Something to Do by David Lucas

If Harold and the Purple Crayon and Not a Box had a baby (and somehow bears got mixed up in it), it might be this book. Something to Do starts out with a little bear complaining that there's nothing to do. That prompts a journey into imagination that really captured my eye. The cover is quite striking and stood out on a crowded shelf; the minimal illustrations and text will give parents and children lots to talk about. A great book for children who love exploring and creating imaginary world - as well as those who often complain that there is nothing to do.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
Let's Do Nothing by Tony Fucile

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

I think this book is one of the most straightforward titles I've ever read. What happens in this book? Well, Jeremy Thatcher hatches a dragon. Jeremy is twelve, and likes to draw. He's trying to escape bullies when one day he stumbles into a magic shop that he's never seen before. That's how he ends up with a dragon's egg - or how the dragon's egg ends up with him. He must quickly out how to care for his dragon while keeping her a secret - which is not easy as she grows bigger and bigger...

For some reason, I thought that this book had a lot of similarities to Hanging on to Max. Has anyone ever read Jeremy Thatcher as a teenage father? Keeping it a secret, trying to take care of something tiny and defenseless, parents not understanding, having to figure out if you can keep it or not, and (in the end, spoiler alert) ultimately giving the baby/dragon up for a better life, and the depression that follows.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Hanging on to Max by Margaret Bechard
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Sweethearts of Rhythm by Marilyn Nelson

One of the things that I love about finding new non-fiction picture books is that they often feature topics that I didn't even know I wanted to learn about. That's exactly what happened with Sweethearts of Rhythm, the story of the greatest all-girl swing band in the world. It's a mixture of history, culture, race, sex, and music. The story unfolds through poems that centre around the instruments in the band. It took a few poems to get used to how the book was going to work, but I liked how the poems could capture a snippet of a moment, a fragment of a story. I just kind of let the words wash over me as I experienced the book; I definitely think that it's a book I could return to again and get more out of. I really appreciated that there were materials at the end that helped to explain the band in terms of history, geography, and where America was at the time, and I would love for someone else to pick up this story and write it as a straight-up non-fiction book, and then they could serve as great companion pieces.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney
Almost Astronauts by Tanya Lee Stone
Claudette Colvin by Phillip Hoose
The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phalen

Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney

Madeline spends most of her time mothering her own mother, who's an alcoholic; she spends the rest of her time trying to fill up her emptiness by eating. Then she meets Tad, and her world starts to change. Desiree does not get along with her mother and fends off unwanted advances from her mother's boyfriend - but one day he overpowers her and forces himself on her. Ariel loves spending time with Shane, her boyfriend, even though she doesn't have much time for the other things in her life. Then her mom gets a call from her mother, who Ariel has never met; her grandmother has cancer, and Ariel and her mother decide to go and visit her in the hospital. Madeline (in the 1970s), Desiree (in the early 1990s) and Ariel (in 2009) each must face difficult relationships and consequences - and they all have the blue plate special in common.

This book was not what I was expecting, and I was very pleasantly surprised by it. I enjoyed settling in to the realities in the three different time periods, and getting used to the different styles of writing. I loved what the book has to say about how life shapes people and how people react differently to difficult situations. This was an incredibly satisfying book for me to read; I was spurred on to read it because it was a 2009 Cybils finalist, and I'm really glad that I did.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Everything is perfect in the town of Candor, Florida. That's what the people pay for, after all. Oscar Banks is the son of the town's father, and is viewed by everyone in Candor as the golden boy, the perfect child, the one that everyone should act like. That's what everyone thinks. They have no idea that Oscar has an underground business sneaking teens out of Candor, giving them subliminal messages of his own that counteract the ones that are being piped through Candor. Then he meets Nia, a new girl in town, and he is willing to risk everything that he's worked for in order to make sure that she gets out. This time, though, there are complications that could be fatal for everyone involved.

I found Oscar to be a really intriguing character. He's bright, charming, entrepreneurial, and has a dark edge to him. I wasn't really sure why he was willing to risk everything for Nia, the mysterious newcomer, given how little they knew about each other and how she acted with him. The book does ask you to accept a lot of things without really thinking about them (maybe this is true of dystopian fiction? I haven't read a lot of it). But I really liked the concept of how a place like Candor could come to be, and how people would react to it. One of my favourite characters is Oscar's ex-girlfriend, a former beauty pageant contestant who occasionally finds her old/true self bubbling to the surface.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Feed by M.T. Anderson
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

The Missing Wedding Dress Featuring Barbie by Karen Krugman

(This week I'm doing my first series, and it's books that I found delightful. I mean this in the best possible way: books that filled me with delight. This came about organically; I realized I was using 'delightful' to describe a lot of the books I was using, and rather than reaching for a thesaurus I'm going to embrace it.)

The delight in this book comes from the fact that I found it again after only having a memory of it for many years. I definitely remember reading it as a child, but I'm not sure if I owned it or it was housed in a church playroom or something like that. Anyway, this is a Little Golden Book, featuring Barbie. It's her friend Tracy's wedding, and Barbie (the maid of honor) and Skipper (the flower girl, even though she looks to be about twelve years old) are helping her get everything ready. On the day of the wedding, though, an unfortunate incident with Barbie's cat means that Tracy's dress needs mending. When they go to pick up the dress, though, they end up with a boxful of shoes instead of the wedding gown! Can Barbie follow the clues and figure out where Tracy's dress is in time for the wedding?

The book itself isn't that remarkable, but I remember really loving the illustrations (done by Laura Westlake in what looks like bright pencil crayons). It was incredible to open the book again and have those memories come flooding back to me. I remember studying one image of Barbie in particular, trying to mimic her hand gesture (now an interesting thought in the ways that people study and construct ideas of beauty and femininity).

Read it with:
Barbie: Four Decades of Fashion, Fantasy, and Fun by Marco Tosa
Feminism and Pop Culture by Andi Zeisler
The Case of the Cat's Meow by Crosby Newell Bonsall
The Lime Green Secret by Georgia Graham

The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors by Chris Barton

(This week I'm doing my first series, and it's books that I found delightful. I mean this in the best possible way: books that filled me with delight. This came about organically; I realized I was using 'delightful' to describe a lot of the books I was using, and rather than reaching for a thesaurus I'm going to embrace it.)

When I think of Day-Glo colours, I think of one person: Claudia Kishi. Now, though, I will think of Bob and Joe Switzer, the brothers behind the development of Day-Glo colours. Bob wanted to be a doctor, but an accident left him unable to memorize all of the scientific info he needed for medical school. Joe wanted to be an entertainer, and worked at perfecting illusions using light and dark. Together they used each others' strengths to develop Day-Glo paint - and the colour world would never be the same again!

This is just a great book. I loved learning about the people behind Day-Glo, and all of its practical uses. While at times it seemed to run a bit to hyperbole (the book stops just short of saying that without Day-Glo paint, the Nazis would have won WWII), the energetic, informative tone was perfect for the subject matter. The illustrations and colouring by Tony Persiani added a fun layer to the text: the pictures start out in black and white, but as the brothers develop their paint yellow, green, and orange Day-Glo colours are added to the illustrations. There's a bit of information about Day-Glo colours at the back of the book, along with places for more information. If you think your reading needs a bit more colour, definitely check this one out.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Moonshot by Brian Floca
It's a Snap! George Eastman's First Photograph by Monica Kulling
The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth by Kathleen Krull
Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton

Me Hungry by Jeremy Tankard

(This week I'm doing my first series, and it's books that I found delightful. I mean this in the best possible way: books that filled me with delight. This came about organically; I realized I was using 'delightful' to describe a lot of the books I was using, and rather than reaching for a thesaurus I'm going to embrace it.)

This little boy is hungry - but his parents are too busy to find him some food. He decides to go off on his own adventure to find something to eat, but it's not as easy as it looks! He tries different approaches, but in the end he might have found something even better than food.

Jeremy Tankard's illustrations are what really set this book apart. The detail, the colouring, and the expressions give it an extra dimension. The text is simple and repetitive and perfect for toddlers. And the fact that the little boy's name is Edwin just tickled me with delight. Definitely keep an eye out for this one.





Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Tall by Jez Alborough
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
A Good Day by Kevin Henkes
Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age and His Search for Soft Trousers by Raymond Briggs

All-Of-A-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

(This week I'm doing my first series, and it's books that I found delightful. I mean this in the best possible way: books that filled me with delight. This came about organically; I realized I was using 'delightful' to describe a lot of the books I was using, and rather than reaching for a thesaurus I'm going to embrace it.)

I'd never heard of this book until it appeared on A Fuse #8 Production's list of Top 100 Children's Novels, but I found it (you guessed it) delightful. Written over fifty years ago and set about a hundred years ago, it tells the story of a Jewish family in New York City. The parents were immigrants and the children have embraced life in America. They love thinking about the candy they can buy with their pennies and they really love the library (and the kind library lady who works there). I learned a lot about Jewish holidays and observances from this book. I wasn't expecting to really enjoy this book as much as I did, but its tone, spirit, and content just really got to me. I wish I'd read it years ago, but I'm glad I found it now.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Gravity by Leanne Lieberman
Karen's Wish by Ann M. Martin
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood

(This week I'm doing my first series, and it's books that I found delightful. I mean this in the best possible way: books that filled me with delight. This came about organically; I realized I was using 'delightful' to describe a lot of the books I was using, and rather than reaching for a thesaurus I'm going to embrace it.)

Penelope Lumley, a fifteen-year-old recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, has just received her first job as a governess. She is dispatched to Ashton Place to be the governess for the three Incorrigible Children: Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia. It's not long before she realizes that there is something unusual about the Incorrigible Children - they were raised by wolves in the wilderness and Lord and Lady Ashton would like Miss Lumley to civilize them. Or do they? Lady Ashton would be quite happy to be rid of them altogether, and it seems like Lord Ashton is hiding some mysterious secrets of his own...

I was thoroughly charmed by this book from the first time that I saw the cover art, and actually reading it only confirmed my instinct. Miss Lumley's determination, idealism, and confusion make her the ideal protagonist for this kind of mystery. I think this is a perfect book for young people who don't yet know that they will love Jane Eyre or Northanger Abbey, as well as those who already do. Everything about this book, from the ending to the big "Book 1" note on the spine, point that this will be the first book in the series, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
When I Met the Wolf Girls by Deborah Noyes

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Grace loves to watch the wolves that gather around her house. She feels a connection them that other people can't understand. She was attacked by wolves once when she was little, but remained unhurt. Could one of them have been protecting her? The one with the yellow eyes that watch her? When a local boy is attacked and killed by wolves the town decides that the wolves need to be stopped...permanently. But what will that mean for Grace, and for Sam - that yellow-eyed wolf who is not always a wolf after all...

It's inevitable that Shiver is often talked about in terms of Twilight; when considering supernatural books for teens, we're in a post-Twilight world, with all that that means. I liked Grace a lot more than I liked Bella, although she really has a lot more in common with Clare Abshire from The Time Traveler's Wife than Bella (a childhood encounter, dealing with loving someone who has some kind of physical anomaly, waiting around in the 'real world' for the one you love to return to you). But getting back to Shiver. The internal logic of the bookwas sound, and some questions that stuck in my mind (such as why didn't the wolves just go somewhere warm?) did get answered, and I can't pretend that I wasn't anxiously awaiting the ending to find out how it was all going to end (or 'end,' as a sequel is going to be released later this year). Definitely worth checking out, as is Maggie Stiefvater's website.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern

The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming

Puns are the name of the game in this book by Candace Fleming. How punny? The Librarian is named Paige Turner. Each chapter shows a different version of an Aesop Fable, but updated and modernized, featuring middle school children. For me, a little of these stories went a long way, but they are amusing and cleverly written. It might be a good book for dramatizing, too, if anyone is looking for a book that could be adapted into skits or a play.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger
Backpack Stories by Kevin O'Malley
The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Gender Blender by Blake Nelson

The students at George Wilson Middle School are studying gender issues, and sixth graders Emma and Tom are about to get an up-close-and-personal look at the differences. Small, scholarly, competitive Emma finds herself in the body of her former friend Tom, and the slacker, base-ball playing, easygoing Tom finds himself in Emma's body. Can they figure out what caused them to switch bodies - and if they can ever switch back?

This book doesn't shy away from frank portrayals of puberty: Emma-as-Tom gets an erection, and Tom-as-Emma experiences her period. Many of the findings might come off as a bit simplistic, but it's a good book for middle grade readers and a good starting point for some further conversations.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
Freaky Monday by Mary Rodgers and Heather Hach
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Lucy Scarborough has never really known her mother. She sees her sometimes, on the street (that's where Miranda, her mother, lives), and knows that Miranda has been in and out of mental institutions. She's grown up with foster parents who love her, and is looking forward to the prom. But things go terribly, tragically wrong at the prom, and soon Lucy realizes that she is pregnant - just as her mother was at eighteen. With the help of her neighbour, Zach, Lucy learns about a terrifying curse that's been placed on her family: each Scarborough woman will give birth to a daughter at eighteen, and then go insane. With only a few months left until the birth of her own daughter, can Lucy unravel the curse and figure out how to break the spell, or will she end up like her mother - and all of the women who have gone before them?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. After reading the plot summary, I wasn't sure how much fantasy to expect (while I'm trying to branch out more in my reading, I'm still not that used to reading fantasy books). But this one is grounded in reality, even though it quickly moves into fantastical territory. Some parts of the story went really quickly, as if they were being glossed over, but as a whole the book made sense according to its internal logic, and it was a fun read. It's a good book for people who like to crack puzzles, or who are interested in adaptions of folklore.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon

Belle Goose is a new student in rainy Switchblade, but it's not long before she discovers the mysterious Edwart Mullen. Convinced he is a vampire and her soul mate, Belle finds herself in the middle of a creepy campaign to convince Edwart that they should be together.

This book is for people who either really love or really hate Twilight. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would, or as much as I wanted to. There's so much in Twilight that is perfect for spoof or satire, but for me, a lot of this just missed the mark. There were times when it was riffing on what it would be like for a real vampire to be your boyfriend, and those parts were particularly strong. The rest of it kind of dragged - and when I think of reading the first Twilight book, I particularly remember how I flew through the pages.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer