A quick post for a spring Friday. Picture a bouncing, running, thrilled-to-be-in-a-bookstore little boy, no more than three and a half, entering the store for the first time. He spies the transportation section and finds some great books to look at.
Then suddenly, he’s got to “go potty.” The urgency of this need means he’s up in a flash and practically sprinting with his mom to the back of the store where the bathroom is. Where’s the cute part, you might be asking? Well here it is: he left the bathroom, wiping his wet hands on his pants, and he asked his mom, “Where’d the truck book go?” “Oh, it’s in the front of the of the store,” his mom says. Pretty clear directions to those of us who were working that day.
All we heard was a panicked, sincere, “Where’s the front? Where’s the front?” He was spinning around frantically trying to find the front of the store. We tried not to chuckle. It’s easy to forget that you have to learn what front and back mean when you’re in a store. This little boy’s earnestness was so charming it was all we could not to scoop him up and carry him to the front. Of course he found the truck section again and was spent many minutes happily surrounded by the truck books that made him so happy.
This  story brings up two things to me. The first is young boys (and some girls) love a good truck book, and every store should keep a well-stocked section because they just work.
The second thing is: kids are cute!

Neither school vacation nor unexpected snowfall kept kids away from learning about salamanders with author Sarah Lamstein and naturalist Larry Clarfeld on Wednesday afternoon.

When Sarah told us about her new book, Big Night for Salamanders (illustrated by Carol Benioff, Boyds Mills Press, 9781932425987),  we thought it would be a perfect fit for Shelburne. We loved the book, which is both informative and poetic, and our town happens to host a pond that is one of our state’s most active destinations for the annual spring salamander migration. We couldn’t swing an event coinciding with this year’s actual Big Night, since there’s no way to predict exactly when it will happen. (The Big Night happens on a 40-degree, rainy spring night; all three conditions must be met before salamanders decide to leave their winter burrows and travel to vernal pools to lay their eggs.)

Since we wouldn’t be heading out to see salamanders in the wild, we thought it would be fun to find a nature organization that might bring salamanders to us. After a few phone calls and emails to organizations around the state, we discovered the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier, Vermont, and a wonderful young man, Larry Clarfeld, from their Amphibian Monitoring Program.

You’d think Sarah and Larry had been doing these presentations together for years, it went so smoothly. They alternated sharing information with the kids, showing slides, reading the book, and teaching the children how to recognize and handle (both gently and sanitarily) delicate amphibians. Let me tell you, when a bunch of 6-13-year-old boys and girls willingly wash their hands without complaint, you’ve got some great presenters.

Sarah had brought some dried leaves, a pine branch, and a few toy spotted salamanders to illustrate their habitats and hiding tactics.The kids enthusiastically answered her questions, eager to share what they knew (and didn’t know) about amphibians. What I loved was that she had kids from kindergarten through 6th grade, and managed to engage all of them. (She also travels with her own portable microphone, which definitely helped with our Loft acoustics.)
This was one of those visits that made both parents and kids happy, and brought teacher attention to a great book and a great nature program. I think both author and naturalist will find their way into more classrooms; it was a perfect pairing.
Booksellers and librarians: what paired presentations have you tried and loved?

Spring: it’s the season for out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new. Sunshine and bright air are invigorating, and there’s something about longer hours of daylight that make projects seem easier to tackle. So now is a great time to gussy up your store, take a look at which displays need freshening, which windows need re-dressing, and which spots could use some paint and polish in time for Mother’s Day, Graduation, Father’s Day, and summer tourism.
This post might bore the pants off anyone who isn’t a shopkeeper, but I hope a few of you find rearranging fun. Here’s a tip: if you have a strong co-worker and a blanket, you can move just about any piece of furniture in the store.
Since our move to Shelburne in the fall of 1996, we’ve disliked the placement of our early-reader/chapter-book spinner. It occupied its own Neverland near juvenile science, nature, and history nonfiction, adjacent to the YA and MG and YA Fantasy sections, and about three feet away from the door to the bathroom. Enticing, huh? People found the spinner, sure, but its location was a little dark, a little crowded, and pretty far from its rightful home next to the MG 8-12 and MG Series sections.
Recently, we made some changes to the store arrangement, adding another island case for adult books that allowed us to scoot some other cases over. It was like one of those puzzles where you slide blocks around to try to get one piece in the right spot. Voila! After three and a half years of trying, we made three shelving shifts that suddenly freed up enough room to scoot that chapter book spinner into Middle Grade.
These spinners, filled with books, weigh a LOT. By tilting the spinner and working a blanket underneath its base, two of us managed to move the case. But with the help of that blanket, it was pretty easy work for the two of us to push that sucker out of its spot, maneuver it around a corner and down the aisle to its new home. It worked! Wahoo!
Now kids who aren’t quite ready for full-fledged middle-grade books don’t have to take a walk of shame from that section to get to the books they can read. They can just turn around and find something a little less daunting right nearby. We love that, and so do customers. A regular pronounced the change “brilliant” — an overly generous compliment, but one that proves customers do pay attention and care about all those things, large and small, that make your store what it is.
So don’t wait for a peer review to point out your problems: take a good hard look at those areas you and your staff avoid, the spots of clutter or the sections that aren’t pulling their weight, and try something different. Walk by your store windows and really look at them the way a customer might. (Breeze past in a hurry and see what catches your eye. Then slow down and look at the window from different heights, kid and adult.)
It’s a great time of year to face that one project you’ve been avoiding. Do it on a sunny day, and you might end up with a little extra spring in your bookstore step. Anyone out there cleaning up and making changes?

Bookstores and libraries can work together in a way that not only benefits all, but enriches all who attend. Yesterday, we sold books at the South Burlington Library annual Member’s Tea. The speaker was none other than Julia Alvarez. Elizabeth and I actually did Paper, Rock, Scissors to see who would get to go the event. I won.
Events at libraries, especially a member thank you tea, are great for bookstores because there’s no promotional cost associated with the event. The library did it all, and they did a great job. There were about 50 people at the library at 4pm on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. I had advance notice of the probable attendance, 25-40, and ordered my books accordingly: 20 of Return to Sender, the featured book, and then eight of the others. The beauty of someone like Julia Alvarez is the richness of her backlist. There is literally something for everyone. The problem is guessing what books will be the hot sellers. I guessed right and it was a lovely thing.
Julia’s talk focused on her award-winning middle grade novel, Return to Sender, that focuses on undocumented migrant workers in Vermont. She told the story of writing the book, what happens when the parents of children get deported and two of their three children, who are American citizens remain behind. All she wanted was an answer to that simple question: what becomes of the children left behind? As she so eloquently put it, “I’ve got three little characters waiting in the novel for what’s going to happen to them.”
Julia wanted accurate information from the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration Control Enforcement. A ridiculous series of phone calls, background checks, forms filled out, drafts of the novel needing to get sent to the head of the Multi-Media division of DHS (Julia didn’t send her novel to them) and a multitude of emails to congressman and senators resulted in no one actually telling her what the policy was. Her three characters languished as she became more and more focused on the red-tape of a simple question. Finally, someone from ICE met with her off the record to fill in the gaps.
The talk was amazing: passionate, political, funny and ultimately, lovely. The library patrons bought books in droves and the signing line was lengthy. Julia, gracious as always, took her time with everyone who wanted to talk to her about the undocumented workers they’ve known and the struggles they’ve faced.
My favorite part of the event was the gratitude the library patrons felt about us selling books at the event. Being able to buy some of Julia’s books and get them signed enriched the event; folks were very appreciative and they all took our upcoming event flyer and newseltter. The librarian and I forged a fast friendship after seeing how well-received a book sales table was at the event. Oh,and we got signed stock for the store, which is always great.
Effortless collaborations are a wonderful and rare thing, and Sunday was a joy.

In case you missed it, there’s a great article by Sarah Mlynowski in Children’s Bookshelf called: The Future Is on the Line: YA Novelists Send Tweets Back to Their High School selves. I love this idea. Haven’t we all wanted to go back and talk to ourselves in high school? Make ourselves feel better, or worse, about something we did or didn’t do. Please check out this article and and send a tweet to yourself. Here’s what I would say to my high school self:
@josieleavitt pay more attention to algebra, it turns out you’ll need it every stinking day at work.
@josieleavitt Be nicer to everyone in 9th grade because 10th grade karma is a bitch.
What would you say?

No, Josie and I aren’t looking around for bookstore buyers, but if we were, a good place to start would be among the third-graders I visited on Tuesday. The Shelburne Community School nearby has been doing a civics study and invited me to speak to several classes about being a local business owner.

As you can imagine, it was a LOT of fun. Although we’ve only been in our current location for three and a half years, that’s close to half of these kids’ lives. They can’t really remember a time before we were in their town, and a lot of them feel proprietary about the store. That’s a good start for potential buyers when we decide to retire someday.

The children were prepared with all kinds of questions, from the simply curious (“How did you get the name of your store?”) to the supremely practical (“How much money do you make every day?”). For the record, I didn’t avoid the latter question; I told them about the $0 day we’d had one winter day in our first year, and about the multiple-thousands-of-dollars night we had for Harry Potter VII, and about various normal ranges during high and low seasons of an average year. They asked me how many employees we had, and how many days a week we were open, and whether or not we read all the books in the store. They wanted to know my favorite books, now and as a child, and whenever I mentioned one they’d read, I got excited gasps of recognition and “Me, too!”s. If there’s one thing that makes a bookseller’s heart glad, it’s seeing children light up when they think about a really good book.

As you might imagine, their assumptions about what it means to run a bookstore needed a little tweaking here and there. A few kids were crestfallen to learn that bookstores are not high-profit businesses, though most didn’t seem to care. (They’re third graders, after all.) All the kids’ eyes widened when I emptied a fairly full tote bag containing just three days’ worth of mail: bills and book PR postcards and packets, along with the current Publishers Weekly, several distributor and review magazines and supplements, a bunch of publisher and sideline catalogs, and one lonely, lovely credit memo with its pink paper beckoning from the envelope’s window pane. My talk possibly heralded the first time these kids encountered the term “overhead.” Don’t worry; I explained it lightly. ABA members will be relieved to know that I did not attempt to introduce the “2% solution” to eight- and nine-year-olds.

They had a pretty good idea of the various jobs we do around the store, too, like helping customers find books, ordering and shelving new titles, making special orders, and ringing people up—kids have a fairly strong attachment to cash registers and bar-code scanners—but were surprised to learn that we also vacuum floors and clean the bathroom and dust shelves, too. Most of them mistakenly assumed that we get to read books at the store, but then, a lot of adults have this pleasant fantasy about bookstore life, too. It cracks my heart just a little bit to burst that bubble. I talked about the fun stuff, too. They sure did love ARCs and the idea of opening up boxes of new books every single day. (We love them/it, too.)

It was particularly fun to have the kids guess how many books we carry. Kids: “Five hundred?” “A thousand?” Me: “More.” Kids: “Two thousand?” “Five thousand?” Me: More. Kids: “Ten thousand?” Me: “Go higher.” Kids: “Twenty thousand?” “One thousand and five hundred?” (Aww.) Me: “We have about 40,000 books and cards and gifts at the store.” Kids: Mouths hang open, unable to fathom.

Every class had a student who asked, “How old do you have to be to work at the bookstore?” and when I told them sixteen, their chorus of disappointed “Ohhhs” was very sweet. (Apparently, the tales of dusting and bathroom-cleaning hadn’t scared them off.)

Looking around at their enthusiastic, excited faces—which were, by the way, far too close; I forgot that when audiences of kids sit on the floor for events, they scoot right up to about four inches away from your feet—I felt very happy to be part of a community where the teachers introduce children to the idea of local business, where the kids love reading, and where one of them, surely, will want to carry on the lovely business of matching readers to books they’ll love. Not to alarm the third graders of the Shelburne Community School, but—I’m taking names.

Last month I introduced you all to blogger and stay-at-home dad Stephan Lemon, who wrote about the fun he and his 5 year-old twin daughters had reading Pink Me Up! by Charise Mericle Harper. This month Stephan, Cricket (in photo at right), and Sam have fallen for Tad Hills’ adorable How Rocket Learned to Read, which is coming from Schwartz & Wade in July of 2010
What books made your kids enthusiastic about learning to read? Please share!
And now, heeeeeere’s Stephan….
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As obstinate as 4-year-olds can be it’s remarkable how easy it sometimes is to predict their behavior. This week I chose to review with Samantha and Cricket How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills solely because I knew it would spark within them a desire to immediately put pencil to paper and work on their writing and reading skills.
As pre-kindergarteners, this book falls right into the girls’ learning wheelhouse. As a parent, it’s a joy to find a book in which the main characters, in this case a puppy and a little bird, both hold the girls’ attention and get them excited about continuing their reading and writing “homework” in advance of their first year in school this fall.
As a stay-at-home dad, I hold impromptu learning sessions that my wife Sandy and I call “Squash Farm School” (our house sits on a former squash farm). These sessions help prepare the girls for the rigors of organized education while attempting to normalize the concept of having an state-certified educator leading them in their daily schooling instead of an unkempt, ill-tempered and emotionally pliable father dressed in holey sweatpants. Amazingly, it’s largely worked, as the girls are right on track. It is books like How Rocket Learned to Read that drive home the lesson and turn learning to read into fun time instead of chore time.
How Rocket Learned to Read introduces us to Rocket, a seemingly wayward pup whose interests lie in chasing sticks, napping and lazily watching the world go by. When he meets a small yellow bird, she attempts to get Rocket to take her class and learn to read.
It’s at this point in the story that Cricket points out that the teacher/bird has no name. If you remember, Cricket also noticed that the main character in the last book we reviewed, Charise Mericle Harper’s Pink Me Up, went unnamed as well. If our government had a “Children’s Book Characters Without Names” task force, Cricket would be its Tzar.
Cricket: “What’s the bird’s name?”
Me: “I don’t think it has a name.”
Cricket: “I’ll call her ‘Yellowy.’ ”
Me: “Thank you, Tzar Cricket.”
Cricket: “Huh?”
Back to our story. A turn of the page reveals that the little yellow bird — ahem, Yellowy — has hung a banner displaying the alphabet. “Ah, the wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet,” she marvels. “Where it all begins.”
Here’s a tip for parents: When your youngster spies an alphabet, like the one on this page, have him/her recite it backwards. Not only is it educational, but hilarious as well. Then, for good measure, you should do it. It’s surprisingly difficult and it will show your kids that you’re not nearly as smart as you make yourself out to be.
The little yellow bird (Yellowy!) gets Rocket interested in her class by reading a book about a dog who lost his bone. At first the young pup isn’t happy as the bird is interrupting his nap, but he soon becomes entranced with the exciting story. It’s now that the little yellow bird sets the hook as she omits the last part of the story – CLIFFHANGER! – requiring an unsatisfied Rocket to return the next day to find out the ending. This sets the stage for the little yellow bird to begin teaching Rocket to read and soon the pup is learning his letters and learning how to use them to spell words.
Cricket and Sam found this part of the book fascinating, as the words Rocket is learning to spell are presented as uppercase and demarcated by hyphens – perfect for young learners to recite the letters and phonetically read them. That’s right! R-E-A-D T-H-E-M! Additionally, the words he spells are paired with pictures that give your little learners a hint. The girls loved it and their confidence grew with every word.
I recommend reading this book when you’ve got some extra time on your hands, as the girls’ excitement led me to pick out and read a few more books that promoted spelling and reading.
When it’s time for Squash Farm School again, I’m pulling out How Rocket Learned to Read to prime the girls for a stellar learning experience. Now go get on your sweatpants and let’s do some READING!
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One final note from Alison: If your child is, like Cricket, a staunch believer in the notion that all children’s book characters should have names, I recommend getting your hands on a copy of The Pencil, written by Bruce Ingman and illustrated by Allan Ahlberg (Candlewick Press, 2008). ALL of the characters in this book get names — even the ants. And it’s a GEM of a read-aloud!

Last night we ventured into the speed dating world, for books, not people. We hosted our first ever Eat Your Words Book Sneak Peak night at one of our favorite restaurants, Bistro Sauce, right in Shelburne, Vt. This was an adult event originally aimed at book groups, but became just about people who love books.
The goal of the evening was to present new books to attendees. Four Flying Pig staffers came and spoke about new books either just out now or coming out by the end of June. Twenty five people came to the prix fixe $30 dinner, and the tables broke up nicely into four sections. Each staffer started in a section and then moved clockwise to the next, so we gave our book talks four times. It was lots of fun to really talk books for an hour and half. Folks seemed thrilled to be there and be in on some of the hot books not yet released.
Each staffer — Darrilyn Peters and Sandy First joined Elizabeth and me — has a different way of talking about books, so it never got dull for the diners. It felt a lot like a show, actually. We all fed off the energy of each group. I fielded questions about my choices, made suggestions for who might like a particular book, or why a book group might choose a certain title.
One thing Elizabeth did, which is genius and very green, was make an Excel spreadsheet of all our titles that we’ll be emailing to everyone today. The genius part is she made hyperlinks for each book that leads directly to that book’s page on our website; it’s smart to make it simple for everyone to order right from us. And it saved us the expense of creating and reproducing a flyer. One thing I learned was this group is very a much a Shop Local group. These folks were thrilled to find a new way to support our store and Bistro Sauce. We also had a galley giveaway table, so everyone went home with at least two new books.
Some of the books we all spoke about ranged from Anna Quindlen’s Every Last One, Linda Greenlaw’s Seaworthy, Brodeck by Phillipe Claudel,  Heroic Measures by Jill Clemente, Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan, The Passage by Justin Cronin, Losing Mum and Pup by Christopher Buckley, Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende and Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott. This is really just a smattering of the discussed books. Elizabeth actually had two tote bags full of books she wanted to share, and for the most part, she found a way to talk about all of them, but then, she is the book talk master.
We got some publisher help for the event as well, which was lovely. Random House actually sent a box of books to give away — some galleys, some brand new. How thrilled was one book group to get six copies of Cutting for Stone for their next discussion? Our other reps sent lists of their favorite new titles with book group guide links to share, which we’ll have in the spreadsheet and at the store.
It was truly a wonderful evening. And the nicest part was sharing a meal with staff after the event, basking in the glow of a job very well done.

Here’s another installment of the 2010 children’s books that have received starred reviews from (in alphabetical order) Booklist, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, The Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.
The list below covers Booklist through 4/15/2010, the Bulletin through 4/2010, Horn Book through March-April 2010, Kirkus through 4/15/10, PW through 4/12/10, and SLJ through April 2010.
It’s helpful to us busy booksellers, librarians, and teachers, to be able to scan a list of books that have received stars. However, it would be a mistake to seek out only starred books. As usual, I want to add that hundreds, if not thousands, of wonderful books are published every year that don’t receive starred reviews but are wonderful, child-appealing, beautifully written books. Reading as many books as possible yourself, as well as a wide variety of review sources, will always uncover hidden gems that inform and delight.
Okay, since you asked for it — I created a LibraryThing collection of these books, with book covers, genre and general age range. The 2010 Starred Review Library is divided into collections (1 Star, 2 Stars, etc.) and can be sorted in a variety of ways including by “tags” (e.g., MG, YA, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, etc.). Note: This collection will be updated less frequently than the ShelfTalker blog, so please check it quarterly, not monthly.
I’m happy to see books from small presses recognized here as well as those from larger houses. In June and December, I’ll add a publisher tally to the update, as well as a count by genre if I get really ambitious.
This list was happily (and painstakingly) collected by an independent bookseller. If you are using it as a purchasing guide, please consider supporting your local independent bookstore, or an online indie (find a store on IndieBound.org). Thanks!
Any books you’re loving on these lists? Or not on these lists? (No author promo here, please, either direct or “disguised.” It is always obvious, and usually backfires on the book and author it’s intended to help.)
5 STARS
CONSPIRACY OF KINGS, A. Megan Whalen Turner. (Greenwillow, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061870934.
COSMIC. Frank Cottrell Boyce. (HarperCollins/Walden Pond, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-183683-1
DREAMER, THE. Pam Muñoz Ryan. Illustrated by Peter Sís. (Scholastic, $17.99) ISBN 978-0439269704
INCARCERON. Catherine Fisher. (Dial, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-8037-3396-1
MIRROR, MIRROR: A BOOK OF REVERSIBLE VERSE. Marilyn Singer. Illustrated by Josée Masse. (Dutton, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-525-47901-7
4 STARS
DEATH-DEFYING PEPPER ROUX, THE. Geraldine McCaughrean. (Harper, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-183665-7 
FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK. Melina Marchetta. (Candlewick, $18.99) ISBN: 978-0-7636-4361-4
HERE COMES THE GARBAGE BARGE! Jonah Winter. Illustrated by Red Nose Studio. (Random/Schwartz & Wade, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-375-85218-3
MY GARDEN. Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-06-171517-4
NOTHING. Janne Teller. Translated from the Danish by Martin Aitken. (S&S/Atheneum, $16.99) ISBN 978-1-416-98579-2
ONE CRAZY SUMMER. Rita Williams-Garcia. (HarperCollins/Amistad, $15.99. ISBN 978-0060760885
REVOLVER. Marcus Sedgwick. (Roaring Brook, $16.99) ISBN 978-1596435926
UBIQUITOUS: CELEBRATING NATURE’S SURVIVORS. Joyce Sidman. Illustrated by Beckie Prange. (Harcourt, $17) ISBN 978-0-618-71719-4
3 STARS
ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN. Karen Cushman. (Clarion, $16) ISBN 978-0547231846
AMELIA EARHART: THIS BROAD OCEAN. Written and illustrated by Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle. Center for Cartoon Studies and Disney-Hyperion, $17.99) ISBN 978-1-4231-1337-9
BUNNY DAYS. Tao Nyeu. (Dial, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-8037-3330-5
EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN, THE (ACCORDING TO SUSY). Barbara Kerley. Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. (Scholastic, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-545-12508-6
FEVER CRUMB. Philip Reeve. (Scholastic, $17.99) ISBN 978-0545207195
LAST SUMMER OF THE DEATH WARRIORS, THE. Francisco X. Stork. (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-545-15133-7
LMNO PEAS. Keith Baker. (S&S/Beach Lane, $16.99) ISBN 978-1416991410
MERCURY. Hope Larson. (Atheneum, $17.99 hc; $9.99 pb) ISBN hc 978-1416935858; ISBN pb 978-1416935889
MYSTERIOUS HOWLING, THE (INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE, THE. BOOK 1). Wood, Maryrose. (HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray/, $15.99) ISBN 978-0-06-179105-5
OUT OF MY MIND. Sharon M. Draper. (S&S/Atheneum, $16.99) ISBN 978-1416971702
SHARK VS. TRAIN. Chris Barton. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. (Little, Brown, $16.99) ISBN 978-0316007627
SOME GIRLS ARE. Courtney Summers. (St. Martin’s Griffin, $9.99) ISBN 978-0-312-57380-5
WHAT IF? Laura Vaccaro Seeger. (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $15.99) ISBN 978-1596433984
WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON. John Green and David Levithan. (Dutton, $17.99) ISBN 978-0525421580
2 STARS
AFTER EVER AFTER. Jordan Sonnenblick. (Scholastic, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-439-83706-4
ALL STAR!: HONUS WAGNER AND THE MOST FAMOUS BASEBALL CARD EVER. Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Jim Burke. (Philomel, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-399-24661-6
ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL. Ashley Bryan. (S&S/Atheneum, $16.99) ISBN 978-1-4169-8939-4
AS EASY AS FALLING OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Lynne Rae Perkins. (Greenwillow, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061870903
BEACH TAIL, A. Karen Lynn Williams. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. (Boyds Mills, $17.95) ISBN 978-1590787120
BIG RED LOLLIPOP. Rukhsana Khan. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. (Viking, $16.99) ISBN 978-0670062874
BIRMINGHAM SUNDAY. Larry Dane Brimner. (Boyds Mills/Calkins Creek, $17.95) ISBN 978-1590786130
BLACK ELK’S VISION: A LAKOTA STORY. S.D. Nelson. (Abrams, $19.95) ISBN 978-0810983991
BORDERLINE. Allan Stratton. (HarperTeen, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-145111-9
BORROWED NAMES: POEMS ABOUT LAURA INGALLS WILDER, MADAM C. J. WALKER, MARIE CURIE, AND THEIR DAUGHTERS. Jeannine Atkins. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-8050-8934-9
BRIDGET’S BERET. Tom Lichtenfeld. (Holt/Christy Ottaviano, $16.99) ISBN 978-0805087758
CHESTER’S MASTERPIECE. Watt, Mélanie. (Kids Can, $18.95) ISBN 978-1554535668
CITY OF SPIES. Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan. Illustrated by Pascal Dizin. (Roaring Brook/First Second, $16.99) ISBN 978-1596432628
COUNTRY ROAD ABC: AN ILLUSTRATED JOURNEY THROUGH AMERICA’S FARMLAND. Arthur Geisert. (Houghton Mifflin, $17) ISBN 978-0547194691
DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN, THE. Josh Berk. (Knopf/Borzoi, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-375-85699-0
EFRAIN’S SECRET. Sofia Quintero. (Knopf, $16.99) ISBN 978-0375847066
FALLING IN. Frances O’Roark Dowell. (S&S/Atheneum, $16.99) ISBN 978-1416950325
HAPPYFACE. Stephen Emond. (Little, Brown, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-316-04100-3
HATTIE THE BAD. Jane Devlin. Illustrated by Joe Berger. (Dial, $16.99) ISBN 978-0803734470
HEART AND THE BOTTLE, THE. Oliver Jeffers. (Philomel, $17.99) ISBN 978-0399254529
HENRY IN LOVE. Peter McCarty. (HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-114288-8
HOW TO CLEAN A HIPPOPOTAMUS: A LOOK AT UNUSUAL ANIMAL PARTNERSHIPS. Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. (Houghton, $16) ISBN 978-0547245157
I CAN BE ANYTHING! Jerry Spinelli. Illustrated by Jimmy Liao. (Little, Brown, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-316-16226-5
IF STONES COULD SPEAK: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF STONEHENGE. Marc Aronson. (National Geographic, $17.95) ISBN 978-1426305993
KAKAPO RESCUE: SAVING THE WORLD’S STRANGEST PARROT. Sy Montgomery. Illustrated by Nic Bishop. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $18) ISBN 978-0618494170
LINCOLN TELLS A JOKE: HOW LAUGHTER SAVED THE PRESIDENT (AND THE COUNTRY). Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer. Illustrated by Stacy Innerst. (Harcourt, $16) ISBN 978-0152066390
LITTLE RED HEN AND THE PASSOVER MATZAH, THE. Leslie Kimmelman. Illustrated by Paul Meisel. (Holiday House, $16.95) ISBN 978-0-8234-1952-4
MAMA MITI: WANGARI MAATHAI AND THE TREES OF KENYA. Donna Jo Napoli. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. (S&S/Paula Wiseman, $16.99) ISBN 978-1-4169-3505-6
MEANWHILE: PICK ANY PATH. 3,856 STORY POSSIBILITIES. Jason Shiga. (Abrams/Amulet, $15.95) ISBN 978-0-81098-423-3
MOCKINGBIRD. Kathryn Erskine. (Philomel, $15.99) ISBN 978-0399252648
NEST FOR CELESTE, A: A STORY ABOUT ART, INSPIRATION, AND THE MEANING OF HOME. Henry Cole. (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-170410-9
NIGHT FAIRY, THE. Laura Amy Schlitz. Illustrated by Angela Barrett. (Candlewick, $16.99) ISBN 978-0763636746
NUMBERS. Rachel Ward. (Scholastic/Chicken House, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-545-14299-1
ONCE. Morris Gleitzman. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0805090260
OSTRICH BOYS. Keith Gray. (Random, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-375-85843-7
PARIS IN THE SPRING WITH PICASSO. Joan Yolleck. Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. (Random/Schwartz & Wade, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-375-83756-2
SHARING THE SEASONS: A BOOK OF POEMS. Selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illustrated by David Diaz. (S&S/McElderry, $21.99) ISBN 978-1416902102
SIT-IN: HOW FOUR FRIENDS STOOD UP BY SITTING DOWN. Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. (Little, Brown, $16.99) ISBN 978-0316070164
SKY IS EVERYWHERE, THE. Jandy Nelson. (Dial, $17.99) ISBN 978-0803734951
SPIES OF MISSISSIPPI: THE TRUE STORY OF THE SPY NETWORK THAT TRIED TO DESTROY THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. Rick Bowers. (National Geographic, $16.95) ISBN 978-1426305955)
SUMMER BIRDS: THE BUTTERFLIES OF MARIA MERIAN. Margarita Engle. Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0805089370.
THREE RIVERS RISING: A NOVEL OF THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD. James Richards. (Knopf, $16.99) ISBN 978-0375858857
TURTLE IN PARADISE. Jennifer L. Holm. (Random, $16.99) ISBN 978-0375836886
UNDER A RED SKY: MEMOIR OF A CHILDHOOD IN COMMUNIST ROMANIA. Haya Leah Molnar. FSG/Foster, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-374-31840-6
WHITE CAT. Holly Black. S&S/McElderry, $17.99) ISBN 978-1416963967
WOODS RUNNER. Gary Paulsen. (Random/Wendy Lamb, $15.99) ISBN 978-0-385-73884-2
YEAR OF GOODBYES, THE: A TRUE STORY OF FRIENDSHIP, FAMILY, AND FAREWELLS. Debbie Levy. (Disney-Hyperion, $16.99) ISBN 978-1-4231-2901-1
1 STAR
13 TREASURES. Michelle Harrison. (Little, Brown, $15.99) ISBN 978-0316041485
ADDICTED TO HER. Janet Nichols Lynch. (Holiday House, $17.95) EAN 9780823421862
ADVENTURES OF JACK LIME, THE. James Leck. (Kids Can, $16.95) ISBN 978-1554533640
ANIMAL CRACKERS FLY THE COOP. Kevin O’Malley. (Walker, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-8027-9837-4
ASHES. Kathryn Lasky. (Viking, $16.99) ISBN 978-0670011575
BABY SHOWER. Jane Breskin Zalben. (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $16.99) ISBN 978-1596434653
BACK OF THE BUS. Aaron Reynolds. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. (Philomel, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-399-25091-0
BACK TO BED, ED! Sebastien Braun. (Peachtree, $15.95) ISBN: 978-1561455188
BAG IN THE WIND. Ted Kooser. Illustrated by Barry Root. (Candlewick, $17.99) ISBN 978-0763630010
BANDIT’S SURPRISE. Karen Rostoker-Gruber. Illustrated by Vincent Nguyen. (Marshall Cavendish, $16.99) ISBN 978-0761456230
BEAR IN THE AIR. Susan Meyers. Illustrated by Amy Bates. (Abrams, $15.95) ISBN 978-0810983984
BEFORE I FALL. Lauren Oliver. (HarperTeen, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-06-172680-4
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER: A WORLD WAR II SCRAPBOOK. Beverly Patt. Illustrated by Shula Klinger. (Marshall Cavendish, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-7614-5577-6
BIRTHDAY BALL, THE. Lois Lowry. Illustrated by Jules Feiffer. (Houghton, $16) ISBN 978-0547238692
BLACK JACK: THE BALLAD OF JACK JOHNSON. Charles R. Smith. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $16.99) ISBN 978-1596434738
BLACK MAGIC. Dinah Johnson. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. (Holt/Christy Ottaviano, $15.99) ISBN 978-0805078336
BLEEDING VIOLET. Dia Reeves. (Simon Pulse, $16.99) ISBN 978-1-4169-8618-8
BLOCKHEAD: THE LIFE OF FIBONACCI. Joseph D’Agnese. Illustrated by John O’Brien, Jr. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 9780805063059
BORN YESTERDAY: THE DIARY OF A YOUNG JOURNALIST. James Solheim. Illustrated by Simon James. (Philomel, $15.99) ISBN 978-0399251559
BOY WHO CLIMBED INTO THE MOON, THE. David Almond. Illustrated by Polly Dunbar. (Candlewick, $15.99) ISBN 978-0763642174
BOYS, THE. Jeff Newman. (Simon & Schuster, $15.99) ISBN 978-1416950127
BRAND-NEW BABY BLUES. Kathi Appelt. Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. (HarperCollins, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-053233-8
CAPTAIN SMALL PIG. Martin Waddell. Illustrated by Susan Varley. (Peachtree, $15.95) ISBN 978-1561455195
CARBON DIARIES 2017. THE. Saci Lloyd. (Holiday House, $17.95) ISBN 978-0823422609
CARDTURNER, THE. Louis Sachar. (Delacorte, $17.99) ISBN 978-0385736626
CAT THE CAT, WHO IS THAT? Mo Willems. (HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray, $12.99) ISBN 978-0-06-172840-2
CELESTIAL GLOBE, THE. Marie Rutkoski. (FSG, $16.99) ISBN 978-0374310271
CHALK. Bill Thomson. (Marshall Cavendish, $15.99) ISBN 978-0761455264
CHAMPION OF CHILDREN, THE: THE STORY OF JANUSZ KORCZAK. Tomek Bogacki. (FSG, $17.99) ISBN 978-0374341367
CHASING ORION. Kathryn Lasky. (Candlewick, $17.99) ISBN 978-0763639822
CINCO DE MOUSE-O! Judy Cox. Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. (Holiday House, $16.95) ISBN 978-0823421947
CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG. Mo Willems. Illustrated by Jon J Muth. (Hyperion, $17.99) ISBN 978-1423103004
CLOUD TEA MONKEYS. Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham. Illustrated by Juan Wijngaard. (Candlewick, $15.99) ISBN 978-0763644536
CONSTELLATIONS. F. S. Kim (Children’s Press, hc $26; pb $6.95) hc EAN: 978-0531168950; pb EAN: 978-0531228029
COUNTDOWN. Deborah Wiles. (Scholastic, $17.99) EAN 978-0545106054
CRUNCH. Leslie Connor. (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061692291
DANCING FEET! Lindsey Craig. Illustrated by Marc Brown. (Knopf, $16.99) ISBN 978-0375861819
DJANGO, THE. Levi Pinfold. (Candlewick/Templar, $16.99) ISBN 978-0763627889
DOGS. Emily Gravett. (Simon & Schuster, $15.99) ISBN 978-1416987031
DON’T SPILL THE BEANS! Ian Schoenherr. (Greenwillow, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-172457-2
DRAGONBREATH: ATTACK OF THE NINJA FROGS. Ursula Vernon. (Dial, $12.99) ISBN 978-0803733657
DRAGONS OF DARKNESS. Antonia Michaelis. Translated by Anthea Bell. (Abrams, $18.95) ISBN 978-0810940741
DRIVEN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF HENRY FORD. Don Mitchell. (National Geographic, $18.95) 978-1426301551
DRIZZLE. Kathleen Van Cleve. (Dial, $16.99) ISBN 978-0803733626
EASTER EGG, THE. Jan Brett. Putnam, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-25238-9
EGRET’S DAY, AN. Jane Yolen. Photography by Jason Stemple. (Boyds Mills/Wordsong, $17.95) ISBN 978-1590786505
EIGHTH-GRADE SUPERZERO. Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, $16.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-545-09676-8
ENCHANTED GLASS. Diana Wynne Jones. (Greenwillow, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061866845.
ENCYCLOPEDIA MYTHOLOGICA: GODS AND HEROES. Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda. (Candlewick, $29.99) ISBN 978-0763631710
EVERY LITTLE THING IN THE WORLD. Nina de Gramont. (Atheneum, $16.95) ISBN 978-1426305955
EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE. Kathryn Hinds. (Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark, $42.79 ISBN 978-0761444848
EYE FOR COLOR, AN: THE STORY OF JOSEF ALBERS. Natasha Wing. Illustrated by Julia Breckenreid (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0805080728
FARAWAY ISLAND, A. Annika Thor. Translated by Linda Schenck. (Delacorte, $16.99) ISBN 978-0385736176
FARM. Elisha Cooper. (Scholastic/Orchard, $17.99) ISBN 978-0545070751
FDR’S ALPHABET SOUP: NEW DEAL AMERICA, 1932-1939. Tonya Bolden. (Knopf, $19.99) ISBN 978-0375852145
FIRE WILL FALL. Carol Plum-Ucci. (Harcourt, $18) ISBN 978-0152165628
FIREFLY LETTERS, THE: A SUFFRAGETTE’S JOURNEY TO CUBA. Margarita Engle. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-8050-9082-6
FOLLY. Marthe Jocelyn. (Random House/Wendy Lamb, $15.99) ISBN 978-0385738460
FOREVER FRIENDS. Carin Berger. (Greenwillow, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061915284
FOX AND THE HEN, THE. Eric Battut. (Boxer Books, $16.95) ISBN 978-1907152023
FRANKIE PICKLE AND THE PINE RUN 3000. Eric Wight. (Simon & Schuster, $9.99) ISBN 978-1416964858
GARMANN’S STREET. Stian Hole. (Eerdmans, $16.99) ISBN 978-0802853578
GIRL WITH THE MERMAID HAIR, THE. Delia Ephron. (HarperTeen, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-154260-2
GREEN WITCH. Alice Hoffman. (Scholastic Press, $17.99) ISBN 978-0545141956
GRIFF CARVER, HALLWAY PATROL. Jim Krieg. Razorbill, $15.99 (272p) ISBN 978-1-59514-276-4
HALF-MINUTE HORRORS. Edited by Susan Rich (HarperCollins, $12.99) ISBN 978-0061833793
HALLELUJAH FLIGHT, THE. Phil Bildner. Illustrated by John Holyfield. (Putnam, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-399-24789-7
HENRIETTA HORNBUCKLE’S CIRCUS OF LIFE. Michael de Guzman. (FSG, $16.99) ISBN 978-0374335137
HENRY AARON’S DREAM. Matt Tavares. (Candlewick, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-7636-3224-3
HEY, RABBIT! Sergio Ruzzier. (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $16.99.) ISBN 978-1-59643-502-5
HIP HOP DOG. Raschka, Chris. (HarperCollins, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061239632
HIVE DETECTIVES, THE: CHRONICLE OF A HONEY BEE CATASTROPHE. Loree Griffin Burns. Illustrated by Ellen Harasimowicz. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $18) ISBN 978-0547152318
HOUSE OF DOLLS. Francesca Lia Block. Illustrated by Barbara McClintock. (Harper, $15.99) ISBN 978-0061130946
HOW TO SURVIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL. Donna Gephart. (Delacorte, $15.99) ISBN 978-0385737937
I AM A BACKHOE. Hines, Anna Grossnickle. (Tricycle, $12.99) ISBN 978-1582463063.
I AM GOING (ELEPHANT & PIGGIE). Mo Willems. (Hyperion, $8.99) ISBN 978-1423119906
I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER (JOHN CLEAVER). Dan Wells. (Tor, $9.99) ISBN 978-0765327826
INCREDIBLE VOYAGE OF ULYSSES. Bimba Landmann. (Getty, $19.95) ISBN 978-1606060124
IS IT NIGHT OR DAY? Fern Schumer Chapman. (FSG, $16.99) ISBN 978-0374177447
JUSTIN CASE: SCHOOL, DROOL, AND OTHER DAILY DISASTERS. Rachel Vail. Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. (Feiwel & Friends, $16.99) EAN 978-0312532901
KNIFE THAT KILLED ME, THE. Anthony McGowan. (Delacorte, $16.99) ISBN 978-0385738224
LAST BEST DAYS OF SUMMER, THE. Valerie Hobbs. (FSG/Frances Foster, $16.99) ISBN 978-0374346706
LAWN TO LAWN. Dan Yaccarino. (Knopf, $17.99) ISBN 978-0375855740
LIBERTY OR DEATH: THE SURPRISING STORY OF RUNAWAY SLAVES WHO SIDED WITH THE BRITISH DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Margaret Whitman Blair. (National Geographic, $18.95) ISBN 978-1426305900
LIFE AND TIMES OF SCROOGE MCDUCK, THE. VOL. 1. Don Rosa. (Boom! Kids, $24.99) ISBN 978-1608865383
LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE AND DEATH, THE. C.K. Kelly Marton. (Random, $16.99) ISBN 978-0375845888
LITTLE DIVA. LaChanze. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. (Feiwel & Friends, $16.99) ISBN 978-0312370107
LOCKDOWN. Walter Dean Myers. (HarperTeen, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-121480-6
MAGIC UNDER GLASS. Jaclyn Dolamore. (Bloomsbury, $16.99) ISBN 978-1599904306
MAMA, IS IT SUMMER YET? Nikki McClure. (Abrams, $17.95) ISBN 978-0810984684
MEETING, THE. Brigitte Luciani. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. Translated by Carol Klio Burrell. (Lerner/Graphic Universe, $6.95) ISBN 978-0761356318
MILLION SHADES OF GRAY, A. Cynthia Kadohata. (S&S/Atheneum, $16.99) ISBN 978-1-4169-1883-7
MIMI’S DADA CATIFESTO. Shelley Jackson. (Clarion, $17) ISBN 978-0547126814
MISS BROOKS LOVES BOOKS! (AND I DON’T). Barbara Bottner. Illustrated by Michael Emberley. (Knopf/Borzoi, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-375-84682-3
MISTWOOD. Leah Cypress. (Greenwillow/Harper, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061956997
MOON BEAR. Brenda Z. Guiberson. Illustrated by Ed Young. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0805089776
MR. MENDOZA’S PAINTBRUSH: A GRAPHIC NOVEL. Luis Alberto Urrea. Illustrated Christopher Cardinale. (Cinco Puntos Press, $16.95) EAN 978-1933693231
NABEEL’S NEW PANTS. Fawzia Gilani-Williams. Illustrated by Proiti Roy. (Marshall Cavendish, $15.99) ISBN 9780761456292
NO MOON. Irene N. Watts. (Tundra, $12.95) ISBN 978-0887769719
NORTHWARD TO THE MOON. Polly Horvath. (Random/Schwartz & Wade, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-375-86110-9
ODYSSEY, THE. Homer and Tim Mucci. Illustrated by Ben Caldwell. (Sterling, $7.95) ISBN 978-1402731556
OH, DADDY! Bob Shea. (HarperCollins/Balzer & Bray, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061730801
OLDER THAN THE STARS. Karen C. Fox. (Charlesbridge, $15.95) ISBN: 978-1-57091-787-5
PADDLING OF DUCKS, A: ANIMALS IN GROUPS FROM A TO Z. Marjorie Blain Parker. Illustrated by Joseph Kelly. (Kids Can, $16.95) ISBN 978-1553376828
PALACE BEAUTIFUL. Sarah DeFord Williams. (Putnam, $16.99) ISBN 978-0399252983
PIGS TO THE RESCUE. John Himmelman. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0805086836
PINGPONG PERRY EXPERIENCES HOW A BOOK IS MADE. Sandy Donovan. Illustrated by James Christoph. (Capstone, $25.32) ISBN 978-1404857599
PLANET HUNTER: GEOFF MARCY AND THE SEARCH FOR OTHER EARTHS. Vicki O. Wittenstein. (Boyds Mills Press, $17.95) ISBN 978-1590785928
POD. Stephen Wallenfels. (namelos, $18.95 hc; $9.95 pb) ISBN hc 9781608980109; pb 9781608980116
POISON EATERS AND OTHER STORIES. Holly Black. Illustrated by Theo Black. (Big Mouth House, $17.99) ISBN 978-1931520631
POISONED HONEY: A STORY OF MARY MAGDALENE. Beatrice Gormley. (Knopf, $16.99) ISBN 978-0375852077
PRIME BABY. Gene Luen Yang. (First Second, $6.99) ISBN 978-1596436121
PRINCE OF MIST, THE. Carlos Ruiz Zafón, trans. from the Spanish by Lucia Graves. (Little, Brown, $17.99) ISBN 978-0316044776
PRIVATE THOUGHTS OF AMELIA E. RYE. Bonnie Shimko. (FSG, $16.99) ISBN 978-0374361310
PUSH BUTTON. Aliki. (Greenwillow, $16.99.) ISBN 978-0061673085.
QUIET BOOK, THE. Deborah Underwood. Illustrated by Renata Liwska. (Houghton, $12.95) ISBN 978-0547215679
RATFINK. Marcia Thornton Jones. Illustrated by C. B. Decker. (Dutton, $16.99) ISBN 978-0525420668
REMEMBERING CRYSTAL. Sebastian Loth. (NorthSouth, $14.95) ISBN 978-0735823006
RESISTANCE. Carla Jablonski. Illustrated by Leland Purvis. (Roaring Brook/First Second, $16.99) ISBN 978-1596432918
RIVER, THE. Mary Jane Beaufrand. (Little, Brown, $16.99) ISBN 978-0316041683
SALT. Maurice Gee. (Orca, $18) ISBN 978-1554692095
SAY HELLO! Rachel Isadora. (Putnam, $16.99) ISBN 978-0399252303
SEEDS OF CHANGE: WANGARI’S GIFT TO THE WORLD. Jen Cullerton Johnson. Illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler. (Lee & Low, $18.95) ISBN 978-1600603679
SHAKESPEARE MAKES THE PLAY-OFFS. Ron Koertge (Candlewick, $15.99) ISBN 978-0763644352
SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE, A. Philip C. Stead. Illustrated by Erin Stead. (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $16.99) EAN 978-1596434028
SIGNED, ABIAH ROSE. Diane Browning. (Tricycle, $15.99) ISBN 978-1582463117
SMALL FREE KISS IN THE DARK, A. Glenda Millard. (Holiday House, $16.95) ISBN 978-0823422647
SMELLS LIKE DOG. Suzanne Selfors. (Little, Brown, $15.99) ISBN 978-0316043984
SMILE! Leigh Hodgkinson. (HarperTeen/Balzer+Bray/, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061852695
SNOWBALL EFFECT, THE. Holly Nicole Hoxter. (HarperTeen, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061755712
SOLAR SYSTEM, THE. Howard K. Trammel. (Children’s Press, $6.95) ISBN 978-0531228029
SONG OF THE WHALES, THE. Uri Orlev. Translated by Hillel Halkin. (Houghton, $16) ISBN 978-0547257525
SPELLS. Aprilynne Pike. (Harper, $16.99) ISBN 978-0061668067
STAR CRUSHER, THE: MISSILE MOUSE. Jake Parker. (Graphix. $10.99) ISBN 978-0545117159
STAR IN THE FOREST. Laura Resau. (Delacorte, $14.99) ISBN 978-0385737920
STARS. Ker Than. (Children’s Press, $6.95) ISBN 978-0531228067
STOLEN. Lucy Christopher. (Scholastic/Chicken House, $17.99) ISBN 978-0545170932
STUCK ON EARTH. David Klass. (FSG/Foster, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-374-39951-1
SUNDAY IS FOR GOD. Michael McGowan. Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. (Random/Schwartz & Wade, $17.99) ISBN 978-0375841880
SWEET HEREAFTER. Angela Johnson. (Simon & Schuster, $16.99) ISBN 978-0689873850
TAKE ME WITH YOU. Carolyn Marsden. (Candlewick, $14.99) ISBN 978-0763637392
TELL US WE’RE HOME. Maria Budhos. (S&S/Atheneum, $16.99) ISBN 978-1416903529
THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN. Susan Beth Pfeffer. (Harcourt, $17) ISBN 978-0547248042
TIME YOU LET ME IN: 25 POETS UNDER 25. Selected by Naomi Shihab Nye. (Greenwillow, $16.99) ISBN 978-0-06-189637-8
TOADS AND DIAMONDS. Heather Tomlinson. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0805089684
TREE HOUSE, THE. Marjorie Tolman and Ronald Tilman. (Boyds Mills/Lemniscaat, $17.95) ISBN 978-1590788066
TYRANNY. Lesley Fairfield. (Tundra, $10.95) ISBN 978-0887769030
UGLY DUCKLING, THE. Adapted by Sebastien Braun. (Boxer Books, $16.95) ISBN 978-1907152047
WAITING OUT THE STORM. JoAnn Early Macken. Illustrated by Susan Gaber. (Candlewick, $15.99) ISBN 978-0763633783
WANTED: THE PERFECT PET. Fiona Roberton. (Putnam, $16.99) ISBN 978-0399254611
WAR TO END ALL WARS, THE. Russell Freedman. (Clarion, $22) ISBN 9780547026862
WARRIORS IN THE CROSSFIRE. Nancy Bo Flood. (Front Street, $17.95) ISBN 978-1590786611
WATER SEEKER, THE. Kimberly Willis Holt. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0805080209
WE THE CHILDREN (BENJAMIN PRATT AND THE KEEPERS OF THE SCHOOL 01). Andrew Clements. Illustrated by Adam Stower. (S&S/Atheneum, $14.99) ISBN 978-1416938866
WHEN JACK GOES OUT. Pat Schories. (Boyds Mills, $13.95) ISBN 978-1-59078-652-9
WISHING FOR TOMORROW: THE SEQUEL TO A LITTLE PRINCESS. Hilary McKay. Illustrated by Nick Maland. (S&S/McElderry, $16.99) ISBN 978-1442401693
WIZARD FROM THE START, A: THE INCREDIBLE BOYHOOD & AMAZING INVENTIONS OF THOMAS EDISON. Don Brown. (Houghton Harcourt Mifflin, $16) ISBN 978-0547194875
WONDER HORSE: THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORLD’S SMARTEST HORSE. Emily Arnold McCully. (Holt, $16.99) ISBN 978-0805087932
WORD AFTER WORD AFTER WORD. Patricia MacLachlan. (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen, $14.99.) ISBN 978-0060279714
YOUNG ZEUS. G. Brian Karas. (Scholastic, $17.99) ISBN 978-0-439-72806-5
ZEN & XANDER UNDONE. Amy Kathleen Ryan. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16) EAN 978-0547062488
ZEUS: KING OF THE GODS. Adapted and illustrated by George O’Connor. (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter/First Second, $16.99 hc, $9.99 pb) ISBN 978-1-59643-431-8 hc; ISBN 978-1-59643-625-1 pb.

As promised, I’ve got more birdhouses to share with you! This time I thought I’d demonstrate the fact that you can often get two good birdhouses out of one book.
Both of the birdhouses you see here were made using an F&G for The Sky’s the Limit: Stories of Discoveries by Women and Girls, written by Catherine Thimmesh and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Houghton Mifflin, 2004 — I’ve been holding on this F&G for a long time!). I’ve always been a huge fan of the collage illustrations Melissa created for both this book and Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women (also written by Catherine Thimmesh and published by Houghton Mifflin).
There were so many wonderful pages to work with in this book that I easily found enough material to cover two birdhouses. One is now the property of my best friend, Elizabeth. She’s a former women’s college biology major — now a doctor — so I knew this would make a perfect gift for her. And the other one made the perfect gift for… me! (Don’t I deserve to keep at least one or two of the birdhouses I make?)
First, a few shots of Elizabeth’s “Discoveries” birdhouse…

front

left

Here’s a better shot of the Jean Fritz quote on that side:

back

right

now, a few shots of the “Discoveries” birdhouse that belongs to ME!

front 

left

Quote from Susanne K. Langer:

back

right

Are you making your own bookish birdhouses yet? If so, I’d love to hear how they’re turning out!
You’ll find my previous bookish birdhouse posts here (3/24/10), here (2/24/09), and here (1/29/09).