Saturday, January 1, 2011

Our Favorite Reads from 2010 & Happy New Year!

We want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!! We hope you all have a wonderful and safe weekend.

This past year we have read some fantastic books and we wanted to share a few of our favorites. This list was picked by the reviewers for their favorite books they read that were released in 2010 and given a 4.5-5 star rating.

Aly's Picks:
Picture Books -
  • Chalk by Bill Thomson
  • Art & Max by David Wiesner
  • Mirror, Mirror! by Marilyn Singer
  • Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton
  • The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco
  • Boss Baby by Marla Frazee
  • Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates
  • Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly by Carolyn Parkhurst
  • Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers
  • Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

Early Reader
  • Bink & Gollie by Kate DiCamillo
  • Lulu & the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst
  • Clementine: Friend of the Week by Sara Pennypacker

Middle Grade
  • A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
  • A Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
  • Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
  • Tortilla Sun by Jennifer Cervantes
  • The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
  • Spilling Ink: A Young Writer's Handbook by Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer
  • Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill (Non-fiction picture book for MG)
  • Jimi: Sounds Like A Rainbow: Story of a Young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio (Non-fiction picture book for MG)The Cloud Searchers (Amulet #3) by kazu Kibuishi
  • One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia
  • The Dreamer by Pamela Munoz Ryan

Kathy's Picks:
Young Reader
  • Grandma's Gloves by Cecil Castellucci

Middle Grade
  • Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
  • Pirate Treasure by Benjamin Flinders

Katie's Picks:
For Young Readers/Picture Books
  • Bob Books- the whole series
  • The Wonderful Book by Leonid Gore
  • Thumb Love by Elise Primavera
  • Hope Is An Open Heart by Lauren Thompson
  • Can't Sleep Without Sheep by Susanna Leonard Hill
  • The Sea of Sleep by Warren Hanson
  • Eight Spinning Planets by Brian James
  • The Very Fairy Princess by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton
  • Zen Ghosts by Jon J Muth

For Grade School & Middle Grade Series
  • Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation by Matt Myklusch
  • The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
  • The Familiars by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson
  • The Owl Keeper by Christine Brodien-Jones
  • The Brimstone Key by Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis
  • Fledging: Jason Steed by Mark A Cooper
  • The Magnificent 12, The Call by Michael Grant
  • The Invisible Order by Paul Crilley
  • The Dear America Series (each book is by a different author)
  • The Quest for Merlin's Map by W.C. Peever
  • The Goddess Girls by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
  • The 39 Clues Series

Grade School & Middle Grade
  • The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
  • Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings
  • Vordak The Incomprehensible, How To Grow Up and Rule The World by Scott Seegert
  • Stars Wars

Sophie's Picks
Grade School & Middle Grade Reads
  • Just Grace and Terrible Tu Tu
  • The Secret Lives of Princesses
  • The Mackenzie Blue series by Tina Wells
  • Dork Diaries: Talkes From A Not So Popular Party Girl by Rachel Renee Russell
  • Vordak The Incomprehensible, How To Grow Up and Rule The World by Scott Seegert

We enjoyed all the wonderful books we've read this year and we're looking forward to all this year has in store for us to read. Here's a few must have releases for January 2011
  • Shoe-la-la by Karen Beaumont
  • My Glitter Castle by Lily Karr
  • Where's Walrus by Stephan Savage
I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~