Monday, December 27, 2010

Briar’s Journal (December 28, 2010 to January 11, 2011)

Dream Entry*

Date: October 25, 2007


I’m snuggled up by a warm fire. There’s a blizzard outside. A book blizzard. I watch out the window as millions of books swirl by in gusts of frigid wind. No two are alike. Through the noise of the hard covers slapping against the roof and all those pages flapping, I hear a knock at the door. I rush to let inside whoever it is out in this terrible weather. It’s Bigfoot.


He looks different. It takes me a second to realize that his brown, shaggy hair has turned snow white.


“What happened to you?” I ask.


“I saw a ghost,” he says. “It was the Ghost of Books Yet to Come. I’m the Abominable Snowman now.”


I invite the Abominable Snowman inside, but he won’t come. Instead he tells me that the Ghost of Books Yet to Come instructed him to deliver some books to our friends.


“I need you to help me find my way to them through this storm,” he says.


“What can I do?” I ask.


“Your nose will lead the way.”


I really don’t want to go out in the blizzard. I know there’s a danger of frostbite and paper cuts. But I want to help the Abominable Snowman, so I join the dog sled team waiting by the sled which is packed with books. The Abominable Snowman steps onto the footboard and motions for me to join the rest of the dogs as they position themselves in front of the sled. I'm to be the lead dog. As I pass the Siberian Huskies, I hear them snickering at me. I turn back to the Abominable Snowman for reassurance, but he’s gone. In his place is Johannes Gutenberg.


Johannes Gutenberg gives a shout and we take off. I can’t see where I’m going, but it doesn’t matter because I’m smelling my way along. The first scent I catch is Bigfoot’s. I follow it to my house where I find Bigfoot—his hair brown again—playing cribbage with the Abominable Snowman.


Next I find Penny, then Norman, then Beverly. Finally, I track down the three puppies whose scent I seem to recognize, but who I don’t know. I give them each a picture book. There is one book left on the sled for me.


By the time the books have been delivered, the storm begins to die down. The Siberian Huskies apologize for having made fun of me and they, along with Johannes Gutenberg, compose a song to commemorate how my nose saved the day.



Books Delivered to BIGFOOT:


REAL LIVE BOYFRIENDS: YES. BOYFRIENDS, PLURAL. IF MY LIFE WEREN’T COMPLICATED, I WOULDN’T BE RUBY OLIVER

by E. Lockhart

[YOUNG ADULT—FOURTH IN THE RUBY OLIVER QUARTET]

Delacorte-Random House

December 28, 2010


TEENIE by Christopher Grant

[YOUNG ADULT]

Knopf-Random House

December 28, 2010


THE BIG CRUNCH by Pete Hautman

[YOUNG ADULT]

Scholastic

January 1, 2011


THE ROMEO AND JULIET CODE by Phoebe Stone

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Arthur A. Levine-Scholastic

January 1, 2011


LOVE, INC. by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout

[YOUNG ADULT]

Hyperion-Disney

January 4, 2011




Books Delivered to PENNY:


THE WATER WARS by Cameron Stracher

[YOUNG ADULT]

Sourcebooks Fire-Sourcebooks

January 1, 2011


CHOKER by Elizabeth Woods

[YOUNG ADULT]

Simon & Schuster

January 4, 2011


THE LEGACY by Gemma Malley

[YOUNG ADULT]

Bloomsbury USA

January 4, 2011


ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis

[YOUNG ADULT]

Razorbill-Penguin

January 11, 2011




Book Left Over on the Sled for ME:


FORTUNE COOKIES by Albert Bitterman,

illustrated by Chris Raschka

[PICTURE BOOK]

Beach Lane Books-Simon & Schuster

January 4, 2011




Books Delivered to NORMAN:


LUNCH LADY AND THE BAKE SALE BANDIT

by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

[MIDDLE GRADE COMIC: FIFTH IN THE SERIES]

Knopf-Random House

December 28, 2010


THE GREAT WALL OF LUCY WU by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Scholastic

January 1, 2011


A BOY AND HIS BOT by Daniel H. Wilson

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Bloomsbury USA

January 4, 2011




Books Delivered to BEVERLY:


BITTER MELON by Cara Chow

[YOUNG ADULT]

Egmont USA

December 28, 2010


SEE WHAT I SEE by Gloria Whelan

[YOUNG ADULT]

HarperTeen-HarperCollins

December 28, 2010


SEASON OF SECRETS by Sally Nicholls

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Arthur A. Levine-Scholastic

January 1, 2011


WORDS IN THE DUST by Trent Reedy

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Arthur A. Levine-Scholastic

January 1, 2011


TAKING OFF by Jenny Moss

[YOUNG ADULT]

Walker

January 4, 2011


YOUNG FREDLE by Cynthia Voight,

with illustrations by Louise Yates

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Knopf-Random House

January 11, 2011




Book Delivered to OLIVER:


BROWNIE GROUNDHOG AND THE FEBRUARY FOX

by Susan Blackaby, illustrated by Carmen Segovia

[PICTURE BOOK]

Sterling

January 4, 2011




Book Delivered to LENNY:


CAT SECRETS by Jef Czekai

[PICTURE BOOK]

Balzer & Bray-HarperCollins

January 4, 2011




Book Delivered to VIOLET:


I’M NOT. by Pam Smallcomb, illustrated by Robert Weinstock

[PICTURE BOOK]

Schwartz & Wade-Random House

December 28, 2010



* The dream entries from Briar’s journal contain premonitions of books that will be published in the future. Briar’s dream self foresees the books’ summaries and knows which will likely appeal to each of her friends. Briar always wakes up before she can see whether her friends will enjoy the books.

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