Dear Friends,
While August makes September seem that much closer, we at watchung booksellers, welcome the fall season. Booksellers everywhere know it means the start of fantastic new releases..... books we have been waiting months to share with you. So even though school may be starting soon, and you haven't quite finished your summer reading there are going to be even more great distractions.
Thank you,
Nicole, Carolyn, Margot, Marina, Jeanne and Marisela
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new this week!
The 39 Clues Book 5: The Black Circle
WHERE ARE AMY AND DAN CAHILL? The two kids were last seen in Egypt,
hunting for one of the 39 Clues that could make them the most powerful
people on earth. But no one has seen the siblings since. Has the
ruthless Irina Spasky finally tracked them down? Or worse . . . the
Madrigals?
No one knows where the Clue hunt leads next. But
one thing is certain - Book 5 is gearing up to be Dan and Amy's most
dangerous adventure yet. (Ages 9-12)
If you're a fan of the series and haven't checked out the website yet, let's just say you really should. Have fun and good hunting.
www.the39clues.com
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september sensations
Catching Fire the 2nd Book of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with
fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by
defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should
be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their
families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion
among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the
faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants
revenge. (Ages 12 & up, on sale Sept. 1st)
Amulet Book 2: the Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi
Emily and Navin's mother is still in a coma from the arachnopod's
poison, and there's only one place to find help: Kanalis, the bustling,
beautiful city of waterfalls. But when Em, her brother, and Miskit and
the rest of the robotic crew aboard the walking house reach the city,
they quickly realize that seeking help is looking for trouble,
dangerous trouble.
The Elf King's son, Trellis, is still after
them, but this time he's accompanied by a mysterious and dangerous
guard, Luger. Then an equally mysterious fox, Leon Redbeard, steps in
to help. This new fox friend offers to take Em on the perilous trip up
Demon's Head Mountain to find the antidote she needs. Miskit is
suspicious, Navin is worried about being left behind, and Emily is in
the toughest spot of all. She's got to let loose the power of the
amulet-without losing herself! (Ages 9-12, on sale Sept. 1st)
This Book Is Not Good For You by Pseudonymous Bosch
Between the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting
chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle.
Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read
this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you...and this story is particularly scrumptious!
In
this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass's mom has been kidnapped by the evil
dessert chef and chocolatier, Seņor Hugo! The ransom...the legendary
tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before
it's too late? Will they discover the evil secret ingredient to Seņor
Hugo's chocolate success?
If you're tempted, take a taste, but just remember...this book is not good for you.
(Ages 8-12, on sale Sept. 1st)
  
Septimus Heap Book 5: Syren by Angie Sage
In this fifth book in the Magykal series, Septimus ends up on a
captivatingly beautiful island, one of seven set in a sparkling sea.
He's stranded there with his badly injured dragon, Spit Fyre, along
with Jenna and Beetle. There are some strange things about the island,
including a Magykal girl named Syrah, a cat-shaped lighthouse that has
lost its Light, and an eerie presence that sings to Septimus-can he
escape the persistent call?
(Ages 9-12, on sale Sept. 29th)
The Hunting Book 1: Z. Rex by Steve Cole
Jurassic Park meets virtual gaming in a blockbuster new thriller!
You're 14 and find yourself on your own. Your father, who has
developed the world's cutting edge research on virtual electronic
game-playing, has been missing for weeks. And suddenly you're being
hunted by men with guns, your picture is on the news, and, worst of
all, something seemingly impossible is chasing you-a savage,
man-eating dinosaur. How can that be? Why is everyone trying to capture
you? And what is your strange connection with this 21st-century
prehistoric monster? (Ages 10-14, on sale Sept. 22nd)
School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari
Everyone is afraid of something...
Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders.
Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying.
Lulu Punchalower is scared of confined spaces.
Garrison Feldman is terrified of deep water.
With very few options left, the parents of these four twelve year-olds send them to the highly elusive and exclusive School of Fear
to help them overcome their phobias. But when their peculiar teacher,
Mrs. Wellington, and her unconventional teaching methods turn out to be
more frightening than even their fears, the foursome realize that this
just may be the scariest summer of their lives. (Ages 9-12, on sale Sept. 1st)
  
Going Bovine by Libba BrayAll 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school-and life in
general-with a minimum of effort. It's not a lot to ask. But that's
before he's given some bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which
totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk
angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam
there is a cure-if he's willing to go in search of it. With the help of
a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on
the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart
of what matters most. (Ages 13 & up, on sale Sept. 22nd)
the Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamilloWhen a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of
Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he
needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find
her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant
will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so
impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it's true. (Ages 8-12, on sale Sept. 8th)
Ash by Malinda LoIn the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her
cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light
of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once
told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as
they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy
Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.(Ages 13 & up, on sale Sept. 1st)
watchung booksellers will gladly take pre-orders for the above titles
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watchung booksellers
FIRST EVER LITERARY
ZINE
CALL FOR ENTRIES
Books are words and words have power....What
do YOU have to say?
It's time! Time for
your poems to be let out of the margins of your math notebook. Time to
follow your imagination to short stories of fantasy and reality. Time to tell
us what's on your mind in an essay on sports, politics, current issues, or
music.
This is your chance to be a published author!
watchung booksellers is now accepting written works
for a Fall Literary Zine as well as suggestions for a creative and catchy
title.
SELECTION
PROCESS and PUBLICATION
The Watchung Booksellers' staff will choose works
based on content, organization of ideas and mechanics, creativity, and
originality. This FIRST EVER Literary Zine will be unveiled at an author
signing party on the evening of Friday, October 23rd for family and friends
(details will follow). Copies of the Zine will be sold at the store - all
proceeds will go to IMANI, Improving
Montclair Achievement Network Initiative.
CATEGORIES
POETRY
(up
to 2 pages long)
SHORT STORY
(no
more than 1000 words)
ESSAY
(no
more than 1000 words)
DETAILS
* for 4th - 12th graders
* entries must be received by September 25, 2009
* winners will be notified by October 9, 2009
* all work must be original and done without parents help
* entries must contain appropriate language
* two entries can be submitted per person
* all entries must be typed in 12 point font and double spaced
* fill out an entry form and attach it to your work
* DO NOT write your name on your piece so that
it is judged fairly
To Print Out Your Entry Form, Stop by watchung booksellers OR go to www.watchungbooksellers.com
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| Save 20% |
Please present this coupon and receive a 20% discount on our picture pick of the month, The Marvelous Toy If you can't print this coupon, just mention the newsletter when you come in.
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Offer Expires: August 20, 2009 | |
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indiebound.org
be a part of the story
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YA Guru's Pick
Prophecy of the Sisters
by Michelle Zink
Sixteen year old twins Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they uncover their roles in an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, Lia must stop her sister from the ultimate act of betrayal.
As she struggles to find peace--and to remain in the arms of her beloved James--Lia is caught up in a mystery that involves her parents' deaths, a strange mark on her skin, and her sister's hidden desires.
(ages 12 & up)
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picture pick of the month
The Marvelous Toy by Tom PaxtonFor nearly half a century, The Marvelous Toy composed by the legendary
singer/songwriter Tom Paxton has enchanted children and adults alike. A
simple tale about a mysterious, magical, and mystical toy that a father
gives to his son and that eventually gets passed down to the next
generation it celebrates a child s sense of wonder. The witty,
evocative lyrics spark the imagination. No surprise, then, that the
song has been recorded by countless major artists, from Peter, Paul,
and Mary to the Chad Mitchell Trio to John Denver, and won legions of
fans through the years. Paxton s marvelous song has finally become a
stunning picture book oversized, wonderfully packaged, and complete
with a CD offering three songs sung by Tom himself plus a music-only
version of The Marvelous Toy to sing along with. Featuring incredible
and wildly imaginative art by Steve Cox, illustrator of the
award-winning Pigs Might Fly, the story is now as amazing to look at as
it always has been to listen to. Parents, grandparents, friends, and
family will remember this classic from their own youth and joyfully
share it with their own children. And just like the boy in the song
whose eyes nearly popped right out of his head, young readers will give
squeals of glee at the magic of the music, the artwork, and this
one-of-kind tale (Ages 4-8)
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tween blast! book review
Shiver
by Maggie Stiefvater
reviewed by Aaron Stagoff-Belfort
Grace lives in a small town in Minnesota. After a near death experience in the woods
near her home, she watches the wolf's silence and beauty all throughout the
winter. One in particular, stands out to
her. She calls him her wolf. He was the one who
saved her from being eaten.
Then tragedy strikes in her small town. A local boy who goes to her school named Jack
Culpepper is killed by wolves. This
sends the town into a frenzy and leads some of the fathers to go hunting and try
to kill the wolves. Grace's wolf gets
shot and stumbles up to her porch. Then
he amazingly changes into a human being. Grace takes this human, whose name is
Sam, to the hospital and later escapes out of the hospital with him. She learns that his wounds heal with inhuman
ability and then has an even more shocking realization: he is a werewolf.
Grace finally has found the wolf that saved her life and
now it is time for her to return the favor.
She learns that in the summer and spring the werewolves become human because
it is hot. When it is winter again and
cold they become wolves. But as the
years go on they are human for less and less time until finally, they are just
wolf. Sam's days are running out and the
winter is setting in.
This
stunning debut novel is the best one I have reviewed since the Hunger Games. Shiver is already in the top ten on the New
York Times bestseller list. I think this
could be a breakout book. I have read a
lot over the summer and this is really one of the books that stands out. I give it 9 out of 10. I couldn't put it down.
The plot was original.
It resembled Twilight because of the romance. But with all the fuss over vampires this year,
Shiver was the first major book of 2009 about wolves. It was fast paced and filled with
action. You saw a lot about Sam's life
but not a lot about Grace's. This made
sense considering Grace is just an average school girl and her life wouldn't be
extremely interesting.
My only real criticism of this book was that the romance
at times could be a little dragged out and cheesy. But usually it never got old and with lots of
action this book will appeal to everyone.
The plot would have been a little better if Grace had been pregnant or
had another love, like in Twilight. It
didn't have to copy Twilight but ideas like these could have made it even
better. Still, Shiver was a masterpiece.
Shiver is appropriate for all ages but may be a little
hard for younger readers. I definitely
recommend it for people ages 10 and up.
If you like romance, action and adventure you will love this book. There is something for everyone.
Maggie Stiefvater's debut was excellent. Linger, the second book in the series, comes
out in 2010.
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The Montclair Public Library Foundation is excited to present The Little Read,
a three-day children's read-aloud marathon that will bring together
Montclair neighbors, writers, local heroes and celebrities in a
town-wide celebration of literacy and community. The event will take
place on October 2, 3, and 4, 2009 in the Main Library at 50 South
Fullerton Avenue, the Bellevue Avenue Branch, the Montclair Art Museum
and Montclair State University, as well as numerous locations
throughout town. Entirely free to the public, The Little Read
is generously supported by its lead sponsors, which to date include
John and Rose Cali, the Vance Wall Foundation, and Josh and Judy Weston.
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