Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Books I'm looking forward to

Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray asks: what books are you looking forward to this year?

There are so many wonderful children's books coming out that it's hard to chose. Many other bloggers have compiled terrific lists. Rather than repeat all the big titles coming out that everyone else has talked about, I'll mention three books I have my eye on for personal reasons:

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release date: March 4, 2008

I plucked this book out of a stack of galleys (early reader copies)... and it made me feel like I discovered it. It's a fabulous read aloud for very little kids and will make an excellent board book one day. Whatever you do, don't write this off as another sock monkey book. I think anything that Emily Gravett writes is terrific (see Orange Pear Apple Pear for confirmation).

It's Library Day by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: June 12, 2008

Janet Stoeke was a guest speaker in my children's literature class last year, and she shared drawings and text from this book, which she had just finished at the time. I think it will be a real gift to school libraries. There's also a lovely preview of this book over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

The Scandal Plan or How to Win the Presidency by Cheating on Your Wife by Bill Folman
Publisher: William Morrow.
Release date: May 2008.

Okay, so this obviously isn't a children's literature title. How did it make my list? Because it's written by a friend of mine, who lived across the hall from me in college. He's always been one of the funniest people I know and he has a real gift for comedy. I can't believe that the kid who wrote wacky scenes for our playwriting class (ten years ago) now has a book coming out with a major publisher. I'm really proud of him and I can't wait to see how his sense of humor comes through in his book.

What books are you looking forward to this year?

3 comments:

  1. I'm looking forward to First Daughter: White House Rules, by Mitali Perkins (January 24, according to Amazon) and A La Carte by Tanita S. Davis (our very own TadMack!) in June.

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  2. I actually have a review of Monkey and Me from this past summer, I guess it was (it's more like an Ode to Gravett post!). And that's 'cause I couldn't stand to wait for the book, and I got Michele of Scholar's Blog to mail it to me, and I reimbursed her (it came out in the UK this year). It's fabulous, and a read child-pleaser, too (I used it in a story time, and the children loved it).

    Thanks for linking. I'm looking forward to Janet's new book, too.

    Jules, 7-Imp

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  3. Alkelda- I'm looking forward to those books too!

    Jules- Isn't Emily Gravett the best? And I have a hardcover copy of the British book too, because I couldn't wait either. =) My son loves it. It's definitely a child pleaser.

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