August 27, 2014

Library Media Connection review of Zoom In On....

The August/September 2014 issue of Library Media Connection has a review of the four titles in the Zoom In On... series.

The following excerpt is a review of Bizarre Bugs, Body Invaders, Crime Scenes, and House of Horrors.

"There is just enough information to satisfy youngsters' curiosity and give adults the shivers. All volumes are well-designed with short paragraphs explaining colorful illustrations. Short captions appear with all pictures."

These titles are available in both library and paperback formats.The books can be purchased through your preferred vendor, local independent bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Book Festivals taking place over the Labor Day weekend

The Decatur Book Festival will take place August 29 through August 31 at Decatur square. Per information on the website, all of the booths for the 2014 festival have been sold out! The Festival even has a blog. There are more than 600 participating authors, including award-winners, best-sellers, and others who are just getting started.

The 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival will take place on Saturday, August 30, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Honorary chairs for this event are President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.

If you will be in the area of either of these events, please attend!

August 26, 2014

Civil Rights series reviewed in School Library Journal

School Library Journal has reviewed five of the six books in The Story of the Civil Rights Movement in Photographs series in its August 2014 issue. Here is an excerpt from that review:

"The black, white, and red design give the book a slick, professional look...these books...provide a nuanced, well-organized perspective on the time period."

Written for the middle school student, these titles explore pivotal moments during the Civil Rights Movement through gripping primary source photographs. Supplemented by text boxes and captions, the events and key people involved are explained.

All of these titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They can be purchased through your preferred vendor, independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

August 25, 2014

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Queen: Ruth Wakefield and Her Yummy Invention LMC Highly Recommended

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Queen: Ruth Wakefield and Her Yummy Invention.  978-1-7660-4242-1. Library Media Connection (LMC) Highly Recommended.  Series review: "Readers will learn about the lives of the inventors and what drove them."

August 20, 2014

School Library Journal review of Zoom In On Insects series

A review of the six titles in the Zoom In On Insects series appears in the August 2014 issue of School Library Journal. Here is an excerpt of that review:

"...these close-up images will engage children—particularly Grasshoppers and Dragonflies."

Geared toward the elementary reader, all of the titles in this series are available from your preferred vendor, independent bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. They are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats.

August 19, 2014

School Library Journal review of new Scarlet Voyage title

The August 2014 issue of School Library Journal includes a review of Lost Republic. Here is an excerpt from that review:

"This work provides vast opportunities to discuss and compare the ethical issues of a tech-dependent world vs. one dependent on natural resources. Readers will enjoy this epic time travel adventure."

This title (and all titles in Enslow's Scarlet Voyage imprint,) are available through your preferred vendor, enslow.com, independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

August 13, 2014

Giveaway! The Briny Deep Mysteries

In anticipation of The Briny Deep Mysteries Trilogy's 9/1/2014 release, we're listed giveaways on Goodreads for each book in the series!  There's 10 copies of each book available, so the chances of winning are great!  Check out the giveaways below:


Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Disappearing by Jennifer Torres

The Disappearing

by Jennifer Torres

Giveaway ends August 31, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Return by Jennifer Torres

The Return

by Jennifer Torres

Giveaway ends August 31, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Battle by Jennifer Torres

The Battle

by Jennifer Torres

Giveaway ends August 31, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

August 11, 2014

Interview with author of The Briny Deep Mysteries trilogy

The new sci-fi/mystery trilogy, The Briny Deep Mysteries, is coming out September 1st, and it's going to be filled with twists and exciting turns that will keep middle graders reading!  To learn more about the writing of this exciting trilogy, we sat down with author Jennifer Torres:

Enslow Publishers: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Jennifer Torres: Since I was very young, I’ve always loved getting lost in a good book. Reading really fueled my imagination. I especially loved to read mysteries and stories about fantastical places. As I got older the idea of creating my own magical lands through writing was so exciting I just had to pursue it.

Enslow: How did you begin your writing career?

Torres: I began writing in journals as a child. My friends and I would also write scripts and plays and then share them with each other to review – and sometimes to act out.  After finishing school, I became a newspaper reporter and columnist. Over the years I worked as freelance journalist, writing for local and national magazines and newspapers. I’ve also written seven non-fiction children’s books, but THE BRINY DEEP MYSTERIES is my debut into middle grade fiction – and truly the kind of writing I’ve always wanted to do. 

Enslow: What inspired you to write “The Briny Deep” trilogy?

Torres: All the books I read growing up captured my imagination with incredible, edge of your seat stories that often involved secret passageways, doorways to other lands, or a compelling mystery seemingly beyond explanation. When I created the town of Briny Deep, I wanted to construct a place that had never existed before, populate it with a cast of amazing characters, and weave a spellbinding mystery that would engage and captivate readers in the same way I was as a child.

Enslow: Where there any particular obstacles you encountered while writing this book?


Torres: My ten year old was a bit of an obstacle because she wanted to use my laptop all the time to play her computer games. I tried to stick to an early morning schedule of writing – way before she woke up, so I didn’t have to wrestle her for it.

Enslow: When do you write best?

Torres: During the week, I like to get up early while it’s still dark outside and everyone else in the family is asleep. I brew a big cup of coffee and try to get a few hours of writing in. I feel most creative in the morning. But I also love to write when it’s raining outside or a storm is brewing. It really sets the mood for me.

Enslow:  If you weren’t a writer, what might you be doing instead?

Torres: I would be a detective or a private investigator.  I grew up wanting to solve mysteries. My childhood friend and I even opened our own “detective agency” – her dad built it for us in her backyard and we kept “files” on everyone in the neighborhood.

Enslow: What is your favorite children’s book?

Torres: I have so many books that I loved when I was growing up. My top three books would have to be; The Phantom Tollbooth, Harriet the Spy (she kept notes on everyone in her neighborhood too,) and A Wrinkle in Time.  Middle Grade books are my very favorite genre. The kind of books with secret passageways, time portals, and hidden paths to magical lands are the best.


Enslow: What kind of experience do you hope your readers have with “The Briny Deep” trilogy?

Torres: I want them to go on a thrilling ride, filled with fun twists and turns through the town of Briny Deep. As they read the series they should feel like they are on an adventure – and a quest for answers that keeps them excitedly reading until the wee hours of the morning, and leaves them with a true awareness of how much magic and wonder can be found inside a book.



Look for The Disappearing, The Return, and The Battle on SpeedingStar.com, or with your favorite bookseller.  

August 08, 2014

Review of Pure Poetry titles in VOYA

The August 2014 issue of VOYA has a review of three of the Pure Poetry titles. Beauty Poetry, Death Poetry, and Love Poetry were reviewed in the issue. An excerpt is below:

"The poem's form, meaning, and poetic devices are thoroughly discussed line by line, using expositive, yet enjoyable, language and examples that allow for students' comprehensive understanding of the work."

These titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats, and can be purchased from your preferred vendor, independent bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

August 06, 2014

New YA novels available soon as paperbacks

On September 1, Enslow's Scarlet Voyage imprint will release six of its hardcover titles in paperback.

Paint Me a MonsterSpirit of a Mountain Wolf, and What We Did for Love were reviewed by Kirkus, with Paint Me a Monster receiving a starred review. Code Name Komiko was included as a Junior Library Guild Selection. Freak City and In the River Darkness were both reviewed by Library Media Connection.

All of these titles are currently available as hardcover editions, as well as eBooks. They can be purchased through your preferred vendor, independent bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

August 04, 2014

World War I title

World War I started on July 28, 1914 with Austria declaring war on Serbia, and ended on November 11, 1918, with Germany signing an armistice with the Allies. Enslow's history series, The United States at War, includes a title on World War I, written by Zachary Kent. Life on the homefront, the introduction of modern warfare, destroyed empires, countries that disappeared from the map, and much more are included in this title.

Other titles in the series include the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Vietnam War, and World War II. This entire series is correlated to the Common Core Standards.

Available in library and eBook formats, these titles can be found through your preferred vendor, local bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.