The Joys of August

There was a time when I never thought I'd use the word "joy" and "August" in the same sentence. After all, as a kid August meant the beginning of the end. A dreadful countdown to the most anxiety-ridden day of the year: the first day of school. (It's not that I hated school necessarily. It wasn't the learning. It was the social stuff I dreaded. Shy kids and first days of school just don't mix well.)

Here are some reasons to get EXCITED about August. (And for the record, consider them all on my "wishlist" of books I'd love to review.)

First and foremost there is the release of the ever-anticipated much-talked-about novel Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer. The publisher is Little, Brown. It releases this Tuesday. August 7th. Of course there are hundreds of other books releasing in August. But Eclipse I think is the most highly anticipated release.

For those that can't get enough of vampires and werewolves. You might be interested that both Blood and Chocolate and The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause are being released in paperback by Random House on August 14th. Exactly one week after Eclipse. I think they know teens will be eager for more reads "like" Twilight...and New Moon...and Eclipse.

Also vampire related is Adele Griffin's Vampire Island which releases August 16th. The publisher is Penguin.

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor, the sequel to The Looking Glass Wars, is releasing August 21, 2007. The Looking Glass Wars is being released in paperback that day as well. The publisher for both is Penguin.

Other sequels releasing in August include Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli which releases August 14th...the publisher is Random House. And Guyaholic by Carolyn Mackler which also releases August 14th. The publisher of Guyaholic is Candlewick. The Land of Silver Trolls by Nancy Farmer is being released August 21, 2007. The publisher is Simon & Schuster. (I'm not quite sure if it's a companion to Sea of Trolls...or if it is a sequel. But it is one of the two.)

Other releases include:

• The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles (Harcourt) 8/01/2007
  
• Beetle Bop by Denise Fleming (Harcourt) 8/01/2007
  
• Little Rat Makes Music by Monica Bang-Campbell (Harcourt) 8/01/2007
  
• Miracle Wimp by Erik P. Kraft (Little, Brown) 8/01/2007
  
• Edward Hopper by Susan Goldman Rubin (Harry N. Abrams) 8/01/2007
  
• Peanut by Linas Alsenas (Scholastic) 8/01/2007
  
• Once Upon a Quinceanera by Julia Alvarez (Penguin) 8/02/2007
  
• Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonell (Henry Holt) 8/07/2007
  
• Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine (Henry Holt) 8/07/2007
  
• Starring Miss Darlene by Amy Schwartz (Roaring Press) 8/07/2007
  
• Another Book About Design by Mark Gonyea (Henry Holt) 8/07/2007
  
• Genies, Meanies, and Magic Rings by Stephen Mitchell (Walker) 8/07/2007
  
• Ludwig von Beethoven by Lene Mayer-Skumanz (Chronicle) 8/09/2007
  
• The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming (Random House) 8/14/2007
  
• Maisy Big, Maisy Small by Lucy Cousins (Candlewick) 8/14/2007
  
• 65 Years of Golden Books (Random House) 8/14/2007
  
• Muddle Earth by Paul Stewart (Random House) 8/14/2007
  
• Larry and Rita by Jamie Michalak (Candlewick) 8/14/2007
  
• Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now by Lauren Child (Candlewick) 8/14/2007
  
• Last Dance at the Frosty Queen by Richard Uhlig (Random House) 8/14/2007
  
• The Penalty by Mal Peet (Candlewick) 8/14/2007
  
• Even Higher by Richard Ungar (Tundra) 8/14/2007
  
• Nothing But Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson by Sue Stauffacher (Random House) 8/14/2007
  
• Cassandra's Sister by Veronica Bennett (Candlewick) 8/14/2007
  
• Toy Farmer by Andrew Pelletier (Penguin) 8/16/2007
  
• Fire From the Rock by Sharon Draper (Penguin) 8/16/2007
  
• When the Wizzy Foot Goes Walking by Roni Schotter (Penguin) 8/16/2007
  
• A Friend For All Seasons by Julia Hubery (Simon & Schuster) 8/21/2007
  
• Memoirs of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin (Farrar, Straus, Giroux) 8/21/2007
  
• Kissing the Bee by Kathe Koja (Farrar, Straus, Giroux) 8/21/2007
  
• Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See by Bill Martin Jr. (Illustrated by Eric Carle) (Henry Holt) 8/21/2007
  
• The Wall by Peter Sis (Farrar, Straus, Giroux) 8/21/2007
  
• The Perfect Hamburger and Other Delicious Stories by Alexander McCall Smith (Bloomsbury) 8/21/2007
  
• Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks (Farrar, Straus, Giroux) 8/21/2007
  
• Hairy Hezekiah by Dick King-Smith (Roaring Book) 8/21/2007
  
• Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping by Eileen Christelow (Houghton Mifflin) 8/22/2007
  
• Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande (Random House) 8/28/2007
  
• Squirrel's World by Lisa Moser (Candlewick) 8/28/2007
  
• The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri (Simon & Schuster) 8/28/2007)
  
• Mythology by Hestia Evans (Candlewick) 8/28/2007
  
• Mother Goose's Little Treasures by Iona Opie and illustrated by Rosemary Wells (Candlewick) 8/28/2007
  
• Edward's Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan (Simon & Schuster) 8/28/2007
  
• Previously by Allan Ahlberg (Candlewick) 8/28/2007
  
• I Conquer Britain by Dyan Sheldon (Candlewick) 8/28/2007
  
• A Drive in the Country by Michael J. Rosen (Candlewick) 8/28/2007
  
• The Pig Who Saved the World by Paul Shipton (Candlewick) 8/28/2007
  
• The Hound From The Pound by Jessica Swaim (Candlewick) 8/28/2007
  
• The Pig Scrolls by Paul Shipton (Candlewick) 8/28/2007
  
• Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Random House) 8/28/2007
  
• Three Monsters by David McKee (Chronicle) 8/30/2007