| January 12, 2010 This week we're going to debut a new feature, Clash of the Titans, in which Amy and I engage in a fierce debate on a literary topic. Our subject this time? Mr. Putter & Tabby! |
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 KB: Looking outside I notice that it is winter.Amy: It is true that the days are growing lighter and this is truly a cause for celebration. On the other hand, one could easily argue that we have suffered weeks now in these darkest days of the year, the sun but a flickering in the gray sky. While the more well-to-do are booking flights to the sun sparkling, azure waters of the equator, the less fortunate among us must be content to rake the coals, throw another log on the fire, pull a chair up close to the warmth and find distraction in the pages of a good book. Preferably one hot off the press, obtained from your local independent bookshop. KB: Strong Points.  Amy: Those emergent readers among you (and it occurs to me that your numbers may be few) could do no better than to curl up with one of Cynthia Rylant’s Mr. Putter and Tabby books. These easy-to-read tales are a far cry from the stilted Dick and Jane of yesteryear. Rylant’s word choice and sentence structure are spare and clear, but she refrains from the painful oversimplification that makes so many early reader books a chore to be endured. Her stories follow elderly Mr. Putter and his adoring cat as they go through days of naps, tea, and inevitable high jinx. Illustrator Arthur Howard’s colorful, wide-eyed renderings bring the tales to life. These books never fail to illicit a giggle from my girls and, after all, I can think of nothing more heartwarming than sharing a giggle, and a love of reading, with a little one. KB: They really do sound wonderful. I’ll have to get with the program and read one. Where should one start? Amy: Anywhere! There’ll all great. There’s no sequence to them. KB: (Grabbing for the top of the pile) Mr. Putter & Tabby Feed The Fish it is! Here they are! Our weekly picks for the two best: two hardcover, two paperback, and two children's books. The very best new arrivals to leap out of the box and onto our shelves this week. Call or email us if you want more information on any of these titles, or to have us hold you a copy. Or stop in and check them out in person. We'd love to see you. Thanks as always for sharing your reading with us! |
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Marriage and Other Acts of Charity: A Memoir
By Braestrup, Kate 2010-01 - Reagan Arthur Books 9780316031912 - Hardcover See Other Formats List Price $24.99 - Your Price: $19.99 Award winning Maine author Kate Braestrup follows up Here If You Need Me with this new topical memoir as she brings her personal and ministerial perspective to the subject of married life. ...More |
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The Swan Thieves
By Kostova, Elizabeth 2010-01 - Little Brown and Company 9780316065788 - Hardcover See Other Formats List Price $26.99 - Your Price: $21.59 Speaking of follow ups, Kostova, of Historian fame, brings similar historical breadth, narrative scope, and, well physical weight (564 pages worth), to her new novel, The Swan Thieves. |
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The Unbearable Lightness of Scones
By McCall Smith, Alexander 2010-01 - Anchor Books 9780307454706 - Paperback See Other Formats List Price $15.00 - Your Price: $12.00 This latest McCall Smith release is good news for 44 Scotland Street fans, Scone fans, and even for Milan Kundera fans, who finally see another author riff off a Kundera title! ...More |
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Lark and Termite
By Phillips, Jayne Anne 2010-01 - Vintage Books USA 9780375701931 - Paperback See Other Formats List Price $14.95 - Your Price: $11.96 Lark and Termite, Phillips's award winning Korean war era novel, easily earns The Weekly Top 2 DBBTONIP (Deserving Big Book That's Out Now In Paperback) rating.
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Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals
By Grandin, Temple 2010-01 - Mariner Books 9780547248233 - Paperback See Other Formats List Price $15.95 - Your Price: $12.76 Animals in Translation author Grandin, uses the same exceptional affinity for animal perspective which helped her successfully redesign industrial livestock pens to improve the existence of beef industry cows, to examine ways of improving the lives of the domestic animals we share our lives with. ...More |
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Babymouse #12: Burns Rubber
By Holm, Jennifer L. 2010-01 - Random House Books for Young Readers 9780375857133 - Paperback See Other Formats List Price $5.99 - Your Price: $4.79 Will being in elementary school. and being a mouse stand in the way of Babymouse being a race car driver? Not for the soap box derby for which, after many tribulations, she designs and races the Cupcake Cannon. This stand out graphic novel series for early readers continues to its excellent quality with this new story out today. ...More |