Welcome to the CABINET OF EARTHS stop on the second, even YAmazinger YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes! Yep, we had so much fun with our first epic blog race back in January, that we decided to do it again. From May 2-May 8 we will be sending people zipping around the internet to learn about new books for young people and win those MGnificent Prizes mentioned in the race title! For details and info on prizes, check out the home blog of the Apocalypsies. ……..And here’s the summary of THE CABINET OF EARTHS–in it you’ll find all you need to know in order to pass the big, scary quiz at the end of this leg (“Laser-Eyed Iguanas”–oooooooh, spooky) of the blog race!

The Cabinet of Earths (HarperCollins, 2012)

The Cabinet of Earths

On their first day in Paris, Maya and her little brother, James, find themselves caught up in some very old magic.  Houses with bronze salamanders for door handles, statues that look too much like Maya’s own worried face, a man wearing sunglasses to hide his radiant purple eyes–nothing is what it seems.  And what does all that magic want from Maya? With the help of a friendly boy named Valko, Maya discovers surprises hidden in her family tree–grandmothers who walked in magic, a cousin so unremarkable she’s actually hard to see, and a terrible family habit of betraying one’s brother.  To save her own brother, Maya must take on the magical underworld of Paris . . . before it is too late.

 
“a-shimmer with magic” (Horn Book) . . . “charmingly creepy” (Kirkus) . . . “evocative prose and a confident narrative voice” (Publishers Weekly) . . . “readers will be swept along by the novel’s swift pace”(Shelf Awareness) . . . “a unique, interesting fantasy with just enough suspense to keep readers turning the pages into the night” (VOYA)

Would you like to win a signed copy of this book for your very own? Simply add a comment to this blog-entry in which you pick a page number (between 1 and 256), and, as in January, I will not only respond with a brief quote from that page, but also add your name to the magical and entirely figurative stainless steel bowl from which one random winner will emerge! Good luck, all of you YAmazing racers, and thanks for dropping by! Time now for me to send you on to . . . the thoroughly entertaining blog of my fellow Laser-Eyed Iguana, Tom Ryan!

And now we come to the “MGnificent Prizes” part of the Race (while you eat your post-race blood-sugar-enhancing snacks) . . .

After gathering all the requested page numbers and dropping them into the magical and entirely figurative steel bowl . . . and stirring . . . and randomizing . . . and reaching in with virtual silver tongs to extract The Winning Number . . . we have, not just one winner, but two!

Aik and Aeicha@WordSpelunking, proving once again that great minds think alike, both chose p. 123, so I will be sending signed copies of The Cabinet of Earths out to each of those lucky winners! (You should get an email from me very soon, Aik and Aeicha, with the details.)

Thank you so much, everybody, for playing the page-hunt game, and congratulations on your truly YAmazing Racing Skills!

Welcome to the CABINET OF EARTHS stop on the YAmazing Race! Yes, it’s an epic blog race, running January 16-23 all over the web and designed to introduce the brave & steadfast participants to over 50 new authors of books for young people! For details and info on prizes, check out the home blog of the Apocalypsies. ……..By the way, do you live in or near New York? Come to my book launch party THIS THURSDAY, January 19th, at The Corner Bookstore, 1313 Madison Ave. (at 93rd) in NYC!…….. Meanwhile, here’s the summary of THE CABINET OF EARTHS–in it you’ll find all you need to know in order to pass the big, scary quiz at the end of this leg of the blog race!

The Cabinet of Earths (HarperCollins, 2012)

The Cabinet of Earths

On their first day in Paris, Maya and her little brother, James, find themselves caught up in some very old magic.  Houses with bronze salamanders for door handles, statues that look too much like Maya’s own worried face, a man wearing sunglasses to hide his radiant purple eyes–nothing is what it seems.  And what does all that magic want from Maya? With the help of a friendly boy named Valko, Maya discovers surprises hidden in her family tree–grandmothers who walked in magic, a cousin so unremarkable she’s actually hard to see, and a terrible family habit of betraying one’s brother.  To save her own brother, Maya must take on the magical underworld of Paris . . . before it is too late.

 
“a-shimmer with magic” (Horn Book) . . . “charmingly creepy” (Kirkus) . . . “evocative prose and a confident narrative voice” (Publishers Weekly) . . . “readers will be swept along by the novel’s swift pace”(Shelf Awareness) . . . “a unique, interesting fantasy with just enough suspense to keep readers turning the pages into the night” (VOYA)

Would you like to win a signed copy of this book for your very own? Simply add a comment to this blog-entry in which you pick a page number (between 1 and 256), and I will not only respond with a brief quote from that page, but also add your name to the magical and entirely figurative stainless steel bowl from which one random winner will emerge! Good luck, all of you YAmazing racers, and thanks for dropping by! Time now for me to send you on to . . . the lovely and welcoming blog of Shelley Coriell!

In New York City: Thursday, January 19, at 6 p.m. at The Corner Bookstore, 1313 Madison Avenue (at 93rd Street), New York City. Wine and cheese!