From: Pteet at aol.com <Pteet>
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 18:03:57 EST

In addition to these worthy titles, I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has read GRAPE THIEF, by Kristine L. Franklin. To me, it's certainly award-worthy, but seems to have slipped under the radar in terms of a wide readership. Everyone (kids, librarians, booksellers, authors) I've recommended it to has loved it, and I'm hoping against hope that it will make a dark-horse appearance on an award list on January 12th.

Also, a late?cember book from David R. Godine had me spinning from its beauty: a lovely middle-grade novel, OLD MAN MAD ABOUT DRAWING by Francois Place, translated from the French, about a Japanese boy who becomes apprentice to the master painter, Hokusai. Full-color delicate, detailed, clear watercolor illustrations on every page, as well as some representations of Hokusai's paintings, turn the delightful story into a real treasure.

These are two of my favorite books, among a host of wonderful 2003 titles, this year.

Cheers, Elizabeth Bluemle

*********************** Elizabeth Bluemle Flying Pig Children's Books www.flyingpigbooks.com 86 Ferry Road Charlotte, Vermont 05445 802B5&00
Received on Tue 06 Jan 2004 05:03:57 PM CST