HarperCollins Middle-Grade Reads

 ** A Geek Daddy received the featured products for free to review **

My eight year old twins are at an age where they've moved beyond early reader books but aren't yet ready for adult novels yet.  They are reading  at what is called the Middle-Grade level.  These books are aimed at children 8 - 12 years old (Grades 2 - 5), often referred to as tweens, and include lots of illustrations to enhance the reading experience plus the subject matter is specifically written to cater to this age group.  Middle-Grade publications tend to be shorter than normal books, no more than 50,000 words (compared to 75,000+) and are not permitted to contain profanity, graphic violence or sexual situations. Our family is always on the look out for Middle-Grade Reads that will capture my kids attention.

HarperCollins kindly sent my kids complimentary editions of two recently published Middle-Grade books, OLGA AND THE SMELLY THING FROM NOWHERE by Elise Gravel and STICK CAT: A TAIL OF TWO KITTIES by Tom Watson, to check out.  My daughter and son haven't put these books down since we got them in the mail.  At the age when parents start get some friction from children about spending time reading, it has been great to see my kids immersing themselves in these middle-grade reads.

To share my kids enthusiasm for these books, A Geek Daddy has an OODLES OF DOODLES prize pack courtesy of HarperCollins to giveaway.  It includes copies of Stick Cat: A Tail of Two Kitties and Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere, art prints from each of these book's creators, a notebook to doodle in, and a colored pencil set.

To be eligible to win complete the entries below before May 12, 2017 at 11:59pm.  Must be a U.S. resident over 18 years old to participate in this giveaway.  One winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My daughter LOVES this book! She says it is hilarious.  I am excited as a parent by this book because its been awhile since I've seen her as enamored with reading as she has been since getting her hands on OLGA AND THE SMELLY THINGS FROM NOWHERE.

In the story, Olga finds a creature in her garbage can one day and all it says is "MEH!"  It won't eat, it won't sleep, it snores, it stinks and Olga studies it like mad.  She adores it and eventually names it after herself --> an OLGAMUS.  A trip to the library reveals little, while a trip to the local grocery store proves successful when Olga discovers Meh's favorite food is olives!

Her adventures with Meh take place over a few days and during that time Olga's life is never dull.  Readers progress through Olga's journal as she reveals a great deal of information not only about herself, but also concerning everything from the scientific method to Jane Goodall.  She also documents her favorite odd creatures along with things like the ins and outs of friendships with entries that seem to have my daughter constantly chuckling.

The author, Elise Gravel, is an award winning author/illustrator from Quebec who is well known in Canada for her wacky picture books.  Having studied graphic design in college, Gravel has carried over a tendency to incorporate text here and there within her drawings in her career as a literary illustrator.  She is inspired by social causes and  you should be prepared to find a good dose of eccentricity within her work.
 


My son gravitated to STICK CAT: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES when these books arrived in the mail from HarperCollins.  He loves to draw and has been tirelessly working on sketches that replicate the artwork found in the book.  This book is heavily illustrated with young readers in mind making it a perfect fit for him.

In this story it's a big day in the big city for Stick Cat and his best friend Edith.  There are treasures to hunt, songs to sing, pigeons to catch, and naps to take.  But way up on the 23rd floor, danger lurks just around the corner.  Terrible noises and violent crashes trap a desperate man in the building across the alley.  Stick Cat will need to navigate his way across the alley -- an around Edith's peculiar ways -- to attempt a rescue.

The author,Tom Watson, lives in Chicago with his wife, daughter, and son. He is the author of the Stick Dog series and now is starting a Stick Cat series. This is the first book in that series. Tom does not have a cat. So his ideas for the Stick Cat series come from a whole different place. He’s not sure where that place is exactly, but he knows it’s kind of strange there. While he has your attention, Tom would like to make one thing perfectly clear: There are not going to be any other stick animal books. There won’t be a Stick Monkey, for instance. Or Stick Chicken (even though that’s fun to say) or even Stick Giraffe (even though that would be fun to draw). He’s having plenty of fun just with dogs and cats.



OLGA AND THE SMELLY THINGS FROM NOWHERE and STICK CAT: A TAIL OF TWO KITTIES are available to purchase at retailers now. For additional suggestions of Middle-Grade reading selections available from HarperCollins, please CLICK HERE.

HarperCollins Publishers is the second-largest consumer book publisher in the world.  Headquartered in New York City, it has publishing operations in 18 countries. This two hundred year old company  publishes approximately 10,000 new books every year in 17 languages, and has a print and digital catalog of more than 200,000 titles.

Disclaimer & Contest Rules: A Geek Daddy has not been financially compensated for this endorsement or hosting the giveaway but was provided the same items being provided as a prize for personal use. The prize is provided by HarperCollins and A Geek Daddy is hosting the promotion as a benefit to our readers. Must be a US resident over the age of 18 to participate. One entry per mailing address and winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. If you have already won this prize through another blog participating in this promotion, your entry will be disqualified if that prize has already been awarded by HarperCollins. By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize. Must reply to notification email within 48 hours by providing requested contact information or else the prize will be forfeited and a new winner randomly selected. HarperCollins will be responsible for shipping the prize to the selected winner.