Mockingjay Cover Art Has Arrived!! ****UPDATED****

Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 400

(Release Date: 8-24-10)

Synopsis from B&N: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.


I've been waiting rather patiently for the next installment of The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins to arrive.  I mean, I've been drumming my fingers quietly, hardly disturbing anyone else in an anxious effort to strive for patience. It's only 194 days to the release of Monkingjay, Book Three..... I know I can make it, only a little more than six months. I've just discovered today that I can pre-order it on Amazon for the low price of $8.50, less that half of the original price!! YAY! So, in about six months, this like gem should be winging it's way to my door and I can't hardly wait.


While I was searching to see if I could pre-order the book, I came across Rue's Lullaby. It's so sweet. This is fanmade by Kimmy on MOCKINGJAY.NET. If you've read Hunger Games, then you'll know the importance of the lullaby and why Katniss sang it to Rue.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Pages: 128


The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a well known book in wizarding world of fairy tales and fables. It contains five short stories and all teach a life lesson to those who are magical and muggle alike. All of the stories are followed Albus' thoughts of what he thought each witch or wizard should learn. Hermione Granger was left Albus' copy upon his death. She holds it as a dear reminder of her lost friend and mentor. She has completed the translation that makes it possible to share the tales today.

The Wizard and the Hopping Pot

This story is of a wizard that did not listen to his father. His father was one of those wizards who took the time to try to help the people of a nearby village. The young wizard wanted nothing more than to possess his father's magical pot. When his father left him the pot, he warned the young wizard to take care, and the pot will take care of you. Well, the young wizard didn't want to waste his time helping others, especially those who were muggle born. So, when the villagers came, he turned them away. The pot did not like this, not one bit. It started to hop and hop and hop, until the young wizard realized his mistake and began to help others. Slowly, the pot righted itself and only hops now as a reminder today.

The Fountain of Fortune Fair

In the Fountain of Fortune Fair, every year an unfortunate witch or wizard is allowed to bathe in the fountain of fortune fair, and their desire will be meant. But first three tests must be passed. Unfortunately, only one can be chosen. On accident, the winner, Asha-a witch this year who is sick, allows to others to join her. Now, who will be the one to win the fountains favor. Sir Luckless is a knight accidentally drawn into the garden, he protest he cannot complete the quest, it was never his. Asha, longing for health, tells Sir Luckless he must complete the quest. When Asha collapses, Altheda (wishing for a job) mixes a potion that cures Asha, her health restored, and Altheda realizes her healer powers. Amata is longing for love, which she finds in Sir Luckless. Sir Luckless bathes in the fountain and luck returns when he asks Amata to marry him. The moral is that if we try hard enough, we will make our own fortune.

The Wizard's Hairy Heart

The Wizard's Hairy Heart is by far the scariest tale that Beedle ever spoken of to others. In Hairy Heart, a wizard who does not wish to be foolish like his friends, refuses to find love, and he locks his heart away. But he soon becomes jealous of his friends with a happy home. So, he decides to marry. On the day of his wedding he shows his future wife his heart that has unyet been touched by love. Upon seeing his heart locked away for so long that it has become hairy and thin, she cries. She exclaims that he must return to it's proper place. Doing so kills both the wizard and his future wife, because his heart truly belonged to her.

Babbity, Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump

In a kingdom long forgotten, there was a King that declared only he had the right to perform magic. So, he inquired around until a tutor could be found to teach the King the art of magic. The tutor was not a wizard, and could only perform pallor tricks. Babbity Rabitty upon hearing the King declaration hides herself, for she is a true witch, inside of a tree. The tutor is only a muggle who pretends to teach the King, but when the King wants to display his new gift for magic, he doesn't know what to do. Babbity Rabbity who hears all this from her tree, begins to cackling knowing the muggle has pretended too long. Babbity helps the muggle as much as she can, but when asked to raise the dead, even the most powerful of witches cannot bring back the dead. The muggle claims an evil witch resides in the tree, cackling, and it must be cut down. A rabbit appears from the stump to escape clutching a wand. Babbity Rabbity will live another day.

The Tale of Three Brothers

The Tale of Three Brothers is probably the best known story in Beedle's book. It tells the story of three brothers who all want to outwit death. Antioch Peverell who wants a tool to overpower Death--The Elder Wand, Cadumus Peverell who wants something to conquer Death--The Resurrection Stone, and Ignotus Peverell who doesn't trust Death--asks for The Invisibility Cloak. Antioch thought his wand could protect him from death, but is killed by someone who tries to steal the wand. Cadumus discovers that his dead lover doesn't want life again, and commits suicide to join her. Ignotus used his invisibility cloak to hide from death until he reaches old age when he removed the cloak and met his death as old friend. The moral is that no one can outwit death.
(This is perhaps the most famous story because it is thought that Albus Dumbledore was in possession of the Elder Wand at time of his death, as well as the Resurrection Stone. Harry Potter is the owner of the Invisibility Cloak as was his father, and still has possession of it today.)

J. K. Rowling creates an imaginative world in The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Tales is a continuation of Harry Potter's world for all of us who just can't get enough. If you are a lover of the wizarding world and their ways, The Tales of Beedle the Bard may be just what you need. It was released the United States in December 2008. It was written with the desire to help J. K. Rowling's charity for marginalized children.

Dottie ;-)

Inkheart

Running Time: 116 minutes
Starring: Brendan Fraser



Inkheart is a lovely story of a father, Mo, his daughter, Meg, and his wife, Resa. It takes place all over Europe, with fantastic and different venues. As the viewer enters the story, Mo has lost Resa and it all started out nine years ago....Mo, you see, is a Silvertongue, a reader who that can brings characters, novels, and history to life (as well as a book artisan that can repair the most damaged books). When Mo sits down to read Meg a story, the characters suddenly leap from the pages and into his life, but the consequence is that when characters come out, someone is pulled into the story. Resa is the person sucked into the novel for the characters who leave.

Young Mo and Meg

The story picks up these nine years later, Mo has been frantically searching all of Europe for the elusive copy of Inkheart. When he finally locates an unknown copy, Dustfinger, the legendary fire juggler, finds Mo, begging to be sent back into the story. But Mo has taken a vow, never to read aloud again, unless it's to bring Resa back. Dustfinger, desperate to return to his family seeks out the arch villain in the book, Capricorn, to help him. Capricorn, being the most dastardly of villains, agrees to help Dustfinger, only to stab him in the back after producing Mo and Meg. Capricorn's destruction of every known copy is complete, or so he thinks.

In the meantime, Resa has since been read out of the story, but without her voice. She is trapped in Capricorn's castle, unable to contact Mo. When Dustfinger discovers her true identity, he knows that this information will be enough to entice Mo to read aloud. Capricorn has kidnapped Meg as an end to his means, she has inherited her father's gift of Silvertongue, able to pull an even more sinister being from the book, The Shadow, the eater of all things.

As Meg is forced to read from the book or sacrifice her mother, she rewrites the story to cause The Shadow to turn back upon his creator, all the while turning Capricorn and his men to dust. She then returns everyone and thing back to where they belong, along with Toto from the Wizard of Oz.

Dustfinger, seeing the great lengths that Meg and Mo have to go to, knows he has missed his chance, and he will never see his wife and children again. But, Mo has promised to return him, so in exchange for one beautiful butterfly, Dustfinger is returned into the story, Inkheart.


Inkheart, Book 1 of the Trilogy


Author: Cornelia Funke
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Pages: 534

I originally read this book when it was published in 2003 (it was re-issued in June 2005). My daughter and I were captivated and entranced by the tale of a man who could pull characters from a page. Brendan Fraser was excellent as Mo, the Silvertongue, with just enough cheek to keep the story fun.


One of my favorite actors, Paul Bettany, plays Dustfinger, helping to tell the story. For a fun filled read and an alluring movie, try Inkheart. The movie deviants from the book, but with minimally distortion. Remember, there's always more to the book than the movie can allow. I highly recommend the book or the movie.

Dottie :)