Masterpiece by Elise Broach

Marvin is a beetle who lives under the kitchen sink of a family who has an eleven-year-old son named James. James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday and Marvin ends up drawing an incredible miniature picture. James gets all the credit of course since nobody knows he is now friends with a beetle who can't verbally communicate with him. 

Although this is an unlikely friendship, they make it work. They find ways to communicate which ends up solving the big mystery of stolen art. 

I was pleasantly surprised that I was so involved in a book that had a beetle as a main character. Sometimes those animal books end up being really full of some good stuff.

I very much enjoyed this fast-paced mystery about art, forgery, lies and most of all friendship.

Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox

I loved this picture book. I read it to my class and they were cracking up. What a cute story!

Everyone knows Sleeping Beauty has to be woken with a kiss, except Prince Charming. Every time the fairies watching over her try to tell him, he interrupts with his ideas of how to wake her. Eventually he gets the message, and his reaction is priceless: "One hundred years of morning breath Wow! That could be the kiss of death." 

This is a rhyming book filled with puns and fun.

When the Sergeant Came Marching Home by Don Lemna

In 1947 when his father returns from the war, a ten-year-old boy and his family move from the Montana town where they had been living to an old, run-down farm in the middle of nowhere, where they work hard trying to make ends meet.

This book is a story kind of story. By that I mean that it just tells a nice story about the main character boy, his brother, and their parents and their life together. There wasn't a big plot, no mystery to solve or major adventure. It was just a nice story. 

There was also some great writing. Here are some favorite phrases I enjoyed reading.

"I was anxiety with shoes on."

"...verbally caressing all the wonderful conveniences it contained..."

"After the meal was finished, and Pat and I were thoroughly exhausted from dog paddling in a sticky slough of good manners, we moved into the living room."

Wonderful words! This novel is a quick read with 215 pages.

And the Winner is...

Congrats to Melissa!! Email me at hennypenny1@live.com with your address so I can send you your $20.00 Barnes & Noble gift card. I'm sure you'll get something great to read with it.

I enjoyed the comments on where you guys read at. I especially got a kick out of Casey the Bar Reader:) Thanks for stopping by!

Where Do YOU Like to Read At?

People read all over the place. It makes me happy to see people out and about glued to a book.

My daughter and I recently had lunch at Del Taco. We were there about a half hour. The entire time there were two men who were not together that had a book in hand. They were already there reading when we arrived and they were still reading when we left. They really never looked away from their books. I just had to take a picture of that. I would have been really embarrassed if they saw me taking the pictures, but they really never took their eyes off the books.

I usually read in bed or on the couch. Sometimes I'll take a book to the park, but I can't do that in the winter. Other than that, I really don't read in public places. I think I'm just too distracted by noise and people. I have to read when it's pretty quite.

Where is your favorite place to read? Are you an indoor or outdoor reader? Where is the strangest or coolest place you have ever read? 

Leave a comment and your name will be entered in a drawing to win a $20.00 gift card from Barnes & Noble that can be redeemed online and in stores. I will draw and announce a winner on Wednesday, February 4. 

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

This book is an enjoyable thin-quirky-clever novel. Lowry pays playful homage to classic works of literature in this funny "old-fashioned" parody. She does a great job of weaving the characters into each other's lives. 

Take a look inside.

"Dearest?"

"Yes, dearest?"

"Do you like our children?"

"Oh, no," Mrs. Willoughby said, using her gold-plated scissors to snip off a bit of yarn that had made a snarl. "I never have. Especially that tall one. What is his name again?"

A few paragraphs down...

"I have a plan, " Mr. Willoughby said, putting his paper down. He stroked one eyebrow in a satisfied way. "It's thoroughly despicable."

"Lovely," said his wife. "A plan for what?"

"To rid us of the children."

It's really not a book about killing--I promise. It's just a very fun read!

ALA Winners!

Newbery Medal The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Caldecott Medal The House in the Night illustrated by Beth Krommes

Early this morning I watched a live webcast as the ALA announced the winners for the 2009 ALAC awards. Here is a link for a list of the winners. 

You can also check out the individual award pages for more information.