Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata is the 2005 Newbery award winner.
Chronicles the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the despair when one sister becomes terminally ill.

I was worried about this novel with a terminally ill sibling, we all know's means death in those days. But this was a very uplifting book and I felt sad to leave these characters as the author really was able to make them seem real to me. I'm so glad it won the Newbery this year. So far two of my favorite novels have been Newbery award winners. I love Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo.

Cynthia Kadohata is from the Los Angeles area so we're hoping to get her to speak for the library.

Power of Five W.I.T.C.H. #1 adapted by Elizabeth Lenhard
It airs on Disney/ABC but I believe has been translated from a japanese series.
The text is book and it starts and ends with an vibrant color comics that kickstart the imagination. It's a story within a graphic novel. Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin (W.i.t.c.h.) are five ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret: they each have the power to control a natural element -- air, water, fire, earth, and finally, the mysterious "Heart of Candracar." The girls use their powers to guard against evil and to uncover the truth behind mysterious portals leading to other worlds.

Interesting series and it is super popular and the books are always checked out. I like the comic element and believe a true graphic novels are coming out summer 2005 so we'll see how it graduates.

Embrace the Wolf by Benjamin M. Schutz
First in the series that features Leo Haggerty, Private Eye

I have the admit the first chapter sucked me in. 5 years previously twin 5 year old girls were kidnapped by an unknown person. The kidnappers never made a demand but the father, Herb Saunders, never gave up hope they would come home one day. He had been doing his own investigations to find his daughters so when the kidnapper calls and plays a tape of his daughters voices he is off to find the fiend who stole them. His wife returns home to find a note saying he was going to find the devil so she calls in Leo Haggerty to help bring her husband home.

I should have stopped reading it after the first chapter and just skipped to the ending. This is a very tragic book that has a lot of horrible sex and torture that I could have done without. I'm reading his latest book Mongol Reply that is so much more interesting. Perhaps someday I'll try his Leo Haggerty books again.

Adrian Mole: the Cappuccino Years by Sue Townsend continues the Adrian Mole saga. Adrian , now 30, is divorced and the father of two sons (William, almost three years old, and Glenn, 12). His good friends are still around: old flame Pandora "we adore ya" Braithwaite has been elected a Labour MP by capitalizing on her short, tight skirts to win votes; best friend Nigel is trying to figure out how to tell his family he's gay. To Adrian's horror, his parents swap partners with Pandora's parents--and his dad discovers Viagra. Despite his ineptitude at cooking, Adrian works as the head chef at a snooty restaurant called Hoi Polloi, which specializes in "execrable nursery food." Adrian--temporarily--gets his own cooking show, "Offally Good!"

Another book on CD I keep laughing out loud in the car during some of the funny bits. I'm sure the other people driving by think I'm crazy.

League of Extraordinary Gentleman Vol. II by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neil
Collection of 6 comic books in the 2nd volume of the series. Set in an alternate, technologically advanced 1898 London, the story finds legendary literary heroes Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin (the Invisible Man), Edward Hyde and Mina Murray fighting battles that the British Empire can't handle without them. Here, the eclectic team is defending Earth from a Martian invasion, partially set in motion by another pulp hero, Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter of Mars. I have not read Volume I yet so will go back and see if it fills in any blanks.

Giver by Lois Lowry
When Jonas turns 12, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver--who alone holds memories of pain and pleasure in life. Now there can be no turning back from the truth. Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives. 1994 Newbery Medal winner. Lowry is such a wondeful author. Wow.

An interesting book as it really looks at how society would be if no one was different if there was a world where everything was controled by the committee and if you did not conform you were released from the society. A world in which death and love was not understood or color seen. The book leaves the ending open as you are not sure if he really escapes or if he is released. There are two related books that I am looking forward to reading to see if any of my questions are answered.

Gathering Blue is a companion to the Giver.
Lame and suddenly orphaned, Kira is mysteriously removed from her squalid village to live in the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the all-powerful Guardians. She meets Thomas, a carver, and Jo, a singer, who are also being trained for the future. When Matty, her only friend from the outside disappears she fears the worse but he brings her back something even more valuable than the color blue.

But as with the Giver, Kira discovers that while life seems so happy and perfect they are all really held captive and that there are consequences for everything. So she must choose.

Very engaging book and as with the Giver you do not know what will happen to the characters.