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Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop – LaVerne, CA

March 17, 2010 in book review, bookstore, childrens, classics, food, young adult by Kim | 1 comment

These are the Books I Give for Every Baby Shower or Birth

I first heard of Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop when it won the Parnell Award last year.  The Parnell Award is given to bookstores that excel in promoting books to young people.  After stopping by last month, it’s clear why they won.  The store is stocked with great books and toys for newborns to YA readers.  I enjoyed walking through the picture book section, it brought back memories of wonderful hours spent reading to my kids. I noticed that since my kids have passed this stage, I tend to gravitate toward the books that were our favorites rather than explore any new books.  So I’ll use this platform to pitch my two favorite children’s books, the ones I give at every baby shower:  Time for Bed by Mem Fox, illustrated by Jane Dyer and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault and Louis Ehlert.

Time for Bed is a story of parent animals lulling their babies to sleep.  The singsong rhyme was perfect for calming down my sleepy, but squirrelly, toddlers.  Although primarily a bedtime book, we read it all through the day.  Each page gave me the opportunity to weave in animal noises for more rousing readings.  Between the stunning illustrations (I bought every book illustrated by Jane Dyer after this one) and the fun rhymes, neither my kids or their incredibly wonderful parents (somebody needs to say it) tired of reading it.

I can still recite most of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Oddly enough, what I tend to forget is the title.  Several times I have asked a bookseller, do you have “A told B and B told C, I’ll Read the rest of this entry »

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Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

March 2, 2010 in book group, childrens, classics, poetry by Kim | 5 comments

I noticed on my twitter feed this morning that it is Dr. Seuss’s birthday today.  Just his name makes me smile.  All day I tried to think of any other author who has accompanied me throughout my life, couldn’t come up with one.

My mother can still recite secctions of Green Eggs and Ham because she read it to me so many times when I was young.  I don’t remember that as much, but the phrase “I don’t like green eggs and ham” was a constant refrain in my childhood. Someone in the family said in response to something unpleasant.  Brussel sprouts comes to mind.  As an adult, attending a fancy dinner party when someone turned up his nose at the latest, fancy food concoction, I reacted with “I don’t like green eggs and ham.”  The response was smile, we all understand Sam-I-am.

A lawyer down the hall from me during my early law associate years collected Dr. Seuss books.  Without having any children of his own, he signed up for the monthly mailing of two new book and had them delivered to the office.  I loved them.  More than once after a long day when it felt like everyone in the world was already home, I snuck into his office, pulled a brightly colored book off of his shelf, and rhymed my way through a personal pity party.  It’s hard to mope when The Cat in the Hat is your companion.

When my son was born, I signed up for the requisite monthly delivery.  I had no idea there were so many Dr. Seuss books!  And who was P.D. Eastman anyway?  When reading to a toddler, Read the rest of this entry »

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I Love the Indie Choice Book Awards!

March 1, 2010 in award, childrens, Literary Event, memoir, recommended reading, Uncategorized, young adult by Kim | 1 comment

My favorite books awards are the Man Booker (I can’t think of a single winner that has disappointed me, okay, maybe one), the National Book Award (somewhat the American equivalent), and the Indie Choice Book Award.*  Why the Indie Choice Book Award?  My hobby is to visit independent bookstores and ask the bookseller what book she currently loves.  If I could visit all of the bookstores in the nation in one year (dream road trip!) and ask the same question, then pick the top answers for various genres, I’d come close to the nominees for the Indie Choice Awards.  The nominees are chosen by a jury of independent booksellers, then voted on by booksellers across the country who are members of the ABA.  These are the people I trust to guide my reading and the Indie Choice Awards distills their recommendations. These books are the best of the best, chosen by people who love books and working with readers.  How can you go wrong?  Here are this years choices:

BOOK OF THE YEAR – ADULT FICTION

Border Songs, by Jim Lynch – Haven’t read, yet.

Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin – Loved the quiet beauty of this book and how he used Pride and Prejudice as a model, brilliant.

The Children’s Book, by A.S. Byatt - I have heard a chorus of raves about this book, I’m going to read it this summer (yes, some of my reading is booked that far out).

Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese – This has been a very popular book group choice.

Generosity: An Enhancement, by Richard Powers – I haven’t heard of it, which thrills me, can’t wait to learn more about it.

Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel – Loved, loved, loved this book.

I’ve only read two of the books and I can’t decide between them!  Wolf Hall is a safe choice because it has already won the Man Booker.  The atmosphere of Brooklyn is intoxicating, so I’m going to predict it as the winner.  Note, I can’t vote because I don’t own a bookstore, but that doesn’t stop me for having an opinion.  Generally, very little stops me from having an opinion.

BOOK OF THE YEAR – ADULT NONFICTION

Animals Make Us Human, by Temple Grandin

Lit: A Memoir, by Mary Karr

The Lost City of Z, by David Grann

Stitches: A Memoir, by David Small

Strength in What Remains, by Tracy Kidder

When Everything Changed, by Gail Collins

My non-fiction reading hit the skids last year, so many of these books are familiar to me, but I haven’t read them.  People have waited a long time for Lit and the New York Times named it one of the top ten books of 2009 (that’s another list I love).  However, nothing stops me from reading Gail Collins column in the NYT, it’s guaranteed to make me laugh.  I’m hoping Gail will win.

BOOK OF THE YEAR – ADULT DEBUT

The Earth Hums in B Flat, by Mari Strachan

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

The Piano Teacher, by Y.K. Lee

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, by Reif Larson

Still Alice, by Lisa Genova

Tinkers, by Paul Harding

Who has any doubt the The Help will win?  I first heard about it from Haley at Between the Covers in Bend, OR.  I read it during a long drive (Keith was driving) that flew past as I was immersed in Stockett’s version of the South before the Civil Rights movement.

BOOK OF THE YEAR — YOUNG ADULT

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray

If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld, Keith Thompson (illus.)

Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson

This is the list my daughter waits for because she knows I’ll buy her every book she hasn’t read just to hear her opinion about them.  We both learned of The Hunger Games when it was nominated for the Indie Choice Award last year. Read the rest of this entry »

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Newbery Award Winner When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead and a Race Question

January 18, 2010 in award, childrens, Literary Event, young adult by Kim | 3 comments

This morning, the American Library Association announced that When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is the winner of the Newbery Award (actually, Random House announced it first on Twitter, but that is another story).  A little review, because many of us vaguely remember, the Newbery is given to “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year.”  The rules state that the intended age range of the book must be anywhere up to age 14 and the book respects their “understanding, ability and appreciations.”  So no books on getting into college.

When You Reach Me caused quite a stir last year among kids and adults for its clever writing and plot.  What I’ve found interesting, and it’s ironic I’m writing about this on Martin Luther King Day, is the discussion about race in When  You Reach Me. Julia, a character in When You Reach Me is described as having non-white skin (“cafe au lait”) without any discussion of her racial background or any racial epiphany in the book.  The book isn’t about race and doesn’t purport to be about race.  Is that a flaw?  Colleen Mondor wrote about this on her blog Chasing Ray and she links to other discussion posts.  My personal opinion is that non-white people and characters have no obligation to represent their race.  There are times to discuss race issues and those discussions are enriched by participants (real or fictional) from various racial backgrounds.  But literary life is fantasy and romance and history and science fiction, you name it, and a plot doesn’t have to stop or even artfully include a race moment because of the presence of a non-white character.

It may be that the discussion is prompted by putting When You Reach Me under the Newbery microscope, but it caused me to think about my own friendships. Read the rest of this entry »

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Best Gifts for Readers – Young Adult Books

December 21, 2009 in childrens, gifts, graphic novels, recommended reading, young adult by Kim | 6 comments

Here is the list my daughter has been clapping her hands in anticipation for:  a YA list from Jessica, the pied piper of young literature from Latitude 33 in Laguna Beach, CA.  Last summer, Kelsey and I visited Latitude 33 and Jessica spent a long time talking books with Kelsey – they were reading soul mates.  Luckily for the rest of us, she just started her own blog about children’s and young adult books, Read Schmead:  Tales from the Book.  We asked Jessica for some favorite YA books that any reader would love to receive as a gift and here are her thoughts:

A Non-Definitive List of Great Books for Young Adults

This list, like all lists, is incomplete.  Also, it is definitely not definitive.  My fiancee, Nōn, and myself have compiled this list because we love young adult books.  Enjoy.

 Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke – Igraine the Brave, from the author of the Inkheart trilogy, is absolutely delightful.  Igraine wants nothing more than to be a Knight, but little excitement comes to her Pimpernel’s castle, until one day when all craziness breaks loose and Igraine—with some help—must fight against the evil sorcerer.  I listened to the audiobook version and found Xanthe Elbrick’s voices perfect for all of the characters.

 The Maze Runner by James Dashner – Suspense, action, creepy crawlers, The Maze Runner has it all.  Thomas awakes in an elevator shaft in a place called the Glade unable to remember anything of his life, only his name.  He soon discovers that he and the other boys living in the Glade must stay there until they figure out the ever-changing maze, but it’s not that easy because after dark the Grievers come out.  I was utterly captivated by the world Dashner creates and I can’t wait for the next book (this is the first in a trilogy)!  For the first time in a while I found myself unable to put the book down and actually used my cell phone to light the page when I was reading late at night.  [Kim - check out  the book trailer on Jessica's blog.]

 Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Easily the best young adult book in the last few years!  This book is the first in a series about Katniss, a sixteen-year-old girl, living in what used to be America and is now called Panem.  She is forced to participate in the “Hunger Games;” a government orchestrated game in which a boy and a girl from each district is forced to fight until there is only one survivor.  I definitely recommend this book to everyone over the age of twelve, adults included!  If you have not read Hunger Games yet then it is a must buy for the holidays! 

 If I Stay by Gayle Forman – A touching novel, If I Stay left me weepy, but I never felt manipulated. Seventeen-year-old Mia is involved in a terrible car accident leaving her in critical condition and her mother, father Read the rest of this entry »

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