2017 Kids' Lit Fest Author Victoria Scott

Meet Victoria Scott

Victoria Scott is the author of eight novels including Titans, Fire & Flood, Salt & Stone, the Dante Walker trilogy, Hear the Wolves (March 2017), and Violet Grenade (May 2017). She is published by Scholastic and Entangled Teen, and is represented by Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties.

Victoria’s latest novel, Titans, received two starred reviews, and Fire & Flood has been selected as a 2017 Spirit of Texas Reading Program book. Victoria’s novels have been bought and translated in fourteen foreign markets. The author currently resides in Philadelphia, and loves hearing from her readers.

Here are a few things about Victoria you may want to know:

1. She is deathly afraid of monkeys. No animal should look that much like a human.
2. She has a fiery passion for cotton candy. Her husband once drove herto seven different stores looking for the stuff. We they found it, she bought 12 bags.

3. She likes old, creepy-looking trees so much that she actually house-hunted by scouting streets with the best ones.
4. Music. If it’s not loud and angry, she wants no part of it.
5. She was a cheerleader in high school. Like a hard-core competitive cheerleader you see on ESPN(2).
6. It upsets her when YA books feature mean cheerleaders.
7. Her favorite color is yellow. She doesn't feel like it gets near enough street-cred.
8. She can twirl a baton like nobody’s business.
9. Movies with giant, robotic aliens scare her to her core. It could happen. She just knows it.

Meet Victoria Scott's Books

Hear the Wolves

Sloan is a hunter.

So she shouldn't be afraid of anything. But ever since her mom left the family and she lost hearing in one ear in a blizzard, it's been hard to talk to people, and near-impossible to go anywhere or do anything without her dad or big sister within eyesight - it makes her too scared to be on her own.

When they leave her home alone for what should only be two nights, she's already panicked. Then the snow starts falling and doesn't stop. One of her neighbors is hurt in an accident. And the few people still left in Rusic need to make it to the river and the boat that's tied there - their only way to get to a doctor from their isolated Alaska town.

But the woods are icy cold, and the wolves are hungry. Sloan and her group are running out of food, out of energy, and out of time. That's when the wolves start hunting them. . .

Titans

Ever since the Titans appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan's world has revolved around the mechanical horses. It's not just the thrill of the race. It's the engineering of the horses themselves and the way they're programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she'll ever touch.

She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid's who wager on them.

But when Astrid's offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year's derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it's more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about.

2017 Kids' Lit Fest Author C. Alex London

Meet Alex London

C. Alexander London (Alex) has written books for children, teens, even a few for grown-ups. He’s the author of The Wild Ones series, Dog Tags and Tides of War series, as well as the Accidental Adventures and two titles in The 39 Clues series for young readers.

His young adult debut, Proxy, was an American Library Association Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers and included on their 2014 Best Fiction For Young Adults list. Proxy is a 2015 Texas Lone Star Reading List and TAYSHAS Reading List selection, a 2016 Intermediate Sequoyah Masterlist selection in Oklahoma, and has been on many state reading lists including Colorado, Arkansas, Missouri. The sequel, Guardian, is available now.

His books for adults include One Day The Soldiers Came: Voices of Children in War and National Jewish Book Award finalist Far From Zion.

Alex was born in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to New York to attend Columbia University. He graduated with a degree in philosophy and earned his Masters Degree in Library Science from Pratt Institute.

At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, he has recently moved from Brooklyn, NY, to Philadelphia, PA where he can be found wandering the streets talking to his dog, who is the real brains of the operation.

5 Fun Facts About Alex, From Alex

1. I spent a month as the Maryland State Jr. Skeet Shooting Champion because I was the only one entered in the “Junior” Category. It might actually have been in Delaware. My triumph didn’t last.
2. My full name is Charles Alexander London because my parents saw the monogram “CAL” on a towel in Macy’s and liked how it looked. They did not buy the towel that I am named after.
3. I was born three months premature and lived in an incubator for quite a while. I weighed less than two pounds and slept on a Ziploc bag filled with water that the nurses could jiggle when I forgot to breathe. I think I’ve been drawn to those breathless moments in life ever since. Also, I still love Ziploc bags.
4. I don’t remember how to write cursive.
5. I quit my job as an assistant to a movie agent in order to get a Master’s in Library Science because of a speech Chris Crutcher gave. At the time, I hadn’t read a single one of his books.

  Meet Alex's Books

 

Proxy

“Put down what you’re doing and read this book. Right now. The complex characters, intricate world, and blistering pace are off-the-charts amazing.” —Marie Lu, author of the Legend trilogy
Marie Lu and Alex discuss debt and dystopias

Syd’s life is not his own. As a proxy he must to pay for someone else's crimes. When his patron Knox crashes a car and kills someone, Syd is branded and sentenced to death. The boys realize the only way to beat the system is to save each other so they flee. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test the boys' resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay.

This fast-paced thrill ride of a novel is full of breakneck action, shocking twists and heart-hammering suspense that will have readers gasping until the very last page.

“Whipping Boy + Blade Runner with a sprinkling of The Hunger Games (plus, of course, a dash of A Tale of Two Cities) = a treat for teen SF fans.” —Kirkus Reviews

The Wild Ones 
“Raccoon hero Kit and his ragtag community of creatures will sneak their way into your imagination and steal your heart. They may pick your pocket, too, but they’ll take you on an adventure you won’t soon forget. This is a fantasy that kids will adore (and quick-of-paw parents will steal). A wild ride from a wildly imaginative author.”–Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal-winning author of The One and Only Ivan and the bestselling Animorphs series

Kit is a young raccoon who has lived his whole life under the Big Sky. But when a pack of hunting dogs destroy his home and kill his parents, Kit needs to escape.

He finds himself in Ankle Snap Alley, a city in the midst of a turf war between the Wild Ones and the people’s pets who call themselves The Flealess. There he uncovers the secret that they died for–an ancient truce that gives Ankle Snap Alley to the Wild Ones. But the Flealess will stop at nothing to keep that secret buried forever, and Kit is in serious danger. Only the brave of heart and quick of paw can save the Wild Ones now.

Perfect for fans of the Warriors, Spirit Animals, or Redwall series, this first book in the Wild Ones epic is sure capture young readers’ imaginations and take them on a great adventure.

Sheila's Five Escapist Books to Nurture Resistance in Hard Times

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente, illustrations by Ana Juan (Square Fish, $7.99)

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Harper Teen, $10.99)

Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (Razorbill, $11.99)

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit, $15.99)

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (Orbit, $16.00)

Sheila Avelin, November 2016

Mt. Airy Kids' Literary Festival 2016 -- April 7-10

The 10th Annual Mt. Airy Kids' Literary Festival -- four days of authors, illustrators, games, parties, crafts, and more -- begins this Thursday, April 7!

Schedule and event information:
- Festival schedule on our website (and summarized below).
- Facebook festival page (though honestly I'm not sure I understand Facebook's new event system -- I keep getting recursive tabs when I try to click for more details).
- Event listings on Facebook, which include most (though not all) of the festival's individual events.

Blog posts with some attending authors and their books:
- Interview with Amy Ignatow, author of The Popularity Papers.
- Interview with Cordelia Jensen, author of young adult verse novel Skyscraping.
- Event writeup from last fall's YA author panel with I.W. Gregorio, author of None of the Above, and Randy Ribay, author of An Infinite Number Of Parallel Universes.

Blog posts with kids' books and other resources:
- Celebrating Multiracial Families and Friendships: A List of Books for Kids and Teens
- Great QUILTBAG (Queer, etc.) Books for Kids and Teens

Festival Schedule Summary:

Thursday, April 7

5:30pm - Young Writers Reading.
Authors ages 8-12 from the Abington Arts Center Writing Workshop will be presenting their first public reading.

7:00pm - Elizabeth Gold, author of The Mommy Group: Freaking Out, Finding Friends, and Surviving the Happiest Time of Our Lives.

Friday, April 8

6:00pm - Family Book Party in Honor of Autism Awareness Month.
Family Book Party with Kristin and Billy Arniotis, authors of I Have Autism and That's Okay, plus games, read alouds, and fun.
(All ages)

Saturday, April 9

10:00am - Beloved Book Characters Tea Party!
Bring your favorite book or plush toy, or come dressed as your favorite character! We'll share stories and have tea and special snacks.
(Ages 2+)

1:00pm - Reading with Laurie Wallmark, author of Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, plus Science Activities.
(Ages 6-12)

3:00pm - Great New Books and Series for Middle Grade Readers!
Discover some great new series books with Sarah L. Thomson, author of Secrets of the Seven: The Eureka Key, and Amy Ignatow, author of The Popularity Papers.
(Ages 8-12)

6:00pm - Beverly Cleary's 100th Birthday Party!
Beverly Cleary will be 100 years old next week! We'll celebrate with cake, games, and great memories. Come in costume if you want! Still have your favorite Cleary books from childhood? Bring them along! We'll also be making a video birthday card to send to our illustrious author!
(All ages)

Sunday, April 10

11:00am - Great Lives, Great Picture Books!

• Gary Golio, author of Bird & Diz and Jimi Hendrix
• Susanna Reich, author of Minette's Feast and Fab Four Friends
• E.B. Lewis, multi-award-winning illustrator of more Big Blue Marble favorites than we can count, including The Other Side, Talkin' About Bessie, and All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom

(Ages 6+)

1:00pm - Books Are Great Tools for Exploring Our World.
Children's nonfiction authors take complex information and create fun, engaging books that invite children to explore.

• Terry Catasús Jennings, author of Gopher to the Rescue! A Volcano Recovery Story
• Jeanne Pettenati, author of Galileo’s Journal 1609-1610
• Ellen Marcus, author of That Fish On Your Dish: A book for children with eco-conscious parents

(Ages 5+)

3:00pm - QUILTBAG Books YA Author Panel with I.W. Gregorio, author of None of the Above and a founder of the We Need Diverse Books movement; Randy Ribay, author of An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes; and Cordelia Jensen, author of Skyscraping.
(For teens and up)

Once again, you can find the full festival schedule on our website.

Looking forward to seeing you this weekend!

Celebrating Multiracial Families and Friendships: A List of Books for Kids and Teens

This past April, at the Mt. Airy Kids' Literary Festival, we welcomed Tanya Hutchins, author of Born Beautiful Biracial: A Compilation of Children's Essays, and Mt. Airy author Lori Tharps, creator of ?RU! t-shirts (for sale in the bookstore!), to facilitate a fascinating discussion dealing with the "What Are You?" questions that many people who grow up biracial or multiracial regularly face, as well as issues around who is perceived as family.

Here's a list of books we started compiling then, that address these questions in some way. Some feature multiracial families; some feature strong interracial friendships. Others celebrate the wide diversity of skin tones and other physical features among people of different races and cultures. It is, of course, only a small subset of all such books, though I expect it to grow over time. At the end is a list of links to other lists and resources, with even more books to explore.

Within each section below, the books are arranged chronologically, to give a sense of how things have evolved over time. An asterisk * marks a book in which multiracial/multicultural identity is incidental and not central to the story. (If I don't know or am not sure how to characterize it, I've left it off.)

Compiled by Jennifer Sheffield, with help from Jennifer Woodfin and Lori Tharps
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latest update: 7/9/17

Contents:

• Talking with kids about race
• Board books for babies and toddlers
• Picture books about families, bodies, and reproduction
• General picture books
• Middle Grade/Chapter books
• Young Adult books
• Some other lists and resources

Talking with kids about race:

The Skin I'm in: A First Look at Racism by Pat Thomas, illustrated by Lesley Harker (2003)
Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester (2005)
The Skin You Live In by Michael Tyler, illustrated by David Lee Csicsko (2005)
Born Beautiful Biracial: A Compilation of Children's Essays (by children ages 6-14), compiled by Tanya Hutchins (2014)

Board books for babies and toddlers:

*More, More, More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams (1990)
A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza (1992)
Shades of Black by Sandra L. Pinkney, photographs by Myles C. Pinkney (2000)
*Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, illustrated by Marla Frazee (2001)
I am Latino: The Beauty in Me by Sandra L. Pinkney, photographs by Myles C. Pinkney (2007)
Global Babies, a Global Fund for Children book (2007)
American Babies, a Global Fund for Children book (2010)
*A is for Activist (2013) and Counting on Community (2015) by Innosanta Nagara [also available in Spanish]
*Good Night, Wissahickon Valley Park by Adam Gamble and Mark Jasper, illustrated by Scotti Mann (2016)

Picture books about families, bodies, and reproduction:

*All Families Are Special by Norma Simon, illustrated by Teresa Flavin (2003)
The Family Book by Todd Parr (2003)
*The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Ros Asquith (2010)
*Who Has What? All About Girls' Bodies and Boys' Bodies by Robie Harris (2011)
*What Makes a Baby? by Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth (2012) [This book separates the genetic/biological components from the emotional component of making a baby, thus allowing for nontraditional families.]
*Living with Mom and Living with Dad by Melanie Walsh (2012)
*It Takes Love (and Some Other Stuff) to Make a Baby by L.L. Bird, illustrated by Patrick Girouard (2014) [Two-mom family using donor insemination.]
Families, Families, Families! by Suzanne Lang & Max Lang (2015)
One Family by George Shannon, illustrated by Blanca Gomez (2015)

General picture books:

Black is Brown is Tan by Arnold Adoff (1973)
*Yo! Yes? by Chris Raschka (1993)
*Jamaica and Brianna By Juanita Havill, illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien (1993)
All of the Colors of the Earth by Sheila Hamanaka (1994)
Jalapeño Bagels by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Robert Casilla (1996)
Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, illustrated by Leslie Staub (1997)
*A Child's Calendar: poems by John Updike, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (1999)
The Colors of Us by Karen Katz (1999)
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (2001)
It's Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr (2001)
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi (2001)
*The Princesses Have a Ball by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Lynne Cravath (2002)
*Felicia's Favorite Story by Lesléa Newman, illustrated by Adriana Romo (2002)
I Love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Elivia Savadier (2002)
The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster, illustrated by Chris Raschka (2005)
Oscar's Half Birthday by Bob Graham (2005)
I am Latino: The Beauty in Me by Sandra L. Pinkney, photographs by Myles C. Pinkney (2007)
In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco (2009)
*Shopping with Dad by Matt Harvey, illustrated by Miriam Latimer (2010)
*Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (2010)
*A Tale of Two Mommies by Vanita Oelschlager, illustrated by Kristin Blackwood and Mike Blanc (2011)
I am the World by Charles R. Smith, Jr. (2013)
*The Lonely Typewriter by Peter Ackerman, illustrated by Max Dalton (2014)
Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah Ohora (2015)
*The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton (2015)
*Double Trouble For Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke, illustrated by Lauren Tobia (2015)
Real Sisters Pretend by Megan Dowd Lambert, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell (2016)
My New Mom and Me by Renata Galindo (2016)
Quackers by Liz Wong (2016)
*Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley, illustrated by Lauren Castillo (2016)
*The Airport Book by Lisa Brown (2016)

Middle Grade/Chapter books:

*The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce, starting with Sandry's Book (1997)
Crossing Jordan by Adrian Fogelin (2000)
Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee (2003)
*The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex (2007, basis for the 2015 DreamWorks movie Home)
*The Popularity Papers series by Amy Ignatow, starting with The Popularity Papers (2010)
*The Flower Power series by Lauren Myracle, starting with Luv Ya Bunches (2010)
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine (2012)
The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani (2012)
My Basmati Bat Mitzvah by Paula J. Freedman (2013)
*The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher (2014) and The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island (2016) by Dana Alison Levy
[Note: The asterisk here refers to the first book; the sequel does deal with race as a significant, though plot-secondary, issue.]
The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond by Brenda Woods (2014)
*Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff (2014)
Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones, illustrations by Katie Kath (2015)
Ghosts by Raina Telgemaier (2016)
Threads by Ami Polonsky (2016)
The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue, with illustrations by Caroline Hadilaksono (2017)

Young Adult books:

I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson (1994)
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson (1995)
If You Come Softly (1998) and Behind You (2004) by Jacqueline Woodson
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher (2001)
Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Peña (2008)
Liar by Justine Larbalestier (2009)
*The Legend trilogy by Marie Lu, starting with Legend (2011)
*Hidden by Helen Frost (2011)
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (2012)
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer (2012)
*Rogue by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (2013)
*The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson (2014)
Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories, edited by Alisa Krasnostein & Julia Rios (2014)
Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley (2014)
Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein (2015)
Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa (2015)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (2015)
An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes by Randy Ribay (2015)
Peas and Carrots by Tanita S Davis (2016)
*Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven (2016)

Some other lists and resources:

Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America's Diverse Families (2016) by Lori Tharps, author of the blog My American Melting Pot (as well as creator of the shirts mentioned above)
Cool Mom Picks blog: How to talk to your kids about prejudice with the help of 12 of our favorite books
Pinterest: Anti-Bias Children's Books
Goodreads Listopia: Children's Books Depicting Multiracial Families
What Do We Do All Day blog: Multicultural and Diverse Children's Books (a list of lists)
Multiracial Asian Families blog: Multiracial Asian Children's Books
ComeUnity Adoption books: Multiracial Diversity Books for Children
Gay-Themed Picture Books for Children blog (includes foreign language books): Mixed-Race Families
Goodreads Listopia: Alternative Families in Children's Literature
Oakland Library: DÍA (Diversity in Action!): Great Kids' Books with Multiracial Characters
Goodreads Listopia: Mixed race protagonists in middle grade and young adult novels
Booklist Online: Classroom Connections: Multiracial Characters (Middle Grade and YA)
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA): Mixed, But Not Mixed Up: Biracial Characters in YA Lit.

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*An asterisk marks books in which multiracial/multicultural identity is incidental and not central to the story. If I don't know or am not sure how to characterize it, I've left it off.

Jen's Six Exciting New YA Releases!

(Originally posted in the May 2015 Big Blue YA Newsletter.)

Skyscraping by our own Cordelia Jensen!
Join us at the book launch party:
Saturday, June 6, 7pm, at Mt. Airy Read & Eat!

In NYC in the 1990s, Mira deals with her father's new diagnosis and the way her image of her family has shifted and shattered.

Check out my interview with Cordelia!

 

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Caden is on a ship, learning the ropes.  Or in his school, as his friends try to reach him.  Or someplace in between.  He's working on trust, and betrayal, and how to manage the images in his mind.

Painless by S.A. Harazin

David cannot feel pain.  His life has been carefully circumscribed to avoid danger ... and he's getting really, really tired of having all his decisions made by other people.  Perhaps it's time for some decisions -- and adventures -- of his own.

 
None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

Kristin has been a perfectly ordinary, cis-gender, popular high school student -- until a gyn. exam reveals her XY chromosomes and intersex status.  And now everything has changed -- though she hasn't really changed at all.

See also Sarah's recent staff review on the blog!


Bayard Rustin: Invisible Activist by Jacqueline Houtman, Walter Naegle, and Michael G. Long

Fabulous event at the store two weeks ago for this important biography (written for middle grade and up) of a leader of the Civil Rights movement who went unrecognized because he was openly gay.  Rustin's (recent and posthumous) Presidential Medal of Freedom was right here at the store!

 
Bullied Kids Speak Out: We Survived--How You Can Too by Jodee Blanco

A series of powerful testaments from survivors of school (or community) bullying, with commentary from the author, who tours nationally speaking out about bullying and peer abuse.

Jennifer Sheffield, May 2015

Big Blue Marble's Picks for Children's Book Week (May 4-10, 2015)

It's Children's Book Week! And so we offer you new and treasured book recommendations, from picture books to young adult, from graphic novels to verse novels. Read over our lists below, and come in and check out our offerings!

Among our own events this week are Shabbat Storytime on Friday morning, and an author reading Thursday night for Bayard Rustin: The Invisible Activist (ages 10 and up).

Check out the CBW website for national events and activities for kids of all ages.

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From Elliott:

One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies (Candlewick, $6.99)

This Book Just Ate My Dog by Richard Byrne (Henry Holt, $16.95)

Library Lion by Michelle Knudson (Candlewick, $6.99)

17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore by Jenny Offill (Dragonfly Books, $6.99)

Me, All Alone, at the End of the World by M.T. Anderson (Candlewick, $16.99)

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From Janet:

Before After by Anne-Margot Ramstein and Matthias Arégui (Candlewick, $19.99)

Journey and Quest by Aaron Becker (Candlewick, $15.99)

Three Questions by John Muth (Scholastic, $17.99)

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson (HarperCollins, $8.99/$19.99)

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From Jen:

Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke (First Second, $17.99)

If I Had a Raptor and If I Had a Triceratops by George O'Connor (Candlewick, $15.99)

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman (HarperCollins, $17.99)

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen (Penguin, $17.99) -- coming in June!

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex (Little, Brown, $7.99)

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From Mariga:

Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak (HarperCollins, $8.99)

El Deafo, Cece Bell (Abrams, $10.95)

The Brides of Rollrock Island, Margo Lanagan (Ember, $9.99)

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From Micah (age 4):

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall (HarperCollins, $17.99)

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak (Penguin Random House, $17.99)

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker (Chronicle, $16.99)

Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? by Brianna Caplan Sayres (Random House, $7.99)

Digger, Dozer, Dumper by Hope Vestergaard and David Slonim (Random House, $15.99)

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton (Harpercollins, $16.99)

Splash by Ann Jonas (Harpercollins, $6.99)

I Have a Garden and I Planted Cheddarbunnies ...oh, okay, that hasn't been published yet.

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From Nif:

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martins Griffin, $18.99)

Penderwicks in Spring Jeanne Birdsall (Random House, $16.99)

Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente (Square Fish, $7.99)

Sleepover with Beatrice & Bear by Mônica Carnesi (Penguin, $15.99)

The Martian by Andy Weir (Random House, $15.00)

Farmer and the Clown by Marla Frazee (Simon & Schuster, $17.99)

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From Sarah:

Lumberjanes Volume 1 by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis (Boom!, $14.99)

The Adventures of Beekle, The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santant (Little, Brown, $17.00)

Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke (First Second, $17.99)

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty (Abrams, $16.95)

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (Scholastic, $8.99)

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From Sheila:

Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox (Square Fish, $8.99)

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (Random House, $10.99)

Sabriel by Garth Nix (HarperCollins, $9.99)

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede (Scholastic, $9.99)

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (HarperCollins, $6.99)

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From Tiara:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic, $12.99/$10.99)

Other HP favorites: The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Order of the Phoenix

Paper Towns by John Green (Speak, $9.99)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett (Atheneum, $6.99)

A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara (Seven Stories Press, $9.99)