Boswell Book Company for Kids

2559 North Downer Avenue at Webster Place

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211

(414) 332-1181, www.facebook.com/boswellbooks

Our Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm, Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm

and we're always open at boswellbooks.com!

Boswell Book Company Kids Newsletter           March 9, 2016, Day 2533

On Friday, March 11, 6:30 pm, Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, is appearing at Milwaukee Public Library's Centennial Hall as part of his tenth anniversary tour, and he's coming all the way from Australia for the celebration.

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist-books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

The Book Thief is one of the most beloved novels of the last decade, a #1 New York Times bestseller read by adults and kids alike. The Book Thief was named a Printz Honor Book by the American Library Association, was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and, was the winner of The National Jewish Book Award. Centennial Hall is located at 733 N. Eighth St. Surface lot parking is available on the south side of Wisconsin Ave.
You Read to Me, and I'll Read to You - New Picture Books.

What a treat it is to get a new picture book collaboration from Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek! This husband-and-wife team's newest is When Spring Comes. Boswellian Barbara Katz praises this striking and beautiful book. "Breathtaking pastel-colored acrylic illustrations explode with spring color, compared to drab winter pictures. The varied sizes of illustrations, from full page to several small ones on a page, perfectly enhance the text. Interactive questions, like 'Do you like mud? Do you like puddles?' and alliterative sentences such as 'There will be buds and bees and boats and bubbles.' make this a great book to read out loud. Listeners will smile throughout the book, and especially at the surprise ending."

Boswellian Jen Steele loves The Bear and the Piano, written and illustrated by David Litchfield. "Not only are the illustrations stunning, the message is beautiful. The Bear and the Piano is about following your dreams and remembering your roots. When a young bear cub happens upon a piano abandoned in the forest, he's not sure what to make of it or of the strange sounds that come out of it. Dismissing it, he walks away. But his curiosity soon gets the better of him and he returns to investigate. Unable to resist the pull of this mysterious contraption, Bear starts to spend most of his time playing with the piano...He soon becomes a smash hit with top selling albums and all the fame he could ever wish for. But what's all that fame without sharing it with the people you love? Bear soon decides to follow his heart once more." On-sale April 5. Why not reserve a copy?

And finally, Todd Wellman gives a thumbs up to Big Friends, written by Linda Sarah, with illustrations by Benji Davies: "What happens when your best friend meets a new friend? Things will be different - and Sarah and Davies thoughtfully portray stages of hurt, acceptance, and revival kids experience during challenges. With drawings delightful to explore, Big Friends gives the reader hope that kids are capable of all kinds of creativity - in making things, exploring ideas, and inviting others."
Give a Hand to Miranda Paul, Appearing at Boswell on Sunday, March 13, 3 pm.

Please join us at Boswell as we welcome Green Bay author of One Plastic Bag, Miranda Paul, who will premiere her latest book Whose Hands are These?: A Community Helper Guessing Book, a picture book exploring hand movement and how it relates to the careers of the people the hands belong to. Join us for a family-friendly story time with activities, treats, and prizes!
Barb's Picks for Middle Grade Readers.

It's the #1 book for kids 8 to 12 for good reason. Boswellian Barb Katz is just one of the many fans of Pax, written by Sara Pennypacker, with illustrations by Jon Klassen. She writes: "Pax takes a powerful look at the consequences of war on both people and animals. In beautiful prose, the book is told in alternating chapters between Peter, and the fox, Pax, who he raised.  Tension builds as Peter goes on a three hundred mile quest to find Pax and bring him home, while Pax strives to find Peter.  Heart-stopping adventures await Pax and Peter, as both change and mature when they meet other memorable characters. Pax provides compulsive reading and much to think about."

One of Barb's favorites from last fall is Upside-Down Magic, a three-way collaboriation from Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins. Her take: "Ten-year-old Nory's magic is wonky--she can't seem to do the easiest magic--like changing into a kitten. Instead she might change into a part kitten and part dragon! Nory ends up living away from home in a public school's special class called Upside-Down Magic.  She is with other kids who also haven't perfected their special magical skills. Will Nory become normal, and will that be a good thing?  Good characters, lots of humor and food for thought are found in the very readable Upside-Down Magic."

And finally, you know how excited we are about Kwame Alexander's Booked. Here's a review from Barb: "Like a whirling soccer ball, twelve-year-old Nick's life is spiraling out of control. Tough spins in his life include how his dad wants him to love words and books the way he does, and how his mom and dad don't get along anymore. Nick's bright lights are a girl named April, his best friend Coby, and a book loving rapper school librarian. Told in verses, soccer and books weave through Nick's days. Readers will cheer as Nick gradually starts to go along with the twists in his changing life, and comes to see the value in books and words." And don't forget that Alexander will be at Boswell on Sunday, April 17, 3 pm. Pre-order your copy here.
Much to Love in the Middle! Great Events for Kids Eight and Up.

 Thursday, March 10, 6:30 pm, at the Greenfield Public Library, 5310 W Layton Ave.: Lauren Tarshis, bestselling author of the "I Survived" series, whose newest installment is I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937. An eleven-year-old boy gives an eyewitness account of the explosion and fire that occurred while trying to land a zeppelin at the end of a trans-Atlantic flight.


Tuesday, March 22, 7 pm, at St. Monica Parish's Donovan Hall, 160 W. Silver Spring Dr.: Raymond Arroyo, author of Will Wilder: The Relic of Perilous Falls, the first epic adventure in a rollicking new series featuring Will Wilder a mischievous, headstrong twelve-year-old with an otherworldly gift - he alone can see the nefarious creatures encroaching on Perilous Falls. Arroyo is also the anchor and editor of EWTN News.

Monday, April 11, 6:30 pm, at West Allis Public Library, 7421 W. National Ave: Ally Condie, author of Summerlost. Condie, author of the acclaimed teen series Matched, offers her first novel for middle-graders, the story of a girl struggling to overcome the deaths of her father and brother, who moves with her mom to a small town in Utah, the home of a Shakespeare festival. Publishers Weekly says her newest "strikes a deep, emotional cord."

Sunday, April 17, 3 pm, at Boswell: Kwame Alexander, author of Booked. Poet, playwright, producer, public speaker, performer, and author of the Newbery-winning novel The Crossover, presents the much-anticipated follow up, in which soccer, family, love, and friendship take center stage while twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words, wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams.
Pam and Todd Offer Up Their Favorite Books for Teens.

Boswellian Pam Stilp is a fan of Sword and Verse, the new novel from Kathy MacMillan: "In the Kingdom of Qilara, writing is sacred and only the King and tutors are allowed to learn the high scrip. The Arnath, a despised ethnic minority believe the writing belongs to the masses. Raisa, kidnapped from her Arnath island home and enslaved as a child, is chosen to be the next tutor. She studies next to Prince Mati and eventually they fall into a forbidden clandestine love affair. Because of her privileged access, the Arnath resistance contacts her and she is torn between her loyalty to Mati and the chance to help her people. When the kingdom erupts in violence, both she and Mati's throne are in danger from without and within it, the action ramps up to feverish levels. This book has an interesting literary premise, a believable world with a complicated mythology, complex written symbols and lots of action." (Ages 14 and up.)

Another recommendation from Pam is The Dark Days Club, by Alison Goodman:  "If you expect a sedate Regency novel when you pick up The Dark Days Club, you may have to adjust those expectations because it is more a cross between Pride and Prejudice and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Lady Helen Wrexhall, 18 years old and about to be presented at Court, has been carefully raised by her Aunt and overbearing Uncle to be a proper young English women with high hopes of marrying well. Their job would be much easier if everyone forgets that her mother was considered mad and a traitor to the Crown by most of upper crust society. Strange happenings and her own newly awakening restless energy cause the intelligent and curious Lady Helen to investigate, all the while pretending to be solely interested in her upcoming presentation ball. What she discovers is the possibility of a shadowy world of demons, unleashed on unsuspecting London that kill by grotesquely feeding on the emotions of others."
 
And finally, Boswellian Todd Wellman recommends Brittany Cavallaro's A Study in Charlotte in advance of her event at Boswell on Wednesday, March 9, 7 pm: It is difficult to establish compelling, believable characters that follow in the footsteps of another well-known cast, but Cavallaro has succeeded with James Watson and Charlotte Holmes. Offering the right amount of hints and red herrings, Charlotte follows descendant Watson about his prep school as he meets his generation's Holmes, gets framed for murder, and fails at writing evocative poetry." Todd notes that Watson and Holmes struggle with their own demons as they try to identify the ones hunting them down"
Upcoming Events for Young Adult and Teen Novels.

 Wednesday, March 9, 7 pm, at Boswell: Brittany Cavallaro, author of A Study in Charlotte.  Todd Wellman's not the only fan of this new series. Kirkus wrote: "These sleuths may still be in school--and working out of a supply closet with smartphones--but Cavallaro's crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle's series." Cavallaro is also author of the poetry collection Girl-King, and is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. Based in Madison, she's currently a PhD candidate in English literature at UWM.

Wednesday, April 6, 6:30 pm, at the North Shore Library, 6800 N. Port Washington Rd.: Jesse Andrews, author of The Haters. From the author of the bestselling Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and screenwriter of the Sundance award-winning motion picture of the same name, comes a groundbreaking young adult novel about music, love, friendship, and freedom as three young musicians follow a quest to escape the law long enough to play the amazing show they hope (but also doubt) they have in them. And of course we should mention that the author himself is a musician.

Wednesday, May 4, 7 pm, at Boswell: Silvia Acevedo (writing as S. Acevedo), author of God Awful Thief. The launch of Acevedo's new novel, following God Awful Loser, once again chronicles the misadventures of Cupid, who, having cleaned up his act from book one, has settled into a comfortable immortality, only to face a new challenge from an assortment of fickle (and often angry) gods). Acevedo was recently featured as the first author on the Wisconsin Writes video series.

Friday, May 13, 6 pm (pre-event signing), 6:30 (talk), at the Oak Creek Library, 8060 S. Sixth St: Richelle Mead, author of The Glittering Court. A dazzling, romantic fantasy series set in a mix of Elizabethan and frontier worlds from the author of Vampire Academy, the story begins when a runaway countess escapes an arranged marriage through a business that brings brides to the most eligible bachelors of the New World of Adoria." (Kirkus) 

Wednesday, May 18, 6:30 pm, at the Frank. L. Weyenberg Library, 11345 N. Cedarburg Rd.: Jennifer Armentrout, author of The Problem with Forever, and Liza Wiemer, author of Hello?, moderated by Jaime and Erin Arkin of Fiction Fare. Contemporary stories shine in this evening of YA writers and bloggers with both Armentrout and Wiemer writing about teens attempting to overcome adversity and find their voices. 
Upcoming Ticketed Signings with Lauren Conrad and Felicia Day.

 We've got a few upcoming events which are not specifically for teens, but will definitely be of interest to some of them. The first is a signing with Lauren Conrad on Friday, April 1, 7 pm. Known for her roles in Laguna Beach and The Hills, Conrad has become one of America's best known fashion entrepreneurs. She appeared at Boswell for her young adult novels, and now she's back with Lauren Conrad Celebrate, a guide to entertaining. Tickets are $30 and include a signed copy of the book. Conrad will personalize, but alas, no posed photos or memorabilia.

On Monday, April 25, 7 pm, we'll be hosting a signing with Felicia Day for the paperback edition of You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir. Known for her work as an actor (such as her recurring role on Supernatural), Day is equally popular for her work in the web video world, having started a successful YouTube channel, Geek and Sundry, and starred in Josh Whedon's internet musical, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." The $17 ticket gets you a signed copy of the paperback, one posed photo, and yes, she will even sign one piece of memorabilia. Wow!
If you love kids books, you should mark Saturday, May 7 on your calendar for the Greendale Public Library Children's Book Festival. An assortment of picture book, middle grade, and young adult writers and illustrators will appear at the Historical Hose Tower and Grounds, with programming targeted to age levels throughout the day. And yes, Boswell will be there selling books. Historic Hose Tower is a beautifully renovated community space just across the parking lot from the library, located at 6600 Schoolway. Info to come on their calendar page. 

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As always, thank you for your patronage, apologies for the typos, 
 
Daniel Goldin with Amie, Anne, Barb, Carolie, Chris, Conrad, Eric,  Jason, Jane, Jen, Kelli, Mel, Pam, Peter, Sarah, Scott, Sharon, Teasha, Tim, and Todd