Blog Blast w/ Giveaway! The Girl With More Than One Heart by Laura Geringer Bass

The Girl with More than One Heart by Laura Geringer Bass

About the Book

There are times we all feel we need more than one heart to get through. When Briana’s father dies, she imagines she has a new heart growing inside her. It speaks to her in her Dad’s voice. Some of its commands are mysterious.

Find Her! it says. Be Your Own!

How can Briana “be her own” when her grieving mother needs her to take care of her demanding little brother all the time? When all her grandpa can do is tell stories instead of being the “rock" she needs? When her not-so-normal home life leaves no time to pursue her dream of writing for the school literary magazine? When the first blush of a new romance threatens to be nipped in the bud? Forced by the loss of her favorite parent to see all that was once familiar with new eyes, Briana draws on her own imagination, originality, and tender loving heart to discover a surprising path through the storm.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for THE GIRL WITH MORE THAN ONE HEART

"Bass tackles some heavy issues—having a sibling with a disability, losing a parent suddenly and at a young age, and coping with a parent's depression—but she manages to do it with grace and empathy." ―Kirkus Reviews
"In this tenderhearted tale, Bass (Sign of the Qin) conveys the complex, conflicting emotions that arise in a family facing the unexpected death of a parent . . . It’s an emotionally nuanced exploration of grief and resilience." ―Publishers Weekly

"Bass excels in portraying the family members, their relationships, and how they shift when one person is no longer there . . . A heartfelt story of loss, grief, and healing." ―Booklist

"Bass balances the coming-of-age narrative with a grief journey that sensitively and realistically shows how friendships and family relationships change after a tragedy." ―School Library Journal

"Readers struggling with responsibility for younger siblings might especially relate to this." ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Throughout The Girl with More Than One Heart, Briana reflects on happier days with her late father . . . and those memories propel her to find her own way, to “be her own” (as her second heart tells her) and embrace her new life." ―BookPage

 

THE GIRL  WITH MORE THAN ONE HEART EXCERPT

The day my father’s heart stopped, I discovered an extra heart deep in my belly, below my right rib. It talked to me. I wasn’t crazy. Before that day, I had just one heart that never said a word.

My little brother, Aaron, was kind of crazy, I guess, but everything in our house was what my grandpa Ben liked to call “under control.” At least I always knew what to expect.

Aaron and I had two parents, but really we each had one. Mom was in charge of Aaron. As soon as he was born, she quit her job so she could take care of him. She was his. Grandpa Ben was Aaron’s, too. Dad was mine.

I missed Mom—the mother I remembered from Before Aaron. She used to pick me up every day after school. If my nose was running, she had tissues. She took them from her purse, and they smelled sweet like flowers.

…

I tried not to pay much attention to Aaron and Mom. I really didn’t need Mom to pick me up from school. I was old enough to walk home with my friends. I played with Peter, my best friend, and Tina, my next-to-best friend, and Reena, who tagged along. They came over to my house almost every day, or I went to theirs. Actually, it wasn’t ever Reena who tagged along. It was me, but I didn’t know it back then.

On weekends, it was harder not to notice Mom and Aaron in their own little bubble, but Dad was more fun than Mom and we had adventures, just the two of us. We’d sneak out of the house without letting Mom and Aaron know where we were going. Mostly, we just went to the movies at the Loews around the corner. Or we rode our bikes in Inwood Park. Or we went swimming at the Y. Or we took the subway to museums like the New York Hall of Science in Queens, the one with the giant yellow slide and the see-through floor and the water wheel in the play-ground. Dad walked on a weird treadmill there once with special sensors in the handlebars. It spat out a crinkly blue slip of paper like the fortune in a cookie. Dad read the paper and looked annoyed. He crumpled it into his fist and shook it at the machine. “What else is new?” he said.

I hopped off my treadmill. It was a twin to Dad’s, but it spat out a red paper. Don’t quit now, it said. Go for pro.

I showed Dad my printout. “What does yours say?” I asked. “I’ll trade you. I like blue better.” He handed his to me in an angry little ball. I rubbed it with my finger to flatten it out. It said: Your heart is working too hard.

“You may as well tell me I’m alive,” said Dad to his machine.

“Mine didn’t say that,” I said. “I’m alive.”

“You may as well tell me I have a family,” he said.

“I do, too,” I pointed out.

“And that I love my family no matter what,” he added, not looking at me. He was still talking to the treadmill. “If you’re human, your heart is working too hard,” he said.

I wondered if my treadmill could tell I didn’t love Mom and Aaron no matter what. I wondered if it knew that when it came to Mom and Aaron, I wasn’t sure I had a heart at all. When Dad was tired, the pale scar on his forehead from when he was a little kid and rode his bike through a glass door bulged a bit, as if a worm had gotten under his skin. It did that now. I wondered if Mom and Dad had been up all night again, talking about Aaron, worrying about him.

“I’m human,” I reminded Dad.

He looked at me then and smiled. “As human as they come,” he said.

“I love you, Dad,” I burst out. I hugged him. I reached up and touched his scar and then his beard gently, the way I’d seen Mom do it. “I’m not so sure about Mom and Aaron. I guess I love them—but not as much.”

He didn’t correct me. He didn’t say, “Of course you love Mom and Aaron.” He gathered me in his arms and squeezed me tight. He said, “I love you, too, Beautiful.”

Copyright © 2018 by Laura Geringer Bass

About the Author

As publisher of the award winning imprint, Laura Geringer Books, editor, story

advisor, teacher and writer, Laura Geringer Bass has collaborated with many celebrated authors and artists in the field of children’s books. She has worked with numerous publishing houses and entertainment studios including HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster, Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin, Hyperion/Disney, Dreamworks, Fox, and CBS. She develops picture books, illustrated novels and YAs in partnership with Shannon Associates LLC a global talent agency representing over 200 writers and artists worldwide. She teaches writing workshops privately and at the JCC and is a faculty member of New York Writer’s Workshop (NYWW), an instructor for Prison Writes serving teens at risk through New York City's Administration for Children’s Services' Close to Home program (ACS), and a mentor for Girls Write Now. 

Laura is the author of twenty books for children including the bestselling A THREE HAT DAY, an ALA Notable Book illustrated by Arnold Lobel, a Top Ten featured selection on LeVar Burton’s Reading Rainbow. Her YA fantasy, SIGN OF THE QIN, an ALA Best Book was shortlisted for the Printz award. MYTH MEN, her popular series of graphic novels was adapted by CBS as an animated TV show. Her love of story informs her service on the board of First Book, a non-profit organization that has delivered over 150 million books into the hands of children in need. Her new novel for middle graders, THE GIRL WITH MORE THAN ONE HEART, is due out from Abrams on April 17, 2018. 

PHOTO CONTENT FROM LAURA GERINGER BASS

Find the Author

WEBSITE / TWITTER / GOODREADS / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

 

  Giveaway is open to International

Must be 13+ to Enter

5 Winners will receive a Copy of THE GIRL WITH MORE THAN ONE HEART by Laura Geringer Bass.
Ends: July 12, 2018

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Early Reader Review: Pop! by Jason Carter Eaton

Source: From Netgalley and First Second Books in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Pop! by Jason Carter Eaton
Publisher:  First Second Books
Publication Date:  July 8,2018

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

A quiet afternoon of blowing bubbles and popping them turns into a Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, (and Helicopters, and Fighter Jets, and Moon Shuttles)-style adventure, as our young protagonist Dewey struggles to pop that one bubble...The Bubble That Got Away.

With luminous, breathtaking art from Matt Rockefeller that evokes both epic adventure and the pleasure of a lazy summer day; and a lively, wry, and suspenseful text from veteran picture book writer Jason Carter Eaton, Pop! is a picture book that will delight readers from cover to cover.

Review: 
Pop! is a children's book about a boy blowing bubbles. His goal is not to blow them or watch them but he gets the most fun out of popping them! One bubble escapes his grasp and he is forced to travel all over town trying to get to it.  The boy borrows cars and planes and rockets all trying to get to the one that got away.

This was a cute book. The illustrations were done in whimsical pastel colors and they really capture the child's longing to get that bubble. The story is cute, but it always makes me laugh and question children's books when the kids just go and run off from their homes... which this one does. Overall though it was a fun one to follow.

Blog Blast Excerpt w/ Giveaway! Dark Water by J.A. Armitage

Dark Water by J.A. Armitage
Series: Reverse Fairytales #4
Publication Date:  June 19, 2018

 

About the Book

You think you know the story of The Little Mermaid…
A tragic accident on the eve of her eighteenth birthday leads Princess Erica to a chance encounter with a mysterious man on the beach. When he turns up at her birthday party and whisks her off her feet, she knows she has to find out everything about him, but why won’t he speak and where does he keep disappearing to?
Ari knows he’s crossed a line by mingling with the land humans, but how can he resist the beautiful princess whose life he saved? He must decide whether to stay on land and become like her, or continue to live without her in the depths of the ocean.
Trapped in a centuries long battle between his kind and hers, his decision will rock both their kingdoms.
With a sea witch that needs repaying and the small matter of Erica’s engagement to someone else, Ari knows the odds are stacked against him.
Dark Water is the fourth in the Reverse Fairytale series and the first Little Mermaid retelling by USA Today bestselling author J.A.Armitage. Take everything you think you know about fairytales and turn it on its head.

Chapter one

“May God bless her and all who sail on her.” 

I cleared my throat, hoping I’d said it correctly, and gripped the bottle of champagne, terrified of letting it go too early or, worse still, missing the ship entirely.

Beyond the ship, the ocean shimmered in the midday sun. Diamond-like sparkles of light bounced off the calm cerulean water—water that looked so inviting, I wanted nothing more than to jump in, to surrender to the balmy ripples. Of course, wanting it and doing it were two different things. First of all, I couldn’t swim, and secondly, my mother would pitch a fit if I took another step closer to the dock edge. She was already a bag of nerves from today’s event.

I looked behind me, needing reassurance from my parents. This was my first official royal engagement, and I was terrified of messing it up. My father beamed at me with pride while my mother gave me a thin smile. I could see the fear in her eyes although she was doing her best to hide it. I was amazed she’d come at all. The ocean positively terrified her. My father’s hand was almost white with how hard my mother was squeezing it. Next to them, my little brother, Anthony, was picking his nose and examining the treasure he found up there. Not for the first time I was reminded how fortunate it was that I was the first in line to the throne.

Beside me, my life-long best friend nudged me to let go of the bottle. Officially, his title was Sir Hayden Harrington-Blythe, but to me, he was just Hayden. He’d been my first crush since our first day in kindergarten when he’d pulled on my pigtails, and I’d stamped on his foot. Despite our unpromising start, over the years we’d turned into friends. My crush on him was long since over, and his pigtail pulling days were long gone, but somehow, our friendship had survived.

 “You do know you are supposed to let go of the bottle right?” whispered Hayden in my ear. I gave him a look I only ever reserved for him and lifted the bottle. Letting go, I watched it swing on a length of string, arcing towards the majestic ship’s wooden hull. It made a tinkling sound as it smashed against the side of the ship, scattering glass all over the paved dock. I couldn’t help thinking it was a waste of good champagne and that it would be better served at the ball being held in honor of my birthday in a couple of days’ time. Still, I felt invigorated by the salty smell of the ocean, the atmosphere of a thousand happy people coming out to see the launch, and the fact that I now had a boat that bore my name. I was feeling as excited as I could hope to feel, second only to being allowed to actually go out on the damn thing.

 The Erica Rose’s white sails flapped in the breeze below the official flag of Trifork as if she were eager to be off, out onto the ocean. I couldn’t blame her. To sail on the ocean was a lifelong dream of mine. Ever since I could remember, I’d looked out of my bedroom window toward the ocean and dreamed of the day that I’d be able to disappear beyond the rolling waves toward the horizon.

It was a dream that had never, and would never, be realized as long as my parents were in charge. For a kingdom so well-known for its naval and merchant vessels, my parents were ridiculously strict about letting me go near the ocean. This was the closest I’d gotten in the whole eighteen years of my life, and I had a full team of palace guards surrounding me, stopping me from taking one step closer to the water’s edge than I had to. It was all because of my mother, of course. My father might have been the one that ruled Trifork, but in the palace, my mother was the one that wore the pants, so to speak. If my mother said I couldn’t go near the ocean, then my father wasn’t going to argue with her. However, today was a special day, and not even my mother could come up with a good enough reason for us not to be here. She might have been absolutely petrified, but she was the queen, a duty she held above everything, even crippling panic.

Compare: Recent Read/ TV Show - The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket

Compare Book 1 and the first few episodes HERE!

Compare Book 2 and those episodes HERE!

Compare Book 3 and those episodes HERE!

Compare Book 4 and those episodes HERE! 

Compare Book 5 and those episodes HERE!

Compare Book 6 and those episodes HERE! 

 

The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events #7

Publisher:  Scholastic, Inc.
Publication Date:  April 24, 2001

 

Format: Hardback
Source: Borrowed from the Library

Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

Dear Reader,

You have undoubtedly picked up this book by mistake, so please put it down. Nobody in their right mind would read this particular book about the lives of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire on purpose, because each dismal moment of their stay in the village of V.F.D. has been faithfully and dreadfully recorded in these pages. I can think of no single reason why anyone would want to open a book containing such unpleasant matters as migrating crows, an angry mob, a newspaper headline, the arrest of innocent people, the Deluxe Cell, and some very strange hats. It is my solemn and sacred occupation to research each detail of the Baudelaire children's lives and write them all down, but you may prefer to do some other solemn and sacred thing, such as reading another book instead.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

 

Compare Book 1 and the first few episodes HERE!
Compare Book 2 and those episodes HERE! 
Compare Book 3 and those episodes HERE! 
Compare Book 4 and those episodes HERE!  
Compare Book 5 and those episodes HERE! 
Compare Book 6 and those episodes HERE!  

 

The Vile Village: Episodes 5 & 6 of Season 2

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Network: Netflix
Publication Date:  January 13, 2017- present

Review:  
Another book and two more episodes down. In this installment the orphans are being moved to VFD a village in the middle of nowhere to be raise by a village or people, because 'it takes a village'. Obviously these people don't really understand what that means because the Violet, Klaus and Sunny are not required to do all the chores for the village in exchange for being adopted. 

This strange new village has LOADS of rules, many that do not make sense which is the perfect place for Olaf to make another move to capture the orphans and their family fortune. 

Let's get into the comparison - in the book the children are faced with doing menial jobs around their new home town, while doing them they start to find couplets from the Quagmire triplets which they think are giving them clues. They know that Olaf is around but not what is happening. In the show, the viewer knows that Olaf has stationed himself in the town and is overly involved AND those couplets that slowly appeared in the book are arriving two at a time to the orphans to figure out. So these episodes again seemed to rush plot points from the books to add in more plot with Count Olaf and his group as well as the spy people trying to help the Baudelaire children. 

Aside from these bigger scenes with Olaf and a man named Jacques, there were other smaller changes as well. Sunny is pinned as a murder but her siblings are just thrown in with her versus Olaf providing evidence and there is a fire tuck all throughout the ending - but I would spoil any more.

As the show progresses, the viewer really gets a feeling of how crazy Count Olaf is and how narcissistic and for adult viewers - now that there is a 'girlfriend' involved there are more innuendos spread through the conversations with Olaf. They are an interesting add for adult viewers. 

So that's all for that, so until next time.... happy reading/viewing. 

Let me know what you are thinking of the show so far if you have been watching it too!

 

Recent Reads: Tomorrow is Near but Today is Here by Asaf Rozanes

Source: From the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Tomorrow is Near but Today is Here: Experiences What's Now and Here will Assist with Managing Your Fear by Asaf Rozanes
Series: Mindful Mia #2
Publisher: Yazamia Ltd.
Publication Date:  February 3, 2018

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


 




Goodreads Synopsis: 

The stress, worry and anxiety our children face is greater than any generation before. This tale can help soothe the anxiety that fills your child’s mind, allowing gentler thoughts to take root – thoughts that leave no room for worry and remind them that ‘Yesterday has passed, today is a gift and tomorrow is brand new.’

Like many of us, Mia worries too much
Yet when we let worry cloud our minds
We miss out on all the amazing things happening here and now
The world around us is a magical place full of imagination and joy
We can see clouds flying, monkeys dancing and even a Unicorn or two
Building a better tomorrow means being present today.

In this insightful and inspiring book, children will learn what is really important in life: Be mindful If you want to change tomorrow, act today! Enjoy and experience life These lessons are universal and apply to both children and parents alike.

Review: 
This cover reminds me of a Dr. Seuss book - it might be the brightness and the crazy things happening in the image, but either way, that is a great start.

Here we see Mia worrying a lot and she has to learn to think positive and not dwell.  In the beginning of the book it was hard to tell that Mia was worried in the images - she just looks like she is day dreaming and happy - later the images seem to catch up and she looks more sad and worried so it was harder to get into this book than the others. The images play such a big part in children's books because even if they are listening, the images are what they are paying the most attention to. 

This book again had a rhyming scheme and the additional search and coloring pages added. I liked the theme of this one a lot - positive thinking is a great thing to teach young.

Building the Book Pile #258

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

This week was about the norm for me. Slow at work because it is summer time and all I really did all week was chose and lay around after work. I got a few fun books this week and have still been reading a good amount which is great for both my sanity and the blog. 

I also got a new side-gig, I guess that was different. I am going to blogging on the DailyUV. It is a website for my area. My blog over there is called Books & Brews. here is a link to the first post if you want to go read it: Books & Brews #1. There will be some overlap in the content but I am pairing adult drinks with books :)

This upcoming week all my posts are set and I am headed camping with the hubs and friends in Maine so there probably wont be a BTBP until I return later next Sunday. I hope to have a bunch of pics from the trip :)

Share about your week with me in the comments below!

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog!

 

Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: Tomorrow is Here but Today Is Here by Asaf Rozanes (Youth)
Let's Compare: Recent Read/ TV Show - The Vile Village by Lemony Snickett (MG)
Blog Blast w/ Giveaway: Dark Water by  J.A. Armitage (YA)
Early Reader Review: Pop! by Jason Carter Eaton (Youth)
Blog Blast w/ Giveaway! The Girl with More than One Heart by  Laura Geringer Bass (YA)

Books Received this Week

       

The Old Man by Sarah and Claude Dubois - From Librarything and Gecko Press in exchange for an honest review.
Dinner for Dinos by Ben Whitehouse  - From Booklook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. 
Skooter Girl by Danielle Mac - From Dog Ear Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Have you missed anything lately?

Week of June 10 - June 16

Spotlight and Giveaway: The Boy Who Dreamt of Fire Trucks by Alvita Mack (Youth)
Let's Compare: Recent Read/ TV Show - The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snickett (MG)- 5 stars
Early Reader Review: The Thief of Happy Endings by Kristen Chandler (YA)- 4 stars
Recent Reads: Short or Tall Doesn't Matter at All (Mindful Mia #1) by Asaf Rozanes (MG/ Youth)- 3 stars
Recent Reads: Part of the Rainbow (Mindful Mia) by Asaf Rozanes (MG/ Youth)- 4 stars

 

Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything, post and I will happily stop by and say hello!

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: Part of the Rainbow by Asaf Rozanes

Source: From the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Part of the Rainbow by Asaf Rozanes
Series: Mindful Mia #3
Publisher: Yazamia Ltd.
Publication Date:  May 5, 2018

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


 




Goodreads Synopsis: 

Mia’s story is one we can all relate to, the differences between us and learning to accept our own unique traits.
As Mia struggles to find her place in a class devoid of green, she learns how special she is and how all of us, together, make the best rainbow of all.
In this insightful and inspiring book, children will learn what is really important in life: Accept yourself and what makes you unique Accept others and what makes them different Together we all create the amazing rainbow of life These lessons are universal and apply to both children and parents alike.

  
Review:  
In this book, Mia has to learn about more differences. In this case they are talking about how not all people are the same as far as looks - people can be different colors. The author uses the rainbow and the bright colors as a vivid way of teaching about these differences. Mia learns that people can look different from her and that is ok, she still has something to add to the community. 

This installment was not only beautifully colored, I really liked the teaching aspect of it, more than the last book. The book rhymes making it a fun read as well. Again this book has the bonus of coloring pages and a search and find aspect - both great additions.