Also known as A Chair, A Fireplace, & A Tea Cozy. Or just Tea Cozy. Talking about books, TV shows, movies.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Shelf Space - My Own Private Library
I am in the midst of a move (along with with having recently started a new job, finishing up a book, and, oh yeah, the holidays) so posting time has been sparse. Over at Shelf Space at ForeWord, I mull over why we have private libraries and how the heck to organize them.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Class In YA Lit
And, in true blogger fashion, that's inspired a list! There are already a few books in the comments; go and add some, if you can think of any.
Because here's the thing; while my first reaction was "oh of course there are" and my second was "well, he didn't say there wasn't any, just that there wasn't a lot", I do think poverty and economics is an area that isn't always explored in books. Please, go leave suggestions of books at the Ya Ya Ya post. And check out LW's post on books about social class.
As you think about titles, consider this.
If it's a family struggling in the past, is it really about class? Or is the message of the book, people starved back in Little House in the Prairie days, but not now? Or is the message, hardships happen with war, but once the war is over, it'll be OK?
I mention historical fiction type books, because as I began to think of titles I realized many of them were set in the past.
Why is it important for kids to read? I was speaking with a woman about Alexie's book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and she read it, and she was giving it to her teenage granddaughter to read. Why? Because it's a great book; and she also wanted her middle class granddaughter to know that being poor isn't about not having the newest iPod. If a child lives in an affluent suburb, books are one way for them to know that other people live different lives.
On the flip side, as I've mentioned in the past, I had a parent object to Because of Winn Dixie for her 10 year old because she didn't want her child to know that people lived in trailer parks. Note, please, as readers of Winn Dixie know, that it was simply a trailer park. All I can wonder is -- what will happen when this child meets someone who was raised in a trailer park? I find it troubling, especially when the same family had read all the Little House books. Poor in the past, OK. Poor now? Not OK.
Anyway, go over to the Ya Ya Ya's and share some titles!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
NAOMI AND ELY’S NO KISS LIST
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 28, 2007
Basic Plot: Naomi and Ely have been best friends since birth and nothing, not even Naomi’s father having an affair with one of Ely’s mothers can change that – or so they think. Naomi is totally straight, Ely is totally gay – Naomi is totally convinced that one day, Ely is going to marry her and their lives will be wonderful. All that changes when Ely kisses Naomi’s boyfriend, Bruce the Second. It’s not just that Ely and Bruce betray Naomi – it’s more that Naomi finally realizes that the life she planned will never be.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this book. I say surprisingly because Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist didn’t leave me gushing and I thought (based on the title, cover and authors) that this title would sort of follow the first. Then, when I started reading, I picked up serious “Will & Grace” vibes – but I like that show, so I kept on going. What hooked me though, was Naomi’s character. Ely, I could give or take, but Naomi just felt real – like someone I used to know in college – she’s sassy, beautiful, smart, fun and utterly wrecked by the situation in which she has found herself. Probably what I most like about Naomi’s character is that she comes to terms the world around her and makes herself into a better person (takes a bit of control of her life and her mom’s, stops stringing along Bruce the First, and is just a genuinely good friend).
THAT GIRL LUCY MOON by Amy Timberlake
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: August 6, 2006
REVIEW FROM ARC
Basic Plot: Lucy Moon is the girl who always stood up for what she believed – in years past, her causes focused on more worldly events, such as the working conditions for third-world workers, but this time, her energy is centered on battling one of the most powerful people in town to reclaim the best sledding hill in the neighborhood for public use. Lucy’s campaign begins with much energy, but by the middle of winter, she loses steam. Her mother left for a photography trip in the early fall and months later has still not returned, her relationship with her dad is strained, the kids at school have ostracized her because of the trouble participating in her campaign has caused, her best friend is maturing in ways she isn’t, and the principal is giving her major grief. It’s all too much for Lucy and she slides into a depression. But Lucy Moon without a spring in her step is just too horrible for thought and she finds confidence in herself and support from places she would never have expected.
This book has “make me into a movie” all over it. It’s funny, sad and even sweet. Lucy Moon is a very likeable character, and her emotions and reactions to events are real. Timberlake doesn’t paint Lucy as the perfect child, and that makes her much more appealing. Lucy’s anger, jealousy, ego and despair somehow fit perfectly with the other aspects of her personality and you can’t help but feel that Lucy, with all her faults, would be a wonderful person to know.
Bullyville by Francine Prose
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: September 18, 2007
REVIEW FROM ARC
Basic Plot: Bart Rangely’s father leaves his mother for another woman. Though he’s been gone for several months, neither Bart nor his mother tell their friends or relatives. Then, his dad is killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. His mother, who worked in the same office, is saved from the same fate because she called out of work that morning in order to stay home with her sick child. Hailed as a miracle worker for inadvertently saving his mother’s life, Bart becomes something of a local hero and finds himself on the receiving end of much largess from the community. Among this outpouring of generosity is a full scholarship to a private school in town. Bart is not thrilled with the prospect of enrolling in Baileywell Preparatory Academy, but it seems to be the only thing that rejuvenates his mother, so he goes. The story that follows covers his year at Baileywell, I mean Bullyville Prep.
Let me again remind you that the review that follows is based on the ARC. I have not had the chance yet to review the published version, so in the event that things were changed, please pardon me.
I liked the premise of the book. Living in Central NJ, my town and surrounding communities were hit pretty hard by the September 11 attacks. And, in with all the awfulness of the news from that week, I remember many “miracle” stories – the father who stayed home from work to bring his daughter to her first day of kindergarten, the mother who missed her regular train because of a last-minute crisis that needed to be smoothed over, the newlywed couple who left for their honeymoon the weekend before… So, the idea of Bart’s miraculous tragedy (mom saved, dad not) really hit home.
That being said, I was only ho-hum on Bullyville Prep.
The book feels like two stories: tragedy and bullying followed by freedom and forming a friendship with a sick child. Prose ties together the two threads in the final chapters by relating the loss of the father with the SPOILER death of the sick child, but it doesn’t seem like enough. Then, and I really hope this changed in the final version, at the very end, the author has Bart looking back on his time at Bullywell as a FATHER. What is the point of that?! It totally didn’t belong and it made no sense.
In the Garage by Alma Fullerton
Publisher: Red Door Press
Release Date: October 12, 2006
Basic Plot: Barbara Jean Belanger (BJ) and Alex Fitzgerald have been best friends since elementary school; and a more mismatched pair is not known in town. Alex is talented, athletic, handsome, intelligent, and popular; BJ is talented and intelligent, overweight and has a large birthmark on her face that has caused her to be the subject of much ridicule for most of her life. Since meeting up in third grade, the two have been each other’s greatest supporters, but that changes after an incident when BJ betrays Alex’s trust by stealing his journal. After reading his journal, BJ comes to realize how much Alex needs her friendship, but then, somehow the journal goes missing and ends up in the hands of people who would destroy them both.
UGH – this book makes me want to scream from beginning to end. I should preface this by saying – I LOVED this story. Fullerton combined so many emotions into this story that I felt as if I were on a roller coaster – but it was a great ride!
BJ has had an awful childhood – her mother – what an awful woman – basically abandons her in a car. But before she walks away from her daughter, the woman leaves her with emotional scars that could rival most of the characters in Oprah’s Book Club picks. (Maybe it’s my maternal instinct kicking in, but I seriously despised BJs mom – thank God Fullerton got rid of her early on – the woman was a witch who did not deserve to have a child.) So, BJ gets taken care of by her dad and grandmother and eventually, Alex.
Now, this is not a spoiler (because it happens in the first two pages) so I can tell you that something happens to Alex. Alex is a golden boy – there is no doubt about that. He has all the qualities most parents dream of for their children and, here’s the kicker – he is a NICE person. (Have you noticed that almost all the golden boys and girls in teen lit are nasty little people?) But, nothing he does measures up in his dad’s eyes – even though he’s a top student and key athlete, his dad wants him to always do and be more. AND, his father despises the fact that Alex is in a garage band. So, here we have this NICE person who just wants to “be” and who really relies on his friend BJ to be his rock. Add to the mix two very popular girls who have an interest in Alex and are very disturbed by his lack of response to his advances. Stir in mischief when these girls somehow convince BJ to steal Alex’s very private & personal journal. THEN, throw in David, an amazing vocalist who sings in Alex’s band, is gay and is inextricably attracting Alex – in short, you have what seems to be a mess but is really a story that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go until the end when you are staring at the page in disbelief and then crying. It’s an exhausting book that was so worth the effort.
Walking on Glass by Alma Fullerton
Publisher: Harper Tempest
Release date: January 9, 2007
Basic Plot: Unnamed teen walks in on his mother’s suicide attempt and rescues her; his mom is left alive but in a vegetative state. Through journal entries written in verse, unnamed teen shares experiences of outgrowing a best friend intent on violence & crime and meeting and falling for a girl in the school choir.
So, did I like the book? I didn’t not like it. I know that isn’t an answer, but here’s the deal…I just can’t get past the part of not knowing the main character’s name. Why – why not just throw me that bone so that I can say, “Come on Doug (or Larry or John) – life goes on and you will get through this one day at a time!” There are many things that appealed to me – the verse style worked for this story (and generally, I am not a fan of this format) and the storyline was a good one, but it was very rushed. Granted, the book is 131 pages, so it has to be a rather quick wrap up, but really, is it enough to cover working through your mother’s attempted suicide, distancing yourself from a childhood friend intent on being the new neighborhood hit-man, opening up to a new girlfriend, a yuck relationship with your dad and making a decision to euthanize your mother? I think not – I know it’s supposed to be a quick read – and that it was – and I did want to know, “What happens next!” but it all felt anticlimactic to me. That being said – are there teens who will want to read this? Yes - oh, yeah! Bring it to them – I’m just picky – picky, picky, picky. And I like to really get into the whys and whats of things, and this book cheated me a bit on that.
Little bit about "T"
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
My Penguin Osbert
My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel, illustrated by H.B. Lewis. copy provided by publisher, Candlewick. Gift set.
The Plot: A little boy writes to Santa, asking for a real penguin. He's learned that one must be very specific with the old guy, otherwise when you ask for a sports car you get a toy sports car. So the boy is specific, down to the penguin's name: Osbert.
The Good: As you've probably realized, I got a box of cool holiday books from the folks at Candlewick. I pulled out this book and thought, hey I know this author; it took me a second and then I was, d'uh. She wrote Stone Circle, a great time-slip story set in Wales.
Topic. "Beware what you ask for." The boy gets a real penguin, and after the initial fun, the responsibility sinks in; as does the fact that the penguin is its own being, with likes, dislikes, and needs (like cold creamed herring with seaweed jam instead of chocolate chip waffles.) So the boy learns not just about being responsible for another living thing; but, also, that a being isn't a toy.
It's funny and sweet; and the narrator is a typical kid. I loved the surreal part of the story in that the parents are never pictured; from the narration, it appears that they just accept Osbert's existence, such as when Mom actually does serve cold creamed herring. And seaweed jam.
The toy: yep, it comes with a real stuffed penguin (no fear of frostbite.) Penguins are still an "it" toy, and Osbert is very soft and cuddly. A great read aloud for younger readers; the package warns to remove all tags, etc before giving to very young children.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
But My Child is So Advanced!
But basically, some parents believe that any book ever published should be written in a way that is OK for their child to read. Whatever the age, interests, etc. of that child are
This belief is especially true when the child is reading "above grade level;" any book written "above grade level" should be appropriate for their child.
Which is where we get the angry parents of an 8 year old who cannot believe what is found in a book for a 14 year old. Because, over and over, some parents seem to equate any type of grade level of books with being only about the vocabulary; sentence structure; the page length; rather than the content. And then are shocked and appalled at the fact that an age/grade recommendation also takes into account both what the book is about and the reader's maturity.
Alex Flinn has a must-read post about this. She links to an Amazon review that is also a must read so click through; I wanted to laugh because basically, it's the mother of a 4th grader (advanced reader of course!) whose child read a book for ages 12 and up and was shocked by the content and is rather angry that now she has to closely examine the books her son reads and the author should have geared the book towards a more mature audience.
First, I think everyone agrees; the book in question wasn't right for younger readers. But I cannot get over the mindset that it should be. And that somehow, she missed that the author did indeed gear the book towards a more mature audience, to use her phrase.
Second, it's a bit sad that the people getting books for this child didn't look further at the books being bought and ask questions of knowledgeable teachers, booksellers and librarians. Because if your child is truly reading that far above grade level, yes, you either have to closely look at what books your kid reads (something that this mother finds unacceptable) or speak to people who know more about the books and already took a closer look.
Anyway, what I also liked about Alex's post is she also addresses that wonder of how all kids seem to be above grade level and about how different kids start reading at different ages so why all the pressure to be reading HP at 4?
Edited to add: Christine raises a good point. What about the situation where it is the book being read in school? Now, we're not talking book banning and the like; we're talking the teacher having the "but they are so advanced" attitude so is using book(s) that are "too old" for the students.
Edited to correct Alex Flinn's name. This is what happens when you try to move and blog at the same time.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
ForeWord: Shelf Space
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Challenge: Good YA Books for Boys?
To begin, in my meandering way, let me say I am a bit fascinated with the idea of making something look good by comparing it to something else and saying, the first thing is bigger/taller/smarter than the second, rather than just discussing the first.
Thus, it isn't enough to say Sally is smart; one must say Sally is smarter than Jen (and pity poor Jen.) Also, it then begs the new question: not whether Sally is smart, but is Jen smart? Etc. I always feel it is insulting to all three involved; poor Jen, whose smarts have been called into question, and poor Sally, whose smarts get lost in the comparison (and, who apparently, just has value when compared to another), and the person making the comparison, who felt it necessary to drag Jen into the mix to make Sally look smarter.
Anyhow. This often is a shorthand used in book reviews.
Critical Mass's series on recommending books includes Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. And I absolutely agree it's a great book; I plan on posting on it as soon as I have the time, and adding it my personal Best Books list (see sidebar).
But, the recommendation includes this line: "At a time when good YA books for male readers are few and far between".
I'm out the door on the way to work, otherwise I'd take time to snark about whether or not it was necessary to include that line; and about how Alexie's book is great, and that snipe at YA for boys shouldn't stand in your way of picking up Alexie's book; and how much YA has the recommender read, anyway?
My real point, and I'm there now, is let's take this challenge!
Name a few"good YA books for male readers" in the comments. Are they truly few and far between? How many titles do we have to get to prove that statement false? I know we are all busy, but c'mon, readers and lurkers! Help me out.
I'll start.
Looking for Alaska, John Green
An Abundance of Katherines, John Green
Postcards from No-Mans Land, Aidan Chambers
Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher.
Ack. The time! Please leave some more suggestions in the comments!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Squiggles: A Really Giant Drawing and Painting Book
Squiggles: A Really Giant Drawing and Painting Book by Taro Gomi. 2007. Copy supplied by publisher, Chronicle Books.
It's About:
It's a coloring book.
The Good:
"It's a coloring book" really is not a good description. Because it's so much more than the inexpensive coloring books one usually finds, where you can color in Barbie or Dora.
Maybe I'm the only one who obsesses about how things feel? Because the pages of this book feel gorgeous; not the scratchy yellowy pages but smooth cream.
This is not a cheap coloring book. This is almost a work of art. You should buy two copies. The first one for the intended recipient, a child. But you'll take it home, and go to wrap it, and flip thru it, and you won't be able to stop yourself because you'll be thinking, "this is a coloring book for grown ups. This is a coloring book for me. Wow, I used to have so much fun with crayons..."
And after you follow a line across the page, with the invitation, "Let's play in the mountains," and you accept the invitation, and start to color -- you'll go, "uh oh. This was supposed to be for Cheetah." And you'll buy a second copy. Save yourself that extra trip to the store and just get two from the get-go.
To get a better "feel" for how this book looks and works, take a look at this excerpt, provided by the publisher.
Links:
Blog from the Windowsill review
Jen Robinson's Book Page review
whimsy review
in the pages review
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Dragonology: Field Guide to Dragons
Dragonology: Field Guide to Dragons by Dr. Ernest Drake. By Dugald A. Steer. Candlewick. Copy supplied by publisher.
It's About: Dragons!
The Good: The latest ology book revisits Dragons.
The design of the book has a "serious" feel; open the cover, and you find a spiral bound book, the Field Guide, along with twelve envelopes. Open an envelope (they only look like they are closed with sealing wax), and there are the pieces to one of the featured dragons.
I, of course, tried to put it together without looking at the instructions. Hint: the instructions help.
Being as this is a "field guide," there is a page dedicated to each dragon (and pseudo-dragons, like the Phoenix). My favorite? The Marsupial Dragon (drago marsupialis), who lays eggs "which it incubates in a pouch on its front." Food includes koalas and wombats. Habitat: do you have to ask?
As a field guide, it also includes lists of necessary equipment, such as heat-protective clothing.
I love the "pretend its real" aspect of these books; that it invites you to be part of the fantasy, not just an observer.
I also like how, like any reference book, this can be read however the reader wants to read it. Straight thru? That works. Skip ahead to your favorite dragons? Good idea. Examine the detailed drawings? Sweet.
Cybils Nominations: Fiction Picture Books
17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore
by Jenny Offill, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Random House
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Abraham’s Search for God
by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Natascia Ugliano
Kar-Ben Publishing
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Angels Watching Over Me
adapted by Julia Durango, illustrated by Elisa Kleven
Simon & Schuster
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Apple Pie That Papa Baked, The
by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Jonathan Bean
Simon & Schuster
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Armando and the Blue Tarp School
by Edith Hope Fine, Judith Pinkerton Josephson and illustrated by Hernan Sosa
Lee & Low Books
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At Night
by Jonathan Bean
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
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Bear Feels Sick
by Karma Wilson
Margaret K. McElderry Books
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Beaser the Bear's Rocky Mountain Christmas
by Patricia Derrick
Animalations
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Becka and the Big Bubble: Becka Goes to San Francisco
by Gretchen Schomel Wendel and Adam Anthony Schomer; illustrated by Damon Renthrope
Waterside Publishing
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Boat in the Tree, The
by Tim Wynne-Jones, illustrated by John Shelley
Front Street
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Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug
by Mark Newgarden and Megan Montague Cash
Harcourt
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Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians , The
by Carla Morris, illustrated by Brad Sneed
Peachtree Publishers
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Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds, The
by Marisabina Russo
Random House
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Burro’s Tortillas
by Terri Fields, illustrated by Sherry Rogers
Sylvan Dell Publishing
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Chester
by Mélanie Watt
Kids Can Press
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Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County, The
by Janice N. Harrington, illustrated by Shelley Jackson
Farrar, Straus & Giroux
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Danny and the Detention Demons
by Mack Webb, Jr., illustrated by Nicole Espinola with Eve Nealon
Pilinut Press, Inc.
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Dino-hockey
by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Barry Gott
Carolrhoda Books
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Dizzy
by Stacy A. Nyikos, illustrated by Kary Lee
Stonehorse Publishing
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Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners
by Laurie Keller
Henry Holt
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End, The
by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Richard Egielski
Scholastic
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Engelbert Sneem and the Dream Vacuum Machine
by Daniel Postgate
North-South Books
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Family for Old Mill Farm, A
by Shutta Crum, illustrated by Niki Daly
Clarion Books
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Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy
by Jane O’Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
HarperCollins
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Five Little Gefiltes
by Dave Horowitz
Putnam Juvenile
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Four Feet, Two Sandals
by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Modammed, illustrated by Doug Chayka
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
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Frankie Stein
by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Kevan J. Atteberry
Marshall Cavendish
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Fred Stays with Me!
by Nancy Coffelt, illustrated by Tricia Tusa
Little, Brown Young Readers
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Give Thanks to the Lord
by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Amy June Bates
Zonderkidz
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Go to Bed, Monster!
by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Sylvie Kantorovitz
Harcourt
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Good Day, A
by Kevin Henkes
Greenwillow
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Grandfather’s Wrinkles
by Kathryn England, illustrated by Richard McFarland
Flashlight Press
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Grandpa for Sale
by Dotti Enderle and Vicki Sansum; illustrated by T. Kyle Gentry
Flashlight Press
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Great Joy
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Walker Books Ltd
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Growing story, The
by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
HarperCollins
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Grumpy Bird
by Jeremy Tankard
Scholastic
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Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound
by Beth Finke, illustrated by Anthony Alex Letourneau
Blue Marlin Publications
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Help!: A Story of Friendship
by Holly Keller
Greenwillow
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Hound from the Pound, The
by Jessica Swaim, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Candlewick
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House Takes a Vacation, The
by Jacqueline Davies, illustrated by Lee White
Marshall Cavendish
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Hugo & Miles in: I’ve painted everything!
by Scott Magoon
Houghton Mifflin
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Hungry Monster ABC: An Alphabet Book
by Susan Heyboer O’Keefe, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Little, Brown
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I Love You More
by Laura Duksta, illustrated by Karen Keesler
Sourcebooks
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I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean
by Kevin Sherry
Penguin Group
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Iggy Peck, Architect
by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
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Impossible Patriotism Project, The
by Linda Skeers, illustrated by Ard Hoyt
Penguin Group
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Incredible Book-Eating Boy, The
by Oliver Jeffers
Penguin Group
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Jack of All Tails
by Kim Norman, illustrated by David Clark
Penguin Group
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Jake Stays Awake
by Michael Wright
Feiwel & Friends
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Knot Fairy, The
by Bobbie Hinman, illustrated by Kristi Bridgeman
Best Fairy Books
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Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
by Mo Willems
Hyperion
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Leaves
by David Ezra Stein
Putnam
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Lemonade Club, The
by Patricia Polacco
Philomel Books
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Let It Shine: Three Favorite Spirituals
by Ashley Bryan
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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Library Mouse
by Daniel Kirk
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
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Lily Brown’s Paintings
by Angela Johnson with paintings by E.B. Lewis
Orchard Books
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Little Mouse's Big Books of Fears
by Emily Gravett
Macmillan Children's Books
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Little Skink’s Tail
by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein
Sylvan Dell Publishing
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Llama Llama Mad at Mama
by Anna Dewdney
Viking Juvenile
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Lonely Moose, The
by John Segal
Hyperion
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Looking for Loons
by Jennifer Lloyd, illustrated by Kirsti Wakelin
Simply Read Books
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Loving Marley
by Donald and Sara Hassler; illustrated by Carol Newsom
Pugtale Publishing
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Luck of the Loch Ness Monster, The: A Tale of Picky Eating
by Alice Weaver Flaherty, illustrated by Scott Magoon
Houghton Mifflin
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Lucky Jake
by Sharon Hart Addy, illustrated by Wade Zahares
Houghton Mifflin
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Magic Rabbit, The
by Annette LeBlanc Cate
Candlewick
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Mama’s Saris
by Pooja Makhijani, illustrated by Elena Gomez
Little, Brown, & Company
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Mariposas En La Calle Carmen/ Butterflies on Carmen Street
by Monica Brown, illustrated by April Ward
Pinata Books
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Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale
by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin
Peachtree Publishers
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Millie Waits for the Mail
by Alexander Steffensmeier
Walker & Co.
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Monster Hug!
by David Ezra Stein
Putnam
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My Cat Copies Me
by Kwon Yoon-duck
Kane/Miller
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My House
by Delphine Durand
WingedChariot Press
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Never Tease a Weasel
by Jean Conder Soule, illustrated by George Booth
Random House
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No English
by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Amy Huntington
Ann Arbor Media Group
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Oliver Has Something to Say!
by Pamela Edwards, illustrated by Louis Pilon
Lobster Press
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One City, Two Brothers
by Chris Smith, illustrated by Aurelia Fronty
Barefoot Books
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One Million Men and Me
by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Peter Ambush
Just Us Books, Inc.
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Orange Pear Apple Bear
by Emily Gravett
Simon & Schuster
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Penguin
by Polly Dunbar
Candlewick
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Pest Fest
by Julia Durango, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus
Simon & Schuster
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Pink
by Nan Gregory, illustrated by Luc Melanson
Groundwood Books
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Playing by the Rules: A Story About Autism
by Dena Fox Luchsinger, illustrated by Julie Olson
Woodbine House
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Police Cloud, The
by Christoph Niemann
Schwartz & Wade (Random House)
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Princess Justina Albertina: A Cautionary Tale
by Ellen Davidson, illustrated by Michael Chesworth
Charlesbridge
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Pssst!
by Adam Rex
Harcourt
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Punk Farm on Tour
by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Random House
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Righty and Lefty
by Rachel Vail and illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Scholastic
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Roar!
by Margaret Mayo, illustrated by Alex Ayliffe
Carolrhoda Books
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Run, Turkey, Run!
by Diane Mayr, illustrated by Laura Rader
Walker Books
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Samsara Dog
by Helen Manos, illustrated by Julie Vivas
Kane/Miller
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Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend
by Mélanie Watt
Kids Can Press
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Scribble
by Deborah Freedman
Knopf Books (Random House)
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Secret life of Walter Kitty, The
by Barbara Jean Hicks, illustrated by Dan Santat
Random House
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Shanté Keys and the New Year's Peas
by Gail Piernas-Davenport, illustrated by Marion Eldridge
Albert Whitman & Company
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Shy Creatures, The
by David Mack
Feiwel and Friends
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Small Sister
by Jessica Meserve
Clarion Books
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Sock Monkey Rides Again
by Cece Bell
Candlewick
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Some of the Parts
by Gerry Rzeppa
Sunray Publishing
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Sophie’s Dance
by Knister and illustrated by Mandy Schlundt
Minedition
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Squirrel’s World
by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev
Candlewick
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Story of Cherry the Pig, The
by Utako Yamada
Kane/Miller
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Story With Pictures, A
by Barbara Kanninen, illustrated by Lynn Rowe Reed
Holiday House
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Sugar Cane: A Caribbean Rapunzel
by Patricia Storace, illustrated by Raul Colon
Hyperion/Jump at the Sun
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Surprise, The
by Sylvia van Ommen
Front Street
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Taj Mahal
by Caroline Arnold and Madeleine Comora; illustrated by Rahul Bhushan
Carolrhoda Books
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Tex and Sugar: A Big City Kitty Ditty
by Barbara Johansen Newman
Sterling Publishing Company
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There's a Yak in my Bed!
by K. Pluta, illustrated by Christy Stallop
Blooming Tree Press
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Tim and Sally’s Vegetable Garden
by Grady Thrasher, illustrated by Elaine Rabon
Hill Street Press
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Un-Brella
by Scott E. Franson
Roaring Brook Press
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Violet Goes to the Country
by Melanie Cecka with pictures by Emily Arnold McCully
Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Children’s Books
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Virginnie’s Hat
by Dori Chaconas, illustrated by Holly Meade
Candlewick
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When Dinosaurs Came with Everything
by Elise Broach, illustrated by David Small
Simon & Schuster
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When the Shadbush Blooms
by Carla Messinger and Susan Katz; illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden
Tricycle Press
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Why Won't Anyone Play With Me?
by Joy V. Smith, illustrated by Andrea Gradidge
PublishAmerica
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Wind Flyers
by Angela Johnson, illustrated by Loren Long
Simon & Schuster
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Wolf’s Coming!
by Joe Kulka
Lerner Publishing Group
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Yatandou
by Gloria Whelan, illustrated by Peter Sylvada
Sleeping Bear Press
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Saturday, December 08, 2007
Cybils Nominations: Science Fiction, Fantasy
100 Cupboards
written by N.D. Wilson
Random House
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Alchemyst, The
written by Michael Scott
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon
written by Rick Yancey
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
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Araminta Spookie 3: Frognapped
written by Angie Sage
HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
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Betrayed: A House of Night Novel
written by PC Cast
St. Martin's Griffin
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Billy Hooten: Owlboy
written by Tom Sniegoski
Random House/Yearling
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Black Book of Secrets, The
written by F.E. Higgins
Feiwel & Friends
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Book of a Thousand Days
written by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
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Call to Shakabaz, The
written by Amy Wachspress
Woza Books
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Chaos King, The
written by Laura Ruby
HarperCollins/Eos
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Children of the 23rd Century: The Secret of the Lost Planet
written by Mel Hogan
Athena Press Ltd (UK)
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Choices
written by Deborah Lynn Jacobs
Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press
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City of Bones
written by Cassandra Clare
Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry
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Cobra King Of Kathmandu, The
written by P. B. Kerr
Scholastic/Orchard Books
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Cupid
written by Julius Lester
Harcourt Children's Books
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Darkwing
written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins/Eos
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Defect
written by Will Weaver
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Dragon Slippers
written by Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
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Dragonhaven
written by Robin McKinley
Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
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Dragon's Keep
written by Janet Lee Carey
Harcourt Children's Books
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Dreamquake
written by Elizabeth Knox
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Eclipse
written by Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown Young Readers
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Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
written by Lynne Jonell
Henry Holt and Co.
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Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness
written by Kaza Kingsley
Firelight Press
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Extras
written by Scott Westerfeld
Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse
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Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
written by Brandon Mull
Shadow Mountain
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Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer
written by Laini Taylor
Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
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Fathom Five: The Unwritten Books
written by James Bow
Dundurn/Boardwalk Books
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First Light
written by Rebecca Stead
Random House/Wendy Lamb Books
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Flora Segunda
written by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Harcourt Children's Books
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Fred & Anthony's Escape from the Netherworld
written by Esile Arevamirp
Disney/Hyperion
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Ghost in Allie's Pool, The
written by Sari Bodi
Brown Barn Books
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Giving Up the Ghost
written by Sheri Sinykin
Peachtree Publishers
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Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio, The
written by Lloyd Alexander
Henry Holt and Co
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Gray/Guardians
written by Kathy Porter
BookSurge Publishing
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
written by J. K. Rowling
Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books
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Hungry Ghosts
written by Sally Heinrich
Lothian Publishing (may be an imprint of Hachette Livre Australia)
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In the Serpent's Coils (Hallowmere)
written by Tiffany Trent
Mirrorstone
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Incarceron
written by Catherine Fisher
Hachette Livre UK/Hodder Children's Books (UK)
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Into the Wild
written by Sarah Beth Durst
Penguin/Razorbill
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Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale
written by Holly Black
Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry
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Jackie Tempo and the Emperor's Seal
written by Suzanne M Litrel
iUniverse
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Jinx
written by Meg Cabot
HarperCollins
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Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger
written by Lee E. Fodi
Brown Books Publishing Group
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Lady Friday (The Keys to the Kingdom)
written by Garth Nix
Scholastic Press
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Land of the Silver Apples, The
written by Nancy Farmer
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
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Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want
written by Obert Skye
Shadow Mountain
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Little (Grrl) Lost
written by Charles de Lint
Penguin/Viking
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Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm)
written by Michael Buckley
Abrams/Amulet
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Marigold and the Feather of Hope
written by J. H. Sweet
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
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New Policeman, The
written by Kate Thompson
HarperCollins
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Night Tourist, The
written by Katherine Marsh
Disney/Hyperion
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Nightwalker: The Warlocks of Talverdin
written by K. V. Johansen
Orca Book Publishers
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Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands)
written by Meg Burden
Brown Barn Books
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Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm)
written by Michael Buckley
Abrams/Amulet
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Penguins of Doom, The (From the Desk of Septina Nash)
written by Greg R. Fishbone
Blooming Tree Press
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Platinum
written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Powers
written by Ursula K. Le Guin
Harcourt Children's Books
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Prom Dates from Hell
written by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Pyre
written by James McCann
Simply Read Books
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Quest for the Elfin Elixir
written by Ami Blackford
Red Cygnet Press
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Red Spikes
written by Margo Lanagan
Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Repossessed
written by A. M. Jenkins
HarperCollins
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Return to Zandria
written by Christine Norris
LBF Books/Lachesis Publishing
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Secret of Grim Hill, The
written by Linda DeMeulemeester
Lobster Press
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Secret Zoo, The
written by Bryan Chick
Second Wish Press
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Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars)
written by Frank Beddor
Penguin/Dial
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Seems, The: The Glitch in Sleep
written by John Hulme
Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
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Senrid
written by Sherwood Smith
YA Angst
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Sensitive
written by Nina Wright
Flux
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Seventh Chair, The
written by Ann Keffer
iUniverse
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Silenced, The
written by James Devita
HarperCollins/Eos
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Silver World
written by Cliff McNish
Lerner Publishing/Carolrhoda Books
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Skin Hunger
written by Kathleen Duey
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum
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Skulduggery Pleasant
written by Derek Landy
HarperCollins
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Standard Hero Behavior
written by John David Anderson
Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books
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Swan Maiden, The
written by Heather Tomlinson
Henry Holt
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Tantalize
written by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Candlewick
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Tattoo
written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
written by R. L. LaFevers
Houghton Mifflin
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Thief Queen's Daughter, The
written by Elizabeth Haydon
Tor/Starscape
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Through the Eyes of a Raptor
written by Julie Hahnke
iUniverse
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Titan's Curse, The
written by Rick Riordan
Disney/Miramax
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To Catch a Mermaid
written by Suzanne Selfors
Little, Brown Young Readers
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True Meaning of Smekday, The
written by Adam Rex
Disney/Hyperion
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Two Moon Princess
written by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Tanglewood Press
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Un Lun Dun
written by China Mieville
Random House/Del Rey
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Verdigris Deep (Well Witched in the U.S.)
written by Frances Hardinge
Macmillan Children's Books (UK)
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Warrior's Daughter, The
written by Holly Bennett
Orca Book Publishers
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What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
written by Gregory Maguire
Candlewick
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Wicked Lovely
written by Melissa Marr
HarperCollins
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Wildwood Dancing
written by Juliet Marillier
Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Woolies and Worms
written by Stephen MacNeil
Cobblestone Publishing/Cricket Magazine Group
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Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage
written by Alma Alexander
HarperCollins/Eos
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Last week, I posted about how new readers of children's and young adult books can find out about print reviews. This week, let's tal...