Christopher Rowe, apprentice to 17th century apothecary Benedict Blackthorn  finds himself caught up in a mystery of frightening proportions. More and more apothecary masters are being mercilessly murdered. 
Kevin Sands'  The Blackthorn Key spins a tale of secrets within secrets, puzzles within puzzles, codes inside of codes, traps within traps. This cinematic thriller kept me on the edge of my seat through the final chapter. The codes had me studying the alchemy symbols that Christopher decoded in order to unravel the secrets of the Cult of the Archangel, the source of evil and corruption in England. 

I add my own warning to potential readers:
There will be fireworks. Treachery will be exposed. Blood will be spilt. Heads will literally roll.

In addition to the heart-pounding action and adventure, this is also a story of friendship and loyalty. Tom remains Christopher's true friend and ally.  They have  some pretty funny moments.
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"We go right."
"It's left," Tom said.
"It's right."
Bridget flapped by overhead, going left. Tom glared at me.
"All right, fine," I said. "It's left."
Tom folded his arms."We should put the bird in charge."

The story comes to a fitting resolution.  However  the ending makes it clear that there is more to Christopher Rowe's tale. Much more.
Hurrah! Hurrah!  I look forward to that.

Holm tackles this darker subject with a light touch, inserting 70's nostalgia and introducing  the memorable residents of Florida's Pine Palms Retirement Community.
I loved Sunny's summer companions.

• Gramps who considers a trip to the post office to be a "big plan" for the day and enjoys charming the ladies.
  
• "The Girls"who craft Barbie doll toilet paper covers and always tuck an extra roll from the "early bird" dinner special into a handbag.
  
• Buzz who searches for stray golf balls and introduces Sunny to the amazing world of comics.
  

From Laurie Halse Anderson's seminal Winter Girls to Tracy White's graphic novel How I Made it to Eighteen, a  plethora of YA books have addressed the subject of eating disorders. I wondered what perspectives  J J Johnson;s be-liev-a-rex-ic offers on this topic.
In a word, it's monsters.
This is an insightful glimpse into the life of a young teen, fighting the monsters who have taken possession of her body and her mind.  She knows that she needs help
"you have been looking everywhere for 
a monster-slaying sword" 
but the monster's grip has taken complete control of her. This semi-autobiographical exploration of one girl's valiant attempt to identify, confront, and vanquish the monster within is it told through a series of posted regulations, personal narrative, and free verse.
I found many of the free verse entries to be particularly poignant.

You want it gone, the monster.
There is no safety or comfort while it lives.
You yearn for it to be slain.
You want it dead.
And yet, you need it. It is what makes you
special.
It sets you apart.
It helps you.

I recently discovered Toby Allen's series of real monsters, brilliant depictions of various forms and conditions of mental illness. These images are "intended to give...intangible mental illnesses some substance and make them appear...as physical entities" 
"I hope to draw attention to mental illnesses that often get ignored or aren’t taken as seriously as they should. I want to make people aware of how damaging these illnesses are and how much of a burden they can be to those who suffer from them."
Here is his representation of two monsters.  I have paired each one with  Johnson's descriptive free verse.

This proclamation, posted on Twitter by The Curious Reader caught my attention. 
I like the proactive stance of these artists.  We believe. We condemn. We declare.  
All strong statements.
In the interest of furthering the dialogue, following are some of my beliefs about picture books.
A picture book is much more than some lines of text, some illustrations. 
My childhood is wrapped in memories of picture books.  They contain words that I have "learned by heart" and can still recite. I often  find myself considering and quoting from them.  I no longer own the copies that were in the home of my childhood. But because they are books, actual  tangible objects, a copy each is part of my current personal library. They are a part of who I am: my thoughts, my personal memories, my shared experience with others who have read and enjoyed these books.

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! 
Of course I read along with my mother as together  we dropped Sal's  blueberries into the tin pail.
I loved that McCloskey takes me into his confidence to share what is unknown to Sal and Little Bear. I see the hill from his perspective, knowing what he knows, revealed with an image which is stronger than words.
I love love love the facial expressions, especially those of the bears.

It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized that some people thought that there was a "moral" to the story.
I never noticed that.  It was Ferdinand, sitting under the cork tree. It was his understanding mother, even though she was a cow. It was the Banderilleros with their long sharp pins, the Picadores with their skinny horses. It was the subtle humor that tickled me. It was Leaf and Lawson delighting me, enchanting me.

One of the perks of being a children's librarian is reading to a group of children and witnessing their joy as they experience a new and delightful picture book. They respond with cries of amazement, giggles, and best of all, pleas to "read it again." This past year a few picture books experiences were especially memorable.

What is it about this book that is so appealing? Is it the repetitive phrases? Is it the judiciously dropped visual hints that Haughton provides for the careful observer? Is it the surprise element that sends children into squeals of laughter?
I don't know.
I just know that it works. Every. Single. Time. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the children found the oronyms in both Viva's text and the illustrations. It was impossible to read this book "straight through."
We continually had to stop and examine each page, each image. Naturally  flipping back and forth was a necessity.
And their careful examination continued to hold on subsequent rereading.

Pizzoli has set up the perfect scenario and one that children can immediately identify with. They roar with delight as the dilemma unfolds. His images bringing the both the anxiety and the silliness of the situation into focus.
The humor is infectious. 
The ending, in all of its red and green glory, is just perfect.

A picture book is more a few words, cleverly arranged on a page.
A picture book is more than a carefully constructed plot line.
A picture book is more than a set of well-executed illustrations.
A picture book is more than an idea.

While a picture book is all of these things, the sum is much greater than the parts. It becomes a shared experience with the author, the illustrator, those who read the book together, and others you meet who have encountered the same book. But most of all it is a way to connect with yourself, your thougths, your experiences in new and interesting ways.  A great picture book will become a part of you that will remain with you throughout your life.

Recently my almost fifteen-year-old grandson spent some time in our home.  One day I found him sitting next to the bottom bookshelf, perusing the collection of picture books and looking for his favorites. He selected a stack of them and carried them back to his bed. Those books and our shared experience of reading them together are now an integral part of him. 
Thank you picture book authors and illustrators. 
Your work lives on and on and on...