Are you in love . . . with bacon?

Are you in love...with bacon? Most households buy two packages of bacon per month. In fact, bacon has become so prevalent, you may not realize how often you eat it. For example, do you order a bacon cheeseburger; turkey, bacon, and avocado sandwich, or Cobb salad with bacon crumbles, when you eat out? (Are you getting hungry? :))

This Valentine's Day, why not surprise your bacon lover with a romantic bacon dinner. Inside The Bacon Lover's Cookbook, you'll find recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Yep, dessert! Like Chocolate Covered Bacon Caramels and Bacon Cookies. With so many recipes to choose from, you'll never have an unsatisfied bacon craving again!

Bacon Lovers Unite!

It’s time to prove to your friends, once and for all, that everything really is better with bacon! Crispy, salty, smoky, sweet. Let the flavors of bacon overwhelm your taste buds with recipes like

Applesauce Bacon Dippers
Barbarian Bacon Skewers
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Peppers
Root Beer and Bacon Cupcakes

Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for your bacon-obsessed friend or you’re a bacon aficionado yourself, you’ll love the mouthwatering recipes in The Bacon Lover’s Cookbook. With bacon-flavored breakfasts, dinners, desserts, and everything in between, this ultimate guide will take your bacon sensibilities to a whole new level.

You can pick up a copy of The Bacon Lover's Cookbook from your local book store; or, you can click here to purchase a copy from Amazon and have it in time for Valentine's Day.

Christina has an entire shelf of fabulous cookbooks, creating and testing all the recipes herself. See all the books in one easy spot right here: Christina Dymock Family Cook Books!

Now go eat some bacon!!

xo,
Kimberley

While reading your critiques and trying not to get depressed. . .

You whip out the credit card and jump up and down excitedly for a fabulous new book by one of your favorite authors - Barbara O'Connor, who hails from the South and writes the best MG novels ever.

Here is her newest book, launched just yesterday!

COVER LOVE! So perfect for Middle-Grade Readers!

My copy is on its way to me. TWO copies actually. One to keep and one to give away! And I may be buying more since I have nephews who love to read!
 
All you gotta do to win my extra copy of THE FANTASTIC SECRET OF OWEN JESTER is to tell me one of your favorite scenes from THE HEALING SPELL. 

Or tell me that you're going to give a child or teacher or friend or librarian THE HEALING SPELL for Christmas. Or just because! Because we love books - just because they're so fabulous!

Thanks for entering! Have a wonderful, book-alicious day!

Crazy Excited About Books!

Hey, guys, you really need to enter the Goodreads Giveaways.

I've entered just a few, but so far I've won TWO books!

First I won NUMBERS by Rachel Ward:


Then I entered the giveaway for the brand new, PICTURE THE DEAD. There were, like, 3000 people entered. I WON! I WON! I WON!!!


I couldn't believe it. I just stared at the email telling me I won in disbelief. I'm so psyched! Adele Griffin, an author I love to read, mailed the book right away - and it's signed. Lookee, lookee!


It says: "For Kimberley ~ Embrace the Unexpected"

I LOVE this title page! And the book is gorgeously designed. I DEVOURED the story in the car on our last trip.

I've always been a big fan of historicals and the added mystery and photography and spookiness blends together in a fascinating story. Highly recommended!

An interesting sidenote: A paranormal thriller I started writing a few months ago takes place just a few years later than PICTURE THE DEAD in the Victorian Era.


I ALSO won a book from SHRINKING VIOLETS PROMOTIONS!!!


LOVE AND POLLYWOGS FROM CAMP CALAMITY

Since I'm currently writing another MG, I can't wait to read this. I have a whole bunch of Middle-Grade novels in my stack for inspiration.

 

Books Read in 2009

It's very interesting to compile this list. For one thing, I knew I hadn't done as much reading this year with a new baby in the house and writing so much and book production and the publicity and promotion research and things like my website and book trailer and school visits and blogging more and getting an account on Facebook. I really miss not reading as much. But I was surprised by how much I actually *had* read. It's also interesting how eclectic the list is. I try to read widely but there are so many books I wish I could have crammed into my brain. But alas, I need to wait until the time I don't need sleep anymore.

There's also some political non-fiction I didn't put on the list as well as my daily scripture study.

And you can probably get a BIG HINT about the type of book I'm currently revising for my editor by the research books below. Ha, ha!

There's also the realization, once again, about how much I enjoy Southern type novels by my adult list. I always have, and try to read as many as I can in children's lit as well. There are titles that are set in the South that I did not read this past year, mostly because our library never got them in.


Children's/Teen Literature:

1. How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
2. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
3. Savvy by Ingrid Law
4. Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
5. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
5. Wake by Lisa McMann
6. The London Eye Mystery by Siohban Dowd
7. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
8. Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson
9. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
10. Fade by Lisa McMann
11. Masterpiece by Elisa Broach
12. Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going
13. The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
14. The Secret Language of Girls by Frances O'Roarke Dowell
15. The Curse of Addy McMahon by Katie Davis
16. Millicent Min by Lisa Yee
17. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate deCamillo
18. Love, Cajun Style by Diane Les Becquets
19. Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith
20. Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise
21. Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse
22. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
23. Gone by Michale Grant
24. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
25. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
26. Bliss by Lauren Myracle
27. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
28. Anonymously Yours by Richard Peck
29. A True and Faithful Narrative by
30. 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
31. A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
32. The Day of the Pelican by Katherine Paterson
33. The Kind of Friends we Used to Be by Frances O'Rourke Dowell
34. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
35. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
36. Fairy Tale by Cynthia Balog
37. Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard
38. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
39. Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge

Adult Novels:

1. The Girl who stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
2. Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
3. Between Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson
4. The Sister by Poppy Adams
5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
6. Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See
7. Ethan Fromme by Edith Wharton
8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
9. Tell No One by Harlan Coben
10. Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch
11. Purple Cane Road by James Lee Burke
12. Sunset Unlimited by James Lee Burke
13. Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
14. Learning to Fly by April Henry
15. The Savvy Author's Guide to Book Publicity by Lissa Warren
16. Voodoo and Hoodoo by Jim Haskins
17. The Mysterious Marie Laveau by Raymond J. Martinez
18. Charms, Spells & Formulas by Ray T. Malbrough
19. Old Love Charms & Spells
20. Black & White Magic by Marie Laveau
21. Voodoo handbook of Cult Secrets by Anna Riva
22. Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic by Catherine Yronwode
23. Hoodoo Mysteries by Ray Malbrough
24. Utterly Wicked, Curses, Hexes and Other Unsavory Notions by Dorothy Morrison

The Launch of SPELLBINDERS is today!!!

I'm so excited about the launch of SPELLBINDERS, a newsletter for teachers and librarians and educators and home schoolers and parents - anyone who loves literature, books, and reading and wants to help kids love boit, too.

Carolee Dean and Lois Ruby and I have been working on this for the past six months, planning the layout, the title, our articles, our interviewees, our direction, goals, hopes and dreams. Carolee is also a speech/language patholgist in the school system and Lois is a retired YA librarian and me - I'm just a passionate reader/writer and past home schooler. The three of us are a good combination, eh?

You can go here to read the October Issue at SPELLBINDERSBOOKNEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM. It will run October - May, then break for summers.

Please SUBSCRIBE!!! Click on the "Join Our Mailing List" link and you can automatically receive it in your Inbox every month without having to remember to find it on the blog.

Isn't this pretty? We're thrilled to pieces.

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

October, 2009 Welcome to the first issue of SPELLBINDERS, a monthly newsletter designed to help educators create lifelong readers. We are very honored to have the amazing Jane Yolen with us as our featured author for the first edition of SPELLBINDERS. To find out more about us, connect to our websites in our columns below. Feature Article An Interview with Jane Yolen Jane Yolen has written over 300 books for kids of all ages--from the gorgeous picture book Owl Moon to the harrowing YA novel, The Devil's Arithmetic. Her books have been awarded the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, and two Christopher Awards to name a few. To read more about Jane and find out about her books visit www.janeyolen.com. Carolee: Jane, in addition to writing award winning books for kids of all ages, you've also travelled across the country talking to students about books. From these experiences could you share with us suggestions on how educators can encourage reluctant readers, especially boys? Jane: I wish I could just say: get rid of all those tests and simply read to your students, though I know it's not as simple as that. Now--I truly believe that all children love Story, though not all love it in the written form. Just as they love poetry, when it comes as street rhymes or hip hop or rhyming ads or pop songs. Have those poems memorized in a moment. So the problem is how to turn that love towards actual books. I'm not a classroom teacher but I do know that some of the answers are in daily reading aloud (and stopping at exciting places!); getting the children to tell stories the way storytellers do, practicing until it becomes a performance; having them read favorite poems to younger grades; and the graphic novel. It has to do with letting their "bands" make up songs as back drop for books; getting them to draw or paint new covers for favorite books; and making a book trailer to go on YouTube. In my family of three children, my oldest two were--and are today--great readers. Their houses are simply a-tumble with books. But my youngest never read for pleasure, always for information. Though he loved to HEAR stories, he was a late and even a reluctant reader. Today, he reads children's books to his twin daughters, he reads the poems I write for his astonishing nature photographs, but otherwise he and his beautiful and well-educated and adorable wife have no fiction books in the house for the kind of every day reading I feel essential to my own life. I did everything I could when he was growing up, including reading to him, surrounding him with his own bookcases and books, book-talking, and the like. And while he is in some ways the best adjusted of my children, he is who he is. I say this with great love and with the final realization that as much as I wanted him to be a reader, he never was warmed by the reading fire. It's true in every classroom, as I know you all are painfully aware. Interview Continued at http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com Join Our Mailing List! Who's Right/Whose Right? Lois Ruby Over the coming months we'll look at how to survive book challenges without losing your sanity or your job. The not-so-secret remedy is a clear written policy, both for selecting books and for resolving challenges. But even with a fool-proof policy, you could still tear your hair out before the issue settles. And here's why ... Everybody has rights, right? And yours come to a crashing halt where mine begin, especially when we're selecting and promoting books, videos, magazines, and Websites. Each may seem perfectly innocent to you, while raising the eyebrow of your principal, library director, or a cautious parent. HERE'S A SAMPLING OF THE RIGHTS IN HEAD-TO-HEAD COMBAT: Constitutional Privilege - The First Amendment guarantees the right to freedom of speech. While there are obvious limitations (treasonous statements, threats against the President, etc.), basically the government can't interfere with what the writer writes or the artist draws, even if we think it's trash. Academic Freedom - Teachers and librarians have the right to teach and recommend the best materials. These are, of course, subjective decisions, and that's where the trouble flares. I think Pete Hautman's Godless is a brilliant YA novel, but you might think it's sacrilegious. Community Standards - Neighborhoods differ politically, racially, and economically. What if the school or library board tends to be more conservative or more liberal than the community? Sparks fly when the rights are in conflict. But wait. Some books, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, have been roundly challenged from both ends of the political spectrum, though for different reasons. School/Library Standards - Schools and libraries have the right to set standards for selection and withdrawal of materials. Sit in on a board meeting during a book challenge, and you'll wonder how civilized people can be so snarky in their disagreement! Parental Standards - Parents have the right to determine what's suitable for their children to read, but NOT the right to determine what every other child in the class or community may read. A Student's Freedom to Learn - Each learner has the right to access materials for his/her own edification. This can be sticky if, for example, a young teen needs info on sex, but adults deny access for their own reasons. See how complicated it is? Whose right, and who's right? Tune in next month! www.loisruby.com Would you like to host an author but you're not sure how to find one, and money's hopelessly scarce? Go to America Writes for Kids, http://usawrites4kids.drury.edu/, and click on your state to find an author near you. Most children's writers have Websites with contact info, also. Then check with your state library, school district, PTO/PTA, or local foundation to learn about grants for Artist-in-Residence Programs. More about this subject in future issues. Go for it! The Secret Language of Stories Carolee Dean In addition to writing books for children and young adults, I also work full-time in the public schools as a speech-language pathologist. I have observed that young children typically have a great love of story; however, after years of failure and frustration, adolescents who struggle with reading and writing often give up trying to understand the structure of stories or create tales of their own. I looked at the way that I taught children to analyze stories as an educator and how that compared to how I, as an author, analyzed and created my own novels. What resulted was a twelve step story method called THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STORIES (SLOS). The twelve story stages I teach students are as follows: The Old World, The Call, The Refusal, The Crossing, The New World, Plans & Preparations, The Midpoint Challenge, The Escape, The Tunnel of Transformation, The New Person, The Climax, and The Reward. Each of these will be defined and discussed through the next few months. I use SLOS with students of all ages to explore the stages of plot development and when I introduce these concepts I always start by discussing the idea of an Old World and a New World. Nearly all stories show a main character growing and changing as a result of exposure to a New World. He or she starts out in their everyday world, but either something about that world changes to turn it upside down, or else the hero is propelled on an adventure to an entirely New World. Dorothy starts out on a farm in Kansas but ends up in the colorful world of Oz. Luke Skywalker leaves the dry, dusty planet of Tatooine to join the rebel forces trying to destroy the Death Star. In the movie, Transformers, Sam Witwicky's world is overtaken by cars that transform into monstrous killing machines. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry leaves Privett Drive to journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In Twilight, Bella leaves Arizona to go live with her father in Forks, Washington, only to enter an even more unique world of vampires. In many stories for children and young adults, a new person who becomes a friend, enemy or a love interest, arrives in the Old World and nothing is ever the same again. In The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, Jess Aarons world is forever changed by Leslie Burke, the girl who moves in next door and helps him build a secret world in the woods called Terabithia. Each of these stories shows a character growing and changing as a result of a setting transformation. Anyone who has undergone a major change in their living situation understands the impact this can have on a person. When I discuss the concept of Old World vs. New World with students, they easily come up with numerous examples of their own from movies and books. Boys who may have struggled with story analysis join in for the first time on discussions about plot, character and setting. It isn't that they don't understand these concepts; it is simply that they haven't had a language to use to describe what they know. My hope is that through THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STORIES all students will grow in their appreciation of story. For the September Creative Writing Activity please visit the blog on my website at www.caroleedean.com. Join Our Mailing List! Kimberley's Book Buzz Kimberley Griffiths Little Are you still using Charlotte's Web or Tuck Everlasting for your class's yearly novel reading and discussion? Do you want something new and fresh for reading aloud or to launch a new class project? My column will bring you juicy gossip about the new books launching into the world. Focus will be on brand new authors, new books by your favorite authors, Newbery and Caldecott "buzz" as well as book reviews in fiction and non-fiction titles. So let's dish about some of the books that are making the Newbery Buzz RIGHT NOW! Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin Simon & Schuster Jason, a 12-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer. All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg Scholastic Press Two years after being airlifted out of Vietnam in 1975, Matt Pin is haunted by the terrible secret he left behind and, now, in a loving adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past. Wild Things by Clay Carmichael Front Street Books Stubborn, self-reliant 11-year old Zoe, recently orphaned, moves to the country to live with her prickly uncle, a famous sculptor and doctor, and together they learn about trust and the strength of family. Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane Alfred A. Knopf Eight-grader Molly's ability to throw knuckleballs earns her a spot on the baseball team, which not only helps her feel connected to her recently deceased father, who loved baseball, but helps her in other aspects of her life as well. The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice Harper-Collins After her father is sent to jail, 11 year old Groovy Robinson must decide if she can forgive the failings of someone she loves. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly Henry B. Holt In Central Texas in 1899, 11 year old Callie Vee Tate, is instructed by her mother to be a lady, learns about love from the older three of her six brothers, and studies the natural world with her grandfather, the latter of which leads to an important discovery. Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick Blue Sky Press 12 year old Homer, a poor but clever orphan, has extraordinary adventures after running away from his evil uncle to rescue his brother who has been sold into service in the Civil War. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead Wendy Lamb Books As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid", a 12 year old girl New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes sent by an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space. You can find these new titles in your local Independent bookstores, your favorite school distributor, Amazon, B&N.com and national chains. Now go relax and read a great book! Kimberley www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com Note: The Newbery Caldecott Awards (and many other awards in the children's book world) will be announced at the ALA Mid-Winter Conference, January 15 - 19, 2010, in Boston.

Books Read Over the Summer

Children’s/YA Fiction:
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr *
Breathe My Name by R. A. Nelson *
Peeled by Joan Bauer
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry *
Total Constant Order by Crissa-Jean Chappel
Love me Tender by Audrey Couloumbis
Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
Undercover by Beth Kephart *
How Not to Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Remembering Raquel by Vivan Vande Velde *
Seer of Shadows by Avi *
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson *

Adult Novels:
The Twelfth Transforming by Pauline Gedge *
Lady of the Reeds by Pauline Gedge *
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella *

Non-Fiction:
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne *
Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing: A novelist looks at his craft by David Morrell *

* My favorites of the Current List

French Pastries to die for

Here's a link to my French trip on my web site if you'd like to take a peek. There are too many to post here.

Near the bottom is an example of the fabulous French pastries we ate every day.

The awesome thing was, we walked so much for those two weeks I didn't gain a single pound even though I ate these every day.

http://kimberleygriffithslittle.com/content/blogcategory/18/17/

Au revoir and have a great weekend!

Gotta Add a P.S.

About CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT by Laurie Viera Rigler. Check out Laurie's adorable, fun website, too! Good stuff and contests even.

I posted my blog this morning and then this afternoon Laurie herself emails to tell me she's seen my blog - my blog, no less! - and thanks me for mentioning her book. I was very glad to do it because I really ADORED this novel. No, it's not YA like I write, but it's juicy, suspenseful, un-put-downable with twists and turns and a surprising conclusion. It's sort of like time travel and historical wrapped inside as well which I love (and which my last book from Knopf is all about, The Last Snake Runner.)

A young woman (Courtney) wakes up one morning in Regency England remembering her life back int he 21st century and wondering how she got there. THEN she starts realizing that she has memories of the woman (Jane) whose body she is inhabiting. But what happened to Jane - the woman Courtney took over? Is she in her old body two hundred years into the future. And will they switch back - or not?

A terrific novel with first rate writing and yes, tons of fun, as well as romance and handsome men.

I hear a sequel is in the works . . . yay!

Go grab CONFESSIONS from your nearest bookstore and have a great read!