Heroes In Training: Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom

Advance reader copies arrived today!!
The first book in the new series I co-author with Suzanne Williams.
Heroes in Training: Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom
Aladdin Paperbacks, ages 7-11, August 2012.

Who Was Babe Ruth? releases today!

I'm a huge biography fan, so I really enjoy writing for Grosset & Dunlap's "Who Was" series. Also known as the "big head" biography series. Here's the scoop on Who Was Babe Ruth?, which releases today!

Babe Ruth came from a poor Baltimore family and, as a kid, he was a handful. It was at a reform school that he discovered his talent for baseball, and by the age of nineteen, he was on his way to becoming a sports legend. Babe was often out of shape and even more often out on the town, but he had a big heart and an even bigger swing! Kids will learn all about the Home Run King in this rags-to-riches sports biography. With black-and-white illustrations throughout.

This is my 4th title in the series for ages 7-11:
Who Was Johnny Appleseed?
Who Was Marco Polo?
Who Was Jim Henson?
Who Was Babe Ruth?

Drop a comment here for a chance to win an autographed copy! Winner will be announced here on my blog in the comments under this post on or about January 19th. Please either leave a contact email or be sure to check back to see if you're the winner.

Here's hoping that Who Was Babe Ruth? is a home run!

~ Joan

Bed Bats & Beyond: enter to win a copy this weekend!

'Tis the season for all thing batty.
I have 3 extra copies of Bed, Bats, & Beyond to give away this weekend!
To enter:
Drop a comment here with something "beyond" as the title suggests. (PG rated please) For instance: Bed, Bats & Bonkers!

FINK CAN'T SLEEP...
He's tried counting mosquitoes. He's tried counting spiders--but nothing seems to work.

"I know something that'll put you right to sleep. A scary story," said his brother Fang.

"What you need is an adventure story," said his brother Batrick.

"You need a love story to make you feel all warm and marshmallowy inside," said his sister Batsy.

Now Fink is wide-awake, scared, excited, AND totally grossed out by the kissing story!

The sun is coming up and it's time for little bats to go to bed.
Is there any way Fink will ever get to sleep in time?

Three winners will be randomly chosen and names posted here on Tuesday! Good luck and beyond...


Bed, Bats, & Beyond
by Joan Holub, illustrated by Mernie Gallagher Cole
Lerner Books
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Ages 6-9
A chapter book
9780761364511

Our last giveaway for Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Beauty!

Calling All Goddess Girls!
To celebrate Aphrodite the Beauty, the newest release in the Goddess Girls series, co-authors Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams are giving away one final fabulous Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bags on a blog tour November 1-7, 2010. (Stay tuned for Artemis the Brave giveaways coming in December!)

* 24-color eye shadow from Claire's
* 7 lip glosses with faux rhinestones
* Multi-color bracelet
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Aphrodite the Beauty

Easy entry details at the blogs listed below:

Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls #3) Blog Tour Schedule:

November 1-7 In the Hammock
Very cool blog with Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway & review!

Drop in to help celebrate, meet some awesome bloggers, and enter for a chance to win an Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag. Good luck!

THANK YOU to these bloggers who have already taken part in our blog tour, and CONGRATULATIONS to the winners so far!

Children’s Book Review

Martha Brockenbrough

Writer on the Side

Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors

Tween Book Reviews

Cynsations

GreenBeanTeenQueen (Tween Tuesday)

Series scoop: Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!
Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

NEW! Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Artemis the Brave (Dec., 2010) She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
Athena the Wise (April 5, 2011)
Aphrodite the Diva (summer 2011)

We look forward to seeing you!

~ Joan and Suzanne

Calling all Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Beauty book & goodies giveaway at Cynsations!

Calling All Goddess Girls!

To celebrate Aphrodite the Beauty, the newest release in the Goddess Girls series, co-authors Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams are giving away fabulous Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bags on a blog tour August - October:

* 24-color eye shadow from Claire's
* 7 lip glosses with faux rhinestones
* Multi-color bracelet
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Aphrodite the Beauty

Easy entry details at the blogs listed below:

Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls #3) Blog Tour Schedule:

August 3 ~ 20 Children’s Book Review

Interview and 3-book giveaway

August 4 ~ 10 Martha Brockenbrough

Interview and Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway
August 9 ~ 16 Writer on the Side

Interview and Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway

August 22 ~ 31 Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors
Aphrodite the Beauty book giveaway
August 24 ~ 28 Tween Book Reviews

Aphrodite Beauty Advice Column and Swag Bag giveaway

September 3 ~ 9 Cynsations

Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway

October 5 GreenBeanTeenQueen (Tween Tuesday)
Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway & reviews by a tween librarian

Drop in to help celebrate, meet some awesome bloggers, and enter for a chance to win an Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag. Good luck!

Series scoop: Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!
Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

NEW! Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Artemis the Brave (Dec., 2010) She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.

We look forward to seeing you!

~ Joan and Suzanne

Who Was Jim Henson?

I’m pleased to announce the release of my newest paperback chapter book biography in the “Who Was” series published by Grosset & Dunlap. Aka, the “big head” books. Just take a look at the cover to see how they got this nickname.

The new book is Who Was Jim Henson?

Answer: He was the man behind the Muppets. He was Kermit the frog. He was the heart and soul of Sesame Street. He was a private person. A silly, but serious one. A guy who loved his work, and who inspired others to be excited about puppetry. A man who wanted to make a difference.

Jim Henson died twenty years ago at age 53.

This is my third in the WW series, and I’m currently working on a fourth. I like this series because the books are written in a brisk, kid-friendly way, and they include factual sidebars with information about things kids really want to know. I read every biography on the shelf in my elementary school library (starting with the girl ones), and remain forever a biography fan. Biographies rock!

Some other cool books about Jim Henson:
Jim Henson: The Works - The Art, the Magic, the Imagination
Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles: A Muppet Sketchbook

Who Was Jim Henson?

Ages 7-12

Grosset & Dunlap, paperback

Author: Joan Holub

Goddess Girls Blog Tour!

Co-authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams are celebrating the release of the first two books in their new Goddess Girls series with five fab days of interviews, guest blogs, and book giveaways, April 4 – April 8. We hope you’ll drop by to help us celebrate, join the fun, meet some of our favorite bloggers, and maybe win a book along the way!

About the books:

Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams (Aladdin paperbacks) Ages 8 - 12

Athena the Brain (April 6, 2010) ISBN: 978-1416982715

Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony (April 6, 2010) ISBN: 978-1416982722

Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty (August 3, 2010) ISBN: 978-1416982739

Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Artemis the Brave (December 7, 2010) ISBN: 978-1416982746

She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.

Five-Day Goddess Girls Tour Line-up:

April 4: Bookmuncher (Interview and book giveaway; thebookmuncher.blogspot.com)

April 5: Readertotz, Suzanne’s Place, Joan Holub Author of Books for Children (readertotz.blogspot.com, suzanne-williams.blogspot.com, joanholub.blogspot.com; Expanded interview with the Goddess Girl team at Aladdin: editor Emily Lawrence, book designer Karin Paprocki, and cover artist Glen Hanson. Have you ever wondered why an editor decides to acquire a series? Here’s one editor’s take.)

April 6: Cynsations (Guest blog and book giveaway; cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com Learn how we came to write the series, challenges we faced and how we solved them.)

April 7: Little Willow (Interview and book giveaway; slayground.livejournal.com We reveal more about our collaboration and inspirations, and our favorite books of all time.)

April 8: Zoe’s Book Reviews (Q&A and book giveaway. www.zoesbookreviews.com Q&A with both of us authors, our editor, book designer, cover artist, and Zoe herself!)

We look forward to seeing you!

Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams