The Jungle Grapevine
by Alex Beard
Suggested for ages 4 to 8
$16.95

Artist Alex Beard talks about his new picture book, The Jungle Grapevine. In the book, Beard brings to life an African savanna filled with humor and misunderstandings.

When Bird mixes up something Turtle says, he accidentally starts a rumor about the watering hole drying up. One misunderstanding leads to another, with animals making their own hilarious assumptions. No one is hearing anything right, and soon the animals are in an uproar from one end of the jungle to the other. Elephant is trumpeting, Croc is snapping, and the Flamingos are fleeing! Beard’s story will have every child wondering if peace can ever be restored in the animal kingdom.

Named one of the Best Books for Children 2009 by the Association of Booksellers for Children, The Jungle Grapevine is available now. $16.95. Suggested for ages 4 to 8.

Author & illustrator Nick Bruel will be at Spellbound on Saturday, November 7 at 5pm to read and sign books! You probably know his nationally bestselling picture books Boing! and Bad Kitty.

His new book is Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty, a heavily illustrated early chapter book. Nick will be in the Tarheel state to accept the 2009 North Carolina Picture Book of the Year award for Who Is Melvin Bubble? We’re thrilled to be hosting Nick for the second time at Spellbound. If the company he keeps tells you anything, in October Nick appeared with 5 real luminaries of the children’s book world at a group signing in New York’s largest bookstore for kids: LANE SMITH, MARK TEAGUE, ROBIE HARRIS, MAC BARNETT, and the Children’s Book Laureate himself JON SCIESZKA.
 
Best to have the kids in the door by 5:15 at the latest for a reading, though Nick will be here to talk with readers and sign books until 7:oopm.

 It’s Bad Kitty’s birthday, and you’re invited! Bad Kitty’s second illustrated novel is packed with deadpan humor, rich tidbits of cat information — and even some suspense! Who took Kitty’s presents? Why are Kitty’s friends so bizzare? Readers will laugh out loud at Kitty’s feline mood swings, and they’ll be touched by the heartwarming visit from a surprise guest. Follow-up to Bad Kitty Gets a Bath, now available in paperback.

Who is this kid with the funny name? Well, that depends on who you ask. Everybody who knows Melvin—his mom, his dad, his best friend Jimmy, his dog—even Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the big ugly monster with three eyes who lives in his closet have a different opinion.  This original and riotous picture book has a lot to say—not only about Melvin, but also about perspective, point of view, and a six-and-a-half-year-old’s place in the world.

Kate Thompson is the author of one of my favorite YA novels of the last few years, The New Policeman. Now she’s brought her substantial gift for atmospheric and almost lyrical storytelling to a middle grade novel featuring a rascally but loveable street urchin, a legendary highwayman, and the outlaw’s equally legendary horse Black Bess. As the young narrator’s story unfolds we are irresistibly caught up in his tale of how he came to be in possession of this fine mare and his ensuing adventure… but is he telling the truth? By the end of the story, most readers won’t care–they’ll just want to go back and read it again!

The publisher recommendation for this book is for ages 10 and up, but many kids 8 and up will be able to read it on their own, and it would make a great read-aloud for those not quite ready to tackle it alone. The ample illustrations help to plunge the reader into the world of our young unnamed narrator and are well worth poring over by themselves. Duddle’s style is jaunty and whimsical but still rich with detail, showing a wonderful depth of expression on the faces of Thompson’s characters. Coming in at well under 200 pages, this gem is a reminder that good things still come in small packages.

By Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Charles Vess
appropriate for all ages

A much-loved baby grows into a young woman: brave, adventurous, and lucky. Exploring, traveling, bathed in sunshine, surrounded by the wonders of the world. What every new parent or parent-to-be dreams of for her child, what every girl dreams of for herself.

Nationally bestselling author Neil Gaiman (Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Stardust)wrote Blueberry Girl for a friend who was about to become the mother of a little girl. Here, he and beloved illustrator Charles Vess turn this deeply personal wish for a new daughter into a book that celebrates the glory of growing up: a perfect gift for girls embarking on all the journeys of life, for their parents, and for everyone who loves them. $17.99

Click on the book cover to watch an animated trailer for Blueberry Girl, read by Neil Gaiman:

Have you ever noticed the great book posters displayed around our shop, advertising new books?  At Spellbound’s Really Big Book Poster Sale, all month long in February, we’ll be selling promotional posters featuring art from books that have been released over the last five years. Posters are collectible items and can provide a unique artistic display in your home or classroom. Many are suitable for framing. They make excellent gifts!  Prices are very affordable with most only $5 or less. We have multiples of some posters, but mostly we have only one of each. Shop early for the best selection!

 A small sampling: Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene (re-issue); The End by Lemony Snicket (illus by Brett Helquist); Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes; If You Give a Pig a Party (illus by Felicia Bond); Seymour Simon’s Smithsonian Series; Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf (illus by J. Otto Seibold); Frankenstein Takes the Cake by Adam Rex; Play, Mozart, Play by Peter Sis