Monday, November 29, 2010

What Indie Booksellers Are Saying About The Top Ten Books on the Winter Kids Next List

Matched
"Yes, it's dystopian, but Matched is really about a young woman, Cassia, discovering the gift of thinking for herself after growing up under the rules of The Society. When she is matched to her 'perfect' mate but finds out that her true match might be a different boy with a mysterious past that The Society is trying to cover up, Cassia begins to question their real intention. I can't wait for the sequel, and I'm also hoping this will turn some teens on to Dylan Thomas' poetry." -- Kelly Estep, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY

Beautiful Oops!
"Beautiful Oops! is a small, joyful book that shows kids that there is no such thing as a mistake -- life just presents us with events that open windows to new ways of seeing and thinking. This book can truly be gift for any age reader. It will resonate with those who are frozen by perfectionism, and it is also fun and positive for those kids who love imaginative interaction and exploration." -- Judy Bulow, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

A Long Walk to Water
"Feel the heat, fear, and uncertainty as you walk with 11-year-old Salva, who, in 1985, is fleeing his homeland of Southern Sudan. Linda Sue Park has crafted a gripping story of a 'Lost Boy,' all the more remarkable because it is based on a true story. Intertwined with Salva's story is that of 11-year-old Nya, from a rival tribe in Southern Sudan. This 'long walk' will take readers into a troubled country, but a country still filled with hope due to people like Salva. This is a book for the reader who wants to look behind the headlines." -- David Mallmann, Next Chapter Bookshop, Mequon, WI

Virals
"Kathy Reichs, well known in the adult world for her Temperance Brennan mysteries, has given Dr. Brennan a niece! Tory is smart, intuitive, and psyched to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Coop, the wolf-dog. When her friends start manifesting some dog-like tendencies after being exposed to an experimental virus, the race for answers gets even scarier. This fast-paced adventure takes some unusual twists and keeps the reader turning the pages." -- Margaret Brennan Neville, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

Sapphique
"What a follow up to Incarceron! The prison Incarceron begins to plot an escape from itself, dooming the prisoners inside. Meanwhile, outside, prisoner-turned-prince Finn begins to see the decay of the 'real world' as he struggles to stay afloat in life-threatening politics. An enthralling entry to this series!" -- Meg O'Connor, Maria's Bookshop, Durango, CO



The Steps Across the Water
"Do you want to know why you never see the same taxi driver twice in New York City? Read The Steps Across the Water and discover a city similar to New York, called U Nork, with taller skyscrapers, dirigibles, and zeppelins, and in danger of being destroyed. Only Rose can save the citizens of U Nork. But how does a young girl save a huge city -- or is it really as big as it seems? This is a fantasy adventure told with humor, insight, love, with messages for both young and old." -- Karen Briggs, Great Northern Books and Hobbies, Oscoda, MI

Annexed
"Everyone knows the story of Anne Frank. This book re-imagines that story as experienced by Peter, the teenage boy who lived in the Annex with the Frank family. Peter's voice is haunting and heartbreaking. His pleas for people to remember, to believe, will stay with you long after the book has ended." -- Kyla Paterno, Garfield Book Company at PLU, Tacoma, WA



Cat Secrets
"This is a wonderfully interactive, ideal read-aloud title narrated by a trio of felines who need to make sure their readers are truly cats before they will reveal their 'Cat Secrets.' Readers and listeners will be meowing, stretching, cat-napping, and thoroughly enjoying this playfully subversive book." -- Heather Elia, Colgate Bookstore, Hamilton, NY


Trash
"Can three boys who live by their wits and their ability to scavenge whatever is necessary to stay alive from a city's mountains of trash break out of their bleak world? Andy Mulligan brings us a finely developed and gripping novel, pitting the boys' desperate life-and-death daily struggles against the city's corrupt police force and government officials who are determined to use their unchecked power to recapture what was lost by them and inadvertently discovered by the boys. An unforgettable read!" -- Jack Blanchard, Fairy Godmother, Washington, DC

13 Words
"Some years ago, I read an article that proposed that children didn't like to read because contemporary publishing trends had dumbed-down the language, making books boring. A child should certainly learn to understand words like 'dog' and 'frog,' but where were the words that enlivened the story and stretched the reader's imagination? Leave it to Lemony Snicket to create a children's picture book that celebrates not only 'dog' and 'cake' and 'goat,' but also words like 'haberdashery' and 'despondent' and 'panache!'" -- Laura Hansen, Bookin' It, Little Falls, MN

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