Question of the Week # 6

Time for another Question of the Week. This week's question...

In what book does a character say someone is so hip that when he sits down he's still standing?

Don't forget to provide both that title of the book as it appears on the official list, but the author of the book and the name of your school.

Also remember to continue commenting on the Feature Book of the Week posts now on Tuesday.

Keep reading! See you all soon.

And the Answer Is...

This week's Question of the Week was...

In what book does a character berate his mother for calling in sick?

And the Answer Is...

The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe by Dan Poblocki

Here is a list of the school who correctly answered this week's question.

Hazelwood North Middle

Oakville Middle

Hazelwood Northwest Middle

St Gabriel

Cross Keys Middle

Pattonville Heights Middle

Ladue Middle

Hixson Middle

The Fulton School

Rockwood South Middle

Bayless Jr. High

Congratulations! Get ready for another question next week.

Featured Book of the Week Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Feature Book of the Week

Mila 2.0

by 

Debra Driza

Mila was never supposed to remember her past, or know what lurked beneath her synthetic skin. She was never meant to learn that she was "born" in a secret computer science lab and programmed with superhuman skills. But when a group of hooded men show up on her doorstep, hoping to strip her of her advanced technology, she has no choice but to run for her life. In every direction there are dangerous people, hunting her down. They will do whatever it takes to capture Mila, including hurting the people she cares about most.

About the Author

Debra Driza is a member of the teen lit blogging groups the Bookanistas and The League of Extraordinary Writers, and a former practicing physical therapist who discovered tormenting her characters was infinitely more enjoyable. These days you can find her at home in California, adding random colors to her hair and wrangling one husband, two kids, and an assortment of Rhodesian Ridgebacks (most of them naughty).

Question of the Week #5

This week's Question of the Week is....


In what book does a character berate his mother for calling in sick?

Remember to include in your answer the title and author of the book along with the name of your school.

Check back tomorrow for The Feature Book of the Week and Friday for the answer to this week's question.

And the Answers Are...

When preparing for the Book Battle, the committee members, who write the questions, spend time deciding which questions to use in the competition, which to send for the all the schools to use in practice, and which to use on the blog. We often throw questions out because they could be confused with another book.  This week's question is one of these. 

This week's Question of the Week was...


In which book does a character hide a book?

Therefore, the answers are...

Tandem by Anna Jarzab

and 

Surrounded by Sharks by Michael Northrop

Here are the schools who correctly answered this week's question.

The Fulton School

Hazelwood North Middle

Rockwood South Middle

Oakville Middle

St Gabriel

Laude Middle
Hixson Middle

Pattonville Heights Middle

Hazelwood Northwest Middle

Feature Book of the Week: Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth

Feature Book of the Week

by

Coe Booth

It was one thing when Jarrett's mom took care of foster babies who needed help. But this time it's different. This time the baby who needs help has an older brother -- a kid Jarrett's age named Kevon.

Everyone thinks Jarrett and Kevon should be friends -- but that's not gonna happen. Not when Kevon's acting like he's better than Jarrett -- and not when Jarrett finds out Kevon's keeping some major secrets.

Jarrett doesn't think it's fair that he has to share his room, his friends, and his life with some stranger. He's gotta do something about it -- but what?

From award-winning author Coe Booth, Kinda Like Brothers is the story of two boys who really don't get along -- but have to find a way to figure it out.

About the Author

It's hard to write about myself, especially since I don't think I've had the most exciting life. So I’ll keep this simple. Real simple.

I was born and raised in New York City, in the borough of the Bronx. A lot of people ask me what it was like growing up in the Bronx, so I’ll say it was probably just like growing up in any other inner city. I went to public school, and when I didn’t have dancing school or piano lessons, I spent my free time jumping double dutch on the sidewalk and riding my bike up and down the block with my friends. Parking lots were our playgrounds and fire hydrants were our sprinklers on hot, sticky summer days. It was great!

I always say I started writing novels in second grade. Of course, back then my novels were just loose-leaf paper stapled together, but the stories were mine and I was proud of them. I loved the feeling of putting CHAPTER ONE on top of the first page and writing until there was a satisfying ending, or until one of my teachers caught me writing instead of paying attention in class and confiscated my book. I lost more novels that way!

By seventh grade, writing brought me a little bit of “fame.” My novels-in-progress would get passed around the class — behind the teacher’s back, of course — and by the end of the day my friends would beg me to write more. (Well, maybe they didn’t actually beg, but that’s how I choose to remember it!)

While I was in college, I had many jobs: I sold jewelry at a department store, worked at a bookstore, and taught creative writing and video production to kids and teens. My favorite job at that time was teaching memoir writing to senior citizens. I loved hearing all about their lives: growing up in the Bronx back in the 30s and 40s, their first loves, and all about how they had to fight to overcome racial discrimination back then. They had real powerful stories to write.

After I graduated from college in 1996, I started working with teenagers and families in crisis. A lot of the teens I worked with were homeless, involved with gangs, or addicted to drugs. Some were victims of child abuse and neglect. It was a tough job, but I was always impressed by the teens’ survival skills.

It was probably that job that inspired me to write TYRELL. I wanted to give readers a realistic portrayal of what it’s like to grow up in hard circumstances, especially when you have only yourself to count on. I began writing TYRELL while in the creative writing MFA program at The New School. I graduated in 2005, andTYRELL was published in 2006.  

My second book, KENDRA, was published in 2008.  For this novel I wanted to write about a girl trying to understand herself and her very complicated family, while experiencing her first relationship.  I wanted to explore the truth of some relationships, one where you're not really sure what's going on until you've gone too far. 

My third novel, BRONXWOOD, is the sequel to TYRELL.  I really loved getting back into Tyrell's head and seeing the world through his eyes again.  And, of course, I really wanted to know what happened next in Tyrell's life!  

My first book for middle-grade readers, KINDA LIKE BROTHERS, is in stores now!  
I live in the Bronx, working as a full-time writer and a part-time writing teacher at Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program.  In my free time, I volunteer for the NAACP ACT-SO program where I mentor teen writers.

My hobbies include reading (of course), playing piano, (very) amateur filmmaking, and traveling.  Some of my favorite places (so far) are France, Italy, Bermuda, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, England, and Spain!  And when I'm procrastinating from writing, you can find me wasting time on Facebook and Twitter.  

Check out more about Coe Booth on her website.

Question of the Week # 4

This week's Question of the Week is...

In which book does a character hide a book?


Remember to include in your answer

• title of the book
• author of the book
• name of your school

One answer per school please.

And the Answer Is...

This week's Question of the Week was...

In what book does a character have to keep his hat covered in human blood to survive?

 And the Answer Is...

Jackaby by William Ritter


Here are the schools who correctly answered this week's question...

Fulton

Oakville Middle

Hazelwood North Middle

Ladue Middle

Hazelwood Northwest Middle

Hixson Middle

Cross Keys

St Gabriel

Brittany Woods

Rocked South Middle

Hazelwood Central 

Congratulations to all the schools who answered correctly.


While I know everyone will be off this Monday for President's Day there will still be a Question of the Week posted.

Featured Book of the Week: Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Feature Book of the Week

Greenglass House

by 

Kate Milford

It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves.

About the Author

Kate is the author of THE BONESHAKER, THE BROKEN LANDS, and GREENGLASS HOUSE (Clarion), as well as their companion novellas THE KAIROS MECHANISM and BLUECROWNE (available at www.clockworkfoundry.com). Forthcoming books include THE LEFT-HANDED FATE (Holt, 2015) and THE RACONTEUR'S COMMONPLACE BOOK. She has also written several plays, a couple of screenplays, and an assortment of scholarly articles on subjects as diverse as self-aware ironmongery and how to make saltwater taffy in a haunted kitchen. She is a contributing writer for the Nagspeake Board of Tourism and Culture at www.nagspeake.com and a passionate shutterbug. Originally from Annapolis, she now splits her time between Brooklyn and the Magothy coast. She has a husband called Nathan, a kid called Griffin, and two dogs called Sprocket and Ed. She drinks way too much coffee. 

Question of the Week #3

Thanks again to all the school participating in the Question of the Week.  This week's question is...

In which book does a character have to keep his hat covered in human blood to survive?


Remember to include in your answer:

• The title of the book
• the author of the book
• the name of your school

Please only one answer per school.  Answer will be posted on Friday

And the Answer Is...

This week's Question of the Week was...

In what book is a character's parent assumed to have been a genetically engineered super soldier?


And the Answer Is....

The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke

Hers is the list of schools who correctly answered this week's question.

The Fulton School

Hixson Middle

Hazelwood Central Middle

Pattonville Heights Middle

Laude Middle

St. Gabriel of the Archangel

Cross Keys

Lift for Life Academy
Hazel wood North Middle
Rocked South Middle
Brittany Woods

Congrats to all the schools who successfully answered this week's Question of the Week. Check back Monday for a new question.

Feature Book of the Week The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe by Dan Poblocki

Feature Book of the Week

The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe

by

Dan Poblocki

Has Gabriel created a monster?

Something sinister lurks in the woods outside of Slade.

Gabe has seen it, or he thinks he has - a shadow standing at the tree line, watching Gabe's house with faintly glowing eyes.

Despite Gabe's misgivings, his new friend, Seth, relishes the creepy atmosphere of the forest. It's the perfect setting for his imaginary struggle against the Hunter, a deformed child-eating creature said to leave the bones of his victims in his wake. It's just a game, but it's all a bit much for Gabe, who quickly loses interest as summer ends and the days grow shorter.

But then strange things start to happen. Frightening things. And Gabe knows it has to do with the dark figure watching him from the edge of the woods.

Is Seth out to teach Gabe a lesson? Or is the Hunter more than just a myth? Gabe isn't sure which option is more horrifying, but he's determined to learn the truth before someone gets hurt . . . or worse.

About the Author

Dan Poblocki is an American author of mystery and horror novels for young people. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island. During his pre-teen years, his family moved to Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Dan currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with two scaredy cats. 

Dan graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in theater. Subsequently, he toured the United States playing ultra-challenging roles such as Ichabod Crane in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Shoemaker in The Shoemaker and the Elves to packed houses filled with literally thousands of screaming children. (He hopes they weren’t screaming in fear.) Though “the profession” begged him to continue, Dan gave up early on his promising acting career to focus on other creative endeavors. While exploring those various artistic options, Dan held a number of jobs in New York City including: a floral groomer, an audience-wrangler for a popular game show, a computer analyst, a chemotherapy-unit assistant, and a traveling bathing suit sales-dude. 

That’s right. A traveling bathing suit sales-dude. 

Dan now writes full time. He's probably working on something new this very minute! For More information about Dan check out his web site.

Question of the Week #2

Well teams, the first question turned out to be too easy since I forgot to turn off the comments. Lets see how well you all do this week with the comments off.

This week's question of the week is...

In what book is a character's parent assumed to have been a genetically engineered supersoldier?

Don't forget that only one answer per school is allowed, and each answer must be  accompanied with the title of the book, the author of the book and the school's name.

The correct answer will be revealed on Friday along with all the school who correctly answered the question.