Hunger Games and its sequels are at the center of Miller’s analysis and probably the most popular books in the genre right now. Miller’s discussion of the games as high school allegory is apt and a satisfying perspective from which to approach the books, but many readers devour them simply because the plot moves breath-takingly quickly and Collins has created the epitome of a book that you can’t put down. The second installment, Catching Fire is currently available, and the final book, Mockingjay, will be available August 24th. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

The Giver is wildly popular with teachers and taught in countless 5th and 6th grade classrooms across the country, and with good reason. At turns a classic coming-of-age story and an indictment of over-regulation and conformity, it’s a 1984 for the 10-year-old set. The Giver is widely enjoyed by adults as well. At the bookstore we’ve encountered several parents who rain praises on the book, even though they never read it as children. The story of Jonah’s society actually continues in the books Gathering Blue and The Messenger, Neither quite lived up to the poignancy and urgency of the first book, but are an interesting exploration of future utopia/dystopia and the genre. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

At 11am Darren Farrell will be joining us to read from his first book, Doug-Dennis and the Flyaway Fib, about a sheep, an elephant, their trip to the circus, and what happens when you tell a lie. Farrell’s quirky illustrations perfectly compliment the sometimes silly story with a valuable moral. Perfect for kids 3 to 8, great for everyone else too.

Then, at 1pm we’re celebrating the release of a new book by Cathleen Davitt Bell (Slipping). Little Blog on the Prairie is the story of Gen, whose mother thinks that Frontier Camp is a great idea for a family vacation. Gen disagrees. She does manage to sneak around one of the Live Every Day Like It’s 1890 rules, though: she sneaks in a cell phone so she can text her best friend to fill her in on grueling life on “Little Hell on the Prairie.” The book is perfect for fans of young adult fiction and the book release party is open to everyone. Join us for drinks, snacks, and maybe some bonnet-wearing!

Both events are free, open to everyone, and no RSVP is required. See you this Sunday!

However, the black market in China has taken matters into its own hands. In China Harry lives on: riding dinosaurs, joining forces with the obviously superior Chinese wizards, saving children from being turned into wooden stools by a giant funnel (?), teaming up with Flick from A Bug’s Life, or simply reliving the entire plot of The Hobbit.

More brilliantly ridiculous covers and plots can be found here. [via coudal]

Alice, age 9 says “When You Reach Me was and is too good to explain.”

Alex, age 9 says “The Alex Rider series are about a 14-year-old boy. When his uncle dies, Alex found out he was a spy! Wow! Now Alex has to take his place. Yow!!”

Michaela, age 9 recommends The Name of This Book is Secret: “It’s a great book for kids who seek adventure and activity. It has tons of code making and breaking but takes place in the real world. (It’s more convincing that way!) With obstacles of avoiding the thieves and figuring out the code it has weird jokes about secrets which makes the book yet more enjoyable!”

And by far our most-recommended book or series is The Lightning Thief and the rest of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series. Stella says “One of the best books I’ve ever read! It has clever and outsmarting characters and incredible Greek gods and goddesses! They have amazing adventures and do the most fantastic things on the way!”

Eliza, age 10 says, “The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is funny, exciting, and suspenseful. I recommend them!”

And Alex, age 9 says “Meet Percy Jackson, the 12-year-old kids who ADHD. Does your best friend have goat hooves? Or do you have a dad that ‘drowned’? Either way, read the books!”

If you would like to add a review of your favorite book (or any book you’ve read and enjoyed) just stop by the kids’ desk at BookCourt and ask for a pen and a review card! When you’re done we’ll stick it on the shelf next to the book you recommended. Or you can just come by and read the reviews other kids have posted to find your new favorite book!

One fun thing you can do to celebrate Children’s Book Week is to vote in the Children’s Choice Book Awards. Students in all grades can cast votes for books appropriate for their grade level, and teachers, librarians, and (lucky for us) booksellers can cast votes for the whole pool. Here are our picks:

Kindergarten-2nd grade:
The Odd Egg is a beautifully illustrated, adorable, quick little story that recalls classics like Steven Kellogg’s Mysterious Tadpole and other tales of mistaken pre-identity. Emily Gravett is relatively new to the picture book scene, but her delicate drawings and paintings and brisk writing style are carving her a comfortable, welcome niche on our shelves.

3rd-4th grade:
Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange and illustrated by Kadir Nelson is a beautiful biography of the civil rights wife and leader, and Oceanology by Ferdinand Zoticus is a popular choice among middle grade boys in the store, but we can’t resist voting for The Book That Eats People, especially when you pair it with Oliver Jeffers’s The Incredible Book Eating Boy and watch them fight to the death (or just read them).

5th-6th grade:
By a landslide, our favorite book on the 5-6th grade list is Moonshot by local author Brian Floca. It’s a poetic and exciting retelling of Apollo 11th’s flight alongside Floca’s stunning illustrations. The book isn’t just great for older kids, though. Many toddlers and early-elementary-aged kids have become Moonshot fans. The text is mutli-layered and can be enjoyed at several different stages in readers’ development and the illustrations are gorgeous for readers of any age.

Teens:
It’s hard to talk about great Young Adult literature these days without mentioning Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy. The exciting, fast-paced, sometimes terrifying post-apocalyptic world of Katniss Everdeen and her family has been wildly popular with both teens and adults and does what a lot of teen literature has a hard time doing: attracting both male and female readers. Collins’s themes of individuality, family and romantic love, and government power aren’t new to literature by any means, but she presents them in such a remarkably readable package that we have to cast our vote for the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire in the teen category.

Author of the Year (all ages):
We might have to cast our vote for Suzanne Collins, for reasons stated above, but we’re pretty sure that if we put it do a vote of BookCourt kid readers, Rick Riordian and his Percy Jackson series would win hands down (with Jack Kinney and his Wimpy Kid books in second). Exciting tales of Greek gods in New York is hard to argue with.

Illustrator of the Year (all ages):
We think both BookCourt employees and families will agree that local author and illustrator Peter Brown is the obvious choice in this list. His Curious Garden is delightfully detailed and celebrates a new New York favorite, the High Line. The book has hopped on and off the BookCourt best seller list since its release, and we’re sure it hasn’t made its last appearance yet.

Check back all week for more celebrations of Children’s Book Week!

Leo Lionni was never awarded the Caldecott Medal, but he made the Honors list four times. One of those times was for Frederick, a story that appears at the beginning to be a traditional Ant and Grasshopper warning about working hard and being prepared, but turns into a touching missive on the value that artists and writers contribute to society. Leo Lionni’s stories were full of interesting surprise lessons like Frederick’s.

Tico and the Golden Wings is one of the most spectacular examples of Lionni’s illusrtration, with detailed paintings of a bird and his trip through India helping the poor with his golden wings. Lionni doesn’t just moralize about being charitable, though; the story raises complicated questions about the nature of friendship and acceptance.

Lionni could make beautifully detailed paintings and drawings, but some of his most-famous books have the simplest illustrations. His first book, Little Blue and Little Yellow, is illustrated entirely with torn paper, and teaches children about the color wheel and friendship.

And for a little reading about Leo Lionni, pick up Vivian Gussin Paley’s story of the year her kindergarten class spent studying his work, The Girl with the Brown Crayon. The students’ responses to his stories and illustration are surprisingly insightful and open up a whole new avenue of talking to your kids about stories. And short enough to read during the little one’s naps!

So, Happy 100th Birthday Leo Lionni! We will make some rabbits and think of you.

Oliver Jeffers led the kids in a paper-plane-making (and throwing) contest

Stephen Savage and his trusty assistant demonstrate how he illustrated Margaret Wise Brown's The Fathers are Coming Home

Sergio Ruzzier wondered what the kids would ask the rabbit for if they were in his book Hey Rabbit!, so they drew what they wanted for him!

Our kids’ author and illustrator series keeps going strong through the month of May. This Sunday we’re excited for our first special Mothers’ Day event for the book Mama Says: A Book of Love for Mothers and Sons. Author Rob. D Walker and illustrators Leo and Diane Dillion (two-time Caldecott winners for Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears and Ashanti to Zulu) will be joining us to read and sign books and celebrate the mothers of Cobble Hill (and anywhere else you come from). The event is free and no reservation is required, just bring your favorite local mom and family and join us!

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Most kids have heard stories of slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad, but not every story involves the dangerous night hikes and safe-houses we’ve come to expect. Levine tells the surprising story of a man who actually mailed himself to freedom. Henry Brown’s story is understandably sad and upsetting in the beginning, and even though Levine is not graphic in her descriptions of the hardships he faces, the loss of Henry’s family and parts of his escape might be difficult for younger readers to handle. But kids ages 6 and up will be enthralled by the unusual (true!) story and Nelson’s Caldecott-Honor-winning illustrations.

Ashanti to Zulu by Margaret Musgrove, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
Jerry Pinkney became the first African-American to win the Caldecott Medal on his own just last month, but Leo Dillon was the first African-American to win the award, and he and his wife are the only people to ever win the medal two years in a row. They accomplished this feat with 2 wonderful books about African fables and traditions: first, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears and then Ashanti to Zulu, an alphabet book that takes readers across the continent. Each letter introduces another tribe or culture to expose kids and parents to the diversity of Africa, and while it might be organized alphabetically, kids will learn plenty from this book long after they’ve mastered their letters. A beautiful reminder that “African American” can mean a lot of different things.

Choosing just a few books for this post was tricky, and we have more than 20 of our favorite Black History books for all ages on display right now in the store.

Marcelo in the Real World was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award, honoring books that “that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.” Simply classifying this book as a “disability” book sells it short, though. It wasn’t just the best book about a kid on the autism spectrum, it was one of the best young adult books of the year, period. Francisco X. Stork created a wonderfully complex and caring character in Marcelo, who’s challenges with new jobs, new friends, morality, and the new-found fallibility of his family are universal, even if his challenges with Aspergers are not.

Another staff favorite that wound up in the hands of pretty much any person who wandered in and said “I need a gift for a 5 [or 6, or 7, or 8]-year-old,” Moonshot by Brooklyn resident Brian Floca is the beautifully-illustrated account of the Apollo 11 mission. The ALA named it a Sibert Honor Book, recognizing “distinguished informational books for children,” but the poetic text makes it as good a bedtime story as it is a reference. The balance of engrossing story with detailed diagrams and a more advanced history of the early space program at the back of the book make Moonshot a book that can grow with kids and won’t get tossed aside as they get older.

Bad News for Outlaws by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson flew under our radar until it was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award honoring African American authors, but that cover demands attention. Inside it’s the exciting and sometimes startling story of Bass Reeves, a former slave who became a Deputy U.S. Marshall. The reading level is decidedly higher than most picture books, which makes it a great addition to the non-fiction section of middle-grade classroom libraries, but would also make a great quick read aloud for families with older kids who have graduated to reading mostly on their own. Everyone loves to be read to sometimes.

The complete list of awardees is here. With 20 different categories, there’s no excuse for not being able to find something to read.

Newbery Award: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

A personal favorite of several employees (and by favorite, we mean if you were between the ages of 8 and 12 we pretty much would not let you leave the store without this book), When You Reach Me deserves every bit of praise it has received and more. The writing is crisp, the characters are lovable and relatable, and the plot is quick and exciting. Rebecca Stead joined us for our Young Reader Book Club meeting in November to share her experiences writing the book and growing up on the Upper West Side like her main character, Miranda. One interesting bit we learned: Rebecca was inspired to write the novel after hearing a news story about a man in Washington state who lost his memory, and the only part of his identity he remembered were things that hadn’t happened yet. We also talked about the lovely cover, illustrated by Sophie Blackall. You can see how the cover came together here.

Newbery Honor books can be found here.

Caldecott: The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

It takes a special talent to tell a story entirely in pictures, which is probably why the ALA is fond of giving the Caldecott to books without words. One thing they’ve never done before, though, is give it to an individual* African-American illustrator. The Lion and the Mouse follows in other wordless books’** footsteps, but illustrator Jerry Pinkney blazes a new trail for African Americans with his much-deserved win this morning. Wordless books are a great way for pre-reading kids to learn about story structure, and are also a fun way to challenge kids who can read to approach books in a new way. The gorgeous watercolor illustrations of The Lion and the Mouse are a welcome addition to the genre.

Check out the Caldecott Honor books here.

Printz: Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Lastly, we were delighted to see that frequent BookCourt guest Libba Bray was awarded the Printz award for Young Adult Literature. One thing the big ALA awards are sometimes lacking is genuine humor, but the audience at our recent Going Bovine reading repeatedly cracked up at the antics of 16-year-old mad-cow-disease sufferer Cameron. Libba Bray writes smart, witty, less-than-perfect teenage characters who might not always be likable, but they’re all the more believable for it.

The ALA handed out quite a few other awards this morning as well. A complete list of awards are here and up-to-date information on recipients can be found here. Congratulations to all the winners!

*Cobble Hill’s own Leo Dillon is actually the first African American to win the prize. He won it twice with his wife, Diane, back to back in 1976 and 1977.
**Okay, there’s some onomatpoeia worked into some illustrations. We don’t really think those should count towards the book’s word count, which is otherwise zero.