Jack Frost is in the house and it looks like he intends to stay a while! Which means it’s a great time to snuggle up with your favorite little people and a good book. We’ve got some spectacular recommendations for winter picture books that will delight your littlest ducklings… and keep scrolling down to see some other awesome titles for the early readers in your house, all on the theme of winter. Break out the hot cocoa, bundle up and enjoy! continue reading >>

Here they are, our last staff favorites for 2013. We can’t believe how this year has flown by—there were so many amazing books and so little time to read them all!

We want to take this opportunity to say thank you for spending 2013 with the Literary Duck blog writers. We obviously have some of the best and most discerning readers, and we wish you all Happy Holidays and Happy Reading. We’ll see you in 2014! continue reading >>

Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.  ~ Emilie Buchwald

Picture books are always a delight for imaginative children. Here at the Literary Duck, we’re happy to say that 2013 has produced a bumper crop of stunning, amazing, beautifully illustrated picture books that are sure to become family favorites. So whether you’re adding books to your own library or starting to think about the winter holidays and gift giving, check out these ten titles that we love. continue reading >>

How long has it been since you read a really great Western?

Or… gasp! … are you one of those unfortunate people who have never read a Western, good or otherwise, in your entire life? Do you equate the very word “Western” with John Wayne movies and stories of shoot-em-ups at the O.K. Corral?

Well, here at the Literary Duck, we’ve got good news for you—Westerns aren’t the stuff of pulp fiction any longer! Oh, yes: we’ve got some perfect recommendations to back up that claim. And since November 23^rd is Billy the Kid’s birthday, it’s an ideal day to see for yourself what we’re talking about.

So, whether you’re an old cowboy or new to the genre, let’s call November 23rd READ A WESTERN DAY! continue reading >>

The cold weather is here and we’ve been cozying up with some good books. Check out what we’re recommending this month! continue reading >>

From the smallest little goblins to the most monstrously wonderful middle grade readers, we’ve got spooky book recommendations for everyone. Have a ghostly Halloween! continue reading >>

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays here at the Literary Duck. We all have beloved spooky, creepy, scary books involving monsters, or witches, or ghosts, or vampires—you name any undead or magical creature and one of us likes to read about it. So, just to make your Halloween 2013 all the better, some of our Literary Duck Blog writers have put together a reading list of their current favorites. We wish you a frightfully wonderful Halloween… continue reading >>

Fall term 2013 is well under way at the University of Oregon, so here at the Literary Duck we’re up to our eyebrows in textbooks and other course materials. Fortunately, we’ve managed to squeeze in a little time to do some reading of our own and we’ve got a fun mix of recommendations for you. Happy October! continue reading >>

National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15th – October 15^th, and the Literary Duck is celebrating!

More than 50 million Americans—16% of our population—are of Hispanic or Latino origin. National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates “the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.” President Lyndon B. Johnson first approved a National Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968. It was expanded into a month-long celebration by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

But why the mid-month start for this celebration, you ask? continue reading >>

Football season is finally here and Oregon Ducks fans have more to cheer about than ever this year!  That Fiesta Bowl win back in January must have started 2013 out right, because it’s been quite a year for the Ducks in the publishing industry, as well as on the field. Whether you’re looking for team history, insights into Chip Kelly’s management style, trivia, or ideas for your next tailgater or watch party, we’ve got just the book for you. Go Ducks!

New books for the 2013 season… continue reading >>