The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins, 2008)

Lynn: An assassin, the Man Jack, murders three members of a sleeping family as the true target, a little boy, climbs out of his crib and toddles up the hill to the graveyard eluding the killer. A ghostly couple shields the child and then decides to raise him, naming him Nobody Owens because he looks like nobody but himself. It takes a graveyard to raise this child and Bod is the adored pet of the spectral residents whose living years spanned the centuries. As Bod begins to push at the restrictions of childhood, he once again comes to the attention of the mysterious group who seek his death.

Gaiman’s storytelling abilities shine here as he riffs on Jungle Book, nursery rhymes, and vampire lore in a truly unique coming of age story. Humor lightens the somewhat melancholy tone of the book that perfectly matches the memorable characters - living and dead. The ghouls are totally awesome too! For audio book fans, the audio of this book is wonderful with Gaiman doing the narration.
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Cindy: I've been following the debate on the Adbooks listserv about whether this is a teen book or not. Bod is young, but the story starts out with the murder of his family and ultimately, the story leads up to Bod's preparation to set out on his own "to seek his fortune" and see the world without the aid of the ghouls who have raised him. The gorgeous writing and the successful construction of each chapter that can be read as a stand alone short story creates a novel that can be enjoyed by 4th grade through adult. After coming to that conclusion I visited Gaiman's website to see if there was something I could link to for fun, and found a blog entry of Gaiman's with his opinion about the audience for the book. It's always a pleasure to know that Neil has your back....

Savvy by Ingrid Law (Penguin, 2008)

Lynn: Turning thirteen is a big milestone for most people but in the Beaumont family it is truly life changing. Thirteen is when the Beaumont savvy appears. Each person’s savvy is different. There is Fish who causes hurricanes, Rocket who generates electricity and Great Aunt Jules who time-travels every time she sneezes. Mississippi (Mibs) thinks she knows what her savvy is and it couldn’t be more important. Mibs’ father lies in a coma in the hospital after a car accident and Mibs is sure her savvy is to wake things up. Somehow she has to travel the ninety miles to Salina to help Poppa. It seems like such a good idea to sneak aboard the pink bible bus but nothing is ever simple when it comes to the Beaumonts!

I have a great weakness for books with quirky characters and Law’s delightful cast is that in spades - and endearing as well. Debut author Law manages her imaginative confection with a sure hand, utilizing folksy dialog deftly and steering clear of the easy ending. Mibs’ fresh voice will go straight to the hearts of teens who share her struggle to navigate adolescence. I admit to reaching for a tissue at the conclusion and wishing we all could have a savvy of our own. I can’t wait to see what Ingrid Law does next!

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones (HarperCollins/Greenwillow, 2008)

Lynn: Full disclosure! Not only would I read ANYTHING Diana Wynne Jones writes but I would read it multiple times. This wonderful new book has all the things I most love about Jones’ writing: eccentric characters, charming humor, magical chaos and that warm sense that we are all in on the fun. Sophie, Howl and Calcifer return for an encore appearance when Sophie is asked to assist in the search for a missing Elfgift and Howl can’t resist crashing the party disguised as a lisping little boy. You’d think other characters wouldn't stand a chance with that trio but Charmain, a spoiled bored teen, holds her own very nicely. Charmain has been raised to be respectable which means that she has no practical skills at all. When she is whisked away by her disapproving aunt to take care of her ill great-uncle’s house, Charmain is horrified to discover that there is no time to read her books! Add the mystifying peculiarities of the wizard’s house, an inept apprentice, an annoying dog, a royal mystery and a really shivery villain and you have Diana Wynne Jones at her best. Charmain wants nothing more than to be left along to read when life gets bothersome and I admit to sharing that yearning. So go ahead and ignore those holiday chores - House of Many Ways is the perfect antidote to seasonal craziness!
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Cindy: Howl's Moving Castle is one of my favorite DWJ titles, but readers can start here just fine and go back to the companion novels Howl and Castle in the Air later. I read this title early last spring but still remember the piles of dishes that Charmain faced, the mysteries of the magical house, the organization of her uncle's library, and all the madcap energy of a signature Jones title. I FELT her frustration as she kept getting sidelined from the books she wanted to read. Who has time for household chores when there are good books to be read? Indeed! I was a little let down by Howl's appearance. I had hoped for more antics with young wizard Howl--his toddler transformation was a missed opportunity although I enjoyed the scenes we did get. After you've read these books, check out the Howl's Moving Castle anime film by Hayao Miyazaki. I hope Jones is not finished with this world. I know I'm not!

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George (Bloomsbury 2008)

Lynn: One of the great pleasures of snowy days is nestling in with a wonderful book. Here is one that is picture perfect for wintry days. The baby born to a bitter and disappointed mother doesn't even have a name. Called Lass by her family, the little girl grows up quiet and self-sufficient with a secret talent that enables her to communicate with animals. During one especially hungry winter, a huge polar bear arrives at the house and offers wealth to the family in exchange for Lass spending a year and a day with him in his castle. Lass does her best to curb her curiosity and endure the year. But what girl can resist trying to solve the mystery of the beautiful young man who slips into her bed each night? George blends an enchanting retelling of a Norwegian tale with exciting new elements, creating a completely satisfying read. I especially loved the trolls! So grab a quilt, make a cup of cocoa and enjoy!
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Cindy: 398.2 is this storyteller's favorite section of the library. I also love fictional folktale retellings. Robin McKinley's Beauty was the first to really capture my heart by fully fleshing out a familiar tale into something very new. George's retelling of "East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon" is sure to please fans of Edith Pattou's East that looks at the same tale. Lass's ability to talk to animals makes her relationship with her pet wolf very entertaining, and it's a magical element that is also important to the plot. Three cheers for a book in which the beloved "dog" doesn't die! This story enchanted me the whole way, but I have to admit that I prefer the Beauty and the Beast storyline to East of the Sun. I mean, doesn't it creep you out a little that the girl is forced to sleep next to a man she doesn't know for a year? Sure, he is a gentleman, but I prefer Beauty's more distanced contact with her beast, thank you very much. That said, I can see how both girls fall in love with the gentle beasts they are imprisoned with. And Lynn's right, the trolls are fabulous--so too the salamander chefs, the faun, and other fey creatures. If I weren't in danger of being imprisoned myself by towering stacks of unread books, I'd be tempted to curl up with this one again.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

Lynn: A young girl disguising herself as a boy to escape desperate poverty, dragons with elemental powers, a kingdom in crisis – these plot elements make Eon sound like any other ho hum fantasy. Not so! I think this is one of the year’s best. Sadly it is not being released until the end of December so put this on your not-to-be-missed list. Goodman sets the story in a richly described Asian-style country in the midst of a power struggle. Vivid characters fill the complex plot and their struggles propel a pulse-quickening pace. Goodman takes standard elements and weaves straw into gold in this mesmerizing tale with plenty of thematic heft. I can’t say it enough: don’t miss this!

Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher by David and Ruth Ellwand

Cindy: I love authors and publishers who take a risk on books and this quirky gem delighted me when I first read it last spring. This one falls into the read-it-again-and-again category because you need multiple reads to figure out what is going on...and even then you aren't sure. The discovery of a chest of artifacts left by a photographer who worked on an archeological dig and claimed to photograph a fairy is the centerpiece of several mysteries and disappearances. What do you think happened? Even if you can't decide, the photographs and collage illustrations will delight, just as the author's 2002 book, Fairie-ality, (also published by Candlewick) did.
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Lynn: OK - I get that the pictures are cool and the book design is cooler and we're supposed to feel tantalized and eerily puzzled. Instead I finished the book feeling irritated. It was just not enough for me. It was like getting one lick of my favorite flavor ice cream, finding one shoe in the closet, restoring two sentences of a stunningly written review I forgot to save. I like my fantasies at least 300 pages long and packed with detail! This was just a beautiful tease.

Pretty Monsters: Stories by Kelly Link

Lynn: This wonderful book gathers 9 of Kelly Link’s stories in her first collection published for teens. Most of the stories have appeared in other books but old fans will welcome having them together and those unfamiliar with Link’s work will surely join the ranks of admirers. Her work is truly unique and blends horror, fantasy, and science fiction. While being extremely funny in a dead pan, sneak-up-on-you way, Link has a very sharp eye for human foibles. Whether she is writing about a handbag that holds another world or a mysterious television series called the Library that appears at random, Link’s stories are always captivating, macabre, quirky and often extremely scary. This collection is a rare treat.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Lynn: Tamora Pierce blurbs this book saying, "Here's a WOW of a book," and that sums up my feelings pretty well. Kristin Cashore has created an intensely interesting world and peopled it with characters that sparkle with complexity and life. The terms fast paced and compulsively readable can't be used often enough here. There are moments in the plot that literally made me gasp out loud but the core of the book is the naturallly evolving development of the characters who take control of the reader's heart. Teens are going to be standing in line for this one and storming the librarian's desk demanding more the minute they finish the last page.
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Cindy: This is a fabulous first novel and I was with Cashore for most of the trip. The plot bogged down a little for me at the end starting with Katsa trekking through the snowy mountains with no coat, no sleep, and no food, but hey, I like my Gortex... I'll be interested to hear what others think of the final chapters. (Throw us a comment!) I'll definitely be booktalking this and am eager for the next installment myself!