Coming Soon to a Bookstore Near You

I don't have a review today, but I do have some ARCs to give away, courtesy of my fabulous local indie, The Book Loft. Two are middle grade, one is YA, all three will be coming out next month.

First up, SHARK WARS by E.J. Altbacker. Unlike most ARCs, this one is actually hard cover!

(From the back cover:) Journey into the ocean's depths for a middle grade adventure series that has all the action of Warriors and Star Wars...but brings the battle underwater!

(From Goodreads:) Since the dawn of time, prehistoric shark clans called Shivers have ruled over the earth's oceans, fierce protectors of all who swim. For eons, the Big Blue has prospered under Shiver Law, and the delicate balance of sea life kept sacred. Until now.

Rising sea temperatures and overfishing have caused food to become scarce, and the battle for new hunting grounds has brought with it corruption and warfare.

Now, with the ocean on the brink of chaos, a young reef shark named Gray - exiled from the safety of his peaceful reef home - must venture deep into Open Water to unlock the secrets of his destiny and bring peace back to the ocean. But first, he'll have to discover the truth about who - and what - he really is.

Coming from Razorbill June 28, 2011 

THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE by Kathryn Erskine, author of Mockingbird


(From Goodreads:) Mike tries so hard to please his father, but the only language his dad seems to speak is calculus. And for a boy with a math learning disability, nothing could be more difficult. When his dad sends him to live with distant relatives in rural Pennsylvania for the summer to work on an engineering project, Mike figures this is his big chance to buckle down and prove himself. But when he gets there, nothing is what he thought it would be. The project has nothing at all to do with engineering, and he finds himself working alongside his wacky eighty-something- year-old aunt, a homeless man, and a punk rock girl as part of a town-wide project to adopt a boy from Romania. Mike may not learn anything about engineering, but what he does learn is far more valuable.

Coming from Philomel June 9, 2011  

And because some readers can never get enough dystopia (yeah, that would be me!)

ASHES, ASHES by Jo Treggiari

(From Goodreads:) A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.

Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.
Coming from Scholastic June 1, 2011


If you'd like to win one of these books, let me know in the comments. I'll randomly select some names Sunday night and announce the winners next Monday, May 23. 

If you're looking for some Marvelous Middle Grade reviews, check out these bloggers:
Shannon Whitney Messenger
Shannon O'Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Myrna Foster
Brooke Favero
Anita Laydon Miller
Deb Marshall
Barbara Watson
Michael Gilmartin




And are we all glad to have Blogger back to normal?! Yeah, Friday the 13th indeed!!