Look at these photos! We were all undeniably adorable and we were also all incredible bookworms! Here are some of our all-time favorite books from when we were kids. Take a look, relive those golden days of childhood, and check out our picks in-store on the green cube outside the kid's room! Feeling nostalgic? Come on in and tell us about your most beloved stories!
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Published: Firebird - September 30th, 2002
SONIA
High fantasy and talking animals? Yes, please! The once and future Sonia will always have a soft spot for the lovely little critters that populate Brian Jacques's Redwall series. The first book in particular, propelled by the threat posed to the picturesque Redwall Abbey by Cluny the Scourge and the unlikely heroism of the mouse Matthias, holds a special place in my heart. A great read for adventurers of all sizes and species!
1. This is an almost forgotten children's book written long before my actual childhood, but it was one of my favorites growing up. In the vein of Edward Tulane, this is the tale of a little wooden doll and her many adventures, from her first home in a small New England town to her voyage across the ocean all the way to India. Loved the gorgeous woodcut illustrations and imagining the secret lives of my own toys.
2. This book and the movie Fly Away Home inspired my OBSESSION with geese as a kid. This is the charming story of a girl growing up on the shores of Walden Pond, who one night is visited by a Canada goose who teaches her how to fly. A beautiful, poignant book about the power of imagination, generosity, and the quiet kind of strength.
I compulsively read and re-read the Dear America books when I was in middle school in 2001. At the time there were dozens, now there are only 5 available to order. You should be able to find the rest at your local library, as I did all those years ago. I recently revisited A PICTURE OF FREEDOM, and it handled difficult, complex subjects beautifully, while remaining true to historical reality. The series were just some of the many books that instilled in me a love of reading and writing and imagining!
*note: This is the photo Keaton provided. Any issues with accuracy must be taken up with Keaton.
I don't know what is was about this book. Maybe it just found me at the right time, but TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING is the first book I ever read that really resonated with me as a reader--even if I didn't know what that meant at the time! The feelings of being overlooked and overwhelmed as a child trying to build a sense of individuality, the horrors of a younger sibling, the earliest twinge of social awkwardness developing at school. What can I say? Judy Blume just GOT 9-10 year old Keaton! It's one of my earliest memories of feeling seen in a work of fiction, and I still love TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING to this day.
Fear Street. I specifically remember checking out The Prom Queen. The girl on the cover was wearing a very 80s/early 90s puffy sleeved dress and her reflection in the window/mirror WAS A SKULL. Trippy. So someone is murdering all the prom queen candidates at Shadyside High. Teen hijinks and murder ensue. I'm not sure why 11 year old Alana liked reading spooky things, but here we are.
This book is all about a group of kittens who were born with wings. They decide to escape the danger of city life and fly away. Country life, however, is not as easy as they expect. I remember being completely spellbound by the illustrations, and my mom could get me to read anything if it was about a cat.
Published: HMH Books for Young Readers - May 24th, 2016
JOY
When I was eight I discovered Edward Eager's HALF MAGIC, which is about British siblings who, one boring summer, find a magic amulet on the ground which allows all sorts of amazing wishes to come true... but only half way. I adored this book. I read it over and over, scouring our Chicago neighborhood, hoping to stumble on a magic amulet and make my own boring summer with my younger brother become magical. I mean, who doesn't want to transform into a quippy British kid who finds magic? I'm still waiting, only slightly bitter.
1. I have never once met anyone else who's read THE SECRETS OF DROON, but everyone should know about it! This chapter book series has magic, adventure, llamas with six legs, and talking pillows called Lumpys! If that doesn't strike your fancy I don't know what will!
2. Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie! This is a soaring tale of a farm girl who's just a little bit different. It's odd, it's sweet, it's one of my all-time favorites! Just read the first page and tell me you're not in love! You just can't keep a good girl down!
I met picture book author/illustrator Elizabeth Rose Stanton a few years ago at a weekend writer’s event at the fabulous Writing Barn in Austin. I fell in love with the quirky fun of her picture book HENNY, about this chicken with arms. Yes, arms! ERS has a gentle style - whimsical yet thoughtful. Her books speak to our need to be ourselves, to have the world accept us for who we are… even if we’re a chicken with arms!
One of the greatest things about being both an author of numerous books for young people as well as being the Children’s Programming Director here at Brazos is being able to help support amazing authors whose careers I’ve followed for a while. I’ve known Janet Gurtler for over a decade now, and I’m a huge fan of her work, particularly her contemporary YA novels such as I’M NOT HER. Now, she’s stepping into an editor/author role with the YOU TOO? anthology, out this week from Harper.
Camyrn Garrett’s debut novel is one hell of a feat. Heartfelt, informative, musical, and memorable, FULL DISCLOSURE sticks with the reader long after the last page. I read an advanced copy way back in March this year, and I practically counted down the days until it arrived on our shelves. In FULL DISCLOSURE, Simone is expertly navigating her new high school when the unthinkable happens - someone threatens to tell the whole school that she is HIV+.
I’ve been waiting for Kim Liggett’s YA dystopian, THE GRACE YEAR, ever since I was lucky enough to read a very early copy from the publisher! Like so many of us these days, I think a lot about the state of society - about what happens when women’s voices are subjugated and about what happens when they are not. These thoughts come easily to mind, especially with Margaret Atwood’s just-released Handmaid’s Tale sequel, THE TESTAMENTS.
We are so thrilled to announce our latest book club, Not YA Mama’s Book Club! NYMBC is intended for adults over the age of 18 who are fans of (or interested in) the Young Adult genre! The book club will be led by our Kids and Teens Specialist, Laura G. Our first meeting will be in January of 2020, so stay tuned for dates and book choices! For more news, follow our YA Instagram Account, @brazosbookstoreteen !
If you’ve ever hung out around the store, there’s a big chance you’ve heard me talk about Mackenzi Lee. I am completely in love with her books, particularly THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE and its companion novel, THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY. When I learned that Lee had started writing a novel about my favorite trickster in the Marvel canon, I could not wait to get my hands on it. Lee has a very busy rest of 2019, so I’m honored that she was able to give me a few minutes of her time to chat with me about LOKI, fanfiction, and dogs!
I’ve been a fan of K.A. Holt (who also writes as Kari Anne Holt ) for a number of years now. She’s a brilliant poet, a creative mind, and a huge genre fan (anyone who loves those thirteen episodes of Joss Whedon’s Firefly as much as I do earns my undying loyalty!). She's also a fierce advocate for numerous causes and one of the fiercest, bravest writers I know!
LAURA G: The trope of girl-dressed-as-boy has historical precedence from Shakespeare to Tolkien. Usually the crossdressing heroine makes her choice after suffocating under the pressures of being a woman: marriage, etiquette, etc. The same is certainly true of Maia who dreams of becoming a tailor yet is held back by her gender. Why did you choose to incorporate this into your story? Why do you think it’s a theme we return to time and again?
SONIA
