The Underneath

I have always enjoyed Kathi Appelt as a picture book author and now I am enjoying her as a novelist.

Let me get this out of the way before I list my praises for the book: I do not like the cover. It seems very juvenile and gives the book a more innocent feel.

Now...on to what I liked.

1. I love stories about animals - granted this one was hard at times because of the abuse but ultimately the spirit of the animals shined through.

2. I love stories about redemption - Gar Face is a jerk. 'Nuff said.

3. The format of this story was so intriguing - Grandmother moccasin was cool.

I heard it's in the running for the National Book Award. That's pretty awesome.

Inubaka Vol 9 & 10

Cute little Suguri is back to getting peed on and loved by every dog she encounters. In volume 9, she works at a remote dog breeding "fram" and meets a mysterious young man who has a special touch with dogs, just like her.

In volume 10, the Woofles pet shop is met with some serious competition and Suguri is wooed by the new shop's owner.

Will she succomb to the pressure and leave Woofles for a bigger, brighter facility?

We will have to wait until volume 11 to find out!