We are not going to admit that summer is over, even though we know school is starting soon. Here at Powell's City of Books, the picture-book area is still packed full of children and grown-ups reading; Jill is about to embark on a two-week vacation to Germany; the summer Olympics has motivated Sarah to take up swimming; and Batman is still showing in the theaters. So absolutely, no, summer is not over yet.

FIRST-DAY BUTTERFLIES
We know that no one wants to hear it, and we're the last to want to write it, but... school starts again for most kids this month. Back to the grindstone! And what better way to welcome a new year than with the adorable new picture book by Serge Bloch, Butterflies in My Stomach and Other School Hazards, which uses idiomatic expressions to portray the anxiety of the first day of school. Julie Danneberg's The First Day Jitters, complete with whimsical illustrations of the family dog and cat, proves kids aren't the only ones nervous about the first day. But not everybody is nervous — in Off to First Grade by Louise Borden, all 23 students, the teacher, and the principal share their mixed feelings of excitement, anticipation, anxiety, and pride. For older students, former star of The Wonder Years Danica McKellar is revolutionizing how young girls feel about being smart with her new books, Kiss My Math and Math Doesn't Suck. She's a role model with a great message, and her books are must-haves for middle-school girls, because "being cute and dumb isn't as good as being cute and smart."

STEP INTO READING: BUY 2 GET 1 FREE
Step into Reading is a series of books set at five carefully developed skill levels. They offer a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction, with topics of interest and colorful illustrations to make learning to read fun and exciting! Each step provides new challenges for young readers to master, without being too difficult. The program is designed to give every child a successful reading experience — the grade levels are only guidelines; children can progress through the steps at their own speed, developing confidence and pride as they go. For a limited time, buy two of our featured titles (new, not used, copies only) in the series and get a third free!

KIDS' Q&A: MICHAEL WRIGHT
Jake Starts School, Michael Wright's follow-up to Jake Stays Awake, is a laugh-out-loud look at one family's dilemma of dealing with first-school-day separation. In this Kids' Q&A, Wright shares the harrowing story of "The Night of 1,000 Bats," his favorite experience with a reader, and more! Save 30% on Jake Starts School for your little back-to-schooler, for a limited time.

BOOK BUZZ: BRISINGR
Brisingr, the latest breathtaking book in Christopher Paolini's epic Inheritance Cycle, is coming! Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still, there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep. Brisingr flies into stores on September 20, 2008. Preorder your copy now at 30% off the cover price! And troll our site for an exclusive clue for the Vroengard Academy game.

KIDS' Q&A: JUDY SIERRA AND MARC BROWN
The award-winning collaborators of the #1 New York Times picture-book bestseller Wild about Books are back with Born to Read, a new story that promotes books and reading. In this Kids' Q&A, author Judy Sierra and illustrator Marc Brown share what they wanted to be when they grew up (find out how close they got!), why they make books for children, and more! Buy your copy of Born to Read, another perfect tome for the back-to-school crowd, and save 30% for a limited time.

BOOK BUZZ: WAVE
Each time we read Wave, we find new things to love about it. In this wordless book, internationally acclaimed artist Suzy Lee tells the story of a little girl's day at the beach. Stunning in their simplicity, Lee's illustrations, rendered in just two shades of watercolor, create a vibrant story full of joy and laughter. Wave is perfect for celebrating the waning days of summer.

PUFFIN CLASSICS: BUY 3 FOR THE PRICE OF 2
Reissued with beautiful new jacket art, Puffin Books has made these classics virtually irresistible. Now is the perfect time to stock up for back-to-school. From A Little Princess to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, from King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table to Black Beauty, there's something for everyone. Buy three of these great reads for the price of two (new, not used, copies only) while supplies last.

BOOK BUZZ: THE TIME PARADOX SIGNED
Artemis Fowl, teenage criminal mastermind, has solved temporal equations that no normal human should be able to understand. So, when a confused and frightened demon pops up in a Sicilian theater, Artemis is there to meet him. Unfortunately, Artemis is not the only one, in this sixth exciting installment of Eoin Colfer's bestselling series, The Time Paradox. Get one of our last remaining signed copies of The Time Paradox before they vanish!

ORIGINAL ESSAY: CLAIRE DEAN
We recently read a novel that we just can't get out of our heads! In Girlwood, an extraordinary fantasy debut for young adults, a girl struggles with her sister's disappearance and flees to nature and the safety and power of a hidden grove she calls Girlwood. Check out Dean's compelling essay, written exclusively for Powells.com, about the time she ran away from home and how she found solace in nature. And, in her Kids' Q&A, Dean shares her childhood dream to fly, why she will never write for adults again, and more!

KABLAM! SUPERHERO MADNESS
Technically a superhero is a figure, usually in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers. We can't deny their existence — especially after super-swimmer Michael Phelps grabbed his record-breaking eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics this month — and it's obvious our nation has become obsessed with them. Recent movie adaptations of The Incredible Hulk and Batman, and these new book titles, are proof. Two pop-ups from the Marvel True Believers Retro Collection, Amazing Spider-Man Pop-Up and The All-New, All-Different X-Men, are filled with retro Marvel Comic art that really goes POW! Young adult novel Hero by Perry Moore features a high school student with superpowers who has to hide all his secrets from his father. Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith and Runaways: Dead End Kids by Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) introduce a new breed of superhero characters for a new generation.

AFTER THE BALL
This month's Kids' Team guest columnist is Frances, who emceed our Bella's Ball event. She has a few things to say about the fourth book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn. In fact, she has a lot of things to say. Click over to our blog to read her comments and join in the conversation.

KIDS' BESTSELLERS

1. Breaking Dawn: Twilight Saga #4 by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) 2. Twilight: Twilight Saga #1 by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) 3. New Moon: Twilight Saga #2 by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) 4. Eclipse: Twilight Saga #3 by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) 5. The Time Paradox: Artemis Fowl #6 by Eoin Colfer (Science Fiction and Fantasy) 6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Young Adult) 7. A Serendipity Collection by Stephen Cosgrove (Beginning Readers) 8. The Battle of the Labyrinth: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4 by Rick Riordan (Science Fiction and Fantasy) 9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (Science Fiction and Fantasy) 10. Summerland by Michael Chabon (Middle Readers)