Back to School We Go...

I had a heck of a time finding good new picture books intended for new students. Even harder was finding good new books that were really interesting stories, rather than primarily designed to reassure, a la The Kissing Hand.

Not that there's anything wrong with The Kissing Hand - but my son was rarin' to go to school, not worried about it.

Here, my review in The Plain Dealer of five books young students (and their parents) can enjoy.

Happy reading!

Speaking of...

I slipped out of the house yesterday morning to hear Chuck Sambuchino of F+W Media talk about his experience in the publishing world (and his latest Guide to Literary Agents) and he mentioned that writers who are having a hard time breaking in to picture books (those 32-page kids books, more pictures than words) may instead break into YA or MG market, then say to their established agent/publisher, "hey, I have some picture books titles ready to go..."

It made me wonder if that's what Speak author Laurie Halse Anderson did with The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School, which I recently reviewed for The Plain Dealer. I rather doubt it, but maybe...

You can see all five of my reviews of back-to-school picture books in today's print edition/arts section, or check it out on the website.

Pile-up on my Reading Table

What extra time? The kids are in school now and my book table is overflowing. Sigh. I'll get to them, I'll get to them. "Them" being:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
To Kill a Mockingbird* (PLEASE don't tell anyone I haven't read it yet!)
Crucial Conversations (I'm ambivalent about this one; stay tuned)
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley**
...and a couple more.

I'm already committed - three of the four above (and several others) have me enthralled. I should consider this a bit of training, I suppose. I love reading a pair of books simultaneously - as long as the pair consists of one fiction, one nonfiction. (I can't read nonfiction after dark; is there a support group for that?) To have twice as many books open at once, well, I'm in over my head here, folks. Any suggestions? Words of encouragement?

*Why are the best books the most likely to be banned?

*Has anyone read Jane Smiley's blog (at the Huffington Post) long enough to figure it out? If so, please let us all know.

Christmas in July

I hate to shop, and I make no exception for the biggest shopping excuse of all, the onslaught of gift-giving-guilt that comes with the Christmas season. (Pardon me for a moment; I'm struggling to refrain from a full-blown lecture on the reason for the season and our misguided notion that we must shop instead of reflect at that time.)

My response, right or wrong, is to collect gifts all year. When I see the "just right" thingamajig for so-and-so, I buy it, whether it's August or February. With a little organization (read: a lot of luck) I'll not only have my holiday shopping done way early, I'll also be able to find all of the items and match them to their intended recipients before December 24. I can hope.

Books, no surprise, are some of my favorite things to give as gifts - and picture books are the best of the best. Good picture books are timeless, sturdy, beautiful, and read countless times.

Without further blabbering, here are the picture books I highly recommend as gifts this year:

- There are Cats in this Book
- The Seven Silly Eaters
- The Gruffalo
- Harold and the Purple Crayon

And for moms, again I'll add a plug for two of my favorites that came out before Mother's Day:
-Because I Love Her, edited by Andrea N. Richesin, and
-mothers & children, published by National Geographic

Books I could give to anyone include
-Wesley the Owl and
-The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Of course a gift card is always an easy choice, and while Amazon and the big chains are obvious/convenient choices, there are many good reasons to support your local independent book seller - more on that later!

Let's Go to Guernsey and Read about Reading

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, By Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer (c) 2008

First a (long overdue) confession: I am not a member of a book club.

If I were, surely I would have read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society last year, when it was published. As it is, my ex-mother-in-law recommended the book after I passed along Yes, My Darling Daughter.

(Aside: Yes, my ex-mother-in-law. Divorce or no, there love of books goes on.)

The novel is comprised entirely of a series of letters and telegrams - no dialog, description, or any other prose - sent from the narrator, who is also an author, to her publisher, her dear friend Sophie (sister of the publisher) and to a handful of endearing folks (and one infuriating old biddy), all residents of Guernsey.

The setting is London and Guernsey, an island protectorate of England situated near the coast of France, as the cleanup is beginning following WWII.

How the author gets in touch with the residents of Guernsey and how the titular society came to be unfolds so sweetly I don't dare ruin it for you. And that is only the first few pages. Read it, dear reader. Read it.

Need more prodding? The authors' word selection is superb and the book hinges on the sheer joy of reading. Now, off to the library with you!

So, what's it like to be a cat?

This cute picture book is not as good as There are Cats in this Book, but it is worth a read for anyone who fancies felines. Illustrated by Betsy Lewin (of Click, Clack, Moo fame) the pictures are perfect, but not as cartoonish as her farm series.

The engaging picture book introduces a young boy as he prepares to interview a cat, not necessarily the most willing of subjects. Things go pretty well, though I dare say the cat dodges a few questions :)

Doggone

Cynthia Rylant has written a slew of super picture books, plus the early chapter books series featuring Henry & Mudge and Mr. Putter & Tabby.

They're all delightful. Well, almost all. I have to admit I'm not particularly thrilled with The Great Gracie Chase: Stop that Dog! (c) 2001 - although I love the cover!

My son and I picked up two other books by the prolific author, however, that will be difficult to send back to the library. Dog Heaven is a delight - a must read for anyone with a canine companion - and The Old Woman Who Named Things is also precious.

Probably obvious from the titles: both deal (gently) with death. My son has been talking a lot about death lately, and I hope these picture books help him sort things out in his own way. Whether they help or not, they're great books and the illustrations in both are perfect.