Big Shots

We have quite a few big authors/series with new books coming out this fall. Here's a sneak peek:

Abe Lincoln at Last

Mary Pope Osborne's latest entry in her wildly popular Magic Tree House series takes readers to the Lincoln administration (we also ordered the nonfiction companion; note that the Magic Tree House Research Guides are now called Magic Tree House Fact Trackers). Late December release.









The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse

Eric Carle's latest work is an homage to the German artist Franz Marc, who specialized in unusual animal drawings. Early October release.










Cabin Fever

The latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book will be released in mid-November.







Clockwork Prince


Cassandra Clare fans are undoubtedly counting down the days until the sequel to Clockwork Angel in the Infernal Devices series will be released (early December). If you're wondering what all this steampunk stuff is all about, check out Clare's novels. You can start with either the Mortal Instruments series or the Infernal Devices series; they complement each other, but are not dependent upon each other and they don't contain "spoilers" about the other series (the Infernal Devices series is the prequel to Mortal Instruments).








Crossed


Woo hoo! The highly anticipated sequel to Matched will be released in early November. Will Cassia find Ky? And there's a rebellion coming? Cannot wait.







The Fire


James Patterson and Jill Dembowski's latest entry in the Witch and Wizard series will be released in early December.







The Forgotten Warrior


We already have two holds for the next Warriors book (late November release).






Inheritance


Same for the final book in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance series (early November release).









John Flanagan's first book in the Brotherband Chronicles (companion series to The Ranger's Apprentice series) will be released in early November.








Fans of Virginia author Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver trilogy can't wait for The Scorpio Races. Stiefvater turns her attention away from werewolves to killer water faerie horses, although she says that it's not really about killer water faerie horses. Huh? Oh, well. We'll just have to wait until mid-October to figure out what it's all about.






Becca Fitzpatrick concludes her Hush trilogy (it's about fallen angels) with Silence, out in early October. On second thought, it's supposed to be the conclusion to the trilogy. However, the cover says it's the "third book in the New York Times bestseller Hush, Hush saga." Huh. That sounds a leeetle different from a "conclusion." On the other hand, Becca Fitzpatrick recently blogged that "You'll finally know what happens to Patch and Nora." Which does sound like she's done with the series. I dunno.


We should have many happy fans during the forthcoming months!

Historic Conversations on Life With John F. Kennedy

Historic Conversations on Life With John F. Kennedy


To my surprise and delight (and consternation, because there were two other high-demand books on hold for me), my hold request for Historic Conversations came in yesterday afternoon. Although I'm not someone who has an enormous interest in the Kennedys, I was intrigued by the release of a series of interviews granted by one of our most private First Ladies (a term she hated because she thought it sounded like the name of a horse). Beginning in January 1964, mere months after the assassination of President Kennedy, this is a snapshot of Mrs. Kennedy's thoughts, feelings, and reminiscences during a time of intense grief and chaos. Due to the number of CDs (8), the complexity of the companion book (many footnotes), and the sheer number of patrons waiting for their turn, I ended up listening to about 2 1/2 CDs and browsing through the book. Therefore, this is more of an impression of the CDs/book than a full review.

Listeners may be tempted to skip over Caroline Kennedy's lengthy foreword; I would encourage them to not do so. Caroline Kennedy has a somewhat dispassionate delivery (although she clearly adores her mother), yet it's important to realize the history behind the interviews and Kennedy's dilemma over releasing the tapes. Having known the contents of the interviews since her mother's death in 1994, Kennedy was well aware that her mother's comments did not necessarily reflect her later views, and that some comments about prominent figures would incite gossip and criticism (which we have seen since the publication of these recordings). By the time Michael Beschloss begins his own introduction, you may be impatient to skip ahead. For those who only have a basic understanding of the Kennedy presidency (such as me), it's a worthwhile listen.

Finally, we get to the actual interviews! They require a careful listen, as Mrs. Kennedy's voice was famously quiet and breathy. The Schlesinger interviews were being conducted at the same time as she was sitting for interviews with another Kennedy biographer (whom she sued in order to prevent comments being published that she later regretted saying about the assassination) and the Warren commission, and it shows; she sounds quite weary at the beginning. Rather endearingly and movingly, she slips into present tense at times when talking about JFK (I counted three times, which are all in the first two conversations; she doesn't do this in further conversations). John Jr. also appears on the recording, during which Schlesinger asks him what happened to his father ("Well, he's in heaven") and if he remembers his father. John Jr. answers yes and no to two different questions; as he was only three at the time of the recording (he turned three on the day of President Kennedy's funeral), this is entirely understandable (at that age, children will often say what they think the adult wants to hear, and a three year old can't really grasp abstract concepts like "remember"), yet quite sad (in his adulthood, John Jr. did not have many memories of his father or life in the White House). On a lighter note, an amusing moment occurs when she can only bear to whisper about JFK's "stomach problems" (she has to repeat it several times before Schlesinger understands what she is saying).


Jacqueline Kennedy's comments in this interview about Martin Luther King, Jr., Indira Gandhi, and feminism have been well documented in recent articles; it helps to read and listen to the comments in their full text (and to understand why she may feel that way), and also to realize that this is a snapshot at a very specific moment in time. As Caroline Kennedy notes in her foreword, Schlesinger also spends time on issues regarding the Kennedy administration that have not really stood the test of time in terms of historical and cultural significance, and that the listener/reader may wish that he had expounded upon other issues/events. Listeners who rely solely on the recordings and/or don't have a great knowledge about the Kennedy administration may get a bit lost when Jacqueline Kennedy and/or Arthur Schlesinger refer to someone by last name only. This is a remarkable series of interviews granted by a woman who was deeply and famously private, yet had such an enormous regard for history that she saved untold amounts of letters and documents and severely rebuked White House staffers who threw away seemingly meaningless scraps of paper. We now have a more complicated and fuller knowledge of the Kennedys' marriage and the Kennedy administration, so these tapes didn't release any shocking new details; rather, it's a unique and immediate series of recollections conducted under a stressful and chaotic time for the former First Lady, released in time for the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's inauguration. Well worth your time for history buffs.

Past, Present, and Future (Reads)

Oh, that Wowbrary is getting me into so much trouble. I have several high-demand books that I really need to get through in the next two weeks. The fall releases are coming in fast and furious; there are a number of tempting things that we are just about to put on the new books shelf.



Past Reads:

The Absolute Value of Mike

Mike is the son of a brilliant mathematician; unfortunately, he has no mathematical aptitude. Sent to live with elderly and odd relatives for the summer (dad is in Romania for research), Mike gets involved in the town's efforts to bring a Romanian orphan to America.

Some people have a lot of patience for quirk; I don't. This has an abundance of quirk. If that's your style, then you should enjoy The Absolute Value of Mike.

Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World


Wow; this was a terrific and eye-opening read. Robin Wright interviewed key players in the recent Arab uprisings, hijab-wearing Muslim feminists, Arab and Arab-American stand up comics, filmmakers, and other Muslim political and cultural figures in the Middle East and other Muslim communities. Fascinating, moving, funny, and sobering reading. Highly recommended.

Present Reads:

Aliens on Vacation

I am getting a big kick out of this book, and it's not normally the type of book that I really enjoy. (The quirkiness issue.) However, an alien story is bound to draw the attention of young readers, especially boys, so I needed to check this out. Scrub's grandmother, with whom he is spending the summer, is a known eccentric in her small town. Everybody (well, pretty much everybody) thinks that her intergalactic-themed bed and breakfast is plenty weird, even without knowing that the guests are actually alien life-forms disguised as humans.

Scrub's bewilderment and the kooky guests are super funny; although I'm only halfway through the book, I'm already looking forward to the sequel, to be published next summer.

The Night Circus

This received a crazy amount of press before it was even published, so I was curious to see if it lived up to its hype. I only started this last night, but I'm totally loving it. I'm not quite sure where it's going (if you want a brief summary, click on the link), but I'm on board for the ride. Trying to get through it as quickly as possible, since there are a number of holds for it. I also have The Language of Flowers waiting, so I'm planning to juggle both at the same time.

Future Reads

Warp Speed

I'm trying to get through early 2011 reads that I've missed. I've never read anything by Lisa Yee that I didn't enjoy. This is a look at bullying at a middle school; definitely timely.

Cannot believe that September is almost over. That means that I'm about to order new titles for October!

(I already ordered Thanksgiving/Christmas books, but will save that when it gets a little closer to the holidays. Most won't be available until very late in October or early November. We have several neat Thanksgiving books on the way, about which I'm very happy, since interesting and creative Thanksgiving books are not always easy to find. We also have some lovely Christmas books on the way, as well as a new Hanukkah folktale by Eric Kimmel.)

September to Remember

Oooh boy. The fall reading season is definitely upon us. So much to discuss...let's get to it! These will be very short annotations.






Ten Rules for Living With My Sister

Why I'm looking forward to it: It's an Ann M. Martin novel about a sister relationship from the nine year old little sister's perspective. It's already received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (praising Martin's "credible characterizations, on-the-nail humor, and well-observed family dynamics") and excellent reviews from other sources.







13 Gifts

Why I'm looking forward to it: Wendy Mass is a fantastic writer, and she's popular with tween girls. School Library Journal is among its admirers, noting that "[B]y fusing middle-school drama with just a sprinkle of magic and mystery, Mass provides an optimistic and and genuine addition to the coming-of-age genre."






The Astonishing Secret Of Awesome Man

Why I'm looking forward to this book: Looks like an action-packed "superhero" story with a moral that's not overly preachy.






The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories

Why I'm looking forward to it: Frankly, I think calling these "lost stories" is rather pushing it. When I heard (about a year ago) that a collection of "lost" Dr. Seuss stories was being published, I imagined that a bunch of looseleaf papers were discovered by a nephew twice removed or something like that. Actually, these stories were published in various publications during the 1950s and were never found in book form until now (some were recorded). Not really lost, in my opinion, but the stories will be new to the vast majority of people (including me). And that's cool.







Breadcrumbs

Why I'm looking forward to it: This is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. I love expanded fairy tales (Jane Yolen has one coming out in November; it's a Snow White story set in 1940s West Virginia...wow!), and this is getting terrific reviews.






City of Orphans


Why I'm looking forward to it: It's a mystery by Avi set in 1890s New York. I'm not a fan of everything that Avi has written, but I usually enjoy his historical fiction books. That's why! Starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly.






Cows to the Rescue


Why I'm looking forward to it: Himmelman's other "--To the Rescue" books are hilarious. Let's hope that he won't run this clever idea into the ground.







Every Thing On It: Poems and Drawings

Why I'm looking forward to it: Okay, here's your honest-to-goodness "never before seen" book. Shel Silverstein's family selected these poems and drawings from his archive (so, not lost, but they're not advertising them as "lost"). The reviews have been very positive; it sounds like classic Silverstein, with a good mixture of silly and poignancy (particularly the final poem).







Wisdom's Kiss

Why I'm looking forward to it: One of my favorite YA authors. I love the fact that Catherine Gilbert Murdock writes about football-playing girls and princesses (not in the same book). Obviously, this is a princess-y book. However, some of the reviews make me wonder if this is a bit too clever for its own good (she uses a variety of devices through which to tell the story: diaries, letters, a play, encyclopedia entry, etc). We'll see.


There's a lot that I've left out and that I'm planning on highlighting once I've read them. Must read faster!

Wowbrary Wednesday

Yay! The recent Wowbrary edition yielded several goodies that I just had to add to my ever-growing requests list.

(Note: Wowbrary Wednesday features adult fiction and nonfiction.)




The Maid: A Novel of Joan of Arc

This debut novel has already earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly.





The Dovekeepers

I've never read anything by Alice Hoffman, but I've heard *of* her, and I know she's quite popular. This forthcoming novel is set in ancient Israel; not a period often explored in historical fiction, so I'm intrigued.







Nanjing Requiem


From the subject matter and review excerpts, I know that this will not be an easy read. It's receiving excellent reviews, including starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal.





Lionheart

I've read several Sharon Kay Penman novels, so I know that she writes grand epics. This clocks in at 608 pages; since I'm sure this will receive more holds requests once the publication date draws closer, I'll need to get through this quickly!





Mary Boleyn: The Mistress of Kings

I'm kind of over the whole Tudor phenomenon, but since this is a look at the sister of Anne Boleyn written by a terrific historian, I'm looking forward to reading this. Will probably be another popular request!

Our September children's/YA orders are in the catalog! Look for a highlights post later this week.

2 New Reviews

Silhouetted by the Blue

Serena is the star of her school's production of The Wiz, but her home life is threatening her concentration on school and the play. Her father has sunk into a deep depression over her mother's death in a car accident; it's so bad that he doesn't change out of his pajamas for days, is letting illustration jobs pass him by, and generally spaces out. Taking care of her little brother, who's acting out in school, is generally left to her. Not only must Serena negotiate this difficult home life, but she must also juggle the responsibilities of the play and the everyday normal life of a middle school girl.

What I liked: Serena is an engaging and realistically drawn character. Although the cover and distinct details in the story identify her as African-American, race is not a central aspect of the story. The effect of a disruptive home life is accurately depicted in Serena's lack of concentration and her younger brother's sudden acting-out in school. Musical theater fans will enjoy the references to shows (the title comes from a lyric in Ragtime); non-musical fans will not find the references overbearing. The ending is optimistic but truthful. The relationship between Serena and a boy in her Spanish class is cute and sweet; one of the highlights of the story.

Picky Picky: Serena's father is unreliable for school pickup, so Serena must either pick up her younger brother from school or ask friends to pick him up. This is unrealistic for the majority of schools; most schools will not release a child to a non-custodial parent unless there is a note from a parent or guardian. Simply calling a teacher, as Serena does, will not fly, especially if the person picking up the kid is an unrelated minor (she gets her friends to pick him up).

Overall: A good "issues driven" novel that manages to balance the darker parts of the story with fun moments. Highly recommended for YA collections.





Bestest. Ramadan. Ever.

Almira is valiantly struggling through her first real Ramadan. Last year's fasting attempt was a disaster, so she's trying extra hard to make it through the long month. A crush on a (non-Muslim) boy and the sudden arrival of a sophisticated mean girl (Muslim) only complicates matters.

What I liked: It's been interesting watching and reading the trickle of YA books written by Muslim authors and featuring Muslim characters. Wearing hijab (head covering) is a significant concern in books like Does My Head Look Big in This?, but Bestest.Ramadan.Ever is primarily focused on Almira's experience while fasting for Ramadan, which doesn't largely figure in other YA novels with Muslim characters. Almira realistically struggles with wanting to fit in with the other kids at her Miami high school; although her parents are not faithful mosque goers, they are still socially conservative and expect Almira to be as well. Almira will resonate with many teen girl readers, even if they aren't Muslim.

Picky Picky: The grandfather seems a bit over the top in his remarks, but that's a minor complaint. The mean girl story line was a bit predictable, but the lessons drawn from it are good ones to remember.

Overall: A terrific addition to multicultural YA collections. Definitely recommended!

Picture Book Round Up, Again

Don't have much to report on vacation reading, because it was mainly magazines and reading my way through We Two, which is about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (I don't bring library books or children's/YA books on vacation).

Knowing that I needed a new post soon, I grabbed a handful of picture books for my lunch time reading. Three I liked in particular:





Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played With Puppets

Kathleen Krull has delivered another terrific biography for young readers. With a new Muppet movie out this Thanksgiving, a renewed interest in the Muppets is likely. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher's illustrations of the Muppets are astonishingly realistic. I really like afterwords in children's biographies, so I was a bit disappointed this has none. A minor quibble in an otherwise excellent biography. I was happy to see a mention of Labyrinth, one of my guilty pleasure movies (we all have them). There's a bit more discussion of the creation of Sesame Street and its Muppets than The Muppet Show, but considering that the targeted audience will be much more familiar with Sesame Street, it makes sense.





The Haunted Hamburger and Other Ghostly Stories

Halloween will soon be in the air, and with that comes requests for ghost stories. This is perfect for children who aren't ready for truly shivery stories. Children are more likely to shriek with laughter than horror at these very silly stories.






Naamah and the Ark at Night

There are plenty of Noah's Ark picture books, but this story (really, a lullaby than an actual story) is from the perspective of Noah's wife (in Jewish tradition, she is called Naamah). Naamah soothes the humans and the beasts of the ark through the tumultuous storm through a soothing lullaby. This is going on my Caldecott shortlist; it definitely deserves a second look come Caldecott decision time.


I'm working on the September order; oh my goodness, there are some great things coming out this month!

I blogged about books for National Library Card Sign-Up Month on the ALSC blog recently. You can check it out here.