The Sorceress by Michael Scott

Ah, Michael Scott. He's done it again. The "Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" series of books gets better with each installment. Topping The Alchemyst (2007, Random House/Doubleday) wasn't easy, but he did it with last year's The Magician and followed it with this May's The Sorceress (Random House). I'm a huge fan of this series and highly recommend it to readers 10 and up.

Once again, Scott draws on his vast knowledge of folklore, legend and myth (particularly Celtic) as he continues to expand this story of Nicholas and Parenelle Flamel, the immortal couple charged with protecting the codex of Abraham the Mage, and seekers of the twins of legend.

Picking up where The Magician left off, Nicholas must flee Paris with the twins Sophie and Josh after the destruction of his beloved city by John Dee and Machiavelli. The dark elders have the codex, all but the last few pages, but those pages aren't enough to keep the Flamels from aging. Parenelle is trapped on Alcatraz, Scatty is missing and the sword Josh carries, Clarent (twin sword to Excalibur), is having an odd effect on Josh.

Speaking of the twins, they've both been awakened and need to learn more of the elemental magics and Nicholas must find an elder to teach them before Dee catches up with them again.

Scott weaves well-known characters into this tale such as Shakespeare, Billy the Kid, Gilgamesh and King Arthur, as well as an intense race to Stonehenge and a horrifying twist for two characters that will be tricky to undo.

With three books left in the series (The Necromancer is due out in May of 2010, followed by The Warlock and The Enchantress), there's lots of time to do so, and readers have lots of adventure and fantasy to look forward to.

An enthusiastic 4 1/2 bookmarks.

Great Interview with Wendy Mass on Cynsations

Wanted to share a link to a great interview with one of my favorite authors, Wendy Mass. Enjoy!

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

The great author/illustrator Mo Willems knows how to engage his readers. Who doesn't love listening to the Pidgeon proclaim why he should drive the bus, or why he needs a puppy? Who can resist the appeal of the Knuffle Bunny?

Naked Mole Rat may be one of my favorite MW characters. In Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Hyperion Book for Children, Jan 2009), Wilbur is the naked mole rat who loves wearing clothes. Unfortunately, this makes him an outcast among the mole rats who are naked. Ew and yuck, they say.

But Wilbur knows that putting on different kinds of clothes allows him to done different personas: fancy, funny, cool... or even an astronaut. But Wilbur's sarcastic brethren won't let it go, and take the problem to the Grand-Pah, the oldest, greatest and most naked mole rat ever.

This divine picture book will have Mo Willems fans laughing out loud at the perils of Wilbur as he strives to proclaim his individuality. They might even learn a lesson about trying new things.

Just right for a k-3 reading level, and the perfect read-to book for the pre-k set, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed joins my Willems' bookshelf of stellar picture books. 4 bookmarks!

The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters by Frank L. Cole

Things are kind of odd at Pordunce Elementary. A sixth grader runs a protection racket out of the teacher's lounge. The Oracle, a kid who's been stuck in a locker for seven years, shells out advice for Rip Strapinkski baseball cards. Just about all the kids have earned themselves a nickname that defines their personality. (And when that includes kids named Whiz, Bubblegum and Hambone, you know you're in for something a bit off the wall.)

Off the wall is what Frank L. Cole delivers in his debut middle grade novel The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters (2009, Bonneville Books). Hashbrown narrates his tale in a tone that lands somewhere between Ralphie Parker in A Christmas Story and Sean Astin's Mikey in The Goonies. I also felt the influence of The Sandlot in there somewhere, with a sense of marble-clacking nostalgia that rings true despite the wacky story line.

The cast of characters, led by 5th grader Hashbrown Winters (who earned his moniker by winning a hashbrown-eating contest), are as quirky, odd, and likable, as their school. The adventures begin when Winters accidentally squishes the pet cockroach of Hambone, the school bully. Not just any cockroach, mind you, one named Phil.

While Phil miraculously survives, Hashbrown now has a price on his head. Will his prized marble Ball Basher be enough to get him out of this "raspberry jam" or will something greater save the day?

I have no doubt that this book will appeal to third - sixth grade readers, and boys in particular (especially considering how Snow Cone got his name... ewwwww). The story is filled with zingers that will make kids and their parents alike laugh out loud, and just when you think it's all just too much, more hilarity ensues.

I hear a second adventure is in the works, so get on the Hashbrown bandwagon early because this one has cult classic all over it. A solid 4 bookmarks on the Coolness meter. And remember, if you ever visit Pordunce Elementary, stay out of the sandbox.