Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Children's Book Review: The Greatest Food Fight of All Times by Jamie Nesvold (Review, Interview with the Author and Giveaway)

GIVEAWAY CLOSED.  CONGRATS TO KAT.



I had the opportunity to review and interview the author of The Greatest Food Fight of All Time.  Please scroll down to read my interview first with Jamie Nesvold, and then my review of the book.  Enjoy!


Tell me about your book. How did you come up with that (story, angle, idea)?  

Strangely, it came from the movie "Platoon."  My better half and I were watching that one night and I though, "Wouldn't it be awesome if they had mashed potatoes instead of machine guns?"  I sat down the next day and wrote the first draft.  I wanted it to be a book that was just mindless fun, and a quick read.  And that's what it is, I think.  Although the kids in the book don't completely get away clean, so to speak.  I work at a radio station , and I spend a lot of time writing ads, so I do get to be creative often.
 
How did you get interested in writing this particular genre?  

I genuinely enjoy interacting with kids of all ages, but this particular story I aimed at my own kids.  I have four of them, and at the time I wrote this, the oldest two were in the upper elementary school grades.  They're older now, but still like the story.  As for genres, my next book will be different in pretty much every way.
 
Do you have any favorite authors or favorite books? 

There are so many fantastic authors out there...but I think, for this age group, Roald Dahl is the best one.  Dr. Suess is a genius.  I also enjoy absurdist fiction by Christopher Moore and I read a lot of Stephen Kind and Dean Koontz.
 
What's a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal? 

I have a full-time, outside-the-home job and another side job, plus four kids, so my weekdays are pretty busy with other stuff, and that means writing is what I can squeeze into my free time these days.  I write mostly on the weekends, and sometimes at night, if I can find an hour or two.  I write in a little office we have in our house, usually with some music pumping into my ears.  I don't generally set a goal as far as word count goes; I just try to write as much as I can when I get the time.
 
What is the hardest part of writing for you?  

The hardest part is that I am overly picky about my own work, so I nitpick to the point where I hate what I've written, then I have to take a break and come back later to reread it and polish it and remind myself that it's not as bad as I thought it was at the time.
 
What’s the best thing about being an author?  

The best thing is when someone tells me how much they enjoyed it.  Knowing that my story brought them a little joy brings me a little, too.
 
What are you working on now?  

I have a few different projects in the works now.  Two are about zombies and one is a more dramatic, pull-the-heartstrings tale.  The latter is something I'm not very good at, so it's slow going there.
 
What advice would you give aspiring writers?  

Keep writing, and do your research before you accept a publishing deal.
 
What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?  

I've always wanted to be asked, "What's it like to look so much like a younger George Clooney?"  I would answer that, "It's a burden, but I deal with it."

I hope you enjoyed reading my interview with Jamie as much I loved asking him these questions and hearing his response.  And, now on to my book review.



Summary of Book:
 Tucker
Derek
Kyle


Best friends who share a simple wish: to become legends before moving on to junior high. But how? Fate intervenes on the first day of sixth grade and shows them the path they must take, when, during lunch all of the teachers step out of the cafeteria at the same time leaving 150 elementary students alone with a massive supply of tater tots, corn, pudding, and more.  Seeing their chance, the TDK connection acts, and unleashes culinary chaos unlike any the world has seen before! How long will they have before the teachers get back in? Will they achieve the legendary status they seek? Is there a better ammo for a food fight then tater tots? Find out in The Greatest Food Fight of All Time!


My Review:

Who hasn't wished they could be apart of a food fight at school, launching tater tots and other so-called cafeteria foods at other classmates like torpedos and missle launchers?  Come on, we all have ... right?  Well, if never had the guts to follow through with it, now is your chance to live it through the tellings of the TDK Connection.  Let me warm you now that your children will probably want to stage their own Greatest Food Fight after reading this book.  So, make sure you are ready to talk about the consequences of their actions and that this is just a story and doesn't have to be acted out.  That being said, let me say what a great tween book this is. The author is very descriptive in his writing and makes you feel like you are apart of the action.  From the first thoughts of launching a food fight, to the action food fight and then the discipling and clean-up, strap yourself in for a good time.  Look quick...you don't want to be on the receiving end of a flying tater tot!

I don't want to go too much into the story, as you have to read it yourself to believe what actually goes down in the elementary school cafeteria when the teachers are not around.  It is total chaos and fun.  Come along as the TDK Connection become legends in one day, and how one food fight forms a bond between friends for a lifetime. This is a page-turner, so be prepared to sit down and read this book from cover to cover.  You will not want to put it down.

More About the Author:

JL Nesvold was born in Crookston, MN in 1975, the third of four sons. Ask anyone and they'll tell you he is the weirdest and oddest of the four. After graduating from Fosston High School in 1993, he stumbled into a radio broadcasting career. In all actuality, his career began as a clown, working a produce tent sale. Legend has it that one of the radio station's employees visited the store to do remotes and convinced him to stop by the radio station and audition. He did, and got a job shortly after. JL graduated from Northland Community and Technical College with a broadcasting diploma in 1995. He still works in radio, writing ads and hosting an afternoon show. He lives in Fosston, MN with his wife Joanna and four kids: Alyssa, Katrin, Jackson, and Jalyn. "The Greatest Food Fight of All Time" is his first published work. 

---GIVEAWAY---
The first person who sends me an email will win an autographed copy of this book.

Disclosure:  I was sent a copy of this book in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.

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