KIDS' Q&A: LOUIS SACHAR
Louis Sachar's Holes has become a modern classic (go ahead — try to find a kid who hasn't read it), and now he brings back several of the characters for Small Steps. In this Kids' Q&A, Sachar discusses his favorite story as a child, what he does for relaxation, which story he would live in, and how he finds great books. And for a limited time, save 30% off the cover price of Small Steps.

SIGNED FIRST EDITIONS: SMALL STEPS
In his first major novel since Holes, Louis Sachar explores issues of race, the nature of celebrity, the invisible connections that determine a person's life, and what it takes to stay on course. In addition, Small Steps features the return of Armpit and X-Ray, two beloved characters from Holes. School Library Journal raves, "Sachar is a master storyteller who creates memorable characters," while the Los Angeles Times gushes that Small Steps features "Sachar's trademark humor, way with insightful relationships and deft hand with outrageous plots." Get your signed first editions before they disappear.

KIDS' Q&A: MEG CABOT
Meg Cabot is peppy and opinionated — like many of her heroines — but she's also as amiable as the girl next door. Read our Kids' Q&A with the author of The Princess Diaries to learn why she quotes Lisa Simpson, how she mortified Kevin Bacon's daughter, and much, much more. Then buy Meg's latest book, Avalon High, at 30% off.

VOCABULARY INTERMISSION
crush n. a short-lived infatuation; a temporary fit of amorousness.
          v. to pound, smash, or otherwise oppress so as to injure or destroy.

KIDS' Q&A: ELIN KELSEY
Scientist and author Elin Kelsey is fascinated with the natural world, and she knows that kids are, too. In her new book Strange New Species she introduces us to some of the astonishing creatures scientists have discovered recently. She also invites you — yes, you! — to enter the "Name a New Species Contest," in which one lucky, creative kid will be able to... well, name a new species! Here, in our Kids' Q&A, she tells us a little more about herself, her daily life, and her inspirations. Pick up a copy of Strange New Species at 30% off and get in on the action!

STAFF PICKS: KIDS' TEAM
The Kids' Team has cooties, but don't let that deter you from our recent Staff Picks. When we’re not passing around the wet wipes, we're reading to each other from these fabulous titles. From mysteries and fairy tales to math and biographies, these are some the best books we've read lately.

CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS
It's that time of year again: time for the best of the best to take their bows. To name just a few, the Newbery and Caldecott Awards and the National Book Award for Young People's Literature were recently announced. Peruse the winners here.

100TH DAY OF SCHOOL
Counting is fun, not work. It is in fact the opposite of work: it's a celebration! So say today's elementary school teachers, who have turned the 100th day of school into a party (that involves a lot of counting). There are lots of books that tell happy stories of the 100th day of school, and give many wonderful suggestions of things to count. Browse our selection of them here.

VOCABULARY INTERMISSION
relish v. to take immense or enthusiastic pleasure in; to savor.
          n. a condiment usually consisting of minced pickles.

NEW ARRIVALS
Sigh. You know what it's like: day in, day out, same old books, same old dreary life. Then, something glorious happens! There's a new book on your shelf, and it's sooooo cute! And smart! And funny! Suddenly, you remember what it means to be alive again! The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and even that smelly guy who always sits next to you on the bus seems a little less smelly. Ah, yes. New books. Like The Outlaw Varjak Paw, by S. F. Said. Varjak Paw, skilled in an ancient martial art for cats, fights a new enemy and her rival faction of cats. And an Asian-American girl negotiates the year in which she is traditionally expected to "find herself" in Year of the Dog by Grace Lin. Are picture books more your style? Try Duck and Goose by Tad Hills. In this gentle, funny story, both Duck and Goose mistake a ball for an egg, first fighting over it, then jointly dreaming of raising it together. Fall in love with new books here.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
These books, which all celebrate African-American history, share beautiful pictures and lyrical writing. Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson (author of Miracle's Boys and many others) tells the story of several generations of the author's ancestors in lively, simple verse, from her great-grandma Soonie's great-grandma to her own daughter Toshi Georgiana. The layered, collage-like illustrations by Hudson Talbott are vibrant and captivating. Poet Nikki Giovanni ventures into prose with the story of Rosa Parks in Rosa, a 2006 Caldecott Honoree. Giovanni imbues this work with copious details, such as what Rosa was going to make for dinner, and who she was sitting next to the day she sparked a revolution by saying no to a bus driver. Bryan Collier's full page, richly colored illustrations include a two-page fold-out picture of non-violent walking protesters. Langston's Train Ride, by Robert Burleigh, focuses on how Langston Hughes was inspired on a train trip to write his first famous poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Told from Hughes's perspective, the language flows and jumps. Leonard Jenkins's bright, impressionist illustrations magically conjure the images described in words.

KIDS' BESTSELLERS

1. The Giver by Lois Lowry (Newbery Award Winners) 2. Wringer by Jerry Spinelli (Newbery Award Winners) 3. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown (Beginning Readers) 4. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr (Middle Readers) 5. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis (Newbery Award Winners) 6. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (Middle Readers) 7. Planets by Ellen Hasbrouck (Science) 8. Missing! by Brad Strickland (Adventure Stories) 9. Marooned! by Brad Strickland (Adventure Stories) 10. Mission to Mars by Franklyn Mansfield Branley (Science)