S&S Children's Publishing presents... WHISPERING PINES by Heidi Lang and Kati Bartkowski - REVIEW!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're getting our SPOOKY reading on with a new(ish) release ON TOUR NOW with Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing!  It's a Middle Grade Fiction title that is toted as being "a Stranger Things meets The X-Files heart-pounding paranormal ... adventure", and having just finished reading it myself the other day, I can TOTALLY ATTEST to the truth of that statement!  As I'm not one to keep you in suspense too long, let's get to the good stuff because there is OH SO MUCH of it to get to!  Ladies and gents, turn the lights on and get ready to put your courage to the sticking plate, here comes today's blog tour guest and ebook of choice...

Whispering Pines

by

Heidi Lang and Kati Bartkowski

9781534460478

Margaret K. McElderry Books

About the book...

Rae’s father vanished without a trace—and Rae knows what happened to him. But no one believes her when she says that her father didn’t run off, that he was actually taken. Now, a year of therapy later, Rae’s mother decides they need a fresh start, and so they move to a new town in the hope that life can return to normal.

The problem is, there is nothing normal about the town of Whispering Pines.

No one knows this better than Caden. He’s lived in Whispering Pines his entire life, and he’s seen more than his fair share of weird—starting with his own family, as the town is the perfect home base for his mother’s ghost hunting business.

When several kids go missing and then show up like zombies with their eyes removed, many locals brush it off. Just another day in Whispering Pines. But Caden has a dark secret, one that may explain why someone is stealing eyes. And Rae, who knows how it feels to not be believed, may be just the person Caden needs to help him put things right.

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Once upon a time, there was a family.  They were reeling from the sudden loss of one of their own, in serious need of a new beginning, and by chance, they landed themselves somewhere far far away from all the painful memories...a little place called Whispering Pines.  Doesn't it just sound ideal?  Like a breath of fresh air, right?  Umm, about that...  You think your hometown is strange?  Think again.  

In Whispering Pines, sink holes appear out of nowhere, energy is monitored in a way that doesn't purely scream conservation, and disappearing kids is pretty much not a question of ever happening, but when will the next one occur!  Yes, there are definitely some strange things amiss in this community, but despite bein the new kid, Rae is just the gal to get to the bottom of it all...of course, if she's not careful, she may become a victim while trying!  Good thing she's made a friend in the neighbor kid, Caden Price.  His family may be a bit off (their business deals in the paranormal...go figure!), and the rumors flying about him may be a bit vicious (seriously doubt anyone is chopped up in the walls), but he is hiding a secret or two, and if he's to get to the bottom of his own "must uncover" list, he's gonna need to come clean...or else he too may in fact become another number on the tally of the lost!

OH.  MY.  GOODNESS!

This book was just SO MUCH and yet not enough!  I'm already clamoring to find out when the next one will come out because THAT ENDING just wasn't fair!  I HAVE to know more!  Okay, so dialing back my enthusiasm for a second to talk more about this book...

From the start, your CREEPY meter will be set on HIGH.  From the creature with TOO MANY TEETH to the unusually chipper, perfectly groomed Patrick of GREEN ON, Dr. Anderson the collector of stories (or is he?) to Aiden Price (who is still around but only just!), there is so much spooky, spine chilling strangeness to go around, you won't know where to look!  Okay, well actually you will because the story takes you firmly by the hand and drags you along for a breakneck speed ride through the pages that you will finish sooner than you hope and yet not soon enough!  Rae is a fabulous character with just enough skepticism to keep her questioning, but not quite enough caution to keep her out of trouble.  Caden was meant to counterbalance her forward motion with his cautious think first nature, but when it comes to helping those he holds close, even he has his moments of quick decisions versus contemplation.  The pair of them together, along with Vivienne (who I was surprised to see as a friend versus foe...although, what IS with the backpack?!), Alyssa, and Rae's big sister (again, surprised by her turn of character!), make quite a team...now if they can only survive this adventure to continue uncovering the truths that they've BOTH sought all this time...

High recommendation for older Middle Grade readers who don't mind that chill running down their spine because it's definitely not one to miss!

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About the authors...

Heidi Lang managed to stumble upon the two best jobs in the world: writing for kids and walking dogs. If she’s not out on the trails surrounded by wagging tails and puppy kisses, she’s probably hunched over her laptop working on her next book. She lives in northern California with her husband and two adventure-loving dogs, and she is the coauthor of the Mystic Cooking Chronicles and Whispering Pines. Find her on Twitter @HidLang, or visit the website she shares with her writing partner at HeidiandKatiWrite.com.

Kati Bartkowski was originally drawn to illustration before she got swept up in the world of words. Nowadays she’s a fan of creating fantastical creatures and feisty heroines in both mediums. If she’s not reading, writing, or drawing, she’s probably chasing after her high energy little girl. She lives in northern California and is the coauthor of the Mystic Cooking Chronicles and Whispering Pines. Find her on Twitter @KTBartkowski, or visit the website she shares with her writing partner at HeidiandKatiWrite.com. 

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Special thanks to Jenny at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the ebook for review and the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the authors, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing!

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

PYR BLOG TOUR: The Curse of the Werepenguin by Allan Woodrow - REVIEW + TEN (+5) MAYBE TRUE FACTS!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining Penguin Young Readers for a stop along their current tour featuring a NEW RELEASE to the world of Middle Grade Fiction books that is sure to raise a few eyebrows...or at least make them bushier.  If you've ever harbored thoughts about traveling through wooded forests at night alone, think again.  If you've ever wondered fiercely what that strange barking sound was rising up over the eastern horizon just after midnight strikes, best not to investigate.  If you've ever sought a place you truly belonged, a place and/or people to call your own...NEVER STOP LOOKING...and join me for a curiously strange and unusual story that will have older readers bark-ening back to literary classics, while the kiddos are being newly introduced, even if they don't EXACTLY know it.  Ready, set, here comes today's blog tour guest and book of choice...

The Curse of the Werepenguin

by

Allan Woodrow

Illustrated by

Scott Brown

9780451480446

Viking Books for Young Readers

About the book...
All orphan Bolt Wattle has ever wanted was to find his true family. When a mysterious baron in far-off Brugaria sends for Bolt, he wonders if he's getting closer to finding his long-lost parents. But Baron Chordata appears to be a twelve-year-old boy who wears tuxedos all the time, shouts at everyone, and forbids Bolt from asking questions. Things couldn't get any worse . . . until midnight, when the Baron bites Bolt and turns him into a half boy, half penguin. Then things really couldn't get worse-- nope, wait, they get a lot worse. With the help and hindrance of a plucky girl who just might be the world's greatest bandit, a whale cult led by a man whose weapon is a stale loaf of French bread, and a sinister but friendly fortune-teller who can't stop cackling, Bolt's on a quest to reverse the curse, return to human form, and stop the Baron from taking over the country of Brugaria with his army of mind-controlled penguins in what might be the weirdest--and funniest--middle-grade novel you've ever read.

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Ironically as I'm typing this, I just let out a pair of abnormally large SNEEZES, and while that simply sounds like oversharing to the average reader, for those that have already partaken of the adventure we are exploring, it might actually be displaying an unknown ALLERGY.  (inside joke...read the book!)  Anywho...

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Frankenstein and Young Frankenstein met Dracula, decided to introduce themselves to the Wolfman, while perhaps becoming blood brothers with the cast of Princess Bride?  Ah, I see...well, neither did I, but that's a curious yet accurate summation of what you'll be getting between the pages of this Middle Grade Paranormal adventure, along with a great big helping of just how important FAMILY truly is...and fish.  Lots and lots of fish.  No really, FISH in SO MANY WAYS, cooked and non, catapulted and served, seasoned and chocolate covered...*shivers*. 

Our unsuspecting leading man and potential hero, Humboldt Wattle (better known as Bolt), is quite the character indeed.  Despite his less than exceptional start in life, he keeps hope alive, and his stuffed penguin at his side.  He dreams of one day finding his true family, and even when things seem at their darkest, all hope fleeing like so many schools of fish before a whale, somewhere deep inside his changing body...a seed of that precious hope remains.  He keeps his heart pure, gives him strength to fight, and eventually leads him to...his ultimate purpose.  No, I shan't be ruining the surprise for you, but trust me...it's good.  Our second leading lad, Baron Chordata (*faraway SCREAM....THUD*), is a remarkable fella as well, but in much darker, cringe worthy ways with his darker goals, sinister threats, and easily tapped anger issues.  I mean, he's been alone (sort of) for a bit (*snort*...understatement!), so you can sort of understand how he might have turned from the lighter side of things, but yeah...not to this particular level.  Let's just say that if anyone offers to be BFFs and you're distracted by some personal version of nirvana...take a break from the distraction to LISTEN to what's actually being said/agreed to!  Our third leading guy is actually NOT a guy, but a GIRL...and the best bandit the Brugaria Forests have ever seen...or at least will be when her name is known a bit more.  It's Annika, and her history is just as twisted and sorted/assorted as the fellas mentioned before her...and yet she excels where she wishes to excel, conquers what needs conquering, and never let's anyone tell her what she can't do JUST because she's a girl.  (Woot woot!)  Grant it, she gets into trouble as easily as out of it, but that's all a part of learning, right?  Right!  Now that I've made this paragraph RIDICULOUSLY long, let me just say that while they are the leads per se, there are SO MANY MORE that you'll want to PAY ATTENTION to along the way because you NEVER KNOW where connections are going to come from.  

So, to conclude before I write my own story at this point, while you thought you were simply getting an exciting new paranormal adventure fit for middle grade readers and beyond, NOW you know better!  You're getting that plus a whole other barrel of fish that'll have you REALLY thinking the next time you consider the penguins at your local zoo habitat and just what they have been up to lately...

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About the author...

Not actually the author, in case you were wondering...

Allan Woodrow is the author of many books including The Pet War, Class Dismissed, Unschooled, Field Tripped, and now, inspired by Dracula, old werewolf movies, Young Frankenstein, and an odd affection for fish sticks, The Curse of the Werepenguin. When Allan isn't writing, or noshing on breading-coated seafood, he's often presenting to schools, libraries, and conferences. You can learn more about Allan at allanwoodrow.com

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Oh and since I never know when enough is enough, time to give you a little more!  The author was kind enough to share TEN (plus five) MAYBE TRUE FACTS all about our tuxedo-ed little friends...

TEN (plus five) MAYBE TRUE FACTS

In anticipation of The Curse of the Werepenguin, here are the top 15 maybe true penguin facts…

1. In prehistoric times, penguins dressed less formally. 
2. The #5,486th most common cause of injury in the South Pole is accidentally impaling yourself on a penguin beak.
3. In some European countries, it is illegal to open a zoo with less than four penguins.
4. Pingosus, the ancient God of Penguins, is one of the lesser known gods in Greek mythology, yet no less beloved. 
5. Penguins are very sensitive under their flippers and also about their inability to fly. 
6. Some penguins live in the South Pole. Others live in South Poland because they are poor spellers.
7. Breaking a mirror is considered unlucky, but breaking a mirror on a penguin is illegal. 
8. Penguins mate for life. They also check mate for life, which is why most penguins can only play chess once.
9. Penguins can’t bowl because their webbed feet won’t fit in the bowling shoes.
10. Gentoo penguins can swim four times faster than Michael Phelps. Yet only one penguin has ever won an Olympic medal, in luge.
11. Although scientists don't understand why, penguins are mortally afraid of rice cookers. 
12. A group of penguins on land is a waddle. A group of penguins in the water is a raft. A group of penguins on my foot is painful. 
13. Penguins have excellent hearing despite no visible ears. They are also excellent pole vaulters despite no visible pole vaults. 
14. A penguin cannot get cold, but a penguin can get cold cuts at the deli.
15. In Brugaria, “The Day of the Penguin” festival is best known for its ceremonial catapulting of dead fish.

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Special thanks to Friya at Penguin Young Readers for the ARC for review as well as the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title hit bookstore and virtual shelves August 13th, 2019, click on over to order your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the stops as this tour makes its way through the blogosphere for more bookish insights and fun...

WEEK ONE

August 6 – JeanBookNerd

August 7 – Pop the Butterfly Reads

August 8 – The Nerdy Girl Express

August 9 – Fictitious Fox

WEEK TWO

August 12 – Ashley and Company

August 13 – Hopkins Homeschool

August 14 – Alohamora: Open a Book

August 15 – Homeschool by the Beach

August 16 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

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

RHCB presents... THE HAUNTING OF HENRY DAVIS by Kathryn Siebel

HI there!
Welcome  back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Yesterday, we took our chances with zombies.  Today, we're spending our time with the dearly departed....GHOSTS!  That's right.  It's a paranormal twosome IN STORES NOW from Random House Children's Books aimed at Middle Grade audiences ready to cast its spell on your next reading adventure.  So gather your courage, and your wits...you'll need them to uncover the unfinished business of today's book of choice and blog tour guest...

The Haunting of Henry Davis

by

Kathryn Siebel

9781101932773

Knopf Books for Young Readers

About the book...

Ghosts only haunt when they’ve left something behind…

When Henry Davis moves into the neighborhood, Barbara Anne and her classmates at Washington Carver Elementary don’t know what to make of him. He’s pale, small, odd. For curious Barbara Anne, Henry’s also a riddle–a boy who sits alone at recess sketching in a mysterious notebook, a boy, she soon learns, who’s being haunted by a ghost named Edgar.

With the help of some new friends, this unlikely duo is off on an adventure to discover who Edgar was while alive and why he’s haunting Henry now. Together, they might just help Edgar find what he needs to finally be at peace.

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For me, this one was a bit hit and miss...and that's okay!  Not every book will tick everyone's boxes, but some were ticked, for better or worse, and thus, I'm going to break down my adventure through the pages into the two categories.  Ready?  Set?  Here we go...

On the "hit list"...

...the story concept.

It's definitely a ghostly story perfect for the intended audience.  It has just enough "boo" factor to keep you on your toes, but not so much that any scare tactics will follow kiddos off the page.  Additional plus factor in regards to the history it incorporates because it may spark future interest in reading and/or researching those time periods.

...the characters.

Henry was a charming lad, more afraid of his "acquaintance" than of being himself.  Barbara Anne was a force to be reckoned with, but she KNEW it, owned it, and only apologized for it when it got in the way of things.  Edgar was...well, non-corporeal, but still his apparently mischievous self, just as he was in life.  It's refreshing to see youth portrayed in stories that aren't simply changing to be more acceptable to the cliques and groups.

...the finale.

So, I can't really say much in regards to what actually happens without ruining things, but let's just say that nothing is set in stone until the actual end.  Lives hang in the balance, friendships face the proverbial cliff precipice, and afterlives are in question...but by the final turn of the page, all is set to right (but who's right?  Dun dun dunnn...).

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Now for the misses...

...there are holes in the story that go unexplained.

It's great to assume readers will connect things, in fact I applaud that technique because who REALLY wants everything spelled out for you, but there are some spaces in this one where it felt disconnected to me, leaving TOO much for the reader to suppose, and it affected the underlying weave of the story.

...character profiles that didn't seem true to form.

Okay, I know...I just praised the characters, and I stand by that, but there were a few things that didn't feel quite genuine to me, like Henry's almost non-reaction to missing pieces of time from his life, and Barbara Anne's fear of Edgar despite her go-getter-no-holds-barred personality plus her inability to actually SEE/FEEL him.  

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Final thoughts...

...it's certainly worth the exploration, and you'll definitely find yourself caught up in the unexpected moments of the heart that crop up when least expected, just be sure to pay attention so you don't miss the story change overs and lose the overall thread.  Who knows...in the end, you may find your own peace in the messages of well being in the here after, or stoke the fires of a young ghost hunter in the making.

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About the author...

Kathryn Siebel teaches humanities at Billings Middle School in Seattle and works with elementary school students at the Green Lake School-Age Care Program. She has worked in educational publishing and as an English teacher and librarian and has an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She is also the author of The Trouble with Twins.

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Special thanks to Joey at Random House Children's Books for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Knopf Books for Young Readers, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour making its way through the blogosphere for more bookish fun! 

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