Alexis, our newsletter predecessor, is a new mom, and we are celebrating the arrival of baby Amos! While we struggle to find books on yet another parental holiday, highschoolers on prom dates keep strolling by the store windows. There's extra excitement in the air about our Children's Book Club, for employees only, because it has sparked even more opinionated rhetoric on the books we love. But don't feel left out: you can start your own and we'll help. And, guess what? May 23 marked Margaret Wise Brown's birthday! So, enjoy the newsletter — we're off to read Mister Dog or Goodnight Moon or Runaway Bunny or... stop us at any point.

PROM AND BEYOND
Even the most preoccupied among us employees of the City of Books couldn't help but notice that it's prom season! Seeing Portland's youth all dolled up and traipsing around reminds us of what a frightening and exciting time that was: wrapping up one chapter of your life and exchanging it for the blank pages of another. We put together our favorite books with characters who are dealing with the end of high school, beginning of college, or somewhere in between, just for those of you who are (finally!) moving on.

ORIGINAL ESSAY: CECILIA GALANTE
We were lucky enough to have dinner with the charming and beautiful Cecilia Galante last month, where we talked about her thought-provoking novel The Patron Saint of Butterflies. Her book offers a glimpse into the role religion can play in kids' lives, but is also a timeless tale of friendship. The incredibly timely topic of her novel sparked an interesting conversation about her own experience growing up in a religious commune in upstate New York, as well as commentary on the recent news about a controversial polygamist sect in Texas. But all that serious talk didn't stop us from chatting about the amazing food we were enjoying and the fact that we must always end a meal with chocolate. Read Cecilia's original essay, exclusive to Powells.com, to hear the tale of her book tour, where every stop along the way was punctuated by chocolate. The Patron Saint of Butterflies is on sale now, for a limited time, at 30% off the cover price.

ORIGINAL ESSAY: SARAH DESSEN
Sarah Dessen's original essay offers us precious insight into her evolution from a writer/waitress to a writer "with no slash required," how having a baby affected her career, and why she talks about TV so much in her blog. We have always loved Dessen's books for their dynamic, relatable characters, we simply adore her new book Lock and Key (you must read it!) for these same reasons. Congratulations, Sarah, for bringing a new baby and a new book into the world! We celebrate by offering Lock and Key at 30% off, for a limited time.

KIDS' Q&A: ROBIN BENWAY
Robin Benway is a huge rock 'n' roll fan. Some of her favorite artists include The Cure, Joni Mitchell, and The Beatles, but we have a hunch she could go on and on. A while ago Robin heard a song on the radio that bitterly trashed the artist's ex-girlfriend, and she thought about what that girl must feel like. Robin's music-infused first novel, Audrey, Wait! was written with that girl in mind. Find out why she thinks Weetzie Bat is real, why Billy Corgan cracks her up, and much more about what makes this rock 'n' roll fan tick in her exclusive Q&A. And save 30% on Audrey, Wait! for a limited time.

BOOKBUZZ: SEEKERS: THE QUEST BEGINS
What happens to you when we say the words "kittypet" or "warrior cat clans"? Well, we hope you are sitting down, because this week a brand new series from the author of the bestselling Warriors, Warriors: The New Prophecy, and Warriors: Power of Three series begins. Three bears from different species — black, polar, and grizzly — are separated from their families when they are just cubs. Now, fate is about to change their lives forever. Buy Seekers: The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter today, at 30% off the cover price, and prepare to be obsessed.

A DAY WITH DAD
Father's Day is just around the corner. To prepare you for that dutiful holiday, here are our favorite picture books, featuring patient and devoted dads. Building with Dad, written by Carol Nevius and illustrated by Bill Thomson, should be re-titled Dream Date with Dad because it is about a father who shows his son the construction site where he works — steam rollers, cement mixers, and all. In Every Friday, set in Dan Yaccarino's retro-styled New York City streets, follow a father and son as they stroll down to their favorite place for breakfast. We've mentioned this a few times before, but we just can't stop: Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems is the darling tale of a little girl who loses her stuffed bunny and of the loyal father who retrieves it. The recently published A Day with Dad by Bo R. Holmberg is illustrated with poetic colored-pencil drawings by Eva Eriksson and addresses divorce by eloquently describing the special day Tim spends with his out-of-town father. Enjoy these books and don't forget Father's Day is on June 15!

Plus, browse our entire selection of Father's Day titles here.

BABY BOOKS FOR ALEXIS
Those of you who have been reading this newsletter since it debuted in 2005 will remember one of its founding authors, our own Alexis. We are happy to announce that she is a proud new mom. She gave birth to baby Amos on May 1, and we would like to welcome him into this world with a handful of new baby books (of course!). Author Matthew Porter is a board-book favorite of Alexis's. His latest, Count the Birdies, uses soft, Japanese woodcut-inspired illustrations of birds on blossoming trees to teach little ones to count. Enhance your baby's appetite for world cuisine with Chaat and Sweets, the newest in Amy Wilson Sanger's international food board-book series. Other books in the series include First Book of Sushi and Yum Yum Dim Sum. And last but not least, every baby should have Mother Goose's Little Treasures written by Iona Opie and illustrated by Rosemary Wells. This collection highlights some lesser known Mother Goose poems and is filled with eat-'em-up cute illustrations. Browse our entire selection of books for the new baby in your life. And congratulations, Alexis!

KIDS' Q&A: GARY D. SCHMIDT
Gary D. Schmidt's newest book, Trouble, opens with: "Henry Smith's father told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you." Great line! Clever one-liners like this are why Gary is such a brilliant author. Like his previous books, including the 2008 Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars, Trouble takes a universal story about family and hardship and places it in a vivid, well-researched historical setting. Read Gary's Q&A to find out which book's opening line entranced him and why he can't pick a favorite episode of The Simpsons. And save 30% on Trouble while our promotion lasts.

KIDS' Q&A: MELISSA SWEET
It's obvious in her newest book, Tupelo Rides the Rails, that Melissa Sweet is a dog-lover. Which is more than fine with us, as some of us on the team have a thing for those four-legged creatures, too! Her distinctively detailed pastel watercolor illustrations always turn our heads, no matter what the project is. Find out how many dogs she would have, if her family would let her, in this exclusive Q&A, and save 30% on Tupelo for a limited time.

EVENTS
On Sunday, June 22, 2008, at 11:00 a.m., our store at Cedar Hills Crossing will host the Junie B. Jones Stupid Smelly Bus Tour — a national tour, sponsored by Random House Children's Books, that brings Junie B., live and in person, across the country! Fans will enjoy Junie B.'s hilarious antics through a live theatrical performance based on the bestselling Junie B. Jones series. The event also includes cool Junie B. giveaways and an official "book stamping." Come along for the ride!

STAFF PICKS
Thank goodness our dazzling team of children's book enthusiasts unglued their noses from their books long enough to share with us their favorite titles of the moment and even attempted to articulate why these books struck a chord! Otherwise, we know all of you would be hopelessly lost, going through the languid days of summer with nothing to read. That thought really frightened us for a moment. Ease our anxiety and check out all our newest staff picks!

BOOK BUZZ: DECONSTRUCTING PENGUINS
We know that getting kids to talk critically about books can be really hard. Heck, even getting adults to talk about books is hard (yes, I'm thinking of you, college literature class). Entertainingly written and drawn from real-life experiences, Deconstructing Penguins: Parents, Kids, and the Bond of Reading by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone offers the perfect solution. The Goldstones have been running parent-child book groups for more than six years, and they deliver a fabulous and entertaining tome on how to talk about books with children, using examples from a range of reading levels. The Goldstones demonstrate techniques for uncovering the hidden meanings or "mysteries" behind the stories — using lively anecdotes and discussions they've had with the kids in their book groups. One group struggled to find the meaning behind Mr. Popper's Penguins. After much trial and error, they discovered the underlying message about always following your dreams. When asked to describe what their dreams were, one second grader responded happily, "My dream is that my brother gets eaten by a bear." Whether you are interested in starting a book group, or you just need a refresher on literary criticism, this book is a fun, easy resource.

START A BOOK CLUB
A group of us on the Kids' Team at Powell's recently began a Children's Book Club for employees (Jill is still in denial that it's not a Margaret Wise Brown Club). We would like to encourage more kids and teens to start their own Young Adult Book Club, Science-Fiction Book Club, Mother/Daughter Book Club, Historical Fiction Book Club... well, you get the gist. Galen, the founder of our "This Is Not a Margaret Wise Brown Children's Book Club," has this to say about the experience:

"It has always been important to me to make time in my life to read and discuss books with other people. I have for many years now dreamed of participating in a book group devoted solely to children's literature. Working at Powell's among people who appreciate children's books as much as I do, my dream has finally come true. With great enthusiasm, a number of Kids' Team employees recently launched a private children's literature book group. We met last week to discuss Skim, a graphic novel by Mariko Tamaki; next month we'll talk about Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas. I'm thrilled about this group for all of the reasons I expected to be. I love how I understand books differently, and sometimes more deeply, after I've talked about them with other people. I love the effort involved in articulating my response to a book and hearing how others do so. I love thinking about how stories work and why they are important to us."

Some resources to help you start your own book club include: The Kids' Book Club Book by Judy Gelman, the above mentioned Deconstructing Penguins by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone, and The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Frederick. Now get to it! We insist!

KIDS' BESTSELLERS

1. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Featured Titles) 2. Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant (Beginning Readers) 3. The Battle of the Labyrinth: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book Four by Rick Riordan (Science Fiction and Fantasy) 4. Eclipse: Twilight Saga #3 by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) 5. New Moon: Twilight Saga #2 by Stephenie Meyer (Young Adult) 6. The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One by Rick Riordan (Science Fiction and Fantasy) 7. Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (Middle Readers) 8. The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Joy Become Real by Margery Williams (Picture Books) 9. Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems (Picture Books) 10. The House of Power by Patrick Carman (Science Fiction and Fantasy)