The Kids' Team wakes with the lark and greets the June sun. They scuttle through their tea and toast, comb their pillow hair, jump on their bicycles, and clatter through the empty streets to the City of Books. There they quietly go about their important business: books, books, books. They nod and wink at each other; some mutter as they unfold and ascend ladders; the occasional yelp of surprise indicates a toppled stack of classics. They know that this calm is fleeting. They look at their books, peacefully, perfectly arranged on the shelf, one last time... This is how they prepare for the frenzy of reading that is summer vacation.

Spelling Bee Word #1: disquisition [dis-kwuh-ZISH-uhn], noun:
A formal discourse on a subject.

KIDS' Q&A: JULIA GOLDING
British children's author Julia Golding makes her young adult novel debut with Secret of the Sirens, a captivating, complex, and uniquely modern fantasy. With both an ancient evil spirit and a contemporary, shady oil company for villains, Golding brings immediacy and relevance to her fantasy world. She deftly weaves environmental themes into her narrative without sacrificing compelling characters or story. This first in the Companions Quartet series will surely gather devout followers (who only have to wait until October for the second installment). Read our Q&A and save 30% on Secrets of the Sirens.

Spelling Bee word #2: eructation [ih-ruhk-TAY-shuhn], noun:
The act of belching; a belch.

KIDS' Q&A: CATHERINE JINKS
Catherine Jinks's Pagan Chronicles followed the hilarious exploits (or would-be exploits) of a street-smart medieval teenager. In her latest, Evil Genius, Jinks turns to the world of super villains, gadgets, and world domination! Cadel Piggott — the brilliant, adopted child of average parents — finds out his birth father is an infamous criminal mastermind, and that his destiny may be to fulfill his father's plans for world domination! But wait! What if the thrill of villainy isn't all it's cracked up to be? What if Cadel has a mind of his own? Summer reading doesn't get any better than this, folks. Read our Q&A with Catherine Jinks, and get Evil Genius now at 30% off.

Spelling Bee Word #3: grandiloquent [gran-DIL-uh-kwuhnt], adjective:
Lofty in style; pompous; bombastic.

ORIGINAL ESSAY: BARRY YOURGRAU
The NASTYest things come in the smallest packages — and Yet Another NASTYbook: MiniNasties proves it! With ultra-ultra-short stories, preposterous little poems and dialogues, even one-sentence tales, Barry Yourgrau's twisted mind cooks up a wealth of wicked fancies — from just a few lines. Read Yourgrau's original essay and save 30% when you buy "MiniNasties" from Powells.com.

Spelling Bee Word #4: tintinnabulation [tin-tih-nab-yuh-LAY-shuhn], noun:
A tinkling sound, as of a bell or bells.

NANCY DREW
Our perennial favorite roars into the 21st century with last weekend's release of Nancy Drew, Hollywood's tween take on the famous girl detective. Complete with lots of OMGs and fashion critiques, the movie pales in comparison to Nancy as she is in the pages of these timeless books. To celebrate our love of the original, we offer up Nancy Drew Pocketbook Mysteries, an adorable purse filled with the first two books in the series, all at 30% off the retail price. And check our stacks for the rest of the series and all things Nancy.

Spelling Bee Word #5: recrudescent [ree-kroo-DES-uhnt], adjective:
Breaking out again after temporary abatement or suppression; as, a recrudescent epidemic.

HARRY POTTERAMA
We know your thumbs are already rubbed raw from all the twiddling you've been doing, waiting for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (preorder it now for big savings)! But (cue music) we are, at last, swooping in to help... distract you at least, while simultaneously turning you on to some other great books and authors (this is the last Harry Potter, you know). Here is our far-from-exhaustive list (we can go on and on about books, as you've probably gathered) of what else to read if you love Harry Potter.

Spelling Bee Word #6: bombinate [BOM-buh-nayt], intransitive verb:
To buzz; to hum; to drone.

GAY PRIDE
GLBT novels used to be squirreled away under mattresses, read on the sly, and passed around by those "in the know." And even then, sometimes they were just plain bad. Thank goodness those days are gone. Now the young adult aisles are blooming with bright, fresh offerings. The characters are sometimes fraught, sometimes gleefully self-possessed, and above all, utterly human. And great reading for everybody!

Spelling Bee Word #7: gaucherie [goh-shuh-REE], noun:
A socially awkward or tactless act.

SUMMER READS
Do you know that kid who's read everything? We do, too. She comes in about once a day, with an aunt or babysitter who gamely recommends favorites. We can hear the kid's responses from the info desk, "Read it already... read it in fifth grade... read it... have it at home... read it..." Well, you can't stump the professionals! We consider it our sworn duty to come up with a list of titles your little bookworm hasn't even heard about. May we direct you to... The Recommended Summer Reading List: for ages 5-8, ages 9-12, and ages 12 and up.

Spelling Bee Word #8: superannuated [soo-pur-AN-yoo-ay-tid], adjective:
Discharged or disqualified on account of old age; retired from service, especially with a pension.

PERFECT PICTURE BOOKS
There are so many innovative, gorgeous new picture books. In the category of long-revered authors who thankfully have a new book out, Patrica Polacco gives us Ginger and Petunia, while Sam McBratney graces us with Yes We Can! and Cynthia Rylant presents Alligator Boy. In the category of best plot twist in a picture book, we suggest Penguin by Polly Dunbar. For funniest new picture book, we recommend When a Monster Is Born by Sean Taylor and Mr. Pusskins: A Love Story by Sam Lloyd.

Spelling Bee Word #9: velleity [veh-LEE-uh-tee; vuh-], noun:
A slight wish or inclination.

CHILDREN'S LAUREATE
Why ever did we fight for independence from a country that has a Children's Laureate? Well, maybe it's because the position didn't exist in the UK back then. Established in 1999, this honored two-year position has been awarded to Quentin Blake, Anne Fine, Michael Morpurgo, and Jacqueline Wilson. And now Michael Rosen has been chosen for the 2007-2008 term. His contribution to children's books has been wide ranging, from the very popular picture book We're Going on a Bear Hunt to biographies of Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare to his eloquent treatment of dealing with grief in Sad Book. But his most persistent contribution to children's literature is his poetry. Though many of his collections are currently unavailable in the United States, The Best of Michael Rosen is a lovely introduction to his zany style. He also has edited collections including Classic Poetry, A World of Poetry and Poems for the Very Young. Rosen has paired with many esteemed illustrators over the years, including Quentin Blake, Helen Oxenbury, and Robert Ingpen, so his words have been imagined in myriad delightful ways. Read more about Rosen here and check out some of his great books!

Spelling Bee Word #10: eremite [ER-uh-myt], noun:
A hermit, especially a religious recluse.

KIDS' BESTSELLERS

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (Fantasy) 2. By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman (Adventure Stories) 3. The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden (Reference) 4. Thirteen: Thirteen Stories That Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen by James Howe (Young Adult) 5. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) 6. Nancy Drew Pocketbook Mysteries by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew) 7. The Rooster Struts by Richard Scarry (Board Books) 8. Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (Newberry Winners) 9. Black Ships before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff (Mythology) 10. Kneeknock Rise by Natalie Babbitt (Newberry Winners)

Spelling Bee Word #11: fustian [FUHS-chuhn], noun:
An inflated style of writing or speech; pompous or pretentious language.