Oooh!! TWO new Diane Wynne Jones

"The Tough Guide to FANTASYLAND" by Diana Wynne Jones is not a story but is "The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel - Revised - Updated Edition - Dark lord Approved" according to the front cover of this paperback.






"The Pinhoe Egg" by Diana Wynne Jones is the new book in the Chrestomanci Series and I believe it is the sixth one, "Mixed Magics: Four Tales of Chrestomanci" being a companion book. I am currently reading the first one "Charmed Life", which is charming indeed. The books that follow are "The Lives of Christopher Chant", "The Magicians of Caprona", "Witch Week", "Conrad's Fate" and then this new story of the Chant family "Pinhoe Egg". For ages 10+.





"London Calling" by Edward Bloor

A twist to Alice in Wonderland, new YA book.

"The Looking Glass Wars" by Frank Beddor.

Quote from Amazon's description....

"You know the myth...

A little girl named Alice tumbled down a rabbit hole and proceeded to have a charming adventure in the delightful, made-up world of Wonderland...


Now discover the truth... Wonderland Exists!"

I am intrigued.......

First Chapter Books.

"Blizzard of the Blue Moon" by Mary Pope Osborne, is number 36 in the Magic Treehouse series. Lumpy will not have a thing to do with this series after his little friend read them non-stop to him in the car pool rides for several months!!

This one is the only hardback, the following are all paperbacks.......





"Agent Boo: The Littlest Agent" (Graphic Novels) by Alex De Campi and Edo Fuijkschot looks like there is a second Boo due January 2007.




"Joe Sherlock, Kid Detective, Case #000003: The Missing Monkey-Eye Diamond" by Dave Keane. Third in the detective series with the fourth one due February 2007.





"The Grosse Adventures: The Good, the Bad & the Gassy" (Graphic Novels) by Annie Auerbach, and Mike Norton second adventure is due out January 2007.

Stocking Stuffers Stories

"When Santa Fell To Earth" by Cornelia Funke







"On Christmas Eve" by Ann M. Martin

And quite a few Kid finds.

"Wintersmith" by Terry Pratchett

"The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls" by Elise Primavera

"The Lost Colony" Artemis Fowl, Book 5 by Eoin Colfer









"The Last Dragon" by Silvana de Mari
"The Last Apprentice: Curse of the Bane" by Joseph Delaney.





"Shipwreck Detective" by Duncan Cameron





"Secrets of the Alchemist Dar: A Treasure's Trove" by Michael Stadther





"Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: A Cookery Book with a Story" by P. L. Travers
"Big Fat Little Lit" by editors Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly

Teen books found in passing.

"Here, There Be Dragons: The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica" by James A. Owen




"Voices" by Ursula K. Le Guin





"This Is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn" by Aiden Chambers

"Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean" by Justin Somper





"Fairest" by Gail Carson Levine





"Escape from the Carnivale: A Never Land Book" by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

A few cute Picture Books I spotted last week.

"Hedgie Blasts Off!" by Jan Brett is about one of my favourites...hedgehogs. I miss them here, in the UK they can be found in your garden (yard) sniffling around for bugs at night. As children we'd often put out a saucer of milk with broken up bits of bread floating in it. They loved that and you could clearly hear them slurping it up. Couple of times we kept one for a few days in a cardboard box, the only bad bit is that they were often covered in nasty bugs, making them unpopular with parents.




"Jack and the Beanstalk" by E.L. Nesbit, is the classic story but the illustrations by Matt Tavares caught my attention.




"So Few of Me" follows the popular "The Dot" and "Ish" books by Peter H. Reynolds who is also known for his Judy Moody and Stink fame.




The Snow Globe Family by Jane O'Connor, and illustrated by S. D. Schindler caught my eye as these adorable ornaments hold many fond childhood memories. I wish I had one, and this book reminded me that every house should have at least one, especially around xmas.



"Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown is now also available in Picture Book edition, very cute. Lumpy, like a lot of school kids here in the US, brought home a cardboard Stanley in 1st grade. He ate with us, rode in the car (with seat belt!!) and went to watch L play soccer. This was all taken very seriously by said child, photographed and documented in Stanleys special Journal. Each child in his class took it in turns and it was a delight to read what each child of 6/7 yrs old had to write and comment about. Poor Stanley was quite dog eared & tatty by the end of his travels.



"G Is for One Gzonk!: An Alpha-number-bet Book" by Tony DiTerlizzi is well known for his illustrations in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" series of which I'm a huge fan. This interesting new book he has produced reminded me straight away of Dr. Seuss's ABC book. Once I got home and read his blog on Amazon I found out it was deliberate and a homage to Seus and Edward Lear. Phew...had me worried for a second, it's not a style I particularly enjoy but I did not grow up with it and I know it will defintely hit a spot for many Seus fans here in the States. It will be a great read aloud for parents to young children as Zeus's ABC was to Lumpy and many others.



"Moongirl" by Henry Selick is a Collector's Edition Book and includes a DVD short film (I would love to know how long it runs for but could not find the info anywhere ) The illustrations to this book are to die for, adorable and wonderful artwork by Peter Chan and Courtney Booker

Today's discoveries.....

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll But it's the illustrations by Alison Jay that you must see. The gorgeous, colourful crackled finish makes this classic a must-again-buy-for-the-pictures!!







"Horowitz Horror: Stories You'll Wish You Never Read" by Anthony Horowitz He is also the author of the Alex Rider Adventures from which series there is a film out now called Stormbreaker ( I've heard very little except it was coming out last week, it did not make it to our little town so will catch it on DVD)




"The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall" by Tony Johnston is the only paperback on todays list, liked the cover a lot, on the back it says for ages 8-12.

"Tales Of Deltora" by Emily Rodda ........."special edition that finally reveals the truth about the battles and the bloodlines that forged a universe full of adventure. As an added bonus, this collection offers twenty stunningly lavish new color illustrations by Marc McBride" quoted from Amazon.com's description. Has two glossy gems buried into the cover which appealed to my child, as did the wonderful and detailed illustrations by Marc McBride and then there's a pull out map too, very cool.





"The Beatrice Letters" by Lemony Snicket. More details for the fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events. How many of these story offshoots can they come up with? Not that I am complaining, I think it is brilliant and very addictive, clever little buggers!



"The Silver Donkey" by Sonya Hartnett, looks cute with a classy, simple, older style finish that is a very pleasing change to the usual dustcovers. Not unlike the Sisters Grimm books in size and finish.

"Things Hoped For" by Andrew Clements is the follow up to his other book, "Things Not Seen".





"Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic" by Emily Jenkins has inside that it's aimed at age 7-11, has cute illustrations on several pages by Paul O. Zelinsky.






"Voyage of Slaves: A Tale From Castaways of the Flying Dutchman" by Brian Jacques is the third installment in the "Castaways of the Flying Dutchman" adventures.






"Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and other Wily Characters" by Patricia Mckissack looks very interesting and has 9 tales in it for ages 8-12. It is a bigger book, similar size and look of a picture book but to be found in Kids Fiction like the rest of the books above.