What Joa is Reading & Other Stuff

Book reviews...from picture books to adult books, as well as books-to-movie info, and other stuff I think is interesting. Note: Not all books reviewed or recommended are appropriate for all ages.

Category: FYI

OCTOBER 10, 2011
Third book by Kristen Cashore announced

As a huge fan of Graceling, I was excited to see the announcement that the sequel, Bitterblue, is scheduled to be published in May, 2012. If you haven't yet read Graceling, and you enjoy fast-paced action/adventure stories featuring a strong female character (along the lines of Hunger Games), I'd highly recommend it (see past review for more info.)

Just FYI, even though Fire was published AFTER Graceling, it is actually a prequel, so Bitterblue will be the first book to continue on the exciting plotline of Graceling.

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Categories: sequelsFantasyFYI

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MARCH 25, 2011
Finally! Paolini's new book to be released...
For those who have been waiting and waiting (I've had a reserve list for years, now!) for the conclusion to Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, the wait will be over soon.

The series that began with Eragon, which Paolini started writing at the age of 15, continued with Eldest and Brisingr.

The last book is Inheritance and is scheduled for release on November 8. You can get on the reserve list now, by emailing me at mtownlibrary@yahoo.com

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Categories: FantasyFYISequels

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NOVEMBER 5, 2010
New Diary of a Wimpy Kid!
I just opened the box with four copies of the NEWEST Diary of a Wimpy Kid...#5: The Ugly Truth. I know they will fly off the shelves! Let us know if you want to put a hold on a copy. Call 754-5738 or email mtownlibrary@yahoo.com OR use your account and pin # to place a hold yourself!

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Categories: FYIFunny Stuff

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OCTOBER 26, 2010
RIP: Eva Ibbotson
I was sad to see that a great author, Eva Ibbotson, died today at 85 years old. She is the author of two favorite books of mine, Island of the Aunts and The Star of Kazan. I also know quite a few readers, including my daughter Kennedy, who name Journey to the River Sea as a favorite. We have many more of her books, as well as some books to listen to on CD.

Island of the Aunts has one of my favorite openings of any book: "Kidnapping children is not a good idea. All the same, sometimes it has to be done." This is a like Roald-Dahl-but-nicer story that has a great message, interesting characters, is suspenseful AND, best of all, has a kraken in it.

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Categories: FYIJoa RecommendsFantasy

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SEPTEMBER 19, 2009
New Disney movie based on E.D. Baker's books

Just FYI...there is a new Disney movie coming out in November, The Princess and the Frog, and it is based on one of E.D. Baker's books series about the Frog Princess. You can check the first book, The Frog Princess, and other titles in the series at the library.

Lots of movie tie-in books will also be coming soon, like the Disney Read-Aloud storybook for the movie, a junior novelization, and a DK Essential Guide the Princess and the Frog.

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Categories: Movie Tie-insFYIFantasy

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JULY 24, 2009
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #4 coming soon!

For all the Wimpy Kid fans....and there are a LOT....number 4 in the series by Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, is due to come out in October. We'll be getting more than one copy...and taking holds anytime.

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Categories: Funny StuffFYI

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JANUARY 26, 2009
Annual Award Winners announced

I'm always excited to see which books have won the major awards (like Newbery and Caldecott)....check it out at the American Library's Association's website.

Preview:

Newbery Winner: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Caldecott Winner: The House in the Night, illustrated by Beth Krommes and written by Susan Marie Swanson.

 

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Categories: FYIAwards

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2008
Next Harry Potter movie bumped to summer

The producers of the next Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, have announced that the release date has been pushed to summer, 2009 (July 17, 2009 to be exact).

Use the extra time to read the book, or to refresh yourself on the series. We have all the books in multiple formats: print, CD, and in Spanish.

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Categories: FantasyFYIMovie Tie-ins

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AUGUST 21, 2008
YAY for Martha the dog, coming to PBS!

The talking dog character, Martha, from the picture books by Susan Meddaugh, is going to be the star of a new PBS show, Martha Speaks!

Check out several fun books about Martha at the library.

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Categories: Funny StuffFYIMovie Tie-ins

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JUNE 23, 2008
Goodbye Tasha Tudor

Children's author...and illustrator, Tasha Tudor died last week...in her early 90s. She is most well known, maybe, as an illustrator who always included Corgi dogs in all of her books.

I highly recommend...to people of all ages...the biographical video you can check out from the library called Take Joy: the magical world of Tasha Tudor, which shows Tudor at her English countryside home, with her own Corgis, in her gardens, cooking on the hearth, etc.

She (or maybe her daughters) talk about the fun things they did growing up, including her mother creating a tiny catalog that their dollhouse people could "order" from through Sparrow Press...and then tiny packages would actually come!

 

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Categories: Picture BooksFYIJoa Recommends

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MAY 29, 2008
Olivia the pig coming to Nickelodeon

According to a recent School Library Journal article, a favorite character of mine created by author and illustrator, Ian Falconer, is going to be the star of a new Nick t.v. show that will be on in 2009. If you aren't familiar with Olivia, she is a little pig with big ideas. The books are very funny with great illustrations...drawn in black and white, with limited splashes of color...especially Olivia's favorite color: red! 

 

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Categories: Movie Tie-insFYIJoa Recommends

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MAY 17, 2008
Junie B. Jones' stupid smelly bus tour coming to Iowa

Favorite chapter book character Junie B. Jones is bringing her stupid smelly bus tour to a couple of Iowa bookstores this week.

Info for diehard fans willing to road trip to Cedar Rapids or West Des Moines, find out more info here.

 

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Categories: FYIEvents

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NOVEMBER 15, 2007
Eragon (Inheritance series) news

The #3 book by Christopher Paolini to follow Eragon and Eldest is reported to be on schedule for a Fall 2008 release. Many readers are looking forward to this fantasy novel.

Paolini began plotting the Inhertiance series as a 15 year old homeschooled student, orginally envisioning it as a trilogy. However, he recently announced that what he thought would be the final book in the trilogy, will actually need to be told over two more books, resulting in a projected series length of four books.

Eragon was made into a movie in 2006, and is now available on DVD to check out from the public library.

 

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Categories: FYIFantasyMovie Tie-ins

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2007
Farewell to Madeline L'Engle

I was sad to learn that Madeline L'Engle, author of one of my favorite books, A Wrinkle in Time, died on September 6, 2007, at the age of 88.

To read more about her life and tributes to a lifetime as a writer, click on this Publisher's Weekly link:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6478067.html?nid=2788

If you would like to enjoy L'Engle's most famous classic Newbery-award-winning book, come to the library and check out A Wrinkle in Time as a print book, an audiobook listen to it, or even watch a movie adaptation we have available on DVD.

 

 

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Categories: Being a ReaderFYIFantasy

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AUGUST 31, 2007
Coming soon...our library catalog on our website!

We will be closed September 18-20th so that we can install and configure our new card catalog and circulation system. We are really excited that this system will be much easier to use, you can get more information and (if you have access to the internet from home or school) you can look up to see what we have online. The online part is really cool, because you can actually go ahead and place a hold after you find a book, you can see information about other books like the one that you looked up, and even see a picture of the book (if available).

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Category: FYI

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JULY 8, 2007
YAY for new Wayside School show on Nick

While reading the August 2007 edition of Nickelodeon magazine, which you can check out from the youth dept., I just finished reading an interview with the actors who play Harry, Ron and Hermoine, about the Harry Potter #5 movie coming out...and turned the page.

There, I was thrilled to see that Nick was having a new cartoon show--"Wayside"-- based on some of the funniest chapter books, the Wayside School series by Louis Sachar. Sachar might be most well known for the novel Holes, which was made into a movie a few years ago, but the Wayside School books have a completely different--and hilarious--tone. They are great if you love wacky humor...and they are also good for readers who are looking for something quick, because they are essentially written almost as a collection of short stories, so you can almost open the books to any chapter and just read it as a funny skit. To understand the premise, readers should read the first, Sideways Stories from Wayside School.

 

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Categories: Movie Tie-insFYIJoa Recommends

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MARCH 29, 2007
Harry Potter book cover released
The new Harry Potter book cover has been released. What do you think? Apparently (according to an AP artcile posted on Yahoo News) the book cover that will be marketed to adults has a photograph of a locket with the serpentine "s" which is supposed to be the "horcrux" where Lord Voldemort keeps a fragment of his soul. I'll post that cover when I can find it.

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Categories: FantasyFYI

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MARCH 26, 2007
News for Tolkien's fans
A new Middle Earth book will be released soon. The writing began by Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien and was finished by his son. Read more about it in this Yahoo news article.

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Categories: FYIFantasy

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MARCH 22, 2007
"There Will Soon Be 7"
"There Will Soon Be 7" is the soon to begin national media campaign in preparation of the 7th--and last--book in the Harry Potter series, which has broken all kinds of publication records. Click here to see another record that the 7th book will make due to the publisher's commitment to print the 784 page book with environmental considerations in mind.

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Categories: FYIFantasySequels

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FEBRUARY 5, 2007
Saw previews for Bridge to Terabithia
I have seen the previews now for the Bridge to Terabithia movie, and am a little surprised by the way it is being portrayed as almost an action movie. I think it is a little odd, that the wonderful thing about Terabithia in the book is how it really celebrates the kids' (especially Leslie's) imagination...and then the movie makes it look like these imagined creatures, etc. are all really there.

I thought the preview made the movie look more like a fantasy, than a movie about friendship...I pictured it more like Because of Winn Dixie or My Girl. Anyway, we'll wait and see. If you want to see more about the book, the story, and the movie, including a contest, go to Walden Media's web page for Bridge to Terabithia.

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Categories: FYIMovie Tie-ins

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FEBRUARY 1, 2007
Last Harry Potter book release date set
The release date has finally been announced for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the 7th and last Harry Potter book in the series by J.K. Rowling. The book will come out on July 21st. The library will be getting multiple copies, and reserves are already being accepted. We will also get an audio version, released the same day. As has been our tradition with this popular series, we will hold one copy back from the reserve list and have a special Harry Potter event on the release morning where we will draw one name to be the first person to check-out.

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Categories: SequelsFYI

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