Young Adult Fiction 6/6/2010

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

by Jaqueline Kelly

The year is 1899 and 11 year old Calpurnia Tate lives on a Texas farm with her six brothers. She is at the time in her life where she is supposed to learn sewing and cooking, in order to prepare to be a wife and a mother, but her budding relationship with her naturalist grandfather puts other ideas in her head.

This is a great book for girls who do not quite fit in with how a girl is "supposed" to act. Calpurnia is smart and inquisitive, even though her parents would rather her to be quiet and polite. I absolutely loved this book.

Early Readers 6/4/2010

The Horse in Harry's Room by Syd Hoff

Harry has a horse that nobody else can see. Every night, he rides him in circles and jumps over his bed without even hitting his head on the ceiling. Harry loves his horse, so much that he even gives it the freedom to leave and be where he can run and kick and nibble.

The Horse in Harry's Room is a great story about imagination and friendship. This is a great story for a young reader who loves animals and thinks outside the box.

Children's Illustrated 6/04/2010

Instructions

by Neil Gaiman

Illustrated by Charles Vess

In Neil Gaiman's richly illustrated Instructions, each page gives instructions on how to navigate through a fairy land. He tells the reader not to eat the food and to treat all of the creatures with kindness.

This is a perfect book for anyone who loves fairy tales. Gaiman takes the lessons learned in every famous fairy tale and puts them all into one very beautiful book. Great for children or adults.

Staff Pick: Mark 6/3/2010

Anne Lamott writes so well. She draws you into a story that flows by so smoothly that you are finished before you know it and you want more. Imperfect Birds is about modern teenage culture and its casual everyday insidiousness.