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Random books from the shelves this week folks! Enjoy!

My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life is written by Kate Feiffer and illustrated by Diane Goode. This is one of those books that all librarians should have on-hand for a read aloud. Seriously hilarious stuff here!

A young girl describes exactly the way her mother (and then her father) try their best to ruin her life... and then what they would do if she ran away. As she rants and raves, the girl suddenly has a pretty eye-opening look into what life would be like if she didn't have parents at all!

Laugh-out-loud funny and great for a read aloud, especially if you can do sarcasm well. A perfect choice for older-kid story times and for home shelves. The illustrations are really cute and I love the pink and green color scheme. Highly recommended by moi!

My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life
Kate Feiffer
32 pages
Picture book
Simon & Schuster
9781416941002
March 2009

Hello My Name is Bob, written and illustrated by Linas Alsenas is another great "sarcasm-ish" read aloud. Bob is a hilarious character that just made me giggle from page one (and the hubby really liked him too!), with his slow way of living and his love of all things quiet.

Bob and Jack are very different friends. Bob is quiet, Jack is not. Bob loves his quiet time, Jack does not. Bob really enjoys sitting, counting toothpicks...and more sitting. Jack likes to surf, explore...and be wild! Though the pair is totally different, Bob explains how they can be great friends by sharing their interests and time together.

Bob is written SO well! When reading this aloud I used a dull, mono-tone voice for him and a faster paced voice for describing Jack, which made my husband laugh...I'm sure if he laughed, kids will too! Very nice for teaching about different kinds of friends and that there is no right or wrong way to personalities. I definitely enjoyed this one.

Great for libraries and as a read aloud!

Hello My Name is Bob
Linas Alsenas
32 pages
Picture Book
Scholastic
9780545052443
February 2009

Finally, we have the charming A Walk in New York, written and illustrated by Salvatore Rubbino. Filled with fun facts about New York City, as well as a nice story, this would be a nice choice for those thinking of traveling with the family to the city and wanting to give their kiddos an introduction.

A father and son act as our tour guides, as they see the sights around New York City. Each destination includes a child-like description of the location and has a smattering of facts all around the page. Educational, yet simplistic enough for the little ones. We see the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library, Macy's, Broadway, and many other places, as the pair enjoys their trip into the city.

I loved that this was a learning experience within a picture book. Not so much that it would be called non-fiction, but there was still a bit more "meat" than a typical picture book. Very enjoyable and highly recommended for libraries.

A Walk in New York
Salvatore Rubbino
40 pages
Picture Book
Candlewick
9780763638559
April 2009

To learn more or to purchase click on any book cover above to link to Amazon.

Have a great Saturday!

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Blog of the Week:
Lee Wind's I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I read?...

This week I kick off my new recurring Friday feature, Blog of the Week, with I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I read?, "The Place to find out about Young Adult fiction books with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning characters and themes....and other cool stuff from Lee Wind, Teen Action Fantasy author."

Wind began blogging in 2007, and had since amassed a comprehensive collection of GLBTQ books which are listed by category on I'm Here. I'm Queer. "When I was a teenager, I read everything sci fi and fantasy and YA I could get my hands on," he says. "But there were NO gay characters. In anything. Today my blog lists over 170 books that would have changed my life if I could have read them when I was 16. Hopefully, knowing these books are out there so they can get them and read them will make a difference for Teens today."

Lee's blog mission is to:

1. Provide Lists, Synopses and Reviews of every YA and younger book with Gay (GLBTQ) Characters and Themes
2. * Share Hidden Gay History--the stuff they don't necessarily teach in school
3. Talk about Popular Culture, Gay Teens, and Kid Lit
4. Spark and nurture a sense of community--(i.e., providing weekly topics for Gay Straight Alliance Meetings)

* In regards to #2, I asked Lee if there is actually gay history taught in schools. After all, he's in California, I'm in Ohio--things may be way different on the West Coast. There was some effort, he says, to pass a gay history curriculum, but it was vetoed it. "But some schools (especially those with GSAs) seem to be discussing some gay issues and history, even if it's not part of the curriculum. I guess I'm being optimistic and should just say 'the stuff they don't teach in schools!'" [Note: As I was working on this post yesterday, the PW Children's Bookshelf hit my inbox and included an article titled Gay History 101 about Linas Alsenas' Gay America which has just come out from Amulet.]

You can read more about I'm Here. I'm Queer by clicking here. Click on the individual books listed on the blog to read overviews along with reviews from blog readers and add your own reviews. And be sure to direct teens who have an interest in GLBTQ literature to Lee's Blog.

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