Friday, May 2, 2008

The merry month of May!

It's going to be an exciting weekend at Curious George! From 10 AM to 5:30 PM on Saturday (that's tomorrow, May 3rd), artist Marcella Comerford will be doing children's silhouette portraits. We have a limited number of ten-minute appointments still available, so give us a call today at 617-498-0062 or stop by in the morning to reserve a spot. Don't miss this rare opportunity!

The 25th annual Harvard Square May Fair is this Sunday, March 4th (rain date Sunday, March 11th). There will be lots to do, see, eat, and buy for the entire family all over the Square, but the real gold mine is on Church Street. The Kids' Festival will include lots of kid-sized activities including face painting, healthy snacks, a "Kids Chalk Zone", Matchbox car racing, and "dancing in the streets." View the full schedule of events before you head over.

There are very many new Lego sets to be constructed at Curious George! The selection includes Bionicle, Technic, Creator, Star Wars, Racers, and Mars Mission. So, come get your build on.

Our favorite teenage witch, Emma Watson, is adding another kids' book-to-film adaptation to her resume. She'll portray Princess Pea in December's The Tale of Despereaux, based on the Newbery medal winner and perennial CG pick by Kate DiCamillo.

With the Prince Caspian movie coming out on May 16th, chances are you'll need to brush up on your Narnia knowledge. Pick up a complete Chronicles of Narnia box set to reread the whole series, or get a Cliff's Notes version with the interactive Narnia Chronology: From the Archives of the Last King. Focus on Caspian with the pretty boxed combo of the full-color collector's edition and unabridged audio recording.

Some recent arrivals here at Curious George:
An intriguing update to Michelle's thoughts on the wicked geniusy in YA lit is Cory Doctorow's futuristic thriller Little Brother. When seventeen-year-old superhacker Marcus cuts school to play a web-based alternate reality game, he and his friends find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time: the site of a major terrorist attack. Marcus's hacking track record lands him in extreme interrogation with the Department of Homeland Security. Little Brother brilliantly tackles the tricky subjects of technology, freedom, and patriotism for a cyber-savvy teen audience.

The second adventure of the Mysterious Benedict Society is finally here and we are so excited! The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey finds Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance reunited for a new adventure that brings them closer together in their efforts to save the very society they founded.

Blue Balliett's newest art-mystery novel for middle graders is has arrived as well. The Calder Game features not only a missing Alexander Calder sculpture but the disappearance of Calder Pillay, protagonist of Balliett's other two mystery novels, Chasing Vermeer and The Wright 3. Petra and Tommy must find him and retrieve the sculpture, while readers must navigate the awesomely twisty plotting that has become synonymous with a Blue Balliett book.

Walter Dean Myers harkens back to his 1988 Vietnam War novel Fallen Angels in a sequel entitled Sunrise Over Fallujah. Fallujah follows the time Robin Perry spends as a soldier in Iraq and includes letters home to his veteran uncle Richie of Fallen Angels. A contemporary portrayal of war and the confusion of being a teenager caught in the fighting but out of the loop, this novel is an important one for anybody interested in stepping into the sandy boots of our deployed troops.

Finally, we are giddy over The Horn Book Inc.'s new presence on Facebook. We think Bertha would appreciate the utilization of such a modern tool to grow Horn Book awareness and readership. Become a "fan" and do your part to spread the love and the word about great books for kids.

2 comments:

carterbham said...

So when can we become a Facebook fan of the Curious George bookshop?

Three Little Monkeys said...

Ooh, good idea! We'll look into it.