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In this issue...
Summer Fun Days
Tree of Knowledge Summer Reading Program
Storybooks
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Picks
Lit Fic Picks
Novels of History & Myth
Thrillers & Mysteries
Book Club Pick
Quick Links
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August
at a Glance:
8/03 - Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars (Summer Fun Days)
8/04
- Open Mic Night
8/10
- Nature Story Time (Summer Fun Days)
8/10
- Nature Art Box (Summer Fun Days)
8/12
- Phoenix Writing Group
8/21
- Camp Out! (Summer Fun Days)
8/24
- Totally Irresponsible Science (Summer Fun Days)
8/26
- Phoenix Writing Group
8/28
- Tree of Knowledge Party (Summer Fun Days
)
 
EVENT TO GO
Check out these hand- picked suggestions for our Tree of Knowledge Program!   We'll discount in-store purchases of these titles at 20% off!

All the Lovely Bad Ones


The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular


Butterflies


Catwings


Confessions of a Closet Catholic


Trees


Horrid Henry


The Red Pyramid


Mercy Watson


The Night Fairy


Omnivore's Dilemma: Young Readers' Edition


Sisters Grimm #8


Toby Alone


The Willoughbys
New Cafe Offerings!
Bean Salad
We're now carrying seasonal salads (like the delicious bean salad pictured above), personal-sized pizzas, and several new sweets and treats.  These goodies are brought to us by our very own bookseller Colleen's new Yummies Bakery.  Enjoy!
KEEP CALM AND HAVE A CUPCAKE
Cupcake Journal
Have your cupcake and eat it too! These fun pink "Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake" journals (as well as desk notes and gift bags) are a lighthearted take on the British ''Keep Calm and Carry On'' slogan that was meant to provide a sense of calm during WWII.
Can't Make an Event?
John Hancock
You can still purchase an autographed book!  Please call us at 872-7111 to make arrangements.
 
Make the Connection
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Follow Phoenix on Twitter, and get all the latest updates and events info. "Like" our Facebook page, and you can also write on our wall, start a discussion, or tell us about the book you'd like to recommend. We'd love to hear from you!


Time To Declare

Ready to declare your support for your local, independent bookstore?  Ask us about the Phoenix Fan Club next time you're at the register!


Thank you for choosing local and indie!
Amber deLaurentis
Store Hours:
M-F:  9am-8pm
Sat:  10am-8pm
Sun:  11am-6pm

at the Essex
Shoppes & Cinema
21 Essex Way #407
Essex, VT 05452
802.872.7111
 
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August 2010
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

SUMMER FUN DAYSSun
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.

TREE OF KNOWLEDGEAmber deLaurentis
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, 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
,
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)


9780802788191Even 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)




  GRAPHIC NOVELS
For Middle Grade Readers


ZebrafishZebrafish, 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)




SpaceheadzSpaceheadz, 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 GirlTales 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 UnpopularThe 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)

  MIDDLE GRADE PICKS
Raising Passionate Readers

Talent ShowThe 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 BlankJack 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!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)


  FICTION
Great Summer Reads

A Dog's PurposeA 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 AreThe 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 PlaceThis 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 and Other LiarsMothers & 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)



  HISTORY & MYTH
Fiction that will Take You to Another World

Discord's AppleDiscord'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)



PoisonPoison, 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)




  THRILLERS AND MYSTERIES
Great Summer Reads

Still MissingStill 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)



CrashersCrashers, 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)




Drowning RiverThe 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)


 BOOK CLUB PICK OF THE MONTH
The Bird Catcher, by Laura Jacobs

The Bird CatcherMargret 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.

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.
LAST MONTH AT PHOENIX...

Howard Norman at Phoenix Books
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.