Update

My 5th grade Indian cultural informant and I agree, BINDI BABES was fun, but nearly as good as BLUE JASMINE (out in paperback, I saw, in a recent trip to Cover to Cover). I listened to BINDI BABES, which gave me the value-added experience of hearing it with the Indian accent of the actress who starred in "Bend it Like Beckham." But the story line was weak and the characters were annoying.

My 4th grade literature circle and I agree that THE WRIGHT 3 by Blue Balliett was good, but not as good as CHASING VERMEER. They all want to go to Chicago to check out the Robie House and the Hyde Park neighborhood. That'd be a heck of a good field trip, eh?!?! We're hoping Blue Balliett will write another mystery for Petra, Calder, and (although he's a fairly annoying character) Tommy to solve. We hope she picks another form of art, preferably sculpture.

My top pick so far for Best Book of 2006 is THE BOOK OF STORY BEGINNINGS by Kristin Kladstrup. Oscar starts some stories in a magical book, and he and his grand niece (in his future...in her present) along with her chemistry professor/magician father have to finish them, because stories must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. This book is part INKHEART and part THE GREAT GOOD THING. Love it. Got sucked in. Wish I would have read it at 10, 11, or 12. My childhood me would have loved it.