Desperate Housewives

Okay, so on the Desperate Housewives final episode last week, Susan states she "writes children's books". But, in fact, she is a children's book illustrator. I know this because I am a big Desperate Housewives fan. I guess the general public sees no difference in people who write books or the ones who illustrate books. They should know this--at least the writers should. UGH! And, since we are talking about desperate Housewives, I so hope that Mike didn't die --I hate having to wait until fall to see if he is okay:-)

Just finished DIGGING TO AMERICA by Anne Tyler. LOVED IT. It was exactly the book I needed. I love all of her books but I think this may be one of her best. As always the characters stay with you. I highly recommend this one.

On my next read list: WEEDFLOWER and maybe THE GIRLS.

My To-Read List

WEEDFLOWER
GOSSAMER
Elizabeth Berg's new one
the first in the GRIMM SISTERS series (that's what I'm reading currently)
TWICE TOLD

...and a few others. It's an imposing pile.

And, yes, I'll probably read THE BOOK THIEF.

THE BOOK THIEF

So, are you going to read THE BOOK THIEF? I keep hearing that it is amazing. But, I can't decide. I have WEEDFLOWER and FLY BY NIGHT on my stack but FLY BY NIGHT cannot win the Newbery because it was published in England first. WEEDFLOWER is already on a few lists for the Newbery.

NY Times Book Reviews

In a special children's book section of the May 14 NY Times Book Review, these books (among other picture books and a few nonfiction) got reviewed: THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE, 1st page of the section, glowing; GOSSAMER, positive; THE WRIGHT 3, two thumbs down; THE BOOK THIEF, "brilliant and hugely ambitious." More from the review of THE BOOK THIEF: "But it's the kind of book that can be life-changing, because without ever denying the essential amorality and randomness of the natural order, "The Book Thief" offers us a believable, hard-won hope. That hope is embodied in Liesel, who grows into a good and generous person despite the suffering all around her, and finally becomes a human even Death can love. The hope we see in Liesel is unassailable, the kind you can hang on to in the midst of poverty and war and violence. Young readers need such alternatives to ideological rigidity, and such explorations of how stories matter. And so, come to think of it, do adults."

Sounds like a must-read. And a good antidote for Yonwood.

Yonwood-esque

Life is imitating DuPrau's art.

In the Sunday Dispatch: A Franklin County commissioner is frantic about stray cats in central Ohio because a few cats on an island somewhere on the other side of the Atlantic have been found carrying the bird flu virus.

Happy Me!

Happy Me! I found a link to the galleys that are being given away--upcoming children's books. I am so happy! So many of my favorite authors have new books coming out in the next several months--Gail Carson Levine, Kimberly Willis Holt, Katherine Paterson! Just had to share the fun:-)

I did pick up HOMEWORK MACHINE by Dan Gutman. Seems to be making lots of lists. I also picked up a very cute picture book called BIG SISTER, LITTLE SISTER LeUyen Pham. Love it! I also picked up ALIENS ARE COMING: THE TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE 1938 WAR OF THE WORLDS RADIO BROADCAST by Meghan Mccarthy. A great nonfiction picture book.

Maybe this blog should be about books we buy, not books we read:-)

Prophet of Yonwood

Well, I finished the book tonight. I liked it. It is pretty equal to her other 2 books. Some interesting issues to think about as always. A character I could like, not love. A nice message for kids. The interesting thing to me is how she took what is going on now in the world (terrorist, doing things in the name of God, war, good vs. evil) and put them into this plot. Pretty smart. This book is definitely worth a read, although it is not on my list of possible Newbery winners. So far, I don't think I have read anything up to Newberyness. If I had to pick out of the 6 I've read, it would have to be GOSSAMER by Lois Lowry.

Adoption book

An O Magazine mini-review. May issue. The girls are from Russia, I think.

I'm listening to AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS. Not at all what I expected. I am going to start the EMBER prequel next. It got mixed reviews, but I, too, will withhold judgment until I finish it.

My to-read pile is towering. Sixteen days of school left. We are on fingers and toes! Seventeen days until Big Chunks Of Time To Read. (aka -- summer)

Stuff

The adoption books sounds good--think I've heard of it. Did you read it? Tell more please.

Well, I took a little break from Anne Tyler's book (even though I love it) to read PROPHET OF YONWOOD by Jeanne DuPrau, the prequel to CITY OF EMBER. I am about halfway through. I am withholding judgment until I finish. Hopefully I'll finish something soon. But with the end of the year school stuff, who knows!

The Patricia Polacco thing seems to be getting more interesting. I heard that she posted an update on her website after SRA/MCGraw Hill posted her signed contract. Looks like a mess to me. I also heard that SRA/McGraw Hill responded on lots of blogs that discussed the Polacco cancellation. I guess we don't rate as a blog since they didn't respond to us. The Allen County people have posted their first list of books for their Mock Newbery Club. About 10-12 books that they feel could win the Newbery. A few that look interesting. I might start with Dan Gutman's THE HOMEWORK MACHINE. If I ever finish one of the ones I've started. I did pick up JUMPING THE SCRATCH by Sarah Weeks. It looks like a possibility for the Newbery. WRIGHT 3 is getting mixed reviews. Maybe if I spent as much time reading actual books as I do reading reviews, I'd get a few books finished!

Two More For Mothers' Day

From O Magazine: "You can do every possible thing to ensure your children a safe and gentle passage, but life is still coiled around them, full of terror and death and catastrophe. As much as I love my sons, as quickly as I would lay down my life for them, there is really only one thing I can protect them from: the bad behavior of their parents. Once you have children, you may be dealt a lifetime of sorrows or happiness, but which one you end up with is irrelevant. All that matters, once you have children, is that you behave. " --Caitlyn Flanagan

And, since you are loving Anne Tyler's new book, Franki, I think you'd like this one: TWO LITTLE GIRLS: A MEMOIR OF ADOPTION by Theresa Reid.