Time Travel

March is National Reading Month

ByMichael Thal March 8, 2019

March is National Reading Month and it’s up to moms and dads to instill a love of reading in their children. To encourage them to improve their reading skills and develop a fondness for books it’s strongly suggested you set some time aside a few times a week for family reading time. This means…

Pop’s 6 Favorite Books of 2018

ByMichael Thal February 6, 2019

In 2018 Pop read and reviewed 36 young adult novels. All of the books received 5 pops because they were thought provoking, imaginative, and the author’s writing style exemplary. Below you’ll find seven of his favorites plus his award-winning novel, Koolura and the Mayans. Title: Koolura and the Mayans Author: Michael Thal Awards: 2018 eLit…

The Hunt for Xanadu: A YA Thriller

ByMichael Thal October 29, 2018October 29, 2018

We’ve all heard of the mythical city of Xanadu appearing in literature and movies. It’s an exotic utopia first described by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a nineteenth century English poet, in his 1816 poem, “Kubla Khan.” Author Elyse Salpeter has embraced the myth and expanded the concept of Xanadu to a higher plane in her first…

The Koolura Series: YA Fantasy at It’s Best

ByMichael Thal September 12, 2018

Twenty-four years ago author Michael Thal began what would become The Koolura Series. His prime motivation at the time was to get his daughter Channie excited about reading. Then in the sixth grade, she promised to read the book upon its publication. Good for her word, even though she was twenty-eight years…

Magic 2.0: A YA Fantasy Series

ByMichael Thal August 9, 2018

A twenty-three-year-old computer hacker illegally enters the computer of a cell phone manufacturer and finds a curious file. It’s huge with five terabytes of plain ASC11 text characters with a boring name—repository1-c.txt. He gives it a look and finds something curious; many of the numbers change constantly. Then he searches the file for his name….

A YA Time Travel Romantic Mystery

ByMichael Thal July 22, 2018

Sixteen year old Kate has the CHRONOS gene enabling her to use the CHRONOS medallion grandma Katherine gave her to transport through time and space to just about whenever and wherever she chooses. However, Kate’s trips through time have a distinct purpose: stop grandfather Saul from annihilating most of the human race to create a…

5 Motivating YA Books Kids Will Want to Read This Summer

ByMichael Thal June 11, 2018

As a reading specialist working for the Glendale Unified School District, I noticed a serious decline in reading skills of many of my students after a long hot summer break. According to researchers at the National Education Association (NEA), “Children can lose up to three months of reading progress over the summer months, and that loss…

Fascinating Science Fiction Series

ByMichael Thal May 6, 2018

The Best Seller Maya Smock, an aspiring author, grew up in an orphanage and foster homes. Used and abused, she entered adulthood early taking a job at a Las Vegas bookstore by day and writing her novel, “The Master Race,” at night. When Maya’s book was finished she met a literary agent at a Las…

Koolura and the Mayans Wins Gold at the eLit Book Awards

ByMichael Thal April 27, 2018April 27, 2018

On April 16, 2018 the 9thAnnual eLit Book Awards announced its winners for 2018. There were 65 award categories including Historical Fiction, True Crime, and Autobiography/Memoir. Each category awarded three prizes—Gold, Silver, and Bronze. In the Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction category, Koolura and the Mayans won the Gold Prize! The eLit Book Awards is a global awards…

A YA Time Travel Thriller

ByMichael Thal April 15, 2018April 15, 2018

West Yorkshire, England January 1795 Highwayman Kit Locke, known as the Knightmare, sits atop his gelding, Dante, waiting for a coach to round the bend so he can relieve its passengers of their wealth. He is specifically looking for the Viper’s Eye. According to legend, the gem can absorb thoughts and feelings of people and…