Waiting on Wednesday (15)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It’s designed for readers to spotlight upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read, feature on their blog, or share with their students in their classroom.

This week's pick looks like it will be a bit of a tickler. Not only is that cover made of awesome, the plot looks like it will be a girl-power novel for second and third-grade readers. My son is in third grade, so I'm always looking for reads that help me get into his world because, let's face it, I'm pretty far removed.

Title: 'Don’t Wear Polka-Dot Underwear with White Pants’
Author: Allison Gutknecht
Publisher: Aladdin

Pages: 144
Release Date: 12 Nov. 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Eight-year-old Mandy Berr learns life lessons with patriotic pizazz in the first adventure of a new chapter book series.

Eight-year-old Mandy Berr has a lot going on. She has to share her parents’ attention with her newborn twin siblings, who are always crying, and her little brother, Timmy, who is constantly in her way. And she also has to find a way to deal with her nemesis, Dennis, who has a knack for getting under her skin.

At least Mandy has the upcoming Presidential Pageant to look forward to at school. She is determined to be President George Washington—she is perfect for the lead part, after all. But when Mandy’s teacher makes a surprising choice, it looks like Mandy will have to keep sharing the spotlight. Can she find her own way to shine?

Mandy has some valuable life lessons to learns in this adorable chapter book—including the fact that white pants and polka dot underwear are never a good combination

What are you waiting for this week?

Happy Reading!

     - The Hodgenator

Waiting on Wednesday (14)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.

I am super excited about this week's pick because I am a huge fan of the Alice books. She is just such a wonderful character and adds so much to the world of tween/ya lit. Now, twenty-eight books later, her story will come to a close. ***sniff

Title: 'Now I’ll Tell You Everything’
Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Pages: 544
Release Date: 15 Oct. 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Alice McKinley is going to college! And everything, from her room to her classes to her friends, is about to change. Stoically, nervously, Alice puts her best foot forward…and steps into the rest of her life.

Just how crazy will her college life get? Will Alice’s dream of becoming a psychologist come true? Are she and her BFFs destined to remain BFFs? And with so many miles between them, will Alice and Patrick stay together…or is there a hot, mysterious stranger in her future? As Alice well knows, life isn’t always so predictable, and there are more than a few curveballs waiting to be thrown her way.

This is it. The grand finale. You’ve loved her, you’ve learned with her, you’ve watched her grow up through twenty-eight books. And now everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Alice McKinley will be revealed!

What are you waiting for this week?

Happy Reading!

     - The Hodgenator

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.

My pick this week is by one of my fave authors—I absolutely love her tween storytelling. By the end of one of her novels, I’m feeling pretty good about life (and friendship). But mostly, I just want to head to my local bakery and pick up a few confectionery items.

Title: 'Frosting and Friendship’
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Publisher: Aladdin

Pages: 224
Release Date: 24 Sept. 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Has Lily bitten off more than she can bake? A sweet treat from the author of It’s Raining Cupcakes and Sprinkles and Secrets.

On a scale of zero to ten, twelve-year-old Lily Hubbard is a zero when it comes to baking. Her cookies turn out salty, her cakes tend to lean, and things are always overcooked.

When Lily is invited to be a part of a mother-daughter book club called The Baking Bookworms, she is excited—and terrified. It seems like she’s the only one who didn’t inherit the baking gene.

But she does have the music gene, which is why she’s forming a band that will audition for their school’s annual Spring Fling. If, that is, Lily can balance her priorities. Because Isabel, one of the Baking Bookworms, has asked Lily to help plan a surprise party for their mutual friend Sophie. And the task is…creating a show stopping, mouthwatering, thirteenth-birthday-party-worthy dessert. Uh. Oh.

Soon, Lily finds herself knee-deep in sugar and sheet music as she tries to juggle her responsibility to her bandmates AND give her friend the best party ever.

What are you waiting for this week?

Happy Reading!

     - The Hodgenator

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.

Twitterverse has been all a-buzz with this read, and now its release is just around the corner. I am super-stocked to have this as my WoW this week. I cannot wait to read it.

Title: ‘Where the Stars Still Shine’
Author: Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 352
Release Date: 24 Sept. 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

What are you waiting for this week?

Happy Reading!

     - The Hodgenator

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.

I am really excited about my pick for this week. Seriously excited. It is almost fall, which means I spend a lot of time reading "witchy" tales. This one I cannot wait to get my hands on.

And look at that awesome cover!

Title: 'Conjured’
Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 304
Release Date: 3 Sept. 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

What are you waiting for this week?

Happy Reading!

     - The Hodgenator

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.  It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.

I am really excited about my pick for this week. It combines two of my loves: Tudor England and witches. And with fall coming…I am excited. I love reading witchy tales in the fall. I cannot wait to devour this novel.

Title: 'Witchstruck’
Author: Victoria Lamb

Publisher: Harelquin Teen

Pages: 304
Release Date: 24 Sept. 2013

Summary (from Goodreads):

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

How interesting does this sound?!

What are you waiting for this week?

Happy Reading!

     - The Hodgenator