PLANETESME PICKS: A 2008 INDEX

Well, well! One of the sure signs of Spring is not only the crack of the baseball bat, but the PlanetEsme round-up of the heavy-hitters of the prior publishing year! Especially in this economy (pah, how many sentences start this way lately?) we have to be especially thoughtful consumers, consistently investing in books that make a difference, which is why I'm proud of the quality contained this list. Whether adding to your shelves at home or developing a collection to be shared by many children in a library or classroom, you can trust that these titles are treasures, and will make any child rich with the joy of reading. And, rich we are; as in past years, the offerings through the months have been nothing short of bountiful. We have enjoyed another crop of outstanding biography, hilarious and poignant picture books, some unusually high quality in "bibliotherapy" this year as well as some really strong showings of presidential picks befitting an election year. I felt fussy about fiction, with trends that had some leanings toward more adult tastes, but found many titles that still were solid with a group and also resonated when reading alone by flashlight. Best of all, these books underscore possibility, laughter, an embracing of the past and of the wideness of the world, all connections that are a perfect prescription for children sickened by the trample-by-testing contagion...and offering a great prognosis for teachers, too, to remember that what we have to share is more than an answer that requires a number-two pencil. Again and again, authors and illustrators are a bottomless wellspring of fresh ideas, and the freshest idea to remember is that children's books remain our country's best hope for educational equality: a great book in the hands of a rich child is the same great book in the hands of a poor child, a great book in the city is great in the rural areas, too.

Even though every PlanetEsme Pick is a winner of sorts, chosen from literally thousands of books, as I proofread the list, a few seemed to jump out at me and fall naturally under headings of distinction:

Picture book must-haves that belong on every grade school teacher's shelf (hey, PTA's, how about a nice end-of-year book basket, hint-hint?):
ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK: A TALL, THIN TALE by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by John Hendrix (Schwartz & Wade)
BIG YELLOW SUNFLOWER by Frances Barry (Candlewick)
GO HOME, MRS. BEEKMAN! By Ann Redisch Stampler, illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington (Dutton)
GRACE FOR PRESIDENT by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Hyperion) by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Hyperion)
ONE by Kathryn Otoshi (KO Kids Books)

Books-The-Boys-Grab Award:
CHASING LINCOLN’S KILLER by James L. Swanson (Scholastic)
INTO THE VOLCANO by Don Wood (Scholastic)
KNUCKLEHEAD: TALL TALES AND ALMOST TRUE STORIES OF GROWING UP SCIESZKA by Jon Scieszka (Viking)

"Coulda Been a Contender" Award
For Caldecott:
SWORDS: AN ARTIST'S DEVOTION by Ben Boos (Candlewick)
TADPOLE REX by Kurt Cyrus (Harcourt)
WABI SABI by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young (Little, Brown)
For Newbery:
ELVIS AND OLIVE by Stephanie Watson (Scholastic)
EVERY SOUL A STAR by Wendy Mass (Little, Brown)

Best bite for rabid booklovers:
BATS AT THE LIBRARY by Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin)

Prettiest in pink:
FANNY by Hollie Hobbie (Little, Brown)
MINJI'S SALON by Eun-hee-Choung (Kane/Miller)

Read-Right-Out-Of-Utero Award:
TEN LITTLE FINGERS AND TEN LITTLE TOES by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Harcourt)

Laugh-Until-Milk-Possibly-Comes-Out-Of-Your-Nose Award:
THOSE DARN SQUIRRELS! by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri (Clarion)
DOCTOR TED by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre (McElderberry Books)
VOSS by David Ives (Putnam)

Learn-Something-New-Every-Day Award:
SISTERS & BROTHERS: SIBING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE ANIMAL WORLD by Robin Page, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin)
PRISCILLA AND THE HOLLYHOCKS by Anne Broyles, illustrated by Anna Alter (Charlesbridge)

Watch-'Em-Lean-In-While-You-Read-Aloud Award:
MANJIRO: THE BOY WHO RISKED HIS LIFE FOR TWO COUNTRIES by Emily Arnold McCully (Farrar, Straus Giroux)

Changes-What-You-Think-a-Book-Can-Be Award:
THE BLACK BOOK OF COLORS by Menena Cottin, illustrated by Rosana Faria (Groundwood)

Character Comeback Award:
BRAVA, STREGA NONA!: A HEARTWARMING POP-UP BOOK by Tomie de Paola, paper engineering by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart (Putnam)

Labor of Love Award for amazing research and heart:
THE WAY WE WORK by David Macaulay (Houghton Mifflin)
OUR WHITE HOUSE: LOOKING IN LOOKING OUT by 108 renowned Authors and Illustrators and the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance (Candlewick)
WE ARE THE SHIP: THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL by Kadir Nelson (Hyperion)

The Don't-Come-Crying-To-Me-When-You Can't-Sleep Award:
ALL THE LOVELY BAD ONES by Mary Downing Hahn (Clarion)

Artistic Soul Award:
THE FOOL AND THE VANISHER by by David and Ruth Ellwand (Candlewick)
THIS IS A POEM THAT HEALS FISH by Jeanne-Pierre Siméon, illustrated by Olivier Tallec (Enchanted Lion Books)
THE SEA SERPENT AND ME by Dashka Slater, illustrated by Catia Chien (Houghton Mifflin)

Hardboiled Book Award:
TILLIE LAYS AN EGG by Terry Golson, with photographs by Ben Fink (Scholastic)

Why should I have all the fun? In the comments section, pick your own favorites from the list below and commemorate them as you see fit, of course feeling free to add your own 2008 finds. Also welcome are your suggestions for this site in 2009...no time like the present! Books are linked to my reviews or to Amazon for informational purposes, but remember to support your independent booksellers!

PICTURE BOOK
ABE LINCOLN CROSSES A CREEK: A TALL, THIN TALE by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by John Hendrix (Schwartz & Wade)
ADELE & SIMON IN AMERICA by Barbara McClintock (Farrar Straus Giroux)
AMANDINA by Sergio Ruzzier (Roaring Brook)
THE APPLE-PIP PRINCESS by Jane Ray (Candlewick)
BATS AT THE LIBRARY by Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin)
BEAR'S PICTURE by Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by D.B. Johnson (Houghton Mifflin)
BEE-WIGGED by Cece Bell (Candlewick)
THE BEST STORY by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf (Dial)
BEWARE OF THE FROG by William Bee (Candlewick)*
BIG BAD BUNNY by Franny Billingsley, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Atheneum)
BIG LITTLE MONKEY by Carole Lexa Schaefer, illustrated by Pierre Pratt (Candlewick)
THE BLACK BOOK OF COLORS by Menena Cottin, illustrated by Rosana Faria (Groundwood)
BOOMING BELLA by Carol Ann Williams, illustrated by Tatiana Mai-Wyss (Putnam)
A BRAND NEW DAY WITH MOUSE AND MOLE by Wong Herbert Yee (Houghton Mifflin)
BRAVA, STREGA NONA!: A HEARTWARMING POP-UP BOOK by Tomie de Paola, paper engineering by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart (Putnam)
THE CHICKEN OF THE FAMILY by Mary Amato, illustrated by Delphine Durand (Putnam)
A COLD WINTER'S GOOD KNIGHT by Shelley Moore Thomas, illustrated by Jennifer Plecas (Dutton)
COOL DADDY RAT by Kristyn Crow, illustrated by Mike Lester (Putnam)
CORK AND FUZZ: THE COLLECTORS by Dori Chaconas, illustrated by Lisa McCue (Viking)
CRAZY LIKE A FOX: A SIMILE STORY by Loreen Leedy (Holiday House)
A CUP FOR EVERYONE by Yusuke Yonezu (Miniedition/Penguin)
A DAY WITH DAD by Bo R. Holmberg, illustrated by the truly brilliant Swedish artist Eva Eriksson (Candlewick)
DINOSAUR VS. BEDTIME by Bob Shea (Hyperion)
THE DINOSAURS' NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Anne Muecke, illustrated by Nathan Hale (Chronicle)
DOCTOR TED by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre (McElderberry Books)
THE DOG WHO BELONGED TO NO ONE by Amy Hest, illustrated by Amy Bates (Abrams)
THE DOG WHO SAVED SANTA by True Kelley (Holiday House)
THE DUCK WHO PLAYED THE KAZOO by Amy Sklansky, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke (Clarion)
DUCKS DON'T WEAR SOCKS by John Nedwidek, illustrated by Lee White (Viking)
FANNY by Hollie Hobbie (Little, Brown)
THE FOGGY, FOGGY FOREST by Nick Sharratt (Candlewick)
FRED STAYS WITH ME by Nancy Coffelt, illustrated by Tricia Tusa (Little, Brown)
GHOSTS IN THE HOUSE! by Kazuno Kohara (Roaring Brook)
THE GIRL IN THE CASTLE INSIDE THE MUSEUM by Kate Bernheimer, illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli (Schwartz & Wade)
GINGERBREAD FRIENDS by Jan Brett (Putnam)
GO HOME, MRS. BEEKMAN! By Ann Redisch Stampler, illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington (Dutton)
GRACE FOR PRESIDENT by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Hyperion)
HAIR FOR MAMA by Kelly Tinkham (Dial)
HENRY AND THE VALENTINE SURPRISE by Nancy Carlson (Viking)
HOUDINI THE MAGIC CATERPILLAR by Janet Pedersen (Clarion)
THE HOUSE IN THE NIGHT by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes (Houghton Mifflin)
HUMPTY DUMPTY CLIMBS AGAIN by Dave Horowitz (Putnam)
I GET SO HUNGRY by Bebe Moore Campbell, illustrated by Amy Bates (Putnam)
THE IMPOSSIBLE PATRIOTISM PROJECT by Linda Skeers, illustrated by Ard Hoyt (Dial)
JUMPY JACK & GOOGILY by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall (Holt)
A KITTEN TALE by Eric Rohmann (Knopf)
KNITTY KITTY by David Elliott, illustrated by Christopher Denise (Candlewick)
LADYBUG GIRL by Jacky Davis and David Soman (Dial)
LARUE FOR MAYOR: LETTERS FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL by Mark Teague (Scholastic)
LESTER FIZZ, BUBBLE-GUM ARTIST by Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Thor Wickstrom (Dutton)
LITTLE PANDA by Renata Liwska (Houghton Mifflin)
LOOK OUT, SUZY GOOSE by Petr Horacek (Candlewick)
MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMP by Jack Lechner, illustrated by Bob Staake (Bloomsbury)
MCFIG AND MCFLY: A TALE OF JEALOUSY, REVENGE AND DEATH (WITH A HAPPY ENDING) by Henrik Drescher (Candlewick)
ME HUNGRY! by Jeremy Tankard (Candlewick)
MERMAIDS ON PARADE by Melanie Hope Greenberg (Putnam)
MINJI'S SALON by Eun-hee-Choung (Kane/Miller)
MOLLY AND HER DAD by Jan Ormerod, illustrated by Carol Thompson (Roaring Brook)
THE MONSTER WHO ATE DARKNESS by Joyce Dunbar, illustrated by Jimmy Liao (Candlewick)
THE MOON OVER STAR by Dianna Aston, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (Dial)
MOTHERBRIDGE OF LOVE by Xinran, illustrated by Josée Masse (Barefoot)
NEVER TAKE A SHARK TO THE DENTIST (AND OTHER THINGS NOT TO DO) by Judi Barrett, illustrated by John Nickle (Atheneum)
NIGHT OF THE MOON by Hena Khan, illustrated by Julie Paschkis (Chronicle)
NO NO YES YES by Leslie Patricelli (Candlewick)
NO! THAT'S WRONG! By Zhaohua Ji and Cui Xu (Kane/Miller)
OLD BEAR by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow)
ONE by Kathryn Otoshi (KO Kids Books)
ONE IS A FEAST FOR MOUSE: A THANKSGIVING TALE by Judy Cox, illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler (Holiday House)
PEANUT by David Lucas (Candlewick)
A PIRATE'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Philip Yates, illustrated by Sebastia Serra (Sterling)
PRESIDENT PENNYBAKER by Kate Feiffer, illustrated by Diane Goode (Simon and Schuster)
THE PRINCESS GOWN by Linda Leopold Strauss, illustrated by Marlene Reynolds Laugesen (Houghton Mifflin)
THE POUT-POUT FISH by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Dan Hanna (Farrar Straus Giroux)
RAPUNZEL by Rachel Isadora (Putnam)
SANTA GOES GREEN by Anne Margaret Lewis, illustrated by Elisa Chavarri (Mackinac Island Press)
SANTA DUCK by David Milgrim (Putnam)
THE SEA SERPENT AND ME by Dashka Slater, illustrated by Catia Chien (Houghton Mifflin)
SNOW by Cynthia Rylant (Harcourt)
THE SNOW DAY by Komako Sakai (Scholastic)
SPARK THE FIREFIGHTER by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Amanda Haley (Dutton)
SPLAT THE CAT by Rob Scotton (HarperCollins)
THE STORYTELLER’S CANDLE by Lucia Gonzales, illustrated by Lulu Delacre (Children’s Book Press)
TADPOLE REX by Kurt Cyrus (Harcourt)
TEN LITTLE FINGERS AND TEN LITTLE TOES by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Harcourt)
TENTH AVENUE COWBOY by Linda Oatman High, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth (Eerdmans)
THERE ARE CATS IN THIS BOOK by Viviane Schwarz (Candlewick)
THERE’S NOTHING TO DO ON MARS by Chris Gall (Little, Brown)
THIS IS A POEM THAT HEALS FISH by Jeanne-Pierre Siméon, illustrated by Olivier Tallec (Enchanted Lion Books)
THOSE DARN SQUIRRELS! by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri (Clarion)
THE TICKLE MONSTER IS COMING! By James Otis Thach, illustrated by David Barneda (Bloomsbury)
TILLIE LAYS AN EGG by Terry Golson, with photographs by Ben Fink (Scholastic)
HELLO, TILLY and the TILLY AND FRIENDS, series by Polly Dunbar (Candlewick)
TOO MANY TOYS by David Shannon (Scholastic)
TRUCK STUCK by Sallie Wolf, illustrated by Andy Robert Davies (Charlesbridge)
A VISITOR FOR BEAR by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (Candlewick)
VUNCE UPON A TIME by J. Otto Seibold and Siobhan Vivian (Chronicle)
WABI SABI by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young (Little, Brown)
WE'RE OFF TO LOOK FOR ALIENS by Colin McNaughton (Candlewick)
WHERE'S MY MUMMY? by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by John Manders (Candlewick)
WILLY AND MAY: A CHRISTMAS STORY by Judy Schachner (Dutton)
WHO'S HIDING? by Satoru Onishi (Kane/Miller)
THE WORST BEST FRIEND by Alexis O'Neill, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith (Scholastic)
ZIP, ZIP...HOMEWORK by Nancy Poydar (Holiday House)

FICTION for MIDDLE GRADE READERS
11 BIRTHDAYS by Wendy Mass (Scholastic)
THE 39 CLUES: THE MAZE OF BONES (BOOK ONE) by Rick Riordan (Scholastic)
ALL THE LOVELY BAD ONES by Mary Downing Hahn (Clarion)
ALVIN HO: ALLERGIC TO GIRLS, SCHOOL AND OTHER SCARY THINGS by Lenore Look, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Schwartz & Wade)
ANDY SHANE AND THE QUEEN OF EGYPT by Jennifer Richard Jacobson, illustrated by Abby Carter (Candlewick)
BAD KITTY GETS A BATH by Nick Bruel (Roaring Brook)
A BEGINNING, A MUDDLE AND AN END by Avi (Harcourt)
THE BIG FIELD by Mike Lupica (Philomel)
BIRD by Zetta Elliott, illustrated by Shadra Strickland (Lee & Low Books)
BRONTE'S BOOK CLUB by Kristiana Gergory (Holiday House)
CABINET OF WONDERS: THE KRONOS CHRONICLES, BOOK I
CHAINS by Laurie Halse Anderson (Simon & Schuster)
CHESS! I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT! by Jamie Gilson, illustrated by Amy Wummer (Clarion)
CHICKEN FEATHERS by Joy Cowley, illustrated by David Elliot (Philomel)*
THE DEEP FREEZE OF BARTHOLOMEW TULLOCK by Alex Williams (Philomel)
DELTORA QUEST by Emily Rodda (Scholastic)
DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT THE WAR by David Adler (Viking)
THE DRAGONFLY POOLby Eva Ibbotson (Dutton)
ELVIS AND OLIVE by Stephanie Watson (Scholastic)
EMMY AND THE HOME FOR TROUBLED GIRLS by Lynne Jonell (Holt)
EON: DRAGONEYE REBORN by Alison Goodman (Viking)
EVERY SOUL A STAR by Wendy Mass (Little, Brown)
THE FOOL AND THE VANISHER by by David and Ruth Ellwand (Candlewick)
THE GOLLYWHOPPER GAMESby Jody Feldman (HarperCollins)
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by David McKean (HarperCollins)
GULLY’S TRAVELS by Tor Seidler, illustrated by Brock Cole (Scholastic)
HECK: WHERE THE BAD KIDS GO by Dale E. Basye (Random House)
INTO THE VOLCANO by Don Wood (Scholastic)
JUST GRACE WALKS THE DOG by Charise Myracle Harper (Houghton Mifflin)
KENNY AND THE DRAGON by Tony DiTerlizzi (Simon & Schuster)
KNUCKLEHEAD: TALL TALES AND ALMOST TRUE STORIES OF GROWING UP SCIESZKA by Jon Scieszka (Viking)
LITTLE AUDREY by Ruth White (Farrar Straus Giroux)
MADAME PAMLEMOUSSE AND HER INCREDIBLE EDIBLES by Rupert Kingfisher , illustrated by Sue Hellard (Bloomsbury)
THE MAGIC HALF by Annie Barrows (Bloomsbury)
MAGICAL KIDS series by Sally Gardner (Dial)
MASTERPIECE by Elise Borach, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (Henry Holt)
MERLIN'S DRAGON by T.A. Barron (Philomel)
MORIBOTO: GUARDIAN OF THE SPIRIT by Nahoko Uehashi (Scholastic)
THE MOSTLY TRUE ADVENTURES OF HOMER P. FIGG by Rodman Philbrick (Scholastic)
MY DAD’S A BIRDMAN by David Almond, illustrated by Polly Dunbar (Candlewick)
THE MYSTERY OF THE FOOL AND THE VANISHER by David and Ruth Ellwand (Candlewick)
NIGHTMARE AT THE BOOK FAIR by Dan Gutman (Simon and Schuster)
OBI, GERBIL ON THE LOOSE by Michael Delaney (Dutton)
OGGIE COODER by Sarah Weeks (Scholastic)
ONE VOICE, PLEASE: FAVORITE READ ALOUD STORIES by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Russell Ayto (Candlewick)
PENINA LEVINE IS A POTATO PANCAKE by Rebecca O'Connell, illustrated by Majella Lue Sue (Roaring Brook)
RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale (Bloomsbury)
THE ROBE OF SKULLS by Vivian French, illustrated by Ross Collins (Candlewick)
RUBY’S IMAGINE by Kim Antieau (Houghton Mifflin)
SAMANTHA HANSEN HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD by Nancy Viau (Amulet)
THE SKY VILLAGE: KAMIRA, BOOK I by Monk and Nigel Ashland, illustrated by Jeff Nentrup (Candlewick)
STINK AND THE GREAT GUINEA PIG EXPRESS by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (Candlewick)
T4 by Ann Clare LeZotte (Houghton Mifflin)
TRACKING DADDY DOWN by Marybeth Kelsey (Greenwillow)
THE TWIN GIANTS by Dick King Smith, illustrated by Mini Grey (Candlewick)
VOSS by David Ives (Putnam)
WHEN THE SERGEANT CAME MARCHING HOME by Don Lemma (Holiday House)*
ZORGAMAZOO by Robert Paul Weston, illustrated by Victor Rivas (Candlewick)

NONFICTION
THE ABC BOOK OF AMERICAN HOMES by Michael Shoulders, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen (Charlesbridge)
ALL ABOUT SLEEP FROM A TO ZZZZ by Elaine Scott, illustrated by John O’Brien (Viking)
ANIMALS CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS SAW: AN ADVENTURE IN THE NEW WORLD and ANIMALS ROBERT SCOTT SAW: AN ADVENTURE IN ANTARCTICA both by Sandra Markle, illustrations by Jamel Akib (Chronicle)
ARTHUR OF ALBION by John Matthews, illustrated by Favel Tatarnikov (Barefoot)
AS GOOD AS ANYBODY: MARTIN LUTHER KING AND ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL'S AMAZING MARCH TOWARD FREEDOM by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Raul Colon (Knopf)
ASHLEY BRYAN: WORDS TO MY LIFE'S SONG by Ashley Bryan (Atheneum)
ASTRONAUT HANDBOOK by Meghan McCarthy (Knopf)
BEFORE JOHN WAS A JAZZ GIANT: A SONG OF JOHN COLTRANE by Carole Boston Weatherford
BIG YELLOW SUNFLOWER by Frances Barry (Candlewick)
THE BOOK OF TIME OUTS: A MOSTLY TRUE HISTORY OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST TROUBLEMAKERS by Deb Lucke (Simon & Schuster)
THE BOOK OF TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS by Sean Connolly (Workman)
BOYS OF STEEL: THE CREATORS OF SUPERMAN by Marc Tyler Nobleman illustrated by Ross Macdonald (Knopf)
THE BILL MARTIN JR. BIG BOOK OF POETRY with Foreword by Eric Carle (Simon and Schuster)
BUFFALO MUSIC by Tracey E. Fern, illustrated by Lauren Castillo (Clarion)
CHARLES DARWIN by Alan Gibbons, illustrated by Lee Brown (Kingfisher)
CHASING LINCOLN’S KILLER by James L. Swanson (Scholastic)
CHILDREN OF THE USA by Maya Ajmera, Yvonne Wakim Dennis, Arlene Hirschfelder and Cynthia Pon (Charlesbridge)
DREAMS TAKING FLIGHT: HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Amy June Bates (Simon and Schuster)
THE DOGGY DUNG DISASTER & OTHER TRUE STORIES: REGULAR
KIDS DOING HEROIC THINGS AROUND THE WORLD by Garth Sundem (Free Spirit) (2006)
ELEPHANTS AND GOLDEN THRONES: INSIDE CHINA’S FORBIDDEN CITY by Trish Marx, illustrated by Ellen Senisi (Abrams)
ELIZABETH LEADS THE WAY by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon (Henry Holt)
ENCYCLOPEDIA MYTHOLOGICA: FAIRIES AND MAGICAL CREATURES by Matthew Reinhardt and Robert Sabuda (Walker Books)
FUN WITH ROMAN NUMERALS by David Adler, illustrated by Edward Miller III (Holiday House)
GREATER ESTIMATIONS by Bruce Goldstone (Holt)
HOME ON THE RANGE: JOHN A. LOMAX AND HIS COWBOY SONGS by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Putnam)
HOW I LEARNED GEOGRAPHY by Uri Shulevitz (Farrar Straus & Giroux)
HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU CATCH A FLY? by Robin Press, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin)
I'LL PASS FOR YOUR COMRADE: WOMEN SOLDIERS IN THE CIVIL WAR by Anita Silvey (Clarion)
INDEPENDENT DAMES: WHAT YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT THE WOMEN AND GIRLS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Matt Faulkner (Simon and Schuster)
KEEPERS: TREASURE HUNT POEMS by John Frank, illustrated by Ken Robbins (Roaring Brook)
LADY LIBERTY: A BIOGRAPHY by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares (Candlewick)
L IS FOR LOLLYGAG: QUIRKY WORDS FOR A CLEVER TONGUE illustrated by Melinda Beck (Chronicle)
THE MAGIC FLUTE: AN OPERA BY MOZART adapted by Kyra Teis (Star Bright)
MANFISH: A STORY OF JACQUES COUSTEAU by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Éric Puybaret (Chronicle)
MANJIRO: THE BOY WHO RISKED HIS LIFE FOR TWO COUNTRIES by Emily Arnold McCully (Farrar, Straus Giroux)
MARGARET CHASE SMITH: A WOMAN FOR PRESIDENT by Lynn Plourde, illustrated by David McPhail (Charlesbridge)
THE MERMAID'S TREASURE by Stephanie True Peters (Dutton)
OH, THEODORE! GUINEA PIG POEMS by Susan Katz, illustrated by Stacey Schuett (Clarion)
OUR WHITE HOUSE: LOOKING IN LOOKING OUT by 108 renowned Authors and Illustrators and the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance (Candlewick)
PALE MALE: CITIZEN HAWK OF NEW YORK CITY by Janet Schulman, illustrated by Meilo So
PHILLIS'S BIG TEST by Catherine Clinton, illustrated by Sean Qualls (Houghton Mifflin)
PORTRAITS OF JEWISH-AMERICAN HEROES by Malka Drucker, illustrated by Elizabeth Rosen (Dutton)
PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DRAGONS by Lisa Trutkoff Trumbauer (Mirrorstone)
PRISCILLA AND THE HOLLYHOCKS by Anne Broyles, illustrated by Anna Alter (Charlesbridge)
RAINING CATS AND DOGS by Will Moses (Philomel)
THE RAUCOUS ROYALS by Carlyn Beccia (Houghton Mifflin)
A RIVER OF WORDS: THE STORY OF WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Eerdmans)
THE ROAD TO OZ: TWISTS, TURNS, BUMPS AND TRIUMPHS IN THE LIFE OF L.FRANK BAUM by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Knopf)
ROCK AND ROLL CAMP FOR GIRLS edited by Marisa Anderson (Chronicle)
SANDY'S CIRCUS: A STORY ABOUT ALEXANDER CALDER by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Boris Kulikov (Viking)
SHE TOUCHED THE WORLD: LAURA BRIDGMAN, DEAF-BLIND PIONEER by Sally Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander (Clarion)
SILENT LETTERS LOUD AND CLEAR by Robin Pulver, illustrated by Lynne Rowe Reed (Holiday House)
SIMMS TABACK’S GREAT BIG BOOK OF SPACEY SNAKEY BUGGY RIDDLES by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg, illustrated by Simms Taback (Viking)
SISTERS & BROTHERS: SIBING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE ANIMAL WORLD by Robin Page, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin)
THE SNOW SHOW by Carolyn Fisher (Harcourt)
SOPHISTICATED LADIES: THE GREAT WOMEN OF JAZZ by Leslie Gourse, illustrated by Martin French (Dutton)
SPOT THE DIFFERENCES by Steven Rosen (Scholastic)
SWORDS: AN ARTIST'S DEVOTION by Ben Boos (Candlewick)
TAP DANCING ON THE ROOF: SIJO (POEMS) by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Istvan Banyai (Clarion)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE CYCLE WITH SPECIAL GUEST DAHLIA THE DRAGONFLY by Heather Lynn Miller, illustrated by Michael Chesworth (Clarion)
THE TRICK OF THE TALE by Tomislav Tomic (Candlewick)
TROUT ARE MADE OF TREES by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Kate Endle (Charlesbridge)
'TWAS THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS: THE STORY OF CLEMENT MOORE'S BELOVED POEM by Brenda Seabrooke, illustrated by Delana Bettoli (Dutton)
TWENTY-ODD DUCKS: WHY, EVERY PUNCTUATION MARK COUNTS! By Lynne Truss, illustrated by Bonnie Timmons (Putnam)
TWO MISERABLE PRESIDENTS: EVERYTHING YOUR SCHOOLBOOKS DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR and KING GEORGE: WHAT WAS HIS PROBLEM? EVERYTHING YOUR SCHOOLBOOKS DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION by Steve Sheinkin, illustrated by Tim Robinson (Roaring Brook)
UNITED TWEETS OF AMERICA: 50 STATE BIRDS, THEIR STORIES, THEIR GLORIES by Hudson Talbott (Putnam)
UP AND DOWN THE ANDES: A PERUVIAN FESTIVAL TALE by Laurie Krebs and Aurélia Fronty (Barefoot)
VOICE FROM AFAR: POEMS OF PEACE by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Susan Guevara (Holiday House)
WANGARI’S TREE OF PEACE by Jeanette Winter (Harcourt)
WANDA GAG: THE GIRL WHO LIVED TO DRAW by Deobrah Kogan Ray (Viking)
THE WAY WE WORK by David Macaulay (Houghton Mifflin)
WE ARE THE SHIP: THE STORY OF NEGRO LEAGUE BASEBALL by Kadir Nelson (Hyperion)
WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE? by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Scholastic)
WHEN I GROW UP by Jessica Loy (Henry Holt)
WINGS by Sneed B. Collard III, illustrated by Robin Brickman (Charlesbridge)
WISH: WISHING TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD by Roseanne Thong, illustrated by Elisa Kleven (Chronicle)
WOE IS I JR.: THE YOUNG GRAMMARPHOBE’S GUIDE TO BETTER ENGLISH by Patricia T. O’Conner (Putnam)

2008 was great, and so far 2009 is proving better than ever! Happy reading, please keep reading, and thanks for your support!

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.
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