The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo. 

This book is framed by a modern story, but the heart of the book is the story of a girl living in Britain during World War II.  The girl, Lily, has a cat named Tips who she adores and lives in a small village with her grandfather and her mother.  Her father is off fighting in the War.  Then her village is evacuated so that the Allies can practice their training for D-Day.  When they evacuate, Lily loses Tips.  But a wonderful American soldier is there to try to help her find the cat.  The story has a great old-fashioned feel to it, combined with a spunky girl who never gives up.  It captures a fascinating moment in history in a child-friendly way. 

This would make a great read-aloud in classrooms that are studying World War II.  It is appropriate for third through sixth graders.  Recommend it to children interested in history or animal stories. 

As has been mentioned on several other children’s lit blogs, Lois Lowry is now blogging!  I have her new book Gossamer on my stack to read next (which is why I don’t ever make progress to the books on the bottom of the stack).  Lowry is one of the only authors I have ever written to to thank for writing a book, and her book The Giver remains at the top of my favorites reads ever. 

A Massachusetts 2nd grade teacher has gotten into trouble from parents for reading King & King.  Her administrator on the other hand, is supporting her teaching of diversity.  As I read the article, it seems to me that the outraged people tend to be the conservative organizations, not individual parents.  I also think that children living in families with gay parents have the right to be understood by their classmates and to have books read aloud that mirror their own lives. 

Released in May 2006.

Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins.

Ah, another book in the marvelous Underland series!  It is one of those books that despite my huge pile of books waiting to review, I had to start immediately.  And I wasn’t disappointed. 

Marks of Secret is the fourth book in the series.  The books must be read in order, so don’t skip around!  Gregor and his toddler sister Boots have returned to the Underland, a hidden civilization under the streets of New York that is filled with talking rats, bats, cockroaches, mice and humans.  In the Underland, Gregor is known as The Warrior and has been on a series of adventures.  In this book, the Nibblers (mice) are suddenly disappearing, so Luxa, Gregor, Boots, and many favorite characters from the earlier books join together to find out what they can.  They expect to only be gone for a short while, but then an avalanche cuts them off from the human settlement.  They are forced to take a dangerous journey through the Firelands.

If you have not read the Underland series, it is a must-read!  Especially for children who enjoy fantasy.  The adventure, pacing, language, setting, and characters are all masterfully presented.  In no time at all, you too will be joining me in waiting for Book Five, where a new prophecy will undoubtedly be revealed!

Deconstructing Dylan is an interesting look at the future.  It is 2014, and Dylan is a boy interested in insects, the Loch Ness Monster and girls.  His first girlfriend dumps him because he is so strange, but then a new girl arrives in school.  Robyn is dark, mysterious and also interested in strange subjects like death and Tibet.  The two of them hit it off.  But Dylan knows that something is slightly wrong about him.  He continues to have strange dreams where he is someone else.  Dylan’s parents are both scientists who worked in genetics, but have both left the field.    When Dylan discovers a photograph of himself wearing clothes he doesn’t remember and  having longer hair, he starts to unravel the mystery of his life.

I enjoyed this book because though it is scientific, there is a lot of softness to the character of Dylan.  It is a very introspective book that reveals the personality of a boy who is out of synch with his peers and his parents.  The book does slow down in the middle, when readers have solved the mystery but Dylan is just beginning to understand, but the ending makes up for it.  While not a fast-paced action book, it will hold the attention of most readers.  Teens who also feel out of step in their lives will enjoy this book, as will those interested in science. 

The Finalists for the LA Times Book Prize for Young Adult Fiction are

John Green for Looking for Alaska
Margo Lanagan for Black Juice
Per Nilsson for You & You & You
Andreas Steinhofel for The Center of the World
Markus Zusak for I Am the Messenger

The 2006 Edgar Award Nominees are:

Best Young Adult

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams
Last Shot by John Feinstein
Quid Pro Quo by Vicki Grant
Young Bond, Book One: Silverfin by Charlie Higson
Spy Goddess, Book One: Live & Let Shop by Michael Spradlin

Best Juvenile

Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach
Wright & Wong: The Case of the Nana-Napper by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
The Missing Manatee by Cynthia DeFelice
Flush by Carl Hiassen
The Boys of San Joaquin by D. James Smith

Little Mama Forgets by Robin Cruise, illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen is a gem of a book.  It starts with the gorgeous line: “Luciana Maria Isabela Galvez-Molinero.  My grandmother’s name is a morning song.”  Lovely.  It is the story of Lucy, a little girl, whose grandmother lives with her.  Her grandmother is growing more and more forgetful, but Lucy pairs each thing that her grandmother forgets with something that she remembers.  The words are poetic while the illustrations are bright colored and filled with life.  It has just the right amount of text to use for a story time.  This is not a book about the sadness of forgetting, but about the joy of remembering. 

Steve Barancik has made a site that offers recommended books for children, advice on how to find/create free kids books, and information for new authors on writing and publishing.  But most of all, his site is filled with great lines that will re-inspire readers about the importance of children’s literature and reading:

“Think. What activity can you encourage that will be more vital to your child’s future than a love of reading?“