Blog Tour: Keeper of The Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Today is my day to feature Shannon Messenger on her blog tour for the release of her debut novel, Keeper of the Lost Cities. Special thanks to Katie, from Mundie Moms, for organizing the tour (visit this link for more info, and extra giveaways). Anyway, I could go on about what a great friend Shannon is, or about how much my kid loved her book, but I think it's probably best to let her get to her guest post. Take it away, Shannon:

I can't tell you how excited I am to be here, today. Project Mayhem is one of my favorite middle grade blogs, so it's so much fun that I get to come hang out with you guys. I promise I will try not to break the awesome around here!

I've been asked to talk today about 5 books I loved as a kid--which is awesome because dude, I LOVED books growing up. But it's also like--AHHH HOW CAN I POSSIBLY LIMIT MY LIST TO FIVE?????????????????

I've forced myself to be good though, so here they are (in random order because I refuse to pick favorites)

A LITTLE PRINCESS

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

What little girl DOESN'T love this book? There is just something so timeless and endearing about it. I love every word. THE SECRET GARDEN is equally amazing. But A LITTLE PRINCESS was the one I read over and over and over.



MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS

by Robert Lawson, Florence Atwater

I know they recently made a movie out of this, and I have yet to see it and find out how much they changed it. But I hope not a lot because I thought this book was pretty much perfect as a kid. And yes, I may have tried to convince my parents I needed a pet penguin.


THE MYSTERY OF THE CUPBOARD

by Lynne Reid Banks

I loved the whole Indian in the Cupboard series (what kid doesn't want a magic cupboard that brings their toys to life????) but this one was my favorite because it takes readers back in time and history to find out how the cupboard came to be. And she had quite a few tricks up her sleeve with that!


THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE

by: Beverly Clearly

I read and adored pretty much everything Beverly Cleary wrote, but my two favorite characters were Ramona Quimby and Ralph S. Mouse. I mean, look at his little helmet--DO YOU GET MORE ADORABLE THAN THAT??? I think not.


SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL

by: Louis Sachar

Okay, I know this is a collection of short stories instead of a novel, but dude, I loved each and every one of them. I actually loved all the Wayside School stories, but I will never forget Mrs. Gorf and her evil ability to turn her students into apples. If you haven't read this book you NEED to.

Gah--there's so many more I want to feature--but I'm trying to be a courteous little guest author, so I will stop right there. But feel free to tell me about the books you loved in the comments.

And thank you so much to Project Mayhem for having me. I will now hand your blog back to you, and let you guys get back to the mayhem causing! *waves* *blows kisses*

Now, about the book:

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit in. She's not comfortable with her family and keeping a secret—she's a telepath. But then she meets Fitz, who tells her the reason she has never felt at home is that, well, she isn't. But Sophie still has secrets, and they're buried deep in her memory for good reason: the answers are in high-demand. The truth could mean life or death, and time is running out.

By: Shannon Messenger
Published by: Simon & Schuster
To Be Released on: October 2nd, 2012
Purchase from:
Simon & Schuster
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
Indiebound
iTunes
SIGNED Copies from Once Upon a Time (Must order by October 2nd)
The Book Depository

And, about the Author:

SHANNON MESSENGER graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts where she learned that she liked watching movies much better than making them. She also regularly eats cupcakes for breakfast, sleeps with a bright blue stuffed elephant named Ella, and occasionally gets caught talking to imaginary people. So it was only natural for her to write stories for children. Keeper of the Lost Cities is her first middle grade novel. Let the Sky Fall, a young adult novel, will follow in Spring 2013. She lives in Southern California with her husband and an embarrassing number of cats.

Follow Shannon:

Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook | GoodReads | Pinterest

And finally, a giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway