Briar’s Journal (July 31 to August 16, 2012)

Dream Entry*

November 3, 2007

All the athletes are gathered, proud to represent their countries. The Cryptid team looks nervous. Bigfoot is biting his nails. Norman keeps dropping his water balloon. Three beagle puppies, playing the Filler positions, rush to bring him replacements. Morzant is sitting on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

The referee calls out: “Will the players please take the field?”

Bigfoot, Penny, Beverly, Norman, and a duck carry their balloons to the field. They face their opponents, five armadillos in swimming caps. A trumpet sounds and the action begins.

Blurs of color streak from one end of the field to the other. The game is a frenzy of splats and shouts for towels. Norman is hit first, by a green balloon that splatters him with yellow water. He leaves the field. Bigfoot retaliates.

“Foul!” the referee calls. “Jam-filled balloon animal. Ten in the box!”

Bigfoot pouts as he makes his way to the penalty box.

Beverly slips on the remains of a ruptured balloon. She’s carted off the field on a stretcher. Morzant’s lab assistant, Mortimer, takes her place. His water balloons are so small they look like grapes. When he throws them, the armadillos laugh. Penny’s balloons all miss their mark, too.

The duck waddles up. He lets out a ferocious quack that stops the armadillos’ taunting laughs. He launches balloon after balloon, drenching the Cryptids’ opponents. They try to roll into a ball and hide, but they can’t escape the onslaught.

The trumpet sounds again, signaling that the game is over. The Cryptids have won.

The Cryptids carry the duck on victorious lap around the field as the crowd chants, “quack, quack, quaaaack!” They step up to the podium to receive their medals—books strung on ribbons—as the Cryptid anthem plays. Oh beautiful mystery, how I search but cannot find thee…

BIGFOOT’s medals:

CARDBOARD by Doug Tennapel

[MIDDLE GRADE—GRAPHIC NOVEL]

Graphix-Scholastic

August 1, 2012

BETWEEN YOU & ME by Marisa Calin

[YOUNG ADULT]

Bloomsbury USA

August 7, 2012

EIGHTH GRADE IS MAKING ME SICK:

GINNY DAVIS’S YEAR IN STUFF

by Jennifer L. Holm, illustrated by Elicia Castaldi

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Random House

August 7, 2012

FINGERPRINTS OF YOU by Kristen-Paige Madonia

[YOUNG ADULT]

Simon & Schuster

August 7, 2012

INTENTIONS by Deborah Heiligman

[YOUNG ADULT]

Knopf-Random House

August 14, 2012

MORTIMER’s medals:

GUINEA PIG, PET SHOP PRIVATE EYE #5:

RAINING CATS AND DETECTIVES

by Colleen AF Venable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue

[SILLY FUZZY BOOK]

Graphic Universe-Lerner

August 1, 2012

GUINEA PIG PARTY by Holly Surplice

[PICTURE BOOK]

Nosy Crow-Candlewick

August 14, 2012

THERE’S A HAMSTER IN MY POCKET

by Franzeska G. Ewart, with illustrations by Helen Bate

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Frances Lincoln

July 31, 2012

PENNY’s medals:

THE GHOST OF GRAYLOCK by Dan Poblocki

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Scholastic

August 1, 2012

AURACLE by Gina Rosati

[YOUNG ADULT]

Roaring Brook

August 7, 2012

BEAUTIFUL LIES by Jessica Warman

[YOUNG ADULT]

Walker

August 7, 2012

GIRL OF NIGHTMARES by Kendare Blake

[YOUNG ADULT—SEQUEL TO ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD]

Tor Teen-Tom Doherty Associates

August 7, 2012

FALSE MEMORY by Dan Krokos

[YOUNG ADULT]

Hyperion-Disney

August 14, 2012

KISSING SHAKESPEARE by Pamela Mingle

[YOUNG ADULT]

Delacorte-Random House

August 14, 2012

TOUCHED by Cyn Balog

[YOUNG ADULT]

Delacorte-Random House

August 14, 2012

THE UNNATURALISTS by Tiffany Trent

[YOUNG ADULT]

Simon & Schuster

August 14, 2012

SPOOKY by Jill Baguchinsky

[YOUNG ADULT]

Dutton-Penguin

August 16, 2012

THE DUCK’s medals:

COURTSHOP & CURSES by Marissa Doyle

[YOUNG ADULT]

Henry Holt

August 7, 2012

THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas

[YOUNG ADULT]

Bloomsbury USA

August 7, 2012

THE TREACHERY OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS

by Ruth Frances Long

[YOUNG ADULT]

Dial-Penguin

August 16, 2012

NORMAN’s medals:

BIG BAD IRONCLAD! by Nathan Hale

[MIDDLE GRADE—GRAPHIC NOVEL—

SECOND IN THE NATHAN HALE’S

HAZARDOUS TALES SERIES]

Amulet-Abrams

August 1, 2012

ONE DEAD SPY by Nathan Hale

[MIDDLE GRADE—GRAPHIC NOVEL—

FIRST IN THE NATHAN HALE’S

HAZARDOUS TALES SERIES]

Amulet-Abrams

August 1, 2012

THE SPY PRINCESS by Sherwood Smith

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Viking-Penguin

August 2, 2012

SURVIVE by Alex Morel

[YOUNG ADULT]

Razorbill-Penguin

August 2, 2012

THE HORSE ROAD by Troon Harrison

[MIDDLE GRADE—FIRST IN THE SERIES]

Bloomsbury USA

August 7, 2012

LIAR & SPY by Rebecca Stead

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Wendy Lamb-Random House

August 7, 2012

THE SECRET OF THE FORTUNE WOOKIEE

by Tom Angleberger

[MIDDLE GRADE—THIRD IN

THE ORIGAMI YODA SERIES]

Amulet-Abrams

August 7, 2012

THE WONDROUS JOURNALS OF

DR. WENDELL WELLINGTON WIGGINS

by Lesley M.M. Blume, illustrated by David Foote

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Knopf-Random House

August 7, 2012

WOODEN BONES by Scott William Carter

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Simon & Schuster

August 7, 2012

THE WEDNESDAYS by Julie Bourbeau,

with illustrations by Jason Beene

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Knopf-Random House

August 14, 2012

THE TEMPLETON TWINS HAVE AN IDEA

by Ellis Weiner, with illustrations by Jeremy Holmes

[MIDDLE GRADE—FIRST IN THE SERIES]

Chronicle

August 15, 2012

CLUELESS MCGEE by Jeff Mack

[MIDDLE GRADE—FIRST IN THE SERIES]

Philomel-Penguin

August 16, 2012

BEVERLY’s medals:

AFTER ELI by Rebecca Rupp

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Candlewick

August 14, 2012

COUNTING BACKWARDS by Laura Lascarso

[YOUNG ADULT]

Atheneum-Simon & Schuster

August 14, 2012

SOONCHILD by Russell Hoban,

with illustrations by Alexis Deacon

[MIDDLE GRADE]

Candlewick

August 14, 2012

OLIVER’s medals:

LUCY CAN’T SLEEP by Amy Schwartz

[PICTURE BOOK]

Roaring Brook

August 7, 2012

THE RED LEMON by Bob Staake

[PICTURE BOOK]

Dragonfly-Random House

August 7, 2012

BEARS IN BEDS by Shirley Parenteau,

illustrated by David Walker

[PICTURE BOOK—SEQUEL TO

BEARS ON CHAIRS]

Candlewick

August 14, 2012

BEAR IN LOVE by Daniel Pinkwater,

illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

[PICTURE BOOK]

Candlewick

August 14, 2012

I LIKE OLD CLOTHES by Mary Ann Hoberman,

illustrated by Patrice Barton

[PICTURE BOOK]

Knopf-Random House

August 14, 2012

THE INSOMNIACS by Karina Wolf,

illustrated by the Brothers Hilts

[PICTURE BOOK]

Putnam Juvenile-Penguin

August 16, 2012

LENNY’s medals:

THE DEAD FAMILY DIAZ by P.J. Bracegirdle,

illustrated by Poly Bernatene

[PICTURE BOOK]

Dial-Penguin

August 2, 2012

THE CHANDELIERS by Vincent X. Kirsch

[PICTURE BOOK]

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

August 7, 2012

EVEN ALIENS NEED SNACKS by Matthew McElligott

[PICTURE BOOK]

Walker

August 7, 2012

WILD ABOUT YOU! by Judy Sierra,

illustrated by Marc Brown

[PICTURE BOOK]

Knopf-Random House

August 7, 2012

BIG MEAN MIKE by Michelle Knudsen,

illustrated by Scott Magoon

[PICTURE BOOK]

Candlewick

August 14, 2012

GOLDILOCKS AND JUST THE ONE BEAR

by Leigh Hodgkinson

[PICTURE BOOK]

Nosy Crow-Candlewick

August 14, 2012

OLIVE AND THE BIG SECRET by Tor Freeman

[PICTURE BOOK]

Templar-Candlewick

August 14, 2012

VIOLET’s medals:

HICKORY DICKORY DOG

by Alison Murray

[PICTURE BOOK]

Orchard Books

August 2, 2012

THE BOO! BOOK by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer,

illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli

[PICTURE BOOK]

Atheneum-Simon & Schuster

August 7, 2012

MAYBELLE AND THE HAUNTED CUPCAKE

by Katie Speck, with illustrations by Paul Rátz de Tagyos

[CHAPTER BOOK]

Henry Holt

August 7, 2012

VAMPIRINA BALLERINA by Anne Marie Pace,

illustrated by LeUyen Pham

[PICTURE BOOK]

Hyperion-Disney

August 7, 2012

DOG LOVES DRAWING by Louise Yates

[PICTURE BOOK—SEQUEL TO

DOG LOVES BOOKS]

Knopf-Random House

August 14, 2012

CECIL THE PET GLACIER by Matthea Harvey,

illustrated by Giselle Potter

[PICTURE BOOK]

Schwartz & Wade-Random House

August 14, 2012

MAYA MAKES A MESS by Rutu Modan

[EARLY READER—GRAPHIC NOVEL]

Toon Books-Candlewick

August 14, 2012

OH NO, LITTLE DRAGON! by Jim Averbeck

[PICTURE BOOK]

Atheneum-Simon & Schuster

August 14, 2012

MY SPECIAL ONE AND ONLY by Joe Berger

[PICTURE BOOK]

Dial-Penguin

August 16, 2012

* 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.