Jr. Blog

Square Books, Jr. DYO T-Shirt Contest

2011-06-07T10:56:00.001-05:00

http://www.squarebooks.com/announcing-square-bookshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif-jr-diy-t-shirt-contest

Because It's Important to Know Stuff

2010-07-08T10:16:00.000-05:00

2010-06-30T15:00:00.001-05:00

J&P Voelkel will be on The Today Show!

Tomorrow morning, Thursday, July 1st, J&P Voelkel, authors of the highly acclaimed novel The Jaguar Stones (Al Roker's current book of the month selection), will appear on The Today Show! Hooray, Voelkels! Here's a little information about the authors and the book.

During the summer or fall of 2007 I came across an impressive arc (advance copy) of The Jaguar Stones, by Jon & Pamela Voelkel. The Voelkel's debut novel was about the ancient and contemporary Maya and the son of workaholic, adventuring archaeologists. It was printed through a small press, and the book carried terms which made it impossible for an independent like Square Books, Jr. to carry. I wrote a letter to the publisher, pleading for reasonable terms to no avail. I eventually wrote a letter to the authors explaining my love for the book and my desire to make it my personal, favorite hand-sell. The authors were flabbergasted that their book's success was in peril, and, needless to say, they contacted the company who consequently offered me reasonable terms. I have since sold over 135 copies of the hardcover, and have championed the title since it's exciting paperback release by Egmont USA, an exciting company who honored the authors' insistence about using only recyclable materials (Egmont USA only uses recyclable materials!). Also, Egmont USA has spared no expense promoting The Jaguar Stones, which I think has clearly helped it to finally get some well deserved recognition. The authors have visited Square Books, Jr. as well as our local schools numerous times, loaded to the hilt with educational materials and donning explorer clothing and traditional Maya headgear. Bravo, J&P. You will forever be my favorite tour guides!

Jilleen Moore
Buyer
Square Books, Jr.

Fan-Freaking-Tastic

2010-06-12T14:44:00.003-05:00

Ramona says Jack Blank & the Imagine Nation is more than awesome, it's fan-freaking-tastic! And I am inclined to believe her. Smashing great cover art too! Good job Matt Myklusch and Aladdin Paperbacks. Due out 08.03.10

Guess what's good?

2010-05-25T13:33:00.012-05:00

School's out for summer!

School's out for ever! (Well, okay maybe not forever...)

Get not only your summer reading list books (some of which are NOT boring!) but also some way cool novels that just came out at SQBKS JR!

Just to name a few:

1. Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer.
by John Grisham

You can grab an unsigned one today, or place your order for a copy to be signed at a later date!

2. The Prince of Mist
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

A super chilling ghost story that's perfect for those hot summer days!

3.The Red Pyramid
by Rick Riordan

A new series from the man who brought the world Percy Jackson and The Olympians!

4. Boom
by Mark Haddon

One of my favorite novels so far this summer, a quirky mish-mash of the X-Files and Holes.

5. Windblowne
by Stephen Messer

Stephen Messer will be here Friday, June 4th at 5pm! Come get your book signed!

This list is far from complete so we'll be back to let you know some other books that will knock your socks off soon!

Don't forget you can follow us on twitter and be our friend on facebook!

Be Square,
Ramona

Books I Love (That You'll Love Too)

2010-02-16T12:01:00.020-06:00

I read a lot, everyone at junior does. But it is often the case that some books stand above the rest. I want our blog readers to know some of the best books we have to offer! I'll start with teen fiction. Oh, some of these books might not even be out yet so watch for pub dates!

(In no particular order)

1. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins.
IMPORTANT: Book pub date: 03/02/10
Signing: 03/09/10 at 4pm
The problem: Sophie Mercer is a witch who has just come into her powers and in the mortal world they have gotten a bit out of hand. The solution (a sentence handed down by her high-ranking father): a boarding school for problem Prodigium (witches, fairies and the like). Unwillingly shipped off to reform school Sophie has more to deal with than just taming her powers. Like the ghost of her dead grandmother who believes Sophie isn’t getting the training she needs, a clique of witches who raise demons in their spare time, and a crush on a handsome and unavailable warlock. When mysterious attacks begin on campus Sophie’s only friend and the schools only vampire also becomes the only suspect. In trying to clear her best friends name, Sophie uncovers secrets three generations old and an ancient society dedicated to wiping out all Prodigium, including herself.
I can't wait for the sequel!

2. Fallen by Lauren Kate
For several years, vampires, zombies and werewolves have dominated the pages of teen literature. The struggles between morality and immortality and good vs. evil have battled their way into the hearts of readers. But after all these mundane monsters, Fallen is blazing a new trail. Fantastical romance though it may be, this new series takes readers back to basics, the paradigm for which all other epic battles of good and evil are created--the ceaseless eternal war of the angels. Unbeknownst to humanity, fallen angels vie for power, yet thus far it has always ended in a stalemate. What if this time, the tables have turned and the immortal soul of a human girl is just the ting to tip the balance?
This was a serious page turner, but be warned you will be left holding your breath for the sequel. It was full of action and romance, and I feel stranded not knowing the rest!

3.The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
If, on pain of death, I was forced to label this book using just one word it would be EPIC. Emphatically and unequivocally EPIC. Not since Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre has a book come along to touch my soul in such a way. Lennie, our bookish heroine, has just lost her vibrant, passionate older sister. An unexpected and untimely death, the loss of Bailey has thrown Lennie's world into chaos. Torn apart by grief and addled by guilt, Lennie is finally beginning to emerge from the shadow cast by her shining sister. But how can she go forward and shine in her own life when Bailey's was so abruptly taken? Family secrets, grief, and an earth shattering love place this novel on par with those that inspired its conception.

4. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Seriously awesome science fiction. If you have read Maze Runner and Hunger Games this book the next logical jump. I flew through it and its sequel (which is unfortunate since now I have to wait MONTHS for the third and final installment). Everyone should read this book.

5. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
IMPORTANT: Book pub date 03/19/10
Violet has a very unique ability; she can sense the imprint of a recently deceased body, be it animal or human. But that little girl’s body in the woods was a one-time deal, after all it was so long ago and she has much more interesting problems now. Like how to get rid of the heart-stopping crush she has on her life-long best friend (who has recently become a minor deity in the social world). But finding a way to keep Jay as just a friend proves as hard as living a normal life as a body finder. Someone has begun abducting and murdering girls Violet knows, and she knows she is the only one who can make it stop. Increasing danger brings Jay to Violets side in protection, but it also brings her closer to being the prey of a careful and systematic killer.
I have heard through the grapevine that this is also going to have a sequel. I mean come on, we all want to know more about Violet and Jay, and you can't tell me that with an ability like that she's going to live a normal and uneventful life. I WANT MORE!

Memorable Books, Practical and Spiritual

2010-02-03T09:41:00.007-06:00

The Hounds of the Baskervilles
The Swiss Family Robinson
My Name is Asher Lev
The Great Gatsby
The Jungle
Frankenstein
Life of Pi
Siddhartha
The Chosen
Final Harvest
Charlotte's Web
Civil Disobedience
The Color Purple
The Sound and the Fury
The Golden Compass
Brideshead Revisited
The Bible and the Apocrypha
Confessions of a Mask
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Nisa! Diary of a Kung Woman

Beautiful Creatures & Fertile Soil

2010-01-25T15:10:00.004-06:00

I am so happy Oxford is itself. By the time I came up to visit Square Books and Rowan Oak at the age of 16 (nearly 22 years ago), I knew that Mississippi was The Fertile Soil for some of the finest writing the world has seen. I didn’t fully realize, as well as many native Mississippians, that fertile soil belongs to us all. We take it for granted, lazy strolls past Faulkner's Grave and summer afternoon drives with blues music by Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson to see Eudora’s resting place. B.B. King, Jim Henson, well, the list goes on and on.
That’s why I welcome Beautiful Creatures authors, Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl to our town, to our back yard. They will be signing at Square Books, Jr. today at 4 o’clock, so come on out and meet them. We don’t have to read about it in Southern Living – we are southern living! So grab a spoon, or a pen, or a paintbrush, or a guitar, and dig deep!

The Results Are In!

2010-01-09T11:23:00.006-06:00

The trees are down, the decorations put away, and the crowds long gone. The holidays are over and it's time to resume business as usual.

As you may or may not know, Jill and I engaged in a little friendly competition this holiday season. Here's the deal: Jill fell head over heels in love with Berkeley Breathed's middle grade novel Flawed Dogs. And I was crazy over James Dashner's young adult novel The Maze Runner.
So we made it interesting, we decided to see which of us could sell the most copies.

Unfortunately, I lost.

Jill- 76 (this obviously does not count the 8 she sold prior to the bet, bringing her actual total to 84)
Ramona-39

Yeah. Whew, that's a lot of books.

I blog, therefore I am...

2009-10-06T11:40:00.005-05:00

We are bloggers! Jill and I have teamed up to bring the best of Square Books Junior to the masses. SQBKSJR is a very interactive store, and now we hope to use our small town bookseller know-how to the world wide web!

In related news: The Maze Runner hits shelves today! If you haven't heard - then you haven't been in the store lately - Maze Runner is far and away my favorite YA novel of the year! Fans of The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies will devour this dystopian tale. Check out my review here!

Also, Jill and I have placed a friendly wager on who can create more followers of our favorite books. My pick was Maze Runner and Jill picked Berkeley Breathed's new middle-grade novel Flawed Dogs. She is as big a fan of Flawed Dogs (maybe more!) as I am of Maze Runner. Pick up a copy of our latest Dear Reader (or read it online at our website) to read Jill's fabulous review. You'll have to read them to find out which one steals your heart...but please, please let us know!
We'll keep a tally of which book garners more support and by Christmas we'll choose a winner. May the best book win!

-Ramona