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These are a few of my favorite ‘first’ lines read in August 2010.

Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.

Everyone thinks children are sweet as Necco Wafters, but I’ve lived long enough to know the truth: kids are rotten. The only difference between grown-ups and kids is that grown-ups go to jail for murder. Kids get away with it.

Come to think of it, the day my brother tried to eat his first-grade teacher turned out to be the same day that my dad brought me home a very, very strange cat.

I don’t want to die, I thought. Not again.

The big question: Is Origami Yoda real? Well, of course, he’s real. I mean, he’s a real finger puppet made out of a real piece of paper. But I mean: Is he REAL? Does he really know things? Can he see the future? Does he use the force?

Emma Woodhouse–handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition–had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress her. Until the vampire attacks began.

August’s Top Five:

A Tale Dark and Grimm. Adam Gidwitz.
The Convenient Marriage. By Georgette Heyer. (1934) Read by Richard Armitage. (2010)
To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee.
Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer L. Holm.
Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Salley Mavor

Number of Board Books: 6

Baby’s Book Tower. By Leslie Patricelli. 2010. August 2010. Candlewick. 96 pages.
Count My Kisses, Little One. Ruthie May. Illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie. 2010. August 2010. Scholastic. 24 pages.
Five Little Ducks. Beth Harwood. Illustrated by Emma Dodd. 2008. Amazing Baby. 10 pages.
Time for Bed. Mem Fox. Illustrated by Jane Dyer. 1993/2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 28 pages.
Amazing Baby: Clap and Sing. Emma Dodd. 2007. Silver Dolphin. 12 pages.
Princess Baby On the Go. Karen Katz. 2010. August 2010. Random House. 14 pages.

Number of Picture Books: 10

Dog Loves Books. Louise Yates. 2010. July 2010. Random House. 32 pages.
Too Pickley! By Jean Reidy. Illustrated by Genevieve Leloup. 2010. July 2010. Bloomsbury. 32 pages.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late. Mo Willems. 2006. Hyperion. 40 pages.
Piggy Pie Po. Audrey & Don Wood. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages.
The Most Amazing Hide-and-Seek Alphabet Book. Robert Crowther. 1999/2010. August 2010. Candlewick. 12 pages.
The Most Amazing Hide-and-Seek Numbers Book. Robert Crowther. 2010. August 2010. (1999) Candlewick. 12 pages.
Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep! Mo Willems. 2010. HarperCollins. 32 pages.
One Smart Cookie: Bite Size Lessons for the School Years and Beyond. By Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Illustrated by Jane Dyer & Brooke Dyer. 2010. HarperCollins. 40 pages.
Chicken Big. Keith Graves. 2010. Chronicle Books. 40 pages.
It’s A Book. Lane Smith. 2010. August 2010. Roaring Brook Press. 32 pages.

Number of Children’s Books: 6

In Too Deep (The 39 Clues #6) Jude Watson. 2009. Scholastic. 206 pages.
Complete Adventures of Curious George: 70th Anniversary Edition. Margret and H.A. Rey. 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 432 pages.
Curious George Storybook Collection. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 197 pages.
Otter Everywhere: Brand New Readers. By Christine Webster. Illustrated by Tim Nihoff. 2007. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.
Brand New Readers: Termite Tales. Kathy Caple. 2009. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.
Brand New Readers: Larry and Rita. Jamie Michalak. Illustrated by Jill Newton. 2007. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.

Number of Middle Grade: 7

A Tale Dark and Grimm. Adam Gidwitz. 2010. November 2010. Penguin. 192 pages.
Leaving Gee’s Bend. Irene Latham. 2010. Penguin. 240 pages.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Tom Angleberger. 2010. Harry N. Abrams. 141 pages.
Knightley Academy. Violet Haberdasher. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 469 pages.
Crunch. Leslie Connor. 2010. HarperCollins. 336 pages.
The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams. Rhonda Hayter. 2010. Penguin. 256 pages.
Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer L. Holm. 2010. Random House. 208 pages.

Number of YA: 6

Kiss of Life. Daniel Waters. 2009. Hyperion. 416 pages.
Glimpse. Carol Lynch Williams. 2010. June 2010. Simon & Schuster. 496 pages.
Passing Strange (Generation Dead #3). Daniel Waters. Hyperion. 400 pages.
Sphinx’s Princess. Esther Friesner. 2009. Random House. 384 pages.
Shiver. Maggie Stiefvater. 2009. Scholastic. 400 pages.
The Half-Life of Planets. Emily Franklin. and Brendan Halpin. 2010. Hyperion. 256 pages.

Number of Adult: 7

The Convenient Marriage. By Georgette Heyer. (1934) Read by Richard Armitage. 2010. August 2010. Naxos Audiobooks. 5 hrs. 6 minutes.
Beauvallet. Georgette Heyer. 1929/2010. Sourcebooks. 301 pages.
Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson. 2010. Sourcebooks. 304 pages.
April Lady. Georgette Heyer. 1957/2005. Harlequin. 270 pages.
The Foundling. Georgette Heyer. 1948/2009. Sourcebooks. 439 pages.
To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee. 1960. 281 pages.
Civil Contract. Georgette Heyer. 1961/2009. Harlequin. 432 pages.

Number of Christian: 6

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. Tim Challies. 2007. Crossway Publishers. 208 pages.
Masquerade by Nancy Moser. 2010. Bethany House. 368 pages.
George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. Arnold A. Dallimore. 2010. Crossway Publishers. 224 pages.
The Devil in Pew Number Seven: A True Story. Rebecca Nichols Alonzo with Bob DeMoss. 2010. Tyndale. 288 pages.
Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope. Mary Beth Chapman. With Ellen Vaughn. 2010. Revell. 288 pages.
The Vigilante’s Bride. Yvonne Harris. 2010. Bethany House. 304 pages.

Number of Nonfiction:

Number of Graphic Novels: 2

Koko Be Good. Jen Wang. 2010. September 2010. First Second. 304 pages.
Frankenstein The Graphic Novel: Original Text. Mary Shelley. 2008. Script Adaptation by Jason Cobley, American English Adaptation: Joe Sutcliff Sanders. Illustrations by Declan Shalvey, Jason Cardy & Kat Nicholson, etc. Classical Comics. 144 pages.

Number of Poetry: 1

Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Salley Mavor. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin. 72 pages.

Number of Short Story Collections/Anthologies:

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August Accomplishments

A Tale Dark and Grimm. Adam Gidwitz. 2010. November 2010. Penguin. 192 pages.

Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.
I know, I know. You don’t believe me. I don’t blame you. A couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it myself. Little girls in red caps skipping around the forest? Awesome? I don’t think so.
But then I started to read them. The real ones. The ones from that dusty, clothbound book way off in a neglected corner of the library. Those are darker. Very few little girls in red caps in those.
Well, there’s one. But she gets eaten.

I loved this book. I just loved, loved, loved this book. I loved the narrator. I loved the storytelling. It was so rich in detail. The atmosphere, the setting, was just right. I loved the connections. How Gidwitz bases some of his book on Grimm’s original fairy tales. (The book begins with Faithful Johannes. You can read an online version here.) But he also expands upon the original. He connects these tales, these stories by making them the story–the complete story–of Hansel and Gretel. Instead of Hansel and Gretel being the children of a poor woodcutter and his wife, they are royalty. They are the prince and princess of the kingdom of Grimm. But. After a gory incident with their parents (the King and Queen), the two decide that they can find better parents. So they set out on a search for a good adult–a caring, compassionate, understanding adult. The journey will bring action, adventure, danger, and magic into their lives. They will never be the same.

What did I love best about this one? The writing. The storytelling. The narration. The characters. It was so compelling. I couldn’t put this one down. I just loved everything about this one!

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A Tale Dark and Grimm (MG/YA)

Cloaked in Red. Vivian Vande Velde. 2010. October 2010. Marshall Cavendish. 128 pages.

From the author’s note: Everyone knows the story of Little Red Riding Hood, the girl with the unfortunate name and the inability to tell the difference between her grandmother and a member of a different species.
The question is: Why do we all know it?
If you look at “Little Red Riding Hood,” it’s a perfect example of the exact opposite of a good story.

I loved this one. I did. I just LOVED it. Vivian Vande Velde gives readers EIGHT different “Little Red Riding Hood” stories. Each supposed to be ‘better’ than the original. With more heart and substance. And she definitely succeeded in my opinion. I enjoyed reading these stories. One area in which Vivian Vande Velde excels is in creating great first lines.

The Red Cloak: Once upon a time, after fashion was discovered but before people had makeovers on TV, there was a young girl named Meg.

The Red Riding Hood Doll: Once upon a time, before department stores and designer labels, there was a young seamstress named Georgette.

Little Red Riding Hood’s Family: Once upon a time, long after people had found out that their families could sometimes be an embarrassment, but before there were advice columnists you could complain to, there was a girl named Roselle.

Granny and the Wolf: Once upon a time, before online dating services, there was a granny who had an unwelcome suitor.

Deems the Wood Gatherer: Once upon a time, before eyeglasses were invented, there was a nearsighted but good-hearted man named Deems.

Why Willy and His Brothers Won’t Ever Amount to Anything: Once upon a time, after books were invented but before TV and movies, there was a girl named Isolda Adeline Genevieve Trenthausen.

The Little Red Headache: Once upon a time, before superhighways and hotel chains, a wolf was journeying through the woods.

Little Red Riding Hood’s Little Red Riding Hood: Once upon a time, before malls, boutiques, or online clothing catalogs, there was a fairy godmother who was having trouble finding something to wear to the naming-day ceremony for her goddaughter.

The focus shifts in each story. Sometimes focusing on the human characters: the young girl, the grandmother, the woodcutter; other times focusing on the red riding hood (cloak) or the wolf. Many stories do have a twist–as you’d expect in a collection of fairy tale retellings.

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Cloaked in Red (MG)

The Wager. Donna Jo Napoli. 2010. April 2010. Henry Holt. 272 pages.

Messina, 1169

Don Giovanni looked out the castle window over the strait that separated the island of Sicily from the mainland. He fingered the fine silk of his shirtsleeves and smiled. “The sea is bluer because it’s mine.”
“Don’t be absurd.”
He turned. A maidservant carried a tray into the room. The scent of honey and sheep’s milk ricotta promised such sweet satisfaction that his smile lingered, despite her words. He tilted his head. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.” Her attention was on the heavy tray.
Reckless woman. Girl, actually, judging by the skin on the back of her olive hands. Her arms were long under those thin brown sleeves. Shapely in fact. A fine girl. He spoke coolly: “I’m giving you a chance to retract.”
She set the tray on the table. “No one owns the sea.”
Heat rose up Don Giovanni’s neck. He looked out the window again. If he stood just so, with his body slightly turned the window well was thick enough that it blocked his view of the city of Messina; all he saw was his own property. “I own everything in sight. The sea is mine.”
“You really are ridiculous.” (1-2)

Donna Jo Napoli’s latest book is based on the fairy tale Don Giovanni de la Fortuna. And I really enjoyed this one. I was unfamiliar with the original story, but I was soon swept up into this one!

Don Giovanni has it all–or so he thinks–when the novel opens. His extravagant lifestyle could just get him in trouble, however. Because he is living beyond his means. And when disaster strikes–a natural disaster–he loses it all. Forced into a life of poverty, forced into a life of working (yes, working) for his keep. If he wants to live, if he wants to eat, he has to realize that no job is too demeaning, too dangerous.

One day, Don Giovanni meets a stranger who offers him something incredible–endless riches. A magical purse that will provide him with ALL the money he could ever, ever want or need. But there’s a catch. Because this stranger is the devil himself. And if Don Giovanni loses this wager, he’ll lose his very soul.

What is the wager? What is the catch? Well, this oh-so-handsome man cannot wash himself (or his clothes), comb his hair, shave, or change his clothes. For three years. Three months. Three days. Just imagine that if you will. Can Don Giovanni do it? Is being that wealthy worth it?

I liked this one. As I said, I was unfamiliar with the original tale so I didn’t know what was coming, what to expect. I really enjoyed this one. I liked the details, the imagery. I thought it worked really well as a novelization.

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The Wager (YA)

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse. Marilyn Singer. Illustrated by Josee Masse. 2010. Penguin. March 2010. 32 pages.

I loved this book of poetry! I did. If you like fairy tales, you should definitely pick this one up. Because this book of reversible poetry does a great job at twisting some familiar tales. Each poem can be read up and down. This is also a great collection for highlighting different points of view. So “In the Hood” tells Little Red Riding Hood’s story when you read one way, but tells the Wolf’s story the other way! That poem is without a doubt my favorite from this collection! Other fairy tales treated include Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Beauty and The Beast, Hansel and Gretel, The Ugly Duckling, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Three Bears. (Just to name a handful.)

Here is “Longing for Beauty”

A beast
can love
beauty.
A moist muzzle
can welcome
a rose.
A hairy ear
can prize
a nightingale singing.
Beneath fur,
look!
A soft heart
stirs,
longing.

Longing
stirs
a soft heart.
Look
beneath fur.
A nightingale singing
can prize
a hairy ear.
A rose
can welcome
a moist muzzle.
Beauty
can love
a Beast.

I really enjoyed the illustrations. They’re bright, colorful, and engaging. (You can see examples of the art here. You can also read “In The Hood” there.)

Other reviews: A Year of Reading, Writing and Ruminating,

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Poetry Friday: Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

Princess of Glass. Jessica Day George. 2010. May 2010. Bloomsbury USA. 272 pages.

“Perfect,” the Corley said, lips stretched wide in a smile. She took a shallow pan of molten glass and set it in the air over her head. “Yes, everything will be perfect this time.”

Princess of Glass is a companion novel to Princess of the Midnight Ball. The first book was a novelization of the fairy tale, the “Twelve Dancing Princesses”. This second book is a novelization of the fairy tale “Cinderella”. But it may surprise you to find out just who is narrating this one!

Poppy, one of our primary narrators, is one of the twelve dancing princesses. Her enchantment has been broken. And thanks to Galen, her brother-in-law, she now has an appreciation for magic charms and knitting. Gifts which will help her be able to recognize the truth about one of the maids.

One of our other narrators is a young man, Prince Christian. The royal families have worked out an exchange program of sorts. Poppy and Prince Christian are just two of the royals involved in this matchmaking scheme between a handful of countries. These two are visiting the country of Breton.

And then there’s Ella. Poor, poor Ella. You might think you know everything about Cinderella. But do you really? I loved this re-imagining of Cinderella. For any who think that Cinderella sounds a little too good to be true, you might just appreciate Jessica Day George’s creation! I know I did!

I loved so many things about this one! I liked to see Poppy struggling with her past. How she has to deal with it, but that it isn’t an easy process. I liked Prince Christian as well. I loved seeing things from “Prince Charming”’s perspective.

Prince Christian rode with his eyes straight ahead. As long as he didn’t make eye contact with any of the girls lining the streets of Damerhavn to watch him go by, they wouldn’t do anything foolish.
Like pretend to faint under the hooves of his horse.
Or throw a handkerchief at him, hoping that he would keep it as a memento.
The last time that had happened, his horse had spooked at the sight of the white fluttery thing, and Christian had nearly been thrown into the waiting arms of a horde of hopeful young ladies. He wanted to ride, needed to get out of the palace and away from his parents and tutors, but it was never as relaxing as he hoped it would be. (8)

I thought this one was a fun read. It had just the right blend of romance and fantasy. I really loved where Jessica Day George took this familiar story.

The quotes are taken from the ARC.

I’ve reviewed these Jessica Day George books as well: Princess of the Midnight Ball. Dragon Slippers. Dragon Flight. Dragon Spear. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow.

Other reviews: YA Book Nerd,

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Princess of Glass (MG/YA)

The Thirteenth Princess. Diane Zahler. 2010. HarperCollins. 245 pages.

My name is Zita, and I am the thirteenth of thirteen princesses. My twelve sisters have become the subject of legend, even in faraway kingdoms, but I am sure that you have never heard of me.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Chances are you’ve heard of them. Maybe you’ve even read a novelization of that fairy tale. There have been several released recently. This one adds a slightly different twist to the story. What if there were a thirteenth princess? A princess that proves integral to the story because she helps solve the mystery.

Zita, our heroine, is a likable narrator. She’s been raised apart from her sisters because of her father’s irrational anger. He’s never gotten over his wife’s death. He blames Zita for it. So from the day she was born, she’s been raised by the servants, trained to be a servant. Zita didn’t learn the truth about herself until later. How is a girl supposed to cope with news like this? Her father is alive. But he doesn’t want her. He doesn’t love her. She has sisters. Twelve of them. All beautiful. All loved by the king. All living in luxury. But her life, anything but luxurious. She waits on others, serves others. She’s used to being invisible. How can she have a relationship with her sisters? How do they feel towards her?

The Thirteenth Princess was an interesting book. I would recommend it to those fantasy-lovers that like fairy tale novelizations.

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The Thirteenth Princess (MG)