Maurice Sendak has died :(

Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, and many others, including his most recent work, Bumble-Ardy died on Tuesday.  Mr. Sendak has one final book coming out in February.  You can read a terrific article about him here.

The reading world is a better place for his work, for sure, and his amazing contributions will continue to provide joy to millions of children  every day.  Can't ask for much more of a legacy than that.

Restoring Harmony author visits M-D book club!

We were so lucky to have author Joëlle Anthony come to our Mother-Daughter book club last week at West Orient.  She is the author of <i>Restoring Harmony</i> (set in Gresham, OR!!) which we read for Mother-Daughter book club and the author of the recently published <i>The Right and the Real</i>.  Joëlle currently lives in Canada but was here for an author event at Powell's and agreed to come speak with us.  We were her very first book club event ever - very cool! Thanks to Cindy Hudson at the Mother Daughter Book club website for setting this up!


We all enjoyed <i>Restoring Harmony</i>, a dystopian book set in the year 2041 at a time when we've run out of oil and things are not going too well, so we were thrilled to get a chance to talk with her about it.  This book has adventure, suspense, danger, and a little romance.  Something for everyone!  Joëlle showed us her book trailers, read from each of her books, told us the story of how this book brought her a new best friend, and we talked a lot about how and why she wrote <i>Restoring Harmony</i>.  It is always so interesting to hear about the author's process and thinking.  The girls had great questions and, once they warmed up a little, were very engaged.  One thing I thought was really interesting was that Joëlle said she doesn't like dystopias.  Go figure!  Another VERY interesting thing to hear about was Joëlle treadmill desk.  I really need one of those!! You can see some photos of it <a href="http://joelleanthony.com/daily-writings/the-treadmill-desk/">here</a>.

Of course we also had fabulous treats (including apples in honor of the story) - thanks everyone who brought those!  And, we're super excited because Joëlle's publisher sent us all copies of a new book coming out called Keeping Safe the Stars which we'll read for next book club and hopefully Joëlle can Skype in with us!!

Joëlle's new book is for a bit of an older audience but sounds really great also.  I have put it on hold at the library already! If you're in middle school to adult, boy or girl, I think you'd enjoy <i>Restoring Harmony</i>.

Enjoy these photos from our meeting!

A Drowned Maiden's Hair, Laura Amy Schlitz

This lovely book was recommended to me by Portland author Laini Taylor, and I very much enjoyed it.  The book is subtitled "A Melodrama" which is completely perfect.  It's set in the early 20th century, and a young orphan girl named Maud really, really, really wants to be adopted.  But getting adopted turns out to be just a smidge different from what she was hoping or expecting, because she's been adopted by Miss Hyacinth and her sister.  Miss Hyacinth is, shall we say, a little bit INSANE!  She forces Maud to be ah hidden child (I wonder if she perchance read any Margaret Petereson Haddix...)

Anyway, poor Maud is basically a prisoner.  But poor Maud is also very fiesty and clever, and it's a joy (and sometimes a fright) to watch her figure out what to do.  For me the story went on just a teensy bit too long, but sometimes I attribute that to the audio version because I can't fast forward myself through any parts, and there's certainly enough action that I was not ever bored with the story.

I'd recommend this for middle school girls.

I've been Wimped!

OK, How hilarious is this? I just wimped myself on  http://www.wimpyourself.com/. What a crack-up.  You should go try it.  It's pretty fun.  I wish I really did have a polka dot backpack.  Alas, I only have plain black.  Still, fun stuf.

Three adult books

The Postmistress by  Sarah Blake is a World War II story read on the audio by one of my favorite audio recorders, Orlagh Cassidy.  She's so soothing.  I've listened to almost every audiobook by her in the MCL system, and I've just requested three more.  This story is of two women, both Americans, but one isreporting on the radio from Europe and one a postmistress in New England.  Both have information they're duty bound to share, but neither can bring herself to do it. It's a beautifully told story of love and heartbreak brought about by war.

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton is nearing the end of its life as a series, I fear, as we've gone now from A-V!!  Hard to believe I've read them all.  It seems like it's been a long time since one came out. It's typical Grafton with a detective we all know and are "friends" with, but I thought it was actually better written than some of the last few.  It may have been that I read a bunch at once and got tired of them, then came back to this fresh, or it may have been better.  Not sure.  In any case, although it was not heart stutteringly suspenseful, it was very good and I enjoyed reading a bit of a lighter mystery than some others I read, such as...

Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler Olsen. This is a murder mystery set in Stockholm.  Except for the murder and all, definitely want to go back to Stockholm.  Great story. Could just about piece it together, but was always missing something.  Listened to it on audio.  Still a little unsure of scary stories on audio - there's no skimming ahead if I get too scared! Will definitely check out another by this author.  Still bitter that Stieg Larsson is dead :(

Authors visiting Portland in May

Two authors, two visits! Saturday May 5 at 2pm Joëlle Anthony and Holly Cupala at Powell's! Powell's Books At Cedar Hills Crossing 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton, OR Joëlle will be launching her new YA, THE RIGHT AND THE REAL, and Holly will be in Portland for the first time signing DON'T BREATHE A WORD! They'll have readings, prizes, signings, and (rumor has it) chocolate! Saturday May 12 at 1pm DON'T BREATHE A WORD signing at A Children's Place! A Children's Place 4807 Northeast Fremont Street Portland, OR Join Holly Cupala for behind the scenes secrets, swag, and lots of fun in beautiful Portland, OR. She might even bring some DON'T BREATHE A WORD lemon cake (Joy's favorite). Bring your friends! Your neighbors! Your neighbors' friends! Your friends' neighbors! If nothing else go keep them company. :) Here's Holly's website and here's Jöelle's website.  Enjoy!

Jöelle Anthony (recognize that car from Restoring Harmony??)

Holly Cupala

SLJ Battle of the Kids' books - Okay for Now wins!

This year's Battle of the Kids' Books was chosen last week, and the winner is Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. To read about all the head to head matches in this competition, click HERE. I picked Wonderstruck to win, but it didn't even go to the finals! This book is a fantastic choice, though.

Summary from Titlewave: Fourteen-year-old Doug Swieteck faces many challenges, including an abusive father, a brother traumatized by Vietnam, suspicious teachers and police officers, and isolation, but when he meets a girl known as Lil Spicer, he develops a close relationship with her and finds a safe place at the local library.

Main character Doug Swieteck doesn not have the greatest of lives, considering he had to move with his family to the tiny town of Marysville (reminds me of Stranded in Boringsville) where he doesn't have friends or a safe place he can go when all heck is breaking loose at home - and it often is. What I think the summary should have said, and doesn't, is this: A story of how one good friend, art and the library can save someone's life. I believe this is what happened to Doug, an it has happened in in real life to countless kids. Not all in the same way exactly, but all in the same way in that many, many kids find refuge in these three things- libraries, art and a friend.

The book sounds like it would be a downer from these descriptions, but I really found it to be much more uplifting than depressing. It has a lot of funny parts and so many great moments that it is sure to leave you feeling positive and thinking deeply about what's important in life.

I hope you'll have a chance to read this fantastic book, winner of this year's SLJ Battle of the Kids' Books.

Georgette Heyer my newest audio obsession

I think I read these books by Georgette Heyer are called Regency romances, but whatever they're called, I like them! They're historical fiction set in the late 1800s in England and they're fairly formulaic, but for audiobooks, I like that because then I don't have to think too much, and that's a good thing because I usually listen when I'm driving. So far I have listened to three of them and am on my fourth. They have fantastic character development and women characters who were quite spunky for their time because they always have their own ideas and aren't afraid to say them (or sometimes act on them without saying anything).

If you like historical fiction and enjoy stories treat move at a gentle pace, give Georgette Heyer a try!

Stranded in Boringsville, Catherine Bateson

This is a book by an Australian author with themes that are definitely cross continent ideas. Rain, the main character of the story is a 12 year old girl whose parents have gone through a divorce and she's having a difficult time coping. She does not like, particularly, her father's new girlfriend, although she has not given her much of a chance, either. She also really does not love the tiny town her mother has decided to move to called Clarkson, which she has re-christened Boringsville. It doesn't even have a pizza parlor, for crikey's sake.

Rain finds a friend in her new neighbor Daniel, who's a bit eccentric (called by other people perhaps strange) but very nice. Daniel, who is physically not well, alternates as narrator of the story with Rain, and we hear his worries as well as hers throughout the story, his main worry, of course, is Noe that he's found this new friend, she'll soon dump him. Not in a boy/girl crush kind of dump, just in an I don't want to be your friend any more kind of way. Which, frankly, seems a lot worse in the long run.

one element of this story I particularly enjoyed was a the magnetic fridge poetry shard by Rain and her mom. Although that is not the ideal parent/child communication method, I think it was a very safe thing, and that's something Rain needed. Probably her mom did, too.

The story is at times funny, at times sad, but definitely ends on a hopeful tone, although not a sticky, sappy sweet everything's okay now kind of thing. It's more of a hey, life is going to be ok, and that's a pretty good message most days.

Recommended, although I think the book is now out of print.

Home for the Holidays, Heather Vogel Frederick

I have read all of Heather Vogel Fredeick's books in this series, and I have enjoyed all of them. They focus on a group of girls and their mothers who are in a mother-daughter book club. I think this is the fifth in the series, but I might be wrong on that. The girls in these books are really nice girls, but they're not perfect girls, so they're fun to read about because they do seem real. They have real problems that they struggle with and their relationships with their mothers seem pretty realistic, too, although I'm thinking that maybe they don't roll their eyes quite a much ass I used to (sorry again, Mom!). One thing that makes these books a little challenging for me is that the chapters are alternating narrators, with the different girls telling different chapters. because I've read most of these as soon s they came out, and HVG can't seem to write s book a month -rather inconsiderate of her, don't you think? - I sometimes can't quite remember who's who. This is more the fault of the resider than the book, but it's worth mentioning if you are someone who has trouble keeping track of characters. You'll need to slow down and spy attention like I have to. One other thing I really appreciate about these books is that the characters are very different from one another, but they sly get along. Of course, some are better friends than others, but it shoes that you don't have to be best friends with everyone you do things with and also that there's value in multiple opinions and approaches to life. The moms aren't at all the same, either, most of them, but they make it work.

I really enjoy this series, and if you like books with strong female characters, I'd recommend this series to you.

Blackout - John Rocco

This was an award winning book this year and after I read it I surely know why. It is a beautiful picture book that really pulls at the heartstrings. it is the story of a hot summer day when there really wa a blackout. A family who was too busy to really connect, a whole city, perhaps, was forced to slow down and just be with one another. I know there are many times in my life when this feels Ike just such a good idea, but I, too, often just don't take the time to slow down. What a treasure that kind of time is, self imposed or not. LOVED this award winner by John Rocco.

Over and Under the Snow, Kate Messner

This is a delightful picture book that I picked up for some reason, but I can't remember what that reason was. I have GOT to start writing that down. I keep saying that, don't I? Anyway, this book was chosen as a top science picture book. It was inspired by a field trip that the teacher-author went on with her class one winter's day and it is such fun to read and look at as well as being informative. The characters in this story are cross country skiing through the woods and exploring. When they see something interesting above the snow, they also think about what it might mean about what is beneath the snow. And, wow, there's a lot going on beneath the snow that I never think about, that's for sure. Not that I get a chance to even be in the snow that much, which probably made it that much more fun for me to read, too.

At the end of the book is a section that is more clearly informational, so it's a nice mix of prose and informational text for those readers who might be more reluctant to read one kind of book or the other.

Recommended.

Book Week Online voting happening now!

Vote HERE!

Academy Award Winning short animated film

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore"

Want to see an amazing little animated film that is all about books AND won an Academy Award this week? Click THIS link!

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, "Morris Lessmore" is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation) award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a new narrative experience that harkens back to silent films and M-G-M Technicolor musicals. "Morris Lessmore" is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" is one of five animated short films that will be considered for outstanding film achievements of 2011 in the 84th Academy Awards ®.

Film Awards Won by "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore"
To date, "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" film has drummed up fans all over the world taking home the following awards:
· Cinequest Film Fest: Best Animated Short
· Palm Springs International ShortFest: Audience Favorite Award
· SIGGRAPH: Best in Show

Hunger Games hubub is ramping up

Here's a link to the official music video for the film by Taylor Swift and featuring The Civil Wars. Who even knew they did an "official" music video for films these days?


Swift, a self-described Hunger Games fangirl, told MTV that when she first received a call from the studio about writing a song, she "immediately read the book in, like, two days and fell in love with it. I fell in love with the characters, fell in love with the world that Suzanne Collins had created. I was just so immersed in it.... When I got the call, I thought from what I'd heard about the movie, 'It's an action movie, right? We're probably going to be writing a song that's like, "We're going to win!" ' And then I read the book, and I thought, 'No, we're going to have to write sort of a death lullaby, it's so different from what I thought.' See full video below for more.


For "Mockingjay-pin possessors," Entertainment Weekly showcased the songs and performers that will be on the soundtrack for The Hunger Games.


And here's the video of Taylor talking about being a fangirl on MTV.

Get More: Music News

Stupid Fast

My librarian friend Ms. Yingling in Ohio recommended this book for a Cybils award, and by jove, it won. So of course I had to read it right away, And for once a book I want for my Kindle was available at the library WHEN I WANTED IT! It's a miracle. And now that I've read this book, I think it's even more of a miracle that it was available. Makes me think not as many boys as girls have Kindles.

Felton has pretty much been a nerd his whole life. He's had some bad stuff go down, too, like his father committing suicide and then him finding the body. But he's been getting by. As long as he keeps his head down. Suddenly, however, even with his head down he's bigger than most of the other kids his age, and it turns out he's fast on his feet. Stupid fast. This gets Felton noticed by the jocks, kids who'd mercilessly teased him previously.

At the same time Felton's school life is looking up, his home life is falling apart. His mother is spiraling down into mental illness and neglecting both him and his younger brother who is also, understandably, freaking out.

Luckily, there are people around who generally help Felton figure out how to move forward.

A beautiful character study and a good amount of tension will make this popular with girls and boys. Again, too much swearing, although also not beyond normal teenage swearing, for the MS library. An excellent choice for HS collections.

Where Things Come Back, John Corey Whaley - Printz winner

This is one of the last award winners I wanted to read this year, and it was quite excellent. This author reminds me a lot of John Green - super smart, in a way that doesn't hurt my feelings but makes me realize I'm just smart enough, but I'm nowhere near super smart. This book is also funny and sad and thought provoking and a little other-worldly almost Not in a sci-fi kind of way, but in an alternate way of thinking kind of way. Kind of. It's hard to explain. But I definitely see how it won both the debut author award and the Printz. Really great story. Would love to talk with others who've read it about the ending. Let me know if you've read it.

Too much swearing (although not really beyond average kid or gratuitous swearing) for the MS library, but great for HS libraries.

The Cybils Awards were announced today!

The Cybils awards are given each year by bloggers for the year's best children's and young adult titles.

Here's the whole list, including book apps this year!
enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens would be 200 years old today. Honestly, he's probably just as glad he's dead at this point. The great thing, however, is that even though he's not still around, his writings are! My favorites are A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol. I loved the play I saw this winter that mixed up Sherlock Holmes and A Christmas Carol.

Do you have a favorite Dickens novel? Leave me a comment!

Read LOTS of Award winners this week

Well, I am going to have to do a mini post on the books I read this week, or blogging would be all I did all week. I read a BUNCH of the award winners. Mind you, nearly all of them were picture books, and that goes a lot faster.

Here, in no particular order, are the titles I read and a short blurb about each.

Balloons Over Broadway was my favorite picture book, even though it actually won for informational book. It has AMAZING art and interesting information. this book will be an easy sell. Even my husband was interested in it.

Breaking Stalin's Nose was a short novel with some drawings - not enough drawings to call it a graphic novel, though. Liked learning about Russian history. Wonder if kids will get into this or if there's too much backstory they don't know. Or will they care there is backstory or just like it for the story it IS?

I Broke My Trunk. Silly and cute and little ones will love it. Pretty minimal text. Good amount of repetition - not overwhelming.
The Elephant Scientist. Beautifully illustrated with photographs, this book tells both the story of a female elephant scientist and of elephants themselves. A reasonable amount of text, but nicely balanced by photos and captions.

A Ball for Daisy. This was the Caldecott winner this year, and I have to say, I didn't love the art in it nearly as much as some others. It is a wordless book which has advantages and disadvantages.

Tales for Very Picky Eaters. A beginning chapter book, it's clever and about a topic that I think many, many kids can relate to. Also many parents. I thought this one was quite fun.

Diego Rivera. Filled with drawings that mimic the artist's great murals but are not meant to represent them perfectly. I learned some things about Diego Rivera, but I wasn't wild about the book.

Underground. Thought the cover art was the best of the book. It's not that I didn't like the rest, but I really, really like the cover, and I was not as wow'ed by the rest.

World Book Night - a GREAT idea!

What is World Book Night?

World Book Night is an annual celebration designed to spread a love of reading and books to be held in the U.S. as well as the U.K. and Ireland on April 23, 2012. It will see tens of thousands of people go out into their communities to spread the joy and love of reading by giving out free World Book Night paperbacks.

Anyone age 16 or over can sign up! Be part of the fun and spread the word about how great reading is. Get all the details HERE!

Help donate books to kids!

Everybody Wins! in a non-profit dedicated to improving literacy levels by mentoring low-income youth. Their philosophy is one mentor, one child, one book at a time, and since it’s founding in 1991 Everybody Wins! has grown to include programs in 16 states reaching thousands of children.

You can help their cause simply by watching the book trailer for Rose’s Garden by Peter H. Reynolds. Dedicated to Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, Rose’s garden is about community, nature, beauty, and the power of faith. For every 10 people who watch the 60 second trailer, Fablevision, a media and interactive development studio, will donate one children’s book to Everybody Wins!

New Gallagher girls book coming March 13th

LOVE this series by Ally Carter - full of exciting spy high events and activities. So I was pretty excited to read that the newest book in the series is almost out. Want to read the first chapter? Go HERE!

WINNERS!!!

Yesterday the American Library Association announced this ear's book award winners. The full list is available here. Here are the covers from some of the winners.

Inside Out and Back Again, Thanhha Lai

I was just thinking that most of the novels in verse I read are not historical fiction, they're contemporary, and then I realized I'd just blogged about one that was (Karma, here) and Out of the Dust, a previous Newbery winner was one, and then there's Witness. OK, so maybe it's more than I thought, although I still stick by my original thought that most are contemporary.

Anyhooooo, a lot of people thought this might win the Newbery, and obviously a lot of people were close to right, as it did win a Newbery Honor. Again, I was feeling pretty good because I had already read this one, and I didn't have a lot of plusses in that column this year.

this novel in verse tells the story of a young immigrant girl who moves with her mother and brothers (her father is missing in the war) from Vietnam (at the end of the war) to Alabama. I think if even I moved to Alabama it would be quite a shock to the system, but imagine moving there from Vietnam. It is not an easy thing, and I thought one of the most poignant moments was when the young narrator, Ha, said that sometimes she felt that she'd rather be in Vietnam even as bad as it was than living in the US. I think it's easy to feel a little superior here, like we've got everything figured out and we're so great and who wouldn't love it here, but honestly, not everything is great here, and of course people miss what they know. Not to mention some people were pretty nasty to Ha and her family, which is sad. But some people were lovely, and it's a great things when she finds them.

Amazingly, this story is based on the author's own life. I thought this was very well done and worthy of a Newbery award. Highly recommended for people who like novels in verse. If you haven't read a lot of novels in verse, this might not be the best one to start with. Or maybe it is. You tell me if you try it.

Grandpa Green, Lane Smith

LOVED this sweet little book. So happy to see that the Caldecott people also loved it, at least enough to give it a shiny silver sticker. It's a gem of a book, and one I can just imagine looking at together with a little person. Grandpa Green's great-grandson follows him into a garden of topiaries he created, and we follow right along with. The topiaries are extraordinary, and the story is charming and a little bittersweet, at least for the adult readers, as grandpa has lost some of his memories.

Highly recommended.

Heart and Soul, Kadir Nelson

This book won both the Coretta Scott King Honor Award for illustration and the Coretta Scott King gold for writing, and I am pretty excited that I had read it before the awards, because if you saw my postings on Facebook as I followed the announcements, I had not read too many of them ahead of time.

This is a beautiful book full of rich pictures by one of our country's greatest illustrators and it beautifully takes us through US history, that of African Americans and of all Americans, via the life of Kadir''s own family. I thought it was very well done, and I think the picture book format was perfect with the text. The text alone would not have drawn me in, but with the pictures, I was hooked.

Recommended.