Best YA books for 2010

Is there something about librarians and lists, or is it just me?  I LOVE lists.  I love songs with lists (Short Skirt/Long Jacket, I've Been Everywhere), lists of the best places to see Jack Kerouac (a family friend owns the bookshop that usually tops that list) etc etc.  So I was very happy to find a refreshing list of the 100 best YA books for 2010--this list has a wonderful mix of old and new and wasn't dominated by the Twilight series.

http://www.persnicketysnark.com/2010/08/final-list-top-100-ya-novels-2010.html

Perhaps I should make a list of things to get done before school starts....

Book of the week: Say Hello!

OK, I have been on a long hiatus, but I am back!  Back and motivated for the new school year.  I did a lot of reading over the summer (but mostly adult books, I have to admit) but I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the Hunger Games series, which came out yesterday.  I am probably # 192 on the waiting list at the public library, so it may be a while before you see that review posted here.

What I do have for you today is a great picture book to start off the school year: Rachel Isadora's Say Hello!  Carmelita lives in a very ethnically diverse neighborhood and loves to say hello to all of her neighbors.   The illustrations are adorable (reminiscent of Eric Carle) and the young ones will love repeating "hello" in different languages.  There is a pronunciation guide in the back that tells the languages, so you can have students guess and then check their answers in the back.

So to any new readers out there: Konichiwa!