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The Bookies Monthly Newsletter
| September 2015
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The Power of the Series
Series capture us and take us into another world, time and time again. Reading the last book in a series can be heartbreaking - until you find a new one to follow. So this month we thought we'd celebrate our favorites - and introduce you to new ones. And scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter, where you'll find our pick of the new September publications!
There's So Much Going on at The Bookies This September!
 We're delighted to announce the lineup for our first ever New Author Showcase on Saturday, September 12th, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Five Colorado authors from five genres will be joining us, ready to talk about reading, writing and life in general. Check out the books and get a jump on your holiday season shopping with signed copies! Clockwise from the left, our picture shows Fairmist, a fantasy for older teens by Todd Fahnestock, I've been Dirty and I've Been Clean And..., a children's picture book by Linda Siegel Carney, Studies, adult poetry by William Seward Bonnie, The Lost Aztiki Tribe and the Mysterious Cave of Gold, a second/third grade chapter book by Edward Loffredo, and Adzul, by David Sage, young adult historical fiction and the first in his Heirs of the Medallion series. Our five authors are shown below - can you match the author to the book? Find out if you are right on Saturday, September 12th!
  Just a few days later, on Tuesday, September 15th, we'll be hosting an amazing musical day with Broadway star Danny Tieger! Danny is currently appearing as Michael Wormwood in the nationwide tour of Matilda the Musical. He will present a musical storytime for preschoolers at 10:30 a.m., then at 3:30 p.m., he will lead a songwriting workshop for school-aged children. No bookings needed, just turn up and have fun! Find out more about Danny and his new book, I Am Your Songwriting Journal, at his
Getting Serious About Series
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| | Boxed sets - a beautiful presentation for your favorite series! Many series can be ordered as boxed sets, perfect for the holidays - just ask at the counter and we can check for you! |
For readers young and old, reading a series gives you the chance to read something familiar, and yet new. It's the chance to experience more adventures in a beloved world. It's a chance to live with characters so familiar that they seem like friends - or enemies. A good series becomes part of your life, and stays with you long after you've finished the last book. We've spoken to our book enthusiasts throughout the store to put together this special issue of the newsletter, dedicated to the series!
Series for Early Readers - Susan T.
 The back of our store is packed with series for younger children! As every parent knows, young children love repetition, and series are a wonderful way to build on learning while following an adored character or specific interest. Many of our reader series capitalize on this. For example, DK Readers include  a Star Wars series and Scholastic have Ninjago Lego stories, while Penguin Readers feature lots of well-known characters from books and TV, including Otis, Angelina Ballerina and Strawberry Shortcake. And for non-fiction fans, we've just received a new non-fiction series from Spectrum. With beautiful pictures, three reading levels and a low price of $3.99, this is a very accessible series for a child that loves to read about the world.  Moving up the age groups, the Fly Guy series by Tedd Arnold is irresistible, even for reluctant readers. With a first grade reading level and huge interest level, these books are hilarious. The latest in the series, Prince Fly Guy, came out in late August, but if you want to start at the beginning (not really necessary!), the first two in the series are Hi! Fly Guy and Super Fly Guy. There is also a wildly popular companion non-fiction series: Fly Guy Presents .  The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne is a wonderful series when your child is ready for 'real' paperbacks (usually first or second grade). With over 50 books in the series, plus almost 30 non-fiction 'Fact Trackers', there's enough entertainment to keep even the most enthusiastic reader busy. The Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo is another popular series, and fans of this might also enjoy the Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale. The second book in this series, The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party, will be out in early October. If your child is ready to move on from Magic Tree House, try the Treasure Chest series by Ann Hood, in which kids time travel to important events in history. For the same age group, the Blast to the Past series by Stacia Deutsch takes a whole classroom of kids back in time. In the latest book, Betsy Ross's Star, the kids must find out who really sewed the first American flag - and make sure that the flag actually gets created.
 Finally, for readers from two to 102, don't forget the wonderful Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems! These charming books have become must-reads for the preschool set and are beloved by older children as well. The newest one, I Really Like Slop, will be out in October.Middle Grade - Ryan and Kerry If you know a Harry Potter fan looking for a new series, check out The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann. This dystopian fantasy series features a group of kids who can turn their creative skills into powerful magic. The sixth in the series, Island of Graves, is due out in mid-September, giving you plenty of reading before the next installment! McMann plans on writing seven titles in the series.
 If you would like to get in at the ground level of a brand new fantasy series, take a look at The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz, the first in The Descendants series. The teenage children of the infamous villains Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, Jafar and The Evil Queen from Snow White have been imprisoned on an gloomy island with their parents - and now they plan to escape. But are they all as evil as their parents?  While it's not exactly a series, Pieces and Players by Blue Bailiett is a very clever mystery combining characters from previous novels, including Chasing Vermeer. Thirteen priceless pieces of art have gone missing - and it's up to Calder, Petra, Tommy, Early and Zoomy to solve the clues and find them. Looking for more great series for kids? Find more suggestions, from early reading to eighth grade here. Young Adult - Larry and Shona 
Young adult readers have a huge appetite for series - Hunger Games, Twilight, Mortal Instruments, Divergent, Maze Runner, Vampire Academy, The Knife of Never Letting Go...we could go on forever! Instead of talking about these again (but they are amazing, right?), we took a look at our YA collection and picked out five great new series.
  In A Girl Called Fearless by Catherine Linka, teenager Avie lives in a USA where all adult women have died of ovarian cancer, caused by a synthetic hormone in meat. Girls like Avie are prized, protected - and, in her case, sold by her father to a rich older man. Avie can marry him - or run. The first book has already been optioned for a movie and the second title in the series, A Girl Undone, came out this summer.
 Not exactly a new series, but did you think that James Patterson's Maximum Ride was finished? Think again! Patterson revisits these amazing characters one last time (didn't he say that before?) in Maximum Ride Forever which came out this summer. In this, the ninth in the series, Max boldly navigates a post-apocalyptic world with her broken flock, searching for answers to what happened. All will be revealed in this spectacular ride - a brand-new grand finale packed with nonstop action, twists and turns. New to the series? Start with The Angel Experiment.
  Just Ella is the first in The Palace Chronicles series by beloved YA author, Margaret Peterson Haddix. Ella is unimpressed with her future as a princess - royal genealogy lessons, needlepoint and acting like "a proper lady". Even worse, her prince is not the least bit interesting, let alone charming. But breaking off a royal engagement is tricky, especially when you like somebody else.... Palace of Mirrors is the second in the series, and the third, Palace of Lies, came out this spring.
 Allen Zadoff's Unknown Assassin series winds up this summer with the final part of the trilogy, I Am The Traitor, released in June. This series is a totally satisfying espionage read for older YAs. Boy Nobody shows up in a new high school, in a new town, under a new name, makes few friends and stays just long enough for someone to die. Boy Nobody is a spy and an assassin, but he's also wrestling with the desire to be a normal boy, fall in love - and find out his own identity. The series starts with I Am The Weapon, and the second is I Am the Mission.
 Passionate followers of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles are waiting for the final installment, with the release of Winter in mid-November. Princess Winter despises her stepmother, Levana, and knows she won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter could launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long. Start the series with Cinder.
History and Biography - Jeanne  The newest addition in this format is the Where Is? series, like Where is the Grand Canyon? Discover what a canyon is, who discovered the Grand Canyon, how it became a national park, as well as what you can do there. Other titles include, Where Is the Empire State Building?, Where is the Great Wall?, and Where is Mount Rushmore? A colored map is included with each book. Science - Missy  The Scientists in the Field series takes science out of a classroom or lab, and into the natural world. These books are consistently excellent, immersing readers in scientific issues (and careers) in different parts of the world. The latest, The Call of the Osprey, follows a team tracking ospreys and pollution in Montana. Adults - Larry and Dona  Series by Patrick Rothfuss and Brandon Sanderson fulfill the needs of every epic fantasy reader! Rothfuss is a terrific writer; Sanderson is a master of plotting, and both are superb storytellers. The two are also prolific writers! Sanderson is currently writing the third in his Stormlight Archive series - following up on The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. Rothfuss most recently published The Slow Regard of Silent Things, following The Name Of The Wind and The Wise Man's Fear in the Kingkiller Chronicles.
 Mystery fans, and we know there are many, look out for the Department Q mystery series by Jussi Adler-Olsen. Set in Denmark and translated into English, the books alternate chapters from the perpetrator's, the victim's, and the detective's points of view. The detective is Carl, brilliant, but impossible to work with. He is given his own cold-case department - where cases turn out to be not so cold. Carl's unusually offbeat assistants and the edgy crimes make the stories real page turners. The series in order: The Keeper of Lost Causes, The Absent One, A Conspiracy of Faith, The Purity of Vengeance and The Marco Effect.  This is so new, we can't even show you the cover! The next installment in Bernard Cornwell 's Saxon Tales, Warriors of the Storm, is due in January 2016. This is a historical fiction series surrounding the life and times of England's Alfred The Great. An epic saga by a master of historical fiction, followed eagerly by many readers. Watch this space for more updates.
What We Were Up To in August...
Schooling Around
Our special section of books about school can make your child more familiar with new expectations - while reading a great story. If your child is having more serious issues, check out our parenting section - there's lots of help there for both parents and kids.
Crazy About Caillou!
 We like to listen to our customers, including our pre-schoolers. And if they are crazy about Caillou, so are we! Check out Caillou books, toys and gifts in the new section in our Toddlers department.
Coming Up in October! 
 On Thursday, October 8th at 4:00 p.m., come and meet Craig Thompson, who will be signing his new graphic novel, Space Dumplins. Craig is an award-winning writer, and this is his first book for readers aged 8-12. Craig has a wonderful blog, featuring lots of illustrations and commentary on his writing process - check it out.
If any of the books mentioned in this newsletter are not on our shelves when you are looking for them, please let us know and we will be happy to order them for you.
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Storytime!
Join us each Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. for Preschool Storytime. We choose awesome picture books to share with our young readers!
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Coming Out This Month - Our September Stars!
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Piper Green and the Fairy TreeBy Ellen Potter, Qin Leng$5.99, Knopf Books for Young Readers Juvenile Fiction / Family / Siblings, Ages 7-9
This is the first in a new series - the second, Piper Green and the Fairy Tree: Too Much Good Luck, is also out now. Piper is a little girl who lives in Maine on Peek-a-Boo-Island and goes to school by lobster boat. It's a great read for second and third grade girls. Much like the Clementine series, it deals with real life situations and emotions. On our shelves now.
Review by Susan T
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WaitingBy Kevin Henkes$17.99, Greenwillow Books Juvenile Fiction / Concepts / Seasons, Ages 4-8 An owl, a puppy, a bear, a rabbit, and a pig; all toys arranged on a child's windowsill, waiting for marvelous things to happen in this irresistible picture book by the New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medalist, Kevin Henkes. Waiting is a big part of childhood: waiting in line, waiting to grow up, waiting for something special to happen, but in this book, a child sets the stage and pulls the strings. Timeless, beautiful, and deeply heartfelt. Available early September.
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By Tonke Dragt
$18.99, Scholastic
Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure
On the eve of his knighthood, sixteen-year-old Tiuri must spend the night in a chapel in silent contemplation. But, as he waits by the light of a flickering candle, he hears a desperate voice asking for help. Although it might cost him his knighthood, Tiuri responds and finds himself carrying a letter upon which the fate of the entire kingdom depends. He must trust no one. He must keep his true identity secret. Above all, he must never reveal what is in the letter... Packed with adventure, this is a pilgrimage tale of seeking and finding the qualities of manhood and the virtues of a true knight. Already internationally acclaimed, this is a book that will appeal to all (and particularly boys 12 and up). On our shelves now.
Review by Larry
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by Kim van Alkemade
$14.99, William Morrow
Fiction / Historical
In 1919, tragedy strikes four-year-old Rachel Rabinowitz's family and she is sent to a Jewish orphanage. There she is subjected to x-ray treatments by Dr. Mildred Solomon that leave her disfigured and lead to cruel harassment from the other orphans. As an adult, Rachel has the chance for revenge when the elderly and ill Dr. Solomon becomes a patient at the home where Rachel works. This psychological thriller explores the expression of good and evil, the role of power over a victim and how we know ourselves. A gritty read, with powerful and disturbing descriptions of a orphanage and the damage inflicted on the children. On our shelves now.
Review by Larry
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$27.99, St Martins Griffin
Adult Fiction / Thrillers / Legal
Ronald Balson is the author of our huge selling title Once We Were Brothers and this new title demonstrates his skill as a writer of suspenseful, fast-paced legal thrillers. The investigative team from Once We Were Brothers, Liam and Catherine, join a new CIA operative in a secret mission to rescue a kidnapped girl - and to thwart a major terrorist attack in Hebron. While the background is the rather standard 'Palestinians are bad, Russians are mobsters and Israelis and Americans are good', this book is so well concocted that ultimately nothing matters but the story. Balson's tale is so tightly drawn that after two chapters I was glued to the pages, unable to escape. If you start reading this at the beginning of a journey, you will want the car, plane or train to go on until you are finished! Available mid-September. Review by Larry
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By Marie Jalowicz Simon
$28.00, Little, Brown and Company Adult, Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs
This is the memoir of a Jewish woman who survived the Nazis while living in Berlin during World War II, and after. She tore off her yellow star and went into hiding in the city, grasping food and shelter wherever she could find it. This book recounts all she had to do to survive and is so tense, gripping and true that when I finished, my first thought was that we should all get on our knees and thank God we have not been forced to live her life. This is a special book you will never forget. Available early September.
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The Bookies, A bookstore like no other
4315 E. Mississippi Ave. | Denver, CO 80246
(303) 759-1117 | www.thebookies.com
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