Welcome to The Natural Genius of Ants Blog Tour!
Q&A
with Betty Culley
Q: In THE NATURAL GENIUS OF ANTS, Harvard Corson’s father takes him and his little brother, Roger, to Kettle Hole, Maine for the summer. If you went to visit Harvard there, what would you want to see?
A: I’d definitely want to visit the kettle hole pond that the town was named for, especially after Harvard tells me that some people think it is bottomless and Harvard’s friend Nevaeh explains that it was made by a glacier. I’d also want to hear the old legends about it. And of course, I’d want to see the ant farm Harvard and his father built!
Q: Where else might Harvard take you in Kettle Hole?
A: He might take me to see the barn house Nevaeh lives in, and to see the tall maple trees that grow around the barn. Harvard would tell me how Nevaeh’s grandfather said never to cut the maples, because they could have treasure in them. Then, we could go to Cone Heaven, the ice cream place in Kettle Hole. If we had time after that, we’d stop in the Kettle Hole Bookstore, where Harvard’s dad found a giant book about ants.
Q: Who else would you want to meet?
A: I’d love to meet Harvard’s little brother Roger. I hear he’s funny, likes to repeat whatever Harvard says, and can walk like an ant!
Q: What would you eat?
A: I know Harvard makes a great honey sandwich, but I’d also like to visit on Old Home Day, the town’s celebration of itself. Then I could have bean-hole beans, a brownie sundae, and enter the corn-eating contest!
Q: What’s the first thing you’d say when you met Harvard?
A: I know he thinks a lot about words and wordplay, so I’d say, Hi, my name is Ytteb spelled backwards.
On Shelves May 10, 2022!
“Culley gives readers characters that are natural, fallible individuals, which add credibility and tenderness to the story. Endearingly executed, this gentle tale will see readers applauding as they reach the end.”
—Booklist (Starred Review)
"Quietly and emotionally intelligent, this tale satisfies."
—Kirkus
A summer ant farm grows into a learning experience for the entire family in this lyrical coming-of-age story from the award-winning author of Down to Earth.
Harvard is used to his father coming home from the hospital and telling him about all the babies he helped. But since the mistake at work, Dad has been quieter than usual. And now he is taking Harvard and his little brother, Roger, to Kettle Hole, Maine, for the summer. Harvard hopes this trip isn’t another mistake.
In the small town where he grew up, Dad seems more himself. Especially once the family decides to start an ant farm— just like Dad had as a kid! But when the mail-order ants are D.O.A., Harvard doesn’t want Dad to experience any more sadness. Luckily, his new friend Nevaeh has the brilliant idea to use the ants crawling around in the kitchen instead. But these insects don’t come with directions. So the kids have a lot to learn—about the ants, each other, and how to forgive ourselves when things go wrong.
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Betty Culley’s debut novel in verse Three Things I Know Are True, was a Kids’ Indie Next List Top Ten Pick, an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Nominee, and the 2021 Maine Literary Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature. Her first middle-grade novel Down to Earth was inspired by her fascination with meteorites, voyagers from another place and time. She’s an RN who worked as an obstetrics nurse and as a pediatric home hospice nurse. She lives in central Maine, where the rivers run through the small towns.
GIVEAWAY
“A captivating middle-grade novel.” —Booklist (Starred Review)
“Heartwarming and absorbing, this is a solid choice for middle grade collections. Perfect for readers who want a great small-town story mixed with STEM.” —School Library Journal
Counting by 7s meets See You in the Cosmos in this heartwarming coming-of-age story perfect for the budding geologists and those fascinated by the mysteries of the universe.
Henry has always been fascinated by rocks. As a homeschooler, he pours through the R volume of the encyclopedia to help him identify the rocks he finds. So, when a meteorite falls in his family’s field, who better to investigate than this rock enthusiast–with his best friend, James, and his little sister, Birdie, in tow, of course.
But soon after the meteorite’s arrival, the water in Henry’s small Maine town starts drying up. It’s not long before news spreads that the space rock and Henry’s family might be to blame. Henry is determined to defend his newest discovery, but his knowledge of geology could not have prepared him for how much this stone from the sky would change his community, his family, and even himself.
Science and wonder abound in this middle-grade debut about an inquisitive boy and the massive rock that came down to Earth to reshape his life.
Blog Tour Schedule:
May 9th — YA Book Nerd
May 10th — Mrs. Book Dragon
May 11th — Pragmatic Mom
May 12th — Feed Your Fiction Addiction
May 13th — From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors
Ellie's so tired of everyone not seeing her and only seeing her weight. She wishes she had support, but even her family criticizes and teases her. To make matters worse, her best friend moves away. Ellie has her father, but even he turns on her, bringing her to a therapist.Ellie shares with the therapist her Fat Girl Rules - the rules she tries to live by. She just wants to live without shame, without ridicule, and with love. Is that really too much to ask?
Featuring art and writing from the students of the Parkland tragedy, this is a raw look at the events of February 14, and a poignant representation of grief, healing, and hope. (from the publisher)
Sky's family is different from other families - she's a wyvern (a human capable of turning into a dragon). Sky used to have the perfect life, but that was before. Now her mom's missing, her Dad isn't talking, and her family's become outcasts. Her boyfriend and her friends all dropped her.My Thoughts: First I love this author. But she had me at heist and again at dragon. I loved how Sky was determined to uncover the truth about her mom's disappearance. I admired how she put together her crew - even after her family rejected her idea. I loved learning about their wyvern history. I enjoyed the moments between Sky and her brothers - both the banter and their sibling bonding moments. I love Gabriela. I loved the twists that I didn't see coming.
It doesn't help that her mom was stealing from her ex-boyfriend's family. In the wyvern world, stealing isn't a crime. It's celebrated. Unless you get caught.
Sky isn't about to let this go. She needs to know what happened to her mother. When her ex-boyfriend shares some information, she eagerly starts putting together a crew of her own. It's time for her first heist and to find out the truth - or die trying.
When Justyce gets falsely arrested; he no longer has patience for the injustices around him.The Good:
Library Recommendation: This should be in every public and every high school library.
Will Wilder has a terrible time at his brother's birthday party. He inadvertently destroys the party when he hijacks the donkey and rides it. He causes his brother to break his arm and unlocks his own destiny.My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book.
The shadows he's spotted his whole life come into sharper focus. Monsters are sneaking around town causing strange things to happen.
When one of them approaches Will for help, Will must decide if he's going to steal the family relic to use it for his own purposes. His actions could change everything.
