Santa says good kids should have good books

When shopping for kids' books this holiday season, don't forget to pick the brain of your favorite bookseller, often the first to discover the latest gems. In fact, Book Sense, a national organization of independent bookstores, recently compiled a useful guide called "Book Sense Best Children's Books: 240 Favorites for All Ages Recommended by Independent Booksellers" (New Market Press, 176 pp., $14.95). Most of the following books aren't on the Book Sense list, as they were published too recently to be included. Even so, you're sure to find them standing tall in bookstores everywhere.

Picture books

"Salad People and More Real Recipes: A New Cookbook for Preschoolers & Up" by Mollie Katzen (Tricycle, 96 pp., $17.95, ages 3-up). A cookbook for the very youngest by the creator of the "Moosewood Cookbook."

"Terrific" by Jon Agee (Michael di Capua, 32 pp., $15.95, ages 3-7). The droll adventures of Eugene, a shipwreck victim, and the parrot he meets on a deserted island.

"Diary of a Spider" by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Harry Bliss (Joanna Cotler, 40 pp., $15.99, ages 4-8). The creators of "Diary of a Worm" have moved on to eight-legged creatures, coming up with some amusing results.

"Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up" by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart (Candlewick, 12 pp., $26.99, ages 4-8). This dinosaur pop-up book is truly wonderful.

"Leonardo the Terrible Monster" by Mo Willems (Hyperion, 44 pp., $16.99, ages 4-8). "Leonardo was a terrible monster ... " Well, actually, he's a complete failure at being scary. So he decides to find "the most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world," just so he can scare someone.

"Nora's Ark" by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully (HarperCollins, 32 pp, $15.99, ages 4-8). Back in 1927, the skies dumped nine inches of rain on Vermont in just two days, causing a major flood. This story — about a young girl, her grandparents and a herd of unexpected guests — was inspired by this event.

"Pete the Sheep-Sheep" by Jackie French, illustrated by Bruce Whatley (Clarion, 32 pp., $14, age 4-8). Ratso, Big Bob and Bungo — like most Australian sheep shearers — rely on sheepdogs to round up their charges. But Shaun's got a Sheep-Sheep to get the job done. Unfortunately, differences are hard for some folks to swallow.

"Kamishibai Man" by Alan Say (Walter Lorraine, 32 pp., $17, ages 6-9). In this poignant story, a former Kamishibai Man (a specialized storyteller) transports his old stage into the city, where he reminisces about his storytelling days — and feels the pain of change.

"Reaching for the Moon" by Buzz Aldrin, illustrated by Wendell Minor (HarperCollins, 40 pp., $15.99, ages 6-9). Buzz Aldrin, who shared the first moonwalk with Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969, proves himself a fine writer for young people in a simple but heartfelt autobiography.

"Rosa" by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Holt, 40 pp., $16.95, ages 6-9). This timely biography by the noted poet Nikki Giovanni is a tribute to the quiet courage of Rosa Parks. Collier's paintings have a fierce but warm quality.

"Show Way" by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbot (Putnam, 48 pp., $16.99, ages 6-9). Woodson uncovers her own family history back to the slave days, following one generation after the next until she finally celebrates the birth of her own baby girl.

Older children

"Alice Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Candlewick, 228 pp., $24.99, all ages). A hefty volume with plenty of charming illustrations, not to mention thick and long-lasting pages.

"Each Little Bird that Sings" by Deborah Wiles (Gulliver, 247 pp., $16, ages 8-12). Ten-year-old Comfort Snowberger, whose parents run a funeral home, confronts the deaths of several of her own loved ones. This story provides a gentle look at the grieving process with many doses of humor.

"The Penderwicks: a Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy" by Jeanne Birdsall (Knopf, 262 pp., $15.95, ages 8-12). "Boxcar Children" fans should appreciate this breezy yarn about the summer adventures of five kids who are truly kids. Winner of the 2005 National Book Award.

"Replay" by Sharon Creech (Joanna Cotler, 240 pp., $15.99, ages 9-12). Around the same time 12-year-old Leo gets a bit part in the play "Rumpopo's Porch," he discovers his father's journal and meets someone he doesn't really know, but still recognizes in himself.

"Down the Rabbit Hole: an Echo Falls Mystery" by Peter Abrahams (Laura Geringer, 375 pp., $15.99, ages 10-up). A mystery about a girl who inadvertently learns something about a local murder and ends up sleuthing. Meanwhile, she wins the lead for a local theatrical production of "Alice and Wonderland," which doesn't seem completely disconnected from the crime.

Young adult

"Girls for Breakfast" by David Yoo (Delacorte, 294 pp., $15.95, ages 14-up). Nick Park finds himself drawn to girls at the tender age of 9. Thus begins the quest for romance, which does not falter in middle and high school. He decides popularity is his ticket to success, but it's hard to break into the cool crowd when you are the only Korean American (and the only kid of Asian heritage) in the school. Very funny and bravely rendered.

"John Lennon : All I Want is the Truth" by Elizabeth Partridge (Viking, 232 pp., $24.99, ages 13-up). This handsome biography of Lennon includes more than 150 black-and-white photos documenting his life.

"The Minister's Daughter" by Julie Hearn (Atheneum, 264 pp., $16.95, ages 13-up). Part fantasy, part historical fiction, this riveting yarn illustrates the horror faced by those branded as witches in 1645 Britain. It's got its light moments and some fascinating characters.

"Moccasin Thunder: American Indian Stories for Today" edited by Lori Marie Carlson (HarperCollins, 156 pp., $15.99, ages 13-up). A fine collection of short stories about Indian youths struggling with modern problems and a changing world. Includes works by Sherman Alexie, Louise Erdrich, Greg Sarris and Joy Harjo.

"Where I Want to Be" by Adele Griffin (Putnam, 150 pp., $15.99, ages 13-up). After Lily's older sister Jane is hit by a car and killed, Lily tries to put her life back together, but Jane's haunting story will not be ignored. Written in alternating chapters, readers are drawn into flashbacks of Jane's mental illness and Lily's quest for an everyday life.

Local authors

"Hide & Seek" by Janet S. Wong, illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine (Harcourt, 32 pp., $16, ages 3-7). A lively concept book involving the game of hide & seek and some practice with numbers.

"White is for Blueberry" by George Shannon, illustrated by Laura Dronzek (Greenwillow, 40 pp., $15.99, ages 3-7). A book about colors with some surprising illustrations.

"The Bora-Bora Dress" by Carole Lexa Schaefer, illustrated by Catherine Stock (Candlewick, 32 pp., $16.99, ages 4-8). Lindsay never wears dresses. Then her mother insists she find something for Aunt Fiona's dress-up party. Fortunately, she stumbles onto something that inspires her to create beautiful dances.

"Ella Takes the Cake" by Carmela and Stephen D'Amico (Scholastic, 48 pp., $16.99, ages 4-8). This duo have come out with a sequel to the hit story "Ella the Elegant Elephant." Ella helps out by offering to deliver a huge wedding cake by towing it with her bicycle.

"Jitterbug Jam: a Monster Tale" by Barbara Jean Hicks and Alexis Deacon (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 40 pp., $16, ages 4-8). A reversal of roles occurs in this yarn about a monster who's afraid of the boy under his bed.

"The Bamboozlers" by Michael de Guzman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 167 p.p., $16, ages 9-12). Partly set in Seattle, this tale by the author of "Melonhead" involves the adventures of young Albert and his ex-con grandfather.

"The Phoenix Dance" by Dia Calhoun (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 288 pp., $17, ages 11-up). The story of an apprentice shoemaker based on the Grimm's fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."

"The Witch's Boy" by Michael Gruber (HarperTempest, 377 pp., $16.99, ages 11-up). After a witch finds an ugly baby abandoned with an ominous note, "the devil's child for the devil's wife," she decides to take him in. But she's not prepared to raise a hurt child, who eventually becomes a target for abuse in the human world.

"Runner" by Carl Deuker (Houghton Mifflin, 216 pp., $16, ages 12-up). Chance is well aware how he and his father, a Gulf War veteran, could easily tumble into homelessness. So when a job opportunity comes his way, he's eager to help make ends meet, though he's pretty sure the work is illegal. Set in Seattle.

"The Rhyming Season" by Edward Averett (Clarion, 214 pp., $16.00, ages 14-up). In the small town of Hemlock, high school senior Brenda Jacobsen works out her personal issues on the basketball court.