Feb. 2, 2010 Board Books, Easy and Juvenile

That’s Not My Polar Bear . . ./Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells

This delightful book is aimed at very young children. The bright pictures, with their patches of different textures, are designed to develop sensory and language awareness. Babies and toddlers will love turning the pages and touching the feely patches.

One Snowy Night/M. Christina Butler and Tina Macnaughton

One snowy Christmas, a cold little hedgehog wakes from his winter sleep to find a present from Father Christmas. It’s a snug, woolly red hat—just what he needs, but when Little Hedgehog tries to wear the woolly hat, his prickles get in the way and it won’t fit. Then the Little Hedgehog has a wonderful idea . . .  Find out what happens to the red hat in this simple and charming story.

Christmas Lights/Marion Dane Bauer and Susan Mitchell

Christmas is twinkling through the town from candles on tables to lights on the trees. Every child is sure to be thinking of busy elves, Santa, good food, and family fun during the days before Christmas.  This book has real Christmas lights twinkling throughout.

Miss Twiggley’s Tree/Dorothea Warren Fox

Why did Miss Twiggley live in a tree? Why did she send her dog, Puss, out to do the shopping? Why did she always run away and hide when people came to visit? And it was rumored that Miss Twiggley had even more peculiar habits… “Old Miss Twiggley was friendly with bears. “They shed on the sofa,” she said, “But who cares?” And was it true, as the mayor’s wife had heard, that she actually slept in her hat? “Simply disgraceful!” they said. But when a hurricane hits the town and the water rises, everyone is grateful to Miss Twiggley and her tree. Even better, Miss Twiggley herself learns a very important lesson.

In My Dreams I Can Fly/Eveline Hasler and Kathy Bhend

Above the ground, the wind is blowing the leaves from the trees. Winter is on its way. Below the ground five friends, a grub, a beetle, two worms, and a caterpillar, are settling in for the winter. But what will they do all winter long? What will they eat? What will they dream of? This charming book offers some surprising answers.

Mermaid Dance/Marjorie Rose Hakala and Mark Jones

As the sun sets on the ocean, the sky turns pink, then purple, the spring becomes the summer, and a celebration begins. Mermaids arrive, ready to greet the new season by playing, feasting, and dancing in the high tide. This enchanting and mysterious world is sure to delight the imagination of all readers.

Pingo/Brandon Mull

Pingo is a delightful, read-aloud picture book about the importance of imagination and friendship. Get ready for the magical adventures and the mischievous antics of a beloved and imaginary friend named Pingo.

Gone With The Wand/Margie Palatini and Brian Ajhar

What’s a fairy godmother to do when her wand doesn’t work? It’s up to Edith the tooth fairy to help Bernice, the godmother of all fairies, find her magical powers again, or else Bernice will be forced to give up her wand.  Join Edith and Bernice on their heart warming and hilarious adventure to help friends discover new magic and have some good old-fashioned enchanting fun along the way.

The Butter Battle Book/Dr. Seuss

“Dr. Seuss chronicles the feud between the Yooks and the Zooks from slingshots through sophisticated weaponry, until each side has the capacity to destroy the world. The language amuses, the drawings are zesty and humorous, and the parade of increasingly elaborate (and ridiculous) armaments makes a strong point. This book is provocative and packs an allegorical punch.

The Seaside Switch/Kathleen V. Kudlinski and Lindy Burnett

The seaside is an enchanting, ever-changing place, and that is because of the “switch.” Like night and day and the changing of the seasons, the tides also take their turns. Different sea and sand creatures each get their time to shine as the water climbs or recedes. Seagulls feast on a buffet in the sand at low tide, and snails wait for the safe cover of water at high tide to dine. Witness to this magical cycle is a curious little boy who pokes, prods, investigates and sketches the wonders he sees. Gorgeous settings and specific details engage all five senses and bring the reader right to the water’s edge.

Feb. 2, 2010 Young Adult Fiction

Sent/Margaret Peterson Haddix

Thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip are reeling from the news that they’re both missing children from history, kidnapped from their proper time period. Before they can fully absorb this revelation, a time purist named JB zaps Chip and another boy, Alex, back to the fifteenth century, where they supposedly belong. Determined not to lose their friends, Jonah and his sister, Katherine, grab Chip’s arms just as he’s being sent away. The result? Jonah and Katherine also end up in the fifteenth century, where they decidedly do not belong. Chip’s true identity is Edward V, king of England, and Alex is his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York. But Chip is convinced that his uncle, Richard of Gloucester, plans to kill them and seize the throne for himself. JB promises that if the kids can “fix time,” he will allow them to return to the present day. But how can they possibly return home safely when history claims that Chip and Alex were murdered? In a riveting tale that climaxes on the battlefield at Bosworth, master storyteller Margaret Peterson Haddix brings readers back in time to an unforgettable moment in history and plunges them into the adventure of a lifetime.

Wicked Lovely/Melissa Marr

Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens. Rule #2: Don’t speak to invisible faeries. Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer. Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention. But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires. Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything. Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr’s stunning 21^st century faery tale.

Fragile Eternity/Melissa Marr

Seth never expected he would want to settle down with anyone—but that was before Aislinn. She is everything he’d ever dreamed of, and he wants to be with her forever. Forever takes on new meaning, though, when your girlfriend is an immortal faery queen.  Aislinn never expected to rule the very creatures who’d always terrified her—but that was before Keenan. He stole her mortality to make her a monarch, and now she faces challenges and enticements beyond any she’d ever imagined.  In Melissa Marr’s third mesmerizing tale of Faerie, Seth and Aislinn struggle to stay true to themselves and each other in a milieu of shadowy rules and shifting allegiances, where old friends become new enemies and one wrong move could plunge the Earth into chaos.

Jan. 23, 2010 Nonfiction

The Older the Fiddle, the Better the Tune/Willard Scott

Willard Scott is famous for celebrating the wit and wisdom of age. In The Older the Fiddle, the Better the Tune, he asks a wide range of people, “What’s the greatest thing about getting older?” From expressions of delight in senior citizen discounts to sage advice on life’s challenges, the answers are always surprising, often moving, and sometimes very funny. This book includes contributions about the joys of getting older from Maya Angelou, George H. W. Bush, Hugh Downs, Bob Hope, Artie Shaw, John Updike, Andy Williams, and more.

Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment/Steve Harvey and Denene Millner

Steve Harvey, the host of the nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show, can’t count the number of impressive women he’s met over the years, whether it’s through the “Strawberry Letters” segment of his program or while on tour for his comedy shows, he has met women who can run a small business, keep a household with three kids in tiptop shape, and chair a church group all at the same time. Yet when it comes to relationships, they can’t figure out what makes men tick. Why? According to Steve it’s because they’re asking other women for advice when no one but another man can tell them how to find and keep a man. In this book, Steve lets women inside the mindset of a man and sheds lights on concepts and questions such as:  The Ninety Day Rule: Ford requires it of its employees. Should you require it of your man? How to spot a mama’s boy and what if anything you can do about it. When to introduce the kids. And what to read into the first interaction between your date and your kids. The five questions every woman should ask a man to determine how serious he is. Sometimes funny, sometimes direct, but always truthful, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is a book you must read if you want to understand how men think when it comes to relationships.

The Step By Step Guide To Houseplant Care/David Squire and Neil Sutherland

This abundantly illustrated guide to houseplant gardening is packed with more than 400 color pictures that show how to select, buy and look after plants for the home, greenhouse and conservatory. The information is concise and clear and, when linked with the step-by-step photographs, shows how each task can be successfully accomplished. Displaying, feeding and propagating houseplants as well as identifying and eradicating pests and diseases, this book covers these and many other practical subjects in a straightforward manner that will help the indoor gardener get the most from this rewarding pastime.

The New Moosewood Cookbook/Mollie Katzen

Since the original publication of the Moosewood Cookbook in 1977, author Mollie Katzen has been leading the revolution in American eating habits. With her sophisticated, easy-to-prepare vegetarian recipes, charming drawings, and hand lettering, Mollie introduced millions to a more healthful, natural way of cooking. This new edition–a companion volume to her latest TV series–preserves the major revisions and additions that Mollie made in 1992, accented with new recipes from Mollie’s current repertoire and 16 pages of beautiful full-color food photography.

Arteffects/Jean Drysdale Green

Looking for new directions in your artwork? Between the covers of Arteffects readers will find hundreds of fresh ideas to spark their creative instincts. The book is divided into five sections that cover the most-used painting mediums: inks, watercolor, acrylics, oils, and pastels. With more than 400 full-color examples, the book is an extraordinary visual reference that shows how materials can be used in combination with each medium.

Carving Totem Poles & Masks/Alan and Gill Bridgewater

This book presents 20 possible projects ranging from masks and ceremonial items to dishes, charms, spindle whorls, bowls, and boxes. The descriptions and illustrations are simple and direct so that students can easily understand the process. Each project is rendered in a series of excellent line drawings. The authors provide many step-by-step drawings of the actual production, from making a model to painting the features. The accompanying text is also very clear.

Dec 22, 09 Adult Audiobooks

1984/George Orwell

Orwell’s final novel is the story of one man’s struggle against the ubiquitous, menacing state power, Big Brother, that tries to dictate nearly every aspect of human life. The novel is a classic in anti-Utopian fiction, and an incisive political satire that remains as relevant today as when it was first published. This audiobook version is read by English actor Simon Prebble, who has won numerous awards for his audiobook narrations. [CD F ORW]

The Lacuna/Barbara Kingsolver

Born in the United States and reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico, Harrison Shepherd finds shelter but no sense of home on his thrilling odyssey. Life is whatever he learns from housekeepers who put him to work in the kitchen, errands he runs in the streets, and one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He discovers a passion for Aztec history and meets the exotic, imperious artist Frida Kahlo, who will become his lifelong friend. When he goes to work for Lev Trotsky, an exiled political leader fighting for his life, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution, newspaper headlines and howling gossip, and a risk of terrible violence. [CD F KIN]

Vengeance in Death/J.D. Robb

This is Book 6 of the “In Death” series…He is an expert with the latest technology…a madman with the mind of a genius and the heart of a killer. He quietly stalks his prey. Then he haunts the police with cryptic riddles about the crimes he is about to commit–always solved moments too late to save his victims’ lives. Police lieutenant Eve Dallas found the first victim butchered in his own home. The second lost his life in a vacant luxury apartment. The two men had little in common. Both suffered unspeakable torture before their deaths. And both had ties to an ugly secret of ten years past – a secret shared by none other than Eve’s new husband, Roarke. [CD F ROB]

The Book of the Dead/Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

The New York Museum of Natural History receives their pilfered gem collection back…ground down to dust. Diogenes, the psychotic killer who stole them in Dance of Death, is throwing down the gauntlet to both the city and to his brother, FBI Agent Pendergast, who is currently incarcerated in a maximum security prison. To quell the PR nightmare of the gem fiasco, the museum decides to reopen the Tomb of Senef. An astounding Egyptian temple, it was a popular museum exhibit until the 1930s, when it was quietly closed. But when the tomb is unsealed in preparation for its gala reopening, the killings–and whispers of an ancient curse–begin again. And the catastrophic opening itself sets the stage for the final battle between the two brothers: an epic clash from which only one will emerge alive. [CD F PRE]

K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain/Ed Viesturs & David Roberts

At 28,251 feet, the world’s second-tallest mountain, K2 thrusts skyward out of the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan. Climbers regard it as the ultimate achievement in mountaineering, with good reason. Four times as deadly as Everest, K2 has claimed the lives of seventy-seven climbers since 1954. In August 2008 eleven climbers died in a single thirty-six-hour period on K2–the worst single-event tragedy in the mountain’s history. Yet summiting K2 remains a cherished goal for climbers from all over the globe. Before he faced the challenge of K2 himself, Ed Viesturs, one of the world’s premier high-altitude mountaineers, thought of it as “the holy grail of mountaineering.” [CD 796.5 VIE]

Pirate Latitudes/Michael Crichton

The Caribbean, 1665. A remote colony of the English Crown, the island of Jamaica holds out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire. Port Royal, its capital, is a cutthroat town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses.

In this steamy climate there’s a living to be made, a living that can end swiftly by disease—or by dagger. For Captain Charles Hunter, gold in Spanish hands is gold for the taking, and the law of the land rests with those ruthless enough to make it.

Word in port is that the galleon El Trinidad, fresh from New Spain, is awaiting repairs in a nearby harbor. Heavily fortified, the impregnable harbor is guarded by the bloodthirsty Cazalla, a favorite commander of the Spanish king himself. With backing from a powerful ally, Hunter assembles a crew of ruffians to infiltrate the enemy outpost and commandeer El Trinidad, along with its fortune in Spanish gold. [CD F CRI]

Dec. 17, 2009 Listen Alaska Audiobooks

16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber, Cedar Cove Series, Book 1

Dear Listener, You don’t know me yet, but in a few hours that’s going to change. You see, I’m inviting you to my home and my town of Cedar Cove because I want you to meet my family, friends, and neighbors. Come and hear their stories – maybe even their secrets! This is a sweet story about life in Cedar Cove, a small waterfront town on Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

The story’s unlikely heroine is Catherine Morland, a remarkably innocent seventeen-year-old woman from a country parsonage. While spending a few weeks in Bath with a family friend, Catherine meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine, a great reader of Gothic thrillers, lets the shadowy atmosphere of the old mansion fill her mind with terrible suspicions. What is the mystery surrounding the death of Henry’s mother? Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Can she trust Henry, or is he part of an evil conspiracy? Catherine finds dreadful portents in the most prosaic events, until Henry persuades her to see the peril in confusing life with art. Executed with high-spirited gusto, Northanger Abbey is the most lighthearted of Jane Austen’s novels, yet at its core this delightful novel is a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage.

The Bostonians by Henry James

A biting satire on American life which turned convention on its head. This story explores the obsessive affections of the radical Olive Chancellor for Verena Tarrant, a gifted young speaker in the feminist movement. When Olive’s cousin Basil becomes equally besotted, the scene is set for a bitter tug of war.

The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

After John Sutter’s aristocratic wife killed her Mafia don lover, John left America and set out in his sailboat on a three-year journey around the world, eventually settling in London. Now, ten years later, he has come home to the Gold Coast of Long Island to attend the imminent funeral of an old family servant. Taking up residence in the gatehouse of Stanhope Hall, the family home of his ex-wife, Susan Stanhope Sutter, John finds himself living only a quarter of a mile from Susan, who has also returned to Long Island after living in Hilton Head for the past decade. But Susan isn’t the only person from John’s past who has resurfaced. Though Frank Bellarosa, infamous Mafia don and Susan’s ex-lover is long dead, his son Anthony is alive and intent on two missions: drawing John back into the violent world of the Bellarosa family, and exacting revenge on his father’s murderer—Susan Sutter. This book is filled with intrigue and suspense.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

When Fat Charlie’s dad named something, it stuck.  Even now, 20 years later, Charlie Nancy can’t shake that name, one of the many embarrassing “gifts” his father bestowed-before he dropped dead on a karaoke stage and ruined Fat Charlie’s life. Because Mr. Nancy left Fat Charlie things. Things like the tall, good-looking stranger who appears on Charlie’s doorstep, who appears to be the brother he never knew. A brother as different from Charlie as night is from day, a brother who’s going to show Charlie how to lighten up and have a little fun. And all of a sudden, things start getting very interesting for Fat Charlie. Exciting, scary, and deeply funny, Anansi Boys is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and wild adventure, as Neil Gaiman shows us where gods come from, and how to survive your family.

24 Hours by Greg Iles

24 Hours begins with the perfect family, on the perfect day, they are about to become trapped in the perfect crime. Will Jennings is a successful young doctor in Jackson, Mississippi, with his whole life ahead of him. He has a thriving practice, a beautiful wife, and a young daughter he loves beyond measure. But Will and his family are being watched by a con man and psychopath. A man who has crafted the unbeatable crime. A man who has never been caught, and whose victims have never talked to the police. A man whose life’s work strikes at the heart of every family’s nightmare: the unstoppable kidnapping. But this man has never met Will and Karen Jennings.

Playing For Pizza by John Grisham

Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC Championship game against Denver, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually got into the game. With a 17-point lead and just minutes to go, Rick provided what was arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he became a national laughingstock and, of course, was immediately cut by the Browns and shunned by all other teams. But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent, Arnie, find a team that needs him. Against enormous odds Arnie finally locates just such a team and informs Rick that, miraculously, he can in fact now be a starting quarterback. Great, says Rick—for which team? The mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy. Yes, Italians do play American football, to one degree or another, and the Parma Panthers desperately want a former NFL player—any former NFL player—at their helm. So Rick reluctantly agrees to play for the Panthers—at least until a better offer comes along—and heads off to Italy. He knows nothing about Parma—not even where it is—has never been to Europe, and doesn’t speak or understand a word of Italian. To say that Italy—the land of opera, fine wines, extremely small cars, romance, and Football Americano— holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement.

Nov 23, 09 Biographies

Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee/Allen Barra

In the introduction to his latest effort, author Allen Barra  says that one of his goals was to create the first comprehensive work written about Yogi Berra, the greatest ballplayer never to have had a serious biography. The result is not only comprehensive but also incredibly engaging, as Barra narrates the life of one of the most eccentric ballplayers of the 20th century. Starting with his modest Italian upbringing in St. Louis, Mo., Berra quickly took a liking to what his father called a bum’s game. And after a short career in the navy, he parlayed his talents into one of the most decorated athletic careers in history, leading the New York Yankees to 10 World Series championships and winning three MVPs.

Cleopatra and Antony/Diana Preston

This is the story of the world’s best-remembered celebrity couple, set against the political backdrop of their time.  In 30 BCE, the 39-year-old queen of Egypt,  Cleopatra,  took her own life rather than be paraded in chains through Rome by her conqueror, the future first emperor Augustus. A few days earlier, her lover of eleven years, Mark Antony, had himself committed suicide. Historian Diana Preston explores the lives and times of a couple whose names – two millennia later – still invoke passion and intrigue.

Losing Mum and Pup/Christopher Buckley
In twelve months between 2007 and 2008, Buckley coped with the passing of his father, William F. Buckley, the father of the modern conservative movement, and his mother, Patricia Taylor Buckley, one of New York’s most glamorous and colorful socialites. He was their only child and their relationship was close and complicated. Writes Buckley: “They were not — with respect to every other set of loving, wonderful parents in the world — your typical mom and dad.”

As Buckley tells the story of their final year together, he takes readers on a surprisingly entertaining tour through hospitals, funeral homes, and memorial services, capturing the heartbreaking and disorienting feeling of becoming a fifty-five-year-old orphan.

Eden’s Outcasts: The Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father/John Matteson

The beloved author of Little Women was torn between pleasing her idealistic father and planting her feet in the material world. Now, Louisa May Alcott’s name is known universally.  Yet, during her youth, the famous Alcott was her father, Bronson – an eminent teacher, lecturer, and friend of Emerson and Thoreau. Willful and exuberant, Louisa flew in the face of all her father’s theories of child rearing. She, in turn, could not understand the frugal life Bronson preached, which reached its epitome in the failed utopian community of Fruitlands. In a family that insisted on self-denial and spiritual striving, Louisa dreamed of wealth and fame. At the same time, like most daughters, she wanted her father’s approval. This story of their tense yet loving relationship adds dimensions to Louisa’s life, her work, and the relationships of fathers and daughters.

Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the language of Love/Myron Uhlberg

“Does sound have rhythm?” my father asked. “Does it rise and fall like the ocean? Does it come and go like the wind?”

Such were the kinds of questions that Myron Uhlberg’s deaf father asked him from earliest childhood, in his eternal quest to decipher, and to understand, the elusive nature of sound. Quite a challenge for a young boy, and one of many he would face.

Uhlberg’s first language was American Sign Language, the first sign he learned: “I love you.” But his second language was spoken English—and no sooner did he learn it than he was called upon to act as his father’s ears and mouth in the stores and streets of the neighborhood beyond their silent apartment in Brooklyn.  Resentful as he sometimes was of the heavy burdens heaped on his small shoulders, he nonetheless adored his parents, who passed on to him their own passionate engagement with life.

Traitor To His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt/H.W. Brands

A sweeping, magisterial biography of the man generally considered the greatest president of the twentieth century, admired by Democrats and Republicans alike. Traitor to His Class sheds new light on FDR’s formative years, his remarkable willingness to champion the concerns of the poor and disenfranchised, his combination of political genius, firm leadership, and matchless diplomacy in saving democracy in America during the Great Depression and the American cause of freedom in World War II.

Bonnie and Clyde: The Lives Behind the Legend/Paul Schneider

Opening in 1934 when Bonnie and Clyde helped several prisoners break out from Eastham Prison Farm in Texas,  author Schneider then rewinds to Clyde’s hardscrabble youth in the slums outside Dallas, where he met Bonnie in 1930. The increasingly violent exploits of the Barrow Gang are evocative, especially Clyde’s first-and arguably only-premeditated murder in 1931.

Nov. 18, 2009 Recorded Theater Productions

Recorded Theater Productions

Listen Alaska audiobook download service features audio recordings of live theater productions published by L. A. Theater Works.  The following selections are good stories that are lively, funny, and the settings are easy to imagine.

To go to listenalaska.lib.overdrive.com, click on the Advanced Search option on the sidebar. In the Advanced Search box use the Publisher drop down box.  Select L. A. Theater Works and click on search.  You will get all the audio recordings of theatrical productions published by L. A. Theater Works.  Enjoy!

Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon/Publisher L. A. Theater Works

A brand-new lawyer and his bride have returned from their honeymoon and are moving into their new apartment. Once there, they find the place is bare of furniture, the paint job is wrong, the skylight leaks and wacky neighbors keep popping up! This is a hilarious classic!

Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward/Publisher L. A. Theater Works

This classic comedy is set in the charming home of Charles Condomine, a remarried widower. A witty and convival evening party among friends is transformed when a séance conjures the ghost of Elvira, Charles first wife, who delights in wreaking havoc among the living. This is a delightful comedy!

Anna Christie by Eugene O’Neill/Publisher L. A. Theater Works

The passion of a coal barge captain’s daughter and a rough-hewn sailor takes a tumultuous turn when her secret past is revealed. Nobel laureate Eugene O’Neill won the second of his four Pulitzer Prizes for this heroic classic.

Wild Amerika by Erika Schickel/Publisher L. A. Theater Works

Erika Schickel takes us on a Darwinian exploration of mating, monogamy and motherhood. This hilarious and touching examination of the miracle of human evolution will leave you wondering how we’ve survived as a race!

Nov. 18, 2009 Juvenile Holiday and Snow

Merry Christmas, Splat/Rob Scotton

It’s the night before Christmas, Splat wonders if he’s been a good enough cat this year to deserve a really big present. Just to make sure, he offers some last-minute help to his mom and, in typical Splat fashion, he messes up completely! On Christmas Eve, Splat stays awake hoping to see Santa Claus. But when Splat misses him, he’s sure his Christmas is ruined along with his hopes for a really big present.

Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas/Jane O’Connor, Robin Preiss Glasser

After putting the finishing touches on presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations and Christmas cookies with sprinkles, Nancy is ready for the Christmas tree. She is especially excited about decorating the tree. She bought a brand-new sparkly tree topper with her own money and has been waiting for Christmas to come. But when things don’t turn out the way Nancy planned, will Christmas still be splendiferous? In this merriest of stories, Nancy proves once again that a little fancying up can go a long, festive way!

The Snowflake: A Water Cycle Story/Neil Waldman

The Snowflake shows the water cycle in a totally unique way. Instead of a simple chart, this book depicts the cycle in the form of a beautiful picture book. The arrows showing how water goes from earth to cloud and back again are replaced by a narrative that traces a single snowflake through an entire year. Each month’s transformation is illustrated with an exquisite watercolor painting. This book will make the concept of the water cycle clear to youngsters as they watch a single water droplet freeze, melt, evaporate, condense, and then freeze again. This imaginative presentation might lead some to rightly wonder where that drink of water they are taking from the sink could once have been.

Snow/Cynthia Rylant, Lauren Stringer

Snow is a little essay written as a poem. It muses on what snow is to us, and us to it. Soft snow, heavy snow, light snow, fat snow, which one do you love best?

Nov 10, 09 Large Print – YA & Juvenile

Water Street/Patricia Reilly Giff

This heartwarming novel continues the saga begun in Nory Ryan’s Song and Maggie’s Door. With the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge as background, the story is told from the alternating perspectives of Bridget (Bird) Mallon and Thomas Neary, from the time that they are nearly 13 until they are 14.  A strong friendship develops between the young teens. The creation of the bridge looms as a dream that parallels the dreams of the characters. Bird, a bright, sensitive girl, wants to follow in her mothers path and become a healer, but she discovers that the road is not without obstacles. Thomas dreams of becoming a writer and of having a family like the Mallons. [YA GIF]

Children of the Lamp: The Blue Dijnn

John and Philippa Gaunt, twelve-year-old twins who have recently discovered themselves to be descended from a long line of djinn and in possession of magical powers, continue on their extraordinary adventures in this sequel to The Akhenaten Adventure.  When a powerful book of djinn magic goes missing, John and Philippa are called upon to retrieve it.  Only the book isn’t really missing.  The trap was set and Philippa is abducted by the Blue Djinn.  John and his uncle Nimrod must find Philippa before it’s too late. [J KER]

Children of the Lamp: The Cobra King of Kathmandu

This third installment in the series finds 12-year-old djinn twins Philippa and John embarking on a harrowing journey to Northern India and Nepal in search of the long-lost and powerful talisman, the Cobra King of Kathmandu. The twins believe that it holds the answers to certain mysterious deaths and hope to find it before it falls into the hands of the malevolent cult of the Nine Cobras, led by the egomaniac Guru Masamjhasara, who seeks to profit from controlling and selling djinn power. However, the siblings soon find themselves imprisoned by the deadly cult and must rely upon their wits and a generous helping of good fortune to survive. [J KER]

Masterpiece/Elise Broach
This inventive mystery involves two families that inhabit the same Manhattan apartment:  the Pompadays (a slick, materialistic couple, their infant son and thoughtful James, from the wife’s previous marriage) and a family of beetles who live behind the kitchen sink.  Careful though the beetles are to stay hidden, boy beetle Marvin crosses the line, tempted by a pen-and-ink set James receives for his 11th birthday. Marvin draws an intricate picture and then identifies himself to a delighted James as the artist. Before James can hide Marvin’s picture, Mrs. Pompaday proclaims her son’s talent. A trip to a Dürer exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art follows, with James stowing Marvin in a pocket. [J BRO]

The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio/Lloyd Alexander

A beautiful Kirkassi girl, cold-eyed villains, smiling killers, and a bazaar merchant peddling slightly used dreams – could any young adventurer ask for more? Not Carlo Chuchio, who is seeking hidden treasure on the legendary Road of Golden Dreams.

With Baksheesh, the world’s worst camel-puller, Carlo leads a caravan through the realm of Keshavar.  Robbed of all but his underwear, mistaken for a mighty warrior and then for a crown prince, Carlo risks his life for a prize that may not even exist. [J ALE]

Nov. 7, 2009 Juvenile Holiday Books

Two Bad Pilgrims/Kathryn Lasky, John Manders

Everybody knows about the Pilgrims—pious, sober voyagers who sought new lives in the New World. But two very bad Pilgrims have been largely forgotten by history, and they are ready to tell their story! Real-life boys, Francis and Johnny Billington, nearly blew up the Mayflower, got kidnapped by Indians, and wreaked havoc wherever they went. Learn about the lives of America’s first troublemakers, as well as tons of fascinating Pilgrim facts with kid-friendly humor and energetic comic book–style art in this irreverent book that is part history, part parody, and all comedy.

Turkey Trouble/Wendi Silvano, Lee Harper

Turkey is in trouble. It’s close to Thanksgiving and Farmer Jake is looking for him. But Turkey has a plan. What if he didn’t look like a turkey? What if he looked like a horse?  Wearing a saddle  with a horse brush tied to the back of his head, he looks “just like a horse… almost.” His subsequent farm animal disguises (as a cow, pig, sheep, among others) are equally ineffective. Turkey goes with a goofy gag for his final costume. Find out what happens to this thoroughly creative turkey.

The Snow Show: With Chef Kelvin/Carolyn Fisher

Tune into The Snow Show to see Chef Kelvin and his trusty sous-chefs, Snow White and Jack Frost, investigate evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, all while cooking up the lightest, fluffiest batch of snow ever to fall from the sky. This is one snowy science-filled cooking extravaganza that will make kids wish every day were a snow day!

The Secret of Santa’s Island/Steve Breen

How do Santa and the elves relax after they’ve delivered all of the Christmas Eve gifts? When Sam McGuffin hears the sound of reindeer hooves on Christmas Eve, he can’t resist sneaking out the window and into the back of Santa’s sleigh. He wants to see what the North Pole is really like. But the sleigh isn’t headed to the North Pole that night. It’s destined for Santa’s Island, a top-secret, out-of-this-world vacation paradise. And now Sam is about to receive the ultimate gift from Santa—a day of unforgettable amusements with Santa and his elves—all because he’ll say something to Santa that no other kid has ever thought to utter. Read this book to find out the secret.

Suzy Goose And The Christmas Star/Petr Horacek

It’s Christmas Eve, and Suzy Goose and her friends are admiring their beautifully decorated tree. It’s perfect except for one thing: a star for the top. But Suzy sees just the right one, high in the sky, and no one can stop her from trying every possible way to get it! Bold, expressive illustrations follow the charmingly single-minded goose in a new adventure, a tale of seasonal magic found in surprising places.

The Wee Christmas Cabin/Margaret Hodges, Kimberly Bulcken Root

All of her life Oona dreams of having a cabin of her own. Left on a doorstep as a baby, she grows to be the prettiest, gentlest lass in the county; but no lad will marry the daughter of traveling tinkers. So Oona moves from cabin to cabin, helping wherever there is trouble or need. When the Great Famine comes and the last of the potatoes are eaten, Oona knows she must leave. She sets out on a snowy Christmas Eve, bidding a silent farewell to the village. She drifts off to sleep under a thornbush. But the magic of a white Christmas awaits her, as do hundreds of fairies, all wanting to make her dream come true. Readers of all ages will marvel at the intricately detailed artwork in this masterful retelling of a beloved Irish tale.

Looking For Christmas/Peggy Van Gurp

High in the north, in the land of long, dark winters, lives snowman Jowri, who has never celebrated Christmas. This Christmas Eve, however, he resolves to go and make merry, despite being delayed continually throughout his quest by animals who find themselves in troublesome situations. This heartwarming story reminds young and old what Christmas—a time of helping, giving, and forgiving—is all about.

Penny’s Christmas Jar Miracle/Jason F. Wright, Ben Sowards

Penny’s Christmas Jar Miracle is an original story based on the Christmas Jars tradition that has touched hundreds of thousands of lives. Penny Paisley and her family have a special Christmas tradition. All year long they collect their loose change and drop it in a glass jar on the kitchen counter. Then, each December, Penny and her family make their most exciting decision of the year: Who will receive the Paisley Family Christmas Jar? This year, Penny gets to choose what to do with the jar, and she has something special in mind. Read this special story to find out what Penny has in mind.

The Christmas Magic/Lauren Thompson, Jon J. Muth

Far, far North, when the nights are longest and the stars shine brightest, Santa begins to prepare for his big night of giving. He gathers his reindeer, feeds them parsnips and berries, and polishes his bells and his sled. Then lovingly, he chooses toys for every child in the world. For Santa loves them all, and he knows what each child at heart wants most. Then, with the thrum of magic that makes reindeers fly, he spreads the Christmas joy and warmth throughout the world.

A Season of Gifts/Richard Peck

A new family has moved in next door to Mrs. Dowdel—a family in desperate need of her help (whether they realize it or not). There’s twelve-year-old Bob, shy on courage in a town full of bullies; his Elvis-obsessed older sister, Phyllis, who just might be on the verge of spinning out of control; Bob’s little sister, Ruth Ann, ready and waiting for a larger-than-life role model; and even Bob’s two parents, the young minister and his wife, who are amazed to discover that the last house in town might also be the most vital. As Christmas rolls around, the whole family will realize that they’ve found a true home, and a neighbor with remarkable gifts to share.