Matched by Ally Condie is just one of those books that you want to give to everyone you know. This dystopian novel has really struck a cord with me and with Maggie and even my 6th/7th book club. We can’t get enough! Part Hunger Games, part Fahrenheit 451, and completely amazing! It is set in a future world where everything from what you eat to who you marry and when you die is chosen for you. This story will resonate with young adults and adults alike.

All that aside, you can image my elation when I found out Ally would be coming to a school in the area. She will be visiting St. Andrew’s during the day and will be signing our stock here at the store. Although we do not have first editions, I am so excited to offer this book to our customers and to just get it out there to more people. This is one of those life changing kind of books. You can order a signed copy of Matched through our website or by getting on the signing list here at the store. I hope all you non-young adult readers will give this book a chance and snatch you up a signed copy.

Recently Emily and I have teamed up to give our First Editions Club Members a new opportunity and I’d like to tell you a little bit about it.

On February 18th, the grandson of Ludwig Bemelmans, author of the Madeline series, was here at Lemuria signing his new book, Madeline at the White House. With this signing we are kicking off a new chapter for the First Editions Club. As we get this program off the ground, approximately every other month we will inform you of our new Oz (our children’s store) First Editions Club pick which you will have the option of receiving with your monthly first edition.

These books will be chosen much in the same way the first editions you receive now are: the author will sign first editions of his or her book in our store, and we will only choose books that we feel will have value not only to families, but also t0 the serious collector. Because of this consideration, a selection may not be available every month.

In the last few years we have really begun to host bigger and more acclaimed children’s book authors. Last year alone we had Sharon Draper here, five-time winner of the Coretta Scot King Literary Award, National Book Award Winner M.T. Anderson, and Kathryn Erskine with her new book Mockingbird which won the 2010 National Book Award.

The Emerald Atlas is an Oz First Edition Pick for this spring. Written in the tradition of Narnia and Harry Potter, Emerald Atlas is already one of the most talked about books in industry circles this year.

We are really excited about being able to offer this as an addition to current First Edition Club members.  We would also like to extend the offer to anyone out there that is interested in joining the Oz First Editions Club exclusively.

If you have an interest in or any questions about the regular First Editions Club 0r the Oz First Editions Club please feel free to either call or e-mail Zita or Emily. You can also sign up through our website.

601.366.7619 or 1.800.366.7619

zita@lemuriabooks.com

emily@lemuriabooks.com

by Zita

I’m 22 years old, I adore picture books, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  Picture books aren’t only for children, you know.  I admit that I forgot about picture books somewhere between first and second grade and never looked back until I started working at Lemuria.  And now when I’m negotiating with graduate programs and trying to figure out where in the world I’m going to come up with the money to study in Paris, my worn-out, stressed-out self finds solace in the wonderful illustrations found in children’s picture books. I find myself having a bit of a crush on some of these illustrators who build aesthetically-pleasing worlds out of the sparse ( though often catchy and sweet) lines on each page of these books.  I also find myself fighting the desire to deface these children’s books by tearing out my favorite pages, framing them, and hanging them around my room.  (It’s a great idea in my mind, but I’d be sad to have a book with missing pages, wouldn’t you?)

I was delighted when John Bemelmans Marciano visited Lemuria to sign his new book Madeline at the White House. Though any copies of the Madeline books I had when I was a child have long ago disappeared (hopefully they’re being checked out of a library somewhere or sitting on some other family’s bookshelf), I couldn’t resist buying new copies of the original Madeline tales as well as  Marciano’s newest additions to Madeline’s adventures—and no, not for my future child, just for myself.

And my newest illustrator crush is Carson Ellis.  I was already vaguely familiar with her work as she designs the cover art for The Decemberists, one of my favorite bands.  Maybe you recognize some of it?

Anyway, I am pleased to say that Carson also illustrates children’s picture books.  For example (and this isn’t a picture book but it is a young adult series), remember Nell’s blog on The Mysterious Benedict Society?  Yep, Carson Ellis did the cover art.

And that’s just one of the many.  I was quite happy yesterday when Emily helped me find more of Carson’s work back in OZ.  If you’re interested in Carson Ellis as an illustrator, check out her website here. And if you’re interested in finding some great picture books to marvel at, then come check out OZ.  -Kaycie

A high school student named Elizabeth takes a job at the New York Circulating Materials Repository in hopes of making a little money and perhaps new friends. This is no ordinary library, it lends out objects rather than books. The basement of the Repository houses a very magical collection—the Grimm Collection.

Not long after Elizabeth begins working here she realizes that items from the Grimm’s Collection are disappearing. She quickly realizes that she and her new friends must find the thief before the authorities lay the blame on them. Come along for an intriguing and magical world of romance and adventure.

The Grim Legacy: Borrow the Magic . . . If You Dare!

by Polly Shulman (Putnam, 2010)

Ages 10-13

Even the mention of the Madeline series brings a smile to my face —for in our family these books have happily spanned three generations—My mother read the first book about Madeline to me when I was a child. Then I, of course, couldn’t wait to read them all to my own daughter. And since I still had a copy of the very first in the series (carefully saving it along with other favorites of my children) it was I who first introduced my grandchildren to the delightful Madeline. Though my daughter has subsequently collected the other books in the series for them, I keep my copy on hand for when they come to Jackson, and it’s become something of a tradition to re-read it each time they come. -Billie

John Bemelmans Marciano was here on Friday, February 18th at 4:30 to sign his new book, Madeline at the White House, and his other Madeline stories.