Lots of news: New Year's resolutions, new titles, a new Ch LIt ambassador, and a new Horn Book!

If the first week of January is any indication, we're in for a year of excitement -- and awesome reads!

To get 2010 started off right, pick up Eileen and Jerry Spinelli's Today I Will: A Year of Quotes, Notes, and Promises to Myself. Unlike any other daily calendar or "year of blah blah" book I've seen, Today I Will draws lessons from children's literature to help make the new year happy. Each day's features a quotation from a well-loved book, a meditation on the meaning of the quotation, and a promise to act -- in a large way or a subtle one -- on the lesson it illustrates. Some quotations correlate to the date, i.e. Anne Frank's "In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart" on her birthday, June 12. All the entries are opportunities to take a moment from our hectic lives and really think about living. Today's is "Marty, don't you ever run away from a problem" from Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Shiloh. I have a copy myself, and while I'm (already) behind, I think Today I Will is a unique way to experience the year.

Our new titles shelves brimmeth over with great new arrivals. Staffer Hannah adores Henry in Love, a sweet new picture book about Henry's crush on a classmate who does exquisite cartwheels. Waiting for Winter, with illustrations in a warm orange and brown palette, tells the story of several furry friends eagerly anticipating the first snow. Be sure to pick up my latest favorite, All the World, written by Liz Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee. I want it to win the Caldecott this year, but it's an underdog to the critics' pick, Jerry Pinkney's The Lion and the Mouse. Luckily, with the ALA Midwinter Conference (in Boston!) happening in just over a week, we won't have to wait long to find out the winner! You can attend the ceremony at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center at 7:30 am on Monday, the 18th. If you're not a Boston resident, or not a morning person, never fear: you'll be able to watch it streaming online.

YA authors seem especially busy lately. For the Twilight fan, we've got Captivate, featuring tricksy pixies, along with Hush, Hush and Fallen, both starring fallen angels. (I predict fallen angels will be this year's vampires. Bloodsuckers are so 2009.) Mike Lupica's football drama, Million Year Throw, includes a cameo by the Patriots -- what more could you ask for? Michelle's excited about Carolyn Mackler's new novel Tangled, in which a tropical summer vacation irrevocably changes four friends.

In national children's lit news, Katherine Paterson has just been named the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress. Paterson is the author of chapter books Jacob Have I Loved and Bridge to Terabithia (among many others). She'll serve a two-year term, during which she'll promote world-wide literacy for young people. Paterson is only the second National Ambassador; the first person ever to hold the position was one of our favorite funny guys, Jon Scieszka.

Last but certainly not least, The Horn Book, the children's lit magazine I hold so dear, has just launched with a new format! I'm looking forward to poring over lots of first-time columns and full color pages.

Can you believe all the good stuff happening in 2010? And it's just begun! To quote Neil Gaiman, literary love of my life (as I am wont to do, probably too often):

I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

What Rachel Wants to Buy This Week: Episode 30 (Plus a very special offer!)

Welcome to 2010, everybody! The holidays this year were a wild ride, but here I am on the flip side, ready for more shopping. ;) This week, the first of a new decade, I'm surprisingly focused on favorite toys of the past.

But first, an update/special offer:

Remember back in Episode 22 when I wished my real kitchen was big enough to fit the spectacular Melissa & Doug Deluxe Kitchen Set? Well, my real kitchen hasn't gotten any bigger, but the Melissa & Doug version has gotten even more appealing!

We're pleased to offer FREE DELIVERY to anywhere in the Greater Boston area with the purchase of the Deluxe Kitchen Set (because everyone knows it's practically impossible to drive or park a car in Harvard Square, let alone load it up with a giant box of toy kitchen amazingness). So if you, like me, have ogled this awesome toy in our store but sadly thought to yourself, "oh, but how would I get it home?" then rejoice! With the aid of a magical GPS, we'll bring the kitchen to you!

Now, on to more stuff I want to buy!

Wooden Catch Ball by Toysmith
$4.95
Located downstairs in the Chapter Book Room

This classic toy is one I was especially fond of as a child--and no wonder, it's stood the test of time for centuries! Descended from the Cup-and-Ball (and it's more difficult cousin, the Bilbo Catcher), this colorful wooden toy is simple, fun, and addicting. It's the sort of thing one could play with for hours (which sometimes is just the sort of thing one's parents want one to do), and we've got 'em!

Jacob's Ladder by Toysmith
$4.95
Located around the Hut and on the Game Wall

Another centuries-old toy, Jacob's Ladder never gets old. Flipping and flopping this easy toy around is mesmerizing to watch, and holds a thrill of engineering mystery that I have yet to sit down and figure out--how could something that looks so straightforward do that? It never fails to make me smile.

That's it for this episode--see you again soon!

A few tidbits of information - and perhaps a shriek of glee

Ah, is winter break over so soon? To think of the madness, the frenzy, the tantrums of two weeks ago...And I'm just talking about our staff. (Kidding! They're all still sane and very friendly!)

I've got a quick update on our sale: our Christmas merchandise sale has ended, but now we have all calendars discounted 35%. If you're like me, you need one for the office, one for the bedroom, one for the kitchen....and what's better than cute pocket piggies, unicorns, the Jetsons, Hello Kitty, Greenpeace, or of course, Curious George, to help you keep track of your meetings, dance recitals, and recycling pick-ups? (If only having a pretty calendar made your roommates remember better. But I digress.)

Also in wondrous news, more George plush has come in: we once again carry the 16" plush! Snuggle up with your hot cocoa, new books from Santa, and...a cuddly monkey.

One last tidbit. WHO'S EXCITED FOR THE LIGHTNING THIEF ON PRESIDENT'S DAY? Or better worded, WHO'S EXCITED FOR THE PEN-SWORD RIPTIDE ON PRESIDENT'S DAY?

Guess who's back...Georgie's back...

Hello again! Have you missed us? We're sorry we've been a bit slack on our blogging of late - but Santa's day has finally come (only 360 days until the next one...) and we no longer need to crowd-surf to the baby room! We'll be back in full bloggy glory by 2010, with book reviews, toy recommendations, wish-lists, internet links, book-to-movie adaptation news, and your regular old monkey business.

In the meantime, GUESS WHAT!! (Imagine us jumping and clapping our hands in glee, that's how awesome this news is). George plush is BACK! George in various sizes, in his yellow or red shirts, George wearing the yellow hat, George in pajamas. Ahh, the wonder of snuggly monkeys - I don't think we've ever been more happy to see our smiling Fed Ex friend, than when he's carting in Georgies! Unfortunately, we are still waiting on the 16", 26", and travel playset, but I hear that those are on their way soon as well.

Don't forget our Christmas sale, either: All Christmas merchandise is 30% off - so gather up those Rudolph ornaments, Himalayan stockings, or mini tinsel trees you were eyeing last month!

Fuzzy wuzzy had no hair...

Tragic news! The company that supplies us our plush Curious George, Russ, had unfortunately underestimated the demand on George and has run out of fabric. Right now we have only 16" George puppets and the dress up sets, which come with 10" George and two outfits. We had hoped to receive the other varieties of George before Christmas, but alas, it will not be. The new word is that George fur, and thus cuddly Georgies, will be back on hand in January. We're extremely sorry for the monkey fans who were hoping for a plushy this holiday season, but you can always call us to reserve your favorite style for next month.

Moomin 101 OR MoominMania!

Allow me to introduce or reacquaint you with the Moomins: those happy little trolls that look like Hippopotami and are the greatest Finnish export since...EVER!

Author/illustrator Tove Jansson began writing fairy tales to escape from the dreariness of World War II. The books, which followed Moomintroll and his family have since taken off into a series of novels aimed for ages 7+ and a comic strip printed in London in the '50s for several years. They're as popular and ubiquitous in Scandinavia as Disney is in America, and with recent re-releases Stateside, they're destined for a North American takeover! The creation of a claymation series in Germany has also cemented their European popularity. The Moomins are also wildly popular in Japan following a popular animated cartoon there.

The books and comic strips follow the creative and bohemian Moomin family and their various friends on wacky adventures.

Here are the main players:

Sweet, gentle Moomintroll, the main character.

His best friend Snufkin, the free-spirited, detached vagabond.

His friend Sniff, the opportunist.












His vain but sweet lady-love Snorkmaiden.











His gentle and comforting Moominmamma.










His adventurous and wander-lusting Moominpappa.













And the mischievous yet insightful Little My.









...to introduce but a few. To get all the goodness, you have to stop in Curious George for your passport to Moominland, via:

Books
The books have been in print in English since their original publication, starting in 1946. Many of the books work well on their own and are not necessary to read sequentially, but here's a chronological list anyway:

Comet in Moominland (paperback, $6.95)

Finn Family Moomintroll (paperback, $6.95)
This was the first of the books to be translated into English, and as such I feel it's the best introduction to the books as the author includes a great preface from Moominmamma and many of the characters are introduced formally.

Moominpappa's Memoirs (paperback, $6.95)

Moominsummer Madness (paperback, $6.95)

Moominland Midwinter (paperback, $6.95)

Tales from Moominvalley (paperback, $6.95)
This one is a collection of short stories whose only relation is the characters are all in Moominvalley.

Moominpappa at Sea (paperback, $6.95)

Moominvalley in November (paperback, $6.95)

Comic Strip
The comic strips have just now been released in the US from Drawn and Quarterly. Thus far there are four volumes (with the 5th and final coming June 8, 2010). The strips are grouped together into great story arcs that are some original story lines and some drawn loosely from the novels. They work great on their own, or with the novels, or as a quick introduction to the Moomins. These are great for all ages.

Volumes 1-4 (hardcovers, $19.95)
























Picture Books
Ms. Jansson also published a few picture books with Moomin characters that are just now being released in English. The first (and only right now) is The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My (hardcover, $16.95), in which Moomintroll, on his way home with milk for Moominmamma, is derailed in an effort to help Mymble find her missing sister Little My. The book is a TOTAL joy, written in verse, with wild and colorful illustrations, and die-cuts throughout the book that expose illustrations from the next pages.



MoominMerch
Curious George has ordered in some really great Moomin-related merchandise recently. These tea towels (which work fine on their own as display tapestries, too) and baby blankets are woven from natural materials in Sweden:



Snufkin, the vagabond
13.5"x13.5"
$15.95








Moominmamma and Moominpappa & hot air balloons!
14"x20"
$17.95










Moomintroll on ice floes!
13.5"x13.5"
$15.95









Moomintroll baby blankets
28"x41"
$56.95






Tove Jansson didn't just write for the young at heart. She has novels for adults that are just as deep and surreal as the Moomins. The New York Review of Books is re-releasing The True Deceiver, a book about an outcast young girl who inserts herself into the life of an aged and reclusive children's book author.

Another of Jansson's books recently translated into English and released stateside is The Summer Book which follows Sophia and her Grandmother vacationing for the summer on a Finnish island.

Stop in and meet the Moomin family: no matter what age you are you will be enchanted!

Cynthia von Buhler is the cat's meow.

To add to all the holiday cheer/shopping happening this weekend, we're delighted to have a signing with author, illustrator, and all-around artiste extraordinaire CYNTHIA VON BUHLER!

Cynthia will be at Curious George at 1 pm SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, to sign her purrfect picture books But Who Will Bell the Cats? and The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside. These gorgeous books feature miniature sets meticulously sculpted, painted, collaged, and photographed by Cynthia.

Her three intertwined websites are themselves works of art; besides having beautiful illustrations from the books, they're jam-packed with interactive extras. Go explore to learn how to sew a belled collar for your kitty, perform an amazing card trick, and build a Sculpey cat, watch animations or listen to music, and become hypnotized by Cynthia's huge body of multimedia art!

You don't have to take MY word for it... Curious Kid Picks #1

I grew up watching Reading Rainbow, starring LeVar Burton (AKA "Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge" on Star Trek: The Next Generation, another show my geeky childhood self was addicted to). LeVar would introduce each episode with a vignette based around a topic like nutrition, genealogy, dance, or homelessness, and present a thematic picture book which was then read and shown page by page.

THEN came my favorite part: kids my age got to recommend their own favorite relevant books. LeVar would segue into this segment by saying, "But you don't have to take my word for it..." -- a phrase as memorable as the catchy theme song. Reading Rainbow helped validate the importance and pleasure of reading for bookish little me by taking kids' opinions about books so seriously.

So, in the spirit of LeVar Burton and the soon-to-be-defunct Reading Rainbow (RIP), here's the first batch of reviews from our new Curious Kid Picks board, located in the chapter book room on the back of the yellow bench. We hope your kiddos will be inspired to read some of these titles and/or write their own reviews!



Title: Flawed Dogs – The Shocking Raid on Westminster
Author: Berkeley Breathed
Reviewed by: Aba
Rating: 5 bananas
Comments: “There are a lot of dogs and if you like dogs you’ll love it.”


Title: Chrissa
Author: Mary Casanova
Reviewed by: Emma
Rating: 4 bananas
“It was compelling and interesting. It made your mind think about whether she was doing something right or wrong. I would recommend this book to girls who love American Girl dolls.”


Title: Clarice Bean – Don’t Look Now
Author: Lauren Child
Reviewed by: Lily
Rating: 4 bananas
Comments: “Very sad.”



Title: The Tail of Emily Windsnap
Author: Liz Kessler
Reviewed by: Sarah
Rating: 5 bananas




Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author: Jeff Kinney
Reviewed by: Misa
Comments: “It is very funny.”



Title: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Author: Grace Lin
Reviewed by: Jai-Lin
Rating: 5 bananas
Comments: “It is about a girl named Minli whose dad tells her a story every night and he told one about the old man on the moon so she set off in search to find him.”



Title: Rules
Author: Cynthia Lord
Reviewed by: Ana
Rating: 5 bananas
Comments: “It taught kids about others who are different than us and that you should treat everyone the same. ☺”


Title: The Willoughbys
Author: Lois Lowry
Reviewed by: Sam
Rating: 5 bananas
Comments: “I loved this book – different twist on kids and what they think about their parents. Excellent vocab and glossary at end – Enjoy. ☺”



Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Reviewed by: Sophia
Rating: 5 bananas
Comments: “I thought that it was awesome because it made me think that I was the boy and I was in his position. And it seemed like he was sad and lonely. And he needs to survive on his own. And he finds food for himself.”

As LeVar says, see you next time -- and all you young reviewers out there, keep reading and recommending! We love to hear what you think.

Where the boys (and girls) are

I was catching up on my magazines this week and noticed that two of my favorites featured pieces on tween reading, boys reading and boy characters, in particular. My immediate reaction was joyous: in my mind, nothing is more truly feminist than caring about the well-being and equality of both boys and girls. In case you don't have these periodicals on your night-stand or at your local newsstand (for shame!), here's a little recap and my own take...

Bitch magazine's most recent issue, "Art/See" winter 2009, features an article "Paper Boys" on "news" of boys' reading abilities and author/former teacher Jon Scieszka's literacy program, Guys Read. U.S. Department of Education statistics report boys are behind girls in reading development (or maybe girls are improving at reading, and boys are the same?). Scieszka founded Guys Read to help boys discover reading as an enjoyable activity by showcasing books that they might want to read: categories listed on the website include "classics that actually hold up," "people being transformed into animals" and "repairing shoes, but are only written in Spanish." (That last is Como Reparar Salzado). The article's author, Jonathan Frochtwajg, commends the program, and other books and institutions focused on literacy, but notes that "recommending books to boys as books for boys risks reinforcing the notion that boys naturally like certain sorts of reading material, when, of course, socialization largely shapes their preference." He describes reading as a vessel to learn about others' perspective, gender in particular here, and while I agree with that, I think that's only one part of reading. Why can't we (educators, families, booksellers, whatever), help boys (and girls!) learn to read for reading's own sake? Maybe what really needs to change is how reading education is approached in schools and at home, with lessons adapted to each child's individual intellectual development, and good books written that kids are excited to read. Of course, this is my own opinion as a wee bookseller, and even just now I got into a not-quite-heated-but-almost discussion with our book and merchandise buyers about "boy books" and "girl books."

If you're interested in Guys Read, check out their website, blog, and their book, Guys Write for Guys Read, a collection of favorite authors writing about being boys.


The other article I read was in the fall 2009 issue of Ms. magazine: "The Kid Wimps Out" written by Allison Kimmich. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is an acknowledged giant in the tween reading world, an admittedly entertaining, funny (hmm), graphic novel style chapter book that Kimmich says her own "emerging feminist" daughter reads. While I do agree that Greg (the eponymous wimpy kid) isn't exactly the best role model for boys or girls, nor do I find him even remotely likable as a character, I found Kimmich's caution on Greg's attitude and behavior a tiny bit reactionary. Yes, he is selfish, treats his friends and girl classmates rudely, and there are no girl characters beyond goodie-goodie stereotypes. Yes, readers (boys and girls) should be critical when reading (or viewing any media they encounter, for that matter). But I think she underestimates or misunderstands kids and why they read what they do; when she says there are few girls who may be "savvy enough" to see Wimpy Kid as not worth reading, it reminds me of women, admitted feminist women, reading the Twilight saga. The Washington Post ran an article, Twilight: the love that dare not speak its shame, about all the reasons women shouldn't/won't/don't want to read the vampire romances, but do anyway, and become inexplicably hooked. To arguments against Bella and Edward, the feminist woman who reads Twilight simply says, "I know." Not every book feminist women read is purely feminist or woman-friendly literature, nor should we chastise women for not constantly rereading Simone De Beauvoir. Neither should we censure kids too harshly for reading books that don't always hold up ideal relationships or attitudes. My opinion, as a bookseller, reader, and book-buyer for my nephews, is that if a reader (of any age!), is happy reading, and reading a variety of things they like, then I'm happy, too. Right now I could be reading some adult non-fiction, or perusing the picture books for my book club's mock Caldecott discussion, but instead I'm rereading Pullman's His Dark Materials, for about the third time. Since I'm a grown-up (ish), no one is telling me I should be expanding my reading horizons...well, except for our book buyer, who just likes to tease me regardless.

I will give good credit to Ms. for their list of book suggestions alongside the article, that included the Penderwicks and The View from Saturday - some of my favorite chapter books. Once we start thinking of good books for both boys and girls, plenty of titles jump speedily to mind: Clementine; The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm; Holes; My Most Excellent Year; Julie and the Wolves...I could go on for hours. I can see where Ms. and Bitch are coming from: we've come a long way from Dick and Jane and TinTin in the Congo, but there's still a ways go.

And in the end, I'm happy that two great feminist magazines, dealing with pop culture and politics - "grown-up" turf - both found children's literature as important to write about, and take as seriously, as Sonya Sotomayor and Yoko Ono.

What Rachel Wants For Chrismukah

The winter holidays are fast approaching, and that means it's time for making lists! Since I'm one of those lucky children of a Catholic mom and Jewish dad, I've always gotten presents for Christmas and Chanukah--so here's episode one of my holiday wishes!


Christmas Mice Beanbags by Gund
$4.95 each
Located around the Hut and at the downstairs register

Gund never ceases to make me squeal with their cute holiday beanbag critters, no matter what holiday is approaching, and Christmas is no exception! This year we've got these adorable stripey beanbag mice, with cute corduroy tails and little felt feet and ears. They remind me of Mew, the Muppet catnip mouse in one of my fave Christmas movies ever, The Christmas Toy. They make a great stocking gift or table accent, either separately or as a set, and could even be super-adorable juggling bags if you really want to show off your skillz at your holiday gathering. ;)


Beeswax Chanukah Candles by Rite Lite
$12.95
Located near the stairs

Maybe it's a little boring to want candles for Chanukah, but the giant tub of candles I bought several years ago is finally running low--and it's probably time to try something new anyway, since the ones I've been using every year tend to melt into bizarre shapes, then fall over and light each other dramatically on fire. It's fun to watch, but a pain to clean up all the wax everywhere later. Of course, I'm not one to go with generic or boring candles--and why would I, when we have beeswax candles here at Curious George? They come in a cool wooden container of 45 candles, they smell lovely even through the plastic shrink-wrap they're packed in, and the texture is visually appealing. I can't wait to have myself eight evenings of natural honey-smelling goodness!


Food Face Dinner Plate by Fred
$11.95
Located near the Baby Room, in the food corner

I spotted this as I was straightening things up just a few hours ago, and had to add it to my holiday wish list. My mom used to arrange my food into faces all the time, and sometimes I still do it myself, so this quirky plate is perfect for mealtimes in my apartment. ;) The FRED website assures that the plate is food-safe and made of hotel quality ceramic, so no worries on that front, and it comes nicely boxed to keep it safe on its way from us to your kitchen, whether you come in or order online!




That's it for this special holiday episode--see you on the flip side!