June: 78 books read

For all ages
Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinski

Picture Books
That New Animal by Emily Jenkins
Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Tomek Bogacki
Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman
Gone Fishing by David McLimans
The Trouble with Dragons by Debi Gliori
Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella Story by Paul Fleischman

For kids and pre-teens
Suddenly Supernatural: School Spirit by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Sarah Simpson's Rules for Living by Rebecca Rupp
The Bronze Pen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning by Danette Haworth
Thank You, Lucky Stars by Beverly D'Onofrio
Boys Are Dogs by Leslie Margolis
The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower by Lisa Graff

For teens
Kissing Kate by Lauren Myracle
Kat Got Your Tongue by Lee Weatherly
Perfect Girl by Mary Hogan
Many Stones by Carolyn Coman

Graphic Novel Spotlight
Rapunzel's Revenge written by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale

Historical Fiction
Marie, Dancing by Carolyn Meyer
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
Nobody's Princess by Esther M. Friesner

May: 55 books read

For all ages
Broadway Barks by Bernadette Peters, illustrated by Liz Murphy
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems

For elementary school
The entire Julie series (six books, starting with Meet Julie) by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Robert Hunt
Good Luck, Ivy by Lisa Yee, illustrated by Robert Hunt

For upper elementary school and middle school
No Cream Puffs by Karen Day
The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper
Savvy by Ingrid Law
Bounce by Natasha Friend
Lush by Natasha Friend
Hershey Herself by Cecilia Galante

For teenagers
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
What Happens Here by Tara Altebrando
Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega
She's So Money by Cherry Cheva
Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott
How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
Everything Beautiful in the World by Lisa Levchuk (coming out in November 2008)
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley (coming out in February 2009)
Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You by Deborah Reber (non-fiction)

For adults
Mind the Gap: A Novel of the Hidden Cities by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon
A Kiss Before the Apocalypse by Thomas E. Sniegoski

April 2008: 81 books read

Picture Books
Callie Cat, Ice Skater by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Anne Kennedy
Bella Gets Her Skates On by Ian Whybrow, illustrated by Rosie Reeve
Little Otter's Big Journey by David Bedford and Susan Winter
Sadie the Air Mail Pilot by Kellie Strom
Mermaid Sister by Mary Ann Fraser
Silly Billy by Anthony Browne
Mouse's First books by Lauren Thompson
The Incredible Book-Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

Juvenile Non-Fiction
Ballerina Dreams by Lauren Thompson
Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

Juvenile Fiction
Zibby Payne & the Party Problem by Alison Bell
Zibby Payne & the Trio Trouble by Alison Bell
The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
Itch by Michelle D. Kwasney
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
Lights, Camera, Amalee by Dar Williams
Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #1: Moving Day by Meg Cabot
Callie for President by Robin Wasserman (coming out in May)
Savvy by Ingrid Law (coming out in May)

Teen Fiction
Cherry Blossoms: Book One: Ketsuki by Thomas Randall (coming out in 2009)
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Feathered by Laura Kasischke
Wish You Were Here by Catherine Clark
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs (coming out in May)
Nothing by Robin Friedman (coming out in August)
The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen
Skin Deep by E.R. Crane
PrettyTOUGH: Playing with the Boys by Liz Tigelaar

Adult Fiction
The Lost Ones: Book Three of The Veil by Christopher Golden
The Life Before Her Eyes by Laura Kasischke

March: 56 books read

Picture Books
A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann
Mouse's First Spring by Lauren Thompson

Graphic Novels
The Baby-Sitters Club Graphix: The Truth about Stacey by Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier
Babymouse: Rock Star by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

For ages 8 and up
The Babysitting Wars by Mimi McCoy
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall (coming out in April)<
The Floating Circus by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer (coming out in July)

For Ages 12 and up
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones (coming out in August)
Hershey Herself by Cecilia Galante (coming out in May)

For teens and adults
The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti
A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian
Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) by Carrie Jones
The Decoding of Lana Morris by Laura McNeal and Tom McNeal
Crimes of the Sarahs by Kristen Tracy
Jump the Cracks by Stacy DeKeyser
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury (coming out in May)
Read My Lips by Teri Brown (coming out in June)
Band Geek Love by Josie Bloss (coming out in July)

For adults
The Myth Hunters: Book One of The Veil by Christopher Golden
The Borderkind: Book Two of The Veil by Christopher Golden
The Lost Ones: Book Three of The Veil by Christopher Golden
Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl (short story)

February 2008: 44 books read

Recommended For Kids
Jessie's Mountain by Kerry Madden (the conclusion to the Maggie Valley Trilogy)

Recommended For Teens and Adults
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Good Enough by Paula Yoo
Prom Kings and Drama Queens by Dorian Cirrone
Crimes of the Sarahs by Kristen Tracy
Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) by Carrie Jones (coming out in March)
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (coming out in April)
Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott (coming out in May)
What Happens Here by Tara Altebrando (coming out in May)
Looks by Madeleine George (coming out in June)

Graphic Novels
Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

January 2008: 79 books read

Picture Book Pick
Dog and Bear written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

For ages 8 and up
Babymouse #8: Puppy Love by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Zibby Payne and the Party Problem by Alison Bell (coming out in April)
Pippi Longstocking, newly illustrated by Lauren Child, newly translated by Tiina Nunnally, originally written by Astrid Lindgren
Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper
Jessie's Mountain by Kerry Madden (coming out in February)
Red Dragon Codex by R.D. Henham (I was happy to write the Red Dragon Codex Teacher Guide)
Tennyson by Lesley M. M. Blume

For ages 12 and up
The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher
Wish You Were Here by Catherine Clark (coming out in April)
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson (coming out in May)
The Poison Apples by Lily Archer
Poison Ink by Christopher Golden (coming out in July)
Prom Kings and Drama Queens by Dorian Cirrone (coming out in February)

For ages 14 and up
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (coming out in April)
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley
How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan
Leftovers by Laura Wiess

Total Number of Books Read in 2007: 475

(Listed first by category, then alphabetically by author)

Best teen and adult fiction released in 2007:
Beauty Shop for Rent...fully equipped, inquire within by Laura Bowers
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks
The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti
Cupcake by Rachel Cohn
Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Girl At Sea by Maureen Johnson
Falling Boy by Alison McGhee
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Best juvenile fiction released in 2007:
Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Louisiana's Song by Kerry Madden
Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller
Billy Hooten, Owlboy by Tom Sniegoski, illustrated by Eric Powell
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
Reaching For Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Best verse novels released in 2007:
Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill
Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass
Rubber Houses by Ellen Yeomans
Reaching For Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Notable debuts in teen fiction:
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
Notes on a Near-Life Experience by Olivia Birdsall
Beauty Shop for Rent...fully equipped, inquire within by Laura Bowers
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
Total Constant Order by Crissa-Jean Chappell
Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern
Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell
Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend by Carrie Jones
Lessons From a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
Lost It by Kristen Tracy
Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess
Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

Notable debuts in juvenile fiction:
The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff
Cassie Was Here by Caroline Hickey
Letters from Rapunzel by Sara Lewis Holmes
Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller
Freak by Marcella Pixley
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

Entering new territory:
(an author's first work for a new age group)
Austenland by Shannon Hale (adult fiction)
The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy (teen fiction)
Good Girls by Laura Ruby (teen fiction)
The Friskative Dog by Susan Straight (juvenile fiction)

Best second and third releases:
The Rising Star of Rusty Nail by Lesley M.M. Blume (juvenile fiction)
Beige by Cecil Castellucci (teen fiction)
Runaround by Helen Hemphill (juvenile fiction)
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin (teen fiction)

Most memorable picture books of 2007:
The Only Boy in Ballet Class by Denise Gruska, illustrated by Amy Wummer
The Secret Life of Walter Kitty by Barbara Jean Hicks, illustrated by Dan Santat
Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend written and illustrated by Melanie Watt
Someday by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Peter Reynolds

Best illustrations of 2007:
The Care and Feeding of Sprites illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi, written by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black (companion to their series, The Spiderwick Chronicles)
Where To, Little Wombat? written and illustrated by Charles Fuge (picture book)
Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden (illustrated horror novel)
Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf illustrated by Elicia Castaldi, with additional artwork by Matthew Holm, written by Jennifer L. Holm (juvenile fiction)
Babymouse: Skater Girl by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (juvenile graphic novel)
Pippi Longstocking, newly illustrated by Lauren Child, newly translated by Tiina Nunnally, originally written by Astrid Lindgren (juvenile fiction)
How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird, newly translated and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein, originally written by Jacques Prévert (poetry/picture book)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret written and illustrated by Brian Selznick (illustrated juvenile novel)
Billy Hooten, Owlboy illustrated by Eric Powell, written by Tom Sniegoski (juvenile series)
Oscar and the Moth written and illustrated by Geoff Waring (picture book)
Mary Anne Saves the Day illustrated by Raina Telgemeier, based on the book by Ann M. Martin (graphic novel)
Twist: Yoga Poems written by Janet S. Wong, illustrated by Julie Paschkis (poetry/picture book)

Notable graphic novels:
The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
Mary Anne Saves the Day by Ann M. Martin, illustrated by Raina Telgemeier

Promising starts to new juvenile series:
In the Cards: Love by Mariah Fredericks
Billy Hooten, Owlboy by Tom Sniegoski, illustrated by Eric Powell

Fun juvenile series continued:
Zibby Payne and the Drama Trauma, the second Zibby Payne book by Alison Bell
Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now, the third Clarice Bean novel by Lauren Child
Lucy Rose: Working Myself to Pieces & Bits, the fourth Lucy Rose book by Katy Kelly, illustrated by Peter Ferguson
Louisiana's Song, the second in the Maggie Valley trilogy by by Kerry Madden
The Cupid Chronicles and Willa at Heart, the second and third in the Wedding Planner's Daughter line by Coleen Murtagh Paratore (technically, Willa has a January 2008 release date)
Owlboy: The Girl with the Destructo Touch by Tom Sniegoski

Addictive teen series continued:
The Salamander Spell, the prequel to the Tales of the Frog Princess by E. D. Baker
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, the second Gallagher Girls story by Ally Carter
Flawless and Perfect, the second and third Pretty Little Liars books by Sara Shepard

Best conclusions to trilogies:
Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale by Holly Black (teen fiction)
Cupcake by Rachel Cohn
So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee (juvenile fiction)

Best adult series continued:
The Borderkind, the second book of The Veil by Christopher Golden
Crashing Paradise, the fourth book of The Menagerie by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski

Best backlist titles read in 2007:
Zibby Payne and the Wonderful, Terrible Tomboy Experiment by Alison Bell (juvenile fiction)
Instructions by Neil Gaiman (short story)
Wolves by Emily Gravett (picture book)
Loose Threads by Lorie Ann Grover (verse novel)
Twice Told: Original Stories Inspired by Original Art by Scott Hunt (anthology)
The Underwood See by Michael Lawrence (fantasy)
Gentle's Holler by Kerry Madden (juvenile fiction)
In the Realm of the Never Fairies: The Secret World of Pixie Hollow with text by Monique Peterson and illustrations by The Disney Storybook Artists, designed by Elizabeth Ryazantseva and Megan Krempels (companion to a juvenile series)
The Problem of the Missing Miss by Roberta Rogow (mystery)
The Book of One Hundred Truths by Julie Schumacher (juvenile fiction)
The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It (originally titled My Big Birkett) by Lisa Shanahan (teen fiction)
That Girl Lucy Moon by Amy Timberlake (juvenile fiction)
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt (picture book)

Favorite classics re-read:
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll
Poetry by Emily Dickinson
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Poetry by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Notable advanced reads:
(read in 2007, coming out in 2008)
The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti
You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn
The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher
Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley
Feathered by Laura Kasischke
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
A Little Friendly Advice by Siobhan Vivian
Leftovers by Laura Wiess
Good Enough by Paula Yoo

Outside links:
My list of Best Books of 2007 on Amazon
My list of Best Books of 2008 (So Far) on Amazon

December 2007: 53 books read

Juvenile Fiction
Lucy Rose: Working Myself to Pieces & Bits by Katy Kelly
Seeing Sky-Blue Pink by Candice F. Ransom
The Rising Star of Rusty Nail by Lesley M.M. Blume
Leap of Faith by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now by Lauren Child

Teen Fiction
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass

Advanced Reads
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti

Picture Books
Oscar and the Moth by Geoff Waring
How to Paint the Portrait of a Bird by Jacques Prévert, translated and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
Snow is My Favorite and My Best based on characters created by Lauren Child
G is for One Gzonk! An Alpha-Number-Bet Book written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi

November 2007: 37 books + plays read

For ages 8 and up
Mary Anne Saves the Day by Ann M. Martin, illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

For ages 10 and up
Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis
Willa at Heart by Coleen Murtagh Paratore
Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf by Jennifer L. Holm, illustrated by Elicia Castaldi
Ten Ways To Make My Sister Disappear by Norma Fox Mazer
Kimchi & Calamari by Rose Kent
Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf
Drama Queen by Lara Bergen
Freak by Martha Pixley

For ages 13 and up
The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher (January 2008)
Good Enough by Paula Yoo (February 2008)

For ages 15 and up
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks

The Play's the Thing (Re-Read)
The Miracle Worker by William Gibson

October 2007: 30 books + scripts read

Recommended Juvenile Fiction
Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins

Recommended Teen Fiction
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It (originally titled My Big Birkett) by Lisa Shanahan
Saving Zoë by Alyson Noel
Kissing the Bee by Kathe Koja
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter (sequel to I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You)

Recommended Verse Novels
Seeing Emily by Joyce Lee Wong
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones (sequel to What My Mother Doesn't Know)
Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland, illustrations by Elaine Clayton

Recommended Advanced Reads
Red Dragon Codex by R.D. Henham (ages 8 and up, first in a new series, January 2008)
Leftovers by Laura Wiess (ages 14 and up, January 2008)
Feathered by Laura Kasischke (ages 14 and up, April 2008)
How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt (ages 14 and up, May 2008)