FINISHED:

Hautman, P., and Logue, M. (2008). Doppleganger [The Bloodwater mysteries]. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin.

[Review posted right here... once I've written it...

Voila:

Roni, a budding journalist and private eye, sees an age-progressed photo of a child that has been missing for the last 10 years and believes it so closely resembles her friend Brian that it opens up a whole investigation for the two of them to find out the truth about this case and it’s possible relation to Brian. Simultaneously, some shadowy figures see a picture of Brian in the newspaper and also believe him to be this particular missing child and will stop at nothing to seek out answers to this decade-long mystery. This third installment in the Bloodwater Mysteries series, behind Snatched (Putnam, 2006) and Skullduggery (Putnam, 2007), is a fun and fast-paced puzzler that covers the issues of mistaken identity, foreign adoption, abandonment, and the difficult choices that parents must make in what they believe to be their child’s best interest. This isn’t a bogged down, confounding tale that is impossible to follow, but rather a breezy and light one with satisfying elements of danger and intrigue that ought to have wide appeal – to those who are diehard mystery fanatics and those who are just getting into the genre. ]

STARTED:
Martin, C.K. Kelly. (2008). I know it's over. New York: Random House.

[Reviewing for ACL.]

*

FINISHED:

Korman, Gordon. (2008). The 39 clues [Book 2]: One false note. New York: Scholastic.

[Must. Visit. Venice. Before. Dying.]

STARTED:
Hautman, P., and Logue, M. (2008). Doppleganger [The Bloodwater mysteries]. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin.

[Reviewing for ACL...]

*

FINISHED:

Look, Lenore. (2008). Alvin Ho: Allergic to girls, school, and other scary things. New York: Schwartz & Wade/Random House.

[LOTS of Mock Newbery buzz on this one. I liked it a lot - best book of the year... um, no. Alvin Ho is ready to begin 2nd grade, but he has selective mutism - outside of school he's a chatty Cathy, but when he gets to school he goes mute and can't speak at all. This is a fun little read which chronicles a few different events in Alvin's life, mostly centered around beginning a new school year and his attempts to make friends. Alvin is a sweetly drawn character whom you will root for, and those around him are interesting as well - his genius brother Calvin, spunky little sister, and Flea, a girl in his class who wears an eye patch. Looks like there are further adventures of Alvin to be published next year, and I was intrigued enough with this one to read the next. OH! And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention LeUyen Pham's fantastic illustrations which ABSOLUTELY add tons to the text. Newbery Honor, maybe...]

STARTED:
Korman, Gordon. (2008). The 39 clues [Book 2]: One false note. New York: Scholastic.

[They've kind of got me hooked...]

*

Christmas Book 2008

Snicket, Lemony. (2008). The lump of coal. New York: HarperCollins.

[There was just a derth of good children's Christmas picture books this year. This one jumped out as this year's winner simply because it's Snicket and Helquist - always a winning combination. A lump of coal with an artistic sense can't find his place until he finds himself in the stocking of a rotten kid who wants to begin drawing. Random and not so Christmasy, but still fun.]

*

FINISHED:

Avi. (2006). Crispin: At the edge of the world. New York: Hyperion.

[This is turning out to be a triumphant trilogy in the Avi canon. Crispin and Bear are off and trying to make do while traveling by juggling and playing music for money. When Bear is injured, the two are taken in by a pagan medicine woman and the "disfigured" girl, Troth, who serves as her apprentice. When the woman dies, Bear takes Crispin and Troth on his his children and the three, to escape Bear's past, catch passage on a ship which ends up losing its crew and drops the trio in France. Here, they are forced to take part in the pillaging of a church and castle by British soldiers bent on stealing a treasure. Interesting themes of religion (Christianity vs. paganism), friendship, dealing with sins of the past, redemption, and, ultimately, loss highlight this insightfully written, compelling, deeply enjoyable gem. When's the conclusion of the trilogy coming out?!?!]

STARTED:
Look, Lenore. (2008). Alvin Ho: Allergic to girls, school, and other scary things. New York: Schwartz & Wade/Random House.

[Getting some buzz lately as one of the best of the year. Heard it's a lot of fun so I'm giving it a go.]

*

Picture Book Tuesday: Christmas Edition

STARTED & FINISHED:

Balian, Lorna. (1977). Bah! Humbug? Nashville, TN: Parthenon Press.

[.]




Francoise. (1953). Noel for Jeanne-Marie. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

[.]



Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman. (1990). I'm Santa Claus and I'm famous. New York: Holiday House.

[Brian thinks the title alone of this one makes Santa sound "pompous".]

*

FINISHED:

Konigsburg, E.L. (1976). My father's daughter. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks/Simon & Schuster.

[An interesting one. Certainly not my favorite, but, damn, if this woman can't do everything. I mean, all of her books are SO different - each with their own narrative devices and voices. In this one (originally titled Father's Arcane Daughter), Winston is a kid with an extremely wealthy and well-known father. One day, a woman rings their doorbell claiming to be Winston's father's daughter that was kidnapped and held for ransom many years before. It was thought/assumed that Caroline died in a fire before she could be rescued, but, here she is walking into the skeptical Carmichael household. Winston develops a quick friendship with Caroline, but Caroline doesn't have patience for Heidi, Winston's sister who has a physical handicap and may be a genius beyond her years. It's a question whether Caroline is the REAL Caroline until all is revealed in the end through the notes of an old teacher who taught Caroline. Intriguing, but I think that it may have limited appeal. Some of Konigsburg's books are just so emotionally complex and sophisticated - a definite plus, she's still one of my favorites - but may not hold the attention of those with a taste for the fun and breezy.]

STARTED:
Avi. (2006). Crispin: At the edge of the world. New York: Hyperion.

[Read the first one - the NEWBERY award winner - a while back and really liked it. Thought it was time I found out what further adventures Crispin was having...]

*

FINISHED:

Lord, Bette Bao. (1984). In the year of the boar and Jackie Robinson. New York: HarperCollins.

[Really liked this one - didn't LOVE it. It just felt a bit light to me - kind of a bunch of short little events in a year of this girl from China's life, her first year in the U.S. Yes, it's a book intended for upper elementary kids, but I still feel that it could've been filled out a bit more. Her story (based, as I understand) on real events) is an interesting one, given the historical context and such, and I wanted Shirley Temple Wong to feel more real and fleshed out. One of the reasons I got this one is because I'm in love with Marc Simont, and his illustrations here are winners, giving insightful visuals to the people and events. I'm making it sound like I hated it, but I did find it enjoyable - especially the instances where Shirley misinterpreted certain "American-isms" and came up with her own versions of English language phrases and cues.]

STARTED:
Konigsburg, E.L. (1976). My father's daughter. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks/Simon & Schuster.

[Let it be said now that this is the March 2008 paperback reprint of the book originally titled Father's Arcane Daughter. Wanted to read something short and I'm always up for a Konigsburg that I haven't read yet.]

*

FINISHED:

Juster, Norton. (1961). The phantom tollbooth. New York: Dell Yearling/Random House.

[I just CAN'T BELIEVE that I've never read this one before! Milo receives a tollbooth in the mail which ends up being a porthole to a strange world where language is everything. The princesses Rhyme and Reason have been locked away, thus causing unwelcome changes across the lands, and it is up to Milo, Tock (a literal "watch dog"), and Humbug the bug, to travel to save them. Naturally, they have many odd adventures and meetings with strange creatures and beings, all of which tend to play on a well-known phrase in the English language. And it is just this, the wordplay, that makes this one an absolute classic - one that I would recommend to any avid reader with a firm knowledge of, and interest in, language. There are many memorable scenes here: Milo getting a chance to bring color into the world by conducting an orchestra that controls the comings and goings of the day; coming across the home of the man who is, all at once, the skinniest fat man, the fattest skinny man, the tallest short man, etc.; and meeting with the kid who, in his world, appears to be floating because he grows down instead of up. Quirky, odd, nonsensical, and fun in that classic, Roald Dahl-ish way, this one should be on every reading list.]



STARTED & FINISHED:
Robinson, Barbara. (1972). The best Christmas pageant ever. New York: HarperCollins.

[Gotta get in a holiday themed title here. This one has special meaning to me because not only do I remember watching the TV version of this classic, but I played Leroy Herdman in a community theatre production of the play. A must read at some point, despite the fact that it's main focus is a church nativity play. The Herdmans are the rottenist kids in town and, when they find out that there is free food given out, show up at church and end up taking over all of the major roles in the church nativity pageant. This one is really amusing, has a great narration, and bullies that are humanized by the end of the story. The image of Imogene Herdman dressed as Mary and crying while holding the baby doll gets me every time.]


STARTED:
Lord, Bette Bao. (1984). In the year of the boar and Jackie Robinson. New York: HarperCollins.

[Recommended by a colleague who is reading with her adopted daughter from China.]

*

Picture Book Tuesday: Tomi Ungerer

STARTED & FINISHED:

Ungerer, Tomi. (1967). Moon man. New York: Harper & Row.

[.]




Ungerer, Tomi. (1962). The three robbers. New York: Atheneum/Macmillan.

[.]




Ungerer, Tomi. (1958). Crictor. New York: HarperCollins.

[.]

*

FINISHED:

St. James, James. (2007). Freak show. New York: Dutton/Penguin.

[Billy Bloom is sent to live with his father in rural Florida where he then must attend a conservative private school. The thing is, Billy is a young drag queen with a taste for the outrageous and inventive when it comes to clothing and makeup choices. Right from the first day he's ridiculed, spit at, and eventually becomes the victim of a HORRIBLE attack. He is saved from that beating by, and subsequently befriends, Flip, the hot, high school football star hunk whom he begins to heavily crush on until things get a bit too close for Flip. In the end, Billy decides to run for homecoming queen in an effort to show how everybody should be able to be exactly who they are. I REALLY liked this one. 75+% of the novel is Billy's inner dialogue which is a bunch of hilarious and insightful musings on the life of a gay kid with a taste for the clever and unconventional. At times drop dead funny, horribly brutal, touching (especially the relationships with his mother and father), romantic and swooning, and just plain bizarre, this one likely has a limited appeal, but those who "get it" will find it truly fabulous.]

STARTED:
Juster, Norton. (1961). The phantom tollbooth. New York: Dell Yearling/Random House.

[It was time to read a classic, and, shamefully, this is one that I've never read before. Recently saw the animated adaptation of his picture book The Dot & the Line and LOVED it (actually, I'm sure that I've seen it before... maybe in middle school math class??).]

*

FINISHED:

Link, Kelly. (2008). Pretty monsters: Stories. New York: Viking.

[Um, call me an idiot, but I just DIDN'T GET THIS ONE AT ALL. The first story, about a guy digging up his ex-girlfriend so that he could retrieve some poetry that he wrote and put in the casket with her, was kinda straightforward and interesting, but then it just got bizarre and difficult to follow in a stream-of-consciousness kind of way. There's a story about a TV show called "The Library" that loops back on itself and contradicts itself and includes superfluous and esoteric details. Just not my cup of tea, but I suppose others might think that it's bold and refreshing... I suppose...]


STARTED & FINISHED:

Koertge, Ron. (2008). Deadville. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

[Read and reviewed for ACL (just neglected to update this site in the last few weeks... Won't let it happen again). Here's my official review:

Ever since his little sister died a few years back, high school sophomore Ryan Glazier has been perpetually stoned, hangs out exclusively with the school pot dealer, and keeps a constant soundtrack of music in his ears. Inexplicably (even to himself), Ryan begins visiting a popular girl from school – with whom he wasn’t even friends – who is in a coma at the hospital. This behavior causes Ryan to begin a life change, waking him from the smoke and music-hazed coma under which he was living. Ryan is a relatable character who engages in situations – such as dealings with his parents, and a scene in which he finds himself at an outdoor party spot – that teenage readers will find familiar and true. Pot smoking, while prevalent throughout, is hardly glamourized and is realistically portrayed with Ryan finding it difficult to cope without getting high, passing out asleep in a fast food restaurant, and a friend stumbling around looking like a buffoon. This is a genuine story of a lost boy finding his way back to the real world through redemption and a willingness to once again deal with life head-on and sober.]

STARTED:
St. James, James. (2007). Freak show. New York: Dutton/Penguin.

[Read great things about this one when it came out, and I'll read anything with a gay character.]

*

FINISHED:

Augarde, Steve. (2006). Celandine. New York: David Fickling/Random House.

[REALLY looking forward to the last book, Winter Wood, which, it seems, has been out in the UK since Spring, but won't be out in the U.S. until May 2009!]

STARTED:
Link, Kelly. (2008). Pretty monsters: Stories. New York: Viking.

[Reading for ACL to see if I deem it worthy of being on the 2008 Distinguished Books list...]

*

Picture Book Tuesday: Anthony Browne

STARTED & FINISHED:

Browne, Anthony. (1983/2002 reprint). Gorilla. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

[Well, this one seems to be the one that caused the furor over Anthony Browne's work - and I can see why in some respects. Without a doubt, his attention to detail in characters and objects is outstanding. The gorillas are unbelievably realized - just so amazing. And the chimpanzee - wow! The story itself is a sad one: a girl is shunned by her father (where is Mom? Dead? Is Dad still grieving?) so she retreats into a world where her favorite animal, a gorilla, takes her around to do the things she's always wanted to do. Thankfully, in the end the father (who, if you'll notice, has a banana in his back pocket) wises up and begins to pay attention to his daughter.]





Browne, Anthony. (2004). Into the forest. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

[This one I didn't appreciate as much as the one above. While, again, the illustrations are stunningly detailed, the story itself is a bit bizarre to me, and not in an easily understood way like, say, Chris Van Allsburg. This one is a play on Little Red Riding Hood with a small boy venturing into the forest to bring a cake to his sick Grandmother. Along the way he encounters odd folks who want the cake, including a horribly maudlin boy and his sister who have lost their parents. Ok, well, reading it again I can see that the kids he comes across in the woods are likely Jack (& the Beanstalk), Goldilocks, and Hansel and Gretel, but they're still weird and I'm not sure that the average kid would understand. And it ends strangely, with his family being unnaturally happy to see him...]






Browne, Anthony. (1998). Voices in the park. New York: DK Publishing.

[Again, the illustrations go without saying here. The story, while I find intriguing - with it being told from four different perspectives - is still lacking something for me. While I CERTAINLY don't need a nice, pat, cut-and-dry narrative, it would help here if there were some definitive "point". I can see a child reading through this, getting to the end, and saying, "Um, ok. What was up with that?" A great tool for a discussion on points of view and differing perceptions of the same situation, but it might just need that adult perspective to bring a child into the loop. In all, I'm super intrigued by Anthony Browne, but he just hasn't 100% won me over yet...]

*

FINISHED:

Hunter, Erin. (2008). Seekers: The quest begins. New York: Working Partners/HarperCollins.

[I gotta say, I really kinda liked this one. Indeed, I was compelled enough to keep reading and find out what happened to the 3 bears whose stories are told here. Actually, there are 3 stories told at the same time, with every 3rd chapter continuing the one bear's story. Kallik is a polar bear who, with her brother, is being led by their mother across the ice to land, as the warm months are approaching. Along the way, while swimming from ice sheet to ice sheet, Kallik's mother is attacked and murdered by killer whales, and Kallik is separated from her brother, thus leaving her to find her way to safety on her own. In the second story, Lusa is a black bear living in zoo who wonders what lies in the wilderness beyond the zoo fence. One day, a female grizzly is brought into the bear enclosure next to the one for the black bears, and she goes on about how she has lost her cubs and feels horribly about it. After attacking a zoo keeper, the female grizzly is taken away, and Lusa stops eating so that she'll be taken out of the bear enclosure and eventually finds her way out of the zoo. Lusa then skulks around the suburbs where she must forage in trash cans for food, beginning a journey to find the grizzly female's cub. Which, leads to the 3rd story: Toklo is a young grizzly bear tired of his brother being coddled by their mother. After the brother dies, Toklo's mother, so filled with grief, tells Toklo he must go off on his own and fend for himself. It is Toklo's mother who is then taken to the zoo, thus inspiring Lusa to break out in the hopes of finding Toklo so that she may tell him that his mother was sorry. It seems like all of the stories will converge in subsequent books (Lusa and Toklo do meet at the end of this one), and I will definitely keep reading to see what happens to these guys. My one major complaint - at least, it is the one thing that took me out of the story - is that there is a character whom Toklo meets who can change shape at will - from a human, to a bear, to a hawk, etc. There's a lot of "earth spirituality" in the book, which I'm fine with, but this character just took it too far...]

STARTED:
Augarde, Steve. (2006). Celandine. New York: David Fickling/Random House.

[Couldn't wait any longer to read this one. LOVED The Various and am really looking forward to finding out about Celandine in this prequel. Augarde has a way with words and his stories feel like classics of children's literature.]

*

FINISHED:

Sedaris, David. (2008). When you are engulfed in flames. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

[What really needs to be said about this one besides, if you've never read anything by him you are doing yourself a GREAT disservice. Not quite as hilarious and out there as some of his earlier stories, though it has some really funny moments. The man is just a master of the embedded punchline and "turn of phrase". It's also wonderful to see a gay male author achieve such great success and have people read about his and Hugh's relationship in such a "matter of fact/we're just the same as you" way. Had heard a few of these stories when we saw him read a couple of years back - which reminds me: also seek out these stories on CD, listen to them on NPR, or see him read live - his voice is one of a kind and makes the stories all that more fantastically gut-busting.]

STARTED:
Hunter, Erin. (2008). Seekers: The quest begins. New York: Working Partners/HarperCollins.

[Read the first of the Warriors titles a couple of years ago and have been meaning to pick up the next in the series. Saw this new series about bears and thought I'd give it a try...]

*

Picture Book Tuesday: Donald Crews

STARTED & FINISHED:

Crews, Donald. (1984). School bus. New York: Greenwillow.

[Overall, before commenting on each specifically, I just ADORE this man. His books are pure graphic design, and I find it so exciting to expose kids to this kind of illustration. So, School Bus: This one is pretty darn satisfying. Fantastic illustrations, and sparse, easy to follow and understand text. I love that the buses are parked facing us on the opening page, and then parked facing away on the last. Great introduction to the concepts of movement in space, and a school bus is something that every kids (hopefully) can recognize (although, I suppose some might not have the best associations...). Kids intrigued by vehicles should LOVE this one. Perfect for a vehicle storytime?]



Crews, Donald. (1978). Freight train. New York: Greenwillow.

[Probably my favorite of his - and I'm likely not alone. I'd even venture a guess that this one is his most popular. Again, wonderfully sparse language which complements a tale of a colorful train. A good "color concept" book, which follows a logical progression: here's a track that a train rides on, here are each of the cars/parts of the train (each in its own color), and here is where it goes. Perfect simplicity.]



Crews, Donald. (1982). Carousel. New York: Greenwillow.

[Not one of my favorites, but even at his "worst" Crews can pretty much do no wrong. One of my favorite parts is the colorful, "music words" text - to me, it's VERY 4AD. The movement of the carousel gets a bit old (it's most of the book...) and, frankly, is a bit nauseating. Still, enjoyable, graphic, and great use of minimal, easy language.]

*

FINISHED:

Kinney, Jeff. (2008). Diary of a wimpy kid: Roderick rules. New York: Amulet.

[.]

STARTED:
Sedaris, David. (2008). When you are engulfed in flames. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

[Brian is making me read this one. It's not like I don't WANT to read it, it's just that there are a bunch of other things I want to read right now. I think he's afraid that I'm not reading enough literature for adults...]

*

ABANDONED:

van de Ruit, John. (2008). Spud - the madness continues... New York: Razorbill/Penguin.

[Was supposed to review this one for ACL, but just couldn't do it. I got 140 pages in and it wasn't moving me AT ALL. Like I mentioned, there's really no plot - it's 300 pages of random, paragraph long non-sequitors. In addition, it's mildly homophobic, there's way too much attention paid to pubic hair counting and testicle dropping, it's crude and creepy (one character goes out and kills a bunch of animals, and they're just listed off as if it was nothing...), and life is too short and there are way too many other books out there that I'd rather read. Period.]

STARTED:
Kinney, Jeff. (2008). Diary of a wimpy kid: Roderick rules. New York: Amulet.

[LOVED the first one and am already SO pleased to see the "Cheese Touch" mentioned again so soon in this second in the series.]

*

Picture Book Tuesday: James Stevenson

STARTED & FINISHED:

Stevenson, James. (1977). Could be worse! New York: Greenwillow/William Morrow.

[This is the one that started it all. This one is in my personal collection - it's one that we got from the Weekly Reader program when we were kids, where they sent a new book to you every week. How cool it was to get a new one each week! I wonder if the still do it? At any rate, in this one, 2 kids are tired of their Grandfather always saying, "Could be worse!", so one morning he tells them about the extraordinary adventure that he had over the night - being trampled in the desert by a strange beast, falling to the bottom of the ocean and getting caught in the claw of a giant lobster, catching a ride across the ocean on a piece of toast, and flying back to bed on a giant paper airplane. The kids' reaction to their Grandfather's tale? "Could be worse!" For me, this is a treasured, super-favorite!]




Stevenson, James. (1982). We can't sleep. Greenwillow/William Morrow: New York.

[Louie and Mary Ann can't sleep, so Grandpa spins an imaginative yarn about one night where HE couldn't sleep so he went swimming with sharks in the ocean, tossed a walrus on a ferocious polar bear, avoided a dragon, and got stuck in a hurricane. In the end, it's mission accomplished as Grandpa's tale lulls the kids to sleep. Not quite as good as Could Be Worse, but it's still fun. Stevenson's wonderful ink and watercolor illustrations are, as usual, SO great.]




Stevenson, James. (1991). Brrr! New York: Greenwillow/William Morrow.

[In this one, Mary Ann and Louie exclaim that they are freezing, so Grandpa tells them of the fantastical snowy adventures that he had with he brother during the winter of 1908. Sneezes froze! The town was BURIED in snow! The boys couldn't find their house so they had to walk up to chimneys (it REALLY snowed) and ask if it was their home! Houses were covered in ice, so Grandpa's brother had to walk around and shatter the ice by crying out loud! Again, not as great as the first - these other two are just kind of extraordinary stories without a plot framework, unlike the first - but a great accompaniment.]

*

FINISHED:

Almond, David. (2008). My dad's a birdman. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

[A little odd, but kind of moving. There's a great message here about being yourself, following your passion, and not letting the negativity of others stand in your way. I like how the fact that the mom isn't around anymore is handled - blink and you'll miss it, but yet, from the beginning, you just KNOW that this fact is what's driving the father's state of being and actions. The fantastic illustrations by Polly Dunbar are a must mention as well.]

STARTED:
van de Ruit, John. (2008). Spud - the madness continues... New York: Razorbill/Penguin.

[Reviewing this one for ACL as well. So far, it's WORK - I just can't get into it - probably because I can't seem to find a plot....]

*

FINISHED:

Green, John. (2008). Paper towns. New York: Dutton/Peguin.

[Will post my review for ACL once it has been written. I will say, however, that I am nominating it for our Distinguished Book List...]

STARTED:
Almond, David. (2008). My dad's a birdman. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

[Reading to see if I deem it distinguished.]

*

FINISHED:

Dahl, Roald. (1983). The witches. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux.

[.]

STARTED:
Green, John. (2008). Paper towns. New York: Dutton/Peguin.

[Reading and reviewing for ACL. Looks like this guy is a big teen writer, having won the Printz once and gotten a Printz Honor once. This one is only his 3rd book, so he's obviously important.]

*

FINISHED:

Riordan, Rick. (2008). The 39 clues: The maze of bones. New York: HarperCollins.

[.]

STARTED:
Dahl, Roald. (1983). The witches. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux.

[Been awhile since I've read some Dahl, and in the spirit of the season (Halloween is in 2 days) I thought I'd read this one - for the first time.]

*

Picture Book Tuesday: HALLOWEEN

STARTED & FINISHED:

Kraus, Robert. (1973). How Spider saved Halloween. New York: Scholastic.

[D'oh! Looks like I read this one for Halloween last year, too. I was looking for a cover image to post here and MY OWN BLOG SHOWED UP! These Spider books will forever be in my possession. Most of them aren't NEARLY as enjoyable, dead-pan funny, or nostalgic as How Spider Saved Christmas but cute nonetheless. As in typical Spider fashion, in this one he can't come up with a costume that doesn't still look like himself. Eventually, he dresses up as a jack-o-lantern to scare off some bully bugs who are going around smashing pumpkins. Unfortunately, Fly (my favorite) isn't quite up to his dryly cantankerous self in this one.]



Preston, Edna Mitchell. (1969). One dark night. New York: Viking.

[An "additive tale" a la "The House that Jack Built" in which a number of kids dressed in Halloween costumes follow each other down a dark road only to be scared off by the squeeking of a mouse. I was drawn to this one because of the illustrations by Kurt Werth - must find other examples of his work. They have a fantastic "vintage" look in their simplicity. Would make a GREAT read-aloud during the Halloween season.]




Devlin, W. and H. (1972). If... New York: Parents' Magazine Press.

[Old Witch is called upon when it looks like rich old Mr. Butterbean is canceling Halloween. He locks her up and throws her in a tower so that she won't interfere, but her trusty crow comes to her rescue and after turning Mr. Butterbean into a frog, Halloween is back on! Again, the illustrations are what drew me to this one. They look super familiar and I guess it's because the duo who did this one also did a Thanksgiving one that I've seen before. There's a great sense of perspective in many of the illustrations, and by the style it is SO clear that they were done in the '70s - bold, bright colors outlined in black - super '70s styled. I'll have to do some research, but by the look of them I'd swear that these folks had something to do with some of those holiday cartoon specials of old...]

*

FINISHED:

Koontz, Dean. (2003). Odd Thomas. New York: Bantam Dell/Random House.

[Odd lives in a medium-sized town in the California desert and can communicate with the dead. He sees them hanging around the places where they died, and he has the ability to sense when evil and/or death are around. This one reminded me too much of a Stephen King novel, and I just don't like Stephen King - there's just something icky and upsetting about their work, to me. There's a nice love story here, and I was quite surprised by an event at the end, but it was also a lot of explanation and not a whole lot of action, suspense, or horror.]

STARTED:
Riordan, Rick. (2008). The 39 clues: The maze of bones. New York: HarperCollins.

[This is the start of some new series in which a couple of kids have to find a bunch of clues to something that will affect their family name, and, likely, the world at large. Each one, I guess, will be written by a different author, and kids reading these will be able to collect cards and go online to help solve a major mystery which could earn them big bucks. Color me INTRIGUED!]


ABANDONED:
Hardinge, Frances. (2008). Well witched. New York: Scholastic.

[Just drudgery. Quite a letdown for me because I was really looking forward to this one. It was confusing, I kept feeling like I missed something, and just never really got going for me.]

*

FINISHED:

Clements, Andrew. (2002). A week in the woods. New York: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster.

[Mark is a spoiled rich kid who has moved to a new town. In the fall he's going to be attending an exclusive prep school, so for the remainder of 5th grade he's going to public school. He enrolls just in time to take part in the annual 5th graders Week in the Woods where all 5th graders spend the week in cabins at a local park camping while studying nature. Unfortunately, Mark has gotten on the bad side of Mr. Maxwell, the science teacher for whom the Week in the Woods is a pet project. Not one of my favorite Clements novels, this one takes a long time to get going only to end predictably and abruptly. It's still great, however, to see Clements, as usual, have the young person show up the adults. Kid Power to be sure.]

STARTED:
Koontz, Dean. (2003). Odd Thomas. New York: Bantam Dell/Random House.

[Recommended by my sister-in-law. Never read anything by him before, so it's probably time. Looks like School Library Journal reviewed it(??).]

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FINISHED:

Augarde, Steve. (2004). The various. Oxford, England; New York: David Fickling/Random House.

[FANTASTIC. Midge has to spend a few weeks with her Uncle on his farm while her mother is touring with an orchestra. While looking around the place, Midge stumbles across a small, winged horse who is trapped and hurt. She nurses him back to health and he takes her back to his home in the woods where other Various creatures live. There, she finds out that another girl, many years ago, named Celandine, knew of the Various. Much more happens, most of which is quite compelling, and the language that Augarde uses is exquisite. Can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy - too bad I've already got a couple of other books lined up to read before I can get to it.]

STARTED:
Clements, Andrew. (2002). A week in the woods. New York: Aladdin/Simon & Schuster.

[Was in the mood for some more Clements.]

*

FINISHED:

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. (2006). Life as we knew it. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

[I had been told by a couple of people that this one is better than The Dead and the Gone, but I think the opposite - maybe it depends on which one you read first, eh? Don't get me wrong, I was still compelled by Miranda and her family's story, but I thought that Alex's tale was tighter and moved along better. I mean, not a whole lot really happens in this one when you really think about it. It all pretty much takes place in Miranda's family's house - thinking about food, mom and brothers get sick, electricity comes on and goes off, they need to wash their clothes by hand in melted snow, they've got cross-country skis, Miranda goes ice skating, there's an older neighbor and Miranda has a friend who has gone off the deep end into crazy religiousness. I just thought there was a sense of more at stake in Alex's life. Supposedly, there's a third book coming and I am looking forward to it.]


STARTED & FINISHED:

Kibuishi, Kazu [Ed.]. (2008). Flight: Explorer, Volume 1. New York: Villard.

[Just a quick little graphic novel filled with a bunch of short stories by a number of different authors/illustrators.]

STARTED:
Augarde, Steve. (2004). The various. Oxford, England; New York: David Fickling/Random House.

[Been on my list for awhile - heard such good things about it and the sequel. It was name-checked in one of the Penderwick books and it renewed my interest.]

*

FINISHED:

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. (2008). The dead and the gone. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

[LOVED this one - it still haunts me. I thought it was so great that I nominated it for inclusion in the ACL end of the year Distinguished Books list. Here's the review I wrote for ACL:

A meteor has struck the moon, knocking it out of it’s normal orbit, and thus causing catastrophic tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions around the world. As both of their parents were away at the time a tsunami hit the east coast, 17-year-old Alex and his two younger sisters are forced to live through the ensuing devastation in New York City alone, even as the sun disappears (forever?) behind a layer of ash, and dead bodies begin to litter the streets. While many flee New York for the country where they believe things are less dire, Alex and his sisters remain in the city, hopeful that their parents will be able to find them if they happen to return, going to great lengths to find food and warmth. Brilliantly told, we are right there with Alex, only finding out tiny bits and pieces of what is happening in New York and the rest of the world as he does through occasional radio transmissions and the words of others. A companion novel to Pfeffer’s own Life As We Knew It (Harcourt, 2006), this is a harrowing, yet powerful, tale of the lengths that a young man must go through in order to survive and protect his family in a time of crisis and uncertainty. Alex is a complex character, frightened and unsure, yet selfless and strong, forced to make many difficult decisions on his own. Disturbing (Alex and a friend go “body shopping” on Monday mornings, stripping dead bodies of valuables which they can trade for food) and heartbreaking (Alex walks among the unidentified dead bodies being held in Yankee Stadium to see if any of them are his mother), this is a frightening, post-Katrina examination of how things might play out in the event of a worldwide catastrophe. Less science fiction and more actually within the realm of possibility, this novel is sure to linger with the reader long after they’ve put it down.]

STARTED:
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. (2006). Life as we knew it. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

[Had to read the previously published "companion" novel.]

*

Picture Book Tuesday: Distinguished?

STARTED & FINISHED:

Amato, Mary. (2008). Chicken of the family. New York: Putnam.

[A little girl's two older sisters convince her that she turns into a chicken when she's asleep - even going so far as to put an egg in her bed and some feathers on the floor while she's sleeping. Cute, but not quite outstanding.]






Drescher, Henrik. (2008). McFig and McFly. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

[LOVED this one. Two guys compete throughout their lives to build the most impressive home while their kids fall in love. AMAZING illustrations - definitely OUTSTANDING.]








Haseley, Dennis. (2008). Twenty heartbeats. New Milford, CT: Roaring Brook.

[Ed Young's characteristic illustrations always add a special something to a tale - the same goes for this one. Lyrical and meditative... and outstanding.]


*

FINISHED:

Coville, Bruce. (2008). Oddest of all. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

[Here's my review for ACL:

In a spooky house on a rainy night, Chris and Nine help a woman to make amends with her dead mother who has been haunting her; Harley Burton finds himself in the possession of a creepy mask that looks suspiciously like a young man who has been missing for 50 years; Dennis comes to find out, after being pulled down into a pond, that he is part frog and is enlisted to speak for frogs who are victims of toxic waste dumping; in a “Tiger or the Lady” tale, humankind must decide whether they believe the good intentions of aliens who say they would like to help rid Earth of it’s problems. These, and five other tales of the twisted and fantastic are told in Coville’s latest short story collection, each tale being his own take on certain “scary story” standards. Coville hits on many different genres here, including science fiction, gothic horror, ghost, fantasy, and realism (13-year-old Murphy is recruited by the girl of his dreams to take part in a skit, written by, and opposite her, titled Debbie and the Doofus), and each is deftly set apart by it’s own language apropos to the genre. There are some nice chills and genuine creepiness here sure to appease hungry young fans of scary stories. It should be noted that there is a reference to marijuana in one of the tales, and that many of these stories have appeared, albeit in slightly different forms, in previously published short story collections.]

STARTED:
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. (2008). The dead and the gone. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

[Reading and reviewing for ACL.]

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