A Summer of Silk Moths by Margaret Willey

Seventeen-year-old Pete enjoys his predictable life. It's summer and he's helping his friend Abe at the nature preserve. Enter Nora, Abe's long lost niece. This girl has serious problems. She and Pete don't get along at all. Moths, secrets, and animosity make for an interesting summer in Michigan.

What I thought: I can appreciate Willey's love for Gene Stratton Porter's A Girl of the Limberlost. In high school, it was one of my favorites as well. Distinct similarities exist between it and this tribute--secrets, love of nature, and coming of age. I like that Pete is our narrator. If I'm not mistaken A Girl of the Limberlost was third-person narration. (On a side note, there are entirely too many female narrated books out there. Hearing from a guy is always refreshing.) Pete as narrator ranks right up there with Tyler in Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted and Ethan in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's Beautiful Creatures. The book reminded me a bit of Melina Marchetta's Jellicoe Road only less complicated and easier to understand. To deal with the present, you have to resolve the past. In short, I liked A Summer of Silk Moths. I wouldn't mind reading other books by Margaret Willey.

(Woodbury, MN: Flux, 2009)

Over My Dead Body by Kate Klise

(Book 2 in the 43 Old Cemetery Road Series)

Things are great at 43 Old Cemetery Road in Ghastly, IL. Mr. Grumpley, Olive, and Seymour have formed their own publishing company and plan to release the next three chapters of their book by Halloween. Their plans go awry when an anonymous someone sends a letter to Mr. Dick Tater. He declares the living arrangements at 43 Old Cemetery Road unsuitable. (Remember, Seymour's parents left him to the care of whoever rented the house. That would be Mr. G--old and grumpy. And don't forget, although she's a lovely woman, Olive is also a ghost.) Mr. Grumpley is carted off to the lunatic asylum and Seymour is packed off to the orphanage. Can the three reunite and meet their deadline?

What I thought: Another great book in this series. Funny and fast-paced. Also raises some thought-provoking questions. For example, what constitutes a family? I look forward to reading more about Mr. Grumpley, Olive, and Seymour in future books. As always, M. Sarah Klise's illustrations are top notch.

(Illus. M. Sarah Klise. Boston: Harcourt, 2009)

Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black

Bear wants to reach the honey at the top of the tree. The problem: He's not tall enough. The solution: He stacks various other animals on top of one another until they reach the honey. Another problem: He forgot to take the bees into account!

What I thought: Hilarious in its simplicity. No more than 5 or 6 words on each page. The illustrations are great--colorful without being overpowering. Keep your eyes on the ants. I never realized there could so many ways to refer to your rear without being rude.

Story Time Idea: Pair with My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann.

(Illus. Kevin Hawkes. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2009.)

Look What I Got in the Mail!

That's right! I received an ARC of Linger in the mail. This is book 2 in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. It's due out in July. Luckily, I get to read it now. Many thanks to the publisher for sending me the ARC.

Amelia Bedelia's First Valentine by Herman Parish

Amelia Bedelia is excited about Valentine's Day. She has cards for all her friends even though she doesn't quite understand the messages (Nuts 4 You, Sealed with a Kiss). Disaster strikes when she leaves her cards on the bus. Amelia Bedelia thinks on her feet and puts some playing cards to good use.

What I thought: Amelia Bedelia is delightful as always. I love how she takes everything literally. This story will be great for a school age Valentine's Day story time.

Craft Idea: Have the kids make valentines out of playing cards like Ameila Bedelia does.

(Illus. Lynne Arvil. New York: GreenWillow, 2009)

Book by Book by Cindy Hudson

Subtitle: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs
(Berkley, CA: Seal Press, 2009)

I believe the subtitle says it all about this book. 21 chapters are divided into 3 subsections

Part 1- A New Chapter: How To Get Your Club Started
Part 2- Turning the Page: Keeping Your Club Thriving
Part 3- Getting Over the Bumps: How to Handle Typical Club Challenges

The book also includes 3 useful appendices: where to find books, books for your book club (an annotated list divided into age groups), and recipes.

Cindy Hudson has the experience and thus the expertise to write this book. She belongs to two mother-daughter book clubs--one with each daughter. This book is one of the best I've read about starting and maintaining a book club. Though it specifically deals with mother-daughter book clubs, I think any book club would find Book by Book a valuable resource. I liked that Cindy mentioned new technologies (i.e. Web 2.0--GoodReads, Facebook, Skype) and spoke fondly of libraries and librarians in the course of her book.

I was lucky enough to win this copy of Book by Book in a blog giveaway. My desire to read it comes from my profession. As a librarian, I may be called on to support mother-daughter book clubs. Reading this book strengthened my ability to do so. I'll be passing Book by Book along to a cousin. She has a ten-year-old daughter who is an avid reader. Wouldn't it be great to have a mother-daughter book club in the family?

Moose on the Loose by Kathy-Jo Wargin

Just what would you do with a moose on the loose? Would you invite him in? Then what?

What I thought: Terrific! This book is a hit. The text reminds me a little of Dr. Seuss only easier to read aloud. The book is funny and engaging. All the questions make it interactive and perfect for story time. The illustrations are great. Soft colors and 2 page spreads that really show off the moose's size.

Story Time Idea: Pair with Laura Numeroff's If You Give a Moose a Muffin for a "moose-tastic" story time!

(Illus. John Bendall-Brunello. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2009)