April 2007 Archives

The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards are given each year to children's books that "effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence."  In other words, they are an award that will lead you to books that are often amazing, powerful and oh so worthwhile. 

The 2007 winners are:

Books for Younger Children:



A Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy-Lee Tai, illustrated by Felicia Hoshino.


Books for Older Children:



Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata.


The website offers a list of the four honor books as well.  Enjoy!

The LA Times Book Prize for YA Literature goes to:



Tyrell by Coe Booth (another one buried in my TBR pile!)

The other finalists were:

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by MT Anderson.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Just in Case by Meg Rosoff
Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin (one of my favorites of the year)

The Edgar Award Winners have been announced! 

The winner for YA is



Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready
(a book sitting deep within my TBR pile which will find its way towards the top!)


The winner for Juvenile is



Room One: a mystery or two by Andrew Clements

YALSA has announced the launch of the 2007 Teen Read Week website!  This year's theme is "LOL @ Your Library," a friendly, light theme which will be lots of fun.  I also like that the title ties into IMing. 

To inspire quick registrations, the first 100 people to register will get a free unabridged audiobook from a Printz or Alex award winning author!  Yippee!

Teen Read Week is October 14-20 this year. 

The beautiful Golden Compass website which advertises the upcoming film, now has a new section where you can discover what your Daemon is! 

This is my Daemon:



What's yours?

I'd Really Like to Eat a Child by Sylviane Donnio, illustrated by Dorothee de Monfreid.

Achilles is a little crocodile with a big appetite, for children.  His mother brings him bananas to eat, but he really would rather have a child.  His father tries to tempt him with a huge sausage, but Achilles is having none of it.  They both make him an enormous chocolate cake, but Achilles cannot be turned away from his taste for a child.  Then Achilles finally sees a child by the river!  He creeps up, sharp teeth and all, but the child is not scared and calls him "cute" and "scrawny."  She grabs him, tickles him and throws him in the river.  So Achilles runs home, calling for food so that he can eventually grow large enough to eat a child.

What a treat!  A book whose very title will have children gasping and surprised.  Then the ending where the girl is not threatened at all by the crocodile is marvelous.  It is pure fun from start to finish. 

Share this one in units about nutrition and eating, just for a fun break.  Or add it to your crocodile storytime for preschoolers.  I guarantee children listening to every word after you just read the title alone.

Hiromi's Hands by Lynne Barasch.

Told from the point of view of Hiromi, this picture book explains how her father became a sushi chef in  Japan after years and years of training.  He then moved to New York and eventually opened his own sushi restaurant.  Hiromi grew up respecting Japanese traditions, but quickly became fascinated with her father's work.  She became his apprentice, despite the fact that traditionally girls are not allowed to work with sushi.  Her true story of hard work, determination and respect for tradition is inspiring.

I really enjoyed this picture book.  It is paced perfectly for reading aloud and children will be fascinated by the long years of work that it takes to make sushi.  The illustrations are simple but compelling, showing the varieties of fish and sushi and demonstrating the pride with which they are created.

In fact, you may find yourself with children' interested in actually trying sushi for the first time!

Nancy Pearl, the famous model for the Librarian Action Figure and wonderful speaker on behalf of reading, has published a new book.  Previously she had done a couple of books for adults filled with recommended reads.  Now she has written Book Crush, a book filled with over 1,000 recommended reads for children and adults. 

We can all cheer one paragraph in the article about the book:

"There's no rhyme or reason" why some books become best-sellers while
other, better contenders languish, she said. She prefers to highlight
"books under the radar that if life were fair, would be read."

Don't we all have examples of that!

At the Firefly Gate by Linda Newbery.

Henry and his mother and father move from London to a small village in Suffolk.  Henry worries that he won't make any friends and that he will be bored as can be compared to his life in the big city.  The first night that he spends in his new room, Henry sees glowing fireflies at the end of the garden and a shadowy figure standing there looking at him.  As Henry meets people in the village, he forms a close connection with an elderly lady who lives next door.  Dottie seems to recognize Henry and Henry finds himself dreaming and experiencing things that are the memories of a man killed in World War II who was Dottie's fiance. 

The book is a magical juxtaposition of history, dreams and real-life childhood.  Henry is a winning protagonist who is down-to-earth but experiencing amazing things.  His counterpart and neighbor, Grace, is equally as well drawn as a sulky teen with a soft side she rarely shows.  And the wonderful character of Dottie makes us all wish to enter the garden and spend some time playing Scrabble and having afternoon tea.

Recommend this to boys who enjoy World War II stories, but also to kids who like historical fiction.  With its meshing of history and modern life, it will also be a good bridge book to introduce children to historical fiction.

The Scallywags by David Melling.

David Melling is unparalleled for cartoon antics caught in picture-book form.  I love that his illustrations invite children in, surprise them, get them giggling and make them see that reading can be a very silly thing to do.

In his new book, Melling has told the story of a family of wolves who are lazy, inconsiderate, messy, and rude to the point where the rest of the animals decide to no longer include them.  The wolves decide that they are too messy and rude and set out to change themselves.  First, they spy on the other animals to find out what they should change.  But could the wolves take the change too far and become too obsessed with manners and politeness?

Wonderful laughs are in store for children and families reading this book.  Like most of Melling's work, this one is a better lap-read than group-read, because the humor is in the illustrations.  The final illustration of the entire group posing for a picture after a food fight is priceless.

365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet.

I know, I know! There is a plethora of penguin books out on the market right now.  But this one is different than all the rest and well worth sharing.

On New Year's Day, a knock on the door brings a package with one penguin in it.  The package also has a note: I'm number 1. Feed me when I'm hungry.  No sender's name is on the package.  The next day the postman brings another box with another penguin and so on.  The book goes through the family trying to organize the penguins into piles, the months and days of the year, and the math of feeding the many penguins.  By the end of the year, there are 365 penguins in the house and the entire house is covered in fish.  But finally the family discovers who has been sending them the packages!

This book is a lot of fun with illustrations that are both modern and have a 70s vibe.  The illustrations add a lot to the story, especially when showing the futile attempts to organize the penguins neatly.  Children who enjoy math will like this book.  Even children in middle elementary will enjoy it because it has such a good sense of humor.  I would recommend not reading it aloud to a group.  The pictures have small details that are fun to examine.

Chicken Joy on Redbean Road by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, pictures by Melissa Sweet.

This book is pure fun, especially when read aloud.  In fact, if you try to read it silently, I bet you will read aloud just to feel the words dance on your tongue. 

This is the story of a blue-headed rooster who crows the farm awake every morning.  He also crows along with the music of Joe Beebee which sometimes comes floating down the road.  But when the rooster gets the chicken measles, he loses his crow.  Mrs. Miser Vidrine, who owns the farm, sees a rooster without a crow as useless and starts to think about stewing him for dinner.  But a brave chicken, Miss Cleoma, works up a plan with the rest of the flock to get the roo's crow back. 

Music is used in the story not only as a central theme and a road to salvation, but also in the texture and tone of the writing where rhythm and repetition work together to make the entire book shimmy.  Some of the writing is especially lovely, like this description of what happens when the rooster crows: 

"That call made the skies pinker, the corn crunchier, and the morning glories more glorious." 

Whew!  What a sentence!

Add this one to your stack of great read alouds that can be pulled out at any time.  It will work well for chicken, farm and music themes. 

The Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist has been announced.  It is a British award for illustration in children's books.

Here is the shortlist:



The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by Mini Grey.



Augustus and His Smile by Catherine Rayner.



The Elephantom by Ross Collins.



The Emperor of Absurdia by Chris Riddell.



Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett.



Scoop!: an exclusive by John Kelly.

The 2007 Shortlist has been announced for the Britain's Carnegie Medal.



Beast by Ally Kennen.  (Read this one, but I don' seem to have written a review!)



Just in Case by Meg Rosoff.



My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick.



The Road of Bones by Anne Fine.



Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks.  (Reviewed in March 2006)



A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd. (In my To Be Read pile!  Just moved to the top!)

Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke, illustrated by Kerstin Meyer.

Funke, author of the deep and dark Inkheart series for older children, also writes fantastic light-hearted picture books. 

In this picture book, Funke tells the story of Princess Isabella who doesn't want to be neat and clean any longer!  In fact, she is tired of being a princess altogether.  After she throws her crown in the fishpond and refuses to retrieve it, her father the King sends Isabella to the kitchens to work until she reconsiders and fetches her crown.  Isabella loves her time in the kitchens getting messy and learning new things.  When she refuses again to get her crown back, she is sent to live in the pigsty.  Again she takes to her new surroundings, loving the mess and smell and pigs.  Her father must find another way to get her to reconsider.

Now I know how people who read books to children select them.  They open the cover and look at how much text is on each page.  If you do that with a Funke picture book, you will not pick them up.  Please, look past that seemingly large amount of text and given them a try even with preschoolers.  Funke's prose is fast moving, funny and a treat to read aloud.  There are no dull moments, no wasted words, because she uses words to offer a deeper and more enjoyable story. 

Recommended for reading aloud to preschoolers through first graders.

The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker, pictures by Marla Frazee.

I couldn't help but grin ear-to-ear when I finally got my hands on the new Clementine book.  I knew that I was in for a treat unlike any that I have had since the first book came out.  And I was certainly right!

Clementine remains the same firecracker of a little girl.  She is such a refreshing change from all of the pink and sparkles that so often surround girls' books.  Continuing the tradition of Ramona, Clementine firmly refuses to cooperate and resolutely stays exactly who she is. 

In this book, Clementine faces the dread of a school talent show after realizing that none of her talents work on stage.  In pure Clementine style, she does come up with some ideas for acts that her parents refuse to let her try.  In the end, it all works out for our curly-headed heroine. 

The illustrations by Frazee are the perfect accompaniment to the storyline.  They are a large part of what makes these books so very charming.  But it is Pennypacker's humor and warmth that create such an amazing world.  Clementine's parents are wonderfully drawn.  I particularly enjoyed the part of the book where they try to bribe one another so that they don't have to be the one to take Clementine shopping.  That scene is also part of an amazing description of why it can be hard to choose one thing when you head to a store.  Lovely writing that completely captures the dilemma.

Read this aloud to classes, hand it to any elementary age person who enjoys doing things their own way, and share it with adults who need a chuckle.  Highly recommended along with the first book, I would also hand this to parents who look exhausted and worried about any one of their children.  Clementine has a way of getting parents to realize that there is beauty in wise-cracking children who refuse to conform.

Fox by Kate Banks, illustrated by Georg Hallensleben.

The single-word title and the large fox on the cover of this book may make you think it is for very small children, toddlers even.  But that is not the case.  It is the story of a young fox who has to wait and wait until he is old enough to head out into the meadow and hunt on his own.  "No, Fox, no" is what he hears most from his parents as they try to keep him from wandering off and running into danger.  Finally, he is large enough to head out on his own after learning all about the many dangers that surround him.

The illustrations must be mentioned because they are done with such strong colors and almost tactile painting.  They beautifully capture the security of the den, the beauty of the natural world, and the vivid colors that surround us all.  Simply lovely.  Combine with that the language of the text, and you have a real winner for children.  I always enjoy a picture book that does not shy away from introducing small children to new words that open up their world.  Here readers will encounter "burnished leaves," "a billowy gust," and "a peaceable hum."  All used to better explain and evoke the world that the fox live in. 

Share this with children of preschool and kindergarten age.  It is a treat to read aloud for the adult reader as well.

Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey.

Ah what a joy!  I saw that this received several starred reviews and immediately put it on hold at the library. 

Merlin predicted 600 years ago that the 21st queen of Wilde Island would "redeem the name Pendragon.  End war with the wave of her hand.  And restore the glory of Wilde Island."  Rosalind stands in line to be the 21st queen, but she has been born with a mark that disgraces her, one of her fingers is that of a dragon with scales and a talon.  She and her mother wear golden gloves to cover her mark, saying that a princess' hands are only to be revealed to her husband.  Rosalind has to find a way to rid herself of her claw in time to be married to Prince Henry as her mother wishes.  But all of the healers try to cure her to no avail.  As time ticks away, people around Rosalind are killed by dragons and anyone who discovers her claw is found dead.  She must discover the strange connection between herself and the dragons and see if she can live to fulfill the prophecy.

Carey does the near impossible here and creates a unique and vibrant fantasy built upon Camelot and Merlin.  Rosie is a wonderful heroine, caught in a situation beyond her control but never turning away from her duty and destiny.  The writing is fluid and has an ease about it, allowing readers to become immersed in the tale.  There is a sudden twist in the middle of the book that lifts the story to new heights and changes the reader's expectations entirely.  Rarely is that done with such skill and grace. 

Recommend to teens who enjoy fantasy as well as those who like princess tales.  There is no sexuality in the book, though plenty of gore, so many older elementary age children will enjoy it as well.  This one is certainly one of the best fantasies of the year.

The Children's Book Council of Australia has announced the Children's Book of the Year Awards Shortlist for 2007.  They have five categories they give awards in:  Older Readers, Younger Readers, Early Childhood, Picture Book and Information Book.

Older Readers:

Don't Call Me Ishmael! by Michael Gerard Bauer. (Coming in September 2007)
One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke (available in US)
Monster Blood Tattoo: Foundling by D.M. Cornish (available in US)
The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarsky (Coming in May 2007)
Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan (Coming in October 2007)
My Big Birkett by Lisa Shanahan (not available yet)

Younger Readers:

Being Bee by Catherine Bateson (not available yet)
The Tuckshop Kid by Pat Flynn (not available yet)
Macbeth and Son by Jackie French (not available yet)
The Cat on the Mat Is Flat by Andy Griffiths (Coming in August 2007)
Bird & Sugar Boy by Sofie Laguna (not available yet)
Layla, Queen of Hearts by Glenda Millard (not available yet)

Early Childhood:

Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umbrella by Pamela Allen. (not available yet)
Doodledum Dancing by Meredith Costain. (not available yet)
Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair by Lee Fox. (not available yet)
Amy & Louis by Libby Gleeson. (not available yet)
Eight by Lyn Lee. (not available yet)
Chatterbox by Margaret Wild. (not available yet)

Picture Book:

Brian Banana Duck Sunshine Yellow by Chris McKimmie. (Coming in July 2007)
Home by Narelle Oliver. (not available yet)
Water Witcher by Jan Ormerod. (not available yet)
The Rainbirds by Sally Rippin. (not available yet)
Woolvs in the Sitee by Anne Spudvilas. (not available yet)
The Arrival by Shaun Tan. (Coming in October 2007)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books:

Red haze: Australians & New Zealanders in Vietnam by Leon Davidson. (not available yet)
Queenie: one elephant's story by Corinne Fenton. (not available yet)
Amazing facts about Australian dinosaurs by Scott Hocknull. (not available yet)
All cats have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopmann. (available)
The penguin book: birds in suits by Mark Norman. (not available yet)
Leaf litter by Rachel Tonkin. (not available yet)

A Second Is a Hiccup: A Child's Book of Time by Hazel Hutchins, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton.

This book winningly puts the concept of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and more into a language that children can immediately relate to and understand.  The words of the book dance along poetically and ends with the warmth of a hug.  The illustrations are lovely as well, demonstrating the friendly, loving world that the words create. 

I highly recommend this as a great poetic addition to units for learning to tell time.  Less about the hands of a clock or strict definitions, this is more about how the time feels and what you can do in the space of that amount of time.  It will appeal to children not interested in the numbers of time but in the experience of it.

The Pink Refrigerator by Tim Egan. 

Ah how I love books like this that open the imagination and ask kids to soar along with them.

Dodsworth lives a very quiet life.  He did get up early to head to the junkyard to scrounge items for his shop, but then he spent the rest of the day watching TV and napping.  He just loved doing nothing at all.  That is until he found the pink refrigerator at the junk yard with a lovely magnet that he could not force loose.  The magnet held up a note that said "Make Pictures" and inside the refrigerator were all sorts of paper and paints.  Dodsworth was thrilled with how much the items would be worth in his shop, but even though he had a buyer almost immediately he couldn't bear to part with them.  Instead he made pictures himself.  When he returned to the junkyard, another note is under the magnet telling him to "Read More" and it is filled with books.  Dodsworth finds himself reading his day away rather than watching TV.  The notes continue to open up Dodsworth sheltered world, getting him to play music, cook, and plant a garden.  When Dodsworth returns to the pink refrigerator again, he finds a note that tells him to "Keep Exploring" and the refrigerator is empty, but the magnet falls off.  Now Dodsworth has a choice to make about what he is going to do, return to the shop and watch TV or keep on exploring.

The illustrations and language by Tim Egan are a perfect pairing, both showing how dull Dodsworth's (don't you love the name and all that it evokes?) world has become.  It does my librarian's heart good to see TV turned off and books, art, crafts, and more become the center of someone's life.  Too many children live as Dodsworths in their own lives.  Perhaps this will inspire them to look beyond their own walls and explore what interests and inspires them!  Let's hope so!

Share this with kindergarteners and first graders.  It is a very nice story to bring when you are asked to read to elementary grades.  Not only will it keep the children interested, but the message is a good one to share, especially when reading to children.

VOYA has two great book lists available online this month.  Both are lists of the top books of 2006.

First is the ever-wonderful list of the Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.  Usually I have read a large number of these, because it's my favorite genre, but this year I find myself looking at many books I have never heard of.  I must disagree with the inclusion of The Princetta on the list, but somehow everyone seems to love that title except me.  Ah well.  Except for that quibble, every other book I have read on the list deserves its place entirely.

Another favorite for me is poetry and VOYA has their list of Poetry Picks for 2006.  I don't tend to read as much teen poetry books as I do poetry books for children, but again those I have read on the list are winners.

Just a mention that the VOYA links are to pdf files.  They can take a little while to load, so be patient.  The fastest way to have to reboot your browser is to be impatient with pdf files. 

Associated Press has an article about Harry Potter fan sites.  I enjoy the fact that the sites were started by teens who have continued to maintain and improve them over the years.  Even better is the change in the approach that Warner Brothers is taking.  Where originally they tried to shut down fan sites, they now invite the webmasters to premieres and more, knowing how many fans they reach.

The following sites are featured in the article:

The Leaky Cauldron
MuggleNet
The Sugar Quill

The Moon Might Be Milk by Lisa Shulman.

Rosie wants to know what the moon is made of, so she asks Cat who says that the moon is made of milk.  Rosie agrees that that might be so, but decides to ask another animal.  It isn't until she asks her Gran what the moon is made of that she gets an answer that satisfies her. 

And so a story is created that has the rhythm and repetition of a classic story and is infused with warmth and wonder as well.  The book does have more words than some picture books, but because of the repetition, they are made more friendly and accessible.  The illustrations are friendly and warm, perfectly rounding out the world that the words create. 

This is a good read-aloud for kindergarteners or first graders who can use it to ask themselves the question of what the moon is made of.  I would recommend it for evening or pajama storytimes as well as any storytime where you are reading It Looked Like Spilt Milk.  Somehow they just seem like a natural pair.

Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup.

Big Smelly Bear never washed and he smelled so bad that the other animals avoided him, except for the flies that buzzed around him.  One morning, he woke up with a terrible itch in his fur that couldn't be fixed by rolling in the dirt or rubbing his back on a tree.  Big Fluffy Bear offers to scratch his back if Big Smelly Bear takes a bath first.  Reluctantly, Big Smelly Bear agrees and finds that he has made a new friend just by bathing.

Children will immediately agree with Big Smelly Bear that baths are horrid.   But they will also agree that they don't want to be avoided or have flies around them either.  The illustrations are large, bold and vivid and will project well to a group of preschoolers, the age that will enjoy this book the most.  The text is perfect to read aloud with lots of repetition and short amounts of text on each page.

Share with a preschool crowd for a bear or bathing unit.

Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Hide! by Candace Fleming and G. Brian Karas.

One of my favorite choices for story time reading has always been Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!  where a man desperately tries to keep rabbits out of his garden.  Fast forward to the fall and the same person is now trying to keep the tricky rabbits out of his warm, snug house.  

The book features the same child-friendly illustrations, the same child-friendly language and noises, and the same wonderful pacing of the first.  If you haven't read Muncha, make sure you share that one first as a  gardening, bunny or harvest book.  This new one will work for winter stories or even spring, as well as bunnies. 

Perfect to share with a group or with one child, expect lots of giggles and encourage children to help with making the Tippy-tippy-tippy, Hide noises.

My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems.

I have only managed to get my hands on this one volume of the new Elephant and Piggie books.  Sigh...  One must try to carry one despite the disappointment...

This book is a marvelous example of the talent of Willems in taking a very simple scenario and turning it into a laugh-out-loud chapter book for beginning readers.  With the simple lines of his Pigeon books, perennial favorites in our house, he captures the angst and sorrow of Elephant and the manic attempts of Piggie to cheer him up.  Who knew that an elephant could be SOOOO very sad?

Recommend this to beginning readers who have listened to the Pigeon books as preschoolers.  They will adore having their own Willems book to try out.  Now just to try to wait patiently for one of the local libraries to get the second of the books... 

Uneversaurus by Professor Potts.

Guaranteed to fly off of your dinosaur shelves, the huge eye on the cover of the book changes to a reflection of a dinosaur when held in a different way. 

This nonfiction book for children offers speculation on what dinosaurs may have looked like.  Were they like today's reptiles?  Did they use flashy defenses?  Could they change color with their environment?  No one knows.  My favorite line from the book is:  "Trying to guess what color dinosaurs were... is like chasing the end of the rainbow."  The book is full of lovely imagery like that paired with silly cartoon comments from a pair of dinosaurs.  The entire format is designed with children firmly in mind.

This book will grab the imagination of children.  I would recommend it for art classes so that children can explore the many colors that dinosaurs could be.  Also use it for dinosaur units or just to lure children to ask for even more dinosaur information. 

Notes on a Near-Life Experience by Olivia Birdsall.

This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at the effect of divorce on a teen girl.  Mia's father moves out of the house after years of fighting that they tried to hide from the children.  Before the divorce, the family had things that marked them as a great family:  home-made birthday cakes, packed school lunches ready and waiting, and Jeopardy in the evenings.  But when her father leaves, so do those hallmarks of her family.  As Mia's family life falls apart, her romance with a long-time crush begins to heat up.  But can she make sense of all of these new feelings and experiences before she drowns in them? 

I loved the characterizations here.  The fact that the they were flawed and interesting made the book work.  Mia was complicated as were her siblings, her best friend and her parents.  The book is all about living in a complicated world where nothing is as simple as it once seemed.

Recommend this to preteen girls.  This is a perfect tween novel with romance, best friends and family angst.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson.

This is another great character study for teens, except this one features a male protagonist.  At first I was worried about Laurie Halse Anderson writing a male lead, but I should have realized that it is because she nails her female characters so well that I could relax and just enjoy.

Tyler is a teen who got caught spraypainting the school.  He left his wallet behind.  So now he is considered the biggest loser in the school.  That is until his new bad boy status gets him the attention of one of the hottest girls in town.  His family life is troubled, his best friend goes by the name of Yoda and is dating his younger sister, and Tyler is faced with a life that goes up and down like a rollercoaster ride.  When he is accused of putting compromising photos of his girlfriend up online, Tyler has to decide whether it is worth living the life of a pariah once again. 

This book grabs you from the first page and never lets you go.  Relentless, deep and almost overwhelming, readers will understand the loser's life that Tyler is living.  The characterization of every character from Tyler to his broken father to his younger sister to Yoda is spot on and reads perfectly.  They are far from cardboard characters, each displaying the wounds that they carry with them much as Tyler does.  Additionally, I enjoyed the fact that teen sexuality is addressed in a matter-of-fact way and with a great deal of humor. 

Readers of her previous novels will flock to this one, but make sure to get it into the hands of boys as well.  The knot-filled life that Tyler leads is one that many teens will recognize. 

Grief Girl: my true story by Erin Vincent.

As a teen I was obsessed with reading true stories that related to my life.  Actually at the time, I liked them the darker the better.  This book would have been right up my alley, and still is.

Erin Vincent writes the story of her teens when she lost her mother in an accident and then her father one month later.  It is a harrowing true story of grief and mourning and how the familiar list of the stages of grief does not really capture the process that mourners go through.  Through much of the book, Erin is lost and confused.  She has a miserable relationship with her older sister, a blissful relationship with her very young brother, and a very strange relationship with her uncle who manages their inheritance.  While some people stand by the children, many others desert them and go on to live their own lives.  The coldness of familiar faces is one of the major themes of the book. 

The writing is powerful, unflinching, and gripping.  Erin creates a book where readers will experience her pain and loss along with her.  Her honesty is amazing as is her sense of humor.  She is a true survivor who has written a true story that most teen girls will want to read.

Recommend this book to teens who enjoy books about loss, but also to those teens who enjoy a good dark tale filled with psychology.  Erin is the epitome of the teen narrator, capturing the teen experience brilliantly.

Enter the gates of Bembo and you will find a very cool alphabet website. Run your mouse over a letter and it makes the noise of the animal that you will see when you click on the letter. Then the name of the animal is displayed and the word becomes the animal itself, built out of the letters in its name. Lovely stuff! And what a nice place for preschoolers and kindergarteners to spend some time.

You will need to have Shockwave installed to view the site.

The Dumpster Diver by Janet S. Wong, illustrated by David Roberts. 

I was charmed by this book when I opened it to the end pages and found a mishmash of different insects.  The dumpsters near the children's buildings are filled with treasure, but it takes the Dumpster Diver to find it.  Suited with a yellow raincoat, snorkeling gear, heavy gloves and flippers, Steve is ready to enter the dumpsters.  It takes an entire diving team of children to support him, much to their delight.  And the treasure they find may be garbage to others, but is soon built into fantastic creations.  As Steve says, "Junk is good!"

This is not a sweet-scented, clean dumpster experience.  It is dangerous, dirty, icky and gross.  The fact that this all ends with cleaned up items that are made into useful furniture, toys and more is what makes the book so successful.  I love that it is not a sanitized version of junk collecting but instead embraces the icky along with the finds. 

Share this with an art class, kids who enjoy a good rummage around, or anyone who sees value in things that others toss out.  It will inspire children to see functionality and art in everyday objects. 

The 2007 Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts have been announced.  Book were selected in the following categories:  Poetry, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Fantasy/Folklore, Biography/Autobiography/Memoir, Informational, and Picture Books. 

My favorites on the list are: 

Meow Ruff by Joyce Sidman (in the Poetry category)

The Braid by Helen Frost (in the Historical Fiction category, though it could also have been in the Poetry one)

Rules by Cynthia Lord (in Realistic Fiction)

Gossamer by Lois Lowry (in Fantasy)

And all of the picture book choices! 

I obviously need to branch out into more nonfiction books, because I haven't read many of the ones on the list at all.