except how quiet it is! So Julia puts a sign up: "Julia's House for Lost Creatures." Soon she's hosting goblins, mermaids, fairies, and even a dragon. Quiet isn't a problem anymore for Julia...but getting her housemates to behave themselves is!

The simple, sweet text of this picture book by New York Times Best-Selling Zita the Spacegirl author/illustrator Ben Hatke is perfectly balanced by his lush, detailed, immersive watercolor illustrations."  

MAX the Brave by Ed Vere

Max is adorable, and so is every action and illustration in this book. You'll enjoy the page turns as Max the Brave hunts for Mouse.

Details:

"Max the Brave is a brilliant new picture book from Ed Vere. This is Max. Max the Brave, Max the Fearless, Max the Mouse-catcher... But, in order to be a Mouse-catcher, Max needs to know what a mouse is, so off he goes to find out. This hilarious new picture book from the phenomenally-talented Ed Vere introduces a new and lovable character, with Ed's trademark bold illustrations and clever story. Other Ed Vere titles to look out for: Banana; Bedtime for Monsters; Mr. Big; The Getaway Ed Vere studied fine art at Camberwell College of Art and has been writing and illustrating children's books since 1999. He is published in both England and the US. Ed is also a painter, working from his studio in east London and is represented by galleries in London and Los Angeles. After a year and a half living in Barcelona, Ed now lives and works in London."

GOODNIGHT GOON by Michael Rex

You can't help but laugh and feel nostalgic when you see the familar-ish cover (and title) of Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex

“Goodnight monsters everywhere, in this parody romp with its own special twist!

Goodnight tomb. Goodnight goon. Goodnight Martians taking over the moon.?

It?s bedtime in the cold gray tomb with a black lagoon, and two slimy claws, and a couple of jaws, and a skull and a shoe and a pot full of goo. But as a little werewolf settles down, in comes the Goon determined at all costs to run amok and not let any monster have his rest.

A beloved classic gets a kind-hearted send up in this utterly monsterized parody; energetic art and a hilarious text will have kids begging to read this again and again.”

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY BRAINS A ZombieCulinary Tale by Joe McGee Pictures by Charles Santoso

Here’s another picture book I could look at over and
over again. And it's a perfect fit for this generation of zombie lovers, plus the pictures are hilarious.

“Reginald isn’t like the other zombies who shuffle through Quirkville, scaring the townspeople and moaning for BRAINSSSSS! The only thing Reginald’s stomach rumbles for is sticky peanut butter and sweet jelly. He tries to tell his zombie pals that there’s more to life than eating brains, but they’re just not interested. Will Reginald find a way to bring peace to Quirkville and convince the other zombies that there’s nothing better than PB&J?

Debut author Joe McGee and up-and-coming illustrator Charles Santoso have created a delicious tale about being true to yourself that will make readers hungry for more.”

Book Review: As If 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President

The word, H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S.
As If 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President (Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books 2008) by Donna Gephart is about seventh-grade Vanessa Rothrock who has a few wishes in life:
5. win the spelling bee;
4. discover her secret admirerer's identity;
3. receive a gift (the gift!) from the boob fairy;
2. snag another wink and phone call from Reginald;
1. keep Mom safe and out of the election.

It's easy to see why As If 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President won the 2009 Sid Fleishman Award presented at the SCBWI's national convention. The Sid Fleishman is the prestigious award granted to honor an author "whose work exemplifies the excellence of writing in the genre of humor." Translation: the book is snort-out-loud funny.

As If 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President

5 out of 5 lollipops

ISBN-10: 0440422116

ISBN-13: 978-0440422112

Hard cover list price $11.99/ Kindle $7.99

Rating 5 out of 5 lollipops!

Book Jacket: "As if being 12 3/4 isn’t bad enough, Vanessa Rothrock’s mother is running for president and it’s ruining her life. Isn’t it enough that her enormous feet trip her up all the time, even on stage during the school spelling bee? Isn’t it enough that Reginald Trumball, love of Vanessa’s pathetic life, read her personal and private list of deficiencies to some boy she doesn’t even know? And that the Boob Fairy hasn’t visited her even once?! Doesn’t Mom realize that Vanessa needs her more than the rest of the country? More importantly, doesn’t she realize that she may be in grave danger? Vanessa's receiving threatening notes at school–notes that imply some psycho has it out for her mother at the Democratic National Convention. Vanessa might be the only person who can save her. But does she have the courage to do what that requires?"