With the end of summer officially upon us, our mornings are spent concentrating on getting ready for school rather than the pool these days. The good thing? There’s always time for reading, whatever season it may be. My oldest son can be found at the breakfast table every morning with trusty morning companions, a bagel and a book. One of his recent reads was Jon Scieszka’s Spaceheadz, the first in new series that had him guffawing over his juice. We’re happy to be participating in the official blog tour for Spaceheadz as stop number five today, with fun info about the book, a super-cool giveaway and a few words from Mr. Scieszka himself!
The perfect combination of the age old experience of holding and pouring over a physical book with newest media technology that kids love!
Michael K. just started fifth grade at a new school. As if that wasn’t hard enough, the kids he seems to have made friends with apparently aren’t kids at all. They are aliens. Real aliens who have invaded our planet in the form of school children and a hamster. They have a mission to complete: to convince 3,140,001 kids to BE SPHDZ. But with a hamster as their leader, “kids” who talk like walking advertisements, and Michael K as their first convert, will the SPHDZ be able to keep their cover and pull off their assignment?
Over on 5 Minutes for Books today, you can find my full review of Spaceheadz (click to read) where I declare it to be a unique and hilarious read!
The online fun includes several websites associated with the book. At sphdz.com, you can sign up to be a SPHDZ and help stop the Earth from being turned off. At antialienagency.com, you can see what the government is doing to protect the Earth from the alien menace. At mrshalleyscomets.com, you can see Michael K.’s fifth-grade class website. You can even watch the book trailer featuring Jon Scieszka himself, so you know it’s funny.
Jon Scieszka is the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, named by the Library of Congress. He is also the author of some of the best known and funniest books written for children including The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Time Warp Trio series and the Caldecott Honor Book The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales. He is the creator of the Trucktown series, of which Smash! Crash! was an NY Times bestseller for many weeks. Jon is a former elementary school teacher, and a avid promoter of literacy—particularly for boys. His website Guys Read focuses on his national campaign. Jon lives with his family in Brooklyn, NY.
Speaking of Jon Scieszka, he’s been so kind as to share some of his own book recommendations with us today!
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Back to School Reads
Guest Post by Jon Scieszka
You don’t even want to know what was on my back-to-school reading list when I was a kid. Because I don’t remember any of those books. What I do remember is all of the great stuff I read during the summer . . . when I got to choose whatever I wanted to read.
I re-read my little-kid favorites like:
My brother and I collected the whole set of mysteries of:
All of us on the block devoured:
- Batman
- Superman
- Spiderman
- Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos
- Nancy and Sluggo, and Peanuts comic strips
I loved all kinds of history, and found it in:
- The Landmark Books set of nonfiction
- every book I could find about the Civil War and WWII
I was also a fact and information fan. So one year I read my way through the entire:
- Golden Book Encyclopedia, from A-AR to W-Z
Then a friend and I got hooked on Science Fiction and Fantasy. Two favorites:
- The Illustrated Man
- everything Conan the Barbarian
And most importantly, something funny:
- MAD magazine always
What I love about the children’s book world of 2010, is that kids now have hundreds of great reading choices in exactly these same categories.
New little-kid favorites like:
- Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
- No, David! by David Shannon
Great new mystery series:
- The Brixton Brothers by Mac Barnett
- The Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
- MT Anderson’s Thrilling Tales
Comic book / graphic stories:
- Lunch Lady series by Jarrett Krosocska
- Babymouse series by Jennifer Holm
- The entire collection of Calvin and Hobbes!
- Star Wars graphic novels
Non Fiction/History:
- The Dear America series
- A Savage Thunder (and anything else) by Jim Murphy
- Fallen Angels and Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers
- the DK Eyewitness Books
SciFi and Fantasy:
- Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series
- Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy (and her older series, Gregor the Overlander)
- Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan
And most importantly, something funny:
- A Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup
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With this many suggestions, especially ones from such a beloved author as Jon Scieszka, don’t you just want to start your book shopping list right now?
We’re happy to help one lucky reader out with those purchases, because we’re giving away one $50 Visa Card to purchase YOUR favorite Back-to-school picks (U.S. shipping addresses only).
Leave a comment if you’d like to win. We’ll announce the winner on September 20 in our book column that runs every Monday here at 5 Minutes for Mom. This Giveaway is now Closed.
If you want more Spaceheadz fun, visit stop number six on the tour tomorrow, September 7, at GreenBeanTeenQueen!
The winner of the fabulous Mockingjay ipod Touch is #84, Melanie@Mel, A Dramatic Mommy, and our giveaway of The Wild Soccer Bunch is still open for another week.
Book Blogger Dawn blogs about her wacky kids, who she has often compared to creatures from a different planet, on her blog, my thoughts exactly.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book.
My nephew would love this book…
Many thanks, Cindi
Would love to win! Thanks for the chance!
I would love to win this. I am thankful that my children share a love of reading.
I enjoyed seeing the list of suggested books.
Books are an important part of our lives and I’m always looking for new ones to read. Thanks.
partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com
This would go a long way towards propping up my son’s new-found love of “reading to myself, Mom!” LOL!
i would love to add some new books to my children’s library. thanks clallen at ntin dot net
Two little ones in diapers has taken a huge bite out of the ‘ol book buying fund. $50 would be great!!
Sign us up please.
We need some new books since my almost 2 year old is going through a phase of tearing pages out.
$50 will buy a lot of back to school necessities! Very generous giveaway!
I am about to become a new teacher and I would love the opportunity to help build my classroom library.
We love getting great new books.
psmomreviews@gmail.com
I would love the opportunity to buy Brea some educational books! Thanks
What a great selection of books, I hope I win.
Count me in this giveaway!! Thank you!! mclaingreen@yahoo.com
We HEART Books!! Thanks for the chance!
I would love to win! It will be hard to choose which books to get if I win! Thanks!
I would love to win this to get books for my nieces and nephews! tracietrump@yahoo.com
I’d love to be entered.
We love Jon Scieszka’s books! He is so creative!
I love seeing his list of back to school reads. Many of our favorites made the cut!
I would love to buy new books for my seven grandchildren!
I would love to win this because my daughter needs some new reading books. She just got into Dear Dumb Diary books and Greek/Roman Mythology.
mommieseatsoggycereal at gmail dot com
I love Go, Dog, Go! I am a bookaholic and would love to add to my addiction. 🙂 I hope I win.
I would love to win! We could definitely use to freshen up our book collection.
thanks for the chance
nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net
Great suggestions on the books! Thank you!
Great giveaway for my SPCHDZ grandboys!
What a great giveaway! We are huge fans of anything by Mo Willems. He is awesome.
wmmahaney(at)att(dot)net
“No, David!” has been my grandson’s favorite book for over a year! I don’t recall the names, but there are at least 2 other “David” books.
someluckydog at gmail dot com
Great books – great prize 🙂
I would love to buy some new books for my kids
Please enter me!
Huge fan of Jon Scieszka. Have read his books to my boys and used them countless times in the classroom when teaching.
I love books. Especially juvenile and young adult. Thanks for the chance to win!
My hubby’s favorite author as a kid, and he’s now introduced me and our kids to him. There are some that we haven’t read yet that I would love to have!
I would love to win.
Sounds like a hoot! I think my tweens would like it too.
I am always looking for books for the grandkids. They enjoy them so much. This would be a huge help. Thank you!
I love books and love to give them to kids as gifts.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
We can never have enough books!
The book looks so cute!! I never have a large enough book budget, the GC would help!
bleatham*at*gmail.com
My boys would love this to add to their Captain Underpants collection
We need some new books round here. No really 😉 And I am looking forward to checking out Spaceheadz….I love listening to my kids laugh at funny books!
Would love to win this!
Ooo, our family book budget is never enough! 🙂
I never read the hardy boys but I loved nancy drew
Wow! Would I ever like to win this! Thanks for the possibility.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
Being able to get more books is a very good thing!
Wonderful giveaway, thanks.
I always love new books. 🙂
What a wonderful opportunity to try for some books for the Mission for our church.
Wow, I would love to win!!!!! What a terrific giveaway!!!Great review too.Thanks so much and have a fabulous week
jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com
WOW this book sounds like a great read for my 10yo son. Thanks for the info and the chance to win a great gift card.
I love to read and I have been fairly successful in passing this love on to my kids. Sometimes I sit around at night and everyone will be reading – even the two year old is sitting there looking through books. It is awesome and I just love adding new books to our library.
way cool can always use more books!
We have been reading I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll, it is such a cute book. I would love to win some new books for our library.
LOVE the prankster, Scieszka. Recently found your blog. Thanks for the offer!
I LOVE Jon Scieszka! When I was teaching I used to love reading the True Story of the 3 Little Pigs to my class every year. Thanks for the chance to get some more great books!
I could really use this. Count me in!
I would absolutely love to win! Great list…
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
Count me in! What a great prize! And I love all the suggestions!
I love to read with my kids every night so this would be an awesome prize!
Books are my very favorite indulgence. Thanks for a great giveaway!
Love, love, love books. I would be thrilled to be able to expand the kids library!