Follow the Bound by Ice Blog Tour!
| Before I start I am going to ask for some help. The next time that Sandra and Rich have a blog tour, please remind me to go first. They are powerful writers. There books are fantastic. There are so many great YA blogs out there that have reviewed Bound by Ice that the bar has been raised. On top of that, the book received a starred review on Kirkus just two days ago. Perhaps, the first order of business to point you to the fine work of others: Sunday, 9/17 Nerdy Book Club Monday, 9/18 Mrs. Yingling Reads Tuesday, 9/19 The Booklist Reader Wednesday, 9/20 KidLit Frenzy Thursday, 9/21 Dr. Bickmore’s YA Wednesday Friday, 9/22 The Nonfiction Detective |  |
 | If the weather in your area is still hot, just reading this book might cool you down. I lived in Utah long enough that very thought of snow makes me shiver and thank my lucky stars that I live in Las Vegas. There are several things I can let go about cold weather: 1. ) I never want to shovel snow again. 2. ) I don't want to start a snow blower after it has been in the garage for 8 months. 3. ) I can pass on leading another scout troop on a winter camp. 4. ) Sleeping in a snow cave is already off of my bucket list (By the way, I don't think it has to be on anybody's list). 5. ) Explaining to adolescents that yes, a fire will melt the souls of your boots is for younger souls than me. 6. ) I hope to never have to rock a car back and forth to free it from ice and snow as that very snow and ice is sprayed all over me. Well, you get the idea. I have had my share of snow. I can't even begin to understand the frozen trials of the USS Jeannette. This is one of the times I am absolutely thrilled to be learning about something vicariously. Let's face it my snow adventures have been limited to two days. I can't even begin to image the difficult two years that George Washington De Long’s crew experienced striving to explore the North Pole. |
If you follow my blog you know that I have a great deal of respect for Rich and Sandra. I think they are terrific writers who demonstrate the ability to do massive amounts of research to get the story right. They not only want the facts, they want the feel of the settings to mingle with the hopes and fears of the characters. Listening to them at conferences is always a joy. Last year at NCTE their passionate discussion of their research on Jonathan Daniels moved me tremendously. Rich described how Sandra kept working until they were able to stand in very place where Jonathan and African American civil rights workers were imprisoned. As I explored Bound by Ice, I wondered how many times Sandra ran out to sit in the snow to gain a level of empathy. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find out that she did just that.
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I have followed Rich for quite awhile. He has had an important career writing a variety of sports based books for adolescents. I say sports based, because they are much more that sports stories. Like the best writers in the genre the sport is a vehicle that allows the author and reader to have a dialogue about challenges and choice and the personal fortitude that one must develop in order to come out on top. If you don't know Rich as a sports writer, when you finish Bound by Ice, you should check them out.
The first book I read by Sandra was Muckers. This book is about a small town football team, but to say it is a novel about a sport is to ignore the power of this historical novel. Sandra's research into the real events and context of this football team from Hatley, Arizona proves her expertise as a journalist. From the beginning of her career as a novelist, she demonstrates that she can encase her research in a narrative that will engage adolescent and adult readers. In fact, Muckers, was the first book that I handed over to my social studies colleague, Paul Binford. Since then we have been collaborating on how young adult literature can help construct cross curricular activities between the Social Studies and the English classroom. I guess we have to thank Sandra for acting as a scholarship matchmaker. So, once again, when you finish Bound by Ice, you should check out the rest of Sandra's books.
In short, both Rich and Sandra are authors you should be reading. Since winter is coming, why not start with Bound by Ice.
In short, both Rich and Sandra are authors you should be reading. Since winter is coming, why not start with Bound by Ice.
Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace are the authors of the new barrier-breaking adventure book Bound by Ice: A True North Pole Survival Story (Calkins Creek), which has received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus. The investigative nonfiction authors’ most recent biography, Blood Brother: Jonathan Daniels and His Sacrifice for Civil Rights, is an ALA Notable book and a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best. It earned a YALSA award nomination for Excellence in Nonfiction, was a Booklist Editors’ Choice, and was named one of Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of the Year. Blood Brother won the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, ILA’s Social Justice Literature Award, and the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. Visit the authors on Twitter: @SandraNWallace and @RWallaceBooks and online at www.sandraneilwallace.com and richwallacebooks.com
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