The Maze Runner is by James Dashner, and was released on October 6th.
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.
Watch the book trailer video
How Do You Wokka-Wokka?
by Elizabeth Bluemle
Say "HEY!" to your neighbors and get your dance on! Jazzy rhythms, silly rhymes, and welcoming images are guaranteed to entice little readers.
Some days you wake up and you just gotta wokka. Wokka what? Wokka-wokka!
Get more information here (and the book)
If you are buying, you can buy direct from me, or find more information and compare prices at Amazon
Trailer produced by Sangeeta Garg
Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo--author of The Tale of Despereaux and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane-- has crafted another exquisite novel for young readers. The Magician's Elephant tells the tale of Peter Augustus Duchene, a ten-year-old orphan who receives an unbelievable piece of information from the local fortuneteller. Peter learns that his fate is tied to an elephant that has inexplicably fallen from the sky when a magician's trick goes terribly wrong. Why did it happen? And, how can an elephant possibly change the course of Peter's life? This darkly atmospheric, yet hopeful tale, demonstrates that when the answers to life’s big questions are opaque or unforthcoming, all is not lost. DiCamillo's rhythmic writing, combined with Yoko Tanaka's mysterious black-and-white illustrations, enchants and calls out to our sincerest wishes and dreams
David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Kids, ballerinas from the South Shore Ballet Theatre, who performed at the opening celebration, and a large white rabbit checked out the exhibit.
Exercise at the library? It may sound kid of odd. But organizers of the "Literacise" event today at the Boston Public Library say that when kids exercise, it may make them better able to focus their minds and sit down and read.
Bring award-winning novels to life with this interactive middle school language arts curriculum. Kaleidoscope presents a movie theatre interface for learning about language and literature. Students visit the box office and start with the activity in Movie Theatre 1. Then they complete all six activities in order. In the activities, students study the characters and create a movie poster to promote the book.
http://bit.ly/fKr5om
Talk it Up!
Starting a bookgroup for kids? This is a great place to start. Talk it Up! provides information about how to start and run a bookgroup and over 150 discussion guides to use with specific books.
Need more ideas?
We've prepared many booklists for kids to help you make your reading selections.
http://www.ilovelibraries.org/news/topstories/queenslibrarychickendance.cfm
In the Night Kitchen
Written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Sendak's hero Mickey falls through the dark into the Night Kitchen where three fat bakers are making the morning cake. So begins an intoxicating dream fantasy, described by the artist himself as 'a fantasy ten feet deep in reality'.
I'm not sure why it was banned, but possibly for nudity. The little boy, Mickey, is naked for part of the book, just as many little children are at that age!
Out now is the Puffin Designer Classics Limited Edition James and the Giant Peach, beautifully designed by Antony Gormley.
"Books should be good to hold and good to look at as well as good to read."
Antony Gormley
Celebrating Puffin's 70th anniversary, Antony Gormley, creator of the Angel of the North and Another Place, has contributed to the Puffin Designer Classics collection with this beautiful hardback edition of Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach.
This is a collectable, limited edition item, with only 1000 copies produced.
"Something is about to happen, he told himself. Something peculiar is about to happen at any moment. He hadn't the faintest idea what it might be, but he could feel it in his bones that something was going to happen soon. He could feel it in the air around him... in the sudden stillness that had fallen upon the garden."
Cheapest edition I could find for Australians is here => http://bit.ly/9cNEeN
or you can buy it from Amazon here => http://amzn.to/am8CWc
Katherine, in the middle of her senior year in high school, finds herself strongly attracted to Michael, a friend, after a party. As their relationship unfolds, the issue of sex comes up early on, more as an emotional and health issue than as a moral one. Both of them are aware that physical intimacy is both common and complicated. Michael has been sexually active, Katherine hasn't. Their relationship progresses slowly; they are accompanied on various meetings by her friend, Erica, a realist, who has known Katherine since 9th grade and believes that sex is a physical act and not a romantic act. They are also joined by Michael's friend, Artie, who, with Erica's help, explores and acknowledges some uncertainty about his own sexuality.
When they do, by mutual consent, have sex on Michael's sister's bedroom floor, they are sure it seals a love that will be "forever." However, separated for the summer by work that takes them to two different states, Katherine finds herself aware of the limitations of the relationship and ultimately attracted to a tennis instructor, Theo, who is older and more experienced in life. She takes responsibility for breaking the news to Michael when he comes on a surprise visit, the summer she knew was over, and Katherine recognizes the loss as a stage in movement towards more complex, probably more satisfying relationships in the future.
more here => http://bit.ly/dwINKL
" ... kids function best when they're real clear about exactly what's expected of them ..."