Audiobooks

If you like listening to audiobooks here are a few you may want to hear:

The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles, Narrated by Kate Jackson. Aurora County is the Book Buddies April book selection and this audio version is spectacular. I can't think of a better choice than Kate Jackson to bring the people of Aurora County to life. (Those of us old enough will remember Kate Jackson from Charlie's Angels fame and later from the great '80s TV series Scarecrow and Mrs. King.) Request this audiobook through the library here.

A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements, Narrated by Ron Livingston. Woods is a terrific book and Ron Livingston is the perfect narrator to give voices to the main characters, Mr. Maxwell and Mark Chelmsley. I've personally always been a little on the fence about audiobooks - most of the time I'd just rather read the book. But Ron Livingston made me a convert and I'm sad to say, I've yet to find another audiobook that he's done.
Request this audiobook through the library here.

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis, Narrated by Mamie Gummer. I liked Emma-Jean so much that I am seriously considering this one as a possible book club selection for next year. Mamie Gummer does a fantastic job keeping all of the characters separate and giving each their own "voice." She is on her way to becoming as much of a talent as her famous mom, Meryl Streep. Request this audiobook through the library here.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, Narrated by Jim Dale. Mr. Dale is actually the narrator of all of the Harry Potter audiobooks and I'm told that listening to him is an experience like no other. I've not actually had a chance to listen to any of the Harry Potters (although of course, I've read them all) but my friends and fellow librarians tell me that the narration is incredible and that even if you've read the books it's worth it to listen to them again because it's like experiencing Harry's world in a totally different way. Mr. Dale has won numerous awards for his efforts including a Grammy Award in 2008 for Deathly Hallows. This audiobook is available in the Children's Department at the Newport Public Library so come get it today!

I will continue to listen to audiobooks as I drive to and from work (I have a bit of a commute) and as I find ones I really like, I'll let you know. 'Til next time, happy listening!

Artist Marla Frazee

Marla Frazee is the artist behind the cover of The Aurora County All-Stars. She is also the artist of this years Rhode Island Children's Book Award winner, Clementine by Sara Pennypacker and many other picture books and children's fiction books. She has a great website with lots of information about her art.

Also check out this recent interview with her here.

Author Deborah Wiles

Deborah Wiles is the very talented author of The Aurora County All-Stars. Check out here website (be sure to read her Life Notice while you're there) and her blog, One Pomegranate.

There's also a great Aurora County interview with her here.

Read-A-Palooza Event

This morning, I had the priviledge of attending the first (and hopefully annual) Read-A-Palooza event at Thompson Middle School in Newport. Lisa Olaynack, a fantastic 6th grade teacher at Thompson, organized this event to celebrate young adult book readers and authors. She invited representatives from Reading is Fundamental (who provided free books to all 160 sixth graders in attendance) and librarians from the Redwood Library and the Newport Public Library. (I went representing the Children's Department as did our YA Librarian, Kathy Fitzgerald). I had the chance to talk about the Book Buddies Book Club and specifically our Book Buddies Blog which is not restricted to book club members, but is open to anyone interested in books and reading. (I encourage people to post comments and write book reviews!) Author Ann Hood was also there to discuss her new young adult novel, How I Saved My Father's Life (And Ruined Everything Else). She also signed books and took questions from the students. It is always such a thrill when an author agrees to meet with young people and talk with them about their work and Ann Hood was fantastic!

It was a wonderful event and I am so grateful that Lisa asked me to participate. I'm already looking forward to next year. In the meantime I will be enjoying my copy of How I Saved My Father's Life....

April Book

Our April book is The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles. We'll be meeting to discuss the book on Monday, April 28th at 3:30pm in the Children's Program Room. I have an extra copy of the book behind the Children's Desk if anyone needs one!

House Jackson, age twelve, star pitcher and team captain of the Aurora County All-Stars, has a secret. For the past year, while sidelined with a broken elbow, he has spent every afternoon at the bedside of a mysterious old man the other kids call Mean-Man Boyd - and he doesn't want anyone to know. Now House is finally ready to play ball again, but his team's biggest (and ONLY) game of the year might be canceled, thanks to the very girl who cause his broken elbow. It's almost too much to bear. But in the standoff that ensues, House finds a courage he didn't know he possessed - and discovers that just about everyone in Aurora County, Mississippi, has a secret.

March Meeting

The Tail of Emily Windsnap =

The Book Buddies Book Club met yesterday to discuss The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler. Everyone really liked it, some "loved it" and others said it was their "favorite book." We all liked that it was about mermaids and that there was a lot of adventure. Most felt it was a quick read, especially from the middle to the end. Many club members are now involved with the second and third books in the Emily Windsnap series!

We had sugar cookies as part of our snack and made charm bracelets for our craft project using metallic beads and sea charms, including seashells, seahorses, fish, dolphins and starfish.

It was a lot of fun and we're all looking forward to our next meeting in April!

It's a mystery....

I went to a fantastic conference on Thursday where I met three very famous mystery authors and had a chance to hear them talk about their work. They were fascinating to listen to and they completely inspired me - maybe I'll write a book one day!

The first author to speak was Mary Downing Hahn, author of Wait Til Helen Comes and The Old Willis Place among many others. She had a lot to say about writing for children and how she became interested in ghost stories. Her ghost stories are really excellent and I encourage you to come and check one out!

The Old Willis Place

Tired of the rules that have bound them ever since "the bad thing happened," twelve-year-old Diana ignores her brother's warnings and befriends the daughter of the new caretaker, setting in motion events that lead to the release of the spirit of an evil, crazy woman who once ruled the old Willis place.

The second speaker was Elise Broach, author of Shakespeare's Secret. Shakespeare's Secret is a wonderful mystery filled with intrigue, suspense, a missing diamond and the Shakespeare authorship question. (There is some debate going on about whether or not Shakespeare really wrote his plays or if someone else did...) She talked about how she came to write the book and what she feels are the elements of a good mystery. She also discussed the difficulty of bringing plot and character together in a convincing way.

Shakespeare's Secret

Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school.

Finally, we finished up the day with Peter Abrahams, author of many books for adults and the Echo Falls mystery series for children. He was very funny and one of his main points was a lesson he learned from his mother - that every sentence should advance the story; nothing extra no matter how "pretty" it might be. Which is totally true if you think about it - and great advice for all of you budding authors! Down the Rabbit Hole is the first in the Echo Falls mystery series and our copy is on the shelf ready to be checked out today!

Down the Rabbit Hole

Like her idol Sherlock Holmes, eighth grader Ingrid Levin-Hill uses her intellect to solve a murder case in her home town of Echo Falls.