I’ve finished the final pages of MOCKINGJAY, and feel the need to extend my foray into children’s literature.  While anxiously awaiting the galley of THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES by Carrie Ryan, and having already read REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly, I am now in need of guidance.

I’ve consulted 1001 CHILDREN’S BOOK YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU GROW UP and made an exciting discovery.  I’ve never read EMILY OF NEW MOON by Lucy Maud Montgomery!  So I turn to the classics for the moment.  But what should come next?

What are your favorite, must-read books in children’s literature?

-Erica

So I just finished two weeks of grand jury duty where I spent my workdays sitting in a room with 22 other people hearing mutliple cases and voting on whether to indict the defendants. A case would come, we’d vote, and then we’d wait for another. Sometimes the wait time was 20 minutes and sometimes it was two hours. This means I had a lot of time to read so of course I flew through some wonderful books!

I started by finishing the last few chapters of Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. Out in October from Random House Children’s this engrossing historical read combines the story of a troubled teen growing up in contemporary Brooklyn with that of a rebellious young woman living during the French Reniassance.

Next came Dracula in Love, a staff favorite and an alternate take on Bram Stoker’s classic from the point of view of his love interest, Mina Murray. It has been heralded as Twilight for grown-ups and I agree!

After Dracula I tried a non-Random House title, Matched, which is the newest in dystopian YA fiction and would definitely appeal to fans of The Hunger Games.

From there I did a little more cheating and buried my nose in two titles I’d been told to read for a while now: The Shadow of the Wind and The Help. Both were excellent reads.

Now it is back to the grind and while I find I very much enjoyed all my reading time, I’m glad to be back amongst my wonderful colleagues. What have you all been reading lately?

-Marie

Over the weekend I was chatting with a friend about a favorite Random House Children’s YA book of mine, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. Around this time last year, I blogged about the latest in the series, The Dead-Tossed Waves and how much I loved it so I recommended it to my friend who, like me, loved Hands and Teeth.

When I got home I had this link in my e-mail inbox. Guess who is rumored to be assuming the lead role? None other than Bella herself – Twilight movie alum Kristen Stewart. If this is true, she will certainly have established herself as the undead genre heroine of choice. I’m not so sure about this casting. What do you think?

If you have not yet read Carrie Ryan’s series, make sure you check it out!

-Marie

Authors visits are exciting.  You might think that working for Random House, we would be bumping into them in the hallways every day.  But sadly we don’t.

So when Peter Buffett visited yesterday to celebrate the publication of his memoir and perform for us, it was amazing.  His music and message are beautiful and inspirational. We’re all still talking about how moving it was.  I started reading it immediately last night. 

I’m happy to share a special treat with one lucky YA librarian – a signed copy! Please explore Peter’s website and let us know which popular musician he has collaborated with to promote his passionate, philanthropic work.

“Peter Buffett has given us a wise and inspiring book that should be required reading for every young person seeking to find his or her place in the world, and for every family hoping to give its daughters and sons the best possible start in life.”
–President Bill Clinton

“Knowing and admiring Peter as we do, LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT captures his spirit, passion, and values beautifully. As parents, it’s the kind of dialogue about our life’s purpose and opportunity we’re having with our children. We will have everyone in our family read and discuss LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT .”
–Bill & Melinda Gates

“With home-spun, heart-felt wisdom, Peter Buffett ponders how to make a meaningful life, while making a living. LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT is thought-provoking, worthwhile reading.”
–Ted Turner

Download a free collection of Peter’s music at: www.peterbuffett.com/PBMusic
Enter code: lifeiswhatyoumakeit

A couple of readers recently commented (thanks!) on my review of the new memoir, I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced. Since this book has sparked conversation and contemplation, I thought I’d share this recent op-ed piece in The New York Times  by Pulitzer-Prize winner Nicholas D. Kristof whose book, Half the Sky, is a Random House, Inc. bestseller.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you think! I’d love to discuss.

-Marie

This past weekend Erica, our RHAcademic co-worker Lani, and I flew to Atlanta for the National Council for Social Studies conference. Aside from the great perks of traveling (my personal fave is not having to make my own bed!) one wonderful thing about conferences is that it gives me a chance to discover or rediscover books that somehow missed my radar. This was the case with I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced.

I picked up a galley copy of this slim book as I was drawn to the  image of a beautiful little girl on the cover. Then I noticed the title. 10 years old and divorced?! I was immediately intrigued. Nujood, a Yemeni girl, had no record of the exact date or year of her birth but it was around age ten that she was married, without her consent, to a man three times her senior. She endured life as a wife, forbidden to play or do other childlike things, until one day she decided to get out. She slipped away to a courthouse where she asked to see a judge and demanded a divorce. Her request was granted and Nujood became the first child bride in Yemen to divorce her husband, setting precendence for so many others. 

She writes, “I am a simple village girl whose family had to move to the capital, and I have always obeyed the orders of the men in my family. Since forever, I have learned to say yes to everything. Today, I have decided to say no.” Nujood’s story is written in her voice and its childlike simplicity is exactly what makes it so powerful. Actions are alluded to, feelings are described, and the reader experiences it all with Nujood, from her family struggles to tasting “bizza” and “bebsi” for the first time.

While reading, I often found myself imagining what it would have been like to read this book as a young adult. It is a perfect addition to your Young Adult collection, great for parent/teen reading groups and school assignments. I have no doubt readers of all ages will be inspired and humbled by Nujood’s experience.  

I am Nujood will be published in March 2010. Be sure to add it to your lists!  

 -Marie

There’s been a lot of talk, both online and off, about Teen Read Week lately. Right on its heels, and in light of a conversation Dave and I had the other day, I give you Exhibits A, B, and C. These are obviously three different covers by three different publishers for the infamous classic, Wuthering Heights.

Our friends at HarperCollins have springboarded off the successful look of a recent smash-hit series for their new edition of “Bella and Edward’s Favorite Book.” Look familiar? Then there are our Penguin pals who have opted for something more gothic and Tim Burton-esque. Finally, Random House Inc.’s Vintage imprint has come up with a “Classic” approach that still has a hint of the abstract.

Each publisher has made it perfectly clear that while newly discovered books and anticipated blockbusters are all well and good, classics and the importance of reading them are also high in the priority list. Gone are the cloth and dust covered tomes of yesteryear; instead these gussied up editions are likely aimed at a new generation of teen readers, all vying for equal shelf space and due consideration. While I’m not quite sure which I’d go for I wonder how would these pretty new paperbacks fare on your shelves? Given teens, trends, and the classically inclined, what do you look for in hopes of racking up the date stamps upon checkout?

-Marie

We’re thrilled to be an official sponsor of Teen Read Week 2009. In honor of that, we’re giving away 10 sets of 5 “Beyond Reality” reads to round out your stacks.

Enter to win a set of  five “Beyond Reality” reads!

Download Shelf Help for fantastic Teen Read Week selections!  Shelf Help is our latest effort to give you the tools you need  to create a thorough collection for your patrons.  Each month we will be featuring a new category.  Feel free to request a theme! We’re YOUR resource!

 Egmont USA organized a bus tour of Manhattan with author Walter Dean Myers, in support of his new novel Riot (Sept.), set in 1863 during the New York City draft riots. Beginning at the New-York Historical Society, the tour visited numerous sites of historical interest, including the Irish Hunger Memorial, Castle Clinton, the South Street Seaport, the site of the former Five Points slum and the African Burial Ground, with Myers and historian/author Barnet Schecter (The Devil’s Own Work: The Civil War Draft Riots and the Fight to Reconstruct America) serving as guides. Here, Myers speaks in front of the statue of Horace Greeley at City Hall Park.

-Erica

Forget “literary fiction,” “historical fiction,” or “paranormal historical romance,” I’ve got a new genre when it comes to books I love — fiction narrated by children. I count Huck, Jo March, Scout, and When We Were Romans‘ Lawrence among my favorite literary characters. Flavia Sabina Delores De Luce (ok, so she admits she added Dolores “on the spot”) is the 11-yr old bike riding, chemistry-loving, sleuth of a girl behind Alan Bradley’s award winning debut novel The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and I add her to my list of pint-sized protagonists. It is the summer of 1950 in the English countryside and murder has struck Buchshaw, the mansion where Flavia lives with her two horrid sisters and her father. Our plucky girl is both delighted and horrified, and she’s on the case.

I’ve had a smirk permanently attached to my face as I’ve read her antics and I find her thoughts and perspectives nothing less than charming. Here’s my favorite (and a treat for you librarians!):

As I stood outside in Cow Lane, it occurred to me that Heaven must be a place where the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Obviously, she’s now stolen your heart as well.  Be sure this one is in your collection.

-Marie