Well, one-twelfth of 2012 is gone. Whew! How did THAT happen? But hey, we get an extra day in February this year to slooooooooow the year down.

In case you missed our special email last week, the winners of the 2012 ALA Youth Media Awards were announced last week in Dallas, and I was there to see it all happen! It was such fun to be in the room when the awards were being being announced. It’s a great lineup of winning titles, so be sure to check out our Awards feature to see which of your favorite books got prizes. And this also gives you an opportunity to explore some of the books on the list that you have not read.

Lots of wonderful books came out in January, including THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE by Christopher Paul Curtis. It tells the story of Deza, a gifted young black girl whose family is hit hard by the Great Depression. As she and her family follow her father around the country while he looks for work, Deza proves her “mightiness.” I love love loved this book. Deza is a very special heroine! I got to hear the author talk about this book earlier this year, and it’s very clear that he has a warm space in his heart for his heroine, who I will call plucky. You can consider that a vocabulary word to look up. By the way, THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE is related to another of Curtis’s books. Read on to the end of this newsletter to see which one. And may I suggest you read BOTH?

THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE and more than 20 other titles are being featured in our Black History Month roundup, where we commemorate the achievements of African Americans and remember the historic wrongs committed upon them. Lots to read ---- and think about --- here.

We’ve updated THREE series features for you.

There is a new addition to the Dear America series, a collection of fictional diaries based on boys and girls from America’s history. The latest book, BEHIND THE MASKS, is the Wild West diary of Angeline Reddy, a girl living in a California gold-mining town. One of our staffers used to DEVOUR these books when she was younger, and is pumped to see they are still being printed. It’s one of those collections you’ll never get tired of --- so it’s a good thing there are so many!

Other series feature updates include a new installment of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps Horrorland, GOOSEBUMPS HALL OF HORRORS #5: DON’T SCREAM! In this creepy tale, Jack Harmon discovers a cell phone on the school bus that connects to a mysterious caller --- one he can’t hang up on!

And Geronimo Stilton also has added a new book this month. In THE MYSTERY IN VENICE, Geronimo discovers a mysterious message hidden inside a figurine his aunt gives him. Someone in Venice needs help! Of course Geronimo is happy to comply, and adventures ensue.

As usual, we have a new roundup of Cool New Books for you, including EARWIG AND THE WITCH by the late Diana Wynne Jones, which follows an orphan as she gets adopted unwillingly by a very strange couple; and THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, a picture book adaptation of the bestselling memoir for adults that introduces readers to a boy from Malawi who sets out to build a windmill that could revolutionize his village.

Our New in Paperback roundup has been updated to include such books as THE FOURTH STALL by Chris Rylander, a story about a rule-breaking kid and his business manager who claim they can solve any problem, and SKY BOYS, a nonfiction picture book by Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome about the construction of the Empire State Building.

And don’t miss our current review lineup, which includes three graphic novel reviews --- SUPERHEROES: An Amelia Rules! Book, LUZ SEES THE LIGHT and THE ADVENTURES OF SIMONE & AJAX --- for all you comic-book fans out there. Be sure to peruse all of our reviews for more ideas of what to read.

Before I sign off, I want to remind you to answer this month’s poll. We want to know what percentage of your friends read for pleasure. Our inquiring minds want to know, so please weigh in.

Remember, there’s nothing like a good book to cure a bad case of the winter doldrums. I am getting to the point in the year where I want to run away to the Southern Hemisphere to see more sunshine!

Oh, and as promised…THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE is a spinoff from BUD, NOT BUDDY! How much fun is that? That way, you have two books to enjoy that have connections to each other.

Here’s to great reading…

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)

DEAR AMERICA: BEHIND THE MASKS: The Diary of Angeline Reddy - Bodie, California, 1880 by Susan Patron (Historical Fiction)
Growing up in the wild gold-mining town of Bodie, California, in the 1880s, Angeline Reddy has seen it all --- saloons, brawls, and a whole lot of desperation. When her father, Bodie's greatest lawyer, is declared murdered, Angie knows deep in her heart that he isn't dead and decides it is up to her to solve the mystery of what happened to him. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

-Click here to read our Dear America series feature.

THE MYSTERY IN VENICE by Geronimo Stilton (Mystery)
When Geronimo’s friend, Petunia Pretty Paws, gives him a crystal figurine of a boat as a gift, he has to accept it. After all, he has the biggest crush on Petunia. But the figurine is so ugly. So Geronimo isn't too sad when his cousin Trap accidentally breaks it, especially when Geronimo discovers a piece of paper inside with a mysterious message from someone in Venice, Italy, asking for help. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.