Librarian/Reviewer preview: Random House Children's Books, Summer 2008

Many thanks to Tracy Bloom Lerner and Adrienne Weintraub for throwing the best RHCB preview I think I've ever been to. There was Valentine candy (yes, I'm a little behind in blogging)! There were individual tables rather than rows of chairs! There was lots of food! And best of all...THERE WERE SWEET VALLEY HIGH TOTE BAGS! I love mine so very much.

Here's a list of some of the books previewed that I'm dying to read:

• Madapple by Christina Meldrum. I've started this one and I'm not very far in, but what I have read is wonderfully odd and captivating.


• Snakehead by Ann Halam. Despite the unfortunate title (it's the same as one of the Alex Rider books), I think this will be fascinating. Ann Halam is the author of this year's One Book New Jersey selection, Dr. Franklin's Island, which, like Snakehead, is a retelling of an older tale. It looks creepy. I can't wait.


• How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt. I've really enjoyed Reinhardt's two previous books so I'm hoping this one will be as sharp and observant as those.


• The Seance by Iain Lawrence. It involves Houdini exposing 3 fraudulent psychics, which makes me think it might be a nice readalike for my beloved A Drowned Maiden's Hair.


• Lang Lang: Playing With Flying Keys. Because classical pianists can be rock stars, too.


• The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine. An issue book, to be sure, but I like issue books.


• Playing With Matches by Brian Katcher, which is the winner of the Delacorte Press Prize for a first novel. It's a guy romance, and there are simply not enough of those in this world. The editor called it a readalike for Frank Portman's popular King Dork


• Catwalk by Deborah Gregory. It's an uplifting book about high school girls but...no sex, drugs, or rock-n-roll. Don't get me wrong, I like sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll in my YA novels, but it's nice to have fun chick lit without it, too.


• Likely Story (Book 1) by David Van Etten, about a girl who becomes a daytime soap star. Hooray, more boks about famous teens.


• A La Carte by Tanita S. Davis. Combines cooking and romance. Sounds like a recipe for a delightful book.

Say it with me...so many books, so little time!