January Accomplishments

These are a few of my favorite 'first' lines read in January 2010.

Finn likes peaches. Usually.

When I was sixteen, I was given a cloak made entirely of feathers.

The moon refused to hush or come down, so Ariel Farwalker was forced to climb up.

They had flown from England to Minneapolis to look at a toilet.

By ten-forty-five it was all over.

Of course this is a completely outlandish story. In India, all stories are outlandish, though only a few are completely outlandish.



January's Top Six:

The Magician's Elephant. By Kate DiCamillo.
Tiger Moon. Antonia Michaelis.
Ice Land by Betsy Tobin.
How To Say Goodbye in Robot. Natalie Standiford.
For Keeps. Natasha Friend.
The Timekeeper's Moon by Joni Sensel.

For my favorites in children's books visit Young Readers.

Number of Board Books: 5

Maisy's Book Tower. Lucy Cousins. 2010. [February 2010]. Candlewick. 80 pages.
Curious Baby: My Curious World. "By" H.A. Rey. 2009. [September 2009]. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 10 "pages".
Me Hungry! By Jeremy Tankard. 2010 Board Book Edition. (February 2010). Candlewick. 34 pages.
Curious Baby: Music Play: A Book and CD. "By" H.A. Rey. 2009. (September 2009). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 10 pages.
The Very Best Mother Goose Book Tower. By Iona Opie. Illustrated by Rosemary Wells. 2010. (February 2010). Candlewick. 80 pages.

Number of Picture Books: 15

Too Purpley. By Jean Reidy. Illustrated by Genevieve Leloup. 2010 (January 2010) Bloomsbury USA. 32 pages.
Animal Crackers Fly the Coop written and illustrated by Kevin O'Malley. (March 2010). 2010.

Where Teddy Bears Come From. Mark Burgess. Illustrated by Russell Ayto. 2009. Peachtree. 32 pages. 32 pages.
Bedtime for Mommy. Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2010. (March 2010). Bloomsbury. 32 pages.
I'm Number One by Michael Rosen. Illustrated by Bob Graham. 2009. (December 2009). Candlewick Press. 32 pages.
The Perfect Gift. By Mary Newell Depalma. 2010. (January 2010). Scholastic. 32 pages.
Finn Throws A Fit! By David Elliott. Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering. 2009. Candlewick Press. 32 pages.
Milo Armadillo. By Jan Fearnley. 2009. (December 2009). Candlewick Press. 40 pages.
Lawn to Lawn. Dan Yaccarino. 2010. [January 2010] Random House. 40 pages.
The Grasshopper Hopped. Elizabeth Alexander. Illustrated by Joung Un Kim. 2010 [January 2010]. Random House. 14 pages.
Alex and Lulu: Two of A Kind. Lorena Siminovich. 2009. [March 2009] Candlewick Press. 32 pages.
Benjamin and the Silver Goblet. Jacqueline Jules. Illustrated by Natascia Ugliano. 2009. [March 2009]. Kar-Ben Publishing. 32 pages.
Higher! Higher! Leslie Patricelli. 2009. [March 2009] Candlewick Press. 32 pages.
The Lion & The Mouse. Jerry Pinkney. 2009. [September 2009] Little, Brown. 40 pages.
All The World. By Liz Garton Scanlon. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. 2009. [September 2009] Simon & Schuster. 40 pages.

Number of Children's Books: 5

Nate The Great and the Hungry Book Club. By Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat. Illustrated by Jody Wheeler. 2009. (November 2009) Random House. 64 pages.
A Birthday for Bear. By Bonny Becker. Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. 2009. (September 2009). Candlewick Press. 56 pages.
Calendar Mysteries #1: January Joker. By Ron Roy. Illustrations by John Steven Gurney. 2009. [December 2009] Random House. 96 pages.
Calendar Mysteries #2: February Friend. By Ron Roy. Illustrations by John Steven Gurney. 2009. [December 2009] Random House. 80 pages.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming. 1964*. Random House. 160 pages

Number of Middle Grade: 3

The Dog in the Wood. By Monika Schroder. 2009. (November 2009). Boyds Mill Press. 168 pages. [MG Historical Fiction]
The Magician's Elephant. By Kate DiCamillo. 2009. (September 2009). Candlewick Press. 208 pages.
The Timekeeper's Moon by Joni Sensel. 2010 (March 2010). Bloomsbury USA. 352 pages.

Number of YA: 10

Food, Girls, And Other Things I Can't Have. By Allen Zadoff. 2009 [September 2009] Egmont USA. 320 pages. [YA Realistic Fiction/YA Sports]
Saving Juliet. By Suzanne Selfors. 2008. Walker Books. 272 pages. [YA Romance/YA Fantasy]
Prada & Prejudice. by Mandy Hubbard. 2009. Penguin. 288 pages. [YA Romance/YA Fantasy]
For Keeps. Natasha Friend. 2010. [April 2010] Penguin. 272 pages. [YA Realistic Fiction/YA Romance]
How To Say Goodbye in Robot. Natalie Standiford. 2009. [October 2009] Scholastic. 288 pages. [YA Realistic Fiction]
Into The Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern. 2009. Feiwel & Friends. 256 pages.
Magic Under Glass. Jaclyn Dolamore. 2009. [December 2009] Bloomsbury. 225 pages.
Of All The Stupid Things. Alexandra Diaz. 2009. [December 2009]. Egmont. 272 pages.
Once Was Lost. By Sara Zarr. 2009. [October 2009]. Little, Brown. 224 pages.
Tiger Moon. Antonia Michaelis. 2008. [November 2008]. Harry N. Abrams. 384 pages. (Translated into English by Anthea Bell.)


Number of Adult: 7

Ice Land by Betsy Tobin. 2008/2009. Penguin. 368 pages. [Historical/Fantasy/Mythology/Romance]
The Blackstone Key. By Rose Melikan. 2008. Simon & Schuster. 435 pages. [Historical/Mystery]
Juliet, Naked. Nick Hornby. 2009. [September 2009] Penguin. 352 pages [Romance, Contemporary]
The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck. 1942. Penguin. 144 pages.
Mr. Darcy's Great Escape: A Tale of The Darcys and The Bingleys. Marsha Altman. 2010. (February 2010) Sourcebooks. 496 pages.
2001 A Space Odyssey. By Arthur C. Clarke. 1968. Penguin. 320 pages.
Under the Dome by Stephen King. 2009. [November 2009]. Simon & Schuster. 1088 pages.

Number of Christian: 7

The Crippled Lamb. By Max Lucado. Illustrated by Liz Bonham. Thomas Nelson Pub. 1994/9. 32 pages. [Christian Picture Book]
The Oak Inside the Acorn. By Max Lucado. Illustrated by George Angelini. 2006. Thomas Nelson Pub. 48 pages. [Christian Picture Book]
The Apothecary's Daughter. By Julie Klassen. 2009. [January 2009] Bethany House. 416 pages. [Historical Fiction/Romance]
The Silent Governess. By Julie Klassen. 2010. (January 2010). Bethany House. 448 pages. [Historical Fiction/Romance]
A Lady Like Sarah. By Margaret Brownley. (A Rocky Creek Romance). 2009. Thomas Nelson. 320 pages. [Historical Fiction/Romance]
The Gospel In Genesis: From Fig Leaves to Faith by Martin Lloyd-Jones. 2009. Crossway. 160 pages. [Christian Nonfiction]
A Moment Between by Nicole Baart. 2009. Tyndale. 384 pages. [Contemporary Fiction]


Number of Nonfiction: 6

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy). Barbara Kerley. 2010. (January 2010). Scholastic. [Picture Book Biography/Picture Book Nonfiction] 48 pages.
Tarra & Bella. The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends. By Carol Buckley. 2009. (September 2009). Penguin. 32 pages.
The Champion of Children: The Story of Janusz Korczak. By Tomek Bogacki. 2009. [September 2009]. FSG. 40 pages.
Down, Down, Down: A Journey To The Bottom of the Sea. By Steve Jenkins. 2009. [May 2009]. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 40 pages.
Bring Me Some Apples And I'll Make You A Pie: A Story About Edna Lewis. Robbin Gowley. 2009. [January 2009]. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 48 pages
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. Phillip Hoose. 2009. FSG. 144 pages.

Number of Graphic Novels: 7

The First Escape (The Doppel Ganger Chronicles #1) by G.P. Taylor. 2008. Tyndale. 288 pages. (MG)
Science Fiction Classics: Graphic Classics Volume Seventeen. Featuring Stories by Jules Verne, Stanley G. Weinbaum, E.M. Forster, H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Lord Dunsany. 2009. (June 2009). Eureka Productions. 144 pages. (Edited by Tom Pomplun.) (YA)
Julius Caesar (Manga Shakespeare) Mustashrik Mahbab (Illustrator). Richard Appignanesi (Text). 2008. Abrams. 208 pages. (YA)
Calamity Jack. By Shannon and Dean Hale. Illustrated by Nathan Hale. 2010. Bloomsbury USA. 144 pages.
Manga Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing. William Shakespeare. 2009. Ill. Emma Vieceli. Adapted by Richard Appignanesi. 208 pages. (YA)
Mary Anne Saves The Day. Raina Telgemeier and Ann M. Martin. 2007. Scholastic. 158 pages.
Manga Shakespeare: As You Like It. William Shakespeare. 2009. Ill. Chie Kutsuwada. Adapted by Richard Appignanesi. 208 pages. (YA)

Number of Poetry: 1

Be Glad Your Nose Is On Your Face And Other Poems. By Jack Prelutsky. Illustrated by Brandon Dorman. 2008. HarperCollins. 208 pages. [POETRY]

Number of Short Story Collections/Anthologies:

Number of Movies Reviewed: 18

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Shop Around the Corner (1940)
You've Got Mail (1998)
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Shrek (2001)
To Catch A Thief (1955)
To Sir With Love (1967)
Mamma Mia (2008)
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Anna and the King of Siam (1946)
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
My Favorite Wife (1940)
Pillow Talk (1959)
Send Me No Flowers (1964)
Lover Come Back (1961)
The Gay Divorcee (1934)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews