Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Today's picks are all about childhood favorites:

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Little, Brown Books for YR (January 2, 2012)

Summary:

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

Lemony Snicket was my hero in seventh grade. A Series of Unfortunate Events, enough said. If I had to do a post sometime about books that made me who I am (which I definitely will in the near future), that series would be on there. Daniel Handler is so creative, so snarky, and so witty, I'd marry him if he was 20 years younger. (Well, along with Brian Jacques and Roald Dahl, but again, that's a discussion for another time.) I'm extremely jealous of all BEA attendees as Daniel Handler will be there promoting this book -- so go get him!


 
Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein
HarperCollins (September 20, 2011)

Summary:

Shel Silverstein, beloved author of the acclaimed and bestselling poetry collections Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up, will have a brand-new book of poetry published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in September 2011. This is only the second original book to be published since Silverstein’s passing in 1999. With more than one hundred and thirty never-before-seen poems and drawings completed by the cherished American artist and selected by his family from his archives, this collection will follow in the tradition and format of his acclaimed poetry classics.

Generations have grown up with the works of Shel Silverstein, known not only as a poet and illustrator but also for his work as a cartoonist, playwright, performer, recording artist, and Grammy Award–winning songwriter. He has encouraged children to dream and dare to imagine the impossible with his extraordinary poetry and unforgettable characters. Now fans will have a chance to discover even more riches, and new readers will delight in the timeless magic of his works.

Not exactly YA, but if you had asked the younger me who my favorite poet was, I would have immediately responded "Shel Silverstein." His poems are a mix of adorable, funny, and just plain fun, and the illustrations made everything x947542 more awesome. I just pulled out my copies of Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic to tutor a little girl, Sophia, last week (I'll see if I can get any pictures of her; she's so CUTE) and was reminded of how much I loved them; she couldn't wait to bring them home and read more. :)

... and her mom gave me a strawberry Asian jelly, but that's beside the point, lol. If you've never had an Asian jelly before though, observe:

I can't really describe how they're different, but they definitely are. Hm, they're kind of fruitier? You should at least try one just to try one, and check out Asian pudding (yellow with a brown bottom) while you're at it. I'm not a fan of rice pudding, chocolate pudding, or anything similar, but Asian pudding has the right subtle and just different sweetness.

... I would be the worst food critic ever, haha, but hopefully I convinced you to expand your jelly horizons.

(And I suck at staying on task.)

So, what are you waiting for? :)