Mundie Moms

Monday, February 1, 2010

Meet our 1st ever Mundie Mom Of The Month

We have decided to start a new thing on Mundie Moms. Each month we're going to introduce our forum members to another member who stands out to the rest of us.

We are so excited to introduce you to one of our very own book reviewers/moderators for Mundie Moms. Hint... she LOVES wolves.

Think you know who she is? You can meet her here:

Book Review-Sweethearts by Sara Zarr


Pub. Date: February 2008
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover, 224pp
Age Range: Young Adult
ISBN: 0316014559
5 stars

Synopsis
As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also each other's only friend. So when Cameron disappeared without warning, Jennifer thought she'd lost the one person who would ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she is popular, happy, and dating—everything "Jennifer" couldn't be. But she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend.

When Cameron suddenly reappears, they both are confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.

Sweethearts is a story about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts.

From Sara Zarr's website :

Honors

•2008 Cybil Awards Finalist
•Oprah Book Club Kids Reading List
•American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
•New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
•Utah Book Award Finalist
•TX Tayshas Pick

Reviews

•“…dark and engrossing, thanks to Zarr’s full-bodied characters and creative storytelling.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review
•“Zarr’s writing is remarkable.” – Booklist, starred review
•“…subtle, beautifully written…” – VOYA, starred review
•“…an engrossing novel.” – The New York Times
•“…wistful prose and skillfully layered characters.” – The Horn Book


About the book:

The story of Jenna/Jennifer and Cameron was inspired by a friendship I had as a child with a boy, Mark, who came back into my life when we were both adults. When Mark and I got back in touch, I was surprised at what a strong bond we had despite having not seen nor heard from one another since third grade. I started asking myself—what if Mark and I had been reunited in high school? What if our lives had taken divergent paths? Would we still be loyal to each other, based on that childhood friendship, even if we wound up in different social circles and with different destinies? If so, why? What kinds of emotional and practical challenges would that bring? Though the details of what happened to Jennifer and Cameron were all made up, I did my best to be as emotionally truthful as I could with their story. I continue to be been blown away by reader response to this book, and how many people out there have Jennas and Camerons of their or their own.


Sweethearts was so realistic and heart warming for me personally. Cameron Quick is the kind of friend you want for all of your life, despite his understandable walls and ability to disappear. I could relate to much of their life story which is I think why I was pulled completely into the pages. I finished it in 24 hours and it left an impression I am sure I won't forget. Having worked for several years as a child protective service and foster care worker for the State, I see so many of Sara's descriptions as real-life struggles for teens seeking independent living and seeking to break the cycles of their childhood.

Sara tackles every day issues in today's world like abuse, single parent homes, popularity, school bullies, religion, compulsive eating, and teenage relationships. She leaves you hopeful that there are every day heroes and loves that endure the bounds of time and space. Five out of five stars for "Sweethearts." I think it would be an excellent book to explore in the classroom.


Watch a fan made trailer on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM8gfCJUTMs

Mundane Monday #19

Happy Monday!!!

"Because of you," he said. "If it weren't for you, I would have gone with my father through the Portal. If it weren't for you, I would go after him right now."

Clary started down into the clogged pond. Her throat burned. "I thought I made you feel unsettled."

"It's been so long," he said simply, "that I think I was unsettled by the idea of feeling like I belonged anywhere. But you made me feel like I belong."- Clary & Jace, CoB, page 482

Along with our quote, we wanted to post this awesome fan made video we found of The Mortal Instruments. We hope everyone had a great Monday!!

The Iron King ARC Winner




Thank you to everyone who entered our Harlequin Teen sponsored ARC giveaway for The Iron King by Julie Kajawa. Our winner is....Ladytink_534!! We're sending you an email now, and you have 48 hours to contact us. Thank you!!

Mundie Moms & Affiliates News

February is a huge month for our affiliates and for us.
*We'll be taking part in Random House Kids N.D. Wilson's 100 Cupboard series blog tour on Feb. 8th!! *stay tuned for our reviews on the series and more information about the tour*
*Feb. 9th we're kicking off Lisa McMann's release of GONE and GONE Tour by posting our fun Q&A with her
*Feb. 11th we're chatting with Chasing Brooklyn author Lisa Schoeder
*Feb. 18th we have a chat scheduled with The Iron King author Julie Kagawa
* We're also celebrating our 1st Birthday this month, which will include give aways, guest author posts and more. Be sure to keep checking our blog for more!!
*Don't forget to join our Book Of The Month featuring Lisa McMann's GONE, our Debut Author Spotlight, Julie Kagawa and our spotlight book, Chasing Brooklyn. At the end of the month we'll be hosting a fun Mundie Moms Book of The Month Chat.


Here's what our affiliates are up to this month:


Fallen Angel has a great interview with Becca Fitzpatrick, along with her tour dates and a Valentine's Day give away!!
See all the details on their site here: http://www.fallenarchangel.com/


Page Turners is hosting a chat with author Bree Despain this month. They'll also be apart of The Cinderella Society blog tour in March. Currently they'll part of The Random House 28 Days of Winter Blog Tour Give Away. Be sure to visit them to find out more-


Late Bloomers have a lot of upcoming things planned for their blog. You'll have to keep visiting them to find out more. Right now they're hosting a fun Valentine's Day give away and be sure to watch out for their ARC of Spells giveaway with Aprilynne Pike.


Caster Girls have some great info posted on their site from Kami and Margie's latest tour, as well as the scavenger hunt answers. Be sure to visit their site here: http://castergirls.com/



Eve's Garden is hosting some fun Author chats with Lisa McMann and Lisa Schroeder this month. Visit their site to get more details here- http://evesfangarden.com/



Novel Novice is hosting their first book giveaway!! Rachel Vincent's, My Soul To Take. Please go here-http://novelnovice.com/features/contests/book-giveaway-imy-soul-to-savei-by-rachel-vincent/
They are also kicking off their Book Of The Month with Beautiful Creatures. Be sure to visit their site to discuss all things book related!!

Dark Faerie Tales is having a HUGE give away. You don't want to miss all the great books that are available for the winners. See their Valentine's Day contest here:

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