Lockdown: Escape from Furnace (YA review)

Jacket description:
"Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Alex Sawyer is the "new fish." Convicted of a murder he didn't commit, sentenced to life without parole, he knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to death in the darkness at thebottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. The prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below.

Escape is Alex's only option. But it's not just about saving his own skin. The more he discovers, the more he understands that he is going to have to do whatever it takes to expose this nightmare hidden from the eyes of the world."

This book scared the pants off of me! Full of complete thrills and shocking happens from the first page, you won't believe what you're reading...and you just have to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. It's one incredibly compelling nightmare after the next and all the while, you'll be rooting for Alex to find a way out, knowing that the chances are slim of him leaving alive.

Totally creepy (and grossly descriptive at times), but chock full of adventure and page-turning thrills. Hand this one to any reluctant reader and expect them not to emerge from their rooms for a long time. Apparently this is the first in the series, with the second title, Solitary, due out this year. Can't wait for that!

Overall rating: 4 out of 5
Not a huge fan of the cover, but really enjoyed the story, as disturbing as it was.

Lockdown: Escape from Furnace
Alexander Gordon Smith
288 pages
Young Adult
Farrar, Straus, Giroux
9780374324919
October 2009
Review copy received from publisher

Some book news and a new look!

As you can see, I've changed up the look here at A Patchwork of Books and am really liking it so far! The header may change a bit in the next week or so and the dimensions still need some tweaking, but for now it's looking nice and updated. I have to extend thanks to my good friend, Katie at Katie's Literature Lounge who designed the  header and Izzie Grace blog for the background. I've needed an update for a looong time and since I'm getting close to 200 followers, now would be the perfect time to be fresh and modern.

Some bookish announcements for the week...

Abby at Abby (the) Librarian and Kelly of Stacked have announced the newish book meme to hit the Kidlitosphere, with AudioSynched. Each month they'll be alternating hosting a roundup of all the audiobooks us bloggers are listening to, helping to give us ideas of what to listen to next. Great idea, eh? Starting March 1, head over to Stacked and link your post to the roundup! Thanks to Abby (the) Librarian for the link.


A Fuse #8 Production, one of the most informative (and hilarious) kidlit blogs around, recently asked us all to submit our favorite chapter books EVER for her Top 100 Chapter Book poll. The countdown begins today with numbers 100-91. Go check it out and see if your favorite made the list!

Apparently President Obama has lost his mind and proposed the elimination of federal funding to Reading Is Fundamental. Carol Rasco, CEO of RIF blogs about the announcement and encourages us all to contact our congressional representatives to continue this vital program in our country.

The Guardian has an awesome interview with author Rick Riordan (of Percy Jackson fame) about his son's dyslexia and ADHD preventing him from enjoying reading. Well Mr. Percy Jackson's story helped fix that! Thanks to PW Children's Bookshelf for the link.

And my own news...

I survived another big snowstorm! Again, nothing on a good Upstate NY storm, but for the Northern VA area, this 30 inches was huge. We kept our power and water and only lost 2 trees in the backyard. We were blessed with a forced relaxation-filled weekend and even were given snow days from work today. Awesome! Here are some photos of our weekend in the snow:

My bulldog, Zoey, was swimming in it...it measured about twice over her head! The first photo is actually of the street in front of our house, though you can't tell there is even a road out there. And the pretty sunset photo was taken by Aaron once it finally stopped. Pretty eh?

Non-Fiction Monday: Giveaway for Black History Month!

What better way to celebrate Black History Month AND Non-Fiction Monday than by hosting a giveaway? Details on how to enter are below.

D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet by Nancy I. Sanders and illustrator E.B. Lewis

Part of the now famous and much loved Sleeping Bear Press Alphabet series, this one is a fantastic overview of different events and people in history for both young children and older kids.

Each letter represents a person/place/event/etc. and is explained with a short rhyme. On the sidebars, more detail and facts are given, expanding knowledge on the topic featured on that page. The rhymes are great for the young kiddos, the sidebars perfect for references for projects or the opening up of discussion of a particular subject.

I'm always impressed with these alphabet books, but this one is really exceptional. The illustrations are beautiful and the information is vast for such a small book. I learned about Malcolm X, Tuskegee Airmen, the March on Washington, quilts, and so much more.

Great for classrooms or home shelves. And you should really head to the library and check out the entire series...there are tons of these books and all of them are well planned, written nicely, and incredibly educational.

D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet
Nancy I. Sanders
32 pages
Non-Fiction Picture Book
Sleeping Bear Press
9781585362936
September 2007 
Review copy received from publisher

Pappy's Handkerchief by Devin Scillian and illustrator Chris Ellison

This one is from another of Sleeping Bear Press's awesome series, Tales of Young Americans. Moses and his family, fish mongers from Baltimore in 1889, decide to make the long journey to Oklahoma where rumor has it there's free farmland.

Ice storms, sickness, floods, and other difficulties hammer the family as they make their way, but they're determined to be able to finally have their own farm. Once they arrive, however, the family isn't so sure the rumors they heard were true.

An adventure story for sure! The author's note explains that this particular book is not about any one family, but is a "medley of the struggles and experiences of thousands of families who journeyed west to live as pioneers on the prairie." Inspirational and educational. So even if it's not true "non-fiction" it is certainly based on real facts and events in history.

Great for units on westward expansion and blacks in history. I personally never knew that black families were pioneers as well....so even I learned something!

Pappy's Handkerchief
Devin Scillian
37 pages
Picture Book
Sleeping Bear Press
9781585363162
September 2007
Review copy received from publisher


Sleeping Bear Press has been kind enough to offer a copy of each of these books up for a giveaway! Open only to U.S. residents. 


To enter, leave a comment on this post by Friday, 2/12/10 at 11:59pm Eastern time. Make sure you leave your email address if you don't have a blog for me to find it on. 


Extra entries? You betcha! 
+1 if you Tweet this giveaway. Make sure you tell me your Twitter name so I can check up on you!
+2 if you have been a follower of this blog
+1 if you are a new follower


I'll email the winner on Saturday morning.

Picture Book Saturday

Valentine's Day is just a little over a week away and so I thought sharing some new books on love would be appropriate for this weekend's Picture Book Saturday post. If you find something you like, this will give you a head start on picking it up for your kids before next week. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love by Amy Krause Rosenthal and illustrators Jane Dyer & Brooke Dyer

Big fan of Rosenthal here! In this one, the follow-up to Cookies and Christmas Cookies, she defines words that are typically associated with love. The meanings of the words, such as "compassionate," "adore," and "heartbroken," are given in a sweet way, perfect for young children.

For example, "heartfelt" means: "I made these sprinkly cookies for you because I know they're your absolute favorite kind." Cute, eh?

The illustrations are adorable and help to further explain the meaning of the words, especially for the youngest of readers. Ooh and there is also a recipe for sugar cookies in the back, which sounds pretty delicious right about now!

Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love
Amy Krause Rosenthal
40 pages
Picture Book
HarperCollins
9780061740725
October 2009
Review copy received from publisher

Henry in Love by Peter McCarty

A book on young love. So sweet! Henry discovers a girl in his class, Chloe who he really likes, but is scared to get to know. Henry is sort of quiet and Chloe definitely says what she thinks! She is outgoing and he is not. Could they still be a good match? A simple blueberry muffin answers that question for us.

Such a sweet story, with absolutely beautiful illustrations. Really, the illustrations are what stand out as magnificent in this book, though adults will be "awwwing" through the whole story. Very cute! Perfect for Valentine's Day.

Henry in Love
Peter McCarty
40 pages
Picture Book
Balzer + Bray 
9780061142888
December 2009
Review copy received from publisher

Kiss Kiss by Selma Mandine

Another with spectacular illustrations! A perfect bedtime book, this features a small child explaining to a teddy bear just what a kiss means. From grandpa is may be soft and fluffy, from Rex wet and cold. And when the bear still doesn't understand, the child gives him a kiss, which the bear loves!

For your toddlers, this would make a great bedtime book or anytime you want to shower them with kisses! Ask them what a kiss means to them and what types of kisses they give to others. Very sweet, with beautiful, soft illustrations. This one is definitely staying on my shelves.

Kiss Kiss
Selma Mandine
32 pages
Picture Book
Golden Books
9780375864315
December 2009
Review copy received from publisher

Great new series for homeschooling families

I am a huge advocate of homeschooling (if you feel it's right for your family of course) and having previously worked at a library that was frequented by families that chose to homeschool, I know of the lack of quality children's books featuring homeschoolers. It's really hard when kids just want to read about someone that has a school experience like them, but there isn't anything to hand them.

I was hopeful when I received the first two books in the Wright On Time series by author Lisa M.Cottrell-Bentley that featured a homeschooling family and the adventures they participate in while traveling the country in an RV and I wasn't disappointed! The Wright Family visits Arizona in the first book and Utah in the second, learning tons of facts about the state, animals, people, history, etc., while having exciting adventures as a family.

I was most impressed with the manner in which the topic of homeschooling was presented. This wasn't an "issue" book as to why homeschooling is better or anything like that and the actual "school" portion takes a backseat to the exploring and adventures that Nadia and Aiden have. It wasn't in-your-face obvious that they were homeschooled. I liked that. I also really liked the state theme and having the family travel to each state and learn about specific things. It's great to learn about the country we live in!

I did have a couple of issues with the books, though mainly just opinion issues rather than writing or plot problems. I'm not a huge fan of the series title "Wright On Time" or of the illustrations. They came across as low-budget to me, which is disappointing, but doesn't impact the actual story in any way. I also didn't care for the parents being referred to by their first names. I loved that they were an integral part of the story all all the fun and learning, but personally wish they were Mr. and Mrs.

Overall rating: 3 out of 5
I know, as book reviewers, we're often bombarded with review requests from independent publishers, which we are pretty skeptical about. A lot of these books (at least the ones that I've received) are poor in quality, both in production and writing. This series is not one of them! I think it's written with an important and relevant topic in mind, gives kids an adventure-filled story, relatable characters, and teaches about all sorts of different subjects. The books are clean, family oriented, and very nicely written. I really enjoyed them!

Wright On Time series
Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley
Chapter Books
Do Life Right Publishers
Review copy received from author

Non-Fiction Monday: Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride

Jacket description:
"Sojourner Truth was as strong adn tall as most men. She was big, black, and so beautiful. Born into slavery, Sojourner ran away as a young girl. She cherished her freedom, and believed it should be granted to everyone. But she didn't fight for it with her mighty fists, and she didn't stomp for it with her giant boots. Sojourner spoke the truth, and struggled against injustice with her brace, beautiful words.


Following Sojourner from her courageous plantation escape to her meeting with Abraham Lincoln, this is a stirring portrait of a woman who pulled herself up by her great big bootstraps. A warrior for justice above all else, Sojourner allowed no bias to cross her path without a fight."

I absolutely love the story of Sojourner Truth. She is one of the most amazing women in history and I love reading all the different versions of her inspirational story and this has just become one of my favorite versions. The husband and wife team of Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney did a truly fantastic job portraying Sojourner Truth and the path she took through her life, including the sadness she experienced in the beginning of her life, being born into slavery and sold from her parents, as well as the powerful message of all she did for the rights of her people.

The illustrations are a wonderful companion to the text, being a bit old-fashioned, but showing Truth as she was. "Big, black, and so beautiful."

A definite recommendation for all libraries. Great for units on Black History Month, slavery, or strong women in history.

Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride
Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney
32 pages
Non-Fiction Picture Book
Hyperion
9780786807673
November 2009
Review copy received from publisher


To learn more, or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon. I am an Associate and will receive a small commission for your purchase. Thanks!

Picture Book Saturday

Happy Saturday blogging world! It's snowing and blustery outside, which makes me want to just curl up with books for the entire weekend, disregarding all those chores that need to get done.What are you doing this weekend?

I have three sweet stories for you today! Each touched my heart a bit and hopefully you'll enjoy them just the same. Have a Happy Weekend!

The Best Family in the World by Susana Lopez and illustrator Ulises Wensell

I do love a good adoption story and this one is charming and sweet for sure. Little Carlota is finally being adopted and all she can do is dream about who the best family in the world will be. Will they be pastry chefs? Pirates? Astronauts?

Her new family is none of these things Carlota dreams of, but has their own ways of becoming the best family a girl could ever dream of.

I loved the illustrations in this one, as they accompanied the story well and drew my eye all over the page. It's a very nice choice for children that were adopted when they older, though infant adoptees would certainly enjoy it as well.

The Best Family in the WorldSusana Lopez
28 pages
Picture Book
Kane Miller
9781935279471
January 2010
Review copy received from publisher

Forever Friends by Carin Berger

A heartwarming story of a bird and bunny, destined to be forever friends. They play together in the forest all summer long, until the bird must fly away south for the winter. Bunny is sad and lonely without her friend, but when the snow is thawed by the sun and Spring arrives again, so does Bird and their friendship is able to continue.

A very simple plot, but perfect for your youngest children. Sweet and to-the-point, you don't have to be afraid of distracted kiddos during this one. I am in love with the illustrations! Bold, modern, and very unique, Berger used cut-paper collages from receipts, letters, ticket stubs, and old books. Very cool!

Use this for a bedtime read at home or with toddlers for storytime, encouraging them to make their own collages for their crafts.

It's not being published until March, but it's definitely worth a preorder. I'm pretty excited about sharing this one!

Forever Friends
Carin Berger
40 pages
Picture Book
Greenwillow
9780061915284
March 2010
Review copy received from publisher


Lost and Found: Three Dog Stories by Jim LaMarche

I'm a sucker for dog stories and these are each short enough and cute enough that your kids are going to love them too!

We begin with the story of Molly, a beautiful dog that accompanies Anna, her pint-sized companion as she attempts to run away after Mom puts her in time-out. When Anna wants to go back home, but can't find her way, Molly saves the day!

The second story features Ginger, a little dog that gets lost while out hiking with her family. No matter what Jules and his dad do, they just can't find her. When it gets dark and they have to leave, Jules makes a bed for Ginger, hoping she'll be safe and sound in the morning, which of course, she is!

And finally, we have Yuki, a dog that finds Jack, but that Jack can't keep. He knows Yuki belongs to someone else, so he makes posters, trying to find Yuki's owners (though he really just wants to keep the dog himself). When the owner comes forward, she is so thankful to Jack and his mom that she offers a wonderful surprise to them.

Cute stories, very sappy, but dog fans will enjoy them. The illustrations are beautiful and showcase the calming nature of this book. Another good one for bedtime.


Lost and Found: Three Dog Stories
Jim LaMarche
48  pages
Picture Books
Chronicle Books
9780811864015
July 2009
Review copy received from publisher

To learn more about any of these titles, or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon. I am an Associate and will receive a small commission for your purchase. Thanks!