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GROUND ZERO by Alan Gratz Blog Tour and Giveaway

January 22, 2021 By Heather Leave a Comment

 

Little Red Reads is hosting a spot on the GROUND ZERO by Alan Gratz Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: GROUND ZERO

Author: Alan Gratz

Pub. Date: February 2, 2021

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it:  Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, master storyteller Alan Gratz (Refugee) delivers a pulse-pounding and unforgettable take on history and hope, revenge and fear — and the stunning links between the past and present. 

September 11, 2001, New York City: Brandon is visiting his dad at work, on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center. Out of nowhere, an airplane slams into the tower, creating a fiery nightmare of terror and confusion. And Brandon is in the middle of it all. Can he survive — and escape?

September 11, 2020, Afghanistan: Reshmina has grown up in the shadow of war, but she dreams of peace and progress. When a battle erupts in her village, Reshmina stumbles upon a wounded American soldier named Taz. Should she help Taz — and put herself and her family in mortal danger?

Two kids. One devastating day. Nothing will ever be the same.

Says Alan Gratz: “For all its horrors, 9/11 is also the story of people coming together to help one another in a time of crisis. And for all the death and destruction the war has brought to Afghanistan, it has also meant the end of the Taliban as the country’s official rulers, and more freedom for women and girls. GROUND ZERO explores these contradictions, highlighting how people are often at their best when the worst happens and how impossible it is to make the right decision when both outcomes are unacceptable. These are universal experiences that ignore nationality and religion and culture—challenges that unite us as human beings—and I believe that fiction helps young people understand these big, scary topics and empathize with the people enduring them.”

“The year 2021 will mark the twenty-year anniversary of 9/11. Will it also mark the twenty-year anniversary of the war in Afghanistan? Time will tell. One way or another, we still live in a world reshaped and redefined by what happened in those 102 frightful minutes on a bright blue September morning in 2001. It’s more important than ever to help new generations understand how we got from there to where we are today.”

“With his signature accessibility and insight, Gratz tackles events on both U.S. soil and abroad … Subtexts and well-developed secondary characters give readers fuller perspectives surrounding the political, religious, and sociological factors that contribute to the horrors Brandon and Reshmina are living through. The pace is quick (don’t blink or you’ll miss something!), its emotions deeply authentic, and the highly visual settings resonate with accuracy. With a moving author’s note, pertinent back matter, and a surprise twist which brings the book full circle, Gratz delivers another winning read. Ground Zero will appeal to middle-grade readers, who were born after the events of 9/11, and to those adults who lived through it and will never forget.”– BOOKLIST, starred review

“Tautly paced … Conveys immediacy and depth.” – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“Gratz’s deeply moving writing paints vivid images of the loss and fear of those who lived through the trauma of 9/11.” – KIRKUS REVIEWS

 


Grab REFUGEE HERE!

 

Book Trailer:



Review: Ground Zero is a book that explores differing cultures and viewpoints. Told in alternate points of view and two separate cultures, it offers insight into the political and cultural dynamics in Afghanistan and the attack on America. For those of us who lived through 9/11, I am going to say this was tough! The details and the descriptions were hard to read. As an adult, there is much to re-live and remember. The experience of reading the actual story may be totally different for a teen reader. I would recommend reading with an adult. Thought provoking and raw, lots of historical aspects that are valuable to unravel. Ground Zero offers hopeful moments and human interactions to make the message one of compassion and understanding. Content: violence and trauma, older middle grade/teen read with adults to help unravel.

 

About Alan: 

ALAN GRATZ is the New York Times bestselling author of several highly acclaimed books for young readers, including Allies, Grenade, Projekt 1065, Prisoner B-3087, and Code of Honor. His

novel Refugee is often referred to as a modern classic, and has remained on The New York Times bestseller list for over two years. Alan lives in North Carolina with his wife and daughter. Look for him online at alangratz.com.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of GROUND ZERO, US Only.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/14/2021

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt

1/15/2021

BookHounds YA

Excerpt

1/16/2021

The Obsessed Reader/ObsessedRead

Excerpt


Week Two:

1/17/2021

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Excerpt

1/18/2021

Lisa Loves Literature

Excerpt

1/19/2021

Hurn Publications

Excerpt

1/20/2021

Down The Rabbit Hole

Excerpt

1/21/2021

Portals Into Books

Review

1/22/2021

Fire and ice, Little Red Reads

Review

1/23/2021

Lifestyle of Me

Review


Week Three:

1/24/2021

The Momma Spot

Review

1/25/2021

A Dream Within A Dream

Excerpt

1/26/2021

michellemengsbookblog

Review

1/27/2021

Books A-Brewin’

Excerpt

1/28/2021

Books and Zebras @jypsylynn

Review

1/29/2021

The Scribe Owl

Review

1/30/2021

Jazzy Book Reviews

Review


Week Four:

1/31/2021

Crazykidjournal

Review

2/1/2021

Locks, Hooks and Books

Review

2/2/2021

@minnesota_mailer

Review

 

THE GROUND ZERO VIRTUAL TOUR WITH NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ALAN GRATZ

Register to attend these free-to-attend virtual events at the websites of each hosting bookstore

Monday, February 1, 2021

11:00 am (EST): RJ Julia Independent Booksellers (Madison, CT)

2:00 pm (EST): Malaprop’s (Asheville, NC)

 

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

2:00 pm (EST): Politics & Prose (Washington D.C.)

7:00 pm (EST): Book launch event via Politics & Prose (Washington D.C.)

In conversation with Lauren Tarshis (author of I SURVIVED series)

 

Wednesday: February 3, 2021

10:00 am (EST): Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, GA)

9:00 am (PST): Children’s Book World (Los Angeles, CA)

 

Thursday, February 4, 2021

10:00 am (EST): An Unlikely Story (Plainville, MA)

5:00 pm (CST): Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX)

 

Friday, February 5, 2021

11:00 am (EST): Boogie Down Books (New York, NY)

4:30 pm (EST): Trinity Preparatory Author Festival (Winter Park, FL)

 

Monday, February 8, 2021

10:00 am (CST): Anderson’s (Chicago, IL)

1:00 pm (CST): Left Bank Books (St. Louis, MO)

 

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

10:00 am (CST): Square Books (Oxford, MS)

6:00 pm (MST): The King’s English (Salt Lake City, UT)

 

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

9:00 am (MST): Changing Hands Bookstore (Phoenix, AZ)

10:30 am (PST): Green Bean Books (Portland, OR)

 

Thursday, February 11, 2021

10:00 am (CST): Watermark Books & Cafe (Wichita, KS)

5:00 pm (PST): The Elliott Bay Book Company (Seattle, WA)

 

Friday, February 12, 2021

10:00 am (CST): Parnassus Books (Nashville, TN)

2:00 pm (EST): Little City Books (Hoboken, NJ)

 

March 11-13, 2021

Southern Young Adult Book Festival (Murfreesboro

Chronicles from Chateau Moines by Evelyne Holingue Blog Tour

March 2, 2015 By Heather 2 Comments

Chroniclesfrom (1)
Welcome to my tour stop for Chronicles from Chateau Moines by Evelyne Holingue. This is a middle grade historical fiction. The tour runs March 2-13 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page.

About the Book

September 1970: Scott’s mother has recently died and his father gets the crazy idea to move his family from California to Normandy. Now Scott has to learn to live without his mom while adjusting to France. In his seventh grade class there is only Ibrahim who comes from another country. Scott doesn’t even want to play his guitar anymore. Why does his father think that life will be better so far from home?

Scott has no idea that his arrival is also a challenge to Sylvie. While her best friend is excited to have an American boy at school, Sylvie cannot say one word to Scott. She can’t even write good songs in her notebook anymore. Why is life so different since Scott moved to Château Moines?

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War protest era and told from the perspectives of twelve-year old Scott and Sylvie, this is a story about loss and friendship, music and peace, and also about secrets.

Although this is a work of fiction, the cultural, social, and historical background of the early 1970s in France and the United States inspired the writing. At the end of the book the reader will find a list of the songs, the names of singers, and bands mentioned through the novel as well as some elements about fashion, immigration in France, the Vietnam War, and other cultural, social, and historical facts relevant to the period of time.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Excerpt

Sylvie Meets Scott for the First Time on Back to School Day (page 13-14)

His faded bell-bottom Levi’s hug his hips, and a turquoise T-shirt matches his eyes. I’ve never been south of France, but Papa has sent me postcards. This boy’s eyes rival the color of the Mediterranean Sea. He doesn’t wear any socks with his Indian-style sandals. He’s got a perfectly worn-out army bag with buttons and badges. I recognize the peace sign and the names of big American cities, which make me feel small and ignorant. A pair of roller skates is tied to the straps of his bag. With his shaggy haircut, he belongs more in Mademoiselle magazine than in Chateau Moines middle school. I must have looked as stunned as Saint Bernadette when she saw the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, because Scott points at his chest.
“Je suis Scott Sweet,” he says with the same exotic accent.
“Non, non.” Annie switches to a patient tone. “In French, you say: ‘Je m’appelle Scott Sweet.’”
Scott flashes a Paul Newman smile. “Juh mahpell Scott Sweet,” he repeats.
I’m positive that I am hallucinating, but when I peek, the new boy is standing one meter away from me. A nice but strange smell wafts to my nose. I must have flared my nostrils, because Scott says, “Patchouli.”
Despite his smile, he looks confused, and I wonder how it feels to be the new kid at school and to be a foreigner.
Annie turns to me and clasps her hands together.
“We have a new boy at school,” she says. “And he speaks French with an American accent! J’adore!”
I don’t adore Annie at all right now, but I can’t blame her. She saw him first at the bakery. Then she found his name on the list. And she can speak some English.
For some reason, I have the feeling that this first day of school marks the beginning of a lot of unpleasant firsts.

 

About the Author

evelyne0115I was born and raised in Normandy, France, where I spent most of my childhood reading.
My first published piece of writing was a poem about a man spending Christmas behind bars. I was eleven years old and wasn’t paid for my work, but I was hooked.
I studied French Literature at the Université de Caen and at the Sorbonne in Paris and worked in a publishing house before moving to California, following my husband.
It was a challenging time in my life as I was leaving my own career, my family, my friends and my beloved Paris behind.  But how could I say no to the dreams of the man I love?
Readers enjoy escaping the familiar for the unknown.  Being a foreigner is discovering the unknown day after day, not only for the time of a book. However, since most things in life come with a silver lining, I credit this move for giving me the opportunity to write. Through my words, I share my affection for my native and adoptive countries that I love equally.

www.evelyneholingue.com 

 

Giveaway 
Two (2) kindle copies of Chronicles from Chateau Moines (INT)
Ends March 18th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Tour Schedule

3/2
Little Red Reads – Excerpt
Mind-Ventures – Review
3/3
WS Momma Readers Nook– Author Interview
3/4
Writerbee’s Book Reviews – Guest Post
Shelf Life – Review
3/5
Sunshine, Bubbles and Books – Review
3/6
Sher A. Hart: Written Art – Review & Excerpt
CBY Book Club – Excerpt
3/7
Gateway to Different Worlds– Review
3/8
Ishiee’s Book Blog – Author Interview
Book Lovers Life – Excerpt
3/9
Met in Eleven – Excerpt
3/10
Spiced Latte Reads – Excerpt
Buried in Books – Review
3/11
Book Sense – Review
Every Free Chance – Review
3/12
Curling Up With a Good Book – Guest Post
Log Cabin Library – Review
3/13
The Little Crocodile – Review
The Blacksheep Project – Review

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

 

 

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We are the children's division of Fire and Ice. We review baby board books to middle-grade titles. We also review products and toys for the family. For inquiries on reviews, blog tours, and author interviews contact FireandIce.Heather@gmail.com
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