Be Your Own Hero!

Happy Book Birthday to The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress! I remember the first time Adrienne told me about this book idea she had, she pitched it as a Steampunk whodonuit featuring three girls who are all assistants to powerful men. She envisioned it as a book that would move at the clip of an action-packed thriller while also dealing with issues like women’s place in society and science versus superstition. She asked me what I thought. My immediate response:

"Um, *YEAH!"

And then Adrienne proceeded to execute the book flawlessly. 

In The Friday Society she introduces three incredible characters:

Nellie: Assistant to the renowned magician the Great Raheem. Nellie is a gorgeous former burlesque girl with a talent of escaping tight situations-- but with flair!

Cora: Lab assistant to the inventor Lord White. Cora grew up on the streets and loves experimenting with big guns (what girl doesn't?)

 

Michiko: Trained as a samurai, she left Japan seeking adventure and gets stuck working as the fight assistant for Sir Callum Fielding-Shaw. Michiko hasn't quite mastered the English language, but she finds other, incredibly kick ass, ways to express herself.

What I love about this book is that even though the book is set in Victorian London, these girls don't depend on their powerful benefactors to fix their problems. Nope. These girls can take care of themselves. It's smart AND funny. What's not to love?!

*I believe there might've even been a "HELL" before that YEAH...

While You Were Sleeping...

While you were sleeping last night, Matthew & Steve Murries book While You Were Sleeping was released! 

This book is the perfect Christmas gift for any kid who wonders what happens when they go to sleep each night. I always thought my parents did this:

But Matt & Steve Murrie have finally revealed the truth in their new book. 

Here's just a taste of all the amazing things that happen each and every night while you snooze:

-Would you believe that the world’s largest migration occurs every night of the year? The migrating animals are not birds, mammals or insects but a fish that lives in the twilight zone of the world’s oceans. The bristlemouths travel around 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) from their daytime dwelling place to the shallow waters of the oceans to feed on the many, smaller fish and copepods that live up there. 

- The human brain does not “turn off” when you go to bed at night. There is evidence that suggests it may even be more active at night while you are sleeping, than while you’re awake during the day. Sleep scientists have discovered four kinds of brain waves; two of those waves are most active at night. 

-While you are closing your eyes at night, one plant, called the Seven Golden Candlesticks, closes up its leaves for the night. The Seven Golden Candlesticks is a tropical plant that produces a flower with yellow parts that look like candle wax. It has flowers on top of these yellow parts that are reddish orange which resembles a flame.