Is it spring yet?

I'm certainly ready! Being a Louisiana girl, I'm not overly fond of winter. I will take 90 degree days in July over snowstorms that impede everyday life(I enjoy the occasional day off because of snow, but not a crippling snowstorm). I love having a proper fall and spring, but I can leave the winter.

Spring signals many things, including the reopening of local farmers' markets, the arrival of baby animals, daylight saving time, and...NEW SPRING BOOKS. No, not new books about spring, although that's included as well. Publishers bring out their big titles twice in a year-spring and fall. I've been going through Publishers Weekly spring preview issue for the past couple of days, and I can tell you that this is a very strong season for children's literature. I'm seeing lots of sequels, lots of big-time authors with new books, exciting new series, and promising debuts by first-time authors. There's so much creativity out there in the children's and YA literature field.

Next on my list is One Crazy Summer; I've heard so many good things about it. I'm also looking forward to reading A Faraway Island; it won the Batchelder Award for the most distinguished children's book originally published in a non-English language. Translated from the Swedish, it's the story of two Jewish Austrian sisters sent to Sweden during WWII. It's the first book in a series that is enormously popular in Sweden (it was also adapted for television). I also have Kathryn Lasky's Ashes to read.

I'd also love to read The Kingdom Keepers series, as soon as I can get a copy (I'm so glad that it's popular; I had a feeling it would be!)! I've heard awesome things about The Death-Defying Pepper Roux, and After Ever After.

March brings a ton of great titles; can't wait to tell you about them! Stay tuned!

Percy Jackson Fans

If you've gone through the Percy Jackson series, or waiting for a copy to be returned (your best bet is to get on the waiting list), check out these titles. As the series straddles the children's and YA sections, I've included titles from both collections (Percy begins the series as a 12 year old boy; in the movie, he's 17).

YF books (Young Adult Fiction):



Airman



Children of the Lamp series



The Cronus Chronicles



Fablehaven series



Gatekeepers series



Lost Years of Merlin



Ranger's Apprentice series



Sea of Trolls series



Tunnels series

Children's books:



Bartimaeus trilogy




The Game



Iris, Messenger



Jason and the Gorgon's Blood

Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson books) will have a new series out shortly titled The Kane Chronicles. The series, which focuses on Egyptian mythology, starts with The Red Pyramid, and is expected to be released in early May. We'll get the first book ASAP, but keep in mind that publication dates can change. It's getting a little too close for it to change, but you never know. Want to know more about Riordan's new series? Check out this article.

I've mentioned before how much I love lists. I also love countdowns. I was a huge MTV fan back in the day and rarely missed MTV's Top 20 Countdown (this was when MTV was mostly about music, boys and girls!) or Casey Kasem's Top 40 Countdown on the weekend (remember those awful long distance dedications?).
Betsy Bird is revealing her own special countdown of the children's novels kind; after email, it's the first thing I read in the morning. I sent a list to Betsy not long before she closed the poll; several of my favorites have shown up, but I'm still waiting on the others! I'm duplicating my list here (in order of preference), along with the comments I included:



1. Because of Winn Dixie

Kate DiCamillo has, of course, written many beautiful books since Because of Winn Dixie, but this remains my all-time favorite DiCamillo story. Having reread it several times since I first read it four years ago (and not being one to reread books, for the most part), it never fails to bring me to both laughter and tears, particularly during the search for Winn Dixie.



2. Ramona and Her Father

I knew I had to include a Ramona book, but which one? Perhaps this one is on my mind since it’s one of my favorite “Christmas books.” Not a Christmas book per se, but since it does begin with Ramona making her Christmas list and ends with the girls’ Nativity pageant, I always recommend it for those looking for Christmas chapter books. Although first published in 1977, the shock and upheaval of Mr. Quimby’s unemployment is still very relevant for today.



3. Babe, the Gallant Pig
I don’t know if this will even make the poll, but I must mention it! I’ve never read it aloud, but I think it would make for a great (short) read aloud. The humor is abundant, the pathos is real but not pushed, and the ending is perfection.




4. A Drowned Maiden’s Hair
I believe I learned about this book from your blog, Betsy. I now adore it, and recommend it whenever possible.



5. Our Only May Amelia
Whenever I get a historical fiction request, I recommend A Drowned Maiden’s Hair and Our Only May Amelia, in the hopes that the child will a) see that historical fiction reads need not be dull and b) seek out other books by these two fantastic authors.

(I've since found out, through exchanging tweets with Jennifer Holm, that she's writing a sequel! Woo hoo!)



6. Ginger Pye
I think this book has been forgotten, and I try to recommend it to fans of dog stories whenever possible. It’s a sweet and gentle story.




7. Shiloh
One of my Newbery favorites. It can be rough reading (emotionally) at times, but I think it’s remarkable. The sequels are fine, but this one is the best.




8. The Great Gilly Hopkins
Many say that Bridge to Terabithia is their favorite Katherine Paterson book, but this one is my #1 favorite. Although you wish that things would have turned out differently for Gilly, you appreciate Paterson’s honesty.



9. All-of-a-Kind Family
Charming without being cloying. One of my favorites.

10. Striped Ice Cream
I know this book has been forgotten, but I reread it every now and then. It’s a loving portrayal of a poverty-stricken family, written with realism, sensitivity, and humor.

So far, All-of-a-Kind Family, The Great Gilly Hopkins, and Ramona and Her Father have made the bottom 50 of the list. I'd like to see the others, but I really doubt we'll see Striped Ice Cream on the list, which is too bad. Betsy's doing an outstanding job commenting on the results; do yourself a favor and read the results!

10-10-10 Reading Challenge Begins!

With the crazy weather we're expecting, this weekend is the perfect time to start on my 10-10-10 Reading Challenge (first priority is getting through some Jefferson Cup books). I picked up the following:



1. graphic novels: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon



2. science fiction: Skinned



3. fantasy: A Finder's Magic




4. scary stories: Tantalize

5. current adult fiction (I started to read Up in the Air, since I saw the movie, but I couldn't get into it, and 2 people requested it. So nothing for this right now.)



6. sports stories: Travel Team

7. 1st (if possible) book in a series that I haven't read: Spaniel Surprise

8. folktale collections: Mermaid Tales From Around the World



9. mysteries: The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn



10.horse stories: A Horse of Her Own

(No, I won't get through these books this weekend!)

Happy reading, everyone! This morning has been SUPER busy at the Warrenton library, and I'm sure the same is at Bealeton and Marshall. Stay warm and safe.

Positively

Do you remember the boys who would run around the playground shouting, "You've got cooties!"? Every school had them. Their main goal was usually to aggravate the girls, who would typically ignore them or loudly complain to their friends.

I must have been in second or third grade when one day, one of the boys shouted something different.

"You've got AIDS! You've got AIDS!"

I don't remember my outward reaction or my friends' reactions, but I definitely remember feeling shocked and really, really uncomfortable. I didn't know all the details about the disease, of course, at that time, but I did know that it was something that you never, ever, ever wanted to get, because people died from it, and there was something about it that made it different from cancer, a heart attack, or anything else that killed people. Ryan White was already a household name, and Rock Hudson was already dead, so it was definitely on the evening news and in the newspaper. I also knew that you had to be very careful with cuts and blood, so I guess someone talked to me about it. Although I can't remember any specific discussions that anyone had with me about it, I don't remember ever *not* knowing that word. I didn't always know the specifics, but I always knew the heaviness, for lack of a better word, that surrounded it. It wasn't until I picked up Positively that that specific memory came rushing back. I hadn't thought about it in years.

Thirteen year old Emerson Price can't remember a time in which HIV was not a part of her life. Diagnosed at the age of four (her mother became HIV+ due to a relationship prior to her marriage), Emmy has largely kept healthy due to her daily regiment of pills. "I love this for keeping you well," her mother would say, kissing the pill bottle before administering Emmy's medicine.

Emmy's life is turned upside down when her mother succumbs to her illness, requiring her to live with her father and his newly pregnant wife. When the trauma of losing her mother and dealing with her new family arrangements get to be too much, Emmy reluctantly attends a sleepaway camp for girls infected with HIV. For the first time, Emmy meets other girls who understand exactly what she's going through.

Although the basic facts about HIV are imparted in somewhat of a teacher-ish way at the very beginning (not uncommon among children's fiction about diseases) and the ending is a bit neat, Positively is a wonderful and engrossing read that encases the highs and lows of Emmy's life. Although HIV is a major part of the story, it's definitely not told in a "Very Special Episode" way. Emmy's relationships with her stepmother, father, and best friend will ring true to any preteen/teen reader. Her fears about her unknown future will strike their hearts as well. Emmy, despite her disease, is truly EveryGirl, with emotions and situations with which preteen/teen girls can identify.



For preteens/teens needing an informational book about HIV/AIDS, Quicksand is a (new) basic, soup-to-nuts book that lays out the information in an unassuming and nonjudgmental manner. The anonymous author's own personal story with HIV/AIDS (her brother-in-law died from the disease) adds a tender personal touch.