February Accomplishments

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

Joseph fixed his eyes on the coffin and thought of silkworms.

David Case's baby brother had recently learned to walk but he wasn't what you'd call an expert.

Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.

Each of us has a private Austen.

In Heaven there are 1,637 steps from my house to the Western Union.

Cleverness and bravery are absolutely necessary for good adventures.



February's Top Six:

Sweet Thursday. John Steinbeck.
Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney.
A Million Shades of Gray. Cynthia Kadohata.
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared To Dream. Tanya Lee Stone.
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.
Sweet, Hereafter. Angela Johnson.

Number of Board Books: 10

Little Scholastic: Zoo. Illustrated by Salina Yoon. 2010. [January 2010] Scholastic. 10 pages.
Silly Little Goose by Nancy Tafuri. 2010. [February 2010]. Scholastic. 13 pages.
Wow It's A Cow! By Trudy and Jay Harris. Illustrated by Paige Keiser. 2010. [January 2010] Scholastic. 16 pages.
Guess Who? A Foldout Valentine's Adventure. Lola Schaefer. 2009. [December 2009] Simon & Schuster. 14 pages.
Bear of My Heart by Joanne Ryder. Illustrated by Margie Moore. 2009. [December 2009] 32 pages.
Baby, I Love You by Karma Wilson. Illustrated by Sam Williams. 2009. [December 2009] Simon & Schuster. 30 pages.
How Do Lions Say I Love You? By Diane Muldrow. Illustrated by David Walker. 2009. [December 2009] Random House. 14 pages.
How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Cats? by Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Mark Teague. 2010. [January 2010]. Scholastic. 6 pages.
How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Dogs? by Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Mark Teague. 2010. [January 2010]. Scholastic. 6 pages.
Good Night, Little Bunny: A Touch and Feel Bedtime Story. Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Sam Williams. 2010. [January 2010] Simon & Schuster. 12 pages.

Number of Picture Books: 18

Kitten's Spring. By Eugenie Fernandes. 2010. [February 2010] Kids Can Press. 24 pages.
C'mere, Boy! By Sharon Jennings. Illustrated by Ashley Spires. 2010. [February 2010]. Kids Can Press. 32 pages.
Mattoo, Let's Play! Irene Luxbacher. 2010. [February 2010] Kids Can Press. 32 pages.
Kiss Kiss by Selma Mandine. Translated by Michelle Williams. 2009. [December 2009] Random House. 32 pages.
Chester's Back! Not a Melanie Watt Book. (By Melanie Watt) 2008. Kids Can Press. 32 pages.
Happy Belly, Happy Smile. By Rachel Isadora. 2009. [September 2009] Harcourt. 32 pages.
Don't Worry Bear. Greg Foley. 2008. [March 2008] Penguin. 32 pages.
Good Luck Bear. Greg Foley. 2009. [February 2009]. Penguin. 32 pages.
I'm A Pig. Sarah Weeks. Illustrated by Holly Berry. 2005. HarperCollins. 32 pages.
Captain Small Pig. Martin Waddell. Illustrated by Susan Varley. 2010. [March 2010] Peachtree Press. 32 pages.
Doodle Bites. A Tilly and Friends Book. Polly Dunbar. 2009. [October 2009] Candlewick. 32 pages.
Good Night, Tiptoe. By Polly Dunbar. 2009. [October 2009] Candlewick. 32 pages.
Footprints On the Moon by Mark Haddon. Illustrated by Christian Birmingham. 2009. [March 2009] Candlewick Press. 32 pages.
How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You by Jane Yolen. Illustrated by Mark Teague. 2009. [October 2009]. Scholastic. 40 pages.
Bears On Chairs. Shirley Parenteau. Illustrated by David Walker. 2009. [August 2009]. Candlewick. 32 pages.
You're Lovable To Me. Kat Yeh. Illustrated by Sue Anderson. 2009. [December 2009]. Random House. 32 pages.
We're All In The Same Boat. Zachary Shapiro. Illustrated by Jack E. Davis. 2009. Penguin. 32 pages.
Noah's Bark. Stephen Krensky. Illustrations by Roge. 2010. [April 2010] Lerner Publishing. 32 pages.

Number of Children's Books: 5

Three Little Bears Play All Day by David Martin. Illustrated by Akemi Gutierrez. 2010. [February 2010] Candlewick. 48 pages.
The Very Little Princess. Marion Dane Bauer. Illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles. 2010. [February 2010]. 128 pages. Random House.
Cloud Tea Monkeys. By Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham. Illustrated by Juan Wijngaard. 2010. [February 2010.] Candlewick Press. 56 pages.
Morris the Moose. B. Wiseman. 1959. HarperCollins. 32 pages.
Morris Goes To School. B. Wiseman. 1970. HarperCollins. 64 pages.


Number of Middle Grade: 8

Bird by Angela Johnson. 2004. Penguin. 144 pages.
A Million Shades of Gray. Cynthia Kadohata. 2010. [January 2010] Simon & Schuster. 216 pages.
Heaven. By Angela Johnson. 1998. Simon & Schuster. 144 pages.
Where The Mountain Meets The Moon by Grace Lin. 2009. Little, Brown. 288 pages.
My Name is Phillis Wheatley: A Story of Slavery and Freedom. Afua Cooper. 2009. Kids Can Press. 152 pages.
Looking for Red. By Angela Johnson. 2002. Simon & Schuster. 116 pages.
Kaleidoscope Eyes. Jen Bryant. 2009. Random House. 264 pages.
The Hotel Under the Sand. By Kage Baker. 2009. [July 2009] Tachyon Publications. 144 pages.


Number of YA: 8

Candor. By Pam Bachorz. 2009. [September 2009]. Egmont USA. 256 pages.
Romeo's Ex: Rosaline's Story. By Lisa Fiedler. 2006. Henry Holt. 256 pages.
The Sea of Trolls. Nancy Farmer. 2004. Simon & Schuster. 480 pages.
Running Man. Michael Gerard Bauer. 2008. HarperCollins. 304 pages.
Just In Case. Meg Rosoff. 2006. Random House. 250 pages.
Sweet, Hereafter. Angela Johnson. 2010. [January 2010] Simon & Schuster. 118 pages.
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. 2010. [March 2010]. HarperCollins. 480 pages.
Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney. 2009. Chronicle Books. 366 pages.


Number of Adult: 6

American Rust by Philipp Meyer. 2009. Random House. 384 pages.
The Jane Austen Book Club. Karen Joy Fowler. 2004. Penguin. 288 pages.
The Counterfeit Guest. Rose Melikan. 2009 [August 2009] Simon & Schuster. 432 pages.
Cannery Row. John Steinbeck. 1945. Penguin. 208 pages.
Sweet Thursday. John Steinbeck. 1954. Penguin. 272 pages.
The Black Moth. Georgette Heyer. 1921/2009. Sourcebooks. 355 pages.

Number of Christian: 8

A Small Child's Book of Prayers. Illustrated by Cyndy Szekeres. 2010. [January 2010] Scholastic. 24 pages.
Sunday Is For God. By Michael McGowan. Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. 2010. January 2010. Random House. 40 pages.
Anything But Normal. Melody Carlson. 2010. [January 2010] Revell. 254 pages.
Your God Is Too Small. By J.B. Phillips. (1952) 2004. Simon & Schuster. 128 pages.
A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and The Sovereignty of God. John Piper. 2010. Crossway. 160 pages.
The Country House Courtship. Linore Rose Burkard. 2010. Harvest House. 287 pages.
Out With The In Crowd by Stephanie Morrill. 2010. [January 2010] Revell. 252 pages.
Abigail. Jill Eileen Smith. 2010. February 2010. Revell. 368 pages.

Number of Nonfiction: 8

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared To Dream. Tanya Lee Stone. 2009. Candlewick. 144 pages. [Paperback is coming in February 2010.]
Open The Door to Liberty! A Biography of Toussaint L'Ouverture by Anne Rockwell. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. 2009. [January 2009] Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 80 pages.
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal. Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. 2009. [September 2009]. Lerner. 40 pages.
Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America. By Jim Murphy. 2000. Scholastic. 136 pages.
Big George: How A Shy Boy Became President Washington. Anne Rockwell. Illustrated by Matt Phelan. 2009. [January 2009] Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 48 pages.
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11. By Brian Floca. 2009. [April 2009]. Simon & Schuster. 48 pages.
Pick & Shovel Poet: The Journey of Pascal D'Angelo. Jim Murphy. 2000. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 176 pages.
John Steinbeck (Up Close Series) By Milton Meltzer. 2008. Penguin. 208 pages.

Number of Graphic Novels: 1

Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta. Jarrett J. Krosoczka. 2009. [December 2009] Random House. 96 pages.

Number of Poetry: 4

The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry. Edited by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson. Foreward by Eric Carle. 2008. [November 2008]. Simon & Schuster. 175 pages.
Bear Hugs: Romantically Ridiculous Animal Rhymes. By Karma Wilson. Illustrated by Suzanne Watts. 2009. [December 2009] Simon & Schuster. 64 pages.
Animal Poems. By Valerie Worth. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. 2007. FSG. 48 pages.
Mother Goose's Little Treasures By Iona Opie. Illustrated by Rosemary Wells. 2007. Candlewick Press. 56 pages.

Number of Short Story Collections/Anthologies: 1

Mules and Men by Zora Neale Hurston. 1935. HarperCollins. 336 pages.

Movies I've Reviewed: 5

Emma (2009)
Northanger Abbey (2007)
Persuasion (1995)
Persuasion (1971)
Northanger Abbey (1986)


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews