Growing Bookworms Newsletter: January 5

Today I will be sending out the new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's books and raising readers. It is sent out once every two weeks (if you are getting daily Feedblitz updates, you might prefer to sign up for the Growing Bookworms newsletter instead, and only receive one email every two weeks). There are currently 996 subscribers.

Newsletter Update: In this relatively short issue I have one book review (young adult), one children's literacy round-up and one post with Kidlitosphere news. I also have posts about the Cybils shortlists, the new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and a Comment Challenge in the Kidlitosphere. At Booklights, I have a new installment in my Tips for Growing Bookworms series (a recommendation to model reading for pleasure) and a post with an appreciation for outgoing National Ambassador Jon Scieszka. The only post from my blog these past two weeks NOT included in the newsletter is the list of books that I read in 2009 (which was too long to include here).

Reading Update: In the past two weeks, I read one picture book, three young adult novels, and two adult novels (though Under the Dome should rightly count as about three books, because it clocks in at nearly 1100 pages):

• Doreen Cronin (ill. Harry Bliss): Diary of a Worm. HarperCollins. Completed January 2, 2010. Very fun! I bought this as a gift for a young friend, and took the opportunity to read it myself.
• Rachel Ward: Numbers. The Chicken House. Completed January 1, 2010. Review to come.
• Sarah Beth Durst: Ice. Margaret K. McElderry Books. Completed December 22, 2009. My review.
• Anna Godbersen: Splendor (A Luxe Novel). HarperCollins. Completed December 30, 2009. The satisfying conclusion to the Luxe series, excellent escapist reading (not reviewed because I listened on MP3).
• Stephen King: Under the Dome. Scribner. Completed December 29, 2009. A surprisingly fast-paced read, given the length of the book. I enjoyed it, though it doesn't quite measure up to The Stand (one of my all-time favorites).
• Deborah Crombie: Necessary as Blood. Completed December 30, 2009. The latest installment of one of my favorite adult mystery series. Excellent, and left me eager for the next book. I think that this series is the perfect blend of UK police procedural with ongoing character development.

Coming up, I'll be reading the Cybils shortlist titles for middle grade fantasy and science fiction. And hopefully catching up on some picture book reviews.

Happy 2010! Thanks for reading the newsletter, and for growing bookworms.

© 2010 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. All Amazon links in this post are affiliate links, and may result in my receiving a small commission on purchases (with no additional cost to you).