Every year, around this same time, our minds are filled with a frothy mix of fluffy baby animals, chicks made of marshmallows, blooming flowers, and the heady smell of new-mown grass. As we stumble outside, squinting into what is normally a cloudy, moist sky, we notice that we have acquired a thirst for the perfect afternoon book to read while basking in all of this fresh air and sunshine. You, too?

KIDS' Q&A: DEB CALETTI
We never get tired of a great coming-of-age story. Especially one as beautifully rendered as this one. Deb Caletti gives us Jade, a complicated, anxiety-ridden girl who finds herself in love and faced with some of life's most crucial questions. All with the unusual backdrop of an elephant house at the zoo. Read our Q&A with Deb Caletti and purchase The Nature of Jade at 30% off.

Look out, Mr. McGregor! Rabbits are mammals which belong to the order Lagomorpha. (Lagomorph means "hare-shaped.") They are similar to rodents in that they have incisor teeth that continually grow. Why don't you just help yourself to one of our carrots, Peter?

KIDS' Q&A: CASSANDRA CLARE
New York City: faeries, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, demons, and a sixteen-year-old girl named Clary Fray who stumbles into a secret band of warriors called the Shadowhunters. We don't know what's more exciting about this title: the fact that the pages practically turn themselves, or that the cover says "Book One." Thus begins the trilogy, and we can hardly wait for the next two! Read our Q&A with Cassandra Clare and purchase City of Bones at 30% off.

Felis silvestris catus: that's Ms. Kitten to you. Both humans and cats have identical regions in the brain responsible for emotion. Our friends just call us aloof.

KIDS' Q&A: ROSEMARY CLEMENT-MOORE
We affectionately call this book Veronica Mars meets Buffy, but the truth is, this book is all original fun. It's a hybrid of paranormal mystery, YA romance, and all set at the dance that is "the work of the devil." What a cool romp through the ubiquitous high school dance. Read our amusing Q&A with Rosemary Clement-Moore and save 30% on Prom Dates from Hell.

Did you know? A baby mouse is called a "pinky," a male is called a "buck," and a female is called a "doe." We'll just call them cute.

PREORDER HARRY POTTER
Did we mention that the last installment of Harry Potter releases July 21? We did? Now that we know Emma Watson is definitely going to remain our Hermione through the end of the movie series, we are sleeping again at night. If you are in town, please do plan to come to one of our stores and enjoy the midnight extravaganzas we have planned for July 20. Or preorder Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows online and you'll save over $10 off the cover price.

ADULT AUTHORS WRITE FOR KIDS
In recent years, some very good authors who had previously sequestered themselves in the Land of Grown-Ups have tried their writerly skills in everything from picture books to young adult novels — with some exciting results. We like to think that one reason for this cross-over is an increasing respect for how smart kids are and how fun kids' books can be. Check out these familiar authors wearing new hats as children's writers.

Ducks stay clean and dry using oil produced by their preen gland. Ducks pick up the oil, near their tail, with their head and beak, and then smear it all over their bodies to make their outer feathers waterproof. We here in the Northwest could certainly use a preening to protect us from spring showers!

SELL US YOUR BOOKS ONLINE
After thirty years of buying used books over the counter, Powell's now offers the service online. It's so easy: just enter the ISBNs of the books you wish to sell; we'll let you know if we want 'em, and how much credit we'll pay you for 'em. Or, if you prefer your bookselling the old-fashioned, face-to-face way, bring your books to any of our Portland-area locations for cash or store credit.

NEW ARRIVALS
New arrivals! What a perfect fit with our spring theme. So I'll get right to the point: In Search of the Thunder Dragon by Sophie Shrestha is a modern folktale inspired by the country of Bhutan; truly gorgeous, detailed illustrations grace every page. One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss is a lucid introduction to water politics in a beautiful, accessible format. And we are very excited to announce that the irrepressibly hilarious Clementine is back in The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker.

ALEXIS'S MUSINGS ON SPRING BIRTH
I'm at that age where all my friends are suddenly having babies. While I'm not having babies presently, I do end up buying a lot of books for people who are, so here are some of my favorite titles for the next generation of parents. The Complete Organic Pregnancy by Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu compiles facts about everything from the safest fish to eat while pregnant to the hidden dangers of mundane baby products like pacifiers. But it also has short essays by women like Barbara Kingsolver and Moon Unit Zappa that lighten the sometimes frightening information. Calm and Compassionate Children by Susan Usha Dermond is a lovely handbook for instilling empathy, thoughtfulness, and peace in your parenting and thus, your children. Ever heard of "elimination communication"? The Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh is a great introduction. Baby Greens: A Live Food Approach for Children of All Ages by Michaela Lynn and Michael Chrisemer brings the living food trend to children's nutrition. And an all-time favorite, Breeder, edited by Ariel Gore and Bee Lavender, tells it like it is, in the myriad voices of hip mamas from all over the place.

KIDS' BESTSELLERS

1. Mexico (A to Z) by Justine Fontes (People and Cultures) 2. HarperCollins Student Notebook Webster's Dictionary by Webster's (Reference) 3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Middle Readers) 4. The Van Gogh Café by Cynthia Rylant (Science Fiction and Fantasy) 5. Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (Young Adult) 6. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (Classics) 7. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Young Adult) 8. Animal Antics by Nora Gaydos (Beginning Readers) 9. Cajas de Carton by Francisco Jimenez (Spanish) 10. Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (Middle Readers)