soup of the day

soup of the day: flash burnout by l.k. madigan!

~ jama ~ 36 Comments


photo by Seven_Hundred.

Everybody: Smile and say, "Cheese!"

Oh yes, you do have a killer smile (you really should pose for pictures more often). Has anyone ever told you your face could launch a thousand chips ships?

*licks lips and continues to munch on extra sharp cheddar lens*

Okay, I need to focus. Today’s another hugely wonderful super duper landmark day, because we’re congratulating debut author L.K. Madigan on the publication of her brand spankin’ new young adult novel, Flash Burnout (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009)!! Yay!

     
        FLASH BURNOUT by L.K. Madigan,
        Young Adult Fiction published by HMH, 2009, 336 pp.      

*flashbulbs explode all over the world*

Yes, do continue cheering and clapping, because as I’ve said often enough, there is only one first book in a writer’s lifetime and the occasion should be savored, shouted from the rooftops, and celebrated in every way possible.

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soup of the day: the small adventure of popeye and elvis!

~ jama ~ 16 Comments



Yoohoo! 

Calling all readers who love adventure!

We have a very good reason for Yoohooing and Woohooing and twirling ourselves silly with excitement, because it’s official pub day for Barbara O’Connor’s brand new middle grade novel, The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis (FSG, 2009)!!


THE SMALL ADVENTURE OF POPEYE AND ELVIS by Barbara O’Connor
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009), Ages 8-12, 160 pp.

It’s always such a treat whenever Barbara publishes a new book; you know you will fall in love with the characters even before you meet them. I’ve been following the book’s progress on Barbara’s blog, from the time she announced the title, which still makes me smile every time I see it, to the arrival of her author’s copies.

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soup of the day: all the world by liz garton scanlon and marla frazee

~ jama ~ 34 Comments

“To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour.” ~ William Blake (Auguries of Innocence, 1803).


“Finding Treasure” by paigek.

It’s time to grab our sand buckets and take a little stroll along the beach!

We can bask in the sun’s warmth and delight in the gentle ocean breeze. Friends, breathe deeply of the salty air, and make a mental note of September 8, 2009, the official publication date for All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee — because it’s not every day we are gifted with this particular brand of picture book perfection!

*busting my seams, bursting with joy, drowning in my big, big love for this book*

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soup of the day: operation yes!

~ jama ~ 21 Comments

"Theatre is the art of saying yes." ~ from Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes.


Blue Angels in delta formation, MC Base, Hawai’i, 2007.

"Off we go into the wild blue yonder
Climbing high into the sun . . . "

Yes, yes, yes!!

At this very moment, we’re flying high and soaring to new heights, because today is official pub day for Operation Yes, by the one and only Sara Lewis Holmes! 

     
       OPERATION YES by Sara Lewis Holmes
        (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2009), Ages 9-12, 256 pp.

*adjusts goggles and does happy dance in flight suit*

Yes, that Sara — whose first novel, Letters from Rapunzel, impressed me so much back in 2007, that I simply had to write and tell her, even though I’m usually much too shy to contact perfect strangers. That led to me reading her amazing blog, Read*Write*Believe, where she sometimes features her exquisite poetry. *swoon* Such talent! I was so inspired by what she was doing that I summoned up the courage to start my own blog. Since she encouraged and supported me from day one, you can see why I am especially thrilled to be able to celebrate her second middle grade novel right here on alphabet soup.

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soup of the day: japan by debbi michiko florence

~ jama ~ 21 Comments


      Apprentice geisha by Daniel Bachler.

Konnichiwa! Ogenki desu ka? (Hello, How are you?)

*bowing*

Are you ready to travel to the Land of the Rising Sun?  We’ve no better guide than the lovely and talented Debbi Michiko Florence, who just published her second Kaleidoscope Kids activity book, Japan (Williamson Books, 2009)!


 Nonfiction activity book for ages 7-14, 95 pages.

This irresistible, 95-page mega-feast is overflowing with delectable facts and interactive activities for kids ages 7-14, touching on bits of history, geography, sports, wildlife, language, music, philosophy, religion, cultural celebrations and more.

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