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Hotlists 2008
Crime Fiction - embedded
Seeing Stars
Lists of (mostly) hardcover books which received at least one starred review (indicating a work of unusual merit) from the following review sources: Booklist , Publisher's Weekly (PW), Kirkus and Library Journal (LJ).
The review journal assigns the star.
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Stellar All Stars
The Fault Tree by Louise Ure
Judas Horse by April Smith
The Importance of Music to Girls by Lavinia Greenlaw
Bonk by Mary Roach
A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam
Overbooked specializes in providing timely information about fiction (all genres) and readable nonfiction. Overbooked has been online since 1994. Overbooked is a work in progress . . .
Overbooked is the winner of the 2008 Louis Shores - Greenwood Publishing Award: to recognize excellence in book reviewing and other media for libraries. The award recipient is selected for significant achievement related to a reviewing process that helps librarians make selection decisions.
Starred Reviews
Youth All Stars 2003
For All Ages
August 19, 2008
The list includes both fiction and nonfiction books. Titles are arranged alphabetically by author. The edition listed is the trade book, library bindings are not listed unless that is the only available format.
Titles received starred reviews from Booklist, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, School Library Journal, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Horn Book. The theme information is derived from cataloging information and is not comprehensive.
Grade & age designations are approximate, parental judgement should be used. Not all books are suitable for all readers/listeners.
Annotations are from Advance, the Ingram Book Magazine or the Library of Congress CIP description.
- Walk Softly Rachel
Author: Banks, Kate
Publisher: Frances Foster $ 16 ISBN: 0374382301
Bulletin Kirkus PW SLJ
From the author of Dillon Dillon comes this searing new novel that explores the inner lives of 14-year-old Rachel and her late brother, Jake, with exquisite sensitivity and precision.
Grades: 7-12 Category: Fiction - True Confessions of a Heartless Girl
Author: Brooks, Martha
Publisher: FSG $ 16 ISBN: 0374378061
Bulletin Booklist Kirkus SLJ
With a rich cast of characters and an unlikely heroine as endearing as she is tough, this novel, set in America's prairie land, reminds readers that it's never too late for forgiveness--and that sometimes the most unlikely messenger can deliver a small miracle.
Grades: 7-12 Category: Fiction - Mack Made Movies
Author: Brown, Don
Publisher: Roaring Brook $ 16.95 ISBN: 0761315381
Bulletin Booklist PW SLJ
From the author/illustrator of Across a Dark and Wild Sea comes a picture book biography of Mack Sennett, an American movie genius.
Grades: Preschool - 3rd Category: Biography - The Shape Game
Author: Browne, Anthony
Publisher: FSG $ 16 ISBN: 0374367647
Booklist PW SLJ
Grades: Preschool - 3rd Category: Nonfiction | Art - Leonard: Beautiful Dreamer
Author: Byrd, Robert
Publisher: Dutton $ 17.99 ISBN: 0525470336
Kirkus PW SLJ
A renowned author-illustrator celebrates Leonardo da Vinci's passionate, playful genius in this glowing picture book replete with the richness and imagination of Leonardo's own notebooks.
Grades: 2-5 Category: Nonfiction | History | Art - Jabberwocky
Author: Carroll, Lewis / Stewart, Joel (Ilt)
Publisher: Candlewick $ 15.99 ISBN: 0763620181
Booklist Kirkus PW
One of the most celebrated nonsensical poems in literature is given an enchantingly surreal treatment by an exciting new talent.
Grades: Preschool - 3rd Category: Poetry - Sahara Special
Author: Codell, Esme Raji
Publisher: Hyperion $ 15.99 ISBN: 0786807938
Bulletin Kirkus PW SLJ
Sahara Jones's school counselor insists Sahara needs special education, but her mother insists she go back in her regular class. When Sahara's new fifth grade teacher, Miss Pointy, arrives, her unusual teaching, storytelling, and support encourage Sahara to show her true self.
Grades: 3-7 Category: Fiction - Granny Torrelli Makes Soup
Author: Creech, Sharon / Raschka, Chris (Ilt)
Publisher: Joanna Cotler $15.99 ISBN: 0060292903
Booklist PW SLJ
Creech, the Newbery Medal-winning author of Walk Two Moons cooks up a delightfully tender novel about love, life, and friendship.
Grades: 3-7 Category: Fiction - Diary of a Worm
Author: Cronin, Doreen / Bliss, Harry (Ilt)
Publisher: Joanna Cotler $ 15.99 ISBN: 006000150x
Bulletin Kirkus PW SLJ
The New York Times bestselling author of Click, Clack, Moo and Giggle, Giggle, Quack teams up with illustrator Harry Bliss for this hysterical journal about the daily doings and the hidden world of a lovable underground dweller.
Grades: Preschool - 3rd Category: Fiction - King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography
Author: Crutcher, Chris
Publisher: Greenwillow $ 16.99 ISBN: 0060502495
Bulletin Booklist Kirkus PW
From the award-winning author of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes comes this riveting, scorching, intelligent, and hilarious memoir of Crutcher's tricky road to adulthood.
Grades: 8-12 Category: Autobiography - Muhammad
Author: Demi
Publisher: Margaret Elderry $ 19.95 ISBN: 0689852649
Booklist Kirkus PW SLJ
Through a clear text and stunning illustrations based on those of traditional Islamic expression, Demi introduces the Prophet for young readers. In keeping with Islamic tradition, the Prophet and his family have not been depicted in this book.
Grades: 2-5 Category: Nonfiction | Religion - Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, A Princess,
Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
Author: Dicamillo, Kate / Ering, Timothy (Ilt)
Publisher: Candlewick $ 17.99 ISBN: 0763617229
Booklist Kirkus PW SLJ
From the author of Because of Winn-Dixie comes a fairy tale full of quirky, unforgettable characters, narrated by DeCamillo's trademark humor and heartbreaking poignancy.
Grades: 2-7 Category: Fiction | Fantasy - A Northern Light
Author: Donnelly, Jennifer
Publisher: Harcourt $ 17 ISBN: 0152167056
Booklist PW SLJ
Booklist Top Youth First Novels
Set in 1906 against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, this coming-of-age novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and wholly original.
Grades: 9+ Category: Fiction | Historical | Mystery - Olivia and the Missing Toy
Author: Falconer, Ian
Publisher: Atheneum $ 16.95 ISBN: 0689852916
Booklist Kirkus PW
The porcine recipient of a 2001 Caldecott Honor Award makes her third appearance in this deliciously funny story in which Olivia's adored stuffed animal mysteriously vanishes.
Grades: Toddler - 2nd Category: Fiction - Mathematickles
Author: Franco, Betsy / Salerno, Steven (Ilt)
Publisher: Margaret McElderry $ 17.95 ISBN: 0689843577
Horn
Book PW SLJ
Follow a girl and her cat as they walk through the seasons and note the mathematical concepts illustrated around them.
Grades: Kindergarten to 5th Category: Nonfiction | Math | Poetry - Roller Coaster
Author: Frazee, Marla
Publisher: Harcourt $ 16 ISBN: 0152045546
Bulletin Booklist Kirkus PW
Awards: Parents Choice
The roller coaster car is going up, up, up to the highest spot. Get ready to experience the thrill of riding a coaster for the very first time in this vibrant new adventure from acclaimed picture book creator Frazee.
Grades: Toddler to 2nd Category: Fiction - In Defense of Liberty: The Story of America's Bill of
Rights
Author: Freedman, Russell
Publisher: Holiday House $ 24.95 ISBN: 0823415856
Bulletin Booklist Horn
Book Kirkus SLJ
Grades: 5-7 Category: Nonfiction | Politcs & Government - Olive's Ocean
Author: Henkes, Kevin
Publisher: Greenwillow $ 15.95 ISBN: 0060535431
Booklist Kirkus PW SLJ
This exquisite coming-of-age story from a bestselling author is about a girl who is haunted by her deceased friend Olive and has just a hint of young romance.
Grades: 5+ Category: Fiction - Keeper of the Night
Author: Holt, Kimberly Willis
Publisher: Holt $ 16.95 ISBN: 0805063617
Bulletin Kirkus PW SLJ
Isabel's mother died peacefully. At least that's what Isabel likes to think since no will talk about the truth. Set on the lush island of Guam, Holt has written a painfully beautiful story about a young woman's struggle to protect her family after suicide hits home.
Grades: 7-12 Category: Fiction - Little One Step
Author: James, Simon
Publisher: Candlewick $ 15.99 ISBN: 076362070x
Bulletin Booklist Kirkus SLJ
A tired and lost little duckling discovers a surprising technique that enables him to walk under the tallest of trees and the widest of fields, offering encouragement to readers to take that first step, no matter how small.
Grades: Preschool to 3rd Category: Fiction - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Author: Jenkins, Steve
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin $ 15 ISBN: 0618256288
Bulletin Booklist Kirkus SLJ
Readers can explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this beautifully illustrated interactive guessing book.
Grades: Preschool to 3rd Category: Nonfiction | Science - The First Part Last
Author: Johnson, Angela
Publisher: Simon & Schuster $ 15.95 ISBN: 0689849222
Bulletin Booklist PW SLJ
With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson tells the story of a teen father's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it.
Grades: 7+ Category: Fiction - The Man Who Made Time Travel
Author: Lasky, Kathryn / Hawkes, Kevin (Ilt)
Publisher: FSG $ 17 ISBN: 0374347883
Booklist Kirkus SLJ
This dramatic picture-book biography tells the story of John Harrison, an obscure 18th-century clock maker who envisioned a way to measure longitude by mapping the heavens and developed a seafaring clock.
Grades: 3-7 Category: Nonfiction | History | Biography | Science - How I Became a Pirate
Author: Long, Melinda / Shannon, David (Ilt)
Publisher: Harcourt $ 16 ISBN: 0152018484
Booklist PW SLJ
A Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator teams up with a witty storyteller for this hilarious pirate adventure starring a little boy who joins Braid Beard's crew on a fantastic voyage.
Grades: Toddler to 2nd Category: Fiction - Mosque
Author: MacAulay, David
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin $ 18 ISBN: 0618240349
Booklist Kirkus PW SLJ
An author and artist who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern people, Macaulay here reveals the methods and materials used to design and construct a mosque in late 16th century Turkey.
Grades: 4-7 Category: Nonfiction | Architecture | Religion - The Meanest Doll in the World
Author: Martin, Ann M.
Publisher: Hyperion $ 15.99 ISBN: 0786808780
Kirkus PW SLJ
In this sequel to The Doll People, Annabelle Doll and Tiffany Funcraft hitch a ride with Kate to her school where they encounter Mean Mimi, the wickedest doll of all.
Grades: 3-7 Category: Fiction | Action & Adventure - Creation
Author: McDermott, Gerald
Publisher: Dutton $ 16.99 ISBN: 0525469052
Booklist Horn
Book Kirkus PW SLJ
Rich in color, shapes, and textures, McDermott's meditation on the creation story from Genesis is a gift to readers of all ages.
Grades: K-3 Category: Nonfiction | Religion - Inside the Alamo
Author: Murphy, Jim
Publisher: Delacorte $ 16.95 ISBN: 0385325746
Booklist Kirkus SLJ
The Newbery Honor winner presents the story of the Alamo in this stirring account of a dramatic turning point in United States history, brought to life with quotes from witnesses, profiles of the famous men involved, and detailed illustrations.
Grades: 3-7 Category: Nonfiction | History - I Kissed the Baby
Author: Murphy, Mary
Publisher: Candlewick $ 12.99 ISBN: 0763621226
Bulletin Kirkus PW SLJ
News of the baby is buzzing from animal to animal, with each one boasting of seeing, feeding, singing to, tickling, and kissing the tiny thing. With bold illustrations, Murphy's simple, singsong story captures the commotion only a baby can bring.
Grades: Baby to Kindergarten Category: Fiction - Ruby Electric
Author: Nelson, Theresa
Publisher: Atheneum $ 16.95 ISBN: 0689838522
Kirkus PW SLJ
How do three-quarters of a family, a woolly mammoth, the movies and a mysterymake for the funniest heartbreaker in years? For 12-year-old Ruby, the movies are better than real life, and the ones she "writes" are the best of all.
Grades: 5-7 Category: Fiction - Carl Sandburg: Adventures of a Poet
Author: Niven, Penelope
Publisher: Harcourt $ 17 ISBN: 0152046860
Booklist Kirkus SLJ
Grades: Category: - Abhorsen
Author: Nix, Garth
Publisher: Eos $17.99 ISBN: 0060278250
Bulletin Kirkus PW
Awards: Parents Choice
The conclusion of Nix's Abhorsen trilogy finds former Second Assistant Librarian Lirael, now Abhorsen-in-Waiting, maintaining the border between Life and Death. Together with her friends, Lirael must forestall the waking of an unspeakable evil.
Grades: 7+ Category: Fiction | Fantasy | Action & Adventure - The River Between Us
Author: Peck, Richard
Publisher: Dial $ 16.99 ISBN: 0803727356
Booklist Horn
Book Kirkus PW
Within a page-turning tale of mystery, adventure, and the civilian Civil War experience, a master of stories about people in transition paints a portrait of the lifelong impact that one person can have on another.
Grades: 5-9 Category: Fiction | Historical - The Wee Free Man
Author: Pratchett, Terry
Publisher: HarperCollins $ 16.99 ISBN: 0060012366
Kirkus PW SLJ
In a thrilling tale that is equal parts suspense and humor, Carnegie Medalist Pratchett spins the story of a young witch-to-be named Tiffany who must journey through the terrifying and ever-shifting dreamscape of Fairyland to rescue her kidnapped brother.
Grades: 7+ Category: Fiction | Fantasy - Cold Tom
Author: Prue, Sally
Publisher: Scholastic $ 15.95 ISBN: 0439482682
Horn
Book PW SLJ
Part human, part elfin, young Tom struggles to find a place to call home in this striking debut fantasy novel.
Grades: 5+ Category: Fiction | Fantasy - Pool Boy
Author: Simmons, Michael
Publisher: Roaring Brook $ 15.95 ISBN: 0761318852
Bulletin Kirkus PW SLJ
A wealthy boy's life changes drastically when his father is jailed for insider trading.
Grades: 8-12 Category: Fiction - Old Cricket
Author: Wheeler, Lisa / Goembel, Ponder (Ilt)
Publisher: Atheneum $ 16.95 ISBN: 0689845103
Kirkus PW SLJ
From the creators of Sailor Moo comes a second critter comedy about a cricket with a creak in his knee, a crick in his neck, and a crack in his back.
Grades: Toddler to 1st Category: Fiction - Locomotion
Author: Woodson, Jacqueline
Publisher: Putnam $ 15.99 ISBN: 0399231153
Bulletin Horn
Book Kirkus PW SLJ
Awards: Boston Globe - Horn Book Honor Book, National Book Award Finalist
Told through his own poetry, 11-year-old Lonnie shares his heartbreak over his parents, killed in a fire four years ago, and his love for his younger sister Lili, separated from him when they were placed in foster care.
Grades: 5-9 Category: Fiction - How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?
Author: Yolen, Jane / Teague, Mark (Ilt)
Publisher: Blue Sky $ 15.95 ISBN: 0439241006
Bulletin Booklist Kirkus PW
Awards: Parents Choice
Just like kids, little dinosaurs hate being sick. And going to the doctor can be pretty scary. As in their previous book, Yolen and Teague capture children's fears about being sick and put them to rest with playful read-aloud verse and wonderfully amusing pictures.
Grades: Baby to 1st Category: Fiction - Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur
Author: Yolen, Jane
Publisher: Harcourt $ 17 ISBN: 0152025278
Bulletin Booklist PW SLJ
The newly crowned King Arthur is unsure of himself; worse, the people are unsure of him. So Merlin magically places a sword into a slab of rock, lets it be known that whosoever removes the blade will rule all of England, and invites any man who would dare, to try to pull out the sword.
Grades: 7-12 Category: Fiction | Fantasy
Hotlists
African American Fiction | Christian Fiction
2008 Excel Files: (download - print, sort, etc.)
Crime Fiction | Fiction | African American Fiction | Christian Fiction | Nonfiction Notables
Stars
Fiction: Jan-June | July-Dec Crime Fiction: Jan-June | July-Dec
Speculative Fiction Romance Historical Nonfiction | YA
2009 Hotlists
Fiction - excel file more coming soon...
Crime Fiction - excel file more coming soon...
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