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Editorial Content for From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess

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From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess

Reviewer (text)

Sally Tibbetts

Except for her unusually long name, 12-year-old Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is completely average. But when a limousine shows up at a school and Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia invites her into the car, everything changes --- Olivia learns that her father is royalty and that she is, too. Read More

Teaser

 

Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is a completely average 12-year-old. Then one completely average day, everything goes wrong...Until a limo containing Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia pulls up to invite her to New York to finally meet her father. Maybe Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison isn't so average after all!

Promo

Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is a completely average 12-year-old. Then one completely average day, everything goes wrong...Until a limo containing Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia pulls up to invite her to New York to finally meet her father. Maybe Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison isn't so average after all!

About the Book

Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is a completely average 12-year-old: average height, average weight, average brown hair of average length, average brown skin and average hazel eyes. The only things about her that aren't average are her name (too long and princess themed), her ability to draw animals (useful for her future career as a wildlife illustrator) and the fact that she is a half-orphan who has never met her father and is forced to live with her aunt and uncle (who treat her almost like their own kids, so she doesn't want to complain).

Then one completely average day, everything goes wrong: the most popular girl in school, Annabelle Jenkins, threatens to beat her up, the principal gives her a demerit and she's knocked down at the bus stop...

Until a limo containing Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia pulls up to invite her to New York to finally meet her father, who promptly invites her to come live with him, Mia, Grandmère and her two fabulous poodles...

Maybe Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison isn't so average after all!

Liesl Shurtliff

Liesl Shurtliff was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the mountains for her playground. Liesl was shy about her name, growing up. Not only did it rhyme with weasel, she could never find it on any of those personalized key chains in gift shops. But over the years she’s grown to love having an unusual name --- and today she wouldn’t change it for the world! Before she became a writer, Liesl graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in music, dance, and theater.

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Editorial Content for Anywhere but Paradise

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Anywhere but Paradise

Contributors

Corinne Fox

Reviewer (text)

Corinne Fox

It’s 1960, and 12-year-old Peggy Sue has just made the big move with her parents from Texas to Hawaii, the newly added 50th state of America. She didn’t want to move, and she finds no excitement in her new home --- everything is unfamiliar, and she’s singled out right away by eighth grader Kiki Kahana as a haole, a white person, an outsider to be hated. Read More

Teaser

 

Moving from Texas to Hawaii in 1960, 12-year-old Peggy Sue faces a difficult transition when she is bullied as one of the few haole (white) students in her school. But when her parents take a trip to Hilo, life takes an unexpected twist in the form of a tsunami.

Promo

Moving from Texas to Hawaii in 1960, 12-year-old Peggy Sue faces a difficult transition when she is bullied as one of the few haole (white) students in her school. But when her parents take a trip to Hilo, life takes an unexpected twist in the form of a tsunami.

About the Book

Moving from Texas to Hawaii in 1960, 12-year-old Peggy Sue faces a difficult transition when she is bullied as one of the few haole (white) students in her school. This lyrical debut novel is perfect for Common Core classroom connections.
 
It's 1960 and Peggy Sue has just been transplanted from Texas to Hawaii for her father's new job. Her cat, Howdy, is stuck in animal quarantine, and she's baffled by Hawaiian customs and words. Worst of all, eighth grader Kiki Kahana targets Peggy Sue because she is haole --- white --- warning her that unless she does what Kiki wants, she will be a victim on "kill haole day," the last day of school. Peggy Sue's home economics teacher insists that she help Kiki with her sewing project or risk failing. Life looks bleak until Peggy Sue meets Malina, whose mother gives hula lessons. But when her parents take a trip to Hilo, leaving Peggy Sue at Malina's, life takes an unexpected twist in the form of a tsunami. Peggy Sue is knocked unconscious and wakes to learn that her parents safety and whereabouts are unknown. Peggy Sue has to summon all her courage to have hope that they will return safely.

Mike Buono

Michael Buono is a Librarian, comic reader and member of the Authors Unlimited board. He is in charge of the website and social media. You can tweet him @michaelbuono or the event staff @authorsunlim.

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April 13, 2015

This Bookreporter.com Special Newsletter spotlights a book that releases on April 21st. Read more about it, and enter our Spring Preview Contest by Tuesday, April 14th at 11:59am ET for a chance to win one of five copies of THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD: A Memoir by Elizabeth Alexander. Please note that each contest is only open for 24 hours, so you will need to act quickly!

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Sylvia Voirol

Rainbows apologize for angry skies.

Attribution

Sylvia Voirol

Danny McGoorty

I have never liked working. To me a job is an invasion of privacy.

Attribution

Danny McGoorty

Marshall Lumsden

At no time is freedom of speech more precious than when a man hits his thumb with a hammer.

Attribution

Marshall Lumsden

April 10, 2015

On Sunday night, after a fun Easter Sunday dinner (and yes, I did buy the pre-dyed Easter eggs, which were a huge hit and ensured that I did not dye the kitchen table like I did in other years), we watched part one of the Sinatra documentary on HBO, "Sinatra: All or Nothing at All," followed by the first episode of the final season of "Mad Men." Monday night was part two of the Sinatra piece (I had not realized it was a two-parter until Sunday night when the show ended suddenly in 1954). I was very into the music both nights and, at one point, was mouthing the songs on the couch, complete with hard gestures. My husband turned and asked me a question. I told him, “Wait, I am doing my big finish of 'My Way.'" He laughed and, okay, it was humorous. I cannot sing, so it's better that I'm only mouthing the words.

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Early April 2015

Happy April, Teen readers!



Since it's National Poetry Month, I'm going to tell you something right now --- I think that novels in verse are genius, plain and simple.



Why, you may ask? Because they help bridge one of the biggest false binaries among book lovers everywhere. You know those unnecessary divisions I'm talking about --- just like there are some people who only read nonfiction (news flash: novels reveal truths, too!), refuse to pick up a YA book after they reach a certain age (just because it stars a teenager doesn't mean it's not well-written!) or automatically turn down a book of a certain genre (I promise that a little science fiction, historical fiction or contemporary realistic fiction won't bite), a lot of people turn their nose up at poetry as a rule. It doesn't matter the context --- no prose, no thank you.

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