The Christmas Photo that wasn't.

Zj knows no fear.

He has been known to follow me to work at 5:30 in the morning in 30 degree weather, climb onto the roof to retrieve errant sticks, and fight a multitude of bad guys before breakfast.


Cj, not so much.

He's more like his Mama.  Quiet.  Sort of shy.  He always wants to get the lay of the land, so to speak, before diving in.

Which is why I was not the least bit surprised when the obligatory-mall-Santa-photo-op-for-only-$34.99 was SO not his thing.

I could have dealt with a few tears.  He's a baby.  Babies cry sometimes, right?

But that was NOT how this went down.

We arrived at the mall, queued up like good little sheep parents, and waited our turn.

RJ was holding cj, I was holding onto zj with a deathgrip so he wouldn't get away quietly amusing zj, and it was soon our turn.

The minute we began our approach to Creepy Mall Santa, I heard a very high-pitched keening sound.  Fire alarms?  No... Oh, wait.  That sound was coming from my child.  He also began climbing up RJ like a spider monkey in an attempt to get to the top of RJ's head, which was as far from Creepy Mall Santa as possible.

I tried to take cj - the sound grew louder and all the dogs within a 3 mile radius began to bark.

RJ tried to hand cj off to Creepy Mall Santa, who seemed unconcerned at the sounds that were coming out of him.

 No. Go.

Finally after numerous attempts, I said "Zj, hop on up there and tell Creepy Mall Santa what you want fro Christmas.  Cj is going to sit this one out."  At this point, RJ moved FAR away from Creepy Mall Santa with cj in his arms, and the wailing and screaming moved down to a more reasonable level.

So, 2010 will always be remembered as the year I Photoshopped cj into the Santa picture.

After getting the photos and looking into Creepy Mall Santa's eyes, I think I understand his reluctance.

Eggnog Cookies. Because real eggnog is some kind of nasty.

These cookies do not contain eggnog.

But they have a vaguely eggnoggy taste.

They taste kinda like rum and nutmeg.

That's what eggnog tastes like, right?


WHAT YOU NEED:
1 cup butter, softened, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg (there's the egg part)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon rum (AND... There's the Nog)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg


WHAT YOU DO:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together 3/4 cup butter and both sugars.  Next, add in the egg and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.  Gently mix in the salt and flour until a dough forms - you will want it to be stiff.  Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and put them on a cookie sheet.  Press the center of each one with your thumb to create an indention.

Bake for 10-11 minutes.  Don't overbake.  These cookies never get much color to them - if they're brown, they're burned.

Meanwhile, cream together the remaining 1/4 cup butter, the powdered sugar, rum and nutmeg.  Place it in a pastry bag.

After the cookies are cook, pipe a dollop of the frosting into the indention of each cookie.

These cookies are especially yummy at breakfast with a cup of coffee.

What? You don't normally eat rum-laced cookies for breakfast?

You don't know what you've been missing.

Rumplemintz fudge. You're welcome.

In my quest to perfect liquor-laced candy and cookies, I felt compelled to include a Rumplemintz recipe.

I think this stuff is nasty to drink.  Like, I'd rather drink Goldschlager.  For real.

But it makes damn good fudge.

Give it a try - you'll see.

WHAT YOU NEED:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsps Creme de Cacao or other chocolate liquor
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon Rumplemintz
1 drop green food coloring, optional, but real cute :)


WHAT YOU DO:
Line an 8 inch square pan with waxed paper.

Melt the chocolate chips and 1 cup of the sweetened condensed milk in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring often.  After they are completely melted and smooth, stir in the Creme do Cacao.  Pour half the mixture in the wax-paper lined pan and reserve the other half at room temp.  Pop the pan in the freezer while you complete the next step.

In a separate bowl, melt the rest of the sweetened condensed milk and the while chocolate chips.  After in is smooth (it will be thicker than the chocolate mixture) stir in the Rumplemintz and the green food coloring.

Remove the chocolate layer from the freezer and spread this layer on top.

Chill that for a few minutes, until firm, then spread the rest of the chocolate mixture on top.

Put in the fridge for several hours before cutting.

Yum.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies. They taste as good as they look.

I'm sort of obsessed with cherries and chocolate together.  Sadly, this is not usually a year-round staple.  It seems difficult to find this deliciousness at any time of the year except Christmas, and Valentine's Day, if you're lucky.  So I take full advantage.  If you saw my Chocolate Covered Brandy Cherries recipe last week, you might think this is just a tired re-do.  Not so.  They have a taste all their own, and it's a delight...

WHAT YOU NEED:

1/2 cup rum, brandy, whisky, or your liquor of choice.  For once, I don't think beer would be appropriate, though.

1 10 oz jar maraschino cherries

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips

WHAT YOU DO:

Open the cherries, dump out the juice, and pour the liquor you chose in the jar.  Reseal it and let it sit.  The longer the better.  1 hour = not good.  3 hours = ok. 1 day = the best.

After the cherries have soaked, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the egg and vanilla and continue beating until starts to get fluffy.  Next, add the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix until the flour is incorporated.  The batter should be stiff.  If not, continue adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough can be rolled into balls.

Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on a cookie sheet.  Use your thumb to make an indention in each one.  

Drain the cherries, but keep the juice.  Don't dry the cherries - a little extra juice is a good thing.  Put a cherry in each cookie indention, and bake for 9-10 minutes.

Put the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips in a bowl.  Microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chips are melted.  Add in 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved liquor and mix until it's smooth.  

At this point, you have some options.  You can either melt it a little more and drizzle some over each cookie, or allow it to sit a few minutes and harden, then put it into a pastry bag and pipe over the baked and cooled cookies (I did the latter).  It really doesn't matter, just so you get some of the yummy goodness on each cookie.

This cookie tastes as good as it looks.  I'm not known for my pretty food, but these are definitely the exception.

Try not to eat them all at once.

Rum Raisin Cookies. Because everything's better with rum.

I like my cookies chewy.  Crunchy cookies are just a nuisance, and I already have crumb problem at 154 Hidden Court.

These cookies are certainly in the chewy category, and they are delicious.


WHAT YOU NEED:
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup of your favorite rum
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups oats - quick, old fashioned, it doesn't really seem to matter here
1 cup nuts - I like pecans in these, but walnuts would work, too


WHAT YOU DO:
Place the raisins in a container with the rum and soak it for a least 3 hours.  The raisins will plump up and most of the liquid will be absorbed.  That's how you will know when they are ready.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

When the raisins are ready, cream the butter and both sugars until it starts to get fluffy.  Slowly add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and flour.  After it is mixed, add in the raisins (drained of excess rum if necessary), the oats and the nuts.

Drop by the heaping teaspoon full onto a cookie sheet - they will spread a bit - and bake for 8-9 minutes, or until they are slightly browned.

Serve them to all your friends.  They will thank you.

Lemoncello Cookies. You may now die from happiness.

Ok, I'll admit, these cookies are not much to look at.

They don't have frosting, or sprinkles, and they don't light up and sing Jingle Bells.

Doesn't matter. I made ten batches of really good liquor-laced cookies, and these were the best.

In my opinion, of course.


WHAT YOU NEED:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup Lemoncello  If you don't know about this stuff, get yourself to a liquor store right now, sweatpants and all, and get a bottle.  It's a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way.  SO worth it.
Zest and juice from one lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

WHAT YOU DO:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Cream the butter and sugar together until it's, well, creamy, then add the eggs and beat on medium speed until it starts to become fluffy.  At this point, add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and Lemoncello and mix well.  Next, add in your salt, baking soda and flower until everything is incorporated, but don't go crazy and over mix it or anything...  Chill the dough until you can handle it - roughly half an hour.

I made pretty small cookies, about a teaspoon of dough each.  These lend themselves best to being bite-sized, because the finished product is very moist and chewy.  If the cookies are too big, they tend to fall apart.    Bake them 7-8 minutes, or just until the dough starts to slightly brown on the edges.  Don't overbake them.  You'll be sorry if you do.

Let them cool and remove them from the pan.  Try not to eat them all at once.

Chocolate Covered Brandy Cherries. You know you want some.

If you saw my post yesterday with the recipe for Bourbon Balls, you may be thinking  that I only know how to make one basic kind of chocolate covered tipsy candy.  Not true.  So not true.  I'm just giving you the recipes that require a longer prep time first, because there are only so many days left between now and Christmas.  I'm nice like that.

I love chocolate covered cherries in all forms, shapes, and varieties.

They are good in my mouth.

I'll even eat the really bad ones that come from the Dollar Tree and are clearly of questionable origins, like maybe Alabama or somewhere. But these, these are the best.


WHAT YOU NEED:
1 jar of maraschino cherries (50-60ish) - with stems, without stems, I don't really care. They're easier to eat without stems but easier to dip in chocolate with stems. You're a grownup, you decide.
1 cup of your favorite brandy.  I used a cherry flavored brandy. If you don't have a favorite brandy, use rum. Or whiskey. Getting tipsy is the point here, not flavor...
3 tablespoons of softened butter
3 tablespoons of corn syrup
2 cups powdered sugar
16 oz. Bakers chocolate


WHAT YOU DO:
Open the cherries and dump out all the juice. Fill the jar with the brandy and put the lid back on.  Let the cherries soak in the brandy for a day or so.
After the cherries are nice and liquor-laden, drain them and dry them off completely. At this point, if I were really good, I would make up some sort of recipe to use the brandy.  I'm not that good, but you can drink that shit straight out of the jar if you want.  Yum.  Wanna know how I know?
Moving on...
Combine the butter and corn syrup until it's smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and knead it into dough. You will think that it won't happen, but it really will.  It will help if you use your hands instead of a spoon. The heat makes the dough come together.   Really, it's all scientific-y and stuff.
Take about a teaspoon of the dough and form it into a little disc.  Wrap it around the bottom of a cherry, and repeat 50-60 times.  If the dough gets sticky, pop it into the fridge for a few minutes.  After all the cherries are wrapped in dough, freeze them for an hour or so. While you're waiting, you can watch Oprah or something equally productive.
After an hour, melt the chocolate according to the directions on the package,  and dip each cherry in the chocolate. Allow them to dry.
Then wait.
And wait.
These are best after a week or two, but they are perfectly edible after s couple days.   They are not, however, all that great right away.
Trust me on this.

Enjoy.


Photo courtesy of Google Images, because guess who forgot to take a picture?  Again.  But mine looked just like that.  Mostly.

Bourbon Balls - Just the way God intended.

I've consumed a lot of Bourbon Balls in my lifetime.

I live in Kentucky, and it's like a rite of passage.  You know, Baby's First Bourbon Ball, and all that.

Many, many of the Bourbon Balls that I've eaten in my lifetime have been good.  Heck, some have even been great.  But as far as I'm concerned, there is only One Great True Bourbon Ball.

And today, as my gift to you, I'm willing to share it.

You're welcome.

WHAT YOU NEED:
2 shots of good Kentucky Bourbon - I like Maker's Mark myself, but there is other good stuff out there.
1 cup chopped walnuts - I like mine chopped sort of fine, but you can go with anything from halved on down to dust.
1/2 cup of butter, softened
4 1/2 - 5 cups powdered sugar
18 ounces baker's semi-sweet chocolate squares


WHAT YOU DO:
Put your walnuts into a sealable container with the bourbon, and allow it to soak AT LEAST 6-8 hours. Longer is fine, not so long, not fine.  If you plan it well, overnight is about perfect.

After the nuts have soaked, cream together your softened butter and 3 cups of the sugar.  Then dump in the nuts, excess juice and all.  Mix until well blended.  Slowly add in remaining sugar, stopping to check for consistency.  You are going for a pretty stiff dough - stiffer than cookie dough.  Keep adding sugar and mixing it until it's right.   And by right, I mean you can handle it without it all sticking to your hands.  But good news!  If it sticks to your hands, just lick it off and add more sugar.

Put the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes or so.

Form the dough into balls about the size of big marbles.  If you don't know how big that is, think Bing cherry-sized.  If you don't know how big that is, I'm not sure I can help you.  It's important to get the correct filling to chocolate ratio...

Yes, I'm a control freak.

Place the formed balls onto a wax paper lined pan, and freeze for at least 3-4 hours.  Longer is ok, too.  I know what you are thinking.  DO NOT skip this step.  Just trust me, ok?  I'm a trustworthy gal who has never led you astray before, right?  Right?

Melt the chocolate according to the package directions.  Or just throw it in the microwave for a minute or two, stirring frequently.  I don't ever mess with that whole "double-boiler" nonsense.  Take the frozen balls (ha, ha, I said frozen balls) and dip them in the chocolate.  Allow them to harden.

If you're not going to eat them right away, store them in the fridge.  Let them warm to room temp before eating.

Gettin' Tipsy.

I love to cook.

Baking, not so much.  There's all this measuring, and waiting, and measuring... Patient?  Not me.  Or at least that was the old me, the me of I-work-a-retail-job-and-it's-Christmas-and-dear-God-do-you-expect-me-to-feed-people-and-CELEBRATE-too?  But slowly, I'm becoming a whole new me...

A few years ago, I came up with the concept of Tipsy Cakes, which is basically a cake mix with a bunch of alcohol poured into the batter, and they were a huge hit with everyone I served them to.

Yes, I know I just ended a sentence with a preposition.

So anyway, when RJ asked me to make some cookies and candy for his co-workers this week, instead of heading to the ready to bake refrigerator section, I thought I might try to find some recipes that contained alcohol because everybody who works with RJ is a raving drunk because they had all enjoyed the Tipsy Cakes so much.  Also, I had seen this recipe for Fruitcake Cookies at the Pioneer Woman's blog, and I was itching for an excuse to try them.

Sadly, the Fruitcake cookies were a total and dismal flop.

Even sadlier, there were few other liquor-laced cookie and candy recipes to be found.

It's like people thing cookies and candy are for CHILDREN or something...

At this point, I did what I do best, and began to improvise.

I could make Tipsy Cookies, and Tipsy Candy, and Tipsy spaghetti, and Tipsy eggs, and...

The posts that will follow over the next few days will highlight the best of what I came up with.

Cheers!

Kids' Books Gift Guide: If you really can't decide, just buy a nookcolor.

All week, I've been highlighting and featuring kids' books for different age groups.  There are millions of good books out there, and the one thing I'm probably most passionate about is reading.  Everyone should read.  Regularly.  Like, every day.  Which is why I did not bat an eye at paying full retail - $249, to be precise, for a nookcolor as soon as it was announced.

Back in the spring, I blogged about how much I love my nook.  Well, the nookcolor is all that and a box of chocolates.  And a glass of wine.  And a pair of soft, fluffy slippers...  Whew, I'm out of control over here.  Anyway, I got my nookcolor, loaded some books onto it, and promptly began to read the latest trash vampire book without so much as messing with all the other neat functions.

One day, I was between books, and while browsing my library trying to decide what to read next, I noticed a kids' book.  Richard Scarry's Colors, to be precise.  I tapped it, and was taken to the first page, which offered two options - Read To Me or Read By Myself.  I yelled for zj, and he came to sit beside me, and I chose the Read to Me option.

It was flippin' cool.  The story is read aloud, and not in a monotone like the Kindle's speech to text function.  Zj loved it.  A little more digging showed that my cool new nook had come with not one, but two free kids' books loaded onto it, so next we "read" The Elephant's Child.  A quick search helped me to find DOZENS more free e-books available for download.  Score!

This cool gadget will never take the place of my reading to my kids, but it is a great way to keep an active four year old occupied for fifteen minutes while I pee in peace do household chores.  Check out The nookcolor website for all the ways this gadget is right for your kids.

By the way, my nookcolor is by far my favorite gadget, and I have a ton of gadgets to choose from.  One of my other guilty pleasures is reading magazines, but over the years I've accumulated so many back issues my library looks like a fire hazard in the making.  The nookcolor's periodical function is my new favorite thing.  I'm just like Oprah, you know.  You can try any magazine offered free for two weeks to get you started...

Oh, and one more thing.  The nookcolor lets you organize your files onto virtual "shelves," so my vampire smut fiction books can be accessed separately from zj's books.

Did I mention I love my nookcolor?

 I totally stole that image off the nook website.  Oops.  Oh, and I was not bribed, forced, cajoled, or compensated to write this post.  I am in no way affiliated with Barnes & Noble.  Anymore.  But I know good stuff when I see it, and this is good stuff.

Teen Books Gift Guide

In the seventeen years that I worked in a retail bookstore, the teen section went from a couple of shelves tacked onto the outside of the kid's department as an afterthought to a full-blown, space-hogging, vampire-filled section.  Hallelujah!  Teens are reading!  Boo!  Teens are reading trash!  Whatever.  As a lover of trash novels myself, I don't care to judge.  Really, I do care to judge.  It's what I do best.

Moving on...

Here are some great books for teens.  Or for adults with short attention spans.  Or just for adults.  Heck, I've read 'em, maybe you should, too.

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

This book hooked me from the first page.  Set in an alternate future of America, Katniss, the main character, hunts to keep her family fed, even though it is illegal.  When her sister is chosen for the Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live tv, Katniss takes her place.  It's a trilogy, so you can probably guess the outcome, but it is well-written and I loved the first one so much, I had to buy the next two for my nook while on vacation, even though I had copies waiting for me at home.  The first book in the set is, by far, the best thing I've read in years.  And I read A LOT.

The Uglies series by Scott Westerfield

In this alternate future series, your sixteenth birthday brings about an operation that turns you from ugly to pretty.  Sounds pretty good, huh?  But as you know, there's one in every crowd, and when Tally and Shay buck the system, they find out there's more to the story.  An excellent read.

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

Yet another alternate future type book, this one with a medieval overtone.  Lois Lowry is one of the best children and young adult authors ever, and this is her best.  In my opinion, of course.  Even though this one has been around for a long time, pick it up again and get a new generation hooked on it.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Becca doesn't like any of the boys at her school - they're too immature.  Until she meets Patch.  But then weird stuff starts to happen, and Patch seems to be at the center of it.  Turns out, he's a fallen angel.  An epic battle ensues.  

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Everything was going well for Samantha.  Well, until she dies.  However, she gets the chance to live her last day over again - each day for a week.  Well written and slightly sappy.  Just what your hormonal teenage girl needs.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I can't promise your teens will love this book,  but I love this book.  Set in Germany during World War II, a girl's love of books keeps her going during some VERY trying times.  Sigh... Now THAT'S a love story...

The Crank series

It's a novel.  It's poetry.  It's free verse style, edgy subject matter, and teens love it.  

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

John seems like the boy next door.  but he's not.  He's one of nine aliens from the planet Lorien who came to earth to live among humans.  But he's being hunted...  Imagine that.   The movie rights have been optioned, so I can only assume we'll be seeing more of Number Four soon.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Andi, a contemporary American girl, is dealing with a lot of heavy stuff.  Dead brother, distant parents, imminent expulsion from school.  Heavy stuff, huh?  She travels with her father to Paris, where she finds the diary of a young girl that was written 200 years earlier.  Their stories become intertwined and Andi finds herself in the past, in the story she has been reading about.  Historically accurate and beautifully written.

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series by Heather Brewer

Ok, it's a vampire series.  But it's one that appeals to teenage boys.  I spent many hours over my lifetime in bookselling trying to interest teen boys, drug into the store by their Mamas, in anything that had words.  It's a tough sell, but boys (and girls!) seem to like these. A lot.  Vlad is an eight grader who is half human, half vampire, and angst filled.  Oh, and some vampire hunters are after him.  Each book in the series takes place in Vlad's next grade in school.

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

Here's another series that everyone has heard of by now.  But, quite cooly, these were written by a teenaged boy, and quite surprisingly, they are excellent.  A former bigwig boss of mine told the story of walking into one of the stores in his area and seeing a teenaged boy sitting on the floor of the kids department with a stack of these books in front of him and a pen in hand.  "Son, please stop writing in our books or I'll have to ask you to leave" Bigwig boss said.  "But I'm the author.  I'm autographing them" Teen Boy said.  Oh, snap.

I've been reading Kathy Reichs forever.  Her Temperance Brennan series is by far and away a better forensic series than Patricia Cornwell - yes, I just said that out loud.  Virals, her first young adult book, is just as well written and will appeal to all those teenaged Bones fans out there.  Tory Brennan, Tempe's niece, is the main character, and a little supernatural twist added in for good measure makes this a great read for teens.  Here's to hoping it's the first in a series! 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

It's been my experience that teens love a good heart-wrenching, semi-sappy read (remember those terrible Lurlene McDaniel books you read as a teen where everyone has cancer and dies?  Loved 'em, didn't you?).  Anyway, this is a much better written take written in the same vein.  Clay, the main character, receives a box of cassette tapes that were recorded by Hannah, his classmate, just before she committed suicide.  The tapes tell of the 13 reasons she took her life.  Powerful stuff.

Leviathan By Scott Westerfield

Author Scott Westerfield has done it again.  He's the only author to make my list for two entirely different books - way to go, Mr. Westerfield.  You can die happy how.  Anyway, Leviathan is set on the eve of World War I, and that's where any similarity to traditional historical fiction ends.  This steampunk novel is well written, and the sequel, Behemoth, was just released.  Steampunk fiction seems to be here to stay, so embrace it in all its oddness.  This is a great place to start.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Mia remembers being in a car with her parents, and the next moment, she is outside her body.  In a coma, she relives moments from her past and has to make the choice whether to fight to live, or to die.  This book for teens had stunning writing and characters that but many adult authors to shame.  Memorable.

Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac

The subtitle of this book, A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two, says it all.  The simple writing and easy to follow story, coupled with plenty of action and good characters, makes this book a win for a reluctant teen reader.  It is especially appealing to boys, and makes a great choice for a book report.

The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz

Alex Rider is like Jason Borne meets James Bond meets Indiana Jones.  Oh, and did I mention he's a teenager?  Not a ton of substance, but enough plot and action to keep readers involved.

Annexed by Sharon Dogar

The fictional account of Peter, the boy who was in hiding with Anne Frank.   His story takes us on the journey of meeting Anne, and then past the time Anne's real-life diary ends.  Very, very gripping, and very, very sad.  I mean, we all know how it ends, right?  

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

Whew.  Let's lighten this list up a bit, shall we?  It was getting sort of dreary in here...  Sarah Dessen has been writing teen books for years, and Keeping the Moon is, in my humble opinion, and example of what she does best.  Colie is fifteen, formerly plump, and filled with angst.  She spends the summer with her aunt, and begins to grow into herself.  Sounds like a thousand other coming of age books, huh?  What makes this one special is  Sarah Dessen's writing, kinda funny, kinda quirky, and kinda real.  Excellent.

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Carrie from Sex in the City was a teenager once too, ya know.  In this story, she's a senior in high school, waiting for her "real" life to begin.  Fun!

And that's it!  My five days of holiday recommendations for kids and teens is complete.  Oh, except for one thing.  If you REALLY can't decide what to get, join me tomorrow when I wow you with all the cool kid-friendly features of the nookcolor.  

Kids' Books Gift Guide: Young Readers/Young Adult

There is a ton of good stuff in this category.  A ton.

Sadly, that was not always the case.  I remember being about ten or eleven.  I had, at that point, read every book in my elementary school library.   So I started re-reading and re-reading, and borrowing Sweet Valley High and V.C. Andrews books from my friend Karen, and a lifetime hobby of reading smut and poorly written series was born.

Great news, though.  In the thirty twenty or so years since I was reading books in this category myself, many great new things have been written.

Hold on, here we go!

Diary of A Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney

This book series started online as a serial blog type thing.  Just like Dickens, who wrote series in magazines that were later put into book form and became great works of literature.  Actually, these are slightly better than Dickens, because they're funny.  And the illustrations are adorable.  Take that, Mr. Dickens.

The 39 Clues series

Each book in the series is written by a different young adult author - number one is by Rick Riordan of Percy Jackson fame - and the basic premise that two children find out they are heirs to some sort of powerful family.  They are given a choice of the first of 39 clues to help them find their heritage, or a million dollars to walk away.  The silly saps take the clue.  Personally, I would have taken the money, but that would have been a pretty short series, huh?  Anyway,  good stuff.  And not too formulaic like a lot of series, since different authors write each one.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Here's a shout out to all my nerdy friends out there - you know who you are.  Dwight, the main character in this book, communicates mainly through an origami Yoda finger puppet, who is surprisingly wise.  I'm pretty sure I went to elementary school with this kid.  Of course, he got beat up a lot...  Anyway, great read.

The Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald

Judy does not have high hopes for third grade, or for much else, either.  She's a moody child, and she does not care to show it.  I also love the illustrations in these.  Think Beverly Cleary's Ramona, but updated.

The Missing Series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

So, here's a great story.  When I was pregnant with cj, my ob-gyn knew where I worked and would quiz me in great depth every office visit about these books and if there was a new one coming out and what I thought the storyline was pointing toward and what might possibly be the secret that was being kept from the main characters.  I figure if it's good enough for an adult doctor who had been to school for 27 years, it should probably hold the interest of some 10 year olds.

The American Girl Library series

This non-fiction series tackles a wide range of topics from basic body care to babysitting to crafts to horses to math.  It is geared toward the 8-12 year old girls group, and also includes a lot of interactive titles like feeling journals and quiz books.   

The Choose Your Own Adventure series

This series had been out of print for many years until the late nineties, when it made a reappearance.  These books are a great recommendation for young boys (and girls!) who find reading "boring."  At the end of each chapter, you as the reader get to make a decision about what the main character is going to do, and you are directed to a particular page depending on your choice.  Kids can read these again and again and have a totally different story every time.  Interactive reading at its finest.

The Childhood of Famous Americans series

This series has been around for years, and continues to be added to regularly.  With over 100 titles, there is sure to be a topic that appeals to each child.  These books take a realistic look at the childhood years of many famous Americans, and as an added bonus, these work really well for book report material.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Surely everyone has heard of this series by now, but I can't pass up the opportunity to recommend it every chance I get.  I read these books for the first time at age eight.  I reread them in high school, and again as an adult.  I have loved them more each and every time.  They are just right for any age, and I believe this is a series that can grow up with your child.  Go buy them all today.

The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan

When I was a bookseller, one of the best parts of my job was putting a good book into the hands of a child.  On rare occasions, the child would come back to me later to seek out more recommendations.  That very thing happened over and over when I recommended The Ranger's Apprentice series.  Will, the main character, is a young boy who becomes apprenticed to the Rangers.  These books have action, heroism, and an underdog main character who learns to fight bravely in battle.  It's fantasy realm appeals to young boys and girls alike.

The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley

The two main characters in this series are sisters who learn that they are direct descendants of the Brothers Grimm.  They learn that the stories and fairy tales they have always known were actually written down as historical accounts of true happenings, and they soon meet many of those magical creatures.  This fairy tale reboot is a great, fresh take and will appeal to fans of Lemony Snicket and Harry Potter.

The Georges and the Jewels by Jane Smiley

The "girl and her horse" genre has been popular for decades, but few titles in this vein have come close to Pulitzer prize winning Jane Smiley's young adult debut.  Also, the follow-up title, A Good Horse was just released in the fall.  Wonderfully written.

Hero by Mike Lupica

Mike Lupica has been writing good children's books for years, and his latest is no exception.  As the mother of a child who feels certain he will gain superpowers when he grows up, this title is especially appealing.  Zj and I recently readThe Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy aloud, and this title is next on the list.  By the way, I'm not totally convinced yet that zj doesn't have some sort of power lying in wait.  The next ten years or so should be interesting...

When you Reach Me By Rebecca Stead

This book is awesome.  Totally awesome.  Set in the 70's in New York City, the book is narrated by 12 year old Miranda.  It's mystery, fantasy and some history all rolled into one.  Beautiful sentence structure and fascinating characters make me want to hear more from this author.  Oh, and your kids will love it, too.

Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

I've been reading John Grisham since before he was well-known.  I believe that someday students will be reading A Time to Kill as a work of great Southern literature.  However, I was skeptical when Mr. Grisham entered the world of children's books.  I shouldn't have worried.  It's a great, well-written story that will appeal to your more serious-minded kids.  Trust me, they're out there.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret b Brian Selznick

Hugo lives in a Paris train station.  He becomes involved in with a girl and an old man and a mystery ensues.  It's well-written, but don't let the size of this book scare you(or your kids) off.  The books is filled with Brian Selznick's beautiful illustrations.  I mean filled.  It's worth the fifteen bucks for the illustrations alone.  The story, a delightful bonus.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

It's like Chinese fairy tale meets adventure and fantasy.  Also, the main character is a strong and brave young woman, and those sometimes hard to find in children's fiction.  The entire book is also beautifully illustrated.  

The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung-Fu Cavemen of the Future by Dave Pilkey

The title alone makes this one worth the read.  Dave Pilkey of Captain Underpants fame has done it again.  This graphic-novel type story will appeal to sluggish readers because of its many illustrations and humor.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman has been providing good quality reading works for my adult nerd friends fantasy lovers forever.  No really, forever.  Within the past decade, he began to keep young readers entranced as well with titles like Coraline.  His latest work is about Bod, a boy who lives in a graveyard and is raised by ghosts.  Darn bit better than wolves, huh?

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

I'll end the list with this, another of my childhood favorites.  Is it a blessing or a curse to have eternal life and youth?  For the Tuck family, it's a bit of both.  They must move around all the time, or someone will notice that they don't age.  They have each other, but can't form close attachments outside their family.  I remember reading this book as a child and thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking about it.  Isn't that what a good book is supposed to make you do?  It's timeless.

Wow, that list went by quickly.  Tomorrow, I tackle teen books, and I can promise you, it's not a vampire fest.  

Kids' Books Gift Guide: Early Readers

When I decided to do this series of posts, I almost decided to take Wednesday off.

Sadly, there isn't a ton of new, innovative stuff in the getting ready to read/early reader category.

One might think it's the most important, though.

Hmmm.

Well, anyway, here's what I came up with.

The Bob Books

Ok, here's the truth about these.  They will probably not inspire any "Wow! Awesome gift!" comments if they are left under the tree, but they are a great starting point for early readers.  There are five levels, ranging from sight word recognition to long vowels sounds.  What fun! 

Detective Dinosaur An I Can Read Picture Book

Let's face it - I Can Read type books are all pretty much alike.  You pick your character of choice - from Little Bear or Frog & Toad to Olivia or Spiderman, then you pick your child's reading level, and you're all set.  The main problem with them, however, is that they're all the same, pretty much.  Enter the I Can Read Picture Book Series.  This series is a great bridge from picture books that are read to children to picture books kids can learn to read themselves.  The picturebook format and illustrations make them a hit with your early reader.

The Word Family Tales series

If teaching with phonics is more your speed, this word family series is the one to look for.  Each book in the series covers a different word family, and the silly, (mostly) rhyming verses are entertaining as well.

The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole

This fictional non-fiction series (I know, but it's TRUE) follows a classroom of children, led by the scatter-brained (and poorly dressed) Ms. Frizzle on a boatload of adventures through every geeky science loving kid's favorite topics, like the human body, the solar system, into a beehive, inside the earth... You get the picture.  Great fact-based books presented in story format.

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne

These are definitely for the more advanced early reader.  Jack and Annie find a magic treehouse that's full of books, and every time they read a new story, they are magically transported to that timeframe or place.  Imagine that.  I had a treehouse just like that when I was a kid.  The topics range from science to history to dinosaurs to pirates to pyramids.  Fun stuff for both boys and girls.

The Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park

Junie B. Jones is the funniest kindergartner ever.  She's opinionated, opinionated, and opinionated.  And funny.  And with thirty or so books in the series, it's a great one for your little girl (or boy!) to follow for years.

The Little House Chapter books series

Ok, I'll admit, I'm a sucker for Half-Pint.  I devoured the Little House Books over and over and over as a child, and these chapter book adaptations are a great way to get a whole new generation hooked on Laura, Mary, Ma and Pa.  Each stand-alone title takes a story from one of the original books and adapts it to early reader chapter book format.  

The Bailey School Kids series by Debbie Dadey

With holiday specific titles like Santa Claus Doesn't Mop Floors, it's easy to pick up at any point in this series, which doesn't really need to be read in order to make sense.  Whew, that's good news.  The kids at Bailey School are constantly debunking myths and outing impostors.  Totally fun.

Poetry Speaks to Children

This is an excellent collection of poetry for children, and what makes it great for the early reader category is the included cd of the poems being read aloud.  It's perfect for early readers to follow the words on the page as they are being read aloud, many by the poets themselves.  Let's teach kids early that poetry doesn't suck.  Well, except for the sucky stuff.

Favorite Series Starters Boxed Set

If you simply can't decide which series to get your early reader started on, try this boxed set.  With the first in series title from Junie B. Jones, Magic Treehouse, A-Z Mysteries, Nate the Great and Andrew Lost, there is sure to be a new favorite that is discovered.

Ok, your early readers are all set.  Join me tomorrow when we talk about my favorite books for your young reader/preteen.  Oh, and I feel like I should warn you - there are a lot of them.