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Saturday, August 27, 2011

Weekend Photo :: 9


I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far! What a lovely hammock to lounge on to do some  reading, huh? Looks absolutely blissful.

My prayers go out to the East Coast as they brave Hurricane Irene. May God keep you and your loved ones safe!





Friday, August 19, 2011

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure by B.K. Bostick




To those of you dropping by on the blog tour for Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure sponsored by Cedar Fort, Inc., welcome to The Bookish Mama!

Author Interview with B.K. Bostick

1) Thanks for joining us today! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in a small town. My idea of a fun Friday night was driving 30 minutes to the city and hanging out at Walmart. When I graduated high school, I moved the Salt Lake City, Utah to go to college. I met my wife there. We've been married for almost eight years (she's the best). We're adopting our first child next month.

2) What was your inspiration for Huber Hill?

My grandpa. He would always tell me stories about Spanish treasure hidden up in the mountains. I always imagined going on these wild adventures to find treasure. As I grew older, I realized that the real treasures were the stories my grandpa told me. Huber Hill and the Dead Man’s Treasure is my way of passing his treasure on.

3) Would you say that you are a lot like Huber or not much at all?

Somewhat. I was pretty shy and unsure of myself when I was a kid. I was also very determined when I set my mind to things.

4) What advice do you have for budding writers? (I'm a teacher and my students would love to hear what you have to say.)

Keep a journal. Write down all of your impressions, thoughts, and experiences. Not only is it a great way for your family to have a record about you, but you'll use it to draw ideas for writing stories and creating characters.

Thanks B.K. for dropping by and answering some questions! 

Author: B.K. Bostick
Genre: Juvenile fiction - Action & Adventure

Publisher:
Cedar Fort, Inc.
Publication Date: October 28th 2011 by Bonneville Books
Source: Received electronically from publisher via NetGalley.com

Did I like the cover?: It fits the story perfectly. It is definitely appealing to young readers in search of an adventure book.

First lines: “Where is it? Tell me now!” demanded the
man in the black. A tattoo of a black serpent ran the length
of his forearm, appearing as if it had wrapped itself around
the flesh.

This book reminds me of: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest because of the name and they're looking for a chest of gold coins. I also kept picturing Indiana Jones in my head as well.

The main character reminds me of:
Greg from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series because both Greg and Huber aren't exactly the most popular kids in school and are picked on because of their perceived weaknesses.

Book synopsis from Goodreads:
When his grandfather dies, Huber Hill is devastated---until he opens Grandpa Nick's mysterious box. An old gold coin and directions to a hidden Spanish treasure send him and his friends off on an mind-blowing adventure, but he's not the only one on the hunt. Filled with dangerous animals and cryptic puzzles, this book will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page.

Review: Huber Hill is a teenager who is not exactly what you would call one of the "cool" kids in school. In fact, he is bullied and picked on by his nemesis, Scott McCormick, who gave Huber the nickname, "Puber" during a 5th grade maturation assembly. Life is pretty miserable for Huber at school and at home where his parents can't seem to stop fighting everyday.

The only good thing in Huber's life is spending time with his ailing Grandpa Nick. When Grandpa Nick dies, Huber and his twin sister, Hannah are completely devastated.However, amongst the things that Grandpa Nick leaves them is treasure map left behind by the Spanish conquistadors, now called the Tesoro de los Muertos of Dead Man's Treasure. According to legend, it is cursed and no one has found the treasure and/or live to share about it. 

That's when the adventure really begins. Huber embarks on a journey to find the treasure and prove that the tales his grandpa has shared with him are really true. Once the action starts, it is a very past-paced adventure that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Without giving away too much, this book has all the ingredients you are looking for in an action/adventure book - a vicious villain, a journey to find lost treasure, old myths and legends, wild animals and unexpected twists and turns to keep you guessing what will happen next.

Overall:
I really enjoyed this book. It took a little bit to get going, but once it did, I couldn't put it down. It is going to be a great addition to my classroom library and my 5th graders (especially the boys) are going to love it.

Rating:
4 out of 5 stars 

As a participant in the blog tour, I have been lucky enough to be able to giveaway an e-book of Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure to one of my readers! Also, B.K. Bostick has generously offered to mail anyone that likes his facebook page, a coin and bookmark. Good luck!





Treasure for Alyssa (from B.K.'s blog):

My neighbor, Alyssa, was diagnosed with a brain tumor last December. She's had four surgeries and radiation. She's endured more than most people will ever go through- all at the age of 12. She and her family are an inspiration to me.

To assist with mounting medical bills, I've decided to donate 100% of profits from all pre orders and sales of Huber Hill and the Dead Man's Treasure from Oct. 1-16 to Alyssa and her family. We are also doing a fun run on her behalf at Farmington Jr. High (Alyssa's School) on Sat., Oct. 15th, from 2:00-4:00. Fun run starts at 2:30. There will be games, food, fun, and prizes donated from local businesses! Barnes and Noble will also be there selling copies for the fundraiser. Hope you can make it!

To participate in the fundraiser, simply pre-order from Amazon/B&N now or purchase the book from a retailer during the dates posted above. Also be sure to RSVP on facebook or Goodreads.

Visit www.treasureforalyssa.com for more.



For more information:
Website: http://www.deadmanstreasure.com
Blog: http://www.bkbostick.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/bkbostick
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bkbostickauthorpage


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Throwback Thursday :: 5 :: Book It

I LOVED the Book It program when I was a kid. I loved reading and getting certificates for pizza was just an added bonus. I still have my old button somewhere in my parents' home.

I can only speak for myself, but I loved reading to begin with and getting free pizza was just icing on top of the cake. Growing up with immigrant parents, eating pizza was always a treat because we hardly ate "American food." :)

I know it is a touchy issue when it comes to whether it is the "right" thing to do to give external incentives for reading. The argument is that joy of reading should be enough of a motivator for kids to read and "bribing" kids with external rewards defeats the purpose of reading.

As a teacher, I remember receiving the Book It packet of information, but it's been awhile since I've received anything from Pizza Hut. I did a Google search and found out that it is still around. You can find more information about it here: http://www.bookitprogram.com

Anyone else remember the Book It program? Was is a positive experience for you too?


Monday, August 1, 2011

Summer Giveaway :: $10 Amazon gift card

Summer Hop 2.jpg

Thanks to I am a Reader Not a Writer and Mary from BookHounds & Forever Young for hosting this Summer Giveaway Hop!

Summer is over halfway over now and to keep the fun going, I'm giving away a $10 gift card to Amazon.com so that you can purchase a book of your own liking to read on the beach, by the pool, or anywhere that you'll be enjoying the summer sun. I am stop #63 on the giveaway hop.

Amazon_gift_card.jpg

Over 300 participating blogs are offering a book related giveaway and we are all linked up together so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. The hop runs from Monday August 1st through Friday August 7th.

***MUST BE A FOLLOWER TO ENTER***
(To follow, scroll down on the right side bar and click "follow")


Giveaway Details:
To enter giveaway please follow this blog then fill out the RaffleCopter.
Comments are for feedback and questions only.

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