Archive for August, 2012

Darkbeast by Morgan Keyes

August 29, 2012 at 7:02 am · Filed under Ages 10 - 12, Ages 10 and up, Booksellers Diary, Events ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Keara’s twelfth nameday is fast approaching and according to the law in the land of Duodecia, she is required to kill her darkbeast, a raven named Caw. Like all other darkbeasts, Caw has been bound to his owner since she was a baby and has absorbed all the negative emotions she has felt throughout her childhood. Whenever she exhibits a dark feeling such as fear or jealousy, she is sent to Caw, who takes it away. He also helps her see why manifesting these emotions in a negative way is undesirable. Most children look forward to the day they be rid of their darkbeast, but Keara is different. She loves Caw and cannot imagine killing him, but allowing a darkbeast to live beyond your twelfth nameday is a punishable offense in Duodecia.

Another complication in the story is that during the week leading up to her nameday, a troupe of actors called the Travelers visit Keara’s town. She finds herself drawn to their fantastic revels, stories about the land’s twelve gods performed on stage, and dreams of a life on the road with the group. Keara is faced with many decisions: Should she kill Caw as she is expected to? Should she join the Travelers and leave behind the only life she has ever known? Turning twelve is not easy!

When I read the description of Darkbeast, I immediately thought of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. Keyes’ darkbeasts sounded suspiciously similar to Pullman’s daemons, and I worried that the story would be an unsatisfying facsimile of the acclaimed trilogy. But much to my delight, Darkbeast tells a unique and compelling story. It is quite fast-paced and Keyes effectively uses cliffhangers to push readers to read “just one more chapter!” Don’t be fooled by the rather childish cover art, which initially made me think the book was for younger readers. Darkbeast is for ages 10 and up and covers complex concepts such as personal belief systems, emotions, and breaking from social norms.

Morgan Keyes will be at Hooray for Books on Friday, September 7, 2012 from 6:30-7:30 pm. Come by and meet the author of this thoroughly entertaining read!

~Kristen

Darkbeast by Morgan Keyes; Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster); Ages 10-12

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Even we had to learn how to read!

August 27, 2012 at 7:29 am · Filed under Booksellers Diary ·Tagged , , , , ,

When I asked everyone to remember their learning-to-read experience, staffer Leah said, “there was a time I didn’t know how to read?,” and it sure is hard to believe, when you’ve pored through thousands of books, that there was a time when you had to sound out “b-o-o-k.” Yet there was a time when all of us had to learn to read, or when someone had to read books to us, and we book-lovers look to those memories fondly.

Hooray for Books! owners Ellen and Trish have spent a lot of time around books: reading books, reviewing books, and handing their favorites to young readers here at the store. When asked to share their favorite beginning reading story, it was tough to pick out just one especially with all their favorite books and book memories. They were eventually able to narrow it down and share a story for all new and old readers.

Ellen remembers being read to in her kindergarten class. Everyone probably remembers their teacher asking the class to gather around for the daily picture book reading. Her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Galbraith, used to read Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson to the class. Ellen one day realized that, even though Harold was a made-up character, he was creating a marvelous and amazing world and adventure. Ellen says this was “the moment when the book literally came alive for me.” I’m sure she didn’t mean the pun when describing the book, but if any picture book were to “come alive”, Harold is perfect.

Trish remembers moving to the D.C. area from Tennessee in the 2nd grade and discovering Landmark Biographies.  She would go to pick out a new biography every week at her school library. Like many of us, Trish swears that even though she must have learned how to read, it’s more likely that she had just always known how, because she does not remember where or when she started to read! While most of the Landmark Biographies have gone out of print, we still have some of them (as well as other biographies from other series) here in the store.

Whether it’s being read to you or you’re reading it on your own for the first (or 100th) time: happy reading,

Maryam

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Graceling by Kristin Cashore

August 24, 2012 at 7:24 am · Filed under Adult fiction and non-fiction, Ages 14 and Up, Booksellers Diary ·Tagged , , , , ,


Graceling has been out since 2008, but because the third book in the series was recently released, I thought it was high time to catch up!  And I’m glad I did; Graceling has the kind of rich, pulse-pounding fantasy adventures I love to read about.  As a bonus, it stars one of the coolest female protagonists I’ve read about in a while: Katsa.

Katsa is a Graceling, which means she has a magical talent.  But unlike other Gracelings who might be good cooks or dancers, Katsa is Graced to be a talented killer.  She hates her Grace and longs for the freedom to be something other than a hired thug, which is the only job she’s ever had.  When she meets Po, a Graced fighter who has a very different view of Katsa’s potential, she begins to realize she has the freedom to help people instead of hurt them.  It’s good timing, because she and Po soon uncover a truly scary conspiracy, and only two people with Graces like theirs have a chance at stopping it.

If you’re a fan of Katniss from The Hunger Games or of any of Tamora Pierce’s books, you’ll love Katsa.  And if you’ve gotta have some romance with your fantasy, well, there’s a little of that too.  A great summer read (Katsa’s trek through the snowy mountains will make you feel freezing cold!) and a great overall fantasy adventure.

—Emily

Graceling by Kristen Cashore; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 9.99; Ages 14+

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We know you still miss Pluto

August 22, 2012 at 7:06 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

Pluto, the ninth planet of our solar system for so long, was reclassified a dwarf planet on August 24, 2006, 6 years ago. Most of the little ones who will be reading this book won’t remember counting Pluto as they recited the planets, yet we know a lot of you do remember this small planet. No one was more upset than Pluto himself. Word travels very slowly throughout the solar system, after all Pluto is an average of 3.6 billion miles away from the earth. When Pluto finds out from a speedy space rock, he races to Earth to find out why. He passes five of our now eight planets on the way (Mercury and Venus were not on his route), so this story can also help teach the planets to little ones. Once Pluto reaches Earth, he is very angry. Astronomers don’t know what to say, they explain that Pluto just doesn’t fit the specifications to be a planet. Pluto isn’t happy until a child tells him that he is the very best, even if he is a dwarf planet and is very small. Pluto realizes that he is special and zooms back to his spot in the solar system.

Pluto Visits Earth! by Steve Metzger; illustrated by Jared Lee; Scholastic; hardcover; $16.99; ages 3-9

Happy Reading,

Maryam

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The Age of Miracles: A Novel

August 20, 2012 at 5:42 am · Filed under Adult fiction and non-fiction, Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , , ,

Everything seems normal when 11-year-old Julia wakes on a Saturday morning, until she and her family hear the news: the rotation of the earth is slowing. Natural disasters are inevitable and life as everyone knows it will be no more. The days and nights lengthen, gravity shifts, latent volcanoes erupt, and scientists don’t have any helpful answers. Amidst the frenzy caused by the slowing, we see the world through the eyes of Julia as she navigates through changes in friendships, her first love, and a crumbling family.

If you’re a fan of apocalyptic narratives, you should definitely read this book. Be warned, though, if you’re looking for end-of-the-world violence, explosions, and alien invasions, you will not find any of that in The Age of Miracles. Instead, Walker moves the story along at a rather leisurely pace allowing readers to experience the gradual effects of the slowing just as the characters do. She makes the whole concept of the slowing seem probable and real, which is very unsettling. This book has been marketed for adults, but I think it should also appeal to YA readers. The main character is in middle school and very relatable. From first bras to best friends who turn on you, teens and adults alike will identify with the ups and downs of adolescence.

It’s a pretty quick read – you’ll be on the edge of your seat wanting to know what horrible thing the slowing causes next – and has a satisfying ending. Pick up The Age of Miracles today (you might want to get in the mood by listening to REM’s song “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”) and you’ll experience an apocalyptic world so convincing that you may start counting the minutes in each day to make sure they don’t add up to more than 24 hours…

The Age of Miracles: A Novel, by Karen Thompson Walker, Random House, $26.00

- Kristen

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The Undead Roundup: Miss Megan’s Favorite Zombie Reads

August 18, 2012 at 1:40 pm · Filed under Adult fiction and non-fiction, Ages 12 - 14, Ages 12 and up, Ages 14 and Up, Booksellers Diary ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There’s no gray area with zombies. (Get it? Brains! Clever.) You either love them or loathe them. You’re either gung-ho to watch a horde of the undead tear through a series of burnt-out city streets in search of human flesh, or the very thought makes your skin crawl.

There’s no right answer to the zombie question. But for those of you who love the chaos and carnage of The Walking Dead,  I’ve gathered together my favorite zombie-themed novels for your reading pleasure.

This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Six teens take refuge in the only place left that seems safe: their school. As the world descends into chaos outside, they face their own apocalypse inside. Allegiances shift, fortitude is tested, and the will to go on is stretched to its breaking point. At the center of it all is Sloane, battling the demons of her past as she struggles to confront the horror of the present. I tried to put this book down and simply couldn’t, it’s that fantastic. Summers does a brilliant job of letting her characters, not the zombie-infested setting, drive the story forward, and it works beautifully. There’s plenty of suspense, but it’s not the cheap, “turn around there’s a zombie behind you” kind. It’s the kind that comes from reading about characters that I actually care about, which makes the tension all the more intense. Give yourself uninterrupted time to read this—you won’t sleep, I promise! (Amanda loved this one, too! Read her review here.)

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (Random House)

Mary has never felt safe, exactly, but she’s always been comforted by the fence, the boundary between her village and the danger of the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But when the unthinkable happens, Mary is forced to face the threat of the Unconsecrated as she flees from the only home she has ever known. As she and her companions press further and further into the dark unknown, secrets begin to appear that will challenge everything Mary has been raised to believe. Instead of giving us the opening horror of a zombie apocalypse, Ryan inserts us into the aftermath, years after the outbreak that would eventually ravage the world. What we’re left with feels like a dystopian fantasy, with a return to a rural mindset and simple, stoic living. Add a healthy dose of bloodthirsty Unconsecrated slavering to get in, and you’ve got yourself an awesome read! If you’re hooked, check out the rest of the trilogy: The Dead Tossed Waves and The Dark and Hollow Places.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick (Egmontusa)

If you’re one of those who always asks “how?” while watching/reading your undead entertainment of choice, this one’s for you. Alex has given up on life, when an electromagnetic charge pulses through the atmosphere and changes the world forever. Electronics are wiped out, billions are killed, but—you guessed it—not all of them stay dead. Alone in the woods, Alex isn’t sure she can make it on her own until she meets Tom, ex-military and battling his own past, and Ellie, a little girl left on her own by the flash. Together, the three of them must figure out a way to survive. Bick layers on the questions, giving readers plenty of secrets and conspiracies to puzzle over. Book two, Shadows, hit shelves September 25th.

What other zombie apocalypse books would you add to this list? Post a comment! I’m always happy to make room on my must-read list for some intense, end-of-the-world carnage!

—Miss Megan

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Rocket Writes a Story

August 17, 2012 at 7:10 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Rocket is using his knowledge from when he learned to read to piece together his very own story. Rocket finds words everywhere, from the world around him, and from his teacher, the yellow bird. When Rocket gathers together enough words, he tries to to write down his story, yet nothing is inspiring him like the books he reads. When his walks keep taking him to a tall pine tree with an empty nest on its tallest branch, Rocket finds the inspiration he was looking for, as well as an unlikely new friend and reader.

This book is great for kindergartners or 1st graders who are beginning to write stories of their own, especially if they’re having trouble finding their inspiration! Rocket teaches that inspiration can come from anywhere when you least expect it.

Happy Reading!

-Maryam

Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills; Random House; hardcover

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Jack and the Baked Beanstalk, by Colin Stimpson

August 15, 2012 at 6:38 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged , , ,

Jack and his mother own an old burger truck that has seen better days, and their future looks even grimmer when Jack buys a can of baked beans with their final pennies. His mom throws the can out the truck window in anger, but to their surprise, a “baked beanstalk” grows (FYI: a baked beanstalk is a beanstalk that yields cans of baked beans instead of the regular legume). Jack climbs the stalk and meets an unconventional giant who would much rather cook lunch for friends than count all his money and has a fear of heights. In an effort to raise the giant’s satisfaction with his life, Jack invites him to come down the beanstalk with him and explore new possibilities. The giant declines, but surprising turn of events results in happy endings for all the parties involved, including the café which becomes the hopping place in town by the end of the book.

I admit I was a little skeptical when I saw this book on the shelf. A “baked beanstalk” sounded kind of cheesy, but I was glad I gave it a chance. The dreamy, whimsical illustrations were a wonderful complement to the humorous text. This retelling of the classic fairy tale is not only entertaining for picture-book readers, but it has a great message that applies to both kids and adults.

Jack and the Baked Beanstalk, by Colin Stimpson, Candlewick Press, $15.99

- Kristen

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A Confusion of Princes

August 13, 2012 at 7:50 am · Filed under Ages 12 and up, Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , , ,

 It sounds like an obscure collective noun: A Confusion of Princes, by Garth Nix. I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, plot-twisting sci-fi adventure. In an article for the latest issue of The Horn Book Magazine, fantasy writer T.A. Barron claims that the best fantasy has three essential qualities: depth of character, truth of place and richness of meaning. A Confusion of Princes can make a case for having all three.

Khemri is a Prince of the Empire, which means he is genetically altered to be faster and stronger than ordinary humans. He is also likely to be assassinated by other Princes who are competing for the role of Emperor. One of the best parts of the book is how Khemri grows from being a selfish, self-centered and arrogant teen into a compassionate and clever adult, with true depth of character. What teen hasn’t wanted to just get away from school and authority to do whatever you like? Khemri says at the beginning of the novel “I want to enjoy myself…Get a ship–you know, a corvette or maybe something smaller, of course with high automation, head out for some distant stars, see something beyond this moldy old temple, smoke a few Naknuk ships or the like….That’s not going to happen is it?”

No, it isn’t, primarily because Khemri’s Empire is not a safe place, even for a Prince with a Master of Assassins and various priests to see to his every need. The setting bounces between various planets, ships and academies, but the world  that is most fully fleshed out is one where Khemri ends up by accident–Kharalcha Four, a system with limited technology and no love for Princes. The descriptions of space ships, machines and various ‘teks’ or technologies get confusing at points, but Kharalcha Four is given many details that help the reader understand why Khemri feels at home there and decides to save these people, at any cost.

The third essential quality of good fantasy is richness of meaning. While an exciting plot, various narrow escapes and a light touch of romance are all present in this book, the heart of A Confusion of Princes is Khemri’s struggle to recover his humanity from the confusion of tek, special abilities and mind-conditioning he has had as a Prince. The question of what it means to be human and part of a family is the central idea of the novel. Readers will cheer for Khem as he makes up his mind about who, exactly, he wants to be.  — Cecilia

A Confusion of Princes, by Garth Nix, HarperCollins, $17.99, ages 12 and up.

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Are you ready for Shark Week?

August 10, 2012 at 11:29 am · Filed under Ages 10 and up, Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8, Ages 8 - 10 ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Shark Week is soon, very soon according to this countdown, and we have the books to teach you everything about sharks!

Did you know that “a great white’s coloring makes it difficult to see in the water, so it can sneak up on its victims”? Neither did I until I looked through this book.  This SHARK book is full of fantastic photos and every inch of the page is covered in facts about sharks, from shark attacks to how we study sharks to the life of a young shark. This book will have the answers.

Now, if the DK Eyewitness books are too detailed for you, DK has also published Everything you need to know about sharks and other creatures of the deep. This book has a lot of information about sharks, with real pictures and cartoons. There are fewer words than in the DK Eyewitness book, so it is easier for beginning readers to  read, and it is fun for a read aloud. This book also has information about other creatures of the ocean; for example, angler-fish, porcupine fish, seahorses, and more.

Looking for a book that’s more than a book? Shark-Tastic is another fact book about sharks which includes little known facts about sharks, what sharks eat, and of course, shark attacks. It comes with real shark teeth!  (Be careful with those). We also have a beginning reader book that has pictures in 3-D. View Sharks and the World’s Scariest Sea Monsters with the fun shark 3-D glasses that come with this book. It is great for kids just learning to read, but it still has plenty of information about sharks.

Have you done all the research that you possibly can about sharks? We have shark fiction, too!

Just like 3-6 year olds, sharks are not afraid of anything (except for spiders). I’m A Shark by Bob Shea, is a hilarious read-aloud about a shark who isn’t afraid of dinosaurs or shots or scary movies or anything! If any of those things had spiders though, then shark would not be singing the same “not afraid of anything” tune. Don’t miss out meeting the author of this book at our Story Festival in September.

For the older crowd, the series Shark Wars by EJ Altbacker has everything you would want having to do with sharks. “Since the dawn of time, prehistoric shark clans called Shivers have ruled over the earth’s oceans, fierce protectors of all who swim. For eons, the Big Blue has prospered under Shiver Law, and the delicate balance of sea life kept sacred. Until now. Rising sea temperatures and overfishing have caused food to become scarce, and the battle for new hunting grounds has brought with it corruption and warfare.” – indiebound

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