THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY by Holly Schindler (BLOG TOUR)

Hello! Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky by Holly Schindler!

Many thanks to Holly and to her publisher, Dial Books for Young Readers (a division of Penguin Young Readers Group) for inviting me to be a part of the blog tour, and for providing a review copy of the book. You can connect with Holly at her website here or on Twitter (@holly_schindler) or on Facebook. You can also find her at a couple other blogs online - YA Outside the Lines (yaoutsidethelines.blogspot.com) for YA authors and Smack Dab in the Middle (smack-dab-in-the-middle.blogspot.com) for MG authors.

Holly has also created a website where her readers can interact about her books - Holly Schindler’s Middles. Holly says, "I’m especially excited about this site.  I adored getting to interact with the YA readership online—usually through Twitter or FB.  But I had to create a site where I could interact with the MG [Middle Grade] readership.  I’m devoting a page on the site to reviews from young readers themselves!  Be sure to send your young reader’s review through the Contact Me page."

Here are some details about the book:

“Beasts of the Southern Wild” meets Because of Winn Dixie in this inspiring story of hope.

Auggie Jones lives with her grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town.  So when her wealthy classmate’s father starts the House Beautification Committee, it’s homes like Auggie’s that are deemed “in violation.”  But Auggie is determined to prove that there’s more to her—and to her house—than meets the eye.

What starts out as a home renovation project quickly becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew they had—and redefine a whole town’s perception of beauty, one recycled sculpture at a time.

Holly Schindler’s feel-good story about the power one voice can have will inspire readers to speak from their hearts.

Reviews:

"...a heartwarming and uplifting story...[that] shines...with vibrant themes of community, self-empowerment and artistic vision delivered with a satisfying verve." – Kirkus Reviews

"Axioms like 'One man's trash is another man's treasure' and 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' come gracefully to life in Schindler's tale about the value of hard work and the power of community…Auggie's enthusiasm and unbridled creativity are infectious, and likeminded readers will envy her creative partnership with [her grandfather] Gus." – Publishers Weekly

I really enjoyed reading Auggie's story. The angst of what happens between Auggie and her best friend is so realistic, it was almost painful to read because I could imagine how wrecked I would feel in the same situations. Auggie's creativity and spirit are admirable. I loved how her community banded together, how they supported one another. I think my students will enjoy reading about Auggie and her "company" and hopefully they'll start to think about finding their own way to shine.

If you'd like to find about more about The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky, check out the book trailer here. It's lovely! There are also some cool youtube videos here and here. The first one focuses on the metaphors and language that Auggie uses to describe her life, her circumstances and her feelings (could be a great tool for teachers). The second video is probably my favorite of the three, talking about one of the signs that signifies for Auggie that she is poor, and her neighbors are poor, and they stand apart at their new school. But one of Auggie's friends uses her own special gifts or "shine" to make the best of things.

Watch the videos, look for the book, and enjoy getting to know Auggie and her friends and family!


The next stop on the BOOK TOUR is Children’s Book Review: http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/  tomorrow. I hope you'll stop by there to see what other folks are saying about Auggie and her grandpa, Gus, and the rest of the folks at the Junction of Sunshine and Lucky!