Young Adult Books

The lovely Cat Patrick and the glowing Suzanne Young have signed a copy of their collaborative novel, Just Like Fate, for one lucky blog reader! Yay! Here’s the summary: Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline’s been at Gram’s bedside since the stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape—both her family and the reality of Gram’s failing health. So when Caroline’s best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: Stay by Gram’s side for what might be her final hours, or go to the party and live her life. The consequences of this one decision will split Caroline’s fate into two separate paths—and she is about to live them both. And though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending… I for one love the idea of certain events in our lives being fated… unchangeable and meant to be. To enter to win the book, just do the various tasks I’ve put forward below. I’ll choose a winner at random next week! a Rafflecopter giveaway

So as you guys probably already know Google Friend Connect is going to be gone in just a few short weeks. I know, I know, WHY GOOGLE WHY?!?!?! *shakes fist at Google executives* When I first found out Google was getting rid of GFC I just didn't understand the reasoning behind it. Then again, who does understand the reasoning behind anything Google does, am I right? Then I realized that this is the perfect opportunity for everyone to break away from the annoyance that is Google and their fixation with Google+, and find new and better ways to follow blogs. So if you're freaking out about the impending loss of Google Friend Connect, have no fear, here are a few quick and easy ways to stay up to date on That Hapa Chick (and your other favorite blogs)! 1. Start using Bloglovin! Bloglovin' is a fantastic site that allows you to follow blogs, customize them into related lists, keep track of posts you have and haven't read, heart posts you like, the list goes on and on. I've been using it as my blog reader for over a year now and I love it. I definitely suggest giving it a try! You can follow That Hapa Chick here. 2. Email Subscription Email subscriptions are nice because you never have to worry about missing a post, it will always show up right in your inbox! If you want to follow That Hapa Chick via email subscription just fill out the handy dandy subscription box below. Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner 3. Facebook and Twitter Do you like That Hapa Chick on Facebook? Do you follow me on Twitter? Well you should! I love connect with other bloggers and readers on social media so head on over and say hi! Like That Hapa Chick on Facebook Follow That Hapa Chick on Twitter Google Friend Connect and Google Reader may be on the out, but there are so many other awesome options for following blogs that you will never miss it! Are there any other great ways to follow and connect with blogs that I didn't mention here? Tell me about them! I always love to hear about other options for getting people connected to my blog and connecting with other blogs. Julia :)

Oh, What a Beautiful Day! A Counting Book. Jeanne Modesitt. Illustrated by Robin Spowart. 2009. Boyds Mill Press. 32 pages.Oh, what a beautiful day! One pig is prancing. Two ducks are dancing. Three chicks are cheeping. I really love this one! It is charming; it is lovely. A cozy, gentle counting-to-ten book starring a young girl who's enjoying life. I love her "And I'm a part of it all." The illustrations are soft, sweet, and oh-so-perfect for this kind of book. Text: 4 out of 5Illustrations: 4 out of 5Total: 8 out of 10Not Last Night But The Night Before. Colin McNaugton. Illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark. 2009. Candlewick. 32 pages.Not last night but the night before, three black cats came knocking at the door. I came downstairs to let them in; They knocked me down like a bowling pin. Not last night but the night before, the man in the moon came knocking at the door. He rushed right in; he didn't stop. He spun me round like a spinning top. Not Last Night But the Night Before is quirky. It is imaginative; it celebrates plenty of nursery tales (Little Miss Muffet, Little Bo Peep, Three Blind Mice, Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, etc) throughout the text. The illustrations reveal even more of the story. (The company makes an even bigger mess perhaps than the Cat in the Hat.) It's rhythmic. It's a bit crazy. You'll either love it or hate it, I suppose! Text: 3 out of 5Illustrations: 3 out of 5Total: 6 out of 10Grumpy Grandpa. Heather Henson. Illustrated by Ross Macdonald. 2009. Simon & Schuster. 40 pages.I have one grandpa. He is always grumpy. I call him Grumpy Grandpa even though I'm not supposed to. Mom gets mad, but it's true. Grumpy Grandpa is always grumpy. And he's scary, too. The little boy narrating Grumpy Grandpa is a little scared of his grandpa. He's come with his family to stay for two whole weeks. He can't imagine why anyone would come to spend time with someone who is just grumpy no matter what. But during this visit, the little boy learns a little more about his grandfather. And the two do become friends. Text: 3 out of 5Illustrations: 3 out of 5Total: 6 out of 10Llama Llama Misses Mama. Anna Dewdney. 2009. Penguin. 40 pages. Llama Llama, warm in bed. Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead!Llama school begins today!Time to learn and time to play!It is Llama Llama's first day of school. And will there be llama drama? Yes. But not as much as you might expect considering some of his tantrums in previous books. This one is part of a series. Other titles include Llama Llama Red Pajama, Llama Llama Time to Share, Llama Llama Mad at Mama, Llama Llama Home With Mama, Llama Llama Holiday Drama, Llama Llama Nighty-Night, Llama Llama Wakey-Wake, Llama Llama Zippity-Zoom, Llama Llama Hoppity-Hop. Text: 3 out of 5Illustrations: 3 out of 5Total: 6 out of 10Who Wants to Be A Poodle I don't. Lauren Child. 2009. Candlewick. 40 pages. In a sumptuous apartment in a fashionable city lived the elegantly rich and divinely glamorous Mademoiselle Verity Brulee. Along with Verity Brulee, with her very own personal bedroom, lived Trixie Twinkle Toes Trot-a-Lot Delight or Trixie Toes for short or Trixie Twinkle Belle or Trixie Belle Baby, depending on Verity's mood. Trixie, our heroine, does NOT like her name. She wants to be an ordinary dog. She does not want to wear clothes or be styled or groomed all the time. She wants to be like all the other dogs. She wants to be free to step in puddles, among other things. But how will she ever convince her owner? This picture book is all about being misunderstood and finding your voice anyhow.I thought the design of the book kept it from being reader friendly. It is hard on the eyes to have black text on dark backgrounds--like brown or dark gray. And perhaps it's fun or cute to have the text wrap around in circles and such, but I found it annoying. Text: 3 out of 5Illustrations: 2 out of 5Total: 5 out of 10© 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book ReviewsIf you're reading this on a site (ot

The 5th Waveby Rick YanceyThe 1st Wave: Lights OutThe 2nd Wave: Surf's UpThe 3rd Wave: PestilenceThe 4th Wave: SilencerPlot: Nearly 7 billion people are dead, almost the entire population of the world, killed in four successive waves of destruction sent by the aliens. Cassie Sullivan has lost everyone she loved, all dead -- except possibly one, and to that one she made a promise that she intends to keep no matter what the cost. Seventeen-year-old Zombie has lost everything and everyone, too. He failed to protect his sister when she needed him, and now he has no desire to go on. Then Zombie is given a new purpose and a chance to redeem himself when he's recruited into a newly formed military unit comprised entirely of children and teens being trained to fight back against the alien invasion.These teens, and the other few remaining survivors must make a choice. To hide. To run. Or to stand and face whatever comes. To choose to be human, even when it's the hardest choice of all.NotesThe 5th Wave is a remarkable story and a remarkably well-written book. With excellent character development, rich sensory language, layers of reveals, a surprisingly sweet (and hot) romance, and some dystopian elements, it's a science fiction book that even people who don't read science fiction can enjoy. It's an unusual creature: a thrilling page turner with philosophical underpinnings. It's a book that you can read more than once and get something different out of it each time (I read it a second time immediately after finishing it, and would still like to read it a third time when I get a chance).The writing is complex, with multiple point of view characters and extensive flashbacks that circle around on themselves. Different characters' experiences conflict with each other, leaving the reader (like the characters) wondering exactly what the truth is. While that's a plus for many people (it is for me), there are some readers who will find it challenging and difficult to understand.Who would like this book:Science fiction readers, dystopia fans, and anyone who likes a good YA book which is both deep and thrilling, with realistic teen characters. I think it will appeal to many teens, with the exception of readers who are easily confused by complex plots.Get it from:Amazon.comYour local independent bookseller through IndieBoundBarnes & NobleFTC required disclosure: Review copy sent by the publisher. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

This post has taken way longer to finish than anticipated. So after reading a few posts on BEA Blogger Con - The Book Smugglers, Stacked, Parajunkee - I started thinking of my dream blogger con. I won't even pretend to think that the bloggers and speakers I chose don't lean towards the YA side, because they definitely do. Here's my ideal book blogger convention. 8:45 - 9:15 AM: Breakfast Why do we need to show up at 8am for the breakfast? Nah; we're gonna start a little later in the day, and everybody can get breakfast during the first half hour of the blogger convention. And not some light appetizers, either - I want to see some hearty muffins on that table, orange juice, apples, whatever we can manage to put on that table. And if I know bloggers, a lot of coffee. Everybody can settle in and get ready for the opening speaker - which, of course, they can eat throughout. 9:15 - 9:50 AM: Opening Keynote Speaker: Maureen Johnson Who understands the blogging and reviewing community, is involved in publishing, and can be hilarious enough to entertain a bunch of sleep-deprived bloggers early in the morning? That honor is reserved for Maureen Johnson, author of quite a few YA novels and Twitter extraordinaire. Not only would she be able to hit what we are on the head - she's spoken before about being a person, not a brand; she understands the separation between author and book; she's actually in the industry - but she's bound to make all of us laugh. Or maybe her and Libba Bray could write an opening keynote together. That would be great. 10:00 - 10:50 AM: Trends in Young Adult (& New Adult?) Publishing Moderator: Barry Goldblatt Speakers: Cheryl Klein, Rachael Stine, Tirzah Price Instead of creating a showcase for editors, let's talk about all of the books in the genre - what's recently come out and what's coming out soon, and what trends are we spotting? What would we like to see more of? What should we keep an eye out for while we're blogging that would make good posts - and what books do we just need to review? For the young adult section - and tentative new adult section, which could be seen as a trend that we should talk about - I'd like to see Barry Goldblatt as the moderator. (You'll notice a trend where I choose literary agents over editors and such for moderators for these panels; it's not that I don't love and adore editors, but literary agents tend to see all sides of the spectrum, and they can discuss books that aren't specific to one publishing house or to just his clients.) I know Barry's abrasive to some people, but I adore him, and he understands the young adult industry really well - look at his client list! He can definitely drive the conversation in the right direction. Let's bring back Cheryl Klein, one of the editors of Scholastic - and more specifically, the fantastic Arthur A. Levine Books - to come talk on this panel. She's got quite a few young adult novels under her belt and, being part of one of the best publishing house teams, can definitely talk about what trends Scholastic has been noticing as they move forward in the upcoming year. Cheryl also blogs on her own, so she's an ideal choice. I'd also love to bring in Rachael Stine from The Book Muncher and Tirzah Price from The Compulsive Reader. Both are fabulous bloggers who are heavily involved with books outside of their blogs - Rachael as an aspiring editor with countless internships under her belt; Tirzah as a bookseller - who really understand the industry. 10:00 - 10:50 AM: Trends in Kidlit & Middle Grade Publishing Moderator: Danielle Smith Speakers: Suzanna Hermans, some other kidlit and MG bloggers? Instead of creating a showcase for editors, let's talk about all of the books in the genre - what's recently come out and what's coming out soon, and what trends are we spotting? What would we like to see more of? What should we keep an eye out for while we're blogging that would make good posts - and wh

Grabenstein, Chris. Riley Mack Stirs Up More Trouble9 April 2013, HarperCollins Riley and his friends get involved in an evil scheme by Sara Paxton to ruin Briana's chances for a scholarship at a talent show, but this leads them into an even deeper problem-- the fish in a pond near the country club and Sara's house are dying, and they need to find out why. The country club's golf course has recently been renovated, and they find bags of pancake mix that is tainted with nitrogen buried under the course. The mix is manufactured by Sara's father's company, which has been selling the mix to the US military. Could this be what is making the men in Riley's father's unit in Afghanistan sick? The group of "troublemakers" comes together to help Briana win the scholarship and also to solve the problem with the dying fish.Strengths: This book does a good job of taking a realistic setting and involving the children in situations that are only slightly out of the ordinary. There's good use of stinking fish, some chases, and a nice "underdog-saving-the-day" feeling. Nice environmental tie in as well. Weaknesses: In real life, Mr. Paxton would probably go to jail for a really long time-- this is serious stuff, and I would have liked the ending to have wrapped things up a bit more.Yolen, Jane and Stemple, Adam. B.U.G. (Big Ugly Guy)23 March 2013, Dutton JuvenileLove Yolen, but absolutely could not do yet ANOTHER book where bullies put a kid's head in the toilet. Fifteen years of teaching and I have NEVER seen it. Might be of interest in an area where there is a larger Jewish population, and the book is not without its charm, but the bullying details were so unrealistic that I just could not go on.From Goodreads: "Sammy Greenberg would rather talk back to The Boyz--a gang of bullies at his school--and get his head stuck in the toilet than constantly be afraid. But when his friend Skink gets beaten up so badly that he has to go to the hospital, Sammy thinks he may be in over his head. He decides to build a golem--a mythical protector from Jewish folklore, made of clay and animated by the ineffable name of God. But this monster doesn't just protect him and Skink from The Boyz, he is also a great drummer for their rock-jazz-klezmer fusion band! But golems come with warnings. They will protect you until they don't."I'm sure this will get a lot of good reviews, but I just didn't see it working for my school.

Behold, Here's Poison. Georgette Heyer. 1936/2009. Sourcebooks. 330 pages.I definitely LOVED this mystery by Georgette Heyer. Gregory Matthews has been poisoned. At first, the family assumed his death was of natural causes, but one insistent aunt sees differently. The aunt's instincts proved correct: he was poisoned by nicotine! Inspector Hannasyde and Inspector Hemingway are assigned the case. I have come to appreciate Inspector Hannasyde very much! (I also LOVED seeing Giles Carrington again!)The entire family is on the list of suspects. And to be honest, the family is that dysfunctional so it would make sense that the suspect list would be a long one.I enjoyed this one for the characters. (I loved Stella, and Randall definitely grew on me!!!) I found this one oh-so-satisfying. © 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book ReviewsIf you're reading this on a site (other than Becky's Book Reviews or Becky's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Ribbit. Rodrigo. Folgueira. Illustrated by Poly Bernatene. 2013. Random House. 32 pages. Once upon a time there was a pond that was home to a family of frogs. It was their pond. And they were very happy living there. But one morning they discovered a surprise visitor...I enjoyed Ribbit! I loved the illustrations of this adorable pig. This is the 'surprise visitor' who decided to visit the pond and make some new friends. The frogs didn't quite understand why the pig was there. They were very suspicious and extremely hesitant...at least at first. Really liked the ending of this one--with the pig up in the tree making new friends!Text: 3 out of 5Illustrations: 3 out of 5Total: 6 out of 10Toys in Space. Mini Grey. 2013. Random House. 32 pages.That summer night, for the first time, the toys were left outside. The sun went down, the sky grew dark, and, for the very first time...the toys saw THIS. Everyone was quiet for a while. Toys in Space is silly and creative. I'm not sure if it would work for a group read-aloud, it was quite text-heavy. But I think it would definitely work as a read-aloud for parents to read to their own children. (They might want to read it first, however. I didn't like some of the language in this one: dang, stupid, ninny, etc. But every person has a comfort level of course! So what works for one might not work for another.) Text: 2 out of 5Illustrations: 3 out of 5Total: 5 out of 10Good Night, Sleep Tight. Mem Fox. Illustrated by Judy Horacek. 2013. Scholastic. 32 pages. One Friday night, Bonnie and Ben were being looked after by their favorite babysitter. Skinny Doug leaned against their bedroom door and said: "Good night, sleep tight.Hope the fleas don't bite!If they do,squeeze 'em tightand they won't biteanother night!"I enjoy the premise of this one. A babysitter telling nursery rhymes to two children as he tries to put them to bed at night. (I'm not sure he was trying too hard at the beginning!) After each rhyme he says: "I'll tell you another I heard from my mother..." I appreciated the fact that it wasn't a book about a babysitter reading these rhymes to the two kids. I liked the fact that these were rhymes that had stayed with him and were a part of his life, his memory. The book celebrates imagination, language, and childhood itself perhaps. Text: 4 out of 5Illustrations: 2 out of 5Total: 6 out of 10 The Story of Peppa Pig. Scholastic. 2013. 32 pages. Once upon a time, there was a lovable, slightly bossy little piggy named Peppa. Grunt! Grunt! More than anything in the whole wide world, Peppa loved jumping up and down in muddy puddles. If you or your little one LOVES Peppa Pig, then this one is one to consider. I do love Peppa Pig. I love Peppa's whole family. The show is just so much fun: the music, the characters, the silly stories. The book isn't quite as much fun as the show itself, but it captures some of the magic. Text: 3 out of 5Illustrations: 3 out of 5Total: 6 out of 10 Snippet the Early Riser. Bethanie Deeney Murguia. 2013. Random House. 40 pages. In many ways, Snippet was an ordinary snail. He drew on the sidewalk. He made leaf sculptures. He played soccer. He especially adored piggyback rides. At bedtime, he would snuggle inside his shell and fall fast asleep. But while his family loved to snooze all morning, Snippet did not. Snippet loves to wake up early. His father, mother, and sister DO NOT like to wake up early. Snippet does everything he can think of to make them wake up. He really wants to play! But still, his family stays asleep. Other insects offer advice on how to best wake them up, but it is the caterpillar's advice that works--at least this one morning! Snippet is a lovable character. Very charming! And I definitely enjoyed the illustrations! Text: 5 out of 5Illustrations: 4 out of 5Total: 9 out of 10 © 2013 Becky Laney of Becky's Book ReviewsIf you're reading this on a site (other than Becky's Book Reviews or Becky's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and i

EW LinkIt seems we all have to keep an eye out for the next Entertainment Weekly magazine, because Divergent is going to be front and center! I have all the ones they put out on The Hunger Games (and look how THAT movie turned out, sublime!) and now I have to collect the Divergent ones as well. The magazine is going to be out this Friday, June 21st. Just in time for the weekend, so you can take some time off, drink a cup of coffee, and read this baby! I will read it and post some highlights as well ;)PS; I 100% support the casting of Theo James. Would you look at that MAN!? He is, wow, no words. He is Four. I also really like Shailene, she seems to be a good actress plus she is making so many good YA movies this year (The Fault in our Stars, Divergent). The whole cast is legendary.

4 yummy, soft ginger cookies.Cover Love: It's okay. I don't love it but I also don't hate it.Why I Wanted to Read This:I just adore Elizabeth Eulberg. She writes good contemporary girl power novels. Here's the synopsis for this one:Don't mess with a girl with a great personality!Everybody loves Lexi. She's popular, smart, funny...but she's never been one of those girls, the pretty ones who get all the attention from guys. And on top of that, her seven-year-old sister, Mackenzie, is a terror in a tiara, and part of a pageant scene where she gets praised for her beauty (with the help of fake hair and tons of makeup).Lexi's sick of it. She's sick of being the girl who hears about kisses instead of getting them. She's sick of being ignored by her longtime crush, Logan. She's sick of being taken for granted by her pageant-obsessed mom. And she's sick of having all her family's money wasted on a phony pursuit of perfection.The time has come for Lexi to step out from the sidelines. Girls without great personalities aren't going to know what hit them. Because Lexi's going to play the beauty game - and she's in it to win it.Romance?: Yes! But it's not the main plot point.My Thoughts:Lexi was awesome. She was smart and self-aware, even though she didn't have a lot of confidence in her looks. She gives some awesome speeches in the end of this book, cutting down a mean girl like anyone who was tormented by a mean girl always wishes they did! It was just refreshing by the end to see her stand up for herself and let all those great thoughts she was having come out!Lexi's poor mom, she was the hardest character to read in this book. I just wanted to shake her and make her see what she was doing to her daughters. She is so mired in her own sadness and disappointment--living through Mackenzie is the only way she feels important. It made me very sad for her as well.However, I cried and cried for Lexi when her mother did what she did to her. What an awful, awful thing. I really hope their mother takes a long look at what she has let her life become and makes some good changes. I was also glad that Mackenzie became a little bit more than just a one note pageant girl.Lexi's friends are awesome, Benny and Cam. They supported Lexi and helped her through her time of self discovery. I liked that even though Lexi changed how she looked, it was more of just amping up what was already there. And she discovered that it is okay to look frumpy but it is also okay to primp. I really, really hope Taylor gives her another chance.And the speeches Lexi makes! She is a sharp high schooler. In real life it probably wouldn't be this way, but she tells off a mean girl like you wish you could've in high school, and helps Mackenzie (hopefully) make changes in her life.To Sum Up: Going to buy this one for my library! Girl power!!