Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Winner of the 1972 Newbery Medal, this wonderful fantasy by Robert O'Brien has stood the test of time and is a great read. Mrs. Frisby is a widowed mouse with four small children. The family must move to their summer quarters immediately or face almost certain death. But Mrs. Frisby's youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. Recommended for ages 8 - 12.

Double Your Reading Bee Club Dollars!

Shop this Saturday, November 29, and get double your purchase added to your Reading Bee Club total. So, if you spend $35, we'll add $70 to your Reading Bee Club. You'll be that much closer to your $10 gift certificate!

Not in the Club? Join up on your next visit -- when you spend $100, you receive $10 off your next purchase. This weekend, spend $50 and get $10 off your next purchase!

See you soon!

Robert Sabuda's New Pop-Up: Peter Pan!

Own the first edition of another of Sabuda's classic collectible pop-ups! Who could resist the joy of Peter Pan? And now the classic story comes to life in this incredible pop-up book. Master paper engineer Robert Sabuda creates Peter’s world for the reader to leap into: Tinkerbell flies, pirates pop, mermaids sunbathe, and ships spring up with masts that sway in the breeze. It's sure to become one of your favorites!

We are also taking special orders for the special limited edition, which has green cloth boards, comes with a slip case, and is signed and numbered by the author. There are only 250 of these available from the publisher, and retail cost is $250.00. Another special edition of 26, lettered A to Z, were retained by the author.

About Robert Sabuda: Robert grew up in the Pinckney, a small rural town in southeastern Michigan. He saw his first pop-up book as a child during a visit to the dentist's office -- all terror at the impending dental work dissolved when he opened the covers and the images leaped out at him! He made his first pop-ups out of manila folders his mother brought home from work. After graduating he moved to New York City to study art at Pratt Institute. He interned at a publishing house and was inspired by original artwork submitted by Barbara Cooney, Thomas Locker and James Marshall, among others. After working for a time as a picture-book illustrator, he focused his attention on teaching himself paper engineering, to create the beloved classic collectibles we all love. Find out more here.

Once Upon a Time....

"When Rose's mother dies, her only comfort is the exquisite rose garden her mother left behind. The purple blossoms serve as an assurance of her mother's love. But Rose is dealt a second blow when her father dies and his greedy widow, Ombrine, and her daughter, Desiree, move in and take over the manor in true Cinderella fasion. Fate has been cruel to Ombrine and Desiree, too. So despite their harsh ways, Rose has compassion. But these feelings are bitterly tested when, in a rage, Ombrine tears out the garden. Rose nearly gives up all hope -- until a chance meeting with the king. Happiness might be within her reach, but first she must prevail over Ombrine. And then she must determine if she has the courage to love..."

Books in the "Once Upon a Time" series retell favorite childhood fairy tales in a format for teen readers.

Titles include:

Before Midnight (A retelling of "Cinderella")

Beauty Sleep (A retelling of "Sleeping Beauty")

Golden (A retelling of "Rapunzel")

Midnight Pearls (A retelling of "The Little Mermaid")

The Rose Bride (A retelling of "The White Bride and the Black Bride")

Snow (A retelling of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs")

Storyteller's Daughter (A retelling of "The Arabian Nights")

Water Song (A retelling of "The Frog Prince")

Why Brodart?

Why Brodart?

What in the heck is Brodart? And why do we use Brodart book jacket covers on our books?
The shiny covers you see on the books we sell protect the jacket covers, which are designed to protect the book underneath. So often, we find books with worn out book jackets (or “dust jackets”), but they have done such a great job, the book underneath them is in nearly new condition! The jacket really helps protect the book underneath from scratches, bumps and tears. On top of that, a jacket cover can protect your book – and the jacket – even more! The shiny covers help protect your favorite books, so they can be passed along rather than tossed out when they are too worn out. And we all have our favorite stories we’d like to save.

A Brodart book jacket cover is complementary when you purchase a book at Alphabet Soup. If it’s not already covered, just ask and we can cover the jacket before you leave the store. Bring in favorites from your personal collection & we’ll Brodart them for you, for $1.95 per book.

Here’s some background, from the Brodart website:
Book Jacket Covers were created in 1939 by Arthur Brody, founder of Brodart Co. Arthur Brody studied architectural photography at Columbia University, and one day after washing the emulsion off some film, he folded it around some books for added protection. When the covers' popularity grew among fellow students, the plastic book jacket cover was born. Today, Brodart book jacket covers are used to protect original paper jackets of library books, giving them a longer shelf life..” They are also popular with collectors, or anyone who wants to keep their books pristine for years to come.

Magic by the Lake...

With an acknowledged debt to E. Nesbit and George MacDonald, Edward Eager's stories all have the same theme: bringing magic to ordinary lives. Fun-filled and whimsical, the stories are anything but dated. Universal themes of friendship, subtle sibling rivalry, vivid imaginations, and a sense of adventure are as engrossing now as they were when the books were first written 50 years ago.

Read them all!

Half Magic (1954)

Knight's Castle (1956)

Magic by the Lake (1957)

The Time Garden (1958) [A play on the word "thyme"]

Magic or Not? (1959)

The Well Wishers (1960)

Seven Day Magic (1962)

The World's Most Scrumdiddlyumptious Storyteller

Have you read them all?

Roald Dahl wrote 21 books for children.

Check out the official website for more info, games, and fun!

http://www.roalddahl.com/

Roald Dahl reading list:

Gremlins (1943) -- written for Walt Disney & optioned for a film that was never made

James and the Giant Peach (1961) a frequent target of censors, it is #56 on the American Library Association's (ALA) list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) This story of the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric candymaker Willie Wonka is often considered one of the most beloved children's stories of the 20th century.

The Magic Finger (1966) Different editions were illustrated by William Pen3e du Bois, Tony Ross, and Quentin Blake.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970) -- film coming in 2009!

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (1973) -- Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka as they travel through space in the Great Glass Elevator.

Danny, Champion of the World (1975) -- Based on Dahl's adult short story "Champion of the World" which appears in "Claud's Dog".

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More -- short stories for older readers

The Enormous Crocodile (1978) -- a short story rather than a novel, illustrated by Quentin Blake, published as a picture book.

The Twits (1980) -- Read it to find out the tricks of Mr. and Mrs. Twit, including The Frog, The Spaghetti Worms, The Balloons, and the Sticky Tree!

George's Marvelous Medicine (1981) -- Get the recipe!

The BFG (1982) -- stands for "Big Friendly Giant"

Dirty Beasts (1983) -- poetry

The Witches (1983) -- adapted into a movie and stage play, it appears as #27 on the ALA's list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000.

Boy -- autobiography

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me (1985) -- write your own review for this book.

Going Solo -- sequel to autobiography "Boy"

Matilda (1988) - made into a movie in 1996!

Rhyme Stew (1989) -- poetry

Esio Trot (1989) -- but what does it say backwards?

The Minpins (1991) -- Published in 1991, several months after Dahl's passing.

The Vicar of Nibbleswicke (1991) -- The principal character is a dyslexic vicar, and the book was written to benefit the Dyslexia Institute in London (now Dyslexia Action)

Revolting Rhymes (1992) -- poetry