It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA - 6/17/13

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.

My reading stack this week was a bit eclectic.  There were a few picture books, a few graphic novels, some nonfiction, and some fiction.  However, I am glad to report that for the past couple of weeks I have been enjoying what I am reading.  For a few weeks, nothing seemed exciting.  Now I can't decide what I want to read first.

Here is what jumped out of the stack this week:


Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani; Illustrated by Maris Wicks (First Second, June 11, 2013) - I have been talking about this one for several weeks.  Glad to have finally read it.  If you haven't added this to your summer reading, please do.



Squish 5: Game On! by Jenni Holm and Matt Holm (May 1, 2013, Random House) - I finally picked up a copy of Game On!  And it is the best Squish book so far and I have loved them all.


The Show Must Go On! (Three Ring Rascals #1) by Kate Klise; Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise (Algonquin Books, September 10, 2013)- Sister team Kate and Sarah Klise have a new series for 7 to 10 year olds.  This was a fun, quick read and will make an enjoyable read aloud.  Look for it in the fall.


Crankee Doodle by Tom Angleberger; Illustrated by Cece Bell (Clarion Books, June 4, 2013)- Angleberger and Bell team up for a hilarious tribute of sorts to Yankee Doodle Dandy.



The New Arrival by Vanya Nastanlieva (Simply Read Books, April 30, 2013) - A sweet look at what is it like to be new in the neighborhood.


No Fits, Nilson! by  Zachariah Ohora (Dial, June 13, 2013) - Sometimes little girls can throw gorilla-sized tantrums.  I really enjoyed both the art and text in this one.


A Little Book of Sloth by Lucy Cooke (Margaret K. McElderry, March 5, 2013) - I never realized how adorable a sloth could be and Cooke's book is filled with cute pictures and informative text.


Barbed Wire Baseball by Marissa Moss; Illustrated by Yuko Shimizu (Abrams, April 9, 2013)  - This one missed my baseball post, but definitely a worthy read.  Review to come on Wednesday.


The Mighty Lalouche by Michael Olshan (Schwartz & Wade; May 14, 2013) - I had seen this one around and was happy to finally read it. 

I started by haven't finished reading...


Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo; Illustrated by K.G. Campbell (Candlewick Press, September 24, 2013) - I love DiCamillo's work and this one is turning out to be such a great read.


Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin's Griffin; February 26,2012) - The YA pick in this pile is one that has come highly recommended.  So far so good...



How a visit to an Indie Bookstore brings me to a picture book post on Chronicle Books...


Recently, I have been to a couple of author events at Skylight Books in Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.  It is a quirky, artsy, independent bookstore in a quirky, diverse, artsy neighborhood.  I would spend more time visiting the store if it wasn't such an annoying drive to get there. 

However, while I was there yesterday waiting for Elizabeth Ross' book launch to begin, I spent some time browsing in the children's corner.  It made me realize that Chronicle Books is a perfect match with Skylight Books.  Both have the same quirky, artsy, indie feel that I have come to love and appreciate, which made me realize that I have a stack of picture books from Chronicle that I was trying to figure out how to feature.




Out of the stack of Chronicle Picture books here are some of my favorites that are sure to delight your youngest readers....

Upcoming Releases:


WIGGLE! and HIDE AND SEEK by Taro Gomi
Ages Infant to 2; Board Books - August 2013


DIGGERS GO by Steve Light
Ages 2 to 5; Board Book - August 2013


Sea Monster and Bossy Fish by Kate Messner; Illustrated by Andy Rash
Ages 3 to 6; Hardcover - August 2013


Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack
Ages 2 to 5; Hardcover - September 2013


Yeti Turn Out the Light by Greg Long and Chris Edmundson; Illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan
Ages 3 to 6; Hardcover - September 2013


The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud
Agues 3 to 6; Hardcover - October 2013

The Wig in the Window Blog Tour & Giveaway


The Wig in the Window
by Kristen Kittscher
Publication Date: June 18, 2013 by HarperCollins

About the book:
Sophie Young and Grace Yang have made a game of spying on their neighbors, but when they stake out the home of notoriously phony middle school counselor Dr. Charlotte Agford (aka Dr. Awkward), they stumble across a terrifying scene.

Or do they? The girls are convinced that Dr. Agford’s sugary sweet façade hides a dark secret. But as they get closer to the truth about Agford, the strain of the investigation pushes Sophie and Grace farther apart. Even if they crack their case, will their friendship survive?

Perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Wig in the Window is a smart, funny middle-grade mystery with a Rear Window twist.

Jax, Age 12 and her mom talk about the book:

I am sitting here with Jackie (you know her from the Interview Video) and her mom talking about The Wig in the Window.

Mom:  Why did you think I liked this book?

Jax: I think you liked this book because it kept you on the edge of your seat and it captured you from the start and you didn't want to put it down... 

Mom:  Can I put words in your mouth?  You told me that it needed to be captivating for me because I had a short attention span.

(now they are trying to bribe me not to write this)

Jax: That is so true.  Mom, do you relate to any of the characters  and why?

Mom: Kids aren't suppose to ask questions like that...hmmmm...well...I relate more to the kids than the adults because when you break rules, I haven't been successful in taking your phone for any length of time...  And I do like the idea of spying on neighbors.

Jax: How do you know I haven't already done so?

Mom:  Give me your phone, girl! *waits, turns to me* See she won't give it to me... Jackie, I felt this book brought us closer.  I want to start a spy business with you now.

Jax:  Am I getting paid for that?

Mom: You can stick to making fan videos!  Why did you like the book?

Jax:  I liked the book partially for the same reasons; kept me on the edge of my seat, there were these smooth turns that kept me wanting to read it. It, it grabs your chest, I mean it, it holds your heart.

Mom: Are you trying to say it made you anxious or excited or that the book grew arms and attacked you?

*laughter all around at this point*

Jax: No, it was like...I wanted to use a big word...It is inevitable that...

Mom:  ...You will devour it, much liked pickled beets?  ...I bet those tasted horrible.  What a loser gift.  I never trusted that counselor.  Anyhow, Did you think it was realistic?

Jax:  I thought it was realistic because of what the characters went through seemed realistic, plus they seemed realistic and the plot line seemed realistic and the scenes were realistic...

Mom: can you say realistic one more time...*giggles*

Jax: *rolls eyes* Realistic, I said it one more time.

Mom: When I read it, it sounded realistic (don't write that word!) and I went "no way... way... they'd never... well maybe... no way!... way!  where am I going with this? 

Jax: Did you have a fight inside your head?  Wait, what do you call that?

Mom: Domestic violence?

Me: Dang this has just deterioriated...maybe we need to go back to...

Mom: I do have a short attention span!!

Me:....maybe we need to just watch the video.

 And now for a special treat - Jackie and Amelia's Shameless Promotion Video


The Wig in the Window: Jackie & Amelia's Shameless Promotion from Alyson Beecher on Vimeo.


About the author:  "Kristen Kittscher was a child neighborhood spy but (allegedly) grew up to be an upstanding citizen and middle school English teacher. A graduate of Brown University, she now works as a writing tutor in Pasadena, California where she lives with her husband, Kai, and their hyperactive lab mix. The Wig in the Window is her first novel. Visit kristenkittscher.com to investigate more about her and Young & Yang's next adventure, The Tiara on the Terrace."

Kristen Kittscher: website | facebook | twitter |

If you haven't seen, the Author interview conducted by Jackie and Amelia, click here.  Check out the official book trailer, here.

To check out all of the blog tour stops, click here.



As part of the blog tour, I am giving away a signed hardcover of The Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher.

This giveaway is open to those with US and Canadian mailing addresses:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nonfiction Picture Books - June Releases



As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, I try to give a heads up on new releases for the month.  Lately, it has been taking a little more searching to find new releases.  Here are several new recent releases and a few coming out this month.  I am excited to go in search of these new releases. 



Saving Animal Babies by Amy Shields (National Geographic, April 2013)


The Mighty Lalouche by Matthew Olshan; Illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Random House, May 2013)


Pedal It! How Bicycles Are Changing the World by Michelle Mulder (Orca, May 2013)


Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton by Meghan McCarthy (Simon & Schuster, June 2013)


The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman; Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Roaring Brook, June 2013)


Mister and Lady Day: Billie Holiday and the Dog Who Loved Her by Amy Novesky; Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton

 Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:


Books for Younger Readers for Summer - Early Reader/Early Chapter Books

Often I find it easy to pile on full-length Middle Grade novels onto my "TBR" pile for summer reading.  However, finding books for 1st to 3rd graders can be a bit more challenging.  Here are three new releases to check out this summer with young readers.



Dodsworth in Tokyo
Author/Illustrator: Tim Egan
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin (April 16, 2013)

Description from GoodReads:
With trips to New York, Paris, London, and Rome under their belts, Dodsworth and the duck head for Japan: “The plane glided over Mount Fuji. Tokyo sparkled in the distance. Dodsworth was a little nervous.” Dodsworth has good reason to be nervous—the duck bumps into a rickshaw, falls into a koi pond (he can’t swim), and knocks over a tray of wagashi! Readers will love the slapstick humor and the odd-couple friendship between Dodsworth and the duck. Four engaging chapters of short sentences, clean design, and gem-like little paintings of the Land of the Rising Sun make it easy for early readers to enjoy the journey.

Quick thoughts:
 Dodsworth and Duck are on the go again and this time to Tokyo.  This four chapter story takes readers on a journey to the Land of the Rising Sun.  How will the adventurous Duck deal with a culture that respects order?  Will Dodsworth survive Duck's exuberance in returning a little girl's kendama (toy)? Will Tokyo ever be the same?  Another fun travel adventure with the odd couple of Dodsworth and Duck.


The Meanest Birthday Girl
Author/Illustrator: Josh Schneider
Publisher: Clarion (May 7, 2013)

Description from GoodReads:
It’s Dana’s birthday, so she can do what she likes. And what Dana likes to do is pinch. And call people names. And steal her classmates’ desserts. You probably know a kid like Dana. What can stop her from being so mean? In this story, it’s not what you might expect. Because sometimes, it takes a little creativity (and possibly a very large pet) to change a mean kid’s ways. Five short chapters with comical full-color illustrations offer a fresh, fun take on bullying and birthdays (and pet elephants).

Quick thoughts:
Schneider won the Geisel in 2012 for Tales for Very Picky Eaters.  His newest book is told in 5 chapters and helps young readers think about the consequences for mean behaviors.  Dana's behavior is less than nice, but a friend gives her a birthday present that soon has her re-thinking all of those actions.  Large elephants with brightly colored toe nails take on new significance in this story about learning appropriate behaviors. Loved the twist at the end. 


Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach
Creator: James Dean
Publisher: HarperCollins (May 21, 2013)

Description from GoodReads:
Pete and his mom and brother go to the beach! Pete has lots of fun collecting shells and building a sand castle. But he's very, very hot . . . and he isn't sure he wants to go in the water. The water looks scary! When his brother Bob offers to give him a surfing lesson, will Pete give it a try?

Rock and roll with Pete in this brand-new story about everyone's favorite groovy cat, perfect for beginning readers!

Quick thoughts:
Pete the Cat fans will love this early reader with simple sentences.  Pete, his mother, and his brother head out to the beach for a day of fun.  Pete must learn to work through his fear of the water if he is going to have some excitement with his brother while at the beach.  Emergent readers will share in Pete the Cat's enthusiasm for conquering his fears and learning a new skill.

Look for each of these books at your local library or independent bookstore.  Happy reading!