And the winners (chosen over the phone by my best friend, who was told to pick two numbers from 1 to 13) are:

Number 4: Janni (FIRE)

and

Number 11: Melissa (CATCHING FIRE)

Please email me your addresses!

Thanks for entering, everyone (and Phil, just let me know what kinds of books you’d like, wouldya? I’ll put some aside for you) and I plan on having another giveaway soon! (Possibly not for such desperately sought after books, though.)

One of my CATCHING FIRE winners never emailed me their address, so I’ve got it to give away again! I also have a spare copy of FIRE by Kristin Cashore.

I’m going to wrap this one up fast, so I’ll draw tomorrow morning. US residents only please, and please tell me in your comment if you’re only interested in one title or in either.

The main character in CASTRATION CELEBRATION is Olivia, a 17 year old who walked in on her professor father messing around with one of his students. She is on a rampage about the poor behavior of sex-crazed men, and, as she is attending a fine arts summer camp at Yale, has decided to use the time to write a musical called (you guessed it) CASTRATION CELEBRATION.

The other main character, Max, is an actor, and he’s intending to use his acting skills to snag a girl at camp. Just his luck - he is smitten with Olivia on the very first day, but she has sworn off all men. Will writing her musical get the anger out of her system, thus opening the door for Max to walk through - or close it forever?

I’m having a hard time with this one.

First of all, despite it’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL-esque cover, this isn’t for tweens. I mean, the title probably gives that away, but I feel the need to say it anyway.

Second of all - well, I don’t know who it’s for, really. Adults is my best guess, but it’s published as YA, and I just don’t know what to do with it.

It’s funny. It’s definitely funny. At times it is actually laugh out loud funny, which I rarely say about a book. Usually when I find a book funny I’m chuckling to myself, but with CC I did actually laugh out loud several times.

But this book doesn’t just contain what I would call “content.” It’s not just “older.” It is raunchy. Dirty. Seriously so. Button-pushing, sending that envelope right over the edge dirty. Then there’s the rampant pot smoking (one character seems to do nothing but smoke pot), and the binge drinking. Where is this book going to go? Not in the vast majority of school libraries, that’s for sure, and I’m betting a lot of public librarians gave it a pass, too. I didn’t order it for Pudd’nHead’s YA section, and I know Children’s Book World didn’t either, because 95% of the time we are selling books to kids with their parents present, and I don’t know any parents who are going to buy this book. (And honestly, I wouldn’t sell it to a kid alone, because I’ll bet you anything we’d get quite an earful from that parent later.)

I don’t know what to DO with books like this. Jake Wizner’s a heck of a writer, and man, he is FUNNY.  I, a 37 year old theatre geek, loved it. I’m planning on passing it on to some of my (adult) friends, who I’m sure will find it hilarious. But I absolutely cannot sell this book to kids, and I’m wondering why Random House thought I could. I’m sure kids are finding it, at big box stores or at some libraries, and I’m sure some independents bought it, but…are people out there handselling this to kids? (Please, comment and tell me if you are, and how, and to who - I really want to know.)  But is this book really going to sell well? Random House certainly must have thought so, or they wouldn’t have published it, let alone published it in hardcover - but boy, would I like to talk to someone about the thought process behind letting a book this raunchy go out as YA.

Don’t misunderstand me. There’s a lot of good stuff here. The character relationships are good, and the emotional journeys ring true. And as I said above, Wizner can really, really write, and he’s funny, and funny is not easy. Also, the content doesn’t bother me. I’m 37. I’ve read far worse than this, and heard far worse. (And incidentally would like to have a long sit-down with the online reviewers who are complaining about homosexual characters in this book, because it’s 2009, so can we please stop with the bigotry already?) The fact that this book contains oral sex (and discussion of same), full-on sex, drug use, drinking, lewd conversation with every sexual term imaginable and an absolute freight train of profanity does not bother me, the reader. As a reader, I give this a very high rating.

But as a bookseller? A children’s bookseller? How do I review a book so over the top I actually can’t sell it?

(I am actually kind of dying for sales info on this one - who’s buying, who’s selling, where it’s going, and is it a success in the intended market.)

Let’s do some simple math, shall we? Take two brothers. Subtract one father. Add a troubled past and old wounds. Multiply the oldest brother’s brains by ten, and then multiply the youngest brother’s hotness by twenty. The answer: THE DEMON’S LEXICON by Sarah Rees Brennan.

There is a deluge of supernatural fiction coming into the YA market these days, so much so that even a fantasy/sci-fi/speculative girl like myself can get a little jaded. As the advanced reader proofs start stacking up on my shelf, each promising to be “the next Twilight,” I admit I’ve become a bit wary. What I’m looking for isn’t the next anything; what I’m looking for is something different, something clever, something daring. This is why THE DEMON’S LEXICON works for me. It’s more of a family drama, where a mother driven mad keeps all the family secrets, and brothers Nick and Alan divide the meager scraps of her affection as they seek to protect her. They live in a darker reality than ours, where magicians use demons to work their magic, and these magicians have been pursuing their family since their father’s death.

Alan’s the good cop to Nick’s bad cop, and when schoolmates Jamie and Mae show up on their front porch in deep supernatural trouble, Nick wants them out the door. Alan feels an obligation to help Jamie, who has been marked by a demon (which means very nasty, bad things), though a sudden brutal attack by a group of magicians causes him to cross a dangerous line. Suddenly Nick regards his brother anew, and he doesn’t like what he sees. Has Alan been lying to him all along? Who is the woman in the picture he keeps hidden? Why does Nick’s mother hate him so much? When is it time to stop running and face your demons (literal and otherwise)?

Sarah Rees Brennan makes her debut with THE DEMON’S LEXICON, and she writes like someone with a much longer bibliography. I also appreciate that the publisher, McElderry Books, recommends the book for ages 14 and up, as there are some violent moments (demons, you know) and a few sexual references. If you’re looking for kick-butt fight scenes, seriously cool magic, a girl who’s stronger than she thinks, a family twisting under the weight of its own lies, and yes, two (delicious) brothers who might destroy the world in the process, then look no further.

Please welcome, at last, my dear friend and former coworker Sarah to the Kidliterate staff. I am thrilled to have her here. You’ll probably have read her first review before you read this, since I’m posting this first and the review will be on top. Her bio, which is also up on our staff page, is as follows:

Sarah grew up in a house filled with books, and at the age of 14 started working at the library checking books out and putting books away.  She went on to get a BA in English (but not before spending a semester at Oxford, where she bought enough books to fill a suitcase) and then started her career in—drum roll please—bookselling.  For the past seven years, she has spent her days at Children’s Book World in Haverford, PA, where she and Melissa first met.  They became fast friends over a mutual love of Aaron Sorkin, Tazo chai, Harry Potter, pop culture, and of course, children’s books, among other things.  Sarah has an uncanny ability to remember the plots of things she reads, which comes in very handy in her profession.  Unfortunately she can’t remember half the things she says, which occasionally gets her into trouble.  Though she tries to show love to all the genres, fantasy and science fiction tend to be her favorites.   She loves reading books by first time authors, because one day she hopes to become one herself.

If you’re in bookselling, or are an author, chances are you’ve met Sarah. Her enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge of kidlit are unforgettable, as is her ready laugh and beaming smile. When I recently visited CBW on a trip back East, we were able to tag-team handsell books to a few tween and teen girls, just like we used to, and it was just the re-energizing I needed. I miss her every day, and having her here makes it the teeniest tiniest bit easier. Please join me in welcoming her to Kidliterate.

Pay attention closely, because I am going to tell you the only thing that you need to know to make this book walk out of your store by the pile (or create a huge waiting list for it in your library):

It is about kids who figure out how to download superpowers on the internet.

That’s all you need to know. Seriously. I have sold a stack of these (and the first book in its companion series, VILLIAN.NET) on the basis of that one sentence. That’s all kids need to hear. You should see their eyes light up. Why didn’t someone think of this idea a long time ago?

I have to be honest and say that this book did not knock my socks off. I think the writing could be stronger. Parts of it seem a little derivative of things like X-Men. But I have talked to the kids I’ve sold it to, and they’re all anxiously awaiting the next books, because the only thing that matters is that

It is about kids who figure out how to download superpowers on the internet.

Two of the kids are boys and two are girls, which makes it even more perfect. The covers are eye-catching. The books are paperback originals. And did I mention

It is about kids who figure out how to download superpowers on the internet. 

This is a brilliant book to have on the shelf for summer reading. The whole idea could have been conceived in a lab, it’s so brilliant. If you missed this one in your Walker catalog when you were ordering last fall, do yourself and your bottom line a favor and order a bunch in. It is a no-brainer easy sell that will have your kid customers buzzing.

I’m looking forward to seeing if this series catches on (and hoping it does, because I need sequels to sell). More than one kid has said that they wished it was a TV show, and you know what? That’s not a bad idea. The author writes scripts, too, so I’m sure he’s already thought of it. Mr. Briggs, I think you’d have an audience waiting for you.

::tap, tap:: is this thing on?

I’m back from “vacation”; let’s see if we can get this going again.

(I read this in galley, but it came out at the end of May.)

Every once in awhile a book comes along that makes me realize that to enjoy some things, you really have to be 12 years old. This book is one of those things. (Note: this is not a bad thing; I shall explain.)

14 year old Toby - bored, lonely, and at sea just two weeks into the summer - applies at and is hired by the newest branch of pizza chain Killer Pizza. Since he dreams of becoming a world-famous chef (despite no experience besides eating and watching the Food Network), this suits him perfectly.

However, it’s only a (short) matter of time before he learns that Killer Pizza is really a front for a secret monster-hunting organization, and that he’s been hired not for his pizza-making enthusiasm, but for some unnamed quality that the KP saw within him.

At first, Toby finds the whole thing thrilling - high-tech gadgets, clandestine training, and spending time with his beautiful classmate Annabel - but a terrifying encounter in the woods one night brings the whole thing a little too close to home for him. He wants out - but will he be allowed to leave, knowing what he now knows? Does he really have an important part to play in the KP organization? What happens to his hometown if the monsters win?

So, what I referred to at the beginning - it is pretty impossible for me, a 37 year old, to believe that a monster-hunting organization would think that hiring normal 14 year olds to battle the forces of evil was a good idea. It took some serious suspension of my disbelief to get around that. However, once I got over myself (and tried to pretend I was 12) I dug this book a lot. It’s a little funny, more than a little scary, and chock a block full of monster-hunting action. Toby’s a goofball, but a likeable goofball. There aren’t a lot of scary books out there for middle-grade readers, and I get a lot of kids looking for a fright, so I’m glad to add KILLER PIZZA to the shelf.

(Reading it made me really hungry, so be forewarned.)

For a variety of reasons (including some truly great conversations with my former coworkers and beloved friends at Children’s Book World) I cannot stop thinking this, so I am writing it down here:

I think WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead is a serious Newbery contender, and is my first true pick of the year.

Also, a vacation update: I DID read THE RULES OF SURVIVAL by Nancy Werlin and BLOOM by Elizabeth Scott, but neither was in galley and both have been on my shelf for a long time and will be reviewed eventually. BUT I have also read an entire adult book, the title of which escapes me for some reason despite the fact that I enjoyed it, and am about a third of the way through THE THIRTEENTH TALE, which is SO FREAKING GREAT. I bought it in November 2007 (yes, the receipt was still tucked inside) and I can’t believe it took me this long to read it.

I am going away for 12 days, to take my daughter to Sesame Place among other things. After having a bit of a panicky feeling while looking at my ARC stacks last night, I have decided: no kids’ books on this trip except the ones I read to my child. Somehow I have made myself a mountain of self-created pressure that I must get out from under. So if you are waiting for me to review a book you’ve sent me - it’s going to be a little while longer. I have to try to remember that the only piece of this for which I am paid is the one where I stand on my feet in a store for 15 hours a week and sell books to people.

Perhaps, while I am gone, one of my lovely friends will post something here (and I will have my computer, ladies, so I can put up posts or images as needed), and perhaps not. Some people seem to have been energized by BEA and I, frankly, was worn down to a tiny tiny stump.

Have a great almost two weeks!

(selected by the Sorting Hat, aka my hand reaching into the empty wastebasket containing the numbered slips)

ALONG FOR THE RIDE: Darsa M. (number 10)

SHIVER (I loved this book enough to want it in hardcover, so I’m giving away my extra AND my copy, thus two winners): Eileen (number 12) and Sarah (number 34)

CATCHING FIRE: Paul Goldschmidt (number 24)

Please email me your addresses at kidliterate at gmail dot com! And thanks for playing, everyone - hopefully I’ll have more fall galleys to give away soon.