ROAD TRIP!

Have you ever been on one of those zany cross-country trips in a broken-down van? The kind where you take the back roads and stop in every state and have lunch at strange, ill-lit diners next to folks who glare at you over their meatloaf? (Look out ... I think that one's got a knife in his boot.)

No? Well, neither have I. But it always sounds like fun, except for the sleeping-in-a-van bit. Luckily, neither you nor I have to sleep in a van this summer, because IceyBooks and I Like These Books are hosting a reading road trip! That's right, you can read your way around the nation and win books at the same time!

The month-long road trip starts July 1. Each blog stop will take you to a different state, where you'll learn fun facts and have a chance to win a book that will transport you to that state from the comfort of your armchair. My own stop on the tour is scheduled for July 18, when I'll be giving away a copy of Clare Vanderpool's Newbery Award winner, Moon Over Manifest, and telling you all about the great state of Kansas. So be sure and come back! In the meantime, visit the rest of the tour, starting July 1 in New Hampshire. You can view the whole itinerary here. And don't forget to pack the cooler.