Maw Books

Maw Books – book reviews, book recommendations, book lists, author interviews and more!

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?

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