April 2006

Our Latest Feature: New in Paperback

This month we are excited to be launching our New in Paperback feature on Kidsreads.com. Each month, Kidsreads.com will be spotlighting some of the books that are now in paperback. This is the perfect opportunity to catch up on the titles you may have missed when they originally released in hardcover --- or re-read past favorites. 

This month, along with our Cool New Books and Coming Soon features --- and our regular reviews --- we have reviews of THE WRIGHT 3 by Blue Balliett and Anthony Horowitz's highly anticipated new Alex Rider adventure, ARK ANGEL.

Speaking of Alex Rider, our Alex Rider series feature has been updated, with new characters, fast facts, trivia questions, and an ARK ANGEL word scramble. And if all that isn't enough, we're spotlighting ALEX RIDER: THE GADGETS in our Don't Miss feature.

Check out ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: Sharks and Other Sea Monsters by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, our featured Don't Miss title, a hair-raising and captivating exploration of real-life monsters that stormed the seas centuries ago.

Beat those spring showers at the movies this month. We have all the details of the film version of HOOT by Carl Hiaasen --- the perfect rainy day treat.

Spring Break may have come and gone and summer vacation still may feel pretty far away, but you always can take a break and stop by Kidsreads.com to read about great books. Think of visiting us as a mini-vacation.

Carol Fitzgerald for Kidsreads.com
 

Now in Stores: ARK ANGEL: An Alex Rider Adventure by Anthony Horowitz

ARK ANGEL: An Alex Rider Adventure by Anthony Horowitz
When four armed men attempt to kidnap a patient in the exclusive hospital where teen spy Alex Rider is recuperating, Alex knows how to stop them. What he doesn't know is that the boy he saves is the son of Nikolai Drevin, one of the richest men in the world. Drevin is being targeted by Force Three, a group of eco-terrorists who claim that Drevin's colossal project, Ark Angel --- the first luxury hotel in outer space --- is a danger to the environment. These fanatics are determined to destroy Ark Angel at any cost --- even if it means the loss of human life. Reviewed by Tom Donadio.

-Click here to read an excerpt from ARK ANGEL.

Our Alex Rider series feature has been updated, with new characters, fast facts, trivia questions, and an ARK ANGEL word scramble. 

Click here to read our review of ARK ANGEL.

Now in Stores: THE WRIGHT 3 by Blue Balliett

THE WRIGHT 3 by Blue Balliett
Fresh from their successes in CHASING VERMEER, Calder and Petra are joined by Tommy Segovia to solve another art-related mystery, this time centered on Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House. This fast-paced mystery, with plenty of hidden clues, codes and coincidences, will spark kids' interest in both art and problem solving. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

Click here to read our review of THE WRIGHT 3.

Don't Miss: ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: SHARKS AND OTHER SEA MONSTERS by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart

ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: SHARKS AND OTHER SEA MONSTERS by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart
Throughout history, there have been many stories and legends of mythical, larger-than-life sea creatures --- Leviathan, Kraken, the Loch Ness Monster. It seems that a lot of people are fascinated by the ocean and the mysterious life that dwells in its depths. However, ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: SHARKS AND OTHER SEA MONSTERS by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart proves that as frightful and fascinating as these myths are, nothing is more hair-raising and captivating to the imagination than the real-life monsters that once stormed the seas centuries ago.

Click here to read more about ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: SHARKS AND OTHER SEA MONSTERS.

Don't Miss: ALEX RIDER: THE GADGETS by Anthony Horowitz

ALEX RIDER: THE GADGETS by Anthony Horowitz
Fans of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series know that MI6 arms the 14-year-old spy with various gadgets in order to increase his chances of succeeding on his death-defying undercover missions. Now, thanks to ALEX RIDER: THE GADGETS, readers can see for themselves every single piece of special equipment Alex has used in his first five thrilling adventures. Among the devices found in this fascinating dossier: exploding key rings, motorized yo-yos, multifunction cell phones, and radio mouth braces. Featuring technical specifications, classified blueprints, and confidential reports from the secret service, this is the ultimate high-tech guide to the dangerous world of espionage.

Click here to read more about ALEX RIDER: THE GADGETS.

April's New in Paperback Roundup

Each month, Kidsreads.com will be spotlighting some of the books that are newly available in paperback. This is the perfect opportunity to catch up on the titles you may have missed when they originally released in hardcover --- or re-read past favorites.

April's roundup of New in Paperback titles includes THE OPAL DECEPTION, which marks the grimmest turn of events yet in Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series; REGARDING THE SINK by Kate Klise, the hilarious sequel to the bestselling REGARDING THE FOUNTAIN told in letters, newspaper articles, and BEAN-mails; and THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX, Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Medal-winning book about "a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread."

Books Into Movies: Hoot

On May 5th, the movie version of Carl Hiaasen's HOOT hits theaters. Packed with surprising plot twists, quirky characters and offbeat humor, the book is a favorite among many readers and the film promises to be silly, screwball fun.

Cool New Books for April

April marks the release of the sixth installment in Anthony Horowitz's series of adventures starring teen spy Alex Rider. ARK ANGEL introduces readers to multibillionaire Nikolei Drevin, who's being targeted by a group of eco-terrorists known as Force Three. This month's roundup of Cool New Books also includes THE WRIGHT 3 by Blue Balliett, the highly anticipated sequel to CHASING VERMEER (which many referred to as "THE DA VINCI CODE for kids"); HEAT, Mike Lupica's touching tale of a 12-year-old boy who dreams of pitching in the Little League World Series; and picture books by comedian Billy Crystal and boxer Oscar De La Hoya, who each draw from personal experiences to tell entertaining and heartwarming stories.

Click here to read our Cool New Books feature.

The 2006 E. B. White Read Aloud Awards

On April 3, 2006, the winners of this year's E. B. White Read Aloud Awards were announced. Now in its third year, the Award honors books that reflect the universal read aloud standards that were created by the work of author E. B. White in his classic and timeless children's books like CHARLOTTE'S WEB, STUART LITTLE and THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN. Chosen by members of the Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC), the winning titles are lauded for their universal appeal as a "terrific book to read aloud."

The Awards will be presented on May 18th during Book Expo America, at ABC's annual Evening with Children's Booksellers - Secret Garden Auction and Dinner.

This year's winners are:

Picture Book
IF I BUILT A CAR written and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen (Penguin)

Older Readers
EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS by Deborah Wiles (Harcourt)

Series Update: Chet Gecko by Bruce Hale

THE POSSUM ALWAYS RINGS TWICE: Chet Gecko, Case #11 by Bruce Hale
Dirty politics stalk the corridors of Emerson Hicky Elementary. Sandpiper Viola Fuss nervously hires Chet and Natalie. Viola is running for student council president, but it appears that someone is determined to stop her. Chet and Natalie suspect another candidate might be sending Viola threatening notes. They're off to stake out Viola's locker and interrogate suspects. As the two PIs investigate, they notice bullies banding together in a most suspicious manner. Meanwhile, the threats keep rolling in.

Series Update: Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective by Carolyn Keene

EN GARDE: Nancy Drew (All New) Girl Detective, #17 by Carolyn Keene
George really gets into fencing, which means lots of cool --- and dangerous --- matches for Nancy and Bess to watch. But when a potentially deadly rivalry between two of the strongest fencers rears its ugly head, Nancy has to get off the bleachers and start sleuthing. Fast.

Coming Soon: Books Releasing in the Next Few Months

Curious about what books will be released in the months ahead? Then be sure to check out our brand new Coming Soon section on Kidsreads.com. We have titles from April through August listed. Please note that we have not included every book coming out, but rather some that caught our eye --- and that we thought should catch yours as well.

THE SEA OF MONSTERS: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book Two by Rick Riordan
In a novel based heavily on Greek mythology, Perseus Jackson returns to Half-Blood Hill for his second year of summer camp. Danger, voyages, and more than a few surprises (and monsters) await him in this fast-paced, funny adventure, which is a sequel to THE LIGHTNING THIEF. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

TRAVIS & FREDDY'S ADVENTURES IN VEGAS by Henry Johnson and Paul Hoppe
Best buds Travis and Freddy --- one the coolest kid and the other the biggest brain at Walla Walla Junior High --- set out to save Travis's dad from disaster by winning big in Las Vegas, armed only with Travis's charm and Freddy's trusty tech toys. Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts.

GENDER BLENDER by Blake Nelson
Inspired by the movie version of the Mary Rodgers classic, FREAKY FRIDAY, Blake Nelson takes the body switching fiasco to the next level in GENDER BLENDER. What could be worse than switching bodies with your mother? How about switching bodies with your enemy? Reviewed by Kristi Olson.

STINK AND THE INCREDIBLE SUPER-GALACTIC JAWBREAKER by Megan McDonald
When Stink buys a mammoth jawbreaker that doesn't break his jaw, he writes a letter of complaint to the manufacturer --- and receives a 10-pound box of jawbreakers for his trouble! Soon Stink is so preoccupied with getting free stuff sent to him that he overlooks a scribbly envelope in the mail pile and hardly notices that his best friend is mad at him. Reviewed by Renee Kirchner.

THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 by Laurence Yep
Henry and Chin look for heroes and excitement in the comic books they read, but when they experience the devastating San Francisco earthquake and horrifying fires, they find real-life heroes they did not expect --- their own fathers. Reviewed by Carole Turner.

THE AMAZING STORY OF ADOLPHUS TIPS by Michael Morpurgo
It's 1943, and 12-year-old Lily Tregenza lives on a farm in a seaside village in England. Her life is hardly affected by World War II --- until Lily and her family (including her beloved cat, Adolphus Tips) and 3,000 other villagers are ordered to evacuate their homes. Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman.

EMILY WINDSNAP AND THE MONSTER FROM THE DEEP by Liz Kessler
Emily and her family are discovering and exploring their beautiful new home, Allpoints Island. To Emily --- half-mermaid, half-human --- it is perfect. That is, until she ruins everything by waking a legendary sea monster known as the Kraken from its hundred-year sleep. Reviewed by Kristi Olson.

BELLA AT MIDNIGHT by Diane Stanley
Prolific author Diane Stanley twists together the stories of Cinderella, King Arthur, and tales of fairies to create an enticing work that moves methodically through the early life of Bella as she gains maturity and poise on her way to rescuing two kingdoms from ruin. Reviewed by Joy Held.

Read our reviews and features here.

Poll: The Last Few Pages

When reading a book can you usually predict how it will end?

Yes
No
Sometimes

What kind of endings do you typically prefer?

Happy endings
Surprise endings
Suspenseful cliffhangers

Name up to three books whose endings you loved.