It's wet and it looks cold! I have got to get out there and trim those bushes. They are feet and feet higher than they were when we moved in but I really like all the green and watching the little brown birds bouncing in and out of them. The way the computer screen is situated, I can't see any houses, only the curly willow in the next yard over and the holly that separates our houses. There is a different kind of bush in the mix but I don't know what it's called; it drops lots of little white scentless blossoms in the summer.

What a wet spring it's been. Good for reading, not much good for being able to walk around the outside of the house now that the grass and weeds have reached knee height. Every time I get a day off, when I have nothing else I have to do and can get out to work, it rains. And then it gets warm. The grass gets higher. I can't mow. I will have to weed whack as soon as it is dry (ha ha) for at least a couple of days.

Monday evening (May 4) Third Place Books hosted Nikki McClure to celebrate her new book with Cynthia Rylant called All in a Day. I had been previously invited to see the Mariners play (they lost by 1) so missed seeing her. However, on April 15, about a dozen Seattle area booksellers were invited to visit her in her studio in Olympia. This was a wonderful field trip.

Bookselling is really a cool job. We go to dinner with authors, we meet them at events, we go on bus tours led by authors who live in the cities we are visiting, and every once in a while you get to see where the magic happens.

Nikki's studio is bright and neat, and her windows are huge, looking out over many of the views you will see in her exacto-knifed art work: beech trees, a hen, squirrels, a beautiful pink and white tulip tree featured on the April page of this year's calendar. Behind the studio, in what looks like a telephone pole, is a flicker's nest and we saw it come and go out of the nest!

Nikki showed us how she does her work with knives and negative space, quickly slicing away the parts of the black paper that she didn't need, leaving behind a sweet bird, perched on a thin branch, surrounded by leaves. It was so COOL!

We went to lunch, then, at a really great sandwich shop, called The Bread Peddler, and I think they were a little concerned about the crowd of women suddenly filling the entire ordering area. With only a little confusion about drinks, we were sorted out and headed to the park along the water (I think this part of Puget Sound is called Budd Inlet) for a picnic. And, yes, this day was almost warm and it was dry. There was a brisk breeze that came and went but it was only enough to keep us happy to be in our sweaters and scarves.

On our walk to the park we stopped in the middle of the intersection to check out the manhole covers which were designed by none other than Nikki McClure! It isn't often that you can say that manhole covers are sweet, but these are. They are big, metal circles,well, you've seen manhole covers, carved with little feet standing in wavelets and fish. I understand the manhole covers are for sale and I am seriously thinking about buying one. Dennis (my husband) thought one of these might be a really great birthday present and I think he might just be right!

We capped the day with a visit to the coffee shop (and I am sorry I can't remember the name of the shop. It is two names, starts with a B, is a gallery and a coffee shop, on Capitol street, maybe?) where Nikki's original art was hanging. When you get the opportunity to see original art from kid's book authors, you should take advantage of it. It is different from seeing flat art on the page. It was cool to see the shadows cast by unglued paper, the rain drops in the art cast raindrop shadows on the paper behind it.

A cup of some of the best coffee I have had in a long time, a wander along the art from All in a Day, and a little chat with Nikki about why she curved the horizon lines in the illustrations, and our day was done.

It was a lovely day, and I want to thank our Abrams rep, Andy Weiner, for organizing the trip, and Nikki for inviting us. There is nothing better than to be with other booksellers doing something like this, something that we can then share with you, the little secrets behind how books and stories are made.

After writing this, I realize that I have been sitting in sunlight in my mind, the light that was in Nikki's studio and in the park. I have been hearing the seagulls and the clanking of ropes on the boats moored along the promenade where we had lunch. Isn't that funny? Now I am cold and have to get ready to go to work.

What I'm Reading Now: I am reading School of Fear, by Gitty Daneshvari, published by Little, Brown. I am going to dinner with the author and many other booksellers tonight (May 6) and, once again, must speed read my way through the story! I misplaced my copy of this until this morning. I despaired of actually finding it today-my house is a maze of books-but I found it a third of the way down a stack of books I had already read. I really have to cull some of these things. It, so far, is the story of 4 kids with phobias who are shipped off to a school to teach them not to be so fearful. They have just arrived at the school and have been served lunch (grilled cheese sandwiches made of cheese that have had maggots in them to aid in their particular taste. Gross. Kids will love this.).

Okay, now I really have to go!

Thank you all for yesterday's birthday wishes!

I say it's my Birthday, I'm gonna have a good time! Thanks to the Beatles for the one song I sing to myself, over and over, on this day. I love birthdays- not just mine, but I've gotta say mine is almost always a good one. I am so happy that the people I know were born! You've gotta appreciate everyone else's birthday when they have such an impact on you. I like to thank my mother-in-law on my husband's birthday.

Isn't it lovely that we all have one day that is only about us? Even if no one else knows it's your birthday, it is still all about you. Indulgences, a slice of Honey Bear's chocolate cake; feeling a little special, giving yourself a break from guilt, the laundry, bill paying; sleeping a little longer, reading a little later, all those things that you don't allow yourself the rest of the year, they can wait one day!

Today is rainy and very windy- Ah, the wind. it reminds me of home (Port Orford, Oregon) which I never remember as ever being calm, except when standing behind a wall or shelter. Beautiful, seemingly warm weather always included a wind chill factor.

I go in to work late on Tuesdays so I am in the process of reading tonight's book group book, That Was Then, This is Now, by S. E. Hinton. I was up way too late, after going to the Mariner's game (in the rain, in the wind), finishing a new book from Random House called Maze Runner. Now,I must end this post, take a shower and do a little speed reading.

Happy birthday to all of you!

Yay, Spring BookNotes

(This is the latest BookNotes newsletter entry. Some of the events listed may have already passed.)

Gimme an S! Yay, Spring! A couple minutes more light on either side of the day. Insert happy sigh here. I really like getting up in the dark but I will give that up for being able to come home in the daylight. I am looking forward to doing a whole lot of un-hunkering in the next few weeks. In honor of the season, this week’s books are spring-y, green-y and rhyme-y.

BookNotes

Falling Down the Page, edited by Georgia Heard. Ms. Heard has chosen poems written as lists for this book. What a great idea! The book is designed to open and be read like a reporter’s notebook, you open it from the bottom and read from the top. It’s pretty cool. This would be a wonderful way to teach and present poetry classes for your classroom and home. It isn’t as intimidating to write a poem about, say, a pencil, if it is in a list format:


Things to Do if You Are a Pencil, by Elaine Magliaro

Be sharp.
Wear a slick yellow suit
And a pink top hat.
Tap your toes on the tabletop,
Listen for the right rhythm,
Then dance a poem
Across the page.

Falling Down the Page is good for kids (and adults) ages 5 and up. (Roaring Brook Press, $16.95.)


Redwoods, illustrated and written by Jason Chin, is a book about the redwoods of northern California. Great artwork in this, there is a lot to notice, and even the end pages are fun. A little boy is in a subway when he picks up an abandoned book about redwoods. As he reads about these most majestic of trees, odd things start to happen around him. Mr. Chin shows us what the redwoods are by placing them in an environment the boy can understand: the boy is on the train reading about the ancestors of the trees with Jurassic era dinos looking on; there are some trees alive now when Rome was an empire so he is flanked by toga and armor wearing Romans; when the boy leaves the subway, we see the shallow root system of the redwoods coming through the ceiling.

There is a lot of good information about the trees in the text, but the art work really brings it home so kids will remember and understand it. Ages 5 and up. (Roaring Brook Press, $16.95.)


The Curious Garden, by Peter Brown of Chowder fame, has written and illustrated a lovely book about the importance of gardening and how one person can make a difference. The Curious Garden is about a boy named Liam who finds a couple of bedraggled plants on an abandoned elevated railway. Amazing things start to happen when he decides to take care of them: the plants get healthy and start to explore, greenery and flowers pop up in interesting places, and Liam’s whole town gets into helping the garden grow (inch by inch, and row by row). Brilliantly illustrated, with little things to search for on each page, The Curious Garden will inspire you and yours to go out and make a difference in your landscape.

Again, there are great end pages in this one, too. Take the dust jacket off and see the hidden surprise inside. Ages 4 and up. (Little Brown, $16.99.)

Come to Third Place Books (the Lake Forest Park location) when Peter Brown comes to see us on Monday, April 20, 2009, at 10 am. You can bring groups of kids (can you say field trips, anyone?), just make sure to call and let us know if you have a group of 10 or more: 206-366-3333.


A truly exotic book about enjoying each day on its own as a particular piece of time is Cynthia Rylant’s and Nikki McClure’s All in a Day. A sweet poem about how a single day is a distinct entity, never to come again, is illustrated by Nikki McClure’s exquisite paper cuts. The information about how Nikki produces her art is fascinating. Both author and illustrator are local, Nikki lives in Olympia. This would be a great frieze for a child’s room, if you could bear to tear it apart. You might need two copies! The black paper art over the pastel background colors is stunning. Ages 4 and up. (Abrams, $17.95.)



My Life in Pink and Green, by Lisa Greenwald, is a wonderful book for kids who are interested in the environment, who might be a little entrepreneurial, who are part of a family business, who might just have an idea for a business and not know how to get started.

Lucy is 12 years old and works part time in the family pharmacy. She gets to stock and make recommendations on what to carry in the makeup and hair product section. She reads all the instructions on how to use the products, plays with color, checks out magazines and new styles, and is pretty much the local beauty product pro in her store. When the current homecoming queen comes to the store in a panic because her hair has been ruined by her regular hair care professional, Lucy calms her down and suggests a few organic products that will tame the green frizz that makes up the top of her head. When the products work, the Queen starts sending all of her friends to Lucy for makeup and hair advice. At the same time, we find out that Lucy’s family is in the process of losing its business. Up against mega chain pharmacies that offer more stuff than drugs, and are able to buy massive amounts of drugs to offset the costs , they are losing the families who made the decision to no longer support the town pharmacist, someone who has lived and worked and paid her taxes to that town for three generations (I’m done soapboxing, now).

Lucy has been taking an after school course in environmental studies with her friends and realizes that with her mad skills at the makeup and hair thing, she might just be able to help her family and its business with a local green grant from the mayor’s office, even though her family thinks she is way too young to have anything to offer.

A good book, timely, and one that addresses a problem that is close to my heart, Lucy and her experiences make for a great read. I have been thinking about this book for weeks, ever since I first read it. It is upbeat, happy, fun, a little romance is included, there’s a healthy dose of “if you think it, you can do it”, and it is empowering to think that kids can make a difference in the lives around them. Ages 10 and up. (Amulet, $16.99.)



Store and Calendar Notes:

Go to www.thirdplacebooks.com for a more complete calendar listing. You will find book reviews, more events, lists, all kinds of things on the site. The following items are children and teen events that I thought you might find most interesting. Please call us, or order via our online store at the above address, if there is a book you would like and can’t physically get in to buy. We can have it signed for you and then get it mailed off the next day.

Sunday, April 4 from 10-12, join us as we celebrate the world of cowboys, horses, and the world around them. Ranch Sunday will include three authors, Terri Farley (the Phantom Stallion series), Roseanne Perry (Heart of a Shepherd), Suzanne Morgan Williams (Bull Rider) and crafts and drawing led by our own Commons artist, Constance Perenyi. Grab your boots and your belts, round up your compadres, and come on over!


Rick Riordan, the author of Lightning Thief and the first installation of The 39 Clues, will be at the store on May 8, 6:30 pm. It’s a Friday night and you should come hear him talk about the amazing Percy Jackson. Call the store now (206-366-3333)to have book number 5 in the series, The Last Olympian, set aside for the event. This is the last book in the series and you really shouldn’t miss it. The Last Olympian will be available on May 5. Find a babysitter for the young’uns, grab up the older ones, and hie yourself on down to Third Place Books for an evening of laughter and magic. If you are an adult reading this newsletter and you haven’t given yourself a book treat lately, you need to indulge yourself and read The Lightning Thief. Ask your kids if you can borrow theirs.

Tamora Pierce, the author of Alanna, that amazing series about a girl who wants to be a knight, will be at the store on Saturday, May 9, at 6:30, to discuss the second book in the Beka Cooper series, Bloodhound. Tamora Pierce has a nice, hefty stack of books to her name, books that are exciting, fast-paced, and empowering. Many of her books are about girls who want to break away from their proscribed roles in the world, strong girls who can make a difference for the small and helpless in that world. Her books are great and would make a great gift for that teen in your life (or for yourself, all the women I know love her books, too). I would suggest being at least 11 years old for her books.

Third Place Books has a limited number of Wintergirls, that amazing book by Laurie Halse Anderson about an anorexic girl, at the store now. She also signed her “backlist” titles (her older books), so if you need a copy of Speak or Chains, call to have one set aside.

Alright, then- that’s it for this week! Have a good weekend. I will be at the Green Festival at the Convention Center this Saturday (hey! That’s tomorrow!) selling books and soaking up information and vibes. If you are there, seek us out-

Rene’ Kirkpatrick
http://www.notesfromthebedsidetable.blogspot.com
rkirkpatrick@thirdplacebooks.com
www.thirdplacebooks.com

Spring, Not Spring, Spring, Not Spring......

We slept with the windows open last night. Covered in our blankets and a quilt, tucked into our flannel sheets, we left the windows open all night for the first time this year. The night was clear and cold and the moon left bright blue opal light in stripes across the floor where it came through the blinds.

It will take us a while to get re-used to the sounds of living an urban life. Our house is in the SeaTac airport flight path, we are just north of Boeing field where the UPS flights depart at 4:00 a.m., I-5 is only blocks away and we are encircled by I-90 as it folds under the hill to float across the lake towards the east. Up on the hill as we are, we also get to hear the trains heading away out of town and the ferry horns blapping like sea monsters as they leave the dock. When it is foggy, the sound of the cars on the highway and the pillowy sound of the foghorns combine for a southern Oregon coastal experience. Being above the Sound, we get the rich sent of salt and seaweed, savory additions to the sound of tire-waves. A big city lullaby.

It seemed as if Spring would never come. I know it is supposed to rain again tomorrow but it is easy to forget how horrible this last winter was when we are given even one single day of true clear sunlight and warmth. Everyone at work took their breaks outside, the store was empty (all retail in Seattle truly sucks when spring hits. We are so torn: rage against the weather or pray for it to stay? Income or giddiness? Can't we shop for toilet paper when it rains again?), sweaters and gloves left in lockers and backpacks. The ducks at Lyon Creek were lolling about on the banks where just last week those same banks were completely under water. It snowed last Wednesday. It was in the 70's yesterday.

I have been walking around the store perimeter on my breaks, with a little stop to see the ducks, reading my book group book for this month, Donald Duk, by Frank Chin. It's the story of Donald Duk, a soon to be 12 year old boy, on the eve of the New Year. He is unhappy with his name and embarrassed by his family and by being Chinese. This changes when his white friend, Arnold, stays with his family for the New Year celebrations. Arnold is fascinated by Donald's large extended family and asks the questions Donald should ask but won't. With Arnold there to field the answers and to be involved, Donald learns what his past and his culture include and some of the reasons he should embrace the world that makes him who he is. It was good, funny, and Donald is a very American teenager. I love his parents and his Uncle Donald Duk, a famous Chinese Opera star.

The weather is still gorgeous, supposed to be up in the 70's again, and I am on my way to work. I am going to watch for banks of daffodils planted in the full sun (ours at home are still mostly hard green buds), I am going to look at the ducks, I am going to check in on the Hen Cam, and enjoy the heat.

Nothing Here but Us Chickens

I finished Coop, by Michael Perry, last week, staying up way late to suck the last words out of the marrow of his book. What a wonderful way to spend those hours, reading about a man and his family, his outbuildings and their farm. I spent a lot of time reading little pieces of it out loud to anyone I could corner, and a lot of time laughing in public (funny how people move away when you laugh out loud to yourself, isn't it?). I have wanted a shed and a coop (and the chickens that go in that coop) for a long time but I live on a postage stamp sized yard. I will have to live vicariously through other people's experiences. The family at the end of our street has two of the fanciest coops I've seen, electricity and statuary included, and I love walking by and seeing the warm light shining out of their hens' windows. One of my friends at work just got chicks and I am so excited for her.

The day after finishing Coop, I found a link to Hencam. Hencam allows us to watch the hens at Terry Golson's house. Terry has written a book called Tillie Lays an Egg that features the hens that Terry cares for and that wander the fenced in area surrounding the coop. We can watch the hens and the lop-eared rabbit named Candy go up and down the ramps to the coop and the hutch, we watch them get in and out of their boxes, we watch them walk and bob and tilt their heads one way and their little chicken butts the other. We thrill to the sight of Candy squatting at the opening of her hutch. Will she come down? Will she change position? Will she chase a chicken?

I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed watching these girls over the last few days. I leave the site open on my computer and check back while I wait for something to load. It's kind of cool to watch the weather changes: The first day was a windy one, lots of shadows against the outbuildings, clouds,I think, and yesterday was rainy and the hens were in the coop most of the day. A few brave souls headed out (of course, you have to toggle back and forth between inside and outside to watch the hens go down the ramp or come inside-so exciting!) to scratch on the ground, but for the most part, the action was all indoors.

I am utterly infatuated with the idea of hens, so, in honor of all things chicken, here are a few of my favorite chicken related books:

Coop, by Michael Perry. There are lovely, funny reflections on the chickens in the family. I woke my husband up so I could read him the passage about Little Miss Shake and Bake's run across the ground. I laughed so hard I snorted and then couldn't finish reading. (This is a book for grown-ups.)


The Egg and I, by Betty MacDonald, may not be precisely a chicken book but you have to have them to get to the eggs. This is the autobiography of a woman vastly unprepared for living in the wilds of the Olympic peninsula. No electricity, running water, or close neighbors, it is a constant battle to keep home and hearth together. One of the best books ever. Betty MacDonald is also the author of the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books, some of my favorite kid's books. The Egg and I is for grown-ups, the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books are great for 5 and up.


Love, Ruby Lavender, by Deborah Wiles, has a great opening scene: Ruby and her grandmother have rolled up to a chicken farm where the chickens are being liquidated, sold to a meat packing guy, and they steal the chickens! Catching chickens, tossing them into the car, driving away trailing feathers! What moxie! Yes, it may be against the law, but who can let certain death happen to their chicken friends! (Ages 9 and up.)

Along Came a Dog, by Meindert De Jong, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, is an amazing book. I am so sorry I didn't read this book when I was a kid so I could have lived with it in my life longer. This is the story of a man and his chicken and the friendship between the chicken and a stray dog. The man loves this particular little hen and she loves to ride around with him while he works. She sits on his shoulder shifting with his movements as he makes his way around his farm. When she freezes one of her feet off in a frozen mud pond, leaving only a clawless knuckle of a leg, she can't hold on. He invents a little chicken leg plug-in to sew on his shirt so he can insert her leg nubbin, and with that and her intact leg, she is able to continue to go with him. This is a not very well-known book now, but it should be. It's a classic and it might be time to revisit this little farm and its inhabitants. (Age 9 and up. You could read it aloud to the family and the story could go as young as 7.)


Chicken Boy, by Frances O'Roark Dowell, is the story of a severely dysfunctional family. Tobin's grandmother unable to be in polite company, his father is unable to care for anyone, much less himself, his brothers are all delinquents and the only friend he has thinks that chickens could reveal the meaning of life. This is a funny and poignant look at life in the seventh grade. Anything by Ms. Dowell is good, but I think this is my favorite. (Ages 12 and up.)

Chicken Dance, by Jacques Couvillon, is a lovely book about a quiet boy whose parents are awful. They live on a chicken farm and his mother hates it. Our hero has spent most of his life in the shadow of his missing sister and has been made to feel as though he will never be as smart, as beautiful or as worthy of life as she. Things begin to change when he wins a local chicken judging contest and begins to be recognized for his skill. This is a book that will take you by surprise. (Ages 10 and up.)

Who You Callin' Chicken?, by Thea Feldman, photos by Stephen Green-Armytage, is a book full of pictures and information about chickens, fancy chickens, plain chickens, chickens, chickens, chickens! It is a very cool reference book packed with beautiful shots of extraordinary fowl. (Ages 5 and up.)

My favorite chicken picture books, by far, though, are the Minerva Louise books by Janet Morgan Stoeke. Miverva Louise is an adventurous fat white hen who ventures away from the barn and has marvelous encounters with the world. She interprets the world she meets through the translation of farm: a flower pot is a fancy hat, a clutch of pencils is a nest of yellow straw, the school is a barn. She is fearless and I love her. (Ages 4 and up. Younger kids may not have the knowledge yet to get the jokes.)

Queenie, One of the Family, by Bob Graham, is a fun story about a family who rescues a chicken from a lake. Queenie comes home with them and proceeds to take over while the family tries to figure out where she came from. I love Bob Graham's illustrations. The dad has a ponytail and the pregnant mom has a tattoo. He is able, with very few lines, to convey emotion and his pictures are simple but there is a lot to look at. There aren't very many words on the page but you don't need many if they are all the right words. (Age 4 and up.)

Rooster's Gift, by Pam Conrad, is beautifully illustrated by Eric Beddoes. Rooster is a vain thing, sure that the sun only rises because he sings it up. One day, he sleeps in and he is stunned that the sun rose without him! He loses all confidence in himself until Smallest Hen shows him why he is special. Just a beautiful, sweet book. (Age 5 and up.)



Busy Chickens, by John Schindel, is a board book filled with great photos of chickens illustrating different actions. Told in rhyme, "chickens sleeping, chickens leaping", it is a fun look at chickens doing the same things humans do. It is one of a number of board books with different animals being busy. I am especially fond of the "kittens puddling" photo in the Busy Kitties book. (Ages 2 and up.)

Check out Terry Gilson's Hencam and her new book, Tillie Lays an Egg. You can access her website and the girls by going to http://www.hencam.com. It's kind of like having an aquarium.

Walking with a Coffeehouse Angel

I went for a walk around Seward Park again last Saturday. It was a beautiful day, sunny at times (well, it was when I left the house), cloudy (Linda, the clouds were scudding) and then windy and cold. A perfect time to walk at Seward Park because of the varied views that are affected by the different kinds of weather that roll in across this vast expanse of water. And it was the first Saturday of spring and could only be celebrated by being out in it. The daffodils were up and there were wide swaths of daisies blooming along the trail. A good time to try a new book.

I love reading while I walk (and, no, I have never walked into a tree or fallen off a curb.) and I love trying out a book I might not otherwise read during this finite time. If I can't stay interested for that period, well, neither will the people I might want to sell it to or talk to about it. I get lucky most of the time and the books I choose for these walks are well worth it. This walk included Coffeehouse Angel, by local author Suzanne Selfors.

Coffehouse Angel is, like My Life in Pink and Green that I mentioned in the BookNotes email newsletter, the story of a small family business going up against a larger, more monied business, with a twist.

Katrina, our heroine in Coffeehouse Angel, helps out in her grandmother's coffee shop, a local hangout for the old fishermen in town. It used to be the hangout for everyone until Java Heaven opened up next door, they actually share a wall, and took away the younger and hipper customers by offering organic coffee and fancy chocolate straws. Katrina serves sardine sandwiches and coffee with an egg in it. (My mother-in-law makes this coffee for us when the family all gets together. It takes longer than machine coffee but is so good, it is worth the wait. And there is something very elemental in watching and hearing the coffee perk into the little glass bubble on the lid. I have to write the recipe down on a card so I can make it now that Dee can't do it on her own. Family recipes get lost easily: write them down while you still can.)

One morning, early and still dark, Katrina is taking the garbage out when she finds a man lying on the ground outside the back door. Worried, she calls her best friend, Vincent, to come by and check it out. While she is waiting for Vincent, she takes a couple of pastries and a cup of coffee, a little bag of chocolate covered coffee beans, and leaves them on the step for the obviously homeless, probably cold, man. When Vincent get there, the man is gone, and so are the pastries; all that's left is the empty styrofoam cup that rolls up the windy street and stops at Katrina's feet.

A little later in the day, during the Monday morning assembly, the homeless man appears to give Katrina her reward for her good deed. He is dressed in a kilt, is extraordinarily good looking, carries a messenger's bag and must deliver his message and his reward before he can move on. The reward? Katrina's deepest desire. Who is this man? Why is he really here? What is Katrina's deepest desire? Who gets to go to the dance? Why does the stranger smell so good?

A great selection for reading around the lake! I got done with my walk and then sat in my (much warmer) Jeep and read for another hour-couldn't leave the park until it was done! A couple of rain squalls, seagull flocks and their attendant mess and feathers later and I was done! What a great book! Romance, mystery, good and evil, grand friendships, little guys up against the big guys-it's all in there and I am so glad I chose this particular book on this particular day.

You can pick this title up in August, 2009 (sorry! One of the best percs of working in the book business is getting to read books that won't be out for a while!). You can call your LOCALLY OWNED, INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLER (make yours Third Place Books, 206-366-3333; www.thirdplacebooks.com to order online) to reserve your copy of this romantic comedy now. We will let you know when it arrives as soon as it is unboxed. Ages 12 and up. (Walker Books, $16.99.)

Look at all the Ducks!

There are ducks at work. Many ducks! They are paired up and living along the banks of Lyons Creek which runs along the southern edge of Lake Forest Park Town Center, where I work.

I went for a walk on my break the other day and found myself standing in this little piece of nature surrounded by a parking lot and Bothell Way NE, a very busy four lane street, watching real, live, Make Way for Ducklings ducks paddling in the stream, quacking and waddling and doing very ducky stuff.

The hens (is that the correct term?) are the exact color of the winter affected weeds and blackberry canes and appear on the scene like the Indians in Bev Doolittle's art. And the drakes, ah, they are so handsome and glossy, all color and sheen, little curly tail feathers flipping up over their backs, protective of the ladies.

I forget how little nature it takes to make me feel that things will be okay. This little creek, over the past almost year I have been at Third Place Books, has overflowed its banks and flooded the street (the first time I saw that was last May-and it has happened many times since) and has gone down to almost a trickle in the late summer. There is something grounding about watching the world go on around you, ducklings hatching, creeks overflowing, raccoons fishing, just going on on its own. This particular world doesn't revolve around me.

Michael Perry, the author of Truck, has a couple of sentences in not-yet-published Coop, that expresses beautifully the idea that we are a part of everything, not the reason for it, but a part of it: The frozen air is bell-jar still. The sky is deep black, the stars pressing down brilliantly all around, and I am reminded that we are not beneath the constellations, but among them. MMM. Now, that's good writin'.

Books read this week: Big Splash, by Jack D. Ferraiolo. Amulet Press, ages 10 and up. A noir-ish (think Guy Noir for the younger set), pulp-styled mystery, nominated for the teen Poe Awards. Fun, not necessarily my favorite of the teen nominations, but good. Our hero, Matt Stevens, is on the case: Who soaked Nikki "Fingers" Finnegan's pants with water, immediately launching her into the "outs", the lowest caste of their middle school? There are some pretty funny scenes and some classic writing a la Dashiell Hammett.

11 Birthdays, by Wendy Mass. Scholastic, 10 and up. Wendy Mass is one of my very favorite authors and I think you should add her to your repertoire. She has written across across all age groups and has a little something for everyone. 11 Birthdays is about two kids, born on the same day, and a curse that spans the generations. When they are born, an old woman who is also present at the hospital, mentions that they should spend every birthday together. The parents nod and say mm hmm and that seems to be the end of it. The kids do spend their birthdays together and are seldom apart until their 10th birthdays, when something cruel is said and overhead, thus ending the friendship. Until the next year, when on their 11th birthdays, they are doomed to relive the day until they can get it right. Funny, sweet, with a great feel for middle school, 11 Birthdays is really good.

Please read a Wendy Mass book. My favorites are Every Soul a Star, A Mango-Shaped Space, Leap Day (another birthday book!), and Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. These are published by Little Brown and Company and all are great for 11 and up. Let me know what you think of them!