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Showing posts with label Scholastic Press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scholastic Press. Show all posts

Saturday, July 12, 2025

What's on your TBR?: JULY RELEASES

Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.


Today, we're shining the BOOK SPOTLIGHT on a few titles that have made their way (or are JUST about to) to a bookstore or virtual shelf near you. That's right. It's time to set our sights on JULY RELEASES and we've got a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. So, have your TBR at the ready, here come the books!

The first two titles are ones that caught my attention, for one reason or another, but I've not indulged in the story between the pages.  Will I?  Perhaps, but at the very least, I wanted to draw your eye to them as well and see what YOU think!  I love how the first one draws a connection between two people at two very different times, while the second one feels like an edge of your seat mystery that will keep you turning pages!



by Brittney Morris
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

About the book...
Two moments in time. Two very different girls. And one story that connects them both.

It’s the year 2024, and Zinnia Davis is on a mission to ace her personal essay. But when an admissions rep hints that her adoption story is “lacking heart,” she has to figure out a new spin. Frankly, Zinnia doesn’t know much about her birth parents; that is, until her favorite author releases a new novel—Little Heart—about a princess with a heart-shaped birthmark on her forehead and separated from her mother at birth…just like Zinnia. Could this be her birth mother?

Flashback to 2006, and teenager Tuesday Walker is barely making it through high school after experiencing a loss that had her on leave for months. To cope, Tuesday writes a series of entries in a journal, but when the journal is lost, it feels like reliving the trauma all over again. Tuesday’s search for the journal uncovers dangerous secrets about her past, her crush, and her own mother’s story.

If Tuesday isn’t careful in her search, Zinnia will have to reap the consequences in the present.


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by Tiffany D. Jackson
Scholastic Press

About the book...
Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon feels like a fish out of water. She's spending the summer with family friends in their huge house on Martha's Vineyard, and the vibe is definitely snooty. Still, there are beautiful beaches, lots of ice cream, and a town full of fascinating Black history. Plus a few kids her age who seem friendly.

Until the shocking death of a popular teenage boy rocks the community to its core. Was it a drowning? A shark attack? Or the unthinkable--murder?

Kaylani is determined to solve the mystery. But her investigation leads her to uncover shocking secrets that could change her own life as she knows it... if she survives.




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Now for our next set of titles, I have delved between their pages, paper or electronic, and they've BOTH got stories to tell.



by Christy Mandin
Orchard Books

This is a story about embracing the darkness and allowing it as much space as the light.  There are things that can only be done in the dark, places that can only be visited, thoughts only thought, dreams only dreamed, life that can only grow AND glow when the lights go out.  Millie reminds us that while many shy away from darkness, it's generally out of misunderstanding versus actual desire.  I mean, who doesn't fear the unknown in some fashion?  But if we give it time, get to know it little by little, and it never hurts to have a friend at hand, we can be as much friends with the darkness as we are with the light, and celebrate the unique things that only it can bring.  Filled with wondrous illustrations and so many delightful ideas to create your own twilight garden, I can see readers of all ages taking this one to heart and making the dark their new friend.


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by Derrick Barnes
Illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice
Nancy Paulsen Books
On Sale: 07/15/2025

This is a story of family, of the bonds forged between siblings, and the boundless love that carries on from generation to generation.  When Anthony becomes a big brother, he showers this new addition to the family with love, pearls of wisdom, and that precious commodity of TIME.  As they grow, so does their relationship, but they always come back to one another because through thick and thin, they've got each other.  When one day the family dynamics change once again, Rasheed gets the chance to be the big brother Anthony was to him, but to the new little addition, continuing the circle of love, growth, and understanding that cements a family at heart.  It was a touching story that I think really gets to the heart of what having a brother or sister (or multiples of each!) really means. It's not just someone to place the blame on.  It's not just someone to ignore when it's convenient.  It's not just someone there to take up the space you were already occupying.  It's someone to share the good times and bad, someone to create memories with and share traditions learned, someone that will always be there through life's ups and downs, and that's truly something worth cultivating.



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Special thanks to the publishers, publicists, and authors listed above for the chance to bring these titles to you!  For more information, feel free to click through the links provided above.  The first three are currently available now, and the last follows suit in a few days time (as of this post).  

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


Sunday, July 7, 2024

Rockstar Book Tours presents... STEPPING OFF by Jordan Sonnenblick - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the STEPPING OFF by Jordan Sonnenblick Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway before you check out the other sites participating!

 

Title: STEPPING OFF

Author: Jordan Sonnenblick

Pub. Date: June 4, 2024

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/STEPPING-OFF 

Jesse Dienstag's favorite sweatshirt says, "The real world isn't real." That's the slogan of the vacation-home community in Pennsylvania where his family has always spent every vacation and weekend for as long as he can remember. In the summer of 2019, as Jesse is about to enter his junior year of high school in New York City, he desperately wants to believe the slogan is true. For one thing, the two girls he loves -- equally and desperately -- are in Pennsylvania, and all the stresses and pressures of his daily life and school are in New York.

But when his parents stop talking to each other, it gets harder and harder for Jesse to maintain his dream life in Pennsylvania. And when Covid shuts New York City down in March 2020 just days after Jesse’s mother leaves his father, Jesse's worlds collide.

 

 


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A coming of age story from the male perspective with a look at just what it meant to be a teen on the cusp of it all when Covid strikes. As if growing up wasn't hard enough, let's throw an isolating pandemic into the mix!

We all had our own experiences with the shutdown. Figuring out how to manage our time and sanity while we stayed at least 6 feet away from everyone, and then the reintroduction to everyone and everything once again. Sounds easy, but we know it wasn't. Jesse handles it as well as can be expected, but the other challenges life is throwing at him make it seem a little less somehow. Can he survive the impact on his world from things outside of his control? Will his relationships survive the emotional fallout? All good reasons to pick this one up, find your favorite cozy reading spot, and take the plunge....




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About Jordan Sonnenblick:

Jordan Sonnenblick is the author of the acclaimed Drums, Girls & Dangerous PieAfter Ever AfterNotes from the Midnight DriverZen and the Art of Faking It, Falling Over Sideways, and The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade. He lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two children.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 




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~~~ Giveaway ~~~

1 winner will receive a finished copy of STEPPING OFF, US Only.

Ends July 16th, midnight EST.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Tour Schedule:

Week One:

6/17/2024

kaylyn_s_booknook

IG Post

6/18/2024

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt/IG Post

6/19/2024

YA Books Central

Interview/IG Post

6/20/2024

onemused

IG Post

6/21/2024

@dharashahauthor

Review/IG Post

6/22/2024

@thepagelady

IG Review

Week Two:

6/23/2024

@dana.loves.books

Review/IG Post/TikTok Post

6/24/2024

GryffindorBookishnerd

IG Review

6/25/2024

@enthuse_reader

IG Review/TikTok Post

6/26/2024

@evergirl200

IG Review

6/27/2024

Lifestyle of Me

Review

6/28/2024

Brandi Danielle Davis

IG Review/TikTok Post

6/29/2024

nerdophiles

Review

Week Three:

6/30/2024

Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's

Review/IG Post

7/1/2024

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

7/2/2024

@amysbookshelf82

IG Review

7/3/2024

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

7/4/2024

@stargirls.magical.tale

IG Review

7/5/2024

Michelle, The Book Critic

Review/IG Post

7/6/2024

anitralovesbooksanddogs

IG Review

Week Four:

7/7/2024

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review/IG Post

7/8/2024

Review Thick And Thin

Review/IG Post

7/9/2024

pick a good book

Review/IG Post

7/10/2024

The Momma Spot

Review

7/11/2024

Fire and Ice

Review/IG Post

7/12/2024

Two Points of Interest

Review/IG Post




Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


Thursday, May 30, 2024

Rockstar Book Tours presents... BEASTLY BEAUTY by Jennifer Donnelly - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BEASTLY BEAUTY  by Jennifer Donnelly Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

Title: BEASTLY BEAUTY

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Pub. Date: May 7, 2024

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/BEASTLY-BEAUTY

*"A dreamy, sublimely written tale." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

From New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Jennifer Donnelly comes a revolutionary, gender-swapped retelling of Beauty and the Beast that will forever change how you think about beauty, power, and what it really means to follow your heart.

What makes a girl "beastly?" Is it having too much ambition? Being too proud? Taking up too much space? Or is it just wanting something, anything, too badly?

That's the problem Arabella faces when she makes her debut in society. Her parents want her to be sweet and compliant so she can marry well, but try as she might, Arabella can't extinguish the fire burning inside her -- the source of her deepest wishes, her wildest dreams.

When an attempt to suppress her emotions tragically backfires, a mysterious figure punishes Arabella with a curse, dooming her and everyone she cares about, trapping them in the castle. As the years pass, Arabella abandons hope. The curse is her fault -- after all, there's nothing more "beastly" than a girl who expresses her anger -- and the only way to break it is to find a boy who loves her for her true self: a cruel task for a girl who's been told she's impossible to love.

When a handsome thief named Beau makes his way into the castle, the captive servants are thrilled, convinced he is the one to break the curse. But Beau -- spooked by the castle's strange and forbidding ladies-in-waiting, and by the malevolent presence that stalks its corridors at night -- only wants to escape. He learned long ago that love is only an illusion. If Beau and Arabella have any hope of breaking the curse, they must learn to trust their wounded hearts, and realize that the cruelest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves.

 

 

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I ADORE a great fairytale redo, don't you?
I mean, we get the elements we know and love, but a new twist to spice it up and keep it interesting on a new level. 😏 Decidedly, my cup of tea. A few years back, I read a release from this author in this same subgenre and was hooked! POISONED... perhaps you've heard of it? If not, once you've devoured this tale, take your chance on that one; you won't be sorry. Anywho... Jennifer Donnelly does not disappoint!

Once again, we're given a dose of familiar, this time in the vein of Beauty and the Beast (and what bookish gal doesn't like that story...or at least the library?!), with several twists...the Beast and Belle in role reversals, and the former cursed for all the wrong reasons, while the latter actually was involved in thefts, but not exactly by choice.  Still, there's hope to be had for all,  if one can look below the surface...her's being the outspoken woman that society says is a big NO, and his being five finger discounts, and manipulation by use of his beauty. No one is perfect, but these two are certainly far from being only what they've been labeled. I was glued to the page as everything unfolded, and by book's end, happily bidding them adieu... until next time. 😉 

A great pick for fans of the genre and Young Adult readers alike!



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About the author...

Jennifer Donnelly is the author of A Northern Light, which was awarded a Printz Honor and a Carnegie Medal; Revolution (named a Best Book by Amazon, Kirkus ReviewsSchool Library Journal, and the Chicago Public Library, and nominated for a Carnegie Medal); the Deep Blue series; and many other books for young readers, including Lost in a Book, which spent more than 20 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She lives in New York's Hudson Valley.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon







Giveaway Details: 

1 winner will receive a finished copy of BEASTLY BEAUTY, US Only.

Ends June 4th, midnight EST.



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Special thanks to the Rockstar Book Tours team for the chance to bring this tour to you, and to Scholastic Press for the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links find above. This title is available now, wherever books are sold. To catch more bookish fun, be sure to stop by the rest of the sites participating in this tour, and don't miss your chance to win!

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

5/6/2024

The Cover Contessa

Excerpt

5/7/2024

@darkfantasyreviews

Excerpt

5/8/2024

YA Books Central

Excerpt/IG Post

5/9/2024

Fyrekatz Blog

Review/IG Post

5/10/2024

onemused

IG Post

5/10/2024

Ilovebooksandstuffblog

Review/IG Post

5/11/2024

Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's

Review/IG Post

Week Two:

5/12/2024

@niks.bookshelf

IG Post

5/13/2024

Wishful Endings

Excerpt/IG Post

5/14/2024

@katherinebichler

TikTok Post

5/15/2024

@dharashahauthor

IG Post

5/15/2024

@travelersguidetobooks

IG Review

5/16/2024

Books With a Chance

Review/IG Post

5/17/2024

jlreadstoperpetuity

IG Review/TikTok Post

5/17/2024

@thepagelady

IG Review

5/18/2024

anitralovesbooksanddogs

IG Review

Week Three:

5/19/2024

Triquetra Reviews

Review/IG Post

5/20/2024

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

5/21/2024

@bookish_aly_cat

IG Review/TikTok Post

5/21/2024

@dreaminginpages

IG Review

5/22/2024

nerdophiles

Review

5/23/2024

A Backwards Story

Review/IG Post

5/23/2024

YA Book Nerd

Review/IG Post

5/24/2024

@jaimes_mystical_library

IG Review

5/25/2024

@celiamcmahonreads

IG Review

Week Four:

5/26/2024

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

5/26/2024

@enthuse_reader

IG Review/TikTok Post

5/27/2024

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

5/28/2024

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

5/29/2024

traceyreadsandrambles

Review/IG Post

5/30/2024

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review/IG Post

5/31/2024

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post



Until next time, remember...if it looks good READ IT!


Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Rockstar Book Tours presents... SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL MAGIC: The Equinox Test by Liz Montague - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE EQUINOX TEST by Liz Montague Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my review post, make sure to enter the giveaway, and then check out the other sites for more bookish fun!


Title: THE EQUINOX TEST

Author: Liz Montague

Pub. Date: April 2, 2024

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 240

Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/THE-EQUINOX-TEST 

Three friends discover magic and mayhem around every corner of their school in this brand-new illustrated series from New Yorker cartoonist and NAACP Image Award nominee Liz Montague that's perfect for fans of Witchlings and The Wizards of Waverly Place.

Welcome to the Brooklyn School of Magic, where seeds of enchantment are planted and magic sprouts in every corner. And where each fall, fifth years must pass the Equinox Test if they want to move up to Middle Magic.

Rose is worried. She's never been the best student. And if she doesn't pass with flying colors, Principal Ivy says she may have to transfer to a boring, non-magical school. Amethyst knows she's got the skills to ace the test. But to really impress her mom, she's got her eye on the school's top prize. Lavender just wants to fit in. Even after a few years in the States, he still feels homesick. All. The. Time. Passing the test might just be his ticket back to the island.

But with best friend battles, a cheating scandal, and trouble brewing in the magical community, the Equinox Test may not even be the biggest challenge these Magic Bearers will face this year…

 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Rose is struggling with magic school and seriously worried about making the grade...so much so, that she's considering taking a very bad step in the wrong direction.  (The "C" word...cheating!)  Amethyst is her best friend, and finds magic studies come fairly easy to her...at least until a blowup with Rose sends her spiraling into anxiety filled waters, quite literally.  Lav is the new kid who is missing home like nobody's business, and is finding it hard to find his footing in this part of the world...leading to a misguided decision that could change the course of his magical life.  Three kids all striving to do their best in a world that is offering up more challenges than they can shake a stick at.  On their own, these issues seem insurmountable, but together, there's nothing holding them back...the trick is finding their way back at HEART.  I'd put my money on Rose solving that problem... 😉

I loved the way the story was laid out, the characters built upon, and the world created.  The real magic of the story isn't in the spells cast, or potions worked, but in the friendships.  We can do anything we set our minds to, and while we may not be good at everything, we're all good at something.  Find your something and build on it...then help someone you hold dear do the same.  Grow the world one good will gesture at a time.


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About Liz Montague:

Liz Montague began as a cartoonist for The New Yorker in 2019. She is the author-illustrator of the graphic novel Maybe an Artist, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, the picture book Jackie Ormes Draws the Future, and the middle grade series Magic for Beginners. Liz is passionate about nature and emotional literacy. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with her husband Pat.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon










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~~~   GIVEAWAY   ~~~


1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE EQUINOX TEST, US Only.

Ends April 23rd, midnight EST.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Special thanks to Rockstar Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the publisher for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on this horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more..


Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/25/2024

YA Books Central

Interview/IG Post

3/26/2024

Comic Book Yeti

Guest Post/IG Post

3/27/2024

@darkfantasyreviews

Guest Post/IG Post

3/28/2024

@dharashahauthor

IG Post

3/29/2024

onemused

IG Post

3/30/2024

Review Thick AndThin

Review/IG Post

Week Two:

3/31/2024

avainbookland

IG Review

4/1/2024

Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's

Review/IG Post

4/2/2024

GryffindorBookishnerd

IG Review

4/3/2024

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Review/IG Post

4/4/2024

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

4/5/2024

nerdophiles

Review

4/6/2024

Paws.Read.Repeat

Review/IG Post

Week Three:

4/7/2024

@pickagoodbook

Review/IG Post

4/8/2024

@stargirls.magical.tale

IG Review

4/9/2024

Callisto’s calling

IG Review

4/10/2024

@dana.loves.books

IG Review/TikTok Post

4/11/2024

The Book Critic

Review/IG Post

4/12/2024

@evergirl200

IG Review

4/13/2024

avainbookland

IG Review

Week Four:

4/14/2024

@enthuse_reader

IG Review/TikTok Post

4/15/2024

FUONLYKNEW

Review

4/16/2024

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

4/17/2024

Karma Zee Readz

Review/IG Post

4/18/2024

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

4/19/2024

Two Points of Interest

Review



Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!


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