Sourcebooks releasing new edition of Anne of Green Gables series

I'm not normally super excited by publisher marketing emails. Some are interesting, but since this is a small little personal blog and not part of the great marketing machine, I rarely do more than the occasional tweet about info I receive. (Sorry, publishers)

BUT! I just got one from Sourcebooks that made me smile. Anne of Green Gables is being rereleased in new editions! I'm a huge L.M. Montgomery fan, so it also brightened my day to see her lesser known books slated for re-release, too.

You can find out more at Sourcebook's L.M. Montgomery page.

Anyone else excited? I admit, I'm more of an Emily of New Moon fan, but I enjoyed all of LMM's books as a young girl.

Celebrate Your Freedom to Read: Banned Books Week Sept 22-28

It's Banned Books Week, and I am celebrating MY freedom to read by reading Where the Wild Things Are to my kids tonight.

Books are challenged (and sometimes removed from circulation) all over the country every year. While not banned as other countries do, restricting access to ideas has a similar effect. Think your part of the country is immune to these challenges? It happens where you'd least expect.



View Book Bans and Challenges, 2007-2011 in a larger map

2013 Newbery and Caldecott Medal Winners

I don't normally blog about children's books, but as a mom and a former bookseller, this bit of news seemed worth sharing.

The Newbery and Caldecott winners were announced yesterday. For those who aren't familiar with these two highly prestigious awards, here's the quick and dirty... Newbery (one R!) is for contributions to children's literature in books designed for about grade 3-6th. They're nearly always sad (These are the books that teachers love to assign). The Caldecott Medal is for picture books, and usually the illustrations are the big deal there.

I haven't read either one of this year's winners, but I do have the Newbery Medal winner on its way from Amazon.

Newbery Medal
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Caldecott Medal
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

The ALA's website (linked above) also have lists of the previous winners for both awards as well as the Honor books (runners up).

Brian Jacques Dies at Age 71

BBC News reported that Brian Jacques, author of the very popular Redwall series, died over the weekend.

When I first heard the news on Twitter via Publishers Weekly, I admit it: I cried.

I had never heard of the Redwall series when I was young. The first book, Redwall, was published in 1986, but it wasn't until a decade later, while taking a Children's Literature course in college that I discovered the magic of Brian Jacques.

The premise of the books sounds so silly. Furry rodents and other creatures in a medieval like setting having battles, eating yummy sounding food, and going on adventures. But Jacques managed to put so much heart into his books. They are truly moving, very engrossing, and timeless.

These are a perfect example of books that transcend genres and age groups. To some, they are written for children. But these are full length novels that I quite often found shelved in the adult fantasy section. My personal favorite is not Redwall, but Mossflower. I haven't reread those in a long time, and I know a few of the series is available on audio. I think it may be time to introduce these books to my own children.

I am a little heartbroken that there will be no more Redwall adventures. But I am so grateful that Brian Jacques left us the rich legacy of his stories. For those who haven't read his stories, I highly recommend them.

Review: Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe (audiobook)

Publisher: Listening Library
Narrator:Victor Garber
Run Time: 6 hrs 48 min
Includes: Bunnicula, Howliday Inn, Celery Stalks at Midnight

Bunnicula is perhaps the favorite book from my childhood. I grew up reading about Chester, the bibliophile cat, and Harold, the dog and their adventures. I was delighted to find the first three Bunnicula books as an audio bundle on Audible.

The narrator does a terrific job differentiating between characters. There are also quite a lot of dialogue tags as the reading level is about 2nd or 3rd grade.

My sons and I recently listened to this collection on a long road trip. The youngest, age 4, ignored it completely. The oldest, age 7, adored it.  It is broken into 3 books, which makes it easier for younger listeners to stay involved. And having the same narrator do all 3 stories means there is continuity for the kids as well.

These are thriller/mysteries, but I don’t think they are too scary for most children. The first book, Bunnicula, involves a suspected vampire bunny. And the only ones harmed are vegetables.  The second story has a bit more peril--with animals disappearing from a pet boarding facility.

I found these books just as charming, funny, and entertaining as I remembered. These are definitely classics, and I’m so happy they are available in audio format.

My Grade: A-

Buy Books for the Holidays! Suggestions for Kids

Books are the best gift for any occasion as far as I'm concerned. If chosen correctly, they are the gift that never stops giving. And they show the recipient that the person giving them the book knows them well. Or wants to share something personal that they love with them. It's an intimate kind of gift if you do it right. Books as gifts epitomize 'it's the thought that counts.'

Picking books for young children can be tricky. There is a definite difference between what parents like (pretty illustrations, great story) and what children like (great characters and engaging language). There's nothing wrong with giving a PARENT a book to read for their child if you think they will enjoy it. And there's everything right about giving a child a book that will hopefully stay with them forever.