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Best Books of 2008

December 1, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day – Dark Fiddler: The Life and Legend of Nicolo Paganini by Aaron Frisch

Dark Fiddler: The Life and Legend of Nicolo Paganini By Aaron Frisch Illustrated by Gary Kelley Creative Editions $17.95 ISBN: 978-1-56846-200-4 Ages 9 and up On shelves now The picture book biographer is often a limited soul. If you are churning out biography after biography for a large company then I’m sure the job must […]

November 14, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day – A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams By Jen Bryant Illustrated by Melissa Sweet Eerdmans Books for Young Readers $17.00 ISBN: 978-0-8028-5302-8 Ages 4-9 On shelves now I always feel a little bit inadequate when I review a book of poetry or a book about a poet, even if it’s for kids. […]

October 4, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Chains By Laurie Halse Anderson Simon & Schuster $16.99 ISBN: 978-1-4169-6949-5 Ages 10 and up On shelves October 21, 2008 My discovery of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Chains came at the best possible time. I had recently read and reviewed Steve Sheinkin’s, King George, What Was His Problem?, a book that looks at the stories behind […]

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More Recent Posts

Review of the Day: Amandina by Sergio Ruzzier

September 19, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Amandina By Sergio Ruzzier Roaring Brook Press $16.95 ISBN: 978-1596432369 Ages 4-8 On shelves now There is a very specific feeling you get from a picture book when the combination of text and image is pitch perfect. It’s a very hard thing to get, mind you. You might have a book where the words are […]

Review of the Day: Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley

August 27, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Snake and Lizard By Joy Cowley Illustrated by Gavin Bishop Kane/Miller $14.95 ISBN: 978-1-933605-83-8 Ages 6-10 On shelves now I appreciate children’s books that acknowledge the bloodthirsty nature of the wild. Oh now look what I’ve gone and done. With one little sentence I’ve given you the impression that the book I’m about to discuss […]

Review of the Day: Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka

August 25, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka By Jon Scieszka Viking (a Penguin imprint) $12.99 ISBN: 978-0670011384 Ages 9-12 On shelves now To adults that don’t normally wander through the shelves of children’s literature the notion of the autobiography for kids is a pretty odd beast. You write a book about […]

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Review of the Day: The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski

August 20, 2008 by Betsy Bird

The Cabinet of Wonders (The Kronos Chronicles: Book 1) By Marie Rutkoski Farrar, Straus and Giroux $16.95 ISBN: 978-0-374-31026-4 Ages 10 and up On shelves now It seems to me that today’s average everyday fantasy author for kids has to walk a delicate line. You want to create an alternative history novel laden with magical […]

Review of the Day – Wombat and Fox: Tales of the City by Terry Denton

August 15, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Wombat and Fox: Tales of the City By Terry Denton Kane/Miller $13.95 ISBN: 978-1-933605-81-4 Ages 4-10 On shelves September 1st The old don’t-judge-a-book-by-its-cover rule. It gets me every time. Of course I judge books by their covers! I’m a children’s librarian with a particular kind of taste in titles. I know what I like and […]

Review of the Day – King George: What Was His Problem? by Steve Sheinkin

August 4, 2008 by Betsy Bird

King George: What Was His Problem? Everything your schoolbooks didn’t tell you about The American Revolution By Steve Sheinkin Illustrated by Tim Robinson Flash Point (a Roaring Book Press imprint) $19.95 ISBN: 978-1-59643-319-9 Ages 10 and up On shelves now Children are taught history. They turn into teenagers and find out that much of what […]

Review of the Day- Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look

July 28, 2008 by Betsy Bird

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things By Lenore Look Illustrated by LeUyen Pham Schwartz & Wade (imprint of Random House) $15.99 ISBN: 978- 0375839146 Ages 4-8 On shelves now Some people follow sports teams. Others follow the rise and fall of various celebrities. Children’s librarians, in contrast, are fans of children’s […]

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