The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Official Site: "Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost.

Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hobos camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a true miracle: even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again."

This is an AMAZING story! Already a classic with children and adults alike, and now I know why. This is a story you have to read again and again.

Into the Mist (Land of Elyon Series)

This was a great addition to the series and leaves you wanting more.

Children's Literature
"Alexa Daley and Yipes from the "Land of Elyon" series, are traveling aboard the ship, Warwick Beacon, captained by Roland Warvold. While out on the Lonely Sea sailing to Five Stone Pillars, Roland reveals in flashbacks the story about his older brother and himself. The two young brothers, Thomas and Roland, were sent to live at Madam Vicker's House on the Hill, an institution for homeless children. The ruthless Madam Vickers with the help of her son and snarling watch dogs kept a close eye on all the youngsters who were forced to dig for "treasure" in the hill of garbage. Roland and Thomas planned an escape from the House on the Hill with hopes of discovering the meaning of the circle and square symbol, along with a cryptic message which was found during the digging. Although the brothers left the miserable conditions, they faced unknown dangers in a world where they had no choice but to place their trust in a talking mountain lion in order to find the Western Kingdom. Roland's story draws to a close once the ship approaches the Five Stone Pillars, marking the start of a new adventure to be continued in a sequel."

Kirkus Reviews
"Carman returns to the Land of Elyon with a second series set in the dystopian world. After the events ending in The Tenth City (2006), Alexa and her friend Yipes set sail with Roland Warvold on a long sea voyage to an undisclosed destination. With their journey reaching an end, Roland reveals many details of the childhood he shared with his brother Thomas, casting light on the characters and motivations of the mysterious Warvolds and their role in the fight against the tyrant Grindall. The cast of characters will be familiar to readers of the trilogy, and Carman provides an introduction and list of short descriptions of people and places for non-initiates. What will keep readers involved, however, is the nonstop action of the plot, which moves from crisis to crisis and ends on a classic Carman cliffhanger. The unresolved ending, which comes as a great surprise, is a perfect setup for subsequent books. This can stand on its own merits but will be a surefire winner wherever the original series is popular." (Fantasy. 9-12)

Stinky Cheese! Ambassador for Children’s Literature

The New York Times
By MOTOKO RICH
Published: January 3, 2008

Jon Scieszka, the author of witty and subversive children’s favorites like “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” and “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales,” is to be named the country’s first national ambassador for young people’s literature on Thursday, a kind of children’s book version of the Library of Congress’s poet laureate program.

Mr. Scieszka, 53, who has written more than 25 books in the last two decades, is to be named to this new position by James H. Billington, the librarian of Congress. Mr. Billington said that unlike the role of the poet laureate, which does not come with specific responsibilities, this one calls for Mr. Scieszka (pronounced SHEH-ska) to be a spokesman who will travel and speak to groups of children, parents and teachers “to evangelize the need for reading.” He will also speak at Children’s Book Week in New York in May and the National Book Festival in Washington in September.

... The idea for the ambassadorship had been raised a number of times in previous years but finally came to fruition last fall when Robin Adelson, executive director of the Children’s Book Council, a trade association for children’s book publishers, contacted John Cole, director of the Center for the Book, an arm of the Library of Congress that promotes books, libraries and literacy and has established centers in every state and Washington, D.C.

... Ms. Adelson said that with headlines about declines in children’s reading and test scores, the timing for the appointment was apt. “In a world where children have so many different forms of entertainment vying for their attention,” she said, “it does take someone special to remind them that there is this vast body of literature out there that is fabulous entertainment.”

Mr. Billington said the position augmented efforts to reach out to kids on Web sites including loc.gov and Americaslibrary.gov. “We have organized to make sure that the central role of books and reading is not obscured by the new technology, but is rather enriched and enlivened by it,” Mr. Billington said.

... Mr. Sciezska said that above all he hoped to encourage parents and teachers to support whatever reading their kids want to do. “People say, ‘All my son will read is “Captain Underpants,”’ or ‘My son is crazy about shark books, is that O.K.?’” he said. “I want to be the person to say, ‘Yeah, that’s really O.K., as long as he’s motivated to want to read.’”

Click title for full article

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

National Book Foundation: "Based on the author’s own experiences, this heartbreaking yet funny story chronicles the adolescence of one contemporary Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he seems destined to live."

This is one of the best teen lit books I have ever read. I laughed throughout and nearly went for the tissues a few times. Adults and teens both should read this and learn from Arnold Spirit.

"Excellent in every way, poignant and really funny and heartwarming and honest and wise and smart .... I have no doubt that in a year or so it'll both be winning awards and being banned." - Neil Gaiman, best-selling author

"When my horoscope said I was going to meet someone tall, dark and handsome ... who knew he'd be 14! Thankfully for me Arnold Spirit is one of the funniest, most endearing characters I've met in a very long time. This book is so original, I laughed consistently from beginning to end." - Amy Sedaris, actress, comedian, and author of I LIKE YOU: HOSPITALITY UNDER THE INFLUENCE

"Arnold Spirit's offbeat coming-of-age tale will touch your battle-scarred teenage heart." - Megan Kelso, cartoonist

Sherman wins the 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Watch a clip on the New York Times Web site. Read the stories in The Seattle P-I (11/14/07), The Seattle Times (11/14/07), The New York Times (11/15/07), and Publishers Weekly (11/15/07).

See the True Diary page for reviews and to hear an audio file of Sherman reading from the book.