Watermark Books & Cafe

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Watermark Teacher Feature – December 6, 2006

In this issue:

UPCOMING EVENTS

Nancy Hornback & Terry Thompson Signing, Wed., Dec. 13, 11:30 a.m.

Mary Carol Garrity Signing, Sun., Dec. 17, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Kate Moorehead Book Signing, Thurs., Dec. 21. 7:30 p.m.

BOOK REVIEWS

New books in two great young-reader graphic novel series:

* "The Baby-Sitters Club: The Truth About Stacey" by Martin & Telgemeier

* "Runaways: Parental Guidance" by Vaughan & Alphona

October & November book reviews from A-Review-A-Day.

I don’t know about you all, but I’ve survived Round One of holiday excitement, and I’m starting to get my second wind as we head into December.

If you’d like a helping hand to see you through the season, Watermark stands ready. The café’s catering service has baked goods and specialty cheesecakes on offer for your parties and get-togethers; we offer a variety of gifts (as well as a free gift-wrapping service) in the bookstore; and our Holiday Ally Web page hosts book recommendations tailored to every person on your list.

See the early entries here (and be sure to check back often):

http://www.watermarkbooks.com/winterholidays2006.html

Upcoming Author Events:

Nancy Hornback & Terry Thompson Signing. Wed., Dec. 13, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Join us in the midday hours for a book signing with Nancy Hornback & Terry Thompson, authors of the new (and seasonally appropriate) quilting book "Quilts in Red & Green."

Mary Carol Garrity Signing. Sun., December 17, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The proprietress of Nell Hill's, G. Diebolts, and Garrity's Encore in Atchison, Kansas, has made a name for herself in the home furnishings world with her unpredictable merchandise that ranges from classic to whimsical. Now she has a new book out, "Nell Hill's Entertaining in Style," just in time for holiday entertaining! Come see the books and meet the lady who provides the creative force behind them.

Kate Moorehead Book Signing. Thurs. December 21. 7:30 p.m.

Kate Moorehead, pastor of St. James Episcopal Church in College Hill, will be at Watermark to sign copies of her new book "Organic God: Lenten Meditations on the Words of Jesus." Moorehead's previous book was "Between Two Worlds: Daily Readings for Advent."

For a full listing of Watermark events, including book clubs and art openings, visit the Events page of our Web site at: http://www.watermarkbooks.com/events.html

New books in two great young-reader graphic novel series:

Comics and graphic novels are a rapidly expanding medium, with intriguing new titles cropping up almost every day. Today’s young readers, raised with video games and easy Internet access, are especially primed to appreciate the highly visual multimedia storytelling they offer. Here are two quick reviews of new volumes in excellent series for young readers: the first comes from Scholastic’s burgeoning line of graphic novels, and the second continues a series named that the American Library Association names a 2006 Top Ten Pick for young adults.

"The Baby Sitters Club #2: The Truth about Stacey" by Anne M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic GRAPHIX, 0439739365, $8.99)

I’ve come to love Scholastic’s GRAPHIX imprint, which publishes really high-quality graphic novels for young readers, and I think that the new "Baby-Sitters Club" series is one of the strongest titles in their line. In each volume, rising-star cartoonist Raina Telgemeier adapts Anne M. Martin’s original 1980s-era Baby-Sitters Club stories into energetically drawn black-and-white comic books. The stories center on friendships and family and on the ups and downs of being middle-school entrepreneurs. They’re perfect for young readers—girls especially—who have never read comics or graphic novels before.

In the newly released second volume in the series, The Truth About Stacey,

the Baby-Sitters Club has to contend with the appearance of a rival agency of teenage babysitters, who want to take away the original group’s clients.

The old gang—led by sporty, level-headed Kristy—get creative with their business plan in an effort to win-out over the competition: they offer special deals and put together kits with awesome toys and story books to take with them on their sitting jobs. At the same time, new-girl Stacey, who arrived in from New York City in the first book, takes center stage as she works to get a handle on her diabetes. Stacey has to watch her diet and stay away from junk food while enduring more doctor visits than she’d like.

Throughout the book, Martin’s story carries good lessons about how to handle disagreements between friends, how to be a good sport while competing, and how to stand up for yourself and what you think is right. Telgemeier’s cartooning is fun and full of excitement, and she portrays each girl with humor and individuality. Many adult readers I know remember the original Baby-Sitters Club books as their favorite middle-school reads, and I think the new Graphix editions will now become favorites for a whole new generation.

Recommended for readers ages 9 to 12.

Visit the Baby-Sitters Club Graphix site to see sample pages:

http://www.scholastic.com/bscgraphix/about/

"Runaways: Parental Guidance" by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona (Marvel Comics, 0785118523, $7.99)

Growing up is never easy, and it’s especially harder when you’re the super-powered child of West Coast crime lords. That’s what the teenage kids in the stellar comic "Runaways" learn as they lead lives on the lam and work to keep Los Angeles safe for more everyday folk. Each one has special tools or abilities (a magic wand, a pet dinosaur, hidden robot organs) that make him or her special, but it’s their sassy bravery and their drive to do the right thing that make them heroes.

In this sixth "Runaways" collection, the group faces the return of The Pride, the villainous organization their parents once created to take over the world. The twist this time, though, is that the new Pride isn’t a collection of evil adults, it’s a bunch of wannabe teen heroes like themselves. The mystery they must solve is how these rival kids got their hands on all the original Pride’s dark secrets and nefarious gadgets and why this new crew is convinced that the Runaways themselves are the bad guys. Along the way, the group’s youngest member gets caught up in a solo adventure on the streets of L.A., where she learns a bit about how regular, non-super-powered runaways live.

"Runaways" always has twisty plots and surprises aplenty, but what really makes it great are its one-of-a-kind characters. The teens here are cocky and confused, loyal, whip-smart, and hilarious. Writer Brian K. Vaughan gives them great lines and solid development, and artist Adrian Alphona draws them as realistic teens in all their rumpled thrift-store glory. The series has always been an addictive delight for teen readers looking for humor and adventure, and this latest installment continues the series’ awesome winning streak.