The Nocturnals Series – The Book Diva's Reads

Book Spotlight: THE PECULIAR POSSUM by Tracey Hecht and Josie Yee

Hello, my bookish peeps. I’m beyond pleased to spotlight the third book in The Nocturnals Grow & Read Early Reader series, The Peculiar Possum. This series has been received with widespread acclaim and praise by readers young and old. Thanks to Fabled Films Press, you also have the opportunity to get your hands on a copy of this book for your teeny divas/divos along with a Dawn the Fox Plush in a giveaway. (Psst…I have it on good authority that this Plush is a wonderful toy. My four-[almost five]-year-old cousin enjoys playing with her Plush and reading this series.)

The Peculiar Possum (The Nocturnals #3) by Tracey Hecht Illustrated by Josie Yee
ISBN: 9781944020194 (paper over board)
ISBN: 9781944020200 (paperback)
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Release Date: October 30, 2018

In The Peculiar Possum, Tobin, a sweet pangolin, Bismark, a loud-mouthed sugar glider, and Dawn, a serious fox, encounter strange sounds and smells in the valley. When an unfamiliar animal appears, Bismark is not pleased! But soon Bismark and the Brigade learn that being peculiar is also reason to be proud.

Bonus Content includes Fun Facts about The Nocturnals and a glossary of Peculiar Words from different languages.

Age Range: 5 – 7 years Grade Level Equivalent: Kindergarten – 2

Praise for The Nocturnals Grow & Read Series

“Physical characteristics, personality quirks, and the beginnings of their mutual trust and friendship are aptly portrayed through both words and pictures. A few “Nocturnals Fun Facts” at the end should help with any factual queries. Whether listening, reading along, or launching individual attempts, satisfied readers will be ready and waiting for the next installment.”—Booklist

“The pared-down narration and dialogue quickly establish their personalities, as does Singleton’s cartoon artwork, which shows the characters striking expressive poses midconflict….Hecht and Dowling successfully set the stage for more adventurous outings down the road…”—Publishers Weekly

Meet the author and illustrator

Tracey Hecht is a writer and entrepreneur who has written, directed and produced for film. Tracey currently splits her time between New York City and Oquossoc, Maine with her husband, four children, and three pets—none of which are a sugar glider.

Josie Yee is an award-winning illustrator and graphic artist specializing in children’s publishing. She received her BFA from Arizona State University and studied Illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She lives in New York City with her daughter, Ana, and their cat, Dude.

Connect with the creative team via their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Giveaway

Enter to win a print copy of The Peculiar Possum by Tracey Hecht and Josie Yee courtesy of Fabled Films Press (giveaway open to US residents only, sorry) along with a Dawn the Fox Plush. Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM ET on 10/25/2018 and the winner will be announced after 10:00 AM ET on 10/26/2018. Void where prohibited by law.

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Buy the Book

Available from BookDepository | Alibris

Book Showcase: THE SLITHERY SHAKEDOWN by Tracey Hecht & Josie Yee

The Slithery Shakedown (The Nocturnals #2) by Tracey Hecht and Josie Yee
ISBN: 9781944020170 (paper over board)
ISBN: 9781944020163 (paperback)
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Release Date: April 3, 2018

Discover the friendship and humor of the Nocturnals Brigade! In The Slithery Shakedown, three unlikely friends—Tobin, a sweet pangolin, Bismark a loud-mouther sugar glider and Dawn, a serius fox—stand up to a big bully snake. In the process, they find themselves some spec-tac-u-lar snakeskin capes!

Includes Bonus Animal Glossary

Praise for The Nocturnals Grow & Read Series

“Physical characteristics, personality quirks, and the beginnings of their mutual trust and friendship are aptly portrayed through both words and pictures. A few “Nocturnals Fun Facts” at the end should help with any factual queries. Whether listening, reading along, or launching individual attempts, satisfied readers will be ready and waiting for the next installment.”—Booklist
“The pared-down narration and dialogue quickly establish their personalities, as does Singleton’s cartoon artwork, which shows the characters striking expressive poses midconflict….Hecht and Dowling successfully set the stage for more adventurous outings down the road…”—Publishers Weekly

Meet the author

Tracey Hecht is a writer and entrepreneur who has written, directed and produced for film. Her first middle-grade series, The Nocturnals was launched in 2016 with The Mysterious Abductions and The Ominous Eye. The American Bookselling Association chose The Mysterious Abductions as a Kids’ Indie Next List pick. Her third book, The Fallen Star was released in May 2017. The fourth book, The Hidden Kingdom was released in February 2018.

In partnership with the New York Public Library, Tracey created a Read Aloud Writing Program in 10 schools around New York City. During the year, she continued to conduct this program in over 35 schools, libraries and bookstores across the country. In June 2017, she launched a partnership with The Ryan Seacrest Foundation with The Nocturnals program at the broadcast media centers within pediatric hospitals. The first hospital was the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC. In September, events took place in Nashville, TN and Charlotte, NC.

When Tracey isn’t writing, she can be found hiking, reading or spending time with her family. Tracey currently splits her time between New York City and Oquossoc, Maine with her husband and four children.

Connect with the author at her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Giveaway

Enter to win a paper over board print copy of The Slithery Shakedown by Tracey Hecht and Josie Yee courtesy of Fabled Films Press (giveaway open to US residents only, sorry). Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM ET on 04/10/2018 and the winner will be announced after 10:00 AM ET on 04/11/2018. All non-US entries will be disqualified. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy the Book

Available at BookDepository

Book Showcase: THE MOONLIGHT MEETING by Tracey Hecht and Rumur Dowling

Hello, my bookish peeps. As you know, I don’t read a lot of YA (okay, I do read some YA but I don’t review YA anymore), Middle Grade, or Grow & Read Early Reader books, but when I was offered the opportunity to once again showcase another book from The Nocturnals series by Tracey Hecht and Rumur Dowling/illustrated by Waymond Singleton I had to feature the book. I hope your teeny divas and divos will enjoy this book and if you think they might, scroll down and enter the giveaway for book one in The Nocturnals Grow & Read Early Reader series, The Moonlight Meeting.

The Moonlight Meeting (The Nocturnals #1) by Tracey Hecht and Rumur Dowling
ISBN: 9781944020149 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781944020156 (paper over board)
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Release Date: September 26, 2017

In The Moonlight Meeting, the Nocturnal Brigade: Tobin, Bismark, and Dawn introduce their nighttime world to early readers. The story is told with plenty of humor and emphasizes friendship, sharing, and adventure.

Bonus Content: Fun Facts about animals and their world.

Fountas & Pinnell: Guided Reading Level: L Lexile Ranking: 480L • Grade Level Equivalent: 1-2 Interest Level by Grade: Pre-K to 3rd

Praise:

“Physical characteristics, personality quirks, and the beginnings of their mutual trust and friendship are aptly portrayed through both words and pictures. A few “Nocturnals Fun Facts” at the end should help with any factual queries. Whether listening, reading along, or launching individual attempts, satisfied readers will be ready and waiting for the next installment.”—Booklist

“The pared-down narration and dialogue quickly establish their personalities, as does Singleton’s cartoon artwork, which shows the characters striking expressive poses midconflict….Hecht and Dowling successfully set the stage for more adventurous outings down the road…”—Publishers Weekly

Meet the author:

Tracey Hecht is a writer and entrepreneur who has written, directed and produced for film. Her first middle-grade series, The Nocturnals was launched in 2016 with The Mysterious Abductions and The Ominous Eye. The American Bookselling Association chose The Mysterious Abductions as a Kids’ Indie Next List pick. Her third book, The Fallen Star was released in May 2017. The fourth book is set for release in February 2018.

In partnership with the New York Public Library, Tracey created a Read Aloud Writing Program in 10 schools around New York City. During the year, she continued to conduct this program in over 35 schools, libraries, and bookstores across the country. In June 2017, she launched a partnership with The Ryan Seacrest Foundation with The Nocturnals program at the broadcast media centers within pediatric hospitals. The first hospital was the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC. In September, events took place in Nashville, TN, and Charlotte, NC.

Connect with the author at

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Giveaway

Enter to win a print copy of The Moonlight Meeting by Tracey Hecht and Rumur Dowling AND a fox plush wearing a Nocturnals Brigade cape courtesy of Fabled Films Press (giveaway open to US residents only, sorry).

Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM ET on Monday, 11/06/2017 and the winner will be announced after 9:00 AM ET on Tuesday, 11/07/2017.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy the Book

Available from BookDepository | Alibris

Book Showcase: THE FALLEN STAR – The Nocturnals #3 by Tracey Hecht

Hello, my bookish peeps. I don’t read a lot of YA (okay, I do read some YA but I don’t review a lot of YA anymore) or Middle Grade reads, but when I was contacted about The Nocturnals series by Tracey Hecht/illustrated by Kate Liebman and then read the description of each book to my twin diva nieces [it’s genetic, they got it from their diva aunt and I got it from my diva mother and aunts 😉], they got almost as excited as I did. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to feature this series on my blog. Sadly, my nieces didn’t have an opportunity this week to review the books (I’ve been incapacitated for much of the week due to severe migraine headaches), but diva J. is “very, very excited” to read all of the books and diva A. has “really enjoyed” the animated shorts. I look forward to reading this series along with my divas. I hope your divas and divos will enjoy this series and if you think they might, scroll down and enter the giveaway for book three, The Fallen Star.

The Mysterious Abductions (The Nocturnals #1) by Tracey Hecht
ISBN: 9781944020002 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9781944020026 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781944020019 (ebook)
ASIN: B01C26WXEU (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Release Date: April 19, 2016

The Nocturnals features three unlikely friends: Dawn, a serious fox, Tobin, a sweet pangolin and Bismark, the loud-mouthed, pint-sized sugar glider. The stories all play out in their nighttime world with teamwork, friendship, and humor in every adventure.

In The Mysterious Abductions, the animals form a brigade of the night after a random encounter with a blood-thirsty snake, and just in time because something is threatening their night realm. Animals are disappearing without a trace. Together with the help of a wombat, a band of coyotes and many others, Dawn, Tobin and Bismark journey to the depths of the earth in a wacky, high stakes game that will determine all of their survival.

The Ominous Eye (The Nocturnals #2) by Tracey Hecht
ISBN: 9781944020033 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9781944020040 (ebook)
ASIN: B01IMJV9G4 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Release Date: September 20, 2016

They’re baaaccckkk for another mysterious action filled Nocturnal adventure!

“The characters are delightful and the nighttime landscape is captivating. It was just as I expected—because the best stories always take place in the dark!—R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps

Join Dawn, Bismark and Tobin as they set out to investigate the source of a violent jolt that fractures the earth! Along their journey, the Nocturnal Brigade meets an unfamiliar reptile—a tuatara named Polyphema—who reveals that a giant beast caused the destruction and will soon strike again. Polyphema with her special insights, is the only one who can help the Nocturnal Brigade stop this fearsome predator… but can she be trusted? With help from an owl, the jerboas, and some kiwis, the animals set a trap since surrender is not an option against this relentless beast.

The Fallen Star (The Nocturnals #3) by Tracey Hecht
ISBN: 9781944020057 (hardcover)
ISBN: 9781944020064 (ebook)
ASIN: B06XFN47W8 (Kindle edition)
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Release Date: May 2, 2017

In The Fallen Star, Dawn, Tobin, and Bismark awaken one evening to a disaster: all of the forest’s pomelos have been mysteriously poisoned! As the Nocturnal Brigade sets out to investigate, they encounter Iris, a mysterious aye-aye, who claims monsters from the moon are to blame. While the three heroes suspect a more earthly explanation, the animals of the valley are all falling ill. And then Tobin gets sick, too! The Nocturnal Brigade must race to find answers, and the cure, before the pomelo blight threatens to harm them all.

Read an excerpt from The Fallen Star here.

Please visit www.nocturnalsworld.com to find animated short videos, printable activities, educational materials, and sign up to join the Nocturnal Brigade!

With the publication of The Fallen Star, Tracey Hecht will continue the nationwide Nocturnals’ Read Aloud Writing Program that was created in partnership with The New York Public Library (NYPL) and expanded professionally through an American Association of School Librarians’ Webinar.

At the American Library Association Midwinter meeting, Fabled Films Press also launched a “Read Aloud Not Alone” nationwide campaign for middle graders and has created a Nocturnals Read Aloud Blog to provide research that supports the benefits of reading aloud and inspiration through recorded audio excerpts.

Meet the author:

Tracey Hecht is the creative director of Fabled Films. She is a writer and entrepreneur who has written, directed and produced for film. Her first middle-grade series, The Nocturnals was launched in 2016 with The Mysterious Abductions and The Ominous Eye. The American Bookselling Association chose The Mysterious Abductions as a Kids’ Indie Next List pick. Her third book, The Fallen Star was released in May 2017.

In partnership with the New York Public Library, Tracey Hecht has created a Nocturnals Read Aloud Writing program for middle graders that has expanded nationwide.

Connect with the author at

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Giveaway

Enter to win a print copy of The Fallen Star (The Nocturnals #3) by Tracey Hecht courtesy of Fabled Films Press via Saichek Publicity (US residents only, sorry). Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM ET on Thursday, 06/22/2017 and the winner will be announced after 9:00 AM ET on Friday, 06/23/2017.