Well, another summer has come and gone, and this year's summer months were untraditional to say the least. The April showers of spring gave way to...well, June showers, and it seems like we had a very limited amount of hot beach days. However, it has been a great season for kids' books, and hopefully fall will bring more traditional weather (albeit, I wouldn't mind a few more weeks of warmth before I need to grab the sweaters!), as well as some more fabulous reads.

This fall, be sure to pick up a copy of THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT by Kate DiCamillo, the bestselling author of THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX. In her highly awaited new novel, DiCamillo conjures a haunting story about trusting the unexpected and making the extraordinary come true. Read our review and an excerpt.

Don't miss THE LION AND THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney, a beautifully illustrated wordless version of the classic Aesop fable. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and Pinkney's captivating artwork truly speaks for itself.

Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author Berkeley Breathed has released his first illustrated novel, FLAWED DOGS: The Shocking Raid on Westminster. FLAWED DOGS is a heartwarming and humorous ode to the unconditional and lasting love we and our pets share. Read an excerpt here, and then find out more about the talented author and illustrator who created these lovable pups in our interview.

Speaking of furry friends, we're giving away 25 copies each of SINGING SENSATION by Geronimo Stilton and THEA STILTON AND THE MOUNTAIN OF FIRE by Thea Stilton. Click here to enter to win a copy of SINGING SENSATION, and for more details about the MOUNTAIN OF FIRE giveaway, click here. You can also check out our Geronimo Stilton series feature and play the updated trivia game.

To celebrate the release of SYREN, the fifth installment in the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage, Kidsreads.com is giving away 15 copies. Read all the contest details here.

Congratulations to the 15 winners of AL CAPONE SHINES MY SHOES and the 20 winners of BEDEVILED: DADDY'S LITTLE ANGEL! You can find out more about Gennifer Choldenko, the author of the Al Capone books, in our interview and read an excerpt from her latest novel here.

There's still time to enter to win THE BLACK CIRCLE, the fifth book in The 39 Clues series by Patrick Carman. Read an excerpt from this thrilling story and our interview with the author, and be sure to check out our giveaway details for your chance to be one of the 25 lucky readers who will win a copy of the book. We've also added an interview with Lisa Yee, who talks about her newest title for young readers, BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY).

Our Books into Movies feature has been updated for September and October. One of the most beloved children’s books of all time comes to life on the big screen October 16th in a heartwarming and wildly imaginative, albeit slightly creepy, retelling of Maurice Sendak’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. Join Max, who --- after being sent to his room for his mischievous behavior --- escapes into a magical forest and sets sail to an island populated by make-believe monsters who crown him as their ruler. Let the wild rumpus start!

Already in theaters, and sure to whet your appetite, is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. This modernized adaptation of the classic children’s book by Ron and Judy Barrett follows an ambitious but misguided budding inventor whose latest project goes awry, leading to disastrous --- but tasty! --- consequences.

Before you know it, it'll be time to go trick-or-treating, carve pumpkins, eat candy galore and watch some scary movies. With this in mind, we've compiled a number of books to get you in the Halloween spirit. And be sure to answer our poll and question about dressing up for Halloween.

For more reading suggestions, check out our Cool New Books and New in Paperback roundups and our latest reviews --- which include graphic novel and manga titles.

Happy reading!

Carol Fitzgerald for Kidsreads.com

THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Yoko Tanaka
Welcome to the city of Baltese --- where an old magician gets one last chance to prove himself, where elephants fall from ceilings onto the laps of rich ladies, where a fortuneteller changes the life of an orphan boy soldier, and where magic shows that it is indeed possible, if only the world would just believe. Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT.

SYREN: Septimus Heap, Book Five by Angie Sage
In this fifth book in the Magykal series, Septimus ends up on a captivatingly beautiful island --- one of seven set in a sparkling sea. He’s stranded there with his badly injured dragon, Spit Fyre, along with Jenna and Beetle. There are some strange things about the island, including a Magykal girl named Syrah, a cat-shaped lighthouse that has lost its Light, and an eerie presence that sings to Septimus --- can he escape the persistent call? Trouble is also brewing for Lucy and Wolf Boy, who have become entangled with nefarious sailors at sea, and for Milo Banda, Jenna’s father, who is harboring a mysterious treasure chest in his ship’s hold…

Charismatic storyteller Angie Sage continues Septimus Heap’s Magykal journey with more laugh-out-loud adventures, more enchanting charms and spells, and an ever-deepening understanding of the rich interior life of a young hero.

To celebrate the release of this latest installment in the series, Kidsreads.com is giving 15 readers the chance to win a copy of the book.

-Click here for all the contest details.
-Click here to browse inside SYREN.
-Click here to read Ange Sage's bio.
-Click here to play the updated Septimus Heap trivia game.
-Click here to read our Septimus Heap series feature.
-Visit the official website of the series, www.SeptimusHeap.com.

Berkeley Breathed is the creator of the Pulitzer Prize-winning comic strip “Bloom County” as well as the author of eight books for children, including MARS NEEDS MOMS!, GOODNIGHT OPUS and his first illustrated novel, FLAWED DOGS: The Shocking Raid on Westminster. In this interview with Kidsreads.com's Alexis Burling, Breathed discusses his inspiration for main character Sam the Lion and describes a surprising letter he received from a fan. He also shares his thoughts on the real Westminster Dog Show as well as the classic canine film Old Yeller, reveals his favorite music to listen to while working, and explains how his children have influenced his work.

FLAWED DOGS: THE NOVEL: The Shocking Raid on Westminster by Berkeley Breathed
Sam the Lion is actually a priceless dachshund, bred to be a show dog. More important, he is Heidy's best friend --- and she needs one like never before. Living with her reclusive uncle is hard, but Sam has a way of making her feel soft and whole. Until the day Sam is framed by the jealous poodle Cassius, and is cast out by Heidy's uncle, alone on the wild streets, where he is roughed up by a world he was not bred for. Sporting a soup ladle for a leg, Sam befriends other abandoned dogs and journeys all the way to the Westminster Dog Show, where his plan for revenge on Cassius takes an unexpected turn when he and Heidy spot each other after years of being apart.

Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author Berkeley Breathed's first illustrated novel is a heartwarming and humorous ode to the unconditional and lasting love we and our pets share.

-Click here to read more about FLAWED DOGS: THE NOVEL.
-Click here to read an excerpt from FLAWED DOGS: THE NOVEL.
-Click here to read our interview with Berkeley Breathed.
-Click here to read Berkeley Breathed’s bio.

After being enrolled in the Song Festival, Geronimo Stilton's song, "Welcome to New Mouse City," goes to the top of the charts and makes him a star. But very few CDs are sold after the festival. Will Geronimo and his detective friend, Hercule Poirat, be able to solve the mystery? To find out, enter the SINGING SENSATION Giveaway and join Geronimo and Hercule as they try to crack this case. You could be one of 25 readers to win a copy of the book.

SINGING SENSATION by Geronimo Stilton
After being enrolled in the New Mouse City Song Festival, Geronimo Stilton’s song, “Welcome to New Mouse City,” goes to the top of the charts. Geronimo’s a star, but very few CDs are sold after the festival, and no one can figure out why. Will Geronimo and his detective friend, Hercule Poirat, be able to solve the mystery? Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read a review of SINGING SENSATION.
-Click here to read an excerpt from SINGING SENSATION.
-Click here to play the updated Geronimo Stilton trivia game.
-Click here to read our Geronimo Stilton series feature.

In THEA STILTON AND THE MOUNTAIN OF FIRE, Thea's friends the Thea Sisters take off for Australia to solve a mystery. A flock of sheep at Nicky's family's ranch is losing all its wool, and the five mouselings are determined to search for a cure. Kidsreads.com is giving away 25 copies of this truly memorable outback adventure.

THEA STILTON AND THE MOUNTAIN OF FIRE: Geronimo Stilton Special Edition by Thea Stilton
Thea Stilton --- Geronimo’s sister --- and her friends are heading to Australia to solve a mystery. A flock of sheep at Nicky’s family’s ranch is losing all its wool, and the ranch depends on the wool to stay afloat! The five girls set off on an outback adventure across the country to find the sheep’s cure. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

-Click here to read a review of THEA STILTON AND THE MOUNTAIN OF FIRE.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THEA STILTON AND THE MOUNTAIN OF FIRE.
-Click here to play the updated Geronimo Stilton trivia game.
-Click here to read our Geronimo Stilton series feature.

In this interview with Kidsreads.com's Donna Volkenannt, Lisa Yee --- author of six novels for middle-grade and YA readers --- discusses what led her to write her latest book, BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY), for a slightly younger audience than her usual fare, and explains who and what inspired her colorful characters. She also shares some of the positive feedback she has received from the Asian-American community, reveals what she finds most satisfying about her work, and gives details on her upcoming projects due out in the next few years.

BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY) written by Lisa Yee and illustrated by Dan Santat
Meet Robert Carver Ellis-Chan --- a perfectly normal fourth grader who gets into perfectly crazy situations! Like when he was running for class president and discovered his big sister's panties (static-) clinging to the back of his sweater. Or when he got stuck to the rare, sticky (and stinky) Koloff tree on a field trip…. Then there's his family --- busy mom, ex-pro football player dad, a bossy older sister, and an adoring younger one --- and best friends (one of whom is a secret, because she's a *girl*). Life may be complicated for Bobby, but it's going to turn out just fine.

-Click here to read an excerpt from BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY).
-Click here to read our interview with Lisa Yee.
-Click here to read Lisa Yee’s bio.

September’s roundup of New in Paperback titles includes IF YOU’RE READING THIS, IT’S TOO LATE, a sequel to the Edgar Award-nominated THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET, which marks the return of mysterious narrator Pseudonymous Bosch; WELL WITCHED, a contemporary fantasy from Frances Hardinge, whose main characters regret stealing some tarnished coins from a wishing well when the witch who lives at the bottom of the well demands a sinister form of payback; EVERY SOUL A STAR by Wendy Mass, a powerful yet humorous novel about three young strangers who are brought together by the total eclipse of the sun; and THE GATE OF DAYS, the second installment in Guillaume Prëvost’s The Book of Time trilogy, which finds Sam Faulkner on a desperate journey through the ages to collect the coins that will allow him to locate his father, who is trapped in a dungeon in Transylvania.

Poll:

Do you usually dress up for Halloween?

Yes
No
No, but I want to.

Have you ever dressed up as a character from a book?

Yes
No
No, but this sounds like something I would do.
I don't dress up for Halloween.

-Click here to participate in the poll.


Question:

If you could dress up as any literary character for Halloween, who would you be, and what would you wear?

-Click here to answer the question.