HUMPDAY GIVEAWAY: Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Childrens Health

Who am I kidding?  This is not a subject near and dear to my heart.  I mean, I don't even have kids.  But I know there must be a few parents reading this blog getting ready to send their kids back to school, making this a very timely giveaway.  Oh, and if this book isn't your cup of tea, do pass along the link to someone you know who may be interested.  It would be nice to put this title in the hands of someone who will really enjoy it!

Publisher's Weekly says of this book:

Kalafa, producer and director of the documentary Two Angry Moms, delves more deeply into the subject of school lunch, offering a step-by-step action plan for parents hoping to make changes in their child's school lunch room. The author explains how the project started, revealing that efforts to provide her daughter with healthy food at home were being "undermined" by unhealthy choices at school (according to the author, the school cafeteria may well be "a microcosm of American fake food culture"). Kalafa serves up some scary statistics, noting the link between childhood junk food and obesity, diabetes, and learning, behavioral, and other health problems, and soberly observing that "our children's life expectancy is now shorter than our own." Kids who buy lunch at school, she notes, don't do as well academically; better food means better grades. With plenty of convincing evidence in hand, she then urges parents to visit their children's lunch rooms, create partnerships with teachers, school staff, and the PTO or PTA, conduct surveys, audit the school food environment, create an updated school wellness policy, and take other steps toward change. Kalafa also provides plenty of positive examples of schools that have gone the extra mile, establishing farm to school and other innovative and nourishing programs. This meaty, practical offshoot of Kalafa's film will help parents turn anger into positive action. (Sept.)

Wow, that sounds so San Francisco.  Anyway, I've got a lovely trade paperback galley of this fine book to give away.  All you have to do is post a comment below.  Usual rules apply.  Good luck to all!

The Usual Rules:

• The giveaway is open to anyone with a U.S. mailing address ('cause I'm footing the postage).
• To enter, all you need to do is post a comment below by Wednesday, September 7, 2011.
• At my discretion, if there are less than five respondents, I can cancel or extend the giveaway.
• Winner will be chosen by me with the help of a random number generator, and will be announced in the comments section of this thread.
• Please check back to see if you've won. If you have left a way to contact you, I will do so.
• The winner has one week to respond to me at suetu@yahoo.com with a mailing address, or I will choose a new winner.
• If a second winner fails to respond, the book automatically goes to the lovely members of my face-to-face book club.
• Previous giveaway winners are welcome to enter.
• Finally, if at all possible, please comment below only if you're entering the giveaway.

Mailbox Monday: Wish I felt better edition

As far as I'm concerned, there are few things worse that feeling ill on a Monday.  I was sick all weekend.  :-(  So, this Monday I'm indulging myself with an entire series of puppy in the mailbox photos.  They almost make me feel better.  Hopefully you'll enjoy them, too.

• Speaking of not feeling well, I was a bit premature when I pronounced my sister and new nephew well last week.  My family had failed to keep me in the loop.  Grrr.  The baby is reasonably well, but my sister could use some healing energy sent her way, if you've got any to spare.
• Ann Patchett's event at Bookshop West Portal was awesome!  I've got some fun video to post later this week.  And, I got to run into my friends Sue and Rachel at the signing, which proves that Ms. Patchett attracts all the best people.
• On Thursday night, I wound up having dinner with Jacob and Rina Weisman of Tachyon Books, and novelist Michael Kurland and his wife Linda.  Lovely couples both.
• On tap this week, my face-to-face book group meets tomorrow night.  I run it, so unless I'm at death's door, I'll be there.
• And guess who I'll be spending this coming weekend with?  James "Jimbo" Rollins, whose book The Devil Colony goes on sale tomorrow.  At long overdue last, I'll be posting a review today.  And Jimbo doesn't know it yet, but I'll have my borrowed video camera on-hand as we hang out all weekend.
• Speaking of James Rollins, he's having an online world-wide book release party for The Devil Colony.  Details can be found here.  They're calling it Dance with the Devil, and if I can get the energy together, I'll be there wearing the light up devil horns given to me by author Joe Hill (on the occasion of the release of his novel Horns).  Pics if it happens.
• Also, I'm slightly embarrassed to admit this, but I've recently joined the Twitterverse.  You know how I'm always a month behind blogging about interesting things I'm doing?  Like BEA, the Book Blogger Con, and the rest of the shows I saw in NY?  If you want to hear about stuff in real time, please follow me @SusanTunis.  I'm generally about a decade behind the rest of the planet when it comes to technology, so I'm still learning about the medium, but this would be an excellent time to follow me.  I'm off to NY again in a couple of weeks for more theater and Thrillerfest--and there is always something exciting and/or scandalous to comment on there!  (I'm not joking.)

As for what's in the mailbox, here's a loose collection of books that have come in from sources other than BEA in the recent past.  I'm sure it's incomplete.  Nonetheless...

The Devil Colony

By James Rollins

Release: June 21, 2011

Source: finished hardback from publisher

Thank you, Shawn!  I was thrilled to see this in the mailbox!  It's my very favorite book by one of my favorite authors.

Folly Beach

Dorthea Benton Frank

Release: June 14, 2011

Source: Finished hardback from publisher

I think this one will be a giveaway some week.  I may have a copy of the previous book to package with it.

Sister

by Rosamund Lupton

Release: June 7, 2011

Source: The Amazon Vine program

I'm hearing good things on this novel, and I'm looking forward to reading it!

Blood of the Reich

by William Dietrich

Release: June 28, 2011

Source: The Amazon Vine program

I've been a Dietrich fan for years, and this book feels like he's getting back to his early roots.  Ice Reich was the book that made me a fan.  I'm about halfway through this book, but I'm not sure what I think yet.  It's an enjoyable read, but how he pulls it all together will be important.

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern

Release: September 13, 2011

Source: The Amazon Vine program

This debut novel has more buzz than just about any BEA title this year.  And somehow I could NOT acquire a copy at BEA.  It was a little bizzarre.  Thank goodness for my friends at Amazon.  I can't wait to read this!

Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Childrens Health

by Amy Kalafa
Release: August 18, 2011
Source: Galley from the publisher
Another future giveaway, I'm thinking close to the start of the school year.

The Devil All the Time
by Donald Ray Pollack
Release: July 12, 2011
Source: Galley from the publisher

Yay, I'm finally able to go back to my normal formatting.  I have no idea what I was doing wrong above.  Anyway, I have heard very good things about this thriller, but I suspect that it too will be given away.  So many books, so little time!

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life
by Sandra Beasley
Release: July 12, 2011

Source: Galley from the publisher
Got Allergies?  This is another future giveaway title.  I have a feeling this memoir will resonate with many readers.

Luminarium
by Alex Shakar
Release: August 23, 2011
Source: Galley from publisher's rep

Random House has a wonderful rep who hooks me up with interesting titles.  I am completely unfamiliar with this author, and I hadn't heard about this title, but it sounds fascinating.  I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Ready Player One
by Ernest Cline
Release: August 16, 2011
Source: Galley from publisher's rep

This is the other title my rep friend brought to my attention.  I had heard of it, but I wasn't sure it was for me.  For starters, I'm not an online gamer.  However, he highlighted other aspects of the title that made it sound really interesting and unintimidating.  When it arrived at my house, I got sucked into the first chapter and had to force myself to stop reading.  It was off to an awesome start, but I have too many books I've promised to read first, and this one isn't out until August.

I know there are more books than that, but those are the ones I can remember.

Books I've read since I last reported in:

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenoweth
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Arcadia: Complete Summary & Analysis by Raja Sharma
Skinny by Diana Spechler
The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

(I'm just a little behind on my reviewing.)

Book's I'm currently reading:

The Uncertain Places by Lisa Goldstein
Blood of the Reich by William Dietrich

So, I think we've proven today that puppies in mailboxes never get old.  I could post these pics all day.  Have a great week!