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