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Kidsreads.com Reviewers Pick Their Favorite Books of the Year
Recently we asked our reviewers to provide us with a list of some of their favorite books from 2009. Though it was difficult to narrow down, each reviewer chose up to 10 books that he or she enjoyed the most this year. Take a look and see if any of their selections match yours --- and which titles you may want to consider reading in the future. Please note that due to personal and professional commitments, some reviewers were not able to participate in this feature.
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- Amy Alessio
- THE HANGING HILL by Chris Grabenstein
- Benjamin Boche
- HEROES OF THE VALLEY by Jonathan Stroud
- WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead
- A SEASON OF GIFTS by Richard Peck
- Chris Shanley-Dillman
- THE RED BLAZER GIRLS: THE RING OF ROCAMADOUR by Michael D. Beil
Michael D. Beil has a real connection to his audience, and rewards their interests with a clever, exciting and hilarious mystery. Readers will have fun attempting the puzzles and riddles along with the likable characters, who are smart, energetic and colorful.
- THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD by Kristin Levine
I knew from the first page that THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD would be a very special book. Kristin Levine approaches the difficult themes of racial tension with grace and honesty.
- SENT: The Missing, Book 2 by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Margaret Peterson Haddix has created such a unique and fascinating idea for The Missing, and she does a wonderful job of refreshing readers’ memories of the first book, FOUND, without sounding boring or redundant.
- THE 39 CLUES, Book Three: THE SWORD THIEF by Peter Lerangis
THE 39 CLUES, Book Four: BEYOND THE GRAVE by Jude Watson
THE 39 CLUES, Book Five: THE BLACK CIRCLE by Patrick Carman
THE 39 CLUES, Book Six: IN TOO DEEP by Jude Watson
This awesome series is filled to overflowing with adventure, mystery, excitement and hilarity.
- UMBRELLA SUMMER by Lisa Graff
Lisa Graff tackles the sensitive issues of death and grief with honesty and cleverness.
- SEEKERS #2: GREAT BEAR LAKE by Erin Hunter
SEEKERS #3: SMOKE MOUNTAIN by Erin Hunter
Erin Hunter’s Seekers series is extra special, shinning with her obvious love of nature and animals. She brings us an up close and personal account of the abuse of our planet, and the ones who suffer the most.
- ZOOBREAK by Gordon Korman
Griffin and his friends are so much fun; the pages flew by in a huge, hilarious adventure.
- HEART OF A SHEPHERD by Rosanne Parry
Rosanne Parry stirs up action and excitement throughout the entire book, keeping the pages turning --- from an encounter with a rattlesnake and riding galloping horses, to bottle feeding orphan lambs and emergency stitches in the living room.
- ORACLES OF DELPHI KEEP by Victoria Laurie
Victoria Laurie weaves together mystery, adventure, history, swordfighting, exploration, foreign cultures, psychic powers, and evil bad guys with horrid beastly sidekicks to form a near-perfect reading experience.
- Terry Miller Shannon
- THE GIANT-SLAYER by Iain Lawrence
- KALEIDOSCOPE EYES by Jen Bryant
- SYREN: Septimus Heap, Book Five by Angie Sage
- CONFETTI GIRL by Diana López
- MERCY WATSON: SOMETHING WONKY THIS WAY COMES written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
- DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LAST STRAW by Jeff Kinney
- DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS by Jeff Kinney
- PETE’S DISAPPEARING ACT written by Jenny Tripp and illustrated by John Manders
- Donna Volkenannt
- BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY) written by Lisa Yee and illustrated by Dan Santat
Lisa Yee sweetly and humorously portrays the tender age when friendships between boys and girls transform almost overnight.
- THE CIRCLE OF GOLD: The Book of Time III by Guillaume Prevost
A fascinating time travel story.
- CROWS & CARDS by Joseph Helgerson
A coming-of-age story with a timeless message, told in a storyteller’s voice reminiscent of Mark Twain.
- HOTEL FOR DOGS by Lois Duncan
Warm and cozy, sure to put a smile on your face.
- THE SEVEN KEYS OF BALABAD by Paul Haven
An intriguing story set in an exotic location.
- SMOKE by Mavis Jukes
An enjoyable book for middle-grade animal lovers who like stories with a touch of mystery.
- THIS BOOK IS NOT GOOD FOR YOU by Pseudonymous Bosch
A secret society, a dangerous adventure --- and chocolate, lots and lots of chocolate --- what’s not to like?
- Sarah Wood
- VILLAIN.NET: COUNCIL OF EVIL by Andy Briggs
Kids download superpowers from the Internet in this new series. Andy Briggs also wrote HERO.COM, but it was Briggs’s insight to the ways in which an ordinary boy justifies bad behaviors in VILLAIN.NET that caught my attention and affection for the series.
- ODD & THE FROST GIANTS BY NEIL GAIMAN
Who wouldn’t like a story about Vikings and talking animals? I cannot get enough of stories that include Norse mythology. This book recognizes the value of cleverness in a culture built around physical dominance.
- THREE CUPS OF TEA: ONE MAN'S JOURNEY TO CHANGE THE WORLD...ONE CHILD AT A TIME - THE YOUNG READER’S EDITION written by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, adapted by Sarah Thomson
This young person’s adaptation of the New York Times bestseller tells the story of how mountaineer Greg Mortenson found his life work building schools for children in Afghanistan.
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