Talk about the kidlit you're reading!

I still read mostly real books, but I like my Nook. I like to read late at night - if the book is good, it's sometimes 3 or 4 before I can put it down, and having my bedside light on disturbs the hubby. With my Nook, I can turn off the light and shove it partway under the blanket, and he doesn't know I'm up reading - unless the book is funny and I start laughing. He doesn't appreciate that much.

But it's great having the Nook for my son to use, because it avoids overdue fines at the library. He just got his own library card, and ended up with a $2.00 fine on his very first book. That's not much, but when he had to pay it himself, it wasn't all that much fun. With the Nook, it just disappears when it's due.

And someone - I think it was Ruth - mentioned free books through Project Gutenberg. Anyone know how that works? My daughter - who is intellectually challenged and so reads lots of kids books - tried finding it for her Kindle, but couldn't.

Thanks, ShielaJG and RuthD, for the information. Apparently, I have no excuses left for not joining the 21st century.

I am still going to grumble at it when I get it, though, and maybe yell at it to get off my lawn before I start using it.

*Goes off to price ereaders*


ETA: JoyMC told me you can make notes! Thanks for that!

heza said:

I am still going to grumble at it when I get it, though, and maybe yell at it to get off my lawn before I start using it.

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I just finished Tom Angleberger's latest - Horton Halfpott: Or the Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset. As you can tell by the title, it's a light-hearted Victorian England mystery farce. It's a quick, entertaining read, with very short chapters. Nothing too original in terms of plot, though.

I had started Rot and Ruin, a YA zombie apocalypse story that gave me zombie nightmares, so I switched to something lighter.

I would love to go to the library and ask for a copy of that book.

I'm assuming you mean the silly one, ha ha. I got mine from the library. They should have it, because his Origami Yoda series is very popular. I was going to hold onto this one for my son, but someone put a hold on it and I have to turn it back in tomorrow.

Just finished Dolphin Luck. Wow... how have I never read anything by Hilary McKay before?

sissybaby said:

And someone - I think it was Ruth - mentioned free books through Project Gutenberg. Anyone know how that works? My daughter - who is intellectually challenged and so reads lots of kids books - tried finding it for her Kindle, but couldn't.

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Project Gutenberg contains works that are in the public domain. You can search by category, so if you search "children's", you'll get a page with different children's bookshelves, each with a collection of books. You won't find newly released things, obviously, but they have tons of wonderful classics. I've downloaded several E. Nesbits, Mother West Wind's Children, Grimm's Fairy Tales, A Little Princess, the Oz books, The Jungle Book, and The Princess and Curdie, among others.

Here's the link: Project Gutenberg

You click on the title you want, and it will show you various formats. Pick "kindle" and click on it, and it will download to your computer with a cryptic file name ending with .mobi. Attach the document to an email and send it to your kindle.

This might be way more info than you wanted or needed, but I think it's very cool and want to share the joy!

Thank you, Ruth. And it was just the right amount of information, actually.

Just finished City of Orphans by AVI. Pretty good, but I don't think anything's going to come close to Okay For Now in quite some time.

sissybaby said:

Just finished City of Orphans by AVI. Pretty good, but I don't think anything's going to come close to Okay For Now in quite some time.

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Okay For Now is a hard act to follow.

Reading the Dinkin Dings series, about a boy afraid of EVERYTHING... Except the Frightening Things in his room (a ghost, a skeleton, and a hungry monster), who help him overcome and conquer the story's villain.

So far I've read the first two. The first, "Dinkin Dings and the Frightening Things" involves his new neighbors, whose daughter he suspects of being a zombie.

The second, "Dinkin Dings and the Revenge of the Fish-Men", charting the crazy idea that the aforementioned Fish-Men are waiting under the ground, plotting revenge on all who have eaten their fingers...

In case you couldn't tell, these are hilarious short novels for young readers. Loving them.

Dave

Those sound great, David. I went to check them out on Amazon, because lots of funny British books aren't available over here (it's a crime). But they have them! Yipee.

Am currently reading "The Crowfield Demon" by Pat Walsh, which I am enjoying. It's a sequel to "The Crowfield Curse", which I also enjoyed. (Being a medieval history buff gives an additional insight into the darkness looming in the story - effectively depicted, I might add - the year is 1348, when the Black Death is due to strike England. No mention of it as yet, so apparently the plague doesn't arrive until later that year, but it adds something to the atmosphere.)

Kitty Pryde said:

Just finished Zombie Tag (love!) and Wolf Storm (also love!).

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I'm reading The Roar by Emma Clayton. It's an MG dystopian that came out in 2009. I stumbled across it in the library and it's really good. The story is set in a future London where people now have to live in walled cities because of an animal plague.

I don't usually worry about what's going to happen to characters in MG, but I'm very worried about the monkey in this one.

eta: Todd, good to know there's a sequel to The Crowfield Curse. I liked that one.

I'm reading Totally Joe - interesting. This kid is breaking my heart already.

^ Never heard of that. Who's it by? I clicked the Project Gutenberg link Ruth posted and am now reading The Jungle Book ;D

Quentin, if you're asking me, it's by James Howe. If not, I don't have a clue.

It's about a kid - I think 12 or 13, and his gang of friends. They all are misfits in some way or another.

He does a very good job of nailing the voice.

Quentin Nokov said:

^ Never heard of that. Who's it by? I clicked the Project Gutenberg link Ruth posted and am now reading The Jungle Book ;D

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Yay for kidlit classics!

I'm about to start Book One of Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series. I'm a screaming fan of the Percy Jackson series and can't wait to get my teeth into this one!

I just finished Harlan Coben's Shelter, which is awesome. I got a freebie copy at an SCBWI mixer. Gotta love that.

By the way -- hi, everyone! I've decided I'm spending way too much time in Query Hell and need to broaden my horizons. Some people would go out and ride a bike or swill some scotch or something. But no. I came here.

sissybaby said:

Quentin, if you're asking me, it's by James Howe. If not, I don't have a clue.

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Is that the same James Howe who wrote the Bunnicula books?

Yes, and The Misfits, and a whole mix of others. This is the first one of his that I've read, and I really like it. Very short chapters, but each one says a boatload.

Oh, and Toto, we're obviously still in Kansas. Tornado Warnings popping up all around us. My son just now discovered that there will be no sirens for us to hear way out here in the country. I never realized he didn't know that.

I just finished Icefall by Matthew Kirby. I really enjoyed it - it takes place in berserker times (swords and ships and such), and it is narrated by a young girl who is sent with her brother (the prince) and beautiful sister to a hidden fortress locked in the mountains and inaccessible once the sea ice freezes. The only problem - there's a traitor locked in with them. Lots of suspense and great character building. It did hit one of my fantasy pet peeves, though - the prophetic dream. I know it's a staple in mythology-based stories (hello, Rick Riordan). But I do not like it.

Slight spoiler:

Also, the cover of the book gives away the ending! What the fork? Sucked all the suspense right out of how they were going to get away from the rampaging army that far outnumbered them.