Kiki and Jacques by Susan Ross

ABOUT THE BOOK
Kiki and Jacques
Author: Gwendolyn Womack
Pages: 128
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Release Date: October 15th, 2015
Publisher:  Holiday House
SYNOPSIS:
A local boy and a refugee girl from Somalia overcome cultural challenges in a small Maine town.
Twelve-year-old Jacques meets Kiki, a Somali girl with a mysterious scar. Jacques expects to be captain of the soccer team, by Kiki’s brother, Mohamed, becomes his new rival. Kiki is also a talented player and wishes her family would let her join the girls team. A dangerous older boy implicated Jacques in a blot to rob the Army Navy Store, but Mohamed is mistakenly arrested. The boys on the soccer team shun Mohamed, and Jacques must decide if he will step forward.

BOOK LINKS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25648348-kiki-and-jacques?from_search=true&search_version=service
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kiki-Jacques-Susan-Ross/dp/0823434273/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437065556&sr=8-1&keywords=kiki+and+jacques&pebp=1437065582550&perid=1QC1VYYTFBW4S14RVN2B
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kiki-and-jacques-susan-ross/1121800243?ean=9780823434275

PRAISE
“Jacques and Kiki are intriguing chracters, strong and empathetic. Despite problems of culture, they find their way to friendship in a story that is beautifully crafted. A stunning debut novel.”
-Patricia Reilly Giff, Two-time Winner of the Newberry Honor (Lily’s Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Ross grew up in Lweiston-Auburn, Maine, and adored spending time at her family’s cottage on the maine coast. She attended Brown University and NYU School of Law.
After practicing law, Susan taught legal writing in Brooklyn and in Budapest, and creative writing to kids in Connecticut. She led “art smart” for many years in her three children’s elementary school classes and assited with weekly writing workshops at their international school in London. Susan loves hanging out in a classroom and teaching kids about writing and literature!
KiKi and Jacques was inspired by the large influx of New Mainers from Somalia to Susan’s hometown in Maine. It is her debut middle grade novel.
Currently Susan lived with her husband and teenaged daughter in Connecticut. She teaches writing at Westpoint Writers Workshop and is a trustee at the local library.
http://www.authorsusanross.com/

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Spotlight & Giveaway: Awake by Natasha Preston

Title: Awake
Author: Natasha Preston
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller
Buy: Amazon | BN | iBooks

Summary:
Don't miss the latest gripping, high-stakes thriller from Wattpad sensation Natasha Preston, author of the runaway hit The Cellar.

Scarlett Garner doesn't remember anything before the age of four-until a car accident changes everything. She starts to remember pieces of a past that frighten her. A past her parents hid from her...and a secret that could get her killed.

Excerpt from Awake

Once everything was ready it was time to get dressed for the ceremony. I was taken back to the house, and I was instructed to have a bath and get ready in the dress set out on my bed.

I did as I was told because there was little else I could do right now. After soaking in a bubble bath, using most of it up as my own little screw you, I got out, dried and went back to my room.

Unsurprisingly the dress I was to wear was full-length and white. It was pretty and thankfully not a slim fit so I would be able to run properly in it. I held it up—this is what I’m supposed to die in. Not many people knew what their last outfit would be. I instantly hated it.

I pulled it over my head. It fit me perfectly. It had long, loose fitting sleeves, a modest neckline, and waves of material on the skirt. I pulled it and was satisfied when I could stretch both arms out to the sides.

There were no shoes, and I was afraid I’d have to run through the forest barefoot but there wasn’t a lot I could do about that. I couldn’t ask for shoes and have them question why I’d need them if I was getting in a lake. Besides, I’d run barefoot over a bed of nails or hot coal to get away.

I looked in the mirror and took deep breaths to calm my nerves. I could do this. I was strong.

“Scarlett, are you ready?” he called.

Time to fight for my life.

***

Two things entered my mind as every member of Eternal Light stared at me from the meadow. One, no matter how hot it was outside it never warmed the water enough for it to not be cold. And two, if this didn’t go to plan I would be dead in forty minutes.

Since they’d stood up and opened their eyes they hadn’t stopped staring at me.

I pretended to look around, turning my body so I could take a few unnoticed steps back towards the other side. Running in water wasn’t easy and I would be slow to get out, giving them plenty of time to make it around the lake. I had to give myself as much time as I could. At least they would be further away as they called upon nature to accept and cleanse me for the final time.

Idiots.

Soon I had to run for my life in a cold, wet dress. I had no idea how long it would be before I could change. Or how cold it was going to get in the forest at night.

In the distance I could just about see their lips moving but I had to strain. Some of them had their eyes closed again. Why couldn’t they all do that? My heart started to pound. How long would they chant for, and why hadn’t Noah called me yet? Had someone realised that he’d slipped away? He said they’d be so focused on what they had to do to that he didn’t see a problem with getting away. I couldn’t be so confident—this was my life on the line.

Author Biography
UK native Natasha Preston grew up in small villages and towns. She discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online—and hasn’t looked back since. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Promo & Giveaway: Most Likely to Succeed (Superlatives #3) by Jennifer Echols

Most Likely to Succeed (Superlatives #3)
by Jennifer Echols
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: August 4th 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction

Synopsis:

In this sexy conclusion to The Superlatives trilogy from Endless Summer author Jennifer Echols, Sawyer and Kaye might just be perfect for each other—if only they could admit it.

As vice president of Student Council, Kaye knows the importance of keeping order. Not only in school, but in her personal life. Which is why she and her boyfriend, Aidan, already have their lives mapped out: attend Columbia University together, pursue banking careers, and eventually get married. Everything Kaye has accomplished in high school—student government, cheerleading, stellar grades—has been in preparation for that future.

To his entire class, Sawyer is an irreverent bad boy. His antics on the field as school mascot and his love of partying have earned him total slacker status. But while he and Kaye appear to be opposites on every level, fate—and their friends—keep conspiring to throw them together. Perhaps the seniors see the simmering attraction Kaye and Sawyer are unwilling to acknowledge to themselves…


As the year unfolds, Kaye begins to realize her ideal life is not what she thought. And Sawyer decides it’s finally time to let down the facade and show everyone who he really is. Is a relationship between them most likely to succeed—or will it be their favorite mistake?

Follow the Most Likely to Succeed by Jennifer Echols Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

US Only

If the winner has one of the Superlatives book, he/she can choose another book instead written by Jennifer Echols.

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