Best children's books, 2009, from the New York Times

From the editors of the Sunday New York Times Book Review, here are some outstanding children's books of 2009, featuring a selection of history, adventure, fiction and fairy tales. Locate copies using the World Catalog and Amazon search boxes here on BookBag.

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales, written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins (Candlewick) Ages 3 and up In “Yummy,” the superbright palette of Lucy Cousins (of “Maisy” fame) meets the art of the fairy tale. Along with the wolves, hens and little girls in primary colors, outlined by the artist’s characteristic black brush strokes, the jaunty humor irresistibly pulls you in.

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith, by Deborah Heiligman (Holt) Ages 12 and up The unlikely, and happy, marriage of Charles Darwin and Emma Wedgwood comes to life in Heiligman’s intelligent and fast-moving book. Emma, a devout Christian but a sympathetic editor, helped make the arguments in On the Origin of Species airtight. Meanwhile readers can almost effortlessly absorb Darwin’s ideas and the culture in which they developed, along with a portrait of Victorian everyday life.

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea, written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) Ages 4 to 8 Through a magical use of cut paper, Jenkins takes the reader on a voyage to the deepest part of the ocean. Multilayered and multi­colored, bizarre creatures almost seem to move on the page: flying squid, cold-eyed mackerel and lacy, bioluminescent siphonophores (lighted up like Broadway bulbs). Helpful descriptions both inform and entertain.

The Last Olympian: Perry Jackson & the Olympians,

Book 5, by Rick Riordan (Disney Hyperion) Ages 10 and up In Riordan’s universe, Greek mythology — along with its vividly imagined heroes and monsters — is alive and well in New York City. Percy, short for Perseus, here concludes his adventures (for the moment) with great humor and inventiveness, not to mention nearly world-ending mayhem.

Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic. Ages 12 and up This brisk and brilliant novel tells the story of Marcelo, who knows he’s different, but not “abnormal or ill” (for people who need labels, he says his condition resembles Asperger’s). A summer job his father forces him to take in the “real world” plunges him into a legal mystery, a moral dilemma and a deepening friendship with his boss, the beautiful Jasmine.

The Vast Fields of Ordinary, by Nick Burd (Dial Books). Ages 14 and up Set among the fields of Iowa, what could have been a standard last-summer-before-college drama is instead packed with insights and memorable characters you want to know better, chief among them a young gay protagonist who plays against type in gratifying ways. Burd’s nuanced storytelling and metaphor-rich writing lift his debut novel far above the ordinary.

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead (Wendy Lamb/Random House) Ages 9 to 14 Stead’s novel is a thrilling puzzle: a complex mystery, a work of historical

fiction and a story of friendship, with a theme of time travel running through it. After Miranda’s apartment key disappears and strange notes begin appearing, clues pile up on the way to a moment of intense drama. From then on it is nearly impossible to stop reading.

New York Times: Best sellers for kids & young adults

Here are the best-selling chapter books from the New York Times of Sunday, October 25. Look for library copies of these books using the World Catalog search box, or purchase copies using the Amazon.com search box here on BookBag.

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic) The protagonist of The Hunger Games returns. (Ages 12 and up)

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic). In a dystopian future, a girl fights for survival on live TV. (Ages 12 and up)

The Magician's Elephant, by Kate DiCamillo and Yoko Tanaka. (Candlewick). An orphan in search of his sister follows a fortuneteller’s mysterious instructions. (Ages 7 and up)

Fire, by Kristin Cashore. (Dial/Penguin). The last remaining human monster could save a kingdom. (Ages 14 and up)

Tricks, by Ellen Hopkins. (McElderry/Simon & Schuster). A novel in verse about five teenagers who become prostitutes. (Ages 14 and up)

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld. Illustrated by Keith Thompson. (Simon Pulse). A round-the-world in airship trip before the eruption of World War I. (Ages 12 and up)

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, by David Benedictus. Illustrated by Mark Burgess. (Dutton, $19.99.) The further adventures of Pooh and company. (Ages 9 to 12)

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater. (Scholastic Press). Love among the lupine. (Ages 12 and up)

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Dave McKean. (HarperCollins). To avoid a killer a boy takes up residence in a cemetery. (Ages 10 and up)

Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers). A love story with ancient battles and immortals. (Ages 14 and up)

New York Times: Best sellers for kids & young adults

Here are the best-selling chapter books and paperbacks for the week ending September 19, from the New York Times. Immortals, psychics, and time machines are hot topics, but so is the surprising and somber Thirteen Reasons Why. Locate copies of these titles using the World Catalog / Amazon.com links on BookBag.

Chapter books

1.Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic) The protagonist of "The Hunger Games" returns. (Ages 12 and up)

2. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic) In a dystopian future, a girl fights for survival on live TV. (Ages 12 and up)

3. The Magician's Elephant, by Kate DiCamillo and Yoko Tanaka. (Candlewick) An orphan in search of his sister follows a fortuneteller’s mysterious instructions. (Ages 7 and up)

4. Tricks, by Ellen Hopkins. (McElderry/Simon & Schuster) A novel in verse about five teenagers who become prostitutes. (Ages 14 and up)

5. Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater. (Scholastic Press/Scholastic) Love among the lupine. (Ages 12 and up)

6. L.A. Candy, by Lauren Conrad. (HarperCollins) Excitement in TV land by someone who has been there. (Ages 14 and up)

7. Sent, by Margaret Peterson Haddix. (Simon & Schuster) Kids travel to the 15th century, when they were members of the British royal family. (Ages 8 to 12)

8. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Dave McKean. (HarperCollins) To avoid a killer a boy takes up residence in a cemetery. (Ages 10 and up)

9. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. (Razorbill) Before committing suicide a girl sends explanatory audiotapes to 13 people. (Ages 14 and up)

10. Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen. (Viking) A summer on two wheels for a girl ready to learn more about herself and her loved ones. (Ages 14 and up)

Paperbacks

1. Dark Visions, by L. J. Smith. (Simon & Schuster) A school for psychic teens (not to mention vampires). (Ages 14 and up)

2. Alphas, by Lisi Harrison. (Poppy/Little, Brown) Competition among girls at an exclusive boarding school. (Ages 12 and up)

3. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. (Knopf) A girl saves books from Nazi burning.(Ages 14 and up)

4. Blue Moon, by Alyson Noël. (St. Martin’s Griffin) An immortal finds time’s secret. (Ages 12 and up)

5. Evermore, by Alyson Noël. (St. Martin’s Griffin) Immortals in school. (Ages 12 and up)

6. Three Cups of Tea: Young Readers Edition, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. (Puffin) A former climber builds schools in Pakistani and Afghan villages. (Ages 9 to 12)

7. Thirst No. 1, by Christopher Pike. (Simon Pulse) A reissue of the three novels The Last Vampire (1994), Black Blood (1994), and Red Dice (1995). (Ages 14 and up)

8. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. Illustrated by Ellen Forney. (Little, Brown, $8.99.) A young boy leaves his reservation for an all-white school. (Ages 12 and up)

9. Nick of Time, by Ted Bell. (Square Fish) A time machine, plus pirates and Nazis. (Ages 9 to 12)

10. Graceling, by Kristin Cashore. (Graphia) A fantasy novel about a girl endowed with special talents who also is valued for her attributes as a warrior. (Ages 14 and up)

New York Times: Best sellers for kids & young adults

From the New York Times, here are the top ten lists for childrens' and young adult books for the week of August 30: an assortment of dogs, cats, vampires, ducks, wolves and llamas ... and Harry Potter, of course! Find copies using the World Catalog and Amazon.com search boxes on BookBag.

Picture books

1. Goldilicious, written and illustrated by Victoria Kann. (Harper/HarperCollins, $17.99.) A girl who loves pink and purple turns to gold. (Ages 5 to 8)

2. Gallop!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder. (Workman, $12.95.) Animals seem to move when you flip the page. (Ages 4 to 8)

3. Marley Goes to School, by John Grogan. Illustrated by Richard Cowdrey. (HarperCollins, $17.99.) A loyal pup brings chaos to the classroom. (Ages 3 to 8)

4. Swing!, written and illustrated by Rufus Butler Seder. (Workman, $12.95.) Children seem to move when you flip the page. (Ages 4 to 8)

5. Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and 'Three Cups of Tea,' by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth. (Dial, $16.99.) A school grows in Pakistan. (Ages 4 to 8)

6. Explorer Extraordinaire!, by Jane O’Connor.

Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. (HarperCollins, $12.99.) Fancy Nancy meets the outdoors in the finest tradition of the great explorers. (Ages 4 to 7)

7. Llama Llama Misses Mama, written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney. (Viking, $16.99.) A little creature goes to preschool. (Ages 2 and up)

8. The Curious Garden,written and illustrated by Peter Brown. (Little, Brown, $16.99.) A boy named Liam nurtures a straggly garden to vivid fruition. (Ages 4 to 8)

9. Tea Parties, by Jane O’Connor. Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser. (Harper/HarperCollins, $12.99.) Extended pinkies at Fancy Nancy’s. (Ages 4 to 7)

10. Duck! Rabbit!, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. (Chronicle, $16.99.) Which is it? It’s all in how you look at it. (Ages 3 and up)

Chapter books

1. L.A. Candy, by Lauren Conrad. (Harper/HarperCollins, $17.99.) Excitement in TV land by someone who has been there. (Ages 14 and up)

2. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic, $17.99.) In a dystopian future, a girl fights for survival on live TV. (Ages 12 and up)

3. Daniel X: Watch the Skies, by James Patterson and Ned Rust. (Little, Brown, $19.99.) A young hero takes on a larger-than-life villain. (Ages 12 and up)

4. Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater. (Scholastic Press/Scholastic, $17.99.) Love among the lupine. (Ages 12 and up)

5. Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen. (Viking, $19.99.) A summer on two wheels for a girl who is ripe to learn more about herself and the people she cares about. (Ages 14 and up)

6. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Dave McKean. (HarperCollins, $17.99.) To avoid a killer a boy takes up residence in

a cemetery. (Ages 10 and up)

7. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. (Razorbill, $16.99.) Before committing suicide a girl records and sends explanatory audiotapes to 13 people. (Ages 14 and up)

8. Twilight: Director's Notebook, by Catherine Hardwicke. (Little, Brown, $17.99.) The making of "Twilight," the movie. (Ages 9 to 12)

9. When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead. (Wendy Lamb, $15.99.) A sixth-grade girl in New York City begins receiving mysterious notes. (Ages 9 to 12)

10. Scat, by Carl Hiaasen. (Random House, $16.99.) An eco-mystery, with a dismal swamp and wild characters who are not always what they seem. (Ages 9 to 12)

Series books

1. The Twilight Saga, by Stephenie Meyer. (Megan Tingley/Little, Brown, hardcover and paper) Vampires and werewolves in school. (Ages 12 and up)

2. Percy Jackson & the Olympians, by Rick Riordan. (Disney-Hyperion, hardcover and paper) Battling mythological monsters. (Ages 9 to 12)

3. House of Night, by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. (St. Martin’s, hardcover and paper) Vampires in school. (Ages 14 and up)

4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. (Abrams, hardcover only) The travails of adolescence, in cartoons. (Ages 9 to 12)

5. The 39 Clues, by various authors. (Scholastic, hardcover only) Siblings unravel a mystery. (Ages 9 to 12)

6. Harry Potter, by J. K. Rowling. (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, hardcover and paper) A young wizard hones his skills while fighting evil. (Ages 10 and up)

7. Vampire Diaries, by L. J. Smith. (HarperTeen, hardcover and paper) Vampires in school, with a love triangle. (Ages 12 and up)

8.The Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare. (McElderry / Simon & Schuster, hardcover and paper) A world of demons and warriors. (Ages 14 and up)

9. Ranger's Apprentice, by John Flanagan. (Philomel, hardcover and paper) A boy warrior battles evil. (Ages 9 to 12)

10. Magic Tree House, by Mary Pope Osborne. Illustrated by Sal Murdocca. (Stepping Stone/Random House, hardcover and paper) Winged children try to save the world. (Ages 6 to 9)

New reads for teens, August

Summer's last, long days and lazy weekends mean there's lots of time for fun reading. Here are some brand-new fiction and non-fiction reads for teens, as well as a short selection of books about music and movies. Search for library copies in the World Catalog box, or buy them through BookBag's Amazon.com link.

Reality Check, Peter Abrahams (HarperTeen) Football was NFL-hopeful Cody's only reason for staying in high school, so when a serious injury dashed his dreams of going pro, he dropped out. Now working in a lumber yard in his rural Colorado town, Cody takes off for Vermont when he gets news of his girlfriend Clea's disappearance from her boarding school there. Not long after beginning his amateur investigation, Cody finds himself in real danger. With steadily building suspense, a plot filled with twists and turns, and a satisfying love story, Reality Check will appeal to both romance and thriller fans.

The Demon's Lexicon, Sarah Rees Brennan (Simon & Schuster) Ever since their father was murdered, brothers Nick and Alan Ryves have been on the run from evil, power-crazed magicians who conjure demons to do their bidding. According to Alan, the magicians are after the protective charm that the boys' mother stole. But brooding, cold-hearted Nick is starting to suspect that his older brother, the only person he's ever trusted, is lying to him about...well, everything. Full of action, surprises, and vividly rendered characters, The Demon's Lexicon will bewitch fans of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments trilogy (which begins with City of Bones).

Carter Finally Gets It, Brent Crawford (Disney/Hyperion) Will Carter, aka "Carter," is about to start high school--and between his ADD, the stuttering problem he develops around girls, and his lack of a cool nickname, he's just not ready. But ready or not, he's barreling into his freshman year gung-ho, trying his hand at football, dating, baseball, flirting, drama club, dating, avoiding humiliation and pummeling, and (oh yeah) dating. Will he ever find his niche? Will he ever get lucky? Will he even survive freshman year? Read this hilariously awkward story and find out.

Peace, Love & Baby Ducks, Lauren Myracle (Dutton Books) Back in her ritzy Atlanta neighborhood after a crunchy-granola summer of roughing it in the woods, 15-year-old Carly is having a tough time. First of all, her little sister morphed into a hottie during the six weeks that Carly was gone, and Carly is trying hard not to be jealous. Second, Carly is beginning to realize that she cares about different things than her image-obsessed family and friends do. But sister-love conquers all, right? If there's a long list of people waiting to check out this sisterhood drama, try I Am the Wallpaper by Mark Peter Hughes or Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You by Dorian Cirrone while you wait.

Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia, Cindy Pon (Harper Collins) With her father missing and a lecherous merchant attempting to blackmail her into marriage, 17-year-old Ai Ling sets out for the emperor's palace, the last place where her father was seen. On her journey, she meets and joins forces with Chen Yong and his younger brother Li Rong, who are on a quest of their own. When evil forces threaten to keep the trio from their destination--and to destroy all of Xia, their homeland--Ai Ling uses her newly discovered powers to fight back. If you're looking for a grand, exciting martial-arts adventure with a kick-butt heroine, look no further than Silver Phoenix.


Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19-Year-Old G.I. Ryan Smithson (HarperCollins) Ryan Smithson, who describes sitting in his high school history class and watching the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11 as the "atypical, unpredictable kind of real that you never see coming," enlisted in the Army as soon as he graduated. In this harrowing and powerful memoir, Smithson brings readers inside his tour of duty in Iraq, from basic training through combat and his return home. If you want to know what life is really like on the battlefield, Smithson's story provides a soldier's unflinching viewpoint; for an Iraqi civilian's account of the early days of the war, check out Thura's Diary by Thura Al-Windawi.

I want my MTV

When it debuted on August 1, 1981, MTV was the first television network to broadcast music videos--and only music videos--24/7. Since then, of course, MTV has expanded its programming to include a variety of reality shows, cartoons, movies, and more. Celebrate the network's 28th birthday by reading one of the books below about the music industry, video production, or both.

Pop Princess, Rachel Cohn (Simon & Schuster) Fifteen-year-old Wonder Blake is wearing headphones, mopping the floor at Dairy Queen and belting out "Smells Like Teen Spirit" when talent manager Gerald Tiggs discovers her. Before long, Wonder is on the fast track to fame and fortune--the same trajectory that her sister Lucky had been on when she was killed by a drunk driver two years before--hoping to put her problems behind her and start a new life. Despite dealing with some serious issues, Pop Princess is a fun and frothy read that anyone fascinated with teen stardom will enjoy. For a rise-to-stardom story more in the vein of punk than pop, check out Gillian Cross' Chartbreaker.

Notes from the Teenage Underground: A Novel, Simmone Howell (Bloomsbury U.S.A.) Gem and her best friends Lo and Mira have nothing but disdain for their "sucker peers," whom they call "barcodes." When film-fanatic Gem, inspired by Andy Warhol, decides the three of them should make an underground movie, creative disputes lead to betrayals and serious testing of their friendship. Movie buffs and fans of edgy humor will enjoy Australian author Simmone Howell's über-geek "Heathers-meets-I Shot Andy Warhol" style drama.


Rock On: An Office Power Ballad, Dan Kennedy (Algonquin) In this darkly comic memoir that Time Out New York calls "snort-audibly-on-the-subway funny," McSweeney's and GQ contributor Dan Kennedy chronicles his rock-'n'-roll career...as a marketing executive for Atlantic Records. Finding the industry to be not exactly what he expected, Kennedy skewers clueless managers, aging stars, his coworkers, and even himself in this expose of the floundering music biz. Random lists (such as "Inappropriate Greetings and Salutations for Middle-Aged White Record Executives to Exchange: #1. Hello, Dawg") ratchet Rock On's humor dial up to 11.

Birdland, Tracy Mack (Scholastic) Still deeply wounded by his older brother Zeke's recent death, Jed is making a video of Manhattan's Lower East Side over winter break, filming the "cacophony of color and sound" that Zeke wrote about in his poetry. While documenting the everyday lives and tragedies in his neighborhood, Jed meets a homeless girl who may have known his brother--and may know the secret behind his death. With rich characterizations, rhythmic and poetic language, and grittily real emotion, Birdland paints a vivid picture of both the NY setting and Jed's disintegrating family.


Play Me, Laura Ruby (Harper Teen) Aspiring filmmaker Eddy has a hit online video series called Riot Grrl 16--and, if he and his friends win the contest they've entered, soon his show will be on MTV! Meanwhile, Eddy, usually somewhat of a playboy, is unwittingly getting hooked on fiercely free-spirited Lucinda Dulko, one of the few girls who isn't completely charmed by him. With great characters, morbidly hilarious moments (such as when Eddy's younger brother Meatball repeatedly fakes his own death), and tons of movie references, Play Me is one highly entertaining read.

Back-to-school, hooray!

School (skool), noun: Where kids go for nine months of the year to learn what made their parents so mixed-up.

A new school year can be confusing and full of questions. Here's a selected list of books old and new to help with the first-day-back jitters of kids and their parents. You can search any book in this list (and on all of BookBag) and locate a library copy near you simply by typing the title, subject or author in the World Catalog search box above on the left. (Booklist courtesy of ReadWriteThink.org, an educational-materials organization for teachers and students.)

GRADES K-2

Amanda Pig, School Girl by Jean Van Leeuwen. Outgoing Amanda befriends a shy girl pig on the first day of school.

Arthur’s Back to School Day by Lillian Hoban. While hurrying to get on the bus, Arthur and his friend unknowingly switch their lunch boxes; later Arthur finds out what surprise his sister had put in hers.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she starts school and the other children make fun of it.

David Goes to School by D. Shannon. David's high-energy antics fill each school day with trouble.

First Day, Hooray! by Nancy Poydar. Ivy Green can't wait for school to start tomorrow. But she is also a little worried. What if she misses the bus? How will she find Mrs. Bell's room?

First Grade Can Wait by L. Aseltine. Luke does not feel ready to move on from kindergarten to the first grade, and he is relived when his parents and teacher decide he can stay in kindergarten for another year.

Froggy Goes to School by J. London. Froggy is nervous about his first day of school, but, even though it's hard to sit still, he has a wonderful time.

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Park. A young girl describes her feelings about starting kindergarten and what happens when she decides not to ride the bus home.

Rachel Parker, Kindergarten Show Off by Ann M. Martin. Five-year-old Olivia's new neighbor Rachel is in her kindergarten class and they must overcome feelings of jealousy and competitiveness to be friends.

When Will I Read? by Miriam Cohen. Impatient to begin reading, a first grader doesn't realize that there is more to reading than books.

GRADES 3-5

Amelia’s Notebook by Marissa Moss. The hand-lettered contents of a nine-year-old girl's notebook, in which she records her thoughts and feelings about moving and starting a new school.

Arthur’s Teacher Trouble by Marc Brown. Third-grader Arthur is amazed when he is chosen to be in the school spell-a-thon.

Fourth Grade Weirdo by Martha Freeman. Mr. Ditzwinkle is a "spontaneous" teacher who does magic tricks and gives all kinds of crazy assignments that Dexter doesn't understand.

How to Survive Third Grade by Laurie Lawlor. Ernest, an unpopular third grader, has a difficult adjustment to make until he finds a friend.

Marianthe's Story: Painted Words and Marianthe's Story: Spoken Memories by Aliki. Two separate stories in one book, the first telling of Mari's starting school in a new land, and the second describing village life in her country before she and her family left in search of a better life.

Moses Goes to School by Isaac Millner. Here, Moses and his classmates, all of whom are deaf or hard of hearing, head back to their special school after summer break. The book combines the words with American Sign Language.

Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. At first, Trisha loves school, but her difficulty learning to read makes her feel dumb, until, in the fifth grade, a new teacher helps her understand and overcome her problem.

Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by Elizabeth Howard. In the post-Civil War South, a young African American girl is determined to prove that she can go to school just like her older brothers.

Just for fun: some new books

Yuck, it must be getting near the start of a school year -- everybody's got a new reading list, and summer's not even over yet. Well, here are some new books that are probably going to be worth reading. Even if they're not on a teacher's list, they look good enough to read on your own.

Younger Readers

Becker, Bonny. A Visitor for Bear. Illus. by Kady MacDonald Denton. Candlewick. Bear’s forest home sets the stage for a visit from the persistent and irritating mouse who insists the two will become friends.

Bee, Wlliam. Beware of the Frog. Illus. by the author. Candlewick. Living alone in the forest, Old Mrs. Collywobbles needs protection from the Greedy Goblin, the Smelly Troll, and the Giant Hungry Ogre. Her pet frog jumps out of folklore to come to her rescue and give Mrs. Collywobbles more than she anticipated.

Davis, Eleanor. Stinky. Illus. by the author. RAW Junior/TOON Books. Stinky, the swamp monster, is at first determined to rid his beloved “muddy, slimy, smelly swamp” of Nick, only to realize that this dreaded “kid” is not the appallingly clean intruder he supposes him to be. (2009 Geisel Honor Book)

Dorros, Arthur. Papá and Me. Illus. by Rudy Gutierrez. Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins. The story of a father and son who spend a special day together in the city—singing, cooking, going to the park and the beach, riding the bus, and telling stories, culminated by a visit with Papá’s parents. (2009 Belpré Illustrator Honor Book)

Grant, Judyann Ackerman. Chicken Said, “Cluck!” Illus. by Sue Truesdell. HarperCollins. Earl and Pearl shoo Chicken away as they work on their pumpkin patch, but as the story comes full circle, it’s Chicken who does the shooing and saves the day. (2009 Geisel Honor Book)

Middle Readers

Appelt, Kathi. The Underneath. Illus. by David Small. Atheneum. A man, a loyal hound, an abandoned cat and a vengeful lamia sing of love, loss, loneliness and hope. (2009 Newbery Honor Book)

Broach, Elise. Masterpiece. Illus. by Kelly Murphy. Holt/Christy Ottaviano. An artistic beetle with a yen for adventure and a lonely 11-year-old boy team up to catch the thief who has stolen a priceless painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Dowd, Siobhan. The London Eye Mystery. Random/David Fickling. In a race against time, twelve-year-old Ted, with his sister Kat, uses his special skills and perceptions to discover how their cousin Salim disappeared while riding the London Eye, the world’s tallest observation wheel.

Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. Illus. by Dave McKean

. HarperCollins. A child marked for death by an ancient league of assassins escapes into an abandoned graveyard, where he is reared and protected by its spirit denizens. A delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing, Gaiman’s tale is told in magical, haunting prose. (2009 Newbery Medal Book)

González, Lucía. The Storyteller’s Candle/La velita de los cuentos. Illus. by Lulu Delacre. Children’s Book Press. The story of Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian hired by the New York Public Library, who introduces the public library to immigrants living in El Barrio and hosts the neighborhood’s first Three Kings’ Day fiesta. (2009 Belpré Author Honor Book and Illustrator Honor Book)

Scieszka, Jon. Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka. Illus. by author. Viking/Penguin. Growing up in a household with five brothers during the 1950’s and 1960’s by the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, illustrated with pictures from the period.

Schulman, Janet. Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City. Illus. by Meilo So. Alfred A. Knopf. The story of Pale Male, a male hawk who nests atop a Fifth Avenue apartment building in New York City and sparks a battle for his habitat among residents and conservationists.

And here's one more book,just because ... (because no one said you can't read books just for fun!)

An Octopus Followed Me Home

Written by Dan Yaccarino

A little girl arrives at her house with an octopus that followed her home, but when she asks her daddy if she can keep him, he reminds her of the other pets he has let her keep. That would be the crocodile, seals, giraffe, grizzly bear, penguins, mountain goats, rabbits, and elephants that are already cluttering up their home. (Review written by Brian Frank on August 4, 2009)

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