Talk about the kidlit you're reading!

[Kitty Pryde]

Originally Posted by RuthD

Do you mean The Humming Room, Kitty?
I want to read it.

That's the one! I knew someone would know it here. It sounds like an interesting book and I'm curious to see how the Secret Garden stuff is worked in to it. And my library has it, huzzah!

[CheG]

I'm halfway through The Borrowers. So old I know! But I saw the movie The Secret World of Arrietty (dedicated Miyazaki fan that I am) and just had to read the book! I don't think I was the only one either, it was checked out from most of the library branches and had a wait list. But the librarian got me a copy without a wait list.

Anyway, it's really good! (So was the movie actually!) And after I saw the movie I was dying to write about tiny people! I may yet do it. I might have found a spin on tiny people removed enough from the Borrowers that I can do it!

Of course I don't know that anyone would want something cute like that.

Anyway, I might see if I can get the Borrowers sequels to find out what happens to them.

[Kitty Pryde]

Don't forget that other classic of the Non-Creepy-Little-People-Who-Live-In-Your-Walls-But-Totally-Don't-Watch-You-While-You're-Getting-Dressed genre, The Littles! Like the Borrowers, but with tails!

[JoyMC]

I also left Arietty thinking hmmm ... how could I write about that? I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, CheG, but yeah, I predict an influx of little-people-in-the-walls manuscripts hitting agents' inboxes in the next six months.

[CheG]

Originally Posted by Kitty Pryde

Don't forget that other classic of the Non-Creepy-Little-People-Who-Live-In-Your-Walls-But-Totally-Don't-Watch-You-While-You're-Getting-Dressed genre, The Littles! Like the Borrowers, but with tails!

LOL! I TOTALLY remember The Littles from Saturday morning cartoons! I'm guessing they were a knock-off of the Borrowers but changed enough so no one had to pay the author! LOL! I don't know really, I'm sure they have a wiki page...

Pervy little people in the walls!

Originally Posted by JoyMC

I also left Arietty thinking hmmm ... how could I write about that? I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, CheG, but yeah, I predict an influx of little-people-in-the-walls manuscripts hitting agents' inboxes in the next six months.

I'm hoping not! I don't think Arietty broke any box office records... Not that I'll follow through... I seem terribly scatter shot with my writing projects. Writing too many different genres. They say don't write both kids books and adult books...

[Kitty Pryde]

Originally Posted by CheG

LOL! I TOTALLY remember The Littles from Saturday morning cartoons! I'm guessing they were a knock-off of the Borrowers but changed enough so no one had to pay the author! LOL! I don't know really, I'm sure they have a wiki page...

Pervy little people in the walls!

No! The Littles are a kids book series from the 60s. The cartoon is based on the books.

[Laura J]

I hope not. My WIP has faeries. I didn't see Arietty. It has a mention of house brownies, but they are not part of the story. You never 'see' them, but they are referenced.

I always loved the idea of little people living in the walls.

Edited to ask: Did anyone read Bliss? I saw it in BN today. It looks good and has cupcakes on the cover, always appealing to me. I was talking books with an aquaintence I ran into there. Her MG daughter goes through books like crazy. She likes series. I saw Bliss and was curious.

[Kitty Pryde]

Originally Posted by Laura J

Edited to ask: Did anyone read Bliss? I saw it in BN today. It looks good and has cupcakes on the cover, always appealing to me. I was talking books with an aquaintence I ran into there. Her MG daughter goes through books like crazy. She likes series. I saw Bliss and was curious.

She had me at magical cupcakes! That looks awesome.

[sissybaby]

I read Bliss, and I loved it! The magic isn't the real theme of the book, but it's an integral part of it. I did a blog post sort of review of it. I really like her voice and her characters are all a bit (or more) quirky.

[Laura J]

Off to buy Bliss. I love quirky characters. I may have to stop off at my local cupcake shop though. I can't read about cake if I'm not eating any.

[CheG]

Originally Posted by Kitty Pryde

No! The Littles are a kids book series from the 60s. The cartoon is based on the books.

That's funny, I had no idea. I wonder how close they were to the Borrowers. Were they supposed to be elves or something? I remember they had tails and pointed ears.

[JoyMC]

Okay, I had a bonanza of library holds come in all at once: Breadcrumbs, Book of Wonders and First Light. What should I read first?

[sissybaby]

I've only read Breadcrumbs from that list, so I can't advise.

I am feeling rather frustrated right now. I really like the novel I'm currently reading, What the Dog Said, but the authors (it was a team effort) are driving me nuts about using every possible word they can come up with in order to avoid using 'said'. I counted nine alternates on one rather short page.

I mean, they use the word in the title! It's okay to use.

Other than that little irritant, the book is quite enjoyable.

[Kitty Pryde]

Originally Posted by sissybaby

I've only read Breadcrumbs from that list, so I can't advise.

I am feeling rather frustrated right now. I really like the novel I'm currently reading, What the Dog Said, but the authors (it was a team effort) are driving me nuts about using every possible word they can come up with in order to avoid using 'said'. I counted nine alternates on one rather short page.

I mean, they use the word in the title! It's okay to use.

Other than that little irritant, the book is quite enjoyable.

So long as no one is ejaculating any dialogue, you're probably okay

[sissybaby]

Kitty - you're just too funny today, aren't you.

Actually, that particular one hasn't come "up" yet, but I wouldn't be too surprised.

Now my face is red.

[Laura J]

I bought Bliss yesterday, along with the new Benedict Society for my kiddo. I got a good start on it last night. Very cute. Likeable characters. I love magical baked goods. Fun easy read. I was reading the last Hunger Games and needed something light and fun.

So far, so good. I stopped and wrote some instead. I've got a lighter book planned for my next WIP. It's good to read others like it.

Note: the 12 year old MC does have a crush on a boy and talks about kissing him. Hasn't happened at this point, but thought I'd mention it since it has come up in other threads.

[JoyMC]

I started with The Book of Wonders, and it's great so far. A sort of Arabian Nights for kids. And I saw Bliss at the library today, so I grabbed it. It looks cute.

Sissy, I couldn't believe it when I picked up Little Women a year or so ago, and here are the first page dialogue tags: grumbled, sighed, added, said contentedly, said sadly. Interesting how writing styles evolve.

[RuthD]

Originally Posted by Laura J

I bought Bliss yesterday, along with the new Benedict Society for my kiddo.

What?!! A NEW Benedict Society? Why was I not informed of this?

[sissybaby]

Joy - Hmmmm, interesting. Just goes to show, nothing is set in stone.

I have almost finished the book, and I've finally figured out what REALLY bugs me the most about it, even though the saidisms are becoming rather tiresome.

This is a good book with a great story, and since it centers around the dogs, I really like it. But the MC is 13, and she talks like an English professor. It took me a while to notice it, but the voice isn't anything I would expect for a MG book.

Don't get me wrong. I think she's a great writer. I like her characters, and I sort of suspect the ending, but I'm not sure, so she's kept my interest, but the only one in the book that sounds remotely like a MG kid is the dog. Her 17 YO sister sounds fairly believable, but she's supposed to be an airhead, so I don't know how I feel about that, either.

But as I said, the story is pretty good. I just wish she could have made the MC a little more age appropriate.

My next read is Eye Storm. Anyone familiar with it? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

[DavidBrett]

I'm reading the Cirque du Freak manga based on the awesome horror series by Darren Shan, followed soon by 'Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code' and a Redwall book I've never seen before - and it's 5 years old! How could I have missed that?!

[SheilaJG]

Ooooooh, David, I'm reading a horror now, too. The third Monstrumologist book by Rick Yancy. Loooove them.

I haven't heard of Eye Storm. Maybe I'm in a weird mood, but I picture a tornado filled with flying eyeballs, so I'm intrigued.

I read the first Benedict Society, and wasn't thrilled enough to continue. But I might give the series another chance. I do love the cover art.

[sissybaby]

Sheila - gah! I can't read anymore. It's Eye of the Storm.

I thought Eye Storm sounded weird, too. The library shouldn't put their bar codes over the title, huh?

It is about killer tornadoes in a futuristic world. Pretty good so far.

[RuthD]

I'm nearly finished with a YA, Born at Midnight (the first book in the Shadow Falls series). I started reading it because it sounded alarmingly similar to my summer camp/shapeshifter novel... but nope. Mine is an innocent middle grade; BAM is a racy, hormone-ridden YA... which just made the NYT Bestseller List for Children's Series.

In a wonderful stroke of synchronicity, I met the author, Christie Craig, at the Missouri Writers Guild conference this weekend. Her YAs are written under the pseudonym C.C. Hunter; I didn't realize at first that she was the same person. I attended her master class on deep POV, which gave me lots of food for thought. She is also hysterically funny. If you ever meet her, make her tell you the one about the Ford Festiva, the good ol' boy, and the mattress.

[Britwriter]

I just finished Twilight. I figured I'd better find out where all these vampires came from.

I couldn't put it down. Wow. And I'm not a vampire kind of person, at all.

[t0dd]

One that I've just reread (it was published in the 80's): "The Secret of Thut-Mouse III or Basil Beaudesert's Revenge" by Mansfield Kirby. It's a funny tale about a scholarly mouse who lives in a museum of ancient art, and how he decides to deal with a pesty cat who prowls the museum by forging a set of ancient Egyptian art pieces which make it look as if the Egyptians revered mice more than they did cats and putting them out where the cat can see them. I'd especially recommend it for children interested in ancient history; the end-papers even include some explanations of the elements of ancient Egypt (and, in a sub-ploot, ancient Rome) that feature in the story (such as explaining the potential confusion over Upper Egypt being the southern part of ancient Egypt and Lower Egypt the northern part - it makes sense when you realize that the Egyptians were thinking of "upper" as in "the upper part of the Nile").