Mailbox Monday - 10/12/09

I'm a little late on posting this today, because I'm off work today, had a busy weekend, and didn't get this ready to post ahead of time.  I'm glad to have today to get some posts and reading done.

Mailbox Monday is brought to us each week by Marcia at The Printed Page.  It's a way for bloggers to share the books that came into their houses, over the past week, via the mailbox.  I love seeing the many books others receive and sharing mine with you.  Here's what came into my house...

Testing the Ice by Sharon Robinson, from Scholatic -
When Jackie Robinson retires from baseball and moves his family to Connecticut, the beautiful lake on their property is the center of everyone's fun. The neighborhood children join the Robinson kids for swimming and boating. But oddly, Jackie never goes near the water.

In a dramatic episode that first winter, the children beg to go ice skating on the lake. Jackie says they can go--but only after he tests the ice to make sure it's safe. The children prod and push to get Jackie outside, until hesitantly, he finally goes. Like a blind man with a stick, (contd.)
Jackie taps on the ice's surface, when suddenly howling and roaring sounds come out of the lake! It is only then that Sharon realizes why she's never seen her father in the water -- Jackie doesn't know how to swim! But her horror changes to relief as Jackie bravely taps his way to the middle of the lake -- and declare it safe!

A Happy Halloween by Leslie Nazarian, from Lesruba Designs
No tricks in this rhyming halloween book for kids - Children will find it a treat to count and read along to this collage illustrated counting halloween book. With skeletons, witches, ghosts and more, there are lots of things for your child to explore as they count along from one to twelve.

Wenda the Wacky Wiggler by Christopher Aslan, from CKL Publicity
Wenda the Wacky Wiggler is a delightful story about a unique little girl who is always dancing and wiggling with joy. But when the gloomy townfolk take away all the music, she finds herself slumped to the ground in despair. To the towns surprise it is in the silence that Wenda realizes her love and joy come from inside! Wenda the Wacky Wiggler is an inspiring little tale reminding us of our individual expression of wisdom and love.


Sidikiba's Kora Lesson by Ryan Thomas Skinner, from publicist
Ten year-old Sidikiba is about to be initiated into the world of the kora, a twenty-one stringed West African harp performed by his family for seventy generations. To become a kora player, like his father and grandfather before him, Sidikiba must honor and respect the wisdom of his elders, trust in the mystical secrets of his community, and, above all else, be patient and practice hard. Sidikiba's Kora Lesson is the story of a child's encounter with a rich cultural heritage set in a modern African city, where learning to balance the new and the old is part of growing up. Through sound, pictures, and text, Sidikiba's Kora Lesson comes alive for readers and music lovers of all ages!
The book includes a CD featuring Sidiki Diabate, the son of the Grammy Award-winning kora virtuoso Toumani Diabate. On the CD, Sidiki demonstrates his deserved place in this illustrious musical lineage.

Secrets of a Christmas Box by Steven Hornby, from Partners Publishers Group
Enter the magical festive world of the Christmas 'Tree-Dwellers', as Larry, a Christmas snowman, wakes up after the long sleep in the Christmas box, to find his brother is missing.
Desperate to find him before Christmas, Larry, along with his girlfriend Debbie, a newcomer Splint, and Larry's companion Tinsel, break the laws of the 'Tree-Elders' and escape down the tree and away into the house, to look for clues.
Away from the safety of the tree and in an unfamiliar world, the Dwellers stumble upon a dark and sinister secret that threatens their entire world. Can Larry and the group make it back to the tree in time to warn the others, and finally uncover the truth behind the 'Secrets of a Christmas Box'?

A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper, from Knopf
Sophie Fitzosborne lives in a crumbling castle in the tiny island kingdom of Montmaray with her eccentric and impoverished royal family. When she receives a journal for her sixteenth birthday, Sophie decides to chronicle day-to-day life on the island. But this is 1936, and the news that trickles in from the mainland reveals a world on the brink of war. The politics of Europe seem far away from their remote island--until two German officers land a boat on Montmaray. And then suddenly politics become very personal indeed.

The Very Best Parts of My Mommy by Michelle Korrell, from author

This paperback book was written by the spouse of a cancer patient and is intended to help families talk about a mother’s cancer diagnosis with their young children. The book focuses on the parts of a Mommy that are not affected by the disease.

The Very Best Parts of My Daddy by Michelle Korrell, from author
Adapted from the book written for the author’s own son, this paperback book is intended to help families talk about a father’s cancer diagnosis with their young children. The book focuses on the parts of a Daddy that are unaffected by the disease.

In the Land of Cotton by Martha A. Taylor, from author
SLAVERY IS MORE THAN CHAINS AND SHACKLES
SLAVERY IS A STATE OF MIND

Immerse yourself in this highly anticipated political docu-drama set in the Deep South amidst the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement.

Martha was a young white girl living in the Deep South, inundated with the racist sentiments of the times. But Martha's natural curiosity and generous heart led her to question this racial divide. When she discovered a primitive Negro family living deep in the woods near her house, everyone's life changed forever.

Take the journey of a lifetime alongside Martha as she forges relationships that lead to self discovery and a clearer understanding of the world around her. In the Land of Cotton provides an outstanding snapshot of life in the South during those troubled times - a snapshot everyone should take a close look at, regardless of era or color.

The year was 1956.

Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd, from Knopf
Holly’s story will leave a lasting impression on all who travel with her.

Memories of mum are the only thing that make Holly Hogan happy. She hates her foster family with their too-nice ways and their false sympathy. And she hates her life, her stupid school, and the way everyone is always on at her. Then she finds the wig, and everything changes. Wearing the long, flowing blond locks she feels transformed. She’s not Holly anymore, she’s Solace: the girl with the slinkster walk and the supersharp talk. She’s older, more confident—the kind of girl who can walk right out of her humdrum life, hitch to Ireland, and find her mum. The kind of girl who can face the
world head-on. So begins a bittersweet and sometimes hilarious journey as Solace swaggers and Holly tiptoes across England and through memory, discovering her true self and unlocking the secrets of her past.

 The Blue Shoe by Roderick Townley, from Knopf
It was only one shoe. It fit no one. But everyone wanted it.

Hap Barlo in a cell, wondering how it had all gone so wrong. The blue shoe was ruined, the girl he’d been trying to help was missing, and he’d been branded a thief—again! He would be banished to the far side of Mount Xexnax in the morning.

On the bright side, now he might be able to rescue his father, who had been banished last year. No one has ever returned from Xexnax, so perhaps Hap is a tad optimistic to be dreaming of rescue. Then again, perhaps a dreamer, a doer, and a thief is just the kind of boy who could challenge this mountain—and win!

First edition will be printed in blue ink!