Away We Go Land Awareness Tour

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GIVEAWAY

Enter For A Chance To Win A 3 Book Prize Pack, Including-Away-We-Go-Land!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

• An autographed copy of Away We Go Land
• An autographed copy of The Day Gravity Goes Loco
• An autographed copy of Pancake, Pennsylvania

Four (4) winners receive:

• An autographed copy of Away We Go Land

Age Range: 2-8

Giveaway begins August 30, 2018, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends September 30, 2018, at 11:59 P.M. MT.

Giveaway open to residents of Canada and the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older.

Prizes provided by Medialuv Creative

OFFICIAL LINKS

http://www.rymaloney.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rymaloney?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rymaloney/

ABOUT THE BOOK

Away We Go Land

Written and Illustrated by Ryan Maloney

Publisher’s Synopsis: Away We Go Land is a picture book that launches kid’s imaginations to a carnival on the moon, where there are no tickets needed, and it’s fun for all.

Ages 2-8 | Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | July 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1723211942 

BOOK TRAILER

https://vimeo.com/284612296

TOUR SCHEDULE

The Children's Book Review	August 30
Once Upon a Twilight	August 30
Word Spelunking	August 31
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	September 2
Fairview Elementary School (Library)	September 3
Tales of A Wanna-Be SuperHero Mom	September 4
Barbara Ann Mojica's Blog	September 5
Glass of Wine, Glass of Milk	September 6
Jrsbookreviews	September 7
icefairy's Treasure Chest	September 10
To Read, or Not To Read	September 13
A Dream Within A Dream	September 14

The Fairview Review is participating in this blog tour in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Medialuv Creative.

Summer Reading 2018 Skyward: The Story of Female Pilots in WWII

Author Sally Deng weaves the lives of three different women from three different countries into a cohesive story that explains how they all became pilots during World War II. Hazel visits a local airfield with her father every Saturday in San Francisco. Marlene's brother brings an airplane to their family home in England. And Lilya meets a pilot who lands a malfunctioning plane near her village in Russia. The narrative traces how each young woman receives her training and what position each filled during the war, and then they are given credit for paving the way for all the females who came after them in aviation. A final double-spread shows women of all backgrounds, some in civilian clothes and others in various uniforms (military, police, and space services).

Illustrations vary from small vignettes above or below the text, large spreads such as one of Marlene with flying goggles on and her hair blowing in the wind, and even large scenes showing battlefields or the Russian Night Witches dropping their bombs. A full page features African American female pilots with Bessie Coleman in the center. Another spread shows the pieces of an airplane spread around Marlene as the text tells of her collision with a high cable during a bad fog.

Details make it clear that these women and those who served with them worked just as hard or harder than male counterparts, even though they faced discrimination and negativity throughout their careers. The large format of the book and the beautiful illustrations make the content very accessible. Anyone who is interested in aviation, equal rights, and World War II history should get a copy of this book.

I received a review copy of the book from the publisher.

Summer Reading 2018 Professor Astro Cat's Space Rockets

Professor Astro Cat and his companions explore the history of rockets. The book begins with an explanation that "in order to learn about space, we send astronauts or space probes." There is also  discussion of gravity and how strong a vehicle is needed to escape from Earth. The thrust of a rocket engine is compared to the air escaping from a balloon. The early participants of space travel including fruit flies, dogs, and monkeys are covered. Several spreads on the Apollo 11 mission cover the parts of the rocket, the stages of the launch, the moon landing, and getting the crew back to Earth. Then there is an explanation of the space shuttle program and a brief overview of several missions. Final pages cover the Orion spacecraft and the possibility of civilian rides in rockets in the future. A glossary includes useful terms for readers.

This is a title that can hold the interest of very young students with its charming characters and colorful illustrations. It gives details from a few stages of the space race, but leaves enough mystery to spark interest in further study for older students. Professor Astro Cat remains the coolest feline scientist in the solar system. He and his friends seem to have a grand time going over various highlights in the history of rockets and famous astronauts such as Yuri Gagarin, Sally Ride, and Guion Bluford. 

I received a review copy from the publisher.

Summer Reading 2018 Edison: The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure

First there was Lindbergh, a curious mouse who was inspired to create his own wings. The incredible illustrations in the book show his progress from a sort of glider, to a steam-driven contraption, to his final model. Readers can also see his test flights and how he perseveres after each one to correct the design flaws and make improvements for the next attempt. Then, there was Armstrong, who became the first mouse to reach the moon. Now there is a young mouse named Pete who is trying to locate a treasure that once belonged to an ancestor and has been a family legend for generations. He recruits the Professor from the University of Mice to help research the ocean liner his ancestor traveled on and where it might possibly have sunk with the treasure on board. What follows is a tale of experimentation and inventions (diving bells, submarines, diving suits), and brave explorers. 

The illustrations show the University hidden behind the walls of a bookstore, design sketches for the inventions, and scenes of Pete and the Professor testing out their inventions. Particularly striking are the tiny sub juxtaposed next to a whale, and the sub surrounded by a silvery school of fish. Readers will also notice that the Professor has a wall covered with pictures of his heroes - Ben Franklin, Tesla, and Edison, among others. 

Anyone who enjoys stories with heroic little animals like Despereaux or the Library Mouse will want to add Edison to their favorites. Although it's a fictional story, it would be a great read-aloud for a class studying inventors or explorers. It could also be used to study life-skills like problem-solving and perseverance. Whatever your reason for reading it, you will probably love it.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 Science Comics: Solar System: Our Place in Space

Sara is home sick with a cold and BORED! Her friend Jill stops by to visit and offers to cure her boredom by telling her all about the solar system. Creating an imaginary spaceship named "Unbored," Jill crews it with a mix of pets (hers and Sara's). These loyal space pets set out to visit the solar system and report back to the girls. After they visit each object (the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, etc.) they send back a brief report about the size, contents, origin of its name, and amazing features. These reports are very important, because the imaginary spaceship is powered by "enthusiplasma" a fuel created from Sara's enthusiasm for the solar system  - the more cool facts they discover, the more power the ship has.

This unique way of presenting the content is engaging and humorous. Scenes such as the engineering officer providing extra power by running on his hamster wheel, or the Cosmic Kitty accidentally launching the shuttle when she strolls across the Emergency control button keep the presentation from bogging down in dry facts. But there really isn't much danger of boredom when the crew are exploring worlds that may rain diamonds or moons with volcanoes that shoot out water. Along with some famous men such as Tycho Brahe and Galileo, the crew also hear about females such as Caroline Herschel and Venetia Burney. American space programs such as the Apollo missions and Voyager receive much of the attention, but the Russian Venera probes and the Indian Space Research Organization's Mars Orbiter Mission are also mentioned.

For an overview/introduction to the features of the solar system, this book is a great choice. It has funny pets in space suits, quick reviews (in the reports sent back by the Space Pets to Sara), a glossary, and even a guide to watching meteor showers. Recommended for middle grades and up.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 Hilda and the Hidden People

Hilda has been seen in graphic novels and now in a Netflix show, so her story is also appearing in tie-in chapter books. In this first title, Hilda is a curious blue-haired girl who decides to go out into the countryside and sketch pictures of rocks. But she spends the day hiking around and drawing different rock formations. Then she comes across one that she is sure is actually a troll turned to stone in the sunlight. On her way home, she comes across the footprints of a giant. There are already forest giants that Hilda knows about, but this track is much larger than anything they could make. She and her mother also have problems with elves. It seems that their house is in the territory of the elves who have now ordered the humans to leave, or else. Mom is determined to move to the town of Trolberg away from all the odd happenings and Hilda is just as determined to stay in the wild place she loves. 

Luke Pearson's illustrations capture the wide-eyed inquisitive nature of Hilda. Her artistic tendencies come through in her chic clothing (skirt, tights, boots, beret), as well as in her choice of leisure-time fun. The world Hilda lives in contains normal things like a home and a mother, but also odd creatures like giants, a wooden men, and trolls. She seems to take all her adventures in stride rather well. As she says, "What a noteworthy day." The color palette used for the book contrasts warm golden tones for the daylight and indoor scenes with blues and grays to capture the dreariness of rainy nights. The difference in the two settings emphasizes the cosyness one can bask in at such times. 

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 Science Comics: Trees: Kings of the Forest

Another volume of Science Comics presents the topic of trees. A lively acorn is educated about the importance of plants and the life of trees. A small frog, a fern leaflet, a squirrel, and a mushroom all help explain things. They show Acorn photosynthesis, the structure of plant cells, and other details. Light absorption, allelochemicals, pollination, and the spread of seeds are explained. His instructors also point out that trees are a keystone species and help with weather control, while also discussing species diversity and convergence. Several illustrations show plants as the bottom of the food pyramid and how Earth is a closed system.

This would be a great title to use in a study of plant life, food chains, adaptations and related science topics. A large glossary, a page of facts about acorns, a two-page leaf guide, and suggestions for further reading are in the back matter.

Highly recommended for middle grade readers and up. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Giveaway I Am Drums

I have been straightening out the library office at school and came across some extra advance copies. Please enter to win and good luck!

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Summer Reading 2018 The Book Tree

Arlo just wants to enjoy his book, but when he accidentally drops it on the mayor's head, it starts a big change. The mayor gathers all the books and rips them up, because they stir up ideas. The difference is noticed all over town; restaurants have no cookbooks for delicious recipes, teachers have no texts to use at school, everyone is sad. But a single page had floated away during the destruction and "When it landed, the muddy earth swallowed it letter by letter." As Arlo begins to write his own stories, that buried page sends up a shoot that grows and grows until it is tree with branches full of books. Once the townspeople rediscover the joy of books, the town comes back to life. Even the mayor learns the importance of books and how they act as seeds to make things better. 

The artwork is just as whimsical as the idea of book pages floating through the air like dandelion seeds. Oil paints and collage work together to create scenes of the rolypoly mayor in striped pants and coat (resembling a walking beach ball) and Arlo in his jaunty beret. The pages the mayor rips up are covered in text from many different languages, and the same sort of words appear on the leaves of the book tree as they unfurl. Without explicitly saying anything, those words reveal the universal appeal of stories and books.

The action of Arlo writing his own stories when other books were out of reach is a great lesson for young readers. Even when books have been destroyed, he finds a way to bring them back for himself and the rest of the town. A discussion of comparing and contrasting the town when the books are gone and the way it looks as the book tree brings hope back would have readers searching the illustrations for details to point out. Looking for favorite phrases would also be a great activity. My favorite is probably, "Arlo opened his book and breathed in." Book lovers everywhere will recognize that habit, inhaling the scent of pages and ink and possibility.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through edelweiss.

Summer Reading 2018 Illegal

This is fictional story made from pieces of what refugees truly experience as they make their way from Africa to Europe. People who attempt the journey make their way across Africa, through the Sahara until they reach Tripoli. They save their money and pay for a ride across the desert. Once they reach the port city, they must find passage on a boat or ship to cross over to Europe. If they make it across the Mediterranean, they are taken to refugee centers and must find a way to make a living and meet up with family members who have made the journey before them. 

For this account, readers follow a boy named Ebo as he tries to find his brother Kwame and join him in the journey to Europe to reunite with their sister Sisi. They encounter many difficulties including illness, dishonest human traffickers, flash floods, and leaky boats - to name a few. Throughout their ordeal, Ebo never gives up hope, just like many of the real refugees. The back matter includes an account (put into comic book form) of a refugee named Helen. 

This is a useful book for classes studying immigration, refugee situations, current events, or humanitarian organizations. The format makes the story very accessible and helps students visualize the conditions refugees endure to reach their goal.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Summer Reading 2018 Ski Soldier: A World War II Biography

Peter Seibert founded the famous ski resort in Vail, Colorado - but first he was a kid in love with skiing. This easily readable biography covers Peter's life from his first discovery of skis at age seven through his time in World War II with the 10th Mountain Division and then his successful ski resort. Archival photos are scattered through the book, sometimes as background, sometimes as a feature. The images show Peter with his family, classmates, and fellow soldiers. There are also a few pen and ink sketches by Wilson Ware, an officer in the 86th Regiment, who also served in Italy during WWII. 

This is a book that is very accessible. The text is sparse, a bit like free verse poetry, with plenty of blank space on the page. For those who are intimidated by dense text, this will be a welcoming look. The photos show plenty of action on the ski slopes and also scenes of the men during their military training and deployment. Readers interested in sports and military history will enjoy this story that combines both, showing how Seibert's love of skiing aided him in a way to serve his country and then gave him a reason to stick with his physical therapy when he returned home.

Highly recommended for middle grades and up, especially those studying World War II. I read a review copy provided by the publisher. The book will be published on September 11, 2018.