The charming Bat series by Elana K. Arnold comes to a conclusion in Bat & the End of Everything, which sees Bat having to face several goodbyes, not the least of which is Thor, the baby skunk he’s been helping care for. Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat) has been the caretaker for Thor, the best […]
One of the coolest parts of The Valiant series by Lesley Livingston is the way it re-imagines ancient Rome to include the bad-assery of female gladiators. As we wrap-up our read-along of this series, and celebrate the recent release of the final book in the trilogy, The Triumphant, I thought it would be fun to […]
I’m so excited to be hosting a stop on the official blog tour for The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu today. Thanks to our friends at Walden Pond Press, we have a wonderful educator’s guide to share with you — PLUS enter for your chance to win a copy of the book! Check out the […]
With this week’s publication of The Sea of the Dead, Barry Wolverton’s Chronicles of the Black Tulip is now a complete series. So today we have the updated and complete classroom guide for all three books. Plus, a look back on some students’ reactions to the series and one last chance for you to win […]
It seems like everywhere you turn these days, people can’t stop talking about Alexander Hamilton. It’s Hamilton Fever! From the hit Broadway musical, to a growing roster of other creative works inspired by the revolutionary figure, it seems like Hamilton is everywhere. And yes, he’s even on the shelves of the Young Adult section at […]
One of the themes that carries through both of Barry Wolverton’s Chronicles of the Black Tulip books, The Vanishing Island and The Dragon’s Gate, is map-making. Bren’s father is a map-maker, and he wants Bren to become one, too. He works for Rand McNally, and in The Dragon’s Gate, uses map-making as an excuse to […]
One of my favorite things here at Novel Novice is when we can combine a book that readers LOVE with the opportunity to use it in the classroom. The Chronicles of the Black Tulip series by Barry Wolverton is a perfect example of this. Last year, when The Vanishing Island (book 1) was released, I […]
One of the things I loved most about The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia (in stores now!) is that more than being an amazing book — fun to read, fast-paced, thrilling, sexy as hell — it also gives you plenty to think about and discuss, even in a classroom setting. With that in mind, here […]
In our September Book of the Month, author Dawn Ius has re-imagined England’s most infamous king as high school royalty. But what was the real Henry VIII like? We showed you more about the real Anne Boleyn earlier this week. Today, we’re bringing you the facts about the other half of this ill-fated couple. Henry […]
Today we’re going beyond the pages of our September Book of the Month, Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius, to learn about one of the real people whose story inspired the book … Anne Boleyn. (And tune in on Friday for more on Henry VIII, too!) Anne: The Facts Born 1501 (Probably; there’s been some […]