Congratulations to Ally Condie, whose latest novel, Crossed, debuts at no. 2. It's the second book in the Matched series (the paperback of which is no. 6). Also new to the list is The Outcasts by John Flanagan. In series, Colleen Houck's Tiger's Curse debuts at no. 3. This Week Children's Chapter Books Weeks on... Continue Reading →
Today we continue our profiles of the three main characters in Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. It's spoiler-free, but gives you a chance to get a sneak peek inside the book before it hits store shelves next week. On our last profile, we feature our second main male character, Warner. Warner: Age: 19 Sex: Male... Continue Reading →
All this week we featured The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris van Allsburg and others--it landed at no. 10 this week on the best sellers list. In paperbacks, Salman Rushdie's Luka and the Fire of Life was also at no. 10. And in book series, congratulations to Julie Kawaga whose Iron Fey series is... Continue Reading →
With the release of the third book in The Caster Chronicles series--Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (read an excerpt)--the Beautiful Creatures paperback edition is no. 4 on the paperback list. Kathy Reichs's sequel to Virals--Seizure-- is at no. 10. This Week Children's Chapter Books Weeks on List 1 THE SON OF NEPTUNE,... Continue Reading →
You can have a horror novel without gothic elements, but it's impossible to have a gothic novel without horror. This Dark Endeavor has both in spades. On Novel Novice we've talked before about what elements make a gothic novel (here and here) but Kenneth Oppel captures them so well, it's worth revisiting. Like horror, the... Continue Reading →
Any time you have a new book tied in to a classic, there are loads of ways to use it in the classroom. Below you'll find essay prompts and project ideas for Kenneth Oppel's This Dark Endeavor. Essays: * Much of This Dark Endeavor concerns alchemy and the ways it intersects with modern science. Do... Continue Reading →
How do you celebrate when you have THREE books in the top ten? Anyone have Rick Riordan's number so we can ask him? His latest, The Son of Neptune, is no. 1 this week, joining The Lost Hero and The Throne of Fire. In other news, the paperback of Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel in on... Continue Reading →
Young Adult horror is making a comeback, and This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel is leading the way. A well-plotted gothic thriller, the story follows inseperable twin brothers Victor and Konrad Frankenstein and their adopted "sister" Elizabeth. The three have spent their childhoods exploring the family's grand chateau and are surpised to discover a secret... Continue Reading →
It was a dark and stormy night ... Okay, we might not know the weather, but horror literature was born in 1764 when Horace Walpole finished writing The Castle of Otranto, generally accepted as the first gothic novel. Horror and gothic novels have captured the imagination and sent hearts racing ever since. Here are some of... Continue Reading →
Really? Really? *sigh* Tyra Banks' new YA novel, Modelland lands at no. 2 this week, the only new entrant. However, classic children's author Shel Silverstein remains no. 1 with Every Thing On It and Ellen Hopkins' Perfect is no. 8. Matched by Ally Condie is no. 7 on the paperback list. This Week Children's Chapter Books... Continue Reading →
Novel Novice 