Today, I am so honored to be hosting a stop on the official blog tour for York by Laura Ruby, the first in a stunning new middle grade series about a magical twist on New York City.
Below, learn more about the book, download some incredible educator/classroom guides, and enter to win a copy of this fantastic book!
It was 1798 when the Morningstarr twins arrived in New York with a vision for a magnificent city: towering skyscrapers, dazzling machines, and winding train lines, all running on technology no one had ever seen before. Fifty-seven years later, the enigmatic architects disappeared, leaving behind for the people of New York the Old York Cipher — a puzzle laid into the shining city they constructed, at the end of which was promised a treasure beyond all imagining. By the present day however, the puzzle has never been solved, and the greatest mystery of the modern world is little more than a tourist attraction.
Tess and Theo Biedermann and their friend Jaime Cruz live in a Morningstarr apartment house — until a real estate developer announces that the city has agreed to sell him the five remaining Morningstarr buildings. Their likely destruction means the end of a dream long-held by the people of New York. And if Tess, Theo, and Jaime want to save their home, they have to prove that the Old York Cipher is real. Which means they have to solve it.
In Stores May 16th
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“In this smart, immersive series starter, Ruby expertly juggles stunning plot choreography, realistic stakes in a captivating fantasy setting, well-wrought characters, and flashes of sharp cultural commentary.”
— Booklist (starred review)
“This first volume opens up an ever expanding sense of magic, culminating in a bittersweet ending that promises bigger things to come. The past informs the present as the review informs readers: don’t let this one go.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Ruby’s latest is a high-stakes mystery novel filled with intriguing puzzles, solid world-building, and diverse characters. An engaging series opener that will leave readers eagerly awaiting future installments.”
— School Library Journal (starred review)
Laura Ruby is the author of books for adults, teens, and children, including Bone Gap, a National Book Award finalist and Michael L. Printz Award winner, among dozens of other accolades. Her other books include the Edgar-nominated mystery Lily’s Ghosts, the Book Sense Pick Good Girls, and the acclaimed novels Play Me and Bad Apple. She is on the faculty of Hamline University’s MFA in writing for children and young adults program and lives in the Chicago area. You can visit her online at www.lauraruby.com.
We’re giving away one signed copy of York by Laura Ruby, thanks to our friends at Walden Pond Press.
To enter, tell us in the comments below about either your favorite place in New York City – OR – the place you’d most like to visit in New York City. Then fill out the Rafflecopter form to complete your entry and earn more chances to win.
Contest is open to the U.S. only, and runs through midnight (PT) on Thursday, May 18th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Visit all the stops on the blog tour for more great content & other chances to win a copy of York:
- May 1 Kirsti Call
- May 3 Book Monsters
- May 4 Next Best Book
- May 5 Charlotte’s Library
- May 7 Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook
- May 8 Walden Media Tumblr
- May 10 The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
- May 11 Novel Novice
- May 12 Educate-Empower-Inspire-Teach
Novel Novice 
I’m not a big fan of going to big cities (hence my reading about them). If I did go I would love to see a Broadway play.
I want to visit the World Trade Center Memorial.
I’d like to see 5th Avenue and then run back home to my quiet like in the country :).
If I ever go to NYC, the place I want to go is to the Richard Rodgers Theater to see Hamilton. Or I’d want to go there to Book Con next month.
I’ve never been to NYC but if I did go MoMA would be one of the highlights for me. I really enjoy modern art. Thanks for the chance to win York!
I’ve only been to New York City a few times and never gone to Ellis Island. I just read the Girl in the Torch so I think I’d visit there next time.
I’ve only been on a wild nighttime cab ride through New York to get to the airport, but someday I’m going to go back and take my daughter and visit the Nintendo Store! I’d also love to visit The Strand Bookstore :).
Broadway! I always wanted to be on Broadway… Seeing a fabulous musical performed is on my bucket list.
Thanks, Cindi
I’d love to visit Midtown Comics or Big Apple Comics…. im a comic book fan.
I missed out on the chance to visit NYC as a senior in highschool but if I could go today, I would visit all of the libraries and book stores. I’d probably visit the museums as well!
In a chaotic city like New York, nothing beats a stroll deep into Central Park.