Kids Lit
Books and More for Children and Teens

Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke, illustrated by Garry Parsons.

Early one morning, a hen notices that one of her chicks is stuck in the mud.  She pushes and shoves, but can't get the chick out and then finds herself stuck too!  One by one, more animals join them stuck all together in the mud.  All push and strain to get unstuck, but all are trapped.  All except one!  The little chick who started the mess!

The art here is so funny and inviting.  Done in a cartoon style that will make small children right at home, it is perfectly paired with the zany text that will have children even more at home.   The text is pitch perfect, reading aloud so easily that it fairly skips along.  This is the perfect book for a toddler story time where children will love to shout out the animal names and join in the straining to push and pull the animals out of the mud.

Highly recommended for ages 3-6.  Have a muddy good time!

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Forever Rose by Hilary McKay.

Return once again to the Casson family as they verge on disaster but always pull together as a family by the end of the story.  Rose is being left alone more and more as her sister Caddy has left, Saffy is busy with friends and school, Indigo is into his music, her father is away living in London, and her mother is in her shed feeling ill.  But maybe it's worse when one of Indigo's friends moves his drum set in and ruins her latest painting.  Certainly it is worse when she finally realizes what she has agreed to do with her friends at the zoo!  But it is far too late to back out by then.

McKay has such a deft hand with characters.  They are constantly surprising but true to themselves.  She is particularly wonderful at creating people with true flaws, but also making sure they are not only lovable but loved.  While one doesn't wish to move in with the family, one would love to know them and be part of their world. 

Once again, a Casson novel that triumphs.  Highly recommended for readers ages 10-14, but only if they have read the rest of the series!

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Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker.

Every time a new Clementine book comes out, my toes wiggle with glee.  I know that between those pages, I will find moments to laugh aloud, discover myself as a small child again, recognize my children, and simply sink into a wonderful book.  They never disappoint.

This third Clementine book has her bonding with her third grade teacher until he is nominated to go on a trip to Egypt.  Now Clementine has to cope with a new teacher who doesn't seem to have the same rules while desperately trying to keep her old teacher from winning the award and leaving.  Clementine also has to try to do something extra nice for her mother because she is writing a story with her father.  It's only fair to do things equally according to her friend Margaret. 

Once again I was charmed not only by the effervescent Clementine who walks her own walk and sees the world through her own special lens, but by her parents who love her simply for being herself.  Other adults are equally well drawn and complete as are the children around Clementine.  Add to that Frazee's line art which constantly shows the field of chaos around Clementine as she moves through life, and you have such a believable and vibrant book that it is hard to put down.  In fact, I recommend having all three at hand, because you are going to want to start the entire series once again just to spend some more time with them.

Highly recommended as a readaloud, or for parents of children who don't conform to what the world seems to expect, or for children themselves who have a good sense of humor and love to laugh.  Hey, it's great for everyone.  Enjoy!

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I love seeing who has won the Jane Addam's Children's Book Awards because the focus of the award is so near and dear to me.   Books on the list "effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all races as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence."

Here are the 2008 Winners:

The Escape of Oney Judge: Martha Washington's Slave Finds Freedom by Emily Arnold McCully.

We Are One:  The Story of Bayard Rustin by Larry Dane Brimmer.

And the honors:

One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II by Lita Judge.

Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins.

Eljah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Birmingham, 1963 by Carole Boston Weatherford.

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I always love seeing what VOYA has dubbed the best science fiction, fantasy and horror books.  Will my favorites make it?  How about yours?

Take a look at the list.  It is a pdf file and may require patience to load.

Here are ones I am glad to see on the list:

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke (I wish this had been a Cybil nominee!)

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (Yes!  The best of the year!)

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (Hurrah!  Love this one!)

The Chaos King by Laura Ruby

But there are so many I didn't read and so many that were never on our list to consider for the Cybils!  Any other must-reads on the list?  Some of my favorites are missing.  Where is Epic?  Where is Wildwood Dancing?  Any others that should be on such a lengthy list?

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The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist for 2008 has been announced:

Gatty's Tale by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Ruby Red by Linzi Alex Glass

Crusade by Elizabeth Laird

Apache by Tanya Landman

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

What I Was by Meg Rosoff

Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine (published in the U.S. as Me, the Missing and the Dead)

Remember, this is a British award, so some of the books aren't released in the U.S. yet.

Has anyone got any favorites?  I haven't read any of these!

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My Friend the Starfinder by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Stephen Gammell.

Ready yourself for a true story that defies belief.  A girl meets am old man who tells her amazing stories.  He starts by telling her of seeing a star fall and then heading into the fields to where it landed.  He picked up the star and took it home.  Then there was the time he found himself at the end of a rainbow, doused in colors.  Readers at this point will think they are in the middle of a magical picture book story, but in the author's note, Lyon tells us that she knew this man.  What a perfect way for it all to end.  In truth.

Lyon's language here is gorgeous and often breathtaking.  She starts out with plain and simple wording that gets caught in the story and expands, filling the book with metaphor and wonder.  And to make it even more wonderful, she does it a second time and readers will feel just as captured and amazed as the first time.

Pair her deft language with Gammell's art and you get a book that fairly sings with color and story.  Gammell uses his loose art to perfectly capture the connections between people and the singular moments we find ourselves in. 

Highly recommended, this picture book is a welcome addition to any library collection.  It should be shared with children and then they should be given time to hear your stories of wonders that have happened to you and to share their own.  A chance to share and connect is the perfect ending to this book.

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Peeled by Joan Bauer.

Bauer does it again with this engaging story of a young journalist who faces off against her own hometown paper.  Hildy Biddle knows how to stand up for the truth.  Her father was a newspaperman before he died and she has grown up to be very like him.  When a house in their community is declared one of the most haunted places in the state, all sorts of strange things start happening, all attributed to the ghosts.  Hildy and her friends on the high school paper refuse to accept the tales being told in the local newspaper and continue to ask questions.  But how will she reveal the truth once the high school paper is shut down?  Can the truth be heard?

Hildy is a grand female character, gutsy, funny, smart and determined.  Best of all, she is not the stereotypical smart-girl who lacks romance.  Instead Hildy has a string of ex-boyfriends and a boy she has her eye on.  This adds to her believability and strength as a character.  Additionally, the secondary characters are well-written and complete. 

Bauer also uses her ability as a writer to present readers with tough situations through clear language and a thoughtful approach.  As Hildy grabbles with the ethical dilemmas of revealing truth, so does the reader.  Bauer allows the reader to learn, question and think on their own.

Highly recommended for teens, this book contains no sexual content and could easily be used in classrooms with teens. 

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Saga by Conor Kostick.

This is the sequel to Epic, one of my favorite science fiction novels from last year.  While Erik and his character appear in the story, it is really much more about the cyberpunk world of Saga, a video game that has evolved from being a simple game to really being a world populated with living entities.   Ghost woke up six years ago with no memories of her previous life, now she lives outside of the world of colored cards and status that make up the society of Saga.  She is virtually invisible except that situations keep pushing her to the fore.  When people around her begin arriving and then disappearing, she and her friends begin to realize that they are living in a game.  The Dark Queen, ruler of Saga, begins to use the human visitors to her own ends, working against the changes that Ghost would like to see in the society and worsening the conditions of most of the population.  It may take working together with the unknown humans against her own kind to solve both the problems of Saga and the questions of her own identity.

Another thrilling ride of a book, taking on a genre of video games with the skill of a master.  Just as he captured the spirit of fantasy gaming in Epic, Kostick has created the feel of a vivid cyberpunk world here.  The writing is crisp and accessible, welcoming readers into the world.  The characterizations are multidimensional and fascinating.  The heroes have dark sides and the villains have softness.  Even in his Dark Queen, Kostick has created a true villain but someone with depth and logic. 

Readers who loved Epic will be jumping to read Saga.  It will not disappoint those video game players in your library.  In fact, if you circulate computer games or have gaming programs, I'd advise hand-selling these in those spots.  The kids will thank you.

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Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis.

First, let me just applaud this book for not being PINK and SPARKLY.  Instead it is red and sparkly and has a girl who is a spunky individual.  Lulu's parents are busy and her big brother is playing baseball with his friends, so that leaves her to find her own fun along with her dog Bingo.  Lulu spends the day outside in the backyard, running, saving ants from boulders, crossing puddles that could contain sharks, and building a fort of her own. 

Captured in the illustrations are her sense of self and freedom.  Lovely to see in a book for girls, Lulu is not squeamish and has a vivid imagination that keeps her more than busy enough while everyone is busy.  The illustrations are full of movement, breeze and joy.  They capture a day spent outside alone and the fun that can be found there. 

Highly recommended as an antidote to pink sparkly books.  This book could serve as a primer for modern children finding good old-fashioned fun in their own backyards.  Recommended for ages 5-7.

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A pair of lovely board books crossed my desk and I just have to share them with you!

Subway by Anastasia Suen, illustrated by Karen Katz

Now available in board book format, this is the perfect type of picture book for a board book conversion.  With Katz's trademark round-faced people in all colors and a rhythmic text that invites bouncing and swaying, this is sure to be a hit on laps everywhere or in toddler classrooms and libraries.  Sturdy pages will stand up to the enthusiasm of the youngest readers.  Sure to be a hit even for those toddlers who don't know about subway systems.  Even better, it is all about a large vehicle so it invites small boys to enjoy!

Colors/Colores by Eric Carle

Coming out later this week is My Very First Bilingual Book in English and Spanish featuring colors and done by the wonderfully-popular Carle.  Each page features a sliding panel to expose either the English or Spanish word for the color.  Not only is this great fun for small toddlers but it will be of interest to those teaching Spanish in elementary school.  Kindergarteners and first graders are sure to enjoy it.

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After two years of planning, the Fox Cities Book Festival was held this weekend.  Almost every event had more people than we expected.  It was a wonderful testament to the power of poetry and books in people's lives. 

For me, every event I attended was magical, imbued with wonder and joy.  One event that I helped most with was a children's area at the Book Fair where School Specialty donated children's books for us to simply give away to children who came in.  The books were lovely, shiny, new and so were the children who came in.

What joy to be able to tell people that they could have a book to keep.  Just because of someone's generosity, because they cared, and because we care.  It was a powerful message and I just couldn't get tired of delivering it over and over again.

But what I loved most was seeing the people.  As a library director, I don't get to interact with people as much as I used to.  And I miss it.  This weekend taught me that.  Demonstrated the power of small connections over books, and immersed me in a joyous day of giving and thanks.

What a treat to be a part of the Festival.  What a treat to know that I helped make it possible.  Helped create conversation, wonder.  And what a treat to be gifted with that day.

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How Big Is the World? by Britta Teckentrup.

From the author of Big Smelly Bear comes this book about a young mole who wants to know how big the world is.  As he travels, he asks different animals who all reveal the limitations of their own view of the world.  That is until he reaches the ocean and finds a whale who says that he has never yet reached the end of the world and carries mole and the readers to different lands.  When mole finally returns home to his father, he reports that the world is "as big as you want it to be."

This is a breathtaking book, with illustrations that are large, bold and inviting all at the same time.  Teckentrup's paintings will shout to an audience of preschoolers, draw them in, show them the world, and return them home with the same sense of adventure that little mole has.  Paired with the text that is purely child-friendly, this becomes a picture book worth adding to your collection and using in story times.

Simply lovely and highly recommended for reading to groups, appropriate for ages 3-6.

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At first I thought this was a joke, then I only wished it was.  My Beautiful Mommy is a book that tells the story of a little girl seeing her mommy get plastic surgery.  Yes, sweetie, see mommy get bigger boobs, a tighter tummy and a smaller nose and then feel great about yourself.  Almost like a double dog dare, isn't it?

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The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato, illustrated by Delphine Durand.

Henrietta's two older sisters tease her mercilessly.  Even though she knows they often tease, Henrietta starts to believe them when they tell her she is really a chicken not a girl.  The feathers they leave in her room are especially convincing.  So Henrietta heads down the road to a nearby farm to find her real family and there on the farm in the chicken yard, she finds creatures who like her and enjoy being with her.  Maybe this is her real family after all?

What could have simply been a silly story becomes much more deep and thoughtful even with its brisk pace and wonderfully bug-eyed illustrations.  This is a great look at teasing in a family and at how children can see things in their own special way.  The entire family dynamic is believable and not overdone.  The pacing is quick, but allows for some reflection about what family is and what truth is. 

Lovely stuff, this is a great book for families to read together.  Recommended for ages 5-7.

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The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill, illustrated by Russell Ayto.

Marjorie doesn't feel special.  Unlike the other cows on the farm, she can't ride a bike or do handstands.  So the chicken concoct a cunning plan to get Marjorie feeling better.  They give her one of their eggs, decorated with black spots.  Crowds and the press come to marvel at this cow who laid an egg.  But when the egg starts to hatch is the plot revealed?  You will just have to read it to find out.

Great fun from the first page, this book combines a silly story and zany illustrations into a package that will delight young readers.  The illustrations make this book with their marching chickens, jealous cows, and a befuddled main character.  They are done as collages with the use of photographs as well as drawings.  Great fun.

Highly recommended to share with a group of preschoolers.  This would make a great final book for story times about either cows or chickens.  For ages 4-6.

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Looks by Madeleine George.

Released June 2008.

Meghan is an enormous girl who spends her lonely days in high school virtually invisible, except when she is mercilessly tormented by a group of the popular jocks.  Because she is often overlooked, she knows things about almost everyone at school.  That's why she is intrigued when Aimee starts school.  Aimee is stick thin and struggling with an eating disorder and has no interest in being friends with Meghan who can't manage to talk coherently when she approaches her.  When both girls are betrayed by the same person, they haltingly start a friendship for revenge.

The language of this book is pure poetry.  I know that is something often said about prose, but in this case it is entirely true.  Here is a paragraph from Page 12 of the novel to demonstrate:

Here in the dark she disappears completely, her body dissolves, but every one of her senses sharpens: vision, scent, memory, hearing.  Meghan tilts her head toward the door and curves her whole self into a listening device.  She wakes up every sleeping cell in her body to listen.  She makes her skin listen, she makes her eyelashes listen.  She stills her breath, lets it in and out of her lungs in faint wisps.  She listens so hard she feels her heartbeat slow.

The book is like that, taking you so deeply into characters, exposing them, looking beyond the surface to the people they are inside with all of their fascinating drives, needs and fears.  In doing this, neither of the main characters can possibly be stereotypical.  Meghan is seen as dainty at times, graceful, lovely.  Aimee as sharp in voice and in spirit.  Both as cautious kindred spirits brought together by far more than betrayal and revenge. 

There are so many layers here to immerse readers.  This is a book that celebrates unique people, lingers in painful moments, displays beauty where none seemed to exist.  It is a book that sings in tribute of these two disparate but similar characters.  It is a wonder of a teen novel. 

Highly recommended, this book will find those who will relate to it by the great cover.  Hand this one to teens who go their own way and they will find two characters to revel in and one amazing novel to call their own.

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Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire by Derek Landy

This was one book I was thrilled to get my hands on at PLA, and it was even better than my high expectations.

Valkyrie Cain continues to find adventure at the side of the living-dead skeleton Skulduggery Pleasant.  This time Baron Vengeous has escaped prison and is attempting to bring the Grotesquery to life in order to bring back the Faceless Ones.  The Grotesquery is a monster created from different pieces of beasts from legend, brought together into one horrific and powerful being.  As they try to stop Baron Vengeous, Valkyrie and Skulduggery run into a variety of strange beings who have incredible powers and who are always ready for a good fight.  Fans of the first book will also be happy to see many of their favorite characters appear again.

A wild ride of a book, the battles are gory, choreographed and often funny.  The book continues the strong sense of humor, laugh out-loud commentary, and vibrant relationship of the two main characters.  Plenty of banter and wit as well as some deeper questions about life make this a winner of a novel. 

This is not a stand-alone title.  Readers must have read the first in the series to really appreciate this one.  Highly recommended for fans of action films and science fiction ages 10-14.

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The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry.

Leave everything you know about Lowry and her type of book behind.  Now you are ready to enter the world of The Willoughbys.  The four Willoughby children are not adored by their parents.  In fact, their parents are desperate to escape.  Luckily, the children felt exactly the same way.  So when their parents head out on dangerous adventures, leaving them with a capable nanny, the children are overjoyed but worried that their parents may one day return.  Add into the mix an abandoned infant, a desperately depressed millionaire, and long-lost children and you have this novel.

Lowry has captured with great zest, fun and life a vintage feel, tipping her hat to great works of children's literature throughout.  Her tone is spot-on and at first child readers may wonder if it's OK to laugh, but it certainly is.  The book is light, quick and a blast to read.  Giggling is to be expected.

I am a huge fan of Lowry ever since The Giver and this is a new type of writing for her.  What a risk to take, but what a winner of a novel resulted!  This would make a great class read aloud for older elementary students or will happily be curled up with by anyone with a sense of humor.  Fans of Lemony Snicket will enjoy it immensely.

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The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry.

Leave everything you know about Lowry and her type of book behind.  Now you are ready to enter the world of The Willoughbys.  The four Willoughby children are not adored by their parents.  In fact, their parents are desperate to escape.  Luckily, the children felt exactly the same way.  So when their parents head out on dangerous adventures, leaving them with a capable nanny, the children are overjoyed but worried that their parents may one day return.  Add into the mix an abandoned infant, a desperately depressed millionaire, and long-lost children and you have this novel.

Lowry has captured with great zest, fun and life a vintage feel, tipping her hat to great works of children's literature throughout.  Her tone is spot-on and at first child readers may wonder if it's OK to laugh, but it certainly is.  The book is light, quick and a blast to read.  Giggling is to be expected.

I am a huge fan of Lowry ever since The Giver and this is a new type of writing for her.  What a risk to take, but what a winner of a novel resulted!  This would make a great class read aloud for older elementary students or will happily be curled up with by anyone with a sense of humor.  Fans of Lemony Snicket will enjoy it immensely.

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Big Bad Bunny by Franny Billingsley, illustrated by G. Brian Karas.

There are some picture books designed to be great fun to read aloud and this is definitely one of them.   Mama Mouse is sweetly tucking her little baby mice into bed.  Kisses and sweetness reign supreme.  But turn the page and discover the horror of BIG BAD BUNNY stomping and rampaging no matter what is in her way.  Mama Mouse discovers that Baby Boo Boo is missing!  And then readers discover that Big Bad Bunny is what Baby Boo Boo turns into when she is angry, especially about being called a baby!

Moving between the loud anger of Big Bad Bunny and the tooth-achingly sweet mothering of Mama Mouse is great fun.  And the text is written perfectly to move between them.  Karas' art is as vibrant as ever, skillfully telling more of the story than the words do alone. 

Small children everywhere will love this story and will relate with relish to the anger of Baby Boo Boo.  So here we have a picture book that parents will love to read, children will love to listen to, and which has a great message.  What immense fun!  Recommended for small children (not babies) everywhere, especially those ages 4-6.

Visit the Franny Billingsley's homepage at http://www.frannybillingsley.com/, where you will discover her fantasy books for older children.

Visit G. Brian Karas' page at http://www.gbriankaras.com/ and enjoy his other picture books which are some of my all-time favorites like Muncha, Muncha, Muncha!

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Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt.

Scaredy returns in his third book that follows the same wonderful theme as the first two.  Though Scaredy would love to go to the beach there are so many wrong crowds that he could be surrounded by that he doesn't think it's wise.  So Scaredy creates a beach of his own using an inflatable pool and kitty litter.  But something is missing - the sounds are all wrong.  So Scaredy sets off to find a seashell at the beach to put to his ear.  He plans carefully but somehow doesn't factor in one little detail - people.

Watt's art is as always very fresh and fun.  The quirks of Scaredy's logic and thoughts are again thoroughly entertaining.  I love the touches of oven mitts, his middle name, and the care he puts into anything he does.  Very funny, unique and above all child-friendly.

Highly recommended where the first two were popular.  But if you don't have the first two, make sure you get those as well.  The cover art will get the books moving off of your shelves and the stories will keep them coming back for more.  Recommended for ages 5-7.

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Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr.

The sequel to the amazing Wicked Lovely tells the story of one of Aislinn's human friends who doesn't know anything about the faeries living around them or that Aislinn is now Queen of the Summer Court.  Leslie is a girl whose life has turned upside down, her mother left, her father turned inward, her brother deals drugs, and she was sold as a sexual favor to cover his debts.  She is damaged but not broken as she turns to a tattoo to restart her life, declaring her body her own again.  But it is not that simple, because Rabbit, her tattoo artist has ties to the Dark Court and Leslie finds herself slowly drawn into their fight for survival through the very tattoo she thought would mark a new beginning of freedom.

The world building here is exquisitely done.  Marr takes the world she built in Wicked Lovely and makes it deeper, darker and more intense.  Her writing is skillful, drawing you into the same web Leslie is trapped in.  By the end there is such a sense of claustrophobia and control that it is almost hard to breathe, but equally hard to put down.  Masterfully done.

I enjoyed Leslie as a heroine throughout the novel.  She is tough but still somehow vulnerable, wise but naive, and these qualities make her all the more intriguing and human.  Equally well portrayed are the two faeries Niall and Irial who struggle to not fall for Leslie but fail.  The Dark Court could have been chillingly callous and cruel, but Marr has managed to make them multi-dimensional and even allows readers to have some understanding of their motives and emotions.  It is a delicate balance that Marr achieves and that lies at the heart of the success of this novel.

Highly recommended for readers of the first novel, this book will fly off the shelves and into the hands of teens everywhere.

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Here they are!  Hot off the presses (really hot off of an announcement on the CCBC-Net list).  They are not on the Notables website yet.

Poetry and Drama

Jazz on a Saturday Night by Leo and Diane Dillons.

Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon by Ruth Forman.

Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo Poems by Linda Sue Park.

Good Masters, Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz.

Historical and Realistic Fiction

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine

In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford.  (My review)

The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. (My review)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. (My review)

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth.

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson.

Fantasy/Folklore

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman. (My review)

The Black Book of Secrets by F. E. Higgins.

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon.

Information/Biography/Autobiography/Memoir

Muckrakers by Ann Bausum.

How to Write Your Life Story by Ralph Fletcher.

Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark by Leonard S. Marcus.

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis. (My review)

Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures by George Sullivan.

Picture Books

Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones by Gene Barretta.

Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. (My review)

The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice N. Harrington. (My review)

One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II by Lita Judge.

The Zoo by S. Lee.

When the Shadbush Blooms by Carla Messinger and Susan Katz. (My review)

The Arrival by Shaun Tan. (My review)

Chester by Melanie Watt. (My review)

Woolvs in the Sitee by Margaret Wild.

Got any favorites of your own on the list?

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Here they are!  Hot off the presses (really hot off of an announcement on the CCBC-Net list).  They are not on the Notables website yet.

Poetry and Drama

Jazz on a Saturday Night by Leo and Diane Dillons.

Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon by Ruth Forman.

Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo Poems by Linda Sue Park.

Good Masters, Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz.

Historical and Realistic Fiction

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine

In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford.  (My review)

The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. (My review)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. (My review)

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth.

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson.

Fantasy/Folklore

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman. (My review)

The Black Book of Secrets by F. E. Higgins.

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon.

Information/Biography/Autobiography/Memoir

Muckrakers by Ann Bausum.

How to Write Your Life Story by Ralph Fletcher.

Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark by Leonard S. Marcus.

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis. (My review)

Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures by George Sullivan.

Picture Books

Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones by Gene Barretta.

Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. (My review)

The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice N. Harrington. (My review)

One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II by Lita Judge.

The Zoo by S. Lee.

When the Shadbush Blooms by Carla Messinger and Susan Katz. (My review)

The Arrival by Shaun Tan. (My review)

Chester by Melanie Watt. (My review)

Woolvs in the Sitee by Margaret Wild.

Got any favorites of your own on the list?

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Here they are!  Hot off the presses (really hot off of an announcement on the CCBC-Net list).  They are not on the Notables website yet.

Poetry and Drama

Jazz on a Saturday Night by Leo and Diane Dillons.

Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon by Ruth Forman.

Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo Poems by Linda Sue Park.

Good Masters, Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz.

Historical and Realistic Fiction

Revolution Is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine

In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth.

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford.  (My review)

The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. (My review)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. (My review)

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth.

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson.

Fantasy/Folklore

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman. (My review)

The Black Book of Secrets by F. E. Higgins.

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon.

Information/Biography/Autobiography/Memoir

Muckrakers by Ann Bausum.

How to Write Your Life Story by Ralph Fletcher.

Pass It Down: Five Picture Book Families Make Their Mark by Leonard S. Marcus.

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis. (My review)

Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures by George Sullivan.

Picture Books

Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones by Gene Barretta.

Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. (My review)

The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice N. Harrington. (My review)

One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II by Lita Judge.

The Zoo by S. Lee.

When the Shadbush Blooms by Carla Messinger and Susan Katz. (My review)

The Arrival by Shaun Tan. (My review)

Chester by Melanie Watt. (My review)

Woolvs in the Sitee by Margaret Wild.

Got any favorites of your own on the list?

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