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Orange County Children’s Book Festival

ByMichael Thal

Remember the good old days when you could walk into Crown Books, Borders, or Barnes & Noble and browse the tombs for your favorite author or curl up in a corner to check out a fun read? With most bookstores closed, where can a mom purchase books for children and teens besides logging onto Amazon?…

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A Time Travel Tale about the Salem Witch Trials

ByMichael Thal

Netti hung from the hanging tree, her body limp and swinging. It’s 1692 Salem, Massachusets with the infamous witch trials under way. Netti was a sweet and innocent young woman who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Her crime: She knew how to turn herbs into oils. Neighbor Jonas Hale believed the girl was actually brewing potions…

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French Fries With a Side of Guys Book Tour

ByMichael Thal

Payton Carter is one of six kids (all of which are named after famous football players), not to mention the only girl in the Carter household. With this much testosterone and no mother, it’s no wonder she’s absolutely clueless when it comes to makeup, dances, and talking to guys she’s crushing on. And now she’s about…

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Book Cover Reveal: Season of Decay

ByMichael Thal

About the Book Title: The Season of Decay Author: Michael W. Garza Genre: YA horror Our world decayed and a new world arose from the ashes of the old. The Canaan tribe formed from the ruins of their oppressors, struggling to build a new world for themselves, challenged by the rise of a threat within…

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Love (The Allure Chronicles #4)

ByMichael Thal

    Purchase on Amazon Purchase on iBooks Purchase on Google Play Add it on Goodreads   There is nothing more powerful than love. Daisy and Owen never catch a break. After being torn apart by the powerful and ruthless Elders, the sweetness of their reunion is tempered by the knowledge that Daisy’s emotions may…

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Endless Summer Series Cover Reveals: Daring the Bad Boy & Keeping Her Secret

ByMichael Thal

Let us know what you think of the covers for Daring the Bad Boy and Keeping Her Secret (Endless Summer Series) by Monica Murphy and Sarah Nicolas (respectively)! Daring the Bad Boy & Keeping Her Secret both release on August 22, 2016 This cover reveal is brought to you by Entangled TEEN, YA Books Central…

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Lois Lane, cub reporter, is back

ByMichael Thal

About Lois Lane: Double Down, Entertainment Weekly says,” …it’s basically Lois Lane in a Veronica Mars-esque plot, which sounds like all kinds of awesome.” And it is. In her second Lois Lane book, author Gwenda Bond has recreated Lois as a teenage cub reporter for the Daily Planet. Her editor, Perry White, pressures teen Scoop…

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SCWBI Summer Reading List could boost kids’ reading ability

ByMichael Thal

School in Los Angeles begins August 16, 2016. It’s been a long hot summer, so slow the pace a bit, kick back, and read a book. It’s so important that the reading skills of children remain sharp. According to an article in Reading Rocks, “Summer Reading Loss,” thirteen academic studies covering 40,000 students discovered that…

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Koolura Series character Leila Marvi speaks out

ByMichael Thal

Leila Marvi is deaf. She’s also the main character in Koolura and the Mayans, and a secondary character in Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback.  She has a few things to say about herself, BFF Koolura Akopyan, and the two novels she appears in.   Can you tell us a little about yourself? My name is Leila Marvi….

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Modern Day Slavery

ByMichael Thal

Think the slave trade stopped with the Civil War? Petra knows better. Petra, a beautiful Hispanic girl, just finished a snack with her friend at the Pizza Parlour. When the companions separated, Petra headed home to finish her homework. When she was about to cross the street, powerful hands grabbed, shot her with a taser,…