Reading Ahead – October

Welcome to the latest edition of Reading Ahead, our bimonthly list of new arrivals that have cover appeal! These are the books that give you that first impression that they’ve got real potential for engaging kids with books. The links will take you to the profile page on the website. If you’ve read and reviewed this book, we’d love to add your thoughts to the discussion. Click on the title here and then add your link via Mr. Linky.

October is looking like a super-fabulous month. First, I had a guest post at Booklights! Then there is KidLitCon09 coming this weekend. THEN, there’s the Cybils AND THEN, thanks to Jen’s blog housekeeping post about a new book list widget, I did some research and found the OpenBook plugin for WordPress. All I have to do is type the ISBN, the plug-in gets the cover, title,author/illustrator, publisher, date, and links that take you directly to the book on Worldcat, Book networking sites (Goodreads, Library Thing, Shelfari), Google Books, and Bookfinder. How cool is that? Talk about time saving.  Too bad I already had this page ready to launch … but the and improved  Virtual TBRpile is shaping up nicely.

Picture Books (All Ages)

Edgar, Allen, and Poe and the Tell-Tale Beets by Natalie Rompella (Ill. Francois Ruyer) (Lobster Press, 2009) Doesn’t the title just say it all? This one didn’t last a week before it was spotted! Here’s our website review.

First Time series: Baby Sitter, Big Day Out, Nursery, and Sleepover illustrated by Jess Stockham (Child’s Play, 2010) These are sturdy board books that are perfectly sized for toddlers and preschoolers. They’re meant to share with a young audience, but are written perfectly for emergent readers, too.

Helping Hands series: Clean It!, Cook It!, Fix It!,  and Grow it! illustrated by Georgie Birkett (Child’s Play, 2010) These are sturdy board books that are perfectly sized for toddlers and preschoolers. They’re meant to share with a young audience, but are written perfectly for emergent readers, too.

I Told You So! by Sarah Arnold (Child’s Play, 2009) An alligator (or is it a crocodile?) in red glasses and an apron. She is Nanna and she is going to take her grndhildren out for a walk. The cover is what grabbed me.

The WoolyHoodwinks vs. The Dark Patch by Aasa Sanchez and Phil Dumesnil (Ill. Jeff Root and Scott Runcorn) (Immedium, 2009) – These stuffed puppets in herringbone “shorts” are just adorable … and they look like just the kind of lovey a kid would want to make him/herself.

Chapter Books (Easy Readers, Illustrated, Transitional)

Champions of the Ocean (Earth Heroes series) by Fran Hodgkins (Ill. Cris Arbo) (Dawn Publications, 2009) These are the biographies of eight people who changed our views of the ocean. There are lots of photos and illustrations which capture your attention (and which keep me lingering).

The Dream Stealer by Sid Fleischman (Ill. Peter Sis) (HarperCollins, 2009) – The chapters are short, there is lots of dialogue and white space, and the story of a dream bandit sounds intriguing. I’m hoping there is potential for transitional and dormant readers alike. Eva has already read this one at Eva’s Book Addiction.

The Last Dragon (Dragon Speaker Series) by C. A. Rainfield – The cover has a great contrast between a dragon and vultures.  It is a thin volume, with lots of white space and illustrations, so I’m anxious to see it’s potential as a book for reluctant readers.

Shady Lane Junior Detectives series by K. Sullivan (Ill. Travis McAllister) – The author sent us the first two books in the series: The Willowby  Mansion Mystery and The Mystery on Cow Mountain.  The illustrations have a child-like quality to them, which on the surface adds to the sense of the main characters being junior sleuths.

Thanksgiving at the Inn by Tim Whitney (Bancroft Press, 2009) I enjoy holiday stories, but particularly stories told in first person. So many seasonal books are picture books, I’m excited to see a young adult title.

What are you looking forward to reading?