Several very cool titles coming out this fall from Random House. A few of these will be familiar to Leila's readers as she covered the same catalog a few days ago, but I figure that just means we both have excellent taste. Here's hoping they are all as good as they sound!

Alphabet Explosion by John Nickle. This picture book has a nice little "I Spy" type quirk. Readers must find objects on each page that start with the letter - 19 for the letter A, 37 for H and so on. The pictures are key here and from the descriptions (and slight sample) they sound like a lot of fun ("crows ride in corn-on-the-cob cars, unicorns wear underwear" etc.) It should make it a good tool for early readers (and counters).

The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven by Jonah Winter, illus by Barry Blitt. The cover makes this very hard to resist and the story sounds like a kick - Beethoven has to keep moving for one reason or another and his pianos must follow along. If the story is funny kids will like it and the fact that they are learning about a great composer is a nice bonus.

Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins, illus by Paul O. Zelinsky. Jenkins says this started out as a failed picture book and became a series of illustrated short stories about toys taken out of the house in a child's backpack. There is a stuffed buffalo, stuffed stingray and something called "Plastic" (a ball I think). "Together they look things up in the dictionary, explore the basement and argue about the meaning of life." This could very well be a sleeper hit - it's very different sounding and Zelinsky's illustration look lovely as always.

Water Street by Patricia Reilly Giff. I have a soft spot for stories of Old NYC - my mother's family came over to the Bronx in the 1860s (and maybe earlier) and I'm fascinated by the history. Giff writes about Bird Mallon in Brooklyn of 1875 who is watching the Brooklyn Bridge be built and wants to help her family and find a girl to be friends with. A man and his young son, Thomas, move in upstairs - the father drinks and the son writes in his journal. "Thomas has a secret that only Bird suspects, and turns out to be the best friend Bird could ever have." Good historical fiction is worth its weight in gold as far as I'm concerned. We can never learn enough history.

Gemini Summer by Iain Lawrence. Well, it's Iain Lawrence for one so that makes it a no brainer. But also it follows a young boy, Danny who dreams of having a dog. There is a family tragedy, a dog is found and then "Danny and his dog run off, heading toward Cape Canaveral, where the Gemini missions blast off and where dreams come true." I grew up in the shadow of Canaveral, on the Space Coast of Fl. I worked in a restaurant that was filled with signed patches and pictures from the Gemini, Mercury and Apollo astronauts. Love space stories of any kind - must read. (And what a great cover!)

Looking for Bapu by Anjali Banerjee. I've started to see more and more titles about Indian or Indian American families and I'm quite pleased about that. Anything that makes kids see beyond their own driveways is a winner to me. In this case, Anu's grandfather Bapu, who lived with him, has died. Anu is convinced there must be a way to bring his spirit back and enlists his friends to help. "From shaving his head to making up fortunes in the hope of becoming more holy, Anu tries everything." This one is certainly like nothing I have read.

Endymion Spring by Matthew Skelton. This one is already getting buzz around the lit blogosphere. Written by an Oxford PhD it follows a boy who touches a strange book and feels something pierce his finger. "You've stumbled onto something muct larger than you could possibly imagine." It's a blend of mystery, fantasy, historical fiction, adventure, etc. Who could resist? (But man I hope it lives up the hype!)

London Calling by Edward Bloor. Love him - loved Storytime big time. Time travel back to WWII London for young Martin while he is sleeping. When he wakes up he realizes he has met real people and learned real things - dangerous things. "In London Calling Edward Bloor deftly weaves ideas about heroism, integrity, faith and failure into his most emotionally resonant book to date." Oh, this sounds good!

Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp. In Kennisaw, Friday night football is everything. This year, the Knights are on track for their fifth undefeated season - they are on their way to be legends. But Hampton, the star linebacker, has a life going out of control. "His mom has a new boyfriend every week. He's drawn to a smart, quirky girl at school and his best friend and teammate Blaine is becoming uncomfortably competitive." He must decide what kind of man he wants to be - a question that far too few teen boys ever ask themselves. I grew up in the South and football really is that big of a deal. This looks like a great coming of age story for boys, and we need all the ones we can get. (See King Dork for another great example.)

The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat. I've never heard anything like this: a young boy wakes up his six older brothers, all twins, one stormy night and tells them they must flee their violent father. Thus begins an odyssey to the ocean where they meet several people all of whom give accounts of what they witness. "...but not until the end of the journey does little Yann express the reasons for his galvanizing actions." It is inspired by the tale of Tom Thumb but I don't see that from the description. I like what I do see though - and want to read more.

Refugees by Catherine Stine. Dawn is a foster child who leaves an unhappy home for NY - and arrives in time for 9/11. Johar, an Afghan teen flees his war ravaged village for Pakistan and ends up helping a Red Cross doctor, Dawn's foster mother. When Dawn reaches out to her foster mother via the phone, she "meets" Johar and they connect through emails, phone calls and letter. I'm hoping this book doesn't try to manipulate me or sink into internet romance territory. I'm hoping it just shows how small the world really is.

Oh man - "Knocking on Heaven's Door" just came on the radio - the Warren Zevon version. There is NO better rendition of this song. It's the best, the absolute best.

Harper Collins also sent catalogs that arrived today - more on those later. And some thoughts on reading vs writing (must they be mutually exclusive?) and reviewers accepting bribes. (Can you imagine?!)