April Book Releases...

Here is a look at some of the titles published in April 2007. All of them look very tempting. I'd love to get my hands on all of them so I could review them!!!

A Promise is A Promise by Florence Parry Heide is releasing April 24, 2007. It is published by Candlewick. This is their description: For all parents who have made a promise — and every kid who has held them to it — comes a cautionary tale from a masterfully witty pair.George is a very lucky boy. He has everything a boy could want, except for one thing: he doesn’t have a pet. When George’s father finally sighs, "All right, you may have a pet," George goes out to look for one — but how is he to know that it can’t be too big, or too scampery, or too toothy, or too . . . unusual? A revered author and a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist keep their tongues in their cheeks as they spin a wry tale of promises and pets, befuddled parents and a triumphant child.

A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd released April 10, 2007. Random House is the publisher. Here is their description: Ireland 1984.After Shell's mother dies, her obsessively religious father descends into alcoholic mourning and Shell is left to care for her younger brother and sister. Her only release from the harshness of everyday life comes from her budding spiritual friendship with a naive young priest, and most importantly, her developing relationship with childhood friend, Declan, who is charming, eloquent, and persuasive. But when Declan suddenly leaves Ireland to seek his fortune in America, Shell finds herself pregnant and the center of a scandal that rocks the small community in which she lives, with repercussions across the whole country. The lives of those immediately around her will never be the same again.This is a story of love and loss, religious belief and spirituality—it will move the hearts of any who read it.

Ain't Nobody A Stranger to Me by Ann Grifalconi was published on April 1, 2007. It is published by Hyperion Books for Children. Here is their description: A remarkable story of the Underground Railroad comes to life in this touching and inspiring tale of a grandfather who passes lessons of love and friendship on to his granddaughter. This picture book is loosely based on the life of Orleans Finger, who really did utter and believe the words “Ain’t nobody a stranger to me.” Finger’s experience on the Underground Railroad colored the remainder of his life, influencing how he treated others until the day he died..

Atherton #1: The House of Power by Patrick Carman was released on April 3, 2007. Published by Little, Brown Young Readers. Here is their description: From the creator of the Land of Elyon comes a riveting adventure set in an extraordinary satellite world created as a refuge from a dying Earth that begins to collapse and forever change the lives of its inhabitants. Edgar, a gifted climber, is a lonely boy scaling the perilous cliffs that separate the three realms of Atherton: a humble fig grove; a mysterious highland world of untold beauty and sinister secrets; and a vast wasteland where he must confront an unspeakable danger that could destroy the people of Atherton. When Edgar discovers a book which contains the history of Atherton's origins and ultimate apocalypse, his world quite literally begins to turn inside out.

Bad Tickets by Kathleen O'Dell was released April 10, 2007. It is published by Random House. Here is their description: She's left her good Catholic girl ways behind . . . mostly. It is 1967, the Summer of Love, and Mary Margaret Hallinan has that itchy, squirmy feeling that there must be something more out there for her. Her new best friend, the glamorous Jane, says that boys are the ticket to a spectacular future. Her ex-best friend Elizabeth is sure she's going to hell. "Say yes!" commands Jane, and Mary Margaret has tried to follow her c'mon-it'll-be-fabulous friend into the psychedelic swirl. But can she fit any of her old self to this new life she's trying on? This is it, this is gonna be the summer. Mary Margaret Hallinan, former good Catholic girl, is clutching her ticket. Friendship, faith, family, feminism, and1960s counterculture all contribute to the heartfelt, thoughtful pages of Bad Tickets.

Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson was released on April 1, 2007. The publisher is Little, Brown Young Readers. Here is their description: As 11-year-old Hope struggles to live under the pressures of her verbally abusive mother, she's tempted to run away but instead chooses resilience. She creates a secret safe haven and an innovative point system (giving herself points for every bad thing her mother says to her); finds comfort and inspiration from Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl; and gains a support team. Ultimately, Hope is able to confront her mother about her hurtful words and help her begin to change.

Cassie Was Here by Caroline Hickey was published April 3, 2007. Its publisher is Roaring Brook Press. Here is their description: Bree's mom is busy with work. Her brother Reid is mad at her about his broken arm. Cassie is two years older, smokes (or says she does), and has a tattoo. The only person Bree can depend on is her old friend and playmate, Joey, who's trustworthy--but completely imaginary. Cassie Was Here begins with Cassie talking Bree into a haircut and ends with the two of them sneaking out at night to fix up an old dollhouse. Along the way both will learn about the unpredictable ways real friendships are made, and Bree will learn to need Joey a little less. Confident, funny, true-to-life, it's a story about being 11 and wanting to be 13; about friendship, family, and generosity; and about the awkward, tender transition from pre-teen to teen.

Celeste's Harlem Renaissance by Eleanora E. Tate was published April 1, 2007. The publisher is Little, Brown Young Readers. Here is their description:When Celeste Lassiter Massey is forced to live with her actress Aunt Valentina in Harlem, she is not thrilled to trade her friends and comfortable North Carolina for scary, big-city life. While Celeste experiences the Harlem Renaissance in full swing, she sees as much grit as glamour. A passionate writer, talented violinist, and aspiring doctor, she eventually faces a choice between ambition and loyalty, roots and horizons. The decision will change her forever.

Chicken Joy On Redbean Road by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Melissa Sweet was released on April 9, 2007. It is published by Houghton Mifflin. Here is their description: When people danced to Joe Beebee's music they forgot about bad knees, tight shoes, backaches, blisters, and beetles . . . They forgot sickness, sadness, and sin. Joe Beebee's music, folks say, will take you up so high, your problems look small enough to stomp on. But, worries a plain brown hen, can it make a quiet rooster sing? Can it save her best friend from becoming Quiet Rooster Stew? Will Joe Beebee even play for chickens?With art as fun as waltzing on the moon and with words as lively as a fiddle, this book captures the power of music to heal and of friendship to endure.

Clara and Senor Frog by Campbell Geeslin will be released April 24, 2007. The publisher is Random House. Here is their description: Sawed in half? Rabbits pulled from hats? These are tricks, just magic tricks, and Clara knows them all. But on a visit to a rich gringo's house, she spots a picture of a watermelon, done by a famous artist. The painted fly on it looks so real, Clara swears she saw it move. At last, real magic! Soon Clara discovers her own artistic abilities and she paints as if from a dreamÑorange cats with silver wings and shells that open up like flowers. This beautiful, original story is peppered with Spanish words, features a character reminiscent of Diego Rivera, and vibrant illustrations that evoke the essence of Mexican art.

Cock-A-Doodle Quack Quack by Ivor Baddiel and Sophie Jubb was released April 10, 2007. It is published by Random House. Here is their description:It's Baby Rooster's job to wake everybody up in the morning, but there's just one problem—he doesn't know how! The pigs and cows and ducks all try to help, but nothing seems to work. Luckily, the wise old owl comes to the rescue.This is a funny, noisy, quack-along story from Ivor Baddiel and Sophie Jubb, beautifully illustrated by Ailie Busby. Full of friendly farmyard animals, young children will love joining in with the Baby Rooster and laughing when he doesn't get it quite right.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney was released April 1, 2007. Its publisher is Harry N. Abrams. Here is their description:The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to. It's a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you're ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary. In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Fair Has Nothing To Do With It by Cynthia Cotten was published April 17, 2007. The publisher is Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Here is their description: Every year, twelve-year-old Michael looks forward to his summer visit to his grandparents’ farm, to the sights and sounds of the country that always make him feel so alive, and especially to spending time with his grandfather. When Grandpa dies suddenly right before Michael’s visit, the loss hits Michael hard. It seems as if nothing is going right in his life right now: his dad is always working on his dissertation and has no time for Michael, and, when school starts, his math teacher seems to hate him and his best friends are never around. About the only thing that makes him feel better is picking up his sketchbook and pencil and drawing. Michael begins taking private art lessons with Charlie Andrews, a retired art teacher, and the two become friends. But then Michael learns that Charlie might be dying, too. This is a touching first novel about a sensitive boy’s struggle to work through his grief and let people into his life again. As Graham Salisbury pointed out, it provides “excellent comfort to any young reader dealing with the frailty of life.”

Feels Like Home by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo was published April 10, 2007. The publisher is Random House. Here is their description: Growing up in a dead-end South Texas town, Mickey had two things she could count on: her big brother, Danny—the football hero everyone loved—and a beat-up copy of The Outsiders. But after the accident—after Danny abandoned her to a town full of rumors and a drunken father—all Mickey had left was a smoky memory, her anger, and the resolution to get out of town for good.But Danny is back—and he's not the golden boy who left six years ago. He's altogether a different person, and the life Mickey has worked so hard to rebuild seems to be falling apart. Danny's anger is something Mickey just can't forgive, and his best friend's mysterious death six years ago keeps coming back to haunt the edges of her mind. No matter how hard she tries, she can't remember what happened that night—and she's starting to realize that remembering is the only way she can move on. She'll have to face the brother who broke her heart, and that beat-up book that will never again feel like home.

Finding Stinko by Michael de Guzman was published April 17, 2007. The publisher is Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Here is their description: Newboy hasn’t spoken in three years. One morning he opened his mouth and nothing came out. He doesn’t know why he stopped talking, but what he does know is that he’s through with the state child-care system. In twelve years he’s lived in eleven foster homes, and the Knoxes are the worst of the bunch. Now, with no voice, no family, and no exact plan, Newboy is running away for good. Living on the streets means danger and excitement around every corner, but the one thing Newboy never expected to find is a companion in the form of an old ventriloquist dummy lying in a Dumpster – a puppet with no hands, backward feet, and a chunk of its nose missing. Amazingly, this beat-up doll whom he dubs “Stinko” possesses a kind of magic that helps Newboy rediscover his ability to communicate. This is a fast-paced adventure about a runaway kid figuring out not just what he’s searching for but also what he has to say.

Going Nowhere Faster by Sean Beaudoin was released April 1, 2007. The publisher is Little, Brown Young Readers. Here is their description: Everyone in town thought Stan was going to be something and go somewhere, but they're starting to realize that when this boy genius can't even get out of Happy Video, he's going nowhere, faster. But when things look like they're only getting worse, Stan is forced to decide what he wants to do with his life. Suddenly, he may be getting somewhere afterall. With sarcastic, dry wit reminiscent of David Sedaris and Tom Perrotta, this debut YA novel delivers with laugh-out-loud hilarity and a lot of heart.

Grace Above All by Jane St. Anthony was published April 17, 2007. The publisher is Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Here is their description: What’s that pink thing out on the lake? Grace realizes with horror that the distant pink smudge on the water is her youngest sister, Beth, drifting farther and farther offshore atop an inflatable raft. There’s no time to lose, and Grace never dawdles anyway. Struggling through the cold waves, Grace gradually closes in on her terrified sister. At that moment, boys are the last thing on Grace’s mind. But a boy turns up to assist in the rescue. And he’s really handsome. Together Frankie and Grace tow Beth back to safety, and Grace begins to hope that maybe – despite having to take care of three younger siblings, despite an oblivious mother smoking her brains out, despite the ancient great-aunt and her mysterious daughter – maybe this summer vacation won’t be so bad after all. In the companion to The Summer Sherman Loved Me, a determined heroine discovers that she can indeed rise above it all.

Greetings From the Planet Earth by Barbara Kerley (Kelly) was published April 1, 2007. The publisher is Scholastic. Here is their description: If you had one minute to describe life on Earth, what would you say? It's 1977, and Theo and his class are creating a golden record inspired by the one Voyager 2 will carry into space as a greeting from Earth. But as Theo searches for an original answer to his teacher's question, other questions begin to surface: What happened to his father in Vietnam? And why has his mother been keeping secrets all these years? In this unforgettable, innovatively constructed debut novel, Barbara Kerley shows us the beauty of outer space and the devastation of war.

Me, Penelope by Lisa Jahn-Clough will be released April 23, 2007. It is published by Houghton Mifflin. Here is their description: Penelope Yeager is like a lot of sixteen-year-olds—she wants more independence from her crazy mother; she wants to get her driver's license; and she wants to get out of high school, away from her town. More than anything, Lopi wants to find someone to really connect with, someone to love—but short of that, she wants to have sex. She's already figured out how to graduate a year early, but the rest isn't so easy. For one thing, her mother, Vivian, isn't just crazy: she's young, vivacious, and beautiful. No one can resist Viv's charms, but Lopi knows it's all just an act. Viv is only pretending to be happy, trying to ignore Lopi and the horrible accident that changed everything between them. Lopi tries to pretend too, as she navigates the murky waters of sex and love and growing up, but she can't fool herself—Lopi has a secret that sets her apart: the accident was her fault, she is evil . . .

Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell was published April 3, 2007. It is published by Bloomsbury. Here is their description: Seventeen-year-old Gem loves movies, her feminist mom, and Dodgy, her coworker in a video store (at least she thinks she loves Dodgy). When a school trip inspires Gem to make an underground film, her best friends Lo and Mira are quick to join the project, taking on the roles of producer and star. The film is intended to cement the girls’ friendship as well as their superiority over their sucker high school peers. But when the fragile balance of their friendship begins to falter, and intentions lead to betrayals big and small, it will take great movies, bad haiku, and a pantheon of great voices—from Dostoyevsky to Emerson to The Beatles—to help Gem find the meaning of love, friendship, and being true to herself.

Salome by Beatrice Gormley was published on April 10, 2007. The publisher is Knopf Books for Young Readers. Here is their description: If I'd never hoped to live in a world of goodness and truth—if the priestess of Diana, then Leander, and Joanna, hadn't shown me glimpses of it—maybe I wouldn't have minded being shut out of it. Maybe the preacher's death wouldn't have trapped me in a dungeon, the dungeon of my own self.Her name is Salome. You may think you know her story—how her seductive Dance of the Seven Veils led to the beheading of John the Baptist. But you don't know it from her side. You don't know how a web of betrayal, and greed, and desire was spun around an innocent teenage girl. How she came to doubt her own mother. How she searched for a friend in an unfamiliar land. And how she walked into a trap that changed the course of history.This is Salome's story, in her own words. Listen, and learn of strength, of power, of loyalty—and of death.

Second Fiddle by Siobhan Parkinson was published on April 3, 2007. Its publisher is Roaring Brook Press. Here is their description: Aspiring writer Mags Clarke has just moved with her mother to a new area after the death of her father. Because her feet are usually firmly planted on the ground, Mags is cautious about befriending Gillian, whom she enchantingly finds playing the violin high up in the trees near her house. But the two get acquainted and embark on Project Manhunt: a plan to find Gillian's absent father, the only one who can send Gillian to an audition for a prestigious music school. Their strategies differ, making the road to true friendship a bumpy one. Second Fiddle is a thoughtfully crafted portrait of family and an unlikely friendship forged around a noble goal.

So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee was published on April 1, 2007. The publisher is Scholastic. Here is their description: Lisa Yee charmed audiences with the hilarious MILLICENT MIN, GIRL GENIUS and revealed another side of the story in STANFORD WONG FLUNKS BIG-TIME. Now readers can meet Millie's best friend and Stanford's big crush! After her parents' divorce, Emily had to move to California with her mom. Now she writes letters to her rock-star dad about travel ("How did the pioneers do it? Did they have to ride with their mothers?"), her new friends, and how much she misses him -- though she does still have his credit card.... Emily Ebers may be starting over, but she's going to come out on top.

The Lemonade Wars by Jacqueline Davies will be published April 23, 2007. The publisher is Houghton Mifflin. Here is their description: Evan Treski is people-smart. He is good at talking with people, even grownups. His younger sister, Jessie, on the other hand, is math-smart—but not especially good at understanding people. She knows that feelings are her weakest subject. So when their lemonade war begins, there really is no telling who will win—and even more important, if their fight will ever end.Here is a clever blend of humor and math fun. As it captures the one-of-a-kind bond between brother and sister, this poignant novel subtly explores how arguments can escalate beyond anyone's intent.

The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker was published April 1, 2007. The publisher was Disney (Hyperion).

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by Robin La Fevers was published April 9, 2007. The publisher is Houghton Mifflin. Here is their description: Theodosia Throckmorton has her hands full at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father may be head curator, but it is Theo—and only Theo—who is able to see all the black magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum.When Theo's mother returns from her latest archaeological dig bearing the Heart of Egypt—a legendary amulet belonging to an ancient tomb—Theo learns that it comes inscribed with a curse so black and vile that it threatens to crumble the British Empire from within and start a war too terrible to imagine. Intent on returning the malevolent artifact to its rightful place, Theo devises a daring plan to put things right. But even with the help of her younger brother, a wily street urchin, and the secret society known as the Brotherhood of the Chosen Keepers, it won't be easy . . . she quickly finds herself pursued down dark alleys, across an ocean, through the bustling crowds of Cairo, and straight into the heart of an ancient mystery. Theo will have to call upon everything she's ever learned in order to prevent the rising chaos from destroying her country—and herself!

This Is Just To Say: Poems of Apology and Foregiveness by Joyce Sidman was published April 9, 2007. The publisher is Houghton Mifflin. Here is their description: When Mrs. Merz asks her sixth grade class to write poems of apology, they end up liking their poems so much that they decide to put them together into a book. Not only that, but they get the people to whom they apologized to write poems back. In haiku, pantoums, two-part poems, snippets, and rhymes, Mrs. Merz's class writes of crushes, overbearing parents, loving and losing pets, and more. Some poets are deeply sorry; some not at all. Some are forgiven; some are not. In each pair of poems a relationship, a connection, is revealed.

Tomorrow's Magic by Pamela F. Service will be published April 24, 2007. Random House is the publisher and here is their description: It's 500 years after the nuclear holocaust that devastated the earth's population and left the few survivors dealing with unending winter. At their remote British boarding school, Wellington Jones and Heather McKennahave a lot in common. Both are misfits trying to avoid attention, and both are fascinated by Earl, a tall, calm, older boy with no recollection of his past, but a remarkable knack for showing up when he is needed most.When a blow to the head brings Earl's memory back, he claims that he is actually Merlin . . . a 2000-year-old wizard.Originally published in two volumes in the mid-1980s, Pamela F. Service's creative, futuristic spin on the Camelot legend will appeal to Arthurian purists and fantasy lovers alike.

Sharon Dogar is the author of Waves published on April 1, 2007 by Scholastic. When Hal's family makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave Charley, their comatose daughter, behind in a hospital ward while they spend the summer on the west coast of England, Hal finds it harder than ever to shake his sister's presence. What power is letting him share her memories? And will they reveal the deep, dark truth behind her tragic "accident"? Set at a beach where growing up goes wrong, WAVES is a coming-of-age story about first love and first loss; about a family drowning in sorrow, and the remarkable son who is struggling against the tide to save them.

Wildly Romantic by Catherine M. Andronik was published April 17, 2007 by Henry Holt and Co. Meet the rebellious young poets who brought about a literary revolutionRock stars may think they invented sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but the Romantic poets truly created the mold. In the early 1800s, poetry could land a person in jail. Those who tried to change the world through their poems risked notoriety—or courted it. Among the most subversive were a group of young writers known as the Romantics: Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Cole-ridge, William Wordsworth, and John Keats. These rebels believed poetry should express strong feelings in ordinary language, and their words changed literature forever. Wildly Romantic is a smart, sexy, and fascinating look at these original bad boys—and girls.

Consider all of these to be on my wishlist :)