Just a Friendly Reminder

“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”

Oh, you so BET I'm going to take that quote completely out of context! Because I wouldn't be a good bloggy friend if I didn't remind you of particular titles this giving season. Oh yes. You may have resisted me so far. You may have closed down your web browsers, deleted e-mails, skimmed past me in your Google Reader, ignored me as a Follower but . . . ! I keep. coming. back.

Important things to add onto the shopping list. OK? I'll keep this brief and simple.

M.Y.S.T.E.R.I.O.U.S. B.E.N.E.D.I.C.T. S.O.C.I.E.T.Y.

I mean, do I really need to say it again? Oh, but I will! I must! Christmas is the perfect chance to rectify the situation if you haven't yet read the book.

Start with the First:
The Mysterious Benedict Society

Treat yourself to the Second:
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

Delight yourself with the Third:
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

Now. There's only one other series you need to be reminded about and if you have the slightest sense of a dry humor about you:

1. Strictest School in the World, The: Being the Tale of a Clever Girl, a Rubber Boy and a Collection of Flying Machines, Mostly Broken (The Mad Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones)

2. Faceless Fiend, The: Being the Tale of a Criminal Mastermind, His Masked Minions and a Princess with a Butter Knife, Involving Explosives and a Certain ... Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones) * A MERE $3.29 ON AMAZON (Glekk!)

3. Island of Mad Scientists, The: Being an Excursion to the Wilds of Scotland, Involving Many Marvels of Experimental Invention, Pirates, a Heroic Cat, a ... Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones)

Here is my review of The Strictest School in the World series.



Do I know you in real life and have you not read these books? *AH HEM, SKY?* (Just checking to see if I had your attention.) I'm seriously tempted to rectify people's deficiencies at these prices. (Let's see if Jonathan goes in and edits that last sentence. haha!)

It's simple, really. Clean, good fun that the whole family can grown on and grow up with? THE WHOLE FAMILY, I TELL YOU!

Ok, the non-paid advertising is now over with. *sniff* But I'm just saying (imagine me being hauled away by the collar, yelling out extremely important declarations that directly relate to your family's ability to survive and be amused....) - consider. Carefully. Weigh your options.

Remember these names:

Trenton Lee Stewart, revered and admired

Howard Whitehouse, not appreciated enough, but infinitely amusing

(The thing about The Strictest School series is that if Scholastic had picked him up and printed these books, I know everyone would be talking about them. Kids Can Press saw the genius, took the chance and rolled the dice. Now it's OUR turn to say what we like! And in this case I say the good pickins' belongs to Kids Can Press. Think: Wodehouse.)

At the very least, you can't say I didn't warn you of what you would be missing, advise you against making a gigantic mistake by walking away, and basically annoy you to death by forever harping on these two book series.

(I'm saving my rants about people not reading enough of Lucy Maud Montgomery for my post about the upcoming Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge which I will be rehosting in January. Here, I'll go ahead and throw the button at you again and you can't say you weren't warned. To be forewarned is, of course, to be forearmed - with appropriate books for participation purposes, of course.)



Now, think of me kindly because I'm only interested in your best reading interests. Always, always.

Go forth. Add to shopping carts wisely and well and enjoy those beautiful roses in December that come in the form of children with smarts and wit, and occasional life lessons attached.

Unless otherwise specifically stated, the information contained herein is made available to the public by Amazon.com, Kids Can Press and comparatively Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Office of Information Services at Reading to Know, and Project Read Whatever Carrie Tells You To and may not reflect the realities of an actual reading for amusement purposes or projects, challenges, Nighstand Purchases, book fetishes or the like. The intent of Carrie's recommendation is to assist an individual, or families, who are creating memories with one another by reading artfully told stories.

Neither KCP, Little Brown or Carrie's husband, Jonathan assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product or process disclosed in this non-paid for (by anyone) blog post. Jonathan also declines any and all suggestion that he be responsible for funding the building of anyone else's home libraries. He is concerned enough with his own.

Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, by anyone but Carrie (and she's suspect at times, but enthusiastic nonetheless!).