Blog Tour: GRADY WHILL AND THE TEMPLETON CODEX by Carole P. Roman

 

Grady Whill and the Templeton Codex

by Carole P. Roman

 

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GENRE: YA  adventure

 

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BLURB:

 

Templeton Academy- the superhero high school is finally open!

 

The prestigious academy is recruiting the best of the best to enroll in its student body.

 

The school is as mysterious as it is exclusive.

 

Grady Whill thinks there is nothing special about him to make the grade.

 

However, his best friend, Aarush Patel has been selected and thinks Grady has the right stuff.

 

Even school bully Elwood Bledsoe is attending.

 

If Grady is fortunate enough to be picked, his guardian has forbidden him to attend.

 

Will a family secret prevent Grady from becoming the superhero he was destined to be?

 

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Excerpt One:

 

There Whill Be Blood

 

A barely cooled lump of lava hardened under my feet. One of my sneakers was stuck between two small rocks in the solidifying mess. I stared at my foot in disbelief. Instinct told me I should be a human torch, my legs nothing more than toasted stumps. I glanced up, my heart beating wildly. We were trapped on the side of the mountain facing our school, separated by a burning sea of molten rocks.

 

The world around me steamed, the lava staining the sky burnt orange. Trees swallowed by molten rock looked like skeletal hands emerging from a grave that glowed beneath the blackened crust. I saw heat waves shimmering from the earth but felt none of its intensity. I pulled fiercely, feeling my ankle twist. Aarush steadied me as I nearly toppled over. He was shirtless, his back slick with sweat and covered with scrapes. His fingers worked feverishly to free my foot.

 

Overhead two helicopter-sized pterodactyls circled the craggy summit. The wind from their leathery wings buffeted the two of us. I think the air they circulated stopped the patches of lava from cooking us alive, but what do I know?

 

“We better get moving, Grady. Leave your sneaker. We are risking getting burned by staying too long in one spot.” The ever-practical Aarush reasoned as he pulled the velcro releasing my foot. I wobbled, then fell to one knee.

 

“Do you think they’re real?” I hollered to my friend over the noise, pointing upward.

 

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Review: Meet Grady Whill, a smart and witty kid. He was your average middle-schooler struggling with the pitfalls of teachers, homework, and, of course, bullies. If only he could get into the Templeton Academy, an elite and prestigious school known to transform kids and give them “special abilities.” 

The high note of Templeton was that there were no bullies. Well, in this story, the bully gets in, too.

Story had an easy and rather engaging narrative. At times, however, the narrative can get slow and superfluous. The kid sometimes talks about everything and nothing at the same time. 

On the one hand, this is certainly your fascinating YA fantasy tale. On the other hand, you feel like you’ve kind of heard this story before. This is a story just like Harry Potter—you have a poor, bullied orphan boy going off to magic school to learn his superpowers. In Grady’s case, however, what he learns (besides the magic) is far deeper and more significant. Again, it’s kind of like Harry Potter. Personally, I’m not a fan of Harry Potter and this book was just like it. It’s not bad, it’s just not my taste.

This story had some mildly amusing scenes and anecdotes. It’s a fairly nice read. Good for Harry Potter fans. 

Rating: 3 stars

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children's books. Whether it's pirates, princesses, spies, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children of all ages.

 

Her best-selling book, The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! has reached number one on Amazon in March of 2020 and has remained in the top 200 books since then.

 

She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren.

 

Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman.

 

Roman is the CEO of a global transportation company, as well as a practicing medium.

 

She also writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and has created an anthology of the mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors.

 

Writing is her passion and one of her favorite pastimes. Roman reinvents herself frequently, and her family calls her the 'mother of reinvention.' She resides on Long Island, near her children and grandchildren.

 

http://www.caroleproman.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CarolePRomanAwardWinningAuthorAndBooks/

https://twitter.com/caroleproman

http://caroleproman.blogspot.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Carole-P-Roman/e/B008ZOXI0W

 

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4T6PWPH/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3

 

 

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