If you know me at all, you probably already know of my (slight) obsession with the Llama Llama books. They are so much fun to read aloud and the bright, fun colors are as mesmerizing to adults as they are to children. Seriously. Last year we were ever so lucky to host Ms. Anna Dewdney, author and illustrator of the Llama Llama series, at Lemuria. I spent the day with Anna, and we may have bonded (a lot) over children’s books. It was really just one of those days that makes you glad to be a bookseller.

So, when I got the email that Anna would be coming BACK to Lemuria, you can only imagine the dancing that went on in Oz. (I dance when I’m ecstatic, doesn’t everyone?) I am SO looking forward to Monday, September 24th at 4:00 when Anna Dewdney returns. Aren’t you!? We will be geeking out over children’s books and reading the newest Llama adventure, Llama Llama Time to Share (yay!)

Llama has a special place not only in my heart, but also in Lemuria’s. Llama was chosen last year for our OZ First Editions Club and the new book, which is already receiving starred review, will be our September OZ FEC pick. Now is a great time to sign up for this growing club. You never know what perks you might get, even if it is just the joy on your child’s face (see one such experience here). Please email me if you have any questions about the club or to sign up: emily@lemuriabooks.com.

Some books do not need sequels; they are perfect as is. The author did a great job the first time around, and the reader needs no more from the author. Then there are other books that lend themselves perfectly to companion novels. I am not talking about things like the Warriors series, or any of these other incredibly long “stop, the first ten were enough” series.

No, the book series that I am thinking of have become as timeless as they are classic: Anne of Green Gables, Betsy-Tacy, and Pippi Longstocking to name a few. These series are more character driven, and it is these characters that are written so deftly by their authors that make us yearn to know more of their story. Whether the reader is a child discovering a character like Anne for the first time or an adult reminiscing about her childhood, these series resonate with us, remind us about the truth and beauty within ourselves, remind us of who we wanted to grow up.

Shannon Hale has given us another great character in Miri Larendaugher of Mount Eskel. We first meet Miri in The Princess Academy. She is a sparky daughter of a quarry worker who loves making people smile. Her opinions of the world are very black and white. She longs to help her family in the quarry, but her father forbids her from being in the mines. When the king’s decree comes and the Princess Academy is set up for all the girls from her village, Miri eyes are opened to world around her and the multitude of differing views and perspectives of others. She absorbs so much in the year and a half the first book covers and grows in many ways in this coming of age story.

What is amazing about Miri’s new story The Princess Academy: Palace of Stone, is that is is also a coming of age story. The first book focuses on Truth and Fairness, but it is Ethics that play a big role in the second novel. Hale weaves this tale in such a way that the reader begins to redefine her own views and discover new things about herself.

Thank you Shannon Hale for giving us another perfect book collection to add to the list of timeless books. If I had read these as a teenager, they would have changed my world. Then again, reading them as a twenty-something, they have affected me in a completely different, possibly more defining way. And it is this alone that make these feel classic to me. No matter what age the reader is when she reads about Miri, she will be touched and will glean something different. I love it!

Shannon Hale will be here Wednesday, August 29th at 4:00 (tomorrow!). I can’t wait to meet this fantastic storyteller.

As you might have already read, we at Lemuria Books are overjoyed to announce that we will be hosting an extraordinary event on Thursday, August 23rd, at 4:00 pm: Peter Brown is coming! We are so excited to have the amazing illustrator of Creepy Carrots come to read and sign his newest, creepiest, carrotiest creation yet!

We plan on kicking off the festivities around 3:30 with some fun activities, including making a creepy carrot bookmark! We’ll then continue the fun with the reading around 4:00, with a signing to follow. We hope to see everyone there, tomorrow at 4!

Where’s Waldo? In Jackson, of course. He’s turning twenty-five this year, and to celebrate, the famous fellow in the striped shirt and black-rimmed specs is visiting twenty different local businesses all through the month of July. Those who spot him can win prizes, including buttons, books, and more. From Brent’s Soda Fountain in Fondren to Buffalo Peak in Highland Village, from Nandy’s Candy in Maywood Mart to The Jackson Zoo, Waldo figures are showing up in public areas of local establishments.

Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a “Find Waldo in Jackson!” search list with the names of all the businesses, and collect an “I Found Waldo at ___________” card for each Waldo they spot. Collecting cards from all twenty businesses and turning them in at Lemuria Books will win a Waldo gift bag and an entry for other, larger prizes to be drawn at a Waldo party on July 28. There are several prizes that Jacksonians can win, including the Grand Prize: a complete six-volume set of Waldo books! People who prefer a shorter version of the hunt can collect the cards from ten businesses and pick up a Waldo button at Lemuria Books.

Waldo is the creation of Martin Handford, whose entertaining drawings of crowd scenes swept the world in 1987. Since then, the Where’s Waldo books have held a cherished spot on bookstore shelves the world over. There are now over 55 million Waldo books in print worldwide and they’ve been translated into eighteen languages. An entire generation has grown up searching for Waldo and his cast of wandering companions.

In celebration of Waldo’s longevity and popularity, his American publisher, Candlewick Press, is teaming up with the American Booksellers Association and 250 independent bookstores all across the country, including Lemuria Books here in Jackson, to have fun and encourage people to visit local businesses. There is no charge to participate, and the game lasts for the entire month of July. For more information about hunting for Waldo in Jackson, call Lemuria Books at 601.366.7619.

Get the Find Waldo Local Search List with instructions and businesses!

Get the Find Waldo Local Search List with instructions and businesses!

Check our Waldo on Facebook!

You can buy your ticket at The Cedars today at 5:00. We are not going to reserve any more tickets. We have plenty of tickets. Just get one when you get to The Cedars. (If you’re going to be by Lemuria you are welcome to purchase it in person.)

Tuesday March 27, 2012, Lemuria Books, Fondren Renaissance Foundation, Mississippi Children’s Museum, Jackson Zoo, Brown Bottling Company, Trustmark, and Random House Children’s Books are hosting the “Passport to Adventure! A Magic Tree House Live Reading Tour” at The Cedars. The event starts at 5:00 and the live play starts at 6:00.

Tickets are $10 and are redeemable (only at the event) for one paperback book and one snack. One ticket per child plus adult escort.

So what all is going on, you may ask? Let me give you the rundown:

First off, let me suggest that everyone bring a blanket. The show will be in the backyard of The Cedars, with the back porch as the stage.

When you get there at 5:00, redeem your ticket for a book from Lemuria’s table and a snack from the Brown Bottling table and have your adult escort stake out a place for your blanket. Parents, seating/blanket set-up is on a first come, first serve basis, but have no fear, everyone will be able to see.

After you have secured a seat, gulp down your snack and them head out to the front yard where the Mississippi Children’s Museum will have their Imagination Playground set up. Build your own Magic Tree House! Check out the awesome Magic Tree House bus parked out front along the way.

Then head to the backyard to see the folks from the Jackson Zoo and go on your own adventure, right in The Cedars backyard, just like Jack and Annie. The Zoo will be bringing animals out so that people can get an up close encounter with them.

Around 5:30 we will have Magic Tree House Trivia and give a way a few free things, so kids, brush up on your Magic Tree House books!

Then at 6:00, your favorite chapter book characters, Jack and Annie, will take the stage to tell us about themselves and their adventures!

The Passport to Adventure! A Magic Tree House Live Reading Tour is a national tour, sponsored by Random House Children’s Books, that brings Jack and Annie live and in-person to meet their fans.

Jack and Annie will roll into 15 cities across the United States aboard the “Magic Tree House Express”. Fans will enjoy Jack and Annie’s magical traveling adventures through a live, theatrical performance with songs based on the bestselling Magic Tree House series. After the show, stick around for an official Jack and Annie “book stamping.”

We are so excited to really make this a Fondren community event, and one that I think you will not want to miss.

You can buy your ticket at The Cedars today at 5:00. We are not going to reserve any more tickets. We have plenty of tickets. Just get one when you get to The Cedars. (If you’re going to be by Lemuria you are welcome to purchase it in person.)

The Cedars Address:
4145 Old Canton Road
Jackson, MS 39216
(Across the street from St. Andrew’s Lower School)