Kylie Jean, Blueberry Queen by Marci Peschke

Kylie Jean has had a dream ever since she was a "bitty baby": she wants to be a Beauty Queen. And with the upcoming Blueberry Festival, she sees her chance! She might be young, but Kylie Jean is determined to find a way to be the Blueberry Queen.

I didn't know anything about this book (or this series) when I started reading it, and because I was reading it on my Kobo I didn't even see the cover. When Kylie Jean started talking about how she's beautiful, inside and out, I thought to myself "that sounds like one of the kids on Toddlers & Tiaras." And, on the very next page, Kylie Jean announces that she wants to be a beauty queen, and I thought, "well, that makes sense." Kylie Jean can be a little much, but she's resourceful and determined. Being a beauty queen is her idea, not anyone else's, which is nice to see. She does have a big family who cares about her and wants to help her, but she has to approach them - she's not being pushed into anything, and she has to figure out a way to accomplish her goals. I'm not sure how Kylie Jean will hold up over several books (right now there are at least three others scheduled to be published), but I'm curious to find out.


Find it at Amazon. This title will be released in 2011 by Capstone publishiers. I read an advanced copy at NetGalley.

Read it with:
Billy and Milly, Short and Silly by Eve Feldman
Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Judy Moody by Megan McDonald
Utterly Me, Clarice Bean by Lauren Child

Big Bouffant by Kate Hosford

Pigtails and braids. Braids and pigtails. When Annabelle looks around her classroom at school, all she sees are girls with their hair in pigtails and braids. That's fine for some people, but Annabelle wants to be different; she wants to stand out! Then she sees a picture of her grandmother's big bouffant hairstyle, and she knows exactly how she wants to wear her hair from now on! Annabelle loves it...but how will the other kids react?

This is a fun book that celebrates creativity, imagination, and individuality. The text is written in rhyme and that really makes sense for the book - Annabelle seems like a girl who might go through a rhyming phase. The illustrations are unique and fun (and the one where Annabelle uses kitchen items to build a bouffant is realistically disgusting). This is a great book to share with kids who dare to be different.

Find more information about the book at Lerner Publishing. It will be published in 2011. I read an advance copy at NetGalley.

Read it with:
Standing for Socks by Elissa Brent Weissman
Presenting Tallulah by Tori Spelling
Brontorina by James Howe
Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor
A Style All Her Own by Laurie B. Friedman

5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth by The Oatmeal

Have you ever wanted to punch a dolphin in the mouth, but were worried that you might not have a good enough reason for punching it? The Oatmeal anticipated this problem and has come out with 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth. Dolphin-punching is only one topic they tackle, though; there are pages and pages of other guides to things like How to Suck at Facebook, 8 Ways to Improve Your Home Using a Human Corpse, or 8 Ways to Tell if Your Loved One Plans to Eat You. Many of the guides turn very bloody and disturbing pretty quickly, but the grammar and spelling ones (ten words people spell wrong, semi-colons) are ones that I think should be seen by as many people as possible.

See more at The Oatmeal. The book comes out in 2011. I read an advance copy of the book from NetGalley.

Read it with:
This is Priceless by Steven Melcher
xkcd volume 0 by Randall Munroe
How to Make Webcomics by Scott Kurtz and Kristoffer Straub

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

Theodore Boone knows exactly what he wants to do when he grows up. He loves the thrill of entering a court house. He knows how important the law is. He wants to use the law to help people. Sure, right now he's only thirteen, but he can still use what he knows to help those around him. It's that willingness to help people that gets him involved in the middle of the biggest murder trial his town's ever seen. Can Theo figure out how to solve this mystery in time - or will the wrong man go free?

There was a fair bit about this book that just rang false for me. There's a passage fairly early on about how 13 year old Theo doesn't really care about girls, but that's okay, because no one else really does in his class, either. Oh, okay. And I get that his parents are committed to the law (both of his parents are lawyers), but is anyone worried that Theodore is a bit obsessed? I mean, his favourite TV show is reruns of black-and-white Perry Mason episodes. And he's kind of holding himself out as a legal authority, even though he's only 13 and has no legal training. Which I don't think would bother me if only kids were coming to him (in the vein of Encyclopedia Brown), but when adults are coming to him for help, I think I've officially suspended too much disbelief. Also, the plot of the book really isn't about Theodore, and it's not really that dramatic.

Bookshelves of Doom says a lot of this better than I can - don't miss her post.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Rainmaker by John Grisham
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobel
The Lemonade Crime by Jaqcueline Davies

That is Priceless by Steven Melcher

Have you ever looked at a painting and thought, "Hmm, I wonder if the painter meant it to look like that child is crushing a small bird? This can't end well." That is the very question that Steven Melchor asked - well, a variation on it - and that led to his blog "That is Priceless," where he gives paintings both famous and obscure new titles. These new titles, like "Real Housewives of the Acropolis," "Jesus Obsessed With His iPad," "Oops! Sorry, Wrong Door," and "Guess Who Found His Mom's Curling Iron?" are meant to say what we're all thinking. It's a funny concept and the book is just about the right length so that it doesn't overstay the joke. (One quibble: there was one caption that snapped me right out of the book - a needless apostrophe on "Witness Protection Program's Family of the Year (the Doe's).")

See more at That is Priceless. I read an advance copy of it at NetGalley.

Read it with:
5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin by The Oatmeal
Regretsy by April Winchell
Cake Wrecks by Jen Yates
Passive Aggressive Notes by Kerry Miller
Stuff White People Like: A Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions by Christian Lander

How I Made it To Eighteen by Tracy White

How I Made it to Eighteen starts out with this note from Tracy:
“This books is only mostly true because I’ve skipped over things, moved events around, embellished, and occasionally just plain made things up. Also I wanted to respect the privacy of people and places so names and recognizable details have been changed. The technical term for this is dramatic license. I used it. The 100% true big picture facts: I did a lot of drugs. I had body image issues. I had a nervous breakdown. I checked myself into a mental hospital. I stayed longer than I’d originally intended. I got better. Eventually."

That really sets the tone for the rest of the book. It starts after she’s been in the mental hospital for forty-nine hours. She details her own struggles with depression, body image, and her mother. One of the things that I like about this book is that the main character still hides things from us. That’s something I think I assumed about graphic novels – that everything would be laid out for me and I wouldn’t have to critically think about what I was reading, but in How I Made it to Eighteen there is information that Tracy reveals near the end of the book that changes how I think about earlier parts.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
The Impostor's Daughter by Laurie Sandell
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume One by Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim

Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 1 is based on Stephenie Meyer’s novel Twilight. The series has exploded in popularity since it was first released, and in 2010 it was adapted into this graphic novel. How do you summarize Twilight? By now it's so much more than a book. But here goes: Bella Swan isn’t too happy when she first moves to Forks, Washington; she’s used to the sun of Arizona, where she lives with her mom. She hardly knows her father at all, and isn’t sure how well she’ll fit in at school. Then she meets Edward Cullen, the mysterious guy that everyone gossips about. There’s something weird about him and his family…and Bella can’t help but be interested…

What I like about the graphic novel is that it has a different look than the movies; it’s not a comic version of Robert Pattison and Kristen Stewart, but its own version, done in manhwa, or Korean manga style. This is only volume one, though, so it’s not the entire first book, let alone the entire series, and I haven't heard anything about a release date for Volume Two. Still, It’s a good choice for Twilight fans who’ve devoured the series as well as extras like The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Twilight Unbound: The Stephenie Meyer Story by Ryan Burton and Darren G. Davis

I Am Going by Mo Willems

Elephant and Piggie really value their time together. Then, in the middle of a perfect day together, Piggie says she has to go. It's enough to turn Gerald into an anxious pile of sadness. For me, it read less like a touching story of friendly closeness than a scary tale of co-dependence, but kids might get a kick out of the punchline (I saw it - or a variation of it coming, and still smiled).

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Cat the Cat, Who is That? by Mo Willems
Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems
Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

13 Words by Lemony Snicket

Here's what I took away from 13 Words: it's never too early to introduce children to words like "haberdashery." And really, that's a lesson that's worth sharing.

13 Words is more than just a vocabulary-building exercise; there's a plot in there, too. There is a bird, and he is despondent. (Bird and despondent are words one and two). So his friend, a dog, decides to try to cheer him up with some cake (there are many different kinds of cake, but that's a different story...). Then there's a convertible-driving goat, and some hats, and a haberdashery, and a baby, and a mezz0-soprano...well, really, you kind of have to read the book to really understand it. Definitely check this one out.

See a trailer for 13 Words here:



Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin
The Composer is Dead by Lemony Snicket
Paulina P. (for Peterson) by Lisa Cinar
My Friend is Sad by Mo Willems
Big Rabbit's Bad Mood by Ramona Badescu

The Impostor's Daughter by Laurie Sandell

The Impostor’s Daughter by Laurie Sandell’s vibrant colours just jump right off the page, but underneath the bright colours is a memoir that touches on mental stability, addiction, relationships with parents, and identity. Laurie’s father was always a larger-than-life part of her childhood. His stories and his genius overshadowed the rest of the family. As she got older, though, Laurie started to wonder about his stories, and when she started fact-checking, she realized that they were all made up. Everything he’d told her was a lie. Even worse, he had been using her name and social security number to take out multiple credit cards that all had huge balances owing on them. Laurie decided to write about her father’s life, but this decision angered the rest of her family and threatened to drive a permanent wedge between her and her parents. With a bold frankness about sex, addiction, and relationships, The Impostor’s Daughter is a gripping story about how one’s own identity is wrapped up in other people.Definitely do not miss this one.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
How I Made it to Eighteen by Tracy White
The Hole We're In by Gabrielle Zevin
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
A Romanov Fantasy by Frances Welch
Freddie and Me by Mike Dawson

America's Next Top Model: Strike a Pose by Taryn Bell

In the conclusion of the four-book America's Next Top Model series, only one girl can win the prestigious title and all that comes with it. Will it be Chloe, the girl who was born for this competition? Lindsay, who is on the verge of re-starting the career she had years ago? Alexis, the small-town girl who has had a glimpse of the big-time? Shiva-Rose, who has fallen in love with New York City? Or one of the other girls in the competition? All will be revealed in Strike a Pose.

While I liked how all of the storylines were wrapped up in satisfying ways, there were some parts of this one that just didn't make any sense to me. Lindsay, for instance, seemed to have no trouble finding a way to get back on TV, although the rest of the series had been about how the modeling competition was her only chance to get her foot in the door. But that's not really the point, is it? There are big modeling shoots and dramatic conversations and that's what the series is really about.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Skin Deep by Taryn Bell
Face Value by Taryn Bell
Eye Candy by Taryn Bell
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
America's Next Top Model Fierce Guide to Life by J.E. Bright

America's Next Top Model: Eye Candy by Taryn Bell

The four roommates at Top Model Prep are back in the second volume of the four-book series. Eye Candy picks up just after Alexis has been busted for shoplifting. Although the girls (namely Chloe, the wealthy daughter of a famous model) bailed her out, they're still worried about her and want her to get some help. Instead, though, she gets closer to a male model acquaintance who just happens to have a giant billboard looming over the city. The other girls are all dealing with other issues, too: Chloe is torn between her boyfriend, Liam, and a new guy she meets in New York, and she's still trying to deal with the pressure that her mother puts on her; Lindsay is trying to deal with Liam romancing her while working toward re-energizing her acting career; Shiva-Rose misses home and struggles with the commercial filming, but she might have other talents to show off. The drama comes to a head at an industry party and an intense commercial shoot where every girl is in danger of going home.

I read this book after I had read the other three, out of minor curiosity to find out how book one got to book three. It happened pretty much like I thought it might, although the fact that Alexis' shoplifting wasn't really addressed was surprising because it's really not brought up again in the rest of the series (that I can remember). It's a series that's definitely written for a tween audience because there's not quite enough bite, sex, or intrigue for an older audience.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Skin Deep by Taryn Bell
Face Value by Taryn Bell
Strike a Pose by Taryn Bell
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
America's Next Top Model Fierce Guide to Life by J.E. Bright

Britten and Brulightly by Hannah Berry

Private detective Fernández Britten has been a private detective for many years – too many years, he thinks. Tired by being around so much darkness, he longs to know that there is some good in the world. Britten is assisted by his loyal partner Brulightly – a tea bag that he keeps in his pocket. One day a woman walks into his office (there’s always a woman…) and convinces him to look into her fiance’s suicide. Before long Britten is once again in the dark world he knows too well, uncovering secrets, lies, and cover-ups. In addition to having a compelling, twisty story, this book just oozes atmosphere. The characters at times look like they live in a permanent rain storm. Shadows and darkness creep around every page. This stylish book is perfect for someone who likes film noir movies or detective fiction.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma
The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Many years ago, during a time of terrible war, nine young Loric children were sent to earth, each with a caretaker. Pursued by the Mogadorians, a charm was put on the children to protect them - they could only be killed in order. If a Mogadorian tried to kill one out of order, it would reverse the act and instead kill the attacker in the same way. The first three have been killed. This is the story of number four.

I read this book knowing that there's a movie coming out soon, so I think that coloured how I read it. It's easy to see why it will be a good story to adapt - there's romance and intrigue, action and comic touches and teenage rebellion. It seems a bit slick, as maybe today's books have to be - and having the book credited to "Pittacus Lore" works with that. I don't usually read sci-fi so it worked for me, but I don't know if it's enough for hard-core sci-fi fans. Once I got into the story I just whipped through the last 250 or so pages. This is billed as book one in the Lorien Legacies, so there's more of the story to come.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb
Boom! by Mark Haddon

Teen Angst? Naaah...by Ned Vizzini

Summer jobs. High school anxiety. The perfect prom. These are all tropes that are familiar to readers of YA fiction. In Teen Angst? Naaah, though, these stories move from fiction to non-fiction as Ned Vizzini shares the story of his life.

In a series of short episodes, Ned Vizzini captures the very essence of what it means to be growing up in the 1990s. Written while a teenager himself, Ned uses humour and an amazing eye for detail and nuance to construct a book that reaches far beyond his own single experience. I have to admit - I might be predisposed to be attracted to this book because I wrote an almost identical one when I was in high school. Sure, it wasn't about a New York high school student named Ned, but it was about me, and framed in little vignettes, and chronologically covered my high school career. Was it as good as this one? If I'm being honest, no...although I do think living in/near New York was an advantage, Ned Vizzini is really very talented and you can see it in this book. I can't wait to get my hands on his other books.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Talking to Girls About Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Cringe edited by Sarah Brown
Be True to Your School by Bob Greene

Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems

Gerald (the Elephant) and Piggie (the Pig) have a tight friendship, and they love doing things together. But when another animal wants to play too, can they find a way to make it work? I really liked that the conflict in this book came from trying to find a way to include a snake in a game of catch, and not from trying to keep the snake from playing with them. It definitely seems like where Gerald and Piggie are concerned, the more, the merrier. Fans of Mo Willems and Elephant and Piggie will enjoy this new episode, but it's best not to think too much about the ending.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Cat the Cat, Who is That? by Mo Willems
Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
I am Going by Mo Willems
Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

Will by Maria Boyd

Will's always been a bit of a troublemaker, but this time he's gone too far - he mooned a bus full of girls from a neighbouring girl's school. Instead of expulsion, though, Will's teacher decides that the best thing would be for him to join the school band - just in time to take part in the school musical. Will is horrified; being involved with the school musical is the height of uncool. The close proximity to girls, though, is a positive side effect, and he does love making music. Is it possible that Will might actually enjoy himself - and maybe even learn something?

I was in the drama department in high school, so while I was probably one of the 'freaks' that he was forced to be around, I really liked Will's story. He is a great character. He makes mistakes (sometimes really big, insensitive mistakes) and is definitely not perfect, but as a narrator he has a great voice. He's also surrounded by really great supporting characters that avoid being cliches. This is definitely a book worth checking out.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner
Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott
Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Monkey Portraits by Jill Greenburg

The title says it all: this book is filled with portraits of monkeys. I've always been fascinated by monkeys, and this close-up look at their faces just captivated me. The portraits capture emotions and personality in a very effective way. Most of the monkeys shown are show-biz veterans (their names and credits are listed in the back) and that left me wondering how much 'acting' was going on in these pictures and had me thinking about the use of monkeys and other animals on film. I picked up this book right after I finished reading Half Brother, and so I knew that had an effect on me, but this is an interesting book that would be at home on almost any coffee table.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel
Me Cheeta by James Lever
Regarding Heroes by Yousuf Karsh
Sock Monkeys by Arne Svenson and Ron Warren
Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne

Good Night Canada by Adam Gamble

Canada is a big country; there's a lot to see and do, and Good Night Canada is determined to show it all off. Over the course of day (that also lasts a year), the book jumps from coast to coast to coast highlighting the many different people and cultures that make up Canada. While some of the pages are a more natural fit than others (the one dedicated to Toronto's theatre district was an unexpected discovery) and Canada's north seems to be underrepresented, it's a nice idea for a book. It would make a perfect gift for an expatriate family now living outside of Canada (as would the Historica Heritage Minutes DVD).

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
ABCs of Canada by Per-Henrik Gurth
Night Cars by Teddy Jam

The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies

School has started but Evan Treski isn't sure how he feels about his younger sister Jessie being in the same class as him. To make things worse, Scott has told everyone he has the brand new Xbox 20/20 - and hardly anyone owns an Xbox 20/20! Evan and Jessie are convinced that Scott bought the Xbox 20/20 with money that he stole from them, and now Jessie has found a way to prove it - she's going to take him to court! Basing everything from a legal pamphlet on the judicial system, Jessie meticulously recreates a courtroom on the playground, including a judge, lawyers, a jury, and witnesses. If Scott is found guilty, he must give Evan the Xbox; if Scott is found innocent, Evan and Jessie must apologize to him in front of the entire class. Neither side wants to lose, and everyone has their own version of what happened. What will the verdict be?

Just as in The Lemonade War, I love how actual terms and concepts are introduced in each chapter of the book (this time, instead of business, it's legal terms and phrases). I love the idea of centering the book around a kid-led trial. True, it's a concept that's been mined by a lot of different things (the prank episode of Good Morning Miss Bliss (aka the weird episodes TBS tried to pass off as Saved by the Bell) was the first one that came to my mind, but I'm sure there were others); I participated in a historical-figure-based mock trial in high school. It's a great way to give power to the kids in the story while still working within a believable framework. I didn't know how the story was going to work out or what the verdict was going to be, but the book is so fun and strong that I really enjoyed reading it. This is a great book for middle grade readers.

See more about the book at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

The Lemonade Crime will be released in May, 2011. I read an advanced copy of the book at NetGalley.

Find it on IndieBound.

Read it with:

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
The Trial in American Life by Robert A. Ferguson
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Tales from the Hood by Michael Buckley
The Trial of Cardigan Jones by Tim Egan

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

In the last few days of summer, Evan and his younger sister Jessie are trying to find a way to spent their time. Jessie is looking forward to starting school again; she's glad to be starting the fourth grade after not having a great time in grade two the year before. Evan isn't so happy. He's going into grade four, too, and Jessie is going to be be in his class. He isn't good at school the same way that Jessie is, and he's afraid that she's going to make him look dumb. Jessie, though, doesn't know why Evan is so unhappy and just wants everything to be the same as it was before. She gets the idea to challenge him to a lemonade selling contest: whoever makes the most money will win. The stakes are high in this brother-sister war, and neither one is going to back down.

In addition to a fun story, there are a lot of practical business tips for kids sprinkled throughout the action. As Jessie, Evan and their friends learn these business principles, they are shared with and explained to the reader. A follow-up book, The Lemonade Crime, will be published in 2011, and it picks up right where this book leaves off. (Look for my take on that book coming tomorrow).

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies
The Boy Who Drew Birds by Jacqueline Davies
Digging Up Trouble by Kim Wayans
Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
Lemonade for Sale by Bettina Ling

What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb

Mo Wren is very mature for nearly eleven. She has to be, because she has to take care of her little sister, Dottie, who's somewhat of a Wild Thing. She also has to take care of their father, because it's just the three of them since her mother died. The Wrens live on Fox Street, and Mo thinks that it's the best place in the world to grow up. Even better, it's summer, and that's the best time of year because her best friend comes to visit her grandmother (Mo's neighbour). Of course, not everything is perfect. Mo's never seen a fox on Fox Street, for example, and there are a lot of mail coming from developers who want to buy out the houses on Fox Street. But Mo is determined that nothing is going to change as long as she has anything to say about it!

What Happened on Fox Street, like Crunch and other recent middle grade books, doesn't shy away from portraying families who are struggling in touch economic times. None of the families on Fox Street are that well off, and when Mo's friend's mom marries a man who is financially 'comfortable,' it creates a vague kind of Mo's mind as, for the first time, she has to deal with knowing that her family isn't 'comfortable' in the same way. Mo is a tough character but still vulnerable, determined and practical but still childlike in some ways. Also, in a fun coincidence, it takes place in the same area (and presumably at the same time) as another new 2010 release, I Am Number Four. A crossover is probably only found in fan fiction, though.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
The Tilting House by Tom Llewellyn
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore