Poetry laurels, multiculturism, a bit of trivia, and of course, Hunger Games news! (Recent news roundup)

Have you missed me? I've been away on vacation in warmer, sunnier climes but I'm back to give you the highlights of news relating to kids, kids books, and other things that I find entertaining...

The big news first! J. Patrick Lewis is the new Children's Poet Laureate, following such other luminaries as Jack Prelutsky and Mary Ann Hoberman. I love his poetry-history picture book, The House, illustrated by Roberto Innocenti, and am looking forward to what he will do with this position.

I have tried to stay away from the constant news updates about the casting and filming of the Hunger Games movie, in the hopes that my expectations will not rocket, and thus plummet, by the time I see it. However, I am apparently weak when it comes to Entertainment Weekly and its exclusive interview with Jennifer Lawrence (who plays Katniss, and yes, they dyed her blond hair brunette. Whew.)

As I discovered through Fuse #8, the blog Delightful Children's Books has compiled a book "tour" of cultures and countries in the book list Read Around the World, including a section on children from all around the world, with DK's Children Just Like Me and Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions From Around the World.

I've only just caught up on my Bitch Magazine blogs, so I'm a bit late in reporting that the ladies at that feminist organization posted their favorite childhood and contemporary picture books in honor of Children's Book Week. It's a fresh take on a common question in book and publishing spheres, (and I do like sending folks over to their website), so take a look! They have also begun a new blog series: a YA Book Club, featuring some contested titles from their unfortunately infamous 100 Young Adults for the Feminist Reader list. Our own store's book club also recently read Margo Lanagan's Tender Morsels; it was interesting comparing our reader's responses and questions to theirs. If you are interested in joining our monthly teen and adult book club, email us at blog@curiousg.com. Because of the city construction, we will have to relocate discussions off-site, but we will continue reading!

In other store news, I bet a few kids and their parents are a bit antsy about our art and writing contest which closed last week - we are fiendishly reading the many submissions we have received and will announce the winners tomorrow! We will not be sending out postcards this year, instead the list of winners will go up on our contest blog, with our Facebook, Twitter, and store blog linking there.

I will close on something just for fun - because who doesn't like silly quizzes? Persephone Magazine has a post of Disney Songs Trivia! The Thursday staff here was a bit stumped on a few, and we are appropriately ashamed.

In the news: Neil Gaiman, Stephenie Meyer, Neil Gaiman, Vincent Van Gogh, and oh yes, Neil Gaiman, too

I imagine most Neil Gaiman fans have already heard about this contest - and entered! - but for any other aspiring actors or Gaimanians, HarperCollins is hosting a contest for a speaking role in the audio book version of American Gods. The winner will be flown to New York City to be coached in the reading by Mr Neil himself! If you're a bit microphone-shy but still want to be involved, you can vote on the contenders.

There is even further excitement regarding this particular Gaiman title: there are rumors of HBO making a television series of American Gods. Gaiman has no comments just yet, so keep your fingers crossed!

Many folks, especially Gaiman fans, are talking about HBO's new series, Game of Thrones, adapted from George R.R. Martin's fantasy series. I haven't seen it yet (that not-having-a-TV thing), but I've heard plenty of good things about it - especially from our receiver, John. On his recommendation alone, I'd say start watching it now, because you don't want to be catching up three seasons late, do you? Fair warning, this is not a show for kids.

Edward and Bella's fans can go head to head with Shadow, Coraline, and the Sandman's fans for intensity, as USA Today shows: ten Twilight fans won an international contest to meet with Stephenie Meyer for two days in Vancouver. Of the many topics discussed in those two days, fans might find interesting Meyer's view of the movie development and the possibility of future books about magic or mermaids. I'm rooting for the 1,000 page mermaid story, you bet!

At Toy Fair this year, Mattel revealed the Fine Art Barbies: dolls in gorgeous dresses inspired by paintings from Da Vinci, Klimt, Van Gogh. We don't typically carry Mattel products here, but fellow bookseller Jess and I could ogle the Starry Night's shoes all day...

I'm always excited to get the latest issue of Bitch Magazine, but must refrain from immediately devouring the entire content of this non-profit quarterly. But once I saw that #50, "Primal," contained an interview with young adult author Francesca Lia Block, I could not resist! Her Weetzie Bat books were a milestone in my reading life - nothing compares to her ethereal style, lovably imperfect characters, and understanding approach of gritty subjects. This article is not on their blog, so hunt down a copy at your local newsstand or Newbury Comics. In addition to reading about spectacular young adult writers, you'll be supporting a non-profit feminist organization! In their past issues, they have also interviewed Ursula K. Le Guin (#48) and Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu (#41).

Hobbiton news

This wee tidbit of news packs a lot of punch for Tolkien fans: Peter Jackson posted a ten minute video tour of the first day shooting of The Hobbit. Be prepared for seeing the set of Gollum's caves, banter about Gandalf's robes, and of course, the sheer mass of people and talent that collaborate on such a production. For more news and photos, head over to The Hobbit movie official website. (That's where I found out that Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords is playing an elf! I can't wait to see that...)

What should teens read or not read? (Some tempting articles and lists)

Like many fans of Suzanne Collins popular dystopian series The Hunger Games, I've been following the casting choices of the 2012 movie adaptation, often with that troubled, peeking-through-hands-over-the-eyes attitude. If you haven't heard the announcements, Jennifer Lawrence from Winter's Bone has been chosen for Katniss Everdeen, with Peeta Mellark played by Josh Hutcherson (remember Bridge to Terabitha in 2007?) and Gale Hawthorne played by Liam Hemsworth. While there is something to be said for the strength of fans' attachment to these characters, I'm even more intrigued by director Gary Ross's decision to make this film PG-13. The New York Times has a solid article interviewing the typically media-shy Suzanne Collins, with a focus on the portrayal of war and violence in young adult literature. Definitely worth a close read, though if you haven't finished the series, be wary of a few spoilers.

Not just the folks at NYT and Hollywood are concerned about what is and is not appropriate for teens - the British, too, are thinking on it these days. Patrick Ness, author of the Chaos Walking series, selected his Top Ten Unsuitable Books for Teens for the Guardian. I quite enjoy his point about the appeal of banned or off-limits books for (supposedly) too young readers: "What a great way to establish reading as exciting and maybe even dangerous, eh?". The list includes Beloved, The Virgin Suicides, and Catcher In the Rye, among others, with a summary and commentary for each by Ness.

I knew April was National Poetry Month, but I have just learned that April is also LGBT Awareness Month. Persephone Magazine has a feature on LGBT Teen Fiction that go beyond "tolerant" stories to those with whole acceptance of the normality of non-heteronormative relationships and gender viewpoints. The article's author, Anna Carey, says it best: "The irony of this review, of course, is that I’m raving about an aspect of the book that is really present in the story in the same way the sky is blue." The books featured are Ash and Huntress by Malinda Lo and Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

Weekly news bits, including: Muppets, moors, Muggles, and a new kind of mafia

I can finally start the countdown and plan for withdrawal afterwards: A release date has been set for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. July will be here before we know it!

I am beyond thrilled for the Jane Eyre movie adaptation from Focus Features coming out this March. Jane will be played by Mia Wasikowska, the actress from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right. Stormy menfolk and moody moors. Sigh.

Another kids movie coming out this month is the second Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. In my opinion, Rodrick has entirely too much hair to look like his cartoon alter ego, but who's counting?

There's going to be another Muppet movie?! How did I not know this? I hear it will involve the reunion of separated Muppets, including finding Fozzie performing at a casino! It will be released November 23rd. Thanks to Katie at Out of the Box for mentioning it on her Muppet comics post.


The YA Mafia: a coterie of writers so influential and prolific it has its own twitter hashtag. But wait: Holly Black revealed last week that it does not exist, and in fact, could not exist. For a play by play across the blogs, YA Highway has the best wrap-up I've found yet, (and as a sidenote, some of the best mash-up YA cover art I've seen!). It makes sense to me that people are passionate about the same things (bird-watching, YA literature, raw vegan cooking) are going to know each other, or want to know each other, or bump into each other in common places (national parks, book signings/trade conventions, Grezzo in the North End), but that doesn't necessarily mean they are colluding on book blurbs or plotting to take down common genre-enemies. Whether or not YA authors, editors, or booksellers are scratching each other's backs, it's still pretty entertaining to envision a "secret cabal" of all those people I talk about all day.


Lastly, the Guardian has launched a children's books website for children's use, kicking it off with Philip Pullman answering questions from his fans. I love what he has to say to aspiring writers: "We shouldn't bother about other people at all when we write. It's none of their business what we write...One of the reasons for JK Rowling's success was that she didn't give a fig for what people thought they wanted. They didn't know they wanted Harry Potter till she wrote about him. That's the proper way round." Take heart, you future entrants to our upcoming art and writing contests!

Read Across America Day - Dr Seuss

Today is the NEA's Read Across America Day, which is also Dr. Seuss's birthday! The National Education Association started this annual program in 1998 to celebrate the importance - and the pure fun - of reading, and motivate children especially to read. Celebrities, mayors, school principals, athletes, and many other public figures participate in activities and reading challenges across the country.

Random House's Seussville website has ideas for activities and a resource for finding events near you.

The catch all news update, including: release dates, pop up dogs, Fibonacci rabbits, nerds...and McNuggets?

The subject line almost says it all, doesn't it? In my usual weekly news catch up, I've found a few highly entertaining, and even informative, news and videos! Enjoy.

A release date for Martin Scorcese's 3 D adaptation of Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret has been set for November 23rd, the day before Thanksgiving. If anyone can do justice to this spectacularly cinematic novel, Scorcese can.

I can not get over how mind-meltingly awesome this video is. When these two power M's combine...cleverly engineered, wittily written pop-up dog cards are made! Watch Matthew Van Fleet on the Martha Stewart Show, and be amazed. I'm going to mix authors here, but Martha, did you know there's a bird on your head?!

The UK's Guardian has an Emily Gravett slideshow up, showcasing close-ups of spreads from her many rich, humorously dark picture books and a few comments on their process and creation. Very satisfying insight into an artist/author's world, I only wish there was a page for The Odd Egg.

Maybe you've already heard, but the publishing house founded by Dave Eggers, McSweeney's, is starting a children's imprint, to be called McMullens! Despite my strange subconscious impulse to visualize McNuggets alongside a stack of snarky children's books, this can only bring good things to the universe!

For ongoing increase-of-awesome, I always refer to John and Hank Green's vlog brothers (video blog) website, Nerdfighters. John Green, yes, of Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns fame, with his equally talented, hilarious musician/Ecogeek blogger brother, Hank, banter back and forth every few days, talking about telescopes, giraffes, politics, small town cemeteries, among other things. You can start with the most recent blogs, or How To Be a Nerdfighter, which is a vlog-manifesto-of-sorts, or how I got addicted to the brothers, which still remains one of the funniest videos I've ever encountered, How To Make Boys Like You.

Two Louises, a congested zookeeper, and a parade of pigs walk into a bookstore...

I've been catching up on my blog reading this week (the infinitesimal downside to the holiday rush beginning is how behind I get on my book news!), and I saw that the winners of the Roald Dahl Funny Book Prize, were announced! Louise Yates's picture book Dog Loves Books took the cake for the six and under crowd, while Louise Rennison's first of a new (!) series Withering Tights won for the seven to fourteen category. I am so pleased! I love both of these authors, and they certainly do know how to tickle the funny bone (and occasionally make you chuckle maniacally to yourself on the bus. Oh. Georgia Nicholson, how I wish you were real and had been my friend in middle school.) The only sadness is that Withering Tights won't be released in the US until June of next year. Cruel Britons, I say, calling our attention to books we can't even read yet.

However, we can read some author interviews from the UK website Booktrust, and we'll just have to get by on that.


In other news items, the New York Times featured one of my all time favorite books of the year: Philip Stead's Sick Day for Amos McGee! Reading Dogs and Untrained Boys is an article about a difficult-to-quantify aspect of children's books: humor. Not only is Sick Day absolutely gorgeous and my dark horse, long shot, sleeper choice for the Caldecott, NYT is right: it's funny. It's funny in the way kids books do best, by taking something we grown-ups think is preposterous, absurd, or downright silly, (like a zookeeper's animal friends taking care of him), as serious, as possible. I wish more books for "adults" could entertain "preposterous" possibilities and not necessarily be space age science fiction. Then again, that's one of the reasons I read children's books - because adult books aren't enough for me. The article also reviewed Tad Hill's How Rocket Learned to Read (the author/illustrator of Duck & Goose board books), Peter Brown's Children Make Terrible Pets, and Michael Ian Black's A Pig Parade Is a Terrible Idea. This last title is unfortunately out of stock at the publisher currently, but we hope it will be back on the shelf very soon.

Medals, wands, and ...holiday store hours!

Let's start with the most important news: Part one of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released TOMORROW. Eeee! My roommate is a brave and lucky soul and is going to the premiere tonight. I hope to see some photos of any Bellatrix Lestrange or Tonks characters. If you haven't finished the book, swing by to pick up a paperback (759 pages for $14.99!) or the new Harry Potter Pop-up, based on the films dramatic scenes. I love the one with the Hungarian Horntail - that dragon is fearsome! (Say it with me now, Accio Firebolt!)


In more serious but still very exciting book news, the National Book Award Winners were announced. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine took the young adult category, with the finalists including: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, Dark Water by Laura McNeal, Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers, and One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.


Lastly, it's almost time for our extended holiday hours - there will more hours in a day you can come in, shop around, and talk to your favorite booksellers! We will be closed Thanksgiving Day, and beginning on the 26th, the Friday after Thanksgiving, we'll be open Thursday through Saturday 10am to 8pm, with Sunday through Wednesday continuing at 10am to 7 pm. We hope to see you in soon!

2010 New York Times Best Illustrated

Great news for picture book aficionados (and just in time for my mock Caldecott book club meeting!), the 2010 New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books have been announced! Follow the link to a slide-show of the chosen titles.

They include:

Seasons by Blexbolex
Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown
Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile (this particular title is a graphic novel chapter book blend)
Shadow by Suzy Lee
Busing Brewster by Richard Michelson, illustrated by R.G. Roth
Henry In Love by Peter McCarty
Subway by Christoph Niemann
Big, Red Lollipop by Rukhsana, Khan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Red Nose Studio
and drum roll for my personal dark horse for the Caldecott: A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead, illustrated by Erin Stead

This list differs from the Caldecott since they take into consideration books by authors from around the world. We're happy they included one of our staff favorites, Blexbolex's Seasons, although I wish they had also chosen The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood. If only The Quiet Book's illustrator Renata Liwska lived in the U.S.!

Who needs picture books?

An article in the New York Times yesterday, Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children, certainly has people talking. There's a great comment thread and we in the hut have been mulling it over.

Essentially, it says that picture books are fading out of children's reading experiences for a few reasons: the struggling economy, a focus on teens, and primarily, the push of overly enthusiastic parents.

With regard to the economic downturn, I do see that publishers are putting out smaller lists. At all ends of the publishing industry, and I'm sure many other industries, people have to cut corners. But I'd hope that this means that the selection of manuscripts is stricter, and the best, most exactingly edited books are published. (This is assuming, of course, that publishing house staff hasn't also been exceedingly culled). With fewer mediocre books, and more focus spent on each individual book, perhaps the exceptional picture book will be more likely to find its way to its readers. But, really, no matter the details of how many and how well and how much, I believe there are still a significant number of people that want picture books. It is my daily experience, at least at this particular store with the majority of our shoppers looking for baby to preschooler items, that people like picture books. Basically: fewer books on the market doesn't necessarily translate to less sales; if people want to buy a picture book, they will buy a picture book.

In some stores I could see that YA book sales are expanding, and therefore may physically expand into other departments. As my former colleague (now a children's book editor) reminds us, this doesn't always mean that teens are buying more teen books. The adult crossover appeal is such a phenomenon that there are blogs devoted to crossover recommendations and panels about it at places like BookExpo America. Teen supernatural romance and dystopian fiction is a literary and commercial trend at the moment - the way all industries have trends - and I'm going to simply be happy that we can talk about such a thing as a cross-generational trend in the media. (We can talk another day about what difference, if any, the intended audience versus additional audience of a book makes on its writing, its sales angles, its cover artwork...to say nothing of what it means to live in a culture in which an utterly different consumer bracket is consuming a supposedly targeted product). At Curious George, we have a whole range of middle grade and teen fiction, but our driving sales come from picture books and baby books. To me, that says more about our neighborhood and how people see than it does about the overarching state of teen versus young children's literature.

Which brings me, finally, to what I am most conflicted about here: the shoppers, the parents, the people who buying or supposedly not buying picture books. From my own experience working in Harvard Square's children's bookstore for three years, I have met many, many kinds of shoppers. There are occasionally the folks who would rather purchase toys because "kids can't read yet anyway," but they're still looking for something the kid will like, as they see; for the most part, the massive majority of folks in our store want good, age- and ability-appropriate books for the kids in their lives. I feel quite uncomfortable with the portrayal of some enthusiastic parents in this article; whether or not I agree with their views, I don't think it's entirely fair to hint that these parents are pushy, making their kids read books they don't want to (or possibly, are not ready to) read. [Edit: On her own blog, the mother in the article feels she was quoted out of context]. There certainly is a trend now for starting kids talking and reading early, for instance, Brainquest, the company that makes flashcards and workbooks that are used in schools and homes, now makes wipe-clean alphabet or counting flashcards for ages 2+. I may not agree with the practice of discouraging picture books in favor of more "mature" reading (if these parents even do that), but I cannot fault parents for wanting the best for their children and being involved in their education. Of course, I do admit that my own preference is a family in which the children are free to roam about the bookstore or library and read what they are drawn to, with occasional subtle direction from a parent/sibling/librarian/teacher. Sometimes a kid is a reluctant reader because he hasn't found a book he really likes yet; sometimes she's just not much of a reader, period. I'm OK with either scenario, as long as the opportunity and encouragement to read and learn, by all manner of sources, is there. I don't agree with a parenting style that focuses more on the future "results" than on the child's current happiness and abilities, but I also disagree with vilifying parents for taking an active interest in their child's development and opportunities.

Thankfully, there are some qualifications to the "picture book on the wane" argument in the article. After a quote from Candlewick's publisher Karen Lotz defending the complexities of picture books, we are told that "Many parents overlook the fact that chapter books, even though they have more text, full paragraphs and fewer pictures, are not necessarily more complex." While beginning readers and chapter books are intended for children to read on their own and thus may stay generally in the verbal and emotional vocabulary of the reader, picture books are intended to be interpreted by adults to children and so can also carry some hefty topics, so to speak. Look to Kevin Henkes mice books, Robie Harris's body books, or anything by Todd Parr: these are by no means simple or empty of emotion.

Picture books are an activity, a communication, a relationship between parent and child, reader and audience. Picture books are useful: they help children learn visual and mental focus, the early building blocks of language, tonal emotion, all while creating a bond between reader and child, and a bond between books and the child. On top of all this, picture books are simply beautiful.

If this article's statement that picture books are being phase out is anywhere close to being true, then I hope to the stars that this article makes people notice that, and makes people want to do something about it. We actually had a customer come in yesterday and ask for a giant stack of picture books because of the article. While plenty of us involved in publishing, education, or however else invested in children's literature, may disagree with the article's assumptions and ignorance or the kind of "get ahead of the game" parenting it describes as common, I take some comfort in the fact that here in this prestigious newspaper is an article about picture books and children's literacy. An article that interviews independent bookstores as well as large and small publishing houses. An article that at the very least books with pictures, books for young people, as something worth reporting - even if we disagree with what it says about those books. Here is an article that has over 300 comments on its website by the next day. However we feel about the importance of picture books versus chapter books in children's verbal and emotional growth, I will take some comfort and pride from the fact that we are discussing them.

It's better than the Panda Cam...

..It's Little Pim on the Today Show!

Little Pim, a series of DVDs, flashcards, and music for learning languages, was featured in an NBC Today Show segment entitled "Kids Get Ahead with Mandarin, Spanish," about the many developmental benefits of introducing multiple languages to young children.

We'll be hosting Little Pim's creator, Julia Pimsleur, next week on October 9th, at noon. Stop by for a question and answer session for parents, and enjoy some multicultural music and tasty treats.

The best kind of holiday: food AND love

Today is Hug a Vegetarian Day! PETA2, a youth affiliate of PETA, brings us this holiday to celebrate the meatless milieu...and hugs, because who doesn't love hugs? The mass of us vegetarians at Curious George certainly do!

While I was researching this "holiday," I came across this spectacular study from Chemical Senses, through the Love to Know website: vegetarians smell better. Don't believe them? Find your favorite vegetarian and give them a sniff...

Bookish Moving Pictures

It's so hot today, it's even difficult to focus on a page and read! You KNOW it's bad when it comes to that. On hot days when it's difficult to read, sitting in an air-conditioned theater is an appealing idea. And what better sort of movie to see, than one made from a book? What follows is a round-up of upcoming adaptations of books coming to the silver screen.

Mr. Popper's Penguins, starring Jim Carrey. The release date is not yet announced, it sounds like the script is just nearing completion. But, the script is certainly taking its liberties with the much beloved middle-grade novel and 1939 Newberry Honor. The IGN reports that the "movie version takes the book into an upscale direction: a high-powered businessman suddenly inherits six penguins. As he gets acquainted with – and increasingly attached to – his winged roommates, Popper's life quickly unravels: his swanky New York apartment is turned into a snowy winter wonderland, the deal he's long been working on is derailed, and he almost lands in jail."

Expect to see it in theaters in a year or so. It's pretty clear what kind of movie this will be, and nothing could ever beat Robert Lawson's understated and playful monochromatic illustrations. But, alas, there's always a silver lining: a mediocre movie always helps readers find amazing books.

Up next is the VERY anticipated and VERY probably awesome forthcoming movie based on The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins has been on a tour of all the Districts of (Ancient) Panem, and when I caught up with her at Brookline Public Library, she said that she was at work on the script herself, with some help from scriptwriting gentleman. No director has been selected, but she thinks the selection will be made soon. Then it will be a couple of years till we see the movie, I bet. I think I should play Katniss, and Clive Owen can play Gale and Edward Norton can play Peeta. Le sigh. Where's that air conditioning knob?

The Smurfs. This is perhaps the strangest forthcoming adaptation...the beloved comic book characters of old are coming to the big screen...albeit in CG form. And the Smurfs will be placed in a modern-day NYC frame story, akin to the "Mr. Popper" plot.

Here's a pic, from Wikipedia:







As weird as the CG may be, there are some great voice talents recruited; Hank Azaria as Gargamel, Neil Patrick Harris and John Oliver! Since they've just released a picture of the CG, I imagine it will be another year until theatrical release.

But, if you prefer to keep your Smurfs preserved in the nostalgic glow of un-CG'd childhood, the movie is reinvigorating interest. The original comic books are being reprinted into graphic novels with three stories in each volume.

The Purple Smurfs (Vol. 1)
Downstairs in the Chapter Book Room
$5.99







The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (Vol. 2)
Downstairs in the Chapter Book Room
$5.99

...with more volumes forthcoming!

And more Schleich Smurfs to come to the hut SOON!

What books would you want made into a movie? Which ones should be left alone for forever?

Warning: graphic novel content!

Opening my daily Shelf Awareness email today -- an all-graphic novels edition -- I was only a little surprised to see my friend Robin talking about her love for graphic novels! Robin is the teen room librarian at the Brookline Library, where I spend a LOT of my free time, and I can vouch for her excellent (and expansive) taste in graphic novels.

Here are a few of our favorites to try!

Bookseller: Michelle
Title: American Born Chinese
Author: Gene Luen Yang
Genre: contemporary fiction/graphic novel; for fans of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Suggested reading level: age 12 and up
Synopsis: The three narratives of new-kid Jin Wang, TV’s Chin-Kee, and the legend of the Monkey King come together in heart-breaking and hilarious ways to spin a new tale on the age-old theme of figuring out just where one fits in.

Bookseller: Natasha
Title: Wonderland
Author: Tommy Kovac, Sonny Liew (illus)
Genre: graphic novel/fantasy
Suggested reading level: age 9 and up
Synopsis: “Mary Ann! Mary Ann!” Just who was this Mary Ann that the White Rabbit was looking for in the Disney Alice in Wonderland? This graphic novel, with incredibly vibrant illustrations, tells the story of the White Rabbit’s housemaid Mary Ann, picking up where the movie left off. Intrigue and fun abound!

Bookseller: Katie
Title: The Complete Persepolis
Author: Marjane Satrapi
Genre: graphic memoir; for fans of Maus or Blankets
Suggested reading level: age 15 and up
Synopsis: The struggles of a single teenager during the Iranian Revolution parallel those of a country asserting its independence in this heir to Spiegelman’s Maus. Marjane – in her dual roles as adolescent protagonist and adult narrator – is witty, courageous, and poignant; the black-and-white art is breathtaking.

Bookseller: Natasha
Title: Copper
Author: Kazu Kibuishi
Genre: graphic novel; adventure
Suggested reading level: age 9 and up
Synopsis: Great illustrations and characters that are both funny and a little deep make this a graphic novel not to be missed. Copper is a happy-go-lucky boy, and Fred is his mopey, existential dog. Together they get into all kinds of fantastical adventures. Reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes, with more fantasy.

Don't take our word for it...

Scene: It was a usual day at the George, and NPR was playing in surround sound in the offices and receiving vault. Volume controls were boosted when On Point featured summer reading picks for kids! We were really excited to hear some new titles as well as classics in the midst: from A Cricket in Times Square to The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda.

See their choices for yourself at: NPR On Point: Summer Reads for Kids.

We'll eat you up, we love you so!

This is a little belated if you think Peeps are an only-Easter treat -- really, does anyone actually stop eating them when Easter's over? -- but via the Washington Post, here are some incredible Peep homages to our favorite children's books:

"Goodnight Peep" by MaryLea Harris

"The Mad Hatter's Peep Party" by Amy Billingham, Rob Black, and Lauren Emeritz

"Peepaline" by Grace Timmeny

And my personal favorite...

"Where the Wild Peeps Are" by Margaret Cooney and Adam Matuszeski

The whole round-up of the fourth year's entries in their annual "Peep Show" diorama contest is definitely worth a look. The winner was this interpretation of the Pixar movie Up, entitled "Eep!"

But EVEN BETTER (I know, it better be spectacular to beat out a Peep Where the Wild Things Are), the Washington Post reports that J.K. Rowling's considering more Harry Potter books! Apparently, at the Easter Egg Roll at the White House, JKR said she may write more Harry sequels "maybe 10 years from now" and other, non-Harry books in the "not-too-distant future." I, for one, am willing to wait! In the meantime, listen to Hank Green's (brother of Looking for Alaska author John Green) song "Book 8" and giggle.

"Curious George Saves the Day"

In the last few days, both the New York Times and NPR have had features about the new Curious George exhibition at NYC's Jewish Museum.

Originally from Germany, Margret and H.A. Rey were Jews living in Paris shortly before the Nazi occupation of the city in 1940. Mere days before the Nazis arrived, the couple rode out of Paris on homemade bicycles with their sketches and stories. The journey by bike, train, and boat eventually brought them to New York, where they were able to publish their picture books about George and his friends.

Both NPR's "On Point" podcast and Edward Rothstein's article about the exhibition give extensive information about the Reys' lives and work. The exhibit includes photographs, personal papers, journals, and -- most exciting -- original sketches and watercolors by H.A. While Curious George may not have, as receiver John joked during the radio show this morning, single-handedly defeated Hitler, Rothstein does praise the subversive nature of such an innocently disobedient character in an era and society where absolute compliance to the Nazi regime was expected. Also check out the NYT's slideshow.

If you'd like to learn more, we highly recommend Louise Borden's excellent nonfiction picture book The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey, which you can pick up right here at the store lovingly designed by Margret herself. :)

A blogging bonanza.

I have so much exciting stuff to share with you that you'll want to hold on to your yellow hat.

-- Voting for the Children's Choice Book Awards is in full swing to prepare for 2010 Children's Book Week, coming up in May. Heavyweight contenders include Suzanne Collins, Jeff Kinney, and Rick Riordan. Make sure to have your say at the voting page!

-- Speaking of voting, School Library Journal's Battle of the Books has also started (we're actually into week 2 already). Watch great novels and nonfiction duke it out for the admiration of your favorite authors.

I can't really fathom how their selection process works as it seems completely arbitrary -- or maybe that's exactly how the selection process works -- but it makes for pretty high drama when they pit Newbery winner When You Reach Me against NYT Best Illustrated Tales from Outer Suburbia and expect poor Julius Lester to pick one. Picture Survivor, but with kids' books. (You'll have to go see for yourself which one he chose. I don't envy him the decision!)

-- I blogged yesterday that we're giving away pairs of tickets to Curious George Live! but then we realized that getting four tickets would be twice as fun. The first two people each week before the shows (weekend of April 23-25) who come to the Hut and mention they read the blog will get FOUR vouchers redeemable for Curious George Live! tickets.

-- In addition to more (!!!) fairy godperson gifts of books showing up for me, yesterday brought an ARC of Linger, the second Wolves of Mercy Falls book by Maggie Stiefvater. Unlike magical, serendipitous Penguin packages, this was one I had been expecting (thanks Nikki at Scholastic!). Super-receiver John is probably relieved that my almost-daily ants-in-the-pants ritual of "Is it here yet?....How 'bout now?" is, at least for the moment, over. And there was much rejoicing in the Hut. The new Penguin books are Laurie Halse Andersen's Wintergirls and Gayle Forman's If I Stay. I read Wintergirls when it first pubbed in hardcover and loved it, so Natasha snatched it up. I'm looking forward to If I Stay, which I've heard nothing but good things about. Thank you Penguin!

Bippity boppity boo!

An update on the books from my fairy godperson at Penguin!

I'm in the middle of Jandy Nelson's brand-new YA novel The Sky is Everywhere. After her exuberant older sister Bailey dies suddenly, shy Lennie can only seem to feel two things: "crazy sad" and boy-crazy. Gram, Uncle Big, and Bailey's boyfriend Toby are devastated as well, and the four of them drift through their small town seeing nothing but Bailey's absence. Lennie's new classmate Joe is an unexpected source of comfort, but Lennie's torn between him and the off-limits Toby. With its just-slightly-larger-than-life hilarious characters, wrenching plot, and exquisite writing (both prose and poetry), I can only manage a few pages at a time before my heart hurts and I have to put it down.... but this is my next staff pick for sure!

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is the other book I received mysteriously in the mail (in a somewhat When You Reach Me-esque way) from Penguin. While I haven't started it yet -- owing to my glacial pace on The Sky is Everywhere -- Michelle did read and recommend it:

Genre: dystopian, steampunk; for fans of Hunger Games
Suggested reading level: ages 14 and up
Synopsis: In order to make the world “safe,” Incarceron, a vast thinking prison, was created to contain the criminal or mentally ill. Finn, an epileptic prisoner, finds a crystal key to communicate with a girl Outside – but can he escape before Incarceron thinks, and acts, for itself? This British import blends action, philosophy, and mystery.

And it looks like Incarceron will be a movie! It'll be a while, but between The Lightning Thief and Alice in Wonderland out now, the upcoming Legends of the Guardians [of Ga'hoole] adaptation, and the long-awaited Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, our movie adaptation viewing schedule's planned for at least a month or two. :) AND DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, oh my gosh. I can't believe I forgot with our life-sized Wimpy Kid in his director's chair right in front of me.