St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. I am writing up this old favorite because, after several attempts at finding the perfect book, this is the one that Lightening Bolt settled on for doing his big Book Project on at school. Trina Schart Hyman is one of my favorite illustrators of all time, and this book is a fine example of her work. These are glorious full-page pictures (watercolor and ink if I am not mistaken), with borders and marginalia around the facing page of text. It’s a long picture book for older readers (LB was disappointed not to be able to read it to his class) and the text is beautifully written. Every time that LB asks for it at bedtime on an already late night, I look for a way to abridge the text to make it a more manageable length. Every time I end up just reading the whole thing, because the words are just right, with strong metaphors and alliterations adding to the medieval feel of the book. And for kids too old for little-kid picture books and not quite ready for all chapter books, this is a book detailed and exciting enough to capture.
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Hiro Dragon Warrior by Bobbie JG Weiss and David Cody Weis. Pictures by Robbie Short. It might not be perfect for every child, or even every little boy, but here is a book that is, according to my son, exactly perfect for him. It is an easy reader, comic-book style, featuring young dragons learning martial arts and using them to rescue stolen treasure. There are two volumes out right now; alas, just old enough that it doesn’t look like more will be published. Still, easy readers in this particular category – high interest for boys without media tie-ins – are hard to come by. This was enough of a find for us to buy both the books, rather than just borrowing from the library as we usually do.
Stitch ‘n Bitch Superstar Knitting by Debbie Stoller Stoller returns with her fifth Stitch ‘n Bitch book, this time featuring advanced techniques. The whole first half of the book delves into advanced techniques, including what they are and tips for making them look better and how to fix mistakes. Techniques covered include intarsia, stranded color work, cables, lace, short rows, beads, embroidery and steeks, as well as how to design your own sweater. All of these topics are covered with Stoller’s typical clear writing and funky sense of humor, accompanied with line drawings (and hands wearing the familiar scuffed black nail polish.) The second half features the fashion-forward knitting patterns that Stitch ‘n Bitch books are known for, modeled on a multi-ethnic crew. The patterns are divided up by technique, and make me mourn again the extremely limited knitting time I have at present – though there are no difficulty ratings, adding in all of that colorwork, cables, and beading adds time on to knitting. Most of the patterns are for women’s garments, with a few bags and kids’ sweaters thrown in. Some of my favorites include the famous Gretel tam, the leaf-bordered Leafy Lace cardigan, the squirrely mittens (yay 
The Birthday Ball by Lois Lowry. Illustrations by Jules Feiffer. This is a sweet little book from heavy hitter and Newbury-award winning author Lowry. The Princess Patricia Priscilla is about to turn 16 and is bored with everything. Bored with her life, bored with the idea of the ball in honor of her birthday, bored with the thought of having to choose a husband. After talking with her maid, she decides to borrow her maid’s clothes and attend the local village school just for something fun to do. There, she gets educated in what life is like for the peasantry and falls for the handsome young school teacher. Breaks from this story introduce the princess’s would-be suitors, all odious men from places with names like Dyspepsia. It’s a light tale for younger chapter book readers, with modern elements mixed into the setting adding to this feel, as well – one of the suitors, for example dresses in spandex, and the maid, trapped in the princess’s suite waiting for the return of her dress, reads Alice in Wonderland. The scribbly illustrations are by Jules Feiffer, whose work I recognized from my childhood reading of The Phantom Tollbooth. Will Patricia find a way out of having to choose from the odious suitors? I would have found this book just a bit better if the choice weren’t quite so clear, but it’s still a fun story for princess-obsessed girls. Pair it with The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye or Patricia Wrede’s slightly meatier Dealing with Dragons.
Soulless by Gail Carriger Here is a nice genre-busting book, first in a series: in an alternate England, the success of the empire is due to their reliance on help from vampires and werewolves. Our heroine is Alexia Tarabotti, a soulless spinster, whose early quest for treacle tart at a ball is interrupted by the sad necessity of having to kill a very rude vampire. The BUR, the agency for the regulation of supernatural beings, of course investigates. This is headed by an irritating if attractive werewolf by the name of Lord Maccon. To the fantasy, we may add comedy of manners with romance a la Jane Austen (if a bit spicier). Miss Tarabotti’s spectacular parasol weapon and the overt presence of dirigibles add a steampunk twist. From a library reader’s advisory standpoint, this book has something for anyone willing to read speculative fiction: appealing characters, a fast-moving plot (where are all these uneducated and poorly dressed vampires coming from?), an intriguing and well-detailed setting, and witty writing. This comes recommended not only by me, but by my love and the famous 
Sneaky Fitness by Missy Chase Lapine and Laryssa Didio Everyone knows that kids need exercise, and that the only thing more certain to make a wiggle-worm hold still is to tell him or her that they need to get some exercise to be healthy. Lapine of 
Library Wars by Kiiro Yumi. In the Japan of a not-too-distant future, libraries are at war. The central government-run Media Betterment Committee has been fighting for control of library collections, which are protected from their censorship by the Library Defense Force. As a young teen, Iku Kasahara had a longed-for book taken out of her hands at a bookstore by the Media Betterment Committee, then returned to her by an LDF agent. Now she’s joined the LDF as the first female agent. Does her supervising officer’s gruff exterior conceal a soft heart, or is he really just a jerk? Will she make it in the Defense Force? Who was her mysterious hero, and can Iku ever find him? This is written as a shojo, or girl’s manga, so romantic concerns take up most of the space for the first book and a half, with the censorship plot slowly gaining importance. Book 4 is due out in March 2011. The art is on the realistic side for manga. This is a fun and frothy read, with underpinnings of serious issues. 
Snow Play by Birgitta Ralston If you’ve never lost your child’s love of snow, but want something new to do, take a look at this book. Alternatively, if you have kids bringing you your coat and forcing you to go out in the cold, here’s a book to get you excited about it. This is a book of snow creations for adults, or adults and kids, with a few projects suitable for younger children by themselves. After detailed general instructions, including explanations of tools used and the difficulty and time to complete ratings, the book dives into projects. There are fresh takes on classics, like mutant snowmen or snow bunnies. There are giant, all-day projects, like a life-size Loch Ness monster and a fire pit with a circular surrounding bench. There are tiny projects, like little free-standing animals on straw legs or ice ornaments. And my favorites, the glowing ones – including a birthday cake and a lantern made of snow balls, lit with real candles or LEDs. 
All of the projects have gorgeous full-color photos of the finished product as well as step-by-step illustrations. The most commonly used tools are buckets, shovels, and snow block molds. Projects range from half an hour to a day in length, with most rated at half a day. Most of the projects also seem geared towards adults working with school-aged children or older kids and teens, though there are some suitable for young children as well. I asked for this book sight unseen, a rarity for me, and am now super excited to go out and play in the snow. 
Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and J.H. WilliamsI confess that I often have trouble really buying the superhero genre, but this is one title that really worked for me. Kate Kane stars as Batwoman, forced out of the army by DADT and her refusal to break the Cadet Honor Code by lying about it. Still with a drive to serve, she’s trying to fill in the gaps in Gotham’s protection. There are, of course, dark forces at work – including a cult whose Grand Madame is targeting Batwoman directly. This Grand Madame, when Batwoman meets her, is calling herself Alice and speaking only in lines from Lewis Carroll, despite murderous intent and a past more closely intwined with Kate than she realizes. They are strong characters with an interesting story line, but what really made this for me was the art. This is not your standard-issue lines of little boxes, but gorgeous big panels that could stand on their own. The word “gobsmacked” comes to mind. Batwoman isn’t one of D.C.’s major characters, and I’d have to agree with my friend David at 
The Naming by Allison Croggan Australian poet Croggan brings this lyrical fantasy, first in the Books of Pellinor quartet together from familiar elements, with recognizable influence most notably from Tolkien’s Middle Earth, but also with elements of Valdemar and Prydain. So: Maerad, a young slave girl, is discovered by an older wizard named Cadvan. He takes her to one of the ancient bardic schools, where she learns reading, riding, and basic sword. Then they are on their way: the dark forces of the Nameless One, long believed to have been completely defeated centuries ago, are rising again. There seems to be betrayal in the inner circle of the bards. Maerad is quite likely the person foretold in ancient prophecies to overthrow the dark, and she might even be in possession of an ancient magical artifact that the Nameless One is searching for. Pretty familiar, right? I might have enjoyed it a bit more if I could have turned off the Tolkien commentary in my head that kept saying, “Oh, look… this is just like when Gandalf… and now we’re at the siege of Minas Tirath.” However, Croggan is a poet, and her language is worth reading on its own, her characters interesting. The book moves along at a pace much like Tolkien’s, which is to say slowly, so you will turn to this when you are looking for something to savor and take your time with. This series will also appeal to those who found Tolkien’s ideas on gender roles, sexuality, and race troubling – you’d never find a Tolkien character tracking time by her menses as Maerad does, and Cadvan’s best friend (who takes on a bigger role in the later books) is black, from a black city prominent in the defense of the Light. Croggan also takes Tolkien’s appendices one step further by making them discussions by various scholars of the ancient civilization of Pellinor, referencing multiple imaginary scholarly works. If you are in the mood for Serious Fantasy Epic, this is a sterling example.
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