Grandfather Gandhi: PB #1 for 14:14 Review

Title: Grandfather Gandhi
Authors: Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus
Illustrator: Evan Turk
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Year: 2014, Nonfiction
Word Count: 1,478

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Summary

Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson tells the story of how his grandfather taught him to turn darkness into light. How could he—a Gandhi—be so easy to anger?

One thick, hot day, Arun Gandhi travels with his family to Grandfather Gandhi’s village. Silence fills the air—but peace feels far away for young Arun. When an older boy pushes him on the soccer field, his anger fills him in a way that surely a true Gandhi could never imagine.

Can Arun ever make his grandfather proud?

Story Element: Theme

This picture book appeals to the Indian side of my heritage. But it also has a broader appeal due to its universal theme of Peace.

One of the lessons Arun learned from his Grandfather Gandhi was – “that anger can be like electricity.” One chooses to be the “lightning or lamp.”

“Each time we choose to act rather than react, to sit instead of strike, to listen instead of shout, we work to create peace.”

Illustrator Evan Turk draws readers onto Arun’s world using watercolor, paper collage, cotton fabric, cotton, yarn, gouache, pencil, tea, and tin foil. 

(Post #1 for the 14:14 Picture Book Blog Review Challenge created by Christie Wild of Write Wild. http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com)

BREAKING THE ICE Launch Party & Giveaway

My friend, Gail Nall, is here to share the launch of her debut middle grade novel BREAKING THE ICE. Even non-skaters will love this novel about a girl who learns from her mistakes and picks herself back up.

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Launch Party

On Saturday, January 17th, Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky hosted the launch party for BREAKING THE ICE. I love this store and the people who work there, and they went all out for my event. I had such a great turn-out for the reading and signing. I brought cupcakes, and there was lemonade to drink. The store ended up selling out of books! I saw family and friends, along with girls I knew in high school, writer buddies, and a critique partner who drove all the way down from Chicago. It was such a memorable evening, and a great way to kick off my career as an author.

Book Blurb

Kaitlin has always dreamed of being a champion figure skater, and she’s given up a lot to pursue her passion. But after having a totally uncharacteristic and decidedly NOT figure-skating-approved tantrum after getting her scores at a major competition she’s dropped by her coach and prestigious skating club.

When no other club in town will have her, she's forced to join the ridiculed and rundown Fallton Club, jokingly referred to as the Fall Down Club. At first Kaitlin thinks this is a complete disaster, but after meeting some of the other skaters, including a boy (who happens to have the most perfect hair she’s ever seen) Kaitlin thinks it might actually not be so bad.

But when she’s tasked with learning a whole new program right before Regionals and figures out that almost all the other skaters target Fallton, she thinks joining the Fall Down Club may just be the second biggest mistake she’s ever made.

In this figure skating themed debut, Kaitlin learns that when you fall down, you have to pick yourself up – even if it’s in front of judges and a crowd. 

Recent Interview Links

Interview on the Sweet Sixteens Blog: https://thesweetsixteens.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/the-debut-club-an-interview-with-gail-nall-author-of-breaking-the-ice/

Hey Kid! http://blog.heidischulzbooks.com/2015/01/hey-kid-with-gail-nall-breaking-the-ice/

Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors: http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2015/01/gail-nall-interview-giveaway/

Book Giveaway

I will giveaway a hardback copy of BREAKING THE ICE and a bookmark. 

To enter, just leave a comment with the following: 

1. Why you would like to win this book

2. Your e-mail address (If you win, I will contact you to request a mailing address.) 

3. Bonus point if you mention this contest on Twitter.

Contest ends on January 31st at 5pm EST. 

Winner will be announced on February 2nd.

This giveaway is for US only.

* Trisha wins BREAKING THE ICE and a bookmark! *

Revision Inspiration Week

Contests for Children's Writers and Illustrators

KidLit 411 Birthday Bash

Three days of giveaways:

• Jan. 5: All About Picture Books - win signed books from your favorite PB authors/illustrators & PB manuscript critiques

• Jan. 6: All ABOUT CRAFT  - win courses and critiques in writing & illustrating

• Jan. 7: Agent Spotlight - win a submission opportunity with an agent

You may enter into any and all of the giveaways.

All giveaways will end at noon, on January 15, 2015.

KidLit411's ongoing goal is to organize relevant information about writing and illustrating for children in one handy spot, right here. The site includes:

• Topical Pages - links to articles and resources organized by topics. 

• Author & Illustrator Spotlights - each week, they feature an author and an illustrator (or an author-illustrator), who share their experience with you.

• The Weekly 411 - each week, they compile the new links that were added during the week in an update post. You can receive this by email by subscribing to email updates.