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When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is the perfect realistic fiction book with a fantasy twist.  It’s a mystery too.  As well as a coming of age, friendship book.  In fact, When You Reach Me dabbles a little in many genres.  In a short 197 pages, this book packs a punch!  From what I’ve read about the book it’s also getting a lot of Newbery buzz.  Which I wouldn’t mind one little bit if it received Newbery recognition.  It’s also on all of the Best of 2009 lists and deservedly so.  Long story short: worth the read!

So I really don’t want to say to much about the book because I didn’t know a single thing about it when I read it, so the little twist at the end was a really nice surprise.  It’s also the type of book that as soon as you close the very last page, you want to open the first one again and start all over again.  I borrowed this one from the library but it’s a keeper that I’d like to add to my library and I think would also make a great read-a-loud as a family.

A perfect compain book to When You Reach Me is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (which by the way I hated! Previous link is my review).  Our main charater in When You Reach Me, Miranda, has this FAVORITE book which she reads over and over again.  When she first mentions the plot but without mentioning the title (not given till much later – so the comparison between the two books may go over some people’s heads), I thought to myself – ugh, that sounds like it’s SO not my type of book.  At the next book reference I realized that her favorite book was A Wrinkle in Time and yep – so not my type of book!

But When You Reach Me IS my type of book.  One that I would wholeheartedly recommend even if I didn’t tell you anything about it.

Links of interest: Rebecca Stead website and blog, more book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books.  July 14, 2009.
Hardcover, 208 pages. ISBN 0385737424
When You Reach Me is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!

Well, if you are a regular reader around here you will notice the increased number of book reviews for picture books the last couple of weeks.  If you don’t recall, I’m currently serving as a panelist for the Cybils (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards).  In other words awesome awards given from all the awesome bloggers to all the awesome books out there.

Let me tell you, I am having a blast reading all the nominated titles in the fiction picture book category.  And even more important, my little boys are having a blast!  I’m almost halfway there and have read about 80 of the 176 books.   Right now I’ve reviewed only about ten of the books but I have so many that I want to review.  I have no idea how in the world we are going to create a shortlist.  I already have like 25 books in my working shortlist!

My piles!  The left hand stack is the review copies I’ve received so far and the right hand side are the library books I currently have checked out from two different library systems.

You can always see how I’m progressing as I have this list on my sidebar but I thought it would be fun to let you in on how I’m doing.

1. 1000 Times No by Tom Warburton
2. Abigail Spells by Anna Alter
3. All Kinds of Families! by Mary Ann Hoberman
4. All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant [MY REVIEW]
   
5. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon [MY REVIEW]
   
6. Alleycat by Marilee Crow
7. Almost by Richard Torrey
8. Always My Brother by Jean Reagan [MY REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW]
   
9. Archie and the Pirates by Marc Rosenthal
10. Bee-Wigged by Cece Bell
11. Before You Were Here, Mi Amor by Samantha Vamos
12. Bella & Bean by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
13. Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem by Mac Barnett
14. Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman
15. Boo Hoo Bird by Jeremy Tankard
16. Book That Eats People, The by John Perry [MY REVIEW]
    
17. Book, A by Mordicai Gerstein
18. Brown Bear, White Bear by Svetlana Petrovic
19. Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy
20. Busiest Street in Town, The by Mara Rockliff
21. But Who Will Bell the Cats? by Cynthia Von Buhler
22. Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas
23. Carousel Tale, A by Elisa Kleven
24. Chaucer’s First Winter by Stephen Krensky
25. Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer
26. Circus Ship, The by Chris Van Dusen
27. Clever Stick, The by John Lechner
28. Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore
29. Crazy Hair by Neil Gaiman
30. Crocodaddy by Kim Norman [MY REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW]
    
31. Crow Call by Lois Lowry
32. Curious Garden, The by  Peter Brown [MY REVIEW]
    
33. Davy Brown Discovers His Roots by Keely Alexander
34. Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron
35. Dinosaur Woods: Can Seven Clever Critters Save Their Forest Home? by George McClements
36. Dog and Bear: Three to Get Readyby Laura Vaccaro Seeger
37. Duck and Cover by Jackie Urbanovic
38. Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal [MY REVIEW]
    
39. Dunderheads, The by Paul Fleischman
40. Egg Drop by Mini Grey
41. Elevator Man, The by Stanley Trachtenberg
42. Enemy, The by Davide Cali
43. Erika-San by Allen Say
44. Family Huddle by Peyton Manning
45. Finding Lincoln by Ann Malaspina
46. Finn Throws a Fit by David Elliot
47. Firefighter Ted by Andrea Beaty
48. First Come the Zebra by Lynne Barasch
49. Fool Moon Rising by Kristi Fluharty
50. Friend, A by Anette Bley
51. Gingerbread Man Superhero! by Dotti Enderle
52. Goblin and the Empty Chair, Themby Mem Fox
53. Goldilicious by Victoria Kann
54. Great Dog Wash, The by Shellie Braeuner
55. Guess Again! by Mac Barnett
56. Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School, The by Laurie Halse Anderson
57. Harry and Horsie by Katie Van Camp
58. Hello Baby! by Mem Fox
59. Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi
60. Hermit Crab, The by Carter Goodrich
61. Higher! Higher! by Leslie Patricelli
62. Hook by Ed Young
63. Horse Of Course, A by Shari Lyle-Soffe
64. Hot on the Range by R.D. Jentsch
65. How Do You Wokka-Wokka? by Elizabeth Bluemle
66. How Robin Saved Spring by Debbie Ouellet
67. Hugging Hour! by Aileen Leijten
68. Hush, Baby Ghostling by Andrea Beaty
69. I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way by Thad Krasnesky
70. I Call My Grandpa Papa by Ashley Wolff
71. I Love Christmas by Anna Walker
72. I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll
73. I’m Your Peanut Butter Big Brother by Selina Alko
74. In Our Mothers’ House by Patricia Polacco
75. In the Garden by Peggy Collins
76. In the Snow by Peggy Collins
77. Jack the Bear by Christina Leist
78. Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty [MY REVIEW]
    
79. Just Like a Baby by Juanita Havill
80. Kick the Cowboy by Joe Gribnau
81. Kisses on the Wind by Lisa Moser
82. Land of the Left Sock by B. P. James
83. Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear, The by David Bruins
84. Leon and the Place Between by Angela McAllister
85. Let’s Do Nothing! by Tony Fucile
86. Lion & the Mouse, The by Jerry Pinkney
87. Listeners, The by Gloria Whelan
88. Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosentha
89. Little Pot, The by Dawn Stephens
90. Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney
91. Long Shot: Never Too Small to Dream Big by Chris Paul
92. Longest Night, The by Marion Dane Bauer
93. Lousy Rotten Stinkin’ Grapes by Margie Palatini
94. Maggie’s Monkeys by Linda Sanders-Wells
95. Magic Box by Katie Cleminson
96. Martha Doesn’t Say Sorry by Samantha Berger
97. Me With You by Kristy Dempsey
98. Mighty Fine Time Machine, A by Suzanne Bloom
99. Mom, I Fired The Babysitter by Colleen H. Robley Blake
100. Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem by Chris Monroe
101. Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli by Barbara Jean Hicks
102. Moon Theater by Etienne Delessert
103. Moose and Magpie by Bettina Restrepo
104. Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban
105. Mrs. Mcgee’s Coconut by Allia Zobel-Nolan
106. Muriel’s Red Sweater by Dara Dokas
107. My Abuelita by Tony Johnston
108. My Goldfish by Barroux
109. My Little Round House
110. My Mom Is Trying to Ruin My Life by Kate Feiffer
111. My Name Is Sangoel by Karen Williams
112. My Name is Buttonz by B. Lee Schmidt
113. My People by Langston Hughes
114. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems
115. Naomi’s Tree by Joy Kogawa
116. Ned’s New Home by Kevin Tseng
117. Negro Speaks of Rivers, The by Langston Hughes
118. New Job for Dilly, A by Rena Jones
119. No Snow for Christmas by Jill Kalz
120. No! by David McPhail
121. Not all Animals Are Blue by Beatrice Boutignon
122. Olu’s Dream by Shane W. Evans
123. Once Upon a Twice by Denise Doyen
124. One Wolf Howls by Scotti Cohn
125. Otis by Loren Long
126. Otto Grows Down by Michael Sussman
127. Peep!: A Little Book About Taking a Leap by Maria van Lieshout
128. Penguin Story, A by Antoinette Portis [MY REVIEW]
     
129. Pennies for Elephants by Lita Judge
130. Persephone by Sally Pomme Clayton
131. Please Pick Me Up, Mama!by Robin Luebs
132. Posy by Linda Newbery
133. Princess Hyacinth (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated) by Florence Parry Heide
134. Put It On the List by Kristen Darbyshire
135. Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountains by Dawn Menge
136. Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
137. Rita and Whatsit by Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod
138. Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue
139. Saying Grace: A Prayer of Thanksgiving (Traditions of Faith)by Virginia Kroll
140. Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Melanie Watt
141. Seven Spirals: A Chakra Sutra for Kids by Deena Haiber
142. Silly Tilly by Eileen Spinelli
143. Sleepy Little Alphabet: A Bedtime Story from Alphabet Town, The by Judy Sierra
144. Sneezy Louise by Irene Breznak
145. Snickeyfritz by Andrea Skyberg
146. Soap, Soap, Soap / Jabon, Jabon, Jabon by Elizabeth O. Dulemba
147. Spells by Emily Gravett
148. Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
149. Stanza by Jill Esbaum
150. Star of the Show by Della Ross Ferreri
151. Talent For Quiet, A by Kim Chatel
152. Tess’s Tree by Jess M. Brallier
153. The Scarecrow’s Dance by Jane Yolen
154. There Are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz
155. There’s a Bear in my bathing suit by Uncle Tee
156. Thumbelina: The POP Wonderland Series by Michiyo Hayano
157. Thunder-Boomer! by Shutta Crum
158. Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies, The by Ammi-Joan Paquette
159. Tree for Emmy, A by Mary Ann Rodman
160. Trouble Gum by Matthew Cordell
161. Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajikawa
162. Tushy Book, The by Fran Manushkin
163. Two at the Zoo by Danna Smit
164. Two of a Kind by Jacqui Robbins
165. Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser
166. What REALLY Happened to Humpty? (from the files of a hard-boiled detective) by Jeanie Franz Ransom
167. When I Wore My Sailor Suit by Uri Shulevitz
168. When It’s Six O’Clock in San Francisco: A Trip Through Time Zones by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu
169. Where Teddy Bears Come From by Mark Burges
170. Who Wants to Be a Poodle I Don’t by Lauren Child
171. Who Will I Be, Lord? by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson Wig
172. gens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant by Leslie McGuirk
173. Wink! The Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed by J.C. Phillipps
174. Yankee at the Seder, The by Elka Weber
175. Yes Day! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
176. You’re Mean, Lily Jean by Frieda Wishinsky

Whew.   If you haven’t checked out the nominated titles in all of the categories, definitely do so:

• Easy Readers/Short Chapter Books
• Fantasy & Science Fiction
• Fiction Picture Books
• Graphic Novels
• Middle Grade Fiction
• Non-Fiction Picture Books
• Non-Fiction: Middle Grade & Young Adult
• Poetry
• Young Adult Fiction

As a way of highlighting a few books, these are the books that I’ve previously reviewed in the above categories:

• The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
• Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carmen
• Fade by Lisa McMann
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Girl in the Arena by Lisa Haines
• Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom by Eric Wight
• Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renee Russell
• Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look
• Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
• Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
• The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
• Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation by Jacqueline Jules
• 14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy
• Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
• The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
• Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
• Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
• Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott
• The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

And man.  I have a few books in the “read but not yet reviewed pile” (which is huge right now) which includes When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Dessert First by Hallie Durand, Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott (I swear I reviewed this one!), Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles and Nothing but Ghosts by Beth Kephart.  This week I’ll also have a review of Birthday for Bear as well as a guest post from Bonny Becker.  I’m sure that my few reviews of Cybils nominations isn’t as many as other kidlit bloggers out there, but it’s really fun to look at the lists.

Shortlists will be announced on January 1st.  Any picture books that are your favorites?

Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!

The New York Times Bestseller List
November 15, 2009

Hardcover Fiction

1. FORD COUNTY, by John Grisham. Stories set in rural Mississippi.
2. THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown. Robert Langdon among the Masons.
3. KINDRED IN DEATH, by J. D. Robb.  Lt. Eve Dallas investigates the brutal murder of a colleague’s daughter; by Nora Roberts, writing pseudonymously.
4. THE GATHERING STORM, by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.  Book 12 of the Wheel of Time fantasy series.
5. THE LACUNA, by Barbara Kingsolver. A young American growing up in Mexico becomes friends with Diego Rivera, Frieda Kahlo and Leon Trotsky; later, in the United States, he is menaced by ­McCarthyism.

Hardcover Nonfiction

1. HAVE A LITTLE FAITH, by Mitch Albom.  A suburban rabbi and a Detroit pastor teach lessons about the comfort of belief.
2. SUPERFREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.  A scholar and a journalist apply economic thinking to everything: the sequel.
3. WHAT THE DOG SAW, by Malcolm Gladwell. A decade of New Yorker essays.
4. ARGUING WITH IDIOTS, written and edited by Glenn Beck, Kevin Balfe and others.  The case against big government.
5. THE BOOK OF BASKETBALL, by Bill Simmons.  ESPN.com’s Sports Guy crunches big questions in N.B.A. history.

Paperback Trade Fiction

1. PUSH, by Sapphire.  An abused, illiterate 16-year-old in Harlem meets a teacher who helps change her life; the basis for the film “Precious.”
2. BED OF ROSES, by Nora Roberts.  A wedding florist has her eye on her business partner’s brother’s best friend; Book 2 in the Bride Quartet.
3. SAY YOU’RE ONE OF THEM, by Uwem Akpan.  Stories set in Africa, told from the point of view of wise and resilient children.
4. THE SHACK, by William P. Young.  A man whose daughter was abducted is invited to an isolated shack, apparently by God.
5. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson.  A hacker and a journalist investigate the disappearance of a Swedish heiress.

Paperback Mass-Market Fiction

1. BORN OF FIRE, by Sherrilyn Kenyon. The bounty hunter Shahara Dagan must decide whether to bring Syn, an assassin and family friend, to justice; a League novel.
2. THE ASSOCIATE, by John Grisham. An idealistic law-school graduate is forced to take a job at a large, brutalizing law firm.
3. CROSS COUNTRY, by James Patterson.  Alex Cross chases the leader of a teenage gang.
4. YOUR HEART BELONGS TO ME, by Dean Koontz. A man is stalked by a woman who resembles the donor of the heart he received in a transplant operation.
5. ANGELS AT CHRISTMAS, by Debbie Macomber.  A reissue of two stories: “Those Christmas Angels” (2003) and “Where Angels Go” (2007).

Paperback Non-Fiction

1. THE BLIND SIDE, by Michael Lewis.  The evolving business of football, viewed through the rise of the left tackle Michael Oher.
2. OUR CHOICE, by Al Gore.  The former vice president offers a plan for solving the climate crisis with the tools we have now.
3. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. A former climber builds schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
4. FREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.  A scholar and a journalist apply economic theory to nearly everything.
5. THE GLASS CASTLE, by Jeannette Walls. The author recalls a bizarre childhood during which she and her siblings moved constantly.

Hardcover Advice

1. IT’S YOUR TIME, by Joel Osteen. Prayers, stories and tools for moving forward in Christian faith.
2. THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS, by Ree Drummond.  Cowboy-tested recipes from the proprietor of ThePioneerWoman.com.
3. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2010, edited by Craig Glenday. Tallest, fastest, youngest, most.
4. KNOCKOUT, by Suzanne Somers.  Advice and interviews with doctors offering innovative cancer treatments.
5. REINVENTING THE BODY, RESURRECTING THE SOUL, by Deepak Chopra.  Ten steps for self-transformation.

Paperback Advice

1. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING, by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel.  Advice for parents-to-be.
2. NEW MOON, by Mark Cotta Vaz.  The illustrated companion to the movie based on the second book in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight vampire romance series.
3. MORE DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES, by Guy Fieri with Ann Volkwein. Another culinary road trip, with recipes.
4. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman.  How to communicate love in a way a spouse will understand.
5. BUY KETCHUP IN MAY AND FLY AT NOON, by Mark Di Vincenzo.  Lots of answers to the question “What’’s the best time to … ?”

Children’s Picture Books

1. SPLENDIFEROUS CHRISTMAS, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser.  There’s no such thing as too much tinsel for Fancy Nancy. (Ages 4 to
2. THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER, adapted by Chris Schoebinger from the story by Glenn Beck. Illustrated by Brandon Dorman..  Seeking the meaning of Christmas. (Ages 4 to 7)
3. LEGO STAR WARS, by Simon Beecroft.  An annotated visual dictionary. (Ages 7 and up)
4. NUBS, by Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery and Kirby Larson.  A wild dog in Iraq makes a friend for life. (Ages 4 to
5. WADDLE!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder. Animals in motion, with color. (Ages 4 to

Children’s Chapter Books

1. CATCHING FIRE, by Suzanne Collins.The protagonist of “The Hunger Games” returns. (Ages 12 and up)
2. THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins. In a dystopian future, a girl fights for survival on live TV. (Ages 12 and up).
3. THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT, by Kate DiCamillo and Yoko Tanaka.  An orphan in search of his sister follows a fortuneteller’s mysterious instructions. (Ages 7 and up)
4. MILLION-DOLLAR THROW, by Mike Lupica.  In tough economic times, the pressure is on for a young quarterback with an unusual opportunity. (Ages 9 to 12)
5. TRICKS, by Ellen Hopkins. (McElderry/Simon & Schuster,  A novel in verse about five teenagers who become prostitutes. (Ages 14 and up)

Children’s Paperback Books

1. THE BOOK THIEF, by Markus Zusak. A girl saves books from Nazi burning and shares them with a Jewish man in hiding. (Ages 14 and up)
2. BLUE MOON, by Alyson Noël.  An immortal girl. (Ages 12 and up)
3. EVERMORE, by Alyson Noël.  Immortals in school. (Ages 12 and up)
4. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN, by Sherman Alexie. Illustrated by Ellen Forney.  A young boy leaves his reservation for an all-white school. (Ages 12 and up)
5. THREE CUPS OF TEA: YOUNG READERS EDITION, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. A former climber builds schools in Pakistani and Afghan villages. (Ages 9 to 12)

Children’s Series Books

1. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney.  A boy records the hazards of adolescent life. (Ages 9 to 12)
2. THE TWILIGHT SERIES, by Stephenie Meyer. Vampires and werewolves in high school. (Ages 12 and up)
3. HOUSE OF NIGHT, by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. Vampires in school. (Ages 14 and up)
4. THE 39 CLUES, by various authors. A brother and sister travel the world in search of the key to their family’s power. (Ages 9 to 12)
5. PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS, by Rick Riordan.  Battling mythological monsters. (Ages 9 to 12)

Hardcover Graphic Books

1. THE BOOK OF GENESIS: ILLUSTRATED, by R. Crumb. The legendary artist tackles the first book of the Bible.
2. FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS, by Geoff Johns and George Perez.  When facing a seemingly unstoppable assemblage of their enemies, the Legion recruits other-dimensional versions of themselves for help.
3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, by Nancy Butler and Hugo Petrus. Jane Austen’s classic tale gets the graphic novel treatment.
4. THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. Dorothy travels to the land of OZ, graphic novel style.
5. ULTIMATUM, by Jeph Loeb and David Finch. The end, and rebirth, of Marvel’s “Ultimate” universe, in which its classic heroes were re-imagined for modern times, happens here.

Paperback Graphic Books

1. LOGICOMIX – AN EPIC SEARCH FOR TRUTH, by Apostolos Doxiadis, Christos H. Papadimitriou, Alecos Papadatos and Annie Di Donna.  The life of the philosopher and logician Bertrand Russell, and his passion for mathematics, is recounted in this graphic novel.
2. THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORDED ATTACKS, by Max Brooks. If you want to survive a zombie attack, there may be no better way than to see how past cultures have done it.
3. WATCHMEN, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. This epic tale from 1986 signaled a new maturity in comic books.
4. V FOR VENDETTA, by Alan Moore, K. C. Carlson and David Lloyd.  In a dystopian future, an anarchist sets out to topple the oppressive and totalitarian government of the United Kingdom.
5. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SEASON 8, VOL. 5, by various. Will things ever get better for Buffy? Now she has to deal with “Harmony Bites,” a reality show starring a former-classmate-and-current-vampire. Plus: more from the mysterious Twilight.

Manga

1. VAMPIRE KNIGHT, VOL. 8, by Matsuri Hino. Cross Academy has day and evening students, but the latter have a secret: they are vampires.
2. NARUTO 46, by Masashi Kishimoto.  Naruto’s friends are threatened, the mysteries of Pain deepen and Naruto must fight to protect his village.
3. NEGIMA! MAGISTER NEGI MAGI, VOL. 24, by Ken Akamatsu.  Negi, the boy wizard, takes part in the Festival of Ostia, which includes a martial arts tournament. Will a team of bounty hunters ruin the plans for the day?
4. OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB, VOL. 13, by Bisco Hatori. Haruhi, a poor girl at a rich school, is forced to work – as a boy – for the school’s all-male club.
5. BLACK BIRD, VOL. 2, by Kanoko Sakurakoji.  Misao Harada can see into a magical realm where she is the bride demon of prophecy. How will she survive the pursuit of demons who want the power in her blood?

Source: The New York Times Best Seller List

Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!

Okay folks.  Surely you’ve seen this book around haven’t you?  Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld.  I’d seen the cover before but had never taken the time to pick it up and so I was a tad excited when it was a book read by our fabulous librarians at our story time that I go to every week.

Duck! Rabbit! is the perfect read-a-loud book with its two narrators.  In fact, it was read very energetically by two librarians and it was well received by the kids.  When I got my hands on my own library copy, my husband and I both read it out loud together to the kids.  A fun book to read either on its own or in a group.

In Duck! Rabbit! the off page narrators debate whether or not the animal in question is a duck or a rabbit.  Where one sees ears, another sees a bill.  Where one hears rabbit sounds another hears duck sounds.  The illustrations vary little which I think is fantastic.

But really, no need for me to ramble on about it.   The video says it all:

A great book for kids to think about shapes in new ways.

Links of interest:  Amy Krouse Rosenthal website, Tom Lichtenheld website, more book blogger reviews.  Duck! Rabbit! is a  fiction picture book Cybil’s nominee for which I’m a panelist.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher:  Chronicle Books.  March 11, 2009.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 0811868656
Duck! Rabbit! is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Hey you! Yes. You! I've noticed that you've stopped by to visit a few times! But I don't know who you are. Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Don't be scared. I try not to bite. I know you're a lurker but I'd love to hear your thoughts about what's been bringing you here. And if you haven't done so already, don't forget to never miss a post by subscribing to my feed or receiving updates by email. Thanks for visiting!

My boys LOVE LOVE LOVE this book.  The Book That Eats People by John Perry and illustrated by Mark Fearing is the book that they have been picking out of my huge stack of picture books all week.  We read it at least three times straight through the first time I brought it home and then at least twice a day since then.  What’s hilarious though is that I might have gotten a bit too dramatic in the reading and I pretended to snap the book in my boys fingers.   They laughed and giggled at the time but when we were reading it – again -  my four-year-old told me that he wanted to return it to the library.  When I asked why, he said it was too scary.  But that hasn’t stopped him from yelling across the room when my two-year-old pulls it out, “Wait!  I want to see!”

In fact, I’ve just handed the book to my husband who’s looking at it for the first time.  He’s giggling.  He’s making comments.  He’s engrossed.  He’s just told me, “I like this one.”  Fun for kids, fun for adults.   The design is awesome.  Fantastic text.   Can’t really get much better than this.

I’m thinking that this book is worth adding into our collection.  But is it safe?  The book does eat people.  If it even catches a whiff of peanut butter and jelly on your fingers then you are in BIG trouble.  You don’t have a chance.  And do not let your little ones read this book – especially when it’s hungry.  (You should always assume that it’s hungry.)  You would be very  lucky indeed if you come away from the reading of this book unscathed.

So if I disappear it’s pretty much safe to assume that I have become a victim and will never be heard from again.  Here’s wishing me luck . . . .

Links of interest:  Mark Fearing website, The Book That Eats People is a fiction picture book Cybils nomination for which I’m a panelist.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Tricycle Press. August 11, 2009
Hardcover, 38 pages. ISBN 1582462682
The Book That Eats People is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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