Only one week to go!

The Agony of Alice, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I wish I had had books like this when I was 12. They wouldn't be for absolutely every girl, but for most girls. The only reason I would be reticent to purchase them for my library is because they are getting to be a bit old, but I understand the author is still making new ones. It's just that this first one, from 1985, is getting a bit dated.

The Door in the Hedge, by Robin McKinley. This is a retelling of fairy tales I have previously seen elsewhere. It's pretty good, although I think the author tries so hard to capture the "nuances of [fairy tale] language" that half the time even she may not be entirely sure what she is saying. My biggest problem, and the reason I wouldn't buy this book, is because there is no source note of any kind. The author bases her short stories on other works, but the fairy tales goes all the way until the very last page abutting the back cover. I've recently become all about the source note.

The Sisters Grimm: The Unusual Suspects, by Michael Buckley. I have nothing new to add about this second book of the sequel. It felt a bit angrier, but not enough to warrant protecting your child(ren) from it. I'm looking forward to the third one.

The Magic Fan, by Keith Baker. I love the artwork--not terribly authentic, but very colorful and emotive.

Secret in the Garden: A Peek-Through Book, by James Mayhew. I like the artwork again, but the story isn't anything special.

A Taste of Colored Water, by Matt Faulkner. This is a picture book for older children, to be used probably in a classroom setting. It should work very well to introduce children to the history of segregation, although I find the story itself rather unrealistic-- what child growing up in the south would not know about segregation?

Snow Moon, by Nicholas Brunelle. Apparently, when it comes to pictures, I'm pretty easy to please. The text, however, made me remember the "poems" by all those "writers" I had in my classes in college. It felt forced and stuffy, like the author has little actual talent but was trying very hard. I'm obviously not a big fan.