Avalon High

I just read Meg Cabot's superb new book, "Avalon High." I think this may be her best book since the original "Princess Diaries."

And speaking of things with 'High' in the title, check out the movie "Sky High." I'd heard that this film was pretty underrated, and finally saw it last week (borrowed from my sister). Mikey and I loved it so much, we bought our own copy the next day. What a great film. It was funny, and exciting, as we followed the stress and adventure of attending a high school for superheroes. I loved watching the new students sorted into "Heroes" or "Sidekicks" on their first day.

Graham Joyce

Is there any more fabulous writer? There is simply something wonderful about his writing, as though Neil Gaiman and Ray Bradbury had had a child. . . . Which is actually kind of a creepy thought. I just finished "The Facts of Life", and recently read "The Tooth Fairy", and his writing just makes me swoon. (Of course, it also makes me blush, and is definitely for mature audiences only.)

Valentine's Day

It's the day after Valentine's Day, I know, but allow me to suggest some wonderful reading in the spirit of the season, so to speak: "Dogsbody" by Diana Wynne Jones is perhaps the most charming love story of all time. "Sailing to Sarantium" and its sequel, "Lord of Emperors" by Guy Gavriel Kay are some of the best books ever, and the ending to "Lord of Emperors" is both a surprise and a tearjerker. And finally: "I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith. "I love. I have loved. I will love."

The Penderwicks

Jeanne Birdsall's "Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy" is darling, and I'm enjoying it a great deal. It has an old-fashioned feel, like The Secret Garden or A Little Princess, and yet it's a modern book. Two thumbs way up.