" ▷▷▷▷▷ June 2011 | Literature "

Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Lion King Read-Along Storybook and CD

The Lion
The Lion King Read-Along Storybook and CD
by David Jeremiah
Release Date: June 28, 2011

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Review & Description

Beloved characters Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, and Mufasa are back! With original character voices and movie sound effects from the award-winning film The Lion King, this thrilling read-along brings all the action to life. Readers can turn the pages at the sound of the chime and follow along with the word-for-word narration on the CD Read more


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Little Miss Austen: Pride & Prejudice

Little Miss Austen
Little Miss Austen: Pride & Prejudice
by Jennifer Adams, Alison Oliver
Publication Date: August 1, 2011

Buy new: $9.99
3 used & new from $7.82

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Review & Description

With the perennial popularity of classic writers like Jane Austen and William Shakespeare, Baby Lit is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple counting text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar's Alison Oliver, Little Miss Austen and Little Master Shakespeare are a must for every savvy parent's nursery library.

Jennifer Adams is the author of a dozen books including Remarkably Jane: Notable Quotations on Jane Austen and the popular Y Is for Yorick: A Slightly Irreverent ABC Book for Grown-Ups. Jennifer works as a writer and editor in Salt Lake City. Her favorite baby name is Fitzwilliam.

Alison Oliver runs Sugar design studio. Alison's design portfolio includes everything from logos to packaging and product design for clients such as Chronicle Books, Citibabes, Aerie, as well as Gibbs Smith. She lives in Manhattan. Her favorite baby name is Lizzy.

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The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales / With an Introduction by Lemony Snicket

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales / With an Introduction by Lemony Snicket
by Chris Van Allsburg
Release Date: October 25, 2011

Buy new: $24.99 $15.87

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Review & Description

One Pulitzer Prize, five Newbery Medals, three Newbery Honors, two Caldecott Medals, one Caldecott Honor, three National Book Awards, seven National Book Award nominations, and five Coretta Scott King Awards. This is only a partial list of all accolades earn by the contributors of this book.
     This inspired collection of short stories is based on the original illustrations of Chris Van Allburg in his esteemed and mysterious The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, originally published in 1984, and features many remarkable, best-selling authors in the worlds of both adult and children's literature: Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Stephen King, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka, Lemony Snicket, and Chris Van Allsburg himself.
     Van Allsburg's Harris Burdick illustrations have evoked such wonderment and imagination since Harris Burdick's original publication in 1984; many have speculated or have woven their own stories to go with his images. More than ever, the illustrations send off their eerie call for text and continue to compel and pick at the reader's brain for a backstory--a threaded tale behind the image. In this book, we've collected some of the best storytellers to spin them. Read more


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Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Tales of
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
by Judy Blume
4.5 out of 5 stars(214)

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Review & Description

Two is a crowd when Peter and his four-year-old brother, Fudge, are in the same room. Grown-ups think Fudge is absolutely adorable, but Peter and his pet turtle, Dribble, know the truth. Fudge is actually a tiny terror in disguise, causing mischief everywhere he goes. Passed on from babysitters to their young charges, from big sisters to little brothers, and from parents to children, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and its cousins (Superfudge, Fudge-a-mania, and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great) have entertained children since they first appeared in the early 1970s. The books follow Peter Hatcher, his little brother Fudgie, baby sister Tootsie, their neighbor Sheila Tubman, various pets, and minor characters through New York City and on treks to suburbs and camps.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is the first of these entertaining yarns. Peter, because he's the oldest, must deal with Fudgie's disgusting cuteness, his constant meddling with Peter's stuff, and other grave offenses, one of which is almost too much to bear. All these incidents are presented with the unfailing ear and big-hearted humor of the masterful Judy Blume. Though some of her books for older kids have aroused controversy, the Hatcher brothers and their adventures remain above the fray, where they belong. (Peter's in fourth grade, so the book is suitable for kids ages 8 and older.) Read more


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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Maniac Magee

Maniac Magee
Maniac Magee
by Jerry Spinelli
4.0 out of 5 stars(721)

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301 used & new from $0.01

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Review & Description

Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee might have lived a normal life if a trolley accident hadn't made him an orphan. After living with his unhappy and uptight aunt and uncle for eight years, he decides to run-and not just run away, but run. And this is where the myth of Maniac Magee begins, as he changes the lives of a racially divided small town with his amazing and legendary feats.Maniac Magee is a folk story about a boy, a very excitable boy. One that can outrun dogs, hit a home run off the best pitcher in the neighborhood, tie a knot no one can undo. "Kid's gotta be a maniac," is what the folks in Two Mills say. It's also the story of how this boy, Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee, confronts racism in a small town, tries to find a home where there is none and attempts to soothe tensions between rival factions on the tough side of town. Presented as a folk tale, it's the stuff of storytelling. "The history of a kid," says Jerry Spinelli, "is one part fact, two parts legend, and three parts snowball." And for this kid, four parts of fun. Maniac Magee won the 1991 Newbery Medal. Read more


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Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall

Tumtum & Nutmeg
Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall
by Emily Bearn
4.7 out of 5 stars(9)
Publication Date: June 7, 2011

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32 used & new from $4.53

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Review & Description

Deep inside the broom cupboard of Rose Cottage, two mice live in great style.

Tumtum and Nutmeg lead cozy and quiet lives, secretly looking after Arthur and Lucy, the disheveled human children of the cottage, never dreaming that so many exciting adventures will soon find them. But when evil Aunt Ivy, a squeamish schoolteacher named Miss Short, and pirating pond rats threaten the safety of those they hold dear, the courageous pair will stop at nothing to save the day.

In three thrilling tales of daring and wit, Tumtum and Nutmeg-along with veteran hero General Marchmouse, Ms. Tiptoe's bouncing ballerina army, and a team of caged gerbils--prove that small-size mice can have world-size hearts. Read more


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Classic Starts: Journey to the Center of the Earth (Classic Starts Series)

Classic Starts
Classic Starts: Journey to the Center of the Earth (Classic Starts Series)
by Jules Verne, Kathleen Olmstead, Eric Freeberg, Arthur Pober Ed.D
Publication Date: June 7, 2011

Buy new: $5.95
30 used & new from $3.94

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Review & Description

“Go down the crater of the volcano Snaefells. Follow the shadow just before the month of July. You will find your way to the center of the Earth. I did it.” That mysterious message, found in a long-lost letter, propels a young man and his uncle on the adventure of a lifetime: to a prehistoric world below the earth where dinosaurs and other strange creatures still roam. Jules Verne's classic fantasy will enchant a new generation of readers. Read more


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How the Ladybug Got Spots (Fun Children's Picture Book)

How the
How the Ladybug Got Spots (Fun Children's Picture Book)
Sharlene Alexander (Author)

Download: $2.99
196 used & new from $2.99

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Review & Description

If your child loves books by Mo Willems, Laura Numeroff, Felicia Bond, P.D. Eastman, and Sandra Boynton, your child will fall in love with "How the Ladybug Got Spots."


A long time ago when ladybugs didn’t have polka dots, there lived an evil witch that was destroying the land. Lucy, a brave little ladybug, comes up with a plan to destroy the witch. This story will keep your child on the edge of their seat waiting to find out how the ladybugs get their polka dots.

This picture book is perfect for children in preschool who are just learning to read, as well as early elementary school kids who are mastering new vocabulary. The adorable story encourages reading, drawing, and critical thinking skills.

Age Range: Preschool to Early Elementary Readers (2 years old - 8 years old)

-Great story to read over and over and again.
-Beautifully illustrated with vibrant color pictures that your child will enjoy viewing.
-Fun story that keeps your child interested Read more


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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories

The Bippolo
The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories
by Seuss
Release Date: September 27, 2011

Buy new: $15.00 $10.00

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Review & Description

It's the literary equivalent of buried treasure! Seuss scholar/collector Charles D. Cohen has hunted down seven rarely seen stories by Dr. Seuss. Originally published in magazines between 1948 and 1959, they include "The Bear, the Rabbit, and the Zinniga-Zanniga " (about a rabbit who is saved from a bear with a single eyelash!); "Gustav the Goldfish" (an early, rhymed version of the Beginner Book A Fish Out of Water);  "Tadd and Todd" (a tale passed down via photocopy to generations of twins); "Steak for Supper" (about fantastic creatures who follow a boy home in anticipation of a steak dinner); "The Bippolo Seed" (in which a scheming feline leads an innocent duck to make a bad decision); "The Strange Shirt Spot" (the inspiration for the bathtub-ring scene in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back); and "The Great Henry McBride" (about a boy whose far-flung career fantasies are only bested by those of the real Dr. Seuss himself).

In an introduction to the collection, Cohen traces the history of these stories, which demonstrate an intentional and significant change that led to the writing style we associate with Dr. Seuss today.  Cohen also explores these stories' themes that recur in better-known Seuss stories (like the importance of the imagination, or the perils of greed).  With a color palette that has been enhanced beyond the limitations of the original magazines in which they appeared, this is a collection of stories that no Seuss fan (whether scholar or second-grader) will want to miss! Read more


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Great Expectations (Puffin Classics)

Great Expectations
Great Expectations (Puffin Classics)
by Charles Dickens, Roddy Doyle
Publication Date: June 9, 2011

Buy new: $4.99
54 used & new from $2.62

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Review & Description

As a small boy at Joe Gargery's forge, Pip meets two people who will affect his whole life - an escaped convict he is forced to help, and the eccentric Miss Havisham, whose beautiful, cold ward Estella young Pip adores. But when a secret benefactor pays for him to go to London to become a gentleman, Pip never dreams he will meet the dreadful convict Magwitch again, nor just how wrong his expectations are . . . Read more


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The Phantom Tollbooth 50th Anniversary Edition

The Phantom
The Phantom Tollbooth 50th Anniversary Edition
by Norton Juster, Jules Feiffer
Release Date: October 25, 2011

Buy new: $24.00 $14.40

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Review & Description

It has been fifty years—and millions of readers—since the world was first introduced to Milo and his adventures in the Lands Beyond with Tock, the Humbug, and the captive princesses Rhyme and Reason.
Now we have a remarkable 50th anniversary edition to honor this universally adored and deeply influential novel.  This special edition will include:

   • Gorgeous packaging that features the classic original art stamped and debossed on the case with a transparent acetate jacket.
   • Brief essays from esteemed authors, educators, and artists, including Philip Pullman, Suzanne Collins, Jeanne Birdsall, Mo Willems, and several others.
   • Photos of the author and illustrator at the time of writing and today on the two-color endpapers.
   • The 35th anniversary essay by Maurice Sendak.
   • The complete text of the book.

A perfect gift for longstanding fans and lucky new readers, the 50th anniversary edition of The Phantom Tollbooth is a book to cherish. Read more


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The Story of Charlotte's Web: E. B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic

The Story of Charlotte's Web
The Story of Charlotte's Web: E. B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic
Michael Sims (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars(4)

Download: $9.99
129 used & new from $9.99

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Review & Description

As he was composing what was to become his most enduring and popular book, E. B. White was obeying that oft-repeated maxim: "Write what you know." Helpless pigs, silly geese, clever spiders, greedy rats-White knew all of these characters in the barns and stables where he spent his favorite hours. Painfully shy his entire life, "this boy," White once wrote of himself, "felt for animals a kinship he never felt for people." It's all the more impressive, therefore, how many people have felt a kinship with E. B. White. With Charlotte's Web, which has gone on to sell more than 45 million copies, the man William Shawn called "the most companionable of writers" lodged his own character, the avuncular author, into the hearts of generations of readers.
In The Story of Charlotte's Web, Michael Sims shows how White solved what critic Clifton Fadiman once called "the standing problem of the juvenile-fantasy writer: how to find, not another Alice, but another rabbit hole" by mining the raw ore of his childhood friendship with animals in Mount Vernon, New York. translating his own passions and contradictions, delights and fears, into an al-time classic. Blending White's correspondence with the likes of Ursula Nordstrom, James Thurber, and Harold Ross, the E. B. White papers at Cornell, and the archives of HarperCollins and the New Yorker into his own elegant narrative, Sims brings to life the shy boy whose animal stories--real and imaginery--made him famous around the world. Read more


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Moomin's Lift-The-Flap Hide and Seek

Moomins LiftTheFlap
Moomin's Lift-The-Flap Hide and Seek
by Tove Jansson
Release Date: June 7, 2011

Buy new: $6.99
39 used & new from $4.13

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Review & Description

Pre-readers can sharpen hand-eye coordination as they join Moomintroll's search for that rascal Little My, who has found a very clever hiding place. Along the way, they will meet Moomintroll's family and many friends. The funny names--from Snufkin to Fillyjonk--beg to be sounded out and repeated again and again. Based on characters and artwork created by Tove Jansson, whose original Moomin books have been translated from the original Swedish into more than thirty languages.     Read more


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The Outsiders

The Outsiders
The Outsiders
by S. E. Hinton
4.6 out of 5 stars(1574)

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313 used & new from $0.01

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Review & Description

Written over forty years ago, S. E. HintonÂ’s classic story of the struggle between the Socs and the Greasers remains as powerful today as it was the day it was written, and it is taught in schools nationwide. Now available in a great new package with an improved trim size, a stunning new cover, and bonus material. Designed with classroom use in mind, the new edition will maintain the same pagination as the previous edition.According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. This classic, written by S. E. Hinton when she was 16 years old, is as profound today as it was when it was first published in 1967. Read more


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Monday, June 27, 2011

The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics)

The Princess
The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics)
by George McDonald, Ursula K. Le Guin
4.6 out of 5 stars(51)
Publication Date: June 9, 2011

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57 used & new from $2.58

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Review & Description

Princess Irene's discovery of a secret stair to the top turret of the castle leads to a wonderful revelation. At the same time, the miner's son Curdie overhears a fiendish plot by the goblins that live below the mountain. But it will take all their wit and courage, and the help of Irene's magic ring, to make sense of their separate knowledge and foil the goblins' schemes.As always with George MacDonald, everything here is more than meets the eye: this in fact is MacDonald's grace-filled vision of the world. Said to be one of J.R.R. Tolkien's childhood favorites, The Princess and the Goblin is the story of the young Princess Irene, her good friend Curdie--a minor's son--and Irene's mysterious and beautiful great great grandmother, who lives in a secret room at the top of the castle stairs. Filled with images of dungeons and goblins, mysterious fires, burning roses, and a thread so fine as to be invisible and yet--like prayer--strong enough to lead the Princess back home to her grandmother's arms, this is a story of Curdie's slow realization that sometimes, as the princess tells him, "you must believe without seeing." Simple enough for reading aloud to a child (as I've done myself more than once with my daughter), it's rich enough to repay endless delighted readings for the adult. --Doug Thorpe Read more


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Big Red: The Story of a Champion Irish Setter and a Trapper's Son Who Grew Up Together, Roaming the Wilderness

Big Red
Big Red: The Story of a Champion Irish Setter and a Trapper's Son Who Grew Up Together, Roaming the Wilderness
by Jim Kjelgaard, Bob Kuhn
4.5 out of 5 stars(39)
Publication Date: June 2011

Buy new: $8.95

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Review & Description

"Big Red" was a champion Irish setter; Danny a young trapper who knew more about the ways of varmints and hounds than of the world of fancy kennels and dog shows. But Red's owner knew a good dog man when he saw one, and entrusted Red to Danny's training. Read more


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Goldie Pooped

Goldie Pooped
Goldie Pooped
Mindy Kincade (Author), Cindy Harper (Illustrator)

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195 used & new from $2.98

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Review & Description

Children's Book
A story of a child's experience that will make your child laugh. Read more


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Black Beauty (Puffin Classics)

Black Beauty
Black Beauty (Puffin Classics)
by Anna Sewell, Meg Rosoff
Release Date: September 8, 2011

Buy new: $16.99 $10.61

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Review & Description

The moving story of a handsome horse who lives a life of hardship and kindness. Read more


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Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books)

Harold and
Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books)
by Crockett Johnson
4.8 out of 5 stars(220)

Buy new: $6.99
137 used & new from $0.25

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Review & Description

One evening Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight. But there wasn't any moon, and Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight. Fortunately, he had brought his purple crayon. So he drew a moon. He also needed something to walk on. So he drew a path...

And thus begins one of the most imaginative and enchanting adventures in all of children's books. The creative concept behind this beloved story has intrigued children and kept them absorbed for generations, as page by page unfolds the dramatic and clever adventures of Harold and his purple crayon.

"One night, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight." So begins this gentle story that shows just how far your imagination can take you. Armed only with an oversized purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of beauty and excitement. But this is no hare-brained, impulsive flight of fantasy. Cherubic, round-headed Harold conducts his adventure with the utmost prudence, letting his imagination run free, but keeping his wits about him all the while. He takes the necessary purple-crayon precautions: drawing landmarks to ensure he won't get lost; sketching a boat when he finds himself in deep water; and creating a purple pie picnic when he feels the first pangs of hunger.

Crockett Johnson's understated tribute to the imagination was first published in 1955, and has been inspiring readers of all ages ever since. Harold's quiet but magical journey reminds us of the marvels the mind can create, and also gives us the wondrous sense that anything is possible. (Ages 4 to 8) Read more


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Every Thing On It

Every Thing
Every Thing On It
by Shel Silverstein
Release Date: September 20, 2011

Buy new: $19.99 $11.99

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Review & Description

Shel Silverstein, beloved author of the acclaimed and bestselling poetry collections Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up, will have a brand-new book of poetry published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in September 2011. This is only the second original book to be published since Silverstein’s passing in 1999. With more than one hundred and thirty never-before-seen poems and drawings completed by the cherished American artist and selected by his family from his archives, this collection will follow in the tradition and format of his acclaimed poetry classics.

Generations have grown up with the works of Shel Silverstein, known not only as a poet and illustrator but also for his work as a cartoonist, playwright, performer, recording artist, and Grammy Award–winning songwriter. He has encouraged children to dream and dare to imagine the impossible with his extraordinary poetry and unforgettable characters. Now fans will have a chance to discover even more riches, and new readers will delight in the timeless magic of his works. Read more


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Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
4.7 out of 5 stars(291)

Buy new: $24.99 $14.32
199 used & new from $6.98

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Review & Description

ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.Book Description:
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.




Amazon.com Exclusive

A Letter from Brian Selznick

Dear readers,

When I was a kid, two of my favorite books were by an amazing man named Remy Charlip. Fortunately and Thirteen fascinated me in part because, in both books, the very act of turning the pages plays a pivotal role in telling the story. Each turn reveals something new in a way that builds on the image on the previous page. Now that I’m an illustrator myself, I’ve often thought about this dramatic storytelling device and all of its creative possibilities.

My new book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is a 550 page novel in words and pictures. But unlike most novels, the images in my new book don't just illustrate the story; they help tell it. I've used the lessons I learned from Remy Charlip and other masters of the picture book to create something that is not a exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things.

I began thinking about this book ten years ago after seeing some of the magical films of Georges Méliès, the father of science-fiction movies. But it wasn’t until I read a book called Edison's Eve: The Quest for Mechanical Life by Gaby Woods that my story began to come into focus. I discovered that Méliès had a collection of mechanical, wind-up figures (called automata) that were donated to a museum, but which were later destroyed and thrown away. Instantly, I imagined a boy discovering these broken, rusty machines in the garbage, stealing one and attempting to fix it. At that moment, Hugo Cabret was born.

A few years ago, I had the honor of meeting Remy Charlip, and I'm proud to say that we've become friends. Last December he was asking me what I was working on, and as I was describing this book to him, I realized that Remy looks exactly like Georges Méliès. I excitedly asked him to pose as the character in my book, and fortunately, he said yes. So every time you see Méliès in The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the person you are really looking at is my dear friend Remy Charlip, who continues to inspire everyone who has the great pleasure of knowing him or seeing his work.

Paris in the 1930's, a thief, a broken machine, a strange girl, a mean old man, and the secrets that tie them all together... Welcome to The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Yours,

Brian Selznick




Amazon.com Exclusive

Brian Selznick on a "Deleted Scene" from The Invention of Hugo Cabret

This is a finished drawing that I had to cut from The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I was still rewriting the book when I had to begin the final art. There was originally a scene in the story where this character, Etienne, is working in a camera shop. On one of my research trips to Paris I spent an entire day visiting old camera shops and photographing cameras from the 1930's and earlier, as well as the facades of the shops themselves. I researched original French camera posters and made sure that the counter and the shelves were accurate to the time period. I did all the drawings in the book at 1/4 scale, so they were very small and I often had to use a magnifying glass to help me see what I was drawing. After I finished this drawing I continued to rewrite, and for various reasons I realized that I needed to move this scene from the camera shop to the French Film Academy, which meant that I had to cut this picture. I tried really hard to find ANOTHER moment when I could have Etienne in a camera shop, but, as painful as it was, I knew the picture had to go. I'm glad to see it up on the Amazon website because otherwise no one would have ever seen all those tiny cameras I researched and drew so carefully!

--Brian Selznick


More from Brian Selznick


The Houdini Box


Walt Whitman: Words for America


The Boy of a Thousand Faces

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The Call of the Wild (Puffin Classics)

The Call
The Call of the Wild (Puffin Classics)
by Jack London, Melvin Burgess
3.9 out of 5 stars(408)
Release Date: September 8, 2011

Buy new: $16.99 $11.55

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Review & Description

Buck is forced into life as a sled dog, where he must fight for his survival. Can he rise above his enemies and become master of his realm? Read more


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The Giving Tree

The Giving
The Giving Tree
by Shel Silverstein
4.2 out of 5 stars(735)

Buy new: $16.99 $10.19
317 used & new from $1.93

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Review & Description

'Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy.'

So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk...and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.

This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.

Ages 10+

To say that this particular apple tree is a "giving tree" is an understatement. In Shel Silverstein's popular tale of few words and simple line drawings, a tree starts out as a leafy playground, shade provider, and apple bearer for a rambunctious little boy. Making the boy happy makes the tree happy, but with time it becomes more challenging for the generous tree to meet his needs. When he asks for money, she suggests that he sell her apples. When he asks for a house, she offers her branches for lumber. When the boy is old, too old and sad to play in the tree, he asks the tree for a boat. She suggests that he cut her down to a stump so he can craft a boat out of her trunk. He unthinkingly does it. At this point in the story, the double-page spread shows a pathetic solitary stump, poignantly cut down to the heart the boy once carved into the tree as a child that said "M.E. + T." "And then the tree was happy... but not really." When there's nothing left of her, the boy returns again as an old man, needing a quiet place to sit and rest. The stump offers up her services, and he sits on it. "And the tree was happy." While the message of this book is unclear (Take and take and take? Give and give and give? Complete self-sacrifice is good? Complete self-sacrifice is infinitely sad?), Silverstein has perhaps deliberately left the book open to interpretation. (All ages) --Karin Snelson Read more


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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia
C.S. Lewis (Author), Pauline Baynes (Illustrator)
4.7 out of 5 stars(688)

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Review & Description

A simple game of hide-and-seek turns into a thrilling and dangerous adventure in this beloved tale in C.S. Lewis' classic The Chronicles of Narnia series.

Through the wardrobe, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy enter the mystical land of Narnia, where only the great Lion, Aslan, can conquer the dark magic of the White Witch and restore beauty and peace to a land threatened with eternal winter.

Michael York, an acclaimed actor, has appeared in such films as Romeo and Juliet, Cabaret, Wide Sargasso Sea and Austin Powers, as well as on the London and Broadway stages.

Performed by Michael York Read more


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The Poky Little Puppy

The Poky
The Poky Little Puppy
Janette Sebring Lowrey (Author), Gustaf Tenggren (Illustrator)
4.5 out of 5 stars(68)

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196 used & new from $3.14

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Review & Description

One of the original 12 Little Golden Books, The Poky Little Puppy has sold nearly 15 million copies since 1942, making it one of the most popular children’s books of all time. Now this curious little puppy is ready to win the hearts and minds of a new generation of kids.


From the Hardcover edition. Read more


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The Yearling (Aladdin Classics)

The Yearling
The Yearling (Aladdin Classics)
Patricia Reilly Giff (Author, Foreword), Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars(100)

Download: $5.99
10 used & new from $5.59

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A Pulitzer Prize-winning classic originally published over 50 years ago, Rawling's timeless story of backwoods Florida and the tender relationship of a young boy and his tame fawn continues to delight and enthrall readers.Fighting off a pack of starving wolves, wrestling alligators in the swamp, romping with bear cubs, drawing off the venom of a giant rattlesnake bite with the heart of a fresh-killed deer--it's all in a day's work for the Baxter family of the Florida scrublands. But young Jody Baxter is not content with these electrifying escapades, or even with the cozy comfort of home with Pa and Ma. He wants a pet, a friend with whom he can share his quiet cogitations and his corn pone. Jody gets his pet, a frisky fawn he calls Flag, but that's not all. With Flag comes a year of life lessons, frolicking times, and achingly hard decisions. This powerful book is as compelling now as when it was written over 60 years ago. Read simply as a naturalist study of the Florida interior, it fascinates and entices. Add the heart-stopping adventure and heart-wrenching human elements, and this is a classic well worth its Pulitzer Prize. Earthy dialect and homespun wisdom season the story, giving it a unique and unforgettable flavor, and N.C. Wyeth's warm, soft illustrations capture an era of rough subsistence and sweet survival. (Ages 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter Read more


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Saturday, June 25, 2011

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Mr Poppers
Mr. Popper's Penguins
by Richard Atwater, Florence Atwater
4.7 out of 5 stars(159)

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A classic of American humor, the adventures of a house painter and his brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations. "Here is a book to read aloud in groups of all ages. There is not an extra or misplaced word in the whole story."--"The Horn Book." Newbery Honor Book.More than 60 years have not dated this wonderfully absurd tale--it still makes kids (and parents) laugh out loud. Poor Mr. Popper isn't exactly unhappy; he just wishes he had seen something of the world before meeting Mrs. Popper and settling down. Most of all, he wishes he had seen the Poles, and spends his spare time between house-painting jobs reading all about polar explorations. Admiral Drake, in response to Mr. Popper's fan letter, sends him a penguin; life at 432 Proudfoot Avenue is never the same again. From one penguin living in the icebox, the Popper family grows to include 12 penguins, all of whom must be fed. Thus is born "Popper's Performing Penguins, First Time on Any Stage, Direct from the South Pole." Their adventures while on tour are hilarious, with numerous slapstick moments as the penguins disrupt other acts and invade hotels. Classic chapter-a-night fun. (Ages 5 to 10) --Richard Farr Read more


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Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!

Dr. Seuss's ABC
Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!
by Dr. Seuss
3.9 out of 5 stars(131)

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With Dr. Seuss as your guide, learning the alphabet is as easy as A, B, C.  

BIG R, little r,
what begins with R?
Rosy's red rhinoceros.
R...r...R

From Aunt Annie's Alligator to Rosy's red rhinoceros to a Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz, learning the alphabet is bound to be fun with Dr. Seuss. And with this small, sturdy board-book version of his classic ABC book (Dr. Seuss's ABC), even the tiniest tots can indulge in a little alphabetical education. Each letter is featured with Dr. Seuss's unmistakably nonsensical illustrations and text: "Lion with a lollipop," "Camel on the ceiling," "Uncle Ubb's umbrella and his underwear, too." The youngest readers-to-be will get lots of letter practice with the repetitive use of each letter and the easy-to-memorize rhythmic rhymes. Soon your favorite preschooler will be reading this book aloud to you! (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter Read more


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A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet)

A Wrinkle
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet)
by Madeleine L'Engle
4.1 out of 5 stars(171)

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It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.

"Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract."

A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book. A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem.
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