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.

Further news on the construction

As we posted last month, our building is undergoing renovations. Cambridge is a lovely old city, but with that history comes the responsibility of taking care of our old architecture. Our building is over a 100 years old and is in need of restructuring. While the city and our landlord rework the sidewalk support and renovate our basement, we have closed our downstairs chapter book room, and now our art room as well. Don't worry! This has not changed our stock or the range of toys and books we carry, everything you used to look for downstairs can now be found on the ground floor. It may be a little cozier, but we still take the same care in our ordering and our attentive customer service. With your continued support, we will fly through this construction and come out refreshed and even better than before!

Big monkey business news

When you first walk through our store these days, you may notice a few changes - actually some pretty big changes! Our building is over a 100 years old and will undergo various renovations this year. During this process, our chapter book room will be closed. The early readers, chapter books, older kids' toys, puzzles, and science kits have moved upstairs - And yes! We did fit everything! For the time being, we will still have an arts and craft room at the bottom of the stairs.

We will maintain the same variety of quality children's toys and books, they will just be in different places! Thanks for supporting us through these changes.

New Years Hours

This New Year's Eve we will be closing at 5 pm. We'll be open New Years Day from 12 to 6 pm.

We wish everyone a happy and safe start to the new year!

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!

Goin' out with a blog post

After nearly four years at Curious George -- including two and a half years working on Notes from the Hut! -- today is my last day here. While I'm very excited about my new adventure, today's a little bittersweet since I'm leaving our wonderful store and my incredible coworkers. (You may have noticed the distinct lack of Rachel lately; she's off on her own new adventure in Philly. We miss her and wish her the best of luck!)

But what better way for me to say goodbye than with a few goodbye picture books we love?

Laurel Croza's I Know Here features a little girl in Saskatchewan who is facing a move to Toronto. "I don't know Toronto. I know here," she says. She knows the road with her trailer, the howl of the wolves in the forest, the man who delivers their groceries. A little inspiration from her teacher and classmates help her to keep her best-loved memories of this place safe as she moves.

In Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, a boy moving west from New York shares his anxieties about all the scary things waiting for him: chili for breakfast, kids named "Slim" and "Tex" (and nobody like his best friend, Seymour), desert full of buzzards and cacti, and gila monsters. Leaving the airport he meets a boy moving to NYC who is similarly nervous. Once the boy finds familiar elements in his new surroundings, he can't wait to tell Seymour all about life in the not-so-wild west.

In Bernard Waber's Ira Says Goodbye, Ira is the leavee, not the leaver, but he finds saying goodbye difficult all the same. His best friend Reggie seems so excited about his upcoming move -- and so willing to leave Ira behind -- that Ira feels terribly betrayed. Just as Ira decides he "can't wait for some new kid who will be [his] best friend" to replace Reggie, Reggie's true feelings about their separation come out. The boys prove to each other that no matter how far away they are, they'll always be close friends.

While I'm really going to miss the store (and the blog!) I'll definitely be in to visit.

I know here. :)

Yay for Julia, Cecil, and Grandma's Gloves!

We had a blast on Saturday making flowers, sipping lemonade, and -- best of all -- hanging out with both Cecil Castellucci and Julia Denos, creators of Grandma's Gloves. Here's the lovely ladies reading from their picture book:

If you weren't able to make it to this very special event, well... I'm sorry you missed such a great time! Fortunately, you can live vicariously through Cecil's sweet book trailer and her recap. (Definitely see Julia's touching post about her grandmothers and their impact on her GG illustrations, too!) Then you can come in and get a signed Grandma's Gloves of your own if you hurry -- they're going fast.

While you're here, be sure to check out some of Cecil's YA books in the chapter book room: Rose Sees Red, Beige, and Boyproof. For even MORE Cecil, look in the short story section for Geektastic: Tales from the Nerd Herd, an anthology she edited with Holly Black.

T-minus 6 days and counting!

A reminder: This Saturday at 12pm we'll have a visit from author Cecil Castellucci and illustrator/CG alumna Julia Denos! They'll be reading and signing their brand-new picture book, Grandma's Gloves. Afterwards, we'll make paper flowers and sip lemonade.

Hope to see you there!

Never has our giraffe in construction worker couture felt more apropos.

You may have noticed some big changes around the Square. Another raised crosswalk construction project is happening down at the corner of Brattle and Church St., and closer to home (as in, right over our employee area!) a total sidewalk makeover is... well, not happening.

The city of Cambridge has declared the sidewalk around the store unsafe (says owner Donna: "We've been saying that since we moved in!") and in need of a major overhaul. Unfortunately, neither the city nor our landlord is sure who is responsible for the area underneath the sidewalk: our store room, bathrooms, and offices. Until the dispute is resolved, the construction is stalled, because no one's sure what to do or who's going to do it.

You may have seen some construction in our art room last week, when we put a new doorway into our office spaces. Now that that project is finished, impact on shopping should be minimal. The Chapter Book Room, which is directly beneath the Picture Book Room on the ground floor, is totally safe; only our employee area is affected by the construction. Mostly, at the moment, it means there's no convenient place to eat our lunches! However, it means staff and customers alike need to take a key to use a bathroom upstairs. (Just ask at the Hut!)

We'll keep you updated as to the project's progress. Thanks for your support and flexibility during this time. Despite the dust, we always have great merchandise and great staff to help you find the perfect book or toy for your youngster (or yourself!).

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

We're thrilled to announced the winners of this year's annual Art and Writing Contest (fanfare and ticker-tape, please!):

	ages 5-7 art
1st	Augie Oppenheimer	"The Dragons of Wayward Crescent"
2nd	Ben Pratt	"Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus"
3rd	Piper Larin	"Arthur Writes a Story"
HM	Julia Rasmussen	"The Old Meadow"
	ages 8-10 art
1st	Bennett Graff	"National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes of North America"
2nd	Valerie Dubinsky	"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate"
3rd	Irene Wu	"If You Give a Pig a Pancake"
HM	Lena Rhie	"Yummers"
	ages 11-13 art
1st	Charlotte Holt	"The Hundred Dresses"
2nd	Kay Goodhart	"Indigo's Star"
3rd	Sara Mittelmeier Curtis	"Silent Pond"
HM	Abigail Dickson	"Highwire 66"
	ages 5-7 writing
1st	Pete Christensen	"The Monkeys are Scared"
2nd	Grace Valaskovic	"We Us Mittens"
3rd	Peter Loutzenhiser	"The Bear and the Hare Were Fighting Over a Pear"
HM	Kayla Bernard	"Jazz"
	ages 8-10 writing
1st	John Vernaglia	"Ode to Baseball"
2nd	Sam Wachman	"Dugongs"
3rd	Ben Ringler	"A Flock of Leaping Words"
HM	Eliza Broughton	"A Pilgrim's Diary"
HM	Lila Cardillo	"The Pre-Birthday Mystery"
HM	Gabriel Colburn	"The Unknown, the Mysteries, the Death"
	ages 11-13 writing
1st	Max Zegans	"Like a Rat"
2nd	Dasol Lee	"Peculiar Happenings"
3rd	Coby Gray	"Inheritance"
HM	Eva Koplow	"Reading Emily"

All the writing and artwork is posted on our separate contest-centric blog. See the winning entries here and congratulate the authors and artists!

Now accepting entries for the annual Art and Writing Contest!

Our annual Just for Kids Art and Writing Contest is here, so break out your pens, pencils, markers, paints, typewriters, or word processors and start working on your masterpieces! You may enter one or both contests in your age group.

The art contest categories are
ages 5-7 ages 8-10 ages 11-13
Illustrate a scene from your favorite poem, short story, fairy tale, or book. Please be sure to label your artwork with the title and author of the work you've chosen to illustrate.

The writing contest categories are
ages 5-7 ages 8-10 ages 11-13
Write an original short story, poem, or essay (three pages maximum).

Pick up an entry form at the register, or print one from the blog. All entries must be postmarked or turned in to the store by May 14. Results will be announced on our blogs (Notes from the Hut and Curious George's Art and Writing Contests) on May 15. Winners will be notified by mail.

Prize-winning work (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, plus honorable mentions) will be posted online, and winning art will be displayed in the store's Yellow Hat Gallery through the summer. 1st place through 3rd winners will receive store gift certificates!

No purchase is necessary. All kids ages 5-13 are eligible, except relatives of Curious George employees. Please enter each contest only once; children submitting multiple entries in either contest will be disqualified. Children should enter only their own work.

To print, right click and select "open link in new window." When the new window opens, select "print" under your browser's file menu.

Now that you know all the rules, put on your thinking cap and get started! Good luck to all our entrants!

Three things to get excited about!

Okay, so the "blizzard" which had Boston in a panic yesterday was a complete flop. Almost everybody got a snow day anyway, but there was hardly any snow, and you know what that means -- no sledding, no snowmen, and no snowballs. As a California native, I was quite disappointed after patiently waiting for feet and feet of snow.

However, three items of good news lifted my spirits!

The title and cover of the new Hunger Games sequel (book #3) have been announced! Of course, now the wait until its middle of August pub date will seem even longer, but hooray for Mockingjay! I'm stoked to find out how Katniss and co. bring down the Capitol.

Speaking of long waits, I haven't even been whining about how long I've been waiting for the new Neil Gaiman book. Aren't you proud? The incredible Charles Vess has illustrated Mr. G's poem "Instructions" (as in, instructions on how to survive a fairy tale); the picture book will be released in late April. That's only two-ish more months to go. I suppose I'll survive.

Last but by no means least, our Sunday Love Valentine's Day party is THIS SUNDAY, the 14th, at 1 pm! Come in and warm your heart with Alison Paul's sweet love story, criminally fun crafts and activities, and a sundae courtesy of our friends at Uno. Now that's something worth waiting for!

Once upon a Curious George store...

There was story-time! And story-time will be again. Come over with your preschoolers and primary-graders on Saturdays at noon and enjoy a read-aloud with our talented staff (Dave has pleased many a classroom, and even his own kid!). We start this coming Saturday the 23rd, downstairs in our chapter book room.

We're really excited to bring back this favorite tradition! As we go along, please give us any suggestions you may have.

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.

Rompin' wrap up, building libraries, and general feel good karmic joy...

Last Sunday Donna, our book buyer, and I had the privilege of being the booksellers at Reach Out and Read's 6th annual Read and Romp: a wild tour through kids' favorite story books. There were storybook stations for classics like The Runaway Bunny, where kids could hold baby bunnies, and new favorites like Fancy Nancy, which had a great selection of dress-up. It was astoundingly organized, and so much fun! We're very grateful to the nice folks who invited us and took great care of us (thanks, Jackie and Abbie!) - their director of communications, Matt, even offered to give those of us who are less than tech-savvy a lesson in Twitter! You can look on their website for ways to help out: donating books, money, or your time as a volunteer.


We met Norman Bridwell and his BIG creation, Clifford.



Cheeky monkey, flaunting his own books.


George takes a nibble of Mouse's cookie.



We're also working with Learning Through Libraries, a student coalition at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, which is collecting books for poor communities and schools in El Salvador. We have a drop box for donations in the store, and English/Spanish books or learning games are welcome! (I've got my eye on those beautiful bilingual fairy tales from Chronicle!).

And while we're talking good karma, don't forget Toys for Tots! They have plenty of drop off stations in the neighborhood.

Gracious Grace Lin Part Deux (plus bonus Gracious Julia Denos!)

Over the summer, in honor of Grace Lin's novel Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, we asked her both to visit the store for a signing and to do a guest post for Notes from the Hut. Grace is a fabulous guest in person and in print, and it's been so fun to work with her!

Recently she turned the tables, though, and asked to interview us for several blogs she writes for! Eek! After some initial shyness, Rachel, Michelle, new blogger Natasha (yay!) and I got pretty excited to talk (er... write) about our bookselling lives. I'll cut-and-paste the interview for your reading convenience, but be sure to check out The Enchanted Inkpot and Blue Rose Girls blogs for their general awesomeness (and their readers' wicked nice comments about us!). And THEN, our beloved Julia Denos linked and gave us love as well! Compliments from these talented and generous ladies definitely brightens these gloomy days. ♥

Indie Interview: Curious George Books and Toys, posted by Grace Lin

Many a long years ago (okay, maybe not that long) I worked at the Curious George Goes to Wordsworth Bookstore in Cambridge, MA and it changed my life. So when the store recently interviewed me, I thought the least I could do is return the favor.

So, as a part of the Enchanted Inkpot's Indie Interview Series, I bring you Curious George Bookseller Extraordinaries: Katie, Michelle, Natasha and Rachel!


1) Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into bookselling, and about your bookstore?

Michelle: I’ve always loved books – as we all say! I’ve wanted to be a writer, or somehow involved in the book world, since I was in middle school. I had a wonderful opportunity to intern at Houghton in college, and it was fascinating (and a bit overwhelming!) to see how many steps there are in the process of getting books from a writer’s typewriter to a bookstore. But my favorite part about reading books was missing from this kind of office experience: the talking about books, the passing along of a much-loved, dog-eared copy, and that amazing feeling when you’ve connected the right book with the right person. This store is constantly supplying me with that opportunity, from my colleagues to parents and kids themselves sharing their recommendations and their reactions to my own recommendations.

Since we are a small, local, independent operation, we really strive for that personal approach: we really know our books, and we want every kid, student, grown-up, whoever, who comes in here to find that book that they cannot put down even for dinner. I can’t describe that feeling when someone comes back to us and says, “That was just what I wanted! What’s next?” The same goes for our toy selection; our buyers have children themselves and we wouldn’t carry something that they wouldn’t give to their own kids. We want people to come here for toys they remember from their own childhood, to pass on that joy they remember from say, a classic Fisher Price telephone, or a giant shark stunt kite on a perfect March day. We love our books, our games, definitely -- there's not a day goes by that one of us isn’t buying something for ourselves -- but we love those kids running down our stairs yelling, “THIS IS SO COOL!” just as much.

2) How do you view your role as an independent bookseller? What do you find most rewarding about your job? What is most challenging?

Rachel: I think indie bookselling is all about personality and personalization. I talk to a lot of customers who really value our recommendations, whether they live in the area or just stop in once a year when they’re visiting relatives in Boston. My job as an indie staffer is to keep a library in my head of what’s new, what’s classic, what’s good, and what’s on the shelf, so that when someone comes in asking what my favorite new picture book is or what to give to a sporty 13-year-old girl, I can find them something they’ll be really happy with. That’s my favorite part -- when someone comes in knowing who they want to buy for but not really knowing what to get, and I can find just what they’re looking for. On the flip side, sometimes it’s hard to make just the right suggestion to customers who don’t know who they’re buying for. Gender and approximate age are good starting points, but I always feel like I could find the perfect thing if I just knew more. I even practiced my handselling skills on my family last Christmas, and even the most book-phobic of them really enjoyed what I picked out.


3) How can readers and authors work with and support independent booksellers?

Natasha: Readers can always stop by or read our blog to see what’s going on in the store. New events like book clubs, signings, readings, and parties (especially with the holidays coming up) are always going on. If you have read a great book, tell the bookseller! It’s always nice to hear from customers what they love, so we can recommend favorites to similar readers. We just set up a “Kid Pick” review board for kids to let us know what they think of books they’ve been reading. Authors can always drop a line on their blogs or websites to grab their books at a favorite local, independent place. They can keep in contact with stores when they have the time to participate in signings, events, or even just to ensure that booksellers have their books. We love it when authors stop by and sign whatever we have on the shelves!

Readers and authors alike can always help independent bookstores the same way: word of mouth. If you love us, tell your friends! If you think of a book you love, tell your friends to pick it up here! If someone you know needs to find an awesome gift, send them here!

Katie: We have a lot of scheduled author events, with a signing and usually an activity, where kids get to interact with their favorite author or illustrator. Readings, drawing activities, discussions, writing workshops – really, any way that an author or illustrator can reach out to their audience, at the venue of a local independent bookstore, benefits everybody! As Natasha mentioned, we also love to have authors and illustrators just drop in to say hi and sign stock. We’re all book lovers as well as booksellers, so the staff tends to get flustered and fangirly about these visits! But it’s also a great opportunity for me as event coordinator to broach the idea of an event or guest blog spot with that person.

If authors sell their books from their websites, they can put a link on their site to IndieBound rather than a chain online bookseller. Independent stores register with IndieBound, so customers can order online directly from their local indie bookstore with the same convenience of other online shopping.

4) Can you tell us about a few of your recent favorite YA or MG fantasy books?

Rachel: There are so many! Ash by Malinda Lo is excellent, as is The Good Neighbors graphic novel series by Holly Black (the second installment just came out). There’s also the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness (The Knife of Never Letting Go is in paperback now and The Ask and the Answer just arrived in hardcover), which are more sci-fi than fantasy, but exceptionally good reading. For the middle grade set, I really love The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh and Savvy by Ingrid Law.

Katie: I tend to read a lot of supernatural romance and “creature feature” YA fantasy! Shiver by Maggie Steifvater has an unusual take on werewolves. Not only is the romance in that one compelling (I have such a crush on Sam!), but the plot is nail-bitingly suspenseful. Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments trilogy is a great series about demons and angels. Right now I’m in the middle of The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, and I’m hooked. Blood Promise, the fourth in the series, came out earlier this month. I’m probably the world’s biggest Neil Gaiman fan, so I’m constantly recommending his books for middle grade through adult. Odd and the Frost Giants will be here soon!

Some other titles on my looooong to-read list are Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott (a MG “Wild Swans” retelling), and the third in Nancy Farmer’s Sea of Trolls trilogy, The Islands of the Blessed.

5) What's the most memorable experience you've had bookselling?

Katie: Other than some "kids say the darndest things!" moments and authors/illustrators dropping in to chat, a lot of bookselling is pretty episodic. A customer asks a question, you pull together your resources -- the store's inventory, your coworkers' brilliant brains, quick online research, and most importantly, your own internal database of awesome books -- to try to answer that question to the best of your ability and give the customer as many good options as you can, and hope that they will find something that is just what they're hoping for. Then there's another question! But when you can find someone "just what they're hoping for," the feeling is memorable even if the actual incident doesn't stay with you that long. We have many loyal customers who have been on the other side of that experience, and who keep coming back to us for that reason. And we enjoy the challenge of the unusual question. Often the booksellers are learning from each other and discovering new favorites, right along with our customers!

Just as we have learned from you! Thank you, ladies!

And there we are, in all our goofy glory. Thanks to Grace for the Q&A, and both Grace and Julia for their support! We miss you around the Hut!

Just when you thought the Graveyard Book hubub was over...

... a ghoulish amount of glorious media arises (from the dead?) about Neil Himself, The Graveyard Book, and even little ol' Curious George Books and Toys! Just in the TA-DA! nick of time, too -- now we can distract ourselves while we wait anxiously for the contest results.

GM Michelle was quoted in "Bookselling This Week", which featured a round-up of Graveyard-themed parties around the country:

Curious George Books & Toys held its Graveyard Book Halloween Party on Friday, October 30, at its store in Harvard Square. The store had a variety of craft activities, including making beastly bookmarks, monstrous masks, and decorating cupcakes donated from Sweet Cupcakes boutique, reported Michelle Corliss, the store's general manager. The store was decorated like Bod's cemetery and the staff dressed as characters from the novel: from Mrs. Owens and Scarlet Perkins to Liza Hempstock, Miss Lupescu, and the Sleer. There were also ghost stories read in Curious George Books' "crypt."

"The event was awesome," Corliss said. "We had a huge crowd, mainly preschoolers and elementary school age kids and their parents. An unforgettable part of the party was the costume parade, where children in costume boogied down the street to songs like the Ghostbusters theme and the Monster Mash, accompanied by the Sleer and Mrs. Owens."

The cupcake decorating station was another big hit, said Corliss, with the "Lady on the Grey helping kids to add cookie tombstones and candy ghosts to cupcakes they frosted themselves."

As a locally owned bookstore, Corliss explained that this "kind of community celebration is a great opportunity to reach out to other independent organizations." The store partnered with Sweet Cupcakes and with Cambridge Green Streets Initiative for a raffle.

The event helped draw traffic to the store, too. "We had an influx of people coming in specifically for the event, and others drawn in from the Square-wide 'Harvard Scare' celebration who were curious about the fun happening in Curious George," Corliss reported. "Amidst the activity, customers had the opportunity to browse and to ask questions of our helpful booksellers. Also, The Graveyard Book has been a consistent seller in the year since its publication, but ads for the party upped its sales at our store in the last few weeks."

Two of our "danse macabre" parade participants -- who weren't afraid to strut their stuff -- were pictured in the Cambridge Chronicle on Thursday. The snow princess and self-proclaimed "twisted witch" not only had great costumes, but enviable dance moves as well!


On a topic close to my heart (and notorious sweet tooth): announcing the winners of The Graveyard Book Dessert Contest sponsored by needcoffee.com. Prizes included a copy of The Graveyard Book, Graveyard-inspired scents by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, and memberships to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Looking at the winners, I'd say they deserve them -- fondant Silases and towering cake chapels and chocolate trees certainly require creativity, talent, and steady hands. (One entry modified a recipe from my most excellent baking book, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Yum.)

Apparently Neil was on CBS Sunday Morning this very morning, a fact which annoys me since I have no television and thus missed it. Natasha assures me it will be on CBS's site or on YouTube in a matter of moments, so not to worry. I am comforting myself with the amusing description of Neil as "the tender-hearted master of the macabre." Neil was less amused, saying it "left me wanting to go 'I am NOT a tender-hearted master of the macabre, I am in fact VERY SCARY INDEED,' but I suspect I would convince nobody." We'll see for ourselves when the interview appears online someplace or other.

Thanks to everybody who came out to the party -- and our partners, Sweet Cupcakes and the Cambridge Green Streets Initiative -- to make it a success. Keep your fingers (finger bones?) crossed for us in the contest!

It's raining cats and.... drum-playing cows?

Hot on the heels of the Jarrett Krosozcka event and our Graveyard Book-themed Halloween party, we have not one but three events coming up in the next few weeks! Our handy-dandy sidebar has the short version, but you want all the juicy details, right?

Saturday, November 7 at 1pm -- yes, that's THIS SATURDAY -- First Lieutenant David Falvey will be visiting to talk about his experiences in Iraq and sign his book Letters to a Soldier, a collection of his correspondence with a New Jersey fourth grade class. He'll be bringing along photos from the period of his deployment and some super-cool equipment. This is an event not to miss for the awesome gadget factor, but much more importantly for the insight it will give into the lives of our troops and how we can help them in this difficult time. Get a preview here at Wicked Local.

Next Friday, November 13 at 1pm, author/illustrator Alex Beard is coming to lead a drawing activity and sign his new picture book, The Jungle Grapevine. If you haven't already seen this hilarious comedy of errors for the preschool set, make sure to peruse it -- and his incredible puzzles downstairs in the chapter book room -- prior to the event so you can "ooh" and "ahh" properly at the event!

Finally, on December 12 at 1pm, right smack in the full swing of holiday shopping season, author/illustrator Cynthia von Buhler will read from and sign her new picture book, But Who Will Bell the Cats? This fresh retelling of a traditional tale is done in a beautifully surreal multimedia style, unlike anything you've seen before.

I just discovered this nifty "add video" feature in Blogger (stop rolling your eyes; it's not nice), so here's a video from Jarrett's visit -- relive the glory, or see what you missed!


Hope to see you here for these great events -- and in the meantime, be sure to keep reviewing your favorite books on our Curious Kid Pick review board (located in the chapter book room) so we know who else you'd like to write, draw, chat, and scaream "E-I-E-I-O!" with. (I'm looking at you, Jarrett!)

Spooky story fun in October!

We're gearing up to start two book clubs in October!

For kids ages 9-12, with their grown-up of choice, we'll meet on Wednesday, October 7th, from 6:00 to 6:45 in the chapter book room downstairs. The book this month is The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh.

For teens ages 13 and up, we'll meet on Tuesday, October 6th -- same bat time, same bat channel: 6:00 to 6:45 in the chapter book room. The book this month is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. (You'll be oh-so prepared to create a great costume for our Halloween party on October 30th!)

Both groups should come ready to discuss their book, share spooky stories, and grub on the provided pizza! And from now until the club meetings, you'll get 20% off your club's book of the month. Sign up to participate this month at the downstairs register.

We're hard at work on a kids' review program, which should be launching soon -- so after your club meets, you can leave us a review of your club selection or any other favorite (or even not-so-favorite) read.

On books, balls, and baked goods. And more books.

Don't forget: this Saturday, September 12, is our Bookish Ball celebration! The event will begin at 2pm and go all afternoon, with a projected ending time of 6pm. However, we may be too busy monkeying around to stop on time! We have barrels of fun planned, including (drum roll, please)...

-- a signing by Matt Tavares, author/illustrator of the picture books Zachary's Ball, Oliver's Game, and Mudball. He's also the illustrator of Iron Hans, Lady Liberty: A Biography, and the brand-new The Gingerbread Pirates. He'll be here at 2.

-- a signing and reading by Steve Kluger, author of novels My Most Excellent Year, Last Days of Summer, and Almost Like Falling in Love. He's a self-proclaimed Boston-phile and Red Sox fan! He'll be here at 3.

-- a creative writing workshop and signing by Jo Knowles, author of YA novels Lessons from a Dead Girl and the new Jumping Off Swings. (She's my latest book crush!) She'll be here at 4.

-- acoustic performances by singer/songwriter Charlie Hope throughout the afternoon. Her albums include I'm Me! A Collection of Songs for Children and World of Dreams: Soothing Songs and Lullabies.

-- a book-making workshop

-- cookie decorating

-- and of course, all our great books and toys, recommended to you by our knowledgable staff! We may be a little squeezed on Saturday with all the festivities going on, but we'll have a fun, busy day with something for everyone!