Karen here, to introduce our new posse of enthusiastic (kooky) and knowledgeable (fanatical) folks writing the newsletter these days! Sarah grew up in the aisles of Hicklebee's Children's Books in San Jose, owned by her mother, Monica, and her Aunt Valerie. She remembers sitting in the store's pillow-filled claw-foot bathtub, reading picture books for hours on end while her mother worked. Jill spent six formative years working at Wellesley Booksmith in Massachusetts. She has a Margaret Wise Brown shrine in her home, including nine copies of Goodnight Moon alone. And after a great many cups of coffee, Angela has finally completed her degree in book publishing from Portland State University. It is her hope to one day work directly with children's book authors and illustrators, helping to assemble their beloved stories into nice little packages for you. Our pledge is to obsess only about the best books and most amazing authors in the most fascinating ways for you, our voracious readers.

KIDS' Q&A: ANNIE BARROWS
Annie Barrows's first book for kids, Ivy and Bean, introduced this irresistible twosome, girls who like getting into mischief — especially when the mischief is targeted at Bean's older sister, Nancy. The duo's adventures continue in Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go and Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record. Read more about the author of these charming chapter books in our Q&A, then save 30% on all three Ivy and Bean books.

Overheard in the Aisles:
Kid looking at dragon book: "Dad, what's the dragon doing to the horse?"
Dad: "This is the part of the story where the dragon eats the horse for protein. Like he's having breakfast."

KIDS' Q&A: JENNIFER ALLISON
Jennifer Allison's books featuring Gilda Joyce just keep getting better (we loved the first one — so that's very high praise!). We've mentioned these books more than a few times, and now we are honored to finally have a Q&A with the author who is giving us more of this witty, enchanting character. The third installment, Gilda Joyce: The Ghost Sonata, is as smashing as the others. Save 30% on the Gilda Joyce series and get all the juicy details of the mind behind the character in our Q&A.

KIDS' Q&A: ELLEN HOPKINS
Ellen Hopkins writes astonishing, mature, young adult fiction about addiction, rendering this sensitive material in stark verse. Her latest is Glass, the sequel to her first book, Crank. Chronicling a teen mother's downward spiral back into meth addiction, Glass is a powerful story informed by Hopkins's own daughter's struggle with addiction. Tough stuff, but so necessary for discussion in today's teen drug climate. Learn more about Ellen Hopkins in our exclusive Q&A, and experience her novel for yourself at 30% off.

Overheard in the Aisles:
Mom: "That's a nice pop-up book, but you would just rip all the pages out."
Child: "Yes. Yes, I would."

KIDS' Q&A: DANIEL KIRK
This month is rampant with wonderful kids' author events at Powell's, including a visit from whimsical writer and illustrator Daniel Kirk. Come and see this beloved children's author at our Cedar Hills Crossing location on Saturday, September 22, at 1:00 p.m. If you can't make it, enjoy his Q&A from right where you're sitting now! And purchase his delightful new picture book Library Mouse, featuring an aspiring rodent author, at 30% off the cover price.

SIGNED EDITION: SHERMAN ALEXIE
Sherman Alexie, well known as an adult fiction author, becomes a newly christened, enthusiastically welcomed young adult writer with his Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. This exciting foray into the young adult book world isn't generating lots of buzz just because he's a venerable author — it's because his kids' debut is actually fantastic, as in, crying-while-laughing-and-staying-up-till-the-wee-hours fantastic. And, guess what? We have signed first editions ready for your ordering pleasure right here.

Overheard in the Aisles:
Child: "Mom, can I have this?" [holds up Mad Libs: Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed]
Mother: "No, it deals with the walking undead. Go find something else."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROALD DAHL
This world is a better place because of books like The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda. Five of Dahl's hugely popular books have been adapted into winning plays for children, including The Witches: A Set of Plays. Culinary types should read Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes and Roald Dahl's Even More Revolting Recipes. And Boy: Tales of Childhood, Going Solo, and D Is for Dahl: A Gloriumptious A-Z Guide to the World of Roald Dahl tell of his life and provide plenty of insightful trivia about the unforgettable characters he created. You may also be tickled by the unexpected places he turns up. Mountains beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder, is the beautiful and inspiring story of Partners in Health, an organization working towards quality world health care. Dahl's daughter, Ophelia Dahl (the cofounder and executive director of Partners in Health), is featured prominently in the book. "[Roald Dahl] was the one who had sent [Ophelia] to Haiti, in effect, by grousing that she should do something adventurous and useful," Kidder writes. This, you'll surely agree, is just so Roald Dahl! So celebrate Dahl's birthday on September 13, and check out all his amazing work here.

BANNED BOOKS
In memory of Madeleine L'Engle, who passed away September 6, we take this time to celebrate the right and assert the necessity of the freedom to express (and to read) many different points of view. A Wrinkle in Time, by far L'Engle's most famous and iconic book of her more than sixty titles, is consistently in the annual top-ten lists of books challenged by school libraries and parents. This year Banned Books Week is September 29 to October 6. The majority of challenged and banned books are children's books. Many are also award winners. Here are some of our favorite books that have been challenged and/or banned.

Overheard in the Aisles:
Child reading the title of a book: "I'd... Really... Like... to... Eat... a... Child... "
[Pause]
Child [in a panicked voice]: "Daddy?!? Did I read that right? I'd really like
to eat a CHILD??!!"

JOHN GREEN'S BROTHERHOOD 2.0
So you may have figured out by now that Karen and Jill regularly debate about who is the bigger John Green fan. (Jill is, but Karen makes his books sound better when she talks about them. No, actually Karen is, but Jill just lets her emotions show more easily.) Much to our obsessive delight, we have recently discovered that John Green (author of Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines) and his brother, Hank Green, have a website on which they have forgone all textual communication in favor of video blogging for an entire year. Thank goodness they decided to post it all on YouTube, as well as chronologically on their website, because they are so funny! We are in awe that someone as witty and amusing in his writing as John Green can effectively translate that style to video blogging. So, all you Nerdfighters unite! And watch John and Hank's video blog daily to be sufficiently in the know.

JUMPSTART'S READ FOR THE RECORD
Remember Ferdinand, that gentle flower-sniffing bull from your childhood? On
September 20, you have the chance to read Munro Leaf's classic, The Story of Ferdinand, with kids and adults all over the country. Jumpstart's Read for the Record is a national campaign to break the record for the largest shared reading experience ever, with the hopes of raising public awareness of the importance of early education. To find out where to participate, and to help break the record, check out www.readfortherecord.org, and buy your copy of Ferdinand at a 30% discount on Powells.com.

KIDS' BESTSELLERS

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (Children's Science Fiction) 2. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (Young Adult) 3. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) 4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (Children's Science Fiction) 5. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) 6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (Children's Science Fiction) 7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (Children's Science Fiction) 8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (Children's Science Fiction) 9. The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden (Reference and Trivia) 10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (Children's Science Fiction)

Burning incense should never be left unattended.