I see a lot of the books we've recommended here (it's undeniable we have excellent taste) and many that I'll be requesting from my local library. Did your favorite make the cut?

  
Llama Llama Wakey-Wake – Llama Llama Nighty-Night by Anna Dewdney

Marirosa Mia:  Inspired by Julie’s post about a child’s favorite stories versus a parent’s, I decided to write a small post about my niece and her love for Llama Llama.

First off, let me say, I’m a Llama Llama fan. I love the art; the rhymes make me laugh; and I can’t get enough of his adventures. I’m all for Miss Dewdney and her llama friend. When my niece was born I got the picture books for her, then hid them until she slowly but surely grew out of her eating-books phase.

Now that she’s out of the paper-is-yummy stage of life (she’s turning two), her books have a longer shelf life; but they still need to be sturdy. So when I found out Dewdney was coming out with Llama Llama board books, I cheered! FINALLY.  A Llama Llama book that wouldn’t easily be torn to shreds by her energetic fingers. (It’s not her fault--she really loves books, you guys).

So I immediately got my niece LLAMA LLAMA WAKEY-WAKE and LLAMA LLAMA NIGHTY-NIGHT - a charming duology about this particular camelid’s daily routines. My niece wasted no time making them a part of her own nighttime ritual: WAKEY-WAKE and NIGHTY-NIGHT had to be read to her before she went to sleep. Not just one of them, but BOTH; one did not exist with out the other. As soon as I would finish NIGHTY-NIGHT, my niece would reach across to WAKEY-WAKE and say “LLAMA WAKEY-WAKE, Titi. Read, Titi.”  By the end of the night I would read each book at least twice before she was satisfied.

But I didn’t mind at all! The LLAMA books are adorable and this duo is short and cute. My niece even memorized her favorite lines and repeated them after me, like I’d just told the funniest joke or said words of wisdom. So if you’re looking for some nighttime reading for the young’uns and have already breezed through GOODNIGHT MOON and others, I recommend a certain llama for you to try!

Julie: Ever wished a child in your life would appreciate a book you love, instead of drivel? (Why can't I get either one of my girls to finish THE HOBBIT? THE HOBBIT, for Pete's sake!) Time critic Lev Grossman has written this terrific essay on the subject: "Hating Ms. Maisy: The Joy, Sorrow and Neurotic Rage of Reading to Your Children."

http://entertainment.time.com/2012/07/18/hating-ms-maisy-the-joy-sorrow-and-neurotic-rage-of-reading-to-your-children/

Its focus is picture books, and it's funny and insightful. Enjoy! Or don't, if you'd rather not. I have bigger reading battles to fight here at home. Like THE GOLDEN COMPASS. What if I can't get my girls to appreciate THE GOLDEN COMPASS? Won't I have failed them then?

Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

Marirosa Mia: The lovely mother daughter team of Julie and Isabel are back! And discussing THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK. Check our their review below.

Julie:  I read Kristin Levine's THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK for one reason:  My younger daughter, Isabel, told me more than once that it was really good; that I would like it; and that I would probably end up recommending it on this blog. Needless to say, she was right.  It is really good; I'm delighted to have read it; and here I am, recommending it.  Actually, I'm mostly going to ask Isabel about it, after I give a brief description.

THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK tells the story of a twelve-year-old white girl named Marlee who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1958, when many whites are fighting racial integration of the schools. Painfully shy, Marlee becomes fast friends with Liz, a new girl at school who helps Marlee dramatically with her self-confidence.  Then, one day, Liz vanishes from school; Marlee hears that Liz is in fact "colored" and has been passing for white.  Told by adults of both races that their friendship is too dangerous to continue--and for good reason--Marlee and Liz are nonetheless unwilling to give it up.  

Now I'd like to ask Isabel:  What did you particularly like about THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK?

Isabel:  I like that the main character tells the story the way a real person would talk, instead of the author sounding like she's trying to write a best-selling novel.  I like that Marlee seems like the type of person I want to be, even though some of her decisions are a little crazy.  She does things I would want to do, but those things are scary.  And I think the topic is really interesting, and that it was something that probably could have happened back in that time.  It felt real, but it was still exciting.  The author really put me back in time, so I felt like I was there.

Julie:  Would you recommend this book to someone your age?  (Isabel is nine.)

Isabel:  Yes.  I already have.

Julie:  If you could change one thing about this book, what would you change?  

Isabel:  Nothing.  I wish the bad things in the book and in history hadn't happened, but those things in the book made me feel for the characters and want to keep reading.  And reading about them in the book made me wish even more that they hadn't happened in history.  

Julie:  I agree with pretty much all you've said.  Marlee's voice is very natural; and she takes risks that keep the book's tension very high, in a realistic way.  The story never feels forced.  And the book does a great job of teaching about a frightening and painful and important part of our past--really putting the reader there--without ever feeling didactic.  It's such a good book.  I hope many others find it and love it.

The Hero and the Crown – Robin McKinley

Marirosa Mia: Seriously, Julie, I'm starting the think that my "to read" pile is a treasure trove of gems, because here's another one! I've been a fan of Robin McKinley since my friend Annie told me to read SUNSHINE, which led me to DEERSKIN, then SPINDLE'S END and more. Well, McKinley does it again in my opinion. THE HERO AND THE CROWN focuses on Aerin, fiery haired daughter of the King of Damar, who longs for more than her noble duties (a plot that sounds - on the surface - similar to that of Pixar's BRAVE, which isn't necessarily bad, as I have a feeling BRAVE will be just as cool as this book). Little by little Aerin explores her true calling: dragon killer. Finding her way is not without its scars.  Aware that a hero doesn't need to win every battle unscathed, McKinley doesn't protect her heroine from all the dragon fire that comes her way. Julie, what did you think of THE HERO AND THE CROWN? 

Julie:  Do you know what arrived in the mail today?  Robin McKinley's THE BLUE SWORD.  Why?  Because as soon as I finished THE HERO AND THE CROWN, I needed to have its sister novel.  That's how much I love THE HERO AND THE CROWN.  I love its peaceful tone.  Much happens in the novel, but you can just sink down into the language and float along, enjoying the ride.  McKinley is a master of structure and pacing, too.  She tells us enough to let us know that there's an important moment coming, but then holds off a while, building the characters and their relationships and alluding to other momentous occasions, before delving into that first moment.  So we're intrigued from the start, and the character building is so compelling we never feel frustrated by the delay.  Were you also amazed by her weaving of storylines, Mia?  

M: You beat me to it, Julie! I totally want to snag a copy of THE BLUE SWORD from my local library. And yes, I agree with everything you said below. There's something about McKinley's writing (like Diana Wynne Jones's) that even from the very beginning makes you say: Oh, this is going to be good. And you settle yourself a little deeper into your couch as you go along. As you said, she has a way of weaving her story such that you can feel it building in your bones, and you can't wait to finally get to that scene that she's created for you to find. I love Aerin. I love her perseverance. I love that a lot of her success can be attributed to her patience and intelligence in addition to her bravery. I like that her relationship with her father is a bit like two people who are constantly pleasantly surprised by each other. What about you, Julie? 

J:  I love Aerin too.  I love how much she accomplishes through sheer courage and determination.  And I love how some of the problems that loom large for her as a child are shown later from a different perspective.  The book worked for me almost through and through.  I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll carefully say that I wasn't particularly compelled by a battle she has toward the end of the book with a person of great power.  And I don't think romantic scenes are McKinley's forte.  

Las Aventuras del Capitán Alatriste - Arturo Pérez-Reverte

 Marirosa Mia: Once again the lovely Salome has joined us with another awesome recommendation. Check it out!

Salome: Spanish bestselling author Arturo Pérez-Reverte recently released El puente de los asesinos (The Assassin’s Bridge), the seventh installment of his extraordinary swashbuckling series, Las Aventuras del Capitán Alatriste (The Adventures of Captain Alatriste).  So I wanted to celebrate the occasion by taking a look at the first three books in the series, all of which delight older kids and adults, as well as fiction and non-fiction readers.

The series, which the author started publishing in 1996 in reaction to what he felt was a poor Spanish history curriculum at his daughter’s school, gives us a thorough look at Spain’s Golden Age or “Siglo de Oro.”

While the books focus on Captain Alatriste’s heroics as a soldier, occasional sword-for-hire, and all-around international man of mystery starting in the 1620s, they are written from the point of view and in the voice of Iñigo Balboa, the teenage son of an old comrade of Alatriste’s, who has become his assistant and mentee. 

Besides partaking in Alatriste’s dizzying adventures, Iñigo gets to brush shoulders with the intelligentsia of his times – Velázquez and Quevedo among them – in what sometimes feels like an exercise in six degrees of separation (well, more like two degrees) in 17^th-century Madrid.

The first book, which lends its name to the series, introduces the reader to a dark world of cross-border intrigue and murder, as well as the peculiarities of the Spanish Royal Court.  (This book was made into a Spanish movie by the same name, starring Hugo Mortensen, who is probably much better looking than Alatriste was ever meant to be.)  The second book, Limpieza de sangre (Purity of Blood), delves into the harsh and tragic history of the Spanish Inquisition, focusing on the plight of a Jewish family.  The third book, El sol de Breda (The Sun over Breda) finds Alatriste and Iñigo in The Netherlands, where they are fighting Dutch rebels during the long and brutal Spanish occupation.

Yes, they are not rosy topics, but Pérez-Reverte makes them entertaining and engaging, interspersing them with humor and even adolescent love.  I found the first two books easier to read and more exciting than the third one, which I felt was a bit slow. But I suspect that had to do less with the book and more with my disinclination to read about wars. It is worth a read, though, given Pérez-Reverte’s background as a war correspondent, which makes him a master chronicler of military conflicts. 

A note of warning: The books are better suited for native speakers or fluent readers since they are written in a rather formal Spanish from Spain, in what is probably an effort to convey a more complete flavor of the place and times.  I should also warn that, while elegantly presented, there are a few off color situations here and there in the books. Well, you can’t really expect a swashbuckling swordsman to act like a saint!

Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones

Julie: Four pages into Diana Wynne Jones's HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, I decided it was genius.  As is so often the case with books that I love, it's the voice that got me.  Jones uses the perfect matter-of-fact, wry voice to introduce her magical world.  It's as if she's saying, "Come on in.  Yes, it's different here, but don't worry.  You'll get the hang of it quickly. And you'll like it!" I did like it in that world, and I didn't want to leave.  I have to admit, though, that the story raised the kinds of questions that usually drive me crazy.  I'm sure we'll get to those a little later.  More importantly, the book casts enough of a spell that I'm willing to overlook those issues.  That's unprecedented for me!  Mia, what do you love about the book?

Marirosa Mia: This is my third time reading HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, and I'm still charmed by it! Even though I know what's coming, I can't help but smile and chuckle at Calcifer's quips and Sophie's pragmatic attitude, which I love love love. I just can't get enough of Sophie, really. I'm not fond of characters who panic and run around like chickens with their heads cut off, and Sophie is simply refreshing in her "there's far too much work to be done to panic" attitude. Love. And as you mentioned, Julie, Wynne Jones' prose/voice really swoops you right in, to the point that you see each character so clearly.  Right down to Fanny's overly expressive gestures (which in my head are many). What questions did it raise for you, Julie? 

J:  Let me say a little about the book's plot first.  Sophie happily looks after her two sisters until her father dies and her sisters become apprentices in nearby businesses.  Sophie then helps out in her family's hat shop until the day the Witch of the Waste arrives in a nasty temper and turns Sophie into an old woman.  After a few more surprises, Sophie seeks shelter in the moving castle of the supposedly wicked Wizard Howl.  And now for some questions:  Sophie and her sisters are obviously close, and the sisters express concern about Sophie both when she's at the hat shop and later, after she's disappeared.  Yet they never, ever try to come see her and help her (even though one sister fears Sophie is trapped in the castle).  Why?  Also, it's clear from the start that Sophie is far more capable than average.  But SO much time passes without her figuring out the full range of her abilities.  Why?  (I wish I could say more, but I have spoiler concerns.)  I have the feeling I missed something.  It's certainly possible!  I flew through the pages because I so wanted to know what was going to happen.  Do any of these questions nag at you?

M: I can see why Sophie wouldn't come to terms with her abilities. From the beginning we know that she believes her future will...well, amount to nothing. That she won't marry well or have a great fortune like her sisters, because that is the lot of being the eldest daughter. I can see why that colors everything she does. It's been so ingrained in her that she just won't amount to much and her lot is simply her lot. I suppose what I'm saying is that the power of self-doubt is very pow

Marirosa Mia:  Hello everyone! The lovely writers over at The Veille (an online writing community for writers/painters/etc.) have been kind enough to feature an excerpt of my current novel On Duarte Street along with my sister's awesome illustrations! This is still a work in progress, so it's nice to get a little encouragement from my fellow writers.

Click here and take a look if you have a moment!

Ash by Malinda Lo

Marirosa Mia:  I’ve been in a bit of a fairytale retelling kick lately, most likely because the novel I’m writing is very fairytale-like, so I wanted to see how other writers have taken popular/iconic tales and made them their own. Enter Malinda Lo’s ASH, which had been sitting on my to-read pile since my friend Ames sent it to me.

When it was published in 2009, ASH was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Kirkus Best Book for Young Adults, and a William C. Morris Award YA Debut Award Finalist. Not too shabby for a retelling of Cinderella. But like I said before, if you’re going to retell a classic – especially one that’s already been retold so many times before – you better make it your own. Malinda Lo did just that.

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, she often finds herself curled up on her mother’s grave, waiting for the fairies of folk tales to come steal her away. It’s during one of these nights that she meets Sidhean, a fairy, who though often cold and mysterious elicits strong emotions of want and need in Ash. And though it is common for humans to be enchanted by the fey, it is clear that Ash is not normal and that her feelings for Sidhean may be a small part enchantment and a large part loneliness. Soon Sidhean becomes one of her only friends and allies. Though Ash asks Sidhean to take her away over and over again, Sidhean refuses, declaring that Ash ‘is not ready yet’ and returning her home.  

Then one day Ash meets Kaisa, the King's royal Huntress, who makes Ash…well, feel something, something different from what she feels with Sidhean. Not need or want but the return of life itself, as only love can. As Kaisa teaches Ash how to hunt and enjoy her brief moments away from her family, her heart begins to thaw, though she wasn’t aware it was frozen in the first place. The sweet love between Kaisa and Ash is so well written that every time Kaisa and Ash met my heart skipped just a bit at the possibilities that lay ahead for them.

My only disappointment was in Clara – the nice stepsister – who didn’t feel as fleshed out and necessary at times; every time she was introduced I thought, ‘Oh yeah, her.’

ASH is delicate and entrancing, filled with the sort of pure love (and I don’t mean pure in the sweet, clean sort of way, but in the so well done that how could these two not be together way) that brings a smile to your face. Malinda Lo has taken the bones/tropes of Cinderella and her little glass slipper and laced it with culture and folk tales that give it a sense of place and time while still making it new and fresh. Lo’s writing creates a haunting tone like a heavy mist that rolls through a dense forest carrying with it myth and history. I very much enjoyed this retelling and will dive into my pile once again to see what other gems I have yet to discover.

Wonder – R.J. Palacio

Marirosa Mia: Auggie (August) Pullman was born with a facial deformity and has been in and out of hospitals since he was just a little babe. Even though the operations have helped, Auggie still attracts a lot of attention:

"I know I'm not an ordinary ten-year-old kid. I mean, sure, I do ordinary things. I eat ice cream. I ride my bike. I play ball. I have an XBox. Stuff like that makes me ordinary. I guess. And I feel ordinary. Inside. But I know ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. I know ordinary kids don't get stared at wherever they go. ... Here's what I think: the only reason I'm not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way."

Now that he's old enough, August is ready - or at least his mom thinks he's ready - to go to school. Life at Beecher Prep starts out more or less like Auggie thought it would. The pointing. The staring. It's nothing new. But then a lovely girl named Summer sits down with him, and he becomes friends with a boy named Jack, and middle school becomes a little more bearable for Auggie. Using spare language to touching effect, WONDER by R.J. Palacio jumps from multiple points of view as it tells the story of Auggie's first year at school and all the good and bad that comes along with it.

Let's hop right in to what we loved about it. Julie?

Julie:  I love the complicated, real relationships.  Auggie's relationship with his mom, for example.  It's her idea that he go to school, and he knows that she hasn't been fully honest with him about it along the way.  He's legitimately mad at her.  But he also sees that she's as nervous as he is--maybe more.  So he sympathizes, too.  And his relationship with his sister, Via.  I love that we get to see the story from her point of view about a quarter of the way into the book.  I love that her reaction to having a severely deformed brother is more complicated than I initially realized, when I had only seen it from Auggie's perspective.  The same is true of Jack Will, a boy in Auggie's school.  Complicated relationship, made clearer and more interesting when we get Jack's point of view.  Did you also love that different characters tell their versions of events we've already seen, all the while moving the story forward?   

M: Very much so. I wasn't really expecting it, either. It was very interesting to jump from character to character, see Auggie through their eyes, and find that Auggie's character and charm could be seen from everyone's POV. Anything you didn't enjoy? I'm sorry to say I wasn't a fan of the little music lyrics at the beginning of each chapter. They simply left me flat.

 J:  I like the idea of quoting from David Bowie and Natalie Merchant.  I'm even a Christina Aguilera fan. (That woman can SING.)  But I agree with you.  The quotes didn't quite work, and ended up a distraction.  What do you think of the book's cover? 

M:  I like the cover, but fancy the UK version a bit more.  It reminds me a bit of the paragraph we quoted below, about standing out in a crowd.

J:  Is it the red one, with Auggie wearing his space helmet?  I love that cover, and like the blue one f

Sorry, neither of us can be reached right now.

Too engrossed in R J Palacio's terrific middle grade novel, WONDER.

Full review soon...

Congrats to Emily Colletta!

You won a copy of Dreamland Social Club!(Kermit is super excited for you)

Shall be emailing you soon for your address! Congrats again.

Dreamland Social Club – Tara Altebrando

Marirosa Mia:  Jane has traveled the world with her father (who designs amusement park rides) and brother, but it's not until her family - still suffering from the loss of Jane's mother - inherits a house and a history in Coney Island that she finally begins to find a home.

Altebrando’s DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB was a breath of fresh air in a sea of science fiction and fantasy novels I had been gorging on when I started to read it. Its vibrant and beautiful writing captured me from the beginning, and its Coney Island setting (rich in details and history) wrapped itself around me like an awesome quirky blanket you didn’t know your grandma owned.

DREAMLAND is filled with wonderfully colorful teens like Babette (total girl crush on Babette) and the Tattooed Boy (the love interest - because EVERY book should have a cute boy with tattoos) who help Jane understand the uniqueness of Coney Island and connect to her mother’s past. 

DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB captured Coney Island’s personality (like New York City, Coney Island is a character in itself) and brought to life its weird/wonderful/crazy residents that help Jane come into her own.

For more on DREAMLAND and its author, check out: http://www.taraaltebrando.com/

Mrs. Biddlebox by Linda Smith, with illustrations by Marla Frazee

Marirosa Mia: Mrs Biddlebox is having a bad day. A really bad day. (Alexander of the no good, very bad day would sympathize.) But then she comes up with the most ingenious idea! She'll bake the day into a delicious treat.  So goes Linda Smith's MRS. BIDDLEBOX.  My hair twin, Mrs. Biddlebox is quite the assertive lady. Nothing will stop her from enjoying the day. Not the thick fog - wonderfully drawn by Marla Frazee - that curtains the hill she lives on, or the incessantly creaking chair she sits on! Julie what did you enjoy about this picture book?

Julie:  I love that the pictures are both very funny and, for much of the book, gloomily atmospheric.  I love that the day is dark and the night (when Mrs. Biddlebox is in better spirits) lets in the light.  I love Mrs. Biddlebox's facial expressions.  I love that her sidekick is a goose.  And the language is so fun!  Her "belly [was] full of grumbles"; an idea "whizzled from her lips"; she "stomped ... with witchety delight."  That list could go on and on.  The entire text is marvelous.  And it rhymes!  I'm often a big grump when it comes to rhyming picture books.  I don't like authors' hemming themselves in with rhyme, prioritizing it over story.  But I didn't mind the rhyme in MRS. BIDDLEBOX.  I'm debating whether it even enhanced the book.  What do you think, Mia?  

M: I'm actually quite a fan of rhyming, but only when it's done right.  Because then it can be so very magical, as it was with MRS.BIDDLEBOX. I think the rhyming added a bit of witchy delight to the tale, and I very much enjoyed the spirit and fun in this book and its main character and her companion. I was also quite taken with the whimsy and atmosphere of the illustrations--so much so that I started thinking of possible adaptations of the story! I think it would work great as a stop motion picture (hint hint to filmmakers out there).  

J:  Yes, there's magic in the illustrations and the rhyme.  I'm going to quote from the start of the book now, to let our readers judge for themselves:

On a grubby little hill,

in a dreary little funk,

Mrs. Biddlebox rolled over

on the wrong side of her bunk.

The birds gave her a headache.

There were creakies in her chair.

A breeze blew dank and dreary

and mussied up her hair.

So she slammed the door on morning!

And sat thinking what to do.

Her tea was dark and bitter,

her crumpets hard to chew.

The illustration that accompanies that last paragraph is so funny!  Mrs. Biddlebox does NOT look like a tea-and-crumpets woman!  For a terrific and illuminating interview with illustrator Marla Frazee about the creation of the

I really don't have any excuse for not posting about this sooner. Yes, I could say I was swamped with reading manuscripts that won't be coming out for another year while working on my own books, reading for this blog, and working in my writing group...but really. I have no excuse.

The lovely people over at Verbal Pyrotechnics featured an excerpt of my John Hughes-esque novel PROM (not the final title, I promise) in their second issue.

Congrats to Miss Elizabeth Dunn-Ruiz, winner of our A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO giveway! YAY!

Elizabeth, we'll be contacting you shortly for your mailing address.

Thanks again for entering the contest everyone!

I've just learned that LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE has won the 2012 Gryphon Award!  I love this award!  And--really and truly--not solely because I just won it!  Here's the official description:  

The Gryphon Award is given annually in recognition of an English language work of fiction or non-fiction for which the primary audience is children in Kindergarten through Grade 4. The title chosen best exemplifies those qualities that successfully bridge the gap in difficulty between books for reading aloud to children and books for practiced readers.

...

The award is sponsored by the Center for Children's Books at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In other news, I think I neglected to report that Pickle Juice is a 2011 Cybils (Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Award) Finalist, in the Early Chapter Books category.  Here's a link to the announcement:  http://www.cybils.com/2011-finalists-easy-readersearly-chapter-books.html.  So exciting!

WHY? The Best… By Catherine Ripley

Julie:  Why do our fingers get so wrinkled in the tub?  Why does popcorn pop?  Why do onions make us cry?  Why do dandelions turn white and fluffy?  For clear, interesting, and simply worded answers, inquiring minds need look no farther than Catherine Ripley's WHY?  THE BEST EVER QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK ABOUT NATURE, SCIENCE AND THE WORLD AROUND YOU. It's certainly designed for kids, with full-page, color illustrations and child-friendly language and content.  But I confess:  I feel smarter having read this book.  I always knew the bathroom floor was colder than the bathmat, for example.  But I never thought about why.  Now I know.  I feel quite proud.  Maybe I need to read more non-fiction!  Mia, what do you think?   

Marirosa Mia: I enjoyed it as well. It was quite fun testing my knowledge on questions like: Why do we yawn? and Why do my fingers stick to frozen juice cans? I'm not saying I would win a million on Jeopardy!, but I knew quite a few things; and that made me happy. The book's categories are divided by the location where the question will likely be asked:  Bathtime Questions, Outdoor Questions, Supermarket Questions, and the like. It's an appealing and easy-to-reference structure. This will be an excellent book to have once my niece starts asking "Why?" questions!

A Long Way from Chicago – Richard Peck

Marirosa Mia: I wish I had a gun-totting grandma, Julie. Think of all the fun to be had and the people to scare.  Spanning the years 1929 to 1942, Richard Peck's A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO follows Joey and his sister Mary Alice, who come down from Chicago to spend their summers with their "tough as an old boot" Grandma Dowdel. They don't expect to be part of their grandmother's always crazy and often dangerous adventures like illegal catfishing, standing up to the drunk sheriff, and holding a wake for town bum Shotgun Cheatham, but they do! This novel made me want to chase down my mom and dad and grill them about my grandparents' illegal ways (they were also awesome people, so I'm pretty sure they had some). I was surprised by how much I liked this charming and funny novel and how much I kept wanting to go back for more. Julie?

Julie:  In order to convey how beloved A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO is in my family, I need to tell the following story:  Several years ago, I read the book with my older daughter, who is normally perfectly sane.  She loved it, all of it, from the very first sentence:  "You wouldn’t think we’d have to leave Chicago to see a dead body."  She loved it so much that she threw a staggering fit when I agreed to read the book to her younger sister after I'd finished reading it to her.  Grabbing it from me, she shouted, "It's mine!"  Then she ran to the kitchen; wrapped that book tightly in aluminum foil; added about a foot of scotch tape for good measure; and proceeded to hide the book under an avalanche of papers on her desk.  I didn't dare try to take it out from under that heap.  I believe she would have punched me.  And she's never thrown a punch in all her eleven years.  

M: I must say, Julie, that story just made my day. I'm interested in hearing what she would say about that book if she read it recently. A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO has a way of charming (there's that word again!) you right off the bat and not many books can do that, but Grandma Dowdel is hard to resist. Always up to something that broad was, and I was always glad to be along for the ride. 

J:  I bet my daughter would love it all over again, if she re-read it now.  I sure did.  It's the perfect combination of funny and touching.  Grandma Dowdel is so deliciously bad--she packs heat; she lies without compunction; she plays tricks on her neighbors; and she pulls no verbal punches.  What she says is hilarious in its own right; her grandson's asides add to the humor.  Take this tiny example, in which Grandma Dowdel disparages her alleged enemy Effie Wilcox:  "'Was that Effie again?  Never trust an ugly woman.  She's got a grudge against the world,' said Grandma, who was no oil painting herself."  Don't you love the lines throughout the book like that?  There must be a hundred of them. And--even better--don't you love how it always turns out that Grandma's bad behavior is in the service of some good?  She's taking on a pompous banker; or his insufferable, bossy wife; or the family of hooligan brothers; or their successful, inexcusably tolerant (of their children's bad behavior) parents.  Or she's doing something sneakily and unexpectedly nice for one of her grandkids. I so envy the effect

      
Happy New Year, Everyone!
We hope you had a lovely (and restful) holiday season.
I know I could use a few more hundred winks, but I'm just lazy.
Did anyone get/read any fun and interesting books this holiday?

I sank my teeth into a friend's manuscript, and I just started LONELY WEREWORLD GIRL by Martin Millar. Julie read Daniel Handler's WHY WE BROKE UP and Jo Nesbo's THE LEOPARD.

How about you guys?

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

We're so delighted that avid reader Katie Fee, who works in School & Library Marketing at Penguin Young Readers Group, agreed to chat with Julie about a favorite book for this post.  Many, many thanks to the wonderful Katie!

Julie:  I bought Dodie Smith's I CAPTURE THE CASTLE long ago, after a friend raved about it.  Initially I found the first few pages off-putting.  A family living in an English castle, yet in such dire financial straits that the main character has to write in her journal while sitting in the kitchen sink (or, at least, with her feet in there)?  I didn't think I could ever find the story plausible. So I set the book aside for a good long time.  But it stayed in one of my "read someday, maybe" stacks, and eventually I picked it up again.  Give it thirty pages, I thought.  And then I was off. I'm so glad I gave it that second chance.  Because as contrived as the set-up seems, the characters and the story do come to magnificent life.  In the end, I CAPTURE THE CASTLE is a wonderful book about love in many forms, including the first love of the terrifically engaging protagonist, seventeen-year-old Cassandra (whom J.K. Rowling deems "one of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met"); the unrequited love of endearing Stephen; and the suspect love of Cassandra's sister Rose for wealthy Simon--not to mention the love of Cassandra's family for one another.  The novel also has much to say about writing.  I've happily read it several times now.  Katie, I know that you're a fan too.  What do you love about it?

Katie:  I personally love the opening scene where Cassandra is writing in her diary with her feet in the sink. Could there be a better way to be introduced to our narrator? This is a world where literary pursuit is taken seriously above all else, even creature comforts like candles to write by and food to eat. Cassandra must write wherever she finds her muse and not a single person in the novel would expect her to do anything less.

As you mentioned, I CAPTURE THE CASTLE has a lot to say about the writing process. One of my favorite lines occurs early on when Cassandra writes, "When I read a book, I put in all the imagination I can, so that it is almost like writing the book as well as reading it--or rather, it is like living it. It makes reading so much more exciting...." In many ways, this feels like the mantra of the novel. The Mortmains are living in a sort of suspended animation as they wait for their father to write a follow up to his highly acclaimed first novel. It takes the introduction of their new American neighbors to break them out of their literary spell.

 Julie, what do make of the obvious correlations that the book makes to the works of classic English romances? The author clearly made a conscious choice to include these references and yet in many ways these characters feel much more modern than the tropes they follow. What do you think?

J:  I agree that to a certain extent the sisters' romances feel modern, perhaps because of the independence Cassandra and Rose are afforded by their circumstances.  Cassandra's father pays virtually no attention to them.  Their mother is dead, their stepmother a free spirit.  Their castle is isolated, and their only regular connection to town is an indu

I Want My Hat Back by John Klassen 

Marirosa Mia:  In life there are many great unanswered questions: What is the meaning of life? The chicken or the egg? And...have you see my hat? I WANT MY HAT BACK by John Klassen is a picture book that sets out to answer just that question (the last one, that is). A brief summary for you: Bear has lost his hat and goes around asking his fellow woodland creatures if anyone has seen it. *Spoiler alert*:  Someone has, but lies to Bear while actually wearing the hat he's been looking for!  Gah!  Poor Bear is too distraught from the loss of the missing hat to notice, and continues on his way.  But not for long! I love Klassen's humor and the sly wink at the end that leaves you giggling. How about you, Julie?

Julie:  I love the subtle humor in this book.  First, its very premise:  An enormous bear loves his red, pointy hat; he's intent on finding it; he misses it "so much." That amuses me!  Second, the enormous bear is so very gracious, so unfailingly polite.  "Thank you anyway," he says time and time again.  This alone is funny, and particularly so when compared to his most uncivilized behavior at the book's end.  The art ads humor, too.  I love, for example, the scene with the reindeer gazing down at the bear lying prostrate with grief over his poor missing hat. And the use of the color red, particularly on one pivotal page about two-thirds of the way through?  Genius!  What do you think of the art, Mia? 

M: I loved the warm tones used in the illustration and the subtle and not so subtle (the use of red in the revelation scene) color that he uses to pop out his characters or their dialogue. The drawings and even the texture of the book fit perfectly together, giving the story a bit of a laid back/earthy feel to it. It's clear that as an illustrator he was very conscious of how he was using color in each page and how it could help him tell the story.  

J:  I wholeheartedly agree.  And now the million-dollar question:  Any concern that kids will be disturbed by the book's final, fatal turn?  I showed it to my younger daughter, curious about how she'd react.  She laughed and laughed.  Granted, at nine she's no longer among the target picture book audience.  But I suspect more of those kids will be amused than upset.  Partly because the drawings have a cartoon quality (in a sophisticated way), and partly because of the clever repetition of language.  What do you think? 

M: I think kids will find the humor in it more than anything - particularly if they are old enough to understand what happened without having their parents explain it. Before we wrap up, Julie, I wanted to share this "spoof" I found on Tumblr! It's so funny: http://mootiness.tumblr.com/post/12877719858

J:  Oh, how I dream of someday writing a book worthy of a Severus Snape spoof.  

M: We all do, Julie; we all do.

A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness

 Julie:  I love books, obviously.  But it's rare that I find one I love so much, I want to stand in crowded spaces and shout at strangers passing by, "READ THIS BOOK!  I MEAN IT!  READ IT RIGHT NOW!  YOU WON'T REGRET IT!"  That is exactly how I feel about Patrick Ness's A MONSTER CALLS.  It is beautifully designed and beautifully written, full of heart and wonderfully flawed, fully envisioned characters.  It made me cry.  It kept me guessing.  It has a monster as a main character--I don't typically like books about monsters--I don't care.  This book is marvelous.  I know you loved it too, Mia, and that's a good thing.  Because what if you hadn't?  This blog would've had to take a particularly long hiatus, because surely I would've felt compelled to put you in a reading timeout.  

Marirosa Mia: I. LOVED. IT. (You know it's true because I used all caps and dramatic punctuation, folks.) As soon as I finished it I did three things. I walked into the head of our School & Library department's office, and we both gushed about Patrick Ness for a good 10 minutes. I accosted anyone who walked by my desk with "Did you read this book?" And finally I emailed my sister (who is illustrating my own novel) and told her to buy the book immediately because it’s imperative that we use it as research for our own collaboration. From its quite charming first lines (The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.) I was hooked! I knew I was reading something special. Julie, I'm a huge sucker for stories within stories (darn you, THE PRINCESS BRIDE!).  Did you enjoy how Ness weaved storytelling into his own tale? 

J:  Before I answer that, let me give a little background.  A MONSTER CALLS opens with the first visit to thirteen-year-old Conor by a monster in the shape of yew tree.  It "tower[s] thirty or forty feet above him, breathing heavily in the night air."  "‘Who am I?’" the monster roars.  "‘I am the spine that the mountains hang upon!  I am the tears that the rivers cry!  ... I am everything untamed and untameable!  ... I am this wild earth, come for you, Conor O'Malley.’"  To which Conor skeptically replies, in a perfect illustration of the wry exchanges between the two:  "‘You look like a tree.’"

The monster explains that he will come to Conor on further nights and tell him three stories "‘from when I walked before.’"  Conor responds with disbelief:  "‘How is that a nightmare?’"  And the monster replies, "‘Stories are the wildest things of all.  Stories chase and bite and hunt.’"  Later, in the same vein, the monster says, "‘Stories are wild creatures.  When you set them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?’"  

Of course I love that message about the power of stories.  And the monster's stories do end up having an unexpected, slow-boiling, intriguing sort of power.  I love that they surprised me and Conor alike.  I love the choice of stories.  And you?  

M: Very much so. I loved that the stories were old school fairy tales; the kind where happy endings are hard to come by

Nice news for LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE!  

The Texas Bluebonnet Award has chosen it for their 2012 Master List.  The complete list is only 20 titles, all aimed at students in grades 3-6.  Hurray!!  There will be a winner announced in 2012.  

For more information, check out http://www.txla.org/TBA.