Wednesday, December 31, 2008

1rst in a Series 2009


I'm joining this one. The goal is to read twelve books that are first in a series.

1. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson
2. Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi
3. The Book of Time by Guillaume Prevost
4. The Fire of Ares by Michael Ford
5. Eon Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman.
6. The Black Book of Secrets by F.E. Higgins.
7. Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 by PJ Haarsma.
8. Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar.
9. Gone by Michael Grant.
10. A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman.
11. The Bone Doll's Twin by Lynn Flewelling.
12. The Warden. Anthony Trollope.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Books Read in 2008

Total number of books read in 2008: 408 (not including picture books and board books.)

January = 20

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Harcourt. 320 Pages. 4.75/5
The Swiss Family Robinson. Johann Wyss. 377. 3/5
The Sweet Far Thing. Libba Bray. Delacourte. 819. 3.75/5
Diaries of Adam & Eve by Mark Twain. 124. 4.25 /5
100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson. 289. 3/5
Poetry and Short Stories of Dorothy Parker. 457. 3.25/5
Book Thief by Markus Zusak. 550. 5/5
Two Tales: Rip Van Wrinkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Washington Irving. 54. 2.75/5
Foundation by Isaac Asimov. 296. 4/5
Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov. 403. 2.75/5
Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov. 244. 4.75/5
Persuasion by Jane Austen. 264. 5/5
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 256. 3.75/5
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov 3.75/5
Sword in the Storm by David Gemmell. 439. 4.5/5
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne. 160. 5/5
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. ?. 3.5
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field. 207. 4/5
Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov 2.5/5 and Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov 2/5
Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull. 441. 3.75/5

February = 30
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 335. 4/5
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 335. 4.5/5
On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 339. 4.5/5
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 290. 3/5
All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor. 189. 3/5
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 334. 5/5
Girl with the White Flag by Tomiko Higa. 127. 3.75/5
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr. 217. 4.75/5
Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 307. 4.5/5
These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 289. 5/5
First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 134. 2.5/5
The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman. 276. 5/5
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. 720. 3.5/5
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. 139. 2/5
The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin. 182. 4/5
Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray. 317. 3.25/5
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brian. 233. 3.5/5
The Fold by An Na. 278. 3/5
Matilda by Roald Dahl. 240. 3.25/5
B is for Betsy by Carolyn Haywood. 189. 3/5
The Moffats by Eleanor Estes. 224. 3/5
Shades of Gray by Jessica James. 524. 3.5/5
Old Twentieth by Joe Haldeman. 272. 4.5/5
The Entertainer and the Dybbuk by Sid Fleischman. 180. 3.75/5
White Lilacs by Carolyn Meyer. 238. 4.75/5
I Will Plant You A Lilac Tree by Laura Hillman. 243. 4.5/5
Brendan Buckley's Universe And Everything In It by Sundee T. Frazier. 198. 4.25/5
The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo. 72. 4.25/5
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. 193. 5/5
Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George. 324. 4.25/5

March = 30
Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague. Brandon Mull. 471. 4/5
Leftovers by Laura Wiess. 232. 4/5
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. 96. 4/5
Elmer and the Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. 96. 3/5
Dragons of Blueland by Ruth Stiles Gannett. 96. 3/5
The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender. 245. 4.5/5
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. 430. 3.75/5
Saga by Conor Kostick. 367. 3.25/5
Kristy's Great Idea by Ann Martin. 187. 2.75/5
The Rules of Gentility by Janet Mullany. 268. 4/5
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. 371. 4/5
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn. 376. 4/5
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson. 284. 4/5
London by Edward Rutherfurd. 829. 4/5
An Offer From A Gentleman by Julia Quinn. 358. 4.5/5
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. 370. 5/5
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. 227. 4/5
To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn. 372. 3.75/5
Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George. 336. 4/5
I, Claudius by Robert Graves. 468. 3.5/5
The 13th Reality by James Dashner. 428. 3.5/5
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn. 364. 3/5
Jack Russell: Dog Detective: Dog Den Mystery. 76. 5/5
Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird. 128. 3.75/5
Alien Feast by Michael Simmons. 240. 3.75/5
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. 368. 3.5/5
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. 323. 3.75/5
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. 256 . 5/5
Love and Other Uses For Duct Tape by Carrie Jones. 284. 3.75/5
Dingo by Charles de Lint. 213. 4.5/5

April = 41
Guinevere's Gift by Nancy McKenzie. 325. 3.75/5
George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawking. 297. 3/5
Jack Russell: Dog Detective: The Phantom Mudder by Darrel and Sally Odgers. 4/5
Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey. 193. 3.75/5
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. 101. 5/5
Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank. 283. 5/5
Stardust by Neil Gaiman. 336. 5/5
The King's Arrow by Michael Cadnum. 208. 3.75/5
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis. ??? 4.5/5
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. 159. 4/5
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary. 192. 5/5
Camilla by Fanny Burney. 956. 3/5
Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary. 176. 3.75/5
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott. 282. 4.5/5
Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary. 186. 3.5/5
The End of the Beginning by Avi. 144. 4.25/5
A Beginning, A Muddle, and An End by Avi. 164. 3.5/5
Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen. 361. 3.5/5
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt. 216. 3.5/5
Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary. 208. 3.5/5
Ramona Quimby Age 8 by Beverly Cleary. 179. 4/5
Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going. 183. 3.5/5
Dreamrider by Barry Jonsberg. 239. 3/5
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. 370. 3.75/5
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. 198. 4.5/5
I Have Lived A Thousand Years by Livia Bitton Jackson. 234. 4/5
Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary. 182. 3.5/5
Primavera by Mary Jane Beaufrand. 260. 4/5
Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne. 472. 3.5/5
Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt. 304. 3/5
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley. 292. 2.5/5
A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg. 320. 3.5/5
Ramona's World by Beverly Cleary. 192. 3.75/5
Crispin: Cross of Lead by Avi. 262. 4/5
My Bridges of Hope by Livia Bitton-Jackson. 378. 3.5/5
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. 1024. 5/5
Ever by Gail Carson Levine. 244. 4.5/5
The Dragon's Child by Laurence Yep. 133. 3.5/5
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. Translated by Richard Pevear. 704. 5/5
The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman. 308. 3.5/5
Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin. 274. 4.5/5

May = 37
A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck. 148. 5/5
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck. 130. 5/5
Blackness Tower by Lillian Stewart Carl. 367. 2.5/5
Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block. 478. 3.5/5
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. 330. 4/5
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. 361. 5/5
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. 256. 5/5
Bronte's Book Club by Kristiana Gregory. 148. 3.5/5
The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle. 229. 5/5
Crispin: At the Edge of the World by Avi. 256. 3/5
Greetings From Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor. 208. 4/5
The Patron Saints of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante. 292. 4/5
The Sisters Grimm: Magic and Other Misdemeanors by Michael Buckley. 282. 4/5
Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park. 201. 3.75/5
The Sisters Grimm: Tales From the Hood. by Michael Buckley. 274. 3.75/5
Once Upon A Prom: Dream by Jeanine Le Ny. 218. 3/5
The Host by Stephenie Meyer. 619. 4/5
East by Edith Pattou. 494. 4/5
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. 3/5
Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. 389. 3.5/5
gods behaving badly by Marie Phillips. 292. 3/5
Good Enough by Paula Yoo. 322. 4/5
Once Upon A Prom: Dress. by Jeanine Le Ny. 217. 3/5
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters. 392. 3/5
Once Upon A Prom: Date by Jeanine Le Ny. 223. 3/5
The Road by Cormac McCarthy. 287. 4.75/5
Mandy by Julie Edwards. 279. 5/5
Fearless by Tim Lott. 263. 3/5
Manga Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, illustrated by Sonia Leong. 195. ???
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. 184. 3/5
Double-Click for Trouble by Chris Woodworth. 162. 3.5/5
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Annette Laing. 206. 3/5
The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers. 375. 4.5/5
The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu. 336. 3.5/5
Rumors by Anna Godbersen. 423. 1/5
The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine by April Lurie. 224. 4.75/5
Neptune's Children by Bonnie Dobkin. 262. 3.5/5

June = 41
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. 309. 5/5
Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks. 436. 3.75/5
Never On These Shores by Stephen R. Pastore. 288. 3/5
The After Hours (Twilight Zone)
Walking Distance (Twilight Zone)
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. 382. 4.5/5
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. 311. 5/5
Secrets of the Cirque Medrano by Elaine Scott. 216. 3/5
Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman. 247. 4/5
Blue Like Friday by Siobhan Parkinson. 154. 3.5/5
Take Me There by Susane Colasanti. 290. 3/5
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner. 378. 3.75/5
Jessie's Mountain by Kerry Madden. 304. 4.5/5
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry. 174. 4.5/5
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs. 264. 3/5
Aurelia by Anne Osterlund. 246. 3/5
Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus. 340. 3.5/5
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson. 272. 4.75/5
Savvy by Ingrid Law. 343. 4.5/5
Confessions of A Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen. 294. 2.5/5
The Floating Circus by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. 208. 3.75/5
The Search for the Red Dragon by James A. Owen. 384. 3.5/5
Summer Snow by Nicole Baart. 364. 3/5
A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson. 381. 4/5
Out of the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst. 260. 3.5/5
A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz. 389. 3.75/5
Peeled by Joan Bauer. 248. 3.5/5
Christy by Catherine Marshall. 501. 4/5
Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott. 320. 3.5/5
In Mozart's Shadow by Carolyn Meyer. 350. 3.5/5
I Am Scout by Charles J. Shields. 246. 4/5
The Lost Queen by Frewin Jones. 335. 3/5
The Queen's Soprano by Carol Dines. 318. 3/5
Looks by Madeleine George. 240. 3/5
Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler. 328. 4/5
In the Company of Whispers by Sallie Lowenstein. 380. 3.5/5
The Trials of Kate Hope by Wick Downing. 329. 3/5
The Sherlock Files: The 100 Year Old Secret by Tracy Barrett. 157. 3/5
Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee. 276. 4/5
Coraline the Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell.
Skin Deep by E.M. Crane. 270. 4/5

July = 32
From a Distance by Tamera Alexander. 384. 3/5
Suddenly Supernatural by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. 316. 3/5
Shift by Charlotte Agell. 230. 3/5
Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught. 308. 3.75/5
Appetite for Detention by Sloane Tanen.
The Richest Doll in the World by Polly M. Robertus. 129. 1/5
The Hanging Woods by Scott Loring Sanders. 336. 3.5/5
Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott. 308. 3/5
Planet Pregnancy by Linda Oatman High. 197. 3/5
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis. 3/5
No Cream Puffs by Karen Day. 209. 4/5
A La Carte by Tanita Davis. 281. 3.75/5
King George What was His Problem by Stephen Sheinkin. 195.
Gem X by Nicky Singer. 311. 2.5/5
Magicians Nephew by C.S. Lewis.
42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. 73. 4/5
Savannah by Eugenia Price. 595. 4/5
A New Dawn, edited by Ellen Hopkins.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. 320. 5/5
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. 170. 4.5/5
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. 2/5
Paper Towns by John Green. 4/5
Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford. 120. 4/5
The Viper Within by Sam Mills. 296. 4/5
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. 482. 4/5
She Touched the World by Sally Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander. 100.
Starcross: A Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel, and Curious Hats. by Philip Reeve. 370. 5/5
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart. 440. 3.5/5
Nothing Pink by Mark Hardy. 109. 3/5
I Need You More Than I Love You and I Love You To Bits by Gunnar Ardelius. 118. 3/5
A Beatrix Potter Treasury. Beatrix Potter. 190. 3/5
Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell. 271. 3/5

August = 37
Hero-Type by Barry Lyga. 295. 3.75/5
The Year We Disappeared by Cylin Busby & John Busby. 329.
The Navigator. Eoin McNamee. 342. 3/5
The Inferior by Peador O Guilin. 440. 2.5/5
How They Met And Other Stories by David Levithan. 244. 3/5
Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell. 163. 5/5
Daisy Dawson Is On Her Way. Steve Voake. 98.
The Resistance by Gemma Malley. 320. 3/5
Lady of Quality by Georgette Heyer. 5/5
Steinbeck's Ghost by Lewis Buzbee. 304. 3.75/5
Mary Ingalls On Her Own by Elizabeth Kimmel Willard. 180. 2.5/5
The Redheaded Princess by Ann Rinaldi. 208. 3/5
Don't Talk To Me About the War. David A. Adler 216. 3/5
Hurricane Song by Paul Valponi. 136. 3/5
Ruby's Imagine by Kim Antieau. 201. 2.75/5.
Love Me Tender by Audrey Couloumbis. 209. 3/5
High Dive by Tammar Stein. 201. 3.5/5
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson. 353. 3.5/5
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. 754. 2.75/5
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder. 226. 2.5/5
Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison. 310. 3/5
Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day by Meg Cabot. 228. 4/5
Memories of Babi by Aranka Siegal. 116. 3/5
Jimmy's Stars by Mary Ann Rodman. 257. 3/5
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale. 144. 4/5
La Petite Four by Regina Scott. 235. 2.5/5
Found: The Missing Book 1 by Margaret Peterson Haddix. 314. 4/5
Wombat and Fox: Tales from the City by Terry Denton.
All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall. 272. 3.5/5
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones. 308. 4.75/5
Impulse and Initiative by Abigail Reynolds. 390. 3/5
Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway. 313. 3.75/5
My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes. 1946. 352. 3/5
My Last Best Friend by Julie Bowe. 146. 3.5/5
Jane Eyre's Daughter by Elizabeth Newark. 336. 3/5
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat. Lynne Jonell. 352. 3.75/5
The Mystery of the Fool & The Vanisher by David and Ruth Ellwand. 103. 3/5

September = 22
Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick. 171. 3.5/5
Zombie Blondes by Brian James. 232. 4/5
The Ghosts of Kerfol by Deborah Noyes. 163. 3.5/5
My New Best Friend by Julie Bowe. 181. 3.5/5
Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez. 190. 3/5
The Devouring: Sorry Night by Simon Holt. 231. 3.5/5
Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin. 250. 2.5/5
The Darcys and The Bingleys by Marsha Altman. 417. 3.5/5
The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman. 280. 3/5
The Ghost's Child by Sonya Hartnett. 192. 3.5/5
The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam. 193. 4/5
Identical by Ellen Hopkins. 565. 3.5/5
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. 632. 4/5
Not On Our Watch by Don Cheadle and John Prender. 272. 3.5/5
Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer. ?. 4/5
Wake by Lisa McMann. ?. 3/5
The Compound by S.A. Bodeen. ?. 3/5
The Secret Garden by Frances H. Burnett. 3/5
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. 548. 5/5
Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. 262. 3.5/5
When You Wish by Kristin Harmel. 273. 3.25/5
The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau. 285. 3/5

October = 37
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. 451. 4.5/5
Impossible by Nancy Werlin. 373. 4/5.
Chicken Feathers by Joy Cowley. 149. 3/5
The Penderwicks On Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall. 308. 4/5
Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman. By Eleanor Updale. 233. 2.75/5
Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. ?. 3/5
Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank You Notes by Peggy Gifford. 160. 5/5
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. 1312. 4/5
The Cure by Harry Kraus, MD. 190. 4/5
An Abundance of Katherines. by John Green. 228. 3.75/5
Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery. ? . 5/5
Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery. 244. 5/5
Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery. 258. 5/5
T4 by Ann Clare LeZotte. 108. 3/5
Madapple by Christina Meldrum. 410. 3.75/5
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. 479. 3/5
Darkside by Tom Becker. 294. 3/5
Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery. 230. 5/5
If You're Reading This It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch. 385. 3/5
Poison Ink by Christopher Golden. 279. 3.5/5
Painting the Wild Frontier by Susanna Reich. 160. 3/5
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. 325. 3.5/5
Prey by Lurlene McDaniel. 208. 2.75/5
Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty. ?. 4/5
Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery. 277. 3/5
Rainbow Valley. L.M. Montgomery. 225. 3.5/5
Lydia Bennet's Story by Jane Odiwe. 351. 2.5/5
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery. 277. 5/5
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation: Volume 1: Pox Party by M.T. Anderson. 353. 5/5
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. ?. 4/5
Macbeth by William Shakespeare. ?. 3/5
Something Wicked by Alan Gratz. 272. 4/5
Manga Shakespeare: MacBeth. Illustrated by Robert Deas. 208. 3.5/5
Would You by Marthe Jocelyn. 165. 3/5
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. 226. 5/5
Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card. 380. 4/5


November = 50
Jerk, California. by Jonathan Friesen. 327. 3/5
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. 316. 4.5/5
Shifty by Lynn E. Hazen. ?. 4/5
Ten Cents A Dance by Christine Fletcher. 320. 4/5
Mousetraps by Pat Schmatz. ?. 3/5
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell. 281. 3.5/5
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation: Volume II The Kingdom of the Waves. by M.T. Anderson. 561. 4/5
How To Hook A Hottie by Tina Ferraro. 196. 3/5
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. 374. 4/5
Unraveling by Michelle Baldini and Lynn Biederman. 230. 4/5
I Know It's Over by C.K. Kelly Martin. 244. 5/5
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester. 328. 3.5/5
Ellie McDoodle: New Kid In School by Ruth McNally Barshaw. 188. 3.5/5
Kendra by Coe Booth. 292. 3/5
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp. ?. 3/5
Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin. ?. 5/5
The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second. 263. 3.5/5
How To Build A House by Dana Reinhardt. 227. 2/5
The Day I Killed James by Catherine Ryan Hyde. 217. 3.5/5
Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd. 322. 2.5/5
My Life As A Rhombus by Varian Johnson. 304. 3.5/5
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson. 154. 3.5/5
My Mother The French Fry And Further Proof of my Fuzzed Up Life. 255. 2.75/5
Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab. 247. 3/5
Voss: How I Come to America and Am Hero, Mostly. By David Ives. 208. 3.75/5
The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas. 274. 3/5
White Christmas Pie by Wanda Brunstetter. ?. 2/5
Love & Lies: Marisol's Story by Ellen Wittlinger. 245. 3/5
Debbie Harry Sings In French by Meagan Brothers. 234. 3/5
You Know Where To Find Me by Rachel Cohn. 204. 3/5
Getting the Girl by Susan Juby. 341. 3.5/5
The Humming of Numbers by Joni Sensel. ?. 4/5
Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls edited by Deb Loughead and Jocelyn Shipley. 186. 3/5.
The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez. By Alan Lawrence Sitomer. 312. 3.25/5
Play Me by Laura Ruby. 310. 2.75/5
The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith. 246. 4/5
Isabelle's Boyfriend by Caroline Hickey. 184. 3/5
I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert. 340. 3.5/5
Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer. 392. 3.75/5
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. 352. 3.5/5
The Trouble Begins at 8 by Sid Fleischman. ?. 5/5
How to Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle. 336. 2.75/5
Season of Ice by Diane Les Becquets. 277. 3/5
Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer. ?. 5/5
House of Dance. by Beth Kephart. 263. 4/5
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. 419. 4/5
The Fortunes of Indigo Skye. By Deb Caletti. 298. 3/5
How Not To Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler. 339. 3.5/5
Facts of Life #31 by Denise Vega. 374. 4.5/5
Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka. 269. 4/5

December = 31
House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo. 295. 3.75/5
The Stowaway by R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore. 287. 3/5
One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling. ?. 3/5
Undone by Brooke Taylor. 310. 3.75/5
Weeping Under This Same Moon. by Jana Laiz. 271. 3/5
Freefall by Anna Levine. 250. 3.25/5
Feathered by Laura Kasischke. 261. 2.5/5
Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer. 282. 3.5/5
Prom Kings and Drama Queens by Dorian Cirrone. 198. 3/5
The Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon. 273. 3.5/5
Sovay by Celia Rees. 404. 3.5/5
Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn. ?. 3/5
The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher. 153. 4/5
They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne. 191. 3/5
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. 339. 4/5
Thaw by Monica M. Roe. 235. 4/5
Swimming with the Sharks by Debbie Reed Fischer. 259. 3/5
Split by A Kiss by Luisa Plaja. 309. 3.25/5
A True and Faithful Narrative by Katherine Sturtevant. 247. 4/5
Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix. 346. 5/5
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 296. 3.5/5
Squad: Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 273. 4/5
Everything You Want by Barbara Shoup. 307. 3.25/5
Ringside, 1925 by Jen Bryant. 227. 3/5
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury. 245. 3.5/5
The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. 196. 3.25/5
Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley. 339. 3/5
Cassandra's Sister by Veronica Bennett. 240. 3/5
In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer. By Irene Gut Opdyke. 276. 4/5
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. 86. 5/5
Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech. 153. 5/5

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Hate That Cat


Creech, Sharon. 2008. Hate That Cat.

Hate That Cat is the sequel to Love That Dog. It's a verse novel too. Our narrator, Jack, is one year older, but his favorite teacher, Miss Stretchberry, is right there continuing to challenge him and encourage this young poet-in-the-making. (She moved up a grade.) And if this is possible, I think I loved this one just as much if not a tiny smidgen more. We learn more about Jack, more about Sky--the yellow dog he lost, more about his family--his mom. And the more I learn, the more I love.

Here are two poems to give you a glimpse of what it's like:

December 20

When you put up that one line
from the eagle poem--

He clasps the crag with crooked hands

--and used all those different colored chalks
to show how Mr. Tennyson
managed to cram in
ALLITERATION
and
ASSONANCE
and
CONSONANCE
all in one line
well
I was impressed
but that doesn't mean
I remember which is which
and
I will never be able to do all that stuff
that Mr. Tennyson does
and did he know he was doing it
when he did it?

I feel stupid.
I am a bad writer.
I'm going to quit.

December 21

Thank you for telling me
I could FORGET
those confusing words
and that it isn't knowing the words
that describe writing
that is important--
it is the thoughts in our heads
that are most important
and that feeling the rhythm
is even more
wondrous
than hearing the rhythm.

And
thank you for saying
I am a genius
(even though I know
you are exaggerating).

(54-56)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2008 Kids & YA Books Read

Picture Books
  1. Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
  2. Fisherman and His Wife by Rachel Isadora
  3. Help Me, Mr. Mutt by Janet and Susan Stevens
  4. Night of the Veggie Monster by George McClements
  5. How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz
  6. I Don't Want to Go by Addie Meyer Sanders
  7. As Good As Anybody by Richard Michelson
  8. Mommy Do You Love Me by Jeanne Willis
  9. The Castaway Pirates by Ray Marshall
  10. No, That's Wrong! by Zhaohua Ji and Cui Xu
  11. We're Off to Look For Aliens by Colin McNaughton
  12. Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene Field; illustrated by Giselle Potter
  13. My Friend the Monster by Eleanor Taylor
  14. Say Hello by Jack and Michael Foreman
  15. You Can Be My Friend by Lauren Childs (sort've)
  16. Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton
  17. Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
  18. 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe by Anna Grossnickle Hines
  19. Bunny Fun by Sarah Weeks
  20. Puppies and Piggies by Cynthia Rylant
  21. My Name is Not Isabella by Jennifer Fosberry
  22. The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg
  23. The Light of the World by Katherine Paterson
  24. Madam President by Lane Smith
  25. The Story of Growl by Judy Horacek
  26. Big Plans by Bob Shea
  27. Butterflies in My Stomach by Serge Bloch
  28. God Gave Us Heaven by Lisa Tawn Bergren
  29. God Loves Me More Than That by Dandi Daley Mackall
  30. When God Created My Toes by Dandi Daley Mackall
  31. Born to Read by Judy Sierra
  32. What's Under the Bed by Joe Fenton
  33. Imagine a Place by Sarah L. Thomson
  34. Thump, Quack, Moo by Doreen Cronin
  35. Bobo and the New Neighbor by Gail Page
  36. Please Don't Tease Tootsie by Margaret Chamberlain
  37. A is for Art by Stephen Johnson
  38. Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery (nonfiction???)
  39. The Best Book to Read by Debbie Bertram
  40. Big Little Monkey by Carole Lexa Schaefer
  41. Be Gentle With The Dog, Dear by Matthew J. Baek
  42. Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett
  43. Fabulous Fishes by Susan Stockdale (nonfiction)
  44. The Lord is My Shepherd
  45. Lonesome Puppy by Yoshitomo Nara
  46. Wish by Roseanne Thong
  47. Our Library by Eve Bunting
  48. When Louis Armstrong Taught Me To Scat by Muriel Harris Weinstein
  49. Knuckleheads by Joan Holub
  50. Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody by Michael Rex
  51. Where's My Mummy by Carolyn Crimi
  52. The Foggy Foggy Forest by Nick Sharratt
  53. The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket
  54. Josh's Halloween Pumpkin by Kathryn Lay
  55. There's No Such Thing As Ghosts by Emmanuelle Eeckhout
  56. Trick or Treat on Monster Street by Danny Schnitzlein.
  57. Mama's Kiss by Jane Yolen
  58. Everywhere the Cow Says "Moo!" by Ellen Slusky Weinstein
  59. Before John Was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford
  60. The Mystery by Maxwell Eaton III
  61. Tonight You Are My Baby by Jeannine Q. Norris
  62. Priscilla and the Great Santa Search by Nathaniel Hobbie
  63. Deck the Halls, traditional, illustrations by Norman Rockwell
  64. Hurry, Hurry, Have You Heard by Laura Krauss Melmed. Illustrated by Jane Dyer.

Fiction (Early, Middle, Teen)
  1. The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
  2. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
  3. The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin
  4. The Fold by An Na
  5. The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo
  6. Leftovers by Laura Wiess
  7. Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague. Brandon Mull
  8. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
  9. Saga by Conor Kostick
  10. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
  11. Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George
  12. The 13th Reality by James Dashner
  13. Alien Feast by Michael Simmons
  14. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
  15. Love and Other Uses for Duct Tape by Carrie Jones
  16. Dingo by Charles de Lint
  17. Guinevere's Gift by Nancy McKenzie
  18. Annie and Simon by Catharine O'Neill
  19. Andy Shane and the Queen of Egypt by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
  20. The King's Arrow by Michael Cadnum
  21. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
  22. A Beginning, A Muddle, and An End by Avi
  23. Dreamrider by Barry Jonsberg
  24. Primavera by Mary Jane Beaufrand
  25. Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne
  26. Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt
  27. A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg
  28. Ever by Gail Carson Levine
  29. The Dragon's Child by Laurence Yep
  30. Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman
  31. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
  32. Bronte's Book Club by Kristiana Gregory
  33. The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle
  34. Greetings From Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor
  35. The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
  36. Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
  37. The Sisters Grimm: Tales From The Hood by Michael Buckley
  38. Once Upon A Prom: Dream by Jeanine Le Ny
  39. Good Enough by Paula Yoo
  40. Once Upon A Prom: Dress. by Jeanine Le Ny.
  41. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
  42. Once UPon A Prom: Date. by Jeanine Le Ny.
  43. Double Click for Trouble by Chris Woodworth
  44. Rumors by Anna Godbersen
  45. The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine by April Lurie
  46. Neptune's Children by Bonnie Dobkin
  47. Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks
  48. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
  49. The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
  50. Secrets of the Cirque Medrano by Elaine Scott
  51. Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
  52. Blue Like Friday by Siobhan Parkinson.
  53. Take Me There by Susane Colasanti.
  54. The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner
  55. Jessie's Mountain by Kerry Madden
  56. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
  57. Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs.
  58. Aurelia by Anne Osterlund
  59. Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus.
  60. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
  61. Savvy by Ingrid Law
  62. Confessions of A Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen
  63. The Floating Circus by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
  64. The Search for the Red Dragon by James A. Owen
  65. Out of the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
  66. Peeled by Joan Bauer.
  67. Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
  68. In Mozart's Shadow by Carolyn Meyer
  69. Looks by Madeleine George
  70. Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler
  71. In The Company of Whispers by Sallie Lowenstein.
  72. The Trials of Kate Hope by Wick Downing
  73. Sherlock Files: The 100 Year Old Secret by Tracy Barrett
  74. Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee
  75. Skin Deep by E.M. Crane
  76. 100 Days and 99 Nights by Alan Madison
  77. Suddenly Supernatural: School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
  78. Shift by Charlotte Agell
  79. Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught
  80. The Richest Doll in the World by Polly M. Robertus
  81. Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott
  82. The Hanging Woods by Scott Loring Sanders
  83. Planet Pregnancy by Linda Oatman High (verse novel)
  84. No Cream Puffs by Karen Day
  85. A Girl, A Boy, And Three Robbers by Gail Gauthier
  86. A La Carte by Tanita Davis
  87. Gem X by Nicky Singer.
  88. 42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer (verse novel)
  89. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
  90. Paper Towns by John Green
  91. The Viper Within by Sam Mills
  92. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
  93. Nothing Pink by Mark Hardy
  94. I Need You More Than I Love You and I Love You To Bits by Gunnar Ardelius
  95. Hero-Type by Barry Lyga
  96. Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell
  97. Minn and Jake's Almost Terrible Summer by Janet S. Wong
  98. The Inferior by Peadar O' Guilin
  99. How They Met And Other Stories by David Levithan.
  100. Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell.
  101. Daisy Dawson Is On Her Way. Steve Voake.
  102. The Resistance by Gemma Malley.
  103. Steinbeck's Ghost by Lewis Buzbee.
  104. Third Grade Baby by Jenny Meyerhoff.
  105. Mary Ingalls On Her Own by Elizabeth Kimmel Willard
  106. The Redheaded Princess by Ann Rinaldi
  107. Don't Talk To Me About the War by David Adler
  108. Ruby's Imagine by Kim Antieau
  109. Hurricane Song by Paul Valponi
  110. Love Me Tender by Audrey Couloumbis
  111. High Dive by Tammar Stein
  112. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
  113. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
  114. I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder (verse novel)
  115. Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison
  116. Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Moving Day by Meg Cabot
  117. Memories of Babi by Aranka Siegal.
  118. Wombat & Fox: Tales of the City by Terry Denton
  119. Jimmy's Stars by Mary Ann Rodman
  120. La Petite Four by Regina Scott
  121. Found: The Missing Book 1 by Margaret Peterson Haddix
  122. Wombat and Fox: Tales from the City by Terry Denton
  123. All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsall
  124. Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones
  125. Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway
  126. Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick
  127. Zombie Blondes by Brian James
  128. My New Best Friend by Julie Bowe
  129. Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez
  130. The Devouring: Sorry Night by Simon Holt
  131. Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin
  132. The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
  133. The Ghost's Child by Sonya Hartnett
  134. Identical by Ellen Hopkins (verse novel)
  135. The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
  136. Wake by Lisa McMann
  137. When You Wish by Kristen Harmel
  138. The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau
  139. Impossible by Nancy Werlin
  140. Chicken Feathers by Joy Cowley
  141. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
  142. Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank You Notes by Peggy Gifford
  143. T4 by Anne Clare LeZotte. (verse novel)
  144. Madapple by Christina Meldrum.
  145. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.
  146. Darkside by Tom Becker
  147. If You're Reading This It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch
  148. Poison Ink by Christopher Golden
  149. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
  150. Prey by Lurlene McDaniel
  151. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  152. Toy Dance Party by Emily Jenkins
  153. Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty
  154. Something Wicked by Alan Gratz
  155. Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen
  156. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
  157. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
  158. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation: Volume 2: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson
  159. Ellie McDoodle New Kid In School by Ruth McNally Barshaw
  160. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  161. Mousetraps by Pat Schmatz
  162. Shifty by Lynn Hazel
  163. Would You by Marthe Jocelyn
  164. The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
  165. Ten Cents A Dance by Christine Fletcher
  166. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
  167. Hot To Hook A Hottie by Tina Ferraro
  168. Unraveling by Michelle Baldini and Lynn Biederman
  169. I Know It's Over by C.K. Kelly Martin
  170. Kendra by Coe Booth
  171. How To Build A House by Dana Reinhardt
  172. The Screwed Up Life of Charlie the Second by Drew Ferguson
  173. The Day I Killed James by Catherine Ryan Hyde
  174. Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
  175. My Life As A Rhombus by Varian Johnson
  176. After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
  177. Getting the Girl by Susan Juby
  178. Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab
  179. My Mother Is A French Fry and Further Proof of my Fuzzed Up Life by Colleen Sydor
  180. The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas
  181. Voss: How I Come to America and Am Hero Mostly by David Ives
  182. The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez by Alan Lawrence Sitomer
  183. The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith
  184. Debbie Harry Sings In French by Meagan Brothers
  185. Love & Lies by Ellen Wittlinger
  186. You Know Where To Find Me by Rachel Cohn
  187. Play Me by Laura Ruby
  188. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert
  189. The Stowaway by R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore.
  190. Isabelle's Boyfriend by Caroline Hickey
  191. The Humming of Numbers by Joni Sensel
  192. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
  193. The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti
  194. How Not To Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
  195. House of Dance by Beth Kephart
  196. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
  197. How To Be Bad by E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle
  198. Season of Ice by Diane Les Becquets
  199. Facts of Life #31 by Denise Vega
  200. Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka
  201. Undone by Brooke Taylor
  202. Weeping Under This Same Moon by Jana Laiz
  203. Freefall by Anna Levine
  204. Feathered by Laura Kasischke
  205. Prom Kings and Drama Queens by Dorian Cirrone
  206. The Last Exit to Normal by Michael Harmon
  207. Sovay by Celia Rees
  208. The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher
  209. They Called Me Red by Christina Kilbourne
  210. Thaw by Monica M. Roe
  211. Andy Shane and the Queen of Egypt by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
  212. Keeping Holiday by Starr Meade
  213. Swimming with The Sharks by Debbie Reed Fischer
  214. Split by A Kiss by Luisa Plaja
  215. The Squad: Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
  216. Everything You Want by Barbara Shoup
  217. Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley
  218. The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
  219. Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
  220. Ringside, 1925 by Jen Bryant
  221. Annie and Simon by Catharine O'Neill
  222. Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
Poetry
  1. America at War by Lee Bennett Hopkins
  2. The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle
  3. Lady Liberty by Doreen Rappaport
  4. Becoming Billie Holiday by Carole Boston Weatherford.
  5. On The Farm by David Elliott
  6. Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex
  7. Hip Hop Speaks to Children, editor Nikki Giovanni
  8. M is for Mischief by Linda Ashman
Nonfiction
  1. What To Do About Alice by Barbara Kerley
  2. I Am Scout by Charles J. Shields
  3. What's Inside Your Tummy, Mommy by Abby Cocovini
  4. Duel: Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words by Dennis Brindell Fradin
  5. Independent Dames by Laurie Halse Anderson
  6. King George What was His Problem by Stephen Sheinkin
  7. Yum: Your Ultimate Manual for Good Nutrition by Daina Kalnins
  8. She Touched the World by Sally Hobart Alexander and Robert Alexander
  9. The Year We Disappeared by Cylin and John Busby
  10. Wanda Gag: The Girl Who Loved To Draw by Deborah Kogan Ray
  11. Painting the Wild Frontier by Susanna Reich
  12. This is the Feast by Diane Shore
  13. The Trouble Begins at 8 by Sid Fleischman
  14. The Raucous Royals by Carlyn Beccia.
Graphic Novels:
  1. The After Hours (Twilight Zone)
  2. Walking Distance (Twilight Zone)
  3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell
  4. Appetite for Detention by Sloane Tanen
  5. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale
  6. The Mystery of the Fool and The Vanisher by David and Ruth Ellwand

Short Story Collections
  1. How They Met And Other Stories by David Levithan
  2. Ghosts of Kerfol by Deborah Noyes
  3. Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls edited by Deb Loughead and Jocelyn Shipley