Your Friendly Librarian

And Other People's Best Books

2009-12-17T11:47:00.000-05:00

Now that The Horn Book has finally put out their Fanfare list, I can commence with compiling all the "best" book lists of the year for kids and teens, you know, for those of you who may not have seen them all already. Surely in all these great lists, you will find the perfect book for you and your young readers.

A compilation of all starred reviews of the year from the top review publications. This comes from the lovely folks at Publisher's Weekly's Shelftalker blog. Can I just say that we have needed this sort of thing for years? Thank you so, so much!

The aforementioned Fanfare from The Horn Book.

School Library Journal has published their best list and also their Heavy Medal blog (a mock Newbery discussion blog) has posted their final list of contenders.

Old news, but here's the New York Times Notable Children's Books and Best Illustrated Children's Books lists.

Even older news is Publisher's Weekly's Best Children's Books list. I suppose they can have theirs out by November 2, since they represent publishers, right?

The Most Beautiful Books of the Year

2009-12-10T17:11:00.000-05:00

The children's staff at the library had our mock Caldecott discussion this morning and it really hit home what an amazing array of gorgeous picture books were published this year. Favorite illustrators had more than one book each, even, making it harder and harder to choose. While our consensus (and that of bloggers and reviewers) was that Jerry Pinkney's wordless The Lion and the Mouse is an odds-on favorite to win the Caldecott this year, we were completely flummoxed in how to order the other books we love. Here is a list, organized by author, rather than by preference, of the picture books I thought were the most beautiful or creative this year. (I couldn't order it if I tried. I have 10 favorites!)

1. The L ongest Night - words by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrations by Ted Lewin

2. Redwoods - words and illustrations by Jason Chin

3. A Book - words and illustrations by Mordicai Gerstein

4. The Ne gro Sp eaks of Rivers - words by Langston Hughes, illustrations by E.B. Lewis

5. Ts un ami! - words by Kimiko Kajikawa, illustrations by Ed Young

6. The Lion and the Mouse - illustrations by Jerry Pinkney

7. D u ck! Rabbit! - words by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrations by Tom Lichtenheld

8. All the World - words by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrations by Marla Frazee

9. But Who Will Bell the Cats? - words and illustrations by Cynthia von Buhler

10. The Scarecrow's Dance - words by Jane Yolen, illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline

Illustrators I love who produced multiple books this year included Steve Jenkins, Bagram Ibatoulline, Ed Young, E.B. Lewis, and Barry Moser.

My Best Books of 2009 Picks

2009-11-28T15:58:00.012-05:00

The end of the year is fast approaching and I've been busily reading away. Every time I was about to post some of the gems I had found, something would come up and now suddenly I find it's time for me to share my favorite books of 2009 (sorted by age and by title). If you're using my suggestions as a gift guide, please visit your local independent bookseller this holiday season!

Toddler & Preschool:
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Marla Frazee
All the World pairs Frazee's busy world of characters with Scanlon's spare text. Frazee is at her best here, following three diverse families around in all kinds of weather, settings, and situations. When the wind blows, you feel it. When the night stars come out and the fire is crackling, you hear it. You want to be there, in that perfect world. It's a very well-done piece and has a tone reminiscent of Robert McCloskey.

Big Frog Can't Fit In by Mo Willems
This is Mo Willems' first pop-up book and fits right in to his humorous oeuvre. Big Frog really wants to fit in - both to the group and literally into the book. With the help of some smaller froggy friends, little readers will help Big Frog fold into the book.

Birds by Kevin Henkes
Birds is a wonderful introduction to what makes birds unique and special. It is very appealing to a young audience with simple ideas and colorful illustrations. For example: "Once I saw seven birds on the telephone wire. They didn't move and they didn't move and the didn't move. I looked away for just one second...and they were gone." These are truths about birds that young children can relate to.

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
I see a duck over there. No, it's a rabbit. It has a bill! Those are its ears, silly. What will you see in this tricky picture book? A duck? Or a rabbit? There are lots of ways it could be either one, but it's up to you to decide. This is the perfect book to teach young children about optical illusions.

Happy Belly, Happy Smile by Rachel Isadora
Louie takes readers behind the scenes at his grandfather's Chinese restaurant, his very favorite place. This multicultural & multi-generational book celebrates the diversity of our world, our food culture, and shows how restaurants work. All of this is paired with Isadora's signature collage illustrations.

Machines Go To Work by William Low
This is an outstanding "things that go" book, covering every genre of machines from backhoes to freight ships. Simple text makes this perfect for the youngest audience and colorful paintings show the machines and their operators hard at work. My favorite part is that you get to fold-out each page and see what the machines will do next.

Not All Animals Are Blue by Beatrice Boutignon
Pictures help children spot differences in colors, movement, and attitude. The illustrations are beautifully rendered watercolors and the things we are hunting for are whimsical and not always easy to spot. Sometimes, it's up to interpretation. This is a perfect book for examining and discussing one on one.

Shades of People by Shelley Rotner and Sheila Kelly.
This book explores the many different shades of human skin, and points out that skin is
just a covering that does not reveal what someone is like inside. Beautiful and fun
photographs make this the perfect introduction to race for very young children.

What Should I Make? by Nandini Nayar, illustrated by Proiti Roy.
While his mother makes chapatis, Neeraj transforms a piece of dough into different animals. From snake to mouse to lion, Neeraj's imagination quickly runs away with him, but his mother reminds him each time, "Roll it up, quick, quick!" The end of the book provides a glossary for the new words introduced in the text and a recipe for making your own chapatis at home.

Early Elementary:
13 Buildings Children Should Know by Annette Roeder
This book is a fantastic introduction to architectural concepts as well as the thirteen famous buildings from around the world. With photographs and detailed illustrations of building plans, cross-sections, and imagined construction, the authors have thoughtfully considered how to explain things to young readers at a variety of levels.

The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Jon Muth
Here is a beautiful little story about Santa getting ready for Christmas Eve. He does all of his work and gathers his animals with joy and anticipation. The calm, carefully chosen words and perfectly matched, stunning watercolors by Jon Muth make this a truly special book that stands well above any other Santa books out there.

Let's Do Nothing! by Tony Fucile
Sal and Frankie have done it all. Now they're going to try to do nothing. But Frankie can't quite do nothing because if he imagines he's a statue, he also imagines pigeons all over him. If Frankie imagines he's the Empire State Building, he imagines King Kong climbing up him and he just has to react! This hilarious book celebrates the imagination with funny scenarios and great illustrations.

Princess Hyacinth (The Suprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated) by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith
This is the delightful story of a princess who floated unless she was weighted down with all her finery. Not allowed to play outside, lest she float away forever, Hyacinth spends her days watching out the window while other children play. One day she has the brilliant idea to tie herself to a string like a balloon! Mayhem and hilarity ensue. Lane Smith's wackadoodle illustrations make this a five-star fun read.

Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
As three dust bunnies, Ed, Ned, and Ted, are demonstrating how much they love to rhyme, a fourth, Bob, doesn’t seem to understand how to rhyme, or is he up to something else? This is a consistent read-aloud favorite and has kids laughing aloud. If you're not already familiar with Jan Thomas, all her books are winners.

The Scarecrow’s Dance by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
A scarecrow happily dances away from his post one windy night, until a child's prayer
teaches him how important he is to the farm. The most gorgeous illustrations of the year
depict the scarecrow’s winsome dance across an autumn landscape.

Sneaky Weasel by Hannah Shaw
Weasel was a mean, sneaky, nasty, bully. All his sneakiness made Weasel very rich and he had a castle and a fancy car. When Weasel went to throw a big, important party to show off all his stuff, nobody came! How can a super sneaky weasel make friends? This is a very humorous book where the illustrations tell a large part of the story and include little inside jokes.

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Stick Man ends up far away from his family tree when he is fetched by a dog, thrown by a child, used as a snowman's arm, and even put on a fire! Finally Santa Claus steps in to make sure that Stick Man and his family have a joyous Christmas. The catchy rhyming rhythm in this funny book will make it a year-round favorite.

Wink, the Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed by J.C. Phillips
Wink is in ninja school where he is supposed to learn to be silent and stealthy. No one is supposed to see a ninja - but if no one can see him, how can anyone know what a great ninja Wink can be? Wink loves attention! Wink finds his enthusiasm gets him into trouble with his teacher until he finds the perfect way to express himself.

You are the First Kid on Mars by Patrick O’Brien
This is the coolest space book! It imagines what it would be like for a kid to travel to Mars, with great facts about space travel and then both fact and speculation about what it would be like if humans were living and studying on Mars. Perfect for young readers obsessed with space or as an introduction to space travel.

3rd & 4th Grade:
Bobby vs. Girls Accidentally by Lisa Yee
Bobby is entering 4th grade and things between him and his longtime friend Holly are strained as she starts doing more "girl" things -- wearing dresses, changing her hair style. Throw in a professional football player turned stay-at-home dad who brings burned cookies to the school bake sale, humorous girl vs. boy pranks and a heated class president race and 4th grade is turning out to be a lot more complicated than Bobby expected.

The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by David Roberts
Each of the kids in Ms. Breakbone's class has a special talent or interest - but she calls them all dunderheads! When Ms. Breakbone unfairly confiscates a present Junkyard has for his mother, the Dunderheads unite to get even and get it back. Using each of their special skills, the Dunderheads come up with a sneaky way to get into the teacher's house, distract her, and find the missing gift. Will they succeed? This is a fun heist caper with humor for fans of Roald Dahl.

Emmaline and the Bunny by Katherine Hannigan
Emmaline lives in the town of Neatasapin where nothing messy is allowed. She desperately wants a bunny, but it’s against the law. One day, Emmaline takes a trip to the next town over, Untidy, where she meets a bunny that needs dirt to dig in and shrubbery to hide in. She invites the bunny home to live with her, but learns she can’t take the bunny home until she makes her home bunny ready. She sets about changing the environment, both physically and culturally to get ready. Lyrical language and watercolor illustrations make this a beautiful read.

Food for Thought: The Stories Behind the Things We Eat by Ken Robbins
Here is an excellent investigation of the history and mythology of food. From apples to pomegranates to mushrooms, the author humorously relates both fact and fiction about our most elemental and ancient foods: fruit and vegetables. A great gift for a foodie parent, this volume with its gorgeous photographs can be enjoyed by all ages.

The Gecko and Sticky: Villain’s Lair by Wendelin Van Draanen
This is an adventurous, mysterious, and TRUE (really!) story about a Hispanic boy named Dave and his talking gecko, Sticky. Sticky leads Dave to a scary old mansion that is booby-trapped with hollow walls and shrunken heads where they will steal back a magical Aztec armband that is currently in the possession of the evil villain, Damien Black. The armband, combined with powerful gold ingots, gives the wearer the ability to fly, turn invisible, or in Dave’s case, walk up walls like a gecko. Villain's Lair is the first book in a fun new series by the perennially popular Van Draanen.

Melonhead by Katy Kelly
In the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Capitol Hill, Adam "Melonhead" Melon, a budding inventor with a knack for getting into trouble, enters a science contest that challenges students to recycle an older invention into a new invention. Melonhead’s hilarious scrapes will keep readers laughing.

Strawberry Hill by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
It is the Depression, so ten-year-old Allie's family has to move to a new town where her father can find work. When she hears that they will live on Strawberry Hill, Allie can hardly wait. Surely a place with such a name will make a perfect home! But the moving transition is harder than she expected and Allie spends the next year learning the true meaning of friendship. Fans of old-fashioned stories like The Penderwicks or The Saturdays will love this new story.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin
Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River and happiness to her parents. This lovely story combines many elements of Chinese folklore to create an original and moving story. Grace Lin has illustrated the story with illuminations in a classical Chinese style.

5th & 6th Grade:
Alibi Junior High by Greg Logsted
Cody's dad is an undercover agent with the CIA, so they have always changed their names and moved around the world. When someone tries to kill them with an explosion, Cody is sent to live with his Aunt Jenny in the safety of small town Connecticut. But it's the first time Cody has ever been to school or had to interact with kids his own age. His clothes are wrong, his answers are wrong, everything about him doesn't fit in with American junior highers. Will Cody's mission to keep himself safe ever allow him to make friends and navigate junior high? Filled with hilarious situations and dangerous escapes, this book is the perfect blend of school and spies.

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson
This is the story of John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators as they plot, carry out, and flee from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. With great archival photographs, a cool sepia type, and lots of details you never knew, this reads like a fast-paced adventure story, quick to grab the reader. There are some great gross out moments too.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Calpurnia Tate is living in a time when becoming a proper lady is the only job a girl should aspire to, but she is terrible at piano, tatting lace, and baking pies. Instead, Calpurnia wishes to be a naturalist like Mr. Charles Darwin, and maybe attend the University. The balance of these two desires drive this wonderful and timeless story. This novel lives and breathes with rambunctious brothers, a cantankerous granddaddy, and the surprisingly rich world of 1890's Texas.

The Georg es and the Jewels by Jane Smiley
Seventh-grader Abby Lovitt grows up on her family's California horse ranch in the 1960s, learning to train the horses her father sells. Her daddy calls all the mares "Jewel" and all the geldings "George" so that Abby won't get too attached to them, but Abby gets along much better with horses than with people and finds refuge from the difficulties of middle school cliques with them. Full of detailed information about training horses, this tender story will delight both horse fans and novices.

Scat by Carl Hiassen
On a school field trip to the Black Vine Swamp, Nick Waters is amazed when the swamp catches on fire. But even more amazing is the disappearance of his feared biology teacher, Bunny Starch. Did someone light the fire to cover up her kidnapping? Nick also thinks he might have seen a rare endangered black Florida panther right before the fire. Could the two be related? Nick teams up with his best friend Marta to try and find out the truth of what really happened and why, in this story full of interesting characters and humorous situations.

The Seven Keys of Balabad by Paul Haven
Oliver Finch is trying to adjust to life in Balabad, but it is nothing like he is used to in New York City, that’s for sure! Homesick for his native land and bored with life in Balabad, Oliver spends most of his time with his friend, Zee, and a used carpet salesman, who tells the boys the most incredible stories about Balabad’s history. When a priceless ancient carpet goes missing and mysterious artifacts are being stolen from prominent families, suddenly life gets a little more interesting. And when the unthinkable happens, it is up to Zee and Oliver to solve the mystery of the Seven Keys of Balabad and an ancient buried treasure.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Manhattan in the late seventies combines with A Wrinkle in Time to flavor this story of the everyday world of 12-year-old Miranda. The neighborhood, the school, even the bums on the street are casually portrayed, but all contain essential pieces of a puzzle. Notes from the future begin to appear at odd times and places, and it’s up to Miranda to decipher their meaning, sorting between what is irrelevant and what matters. This intriguing story of time travel holds truths that resonate with us all.

7th - 9th Grade (& up):
Change-Up: Mystery at the World Series by John Feinstein
Stevie and Susan Carol are teen reporters with national name recognition after they have covered a series of mysteries at major sporting events. In this installment, the two head to Boston for the World Series and meet up with a pitcher who has just rocketed to stardom from the minor leagues. But his squeaky clean image is not what it seems, so Stevie and Susan Carol try to work out what he might be hiding and learn an important lesson about journalistic integrity. This is a really great sports series and starts with Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery.

Escape by Sea by L.S. Lawrence
Escape by Sea tells the story of Sara, her father, and the crew of his ship as they must escape the Roman invasion of Carthage. With a ship full of goods, the group makes their way around the Mediterranean trading, battling pirates, and avoiding danger at all sides. An important Roman soldier they take hostage makes their situation even more precarious. Sara is in her teens and chafes against the rules and expectations for women. As calamity after calamity befalls the group, Sara becomes more powerful and is able to express herself and be heard. This is a rich historical novel of a time we rarely read about.

Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis
Teens Octavia and Tali learn about strength, independence, and courage when they are forced to take a car trip with their grandmother, who tells about growing up Black in 1940s Alabama and serving in Europe during World War II as a member of the Women's Army Corps. Sassy heroines really bring this little-known piece of history to life.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas awakens to find himself alone, in a dark elevator, unable to remember anything meaningful about himself. When the doors open, he is greeted by 40 or so hostile teenage boys like himself, welcoming him to the Glade, a post-apocalyptic, manufactured world where they live to run a maze and escape from creepy blob creatures with needle appendages. Thomas's arrival starts a series of weird events that disrupt the monotonous life the boys had been leading, so naturally they suspect him of bringing them to their doom. Thomas himself is full of questions: What is the point of the Maze? Who put them there? And why does it all seem really familiar to him? This was a gripping read, full of action and mystery.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
This re-telling of the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is filled magic, adventure, and romance. It's a heady mix of dark and light, lush descriptions, rich characters, and fun new details. In other words, it is exactly what one would want in a fairy tale re-telling. It can be difficult to flesh-out twelve princesses in addition to the other characters, but George does a great job focusing on a few of the girls and creating memorable details about the others. The setting and backstory she creates also work brilliantly with the story.

Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior by Chris Bradford
It is 1611, Jack and his father are employed as sailors headed for Japan when their ship is damaged in a storm and pirates take it over, killing everyone but Jack. Spared because he is so young, Jack is taken to the home of a prominent samurai where he feels like a prisoner. After he shows bravery during an attempted robbery, Jack is adopted as part of the family and is given a Japanese tutor and training to be a samurai. While his new life is exciting, Jack is worried about the younger sister he left behind in England. How can he possibly get back home? This is an awesome fish-out-of-water story with intrigue, samurais, ninjas, and fight scenes.

10th grade & up (adults, you'll probably enjoy these too!):
First, let me say that the hottest and best books of 2009 are the sequels to two of the hottest and best books of 2008: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. If your teens (especially girls) haven't read these yet, I would recommend them and their new companion books Catching Fire by Collins and Fire by Cashore.

The Devil’s Paintbox by Victoria McKernan
This is the story of Aidan and Maddy, two orphans who are on the verge of starvation out on the Kansas prairie when a wagon train comes by and rescues them. Off on the adventure of the Oregon Trail, Aidan and Maddy actually have an easier life than they have ever known before. Aidan befriends some Native Americans who saved his life and in the last third of the novel, the title earns its place. The "devil's paintbox" is another name for smallpox and it is illegal for Indians to get vaccinated. Aidan's new friends beg him to help get them the vaccine. The policies and prejudice of our past are once again shocking as this true practice is explored and Aidan has to choose between his sense of justice and his desire keep to himself.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
Two oddballs, Bea and Jonah (aka Robot Girl and Ghost Boy) become unlikely friends when Bea arrives at a new school. They share an interest in listening to obscure radio shows, dressing up in costumes to go out, and photography. But things take a turn when Jonah discovers a huge lie that his father has told him and the new truth consumes his life. Jonah is the first true friend Bea has ever had. Can she help Jonah? Can she let him go? This is a tender and well-told story that includes great inter-generational friendships and celebrates being true to yourself.

Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Jessica thinks that she’s just a normal senior in high school with another boring year to look forward to - that is until Lucius shows up. Under the guise of being a foreign exchange student from Romania, Lucius is really there to tell Jessica who she really is (Antanasia, a vampire princess) and what her destiny is (to fulfill a pact made between the warring royal vampire families by marrying Lucius). What ensues is a roller coaster ride of teenage emotions as Jessica struggles to come to terms with who she is and what that means not only for her future, but also for the future of an entire race. This book is a surprising blend of humor and challenging choices.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
At seventeen, Marcelo has found his Asperger’s Syndrome less of a challenge than trying to survive a summer challenge set by his competitive lawyer father of working in the law firm and dealing with “the real world.” All the characters and events are seen from Marcelo’s eyes and sensibility. The result is a riveting read depicting life from a viewpoint not often seen, and a revealing portrait of what most of us call normal.

The Morgue and Me by John C. Ford
This first novel reads like a classic pulp mystery, with an anti-social teen detective, fast-talking femme fatale journalist, and plenty of corruption to go around. It is the summer after senior year, and Christopher takes a job cleaning the morgue because he thinks he wants to be some kind of investigator, CIA or something. Well, contrary to his expectations, Christopher finds himself knee-deep in a murder with the medical examiner and the sheriff in on the deal. Joined by a foxy newspaper reporter, he unravels clues and follows surprising twists to a satisfying conclusion. This mystery has all the best elements with memorable characters, moody settings, and colorful language.

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
Seventeen-year-old Tamsin was born into a family of witches and her grandmother predicted that she would be "a beacon for us all". When her 8th birthday comes and her Talent has not manifested itself, Tamsin is basically rejected by everyone and must make her way, not fitting into her clan, but not fitting in with the regular world either. One day, a stranger comes to her with a request to find a missing magical clock, mistaking Tamsin for her highly Talented sister, Rowena. Tamsin is determined that this is her chance to prove that she can do something, just like the rest of her family, and she takes on the challenge. Needless to say, things do not go as planned, and Tamsin's actions threaten to bring down her entire clan.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Ever since she was attacked by wolves in her backyard at age 11, Grace has been obsessed with the wolf pack that lives in the woods behind her house. Rather than being afraid, she's drawn to them. Especially to the one with the golden eyes. When she meets Sam for the first time, she looks into his golden eyes with shock and recognition. Who is this boy and where did he come from? Why does she feel like she's known him forever? In this stunning romance, Grace and Sam come to terms with the reality of his life as a both boy and wolf and try to make their complicated relationship work.

Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim
Nina Khan is the only Pakistani-American Muslim at her school in upstate New York. While she has no problem making friends at school, the difference between her life at home and theirs is pronounced. Her friends are allowed to go out, date, and have jobs. Nina is expected to study and live up to her genius older sister’s example, go to college, and marry the good Muslim boy that her parents pick out for her. Nina struggles between keeping her parents happy, keeping to her religion, and being a teenager in a U.S. high school. And don’t get her started on the body hair that is her genetic legacy. There's lots of humor in this coming-of-age story.

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne Jones
Mimi really needs to get away from a bad relationship, so her father has given her the key to his cabin in Canada, where he hasn't visited in years. When Mimi gets there, she finds a guy her age, Jay, already living there. She and Jay hit it off immediately, but Jay tells Mimi that sinister things have been happening at the house - a dead bird placed in the kitchen, someone's been messing with his recording equipment, and there's a tunnel under the house that's being used. Mimi and Jay team up to figure out why someone would be doing bizarre things and who it might be. The outcome of their search is shocking. Written with gorgeous language and creepy undertones, this is a perfectly chilling, but not terrifying, read.

Just Fall Picture Books

2009-09-11T14:59:00.000-04:00

When I stepped out of my house this morning, the first sound I heard was a lone leaf skittering across the street. The temperature had dropped about 20 degrees overnight and suddenly, it was autumn! I have been saving up some fall-themed picture books and now seems the perfect time to share them.

Zero is the Leaves on the Tree: A Book about Nothing by Betsy Franco, illustrated by Shino Arihara
While basically just a book about the concept of zero, Franco's evocative, poetic word/concept choices and Arihara's gorgeous paintings make this one of my favorite books of the year. The book follows the seasons, beginning with fall, with vignettes both in the classroom at out in the world. The title is one example of zero, referring to the leaves left on the tree in fall: zero. Another, "Zero is...the bikes in the bike rack on the last day of school."

The Scarecrow's Dance by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
I'm not always a fan of poem picture books, but Jane Yolen's newest is completely engaging and is paired with luminous illustrations that perfectly match the mood of the piece. The whole thing is perfect for autumn; somber and joyful, you can almost taste the crisp air as you're reading.

And Then Comes Halloween by Tom Brenner, illustrated by Holly Meade
Gorgeous, descriptive language accompanies paper collage illustrations in this perfect book describing the sights, sounds, and feelings of autumn that lead up to Halloween. Each page perfectly evokes an autumnal moment as step-by-step and day-by-day children prepare their costumes and decorations. "When nighttime creeps closer to suppertime, And red and gold seep into green leaves...Then it’s time to decide what to be."

Boo to Yo u! by Lois Ehlert
I'm really a big fan of Lois Ehlert's collage style, especially the pieces she uses from nature. It's fun to use the books with kids and make your own "found" art. Anyway, her newest book celebrates harvest and Halloween as two mice who are trying to eat in the garden get a good idea for scaring away the cat that is stalking them - they will scare the cat away! The collages are made from paper, vegetables, seeds, nuts, twine, and many other materials. I love the color palette; it's perfect for fall, except for the blue mice who really stand out from the other oranges, browns, and greens

Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli! by Barbara Jean Hicks, illustrated by Sue Hendra
Fum, foe, fie, fee, monsters don't eat broccoli! But they do eat tractors, space ships, fences, and trees! See what else monsters do and try to get them to eat some broccoli in this fun new rhyming book that slightly encourages eating one's vegetables. Okay, this isn't really a fall themed book, but everyone loves a monster at Halloween.

Strawberry Hill

2009-09-01T16:22:00.000-04:00

Strawberry Hill, by Mary Ann Hoberman, is a perfectly sweet and old-fashioned story that will delight fans of The Saturdays, Betsy-Tacy, and other classic favorites.

It is the Depression, so ten-year-old Allie's family has to move to a new town where her father can find work. When she hears that they will live on Strawberry Hill, Allie can hardly wait. Surely a place with such a name will make a perfect home! But the moving transition is harder than she expected and Allie spends the next year learning the true meaning of friendship and what it means to be a "best friend". The families that live on Strawberry Hill are by no means perfect and have their own troubles that are spot-lighted, but not dwelled upon.

The book is full of darling and pitch-perfect lines like when Allie is looking for a place to hide her lucky aggie, "Finally I had decided to put it under my mattress, just like 'The Princess and the Pea.' Afterward, I had lain down on my bed to see if I could feel it, but I couldn't because I wasn't a princess."

It's a treat to have such a novel from Mary Ann Hoberman, whose poetry and picture books are perennially wonderful. Thank you, for straying from your norm to give us this gift!

The Princess Plot

2009-08-10T16:07:00.000-04:00

The Princess Plot is a great choice for young teens who are still into princesses but maybe not fantasy. It's a fun, adventurous, and fast-paced read.

Jenna's mom is way over-protective and Jenna never gets to do anything. When some movie producers come to town to audition girls for the part of a princess, Jenna sneaks away and doesn't tell her mom. She's thrilled when she gets the part, but that's when things turn a little weird. Like, the producers whisk her away on a private jet to Scandia, without even letting her talk to her mom.

Meanwhile, in Scandia, the king has just died and the princess has disappeared. On the brink of civil war, the regent can't risk the backlash if the citizens knew that the princess was gone, so he replaces the princess with Jenna (who happens to look exactly like her)!

While it may sound like any girl's dream, a nefarious plot is afoot and soon Jenna is deeply entrenched in more secrets than she could have imagined.

This German import is a welcome treat for the end of summer.

Book Crush

2009-06-25T16:16:00.003-04:00

I'm giddy, I'm nervous, I can't stop smiling and I just have to tell you about it - it's a book crush! I only started reading Shannon Hale's The Actor and the Housewife at lunch and already I feel like I've never felt this way about a book before. Never have I been so consumed... strange, considering all the books I love all the time. Like any infatuation, I don't know where this is going or how it will end, but in the meantime, I'm loving every minute of it. Now to just get through the work day...

Do you know this feeling?

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

2009-06-16T18:08:00.000-04:00

Today I finished reading The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly, and had to write about it immediately. What a satisfying read!

Calpurnia Tate is living in a time when becoming a proper lady is the only job a girl should aspire to, but she is terrible at piano, tatting lace, and baking pies. Instead, Calpurnia wishes to be a naturalist like Mr. Charles Darwin, and maybe attend the University. The balance of these two desires drive this wonderful and timeless story.

The Tate family is made up of six boys, Calpurnia, her long-suffering parents, a naturalist granddaddy, and the household servants. None of the family knows their granddaddy very well, even though he lives with them, because he's always pursuing his own interests. One day, Calpurnia's interst in the animal and plant life around their Texas farm drives her to seek out her granddaddy's company. The bond that blossoms between them is the heart and soul of this story. Grandaddy imparts many life lessons as they observe the ways of the natural world together, keeping notes in a journal and samples in jars.

While Calpurnia's own wishes to escape being made into a lady are the motivation that drives the novel, it is largely an old-fashioned family story (set in 1899) and reminded me for some reason of Cheaper by the Dozen. The six brothers are characters in their own rights that become fleshed-out as Calpurnia matures and sees them more as individuals than as a noisy group.

This story lives and breathes. It is the best juvenile novel I've read in a long time. One of my colleagues questioned whether children would read this and argues that it's just another "children's book for adults", but I think the good readers will enjoy it. Definitely a Newbery contender for me.

Newest Mo Willems

2009-06-15T15:21:00.002-04:00

On Friday, Mo Willems posted a very brief preview of his up-coming pop-up book Big Frog Can't Fit In on his blog. Check it out!

A Wonderful Pile of Picture Books

2009-06-11T17:56:00.000-04:00

I've been mulling over a zombie post for the last two weeks and time has slipped away from me. In the meantime, I read a whole bunch of really great picture books today, so I'm going to recommend those now.

Tillie Lays an Egg by Terry Golson

Tillie Lays an Egg is simliar to the Minerva Louise books by Janet Stoeke, but is fun it its own way with vivid photographs of the lovely chickens.

There are seven chickens in the henhouse, but only Tillie is not interested in eating corn or laying eggs in a nest. Tillie is an adventurer, always exploring and looking for worms. She lays her eggs is amazing places! Children must search the pictures to find the eggs left in funny and unusual situations. Recommended for 2-4 year olds. The author has a hen-cam on her website that is really fun to watch: http://www.hencam.com/index.php

Food for Thought: The Stories Behind the Foods We Eat by Ken Robbins

Here is an excellent investigation of the history and mythology of food. From apples to pomegranates to mushrooms, the author humorously relates both fact and fiction about our most elemental and ancient foods: fruit and vegetables. A great gift for a foodie parent, this volume with its gorgeous photographs can be enjoyed by all ages.

Not All Animals are Blue: A Big Book of Little Differences by Beatrice Boutignon

I absolutely love this book of differences. This is one that is meant to be looked at individually with parent and/or child, as the illustrations and the things the reader needs to hunt for are quite small. Each page features an illustration in which the reader must find the differences between the animals pictured. The illustrations are just beautiful and the things we are hunting for are whimsical and not always easy to spot. Sometimes, it's up to interpretation and there are difficult new vocabulary words. This is a perfect book for examining and discussing.

Birds by Kevin Henkes

Henkes has of late been focusing on a much younger audience with his picture books. Birds is a wonderful introduction to what makes birds unique and special. It is very appealing to a young audience with simple ideas and colorful illustrations. For example: "Once I saw seven birds on the telephone wire. They didn't move and they didn't move and the didn't move. I looked away for just one second...and they were gone." These are truths about birds that young children can relate to. The book also has the nostalgic feel of favorites of a bygone era like those of Lois Lenski or Charlotte Zolotow.

Three Little Kittens and Other Favorite Nursery Rhymes selected and illustrated by Tony Ross

Tony Ross's new nursery rhyme collection is right up there with my favorites like Rosemary Wells and Richard Scarry. The illustrations are big, bold and bright. They clearly illustrate the predicament of the characters in the antiquated rhymes and will help children learn new vocabulary and help parents explain what's going on. There's also quite a bit of humor here, in characteristic style for Ross. If you're not famliar with Tony Ross, think Quentin Blake's humourous illustrations of his own and Roald Dahl's books. Some parents might find them too sassy. Ah well, back to Rosemary Wells if you do.

SLJ's Battle of the Books

2009-05-03T14:57:00.001-04:00

In April, School Library Journal launched their very first Battle of the (Kids') Books. This fun and ambitious project pits the favorite and best books of 2008 against each other in brackets. The judges are well-known and award-winning authors and experts such as Tamora Pierce, Roger Sutton, and John Green . The Battle has been so engrossing and satisfying to watch. Finally, favorites get the recognition they deserve, even if they didn't win the big awards. The reviews are thought-provoking and well-reasoned. I can't wait for the final showdown this week when my favorite The Hunger Games (by Suzanne Collins) is pitted against The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves (by M.T. Anderson), a book that I did not warm to in the least. Go Hunger Games! To read back over the whole comptetition, go to the Battle of the Books blog.

Escapes to the Sea

2009-04-10T14:23:00.001-04:00

This week, I read two ARCs I picked up at ALA mid-winter: Escape by Sea, by L.S. Lawrence and Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic, by Suzanne Weyn.

Escape by Sea tells the story of Sara, her father, and the crew of his ship as they must escape the Roman invasion of Carthage. With a ship full of goods, the group makes their way around the Mediterranean trading, battling pirates, and avoiding danger at all sides. An important Roman soldier they take hostage makes their situation even more precarious.

Sara is in her teens and chafes against the rules and expectations for women. The Sara in her head has all kinds of opinions and comebacks she wishes she could share, but good Sara knows to keep her mouth shut. As calamity after calamity befalls the group, Sara becomes more powerful and is able to express herself and be heard.

The novel ends with a perfect resolution, though readers looking for a romantic conclusion will be disappointed. This is a great historical novel of Roman times and lays out the way the different people groups around the Mediterranean felt about each other and their powerful neighbor. Escape by Sea was published last year in Australia and is due out from Holiday House later this month in the U.S.

Distant Waves is a well-paced but ultimately silly historical novel set mainly in the Victorian spiritualist colony of Spirit Vale, New York. Jane and her four sisters have been raised by their single mother who is a medium. Jane is interested in science and becoming a journalist and is skeptical about her mother's communication with the other side, but when her younger sisters seem to have a genuine gift as psychics, Jane is torn about her feelings.

Regardless of her own feelings, spiritualism is very popular and soon Jane's whole family is invited to attend a spiritualism conference in London. Jane meets many famous people there, like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Houdini. Jane's mother befriends a couple of men who have premonitions about the fate of a luxury ship, Titanic, that is making its debut voyage. When it is discovered that two of Jane's sisters are sailing aboard the Titanic, Jane's mother sends her to persuade them off the ship. Soon, Jane is trapped aboard with all of her sisters, two of whom know that their lives are doomed. The events that follow on the ship, to the conclusion of the novel, are ludicrous but entertaining.

If the reader takes Distant Waves as a historical fantasy, then it's a pretty enjoyable novel. The author has written thorough notes about the real people and events that are portrayed in the story, which is good for giving an idea about how people viewed spiritualism during the early 1900's. All in all, though, it's way too far fetched for me, but I'll give it a thumbs-up for the cool cover art. This novel is available now.

The Devil's Paintbox

2009-03-29T22:46:00.000-04:00

A few years back, I really enjoyed Victoria McKernan's first novel for young adults, Shackleton's Stowaway. Now, she has written another gripping historical novel.

The Devil's Paintbox tells the story of Aidan and Maddy, two orphans who are on the verge of starvation out on the Kansas prairie when a wagon train comes by and "rescues" them, in return for a year of work at a logging camp near Seattle. Off on the adventure of the Oregon Trail, Aidan and Maddy actually have an easier life than they have ever known before. But, of course, the westward journey is fraught with danger, hardship, and difficult relationships, and events catch up with the kids. While attempting to ford a river, Aidan's life is saved by some young Native American men. He has to confront his prejudices and in the last third of the novel, the title earns its place. The "devil's paintbox" is another name for smallpox and it is illegal for Indians to get vaccinated. Aidan's new friends beg him to help get them the vaccine. The policies and prejudice of our past are once again shocking as this true practice is explored and Aidan weighs his sense of justice and his desire keep to himself. Aidan's life in the logging camp is vividly described and he becomes a prizefighter in the camps. There is no shortage of adventure in this tale.

Well-written and well-researched, this is the historical novel for any reader to dig into before spring lures us outside.

Mormon YA Fantasy Novelists

2009-03-09T16:41:00.000-04:00

At the library, the growing group of really fantastic Mormon YA authors is something that we talk about quite often. We've often speculated, without a Mormon colleague to ask, if there are elements to the religion that lend themselves especially well to the creation of fantasy. Look at the popularity of Orson Scott Card in the past and now Stephanie Meyer, Shannon Hale, Jessica Day George, and even Obert Skye. All of them are creating fantasy worlds that strike a chord with young readers and critics alike. (I would list Shannon Hale as one of my favorites, and her blog, squeetus, is a delight!) A recent article Boston Globe perfectly addressed this phenomenon and talked with some of the authors.

I read Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball (a retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses") last week and really enjoyed it. Like her Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow (a retelling of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon"), it beautifully retells a less popular and very romantic fairy tale. The author uses exquisite details to fully realize the world in which the fairy tale is set to make it work. In this tale, twelve individual princesses are a lot to take on, but George handles the challenge by naming each sister after flowers in their mother's garden. I loved the description of the enchantment that makes the princesses dance and how George is not easy on the queen mother for her selfish wishes that cursed her daughters.

Lately, I've been having a rough time staying with anything I pick up, but Princess of the Midnight Ball had me in nearly one sitting.

Reminiscences from the Greats

2009-02-17T18:11:00.000-05:00

And while I'm just throwing links up here...I just read the most wonderful article from Publisher's Weekly. Here are a handful of legends from the field of children's publishing reminiscing about how things used to be. What a delight!

Cybils

2009-02-17T17:49:00.000-05:00

The children's literature blogging community issues its own year-end awards and they announced them on Saturday. Here's some love from the Cybils.

Lovely New Novels for Teen Girls

2009-02-12T17:15:00.002-05:00

I always like to take a little breather from children's books right after all of our end of the year reviewing and awards build-up, but this year, since I went to ALA mid-winter, I picked up tons and tons of ARCs for great up-coming stuff and I haven't really had a break at all. Where's that hot 2008 adult novel I was going to read? Oh well. And I'm still far down on the waiting list for The Graveyard Book.

I've most recently read a trio of novels that will appeal to teen girls, and the next two on my pile will as well. The first is The Musician's Daughter, by Susanne Dunlap. Fifteen-year-old Theresa is the daughter of a violinist playing in the glamorous royal court of 18th century Vienna. When her father turns up murdered, Theresa is determined to find out more about his death, if not solve the mystery. But the social constraints of both her sex and her social position get in Theresa's way as she tries to move in various circles to get more information. Gypsies, musicians, courtiers, and even Haydn himself are all part of the wider mystery that grows more and more complicated the closer Theresa looks. The historical setting is uncommon for young adults novels and provides an in-depth look at the social class structure and the view of Romanies in the 18th century. The story is engaging with intrigue, romance, and music woven throughout. This is not a five-star novel, but it is definitely appealing and would be perfect to hand to fans of historical fiction.

Next, I read the fabulous Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, by Beth Fantaskey. Jessica is so excited for her senior year and everything is going her way when Lucius, a vampire prince from Romania, shows up and tells her that she is really Antanasia, his betrothed vampire princess. Lucius is enrolled in her high school as an exchange student and lives with her family while he tries to convince Jessica to embrace her inheritance and join him in ruling the vampire clans. Jessica is rational, doesn't believe in vampires, and already has her sights on a guy - all of this is going to ruin her perfect senior year! What starts out as a hilarious fish out of water story soon becomes a dark and serious gothic tale perfect for readers who love OR hate Twilight. Jessica and Lucius are really well-rounded characters who really stay with you. This was a serious page-turner and I had to stay up until I finished it; it was absolutely delightful and the ending did not disappoint. I'm telling everyone about it right now.

Finally, I just finished the ARC for Deb Caletti's newest, The Secret Life of Prince Charming, due out in April. At first I was not in love with the premise of this newest; it seemed a little too much like a movie theme, kinda like the last one (but you see, I can't go into depth, because I don't want to give away the plot). However hokey the premise, Caletti's writing always conquers all. This, to me, was her most powerful novel. It's all about love and relationships and what women are willing to put up with for love. Like so many of her other novels, it's a multi-generational story and while the heroine is a teen; her mom, grandma, aunt, and the women who have been in her father's life are all multi-faceted, important characters. The story of Quinn and her journey to learn more about her charismatic father is interwoven with the life lessons and stories of all the women in her life and their disasters with love. It's heartbreaking and empowering and seems like a really important novel for teen girls to read. Finally, I love how misleading the title is - any girl would pick this up with totally the wrong idea about this as a "romance" and it will end up being something she really ought to read. Fantastic!

I've finally started Kristin Cashore's ARC for Fire, the prequel to Graceling, which will be released in October. I'll have more on that soon. And my eagerly awaited copy of Envy in the "Luxe" series by Anna Godbersen, also just came in, so I'll be very busy reading this weekend. Hurray!

And the award goes to...

2009-01-26T16:44:00.002-05:00

Publisher's Weekly's rundown of today's children's and young adult literature awards is the most concise, so that's the link I'll give you, if you haven't already looked up the awards for yourself.

I was at the awards press conference in Denver this morning and had both cheers and jeers. I do think the choice of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book as the Newbery winner might answer some of this year's debate about commerical viability and popularity of the award winners, but does not satisfy those who wish the award would skew younger. So there. I haven't read it yet because our library copies had publisher errors and had to go back, thus making those on the waiting list wait even longer. I liked The House in the Night, by Susan Marie Swanson, and I am fine with it winning the Caldecott, but it wasn't my favorite. What really disappointed me was not seeing any honor for either of the books many of the librarians felt were stand-outs: Diamond Willow and Chains. Ah well, we'll go on reccommending them anyway! Some of the other, less well-known, awards were much more satisfying. Hurray for The Blacker the Berry, by Joyce Carol Thomas, and We Are the Ship , by Kadir Nelson, for their many honors.

The newest award, the William C. Morris Award, for a debut young adult title, had really strong contenders and we've been hotly debating the possibilities ever since we heard they were giving the new award. The winner, A Curse as Dark as Gold , by Elizabeth Bunce, was not my favorite on the list. It's quite good, though. (Obviously, if you've read my blog before, you'll know that I'm a huge Graceling fan. Which reminds me...I have an ARC of the prequel, Fire, right now and will get around to reviewing it soon.)

And that's my round-up. How are you feeling about the results?

Some Awards Links

2009-01-25T16:32:00.000-05:00

If you're interested in hearing the winners of the aforementioned children's book awards as quickly as possible tomorrow morning, the blog for the Allen County Library System has a great round-up of ways you can hear the big news, from the Today Show to Twitter.

If you're interested in seeing what titles other librarians have loved and think are worthy of awards, the author Jim Averbeck has created a great spreadsheet of nationwide mock discussions lists. Enjoy!

Mock Newbery Awards 2009

2009-01-25T12:30:00.002-05:00

This week at the Denver Public Library we held a lively Mock Newbery discussion. We had created two lists of excellent titles during the year and encouraged our participants to read as many as possible. Here is the list of the books we read and discussed:

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Hummingbird by Kimberly Green Angle

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of Human Oddballs and

Quadruped Delights by David Elliott

The Trouble Begins at 8 by Sid Fleischman

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff

Bird Lake Moon by Kevin Henkes

Brooklyn Bridge by Karen Hesse

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro Baseball League by Kadir Nelson

Trouble by Gary Schmidt

The Newbery Medal is given by the American Library Association each year to the author of the most distinguished work of literature for children, which includes fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Here is a link to the criteria considered for the award. Here is a link to past winners.

Our group discussed and debated the pros and cons for each title and determined what we believed to be the most distinguished titles. Our winner was Diamond Willow and the way the votes played out, our only honor vote went to Chains. Yay! Those were definitely the ones I'm hoping to see recognized at tomorrow's awards ceremony. Speaking of...

The American Library Association's Mid-Winter Meeting/Conference is in Denver this week and I was fortunate enough to attend the notable children's picture book discussion yesterday and picked up tons of ARCs for hot new titles coming out this year. I'm sure you'll be seeing my reviews of those books in the coming months. As a part of the group being in town, the announcement of the chidren's book awards will also take place in town, so I'll be up bright and early tomorrow morning at the press conference to hear their winners firsthand. So exciting!

So exciting

2009-01-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

The most exciting new today is that the Hunger Games sequel is coming out in September and ARC copies will be given out at Book Expo America in May. If you're going and you want to grab me a copy, I'd love to get my hands on it!!!
Here's a link to the notice in today's Publisher's Weekly: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6631377.html?nid=2788

Non-Fiction Book Reviews

2009-01-16T18:17:00.002-05:00

I've been given mostly non-fiction books to review lately, which has me rather bogged down. Here are a couple of current reviews.

Making Cents, by Elizabeth Keeler Robinson and illustrated by Bob McMahon.

The United States has a lot of different forms of currency, or money, from the penny up to the $100 bill. How much is the money worth and how can you get some of it? This non-fiction title describes each monetary unit, shows a nice picture of it, and describes what you can buy with it. Turn the page, and the penny is multiplied to the nickel, and its buying power is multiplied too. As the amount of money grows, the illustrator continues drawing pennies, nickels, and dimes so that the reader can see the pile of money growing and growing. The author also shows how the choices of purchases multiply along with the money. For a penny, the kids can buy one-penny nail, but for one dollar, the kids can buy one hundred penny nails or twenty spiraled wood screws or ten marking pencils or four sandpaper squares, or a hinge for a door. The ascension of money and products is simply laid out and explained and makes a bold impression. In addition to the text, the bright and appealing illustrations show kids doing various neighborhood tasks to earn the money they are going to need to build a clubhouse, so the concepts of earning and saving are mildly introduced as well. An author’s note at the end discusses other currency not mentioned in the text, such as the two-dollar bill or the one-dollar coin. The author also describes how the pictures on our coins change all the time and gives the websites for the Bureau of Printing and Engraving and the U.S. Mint so that kids can see the various designs for themselves.

Hide and Seek: Nature's Best Vanishing Acts, by Andrea Helman with photographs by Gavriel Jecan.

Animals around the world and across many habitats use camouflage to hide themselves from predators. Giraffes in the savanna, candy crabs in the sea, grasshoppers in the desert, seal pups in the arctic, tigers in the forest, and jackrabbits in the mountains are just some examples of the varied animals that use their skin to stay safe. In this book, dramatic photographs show how difficult it can be to see these, and other, animals hiding in plain sight. Notes at the end of the book will help you find animals you might have missed hiding in the photographs. The notes also pinpoint where in the world the photos were taken and give further information about the animals pictured, including each animal’s Latin name. Large, bold-face type and simple text make this an accessible choice for younger elementary children. The layout of the book is not particularly special, but the space on the page devoted to the amazing photographs makes up for the lack of jazzy editorial features.

More Newbery Fervor

2009-01-08T17:28:00.000-05:00

Since my recent post about the various Newbery articles out there, even more have been published. This year the Newbery is really a popular tempest in a teapot. Today the Scripps Howard News Service summed up both sides of the argument nicely. No doubt there will still be more hubbub before the award announcement, which is still two weeks away - I get to go to the press conference this year, which should be fascinating.

I'm currently reading the fourth installment in the Enola Holmes mystery series, The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, and I think this one is the best yet.

Play with Elephant and Piggie for a while...

2009-01-06T19:12:00.005-05:00

I have not been liking anything I have picked up lately and I'm reading some dry adult non-fiction, so there isn't much for me to blog about right now. Instead, I will give you the link to the Elephant and Piggie Dance game from Mo Willems, which is not new, but still gives me the giggles. Enjoy!

If you are not familiar with Elephant and Piggie, they are the stars of a series of early reader books by Mo Willems (who also wrote Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus). Here is my recent review of an Elephant and Piggie book, I Will Surprise My Friend:

Elephant and Piggie are good friends. As they are walking, they see a squirrel surprise his friend, making everyone laugh. Elephant and Piggie decide together that it would be really fun to surprise each other. After sneakily hiding on either side of a rock, each friend waits for the other to appear. When neither friend sees the other, each friend begins to worry that something has happened to the other. Characteristically, Elephant envisions terrible scenes of what might have happened to Piggie. Piggie imagines Elephant may have become hungry for lunch. Lost in their own daydreams, Elephant and Piggie each leap from the rock and startle each other. Elephant and Piggie discover that not all surprises are funny—but readers will find the situation very funny, indeed. Showing his unfailing understanding of children’s humor, Willems has created a delightful story for very early readers. What is really wonderful about the Elephant and Piggie stories is how skillfully Willems uses the simplest words combined with illustrations of outstanding expressiveness to convey rather complicated ideas. Each arch of an eyebrow, position of an arm, and line of motion tells the story and cues early readers to recognize the thoughts behind the words and teaches plotting and pacing. The illustrations are done in Willems’ standard line art style and with a limited color palette, which highlights the action in the illustrations better than a busier page would. These stories are terrific for early readers but can also be enjoyed by younger children when read aloud or by older children who will continue to enjoy Willems’ trademark humor.

Just a Bit

2008-12-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and received all the gift books your hearts desired. While I was traveling over the holiday, I took a break from "new" books and read some older ones that were sitting in my pile, like A Northern Light, a wonderful historical mystery by Jennifer Donnelly.

Last night I finished Seven Paths to Death, the sixth volume in the always fascinating Japanese mystery series by the Hooblers. This last installment was not my favorite and had a weak conclusion, but it doesn't diminish the rest of the series. If you haven't read this series yet, start with The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn. The third volume, In Darkness, Death, won an Edgar award.

I promised that if I found the other Newbery article I had read I would post it. Here is a link to the December 16th article from the Washington Post.

Arguing the Merit of the Newbery

2008-12-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

It seems like this year the voices of the children's literature world have really spoken up against, and in defense of, the Newbery Award. The Newbery is an award given each year by the American Library Association's Association of Library Services to Children to the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published in English in the United States during the preceding year." For more on the criteria click here. The committee that awards the medal changes each year and is made up of librarians, booksellers, publishers, and sometimes other authors.

Suddenly, there is a really vocal outcry about the recent winners of the medal and whether they "appeal" to the audience who usually is assigned to read them - generally 5th graders handed a list by their teacher and told to pick a Newbery. Or by parents who want their child to read something "good." My former professor, the children's literature expert Anita Silvey, formerly editor of The Horn Book, wrote the first incendiary article this fall that sparked conversation and controversy all across children's bookdom. Here is a link to her article in School Library Journal from October. One of my colleagues was passing around another article this week (which I have since misplaced...I will post it when I see her tomorrow) that expressed displeasure at the seemingly esoteric recent choices. Finally, in defense of the Newbery, children's author Erica S. Perl rebutted on Slate.com yesterday.

I am torn by the whole issue. I advocated for both Criss Cross and Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! at Newbery time in 2006 and 2008 and was pleased when those books won. Both of those titles are attacked by librarians. On the other hand, I agree with the disappointment in The Higher Power of Lucky and Kira-Kira of 2007 and 2005. Honestly, the disagreement here seems to me like any other award from the Oscar to the Pillsbury Bake-Off--it's all a matter of taste.

The argument that makes me feel more passionate is this: now that the ALA has the Printz Award that recognizes contributions to the field of literature for teens, could the ALSC not change the upper age level considered by the Newbery committee for its prize? I think for some of the recent titles that would assuage some of the concerns felt by librarians and teachers. Now, when we have our mock Newbery discussions we're always leery. Last year it was this: "Does The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian fit the Newbery criteria? Because we think it's too old." Both Kira-Kira and Criss Cross walk that age line, as do recent honor books The Wednesday Wars and The House of the Scorpion.

Whatever happens this year and no matter what side of the issue you might take, I'm glad the issue has been re-visited. If nothing else, it's an exercise in critical thinking that I have enjoyed. Read the articles for yourself and let me know what you think.

Here is a list of past Newbery winners and honor books.

In January, I will revisit the whole topic after our library's mock Newbery discussion.

Mock Caldecott

2008-12-19T17:28:00.001-05:00

I swear this is the last "list" post for another month! Yesterday, we held our annual mock Caldecott discussion and these are the books that we thought had the most oustanding illustrations by an American this year. I'm going to give you the whole list that we considered and then our collective vote at the end, so scroll down to the bottom of the post if you can't stand the suspense! These are alphabetical by title...

Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation, illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Cat & Mouse, by Ian Schoenherr

The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes

How I Learned Geography, by Uri Shulevitz

In a Blue Room, illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Little Yellow Leaf, by Carin Berger

The Moon Over Star, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

My Friend the Starfinder, illustrated by Stephen Gammell

Old Bear, by Kevin Henkes

Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad, by James Rumford

Trainstop, by Barbara Lehman

Twenty Heartbeats, illustrated by Ed Young

The Umbrella Queen, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo

The Vanities, by Terence Lawlor

Wabi Sabi, illustrated by Ed Young

We Are the Ship, by Kadir Nelson

After taking a vote from the dozen librarians in attendance, our award this year went to We Are the Ship with honors for Wabi Sabi and Old Bear.

Impossible

2008-12-18T19:01:00.003-05:00

I'm not very far at all into Nancy Werlin's Impossible and I am already loving it so much that I just had to tell you. That's it!

Best New Fiction for Kids

2008-12-15T16:33:00.008-05:00

It's getting late for me to post my last best-of list of the year - hopefully you're not quite finished choosing marvelous books to purchase for the kids in your life, or for yourself! These are the novels that I loved best this year.

Hummingbird by Kimberly Greene Angle

The Calder Game by Blue Balliett

Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty

Masterpiece by Elise Broach

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo

The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman

Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff

Swindle by Gordon Korman

Nightmare at the Book Fair by Dan Gutman

My Chocolate Year by Charlotte Herman

The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson

Alvin Ho: Allergic To Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Escape the Mask by David Ward

Best New Picture Books

2008-12-06T18:04:00.006-05:00

There are always so many wonderful picture books published, it's hard to keep up with them all and very hard to choose favorites. My favorites are a mix of gorgeous illustrations, fabulous writing, or sheer readabilty with kids - you're lucky if one book is all three. That said, here are my personal picks for the best of the year and the ones I would give as gifts to the kids in my life.

Hush, Little Dragon by Boni Ashburn

M is for Mischief: An A to Z of Naughty Children by Linda Ashman

In a Blue Room by Jim Averbeck

Sally and the Purple Socks by Lisze Behtold

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

Old Bear by Kevein Henkes

Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman

Trainstop by Barbara Lehman

Santa Duck by David Milgrim

Penguins by Liz Pichon

The City Kid & the Suburb Kid by Deb Pilutti

A Kitten Tale – Eric Rohmann

Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz

The Foggy Foggy Forest by Nick Sharratt

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz

To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson

Blue Goose by Nancy Tafuri

Th e 3 Bears and Goldilocks by Margaret Willey

The Animals Came Two by Two by Christopher Wormell

Wabi Sabi by Ed Young

Brand New Board Book Blog

2008-12-02T14:13:00.003-05:00

Today a colleague sent me a link to a brand new board books blog, readertotz , which looks like it's going to be fantastic! A couple of picturebook authors/illustrators are the bloggers, so it already has a leg up. Check it out - I'm adding it to my blogroll.

So Many Pop-Ups

2008-11-28T15:51:00.007-05:00

It seems to me that pop-up books are getting more and more popular and so we are getting more and more of them published each year. It makes me wonder how Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda have time to eat or sleep. A lot of times, I'm not thrilled with the sheer amount of text mixed in with the marvelous paper engineering and it makes me wonder if anyone actually reads them. However, there were two this year that I absolutely loved and felt were just right. These are Brava, Strega Nona! by Tomie DePaola with pop-ups by Sabuda and Reinhart and ABC 3-D by Marion Bataille, a name that was new to me. These two celebrate the craft of fabulous paper ingenuity without too much text, making them only a pleasure with no guilt.

Brava, Strega Nona! is an absolute delight. It celebrates the joys of family, food, and community life; all with references to Tomie DePaola's much loved heroine and the exploits of her friends. The first page is a huge, pop-up family tree with all of Strega Nona's relatives. On a page with a village scene there are little windows to open and lots to see - it's very detailed. My favorite page features a pop-out flood of spaghetti with poor Big Anthony getting swept away!

ABC 3-D has a wonderful website with a book trailer included so you can see for yourself what the book looks like as a pair of hands turns the pages and demonstrates the variety of creative movements that the book can make. I love this book because it is sheer paper engineering, without a story. Each letter has a unique design and some of them are extremely clever.

Both of these titles would make wonderful gift books for children, book lovers, or artists in your life.

Best Books from SLJ

2008-11-25T19:10:00.003-05:00

Today School Library Journal issued their list of the 67 best books of the year for kids. It's ahead of their printed version, so here's a sneak peek of some wonderful choices: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6617203.html. Enjoy!

What I Saw and How I Lied

2008-11-21T22:47:00.003-05:00

Hurray! The National Book Award Committee has done it again - What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell is an absolutely fantastic read and worthy winner of the prize.

I actually just finished reading the novel a few minutes ago and so I'm ready for a fresh rave. The plotting and pacing are impeccable. The characters are a winning mix of despicable and sympathetic. The humid Florida setting is so realistic I felt like I had to swim back to reality each time I took a break. And best of all, the ending is NOT tied up in a tidy bow. It's a noir-ish mystery, bildungsroman, and historical fiction.

This is the story of Evie, a 16-year-old girl living in Queens just after WWII. Her stepfather has just returned from the war and everything is going to be perfect. But Joe is not the same as he was before the war. He isn't as care free. When he proposes a trip to Palm Beach, Florida, Evie thinks it will be the break the family needs to get back to normal. Evie is also anxious to grow up and to be allowed to wear lipstick and more womanly clothes and to date. She longs to be a knock-out like her gorgeous mother, but knows that she is plain and young-looking.

In Florida, the family forms relationships with the sophisticated Graysons and the suave and mysterious Peter, with whom Evie falls in love. Joe begins to wheel and deal with Mr. Grayson, a hotelier, and leaves Evie and her mother to their own plans, which increasingly include Peter. Is Peter in love with Evie too? Maybe, but her mother is constantly with them, and Evie can't help but feel jealous of the attention Peter gives her dishy mom.

When the shiny veneer begins to wear off their idyllic getaway, and a mystery unfolds, Evie must come to terms with her parents as individuals with their own flaws and learn what kind of person she would like to become.

Best New Non-Fiction for Kids

2008-11-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I shared my favorite teen books of the year. This week I'll gradually build my list of favorite kids books (again, that I've read so far), starting with non-fiction. These are the ones for those sometimes reluctant readers who are really intrigued with facts and amazing nature photos. These are the ones with inspiring stories or sneaky messages.

Wild Tracks: A Guide to Nature's Footprints by Jim Arnosky

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne

Nic Bishop Frogs by Nic Bishop

Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator by Sarah C. Campbell

The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

Sisters & Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

Imaginary Menagerie by Julie Larios

The Way We Work : Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body by David Macaulay

What the World Eats by Peter Menzel & Faith D'Aluisio

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman

Trout are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre

Ain't Nothing but a Man : My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson & Marc Aronson

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh

Best Books for Teens 2008

2008-11-13T19:32:00.008-05:00

Today our team of librarians did our annual book talk for the best and brightest teen books that we've read this year (this is our favorites session, not so much our critical acclaim session). Sadly, it being only November, not all of the best stuff has made it into our hands yet. So, as of today, these are my favorites:

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

by E. Lockhart

Trouble by Gary Schmidt

Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee

Wonderful Escape

2008-11-11T11:22:00.005-05:00

Now that I'm up, it's time to add my two cents to all the other wonderful reviews and agreement about the two best teen novels of the year, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. It's unusual, but not unheard of, for the most highly acclaimed titles of the year to both be fantasy. So pick them up and lose yourself in an alternate world.

I read the ARC for Hunger Games this summer and was instantly sucked in to this bleak vision of a North American future where the population is divided into camps that are forced send their youth to an annual battle to the death. The Hunger Games are an annual televised "reality show" to the extreme in which a boy and girl from each of the 12 Districts must fight and kill each other until only one is left to reap rewards and the accolades of the the rest of the population.

Catniss, the fatherless and rebellious heroine, is so plucky, and hides her tenderness so well, you can't help but root for her in the brutal game of survival. She seems made to play the game. She knows how to hunt, how to create camouflage; she's lean and athletic and fierce and has few loyalties, even back home. Her balance in the game is the unexpectedly competetive Peeta, the baker's son from her own district. Peeta has always wanted to be friends with Katniss and she has always seen him as someone who pities her and she can't unbend. The two must balance their uneasy relationship with survival - and ultimately one of them must go.

What makes this negative Utopia more compelling than similar stories that have been told in the past is the depth of characterization. Even minor characters live and breathe and you have to root for them while knowing that their doom is imminent. There is a political element that is fascinating too - the players all have stylists and managers to help them appear more likable to the TV audience, even in this brutal battle. It's an interesting twist. The politics will probably be the focus of the projected sequel - one can only hope the sequel is as wonderful as this volume.

Collins was inspired by the myth of Theseus, which opens with the youth of Athens being sent to Crete to battle the Minotaur. If her name sounds familiar, she is the author of the wonderful Gregor the Overlander series for younger kids.

And now to Graceling...which I read earlier this fall. The story is set in a land with seven kingdoms, ruled by seven kings. Some of them are bad, some are good, some united, some isolated, but in all the seven kingdoms there are people with Graces. Those who are Graced are extremely skilled in one area, be it baking, swimming, climbing, or fighting, all of which manifest themselves when children are about ten years old. In most of the kingdoms, those with a Grace are feared, and they can be picked out because their eyes are two different colors.

Katsa (similar name, I know) is Graced with killing - she's King Randa's niece and he is a brutal leader, so he uses her as his strong-arm and assassin. As she grows older, Katsa becomes more and more reluctant both to kill and to be forced to do the king's bidding against her will. As the novel opens, we learn that Katsa is also part of an underground organization that works for the greater good and cooperation throughout the seven kingdoms.

And honestly, I can't go a lot further without giving away all the wonderful plot twists and turns. Seriously! There's a fascinating plot, vivid characters, action, fast-paced fight scenes, and a bit of romance. I thought The Hunger Games was going to be my favorite book of the year until I read Graceling. It is honestly one of the most fantastic novels I have read in years. It completely sucked me in and I could not read again for a while until I could disengage myself from the vivid world Cashore has created.

Kristin Cashore is a first-time author who plans to write a prequel and sequel to Graceling and one can only hope that she handles the new volumes with the finesse and skill she exhibited in Graceling.

Feeling Desperate about Despereaux

2008-11-10T23:39:00.006-05:00

Today I had a couple of hours of ranting and raving and disappointment. We received our brand, spanking new The Tale of Despereaux: The Junior Novelization movie tie-in book. (An animated movie version of the Newbery Award winning novel opens in theaters December 19.)

Um....where to begin.

1. I can understand (maybe) that when an author sells movie rights she may lose control of movie tie-in junk. I hope that's what happened here. This thing is "by" Jamie Michalak AND Kate DiCamillo.

2. Candlewick? Hello? This is the very first disappointing thing Candlewick has ever done (that I've noticed) and I just can't figure out the motivation here. They're not even a publicly traded company! There should be more integrity. If it was Harper Collins doing a repackaging, I would understand, but Candlewick? Come on!

3. Since when is a movie tie-in junior novelization 219 pages? 90 pages and I would cut them all a lot of slack, but for 219 pages of drivel, why would you not just read 267 pages of marvelous, award-winning genius?

4. This is just my library beef, but because this is the newest holding we have for this title at the library, it's the one that's going to show up at the top of the page when a patron does a title search for The Tale of Despereaux. If you don't really know what you're looking for, this is the one you are going to check out or place on hold. Not the real deal. THIS.

Argh!

And we begin again...

2008-11-10T23:14:00.003-05:00

Hello Readers. Apparently, I have readers. The other day a new author, Catherine Urdahl, came into my library to tell us about her new book and while she was visiting she asked about the (formerly anonymous) author of this blog. She asked me...so I fessed up. And it made me realize that more people than my mother may stumble across this space and want to read more. If I had known that, I wouldn't have let things lapse so very badly! Sorry, y'all.

I figure that Catherine Urdahl deserves a shout-out for bringing this to my attention. Her picture book, Emma's Question, is about a little girl whose grandma is in the hospital and deals with questions of life, death, and illness. The book will be released by Charlesbridge Press in February. I haven't seen a copy yet, but it seems promising and the author is lovely.

In the meantime, I've done some minor re-designing of the site and I've added my GoodReads books, which should at least be fun to look at if I keep lapsing in my posts - which I promise (again) not to do!

So, if you've forgiven me for abandoning you, welcome back and see you soon!

Poetry Corner

2008-03-21T15:22:00.019-04:00

National Poetry Month is April, just around the corner, so we at the library are busy preparing our Poetry Safari (a kind of poetry scavenger hunt) and receiving lots of new poetry books. The publishers know when to get those new ones out so we can use them while we're still excited about them.

First, I want to mention an oldie by goodie that I finally sat down and looked at today for the first time, Pocket Poems by Bobbi Katz. Teachers I know have raved about this little gem of a poetry book for a long time, but I just picked it up today (finally!). The concept centers around the titular poem by Bobbi Katz that begins,

With a poem in your pocket

and

a pocket in your pants

you can rock with new rhythms.

You can skip.

You can dance.

Each of the poems in this anthology is short enough to carry in your pocket on a small piece of paper. This is a perfect introduction to poetry and would be fun to use with kids in a classroom. Some schools have been embracing Poem in Your Pocket Day, so this is an obvious choice for that as well. Another example from the book, the limerick "Maggies Dog", on page 23, comes from an anonymous poet:

There was a young girl called Maggy.

Whose dog was enormous and shaggy.

The front end of him

Looked vicious and grim,

But the tail end was friendly and waggy.

My favorite poetry collection from 2007 was Here's a Little Poem, edited by Jane Yolen. This one received raves all around the kid lit community and is a perfect first poetry book for toddlers and other little ones. This one makes a perfect baby gift too! Illustrated by Polly Dunbar in her happy, colorful style, and with text in a variety of fonts and colors, poems are not at all intimidating.

Jack Prelutsky, our poet laureate, has a new collection of funny, silly poems, My Dog May Be a Genius. My co-workers and I had a riot reading them aloud to each other. This is definitely a worthy addition to his canon. How does this genius keep coming up with all this good stuff? I especially love his poem "I Have a Lamb" from page 115:

I have a lamb

that loves to dance,

it dances every day,

and every time

it has a chance,

it practices baaaaa-let.

Hee hee! How can you not get the giggles?

A really cool and different poetry book that is new this year is called A Crossing of Zebras: Animal Packs in Poetry by Marjorie Maddox. This one is for an older audience and uses a variety of poetic styles to introduce packs on animals. Poems address such groups as a tower of giraffes, a murder of crows, a leap of leopards, and a charm of butterflies. The author's note at the end explains to readers the origins of these fun and descriptive terms and assures us that they are very real.

Enjoy some old or new poetry books today or wait until April, if you must.

Sci-Fi Overload

2008-02-26T21:34:00.003-05:00

This month I have read more sci-fi than in the last 10 years combined...and really it's only been the two books, mainly, so you can see how little sci-fi I read otherwise. These two kids books are worth a mention and a look.

Hungry by Althea Eason.
What would you do if your parents wanted you to eat the boy you're beginning to crush on, who also happens to be your best friend? If you were an alien family living undercover on planet Earth, this scenario would sound more plausible, right? That is just what is happening to poor Deborah, I mean Dbkrrrsh. She and her parents have been staking out Earth in order to help when it's time for the upcoming Invasion. While Deborah has always been able to feed on anonymous humans before, her parents want her to prove how loyal she is to the home planet by eating a human who is her friend. What's an alien girl to do?

While its one of the few (okay, only) hilarious sci-fi novels I've enjoyed in years, this is a refreshing coming-of-age story too. While there are lots of plot twists and complications, the story never stalls and is full of surprises. I recommend it - and it's always great to have a true juvenile sci-fi to recommend. Also, Deborah is not too girly, so this novel should appeal to readers of both sexes. And aliens too.

There's Nothing to do on Mars by Chris Gall
Davey Martin's family moved to Mars. There's nothing to do on Mars - Davey is sure of it. In the illustrations, the reader sees all the great things Davey could be doing, but he just thinks everything is boring. He zooms around on a space scooter with his robot dog, exploring the whole planet, finding all kinds stuff that adults will recognize (is that the Mars Rover buried in the sand? Davey calls it "an old toy"). Finally, Davey finds something fun to do that will change Mars forever. The retro kitchsy illustrations are great and compliment the 60's Space Race nostalgia of the text. The story can be read on an adult humorous level while the kids enjoy all there is to see. Warning: You may want to smack Davey for not appreciating all the awesome stuff on Mars. He's the epitome of the spoiled, whiney kid.

The Princess and the Hound

2008-02-16T17:05:00.002-05:00

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
In recent times, animal magic has been outlawed from Prince George's kingdom and other surrounding kingdoms. Those with animal magic are persecuted and sometimes killed. Unbeknownst to his kingdom, Prince George and his mother, the queen, both have animal magic and must fight to keep it hidden and in check in front of their subjects. Denying the animal magic can make them sick, so life is a constant balancing act.

When George is betrothed to Princess Beatrice of a rival kingdom, he fears what marriage might bring and the discovery of his secret. His fears are assuaged when he meets the princess and her hound companion. While it is obvious that she cannot speak to her hound, the two have an incredible bond. George finds himself obsessed with the connection between the princess and her hound and comes to better understand his own magic because of them.

Incredibly well-written and original, this fantasy love story is full of twists and surprises.

Hello Again

2008-02-02T14:40:00.001-05:00

It's kind of appalling that I've been AWOL from my blog during the two biggest book months of the year. Appalling but understandable, I guess. I had started making you gift-buying lists, best of the year lists, mock awards lists; I've read tons of phenominal books and yet, nothing on the blog. It's been sooooo busy and I've been sooooo burnt out. So, my apologies for leaving you high and dry.

I was really happy with the American Library Association's awards choices this year. Only the Printz list was unfamiliar to me. (Okay, I was going to link you there, but it seems that ALA is having a lag to post its awards on the normal pages.)Otherwise, everything seemed pretty deserving and had been discussed by my fellow librarians in our own mock discussions. (Really! I'm not just saying that because I can.) Here's a link to Denver Public Library's website with the award winners.

Here is a list of great children's books (besides those that won awards) I read recently:
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
When I Crossed No-Bob by Margaret McMullen
Underground by Jean Ferris
Red Moon at Sharpsburg by Rosemary Wells
Hush: An Irish Princess Tale by Donna Jo Napoli
Peak by Roland Smith

Yatandou

2007-11-23T19:41:00.000-05:00

Today I saw the most beautiful picture book, Yatandou. This one is award-worthy. By Gloria Whelan, who has written beautiful, lyrical novels, it tells the story of Yatandou, a girl living in a traditional Mali village. She spends her days tending her goat and pounding millet. The women in her village have heard of a contraption that will pound the millet for them - if they save enough money they can buy one. Yatandou dreams of learning to read and write and not having to pound millet three hours a day. Soon, all these dreams come true.

Whelan writes, in an author's note, about the "multi-functional platforms" that African women own, operate, and manage to make money for their villages.

The language is simple and beautiful with passages like, "Mother is returning. A water jug has had its little journey on her head."

The richly colored paintings by Peter Sylvadia evoke the heat of the desert and convey a sense of African life.

Not only is this picture book gorgeous, it also supports a good cause - the non-profit Building with Books. Building with Books engages urban youth in after-school programs where the kids engage in community service projects and go to developing countries to build schools. 90 of these schools where built in Mali.

Reaching for Sun

2007-11-16T16:43:00.000-05:00

The most beautifully-written book I have read all year is Reaching for Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. This is a novel in free-verse, told in the voice of a young girl with cerebral palsy. While she struggles in the physical world, her inner world is an articulate and light-filled one.

This entry will be filled with quotes, because the writing is far more important in this one than even the plot.
Tomatoes

With my odd walk
and slow speech
everyone knows
I've got special ed.
but if I wait
until the hall clears,

taunts like tomatoes
don't splatter
the back of my head.
(pg. 4)

I had to constantly stop to savor the metaphors. Passages like:
But Mom's dreams for me
are a heavy wool coat I
wear, even in summer.
(pg. 46)

I can't get over how carefully selected each word is and how much weight it carries, while not seeming heavy. There are very few words in this 180 page book, yet the story is well-rounded and complete, the characters three-dimensional.

In addition to strong word choices, this is a strong and compelling story. Josie has a hard time with the kids at school, for obvious reasons, but her vibrant home life with a feisty gradmother and always-busy mom help make up for it. When a new boy moves to the neighborhood he looks past her physical disabilities and sees her intelligence and creativity, making him a perfect friend. Josie struggles against her constant therapy sessions and practicing movement and speech. She struggles against a big lie she's telling her mom. And she struggles with the fear that her new friend may abandon her for cooler kids. These honest struggles make for a rich novel set completely in the metaphor of a garden, always growing, always reaching for sun.

Outstanding!

Bearskinner

2007-11-04T18:28:00.000-05:00

Amy Laura Schlitz’s new adaptation of the Brothers Grimm’s The Bearskinner is a well-told tale. It brought back the darkness and mystery that first drew me into classic fairy tales.

A soldier is walking through the woods one winter night, contemplating how he has no family, no food, and nowhere to sleep. He notices he is being followed by the devil. He knows that he shouldn’t make a bargain with the devil, but when a bear appears, he shoots it and that starts the process for the devil to take his soul. Soon the soldier has agreed to wear the bear’s skin and wander the world for seven years without bathing or grooming, but he will have more than enough money. If he doesn’t call upon God or commit suicide, he may have his soul back. Classic fairy tale events follow as the Bearskinner wanders the world, trying not to fall into despair.

Schlitz captures the tone of the bleak story as she begins with the passage,
They say that when a man gives up hope,
the devil walks at this side.
So begins this story:
A soldier marched through a dark wood,
and he did not march alone.
It’s positively eerie.

Max Grafe’s muddy-brown palette for the mixed-media illustrations actually makes them more beautiful and emphasizes the bleak medieval world of the Bearskinner. Only the devil’s coat is a brilliant, emerald green. He is meant to be tempting, and in that coat, he is.

This is one of the most enjoyable Grimm adaptations I’ve read in a while. It would make a beautiful gift book.

A Crooked Kind of Perfect

2007-11-03T12:46:00.000-04:00

I finished reading A Crooked Kind of Perfect, by Linda Urban, over a week ago and I really wanted to review it here but I got bogged down with other stuff. I am going to say right at the top here that this is my Newbery medalist prediction. It's not my very favorite book of the year, but it has that Newbery vibe going.

More than anything, ten-year-old Zoe wants to play the piano. She wants to be a prodigy like pianists in movies. She daydreams about herself in a flowing gown, sitting at a grand piano, playing on the stage at Carnegie Hall. In reality, Zoe's dad buys her a Perfectone D-60, an electric organ. Not the same thing at all!

Other things are not quite right either. When the cool girl at school invites her to a shoe-themed birthday party, Zoe brings socks as a gift. After that, Zoe has to sit at the boy's table in the cafeteria. The boys turn out to be pretty good friends for Zoe, especially Wheeler. Wheeler starts coming home with Zoe after school and befriends her agoraphobic father. Dad takes lots of correspondance courses on things like scuba diving or bread baking - things he doesn't actually do. While his fear of leaving the house can put a burden on Zoe, he's also a lot of fun and very supportive. Mom is in the picture, but is a workaholic. There are some touching scenes between Zoe and she, but dad is the major parental figure.

Zoe's Perfectone teacher invites her to participate in an organ competition; Zoe thinks "recital". Practicing "Forever in Blue Jeans" for her "recital" is not exactly what Zoe had in mind for her break-out performance, but she discovers that she really enjoys playing, even if it's not classical prodigy stuff. With the big competition to prepare for and fun at home with Wheeler and her dad, Zoe realizes that the strangest things can add up to perfect.

It was the well-drawn characters and quirky situations that made this novel really special. It's the author's first book, so I look forward to seeing more from her.

Robert's Snowflakes

2007-11-01T15:39:00.000-04:00

The image galleries for this year's Robert's Snow illustrated snowflake auction are now up for viewing.

If you don't know the really interesting story of these snowflakes...here it is. Robert Mercer was the husband of children's book author/illustrator Grace Lin. He had cancer and the two of them wanted to do something to raise money for cancer research, so they began sending out blank snowflakes to illustrators, based on a story by Grace. The illustrators decorate them and then they go up for auction to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Starting in 2004, they have auctioned off the snowflakes, done by different artists every year, raising over $200,000. Unfortunately, Robert lost his fight with cancer this past summer.

For more on the story and to see the galleries of snowflakes, check out the online auction page.

My Favorite Blog

2007-10-25T19:54:00.000-04:00

There are a number of blogs I check regularly, but my very favorite is Alison Morris' at Publisher's Weekly. Alison is the children's buyer at the Wellesley Booksmith in Massachusetts. This link is a good example of why I love it so: http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/660000266/post/1120016312.html?nid=3340 In fact, I loved it so much I just had to share it with you!

Click

2007-10-17T15:51:00.000-04:00

I recently received an ARC of Click, a fascinating collaboration by authors such as Linda Sue Park, Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Nick Hornby, and Gregory Maguire. It's fantastic! Here's my review:

Maggie is a young girl whose beloved grandfather, a famous photojournalist called “Gee,” has just died, leaving her a special package. Rather than opening it right away, Maggie goes through a grieving process for weeks. Finally, she is ready, and what she finds in Gee’s package sends her on the journey of a lifetime. This is a “jump” story, one where several authors write short stories, all tied together with one “jump character” or “jump object.” In this book, Grandpa Gee is the “jump character” whose story is told by a wide range of popular authors of both adult and children’s fiction. Maggie and her adopted brother Jason show up in some of the stories, aging into mature years as the book progresses. Other installments introduce people and situations from Gee’s past: two Japanese brothers during World War II, a couple of Irish boys who met Muhammad Ali, prisoners in a Russian jail, and a mysterious girl who lives by the sea. The stories work well together and create a fascinating blend of fantasy, realism, science fiction, and historical fiction. Collected by well-respected editor Arthur A. Levine, this collection has something for everyone and each purchase benefits Amnesty International!

Wicked Lovely

2007-10-07T21:48:00.000-04:00

I recently read Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. Here is a description I wrote:

Aislynn has the Sight, which means that she can see the faeries, sprites, fey and nymphs that invisibly live in the world among humans. Fun, right? Wrong. These are malevolent creatures that play painful, dirty tricks on humans. Aislynn and her Grans have always had the Sight, but the faeries can't know or they might blind or even kill them. So, Aislynn walks through life, through the faeries, rigidly ignoring them. There are rules that apply to the faeries and suddenly they're breaking a lot of rules. Two of them, royal ones, seem to be following Aislynn. Soon, Aislynn is swept into a battle of wills when the Summer King wants her to be his queen and she must conceal her knowledge and resist his magic. Ancient rules, modern life, and the power of love come together in this gorgeous and richly woven urban fantasy.

This was a truly unique and awesome read. Highly recommended reading from a first-time author. Pick it up for your teenaged friend or yourself.

Picture Book Shelf

2007-10-04T09:31:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when you are a librarian, especially a children's librarian, your desk can become overwhelmed by all of the picture books you are saving for upcoming storytimes. Let me give you an example by listing what all is on my picture book shelf right now.

The Hallo-Wiener, by Dav Pilkey
Peek-a-Boooo! by Marie Torres Cimarusti
The Three Bears' Halloween, by Kathy Duval
Sheep Trick or Treat, by Nancy Shaw
What a Scare, Jesse Bear, by Nancy White Carlstrom
Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson
Skeleton Hiccups, by Margery Cuyler

Oliver, Who Would Not Sleep, by Mara Bergman
A Splendid Friend Indeed, by Suzanne Bloom
Hippos Go Berserk, by Sandra Boynton
Can You Growl Like a Bear? by John Butler
Peek in My Pocket, by David Carter
If You're Happy and You Know It, by Jane Cabrera
Penguin, by Polly Dunbar
Color Zoo, by Lois Ehlert
Bye-Bye, Big Bad Bullybug! by Ed Emberley
I've Got an Elephant, by Anne Ginkel
The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins
Adventures of Cow, by Cow (a.k.a. Lori Korchek)
Mother Goose's Little Treasures, by Iona Opie
The Great Gracie Chase, by Cynthia Rylant
Russell the Sheep, by Rob Scotton
What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas
The Boy Who Thought He Was a Teddy Bear, by Jeanne Willis

Some notable picture books that are also there that I'm just reviewing:
What Could Be Better Than This? by Linda Ashman
Mary and the Mouse, The Mouse and Mary, by Beverly Donofrio
Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal, by Paul Fleischman
Inventor McGregor, by Kathleen T. Pelley
Pssst! by Adam Rex
Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf, by Judy Sierra
The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, by Peter Sis

The Nature of Jade

2007-09-27T16:04:00.000-04:00

I finished reading The Nature of Jade, by Deb Caletti, a couple of days ago. I felt a real sense of mourning when it finally finished. Not because it was a sad book, but because I hated to end such a satisfying and well-written one. I would follow these characters forever.

Jade is a sixteen-year-old living in Seattle. Senior year is approaching and all of her friends and even her family are going through major changes and growing pains. Jade herself has anxiety, panic attacks. The only thing that helps calm her down is lighting her saint candles and watching the online elephant cam from the nearby zoo. When Jade sees a mysterious boy with a baby who keeps reappearing by the elephants, she becomes interested in him. How can someone you have only seen seem so right? Is that love at first sight?

As the year progresses, Jade’s family falls apart, her group of friends begins to break-up, but Jade becomes more sure of herself, partly due to starting to work with the elephants. And finally, Jade encounters the boy with the baby, who is even more mysterious in real life than he was in her imagination.

The writing in this novel is phenomenal. The characters are so multi-faceted and Jade's parents are especially human. As is so rare in this genre, Jade comes to truly see her parents as the frail human individuals they are, rather than the sterotypes she would like them to be. There are also really deep and tricky moral questions that will leave the reader wondering what things in life are really magnets for our moral compass.

Highly recommended!

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat

2007-09-12T17:09:00.000-04:00

Just this very minute, I have finished one of the best children's novels I have read all year! All I can say is, Finally! I feel like it's been months since anything truly wonderful crossed my desk. Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, by Lynne Jonell, is extremely well-written, with bathroom humor, pathos, and believable and sympathetic characters of both the human and rodent kind.

Emmy is a very rich, very lonely little girl. Her parents are constantly going off on long trips and leaving her with a horrible nanny, Miss Barmy. Worse, she recently changed schools and no one in her class acts like she exists. When Emmy starts hearing the class pet rat talking to her, a whole exciting and fantastical series of events unfold.

The rat has special powers; in fact, he is one of many rodents with special powers, most of them living in a shop in town where the evil Professor Vole does experiments with them. Soon Emmy begins to learn the powers of the other rodents and she realizes that Miss Barmy is using the rodents to control her, her parents, and even her classmates! Miss Barmy is after Emmy's family's fortune and she will stop at nothing to get it.

Emmy, the rat, and Emmy's new friend Joe join forces to stop Miss Barmy's evil plan. Using the resourcefulness of the other rodents, some ingenious catapults, and a lot of sneaking around, they wage war against Miss Barmy with hilarious and satisfying results.

This book has everything a good children's novel should: abandoned children, talking animals, a truly evil villian, and a little bit of magic. Hooray!

I mustn't forget to mention the terrific illustrations by Jonathan Bean on each page of the novel. As the reader creeps through the story, a rat creeps across a tree branch and then falls, very slowly, into outstretched hands. It is a flipbook and a beautifully done one, too.

A+

More Picturebooks

2007-08-30T13:16:00.000-04:00

I haven't spent much time in the past, in this blog, talking about picturebooks. I'm a novel reader and that's what I love most. Necessarily, however, I read a lot of picturebooks too and I'm coming to understand the beauty, simplicity, and power of picturebooks more and more. So now you get to read picturebook reviews too. Lucky you!

Orange Pear Apple Bear (Simon & Schuster, 5/07), by Emily Gravett
Orange Pear Apple Bear is a delightfully artistic book designed for children, but fun for adults. It opens as an object book, an orange on the first page, a pear on the next, then apple, then bear. But what comes next makes the book surprising and fun to examine. Next, we have an orange bear. Later, the bear juggles, changing the order of the simple words, apple, bear, orange, pear. So, it's a deceptively simple and clever picture book that will serve a variety of functions in early literacy. On the basic level, there is the vocabulary. Next there is the playing around with the meanings of words, nouns, adjectives, etc. Finally, there is word order and how it changes the meaning of a sentence. Best of all are the beautiful and simple watercolor illustrations.

A Dog Needs A Bone! (Blue Sky Press, 8/07) by Audrey Wood
What is your dog thinking about all day long? Bones! Toy bones, treat bones, squeaky bones. The dog in this story promises to do all kinds of funny, crazy things, if only his mistress will give him a bone! How about a carrot? No? Will this dog ever get a bone? This doggy sees bones everywhere! How many bones can you find in the illustrations? This newest offering from the classic Audrey Wood is full of her humor in both rhyming text and illustrations and is perfect for younger children.

Cutie New Picturebooks

2007-08-28T20:32:00.000-04:00

I read a lot of picturebooks now, so here are a couple I really liked recently.

Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things That Make Me Happy (Candlewick, 6/07), by Scott Menchin.
Sweet Pea is feeling sad today, so she sets out to find what makes other people happy. Taking a bath makes her dog happy. Counting tree rings makes the old man in the park happy. Shoes make the centipede happy. All of these things remind Sweet Pea that there are lots and lots of things that make her happy - especially taking a bath with the dog! What makes you happy?

Big Bad Wolves at School (Simon & Schuster, 6/07), by Stephen Krensky
Did you ever wonder how the Big Bad Wolf learned so many sneaky tricks? He went to Big Bad Wolf Academy, of course! But Rufus the wolf doesn't like going to school and learning how to blow down houses and dress up like a granny. He would rather roll in the grass and run around and howl. The other wolves call Rufus old-fashioned, but when a group of hunters comes to the forest, only Rufus knows what to do! This is a really funny book with great illustrations!

Epic

2007-08-21T18:21:00.000-04:00

Here is a book review from my archives. I put this in the hands of those boys who play RuneQuest on my computers all day at the library. I must confess, after reading the book, I really wanted to start playing those role-playing games.

Epic (Viking, 4/07), by Conor Kostick.

Long ago, the people of Earth were sent to the planet New Earth to escape the violence and destruction that mankind had wrought. In order to rule New Earth in peace, no violence of any kind would be tolerated – no yelling, hitting, or kicking, no matter how just the cause. Knowing that it would be necessary to ease tension and aggression somehow, the forefathers created a computer game, Epic, where the citizens of New Earth could fight in the arena and settle disputes. Generations later, Epic seems more real than life away from the screen. Children go to school to learn Epic strategies, the only way to earn money is through Epic, and the law is upheld through arena battles. Central Allocations, the government, has an unfair advantage in the game and rules with an iron fist. Erik and his friends spend all of their time playing Epic, like everyone else they know. One day, after dying in Epic, Erik decides to shake things up. He creates a new avatar with a skill set that seems impractical and no one has used before. Surprising things begin happening in the game when the new avatar, Cindella, begins to play. Her unusual skills seem to make the game more vivid and exciting than it ever was before; even fun again. As Cindella plays her way through the levels of the game, Erik and his friends discover a way to take down the entire corrupt system of their government and change the way the game is played, and the way their lives are lived, forever. The first-time novelist is the creator of the world’s first live fantasy role-playing game and brings his expertise in this field to create a compelling alternate universe. The story effectively explores the dangers of living purely in a fantasy world that are timely considering the growing popularity of games like Epic for children and adults. With both well-rounded characters and plot, this novel is a welcome addition to the science fiction shelf.

Into the Wild

2007-08-14T12:31:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Into the Wild . What a creative, fun, and well-written book! Just looking at the other author raves all over the cover got me excited about it and the premise is just awesome. This is the most innovative twist on fairy tales I've seen in a long time.

Into the Wild (Razorbill, 7/07), by Sarah Beth Durst.

Julie is a modern girl who doesn't quite fit in at school. Mainly this is because her modern school world and her world at home are so very different. See, Julie's mom is Rapunzel and their personal lives are overrun with all sorts of fairy tale characters. Puss n Boots is Julie's adopted brother. Snow's Seven come over for dinner all the time and they're so sexist! Cindy is the worst driver ever and she always wants to pick Julie up at school.

To make matters worse, THE WILD lives under Julie's bed and she is its keeper. The Wild is a magical force that is manifest in a thick, enchanted forest, now shrunk down to a pile of hungry vines living under Julie's bed. If The Wild gets ahold of Julie's shoe, it turns it into something else. Same with anything else it grabs. Julie is responsible for keeping The Wild locked up and never talking about it to anyone.

One night, someone makes a special wish at Granny's Wishing Well Motel and The Wild becomes powerful once again. Almost instantly, there is a huge, primeaval forest growing in the middle of town, sucking in anything that gets near it. All of the fairy tale characters are forced to back to their stories, re-enacting them over and over, in their own kind of prison. Only Julie understands enough about the world and the ways of The Wild to rescue her family and put The Wild back in its place. Julie doesn't belong to a story - yet - so she can manipulate what happens, as long as she plays by The Wild's rules.

Wecome Back, Me

2007-08-13T20:08:00.001-04:00

Ever since I started my new children's librarian job, I've been busy reading tons and tons of stuff, but not posting about it at all! I've missed the blog and now it's time to get back online. I will try to post all the stuff I've been working on and keep up with what I'm currently reading.

This is also going to be come a pretty exclusively kid lit blog from now on. Hope you enjoy it!

On my bookshelf right now, I have:
Greetings from Planet Earth - Barbara Kerley
Book Crush - Nancy Pearl
In Search of Mockingbird - Loretta Ellsworth
In the Shadow of the Ark - Anne Provoost
Into the Wild - Sarah Durst
Me and the Pumpkin Queen - Marlane Kennedy
The Perfect Nest - Catherine Friend
Samurai Shortstop - Alan Gratz
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs - Betty G. Birney

And a review:
The Princess and the Peabodys (HarperCollins, 9/07), by Betty G. Birney
Casey and her grandma love to go yard sale shopping, so when they discover a cheap, mysterious, old box that won’t open, they are sure that there something good inside. When they finally get the box open at home, a princess pops out! Turns out that the royal wizard was supposed to make the box appear and disappear, but he wasn’t very talented and not only did the box disappear for good, but it took the princess with it! Now the princess is stuck living in modern California with the Peabody family until the wizard can learn the right spell. While Gran, Dad, and little Shane seem entranced by the princess, Casey is the one who will have to show her how to get along in junior high! Princess Eglantine bosses people around, speaks a medieval sort of English, and doesn’t have a clue how modern inventions work. Casey is sure that this is going to make her a laughingstock! This very funny premise makes a great fish out of water tale and explores diversity in a new way. I like that the story is told from the point of view of the tomboy who is being imposed upon by the princess, making this is not your typical pink, sparkly princess story.

How to Get Suspended and Influence People

2007-05-18T12:15:00.000-04:00

How to Get Suspended and Influence People
Adam Selzer
Leon is one of the kids in the gifted pool of his junior high. While he considers himself a metal-head to avoid being labeled nerd, Leon feels like he comes from pretty pathetic stock. His dad loves to come up with things that have already been invented and his mom’s hobby is to cook really gross food from other eras, like the 1950’s. At least the other kids in the gifted pool are pretty cool, rebellious kids. When Leon’s teacher assigns a project to make new films for the younger grades, Leon chooses to make a sex-ed film. He figures that there are lots of things kids need to know that never get mentioned in the old films and he sets out to make the best, most memorable sex-ed film he can. To get around the censors, Leon decides he will use nudes from famous paintings; no one can object to great art, right? Wrong. Before Leon’s film is even finished, he gets in big trouble. Will his new infamy land him in the doghouse or make him really popular? This hilarious look at censorship is engaging and depicts a realistic school social class system.
BIBLIO: 2006, Delacorte Press/Random House, 12 up, $15.99.

Time of the Eagle

2007-05-18T11:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, this one doesn't come out until July, but it may be the best thing I've read in years, so mark it down and look for it this summer!

Time of the Eagle
Sherryl Jordan
The Shinali people have been exiled from their land for many years, but rather than being discouraged, they look forward to the Time of the Eagle, a time when they will rise up with other displaced peoples and take back their land as the prophecy foretold. Avala is the daughter of a healing woman and a peacemaker who came from the enemy Navorans. On her sixteenth borning-day, Avala receives a new prophecy; that she is to usher in the long-awaited Time of the Eagle, as a peacemaker between all enemy peoples. With so much responsibility on her shoulders, Avala longs to shrug off her destiny and follow her own path. But no one can hide from fate; Avala is swept into powerful events that will change the course of history. The award-winning Jordan crafts a sweeping and unforgettable fantasy epic in a world she has created to parallel our own. Full of love, betrayal, adventure, and memorable characters, this sequel to Secret Sacrament can stand alone as a novel in its own right.
BIBLIO: 2007, Eos/HarperCollins, Ages 14 up, $16.99.

Song of the Sparrow

2007-05-18T11:41:00.000-04:00

Song of the Sparrow
Lisa Ann Sandell
Elaine lives among the men and boys of Arthur’s Round Table as a sister, healer, and friend. She is happy with her place in that world and her relationship with Lancelot, Arthur, Gawain, and the others, but is afraid of what will become of them all in the never-ending wars. With Picts invading from the north and Saxons from the south, the Britons are constantly at war. When a new woman arrives in camp, Elaine hopes to find a sister and friend to share her life in this world of men. Instead, she meets the beautiful and divisive Gwynivere. What follows traces the beginnings of Arthur’s reign and plants the seeds for the well-known story of love, loyalty, and betrayal. Told in Elaine’s voice and written in lyrical verse, with lovely depictions of the natural world around her, this is a welcome addition to the ranks of Arthurian novels. Elaine of Astolat, or the Lady of Shalott, is a character of Arthurian legend who has inspired poets and artists for generations; this revisionist novel tells her story in an entirely new and humanizing way.
BIBLIO: 2007, Scholastic, Ages 12 up, $16.99.

Dragon Slippers

2007-05-18T11:33:00.000-04:00

Here is the official review of Dragon Slippers. I hope you can tell that I love it! Please ignore the clunky cover art, in this case, you really can't tell a book by its cover!

Dragon Slippers
Jessica Day George
Creel is a poor, orphaned, farm girl with a talent for embroidery. When her aunt decides to sacrifice her to a dragon in order to lure a knight or prince who might marry her, Creel sees it as a way to escape her boring life. She doesn’t expect to meet a real dragon in the caves above her village, so she is even more surprised when the real dragon doesn’t want to eat her. Creel makes a deal to keep the approaching mob away from the dragon’s lair if he gives her a pair of fabulous shoes from his hoard. The shoes Creel picks turn out to be the most valuable treasure in all of her kingdom and they enable her to communicate with the dragons. As she sets off on her way to pursue her dream of working in a dress shop in the king’s city, Creel is rescued from bandits by another friendly dragon. Creel and the dragon Shardas strike up a special friendship that becomes the centerpiece of the novel. Creel continues on to the king’s city where she finds work, friends, and adventure. As the story goes on, Creel discovers that her special shoes have the power to save or destroy the kingdom and she must face the future with bravery. The novel’s female characters are spunky, the dragon lore is well-crafted, and the story is a balance of comic and tragic elements. This is a fun first novel from George that would delight fantasy fans of Shannon Hale or Gail Carson Levine.

Library News

2007-04-27T14:32:00.000-04:00

I have been catching up on my library-related stories of the day and have a few that were of particular interest to me and so I must share:

"'Shhh' -- the one thing you won't hear in a library" from the L.A. Times

"Trolley book wins odd title prize" from the BBC

"Libraries Must Follow Rules of Secrecy to Get New 'Potter' Book" from Fox News

And finally, a sad one, "Bookstore gets perilously close to final chapter" from the Chicago Tribune

Austenland

2007-04-16T21:31:00.000-04:00

Oh my gosh!

My colleague just forwarded me this great website for Shannon Hale's new adult novel Austenland. If you are a reader of this blog you KNOW what an Austenite I am and this is the book for me! I also just adore Hale's award-winning young adult novels, so this is really going to be a treat.

The novel doesn't hit shelves until May 29, and I'm tempted to make a countdown chain like at Christmas! This book is not only for Austen freaks but also for those fans obsessed with the BBC's wonderful mini-series of Pride and Prejudice. If you check out the website, be sure to read Hale's letter to Colin Firth (the best Mr. Darcy ever). Fun, fun, fun!

New Socks

2007-04-14T19:49:00.000-04:00

New Socks
Bob Shea
A little chick named Leon wants to show you something new. Is it his glasses? No! It’s his great new socks! They’re orange, they slide on hardwood floors, and they help make Leon brave on the big kids’ slide. Leon thinks the socks can help him do anything. When the President calls and invites Leon to the White House, it seals the deal. Now Leon can’t wait to get new pants too! Simple three-color digital graphics are vivid and eye-catching and give the book a retro feel. While the pictures and text convey obvious enthusiasm, that’s as far as this book goes. The disconnected and overwrought incidents may amuse adults, but kids might not sit through the whole thing or ask for a repeat telling. Similar in design and attitude to Mo Willems’ Pigeon books, the chick central to Bob Shea’s first foray into picture books lacks the humor and sparkle that make Willems’ books so fun for kids. Rather, this title has the feel of an art school assignment, with the text stuck on as an afterthought.
BIBLIO: 2007, Little, Brown, Ages 3 to 6, $12.99.
FORMAT: Picture Book
ISBN: 0-316-01357-9
ISBN: 978-0-316-01357-4

My Weird School: Mr. Macky Is Wacky!

2007-04-14T19:48:00.000-04:00

Mr. Macky Is Wacky!
Dan Gutman
Pictures by Jim Paillot
A.J. hates school and when he grows up, he’s going to be President so he can outlaw school for everyone! President’s Day is coming up, so the teachers at A.J.’s school want the students to elect a school president and do oral reports about United States presidents. All A.J. wants is the day off from school and maybe a big screen TV! This is a weird school though, so elections and reports are not as boring as they sound–on Crazy Pets Day, a ferret runs for school president against the teachers! Mr. Macky, the wacky reading specialist, dresses up as all of the presidents to help the kids learn quirky facts, like how FDR’s mom made him wear a dress until he was five years old or who was the shortest president. This fun story sneaks in other information too, such as how a democracy works and which famous Americans are on our money. The comic illustrations help the reader get an idea of how A.J.’s mind works. Filled with goofy humor, this fifteenth title in the “My Weird School” series will attract the most reluctant reader.
BIBLIO: 2007, HarperTrophy/HarperCollins, Ages 7 to 10, $3.99.
FORMAT: Chapter Book
ISBN: 0-06-114151-8
ISBN: 978-0-06-114151-5

New Job, New Reviews

2007-04-14T19:30:00.000-04:00

Just look at this! It's been well over a month since I last wrote anything! I do have to say that this may have been the busiest month ever, though. I travelled to San Francisco and Seattle, had a friend in from Boston, got a new job, and started reviewing for the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. Whew!

I'm going back to full-time children's lit, so my posts may start to mirror that again. Sorry adult interest readers! We'll see if I have time to read adult stuff, let alone write about it! And I'll be reading tons of stuff for Children's Lit, so I'll post all that stuff on here too.

Exciting times!

In the meantime, all my favorite authors have had terrific new novels out this spring and they're keeping me on my toes. Why does it happen this way? I mean, I understand the publishing cycle, but even "retired" Maeve Binchy had a new book and how often does that happen? I'm just swamped! Here's a quick list of my favorite people and their new books:

Whitethorn Woods, by Maeve Binchy
Friends in High Places, by Marne Davis Kellogg
Aunt Dimity Goes West, by Nancy Atherton
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, by Alexander McCall Smith

I'm also currently reading the young adult samurai mystery The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Thomas and Dorothy Hoobler. It's really great so far.

In addition to all this reading, I'm trying to re-design my landscaping and I'm reading tons of dry land gardening books. We'll see how far I get either on the gardening or on the reading! Ha!

This weekend I also finally put my home library in Dewey order. I know, NERD, right? What else is a librarian supposed to do at home for fun! :)

Your Friendly Librarian

Bookshelf

2007-03-12T18:50:00.000-04:00

I haven't shared my bookshelf in a while. Mainly because there hasn't been very interesting stuff on it. Right now I'm back on an art history kick and I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately. I've also been trying to expand my horizons with some manga. Here it is:

Loot, by Aaron Elkins
The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa, by Robert Noah
Chibi Vampire, Vol. 1, by Yuna Kagesaki
Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud
Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Tasmanian Tiger: The Tragic Tale of How the World Lost Its Most Mysterious Predator, by David Owen
Enthusiasm, by Polly Shulman
Evil Hour in Colombia, by Forrest Hylton
One-Eye! Two-Eyes! Three-Eyes! by Aaron Shepard

Hugo Cabret

2007-03-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

I want to talk about the most incredible book I read this week. It is called The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic, 1/07), by Brian Selznick, and it's a children's novel with illustrations. Well, at it's most basic, that's what it is. It's like nothing that has been done before, completely original. It is this gorgeous melding of the graphic novel format (sort of) and the written word, with some fantastic historical photos as well. About half of the novel is told in words and half in pencil drawings that could be enjoyed by all ages. It's just so original and the story is beautiful and the illustrations are amazing. Could I rave any more? It's a masterpiece!

Set in the 1930's, the story follows a young boy, Hugo, who has been orphaned and lives inside the walls of a train station in Paris where he continues in the tradition of his dead uncle to keep all of the clocks in the building wound and accurate. He is fascinated with mechanics and clockworks and steals parts from a toy seller in the station to build his own wind-up creations. Hugo is obsessed with repairing an automaton that his father rescued from a burning museum because of the beauty of its design. He is also convinced that it will bring him a message from beyond the grave. What it does eventually bring to Hugo's life is connections to real people and a surprising and wonderful story about the origins of cinema. I really can't do justice to the plot at all, you'll just need to have a look for yourself.

What I love about the use of the illustrations is how cinematic they are. Each image has a specific purpose and they are often zoomed views of the character's face to show an emotion. The text will break and we see what is going on. The text story always resumes after the pictures have finished the story they are telling, fitting together as a cohesive whole. And it works so well because the story partially revolves around the cinema. Rave, rave, rave. This is fine art, folks.

I would love to see this book get a lot of interest, especially during awards season. I read in my Entertainment Weekly this week that Martin Scorsese has the film rights and plans to start working on a film adaptation soon. That will be really interesting. The book made me want to see the original films that are described and maybe those would be incorporated into a film version. It's also super scary to think of this getting into anyone's hands as a film, but you gotta trust Marty, right?

A colleague of mine said this was the best children's novel she'd read in a couple of years and I, too, think it's wonderful. Please try it yourself and pass it on to a young friend.

A+!

Here is the official website for The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Here is a link to a photo and story about the automaton that Selznick studied while writing the novel. It is housed at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Here is a link to Brian Selznick talking about the book on NPR.

Here is a link to a Variety article about Scorsese and the film.

Happy Birthday, Cat in the Hat

2007-03-01T23:52:00.000-05:00

Today was the 50th anniversary of Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat. There was a really great story on NPR today that talked about the history of the book. My favorite professor from library school, Anita Silvey, spoke on the program, which I enjoyed.

I do feel the need to fess up, though. I don't like The Cat in the Hat! In the program, the commentator mentioned that those who grew up with the Cat pass the Cat on to their children, while those who didn't, generally don't. My mom didn't like Dr. Seuss and now I find myself similarly impatient with Seuss. Also, like the fish in The Cat in the Hat, I am made very nervous by the Cat's antics. (Okay, extremely stressed out.)

Enough confessions. Go out and re-read The Cat in the Hat and decide for yourself.

Lazy

2007-02-13T19:24:00.000-05:00

I have been extremely lazy about keeping up with this blog! Look at it! Over a month since I last posted. In fact, I'm so lazy that I could write about all of the books that won the big awards, but instead, I'm just going to give you a link to links. (Yawn, stretch)

By the way, the new Pants book was awesome!

And I am reading tons of great stuff. Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime. :)

Ann Brashares photo gallery

2007-01-08T21:40:00.000-05:00

I just heard this week that the final installment in the popular teen series Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares is due out tomorrow. It is called Forever in Blue. I can't wait!

I stumbled across an interesting article with good dirt on Ann Brashares, and a photo gallery of her newly renovated carriage house in New York. Indulge yourself!

Bookshelf

2007-01-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of books on my bookshelf now, but I've been spending a lot of time online, watching season 4 of 24 to get caught up, and reading the piles of magazines that came after the snow. Got to start reading this stuff!

The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan

The World to Come, by Dara Horn

Framed, by Frank Cottrel Boyce

The Crimson Portrait, by Jody Shields

Insatiable, by Marne Davis Kellogg

London Calling, by Edward Bloor

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, by Ally Carter

Blood on the River: James Town 1607, by Elisa Carbone

Clementine, by Sara Pennypacker

I also recently read the amazing and well-reviewed What is the What , by Dave Eggers. It's been reviewed to death by everyone from People magazine to NPR to the New York Times Book Review. Needless to say, I loved it.

Newbery Medal Speculation

2007-01-02T16:06:00.000-05:00

Last month I wrote about Caldecott award speculation. This week, my colleagues are getting together to discuss the young readers' novels they think may be contenders for the American Library Association's Newbery prize.

Here is the short list, according to Denver Public Library librarians:

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting
Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone
Victory by Susan Cooper
Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman
The Braid by Helen Frost
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Drita, My Homegirl by Lombard
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Bread and Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

I have Clementine, Blood on the River, and The Loud Silence of Francine Green on my bookshelf right now, so I'll let you know how they are.

Kiki Strike

2007-01-01T20:49:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading the girl-power young adult novel Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller. What an awesome book!

The story follows a group of girls with spy power skills as they navigate an old city under New York and fight crime. It couldn't get any better - with tips on disguises, how to tell if someone's lying to you, and self-defense, this is a sure-fire winner.

I love it!

Caldecott discussion

2006-12-14T11:06:00.000-05:00

As the American Library Associaton's all-important award announcements loom closer - they'll be announced January 22, from Seattle - discussion has begun to buzz in the children's library community. Who will win the Caldecott medal for illustrated books? Who will win the Newbury for distinguished children's fiction? It is usually a huge and mystifying announcement, no matter how much we discuss and debate the merits of the year's best. Last year's dismaying win by The Hello Goodbye Window, illustrated by Chris Raschka, threw us all for a loop and makes trying to guess all the harder.

I met with a group of children's librarians from around the Denver Public Library and we discussed books with lovely illustrations and some others that we're not crazy about, but feel could win anyway. Some of these may make great gifts, too!

Flotsam, by David Wiesner. Wiesner is an extraordinarily talented illustrator and has numerous Caldecott honors and medals under his belt for books such as The Three Pigs, Tuesday, and Sector 7. Flotsam is not my favorite of his books, but the committee obviously likes him.

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Carol Boston Weatherford. I am a fan of Kadir Nelson's rich and gorgeous illustration style, but I wasn't as crazy about this offering. However, the serious nature of the subject might sway the judges. The critics have certainly given this book lots of praise this year. I would love to see Nelson get an honor, but I liked last year's He's Got the Whole World In His Hands better.

Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building, illustrated by James E. Ransome, written by Deborah Hopkinson. We all thought that this one could be a contender since the author writes with such detail about the construction site and the illustrations are so beautiful and painterly. It has style.

So Sleepy Story, by Uri Shulevitz. The line and use of color in this one are really amazing and convey the language beautifully. Shulevitz has won awards and honors for others such as The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship and Snow.

Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct, by Mo Willems. Willems' books are engaging and fun read-alouds, but I'm not really sure why he keeps getting awards for them. This is one of those where we thought we'd throw it into the mix, but weren't too sure about it. This one would be a great gift book, though. His other honor books are the wonderful Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny.

Beach, by Elisha Cooper. The watercolor illustrations in this book really convey the atmosphere and feeling of an East Coast beach in summer. They are fairly impressionistic and fun to look at. A contender? Maybe not, but we like it.

Tiger of the Snows: Tenzing Norgay: The Boy Whose Dream Was Everest, illustrated by Ed Young, and written by Robert Burleigh. I really like Ed Young's unique style. I love the way he characterizes the mountain as an animal. Last year I was rooting for Beyond the Great Mountains. I always like to think his books are in the running because they're unusual and exotic.

Snow Sounds, by David Johnson. This was one of my favorites, partly because it celebrates onomatopoeia and makes a good book for a young one. The illustrations are perfect, grainy and pixilated, like snow. Snow books have a history of winning the award, look at Snowflake Bently; Snowy Day; White Snow, Bright Snow; The Big Snow, etc.

Check some of these out and enjoy some of the best illustrations of the year!

On Judging the National Book Awards

2006-12-04T21:34:00.000-05:00

Here is a terrific post on Linda Sue Park's personal blog. She is a Newbery award-winning children's author who sat on the children's literature panel of the National Book Awards and discusses the process in depth while maintaining confidentiality. Very enlightening!

Lois Lenski

2006-12-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite picture book authors/illustrators is Lois Lenski. Lenski was most prolific during the 1940's and some of her work is out of date, but much of it has stood the test of time and is dear to me still as an adult.

The Horn Book magazine's website periodically revisits contributions from past issues and this month they're featuring a piece written by Lenski in 1946, titled, "Christmas at Huckleberry Mountain Library." It's fun for me to hear Ms. Lenski's adult voice and opinions. And of course it's fun for me to hear about an old, rural library.

Lois Lenski won the 1946 Newbery medal for distinguished children's literature for her novel, Strawberry Girl. I particularly like her illustrated Mr. Small series, especially Papa Small. Colorized reissues of her picture books have come out recently and her seasonal set, with titles like I Like Winter, are still fun to read with kids.

Lenski also illustrated the Betsy-Tacy series, by Maud Hart Lovelace, my all-time favorite children's series.

On a side note, the Horn Book just released their year-end fanfare of children's books, so here's their list for your holiday shopping.

Your Friendly Librarian

National Book Awards Finalists

2006-11-27T15:31:00.000-05:00

I am horribly behind the times and super busy right now! The National Book Awards Finalists were announced on November 15. Here's the link to the winners.

Sweet Treats to Read

2006-10-30T20:26:00.000-05:00

Halloween is only a day away and in-laws are coming to stay so I know I won't get a chance to get on-line for a while. Let me leave you with a list some of my all-time favorite novels. I hope you like them too!

Possession – A.S. Byatt
My Antonia – Willa Cather
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – Michael Chabon
Fifth Business - Roberston Davies
Peace Like a River - Leif Enger
The Master Butcher’s Singing Club – Louise Erdrich
The Forsyte Saga – John Galsworthy
Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
The Jump Off Creek – Molly Gloss
Brilliant - Marne Davis Kellogg
Homestead – Rosina Lippi
Chasing Cezanne - Peter Mayle
Queen of the South – Arturo Perez Reverte
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – Rebecca Wells

New & Notable for Kids

2006-10-27T11:36:00.000-04:00

The big fall pile-up of wonderful children's books is underway. I think these are some of the most notable I've seen so far. But I don't feel like writing full-blown reviews right now, so how about you read what the critics have to say instead?

Alabama Moon, by Watt Key - powerful and entertaining writing by a new voice (To read more of my comments on this book, you can go back to the June 9, 2006, entry where I wrote about hearing the author speak.)

“A winningly fresh look at life and culture almost never seen in children’s books.” —The Horn Book

"Key writes honestly about hunting, trapping and the hardships of survival in this rather unusual coming-of-age story." —Kirkus Reviews

"Well written with a flowing style, plenty of dialogue, and lots of action." --The Horn Book

Peter Pan in Scarlet, by Geraldine McCaughrean - the first-ever authorized Peter Pan sequel (for review, follow link)

Not Another Tea Party, by Mark Shulman - simply wonderful, snide, and humorous (for review, follow link)

1001 Books To Read Before You Die

2006-10-24T10:32:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, a book was released that set out an ambitious list, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, compiled by Peter Boxall, a professor of English Literature at the University of Sussex.

Is it fun to go through the list and count up how many you have read - or not read? Is the glass half empty or half full? Mine is pretty darn empty! I am a regretter. As I counted up my tally, I was thinking, "But what if I own this one and haven't read it yet?" "Oh, I always meant to read this one!" "Why haven't I read that?" "Why aren't the other books I've read by Faulkner, Melville, whomever, on the list?" It was fun and tortuous.

Apparantly the book itself is well written and argues out why books are included on the list. I haven't actually looked at it! I was pretty surprised to see things missing. What was I reading if they aren't on the list? What was I reading in all those English classes? Oh well.

Listology.com has numerous copies of the list. Here's a link to one of them so you can make the count yourself.

My total is a miserable 79 titles. I have a long way to go! (Maybe if I hadn't been reading so much kid lit...)

National Book Award Finalists

2006-10-24T10:06:00.000-04:00

The finalists for the National Book Awards were announced on October 11 and the winners will be announced November 15. Now would be a good time to check some of these books out to cast your own mental vote.

Fiction:
Mark Z. Danielewski, Only Revolutions

Ken Kalfus, A Disorder Peculiar to the Country

Richard Powers, The Echo Maker

Dana Spiotta, Eat the Document

Jess Walter, The Zero

Nonfiction:
Taylor Branch, At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68

Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone

Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust
Bowl

Peter Hessler, Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China’s Past and Present

Lawrence Wright, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

Poetry:
Louise Glück, Averno

H.L. Hix, Chromatic

Ben Lerner, Angle of Yaw

Nathaniel Mackey, Splay Anthem

James McMichael, Capacity

Young People's Literature:
M.T. Anderson, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party

Martine Leavitt, Keturah and Lord Death

Patricia McCormick, Sold

Nancy Werlin, The Rules of Survival

Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese

Horn Book Blog

2006-10-24T09:58:00.000-04:00

The other day I stumbled across a blog kept by the editor of the Horn Book magazine, the premier children's book reviewing journal. What a great find! I love having a daily dose of a voice I enjoy so much - and maybe I can keep up with children's book news a little better.

The photographs on the blog from the Boston Globe/Horn Book Awards were taken in the Boston Athenaeum, a very special library where I worked in grad school. It's so fun to see these! And the speeches are fun to listen to too.

Check out the blog and check out the Horn Book magazine, possibly available at your local library, maybe behind the children's desk.

Tales of the Otori

2006-10-23T12:03:00.000-04:00

Over the last couple of years, I have been reading a wonderful series of novels set in a fictional feudal Japan. The Tales of the Otori, by Lian Hearn, are some of the most captivating novels I have ever read. I am not normally a fan of samurais, nor have I studied ancient Asian cultures since undergrad, yet I have found this series to be one of the most fascinating ever.

The series reads as follows:
Across the Nightengale Floor
Grass for His Pillow
The Brilliance of the Moon
The Harsh Cry of the Heron

Looking at Powell's website, it appears that these novels are categorized as "fantasy" and in that respect, they are similar to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I often think the series would make incredible film. Anyway, the stories follow the fate of an orphaned boy, Takeo, with amazing powers who is rescued when his village is massacred and is adopted by a lord, Otori Shigeru. His new life with Lord Otori leads to the revelation that Takeo has the powers of the Tribe, a network of spies with invisibility, flight, and extraordinary senses.

As the novels progress Takeo is used as a spy, fights in battles,rises in power, and finds epic love with an extraordinary heiress. The inner lives of the characters are beautifully written. The landscapes are gorgeous, the plots are full of intrigue and adventure, the women are powerful - the whole series is just an exceptional treat.

The newest book, The Harsh Cry of the Heron, was just released and was a surprise for me because I thought the end of the third book was a tidy ending for the series. In the fourth novel, we re-join the story after about fifteen years, and watch the unraveling of all that Takeo has built. It is skillfully written and completes the examination of power cycles and the hazards of both war and peace.

Penguin has re-packaged these novels for the young adult audience in a split novel format - making the first three books into six "episodes" - clever marketing!

Try the first novel in the series soon. You won't regret it!

One Book, One Denver

2006-10-20T13:17:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday morning, I attended a press conference in the Burnham-Hoyt Reading Room of the Denver Public Library. Mayor John Hickenlooper and officials from the library and the Denver public schools were on hand to announce this year's One Book, One Denver, The Milagro Beanfield War, by John Nichols.

One City, One Book movements have swept the nation since Seattle's Washington Center for the Book came up with the idea in 1998. It's pretty simple - the city will pick one book to focus on for a year and all the reading agencies in the city get behind the title and encourage everyone in the city to read and discuss the book.

This is my first time in a city with this kind of program and I'm excited to see how it works. I'll be leading a discussion group at my library branch and look forward to the varied opinions and points of view that will come out when an entire city reads together.

This is Denver's third year. Past books were:
2005 - Caramelo, by Sandra Cisneros
2004 - Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger

Additional links:

The Center for the Book at the Library of Congress has a list of all the areas in the country that sponser programs of this type.

One Book, One Denver activities sponsered by the Denver Public Library.

Activities and events sponsered by Denver's famous independent Tattered Cover Bookstore.

Let's read together!

Cookbook Confidential

2006-10-19T22:27:00.000-04:00

If you're into cooking and cookbooks, my favorite blogger, Heidi at 101cookbooks.com, recently reviewed a number of new books out this season (that would be on her October 16th entry).

This week I read one the most exciting non-fiction books I have read in a long time. The United States of Arugula, by David Kamp, explores the rise of gourmet food in America and traces the history of American food over the course of the last century. Following the rise of French cookery, star chefs from Julia Child to Emeril Lagasse, and the roots of the organic food movement, the author engagingly describes how our national palate has changed. Every chapter was a marvel to me and I found myself discussing each new thing I learned with anyone who would listen. I even find myself contemplating raising my own organic approved cows!!! Maybe this book was especially fascinating to me because while I enjoy cooking and trying new foods, I am certainly not a "foodie" - yet. Sometimes I even want to learn French just so I will know how to pronounce chef terms.

Enough with the confessions! If you're interested in how it seems like there has been a sudden explosion of chain gourment restaurants or how the Food Network got so popular, this is the book for you!

Since I'm discussing food books, let me mention a few things I've been using regularly...

I was already a big fan of Cook's Illustrated magazine, but this summer I started subscribing to Cook's Country, their more down-home version. While Cook's Illustrated was fascinating and informative, I actually try cooking most of the recipes in Cook's Country! I especially love the column where people write in looking for a lost recipe they remember from the past and want to re-create. Then other readers write in with their suggestions, and the editors weigh in with a recipe they create. It's great and unlike with some magazines, the recipes have always turned out.

My husband and I try lots of recipes from James McNair's New Pizza cookbook. We love his cornmeal crust and even experiment with different types of flours as we use his basic crust recipe. We try to make a regular activity of making pizza at home.

I was recently at a bookstore and saw the mammoth Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America and Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame (his restaurant has a cookbook too). It looks amazing and is so detailed. Definitely one for the Christmas list!

Are there any cookbooks you find invaluable?

Bookshelf

2006-10-19T22:15:00.000-04:00

Here is what is on my bookshelf right now:

The Innocent Man, by John Grisham

The United States of Arugula, by David Kamp

The Medici Giraffe: And Other Tales of Exotic Animals and Power, by Marin Berlozerskaya

The Harsh Cry of the Heron: The Last Tale of the Otori, by Lian Hearn

The Right Attitude to Rain, by Alexander McCall Smith

Lucy Rose: Busy Like You Can't Believe, by Katy Kelly

A few of my favorite things...

2006-09-25T21:36:00.000-04:00

My library has a staff picks section for books, CDs, and movies. I recently wrote down all my favorites so I could remember them more easily when the display is getting empty and I thought I would share some with you.

Here are some of my recent favorite CDs:

Tambourine, by Tift Merritt

Careless Love, by Madeleine Peyroux

We Shall Overcome, the Seeger Sessions, by Bruce Springsteen

American Folk, a compilation by Putumayo

Lifesong, by Casting Crowns

The Ditty Bops, by the Ditty Bops

I also can't wait to get Diana Krall's newest CD, From This Moment On, she's my VERY favorite artist.

You know, I said "recent" favorties, but most of these are from 2004! I guess I need to start listening to some newer stuff!

Your Friendly Librarian

Overdue library book from 1946 returned

2006-09-15T14:09:00.000-04:00

Library Journal has a fun story today. Check it out: "Paying that Big Library Fine, for a Cause."

Your Friendly Librarian

Bookshelf

2006-09-13T14:47:00.000-04:00

I have quite a stack beside my bed right now:

Alabama Moon, by Watt Key

The King of Attolia, by Megan Whalen Turner

The Third Sister, by Julia Barrett

The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Bill Bryson's African Diary, by Bill Bryson

Espresso Tales, by Alexander McCall Smith

The Book Shop, by Penelope Fitzgerald

The Spell of the Sensuous, by David Abram

La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind, by Beppe Severgnini

Thirteen Moons

2006-09-12T18:35:00.000-04:00

Charles Frazier has a lot to live up to. His very first novel was the highly acclaimed, National Book Award-winning Cold Mountain - a dynamo of a novel that captured the hearts of readers all over America. His second novel, Thirteen Moons, comes out in October, to what response is yet to be seen. I had an advanced reader's copy of Thirteen Moons, so I'll tell you what I think now.

Thirteen Moons is an epic tale set in nineteenth century North Carolina, among the Cherokees and the white men who have settled the land. In a memoir style, the story is told by Ben, who at the age of twelve, was sent off to manage a trading post on the edge of the Cherokee nation. As he forges close ties with the Cherokees, Ben finds family and love among them, and becomes their savior as the government tries to force them to Oklahoma. The sweep of the novel follows Ben to Washington, D.C., into the Civil War, and across the fledgling settlements of the Midwest, through dynamic technological changes and changes in attitudes. Thirteen moons refers to the lunar year, and the cycle of time plays an important role in the novel.

What makes Ben a great character is his unquestionable knowledge that he is just as much a swaggering buffoon as he is full of love, honor, and vengence. He acknowledges his flaws with as much humor as his assets.

Full of memorable characters, yarns, and the same breath-taking scenery that made Cold Mountain such a beautiful book, there is much to recommed in Thirteen Moons. Give it a try and see if you think it is a worthy second novel. I think it is.

The Whole World Over

2006-09-11T20:23:00.000-04:00

Since it is September 11th, I think it is appropriate to talk about Julia Glass, a truly wonderful author, who has incorporated the events of 9/11 into both of her highly-acclaimed novels, Three Junes and The Whole World Over. While neither novel revolves around the events of that day, both tell the story through their character's eyes, in tender and memorable ways.

Three Junes, Glass's first novel, won the 2002 National Book Award and The Whole World Over lives up to the author's reputation. Glass's strength is in her characterizations. The Whole World Over weaves together the stories of four different New Yorkers and all the people in their lives. Through unexpected connections, the lives of these four come together through love, loss, family, careers, and just running into one another on the sidewalks of Manhattan.

I loved the surprising twists and turns in the plot and Glass is so skilled that her characters live and breath like friends. Now that the novel is finished, I still want more; I'm not ready to let go of these characters, even if the novel has wrapped up well.

Try either Three Junes or The Whole World Over, to commemorate 9/11 or just for a good read. You won't be disappointed.

Your Friendly Librarian

Artist of Detection

2006-09-11T19:42:00.000-04:00

Laurie R. King is a very popular mystery writer - she writes the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, the Kate Martinelli detective stories, and has some stand-alone novels as well. Recently a colleague told me that King's newest Kate Martinelli novel, The Art of Detection, has ties to the most recent Mary Russell novel, Locked Rooms. What a wonderful, genius concept! Even though I had never read the Kate Martinelli series, I'm a huge fan of Mary Russell, so I went right out to get this great concept book.

To be honest, to say much more would give away too much. What I will say is that The Art of Detection fills in some gaps left in Locked Rooms where Holmes wanders off on his own investigation while Russell is pursuing her memories. The novel was well-written, highly original and entertaining, and brought even more of Holmes's character to light, King style.

If you haven't read the Mary Russell mysteries, start with The Beekeeper's Apprentice. This is one of my favorite series!

A+ Laurie King!

Enter the world of Laurie R. King at her website.

Your Friendly Librarian

Fantastic Books

2006-08-11T19:09:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted in a while, what with family in town, work on the house and other busy summer pastimes. That doesn't mean I haven't been reading, though. In fact, I have read some really terrific books in the last couple of weeks.

The Lost Painting, by Jonathan Harr, author of A Civil Action, was an exciting find. I'm a big fan of art history mysteries and true ones are always the best. In The Lost Painting, Harr explores the events and characters surrounding the finding of a long-lost Carravaggio painting. I loved this one because it fully explored the research of the provenance of the painting, academic theories, and the techniques to prove authenticity. Colorful characters from the European art world were delightful to meet and the pacing was quick in what could have been a ponderous outlaying of facts. I highly recommend this book for anyone with even a passing interest in art, or those who enjoyed Harr's style in A Civil Action. This volume, just to note, is considerably slimmer than A Civil Action. :)

I also recently finished reading Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, and I've been recommending it to everyone I see. This book was the buzz of the Book Expo America and has a huge following among independent booksellers. After hearing about it, I had a long wait on my library's holds list! It was definitely worth the wait. This is the touching, exciting, and exotic story of a young man who inadvertantly joins the circus and is forever changed by it. Exploring dark themes of insanity, abuse, and the Depresseion, the novel also has tender relationships and a certain sweetness. It has it all, right? Go pick this up before your summer reading time is up, it's the best thing I read all summer.

Fannie Flagg's newest novel set in Elmwood Springs, Missouri, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven is just as full of sweet and sassy characters as the last couple, Welcome to the World, Baby Girl and Standing in the Rainbow. In this installment, set in current times, Aunt Elner and company ponder the meaning of life after a near-death (or back from death) experience. Without the bite of her previous novels, Flagg still creates rich and humorous characters. Of the trilogy, my personal favorite was the second, Standing in the Rainbow, but I love seeing how Flagg wraps up the lives of these beloved people in the last of the trilogy. It's definitely worth checking out.

Today I picked up the second installment in the Newbery award-winning children's series about Crispin, an orphan in the middle ages. Crispin: At the Edge of the World, by Avi, continues immediately where Crispin: The Cross of Lead left off. Crispin and Bear must flee for their lives when a brotherhood of spies believes that Bear has betrayed them. Bear is injured, and while they are hiding out in the forest, the two meet some colorful and interesting characters who join them in their further adventures. This is a worthy sequel to the first, highly acclaimed volume. Full of compassion, insights, and growth, I enjoyed this newest edition by Avi. While the publication date in my advance copy said September, it appears that the book is on the shelves now, so check it out and pass it along to your young reader.

Happy reading!

Bookshelf

2006-07-25T15:07:00.000-04:00

My bookshelf is over-flowing right now. Here are some of my current picks:

A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman, by Joan Anderson

A Glancing Light, by Aaron Elkins

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven, by Fannie Flagg

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen

Tenderwire, by Claire Kilroy

The Patriot, by Piers Paul Read

Eating Heaven, by Jennie Shortridge

Elements of Style, by Wendy Wasserstein

Hollywood Nanny

2006-07-17T18:53:00.000-04:00

This past week I picked up a frivolous little book called You'll Never Nanny in This Town Again!: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Hollywood Nanny by Suzanne Hansen. I would guardedly recommend this as a beach read, but not much else.

This book is a memoir, a non-fiction mud-slinger, that is both defaming and titillating, but is NOT well-written. Suzy went from a small Oregon logging town to Hollywood where she quickly found work as nanny to the uber-powerful Michael Orvitz, a Hollywood agent who had only recently started his firm when the book takes place, in the 1980's. Her naivete is grating and the writing moves from gossipy to whiney as the story progresses. As one might expect, the family's attitudes and behavior are shocking and dehumanizing to any other than the powerful and the story follows the lines more entertaininly set out by the authors of the Nanny Diaries...nanny loves the kids and sees them more than the parents, nanny makes some trifling mistakes that are blown out of proportion, nanny is fired unfairly.

With the movie version of the fictional, but based in reality, Nanny Diaries coming out soon, I would stick to that one if you're going to choose a nanny expose to read this year. Suzanne Hansen's just seems mean-spirited as she names names all over Hollywood.

Amazing Blogger

2006-07-10T21:25:00.001-04:00

I saw this story about the most amazing blogger today. Apparently, he started a blog to track his bartering and started with a paper clip...and ended with a house!

Check out this really interesting story.

And here's a link to his blog One Red Paperclip.

Vegas, Baby, Yeah!

2006-07-06T20:29:00.000-04:00

I've been away in Las Vegas for the past few days and I didn't read a thing...unless you count the absolutely indispensible Best Places Las Vegas. I love the Best Places guides, which started in the Pacific Northwest and are published by Seattle-based Sasquatch Books. Written by locals and full of actually useful and in-the-know reviews, these are my must guides anywhere they publish. I had the 1st edition Vegas guide, published in 2001, which was a bit out dated in a city so in flux. Unfortunately, it looks like there hasn't been a newer edition. I hope one comes out soon.

Speaking of Vegas, I found a cool website from the UNLV libraries that has a bibliography of books, films, and photographs of Las Vegas architecture.

My personal Vegas bibliography is not too extensive, since I'm not such a fan of Mob histories or road trip books or things like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Here's mine:

Bad Kitty, by Michele Jaffe - even though this one is for teeny-boppers, it is soooo much fun for adults.

Bringing Down the House and Busting Vegas, both true stories of MIT kids with blackjack tricks by Ben Mezrich.

Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker, by James McManus; the title has it all, what more could you ask?

Your Friendly Librarian