When Sophie Mercer was 13, she discovered that she was a witch. Her mother had no witch talents and the dad that she had never met was a very important warlock. At age 16, Sophie’s very poor magic skills resulted in her being banished to Hex Hall for punishment. Hex Hall was an isolated school for wayward faeries, shapeshifters and witches. From the first day, Sophie found trouble and trouble stayed close to Sophie. Sophie met strange and interesting students, she met a ghost, she learned of an ancient secret that could destroy her and all the while a series of frightening mysteries will keep you on the edge of your seat. Enjoy!! (Teen, Ages 12 and up)
Category: Oz: Children’s Books (Page 13 of 19)
So many movies have come out lately that are based on children’s books and we have the stories before they made it to the big screen. Percy Jackson and the Olympian books have been very big lately, so big we have trouble keeping it on the shelf! Alice in Wonderland is also another big seller. We have everything from the gorgeously illustrated edition by Robert Ingpen to Robert Sabuda’s pop-up version! And we can’t forget the blockbuster that came out this past weekend: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. We have the four books in the series, as well as the Do-it-yourself Diary and the Wimpy Movie Diary. And speaking of movies, if you have been alive for the past few years, you have heard of Twilight. The Twilight Graphic Novel Vol. 1 is out, and we have it. Come see what you think about the drawings and this different take on our favorite characters.
Story Time:
Last week’s story time was with the wonderful Susie! She read Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I don’t!) by Barbara Bottner
This week’s story time will be with me and since 
Gilbert Ford will be here the Saturday before Easter to sign his fantabulous new picture book Flying Lessons, we will be having our Easter story time this Saturday with The Easter Egg by Jan Brett. Come join us as we read this fun story and decorate plastic Easter eggs with Jan Brett stickers. And, of course, candy will be involved. We’ll be having a blast and you won’t want to miss this one of a kind storytime here in Oz!
Faves of the week:
Picture Books: The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na
Beginner Readers: The Night Fairy by Laura A. Schlitz
Young Adult: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Teen: Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
Non-fiction: How the World Works by Christian Dorian
Upcoming Events:
April 3rd – SIGNING – Flying Lessons by Gilbert Ford
April 7th – SIGNING – Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
April 8th – SIGNING – Undead Much by Stacey Jay
April 10th – SIGNING – Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
I recently read an essay in the New York Times Book Review written by an author who claimed to be glad she wasn’t exposed to the classics as a child. She insisted that she was “glad” that she picked up The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at age 35 for the first time. She says that as a child, she wouldn’t have understood the book as well, or enjoyed it as much.
I am going to have to say I completely disagree with this mode of thought, and not just because I work in the kid’s section (although that may be part of it). 
Little Women, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Wuthering Heights, all of these books played a part in who I grew up to be because of when I read them. And sure, I didn’t understand them in their entirety, but I am positive that if I read them again today, I would still miss parts of the story. Books are just like that; so much can be said with the written word, that there is always going to be something new, something you missed the last time you savored those same words. They take you back to how you felt the first time you read them but you learn something new every time you experience them. So, the way I see it, why not start exposing kids to great writing at an early age?
We recently moved the Classics section in Oz to the opposite side of the room and in the move, I had to stop myself from buying every single copy of the beautiful Everyman’s Library Children Classics collection. 
Each cloth bound hardback is in a different color and all the spines have this great gold and black embossed diamond pattern on them. They look gorgeous sitting beside each other on a bookcase and are just great keepsakes. Another plus is that every one of these is under twenty dollars. Maggie, one of our worker bees at the front desk , has started this collection for her cousin who is too small even read, but when she is ready, she will have this great collection of classics to delve into.
Right now, we have the complete collection. Random House has a website to go along with this collection if you are interested in what books are included. These books are just a small part of our extensive classics section geared for children and young adults. Parents, these are the vegetables of our section, so come on in and expose your kids to some veggies. I mean, they’re classics…how much harm can they cause? :~)
Last Saturday, Sarah Campbell was here at Storytime (10:00) to read and sign her new book, Growing Patterns! On her blog she has some great pictures of the event. Check it out!
Sarah Campbell’s Blog
Our next kids event is this coming Saturday at 12:00 with The Weeb by local art teacher Robert Maxwell.
The Night Fairy is the newest book from Newbery Award Winner Laura Amy Schlitz is all about Flory the night fairy. She loves her wings–until a horrid bat mistakes her for an insect and her wings are ruined. She lands in a giant’s garden and makes a home in a birdhouse. Angry at the bats, angry at the night, and angry at herself, Flory decides she won’t be a night fairy anymore–she’ll be a day fairy. She slowly learns that some things are more important than vanity. This book has beautiful illustrations and is perfect for anywhere from a first grader to third grader.
Wondrous Strange and Darklight by Lesley Livingston are the first two books in a fairies series centering around plays of Shakespeare, and personally, I thought they were so much fun. I actually I spent my whole day yesterday reading the second book, Darklight. Lesley has definitely hit her stride with this book and I am hoping I can get the review copy for the final book in the trilogy ASAP!!! There’s not much I can give away about plot, but what I can say is that I love that main character Kelley Winslow is empowered and rash. I mean, she’s a teenager, that’s how she’s supposed to be. Yet, she doesn’t cower just because she is a girl or because she is young. I love that! Definitely a good continuation to the story and I think it makes me love this trilogy even more. Age: 12+
Richard Peck, Newbery Award Winner and author of Season of Gifts, and Chuck Galey, illustrator of numerous books including Jazz Cats, came by the store the other day. Richard signed some of his books that we had on hand, but it was just so much fun to meet him.
Meeting authors is one of my favorite parts of this job. When Kami and Margie came to sign their bestseller Beautiful Creatures (We still have SIGNED COPIES!!!), I got to sit down to dinner with them and pick their brains. So much fun!!
We actually have a whole bunch of young adult and children’s book authors coming this spring and for each one, I get so nervous about meeting them. I mean, these people made it! They got their books published! And I revert back to the shy little girl I used to be. Here are some of our Oz events coming up:
Tuesday, February 23 @ 5:00 – Leaving 
Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham. This book is set 1932 in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, when the main character, Ludelphia Bennett is only 10. Her mother is pregnant and when the baby comes early, her mother gets sick. Ludelphia decides that she will brave the river to get to the town of Camden where the closest doctor lives. Along the way, she works on a quilt made with pieces of fabric she finds along the way. “Every quilt has a story,” Ludelphia’s mom says, and Ludelphia’s quilt will tell her story. This book is absolutely precious and perfect for kids from 4th grade to 6th grade. The voice of Ludelphia is simply and perfectly written. This book is also a great way to introduce a young adult to the quilting culture of Gee’s Bend.
Tuesday, March 2 @ 5:00 – Hex Hall 
by Rachel Hawkins. On our glorious snow day last Friday, I devoured this well written book and immediately fell in love with Sophie and her world. Sophie is a 15 year old witch, born to a warlock dad and human mom, she has lived a pretty normal life. That is until she tries to help a friend at prom with a love spell that goes horribly wrong. Her dad sentences her to Hecate Hall (fondly nicknamed Hex Hall), a school for witches, shapeshifters, and fairies who have threatened their kind by showing their magic to humans. Bored and angry, she is determined not to like Hex Hall, but everything is not as it seems here, like the ghost that keeps appearing to Sophie and the girl that was suspiciously killed last year. A mix of Percy Jackson and Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty, girls (and boys) from 6th grade and up will be clamoring for more–this book is only the first in the series. Come get your book and meet the author on its release date!!
More signings that are coming soon! More on them closer to their signing dates!
Saturday, March 6 @ STORYTIME (10:00) – Growing Patterns by Sarah Campbell.
Saturday, March 13 @ 12:00 – The Weeb Book by Robert Maxwell.
Saturday, April 3 @ STORYTIME (10:30) and again at 12:00 – Flying Lessons by Gilbert Ford.
Thursday, April 8 @ 5:00 – Undead Much by Stacey Jay.
Saturday, April 10 @ 1:00 – Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt.
Tuesday, April 13 @ 5:00 – Warriors: Fading Echoes (Omen of the Stars, Book 2) by Erin Hunter
This is an old fairy tale retold with a delightful new twist. Zita is the thirteenth princess born to a king who only wanted sons. From the day of her birth, Zita is banished to the servants quarters where she must serve as a servant girl and communicate secretly with her sisters.
As stated by the publicist, “Debut novelist Diane Zahter creates a sparkling world of enchanted princesses, spellbinding magic, true love—and the young girl determined to save them all!”
I thing you will find this story to be enchanting as well. ENJOY!! (Young Adult Middlle, ages 9 and up)
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata, author of Cracker and Newbery winner for Kira Kira
Thirteen-year-old Y’Tin wants to be an elephant trainer more than anything in the world. His father has given him permission to train Lady, a wild elephant living with his Dega tribe in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. Not long after Y’Tin begins training Lady, the North Vietnamese attack this village. Y’Tin’s world is shattered, the peaceful countryside as he knew it is gone, he must now face the dangerous situations of living in the jungle, and make decisions on his own. Through all of this Y’Tin is determined to keep his dream alive. (Young Adult, ages 10 and up)
by Kelly Pickerill
Maggie and I both started reading this page-turner last night; this morning at work we confessed to each other that we both of us stayed up into the wee hours with reading lights devouring page after page until we couldn’t keep our eyes open anymore!
Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have captivated us with their story of sixteen-year-old Ethan Wate, who has grown tired of the stress of being a cool kid JV basketball player in his small school in the small town of Gatlin, South Carolina. On the first day of his sophomore year, he hears the rumor the whole town is buzzing about: Old Man Ravenwood, the town recluse, has taken in his mysterious niece, the pale-skinned, dark-haired, captivating beauty Lena Duchannes.
Ethan hopes Lena’s arrival in Gatlin will be the release from the tedium of small-town life he so desperately needs, but from the first time he sees her, her dark hair blowing out the window of her uncle’s hearse, he realizes that she may end up having more of an impact on his life than he could imagine.
Could Lena have something to do with the recurring dream he keeps having, one where a girl is falling and he can’t quite reach her? A girl who is faceless, yet leaves behind the indelible smell of rosemary and lemons and the memory of green sparks? A girl he instinctively knows he can’t live without?
Come to our event for this great debut, a young adult book for the young at heart, all of you who are fans of the Twilight series or southern Gothic romances. It’s Thursday evening (the 28th) starting at 5pm. To reserve a signed copy, click here.
Watch the book trailer from Little, Brown
Twelve year old Griffin Penshine is always making wishes. One day Griffin meets Mariah, a very strange old lady, who gives her eleven shiny pennies—each labeled with someone else’s wish. Mariah has stolen these wishes many years ago. Griffin must find a way to make these wishes come true or the reverse of her own wishes will occur. To protect the people that Griffin loves, she must quickly find a way to make these wishes come true. Once you start this book, you will find it difficult to put down. A good read. (Young Adult–ages 10 and up)