5 Tips for Writing a Scientific Genius When You Are Not One (by A. M. Morgen)

Hello! Welcome to the blog tour stop for The Inventors at No. 8, a new middle-grade read by A. M. Morgen—who was also nice enough to write an awesome little post for us here! Ms. Morgen has provided a rather unique and very useful how-to about character development. Because, you see, she's got one hefty character starring in her new book: the one and only Ada Lovelace. This book is a STEM-filled adventure that will be sure to win over readers!

About the Book

The Inventors at No. 8
A. M. Morgen

Little Brown Books (May 8, 2018)
978-0316471497

Meet George, the third Lord of Devonshire and the unluckiest boy in London. Why is George so unlucky? First, he's an orphan. Second, unless he sells everything, he's about to lose his house. So when his family's last heirloom, a priceless map to the Star of Victory (a unique gem said to bring its owner success in any battle) is stolen by a nefarious group of criminals, George knows that there is no one less lucky—or more alone—than he is.

That is until Ada Byron, the future Countess of Lovelace, bursts into his life. She promises to help George recover his family legacy, and is determined to find her own father along the way—all in a flying machine she built herself. Joined by a mischievous orangutan and the long-lost son of an infamous pirate, Ada and George take off on a cross-continent journey through the skies that will change their lives, and perhaps the world, forever.

Five Tips for Writing a Scientific Genius When You Are Not One

By A. M. Morgen

If you watch crime shows on TV, you might expect that geniuses are so common that they work in every police station. However, true geniuses are rare. Scientific geniuses are rarer still. Only .25% of the world’s population is estimated to have a genius-level IQ. But exceptional intellect alone doesn’t make a genius. A genius must also be creative and persistent enough to put their talents into practice.

When I decided to write a book with a scientific genius character based on Ada Lovelace, I worried I wouldn’t be able to write her convincingly. How was I supposed to write a character that was smarter than the reader, smarter than the other characters, and smarter than me? Luckily, Google and Wikipedia came to my rescue, but I discovered a few other strategies along the way. You can read Inventors at No. 8, to judge whether or not I was successful in my goal to write a convincing child genius. In the meantime, here are 5 tips to keep in mind when writing a genius of your own:

The Best Thing I Did While Waiting for My Book to be Published (by Karlin Gray)

Welcome to another blog tour author guest post here on Literary Hoots! I'm so excited to have Karlin Gray sharing some very awesome tips about storytelling today (I raved about another of her pictures books, NADIA: THE GIRL WHO COULDN'T SIT STILL, in not one but two different book lists I made). She's got a brand new picture book out this week and some fantastic advice to share... 

About the Book

AN EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY MOTH
Written by Karlin Gray and Illustrated by Steliyana Doneva

Sleeping Bear Press (March 15, 2018)
978-1585363728

A dusty, grayish moth is feeling kind of down. He's nothing like the Luna moth, Spider moth, or Atlas moth. And don't even get him started on beloved butterflies! He's just not special like those insects. But then . . . a boy sees him and enlightens our little moth on how extraordinary ordinary can be.

Illustrated by Steliyana Doneva, AN EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY MOTH is a rhyming read-aloud picture book with back matter that includes fascinating moth facts and an outdoor activity.

Read an excerpt of AN EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY MOTH.

The Best Thing I Did While Waiting for My Book to be Published

By Karlin Gray

Patience is key in picture-book publishing. My first book took three years—from offer letter to printed books. My second picture book, the read-aloud AN EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY MOTH, took almost two years to be published. Everyone from the illustrator to the editor to the sales department needs their time to do their thing. So what did I do in the meantime?

Five Tips for Aspiring Fantasy Writers (by Kamilla Benko)

Welcome to today's blog tour stop for Kamilla Benko's debut middle-grade read: The Unicorn Quest. Not only am I excited to share this book, but also share her expertise on writing a good piece of fantasy. As a children's book editor and now author, she's got some fantastic advice. But first! The book itself...

About the Book

The Unicorn Quest
Kamilla Benko

Bloomsbury (January 30, 2018)
978-1681192451

Claire Martinson still worries about her older sister Sophie, who battled a mysterious illness last year. But things are back to normal as they move into Windermere Manor . . . until the sisters climb a strange ladder in a fireplace and enter the magical land of Arden.

There, they find a world in turmoil. The four guilds of magic no longer trust each other, the beloved unicorns have disappeared, and terrible wraiths roam freely. Scared, the girls return home. But when Sophie vanishes in the night, it will take all of Claire's courage to climb back up the ladder, find her sister, and uncover the unicorns' greatest secret.

Five Tips for Aspiring Fantasy Writers

By Kamilla Benko

When people ask me who are my favorite literary characters, I sometimes reply, “Hogwarts!” Or Pern, or Tortall, or Ketterdam, or Red London, depending on my mood. Hey, these are worlds, not characters, you might say. And you’d be absolutely right.  But I don’t see the difference. Worlds are what I fall in love with.

As an editor who has worked on several fantasy novels at the Big Five Houses and as the author of The Unicorn Quest, I’ve spent a lot of time creating and shaping new worlds, and I have five helpful steps to take as you begin to build your own.

How To Find Inspiration To Write Your Picture Book (by Lindsay Ward)

Hello all! I've got quite the pleasure of introducing this guest post's author, Lindsay Ward, who recently published her newest picture book, Don't Forget Dexter!, the first in her new Dexter T. Rexter series (which earned a starred review from Kirkus!). She is also the author and illustrator of Brobarians (which I reviewed back here), Henry Finds His Word, and When Blue Met Egg. Her book Please Bring Balloons was also made into a play. And today, she's sharing with us her techniques for finding the inspirations for her books...

About the Book

Don't Forget Dexter!
(Dexter T. Rexter #1)
Lindsay Ward

Two Lions (December 1, 2017)
978-1542047272

"Introducing Dexter T. Rexter, the toughest, coolest dinosaur ever. At least he likes to think so.

When his best friend, Jack, leaves him behind at the doctor’s office, Dexter T. Rexter panics. First he tries to find Jack. Then he sings their special song. Then he sings their special song even louder. But when Jack still doesn’t appear, Dexter starts to wonder. What if he’s being replaced by another toy? It can’t be—after all, he can STOMP, RAWR, and CHOMP! Right? Right?!

This hilariously neurotic dinosaur will do whatever it takes to get his friend back—even asking the reader’s advice—in this first book of a brand-new series."

How To Find Inspiration For Your Picture Book

By Lindsay Ward

Every single book I’ve ever written has come from a personal experience. As cliché as it sounds, there is something to be said for writing what you know. I’ve always found it to work for me.

Usually I come up with a concept first, then I flesh out the manuscript. I tend to revise over and over again until it feels just right when I read the story aloud. I like to think of it as a very Goldilocks approach to writing.

Once I’ve settled on the manuscript, then I begin to draw. I spend a lot of time getting to know my characters. What are their likes and dislikes? How would they sound? What makes them happy? And so forth. The more I know them, the better I can write and draw them. They feel real to me because they all derived from an experience I had at some point in my life:

Don’t Forget Dexter!—I was pregnant with my first child when my husband had to get a shot prior to our son’s birth. While waiting to get the shot, my husband texted me a photo of a toy dinosaur that had been abandoned beneath a chair. Following the photo he texted “well, they left me here.” Dexter’s voice immediately popped into my head and I sat down to write his story.

Brobarians—Movie night with my husband watching Conan the Barbarian. Seriously. You never know when John Milius and Arnold Schwarzenegger will influence you to write a children’s book...

The Importance of Being 3—Graduate school application prompt: tell a story using the number 3.

Rosco vs. the Baby—I used to live next door to a dog named Rosco who never stopped barking. Oddly enough the couple who owned Rosco ended up having twins after I wrote the ending of the book. True story.

Henry Finds His Word—I had lunch with a good friend of mine and her son when he was just starting to talk.

Please Bring Balloons—A combination of being an only child, my love for the magic of snow, and the fact that my parents used to paint carousels for a living.

When Blue Met Egg—My love letter to New York, after living there briefly during college.

You never know where an idea will come from. Usually it’s when you least expect it, which has certainly been my experience. I try to be observant, enjoy the world around me, and keep a notebook handy...just in case.

.......

Lindsay Ward was inspired to write this book after her husband texted her a photo of a toy dinosaur abandoned at a doctor’s office. The caption read: “Well, they left me here.” Lindsay thought it was so funny that she sat down to write Dexter’s story immediately. Most days you can find Lindsay writing and sketching at her home in Peninsula, Ohio, where she lives with her family. Learn more about her online at www.LindsayMWard.com or on Twitter: @lindsaymward.

Aliens Get the Sniffles Too! (Review and Giveaway Entry!)

Having stayed up just last night to help my poor toddler feel better from Croup, this book seems especially appropriate today! Check out my review of Aliens Get the Sniffles Too! and see below to enter a giveaway for a pretty awesome prize...

Aliens Get the Sniffles Too!
Written by Katy S. Duffield, illustrated by K. G. Campbell

My rating: ★★★

ISBN: 978-0763665029
Publisher: Candlewick
Date of publication: November 7, 2017
Age: 4 - 8 years
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: ARC from publisher

Themes: extraterrestrials, sick/ill, cold treatments, pets, family relationships

"Little Alien is sick. And sick is extra-terrestrial bad when you have two scratchy throats, five ears that hurt, and three runny noses. Splatch! Sputter! Spurt! Luckily Mama and Daddy Alien have an arsenal of lunar decongestants and meteor showers on hand to make him feel a little better (not to mention a Milky Way milkshake to help the medicine go down). Even so, the family's alien pooch, Mars Rover, can't stand to see his little buddy feeling out of sorts. Can a loyal pup's funny tricks finally coax a smile?"

Oh, the joys of a sick child! This loving alien mom and dad do all sorts of things to help their poor child, as loving parents would. In the end, though, it seems as though the dog will be getting the credit. Maybe my recent late night makes me a tad more bitter about this than I should be—the parents did all they could! Despite my own bias, I'm sure kids will love the story. It's got a dash of humor, plenty of relatable woes (oh the sniffles and sore throat!), and a very lovable dog. The illustrations are soft, with Campbell's colored-penciled settings and characters, making it feel cozy. It seems a good read when you've got an under-the-weather child. Check it out! Or enter the giveaway below for a chance at your own copy.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

Katy Duffield is the award-winning author of more than twenty-five books for children. She lives in Florida with her husband. To learn more, and to download classroom resources, visit katyduffield.com. Twitter: @KatyDuffield. Check out Katy on Pinterest!

K. G. Campbell is the illustrator of Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo and the author-illustrator of Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters. He was born in Kenya, raised in Scotland, and now lives in southern California.

TWO giveaway opportunities!!

1. One grand-prize winner will receive an out-of-this-world alien backpack with a signed copy of Aliens Get the Sniffles Too! along with tissue packs, toy mini aliens, and space pencils.
2. Ten lucky runners-up will receive a copy of Aliens Get the Sniffles Too!

To enter, click here

How To Turn Your Favorite Video Game into a Book (By Danica Davidson)

Hello all and welcome to today's blog tour stop and book birthday celebration for Danica Davidson's newest Minecraft adventure story, Adventure Against the Endermen. Ms. Davidson was nice enough to provide some valuable insight into her writing process with a guest post today. Check it out!

About the Book

Adventure Against the Endermen
(Unofficial Overworld Heroes Adventure #1)
Written by Danica Davidson

Sky Pony Press (November 7, 2017)
978-1510727021

"The Overworld is in danger once again, this time from vicious Endermen! Mayor Alexandra summons Stevie, Alex, Maison, Yancy, and Destiny to try and stop the attacks. When the friends investigate, they quickly realize that the Endermen are looking for something. Could it be Stevie’s Ender crystal?

"Soon the group of friends—now an Overworld task force—are caught up in a battle larger than any they could have imagined. Can they protect the world of Minecraft from Endermen—and the larger threat of the crystal?"

How To Turn Your Favorite Video Game into a Book

By Danica Davidson

How do you turn your favorite video game into a book? The most important thing is to find the story.

Five Tips OF WHAT NOT TO DO for Aspiring Picture Book Writers (By Stacy McAnulty)

Hello folks! Welcome to this blog tour stop celebrating the newest picture book from Stacy McAnulty: Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years (illustrated by David Litchfield). After the opportunity to interview her here on the blog for Mr. Fuzzbuster, Ms. McAnulty was nice enough to write a guest post this time around. With at least seven picture books published (and another on the way!), Stacy is sharing some valuable insight into the picture-book-writing process with this post. But first! About her newest...

About the Book

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years
Written by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by David Litchfield

Henry Holt & Co (October 24, 2017)
ISBN: 978-1250108081

"'Hi, I’m Earth! But you can call me Planet Awesome.'

"Prepare to learn all about Earth from the point-of-view of Earth herself! In this funny yet informative book, filled to the brim with kid-friendly facts, readers will discover key moments in Earth’s life, from her childhood more than four billion years ago all the way up to present day. Beloved children's book author Stacy McAnulty helps Earth tell her story, and award-winning illustrator David Litchfield brings the words to life. The book includes back matter with even more interesting tidbits."

Five Tips of WHAT NOT TO DO for Aspiring Picture Book Writers

By Stacy McAnulty

As a parent, my rules tend to lean toward what not to do. No name-calling. Don’t hit. No iPad until your homework is done. Don’t eat candy for breakfast unless it’s a holiday. Etc. So it feels more natural for me to create a list of no-no’s for aspiring writers rather than a list of tips.
Here goes.

It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk Blog Tour (and Giveaway!!)

Oh man, it is about time that I got to host a blog tour stop for one of Josh Funk's books—and have an interview with the man himself! I am such a fan. Allow me to introduce you to his newest book, report his comments on the matter, and then, (drumroll...) post the giveaway! Enter for the chance to win a copy of It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk below...

It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk
Written by Josh Funk, illustrated by Edwardian Taylor

My rating: ★★★★½

ISBN: 978-1542045650
Publisher: Two Lions
Date of publication: September 19, 2017
Format: ARC from publisher

Themes: fractured fairytale, narrator & character relations, beans, giants, humor

"Jack is not fond of the bossy narrator of his fairy tale! When Jack is told to trade his beloved cow Bessie for some magic beans, throw the beans out the window, climb the ENORMOUS beanstalk that sprouts overnight, and steal from a GIANT, he decides this fairy tale is getting out of control. In fact, he doesn’t want to follow the story line at all. Who says Jack needs to enter a life of daring, thievery, and giant trickery? He takes his story into his own hands—and you’ll never guess what happens next!"

The Explorers: The Door in the Alley (Review and Blog Tour!)

Welcome to Literary Hoots for this stop in the blog tour of The Explorers: The Door in the Alley! I'm excited to share my thoughts on this most adventurous of adventure stories. And talk about a pig in a teeny hat, of course.

The Explorers: The Door in the Alley
Adrienne Kress

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 978-1101940051
Publisher: Delacorte
Date of publication: April 25, 2017
Age: Grades 3 - 6
Genre: Mystery
Format: ARC from publisher

Themes: adventure, secret societies, missing person, friendship, exploring, maps

"This is one of those stories that start with a pig in a teeny hat. It’s not the one you’re thinking about. (This story is way better than that one.) This pig-in-a-teeny-hat story starts when a very uninquisitive boy stumbles upon a very mysterious society. After that, there is danger and adventure; there are missing persons, hired thugs, a hidden box, a lost map, and famous explorers; and there is a girl looking for help that only uninquisitive boys can offer."

5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior (Review and Giveaway!)

For yet one more giveaway, I have a fantastic new graphic novel, which is a genre I don't tackle often enough. Good thing I have opportunities like these to share some graphic-novel-goodness with you. Thanks to Random House for providing me an ARC and for sponsoring this giveaway! Enter below...

5 Worlds: The Sand Warrior
Written by Mark Siegal & Alexis Siegal
Illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, & Boya Sun

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 978-1101935866
Publisher: Random House
Date of publication: May 2, 2017
Age: Grades 4 - 8
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Format: ARC from publisher

Themes: adventure, heroes, friendship, alternate universe, elemental powers

"The Five Worlds are on the brink of extinction unless five ancient and mysterious beacons are lit. When war erupts, three unlikely heroes will discover there’s more to themselves—and more to their worlds—than meets the eye...

 - The clumsiest student at the Sand Dancer Academy, Oona Lee is a fighter with a destiny bigger than she could ever imagine.
- A boy from the poorest slums, An Tzu has a surprising gift and a knack for getting out of sticky situations.
- Star athlete Jax Amboy is beloved by an entire galaxy, but what good is that when he has no real friends?

"When these three kids are forced to team up on an epic quest, it will take not one, not two, but 5 WORLDS to contain all the magic and adventure!"

Share, Big Bear, Share! (Review and Giveaway!)

Oh yeah, did I mention my giveaway frenzy was continuing into May? Yep, so much to "share" (pun intended...). This time we're going back to the picture book audience with this new title from Maureen Wright's Big Bear series, Share, Big Bear, Share! So enjoy this blog tour stop, check out my review, and enter the giveaway below!

Share, Big Bear, Share!
Written by Maureen Wright, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 978-1503951006
Publisher: Two Lions
Date of publication: April 25, 2017
Age: 3 - 7 years
Format: ARC from publisher

Themes: sharing, forest animals,

"Big Bear's forest friends eye his berries hungrily, but he doesn't notice as he digs into his delicious snack. When the old oak tree says, 'Share, Big Bear, share,' he thinks the tree has said, 'Hair, Big Bear, hair!' One comical scene follows another as Big Bear keeps misunderstanding the old oak tree's message until things finally get sorted out. Whimsical illustrations highlight the humor in this gentle story about the importance of sharing something special with friends."

Dragonwatch (Blog Tour and Review)

"A Fablehaven Adventure"!? I mean really, you could just stop now and know that you need to get yourself a copy of this book. The Fablehaven books are Brandon Mull's first series and honestly, one of my favorites. This sequel series, Dragonwatch, is just about the most exciting news ever. And so we're celebrating with a blog tour all over the interwebs all month long! So here's my review of this newest foray into the Fablehaven universe...

Dragonwatch: A Fablehaven Adventure
Brandon Mull

My rating: ★★★★½

ISBN: 978-1629722566
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Date of publication: March 14, 2017
Age: Grades 4 and up
Genre: Fantasy
Format: ARC provided by publisher

Themes: dragons, magic, mythical creatures, uprisings, sibling relationships

"In the hidden dragon sanctuary of Wyrmroost, Celebrant the Just, King of the Dragons, plots his revenge. He has long seen the sanctuaries as prisons, and he wants nothing more than to overthrow his captors and return the world to the Age of Dragons, when he and his kind ruled and reigned without borders. The time has come to break free and reclaim his power.

"No one person is capable of stopping Celebrant and his dragon horde. It will take the ancient order of Dragonwatch to gather again if there is any chance of saving the world from destruction. In ancient times, Dragonwatch was a group of wizards, enchantresses, dragon slayers, and others who originally confined the majority of dragons into sanctuaries. But nearly all of the original Dragonwatch members are gone, and so the wizard Agad reaches out to Grandpa Sorenson for help.

"As Kendra and Seth confront this new danger, they must draw upon all their skills, talents, and knowledge as only they have the ability to function together as a powerful dragon tamer. Together they must battle against forces with superior supernatural powers and breathtaking magical abilities.

"How will the epic dragon showdown end? Will dragons overthrow humans and change the world as we know it?"

Oh, Kendra and Seth, you are exactly as I remembered you. Despite the last book of the Fablehaven series being released seven years ago (seven years??? holy cow), this continued where that story left off with hardly a hop, skip, or jump. It was seamless. In fact, that may be my only (small, very small) criticism. A lot of the character development and histories are dependent on the fact that you have read Fablehaven. That is not to say that this isn't a fantastic story by itself, but that the characters and setting are somewhat flat unless you've read the other books. I had trouble remembering where Kendra and Seth's parents were, who many of their old friends were, and many other small details in their history.

By depending on Fablehaven to provide the character depth, however, Mull is allowed to jump into the action of the series right away. Which he does. This new plot is very exciting and a definite success when it comes to the dreaded realm of "sequels." It doesn't feel like it's trying to rewrite what happened in Fablehaven, nor does to fall flat in relation to it; the new problem that has arisen with the dragons feels justified. The characters (while they do have quite the history in the other books) do still get the chance to grow and develop some more in this one. New characters are introduced and easy to love. And man, it's all so exciting. Hint: the cover gives one scene particular justice. It's just that epic.

In the end, it's pretty easy for me to recommend this book. Mull's writing is to the point and very much action-driven; basically, kids will love it. Kids who loved the Fablehaven books will love it even more. This is, no question, a must have. And if you haven't read the Fablehaven books and are hesitant to read this? Easy, just read the Fablehaven books because they're freakin' amazing, too, okay??

Find it at your library or on Amazon

Dive! Blog Tour: Five Tips for Novice and Aspiring Nonfiction Writers by Deborah Hopkinson

It's blog tour time. You guys, I'm so excited for today's post. This is the first time I've ever had a guest post and who better to be the star writer than Deborah Hopkinson!

Author Interview: Bruce Hale

The Full Moon of the Were-Hyena is still in full swing! I am, of course, referring to the release of the awesomely-scary-but-still-hilarious book, The Curse of the Were-Hyena which I reviewed back here. AND I'm so pleased to share an interview with the author of the book, Mr. Bruce Hale. Read on to learn more about the book, his Hemingway Technique, and the name of that rather dashing hat.

E: Hi Bruce! Thanks for doing this interview. Let's talk about the book: you've mentioned that the original idea came from a story you illustrated in 2nd grade, but a were-hyena?? That seems pretty unique! Tell us more about the idea behind the story and deciding to have a were-hyena be your star monster. Any special research go into it?

B: My second-grade story was called “The Two Brothers in Monstertown,” and it was basically these two boys meeting and fighting various monsters, including my favorites at that time, Wolf-Man and Frankenstein’s Monster. For years, I would show that original book in my author visits, and for years, kids would tell me, “You should turn that into a real book.” I tried a few times to make a rhyming picture book out of the concept, but it just wouldn’t fly. Then, on one California school visit, a kid told me, “You should make it a mystery series, with kids solving mysteries that have to do with monsters.” Bingo!

As I mulled over the idea while visiting more California schools, it struck me that the Latino kids I spent time with there don’t have that many representations of themselves in the kind of books I write. That led me to making Carlos a Latino main character.

I was originally going to have the teacher turn into a werewolf, but Stephanie Lurie, my delightful editor at Disney-Hyperion, encouraged me to come up with something fresh and different. After some time spent Googling were-creatures around the world, I settled on the were-hyena as one of the creepiest. (Although a were-shark would’ve been cool too!)

Author Interview: Jean Reidy (Blog Tour and Giveaway!)

Yay! Today is the day! Today is my day for the Busy Builders, Busy Week Blog Tour. I reviewed the book yesterday, and am so happy that I got to interview the author, too. Jean has written several picture books, Busy Builders, Busy Week, being her most recent. And you can enter to win a copy below! But first, let's learn more about Jean...

E: Hi Jean! Thanks so much for doing this interview. I've never actually had the opportunity to interview a picture book author before! So, tell me a little bit about the process of writing and publishing a picture book. How did you start out?

J: I’ve always been a reader. And I especially love children’s literature. So when I had children of my own, reading and rediscovering picture books with them was a special joy. But I don’t think a person can simply sit down one day and say, “I’m going to write a picture book.”

Curiosity House Blog Tour

Welcome to this here stop of the Curiosity House Blog Tour!

Remember when I reviewed The Shrunken Head, book 1 of the Curiousity House series? Yeah, well, guess what, you guys: Curiosity House book 2, The Screaming Statue, comes out in just ONE WEEK—awesomeness! And how do we celebrate? Well, I got super lucky and was invited to not only interview the two authors, Lauren Oliver and H.C. Chester, but one of Dumfrey's Dime Museum's residents. Yep, the ever gruff and tough, but so lovable (ahem, don't tell him I said that), Danny the Dwarf.

AND (said in my best game-show-host voice) I've got another sweet giveaway! See below for details!

Okay, okay, first up, let's hear from the authors about their work...

The Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven (Blog Tour!)

Hey guys! If you're stopping here for the blog tour, take a chance to look around. Otherwise, enjoy this review for the Fablehaven series companion book!

The Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven
Written by Brandon Mull, illustrated by Brandon Dorman

My rating: ★★★★½

ISBN: 9781629720913
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Date of publication: October 13, 2015
Age: Grades 3 - 8
Genre: Fantasy

Themes: reference; magical creatures, artifacts, & places;

"This guidebook to the Fablehaven magical preserve is filled with everything a new Caretaker might need to know in order to survive. There are entries detailing important information about artifacts large and small, a complete bestiary of creatures (from fairies to trolls to satyrs), a guide to identifying demons, dragons, and wizards as well as valuable insights into the other magical preserves.

Immerse yourself into the secret knowledge that has been handed down through the generations by reading the updates and notes written in the margins by the former Caretakers of Fablehaven, including Grandpa Sorenson, Kendra, and Seth. Fully-illustrated, this unique encyclopedia has gathered the world of Fablehaven into one volume.

Scattered throughout the book are colorful fairies that also mark some of the characters, artifacts, and creatures that will be featured in the upcoming sequel series, Dragonwatch."

Well if you love the Fablehaven books then of course you're going to love this book! It provides deeper insight into all elements of the stories—people, places, and things. There's funny and insightful asides from the original characters, and it quickly brings the reader back to a familiar setting. Mull's fantastic writing ability shines, since many entries read like his books.

But what really shines, of course, are the AMAZING illustrations. Whether you've read Fablehaven or not, there are some truly beautiful depictions of various magical creatures/places. Dorman has done justice to the original ideas that Mull described and more than capitalized on the imaginative, fantastical beings. There are some really elaborate and stunning images...

...and this one is just one of many. The format altogether—text, layout, illustrations—is really nice.

Now, for those that have not read the series, there are some definite tie-ins that may leave some readers confused. Or, if you're planning on reading the series, do not start with this guide, since there are a LOT of spoilers. Also, from a purely referential standpoint, this book is not the best; there are some entries that I felt were just too short, or that Mull put a little too much of his novel-style-writing into. Yes, he can write amazing stories with great imagery, but the sometimes the similes were a bit much in this book. But hey! This is a definite plus for kids who don't want to read a textbook!

So if you or your kids are a fan, then it's definitely time to go pick up this book. The illustrations alone...! And get excited for Mull's next series!!

Find it at your library or on Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series, travels the country visiting schools, promoting literacy, and sharing his message that "Imagination Can Take You Places."

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Brandon Dorman is the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller The Wizard. His work has appeared in childrens books and on numerous covers, including the Fablehaven series and The Candy Shop War series.

I received a free digital ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review