Kirkus Reviews presents their The Best Children’s Books of 2005 list. I’m happy to see so many of my personal favorites on their list. And happy to see some new titles to explore.

Publisher’s Weekly has released their list of the Best Children’s Books of 2005. It is a wonderful list of some of the best of the year. Most of them are familiar titles, but there are always a few hidden gems to explore.

The Truth-Teller’s Tale by Sharon Shinn (0670060003) follows her Safe-Keeper’s Secret but can stand entirely on its own. It tells the story of twin sisters Eleda and Adele who are mirror twins, exact opposites in looks and in personality. Eleda is a truth teller, a person who is unable to tell a lie and can sense truth in others. Adele is a safe-keeper, who keeps other people’s secrets safe until it is time to tell them. The book focuses on both sisters and their teen age years as they fall in and out of love and in and out of trouble.
The book is not as mystical or deep as the first in the series, but it is wonderful to return to this medieval world that Shinn has so winningly created. Recommend the series to girls who enjoy fantasy, but also those who like romance and mysticism.

I listened to the marvelous Bolinda audio version of Abomination by Robert Swindells. Martha is a loner at school, chased by her classmates, bullied and ignored. That all changes when Scott moves to town and befriends her. But there is more to Martha’s story than just not fitting in. Her home life is abusive and cold because her parents belong to a strict religious sect. Martha is beaten and not allowed any freedom, but she knows it could be worse. It could be worse because she could be like Abomination, living in a cage in the cellar and taken care of through the bars.
The story unfolds at a cruelly slow pace with the reader coming to understand what Abomination really is. Both Scott and Martha’s characters are fully developed and complex. Unfortunately, Martha’s parents are less well drawn, sometimes becoming cardboard. I also had problems with the final resolution of the story, where Martha manages to get out of her situation without getting her parents into any trouble. With such a complicated subject and complex characters, I felt the ending could have used some complexity as well. That said, this book is worth reading for the characters of the two children. Just be ready to get ticked off by the neat resolution.

The Three Bears’ Christmas by Kathy Duval, illustrated by Paul Meisel is a charming holiday version of the classic three bears story. Meisel’s art is evocative of a classic Christmas story, further tying the new to the old. The three bears go out while their gingerbread bears are cooling and when they return they have familiar tell-tale signs of someone having been there. But this time, that someone has left behind a mitten, hat, boots and coat all red with white fur trim. This is a perfect holiday book to share during Christmas storytimes with preschoolers.

Girl, (Nearly) 16: Absolute Torture by Sue Limb is the sequel to Girl 15, Charming but Insane. As with most sequels, it doesn’t reach the heights of hilarity of the first book, but it does allow readers to return to the world of future stand-up comic Jess, her new boyfriend Fred, strange librarian mother, and blood-thirsty Granny. In this book, Jess’s questions about her parent’s divorce are finally answered. There are laugh-out-loud moments again, mostly created by Jess’s witty comments and asides. The writing is just as sharp and smart as the first book, and the jealousy and elation of new love is perfectly captured.

The Problem with Chickens by Bruce McMillan, illustrated by Gunnella.
In a village in Iceland, the women could not reach the eggs of the wild birds because they lay them on the cliffs. So the ladies get chickens and bring them to the village. The ladies and chickens are very happy together and the chickens start following the ladies around as they do their chores. But then the chickens start acting like the ladies, and stop laying eggs. What are the ladies to do?
This is a charming picture book with a folktale feel that matches well with the rustic illustrations. Perfect for reading aloud to children because of the amount of text on each page, this one is a winner.

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld adds to his incredbile body of teen literature with this new take on vampirism. Cal is nineteen and a parasite carrier or peep. The parasite passes from one person to another via sex or even kissing. Cal is one of the few that is a carrier with almost no negative symptoms, most peeps end up crazy, eating other people, and surrounded by a brood of rats. Because Cal is infected, he has superhuman speed, strength, sense of smell and night vision. So he is the perfect hunter of the crazed peeps.
This story is not for the faint of heart. Alternate chapters tell the true tales of vicious parasites that will have you squirming and aching to run and wash your hands, if not your entire body. Those brave enough to make it past the disgusting parts of the story will find a fast-paced mystery clad in vampire robes. It is a book that should move off the shelves well, be passed around among groups of teens, and will be eaten up by vampire fans.

Kidogo by Anik McGrory is the charming tale of a little elephant who looks throughout the African landscape for an animal that is smaller than he is. The illustrations in the book contribute to the feeling of Kidogo’s size as he is dwarfed by the trees and clouds. Reach for this one when doing a story time on elephants or size. Children will enjoy seeing an elephant as small.