Is the Gold-Bug Part of Book Scavenger?

“Negativity has never been a friend to anyone.” 

― Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, Book Scavenger

Twelve-year-old Emily’s family moves more frequently than the average family. After all, her parents are on a quest to live in all 50 states for their blog. When they move to San Francisco, the home of Emily’s book idol, Garrison Griswold, she is beyond excited to be in the city where her favorite game Book Scavenger was created. She can’t believe it when she finds out her idol has been attacked and is in the hospital. Who would do such a thing? Her new neighbor, James, becomes fast friends with her after they realize that they both love puzzles. James has never played Book Scavenger (a game where people hide books in cities all over the country and leave clues online leading the cleverest people to find them) and when he goes with Emily and her older brother, Matthew, to look for a book they find a special one, The Gold-Bug. The book looks different from any Emily has ever seen, and the weirdest part is even though it's written by Edgar Allen Poe, it's full of mistakes. Are all the copies wrong? Are the mistakes clues? Finding The Gold-Bug makes Emily and James believe they may have stumbled on Garrison Griswold’s latest game, one he never got to announce because he was attacked. Unfortunately, the people who injured Mr. Griswold want the book that Emily has, and they will stop at nothing to get it back. Will Emily and James be able to figure out what the clues they find in The Gold-Bug mean? Can the bad guys actually find Emily and James? Did Garrison Griswold create a game he was never able to announce? Now that Emily has made her first real friend, will she have to say goodbye before she gets to really know him?  You'll have to read this fabulous literary adventure in order to find out!

I didn’t know anything about Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman when I started reading. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about the fun book scavenger game that the story centers around, and I think it will appeal to a lot of kids and adults. I also think Emily would be an interesting friend because she loves books like I do and she has lived in a lot of places that I would like to talk to her about. I think Emily’s friend, James, is funny and I appreciate that he is comfortable being who he is and that he doesn’t try to impress others. Reading about Emily and James’s friendship could help kids see that being a friend means listening and doing things your friend likes to do too. The story also included many details about books, the publishing industry, and Edgar Allen Poe’s works. I know this will be a book that kids in fourth grade and up will get into (and people of any age who love books). I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Has anyone else read Book Scavenger? Or have you read another book by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

Answer to Monday's Riddle: The Hunt Is On!

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! Friday, Lizzy's review will take us on a scavenger hunt, so stay tuned! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

A list to find hidden treasures. You're the sleuth in these endeavors. You'll search for things all around- up in trees, underground. Perhaps behind an ancient wall or stuffed inside a wardrobe drawer. Once you've got a clue in mind, seek, and you shall find. 

What am I referring to? Answer: Scavenger Hunt! 

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 
Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats

Monday's Riddle: What Are You Looking For?

Hello, Riddlers! It's good to be back! We've had some fun in the sun, and now I've got my riddle hat on. Can you guess our theme this week? The DMS has a lot of experience on these types of missions- we were recently put to the test in the case of The Talking Library- keep an eye out for clues about the next mystery, coming this October! ; ) ~ F
  
A list to find hidden treasures. You're the sleuth in these endeavors. You'll search for things all around- up in trees, underground. Perhaps behind an ancient wall or stuffed inside a wardrobe drawer. Once you've got a clue in mind, seek, and you shall find.

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!

BREAK FOR SUMMER FUN!

The DMS is taking time off for summer fun. We'll be popping in on social media and visiting our friends around the book block. Fairday's Riddles and Lizzy's Book Review will resume once we've returned. We look forward to hearing from you!

We'll be back in full swing at the end of July with more stories and clues about the next book in the Fairday Morrow series, The Talking Library, coming this fall! So, stay tuned.  

In the meantime, if you're looking for a good book to read, stop by our Book Review Index and check out Lizzy's middle grade reviews, Margo's Musings: children's picture books, as well as a few interesting surprises!

Hungry for word magic? 
Click here for a taste of bookworm stew...

Stop by our website for news about book events, and sign up for our monthly newsletter to catch the latest book buzz.

See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ DMS

Authors, Stephanie Robinson & Jessica Haight 

Mysterious Fire in Hartford!

In the summer of 1944, people near Hartford, Connecticut were excited to attend the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which was coming to town. Being distracted for a couple of hours by entertainers and animals was just what people thought they needed. Unfortunately, a massive fire broke out and tragedy struck. What happened as a result of the fire was a lesson for the Ringling Brothers and the local emergency department. Reading this narrative nonfiction book about a true event that happened not far from where I live really hit home. My heart broke thinking about all the people and animals trapped inside the tent. Fire isn't the only damage to worry about during an emergency, when people don't stay calm- more people get hurt. Have you ever heard of the Hartford Circus fire of 1944? 

I discovered Big Top Burning: The True Story of an Arsonist, a Missing Girl, and the Greatest Show on Earth on Rosi’s blog; The Write Stuff. I was lucky enough to win a copy of the book. The story intrigued me because I live a state away from Connecticut and had never heard of the fire (or any other circus fire for that matter). Reading about the mystery that surrounded not only how the fire started, but what happened to the people lost during the tragedy, peaked my interest. I was shocked to learn that the pieces of the puzzle were never put together, and the exact cause of the fire, along with a list of all the people who died, have yet to be determined. Each chapter was filled with careful research. The photos made the story even more real. Although the book includes information that's horrific, it's based on true events, and none of the details are gory; they're just sad. When we understand things that went wrong in history, and how common sense and safety precautions weren't in place, we can be thankful for lessons learned. This was my first book by Laura A. Woollett, but I plan to read more by this author!

Have you read Big Top Burning: The True Story of an Arsonist, a Missing Girl, and the Greatest Show on Earth? Or have you read another book by Laura A. Woollett? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!

~L