Cool Stuff . . . Fiction Books for the Younger Crowd and Me

When I was in fourth grade, Mom introduced me to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. From that introduction on, I was hooked on books, especially fiction books. Over time, especially since I spent so much time with fourth graders later on in my career, children and young adult literature became my fave.

A Brief List of Cool Reads and Authors I Have In My Home Library

David Weisner is a storytelling rock star. He is so good that he doesn't even need to use words. Not surprisingly, his newest book scored a Caldecott medal last year (last year being 2007, people).

The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix (what a cool name). And the nice part is this guy is still writing. Of course, each time I finish one of his books I get impatient that the next one isn't ready right then for me to read.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, and Gathering Blue

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, by Nancy Farmer

Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson (and I did like the movie)

Kate and Sara Klise are sisters and are incredible, telling most of the story through mediums different than just straight narrative or dialogue.

Children's books by Eva Ibbotson

Books by Tamora Pierce

Karen Hesse who wrote Out of the Dust, I really like The Music of Dolphins

Pretty much anything by Daniel Pinkwater

Philip Pullman (yes, the "His Dark Materials" trilogy is great, I have no idea about the movie)

Homeless Bird, by Gloria Whelan (a fairly short book for the time crunched reader)

The newest fiction series that I have been totally hooked into is written by Stephanie Meyer. Now, there is always a part of me that automatically does what others aren't. So, I had heard that the Twilight Series was great from everyone that had read it. I finally gave in when one of my close friends had it in her home. I loved it, well, at least the first one. I read it once completely, then I read it again (just the dialogue) trying to really figure out how the author has hypnotized her readers into being so sucked into the story that some geek would read the book more than once. I have my ideas, but I wouldn't want to predispose you to my way of thinking. Find out for yourself.