Mette Ivie Harrison, Children's writer, The Princess and the Hound, Mira, Mirror, The Monster In Me, The Princess and the Bear, Young Adult Books, Fantasy, Romance, yoga, recommendations, reviews, YA books, Jim Butcher, Harry Dresden, Dresden Files, Storm Front, Holly Black, The Nixie's Song, Spiderwick Chronicles, Skin Hunger, National Book Award, Jo Knowles, Lessons From a Dead Girl, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney, Devilish, Repossessed, A.M. Jenkins, Maureen Johnson, Jessiac Day George, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, Magic or Madness, Justine Larbalestier, The Candy Shop War, Brandon Mull, The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss, Magic or Madness, Robin McKinley, Dragonhaven, Alcatraz Vs. the Evil Librarians, Brandon Sanderson, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick, Unwind, Neal Shusterman, Extras, Scott Westerfled, Pretties, Uglies, Specials, Farthing, Jo Walton, A Drowned Maiden's Hair, Laura Amy Schlitz

The Nixie's Song by Holly Black	In the chapter, "In Which We Almost Break the Fourth Wall," the kids in the book need help with fairies, so they appear at a signing of the real "Holly Black." They ask how to destroy a giant, and in the book, the author has herself stammer and say they should wear red and that will help fight, um, iron. Ha! Also, the caricatures by Tony DiTerlizzi are hysterical!	Storm Front by Jim Butcher	I am so addicted to this series! I love how at different places in the book, the glitch with electronics is a huge pain in the ass. Dangerous, too. Life-threatening. And then other moments in the book, it turns out to save him. Not the big climax, mind you. That has to happen with Harry's own innate intelligence and need to continue to fight evil. But the problem with electronics was so balanced. I love how character and world mesh to perfectly. I felt as though I have been dropped in the middle of a world and that I could go forward or backwards in time in it and be just as satisfied either way. There's stories everywhere here, and you just get a glimpse now and then. Can't wait to read more!
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey	This is a book about two different heroes in two different times, both dealing with what it is to have magic that is extremely powerful. A finalist for the National Book Award in 2007, and richly deserved!	Jessica Day George	I was utterly sucked into this book, and I must say that I thought it was the best retelling of "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" that I have ever read. I felt like everything made sense at last, and I felt like the plot didn't get so complicated I wondered what had happened. I loved the lass's relationship with her brother, and the tension between her and her mother.
Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins	I love this new genre mixing magic and old elements of fantasy with modern-day teenage life. Charles de Lint does it so well, but he's a little dark for my tastes. This is just good, plain fun. I thought the things that interested a demon about life as a human felt very real and meaningful to me. It made me rethink my own life and what matters. I loved how the demon tried to get sex. Not so different from a regular teenage boy, it turns out. And the little brother--awesome!	devilish by Maureen Johnson	How do you save your best friend from herself, when she keeps selling your soul to the devil to save her own? This is funny, fast-paced and meaningful, too. I plan to read more from the same author.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney	This is so what Junior High is like, and I wasn't even a boy. I loved the illustrations. I loved the plot twists. I loved the cartton about "Creighton the Cretin."	Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles	This is not the kind of book I want to go read again and again, and I don't need to, either. I can't forget it. I only have to close my eyes to feel like I am in the closet with Laine again.
Magic or Madness by Justine Larbelestier	I liked the way the author set up the "cost" of magic. It's not easy, and it turns out you hace a choice, use it and die young, or don't use it, and go mad.	Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley	This is classic McKinley. Just when you think she's never going to write another one, she goes ahead and does it. The voice seemed authentic, and even annoying at times, as a kid obsessed with his own life can be. I closed the book and told my kids about how dinosaurs are really marsupials, that's how real it felt to me.
The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull	What more could any kid want than a story about magic candy that sets you flying, or lets you travel into the past and the future, or helps you fight the bullies at school? But there are twists that you might not expect, and it turns out, as one of the characters in the book says, you should never take candy from strangers.	The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss	This is one of those books that made me laugh and cry, almost in the same sentence. It is a detailed, intense description of a hero's early life. Do not miss it!
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson	I was a little sceptical when I started reading this book, but it converted me with its clever chapter openings and fun asides. Also, the action is fun and the whole story is ridiculous in the best possible way! Another book I'm reaidng aloud to two eager children.	A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz	I ached for the main character in this book. I so much wanted her to find the person who would love her, and I found myself looking through the choices, wanting to love them, but knowing they were wrong. There's also the fun of trying to figure out if the seances are real, and then, what will happen afterwards.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick	I read this in one big gulp myself, then settled down to read it aloud to my daughter, 8. About halfway through, my son, 10, started horning in, then stole the book himself and read it from the beginning again. It's almost more of a film than a book, part graphic novel, but not quite, but most of all I loved the story of the automaton finding its way home. I'm so glad this won the Caldecott this year!
Unwind by Neal Shusterman	A lot of science fiction lacks character development. This novel definitely does not. It's got everything, the future bleakly drawn, characters you love who have terrible things happen to them and survive with style, and cool technology, plus plot twists left and right. There are some tricky political topics dealt with in this book, but I can't guess which side the author is on, except he thinks both are too extreme. Let's solve the abortion problem and the organ donor shortage in one fell swoop. We wait until we know how the kid is during the teenager years! Then if they're useless, get rid of them and make sure their parts are passed out to others who need them!	Extras by Scott Westerfeld	I love the way that science fiction can be used to make social commentary. Everything metaphorical becomes real. If you think that all that matters is fame, welcome to a word where it is literally true. Every bit as good as the first in the series (Uglies).
Farthing by Jo Walton	This is one of those haunting stories that you don't want to get to the end of, not because you love the story so much (although you do) but because you know it's not going to end well. This is a story of what might have happened if the US had never entered WWII and Britain had made a pact with Hitler to give him the continent and leave Britain in peace. Only what happens then to the Jews? And to those who love Jews?
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