As I mentioned in our special 2010 ALA Youth Media Awards Newsletter last week, I had the pleasure of being in Boston last Monday when the American Library Association (ALA) announced their winners of some of the biggest book awards of the year. I was so happy to be a part of all the excitement of the day! If you haven't gotten a chance to see the winners and honorees, please take a minute to look over these noteworthy titles. Taking time to recognize the literary contributions of authors is important in the fast-paced technological world of today.

Kidsreads.com’s Books into Movies feature is spotlighting a buzzworthy new film based on the first installment of one of our favorite fantasy adventure series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Hitting theaters on February 12th, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief --- directed by Chris Columbus, who brought us the first two Harry Potter movies --- follows a seemingly ordinary high school student who discovers he’s the son of a Greek god and finds himself caught up in a war being fought among the other residents of Mount Olympus. I can say with confidence that we will be at the theater when this movie opens. My son Cory is a HUGE Rick Riordan fan, and when we were at Avatar and saw the previews for this, I marked my calendar!

The seventh book in the Ranger's Apprentice series, ERAK'S RANSOM by John Flanagan, is now on sale. Read our review, and check it out at a store near you. There's also a new sequel to the classic children's tale A LITTLE PRINCESS now available in stores. WISHING FOR TOMORROW by Hilary McKay is the story of what happened to the girls left behind at Miss Minchin’s Seminary for Girls after Sara’s departure. Click here to read our review, and get started on the book with our excerpt.

To kick off the new year, we have two great book giveaways for you. First, 15 lucky readers will win a copy of NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH by Avi. In this Newbery Honor book, a classroom incident becomes a nationwide news story. Read our review and an excerpt, and check out all the contest details here. Our second giveaway is in support of Erin Dionne's THE TOTAL TRAGEDY OF A GIRL NAMED HAMLET. With a name like Hamlet, life is doomed to be anything but average. Read an excerpt, and click here for your chance to win a copy of this hilarious book. By the way, what does having a name like Hamlet mean? You never will have a bicycle license plate with your name on it!

This month, we're featuring a great new adventure title called A WHOLE NOTHER STORY by Dr. Cuthbert Soup, which follows the Cheeseman family as they outsmart some of the world's most evil villains in hopes of protecting one of Mr. and Mrs. Cheeseman's precious inventions. To find out more, read our review and an excerpt, and get to know Dr. Cuthbert Soup himself in our interview.

We're also featuring a great new graphic novel for kids, MISSILE MOUSE: THE STAR CRUSHER by Jake Parker. A storyline that follows a butt-kicking, secret agent mouse in space is brought to life on vividly colored pages. Take a look for yourself in the sneak peek we have available, and for more on the book, read our review.

Have you read any of the books in the Dear Dumb Diary series? We're spotlighting the newest addition to the series by Jim Benton, THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS AREN'T FOR. Catch up with Jamie's latest diary entries in our review and excerpt.

Kathryn Lasky tells us a story of survival, courage and love in her book, WOLVES OF THE BEYOND #1: LONE WOLF. Read an excerpt, as well as our interview with Kathryn, in which she discuses her plans for the Wolves of the Beyond series.

Black History Month kicks off on February 1st, and we have a great roundup of books to celebrate. Join us in recognizing the contributions of and the hardships endured by the black community.

Check out our Cool New Books and New in Paperback roundups and our latest reviews --- which include graphic novel and manhwa titles. And don't forget to vote in our poll about your school library.

Happy reading!

Carol Fitzgerald for Kidsreads.com

Each year the American Library Association (ALA) honors books and media for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards --- including the Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert and Coretta Scott King Book Awards --- guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media.

RANGER’S APPRENTICE, Book 7: ERAK’S RANSOM by John Flanagan
A few months shy of his graduation from the Ranger Corps, Will is unsure of what the future holds. Feelings are put on hold, however, as the capture of the Skandian Oberjarl, Erak, prompt Will and Halt to launch a rescue mission into the harsh desert region of Arrida. Reviewed by Benjamin Boche.

WISHING FOR TOMORROW: The Sequel to A Little Princess by Hilary McKay
A LITTLE PRINCESS, which features the riches-to-rags-to-riches adventures of Sara Crewe, has been a children’s classic for 100 years. Picking up where Frances Hodgson Burnett left off, WISHING FOR TOMORROW is the story of what happened to the girls left behind at Miss Minchin’s Seminary for Girls after Sara’s departure. Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood.

-Click here to read an excerpt from WISHING FOR TOMORROW.

In anticipation of the February 23rd release of THE SABLE QUEAN, we offer you a sneak peek at this newest Redwall adventure and spotlight the previous three installments of the series, including the new paperback edition of DOOMWYTE.

-HIGH RHULAIN: Read a review, excerpt and about the book.
-EULALIA!: Read a review, excerpt and about the book.
-DOOMWYTE: Read a review and about the book.
-THE SABLE QUEAN: Read an excerpt and about the book.

A ninth-grader's suspension for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom becomes a national news story in this 1992 Newbery Honor Book that addresses themes of freedom, patriotism and respect.

For your chance to learn more about the hum that was heard around the world, Kidsreads.com is giving away 15 copies of NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH by Avi, which is now available in a new paperback edition.

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH by Avi
Ninth-grader Philip Malloy has one thing on his mind: running. When a failing English grade keeps him from joining the track team, he believes his teacher, Mrs. Narwin, has it in for him. One morning during announcements, he disregards the school’s policy of observing the “The Star-Spangled Banner” in respectful silence and hums along, hoping to get transferred out of her class. Little does he know that his minor infraction will make him the subject of national media attention. What truly happened that morning in Mrs. Narwin's class? Examine the events and reach your own conclusion. But --- can you swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?

-Click here to read a review of NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.
-Click here to read an excerpt from NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.
-Click here to read Avi’s bio.

Kidsreads.com is giving away 15 copies of THE TOTAL TRAGEDY OF A GIRL NAMED HAMLET, Erin Dionne’s second novel. This humorous, Shakespearean-inspired tale follows Hamlet, an eighth grader who yearns for a simple, normal life. But with a name like Hamlet, life is doomed to be anything but average.

THE TOTAL TRAGEDY OF A GIRL NAMED HAMLET by Erin Dionne
Hamlet Kennedy just wants to be your average, happy, vanilla eighth grader. But with Shakespearean scholar parents who dress in Elizabethan regalia and generally go about in public as if it were the 16th century, that’s not terribly easy. It gets worse when they decide that Hamlet’s genius seven-year-old sister will attend middle school with her --- and even worse when the Shakespeare project is announced and her sister is named the new math tutor. By the time an in-class recitation reveals that our heroine is an extraordinary Shakespearean actress, Hamlet can no longer hide from the fact that she --- like her family --- is anything but average.

In a novel every bit as funny as her debut, Erin Dionne has created another eighth grader whose situation is utterly unique --- but whose foibles and farces will resound with every girl currently suffering through middle school.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE TOTAL TRAGEDY OF A GIRL NAMED HAMLET.
-Visit Erin Dionne’s official website, www.erindionne.com.

In this interview with Kidsreads.com's Melanie Smith, Dr. Cuthbert Soup --- author and narrator of A WHOLE NOTHER STORY --- recounts the series of events that inspired him to chronicle the madcap adventures of Ethan Cheeseman and his children, and discusses the similarities between his own family and the characters in his debut. He also shares his thoughts on nurturing creativity in young minds, names a few of his favorite humor writers, and muses on the possibility of carrying on the Cheesemans' story in several sequels.

A WHOLE NOTHER STORY by Dr. Cuthbert Soup
In a story that’s like no other, you will meet: three attractive, polite, relatively odor-free children, a psychic hairless dog, top secret government agents, international superspies (one of whom happens to be a chimpanzee), corporate villains, a cowboy poet, various members of a traveling circus, and, of course, a sock puppet named Steve.

The Cheesemans are a family on the run. Mr. Cheeseman and his late wife invented a device so powerful and totally unique that all sorts of evildoers want to get their greedy hands on it. Mr. Cheeseman and his three children must keep their identities secret and stay one step ahead of the villains as they run from town to town, escape dangerous situations, and even change their names. Luckily, though they may not have the names they were born with, they do have their smarts --- and quite a bit of good luck. The Cheesemans are about to encounter a bunch of unusual but helpful characters, some of whom are far more than they appear to be.

-Click here to read an excerpt from A WHOLE NOTHER STORY.
-Click here to read our interview with Dr. Cuthbert Soup.
-Click here to read Dr. Cuthbert Soup’s bio.
-Visit the book’s official website, www.awholenotherbook.com.

MISSILE MOUSE: THE STAR CRUSHER written and illustrated by Jake Parker
Missile Mouse, a secret agent for the Galactic Security Agency, is a risk taker and a rule breaker, which is why he’s in hot water at GSA headquarters. Then RIP, the Rogue Imperium of Planets, kidnaps a scientist who knows about the Star Crusher, a doomsday machine capable of destroying the entire universe.

Time to let loose the mouse!

Missile Mouse battles giant space slugs, corrupt agents, killer bugs, and a pair of shark-headed thugs to save the day (and the scientist!).

-Click here to look inside MISSILE MOUSE: THE STAR CRUSHER.
-Click here to read Jake Parker’s bio.

Kathryn Lasky is the author of over 100 books for children, teens and adults, most notably the 15-part Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, as well as installments of Dear America and The Royal Diaries. In this interview with Kidsreads.com's Donna Volkenannt, Lasky discusses her latest novel, LONE WOLF --- the first chapter of a new series called Wolves of the Beyond --- and the surprising amount of research and attention to detail needed in order to write this fantasy story. She also gives some insight into her writing process, explains why she would prefer that her work provide a sense of validation for her readers rather than send them messages, and shares details about an upcoming film based on the Ga'Hoole series.

WOLVES OF THE BEYOND #1: LONE WOLF by Kathryn Lasky
A wolf mother has given birth, but the warm bundle snuffling next to her brings only anguish. The pup, otherwise healthy, has a twisted leg, and the mother knows what the harsh code of the pack demands. Her pup will be taken from her and abandoned on a desolate hill. The pack cannot have weakness --- the wolf mother knows that her pup is condemned to die.

But alone in the wilderness, the pup, Faolan, does not perish. This is his story --- a story of survival, of courage, and of love triumphant. This is Faolan's story, the wolf pup who rose up to change forever the Wolves of the Beyond.

-Click here to read an excerpt from LONE WOLF.
-Click here to read our interview with Kathryn Lasky.
-Click here to read Kathryn Lasky’s bio.

January’s roundup of Cool New Books includes WISHING FOR TOMORROW, Hilary McKay’s magical, long-awaited sequel to the beloved classic A LITTLE PRINCESS; ERAK’S RANSOM, the seventh installment in John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice fantasy/adventure series; A MILLION SHADES OF GRAY, Newbery Medal winner Cynthia Kadohata’s novel about a boy and his elephant who escape into the jungle when the Viet Cong attack his village immediately after the Vietnam War; COSMIC by Frank Cottrell Boyce, a funny and touching story of the many ways in which grown-upness is truly wasted on grown-ups; and CALAMITY JACK, a follow-up to Shannon and Dean Hale’s RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE, in which Jack (with the help of Rapunzel and her trusty braids) attempts to free his beloved city of Shyport from a crew of enormous Ant-People who have been terrorizing the townspeople.

Kidsreads.com Reviews:

STEEL TRAPP: THE ACADEMY by Ridley Pearson
Steven "Steel" Trapp has been placed in an East Coast boarding school for gifted kids by his FBI agent father. He soon discovers that there's a clubby element of the faculty and upper classmen that is very secretive and protective. To his surprise, his friend Kaleigh arrives to board at the school, and it isn't long before the two realize that this is not your normal boarding school. Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman.

A MILLION SHADES OF GRAY by Cynthia Kadohata
Cynthia Kadohata, author of the Newbery Medal-winning novel KIRA-KIRA, returns with a well-researched, emotionally harrowing exploration of what happened in Vietnam after the American troops pulled out. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE GECKO & STICKY: SINISTER SUBSTITUTE written by Wendelin Van Draanen and illustrated by Stephen Gilpin
Seventh-grader Dave Sanchez is thrilled when his strict science teacher, Ms. Veronica Krockle, is uncharacteristically absent on frog-dissecting day. She has been replaced by nattily dressed substitute teacher Dr. Schwarz, who is funny and cool. But after he shows an unusual interest in finding out which students own geckos, Dave gets suspicious. Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt.

RICH: A Dyamonde Daniel Book written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Dyamonde Daniel is excited about the local library’s poetry contest, and so is her friend Free. The prize is $100 --- just think what they could buy with that much money! But when they find out that Damaris, one of their classmates, has been living in a homeless shelter, their ideas about what it means to be rich or poor start to change. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.

GREEN by Laura Peyton Roberts
Laura Peyton Roberts’s latest novel is a sweet and original exploration of growing up and being true to yourself. There is plenty of adventure and wisdom in these pages, as 13-year-old Lily goes to the land of the leprechauns and tries to understand the birthright she has inherited and the position she is being asked to earn. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE EVER BREATH by Julianna Baggott
Truman and his twin sister, Camille, have just met their grandmother...and she’s a little strange. She whispers a tale about something called the Ever Breath, an amber orb that maintains the balance between our world and a dreamy one of imagination --- and evil. Soon Truman and Camille find themselves in the Breath World, a magical place where ogres clash and a mouse holds the key to a mystery. Reviewed by Kristi Olson.

-Click here to read our Kidsreads.com reviews.

Series Feature Updates:

GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND #13: WHEN THE GHOST DOG HOWLS by R.L. Stine
Twelve-year-olds Andy and Marnie had an awesome week in HorrorLand --- despite their freaky encounter with Murder the Clown and the zombie mob. Then they think they've won big when they get a FREE souvenir from HorrorLand's Chiller House. But when Andy hears howling at night and Marnie starts acting strange, they begin to rethink the gift from HorrorLand. Unlucky book #13 of the Goosebumps HorrorLand series kicks off an entirely new type of terror that will keep you guessing and quaking until book #19. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

-Click here to play the updated Goosebumps HorrorLand trivia game.
-Click here to read our Goosebumps HorrorLand series feature.

THE KARATE MOUSE by Geronimo Stilton
Geronimo Stilton gets caught up in the World Karate Championships, thanks to the efforts of Bruce Hyena and Piccolo Tao, Bruce's super-sporty cousin. Geronimo only has a week to become real champion material. Will Geronimo manage to overcome his fears in order to win the competition? Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

-Click here to play the updated Geronimo Stilton trivia game.
-Click here to read our Geronimo Stilton series feature.

CALAMITY JACK written by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale
Jack is back in this sequel to RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE --- but when Jack and Rapunzel head to the big city to find Jack's momma, they discover that Jack left behind a world of trouble when he ran away from home. Reviewed by Snow Wildsmith.

THE SECRET SCIENCE ALLIANCE AND THE COPYCAT CROOK written and illustrated by Eleanor Davis
Three preteen science geniuses create their own alliance. Unfortunately, someone else is interested in stealing their hard work. Reviewed by Danica Davidson.

Manhwa Review:

THE STARRY NIGHT written and illustrated by Kimjin
Four short stories reveal different sides of children’s lives. These include stories about a schoolgirl crush and enchanted dolls. Reviewed by Danica Davidson.

-Click here to read our graphic novel and manhwa reviews.