It's a New Year!

 
Not sure I was ready for 2009 to be over, but ready or not, 2010 is here! I haven't posted since Christmas. We had a great Christmas, then left to spend the weekend in Angleton with our best friends. We came home Sunday night and my dad called wanting to go hunting on Monday. So, off I went to South Texas, until yesterday afternoon. We had a good time and came home with a deer, a hog, and three coons. Could have been better, but the deer were moving pretty slow.

I was so glad to be home and ready to spend a nice quiet evening with my husband, but we ended up in the ER. My feet and hands started tingling and I had a burning in my chest. They took me right in and after blood work, a chest x-ray, and a CT scan, everything came back negative. What a relief! Knowing everything is okay is good, but not knowing why it happened is not. They said I could have had an anxiety attack worrying about it. I can't stop worrying. Every little tingle or gas pain makes me worry. I know they said nothing was wrong, but I'm still going to follow up with my doctor on Monday. All I know is I'm going to try, this next year, to not take things for granted.

It's a new year, which means new opportunities. My blogging goals are to continue with my weekly feature, Because of a Book, as well as the weekly memes I do from other blogs: In My Mailbox, Mailbox Monday, Waiting On Wednesday, and Friday Fill-Ins. I don't plan to add any more to my plate as I want to review as much as I can. I said last year at this time that I hoped to be able to do a Year in Review post, but again, I let time get away from me and didn't get it done. I entered some challenges last year, but wasn't real good at keeping track of the books for them. So, this year, I'm not entering challenges, so to speak. I'm just going to challenge myself to read as much as I can and review everything I read. I'm also going to do a better job at visiting and commenting on others' blogs. I have a lot of blogs that I subscribe to, and I have been feeling guilty about not reading them regularly and leaving comments. I want to do that, because it helps me to stay in touch with what's going on in the blogging world.

On another note, the Cybils' shortlists were released today. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Fiction Picture Books judging panel.  First let me say what an honor it was to be able to read many of the books that were nominated in this category.  The other judges and I had a long Google Wave chat where we hashed out the best of the best, and the following list of finalists are what we decided on.

Fiction Picture Books

Curious Garden, The
by Peter Brown
Little, Brown
Nominated by: Eric Carpenter
When a little boy discovers a near-dying garden atop the buildings in his drab city, he quickly learns the changes that can occur under the caring hands of one dedicated person. This magical tale--coupled with beautiful illustrations--enables children to see just how much they, too, are capable of.
--Katie Harvey

Lion & the Mouse, The
by Jerry Pinkney
Little, Brown
Nominated by: Kirsten Cutler
Jerry Pinkney builds on his outstanding résumé with this remarkable, nearly wordless retelling of the classic Aesop fable. One of the most significant artistic achievements of the year, the rich, expressive illustrations invite young readers to interpret the tale in their own way.
--Travis Jonker
 
Jeremy Draws a Monster
by Peter McCarty
Henry Holt
Nominated by: Lily
One day, Jeremy--who never goes out--uses his special crayon to draw a monster. He draws like mad to satisfy the demanding beast, but only finds peace when he sends the beast on its way. Simply told and creatively illustrated, this book wraps itself around the deeper meaning within--that we draw our own monsters, and neither feeding nor ignoring them will make them go away. Brilliant.
--Pam Coughlan
 
Listeners, The
by Gloria Whelan
Sleeping Bear Press
Nominated by: Joe
In the time when slavery gripped the South, Ella May and her two friends become the ears for the community as they make "listening" trips in the evenings--trips where they learn news from the outside world and the Master's plans. Beautifully written and illustrated, this is a book that will open your eyes and touch your heart.
--Shelly Burns
 
All the World
by Liz Garton Scanlon
Beach Lane Books
Nominated by: Cynthia Leitich Smith
A multicultural family (and those around them) starts a day with a morning on the beach, endures a thunderstorm, shares a meal and ends with a quiet night at home. A wide audience will enjoy the lyrical rhyming couplets and breathtaking illustrations--this book is perfect to cuddle and read aloud with young children.
--Natasha Maw
 
Book That Eats People, The
by John Perry
Tricycle Press
Nominated by: Bri Meets Books
Whatever you do, do not allow your little ones to read this book if they have the slightest hint of peanut butter and jelly on their fingers. You see...this book eats people and has already consumed little Sam Ruskin, sweet Victoria Glassford and a security guard. This wonderfully dark story has as much devious fun as a picture book can hold.
--Natasha Maw

Silly Tilly
by Eileen Spinelli
Marshall Cavendish Childrens Books
Nominated by: Kathy Temean
Silly Tilly is not your ordinary goose. Quite the opposite, in fact — and her barnyard friends have decided they’ve had enough of her silliness. But as the farm quickly turn dull, Tilly’s friends realize that her quirkiness makes Tilly special. Funny, rhyming text and colorful illustrations make this book a treat to read aloud, and Tilly's wacky antics will leave kids giggling.
--Katie Harvey

Visit the Cybils site and check out the other categories of books.

Easy Readers & Short Chapter Books
Fantasy & Science Fiction (Middle Grade)
Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult)
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Non-Fiction Middle Grade/YA
Non-Fiction Picture Books
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction

In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday - 11/22/09

Welcome to another edition of In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday, where I show you what books came into my house via the mailbox. In My Mailbox is hosted every Sunday by Kristi at The Story Siren and Mailbox Monday is hosted on Mondays by Marcia at the Printed Page. Both ladies have wonderful blogs, that I hope you will take the time to visit. I appreciate each of them for hosting these memes so that book bloggers can share the books that they receive to review. To see what others have gotten this week, visit these ladies and check it out!

Here's what came into my house over the last week:

For Review

The Paper Bag Princess (board book) by Robert Munsch, from Annick Press

THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS hardly needs an introduction. First published in 1980, and with over four million copies in print, this story of a feisty princess and her hapless prince has captured the hearts of readers young and old all around the world. THE NEW YORK TIMES called it one “of the best children’s books ever written,” while it has appeared countless times on Best Books lists across North America.

Now, even toddlers can enjoy this modern classic. While retaining the original storyline with all its humor and panache, a revised text for the 2-to-4-year old makes this version appropriate for pre-schoolers. The sturdy board book format is perfect for little hands. 

Together by Hazel Hutchins, from Annick Press
Acclaimed children’s writer Hazel Hutchins explores the concept of what-goes-with-what in her new picture book for pre-schoolers, whether it’s buttons that keep your shirt together, or shoelaces that keep your feet in your shoes. Playful text coupled with lively illustrations will keep children engaged and encourage them to build their vocabulary.

As young children struggle, literally, with keeping it all together, here’s the book to help them from coming undone, blowing away or falling apart. From getting dressed at the start of the day to leaving school at the end, there is plenty of opportunity throughout the story to make connections. 

Camp Fossil Eyes: Digging for the Origins of Words by Mark Abley, from Annick Press
See into the past and discover how English evolved from more than 350 languages.
In this fanciful book about etymology, 15-year-old Jill Boswell and her 13-year-old brother, Alex, are sent to summer camp in a bizarre badlands region -- the only place in the world where words are fossilized in rock. Armed with water bottles, spades and backpacks, the campers hike from ridge to ridge in search of their ancient quarry. The budding word hounds soon realize they are on an amazing journey of discovery.
Traveling through the mountains of fossilized words -- from ancient Greece (television, demon, gorilla, catastrophe) to Spain (mosquito, ten-gallon, burrito) and from the language of the Goths (heathen, home, haunt) to Dutch (booze, dock, pickle, cookie) -- they find that even current words like podcast and gossip originated hundreds of years ago!

Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors by Charis Cotter, from Annick Press

What were famous authors like as kids?
Our childhood experiences shape us into the adults we become. Born to Write tells the stories of how six extraordinary children transformed early struggles into spellbinding bedtime reading for kids around the world.
To ease the pain of being ostracized by her classmates, Madeleine L'Engle escaped to an invented world every night in her bedroom. Lucy Maud Montgomery lost her mother as a baby, and her father appeared only sporadically throughout her life. And Philip Pullman, a seasoned traveler by age 10, used his long journeys by ship as inspiration for his remarkable novels.
In Born to Write, Charis Cotter chronicles the early lives of these and other much-loved children's writers, including Christopher Paul Curtis, C.S. Lewis and E.B.White, revealing how each author's achievements, losses, triumphs and tragedies helped shape our most beloved books.
Interspersed throughout are sidebars highlighting other well-known children's authors, such as Hans Christian Andersen and Louisa May Alcott, whose works served as inspiration.

The Snowman's Song: A Christmas Story by Marilee Joy Mayfield
The Snowman's Song is an enchanting tale of longing and fulfillment. A little snowman yearns to sing Christmas carols, but is desolate because he hasn't a voice. From the kindness of others, he dares to believe in the impossible and experiences a Christmas miracle. Beautifully told in melodic verse, this inspirational story shows that impossible dreams do come true and reminds us of the true reason for the season. This heartwarming story is a multimedia experience - a bonus CD contains a reading of the entire story told in the author s voice, sure to transport rapt young listeners to the snowman' s winter wonderland.

Dragons Love by Stephen Parlato, from the author

The world has not always loved dragons, but dragons have always loved the world. They love the simple beauty of nature’s fleeting flowers, the armor left behind by knights who come to slay but end up playing with them. They love the birds with whom they share the skies, and they love books that entrance them. Often cast as villains associated with destruction, in this enchanting picture book dragons are depicted as great spirits and protectors of the natural world, ancient beings in touch with the beauty and rhythms of the earth. Collage art of dragons compiled from the things they love fill every page of this book, which is sure to spark young imaginations.

Gifts

Yum! !MmMm! Que' Rico!: America's Sproutings by Pat Mora, a thank you from Lee & Low
A collection of haiku focusing on fourteen foods native to the Americas, celebrating the fun of the foods as well as their origins.

Gracias Thanks by Pat Mora, a thank you from Lee & Low

In a series of poetic sentences, a young boy (biracial Mexican/Caucasian) tells about some of the everyday things for which he is thankful.

For Cybils Judging

I got huge Cybils deliveries this week, so I'm only going to post the titles.  You can see book covers and click to read more or order in the Cybils widget, top of right sidebar.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Billy Twitters and his Blue Whale Problem
Pennies for Elephants
Magic Box
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed
Spoon
Let's Do Nothing
Finn Throws a Fit!
Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates
The Circus Ship
How Do You Wokka-Wokka?
Wiggins Learns his Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant
Bee Wigged
There are Cats in This Book
Who Wants to be a Poodle I Don't
Maggie's Monkeys
Kissed on the Wind
Higher! Higher!
The Dunderheads
The Clever Stick
Boo Hoo Bird
Family Huddle
No Snow for Christmas
Ron's Big Mission
Wink: The Ninja who Wanted to be Noticed
Put it on the List!
In Our Mothers' House
Before You Were Here, Mi Amor
Me with You
Llama Llama Misses Mama
Hugging Hour!
Muriel's Red Sweater
Tsunami
Otis
Crow Call
My Little Round House
The Yankee at the Seder
I Call My Grandpa Papa
A Carousel Tale
The Book That Eats People
Ned's New Home
The Curious Garden
The Lion and The Mouse
All Kinds of Families
Martha Doesn't Say Sorry!
Dewey There's a Cat in the Library!

In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday - 11/1/09

Thanks to Marcia at the Printed Page and Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting these memes every week to see what people are getting in their mailboxes.  Here's what came into my house.

Fallen (ARC) by Lauren Kate, from Delacorte Press

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Prowling the Seas by Pamela S. Turner, from the author
From the surface of the ocean, it’s hard to see any visible signs of life below. But this remarkable ecosystem is teeming with life—life that is increasingly under environmental stress. And it is often the predators that sound the earliest warning signs.  By tracking a wide variety of ocean predators, the Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) project provides essential cutting-edge information about the state of the ocean’s health and the challenges facing all its inhabitants. Acclaimed science writer Pamela S. Turner takes readers along with four predators—a leatherback sea turtle, a bluefin tuna, a great white shark, and a Sooty Shearwater—on their remarkable journeys. This full-access look will change the way readers view our blue planet.

Mom, I Fired the Babysitter by Colleen H. Robley Blake
Alex thinks he's old enough to take care of himself, so after his mom hires a babysitter, he tries everything he can to fire her.

Gingerbread Man Superhero! by Dotti Enderle, from Pelican for Cybils judging
One day, a little old lady decides to bake a Gingerbread Man. But he turns out to be not just any Gingerbread Man--this one has special powers, like the ability to fly. He flies to a bakery and helps save the other baked goods from a crazed macaroon, in this hilarious picture book for young readers.

Kick the Cowboy by Joe Gribnau, from Pelican for Cybils judging
Kick is the greatest cowboy the Lone Star State has ever seen. But he's also the grumpiest. Even though he can rope a dozen longhorns in one swift loop, his scowl can scare a scorpion. His Texas-sized attitude swells as each day passes, and soon other cowboys are itchin' to avoid him. One day, a lively young girl loses her puppy and asks Kick for help. After he roars with laughter at her request, she delivers a swift kick that literally brings him to his knees. As the two meet eye to eye, something strange happens. His cruel heart begins to soften, and Kick realizes that maybe, just maybe, he can be kind. Filled with vibrant illustrations and enhanced with a Western twang, Joe Gribnau's heartwarming tale will remind readers that a little bit of compassion and humility can go a long way.

The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies by Ammi-Joan Paquette, from Tanglewood for Cybils judging
What better way to celebrate the wonderful world of nature all around us than a hunt for local fairies? Children learn to spot the tell-tale signs of fairies in residence in this delightful mix of photos and illustrations. Then children can take their tracking skills outside to discover the magic in their own backyard. A perfect book for spring or summer!

The Little Pot by Dawn Stephens, from bPlus Books for Cybils judging
How do you teach young children about the value of patience and the loving omniscience of their Creator? Introduce them to The Little Pot, a wise and winsome tale. Soon after a potter lovingly forms a new pot and declares that he has important plans for his creation, the little pot begins to wonder what its purpose will be. Will it be used to hold important documents? Great riches? Beautiful flowers? As various expectations prove wrong, the little pot is cautioned to wait and see. Gradually, Little Pot comes to realize that its creator knows best and has the most wonderful of all uses planned for it. Young readers will realize that the same is true for them: that, like the little pot, they were designed to be vessels that bear fruit. Anyone who has ever had trouble seeing God working in his or her life will realize that, while His work may not always be evident, it is always there.

Star of the Show by Della Ross Ferreri, from Shenanigan Books for Cybils judging
Francine and Max decide to play circus and as usual Francine wants to take center stage. But Max has his own ideas. Francine s comical production woes will be appreciated by every kid who s had to share the limelight with an older sibling.

Always My Brother by Jean Reagan, from Tilbury House Publishers for Cybils judging
Becky and her brother John were best buddies, telling jokes, caring for their dog Toby together, and playing soccer. John was always there to cheer her up and help her out--until he died. Becky wishes everything could go back to the way it was. When she is surprised and feels guilty about enjoying a friend's birthday party, her mom wraps reassuring arms around her and says, "Don't you think he'd want you to laugh, even now?" She gradually realizes that she can still enjoy the things that they used to do together and that the memories of John continue to make him part of their family.

The Listeners by Gloria Whelan, from Sleeping Bear Press for Cybils judging
Ella May lives on a plantation but she doesn't live in the great house. She is a slave. It's dark in the morning when Ella May heads to the fields to pick cotton. And it's sunset when she comes home. But her day isn't done, not yet. Ella May still has important work to do. She's got to listen.
Each night Ella May and her friends secretly listen outside the windows of their master's house. The children listen in the hopes of gleaning information about their fates and those of their loved ones. Who will be sold? Who will stay?

Silly Tilly by Eileen Spinelli, from Marshall Cavendish for Cybils judging
She takes her baths in apple juice.  She wears a pancake as a hat.  She tries to ride the farmer's cat.  But is Tilly too silly?  And when she stops having so much fun, what happens to the farm?

What was in your mailbox?