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The Definitive List of the Best Children's Fiction Picture Books of 2011: Thankfully Reading and Reviewing the Best of 266 Books Published This Year

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:08:00 +0000

I'm thankfully reading this weekend.

Thank you, Jenn, for this fun event!

All weekend I plan to read and visit others' blogs

and work on this post,

which will eventually become an amazing list

of all the best fiction picture books of 2011.

I have two giveaways going on right now.

I'd invite you to join in either or both.

They are both international.

Gratitude Giveaway: Win a Trip Around the World or a $25 Amazon Gift Card

Readerbuzz's November Giveaway: A $25 Amazon Gift Card

Here are the books I may or may not read this weekend:

Crossed

The Language of Flowers

Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz

Pollyanna

What are you doing?

What are you reading today?

Any thoughts on these books?

Please stop by and leave a comment.

If you leave a comment, I promise to stop by your blog, too.

And, now, here's the list I promised you,

The Best Children's Fiction Picture Books

of 2011

FRIENDSHIP STORIES

Bug and Bear: A Story of True Friendship by Ann Bonwill
Bug wants Bear to play but Bear doesn’t feel like it. Bug tries every trick to talk Bear into playing, but Bug only succeeds in making Bear angry...more

Ella May and the Wishing Stone by Cary Fagan
Ella May discovers a special wishing stone. When her friends want to use her stone, Ella May says it is too special. When they find stones of their ow...more

I Like You the Best by Carol Thompson
Dolly the pig and Jack Rabbit are best friends. They like to play together. One day, when they are painting each other’s picture, the friends quarrel....more

Library Lily by Gillian Shields
Lily loves to read. Milly does not like to read at all. Lily does not like to do anything except read. Milly loves to explore outside. The two girls...more

I'm Here by Peter H. Reynolds
A boy is here, yet no one notices. He’s in his own little world. He likes that. But he is a little lonely, too. Just in time a paper airplane glides...more

The Little Bitty Bakery by Leslie Muir
The pastry chef is exhausted after a long day at work. She goes to bed, sadly, realizing that, although the day was her birthday, she had had no cake...more

Mr. Duck Means Business by Tammi Sauer
Mr. Duck has a routine and he is not a happy camper when his animal friends attempt to disrupt it. All the animals want to play in Mr. Duck’s pond, but...more

Perfect Soup by Lisa Moser
It’s a very cold day and Murray the mouse wants to make a perfect soup. Everybody knows that Perfect Soup has potatoes and corn and tomatoes and carrots. But Murray doesn’t have a carrot. ...more

Ribbit Rabbit by Candace Ryan
A frog and a rabbit are best friends, until they begin to fight. First they fight over small things and then they fight over big things and then they ...more

Scritch-Scratch a Perfect Match by Kimberly Marcus

A flea lands on a stray dog. The dog falls into an old man and they both race for relief to a general store. They discover flea powder and off goes...more

The Sniffles for Bear by Bonny Becker

Bear isn’t just sick; he thinks he is on his last leg. Why, then, isn’t Mouse properly appreciative of the severity of the situation?...more

Willow and the Snow Day Dance by Denise Brennan-Nelson

Willow moves in a new neighborhood and helps create a new spirit of neighborliness with her presence. Even the stoic Mr. Larch can’t resist getting in...more

YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND! by Peter Brown
Lucy wants to find a new friend today. In her enthusiasm, she scares off many potential friends. Finally, just as Lucy is about to give up, a flamingo...more

*You’re Finally Here! by Melanie Watt

The bunny has been waiting for you. (Yes, that’s YOU. You, the reader.) She is very glad you have finally appeared, but she wonders where you have been...more

GOODNIGHT STORIES

Are You Awake? by Sophie Blackall

Edward is awake. It is nighttime. He wakes his mother up and engages her in conversation for a long time...more

Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters by Jane Yolen

Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters is the story of monsters going home from school, eating their supper, taking a bath, even saying their prayers, and...more

Good Night, Chickie by Emile Jadoul

It’s time for bed. Chickie has a hard time going to sleep. His mother hen reassures him. That’s the whole story. A gentle story about...more

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Rinker
One by one, the big machines of the construction site wrap up their work for the day and head for home...more

DISOBEDIENT BUT LOVEABLE

Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael Kaplan

Betty Bunny discovers the wonders of chocolate cake. Sadly, there is no chocolate cake at school and she cannot, she finds, get chocolate cake until...more

Chicken Butt's Back! by Erica S. Perl

A boy and his mom go shopping. Mom warns her son that she will put up with no more Chicken Butt jokes. Nevertheless, the boy manages to engage his mom...more

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas

Three cows are ready for some fun on Chicken’s sofa. They are ready to have fun jumping on Chicken’s sofa. Until Chicken intervenes, They are ready to...more

Merci Mister Dash! by Monica Kulling

Madame Croissant lived a quiet life with her well-mannered dog, Mister Dash, working in her gift shop, and admiring her stamp collection. Until Sunday...more

My Side of the Car by Kate Feiffer

My Side of the Car is the story of a girl finally going to the zoo with her father. On the way, it starts to rain, but the girl refuses to admit that ...more

No Dogs Allowed! by Linda Ashman

A waiter in a Parisian bistro adamantly refuses to serve dogs. Or cats. Or any other animals his human patrons attempt to sneak in. Until finally...more

Not Inside This House! by Kevin Lewis

Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse brings home a bug, but his mother orders him to take the bug out of the house. Livingstone goes outside and...more

Samantha on a Roll by Linda Ashman

Samantha gets some roller skates, but her mother cautions her not to put them on until her mom has time to go with Samantha. Of course, Samantha does...more

OLD STORIES AND SONGS

Aesop's Fables by Beverley NaidooNo review yet

The Boy in the Garden by Allen Say

The Boy in the Garden is really two stories. One is an old folktale about a man who saved a struggling crane from a trap, met and married a young...more

Brother Sun, Sister Moon by Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson offers a revised version of the old prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi, Brother Sun, Sister Moon with beautiful cut-paper...more

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos

The farm maiden stirs up a big pot of arroz con leche with the help of the cabra and the vaca and the pato and the burro in this new version of the...more

Cinderella: An Islamic Tale by Fawzia Gilani
No review yet

The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale by Lucine Kasbarian
A sparrow with a thorn in his foot tricks a baker into giving him some bread, and then exchanges the bread for grander and grander things. But the...more

I Am Tama, Lucky Cat: A Japanese Legend by Wendy Henrichs
I Am Tama tells the ancient story of Tama the lucky cat. Tama was alone in the cold world when he came upon a monastery. Tama sat in the doorway and...more

Light Up the Night by Jean Reidy

A quiet little rhyming story, with the rhythm of This is the House That Jack Built that explains a boy’s spot in the big universe as the boy prepares...more

Mrs. Noah’s Vegetable Ark by Elena Pasquali

When her husband begins herding all the animals in the world into the ark, two by two, Mrs. Noah decides to save the plants in the world from...more

Naamah and the Ark at Night by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Naamah is Noah’s wife and the ark is underway. Every night, Naamah sings to the animals on the ark to keep them calm. The author wrote the text of...more

One Love by Cedella Marley

Yes, it’s that song and it’s been reworked by that songwriter’s daughter (take a second look at her last name if you think I joke.) Like some of...more

Over in the Meadow by Jill McDonald

The classic song about mothers in the meadow with their little ones...more

Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have you Been? by Dan Bar-El

In this version of an old nursery rhyme, Pussycat doesn’t stop with visiting the Queen in London. He travels to many exotic locations and sees many...more

Rapunzel: Based on the Original Story by the Brothers Grimm by Sarah Gibb

Sarah Gibb retells the old story of Rapunzel yet another time, this time with illustrations in which all the highlights, flowers, curtains, clothes...more

The Red Hen by Rebecca Emberley

You know this one. The hen isn’t little and she’s baking a cake, not bread, and it’s the cat and the rat and the frog who aren’t helping her, but you ...more

Seriously, Cinderella Is SO Annoying! The Story of Cinderella as Told by the Wicked Stepmother by Trisha Speed Shaskan
No review yet

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star by Jerry Pinkney
A little chipmunk goes on a journey, guided by the light of a star. Using the words of the traditional children’s song, Pinkney tells a dreamy...more

The Wise Fool by Shahrukh Husain
No review yet

TOO LITTLE

Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld

Cloudette is a little itty-bitty cloud. Generally, Cloudette saw the advantages of being small, like everyone calling her cute names and always being ...more

Little Shepherd's Christmas by Carol Heyer
No review yet

Little Pig Joins the Band by David Hyde Costello
Little Pig didn’t like being little when his family got out their instruments and marched in a band. He is too little to play the instruments. When he...more

Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen
A tiny little fly lights on several African animals, provoking them to try to catch him. None of them succeed and off he flies. A little...more

FICTION THAT IS QUASI-NONFICTION

All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel by Dan Yaccarino
Dan Yaccarino tells the story of his family’s move from Italy to the United States. Everywhere the family goes, they carry their shovel along, and the...more

Border Breakdown: The Fall of the Berlin Wall by Molly Smith
No review yet

The Bravest Woman in America by Marissa Moss
Ida Lewis grows up in a lighthouse and her father, the lighthouse keeper, teaches her how to do all the things those manning a lighthouse must know...more

The Crossing by Donna Napoli
The story of Lewis and Clark’s trip across the country is told by a small baby carried by the team’s guide, Sacagawea...more

Do You Have a Dog? by Eileen Spinelli
This book, the latest combined effort of Spinelli and Valerio, takes a look at famous dogs in history, a topic that has been little studied or written...more

Doggy Whys? by Lila Prap
Lila Prap has written another wonderful informational picture book, this time about dogs. Like she often does, Prap begins each double page with a...more

Dogs Don't Eat Jam and Other Things Big Kids Know by Sarah Tsiang and Qin Leng
No review yet

Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell
Me…Jane is a short biography of the childhood of Jane Goodall, who loved animals as a child and grew up to study chimpanzees as an adult. The bio...more

Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite by Anna Harwell Celenza
No review yet

The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont by Victoria Griffith
No review yet

The Great Moon Hoax by Stephen Krensky
Two young newsboys depend on their day-to-day survival by selling newspapers. The two boys are overjoyed when the paper they sell, The Sun, begins a...more

The Honeybee Man by Lela Nargi
Fred takes care of his bees in Brooklyn. This little picture book is filled with facts about those who care for honeybees and honeybees themselves...more

Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile by Gloria Houston
Gloria Houston tells the true story of one of her personal heroes, Dorothy Thomas. Dorothy wanted to be a librarian in a big brick library, but...more

The Ocean Story by John Seven

As a boy and his grandfather walk along the beach, the grandfather tells the little boy the story of the ocean and the water cycle. The grandfather...more

Passing the Music Down by Sarah Sullivan

A boy with a gift for the fiddle is taken many miles away to an old time fiddler for lessons. The boy learns many things from the old fiddler...more

Play Ball, Jackie! by Stephen Krensky
Matty’s father gets free tickets to the baseball game. It’s the first game of the Dodgers’ new first baseman, Jackie Robinson. Many white people don’t...more

Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Sa, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist by Gina Capaldi

In this paraphrase of original texts by Red Bird, author Gina Capaldi retells the stories of this Native American girl who grew up between the world...more

Running With the Horses by Alison Lester

Running with Horses is a fictional story about the rescue of the Lipizzaner stallions from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna during World War II. In...more

Soccer Dreams: Playing the Seattle Sounders FC Way by Clare Hodgson Meeker

Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown

Ana only has one book. She has read it so many times that she knows it word for word. She wishes she had another book, but, since her teacher has left...more

Walking Home to Rosie Lee by A. LaFaye
“War’s over. Government say we free. Folks be on the move. Getting the feel for freedom. Not me. I’m looking for my mama, Rosie Lee.”...more

Wallie Exercises by Steve Ettinger

We're Off to Make 'Umrah by Sana Munshey
A boy and his sister and parents head off to spend time engaging in their spiritual practices. This little thin book outlines the key events in a...more

What to Expect When You're Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents (And Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos
The author of this informational text has cleverly fashioned her book into an information guide for new insect parents. The writing is child-friendly...more

Wagons Ho! by George Hallowell

The story of a family moving from Missouri to Oregon in 1846 and now, is told in two parallel journals that invite comparison and contrast. The ways...more

Lipman Pike: America's First Home Run King by Richard Michelson
It seemed like everyone in Brooklyn was playing Base, a wonderful ball game. The Pike family wanted their son, Lipman to succeed in school and so...more

DRESSES AND SHOES AND PINK THINGS

Birdie’s Big-Girl Dress by Sujean Rim
Birdie’s birthday is coming and she wants to have a special dress to wear for her party. But, though she tries on many, many dresses, Birdie doesn’t...more

Dog in Boots by Greg Gormley
Dog sees the impressive Puss in Boots and decides that boots are the thing he is missing in his life. He heads off to the shoemaker, but what kind of ...more

Penny Loves Pink by Cori Doerrfeld
Penny loves pink. But she’s worried when she thinks about her new baby brother because she knows that boys are blue. She’s tickled pink to learn that ...more

Shoe-La-La! by Karen Beaumont

Four girls are looking for new party shoes. They go to the shoe store and try on shoe after shoe. Finally, it is time for the store to close. The girl...more

Shoes for Me! by Sue Fliess
Hippo needs new shoes. Her mom lets her choose the ones she wants. After she tries on every pair in the store, Hippo finally finds the shoes she likes...more

The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage by Julie Andrews
“Hi! I’m Geraldine. I’m a fairy princess. I know that I’m a fairy princess
because I FEEL it inside---a sparkly feel...more

BOOKS WITH INTERESTING FORMATS

Your Mommy Was Just Like You by Kelly Bennett

11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offill
Dear Tabby by Carolyn Crimi

Love, Mouserella by David Ezra Stein

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett

FEELINGS

Rain Brings Frogs: A Little Book of Hope by Maryann Cocca-Leffl

Too Shy for Show-and-Tell by Beth Bracken

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle

FOR THE YOUNGEST
Dream by Adam Montierth
I Believe in You by Marianne Richmond
The I'M NOT SCARED Book by Todd Parr

Baby Says “Moo!” by Joann Early Macken

Little Chicken's Big Day by Jerry Davis

Mine! by Shutta CrumMitchell’s License
Mitchell's License by Hallie Durand

HILARIOUS

Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond
Doodleday by Ross Collins

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

More Bears! by Kenn Nesbitt

BOOKS WITH APPEAL FOR GRANDPARENTS
(AND OTHER GROWNUPS)
Back to School Tortoise by Lucy M. George
Butterfly Tree by Sandra Markle
Cinnamon Baby by Nicola Winstanley
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Grandpa, I Want to Be a Conductor Someday! by Andrew Aiton
Hot, Hot Roti for Dada-ji by F. Zia
I Remember When... by Dawn Wynne

Substitute Creature by Chris Gall

Sweet Moon Baby: An Adoption Tale by Karen Henry Clark
These Hands by Margaret H. Mason

GOING AWAY AND COMING BACK
Along a Long Road by Frank VivaLeap Back Home to Me

Animals Home Alone by Loes Riphagen

Follow Me by Tricia Tusa

Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat by Philip Stead
Ladder to the Moon by Maya Soetoro-Ng
Leap Back Home to Me by Lauren Thompson

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes

Love Waves by Rosemary Wells

Pirate Boy by Eve Bunting
The Queen of France by Tim Wadham
Singing Away the Dark by Caroline Woodward

Where Does My Dadda Go? by Lara Kimbrell

Where's Walrus? by Stephen Savage

I-SPY AND OTHER NON-NARRATIVE BOOKS
Dot by Patricia Intriago
I Spy with My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs
Look! A Book! by Bob Staake
Perfect Square by Michael Hall

Press Here by Herve Tullet
Questions, Questions by Marcus Pfister

LIST BOOKS

Cars Galore by Peter Stein
I Like Cats by Anushka Ravishankar

People by Blexbolex
Picture a Tree by Barbara ReidA Primer About the Flag by Marvin Bell

Stars by Mary Lyn Ray

The Loud Book! by Deborah Underwood

FAMILIES WORKING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS

999 Tadpoles by Ken Kimura
Blackout by John Rocco
A Few Blocks by Cybèle Young

Hurry Down to Derry Fair by Dori Chaconas

I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn

The Big Snuggle-Up by Brian Patten

The Money We'll Save by Brock Cole
Tia Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina

MESSY
Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman

Hogwash! by Karma Wilson

Mudkin by Stephen Gammell

CONSTRUCTION
Job Site by Nathan Clement
Road Work Ahead by Anastasia Suen

BIG TROUBLES

The Busy Life of Ernestine Buckmeister by Linda Ravin Lodding

Dear Baobab by Cheryl Foggo

Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson
The Secret River by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

The Savvy Cyber Kids at Home: The Defeat of the Cyber Bully by Ben Halpert

Summer Jackson: Grown Up by Teresa E. Harris

The Snow Blew Inn by Dian Regan

Tashi and the Tibetan Flower Cure by Naomi C. Rose
The Twins’ Blanket by Hyewon Yum
White Water by Michael S. Bandy

ABC BOOKS / SOUNDS / EARLY READERS
Balloon Toons: Zoe and Robot, Let's Pretend by Ryan Sias
Boy, Bird, and Dog by David McPhail

Caveman, A B.C. Story by Janee Trasler

If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk

Maxwell Moose’s Mountain Monster by Barbara deRubertis

NEW FAIRY TALES AND SONGS
King Hugo's Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen
The Princess and the Pig by Jonathan EmmettLola’s Fandango?
ZooZical by Judy Sierra

SPECIAL TOYS
Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! by Mo Willems
I Must Have Bobo! by Eileen Rosenthal
My Bear Griz by Suzanne McGinness

PETS OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER

My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee
A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid

Pig Kahuna by Jennifer Sattler

Reading to Peanut by Leda Schubert

Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw

Samson's Tale by Carla Mooney

DOGS WHO DIE
Bone Dog by Eric Rohmann
Harry & Hopper by Margaret Wild

Sammy in the Sky by Barbara Walsh

DRAGONS, FOXES, AND OTHER SCARY CREATURES
Argus by Michelle Knudsen
Boogie Monster by Josie Bissett
Foxy and Egg by Alex T. Smith
I’m a Shark by Bob Shea
Jam & Honey by Melita Morales
Little Owl's Night by Divya Srinivasan

Pirate vs. Pirate: The Terrific Tale of a Big, Blustery Maritime Match by Mary Quattlebaum

When a Dragon Moves In by Jodi Moore
Wiener Wolf by Jeff Crosby

CLASSIC CHILDREN'S BOOK CHARACTERS
Arthur Turns Green by Marc Brown
Bear's Birthday by Stella Blackstone

Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad by Jacky Davis

Across America: Postcards From the Vacation by Mark Teague

Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Seaside Shenanigans by Chris Monroe

Llama Llama Home with Mama by Anna Dewdney

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin

Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party by Melanie Watt

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man by Michael Chabon
Big Bouffant by Kate Hosford

The Ballad of Booster Bogg by Ellen Jackson

Buglette, the Messy Sleeper by Bethanie Murguia

King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match by Monica Brown
Meena by Sine van Mol
Otto Carrotto by Chiara Carrer
Phoebe Goes To Earth (Volume 1) by Demetrice T Jefferson
Red Wagon by Renata Liwska
Square Cat by Elizabeth Schoonmaker
Ten for Me by Barbara Mariconda
That’s How! by Christoph Niemann
Willy by Geert De Kockere

CHAMELEONS
Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett

Chamelia by Ethan Long

HOLIDAYS / SEASONS

April Fool, Phyllis! by Susanna Leonard Hill
Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox by Susan Blackaby
Fall Mixed Up by Bob Raczka
Haunted House, Haunted Mouse by Judy Cox
Seasons by Anne Crausaz

There are no rules to the weekend, we’re simply hoping to devote a good amount of time to reading, and perhaps meeting some of our reading challenges and goals for 2011. We thought it’d be fun if we cheered each other on a bit. If you think you can join in, grab the button and sign on to Mr. Linky. If you don’t have a blog, you can sign up in the comments! During the weekend, come back and link any Thankfully Reading Weekend posts to the Mr. Linky we’ll put up here on Friday, November 25. Feel free to link as many posts as you’d like. On Sunday will put up another Mr. Linky for your wrap-up post. We’ll also be checking in on Twitter using hashtag #thankfulreading. Join in for the weekend or for only a single day. No rules, no pressure! This year, we will be doing some fun Thankfully Reading mini-challenges over the weekend.

Top Ten Authors I'd Love To Have At My Thanksgiving Feast

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:30:00 +0000

Mo Willems (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!)

Lois Lowry (The Giver)

Katherine Paterson (The Great Gilly Hopkins)

E. B. White (Charlotte's Web and many books of essays for adults)

Cynthia Rylant (The Relatives Came; The Wonderful Happens)

William Steig (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble)

Kate DiCamillo (Because of Winn-Dixie; Tale of Despereaux)

Roald Dahl (The BFG; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

C. S. Lewis (Narnia books)

Mark Twain (Tom Sawyer; Huck Finn)

Who would you choose?

What about children's authors?

Any suggestions for my party?

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:30:00 +0000

What I'm Reading Now :-)

What I Finished Last Week :-(

I couldn’t wait to read The Tiger’s Wife.

I’d read a thousand rave reviews on a thousand blogs and

I knew it was going to be the best book of the year.

Sadly, it wasn't....more

I have always respected Paul Farmer and

his tireless, selfless medical work in Haiti.

I have now learned, after listening to fourteen hours

(yes, that’s fourteen hours!) of these CDs

that just because you are a wonderful human being,

you are not necessarily a wonderful writer....more

I was not expecting much out of this book.

I knew it was going to be a romance,

and I'm not much for romances.

But it got better as I went along....more

What are you reading today?!

And don't forget!

The November Giveaway here at Readerbuzz is...

...a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

And it's international!

I'm also participating in

Gratitude Giveaways

from November 17 to November 27!

And what am I giving away?

A trip around the world!

And another $25 Amazon gift card!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme Book Journey loves to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. Book Journey offers a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited.

Gratitude Giveaways! Win a Trip Around the World or a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:01:00 +0000

Thank you for following my blog!

To thank you, my wonderful readers,

I have a giveaway every month.

In November, I am giving away a $25 Amazon gift card!

It's international!

This month, in addition to my monthly giveaway,

I am participating in the Gratitude Giveaways.

I will be giving away a Trip Around the World!

(I'm giving away a beautiful copy of

A Year of Adventures!)

This will be US only, please.

I will also be giving away

a second $25 Amazon gift card!

It is international!

To win the Gratitude Giveaways Amazon gift card,

You must follow me and

leave a comment here

that tells me if you'd like to win the Trip Around the World
and/or the gift card and includes an e-mail address

(posted in an elusive way to thwart the wicked).

And that's it!

Thank you so much for following my little book blog.
I am thankful for each one of you!

Top Ten Books That Have Been On My Shelf For The Longest But I've Never Read

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:30:00 +0000

My dusty books fall into a couple of categories:

1. "I loved one book this author wrote, so I'm sure I'll love others."

Babel Tower by A. S. Byatt

I bought this after I read and loved Byatt's Possession.

It sits on my shelf, glaring at me.

All 640 pages.

The Orange Fish by Carol Shields

Acquired after I read and loved The Box Garden and Happenstance.

I really don't think I've even opened this book.

And it's not that daunting in size.

Belles on Their Toes by Frank Gilbreth, Jr.

Cheaper by the Dozen was fabulous,

so surely I will love its sequel, I thought.

Not enough to actually open the book

and start reading it, apparently.

World Without End by Ken Follett

(Sequel to Pillars of the Earth)

Do you see a pattern here?

Note to self: Just because you like one book

an author wrote does NOT mean you will

like others of said author.

2. "Everybody else loves this author, so I'm sure I will, too."

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Paper Towns

After reading a hundred blog posts about the fabulousness of John Green,

in a crazed, I-must-buy-John-Green's-entire-oeuvre state,

I did exactly that, Looking for Alaska and these two books.

I read Looking for Alaska first and

it wasn't the torrid love affair with John Green I'd envisioned.

Consequently, these two books sit unopened.

Turtle Moon and Here on Earth

Everything I read about Alice Hoffman books says

I should love them.

I don't know why,

but I don't.

Why, then,

do I continue to buy them?

3. "This is a book I must read if I'm to call myself a real reader."

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Not one, but two copies of this book

sit unopened on my shelf.

(In my defense, I will note that the two copies

have entirely different covers.)

And there are probably a hundred more in this category

that have sat on my shelf forever.

Wuthering Heights...

Middlemarch...

War and Peace...

Anna Karenina...

The Portrait of a Lady...

Mansfield Park...

Moby Dick...

As I Lay Dying....

I must clear these off my shelves

and admit defeat.

And don't forget!
I'd love to have you enter
the November Giveaway here at Readerbuzz...

...a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

And it's international!

TSS. Reading 264 Children's Books. Thoughts on Being a Cybils Fiction Picture Book Judge

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:53:00 +0000

Reading 264 Children’s Books

Thoughts on Being a Cybils Fiction Picture Book Judge

I’ve got 58 books in the hatchback of my Yaris. I hope to pick up six more this week.

I’m on a quest to read 264 books before Christmas. My plan, my hope, is to read and review every book and to share the best of these with a real live audience of children.

So far, I’ve read 179 books. Which sounds good until you consider that I’ve still got 85 more books to obtain and read.

So far, I’ve reviewed 119 books. Which sounds good until you consider that I’ve still got 60 more reviews to write just to cover the books I’ve read so far. Whew.

I knew what I was getting into when I signed on for this job.

This is my fifth year as a Cybils judge. However, in the past, I've judged the nonfiction Cybils picture book category. Eighty nominees to read and review seemed challenging at the time. But set that stack of 80 nonfiction books next to my stack of 264 books in the fiction category and you'll see that this year is a bit more daunting.

Maybe I'll have time over the Thanksgiving holidays to actually share some of these amazing children's picture books with you. I can't wait.

What are you reading today? Any personal challenges you're desperately trying to finish before year's end?

And don't forget!

I'd love to have you enter
the November Giveaway here at Readerbuzz...

...a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

And it's international!

Ten Books That I Read That Were Outside Of My Comfort Zone

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:30:00 +0000

Ten Books That I Read That Were

Outside of My Comfort Zone:

How far outside: Extremely far out

Why? Violence, war

Final opinion: One of the best books I've ever read.

How far outside: Very far

Why? Violence, anarchy, anomie

Final opinion: Very glad I read this book.

How far outside: Very far out.

Why? Swordplay, politics of the time, erudite vocabulary

Final opinion: Don't be afraid to read this book

How far ouside: Very far out

Why? Extreme violence

Final opinion: Not my cuppa tea.

How far outside: Somewhat far out

Why? Male protagonists, Western genre

Final opinion: An okay read.

How far outside: Somewhat far out.

Why? Text is in Spanish.

Final opinion: Happy I was able to complete this.

How far outside: Very far outside.

Why? Violence, cruel treatment of women and the powerless

by the powerful in the society

Final opinion: Well written. Compelling plot.

How far outside: Somewhat far out

Why? It's all about science,

and that's not my favorite subject.

Final opinion: Fabulous read.

How far outside: Very far outside

Why? Graphic novel format, violence

Final opinion: Meh

How far outside: Quite far outside

Why? Male protagonists, violence, mistreatment of women

Final opinion: Don't bother.

Don't forget!

The November Giveaway here at Readerbuzz is...

...a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

And it's international!

Readerbuzz's November Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:52:00 +0000

I'm happy to announce

Readerbuzz's November Giveaway!

Win an Amazon Gift Card!

(This is open to bloggers anywhere Amazon can ship!)

Rules for the Readerbuzz's November Giveaway are simple:

(1) You must follow me.

(2) You must leave a comment here

that expresses your interest in this giveaway

and includes an e-mail address

(posted in an elusive way to thwart the wicked).

BONUS:
If you really, really want to win this giftcard,

you are welcome to receive extra entries by:

Following me at Twitter

and leaving a comment +1

Befriending me at Goodreads

and leaving a comment +1

Befriending me at Facebook

and leaving a comment +1

I will leave this giveaway open until November 30th.

Good luck!

Readerbuzz's November Giveaway is scheduled to begin on November 1st at 12:01 am EST

and end on November 30th at 11:59 pm EST.

Top Ten Books I Hated, Loathed, and Otherwise Abhorred

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:30:00 +0000

I'm stepping on toes this week.

Please forgive me if I step on yours.

No harm intended.

Here goes...

Is this the worst book I've ever read?
Yes, I believe it is. As I was reading I kept thinking,
Someone published...more

I hit a low point in my reading life when I read this book.
I cannot believe that I not only started,
but actually...more

The best thing about this book is the
title. Middle-aged woman is abandoned
by her husband ...more

Let me see if I can explain the tedious plot
of this book without becoming horribly tedious myself.

DeLillo describes every

detail of the breakfast...more

Awful...I absolutely hated this book. I finished it, feeling horrible inside,

feeling like I'd read something profane. However, my friend, K---, loved it,

especially what she called "its spiritual overtones"! Go figure! ...more

This is one of those books that many, many people

name as the best book ever written.

Not me. I hated this book. Loathed it. Wanted to set it on fire...more

Do I really have to tell you why I hated this book?

It is obvious, I think, to anyone who is more than a casual reader

that this book is profoundly awful...more

I've really done it now. I'll never be Librarian of the Year

if I hate the Bible of librarians, now will I? ...more

I could go on and on...

those sickly sweet children's picture books with cute animal characters...

boy-meets-girl-and-they-hate-each-other-at-first-but-suddenly-

realize-it's-not-hate-but-love-they-feel...

textbooks of every sort...

literary novels full of beautiful and clever phrases and nothing else,

written by 23-year-olds who haven't even had their first child...

self-help books aimed at the miserable who are so desperate

for relief that they will pay yet another $25 for yet another book

that tells you to get out there and make friends...

Whew. I'm ranting a bit, I think, but I'm stopping now.

Tell me, what books do you hate?

Sunday Salon, Where Author Kate DiCamillo Tells How She Became a Writer....

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Did I tell you that I have committed to reading and reviewing 264 children's picture books between now and Christmas? Did I tell you that I spent the entire last weekend in heaven, otherwise known as the Texas Book Festival? Did I tell you that I'm working on a lovely post about all the amazing authors I met last weekend, but that there is no way I'll finish that lovely post in time to actually publish it today? Did I tell you that this week was Dress-Up-as-Your-Favorite-Book-Character week at school and that I spent all week helping the 600 four-to-eight-year-olds at my school figure out what character to be and what costume to wear and what book to carry during the parade? I probably don't even have to tell you that I ran out of Transformer books and princess books on Monday and that by Thursday morning, just before the schoolwide Book Character Parade, I was handing children copies of any book that was still left on the shelf, mostly the two hundred Margaret Hillert early readers from 1963, and telling bewildered children there was a princess in there somewhere, there was a superhero somewhere, I was sure of it, just take it with you for the parade....

Yes, I'm a little tired today.

So, just for today, I'm not writing a Sunday Salon. Instead, I'm posting this little video I took of author Kate DiCamillo at the Texas Book Festival, where she tells how she became a writer, because it's a nice little story and you'll enjoy it, while I go back to bed and get some rest....

Top Ten Books with Intriguing Titles

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:30:00 +0000

I buy many books because they have great titles,

including these:

Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You

When the Air Hits Your Brain:

Tales of Neurosurgery

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

Hank the Cowdog and the Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse

Love, Loss, and What I Wore

How Reading Changed My Life

Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America

The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs

Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside

Poser: My Life in Twenty-three Yoga Poses

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage:

Lessons for People from Animals and Their Trainers

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar:

Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes

If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote,

They'd Have Given Us Candidates

Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?

The Polysyllabic Spree

Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading:

Finding and Losing Myself in Books

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

Enslaved by Ducks

Everything Bad is Good for You

To Say Nothing of the Dog

Are you like me?
Have you chosen books just for their titles?

And I'd also invite you to sign up for

the Readerbuzz October Giveaway!

This month,

I'll be giving away a lovely copy of

the book Matched!

Sunday Salon: The Principles of Uncertainty

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:22:00 +0000

JUGGLING
I am the girl who loves juggling the beautiful colored balls. See them now, way up in the air. The big red ball. The little yellow ball. The sparkling silver ball. My favorite, the blue ball with white stripes. See me juggling. They are all in the air, spinning, around and around. We are moving. We are alive. It's magic. Beautiful.

I am also the girl who loves the moment when all the beautiful colored balls fall to the old wooden floor, with the last bits of sunlight shining desperately under the blue curtains, the balls still spinning, rolling to a stop under the table, behind the bookcase, next to the five-panel door. A tiny beautiful moment. But then, quickly, before the anxiety sets in, I want the balls back in the air.

I like the juggling more than the stopping. But just for this week, I'm going to let all my juggling balls sit there on the floor and I'm going look at this beautiful moment and resist the urge to put them all back into the air. It's tricky.

THE PRINCIPLES OF UNCERTAINTY
I read a book this week. In truth, I reread a book. For me, that's quite remarkable.

I reread The Principles of Uncertainty. It's a picture book, really. A picture book for grownups. Maira Kalman writes and paints. She feels anguish and pain and thinks about Dostoevsky's epilepsy and alcoholism and gambling addiction and chronic debt. She shares with us, her readers, paintings she makes of people she sees in New York and beautiful food and surprising hats. I like her best when she wearies of thinking and suggests a trip to Paris instead.

Maira Kalman is really good at looking at all the beautiful juggling balls that have fallen on the old wooden floor, with the last bits of sunlight shining desperately under the blue curtains. She looks at each juggling ball carefully, and points out the little crack in the big red ball and wonders if it got the crack when the cat was batting the red ball around the dining room. Kalman notes that the little yellow ball stopped next to the five-panel door and shares with us the story that the five-panel door was scavenged from a construction site where workmen were using a wrecking ball on an old Victorian home in downtown Houston. We like knowing that. She tells us that the silver ball is slightly lopsided, but that, too, seems to be okay. She also likes best the blue ball with the white stripes and that is satisfying.

Maira Kalman, unlike me, seems to be able to look for hours and hours at these beautiful balls on the floor, reflecting on the way the final bits of sunlight fall on the shiny silver ball, questioning what might happen if a husband might step on the yellow ball in the night on his way to the bathroom, remarking on the beauty of the scar in the old wooden floor where someone once dropped an iron. And, if things get too anxious and tense, there is always Paris.

It is nice, sometimes, to sit and look at the juggling balls, still on the wooden floor.

Top Ten Children's Picture Books I Wish I Could Read for the Very First Time (But Which I Fear I'll Never Be Able to Read*)

noreply@blogger.com (Deb Nance at Readerbuzz) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:57:00 +0000

Top Ten Children's Picture Books
I Wish I Could Read for the Very First Time

(But Which I Fear I'll Never Be Able to Read*)

I'm trying to read all 1001 of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. All of these are out of print in the US and impossible to find at the public library. So far, I have not been able to read any of these.

I hope a publisher out there is reading this.

Little Brown Bear by Claude Lebrun

Little Spook's Baby Sister

by Inger Sandberg

Julian the Rabbit by Nicoletta Costa

(I couldn't even find a photo of this one!)

Bunny Bath by Lena Anderson

Tatu and Paty in Helsinki by Aino Havukainen

(Another book for which I could find no photo)

Okilele by Claude Ponti

Fire-Engine Lil by Janet McLean

Pancakes for Findus by Sven Nordqvist

Postman Pat's Treasure Hunt by John A. Cunliffe

Leo and Popi by Marie-Agnes Gaudrat

Don't you think these should be widely available?!

*I modified the prompt to suit my own purposes.

And I'd also invite you to sign up for

the Readerbuzz October Giveaway!

This month,

I'll be giving away a lovely copy of

the book Matched!

readerbuzz

The Definitive List of the Best Children's Fiction Picture Books of 2011: Thankfully Reading and Reviewing the Best of 266 Books Published This Year

Top Ten Authors I'd Love To Have At My Thanksgiving Feast

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Gratitude Giveaways! Win a Trip Around the World or a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate!

Top Ten Books That Have Been On My Shelf For The Longest But I've Never Read

TSS. Reading 264 Children's Books. Thoughts on Being a Cybils Fiction Picture Book Judge

Ten Books That I Read That Were Outside Of My Comfort Zone

Readerbuzz's November Giveaway!

Top Ten Books I Hated, Loathed, and Otherwise Abhorred

Sunday Salon, Where Author Kate DiCamillo Tells How She Became a Writer....

Top Ten Books To Read During Halloween

Top Ten Books with Intriguing Titles

Sunday Salon: The Principles of Uncertainty

Top Ten Children's Picture Books I Wish I Could Read for the Very First Time (But Which I Fear I'll Never Be Able to Read*)