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Dear Friends,
In this month's edition of the Phoenix Review, we're celebrating our young fans with a slew of books for children and middle readers - plus a half-dozen exciting summer programs just for kids and families.
Of course, we know you need some time to kick back too, so we've also included a healthy selection of literary, historical, magical, and thrilling fiction for adults. Just scroll down or click on a link at left to find what we hope will be your next great read!
Sincerely,
Mike,
Renee, Beth, Colleen, Deb, Heather, Katie, Kristen, Nora, Rachel M.,
Rachel O., and Tod
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SUMMER FUN DAYS Summer
fun begins with a great book!
Phoenix Books and Cafe is inviting its
young customers to take part in fun activities each week this August.
These Summer Fun Days will draw from an adventurous, hand-picked
selection of kids' activity books that will inspire young minds and
create lasting memories:
Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars (Tuesday, August 3rd at 11 am) Create and inspire wonderment in nature with easy-to-do activities. Suggested ages: K through Grade 3
Nature Story Time (Tuesday, August 10th at 10 am) Listen to and enjoy a nature-inspired stories
with your little ones. Suggested ages: Pre-school to 1st Grade
Nature's Art Box (Tuesday, August 10th at 2 pm) Kids can explore their natural world through crafts created from Mother Earth's bounty. Suggested ages: Grades 2 and up
Camp Out! (Saturday, August 21st at 11 am) Get crafty out there! Camping activities from a kid's eye view is the theme of the day! Suggested ages: Grades 2 and up
Totally Irresponsible Science (Tuesday, August 24th at 6 pm) Help
your kiddos discover their inner mad scientist and make learning
totally (and mostly responsible) fun! Suggested ages: Grade 3 and up
Tree of Knowledge Party! (Saturday, August 28th at 1 pm) For participants of the Phoenix Books Summer Reading Program. You
haven't signed up yet? Don't worry-there's still time! Sign up to help
Phoenix's Tree of Knowledge grow AND celebrate at the party! For
more information, please visit http://phoenixbooks.biz or
call 802-872-7111.
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TREE OF KNOWLEDGE
Summer Reading Program It's not too late for our young customers to sign up for our Tree of
Knowledge
Summer
Reading Program - and join us at the August 28th Celebration Party at 1:00 pm!
Over
the summer, were inviting and encouraging participants to visit
Phoenix. While visiting, they're given
a "leaf"
on which they document their latest read. Leaves are attached to
our in-store Tree of Knowledge.
Readers are helping the Tree grow all summer long by reading books
and gaining new
knowledge.
Our reading program
is designed
to be laid back, fun, and free of competition.
It will run through the end of this month.
Suggested age range is (entering)
K-8.
To celebrate this program, we're discounting a hand-picked
selection of books at 20% off!through SATURDAY, AUGUST 28th at 1:00 PM |
STORYBOOKS Raising Passionate Readers
Making the Moose Out of Life,
by Nicholas Oldland This comic-adventure story of a
mild-mannered moose who learns how to take life by the antlers is Beth's Staff Pick. This
moose may live in the wild, but he doesn't act it -- he watches from the
sidelines as his friends have fun. Every now and then, he wonders if
he's missing out on anything. When the moose finally takes a chance
and goes on a solo sailing trip, a raging storm carries him far from
everything he knows.
(Hardcover)
Heads,
by Matthew Van Fleet From Matt Van Fleet comes a
companion to the million plus copy bestseller, Tails, that will dazzle
and delight! Wooly, bump and hairy - never has such a collection
of animal heads been so much fun! Publishers Weekly calls this book "a buoyant celebration of the animal kingdom's diversity."
(Hardcover)
Even Monsters Need Haircuts,
by Matthew McElligott Just before midnight, on the night of a full moon, a
young barber stays out past his bedtime to go to work. Although his
customers are mostly regulars, they are anything but normal--after all,
even monsters need haircuts. Business is steady all night, and this
barber is prepared for anything with his scissors, rotting tonic, horn
polish, and stink wax. It's a tough job, but someone's got to help these
creatures maintain their ghoulish good looks.
(Hardcover)
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GRAPHIC NOVELS For Middle Grade Readers
Zebrafish, by Sharon Emerson A group of kids with no musical
talent whatsover come together to form a rock band and end up changing
the world! "Clear and sharply inked, the color art makes a fine contrast between
light and dark scenes and creates balance and tone throughout. This book
will speak to children about fighting for a cure/treatment for cancer
and shows the value of involvement...", says School Library Journal.
(Hardcover)
Spaceheadz, by Jon Scieszka Michael K. just started fifth grade at a new school.
As if that wasn't hard enough, the kids he seems to have made friends
with apparently aren't kids at all. They are aliens. Real aliens who
have invaded our planet in the form of school children and a hamster.
They have a mission to complete: to convince 3,400,001 kids to BE SPHDZ.
But with a hamster as their leader, "kids" who talk like walking
advertisements, and Michael K as their first convert, will the SPHDZ be
able to keep their cover and pull off their assignment? (Hardcover)
Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl (Dork Diaries #1), by Rachel Renee Russell Settled in at her new school and flanked by awesome friends, life is looking up for Nikki, especially when her crush,
Brandon, asks her to be his lab partner. But she overhears mean girl Mackenzie bragging
that Brandon's taking her to the Halloween dance, and Nikki signs
on to spend Halloween at a kids' party with her little sis
instead. Only then does she find out Mackenzie was lying and her dream of going
to the party with Brandon could be a reality... (Hardcover)
The Tweenage Guide to Not Being
Unpopular
(Amelia Rules!
#5), by Jimmy Gownley Amelia and company are about to embark on their most daunting
mission yet: navigating the promises and pitfalls of popularity. Rising and falling through the
ranks of nerd, geek - and cheerleader? Amelia and her friends encounter
riotous mobs, unfortunate makeovers, and bad catch phrases. Even after
things go from bad to worse, Amelia learns there are some things that
are just a little bit more important than being popular. (Paperback)
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MIDDLE GRADE PICKS Raising Passionate Readers
The Talent Show, by Dan Gutman
A
rock and roller. A ballerina. A comedian. A rapper. A singer.
Which one will win the Cape Bluff Elementary School talent show? Or
maybe it will be the kid you least expect. Dan Gutman is the author of many fantastic books for young readers. He has written about soccer, baseball, basketball, bowling, and
aliens. He has
received fifteen state book awards and thirty-seven state book-award
nominations. (Hardcover)
Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation,
by Matt Myklusch Jack Blank doesn't know who he is or where he comes from. He doesn't even know his real last name. All Jack knows is his bleak, dreary life at the orphanage. All that changes one morning when Jack receives two visitors: a deadly robot and an emissary from a secret country called Imagine Nation. Jack soon learns he has an amazing ability - one that could save the Imagine Nation or be the biggest threat it's ever faced. (Hardcover)
School!,
by Kate McMullan Welcome
to the Harvey N. Trouble Elementary School, where you will
experience a week in the life of an exceptional group of characters. This
heavily illustrated,
full-color young chapter book is a must-have, back-to-school title that
chronicles the very simple story of Ron Faster--as he learns some
important lessons about life--during his adventures in a most unusual
school.
(Hardcover)
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FICTION Great Summer Reads
A Dog's Purpose,
by W. Bruce Cameron This is the remarkable story of one endearing dog's search for his
purpose over the course of several lives. Surprised
to find himself reborn as a golden-haired puppy after a short life as a stray, Bailey's search for his new
life's meaning leads him into the loving arms of 8-year-old Ethan.
During their countless adventures Bailey joyously discovers how to be a
good dog. But this life as a beloved family pet is not the end of
Bailey's journey. Reborn as a puppy yet again, Bailey wonders--will he
ever find his purpose? (Hardcover)
The News Where You Are,
by Catherine O'Flynn Frank Allcroft, a television news anchor in his hometown, is on the verge of a mid-life crisis. Beneath his
famously corny on-screen persona, Frank is haunted by the
mysterious hit-and-run that killed his friend Phil, and
the ongoing demolition of his architect father's buildings. As
Frank uncovers the truth behind Phil's death and comes to
terms with his father's legacy, it is his young
daughter who points him toward the future. (Paperback)
This Must Be the Place,
by Kate Racculia The Darby-Jones boardinghouse is home to Mona
Jones and her daughter, Oneida, two loners and self-declared outcasts
who have formed a perfectly insular family unit: the two of them and the
three eclectic boarders living in their house. But their small, quiet
life is upended when Arthur Rook shows up in the middle of a nervous
breakdown, devastated by the death of his wife, carrying a pink shoe box
containing all his wife's keepsakes, and holding a
postcard from sixteen years ago, addressed to Mona but never sent.
(Hardcover)
Mothers & Other Liars,
by Amy Bourret Ten years ago, Ruby was a drifting nineteen-year-old who made a
split-second decision at an Oklahoma rest stop. Now,
Ruby and her daughter Lark live in New Mexico. Ruby has built a family for them with a wonderful
community of friends and her boyfriend of three years. Life is good.
Until the day Ruby reads a magazine article about parents searching for
an infant kidnapped by car-jackers. Then Ruby faces a choice that will change both their lives
forever.
(Paperback, Avail 8/03)
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HISTORY & MYTH Fiction that will Take You to Another World
Discord's Apple,
by Carrie Vaughn When Evie goes home to spend time with her dying father, she
discovers a secret storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from
myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again. The magic of
the storeroom protects it, but there are those who will give anything to
find a way in. "Vaughn brings together mythology ...and very human lives,
immersing readers in the stories...complex characters tell
themselves to make sense of their war-torn worlds," says Publishers Weekly. (Hardcover)
Poison,
by Sara Poole In the simmering hot summer of
1492, a monstrous evil is stirring in Rome. The brutal murder of an alchemist sets
off a desperate race to uncover the plot that threatens to extinguish
the light of the Renaissance and plunge Europe back into medieval
darkness. Determined to avenge the killing of
her father,
Francesca Giordano defies all convention to claim for herself the
position of poisoner serving Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, head of the most
notorious and dangerous family in Italy.
(Paperback, Avail. 8/3)
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THRILLERS AND MYSTERIES Great Summer Reads
Still Missing,
by Chevy Stevens On the day she was abducted, Annie
O'Sullivan, a thirty-two year old
realtor, had three goals--sell a house, forget about a recent argument
with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her
boyfriend. Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the
captive of psychopath in a mountain cabin, which unfolds through
sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events
following her escape--her struggle to piece her shattered life back
together and the ongoing police investigation. (Hardcover)
Crashers,
by Dana Haynes When a passenger plane, a Vermeer One Eleven, slams into the ground
outside Portland, Oregon, a team is quickly assembled to investigate the
cause. Usually a team has months to determine the cause of a
crash. But this time it's different. This time, the plane was brought
down deliberately, without leaving a trace, and this was only a trial
run. In LA, Daria Gibron spots a group of suspicious-looking men.
Daria risks her life to try to get close enough to thwart the coming terrorist action. (Hardcover)
The Drowning River,
by Christobel Kent One wet November in Florence, the grieving widow of an eminent Jewish
architect comes to visit Sandro Cellini, good husband, disgraced
ex-policeman, and recently turned PI, to ask him to investigate her
husband's suicide. Cellini takes her on out of sympathy, and initially imagines that his only duty is to
support the widow through her time of mourning. But as Cellini doggedly retraces the architect's last hours his search turns
abruptly into something grimmer and more urgent. (Hardcover)
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BOOK CLUB PICK
OF THE MONTH The Bird Catcher,
by Laura Jacobs
Margret
Snow dresses the
windows of Saks Fifth Avenue by day and mingles in the downtown art
world by night. She lives
on the Upper West Side with her husband Charles, a
professor at Columbia. Carefully camouflaged within their hectic
Manhattan lives, they share a passion for bird watching. When
Margret's life is violently shaken by tragedy, she discovers a
means to transform her obsession with birds -- and her own unlocked
imagination -- into an ambitious, healing work of art. (Paperback)
Did you know? Book clubs are eligible for a
15% discount on books ordered from Phoenix! At least five copies must
be ordered, and all copies must be purchased through your book club's
coordinator, for discount to apply.
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Missed Howard Norman but Still Want a Book?
| We have a limited supply of autographed books by Mr. Norman, as well by these authors: Howard Frank Mosher Philip Ackerman-Leist Christina Asquith Joseph Citro Michael Hastings Arnie Kozak Madeleine Kunin David Carkeet Steve Delaney Archer Mayor and more!
Stop by or call 872-7111 to reserve yours.
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LAST MONTH AT PHOENIX...
Renee Reiner (owner, Phoenix Books), Howard Norman, and Michael DeSanto (owner, Phoenix Books)
On Saturday, July 10th, Howard Norman visited Phoenix Books to speak about his new book, What is Left
the Daughter. A rapt audience
listened to Norman read
in Phoenix's intimate cafe, and the discussion that followed lasted well
into the evening.
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