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Forever
Books
Your Community Bookstore
December/January 2006
Located in picturesque
downtown St. Joseph
overlooking Lake Michigan
312 State Street
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone: (269) 982-1110
Toll-Free: (877) 982-1110
Fax: (269) 982-1815
Visit us at www.foreverbooks.net
Your Community Bookstore
Open 7 days for your
shopping convenience!
Extended Holiday Hours
(Nov. 18 - Dec. 23)
Monday-Saturday 10-8
Sunday 11-5
January Hours
Monday-Saturday 10-6
Sunday 11-5
Forever Books is proud to be
the recipient of Cornerstone
Alliance Chamber’s
Small Business of the Year Award
and to be nominated for the
Lucille Micheels Pannell Award
for excellence in children’s bookselling.
Reader’s
Choice Award
Winner
Best Place To
Buy Books
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Join the Forever Friends Book
Club. For every $100 in purchases at
Forever Books you’ll receive a $5
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next visit. There’s no card to carry
and nothing for you to keep
track of—we do it all!
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already on our shelves, we’re
happy to order it for you.
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The Joy of Getting Lost in a Great Novel
The Life All Around Me
In this sequel to Kaye Gibbons’s beloved classic, Ellen Foster,
Ellen is now fifteen and is settled into a permanent home
with a new mother. Strengthened by adversity and blessed
with enough intelligence to design a way to save herself, she
still feels ill at ease in the world. While she holds fast to the
shreds of her childhood — humoring her best friend, Stuart,
who is determined to marry her; and protecting her old
neighbor, slow-witted Starletta — she negotiates her way
into a larger world by selling her poetry to pay her way to a
camp for gifted students. With a mix of naïveté, compassion
and understanding, Ellen draws us into her life and makes us
fall in love with her all over again in The Life All Around Me
($23, Harcourt, 0-15-101204-0).
Saving Fish From Drowning
With her signature “idiosyncratic, sympathetic characters,
haunting images, historical complexity, significant contemporary themes, and suspenseful mystery” (Los Angeles
Times), Amy Tan spins a provocative and mesmerizing tale
about the mind and the heart of the individual, the actions
we choose, the moral questions we might ask ourselves, and
above all, the deeply personal answers we seek when happy
endings are seemingly impossible in Saving Fish From
Drowning ($26.95, Putnam, 0-399-15301-2). Twelve
American tourists join an art expedition that begins in the
Himalayan foothills of China — dubbed the true Shangri-La
— and head south into the jungles of Burma. But after the
mysterious death of their tour leader, the carefully laid plans
fall apart, and disharmony breaks out among the pleasureseekers as they come to discover that the Burma Road is
paved with less-than-honorable intentions, questionable
food, and tribal curses. And then, on Christmas morning,
eleven of the travelers boat across a misty lake for a sunrise
cruise — and disappear. Tan poses the question: How can we
discern what is real and what is fiction, in everything we see?
How do we know what to believe?
The Constant Princess
Scots — come over the border and there is no one to stand
against them but the new Queen.
The Lighthouse
P. D. James is back with an eagerly-awaited successor to her
international bestseller, The Murder Room. Combe Island off
the Cornish coast has a bloodstained history of piracy and
cruelty but now, privately owned, it offers respite to overstressed men and women in positions of high authority who
require privacy and guaranteed security. But the peace of
Combe is violated when one of the distinguished visitors is
bizarrely murdered. Commander Adam Dalgliesh is called in
to solve the mystery quickly and discreetly, but at a difficult
time for him and his depleted team. Dalgliesh is uncertain
about his future with Emma Lavenham, the woman he loves;
Detective Inspector Kate Miskin has her own emotional
problems; and the ambitious Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith
is worried about working under Kate. Hardly has the team
begun to unravel the complicated motives of the suspects
when there is a second brutal killing, and the whole investigation is jeopardized when Dalgliesh is faced with a danger
more insidious and as potentially fatal as murder in The
Lighthouse ($25.95, Knopf, 0-3072-6291-X). You’ll find the
same sensitive characterization, an exciting and superbly
structured plot, and a vivid sense of place in this latest from
an author with fans around the world.
Shalimar the Clown
Salman Rushdie, one of the leading literary figures of our
time, is back with Shalimar the Clown ($25.95, Random
House, 0-679-46335-6), a work Booklist has called “A magical-realist masterpiece…” It’s 1991 Los Angeles and
Ambassador Maximilian Ophuls, one of the leaders of the
modern world, is murdered on his illegitimate daughter
India’s doorstep, knifed by his Kashmiri Muslim driver, a
mysterious figure who calls himself Shalimar the Clown. The
dead man is a World War II Resistance hero, a man of great
intellectual ability, a former ambassador to India, and subsequently America’s counterterrorism chief. While the murder
looks at first like a political assassination, it turns out to be
passionately personal in this story that spans the globe, darts
through history, and captures the spirit of a troubled age.
From Philippa Gregory — the New York Times best-selling
author of The Virgin’s Lover and book group favorite The
Other Boleyn Girl — this enthralling new novel, The Constant
Princess ($24.95, Touchstone, 0-7432-7248-X), answers one
of history’s most intriguing questions: What lay behind
Katherine of Aragon’s enormous, history-changing lie? On the deathbed of
her husband, Katherine promises to
marry his brother Henry, become
New For The Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
queen, and fulfill their unattainable
dreams. Katherine, widowed and alone
Fabulous Fiction by Debut Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
in the avaricious world of the Tudor
Reading Time is Together Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
court, persuades her father and an
incredulous Europe that the marriage
Pop-Ups: Reading in 3D! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
to Arthur was never consummated, that
there is no obstacle to marriage with
A Woman’s Journey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Henry. Katherine’s lie will ultimately
Learning From History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
change the course of history and save
England when the old enemies — and
Meet Wendy Anderson Halperin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back page
Look Inside For...
Page 2
Dear Reader,
Stumped for gift-giving ideas? Remember, books make the BEST gift. Our staff
put our heads together and came up with a few more ideas for your favorite booklover. Our favorites:
“She Who Reads” Nightshirts & socks
Girls’ Princess and Ballerina shirts with book
Wicked: The Grimmerie, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Hit Broadway Musical
Wizardology – for fans of Dragonology and Egyptology
Full-page & NEW travel-size booklights
Snowmen at Christmas picture book with a snuggly snowman
Chocolate Holidays:
Unforgettable Desserts for Every Season
The ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete
History of the Game
Smithsonian Baseball: Inside the World’s Finest Private
Collections
Women’s Letters: America from the Revolutionary War to
the Present
Hungry Planet: What the World Eats
And for the person who has everything:
The Complete New Yorker with DVD –
every page from every issue
Enjoy the holidays. Let us help you make gift giving a joy!
At this time of the year, we at Forever Books want to especially thank you for supporting your community’s independent bookstore. Have a blessed holiday season!
New for the
Holidays!
We’re excited to introduce award-winning Christmas
cards! One of the most enduring images of the holiday season is the snow globe, featuring snowflakes in
a water-filled glass dome, fluttering around Santa
Claus, a Christmas tree, snowmen, or other seasonal
icons. These new cards capture the spirit of the traditional snow globe, featuring a meticulously
designed paper and plastic globe when popped up,
and folds flat into an envelope for mailing. Sold in
three-unit boxes for $14.99, they are cards that will
be saved and treasured for many Christmas seasons.
Book Club Symposium
Monday, January 30, 7-8:30 pm
Don’t miss our wildly popular winter Book Club Symposium this January. Be the
first to hear about new releases for winter and spring in both hardcover and
paperback, and get ready for a brand new year of reading. It’s a great way for
readers to get together and share notes about books we’ve loved. Join us and
you’ll receive a special discount that evening and a publisher’s advance reading
copy (a free book!). Registration is required as space is limited.
Robin, Diana, Marcia, Sarah, and Sherry
Readers Review Book Club
We apologize for the mix-up in dates and books in our last newsletter and hope
we did not cause you any inconvenience. Please join us for an evening of refreshment and great discussion!
A Short Yarn
December 8th at 8pm (one hour later than usual)
Handknit Holidays : Knitting Year-Round for
Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice
by Melanie Falick
($27.50, Stewart Tabori & Chang, 1-5847-9454-2)
Wednesday, December 7th (note later time) 8 pm
The Sound of Us by Sarah Willis
An absolutely heart-warming story of a late-fortyish woman
named Alice, who is single and has one cat, but no children. As
a professional sign language interpreter, she has a career and
has made do with the state of her life — until a call in the middle of the night reaching the wrong number changes everything.
The voice of a scared six-year-old girl whose mother has disappeared launches a life changing journey for Alice. As she
explores the wild idea of becoming a foster parent to this child,
she discovers the surprising depths of love and human connection. The Sound of Us ($23.95, Berkley, 0-4252-0302-6) is
a tender, thought-provoking book.
Wednesday, January 4th at 7 pm
A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve
The author of the New York Times bestseller Light on Snow
returns with a powerful new novel about old friends, a wedding, and a gathering that will change their lives. At an inn
in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts,
seven former schoolmates gather for a wedding. Nora, the
owner of the inn, has recently had to reinvent her life following
the death of her husband. Avery, who still hears echoes from a
horrific event at Kidd Academy twenty-six years ago, has made
a life for himself in Toronto with his wife and two sons. Agnes,
now a history teacher at Kidd is a still-single woman who longs
to tell a secret she cannot reveal to the others, a secret that
would stun them all. Bridget, the mother of a 15-year-old boy,
has agreed to marry Bill, an old high school lover whom she has
recently re-met, despite uncertainties about her health and
future.
Indeed, it is Bill who passionately wants this wedding and who
has brought everyone together for an astonishing weekend of revelation and
recrimination, forgiveness and redemption. This is Anita Shreve’s most ambitious
and moving novel to date, probing into human motivation with the grace and skill
that have made her “one of the finest novelists of her time” (Boston Herald).
Wednesday, February 1st at 7 pm
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
(See review on page 1)
For many people, the best part of the winter holidays is
the anticipation: planning the perfect gifts, decorating
the house, looking forward to seeing family and friends.
Holidays can be particularly special for knitters, whose
preparations often start months in advance and involve their own creations. In
Handknit Holidays, bestselling knitting author Melanie Falick presents an eclectic collection of more than 50 original gifts, decorations, and clothing pieces for
Christmas, Hanukkah, and the winter solstice, providing year-round inspiration
for knitters of all levels.
January 10th at 7 pm
New Knits on the Block: A Guide to Knitting
What Kids Really Want by Vicki Howell
($14.95, Sterling, 1-4027-206503)
The popular host of DIY Network’s “Knitty Gritty”
plus a dozen contributing designers have stepped out of
the box with 25 super-original, funky playtime projects
that are as much fun for parents to knit as for children
to receive.
Forever Books Gift Cards
Gift-Giving Made Easy
Not sure what to buy? Let them decide! You can now enjoy the convenience of a
gift card that you can purchase at Forever Books, redeemable at independent
bookstores across the country.
Gift cards … always appropriate, always appreciated.
Contents © 2005 by Paz & Associates. Please note that due to publication deadlines and
possible changes in publishers’ schedules, some new titles may not yet be on hand.
Fabulous Fiction by Debut Writers
Page 3
26a
The attic room at 26a Waifer Avenue in the lower-middle-class
London neighborhood of Neasden is a sanctuary for identical
twins Georgia and Bessi Hunter. It is a private universe where
fantasy reigns as well as an escape from the sadness and danger
that inhabit the floors below. Here the girls share nectarines
and forge their identities, well removed from their Nigerian
mother, Ida, who, devastated by homesickness, speaks to the
spirits of the family she left behind on another continent. Their
English father drinks too much. As both girls attempt to cope
in a grown-up world, it is uncertain they can both survive the
situation in 26a ($23.95, Wm. Morrow, 0-06-082091-8) by
Diana Evans, a brilliant new talent with a work of bold, lyrical
beauty that is already becoming the talk of the season.
The Great Stink
It is 1855, and engineer William May has returned home to his
beloved wife from the battlefields of the Crimea. He secures
a job transforming London’s sewer system and begins to lay
his ghosts to rest. Above ground, his work is increasingly compromised by corruption, and cholera epidemics threaten the
city. But it is only when the peace of the tunnels is shattered
by murder that William loses his tenuous hold on sanity.
Implicated in the crime, plagued by visions and nightmares,
even he is not sure of his innocence. Long Arm Tom, who
scavenges for valuables in the subterranean world of the sewers and cares for nothing and no one but his dog, Lady, is
William’s only hope of salvation. Will he bring the truth to light? With extraordinarily vivid characters and unflinching prose we think you’ll be struck by The Great
Stink ($25, Harcourt, 0-1510-1161-3), the debut of Clare Clark, a talented writer in
the tradition of the best historical novelists.
Frangipani
The American Dream
Vita
In April 1903, the steamship Republic spills more than two
thousand immigrants onto Ellis Island. Among them are
Diamante, age twelve, and Vita, nine, sent by their poor families in southern Italy to make their way in America. Amid the
chaos and splendor of New York, the misery and criminality
of Little Italy, and the shady tenants of Vita’s father’s decrepit
Prince Street boarding house, Diamante and Vita struggle to
survive, to create a new life, and to become American. From
journeys west in search of work to journeys back to Italy in
search of their roots, to Vita’s son’s encounter with his mother’s home town while serving as an army captain in World
War II, Vita ($25, FSG, 0-374-28495-4), by award-winning
Italian author Melania G. Mazzucco, touches on every
aspect of the heartbreaking and inspiring immigrant story.
The Saint of Lost Things
It is 1953 in the tight-knit Italian neighborhood of
Wilmington, Delaware. Maddalena Grasso has lost her country, her family, and the man she loved by coming to America;
her husband, Antonio, has lost his opportunity to realize the
American Dream; their new friend, Giulio Fabbri, a shy accordion player, has lost his
beloved parents. In the shadow of St. Anthony’ s Church, named for the patron saint
of lost things, the prayers of these troubled but determined people are heard, and
fate and circumstances conspire to answer them in unforeseeable ways in The Saint
of Lost Things ($23.95, Algonquin, 1-56512-433-2) by Christopher Castellani, a novel
about a bittersweet time in which the world seemed more intimate and knowable,
and the American Dream simpler, nobler, and within reach.
Difficult Journeys, Bright Endings
In Tahiti, it’s a well-known fact that women are wisest and
mothers know best. But it’s Materena Mahi who really knows
best of all — at least everyone seems to think so except
Materena’s daughter. While Materena is determined her girl
will grow to be a smart, considerate, take-no-nonsense young
woman, soon mother and daughter are engaged in a tug-ofwar that tests the bonds of their mutual love in Frangipani
($12.95, Back Bay, 0-316-11466-9), a debut novel by
Célestine Hitiura Vaite that was first published in Australia
and is now introducing Tahitian wisdom and culture to people around the globe.
The Arms of God
Maya Angelou says she’d welcome a friendship with Lynne
Hinton, author of the bestselling book The Friendship
Cake. We’re so pleased Hinton is back. This time we meet
Alice, whose mother abandoned her at day care when she
was four and has now appeared at her door. Alice learned
almost nothing about Olivia, but pieces together her mother’s life after she has died by sifting through her belongings. In The Arms of God ($24.95, St. Martins, 0-312-347952), Alice learns how a woman can become so desperate
that she leaves her child — and so courageous that she
finds her again. This is a story that will stay with you long
after you’ve turned the last page.
Shantaram
The narrator in this epic, mesmerizing first novel by Gregory
David Roberts is set in the underworld of contemporary
Bombay. Lin is an escaped convict with a false passport who
flees a maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming
streets of a city where he can disappear. Accompanied by his
guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter Bombay’s
hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy
men, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek
what they cannot find elsewhere. As a hunted man without a
home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning
while running a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums, and
serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay
mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals in Shantaram ($14.95, St. Martins/Griffin, 0-312-330537), one of the most acclaimed debut novels of 2004.
The Singing and Dancing Daughters of God
In this endearing misadventure about a fractured but loving family, Hud wants more than anything to reunite everyone. This divorced 30-something dad not only misses his
kids (whose eldest has disappeared with a punk-gospel
band called The Daughters of God), he even misses his exwife. Hud, simply, is ripe for a crisis. The Singing and
Dancing Daughters of God ($14.95, Unbridled, 1-932961-127) by Timothy Schaffert is a touching story from an aspiring new press where everything threatens to turn out right
in spite of it all.
Christmas Angels
It’s Christmas in the quaint little town of Milford-Haven
and each of five main characters is in the midst of a dilemma that must be solved. In this heart-warming collection of
short stories, we share the frustrations of the overly commercialized holiday and personal complexities of life from
the endearing characters who each learn that insights are
given with the help of some “angel intuition” in Christmas
Angels ($12.95, Haven Books, 1-58436-290-1), by Mara
Purl, author of the Milford-Haven series.
The Wonderful World of Words
Time Was Soft There
With gangsters on his tail and his meager savings in hand, crime
reporter Jeremy Mercer fled Canada in 1999 and ended up in
Paris. Broke and almost homeless, he found himself invited to a
tea party amongst the riffraff of the timeless Left Bank fantasy
known as Shakespeare & Co., based on an infamous bookstore
that drew some of the most interesting artists and poets in the
1920s. Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co.
($23.95, St. Martins, 0-312-34739-1) by Jeremy Mercer is one of
the great stories of bohemian Paris and recalls the work of many
writers who were bewitched by the City of Light in their youth.
It is a charming memoir about living at Shakespeare & Co. and
the strange, broken, lost, and occasionally talented eccentrics
and residents of this Tumblewood Hotel.
Who’s Whose
If you loved Eats, Shoots and Leaves and admit that sometimes
we are perplexed by the English language, come take a look at
Who’s Whose ($15, Walker, 0-8027-1464-1) and you’ll never
again confuse affect and effect. In this entertaining work by
Philip Gooden, you’ll find an essential A to Z guide to the most
commonly confused words with real examples of good and bad usage to make differences crystal clear. Just how bad was your snafu? Check the sympathetic guide to the
seriousness of each gaffe (the Embarassment rating), an explanation of why it happens, and some handy hints on getting it right next time.
Scott Turow is back!
Ordinary Heroes
Stewart Dubinsky knew that his father had served in World
War II. And he’d been told how David Dubin (as his father
had Americanized the name that Stewart later reclaimed) had
rescued Stewart’s mother from the horror of the Balingen
concentration camp. But when he discovers, after his father’s
death, a packet of wartime letters to a former fiancé, and
learns of his father’s court-martial and imprisonment, he is
plunged into the mystery of his family’s secret history and driven to uncover the truth about this enigmatic, distant man
who’d always refused to talk about his war in Ordinary Heroes
($26, FSG, 0-374-18421-6), the latest page-turner by favorite
author Scott Turow.
Page 4
Books Families Will Treasure
Reading Time is
Together Time
I Can Make a Difference
This inspiring treasury of poems, stories, and songs offers
children a way to consider the kind of people they are
now and want to be in the future. I Can Make a Difference:
A Treasury to Inspire Our Children ($21.99, HarperCollins,
0-06-028051-4) was compiled by Marian Wright Edelman,
founder of the Children’s Defense Fund and bestselling
author. In each section, Edelman highlights a goal such as
telling the truth, then provides readings which illustrate
the goal and stimulate family discussion about it. All ages.
The 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury
In the eight years since this anthology of classic picture
books came out, new picture books have been published
that editor Janet Schulman believes are too good to miss.
The 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury ($40, Random
House, 0-679-88647-8) was recently updated with an
annotated list of 15 additional titles to guide you to some
of the best new voices of the 21st century. The original set
of 44 storybook classics are still here, too — favorites like
Where the Wild Things Are and Madeline. Though the pictures are smaller than in the original books, it’s a treat to
have the stories in one place. All ages.
Mary Engelbreit’s Mother Goose
Not only do kids love the traditional characters in
Mother Goose rhymes, but the rhythm and rhyme
assist little ones in acquiring basic language skills.
Mary Engelbreit’s Mother Goose: One Hundred BestLoved Verses ($19.99, HarperCollins, 0-06-0081716) is a marvelous way to make sure that the youngsters you love share in the learning and just plain
fun of nursery rhymes. With Engelbreit’s colorful
and whimsical illustrations, this book will be a
cherished addition to any child’s library. All ages.
Christmas is Coming
(Christmas stories are already here!)
Santa Claus: The World’s
Number One Toy Expert
If you think it’s hard to match the perfect gift to each
child on your list, imagine poor Santa trying to match
gifts to every child on his list! For the first time, author
Marla Frazee gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how
hard Santa works the rest of the year: researching toys,
testing toys, taking notes, and compiling the results. It’s
not easy, but fortunately for children everywhere,
Santa loves his job. Read all about it in Santa Claus:
The World’s Number One Toy Expert ($16, Harcourt,
0-15-204970-3). Ages 3-7.
My Penguin Osbert
Last year, Joe asked Santa for a red race car with
retracting headlights. He wanted a real race car, but
Santa gave him a toy car instead. So this year Joe
was very specific when he wrote his wish list out for
Santa, and on Christmas morning he gets exactly
what he asked for. But what will Joe do with a real
live penguin? This sweet book by Elizabeth Cody
Kimmel will leave kids shivering with delight:
My Penguin Osbert ($16.99, Candlewick, 0-76361699-0). Ages 4-8.
A Child’s Christmas in Wales
Dylan Thomas, one of the 20th century’s
greatest poets, wrote this beautiful prose
poem fifty years ago and it’s been a popular holiday reading choice for families ever
since. A Child’s Christmas in Wales ($17.99, Candlewick, 0-763-62161-7) is even more enjoyable with the addition of
torn-paper illustrations by innovative and award-winning Chris Raschka. The
illustrations enhance the poet’s words and rhythms, making this Candlewick
edition an especially lovely treatment of a classic. Ages 4-8.
Salad People, and More Real Recipes
Chef Mollie Katzen to the rescue! The author of the
Moosewood Cookbook and other vegetarian recipe books
for adults and children presents a cookbook which makes
healthy eating (and cooking) as simple as child’s play:
Salad People, and More Real Recipes ($17.95, Tricycle
Press, 1-582-46141-4). The recipes are designed so that
preschoolers can do the preparation themselves with minimal adult assistance. With recipes like Tiny Tacos,
Counting Soup, and Salad People, kids will proudly say,
“I made it myself!” Ages 4-8.
A New Spin on Hanukkah
Four Sides, Eight Nights
The game of dreidel is the
center of this enticing new
look at Hanukkah. From the
four sides of the toy to the eight
nights of celebration, along with fortyfour candles burning in honor of the ancient miracle,
young people will learn about the traditions of the
holiday while enjoying informative and funny illustrations, jokes, trivia and even science facts in Four
Sides, Eight Nights: A New Spin on Hanukkah ($16.95,
Roaring Book Press, 1-596-43059-1) by Rebecca
Tova Ben-Zvi. Ages 9-12.
The Cranium Big Book of Outrageous Fun
Are you a Crainiac? Cranium is the flagship of a
whole fleet of games involving kids and adults in
activities that go far beyond the scope of traditional board games. Now we have The Cranium
Big Book of Outrageous Fun! ($19.99, Time
Warner/LB Kids, 0-36-01193-2) and, as you might
expect from Cranium, it’s more than a “book” — it
includes a unique game board, activity pages that
can be used again and again, and lots more cool
stuff. This is the kind of gift you can give an entire
family and please every one of them! All ages.
Princess Lessons
Made Easy!
How to be a Princess in 7 Days or Less
How? Why? What for?
If you’ve got kids with questions, count on us for books
with answers! In Transformed: How Everyday Things are
Made ($24.95, Kids Can Press, 1-55337-179-8), Bill
Slavin describes and illustrates how natural items are
turned into the products we eat, drink, play with or
use every day, from footballs to jellybeans and surfboards to plastic wrap. The text and illustrations are
easy-to-follow and downright fun. Ages 9-12.
With the help of this seven-day makeover plan, any
girl can wear a tiara with charm and dignity. In How
to be a Princess in 7 Days or Less by Jessie Eckel
($12.95, Kingfisher, 0-753-45921-3), sassy Princess
Emily offers advice on fashion, manners, and decorating. There are easy craft projects as well as ideas
for planning a princess party. No worthy princess goes anywhere
without a tiara and various other sparkly goodies, so those are
included in the sparkly little book. Your favorite young princess
will thank you lavishly! Ages 7-10.
Page 5
POP-UPS: Reading in 3D!
You’ve Never Met
Animals Like These!
One Red Dot
David Carter’s pop-up books about bugs (How
Many Bugs in a Box, Chanukah Bugs, Jingle Bugs)
gained him an enthusiastic following among kids
and adults. In One Red Dot ($19.95, S&S, Little
Simon, 0-689-87769-2) Carter takes a different
approach, showing his paper engineering skills in a
series of quirky pop-up sculptures. Can you find
the “one red dot” in each of his designs? All ages.
The First Noel: A Christmas Carousel
This beautiful book about the Nativity isn’t exactly a pop-up
but it’s definitely a 3D masterpiece. Come see it for yourself!
In The First Noel: A Christmas Carousel ($12.99, Candlewick,
0-763-62190-0) paper engineer Jan Pienkowski has created
something your family will return to with joy each holiday
season. The book opens up to a five-sided “carousel” displaying scenes from the Nativity in a shadow-box format. Use
it for a centerpiece or hang it as a decoration. Ages 4-8.
Author Spotlight ~ Robert Sabuda
When it comes to books that pop, jump, dance, and
swing off the page, no one makes them better than
Robert Sabuda. Read his bio at www.robertsabuda.com
and you’ll learn that his love of books, storytelling, and
art started when he was very young. Then one day
Sabuda discovered pop-up books in a dentist’s waiting
room (“I was so excited I forgot all about the dentist”)
and soon he began making his own.
Today he is the author of many pop-up books, each
one more amazing than the last, and picture books, too. Sabuda says that making books is hard but “When being an artist is your job, you can make as many
messes as you want to!”
Mixed Beasts
The rare and unusual beasts collected by Professor Julius
Duckworth O’Hare, he of the long ears and twitchy nose,
are here presented for your enjoyment. There is the
Camelephant, as well as the Flamingocart, Scalloppossum, and a host of other
curiosities. Fortunately the professor had the sense to hire the eminently talented
Kenyon Cox to write the verses, and Wallace Edwards to create the paintings, which
accompany each creature in this charming picture book: Mixed Beasts ($17.95, Kids
Can Press, 1-55337-796-6). Ages 4-8.
Teen
Reads
The Power of One
A boy named Peekay was born in South Africa in 1939, at
the dawn of the apartheid policies which would harshly separate blacks from whites for many decades. His childhood
was rough, and Peekay was no stranger to abandonment or
humiliation — but he dreamed big dreams. In Bryce
Courtenay’s powerful novel The Power of One ($15.95,
Random House/Delacorte, 0-385-73254-6), newly adapted
for young adults, readers go with Peekay on an epic journey as he learns that words can be more powerful than fists,
and that even one person can bring about big changes.
Ages 10 & up.
Flush
Count on Carl Hiaasen for novels that open your eyes to
today’s most important ecological issues while also making
your sides split with laughter. In Hiaasen’s latest novel,
Flush ($16.95, Random House/Knopf, 0-375-82182-1),
Noah’s dad sinks a casino boat which is illegally dumping
sewage into the harbor and ends up in jail. It’s up to Noah
to take on the rich and powerful to prove his father was
right, but his team of allies does not inspire much confidence: there’s his little sister Abbey, a greedy man named
Lice, a jealous bartender, and a mysterious pirate. Read
Flush, but please don’t drink the water. Ages 10 & up.
Winter’s Tale
What would the holidays be without a magical
new pop-up creation from Robert Sabuda? Wait
until you see this year’s! Winter’s Tale ($26.95,
S&S/Little Simon, 0-689-85363-7) is a pop-up
journey through a winter wonderland complete
with foil, glitter, colorful highlights and Sabuda’s
trademark white pop-ups. All ages.
Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs
Wow! That’s what you’ll say when you open Robert
Sabuda’s Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs ($26.99,
Candlewick, 0-7636-2228-1). The teeth on the T. rex
leap off the page to snap at you and the raptors really
seem to fly! There are fascinating facts on more than
50 dinosaur species in here, too. Next April we’ll get a
follow-up: Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and Other
Sea Monsters. We can’t wait! Ages 5 & up.
Fiction with Feeling
Elsewhere
The best thing about the place called Elsewhere is that you
get to meet rock stars. The worst thing is that you’ll be growing younger. Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall
finds herself after dying. Instead of growing up, in Elsewhere
you grow younger until you become a baby again and can
return to Earth. But Liz wants to be older not younger. She
wants to fall in love, drive a car, go to college… Are those
things forever lost to her? Liz is determined to find out.
Gabrielle Zevin’s imaginative novel about a girl’s life-afterdeath is a surprisingly hopeful look at finding what’s meaningful in life: Elsewhere ($16, Farrar Straus Giroux, 0-37432091-8). Starred review in Booklist. Ages 12 & up.
Chicks With Sticks (It’s a Purl Thing)
The Different Faces of Courage
A Christmas Sonata
Gary Paulsen, beloved for his adventure tales (Hatchet,
Dogsong, and Mr. Tucket to name a few), writes of a
Christmas season during World War II and a young boy facing the holiday without his father in A Christmas Sonata
($5.50, Random House/Yearling, 0-440-40958-6). The boy’s
cousin is dying, and as the two talk about not believing in
Santa Claus anymore, someone overhears — and decides to
restore their faith. Ages 8-12.
Willow Run
World War II is underway. Meggie Dillon’s family moves to
Willow Run, Michigan, so her father can work in a factory
building war planes. There Meggie learns about courage —
and how it’s not only found on the battlefield. Readers will
remember Meggie as Lily’s friend in the Newbery Honor
book Lily’s Crossing. Author Patricia Reilly Giff now tells
Meggie’s own story in Willow Run ($15.95, Random
House/Wendy Lamb Books, 0-385-73067-5). Ages 9-12.
Brought together by their love of knitting, Scottie, Amanda,
Bella, and Tay are becoming good friends. Considering that
they’re worlds apart according to the social standards of their
high school, it’s hard to say which is more surprising: their
new friendship or their sudden yen for yarn. Chicks with
Sticks, by Elizabeth Lenhard ($15.99, Penguin/Dutton, 0-52547622-9), combines a fast-paced story about friendship and
self-discovery with cool knitting projects and patterns.
Knitting’s the “in” thing, so cast on! Ages 12 & up.
The Will of the Empress (Book 1, The Circle Reforged)
Don’t you love it when an author brings back your favorite
characters for new adventures? Sandry, Daja, Tris, and Briar,
the young and uniquely gifted magicians from The Circle of
Magic and The Circle Opens series, are together again in
Tamora Pierce’s latest, The Will of the Empress ($17.99,
Scholastic, 0-439-44171-4). When Sandry’s cousin, the Empress
of Namorn, compels her to visit, Sandry’s three best friends go
with her. But they’ve all changed since leaving Winding Circle
— can their friendship survive the demands the world places
upon their talents? Ages 12 & up.
Page 6
A Woman’s Journey
I’m Too Young to Be Seventy:
And Other Delusions
The beloved bestselling author of Forever Fifty and
Suddenly Sixty now tackles the ins and outs of becoming
a septuagenarian with her usual wry good humor. Fans of
Judith Viorst’s funny, touching, and wise poems will love
this new volume for the woman who deeply believes she
is too young to be seventy, “too young in my heart and
my soul, if not in my thighs.” Though Viorst acknowledges she is definitely not a good sport about the fact
that she is mortal, her poems are full of the pleasures of
life right now, helping us come to terms with the passage
of time, encouraging us to keep trying to fix the world, and inviting us to live our
lives fully in I’m Too Young to Be Seventy: And Other Delusions ($16, Free Press, 07432-6774-5). Remember Viorst’s books for all those benchmark birthdays!
Blessed Among All Women
From the bestselling author of All Saints comes this new collection of devotional sketches about history’s greatest women.
From Joan of Arc to Anne Frank to Mary Magdalene, Robert
Ellsberg offers insights into the way that women of all faiths
and backgrounds have lived out lives of sanctity, mysticism,
social justice, and world reform in Blessed Among All Women:
Women Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time ($19.95,
Crossroad, 0-8245-2251-6). Over 120 readings provide inspiration for any day.
Storycatcher
Christina Baldwin has a strong message
about personal transformation: our stories can change our
lives. In her new book, Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives
Through the Power and Practice of Story ($21.95, New World
Library, 1-57731-491-3), Baldwin, a journal writing pioneer,
stresses the importance of recreating a sacred common ground
for each other’s stories. We all can be storycatchers, she says,
people who value the process of speaking, writing and listening
— simple acts that can connect us with our deepest wisdom
and one another. What’s your story? This is a caring gift to
yourself or friends for the new year.
After Breast Cancer
It’s startling to learn just how many women’s lives are touched
by breast cancer. While advice abounds from medical professionals at the point of diagnosis and during treatment, those
resources dwindle once treatment is complete. How does a
woman go on after an experience that has left them exhausted,
anxious and fearful? Does life ever resume to what was “normal”? Written by a member of an Oncology Social Work Dept.
and a survivor of breast cancer herself, Hester Hill Schnipper’s
practical and empathic book, After Breast Cancer: A CommonSense Guide to Life After Treatment ($16, Bantam, 0-553-381628), deals with the full range of issues — physical, psychological,
medical, logistical, human — that survivors face as they work
to reshape their lives.
Bless This Child
You’re going to see the new little one and want something special to bring – take a copy of Bless This Child: A
Treasury of Poems, Quotations, and Readings to Celebrate
Birth ($14, Skinner House, 1-5589-6489-4) by Edward
Searl. An indispensable tool for well-wishers, this collection will also provide quiet spiritual sustenance to
new and expecting parents. The selections are contemplative, contemporary and spiritual, and are
drawn from ancient and modern sources from the
famous to the obscure and from various cultures and
faith traditions.
Healthy Aging
Andrew Weil is considered one of America’s most trusted
doctors for his vast knowledge of both traditional and nontraditional approaches to health and healthy living. In
Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and
Spiritual Well-Being ($27.95, Knopf, 0-375-40755-3), he
draws on the longest-running medical studies as well as
the secrets of longevity that he has gathered firsthand
from cultures around the world, separates myth from
fact, suggests how aging can be an impetus to spiritual
growth, and provides specific practical guidance for
physical, mental, and emotional difficulties common in
later life. It’s being called his most important and farreaching book to date on a topic of growing interest to
many of us who find that time is passing much too quickly.
Life’s Greatest Mysteries
The Real Meaning of Life
In October 2004, David Seaman was sitting at a café in
New York City trying to avoid writing a paper for class.
In a moment of despair, he typed into his laptop, “What
is the meaning of life” into an online forum. Fifty thousand hits and two thousand answers later, we have The
Real Meaning of Life ($14, New World Library, 1-57731514-6), a book filled with gems of wisdom. It’s a perfect
little gift book to help answer the question that all of us
ask throughout our lives.
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife
What happens when we die? Does the light just go out and
that’s that — the million-year nap? In an attempt to find
out, Mary Roach brings her tireless curiosity to bear on an
array of contemporary and historical soul-searchers: scientists, schemers, engineers, mediums, all trying to prove (or
disprove) that life goes on after we die. She begins the journey in rural India with a reincarnation researcher and ends
up in a University of Virginia operating room where cardiologists have installed equipment near the ceiling to study
out-of-body near-death experiences in Spook: Science
Tackles the Afterlife ($24.95, W.W. Norton, 0-3930-5962-6), a
fascinating book about the question of life after life.
Simple Pleasures
Everybody Loves Pizza:
The Deep Dish on America’s Favorite Food
With every basic food group rolled up into one
dish, what’s not to love about pizza? Penny
Pollack and Jeff Ruby were hooked enough to
compile a must-read for every pizza lover,
Everybody Loves Pizza: The Deep Dish on America’s
Favorite Food ($19.95, Emmis Books, 1-57860-2181). Complete with recipes for make-at-home pizza
like you’ve never tasted before, pizza aficionados
waxing eloquently about their favorite pizza joints,
and a list of more than 500 of the “best” pizza parlors across the country, this tasty morsel of a book
is the perfect gift for anyone who just can’t get
enough of the pie.
The Comfort Diner Cookbook
It’s that time when a bountiful chicken pot pie or bowl
of mac and cheese does wonders for the soul. If you
even love the idea of settling down with comfort food,
look to The Comfort Diner Cookbook: A World of Classic
Diner Delights, from Homestyle Dinners to Satisfying
Breakfasts and Fun Midnight Treats ($18, Clarkson
Potter, 1-4000-8108-4). Author Ira Freehof — whose
Comfort Diner was named the “Best Diner in New
York” and has been featured on a number of television
food shows — offers a delightful trip back to when
American cooking was simple, honest, and fun.
Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
When it comes to breads and pastries, scones and pies,
you’ll find all you’ll ever need in Martha Stewart’s Baking
Handbook ($40, Clarkson Potter, 0-307-23672-2). From
simple baked delights (biscuits, muffins, and more) to
specialty cakes and beautiful pastries, Martha offers a
wide variety of recipes along with: tips for presenting
your desserts, step-by-step photographs and techniques,
make-ahead information, and storage tips. This will be
another classic for your kitchen. A great shower or wedding gift as well!
Why Animals Are Smarter Than Us
Pets are prized for their companionship
and charm, but less remarked on is their
often extraordinary intelligence. This
heartwarming, humorous collection offers
convincing evidence that animals can read
minds, sense the paranormal, foretell the
future, navigate without maps, solve their
own medical problems, and communicate
in mysterious ways — things far beyond
human capabilities. Why Animals Are
Smarter Than Us ($11.95, Smarter Than
Jack, 0-9582-4575-4) by Andrew Whiteside
is a powerful and entertaining read for all those who
love their pets or are simply curious about the intelligence of all living beings.
Gift of Laughter
Carson the Magnificent
He was funny, his expressions were priceless, and he was
able to interact with the most interesting of guests.
Johnny Carson was the King of Late Night for thirty
years. Those who watched the show will love this new
book by Bill Zehme, Carson the Magnificent: An Intimate
Portrait ($24.95, Random House, 1-4000-6472-4). Zehme
describes Carson as a generous host and gifted listener
whose modesty and charm were essential to his greatness
and provides us an opportunity to remember some of
television’s greatest moments.
Laughing With Lucy
Most of us have favorite scenes, like the stint on the assembly
line at the chocolate factory or the great grape stomping fiasco. For those of us who grew up watching I Love Lucy, it’s no
surprise that Lucille Ball’s is the most recognized face in the
world. Now we can revisit those days of television in Laughing
With Lucy: My Life with America’s Leading Lady of Comedy
($19.95, Emmis, 1-57860-247-5), written by Madelyn Pugh
Davis who for years worked behind the scenes with Lucy and
Desi. Lighthearted and witty, this book takes us back to those
memorable gifts of laughter Lucy gave us with each show.
Page 7
Learning From History
The Secret Histories
Throughout the course of modern history, commonly held
truths about the actions of governments and businesses have
recently been shattered. Take the strategic alliance between
IBM and the Nazi regime Edwin Black exposed and most
recently, the abuse in the Abu Ghraib prison. John S. Friedman
gathers a series of these cases in his new anthology, The Secret
Histories: Hidden Truths That Challenged the Past and Changed
the World ($15, Picador, 0-312-42517-1), a ground-breaking
work that helps us look honestly at the past to chart our collective response for social change.
The Third Reich in Power, 1933-1939
Publishers Weekly calls Richard Evans’ work “a major achievement — no other recent synthetic history has quite the range
and narrative power.” Evans details all of the major issues
relating to the Third Reich between Hitler’s assumption of
power to the start of WWII on September 1, 1939 and shows
how the Nazis attempted to penetrate and reorder every
aspect of German society. They encounter many kinds and
degrees of resistance along the way, but gradually win the
acceptance of the German people in the long run in The Third
Reich in Power, 1933-1939 ($34.95, Penguin Press, 1-59420074-2), a fascinating read of a frightening time.
New from Frank McCourt
Teacher Man
Since the publication of Angela’s Ashes nearly a decade
ago, Frank McCourt has become one of literature’s
superstars. In Teacher Man: A Memoir ($26, Scribner,
0-7432-4377-3), McCourt opens up his life again —
describing his own coming of age as a teacher, a storyteller, and ultimately, a writer. He is alternatively humble
and mischievous, downtrodden and rebellious and he
instinctively identifies with the underdog and his sympathies lie more with students than administrators in this
grand return to the literary scene.
Turbulent Lives
Untouchables
The Coldest Winter
In 1946, Paula Fox walked up the gangplank of a partly reconverted Liberty ship with the classic American hope of finding
experience — or perhaps salvation — in Europe. She was twenty-two years old, and would spend the next year moving among
the ruins of London, Warsaw, Paris, Prague, Madrid, and other
cities as a stringer for a small British news service. In this affecting memoir, Fox describes her movements across Europe’s
scrambled borders and how she made her way with the rest of
Europe as the continent rebuilt and rediscovered itself among
the ruins. The Coldest Winter: A Stringer in Liberated Europe
($18, Henry Holt, 0-8050-7806-1) is a rare, unsentimental
glimpse of the world as seen by a young writer.
Faith & Values
Every sixth human being in the world today is Indian, and
every sixth Indian is an untouchable. For thousands of years
the untouchables, or Dalits, the people at the bottom of the
Hindu caste system, have been treated as subhuman. In
Untouchables ($26, Scribner, 0-7432-7079-7), Narendra
Jadhav tells the awe-inspiring story of his family’s struggle for
equality and justice in India. Based on his father’s diaries and
family stories, Jadhav has written the triumphant story of his
parents — their great love, unwavering courage, and eventual victory in the struggle to free themselves and their children
from the caste system in this compelling and deeply compassionate memoir.
The Soul of Christianity
Known for his bestselling book The World’s Religions, Huston
Smith is back with essential teachings of Christianity in The
Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great Tradition ($22.95,
HarperSanFrancisco, 0-06-079478-X). Examining the path
between that of culturally rigid and intolerant evangelical and
fundamentalist Christianity on one side and liberal
Christianity on the other, Smith presents a passionate and
convincing argument for a vital alternative that is a deeper,
authentic Christian faith that is both tolerant and substantial.
Our Endangered Values
Since leaving the presidency in 1981, Jimmy Carter earned
the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work around the
world. Now, he describes personally his own involvement
and reactions to some disturbing societal trends that have
taken place during the past few years in Our Endangered
Values: America’s Moral Crisis ($25, Simon & Schuster, 07432-8457-7). These changes involve both the religious and
political worlds as they have increasingly become intertwined, and include some of the most crucial and controversial issues of the day — frequently encapsulated under
“moral values.” An engrossing and important work written
with faith and courage.
Two Lives
Shanti Behari Seth was born on the eighth day of the eighth
month in the eighth year of the twentieth century; he died
two years before its close. He was brought up in India in the
apparently vigorous but dying Raj, and was sent by his family
in the 1930s to Berlin to study medicine and dentistry. It was
here, before he migrated to Britain, that Shanti’s path first
crossed that of his future wife. Helga Gerda Caro, known to
everyone as Henny, was also born in 1908, in Berlin, to a
Jewish family, cultured, patriotic and intensely German.
Publishers Weekly wrote, “This lovely book … examines great
and fearful events seen through extraordinary lives.” Two
Lives ($27.95, HarperCollins, 0-0605-9966-9), by Vikram Seth, the author of A
Suitable Boy, is an intriguing and touching memoir of the marriage of the author’s
great uncle and aunt.
In the Heart of the Heart of Another Country
This memoir is a mosaic of lyrical vignettes, at once deeply
personal and political, set against the turbulent backdrop of
Arab/Western relations. Etel Adnan, whose novel Sitt Marie
Rose is considered a classic of Middle Eastern literature,
writes, “Contrary to what is usually believed, it is not general
ideas and grandiose unfolding of great events that impress the
mind during times of heightened historic upheavals, but rather
the uninterrupted flow of little experiences, observations, disturbances, small ecstasies, or barely perceptible discouragements that make up day-to-day living.” In the Heart of the Heart
of Another Country ($15.95, City Lights, 0-87286-446-4) is
Adnan’s haunting memoir that explores her search for identity in the midst of displacement.
Empire of Debt
In no-nonsense prose, Empire of Debt: The Rise of an Epic
Financial Crisis ($27.95, Wiley, 0-471-73902-2) confronts
head-on critical concerns about the position of the
United States as the world’s leading economy and its
great military might. For many years, the United States
has been the country from which others sought advice,
money, and a high return on investment. At the same
time, Uncle Sam has descended from being the world’s
largest creditor to its greatest debtor. In this first indepth look at how Americans abandoned sound traditions of economic freedom, personal liberty, and fiscal
restraint, favoring instead government control of the
economy, unfettered deficit spending, gluttonous consumption, and fearless military adventurism, authors Bill Bonner and Addison
Wiggin argue there will be a dramatic change in the economic power of the U.S.
in the coming years that will inevitably impact every American.
Give the Gift of Reading
Books Benefit the Children of the Readiness
Center or the Boys and Girls Club
Forever Books
312 State Street
St. Joseph, MI 49085
Phone: (269) 982-1110
Toll-Free: (877) 982-1110
Fax: (269) 982-1815
Exceptional Books,
Exceptional Service
Meet
Trevor
Stop by the store
and you may meet
Trevor, Robin’s
Golden Retriever
mix, a rescued dog
adopted from The
Humane Society. Trevor adores women
and children (he’s very calm), and while
a bit shy around men, he warms to them
quickly. Check out our “Trevor Picks”
at the bookstore. (He can’t wait until
Clifford visits!)
Trevor’s Pick
Get ready for more oohs and aahs. It’s a
Zoo Out There ($39.95, Bulfinch, 08212-5749-8) is an extraordinary
menagerie of animal portraits by celebrated photographer Rachael Hale,
author of the extremely popular 101
Salivations and 101 Cataclysms. For
more than eight years, Hale’s ability to
lovingly catch on camera some of the
remarkable qualities of our fourlegged, feathered, and finned friends
has earned her international acclaim.
Now she has
gathered an
amazing collection of her
finest
work
into one beautiful volume.
Clifford
Reindog Parade
Saturday, December 3rd at Noon
Dress up your dogs and bring them to
downtown St. Joseph on Saturday,
December 3. The Reindog
Parade starts at noon, but
come early for a good
space. Whether you are a
participant or coming to
watch, it’s great fun!
You’ll also have the
chance
to
see
Clifford in the
parade and at
Fo r e v e r
Books from
11am to 3
pm.
Make
something fun to
take with you!
It’s been said that when you learn to read, a whole
new world is open to you. Unfortunately, there are
children who need our help in learning the joy of
books and reading. Again this year we invite you
to join us in a charitable event where we work
together to put books in the hands of children. It’s
easy and quite a gratifying experience.
You’ll notice that there is an Angel Tree in the
bookstore decorated with paper angels that have a
child’s name and age noted. Choose an angel
ornament from the tree and select a book for the
child. With your purchase, we’ll wrap the book and donate it to this year’s chosen
charities.
Be an angel — add one book to your next purchase and help young ones experience
the joy of reading and owning their very own book. Thank you for supporting our
community’s future!
On the Big Screen!
The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
In the never-ending war between good and evil, The
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, set the stage for battles of epic proportions. Some take place in vast fields,
where the forces of light and darkness clash. But other
battles occur within the small chambers of the heart and
are equally decisive. Fans will be counting down the days
until December where we’ll see Tilda Swinton and Jim
Broadbent star in this classic and beloved story.
Great Gift
The bestselling Chronicles of Narnia Box Set ($45, Harperkidsentertainment, 0-06076550-X) now has movie still images from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”
live-action film on the box!
Come take a look! Our publishers have planned many fun activity books and special
editions to coincide with the movie releases of our favorite books. Engage a child’s
imagination even longer with some of these wonderful tie-ins!
Meet Wendy Anderson Halperin
Children’s Book Illustrator
Saturday, November 26, 1-3 pm
Once a resident of nearby South Haven, Wendy Anderson Halperin is the illustrator of dozens of children’s books, including The Cobble Street Cousins series,
Full Belly Bowl, Love Is..., Turn! Turn! Turn!, and the Peterkins’ Christmas.
We’re thrilled that Wendy has two new releases to celebrate during this visit …
Soft House by Jane Yolen
They don’t want to play school. They don’t want to read
books. And they’re starting to get on each other’s nerves. “I
know,” says Davey brightly. “Let’s play Soft House.”
Together, after some serious scrounging and with the supervision of Mr. Cat, the siblings prove that a wall of cushions,
an awning of blankets, a strategically placed flash-light, and
a plateful of cookies can create the perfect setting for letting their imaginations soar.
Mother/Daughter
Book Club
Sunday, December 18th
at 1 pm
The Lion, The Witch
And The Wardrobe
by C.S. Lewis
To avoid the threat
of bombings in
London, the four
Pevensie kids are
sent to stay with a
wealthy, eccentric
professor in the
country.
But
strange things start to happen when
Lucy finds a wardrobe during a
game of hide-and-seek — when she
climbs in, she finds a snowy woodland and a friendly faun. Her siblings don’t believe her ... until peevish Edmund also ventures through,
and encounters the beautiful but evil
White Witch.
Soon all four are wandering through
the snowy land of Narnia, encountering mythical creatures and talking
animals. They also find that the four
of them are at the center of a
prophecy that will lead to the return
of lion-messiah Aslan, and the
downfall of the White Witch. But
things don’t go according to plan
when Edmund defects to the
Witch’s side ...
Sunday, January 29th
at 1 pm
A Dog’s Life: The
Autobiography of a Stray
by Ann Matthews Martin
This heart-warming book is a
metaphor for life
and living: how
to survive your
“lot,” keep your
eyes and ears
open, pick your
battles, be open
to alliances, share, make friends,
and survive. Squirrel, a stray dog
abandoned early in her life, learns
these lessons and shares her story
with us in the wonderful book, A
Dog’s Life ($15.99, Scholastic,
0-4397-1559-8).
Soft House ($15.99, Candlewick, 0-763-61697-4) is a charming, universal tale
about keeping boredom at bay on a rainy day. Preschool to age 2.
The Peterkins’ Thanksgiving,
an adaptation by Elizabeth Spurr
You are cordially invited to celebrate Thanksgiving with Mr.
and Mrs. Peterkin, Agamemnon, Solomon John, Elizabeth
Eliza, and the Little Boys.
But do so at your own risk because the Peterkins have been
known to get into some unusual holiday scrapes, and this
year will be no different. Just as the Peterkins are sitting
down to Thanksgiving dinner, they realize that something is
missing from their beautiful table ... turkey!
The Peterkins’s Thanksgiving ($17.95, Atheneum, 0-689-84142-6),
the companion book to The Peterkins’ Christmas, was adapted by Elizabeth
Spurr from Lucretia P. Hale’s classic The Peterkin Papers. Here is an uproarious
holiday tale that will remind readers of all ages to count their blessings ...
and to keep track of their turkeys! Ages 7 to 10.
Wendy’s signatures are works of art and signed books will make great gifts!
Bring your children to meet this warm and generous artist.
Storytime
with Santa
Saturday, Dec. 17
Noon to 3 pm
Come meet Santa and listen to him
read some special holiday stories!
Parents and grandparents — bring
your cameras!