All journeys have a starting place.
This is a weekly place to find books and tools
that you may use with readers
at the start of their independent reading journey.
Join in the conversation at #road2reading.
It's always hard to say goodbye to a series, but at least the Bland Sisters are flying out with their most {unintentional} action packed adventure yet!
I hope you have gone along on some of their earlier adventures - on the Jolly Roger with some female pirates or solving a mystery on the Uncanny Express! Never a dull moment with these sisters, even though they prefer things to be on the much more quiet and bland side.
This third and final adventure (and my favorite), finds the girls on a high flying adventure to Egypt! Between mummies, scarabs and fighting off multiple villains, these girls don't have a bland moment to themselves! The adventure really is nonstop - it's their craziest adventure yet!
Summary:
Fasten your seat belts for some unexpected turbulence ahead, as Jaundice and Kale Bland are back for their final unintentional adventure! Now that they’ve returned from the Uncanny Valley to find their home in Dullsville in absolute shambles, the sisters are rescued by high-flying aviatrix Beatrix Airdale. This time, they’re jetting off (literally) to Egypt to uncover the mysteries of a magical scarab. By way of Casablanca and after foiling multiple attacks along the way (thanks to Jaundice’s nautical knot-tying skills and Kale’s super-sleuth powers of observation), the Bland Sisters are reunited with their parents. But it turns out that Mom and Dad aren’t as bland—or as “Bland”—as Jaundice and Kale remember. Thanks to their mother’s old archeology notebook, the Bland Sisters uncover their parents’ real identities and help them achieve victory in one final, family-filled adventure.
I was thrilled to have Kara LaReau stop by the blog. She offered to pass along some questions I had to the girls, Kale and Jaundice. I had some questions that only the girls could answer. I hope you find the questions and answers something you can share with your readers! Thanks to Kara for helping us out!
1. Jaundice - we know you're fond of the pockets on your smock. You've kept all kinds of things in them.... what is something readers might be surprised to find in your pockets that we might not have ever heard about in a book?
Kale: Just remember to empty it before you put it into the wash. I’M the one who does the
laundry.
2. In this third book, you both learn some surprising things about yourselves. How did you feel learning new things - since that goes beyond the predictable!
Kale: We’ve actually
learned that in life, it’s predictable that things will be unpredictable. So
nothing comes as a surprise to us anymore.
Jaundice: Though it was
pretty surprising when we learned that our mother—
Kale: Shh, no spoilers!
3. Kale, you learned quite a bit in this third adventure by reading a book. What reading advice would you offer young readers?
Kale: I love reading, because it allows you to have adventures without putting yourself in actual peril. Also, you can end up learning things, like how to outwit pirates, or how to solve mysteries on a train, or how to fly a plane…just in case any of those skills come in handy.
Jaundice: You never know.
4. Girls, you've now traveled, had adventures and helped solve mysteries. What was your favorite and what could you have done without?
Jaundice: The adventure
we’re on right now is our favorite. Maybe it’s because it’s our final
adventure.
Kale: Well, it’s not
exactly our “final” adventure…
Jaundice: I thought you
said no spoilers!
5. Ship, train, airplane - best way to travel?
Kale: That’s easy. Any
way to travel is best—
Jaundice: —as long as
we’re together.
Kale (nodding): Jaundice
is right.
Jaundice: I almost
always am.
More about author, Kara LaReau:
Kara LaReau was born and raised in Connecticut.
She received her Masters in Fine Arts in Writing, Literature, and Publishing
from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and later worked as an editor at
Candlewick Press and at Scholastic Press. She is the author of picture books
such as UGLY FISH, illustrated by Scott Magoon, and Good
Night Little Monsters, illustrated by Brian Won; an award-winning chapter
book series called The Infamous Ratsos, illustrated by Matt Myers;
and a middle-grade trilogy called The Unintentional Adventures of the
Bland Sisters, illustrated by Jen Hill. Kara lives in Providence, Rhode
Island with her husband and son and their cat.
Don't miss The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters. It's available now!
Looking for a copy to add to your library? Kara has graciously donated a signed copy for me to give away to a reader. Signup below, giveaway is open to teachers and librarians in the United States. Winner will be notified on Thursday, January 17th.
