Book Mail

I received an email from Tommy Greenwald last week telling me about his newest book, Right Call, and asking if I'd be interested. No brainer! Woot! It arrived Friday and I'm about to dive in. I've been a fan since reading Mr. Greenwald's debut, Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to (Not) Reading.

Image: Abrams Books

The Right Call: a Game Changer Companion Novel by Tommy Greenwald. 272 p. Amulet Books/ Abrams Books, April 15, 2025. 9781419772856.

Publisher synopsis:From award-winning author Tommy Greenwald comes a thrilling companion novel to Game Changer that explores the growing pressures in youth sports, and the lengths some parents will go to make sure their kid comes out on top.

Cal Klondike’s life revolves around baseball. He’s the Walthorne Baseball Academy’s star pitcher, and everyone from his coach to his dad to the town sports blogger is telling Cal he has an unlimited future in the sport. But with all this attention comes a lot of added stress, especially as the season kicks into high gear and college and pro scouts start to show up at the games. Inevitably, tensions that have been bubbling under the surface finally boil over, culminating in a confrontation that could change Cal’s relationship to baseball forever.

Told through a combination of transcripts, articles, texts, and emails, The Right Call is a gripping, fast-paced story for middle grade readers about our split-second decisions, facing the consequences, and the courage it takes to forgive.

Book Mail

Receiving book mail is always exciting! Thanks to Blue Slip Media for sending me this.

Image: Simon & Schuster

Spelling It Out by Margaret Finnegan. 208 p. Atheneum Books for Young Readers/ Simon & Schuster, May 13, 2025. 9781665930116.

Publisher synopsis: A rising seventh grader visits his grandmother in San Francisco for a whirlwind summer of spelling bee training, only to begin suspecting she has Alzheimer’s, in this witty and compassionate middle grade novel for fans of Al Capone Does My Shirts.

Ben Bellini didn’t mean to become a champion speller—after all, he’s not a nerd—but he sure does like spelling bee glory now that it’s found him. He might even be good enough for the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC! And what better way to prepare than to train with a professional spelling coach in San Francisco, where his nan lives?

Through his adventures, Ben gets to know the city—and competitor Asha Krishnakumar, who’s equally determined to spell her way to victory. But Ben also starts having odd interactions with his nan that leave him feeling like he’s missing something. Where is Nan’s forgetfulness coming from? And will anyone even believe him if he tries to get help?

Between showing up for his loved ones and pursuing his own dreams, Ben will need to spend this summer figuring out what he owes others…and what he owes himself.

I've enjoyed Ms. Finnegan's four titles for young readers and looking forward to reading this one.

Book Mail

 We got the promised snow and extremely frigid weather here in northern NJ earlier this week. Son #3 was out for a visit last weekend and planned on staying through Monday, but the forecast promised a dicey return to NYC, so I took him across the GWB and dropped him at the Port Authority Sunday afternoon just as the snow began to fall. 

Boo is not a fan of the cold weather or the snow. All my other dogs loved the snow and would play outside while I shoveled. Not Mr. Boo. I think he's particularly bothered by either the cold or the salt, because he can't go far without stopping to lick one or more paws. He's also particular about where he does his solid business and has trouble finding a place in the snow. 

The frigid temps broke today and it was a balmy 28 degrees, so we took a longer walk. As we approached home, he spotted the UPS truck at the end of our block and began pulling me. One of the drivers once gave him a treat and is Boo's bff. When he doesn't have a treat, he will stop to say hi and doesn't mind Boo's jumping. The driver waved, but didn't make a move toward us, so I pulled him down the block to my house. He kept looking back as the truck came down to our end. There was a delivery for my cross the street neighbor, but also me, thanks to Blue Slip Media. No pets or treats for Boo though.

Image: Penguin Random House

The Secret of Honeycake by Kimberly Newton Fusco. 362 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Children's Books, January 21, 2025. 9780593121771.

Publisher synopsis: Hurricane is quiet while her Aunt Claire is a force of nature with very particular ideas–and a host of Latin sayings to back them up. When Hurricane gets stuck living with her, she retreats into herself…until a series of unexpected friends, including a mangy cat, help her find her voice in a whole new way.

A recipe for The World’s Most Comforting, Twelve-Layer Honeycake:

1 quiet girl named Hurricane, who runs like the wind along the Mighty Atlantic with her old dog Brody-Bear.

1 imperious aunt, who steps up when Hurricane’s world turns upside down.

1 kind-hearted boy, who helps wounded animals (and may smell a little of fish)

1 lonely and flea-bitten cat with a ragged ear and a crooked tail.

1 gentle chauffeur, who knows exactly what to say…and when not to say a thing.

Mix them all together in big, fancy house in the city. What you get might surprise you.

I will tell you right now, I love the cover! Happy reading!

Book Mail!

 I was so happy to receive some book mail recently! I am looking forward to reading and reviewing these soon.

From Megan Beatie Communications:

Image: Amazon

So-Hee and Lowy by Anna Kang. Illustrated by Christopher Weyant. 40 p. Two Lions, April 22, 2025. 

Publisher synopsis: From the creators of Theodor Seuss Geisel winner You Are (Not) Small and Christopher Award winner Eraser comes a heartfelt story about the power of friendship.

So-Hee is lonely. She doesn’t have a brother or sister, nor does she have many friends. More than anything, she longs for a pet she can hold and love. The trouble is, she’s allergic to just about everything. When So-Hee meets a snake named Lowy, all at once, her life starts to change in unexpected ways.

From Scholastic:

Image: Scholastic

That's Not Funny, David! by David Shannon. 32 p. Orchard Books/ Scholastic Inc., March 4, 2025. 9781546123187.

Publisher synopsis: David is determined to get laughs out of everyone -- even from those who might not find his antics amusing! From cannonballs into the pool to slurping his spaghetti to telling funny jokes during class, David is a natural comedian. But David learns that not all of his tricks are funny... like sticking things up his nose! Still, this troublemaker will always have the last laugh and, of course, the enduring love of his mom.

Once again, David Shannon entertains us with young David's mischievous shenanigans in this lighthearted story that's sure to leave readers of all ages laughing. With millions of copies in print and five sequels, No, David! hit the ground running in 1998 and was a Caldecott Honor Book, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book, and a classic for over 25 years. Based on a book the author wrote and illustrated when he was five, David captures the timeless no-no's familiar to every child.

Image: Scholastic

Dog Man 13: Big Jim Begins by Dav Pilkey. 224 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc., December, 2024. 9781338896459.

Publisher synopsis: Get ready for another unforgettable book in the #1 worldwide bestselling series from acclaimed graphic novelist and award-winning illustrator Dav Pilkey. AND coming soon, the Dog Man movie from DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures!

For more heartfelt and humorous adventures, join Flippy and Li'l Petey in the Cat Kid Comic Club series. Have fun with creativity with the official coloring book, Dog Man with Love. And don't forget about the series that started it all: Captain Underpants!

Image: Scholastic Library Publishing

Afia in the Land of Wonders by Mia Araujo. 304 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., April 15, 2025. 9781338856729.

Publisher synopsis: Afia has always felt like half of a whole. Her twin sister, Aya, is perfectly happy with fulfilling their family's expectations of them. But Afia dreams of exploring the world beyond her secluded cliffside home of Dafra. She dreams of adventure. When she meets a charming shape-shifter named Bakame, who dazzles her with promises of a magical land called Ijabu, Afia decides to take her destiny into her own hands. Although it will mean leaving everything she has ever known behind, including her beloved sister, Afia follows Bakame into the forbidden forests surrounding Dafra, from which no one has ever returned. Filled with magical sights, a charismatic Queen and her intriguing court, Ijabu is everything that Afia has ever dreamed of. But she soon discovers that nothing is as it seems, and this fantasy world demands a terrible price. With the help of a mysterious trickster, Afia must evade the Queen's hunters and the lost dreamers of Ijabu, who wish to pull her deeper into their web. Now, Afia must find the courage to survive while standing on her own--or risking losing herself completely to the wonders of Ijabu. Debut author-illustrator Mia Araujo weaves an extraordinarily luminous and beautiful story, inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/i, about what it takes to find your true self, even if it means facing your deepest fears.

Image: Scholastic Inc.

The Cartoonists Club by Raina Tegemeier & Scott McCloud. 288 p. Graphix/ Scholastic Inc. April 1, 2025. 9781338777215. 

Publisher synopsis: Makayla is bursting with ideas but doesn't know how to make them into a story. Howard loves to draw, but he struggles to come up with ideas and his dad thinks comics are a waste of time. Lynda constantly draws in her sketchbook but keeps focusing on what she feels are mistakes, and Art simply loves being creative and is excited to try something new. They come together to form The Cartoonists Club, where kids can learn about making comics and use their creativity and imagination for their own storytelling adventures!

Image: Runawaywithmethebook.com (Click on the link! It's so cool!)

Run Away with Me by Brian Selznick. 320 p. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., April 1, 2025. 9781546110224.

Publisher synopsis: Danny is sixteen and spending his summer in Rome. As his mother works all day in a museum dedicated to the preservation of books, he wanders the city’s ancient, lonely streets, not really sure what he’s looking for... until a voice calls to him, and a strange, beautiful boy steps into his life. Angelo.

Soon Danny and Angelo are spending all their time together. Danny has never felt anything like this—the electricity of attraction, the fear of abandonment, the sweetness of belonging. He’s in love for the first time, but he’s also painfully aware that when the summer ends, he’ll have to return to America. In the meantime, Angelo, who seems to know all of Rome’s twisting corners and hidden histories, delights in sharing its sights and secrets... even as he holds his own secrets just out of Danny’s reach.