Magic and Mayhem in Cynthia's Attic!

Cynthia and I may not have understood the term, "magical mayhem" before our time-travel trips through the old trunk in her attic. But, that all changed when we met our 12-year-old grandmothers in 1914, encountered a shape-shifting Puma named SuRana in the Louisiana Bayou, and ran our "invisible selves" all over a steam ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Our latest adventure, "The Magician's Castle," has taken mayhem to new heights. Here's a little background:

Sebastien the Great, a magician whose fiancée, Kathryn, disappears through the magic trunk, vows revenge. If Cynthia and Gus don't find a missing page from the “Book of Spells,” Cynthia’s family could face financial and personal ruin.

Follow this time-traveling duo as they journey back to a 1914 Swiss castle where Eva, Sebastien’s grandmother, gives them clues on where to begin their search. Their journey takes them through miles of tree tunnels, an enchanted garden ruled by a cranky rock monster, and even high in the Alps. They get the surprise of their lives when they're sent 50 years into the future, have a shocking encounter with another set of best friends, and receive a fresh set of clues that could lead to Kathryn's return. But, at what price?

So, as you can see, magical mayhem is getting pretty ho-hum for Cynthia and me. Evil pirates? Bologna-loving alligators? All previous journeys must've been leading up to the latest one. Time-traveling into the future? Nothing prepared us for the face-to-face surprise we discover in 2014! No, I'm not gonna give it away.

Discover the Magical Mayhem for yourself!

I'm proud to announce the release of Book Four in the award-winning series, "Cynthia's Attic" will be released by Quake (Echelon Imprint) DEC 2009!

Buy the first three books on Amazon and pre-order "The Magician's Castle." Echelon Press

Mary Cunningham

Where The Wild Things Are

Childrens classic, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963), has been turned into an amazing feature-length film to be released OCT 16. Considering the cast, Chris Cooper (love him!), James Gandolfini (quite different from Tony Soprano!), Catherine O'Hara (one of my personal faves) and Forest Whitaker (Super actor!) and a real Max (Max Records), how can this be anything but a hit?

I'm sure there will be skeptics. Can a film come close to the quality of a Caldecott Medal (1964) book? I have four words for you: Lord of the Rings. I still remember the anxiety I had sitting in the theater waiting for the first installment, The Fellowship of the Ring, to begin. As soon as Gandalf appeared on screen, maneuvering his wagon along the road to Hobbiton, I knew the movie would be superb.

In this digital age, I can only imagine the fun of bringing Sendak's illustrations to life. Here's the trailer for a sneak peek.

Some would argue that Sendak's books are too dark for children. Do you agree, or disagree?

What favorite book of yours has been adapted to the big screen? Were you disappointed or ecstatic with the results?

Mary Cunningham

I'm proud to announce the release of Book Four in the award-winning series, "Cynthia's Attic" will be released by Quake (Echelon Imprint) DEC 2009! Buy the first three books on Amazon and pre-order "The Magician's Castle." Echelon Press

Who does Windy Pants Patrick think he is?

Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully is a winner from the start!

Strawberry Freckleface gets all happy when her parents go to work early because she gets to go to Early Bird at school and that is the most fun. At least most of the time. There are usually all kinds of cool things to do, except for when it rains. That's a real bummer. On those not so dry days, they have to go inside and that means dodgeball. Not so much fun.

All the kids are afraid of dodgeball, actually they are afraid of Windy Pants Patrick, who is the school bully. So on this particular day, Strawberry Freckleface has had enough and she comes up with a plan. But will her plan work or will her worst fears come true?

Okeechobee Book Reviews says, "Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully is a super cool book! The pictures are as delightful as the story and really make the book a lot of fun. It is so refreshing to see a superstar doing something valuable with their time. This books is an asset to kids everywhere and I hope parents will take the time to talk about the fears and solutions with their kids."

Most people know Julianne Moore as a renowned actor, but she is so much more. As an advocate for children, she is using her superstar powers for good, and not evil, by not only giving of her time with Save the Children, but this is her second picture book (with LeUyen Pham) for children and a great follow up to her debut with Freckleface Strawberry. Young readers are delighting in her fanciful stories and these books are among her greatest contributions to the development and education of children. Julianne is truly a role model for the ages.

This Blog Has Been Hijacked!

My name’s Gus. It’s really Augusta Lee (after my grandfather, Augustus Leander), but if you aren’t looking for a kick in the shins, you better call me Gus.

Nope, I’m not a teenager, yet, but I’m almost there and I’ve been reading Teen-Seen for awhile and feeling a little left out. I’m up to here with Zamora’s Ultimate Challenge. So what if a couple of kids are sucked into a video game? And puh-leeze spare me anymore problems with those annoying Pixie Chicks. If you're Searching for A Starry Night? Not gonna find it here, so go dig somewhere else, Petey.

Like it or not, I’m hijacking this blog for the day. So there.

BFF, Cynthia, and I grew up together on the same sycamore-lined street. We even sat in the same baby carriage (See pic.)

Guess who’s who. Hint: I’m not the one squalling my head off. (I swear I didn’t pinch her!)

We took dancing lessons when we were little, and had to wear these awful tutus. I cringe thinking of our first (and only) recital when we had to dance and pretend to water crepe paper flowers with pink sprinkling cans, but I did learn the value of taking bows!

Still, I would’ve been much happier in jeans and a t-shirt playing baseball in the neighbor’s vacant lot.

We did have a lot of fun, though, especially exploring Cynthia’s awesome attic.

I’ll never forget the rainy summer day we discovered “the trunk.” It looked pretty ordinary when we first opened it. Ya know, dusty, smelly (I’m starting to sneeze just thinking of it!) old clothes. Just your usual old-trunk-in-attic, look. But, looks can be deceiving as we found out the next time we opened the trunk and were sent back in time to 1914!

I’m here to tell you that Cynthia and I have had some strange adventures and met some cool people in our time travels. Ancestors, including our 12-year-old grandmothers, a ghost-kid named Louis, a gypsy named Gabriella and Blackie, a bad-breathed clown, to name a few. But, if I have to pick a favorite (I know, I know. Nobody said I had to...but I am ‘cause this is my blog. Today!) it would have to be Mud Bug, our old Louisiana Cajun guide. He not only saved our lives on a couple of occasions, he has a very unusual talent. Would you believe he can...Hey! I’m not gonna tell you that! Read Curse of the Bayou and find out for yourself!

Read the Cynthia’s Attic series and find out why I’m so *popular.*

Who's your favorite character? Hmmm? Me?

Your new BFF,
Gus

P. S. I will not give up control of this blog until a ka-zillion Curse of the Bayou books have been sold!

Discover the Magic in Cynthia's Attic
Amazon

Ebooks Catching On With Kids

Ebooks catch on with children, according to a Los Angeles Times article,

After he's finished his homework and his chores for the day, 8-year-old Skye Vaughn-Perling likes to read Dr. Seuss. He's a particular fan of the hijinks that ensue when the elephant Horton hears strange voices emanating from a dust speck in "Horton Hears a Who."

He doesn't read from a dog-eared copy of the children's classic, though. Skye, who lives in Agoura Hills, often reads on his computer, pressing the arrow button when he wants to turn a page. Sometimes the characters move around on the screen like animated cartoons on TV. If he wants, Skye can have the computer read a book to him while he's curled up in bed.

"It's a whole new level of exploring the books," said his mother, Victoria Vaughn-Perling.

Readers and publishers alike are embracing a digital future. Electronic-book sales increased 73% in October compared with the same month last year, according to the Assn. of American Publishers, while sales of adult paperbacks decreased 23% and children's paperbacks declined 14.8%. Sales of higher-education books, including textbooks, fell 443%.

And, according to the article, the children's book market is especially ripe for the wonders of the digital world. And, even large publishers such as Harcourt, Harper Collins and Random House are getting in line.

Although I find it somewhat foreign to read an e-book (I’m rapidly getting used to it!) children and young adults today consider iPods and Kindles second nature and are eagerly embracing e-books.

Today's kids, after all, have grown up around technology and don't think twice about learning from computers and sleeping with their iPods. In some cases, watching a book on a computer might even make them enjoy reading more, publishers say.

How about you? Your kids? Are they reading e-books?

Save a tree! Read an e-book! Quake's got 'em!

Mary Cunningham - Cynthia's Attic 'Tween series

Fictionwise

The Writer's Life

Cynthia's Attic 'Tween Fantasy author, Mary Cunningham, pounds away at her computer writing Book Four, "Cynthia's Attic: The Magician's Castle."

"Hellllpp...hellllp..."she cries, weakly. Nourishment! I need...nourish...ment...

Donations of Dove Chocolate or Hershey's Special Dark would be greatly appreciated (and might give her the encouragement to finish her book!)

Mary Cunningham Books

Cynthia's Attic Blog

Quake

Hoarse, But Happy!

I spent yesterday morning talking myself almost hoarse with 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students from Oak Mountain Academy in Carrollton, GA, reading and discussing my YR series, Cynthia's Attic.

At first, I was a little leery about the comprehension level of my books with 2nd graders, but they were wise beyond their years!

The Missing Locket is set in 1964, with chapter one including twelve-year-old best friend, Cynthia and Gus listening to a Beatles record. I mistakenly assumed that these youngsters wouldn't have a clue as to what a record, record player, and especially, what a Beatle was!

Was I ever wrong!

When I pulled out an old circa 1963 Beatles album, they not only knew what records and record players were, one student shouted, "I have that album and listen to it all the time!"

To say my chin almost dropped to the floor wouldn't be much of an exaggeration. My morning with these delightful students was a satisfying, but humbling experience and reinforced my opinion that you should never assume. (We all know what happens then!)

Above all, never, NEVER talk down to young readers.

Mary Cunningham Books

Cynthia's Attic Blog