2010 Best for Teens: Mr. Mendoza's Paintbrush, by Luis Alberto Urrea & Christopher Cardinale

When Mr. Mendoza arrives in the rich green town of Rosario, which bubbles with humidity and the smell of mangoes, the self-proclaimed "Graffiti King of all of Mexico" changes the small village forever. In a starred review, Kirkus said, "Urrea's delightful tale of morality and meaning is rendered masterfully by Cardinale's boisterous illustrations, their bold outlines providing heft to the surrealism." After reading Luis Alberto Urrea's story, Christopher Cardinale went straight to his sketchpad, but he realized that he could not rely on photos alone for his images. So he traveled to Rosario in Sinaloa, Mexico. "There ...

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2010 Best for Teens: Mistwood, by Leah Cypess

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2010 Children's Best: Art & Max, by David Wiesner

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2010 Children's Best: Mad at Mommy, by Komako Sakai

The creator of The Snow Day (2009), which explored a preschooler’s pining to experience the pleasures of new-fallen snow, here taps into the contradictory feelings of a young rabbit with a strong bond to Mommy even through those first assertions of independence. Once again, a slightly downturned mouth and tilt of the ears ingeniously serve as indicators of the youngster’s shifting moods. Through a series of panel illustrations and full-bleed, sometimes wordless spreads, readers gradually learn what’s at the root of the protagonist’s anger. “Komako Sakai gives voice to the desires and frustrations of a young ...

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2010 Children's Best: Lafayette and the American Revolution, by Russell Freedman

“A teenager who defies family and king, runs away from home, joins a revolution, fights courageously and helps found a nation. I’m always looking for a good story, and this one was hard to resist,” says Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman. The fiery young nobleman played a role in the author’s recent Give Me Liberty (2000) and Washington at Valley Forge (2008) before Freedman gave him star billing. His research uncovered a wealth of primary materials, which, he says, “allow[ed] Lafayette and his friends to speak for themselves. I wanted to delve more deeply and devote an entire ...

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2010 Children's Best: Hereville, by Barry Deutsch

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2010 Children's Best: Binky to the Rescue, by Ashley Spires

Of this sly feline’s debut in Binky the Space Cat (2009) Kirkus wrote in a starred review, “Spires’s mix of sly, dry and slapstick humor in her first graphic novel is perfect.” In this new adventure, Binky and Ted fall into “OUTER SPACE!” Children will savor knowing that Binky and his stuffed mousie have simply tumbled outdoors, but that doesn’t lessen the threat of a bee hive (aka “an alien warship”)—especially after Binky and Ted become separated. “Anyone who has lived with a cat knows that there are a lot of things going on in their ...

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2010 Children's Best: Bink & Gollie, by Kate DiCamillo & Alison McGhee

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2010 Children's Best: Zora and Me, by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon

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2010 Best for Teens: White Cat, by Holly Black

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The Buck Stops Here: A Youth Primer on the Presidents

Which president had a sign on his desk that read, “The Buck Stops Here?” Hint: He led the United States from 1945-1953. For 20 years, Alice Provensen’s book, named for that slogan, has led young readers through a series of rhyming couplets and iconic imagery that characterized each president. (Answer: “Truman, Truman, Thirty-three, / Radiated energy.”) Now, in this 20th-anniversary edition, Provensen adds George Bush (41), Bill Clinton (42), George W. Bush (43) and current and 44th president, Barack Obama.

The Buck Stops Here was the first book that Provensen created without her co-artist and husband, Martin Provensen, who died ...

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Kirkus Q&A - Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

“Since the dawn of time one question has dominated all others,” write Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier in the introduction to their new anthology: “Zombies or Unicorns?” The project began as banter between Black and Larbalestier on Larbalestier’s blog in early 2007. Quite a few writers chimed in, and it “took off from there,” the co-editors say. Black leads Team Unicorn, and Larbalestier captains Team Zombie in this pitched battle featuring 12 leading writers for teens. “Who is the victor in this epic smackdown? Readers, of course!” said Kirkus Reviews.

Did you each “recruit” the writers you felt could ...

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