Congratulations to Enslow's latest book raffle winner!

Bridge Elementary School in Massachusetts is the latest winner of Enslow's book raffle!

Congratulations to Bridge Elementary!

Library Media Connection review

The five titles in the Inventors at Work! series were recently reviewed in the November/December 2014 issue of Library Media Connection.

Written for upper elementary readers, these inventors created items that are used by or familiar to young readers. All of these titles are available in library bound, paperback, or eBook formats, and can be purchased through your preferred vendor, local bookstore, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

An excerpt from the review is below:

"Readers learn about the lives of the inventors and what drove them. Young readers are encouraged to explore their own ideas and are told how to research their own inventions."

Booklist review in October 1, 2014 issue

Are You Misusing Other People's Words? What Plagiarism Is and How to Avoid It was reviewed in the October 1, 2014 issue of Booklist.

Here is a snippet from the review:

"...Francis provides a very clear definition, complete with examples...The seriousness of plagiarizing is driven home by real-world examples from students, politicians, and journalists...The overall message is one that will resonate with any student who has ever been tempted to take an intellectual shortcut."

Part of the Got Issues? series, the six titles in this series tackle contemporary issues, allowing readers to create their own opinions. Other topics include food allergies, bullying, addiction, copyrighted material, and obesity. All of the titles in this series are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats. They can be found through your preferred vendor, local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Booklist review of Jealous Girl

The October 1, 2014 issue of Booklist includes a review of Jealous Girl? Girls Dealing with Feelings.

An excerpt from the review:

"...this guide is peppered with enough anecdotes, scenarios, and quizzes to keep a reader engaged, and a chapter on irrational jealousy could no doubt be invaluable to a girl struggling with a toxic friendship or relationship. A solid installment on wellness for teens."

This title (and the others in the Girls Dealing with Feelings series, are available in hardcover, paperback and eBook formats. They can be purchased through your preferred vendor, local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Fast Wheels! reviewed in Library Media Connection

The six titles in the Fast Wheels! series, part of Enslow's Speeding Star imprint, were reviewed in the October 2014 issue Library Media Connection.

An excerpt from the review:

"Chapters have young race fan appeal in a clear, readable format...Racing enthusiasts will gravitate to these books, as will reluctant readers."

This high-interest reluctant reader series includes background information on the vehicles in each title, includes the type of training needed to build, modify, maintain, and drive these vehicles.

This series is available in hardcover, paperback, and eBook formats, and can be obtained through your preferred vendor, local bookstore, speedingstar.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Library Media Connection review of Handy Health Guides

The October 2014 issue of Library Media Connection contains a review of Enslow's series on health, Handy Health Guides. Written for the middle school reader, this 12-title series covers asthma, sleep, burns, diabetes, dyslexia, headaches, and more.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

"This series provides ample contextual scientific vocabulary development and is perfect for Common Core reading in science and health."

Correlated to the Common Core and available in library, paperback, and eBook formats, these titles can be found through your preferred vendor, local bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Library Media Connection review of Inspiring Collective Biographies series

Library Media Connection's October 2014 issue includes a review of the six titles in the Inspiring Collective Biographies series. Each title in this middle school series focuses on men and women of a certain renown or in certain fields.

Here is an excerpt:

"...the editing is excellent, the writing style is crisp and inviting."

These titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats, and can be found through your preferred vendor, independent bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Review of Zombie Zappers

Library Media Connection has reviewed the four titles in the Zombie Zappers series in their October 2014 issue. Here is an excerpt of the review:

"Part mystery, part science fiction, and very humorous, each book in the series has a different angle where the characters try to find out what is turning people into zombies...The series is great for lower level readers, it will hold their attention."

This title is available in hardcover, paperback, and eBook formats, and can be purchased through your preferred vendor, local bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Starred review in Library Media Connection

Genius Inventors and Their Great Ideas, a series in the Enslow Elementary imprint, was given a starred review in the October 2014 issue of Library Media Connection.

Here is an excerpt from that review:

"In this fantastic series, each book covers a general overview of the subject’s childhood and their goals…The series would be a great opener for a biography unit, genius hour, invention convention, or science fair."

These titles are available in library, paperback, and eBook formats and are available from your preferred vendor, local bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Pure Poetry series reviewed

Library Media Connection has reviewed Pure Poetry, Enslow's series for middle school and high school students, in its October 2014 issue.

Here is an excerpt from that review:

"The focus is on the poems and not the poet…This nonfiction series meets several of the reading standards for the Common Core."

This series is available from your preferred vendor, enslow.com, independent bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. 

Book Festivals Sept 25 through Sept 28

There are a number of festivals taking place this upcoming weekend.

On Friday, September 26, through Sunday, September 28, the Baltimore Book Festival will take place.

The Boston Teen Author Festival will be on Saturday, September 27 at the Cambridge Library. The event is free, however you are asked to sign up at BTAFworkshop@gmail.com.

The Chappaqua Children's Book Festival will be on Saturday, September 27 at Bell Middle School at 10 am.

The Florida Heritage Book Festival takes place September 25 through September 27 in St. Augustine, Florida.

The Young Reader's South Dakota Festival of Books takes place September 25 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. At this is the inaugural event, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, author Kate DiCamillo and other authors will speak with young readers, their teachers, and their family members.

ScholarShare will be taking place this weekend in Sacramento, CA from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. 

Book Festivals September 20 and 21

There will be two festivals this weekend. On September 20, the Princeton Children's Book Festival will take place in Princeton, NJ, from 11 am to 4 pm. There will be more than 80 authors and illustrators attending, with presentations.

From 10 am to 6 pm on Sunday, September 21, if you happen to be in or near Brooklyn, NY, then visit the Brooklyn Book Festival which will be taking place at the Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza.

School Library Journal review of The Disappearing

The September 2014 issue of School Library Journal includes a review of The Disappearing, a book in Enslow's Speeding Star imprint. This title is the first book in a trilogy.

"What Tim overhears near the end of the story will leave readers at the edge of their seats and sets up a second installment of this paranormal, science fiction series...Torres succeeds in her mission: to hook reluctant readers and keep them reading."

The above excerpt is from the review. This title is available from your preferred vendor, local bookstores, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. It is available in hardcover, paperback, and eBook formats.

Congratulations to our latest raffle winner!

Enslow would like to congratulate Pointe South Middle School in Georgia for winning our raffle for $100 in free books!

Library Media Connection review of Spirit of a Mountain Wolf

In its August/September 2014 issue, Library Media Connection reviewed Spirit of a Mountain Wolf, a book in Enslow's Scarlet Voyage imprint. Here is an excerpt of the review:

"The story maintains a pace that reluctant readers can easily follow. Readers will gain new insight of slavery and prostitution through the eyes of a child...Novice readers will enjoy the exploration of how social and religious practices shape Pakistan's way of life."

This title is available from your preferred vendor, local bookstore, enslow.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. This title is available in hardcover, paperback and eBook formats.

Review of Paint Me a Monster

Library Media Connection reviewed Paint Me a Monster in its August/September 2014 issue. Here is an excerpt:

"This book is a tremendous coming-of-age story...The book is written in very short chapters that illustrate particular incidents in Rinny's life; it makes for a quick and compelling read. Baskin has a unique voice."

This title, part of Enslow's Scarlet Voyage imprint, is available from your preferred vendor, local bookstores, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Interview with Paint Me a Monster author Janie Baskin

Janie Baskin's acclaimed YA novel, Paint Me a Monster has just been released in softcover!  To commemorate the event, we have a Goodreads Giveaway going on right now (see the bottom of the post), and we interviewed Ms. Baskin about the writing of Paint Me a Monster and about being an author.  Check it out!

Scarlet Voyage: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Janie Baskin: Mrs. Burkham, my third grade teacher, had a class project—to make an anthology about the seasons. Each student needed to submit at least one poem; I submitted a dozen!  I loved poetry and Mother Goose nursery rhymes, and this was my chance to create my own.  After that, writing and drawing were some of my favorite playmates, though I didn’t formally write stories until high school.  Each letter I wrote home from summer camp (and I wrote every day) or a thank you note for a gift, turned out to be a little story. 

               Writing eventually took a back seat to illustrating and making art until my first illustrated book was published. Because I was interested in writing picture books, it seemed a natural progression to learn to write so I could both write and illustrate.

SV:  How did you begin your writing career?

JB: As I mentioned, I was a fine artist and illustrator who loved to write. Both fields require similar characteristics to succeed:  imagination, curiosity, attention to detail, and the willingness to work hard and be patient. After publishing as an illustrator, the challenge to become a skilled writer and author became the next rung to reach. I involved myself in a number of writing organizations, including a community writing program called Off Campus Writer’s  Workshop ( OCWW) and an independent critique group. The workshop introduced us to published authors who shared their expertise, and encouraged participants to write and submit their work for critique. Joining The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators offered an array of opportunities to learn more about writing and the book world.  At one of the OCWW meetings I heard that Vermont College offered an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. It was the only school in the country that offered such a specific degree. I sent in samples of my writing, got accepted and worked like crazy cakes to learn as much as my brain could hold.

SV: What inspired you to write Paint Me A Monster?

JB: Good question. What I had learned about writing is that you just have to write- you have to start somewhere even if that start later takes a turn in a totally different direction. My advisor told me to “write what you know, dig deep and don’t be afraid to get messy.”  I knew how fun and how hard it sometimes was to grow up in my family. I knew about life with a sister and brother, and I knew about going to an all girls’ school where completing homework assignments was like scaling Mt. Everest.

These kernels and my advisor’s push to “ keep digging deeper” inspired “Paint Me A Monster.”

SV: What is the one message you want readers to take away from Paint Me A Monster?

JB: It’s my hope that readers will turn the last page of Paint Me A Monster” with more compassion and understanding than they had when they turned the first page. If I could give my readers anything it would be the message that “you are not alone”, that life isn’t about “doing it yourself “.  It’s a collaborative effort; and because it is, what we think may be unworthy, or unable to change, can transform if we’re not afraid to ask for help.

SV: How did you go about researching and planning for writing Paint Me A Monster?

JB: Much of the book is based on reality and then fictionalized so the need for research was limited. When I came to something that needed to be researched, for example, what it is a high school counselor does, and how he might do it, I’d make a note that this information needed refining. This allowed me to continue writing without worrying about details. It’s easy to procrastinate during the writing process and not always so easy to return to the emotional and mental place a scene may require.

For smaller items like the kind of car that might have been driven in a specific year, research would have been immediate.

  

Sources for research included: reading the books my protagonist and her peers might have read, consulting with Chambers of Commerce for a variety of cities, speaking with professionals in health related fields, consulting books about issues such as eating disorders, and child abuse, reviewing my teaching and child development text books, and of course from thinking  a lot about personal experiences and sometimes reenacting them.

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

JB: There were no particular writing obstacles; however, getting the time line accurate was a challenge.  I did think about what effect the story might have on family members. I was concerned that people who know my family might erroneously assign truth to parts of the story.

SV: What is your typical day of writing like?

JB: Before I describe my routine, it’s important to say that much writing is done while I amble about. Perhaps I am taking a walk, driving, or reading for pleasure. I call this purposeful ambling. It’s the time ideas are generated, re-worked, and produce other ideas.

               I have two basic work scenarios. In the first, I wake up early, workout, return home, clean up (sometimes), eat something and write for about three hours. Then I break for lunch, look at e-mail, make calls that can’t wait, then go back to writing for three more hours.

The second scenario occurs when a brainstorm happens while I’m sleeping. I get up, write it down, and because I am so excited, often go into my studio and flesh out the concept. I write until there is no more to say at the time. Then I get up and start the day.

SV: What is your favorite YA book?

JB: The Once and Future King by T.H. White.  I first read this book when I was a freshman in high school and can still visualize Merlin, Wart (Arthur), Guenivere and the other unique characters in their full glory. This couldn’t happen if the writing and tale had not been so enchanting. The idea of growing younger and turning into a fish or bird in order to learn a lesson still astounds me. I still wish I could have Arthur’s experiences and a Merlin-like mentor.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Paint Me a Monster

by Janie Baskin

Giveaway ends September 21, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

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!

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.