Children's Literature
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Misrule
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Youth Corroboree
14 Jan 2010 | 3:59 am -
"This Kerfuffle is, so far, not a brouhaha."
3 Jan 2010 | 1:09 amThus Tweeted one of the participants in what is shaping up to be the literary scandal of the new (OK, I know there's debate on when the new decade actually begins, but I give up) decade: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, along with actor/writer/Play School presenter Rhys Muldoon, has penned a children's picture book!The book, Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle, is to be illustrated by Carla Zapel, who is unknown to me (Google suggests she's a graphic designer, I'm guessing this is her first children's book—let me know if you know different) and published by the venerable House… -
Happy New Year!
2 Jan 2010 | 2:05 amI made a decision when I woke up on New Years' Day that this is going to be a good year. I'm not one for resolutions, I just decided that I've had too many years when I've got to the end and thought, wow, glad that's over. So I am fully intending to have a Good Year with no losses (except hopefully some weight!), no unnecessary misunderstandings, and no self-imposed stress. And I want to read vastly more books* (and blog more and generally speaking write more), see/hear lots of theatre, movies and music, spend more time with friends and consciously get out and enjoy life more.And so far so… -
It's that time of year...
23 Dec 2009 | 9:26 pmI'm about to go and get ready for a Christmas Eve party at my friend Ursula Dubosarsky's house. Ursula also happens to be the creator of one of my absolute favourite picture books of 2009: The Terrible Plop. (Actually, she's one of the creators: the book is illustrated by the wonderful Andrew Joyner and a better marriage of text and illustration you could not ask for.) So this little fact prompted me, before I go and slough off the effects of a very steamy post-Christmas day in Sydney in preparation for the party, what were your favourite books of 2009? There are "best of" lists… -
My Place on Your ABC
2 Dec 2009 | 6:51 pmIf you are in Australia and can access the new digital ABC channel, ABC3, make sure to tune in tomorrow evening to watch the debut episode of "My Place". The series is based on the classic Australian picture book written by Nadia Wheatley and illustrated by Donna Rawlins.
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Publishers Weekly - ShelfTalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog
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A Pint-Sized Hamlet
One of the single most charming things I've ever seen is this video, in which actor Brian Cox teaches a bit of Shakespeare to toddler Theo, w... -
Dinner with Authors: Delicious Evenings
A combined Josie/Elizabeth post. First, Elizabeth: One of the best things about events like the booksellers' conference we just attended (the Am... -
Postcard from Winter Institute
I'm in San Jose, California, for the ABA’s fifth Winter Institute, a gathering of 500 booksellers seeking two days of bookseller education. H... -
Know Your Turns
"If you can't measure it, you can't manage it." This famous quote has been attributed to Einstein and many business professionals. Who sa... -
Taylor Mali Reads "Reading Allowed" Aloud
Poet Taylor Mali is pretty well known in educator circles, and I'm guessing half the world's teachers have his poem "What Teachers Make" ...
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Read Roger
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Great minds
8 Feb 2010 | 8:46 amOur Fanfare choice Button Up: Wrinkled Rhymes by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Petra Mathers has been awarded the 2010 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. Congrats, Alice!And now, to paraphrase Nicki Grimes on Jerry Pinkney, just give Petra Mathers the damn Caldecott medal, already. -
How do you buy books?
4 Feb 2010 | 9:45 amI'm perplexed by Amazon's statement about their showdown with Macmillan, where, after pulling that publisher's print- and e-books from Amazon.com, they (paradoxically) go on to defend the free market as the best friend to the little guy:We have expressed our strong disagreement and the seriousness of our disagreement by temporarily ceasing the sale of all Macmillan titles. We want you to know that ultimately, however, we will have to capitulate and accept Macmillan's terms because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles, and we will want to offer them to you even at prices we believe… -
Who will read about who?
4 Feb 2010 | 4:35 amWhom? I never get that right.In either case, J. L. Bell has posted one of the smartest things I've yet read about color and reading. Much of the current blogging discussion about the "whitewashing" of covers, etc., assumes that if evil publishers and ignorant librarians would only change their ways and open their eyes they would see a world of unprejudiced young readers eager to devour books regardless of the color of skin on the cover or on the main character. But as Bell asks, do we know this to be true or do we simply want to believe it?I've been working on an essay about the last ten… -
March/April starred reviews
2 Feb 2010 | 11:00 amThe following books will receive starred reviews in the March-April issue of the Horn Book Magazine:My Garden, by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow)Once by Morris Gleitzman (Holt)Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs by Ron Koertge (Candlewick)The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan; illus. by Peter Sís (Scholastic)Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick (Roaring Brook)The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork (Levine/Scholastic)A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner (Greenwillow)One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (Amistad/HarperCollins)Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer;… -
Count 'em, 669
2 Feb 2010 | 8:20 amPreviewing the Spring 2010 print edition of The Horn Book Guide, that's the number of new reviews just added to the Horn Book Guide Online. Check it out.
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Publishers Weekly - Children's Books News
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Immedium Expands Its Offerings Online
7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmWhen Oliver Chin—an author who previously worked for several book publishers—decided to start his own small press in 2005, he mashed up the words “medium” and “immediate” and launched Immedium in San Francisco. “Our goal is to publish books that get positive first impressions and great reactions from readers,” Chin said. -
Children's Book Reviews: 2/8/2010
7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmThis week's reviews include picture books from Il Sung Na, Carin Berger, and Jane Yolen and Jim Burke; novels from Henry Cole, Keith Gray, and Varian Johnson; and a round-up of picture book poetry. -
Children's Book Reviews: 2/1/2010
31 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmReviewed this week: picture books from Ian Schoenherr, Jerry Spinelli and Jimmy Liao, and Kate Feiffer and Laura Huliska-Beith; fiction from Wendy Mass, David Klass, Allan Stratton, and Holly Black; new children's comics; and a round-up of Easter titles as well as a pair of new books on bathroom dos and don'ts. -
The 2009 Cuffies
24 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmFor our annual “Off the Cuff” awards, we asked booksellers around the country for their picks in a variety of categories. The winners (and selected comments) appear below. Favorite Picture Book of the Year The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (“a masterpiece”) Honorable mention: Otis by Loren Long Favorite Middle Grade Novel of the Year When You Reach Me by Rebecca... -
Children’s Book Reviews: 1/25/2010
24 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmThis week's reviews include picture books from Emily Gravett, Kevin Henkes, and Robert Weinstock, and fiction from Marion Dane Bauer, Debbie Levy, and Lauren Oliver. Also: two new picture books about the life of Jesus and two March novels with the same title - Split.
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Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
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Seven (Give or Take) Questions Over Breakfastwith Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
8 Feb 2010 | 10:28 pmYesterday, in an interview at Cynsations conducted by Jenny Desmond Walters for SCBWI Bologna 2010, children’s book historian, author, and critic Leonard Marcus, when asked what future historians might have to say about children’s literature today, said: “{They’ll} have a lot to say about comics and graphic novels and how and why they went from being vilified to being regarded as mainstream.” It’s in large part thanks to this morning’s visitors to 7-Imp that they went from panned to praised. Created by two-time Newbery Honor-winning Jennifer L. Holm… -
7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #153: FeaturingUp-and-Coming Illustrator, Lori Nichols
6 Feb 2010 | 10:59 pm“‘What if the wind picks up? Well, then, we’ll becowboys riding through a desert in the middle of a deadly dust storm.’”(Click to enlarge image.) It seems like I say this on the first Sunday of every month, when I feature a student illustrator or illustrator otherwise new to the field here at 7-Imp, but I’ll say it again: A month’s already gone by? It’s February? Wasn’t it New Year’s Day just yesterday? Maybe it’s having young children in the home that makes time seem to fly. Or perhaps everyone feels this way. Either way, I… -
Poetry Friday: A School Library Is…
4 Feb 2010 | 10:01 pmIt’s always a good Poetry Friday when J. Patrick Lewis stops by. Many elementary schools this time of year are celebrating the 100th day of school. Yup, we’ve been counting out one hundred Cheerios and one hundred M&Ms with our kindergartener here in the Danielson home. Pat shares this new poem with us this morning, which celebrates school libraries on the 100th day of the school year. “I was thinking,” he told me, “that this might be a good time to recognize the most important room in every elementary school.” Thanks, Pat. This one’s fun. -
On Being an Alice Fan Right Now
3 Feb 2010 | 8:01 pmNow, isn’t that the Mad Tea-Party as you’ve never quite seen it before? That comes from the mind of illustrator Oleg Lipchenko, but more on that in a minute. It’s about to be a good time to be a fan of the novel for which Lewis Carroll was most famously known, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, or—in the words of Martin Gardner—”a very curious, complicated kind of nonsense.” And the reason it’s about to be a good time to be an Alice fan? This new film adaptation. Publishers are already taking advantage of the upcoming Alice craze, including… -
What It Means to Be Real
1 Feb 2010 | 10:01 pm“The bad Rabbit would like some carrot. He doesn’t say ‘Please.’ He takes it!” – From Beatrix Potter’s The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, 1906 You can file this post away in the I Was Remiss to Not Tell You About This in ‘09 category. But sometimes late is better than never. In October of last year, Roaring Brook released the great Anita Silvey’s Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book: Life Lessons from Notable People from All Walks of Life. In this book, Silvey shares the results of having posed the following…
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Finding Wonderland: The WritingYA Weblog
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News of the Week
6 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pmI need to do this more often: just share my interesting blog-reading from the week. I love it when people do that on their blogs. Why shouldn't I share? So here I go--a few tidbits from my week of online reading.Venta de Libros. Amazon vs. Macmillan has fomented a HUUUUGE amount of discussion in the blogosphere, provoked by Amazon's choice to remove the "buy" link from all of their Macmillan titles. Amazon explains their reasoning here, Roger Sutton offers another viewpoint on the matter over at Read Roger, and the vast, multi-story-Galactic-Senate-Building-on-Coruscant-like conglomeration of… -
DROOOOL......
4 Feb 2010 | 2:36 pmWe interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you the following library porn (thanks to my mom for the link):For more ultra-drool-worthy libraries, check out the full slideshow from The Huffington Post. (Sadly, no Berkeley Doe Library, though in my opinion it deserves a nod.) Don't you wish you could teleport at will to any of these libraries? And just sit there? Perhaps for several hours or days? Maybe it's just me... This work is copyrighted material. Please contact the weblog owner for further details. -
STOP: Don't do it. [Egregious Eyes]
4 Feb 2010 | 1:57 amThings Eyes CAN do:Squint. Twitch. Shut. Open. Widen. Water. Narrow. Focus. Adjust. Blink. Glance.Things Only Scary Bad Fiction Eyes Can Do:Pop. Scythe. Raze. Flame. Flash. Freeze. Bug. Laser. Drill. Undress. Flicker. Glow. Dim.(Feel free to add to either list in the comments!) -- from SB Sarah:Seriously. Can we stop with the flicker of fear, the fleeting hint of desire, the flash of rage? COME ON. Couldn’t a hero have tension between his eyebrows, a wrinkle near his eyes that indicated rage that smooths out before she gets a good look? Something other than an emotion… -
Smart People Speaking
3 Feb 2010 | 1:52 amPsst!Don't miss this month's What A Girl Wants#11: Feminist is not a Dirty Word. Do today's young adults recognize feminism as an ideological concept? Is it reflected in young adult literature? Is it a positive, or an old-school thing that needs to fade? The brilliant young adult authors who discuss this have a lot of intelligent and surprising things to say. Check it out.28 Days Later: twenty-eight of the best and brightest in youth literature in the African American community, going on right now at The Brown Bookshelf. Today, our girl Kekla is up. Woot!Bookslut looks back at the recent… -
YA Literature: Interstitial, Speculative, and More Than Just Vampires
2 Feb 2010 | 5:36 pmJust for fun, I'm going to get a little intellectual here and discuss genre.I'm currently reading an anthology called Interfictions 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing. One of the cool things about it—besides the fact that reading it sort of feels like I've found more kindred spirit writing peeps—is that it includes an interview with the editors by our own Colleen Mondor, as well as short stories by YA author Cecil Castellucci and Guys Lit Wire contributor Will Ludwigsen. It's also cool because, although the stories themselves aren't specifically YA, they ARE what I'd call…
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A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
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A Wish After Midnight
9 Feb 2010 | 5:55 amA Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott. AmazonEncore Editions, 2010. Reviewed from CreateSpace edition, won in September in the Color Me Brown Challenge.The Plot: Genna Colon, fifteen, lives in a one bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with her overworked mother and three siblings. It's not an easy life: roaches in the apartment, her brother Rico hanging out with drug dealers, sister Toshi doing who knows what, but Genna keeps trying. She gets straight As in school, dreams of college, and finds love with Jamaican born Judah. One night, after a fight with her mother, Genna runs to the local gardens… -
Are You Ready For A Conspiracy of Kings?
8 Feb 2010 | 1:58 pmHere is the video:Via Greenwillow Books.And yes, I've read the ARC for A Conspiracy of Kings (April 2010) and loved, loved, loved it.If you have read this series, you're as excited as me; and if you haven't, start now!Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy -
2010 Rainbow List
8 Feb 2010 | 12:11 pmThe Rainbow Books 2010 is from the the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table and the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association.The 2010 Rainbow Project Bibliography is recommended titles for youth from birth to age 18 that contain significant and authentic gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, queer, or questioning (GLBTQ) content.And of all the picture books, fiction books, and nonfiction books, I've reviewed a grand total of one:Lo, Malinda. Ash.Yes, I am embarrassed.Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I… -
The Forbidden Schoolhouse
8 Feb 2010 | 6:34 amThe Forbidden Schoolhouse: The True and Dramatic Story of Prudence Crandall and Her Students by Suzanne Jurmain. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 2005. Personal copy. Review originally appeared at The Edge of the Forest.Prudence Crandall was smart and a hard worker. She went to school, taught, saved, and then opened her own school for girls. One day a teenage girl approached her with a simple request: she wanted to learn so that she could teach. Would Miss Crandall admit her to the school?Isn't that what every teacher wants, students eager to learn? Asking to come to school?Except that… -
Waiting for Winter
5 Feb 2010 | 6:11 amWaiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser. Kane/Miller. 2009. Copy supplied by publisher. ALSC Notable Children's Book.The Plot: Deer casually mentions to Squirrel, "winter is almost here. I think it's going to snow." Squirrel decides to stay up during winter to see snow; soon he involves Hedgehog and Bear in his vigil. But they've never seen snow; they just know its "white and wet and cold and soft."The Good: Will the animals stay up long enough to see snow? Or will they find something different that they think is snow?Spoiler -- this isn't some dark book about disappointments and…
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educating alice
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In the Classroom: The Shared Book Experience
6 Feb 2010 | 4:32 amI love leading my students in a shared experience with one book. By “shared book experience” I mean when the whole class studies/reads/discusses/delves into and otherwise spends time with a single book together. While I understand that there are teachers who make this a misery I think there are others of us who do not. Done well, the shared book experience can be joyful, enjoyable, and even transcendent. While I agree with the importance of choice for much of children’s school reading experience I think it shouldn’t be all of it. Connecting around a single book… -
Hunger Mountain Online
5 Feb 2010 | 2:44 amThe latest issue of the VCFA’s journal of the arts is full of superb stuff including: A really lovely and insightful essay by Kathi Appelt. J. Patrick Lewis on the importance of children’s poetry. Deva Fagan on proactive princesses. Check it out! -
Learning about Africa: Tinga Tinga Tales
4 Feb 2010 | 2:03 amA new animated series for pre-schoolers set and made in Africa. From the press release: From the producer of the multi award-winning Charlie And Lola, Tiger Aspect’s Claudia Lloyd, this vibrant, new animated series (52 x 11-minute episodes), for children aged three to six years, brings to life the traditional art of storytelling with tall tales of how all your favourite animals came to be the way they are today. Inspired by traditional African animal folktales and the art of Tanzania, Tinga Tinga Tales opens up a fantastical world of colour, characters and transformation. Produced on… -
Summer Lovin’
3 Feb 2010 | 3:19 amI first read and fell in love with Rita Williams-Garcia’s new middle grade novel, One Crazy Summer last summer and more recently reviewed it for the New York Times. Being winter, it may be more snowy than summery, but now that the book is on the shelves I’m glad to see others feeling the love. Say, the Horn Book which is starring it in their next issue. And Betsy Bird who just gave it an enthusiastic review. For a kid perspective, here’s a review from one of my 6th grade Book Bloggers. I’m now reading it aloud to my class and, let me tell you, so far it is a… -
All Good Things Come to an End…
1 Feb 2010 | 3:17 amat least temporarily. Say the terrific Heavy Medal blog which is going on hiatus until the fall when the 2011 Newbery season will start heating up. In the meantime, may I suggest that you keep on eye on this space or here or here for news of the forthcoming 2010 SLJ Battle of the (Kids’) Books? Jonathan “Sue Sylvester” Hunt will repeat his role as commentator, we’ve got a stellar set of competitors, and the judges are extraordinary — truly the creme de la creme of children’s literature. I can’t wait to get started!
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Chicken Spaghetti
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Minerva Louise
9 Feb 2010 | 9:51 amAleah and I sit at a little table outside her public-school first-grade classroom. She is one of my reading buddies; she was last year, too. First grade was a little too much for her, so she's repeating it. First grade was a little too much for several other classmates. Aleah likes to read. We are looking at the cover of Janet Morgan Stoeke's Minerva Louise and the Colorful Eggs. "She's going to have an adventure," Aleah says. Minerva Louise is a hen. "Hens are the girls. The females. And the roosters are the daddies," Aleah tells me. I listen as she reads. -
Poetry Friday: Black Nature
5 Feb 2010 | 11:46 amI've just started Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry, but wanted to go ahead and mention it since I think lots of Poetry Friday followers will like the anthology. The poems I've read so far cover ground from beautiful to heartbreaking to political—and them some. You'll find Wright, Dove, Hughes, Trethewey, Giovanni, and less familiar names among the poets here. I was thrilled to come across the following poem by one of my hometown literary heroes, Margaret Walker. "My Mississippi Spring" begins My heart warms under snowflowers with… -
Purple Sells Books
4 Feb 2010 | 6:31 am"I'd like to outline what we're seeing in retail. We have two basic things that are selling very well. Anything that's pink, purple, gold and sparkle, and anything that's dark purple and black and has any type of vampire on it. I'm sorry, but that's really what's selling." Barnes & Noble's Kim Brown, at an Authors Guild symposium, "What's Hot and What's Not: Current Trends in Children's Book Publishing," July 2009. A transcription of the discussion is included in the Winter 2010 edition of the Authors Guild… -
Monday Afternoon Coffee Break, 2.1.10
1 Feb 2010 | 11:33 am28 Days Later, a monthlong celebration of African American writers and illustrators, at The Brown Bookshelf 2010 Newbery winner Rebecca (When You Reach Me) Stead, interviewed by Kurt Andersen, at WNYC Radio's Studio 360 Author Katherine Paterson on Apple's iPad, at the New York Daily News. "It is as futile for us to fight technological advances as it was for Plato to battle literacy." A new Carnival of Children's Literature, with links to many blog posts, at Jenny's Wonderland of Books Jen Robinson's newsy roundup, at PBS Parents' Booklights blog On… -
When You're Six, You Might Like to Read About...
26 Jan 2010 | 8:13 amFish Dinosaurs Dolphins Dora the Explorer The Cat in the Hat Princesses Mermaids Christmas Santa Claus Easter bunnies Sharks The penguins in "Happy Feet" This list was made by my first-grade reading buddies, after I asked them what sorts of subjects they are interested in. Both girls' skills are really improving; they're working hard. This morning their favorite book was "Hi, Pizza Man!" by Virginia Walter. It has a lot of things that the first-graders like: big illustrations, a silly streak, animals, and a familiar subject (pizza). Situations where you guess…
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Chasing Ray
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Recent reads & book news
9 Feb 2010 | 8:48 pm1. My new column went up last week at Bookslut and included several titles of the "coming-of-age" variety. In particular please note Tales From the Madman Underground by John Barnes, a recent Printz honor recipient that I have not heard nearly enough about around the blogosphere. Go. Read. You will fall so hard and fast for this one that you really will not believe it. 2. Other titles in the column (all of them fabulous) are: Age 14 (gritty WWI drama); Stunt (spec fic/family drama mashup from one of my favorite small presses all about missing parents, bad parents and a discovered grandparent… -
Thoughts on Dorothy and Zelda
8 Feb 2010 | 9:41 pmIn case you missed the recent fabulous bookish news, Libba Bray has signed a four book deal to write a series that sounds fantastic: In The Diviners, a supernatural fantasy series set in Manhattan during the 1920s, Bray follows a teen heroine she says is reminiscent of two of the era's most famous literary women—Zelda Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker. Bray, who admitted to having always been fascinated by the Jazz Age, said she's looking forward "to offering readers a wild new ride full of dames and dapper dons, jazz babies and Prohibition-defying parties, conspiracy and prophecy—and all… -
Wherein I call it quits on a subject
5 Feb 2010 | 11:46 pmI will not be posting on diversity in MG & YA fiction again for awhile. I'm tired of everybody arguing about it. And I'm tired of the time I spend going from one place to another to explain what I meant, or explain what I think, or try to make a point via email and comments when really it's always hard to do that without having something sound wrong. I'm going to review books with diverse characters, just as I always have. I'm going to review books written by People of Color, as I always have. And I'm going to keep on reviewing books about Caucasian kids and written by Caucasian authors just… -
And still I'm in the thick of this...
5 Feb 2010 | 8:12 pmI wanted to let this subject go for a little bit and blog about some new Tor books and my deep excitement for what Libba Bray is working on but JL Bell has a long post up in response to my Bookslut feature and Roger picked that up and responded as well and so here I am again. The bit being discussed is about gatekeepers potentially keeping books by People of Color or with Kids of Color from Caucasian readers because they feel those readers will not identify and thus not buy those books. I thought the numbers on Millicent Min and authors like Gene Yang and Walter Dean Myers and Sherman Alexie… -
What I learned while researching diversity
4 Feb 2010 | 8:38 pmIn gathering info for my current piece at Bookslut I learned several interesting things. Here's a bit: 1. It is not all about the publishers. 2. For every author who told me they had a publisher who asked them to remove an ethnic or GBTLQ character from their book or presented a whitewashed cover, there was another author who said their publisher was fantastic, supported their choices in the text and designed an honest accurate cover. 3. I don't know why some publishers are more honest about America's diversity than others, but clearly that's how it is. 4. Someone should start tracking what…
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Arthur Slade: Writing for Young Adults
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Artifice 3
2 Feb 2010 | 9:02 am -
Deep Dark Secret
29 Jan 2010 | 7:07 amJust a small clipping from the inside cover for Dark Deeps (Hunchback Assignments II). Can't tell you what it is though. It's a Deep Dark secret. Err, get it? -
Artifice 2
18 Jan 2010 | 5:50 pm -
Artifice 1
9 Jan 2010 | 11:28 am -
Skype Visit with Royal School in Winnipeg
23 Nov 2009 | 3:42 pmIt all went royally!In other words, no one fell asleep. Well, at least that I could see on the web cam, that is...Art*Next stop on the Hunchback Assignments Half Hour Virtual World Tour Extravaganza: Schenectady, NY
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Original Content
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I Did Think About A Little Video Something
8 Feb 2010 | 4:08 pmFor a while now I've been thinking about adding some kind of little video bit to my website. I wanted something witty, something that didn't take itself too seriously, something like Mark Peter Hughes has done. I thought it would be something unique and up-to-date to add to my website, but at the same time something that I could do once and be finished. I never pursued this idea because I was afraid my computer guy would snap if I brought it up. And now Mark Peter Hughes has done it, so I can't do it without looking far less unique and cutting edge than I was hoping for. So that's kind of a… -
Trout Fishing...What Does It Mean?
7 Feb 2010 | 4:53 pmI was cleaning my shower stall yesterday morning (I'll spare you the details other than to say it had been a while since I'd been in there with cleanser and a chisel) when I heard on NPR that Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan. Wow. That sure made the work go easier.I'm not going to tell you that Trout Fishing in America is a great book for YAs. I will say that I read it when I was a YA. I'm not going to tell you I loved it. I will say, as I did a couple of years ago, that it gave me a "feeling of possibility."In honor of Trout Fishing in America's rerelease, I have moved my… -
Ecolit Discussion Group
5 Feb 2010 | 3:40 pmAmong the 700 messages that I just downloaded was a response giving me permission to tell you all about Ecolit, a discussion group for sharing information about children's and YA books relating to environmental issues. Looking over last month's posts, it looks as if there are opportunities there for book discussions and finding materials such as science blogs. -
Regarding That Time Problem I Was Just Mentioning
5 Feb 2010 | 3:27 pmI've noticed that I haven't been receiving e-mails from any of my five listservs for a couple of weeks. That was okay. I didn't have time to deal with it recently, anyway. But this week, I began to get suspicious. And I've been getting odd e-mails from my Internet access provider regarding some kind of full mailbox. Couldn't imagine what those folks were talking about.Then today I said to my computer guy, "Guy, do you suppose there's some connection between the e-mails I've been receiving from the Internet folks and the e-mails I haven't been receiving from all my listservs? Because I gotta… -
Why I Might In The Future And, Once More, Why I'm Not Now
5 Feb 2010 | 11:04 amYes, yes. I'm about to whine about marketing again.By way of Jill Corcoran Books, I found Lisa Schroeder's blog post on Twitter From One Author's Point Of View. She gives compelling reasons to jump on the Twitter train and, maybe, when I find myself with a new book contract and a new book, I'll get on board.But, as I'm sure I've said here before, the time issue is a big one for me. I've had problems for several years with distraction, which has often burned up my writing time. I'm just getting that under control now, but a big part of the reason I'm finally getting it under control is due to…
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Books for Boys
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Daytona 500 Poodle
8 Feb 2010 | 6:41 amWhen I woke up this morning, the temperature was around 20 degrees. I looked at this picture of my dog PooPa, and thought of next weekend. That’s when my son Jim – a lawyer in Chicago – and I will jump on a plane and fly to Orlando. Each year we go down to the Daytona 500 and we’re really looking forward to it this year. They’ve changed the rules so that I think we’ll see a more exciting race.Jim’s happy because his favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (#88) has secured the # 2 spot at the front of the field. My favorite driver, Jeff Gordon (24) has to qualify in the shorter… -
Kidmag.com
5 Feb 2010 | 3:32 pmBesure to check out Kidmag.comhttp://kidmagine.com/ -
How & Why I Became A Writer For Children
4 Feb 2010 | 10:24 amI would have to credit my parents’ influence for preparing me as a writer. In fact, my first published book, Newspaper Caper, is dedicated to them. The dedication reads, “To my parents, Ken and Doris Anderson, who have written so many important chapters in my life.”My father was one of these can-do people who blazed a pioneer’s trail in the field of Christian film production for use in churches. He also was the author of over 70 books. But he traveled a lot, causing my mother to shoulder much of the load. And this was in a family of seven children. I have two brothers and two sisters… -
Because You Care About Boys
1 Feb 2010 | 6:04 amI grew up hating to read. I know, that's a surprising statement to most people, now that I write action-adventures & mysteries for kids. My reasoning is that I'm attempting to create the kinds of books that I would have enjoyed as a child. Hopefully my work is making a dent in the problem of struggling and reluctant readers, especially boys.In addition to writing original material for these young readers, I'm happy to display additional books and resources from others on this blog. That has resulted in reviews and announcements for a number of books for kids by other authors. Today I… -
My Article - Help For Struggling Reluctant Readers
27 Jan 2010 | 10:16 amMy article, Help For Struggling Reluctant Readers is published today at Simple Kids - Uncomplicated Parenting in a Complex World.http://simplekids.net/help-for-struggling-reluctant-readers
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Black Threads in Kid's LIt
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Who wins the Coretta Scott King Book Awards - a look at stats from 1970 to 2010
18 Jan 2010 | 3:57 pmThis year marks the 41st annual Coretta Scott King Award for outstanding books for children and young adults by an African American author. The annual illustrator award was added in 1974. Congratulations to the 2010 winners!For the last three or so years, I've been updating an Excel spreadsheet about the past winners. Why? As a self-published children's book author, I've wondered if the CSK -
British Red Phone Booth Library
18 Jan 2010 | 3:38 pmLove it! Residents of the British village of Westbury-sub-Mendip are on record with the smallest, functioning library in the UK. This converted British Telecom red phone booth is now a library - complete with children's books! Actually, this library stocks about 100 books. According to Daily Mail, the library is open 24 hours and is lit. Additionally, the phone company, "BT has received -
Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners 2010
18 Jan 2010 | 12:48 pmCongratulations to the 2010 winners and honor award recipients!Coretta Scott King Author Award: Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, author of “Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal” Coretta Scott King Author Honor: Tanita S. Davis, author of “Mare’s War” Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award: Charles R. Smith Jr., for “My People” Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor: -
Ooops! A teen's booklet when starting her period
18 Jan 2010 | 12:31 pmDr. Chu Chu Onwuachi-Saunders, a pediatrician, and Marie Onwuachi, a public health consultant, have created Ooops!, a 64-page softcover book appropriate for young girls who have started their menstruation. Ooops! tales the story of 11-year old twins Kehinde and Taiwo who start their periods within days of each other. Nana tells the girls this is their special time - time to be princesses. It's -
Barack Obama A Hip Hop Tale of King's Dream Come True
18 Jan 2010 | 11:58 amCaroline Brewer's Barack Obama A Hip Hop Tale of King's Dream Come True is a must have! The rhyming tale is of Obama's decision to run for President of the United States. Even a year after his inauguration, this book is still fresh and relevant. The text is humorous and fast-flowing. The 32-page full color book is illustrated by Glenn Brewer.Caroline Brewer is the author of 12 books and an
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About.com Children's Books
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Books for Upper Elementary and Middle School Students
8 Feb 2010 | 4:01 pmIn addition to the 2010 John Newbery Medal winner and honor books, I have some other books and authors to recommend. These include: The Last Dragon by Silvana de Mari The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo Canadian Author Jean Little Louis Sachar, Author of Holes and Much More (Cover art courtesy of Scholastic Press, An Imprint of Scholastic)Books for Upper Elementary and Middle School Students originally appeared on About.com Children's Books on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 00:01:54.Permalink | Comment | Email this -
All About the Robert F. Sibert Medal and Winners
7 Feb 2010 | 4:01 pmTanya Lee Stone, the author of Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, is the winner of the 2010 Robert F. Sibert Medal. This annual award honors the most distinguished informational book for children that was published during the previous year. Three other informational books for children were recognized as Sibert Honor Books. To learn more, see What is the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award? and the 2010 Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner and Honor Books. Do your children enjoy informational books? The Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), which administers the… -
Today Is the Birthdate of Laura Ingalls Wilder
6 Feb 2010 | 4:01 pmLaura Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867. Her Little House series about life as a pioneer girl began with the publication of Little House in the Big Woods in 1932. Historian William Anderson, a Wilder scholar, has written several biographies of Laura Ingalls Wilder for children. For three of my favorites, see my recommended Biographies of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Did you read the Little House books when you were a child? Have your children read them? Let me know by clicking on "Comments" below and posting a message. (Cover art courtesy of HarperCollins)Today Is the Birthdate of Laura… -
It's Library Lovers' Month
5 Feb 2010 | 3:47 pmCelebrate Library Lovers' Month with children's books about the impact of libraries and librarians on the lives of children and adults. Some of my favorite children's books about libraries and librarians include: Book Review: The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq Book Review: Tomas and the Library Lady Book Review: The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians Public libraries are wonderful resources for the entire family. It's also helpful that you can Save Money at Your Public Library. Do you and your kids have a favorite book about libraries and librarians? If so, please let me know by… -
Let's Hear It For Dr. Seuss!
4 Feb 2010 | 4:01 pmOn March 2, schools across the United States will be celebrating the birthday of Dr. Seuss. If you're like me, you grew up with Dr. Seuss and his books, and now you are sharing his books with your children. The story of Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, is an interesting one. What are your family's favorite Dr. Seuss books? Let me know your favorites by clicking on "Comments" below and posting your recommendations. Thanks. (Cover art courtesy of Random House)Let's Hear It For Dr. Seuss! originally appeared on About.com Children's Books on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at…
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Wands and Worlds
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January Carnival of Children's Lit
30 Jan 2010 | 1:39 pmThe January, 2010 Carnival of Children's Literature is up at Jenny's Wonderland of Books. The theme is "Winter Wonderland," but not all posts relate to the theme. It looks like an interesting bunch of posts. Personally, I think I'm going to have to check out the "Secret of the Puking Penguins" book; it sounds fascinating! Thanks to Jenny for all her hard work putting this together!If you aren't familiar with blog carnivals, they're a monthly roundup of posts that generally rotates from blog to blog. It's a great way to see what people have been posting about recently, learn about new books,… -
Marian, Madame Librarian
14 Jan 2010 | 5:23 pmMy son is currently performing in the Children's Theatre of Annapolis production of the Meredith Wilson musical The Music Man, and Nick and I are working tech for the show. Today, we did two school shows; several schools brought students in on busses to see the show. As the curtain opened on the library scene for the song, "Marian the Librarian," it occurred to me that although the musical was written in the 1950s, and set in 1912, the set would be instantly recognizable to the kids in the audience as a library. The shelves with books, the checkout desk, the tables for reading: all these… -
Cybils Finalists: Middle-Grade Fantasy & Science Fiction
11 Jan 2010 | 8:51 pmI'm probably the last person to post these, but in case you missed them, here's the fabulous list of Middle-Grade finalists in the Fantasy & Science Fiction category: 11 Birthdays by Wendy MassScholastic Nominated by: Maggi IdzikowskiAmanda's 11th birthday is the worst ever, and when she wakes up the next morning, she discovers that she and her ex-friend Leo are doomed to repeat the same day over and over--and over! Amanda and Leo's attempts to live the day the "right" way to break the spell are funny, entertaining, and absolutely believable, whether they are ditching school or… -
Cybils 2009 Finalists: Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction
11 Jan 2010 | 8:49 pmI served on the Cybils Round 1 panel for young adult fantasy and science fiction. We had 134 books nominated for the young adult half of the category alone, and the majority of them were excellent books. My committee had a hard time narrowing it down to only 7 finalists, but in the end, I think we have a great shortlist: Candorby Pam BachorzEgmont USANominated by: Chelsea CampbellOscar Banks has fooled the town of Candor, Florida, into thinking he's the perfect son. Even his father, the town's founder, believes that the subliminal messages he invented and that are carried by… -
A Peep
11 Jan 2010 | 8:13 pmI'm sorry that you didn't hear so much as a peep from me in December. Between the intense reading as a panelist for the Cybils - I read 48 of the 134 nominees in the Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction category - and some unexpected personal issues that took up a lot of time, I just didn't have any extra time, and this blog is one of the things that fell by the wayside. I hope that things are getting back to normal (although I'm currently fighting a cold), so here's a peep from me, and I hope to be back to posting more frequently. I have a lot of Cybils books that I want to review, but…
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American Indians in Children's Literature
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Editorial: "Sucking the Quileute Dry"
8 Feb 2010 | 6:34 amYesterday's New York Times ran an Op-Ed by Angela R. Riley. She's the director of the American Indian Studies Center at UCLA. Titled "Sucking the Quileute Dry," Riley's editorial is about the sovereign nation status of Native Nations, and our intellectual and cultural property. She focuses on Twilight and how Stephenie Meyer and the industry that has sprouted around her books violates Quileute sovereignty.Riley is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma. She has a law degree from Harvard, and, she has served on her tribe's Supreme Court. Click over to Riley's editorial at… -
Tony Hillerman
7 Feb 2010 | 7:19 pmI had an email earlier today, asking if I recommend Tony Hillerman's books. I've skimmed some of them and didn't like what I read. Though I've not analyzed them, I do not recommend them. Larry Emerson, Dine (Navajo) said this about Hillerman:"Tony Hillerman privileged & authorized himself to write about Navajos & in doing so appropriated, re-imagined, and recreated "Hillerman Navajos" at the expense of Diné realities. Hillerman created a new domain [read dominion] of knowledge while cashing in at the same time."I met Larry a few years ago when he was a post doctoral fellow here… -
Second Post: The POC Challenge
30 Jan 2010 | 5:28 amNear the end of my post About the POC Challenge, I wondered if people participating in the POC Challenge are reading critics of color. I posed the question because my research on children's books about American Indians shows that most reviewers do not have the expertise necessary to recognize flaws in the way that authors and illustrators portray American Indians.This lack of knowledge means that some deeply flawed books get starred reviews, nominated for (and win) awards, and end up on "Best Books" lists. All of this praise means the book is purchased by more people, and the flaws are passed… -
About the "POC Challenge"
28 Jan 2010 | 3:30 pmIn the land of the mostly-white-world of children's lit, bloggers who review books are joining the POC Challenge. whose motto is "Read Brown." The goal of that challenge is to read books by authors of color. (Note, Friday, January 29th: The people who started the POC Challenge do not have a motto. As I started searching blogs to figure out what this challenge is about, one of the top bloggers said the goal is "Read brown." My apologies to the people who initiated the challenge.)I know everyone involved means well. Good intentions and this attention WILL make a difference in what… -
A conversation about book covers and race
25 Jan 2010 | 1:57 pmOf late in the children's lit world---especially in blogland---there's been a lot of discussion about book covers.The discussion is centered on this question: "Do books sell better if the character on the cover is white?" Mitali Perkins is asking librarians and booksellers to vote on the question. Head over to Brown Faces Don't Sell Books? to vote if you're a librarian or bookseller. I wonder how readers or buyers respond to one of my favorite book covers (and books)? I'm thinking of the cover for Rain is Not My Indian Name, shown here.It is a terrific cover. In it, I see a lot that others…
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Archimedes Forgets
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Unsung YA
24 Jan 2010 | 5:49 pmTaking a page from YAnnabe and others, some favorite overlooked YA. Follow the link to see other bloggers' far more detailed lists.Diary of a Chav, Grace DentClimbing the Stairs, Padma VenkatramanGamma Glamma, Kim FloresFact of Life #31, Denise VegaThe Kayla Chronicles, Sherri WinstonThe Primrose Way, Jackie French KollerNot a Swan, Michelle MagorianTrouble, Gary SchmidtThe Seventh Raven, Peter DickinsonThe Pistachio Prescription, Paula DanzigerThe Brightest Light, Colleen O'Shaughnessy McKennaThe Dancing Meteorite, Anne MasonSister to the Wolf, Maxine TrottierIn Lane Three, Alex Archer,… -
Going to be pondering this one for a while
23 Jan 2010 | 12:55 pmLike most independent booksellers, I've got my complaints about Amazon.com. But their Amazon Encores program is doing at least one thing right - bringing new attention to Zetta Elliott's A Wish After Midnight.I know I'm late to the party on this one, but wow.Short version: You'd think Gemma had enough to deal with in contemporary Brooklyn, but no, she timeslips back to 1863, when Brooklyn was its own city and the Civil War was well underway. And then she's stuck for a while. See all the other reviews I linked to for a more comprehensive plot summary; I'm more in the mood to talk about… -
West(chester) Side Story
17 Jan 2010 | 6:32 amThere are no choreographed fights in the eighth Trixie Belden book, The Black Jacket Mystery (1961), but the threat of gangs in this book does have a rather stage-drama feel to it.First, an aside: This may be in the front matter of the other Trixie reissues, but this is the first time I've noticed it.This is a reissue edition of a book that was originally published in 1961. While some of the words have been changed to regularize spelling within the book and between books in the series, the text has not been updated to reflect current attitudes and beliefs.True that. It's part of their charm,… -
First 10-10-10 update
13 Jan 2010 | 6:36 pmSince Melissa (and let me tell you, it's very odd to refer to her as anything other than @PermanentPaper) points out that a book can count in multiple categories, I get to make this list look more impressive than it actually is:1. Shakespeare-relatedShakespeare: The World As a Stage, Bill Bryson2. Poetry3. BiographyShakespeare: The World As a Stage, Bill Bryson4. Contemporary young adultSweet, Hereafter, Angela Johnson5. Children's non-fictionHoneybees: Letters From the Hive, Stephen Buchmann6. Science fiction7. History8. MysteryPoirot Investigates, Agatha ChristieThe Seven Dials Mystery,… -
The Vermeer you (probably) don't know
9 Jan 2010 | 2:39 pmThe entire known work of Johannes Vermeer fits on one not-too-long screen on the front page of the website that catalogs his work. Experts generally agree that 34 paintings are his, and there are a couple more possibilities.Which makes Bob Raczka's in-depth look at seven of them in The Vermeer Interviews a pretty thorough introduction. If you're not familiar with anything beyond the uber-famous Girl With a Pearl Earring, add this book to your list.Raczka doesn't talk about the paintings as much as he talks to them, and to their subjects. The book is organized as a series of interviews with…
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Bildungsroman
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What Makes Courtney Sheinmel Smile
9 Feb 2010 | 7:21 amSome things that make me smile:My favorite song played in the background while I'm sitting in a restaurant. The thought of cookie dough cupcakes. Flipping through channels and catching a movie I forgot I loved. Long phone calls with good friends about nothing in particular. Getting an email from someone who has read my books. Writing a sentence that says exactly what I meant in my head. New Twitter followers. An unseasonably warm day in the middle of winter. When my suitcase is one of the first ones out on the carousel at the airport. Finding a couple dollars in a coat I haven't worn since… -
What Makes Josie Bloss Smile
8 Feb 2010 | 7:20 amSmile-making: Holding the book-of-my-heart in my hands and knowing all the difficult experiences that fueled its creation were worth it.- Josie BlossRead my full-length interview with Josie Bloss.I've read and enjoyed all of Josie's books to date: Band Geek Love, the follow-up Band Geeked Out, and the brand-new stand-alone novel Albatross. Give them a try, and share them with others.Want to know what makes other authors and readers smile? Follow the series of interviews.Enter the Smile giveaway! -
Playlist: Fallen by Lauren Kate
7 Feb 2010 | 3:53 pmMy friend Amy created this playlist for the book Fallen by Lauren Kate - not to be confused with Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski. Thanks, Amy!Girl - The BeatlesFallen - Sarah McLachlanOver My Head (Cable Car) - The FrayInvisible Ink - Aimee MannStand My Ground - Within TemptationBlack Roses Red - Alana GraceBring Me to Life - EvanescenceJasey Ray - All Time Low (acoustic version)Both Hands - Ani DiFrancoThe Scientist - ColdplayMy Immortal - EvanescenceMy Never - Blue OctoberOrange Sky - Alexi MurdochYour Guardian Angel - The Red Jumpsuit ApparatusViva La Vida - ColdplayUtopia - Within… -
What Makes Tom Sniegoski Smile
5 Feb 2010 | 8:11 amWhat makes me smile?Staring into my dog Mulder's dark, loving eyes and seeing that I mean as much to him, as he does to me.- Tom SniegoskiWant to know what makes other authors and readers smile? Follow the series of interviews.Enter the Smile giveaway! -
Fallen Fences by Winifred Virginia Jackson
5 Feb 2010 | 8:09 amThe woods grew dark; black shadows rocked And I could scarcely see My way along the old tote road, That long had seemed to me To wind on aimlessly; but now Came full to life; the rain Would soon strike down; ahead I saw A clearing, and a lane Between gray, fallen fences and Wide, grayer, grim stone walls; So grim and gray I shrank from thought Of weary, aching spalles. On stony knoll great aspens swayed And swung in browsing teeth Of wind; slim, silvered yearlings shook And shivered underneath. Beyond, some ancient oak trees bent And wrangled over roof Of weatherbeaten house, and barn Whose…
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bookshelves of doom
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Want to be grossed out?
1 Feb 2010 | 5:11 amHave a blast. (Yes, yes, it's safe for work.) -
If you need a Black Books fix...
29 Jan 2010 | 4:06 pm...at the moment, they're all available online. I, of course, own the boxed set. Tra la, tra la. -
Books I'm DYING to read.
29 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pmI shall keep this down to three, and those three shall be right off the top of my head: The third book in D.M. Cornish's Monster Blood Tattoo series. (I thought it was going to be titled Factotum, but then I think I saw something about a series reboot in the States, so maybe it'll be called something else. (Question: HOW THE CRAP HAVE THESE BOOKS NOT CAUGHT ON HERE? ARE PEOPLE REALLY, TRULY UNAWARE OF THEIR UTTER AWESOMOSITY? Should 'awesomosity' have an 'e'? It didn't look right with an 'e'. Then again, it's not like… -
David Levithan on The Catcher in the Rye.
29 Jan 2010 | 3:34 pmFrom the WSJ: Holden Caulfield is the embodiment of what we mean by the phrase “young adult” – too young to be a grown-up, but too wise to the world to be completely innocent. He’s caught in the in-between, and that in-between is what all young adult authors write about. (via Gwenda) -
Calling Teen Readers:
29 Jan 2010 | 3:31 pmBe sure to nominate/vote for your favorite books of 2009 over at Teenreads.com by February 1. From that list, a list of five finalists will be compiled, and you'll be able to vote for the 2010 Teen Choice Book of the Year.
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the excelsior file
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Stitches
15 Jan 2010 | 1:34 amby David SmallNorton 2009This graphic memoir about the illustrator reinforces the stereotype of the suffering artist, but does a fine job doing so.Small recounts the major periods of his life that center around his having cancer as a child that developed to the point where he had to have glands in his neck and half his vocal chords removed. His father, a radiologist, and his emotionally closed -
Venn Diagrams
13 Jan 2010 | 1:34 ama young math book by Robert Froman illustrated by Jan Pyk Crowell Company 1972 A picture book for older readers about Venn diagrams? Sure, why not.I wasn't looking for this book but I saw it on a display shelf at the library and couldn't resist. With it's old school three-color 70's illustrations and the promise of kid-friendly statistical analysis, how could I resist?The book eases in to the -
Not THIS Bear!
11 Jan 2010 | 1:17 amstory and pictures by Bernice MyersFour Winds Press / Scholastic 1967A boy has a hard time convincing a family of bears that he isn't one of them. Hilarity ensues.Bundled in a fur coat and matching fur hat, Little Herman trudges off to see his Aunt Gert. Crossing the forest he is mistaken for a cousin by a bear and taken back to the cave where the other bears receive him like family. The boy -
abandoned: Any Which Wall
9 Jan 2010 | 1:17 amby Laurel SnyderRandom House 2009Scared away by a condescending narrative voice.It's been a while since I abandoned a book outright, but I just couldn't keep plowing through. There have been books I wanted to ditch, and others I probably should have dumped, but I've always held out to the end with that hope that maybe something toward the end would redeem the effort. But Any Which Wall just -
The Brain FInds a Leg
7 Jan 2010 | 1:43 amby Martin Chatterton Peachtree Publishers 2009 It's a teen Holmes and Watson Down Under, with a transgendered Bond villain and animals run amok!One day, in a fit of odd behavior, a pod of whales gang up and attack a whale watching boat on Farrago Bay, Australia killing all involved. No one knows why and the mystery was never solved.Two years later, a new kid known as The Brain arrives with an
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Jen Robinson's Book Page
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Children's Literacy and Reading News Round-Up: February 8
8 Feb 2010 | 5:36 pmThis week’s children’s literacy and reading news round-up, brought to you by Jen Robinson’s Book Page and Scrub-a-Dub-Tub, a Reading Tub blog, is now available at the Reading Tub. This week Terry Doherty and I have collected plenty of content for you about literacy & reading-related events; literacy and reading programs and research; 21st century literacies; and grants, sponsorships & donations. Terry is calling this the post-snowmaggedon edition. Seems like she had plenty of time for compiling links, while snowed in in Virginia. Here are a couple of highlights: "Have… -
The Hanging Hill: Chris Grabenstein: Middle Grade Fiction Review
5 Feb 2010 | 4:35 pmBook: The Hanging HillAuthor: Chris GrabensteinPages: 336Age Range: 9 and up The Hanging Hill is the sequel to Chris Grabenstein's The Crossroads (reviewed here). Although The Hanging Hill is a sequel, following shortly after the events of The Crossroads, the two books are quite self-contained as stories. It's not strictly necessary to have read the Crossroads to enjoy The Hanging Hill, although reading the books in order does provide a bit of extra background. Zack Jennings can see and talk with ghosts. The Hanging Hill finds Zack traveling with his stepmother, famous… -
I'm a Featured Sweetheart at the Texas Sweethearts Blog Today
3 Feb 2010 | 10:37 amThe Texas Sweethearts is a fairly new group website and blog run by three Austin, Texas authors of books for children and teens: Jessica Lee Anderson P. J. Hoover (blog) Jo Whittemore (blog) They all write from the heart, and from the heart of Texas. Their emphasis on "seeing the joy in the face of a child discovering a love of reading" makes it clear that they are kindred spirits of mine. The Texas Sweethearts have been running a series of interviews with Featured Sweethearts on their blog (and are accepting nominations from readers). They started with fellow Austin author… -
Growing Bookworms Newsletter: Feburary 2
2 Feb 2010 | 1:10 pmHappy Groundhog Day! Looks like we're in for six more weeks of winter, which I say is ok - more time to curl up on the couch and read books. Plus, here in California, we can sure use a few more weeks of rain. Today I will be sending out the new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's books and raising readers. It is sent out once every two weeks. There are currently 1009 subscribers. Newsletter Update: In this issue I… -
Books Read in January 2010
1 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pmThis is a list of the books that I read in January, broken up into Picture Books, Middle Grade Books, Young Adult Books, and Adult Fiction. This month was definitely dominated by middle grade fiction, mostly because I read the Cybils shortlist titles for MG Fantasy and Science Fiction. I'll likely read more YA in February. And I still have a goal of catching up on picture books one of these weeks... Picture Books Doreen Cronin (ill. Harry Bliss): Diary of a Worm. HarperCollins. Completed January 2, 2010. Middle Grade Books Julianna Baggott: The Prince of Fenway Park. HarperCollins.
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Writing and Ruminating
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Blizzard by William Carlos Williams
9 Feb 2010 | 7:56 amThis evening, another snow storm is coming our way here in New Jersey. We appear to be located on the border between "major" and "crippling" snowfall, if our local forecast is to be believed. It will be a classic Nor'easter, with the snowstorm that's currently in Chicago joining forces with the storm tracking across the south, so that we'll end up with a very strong snowstorm that includes some blizzard conditions (which requires visibility of 1/4 mile or less and winds in excess of 30 m.p.h. for a period of 3 hours or more, as it turns out). What is more appropriate on a day like today than… -
Linky-links
8 Feb 2010 | 9:29 pm1. Today I've got a brief review of a book called Quicksand: HIV/AIDS in Our Lives up over at Guys Lit Wire. The book is written by a woman who prefers to remain anonymous, given that she shares some information about her brother-in-law, who was diagnosed with HIV, developed AIDS and, eventually, died from related illnesses. Having lost a dear friend to this illness several years ago, I was eager to read the book, which provides concise, clearly presented factual information about the HIV virus, how it is (and is not) spread, what the treatment is like, and what it feels like to receive word… -
Sunny and cold
8 Feb 2010 | 6:58 amToday, like yesterday, has dawned clear and bright - extremely bright, really, due to the snow glare. Things are returning to normal. The kids are off to school after their two-hour delay (the high school, which opens earliest, starts at 10) and the roads are slowly clearing and all is right with the . . . WHAT? One to two feet more coming tomorrow into Wednesday?Two storms converging at once, and II wish that they would pass us by:it would make all the difference.My apologies to Robert Frost, who knew a little something about snow. You can read these past posts on Stopping By Woods on a… -
Seven on Sunday
7 Feb 2010 | 3:51 pm1. I have spent hours and hours this weekend cleaning and organizing my bedroom. And I'm not done yet, but boy, is it nicer in her already.2. Too many books and/or not enough shelves. Yet again. I have a small four-shelf bookcase that is entirely full of Jane Austen-related texts, and at least one more shelf's worth of Austen-related books without a home. I may need to buy a new Austen bookcase - one that can also accommodate the many binders related to the Jane project that I have. (That'd be 6 and counting.)3. My TBR pile is insane. Not cool. Some of the TBR books have temporarily moved out… -
The Snowstorm by Ralph Waldo Emerson
6 Feb 2010 | 11:09 amGiven the near-blizzard conditions outside - lovely large flakes blowing nearly sideways, piling atop fenceposts and blowing the birds about as they try to light on the feeder - I thought this poem was pretty much perfect for today.The Snowstormby Ralph Waldo EmersonAnnounced by all the trumpets of the sky, Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields, Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air Hides hill and woods, the river, and the heaven, And veils the farmhouse at the garden's end. The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit Around…
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The Miss Rumphius Effect
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Monday Poetry Stretch - On Beauty
8 Feb 2010 | 6:14 amI was a typical awkward teenager, with no confidence about the way I looked or dressed. I kept a small journal during this time with quotes and poems on beauty. Here are some of my favorite quotes.Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.ConfuciusBeauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.Kahlil GibranThink of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.Anne FrankThough we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.Ralph Waldo EmersonBeauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which… -
Poetry Friday - How Is It That The Snow
5 Feb 2010 | 7:31 amLast Friday the snow began to fall and did not stop until much later in the weekend. Schools were closed for most of the week. The kids went back yesterday, but when a wintery mix was predicted for today, they were closed again. So, I write this while watching the falling snow. What other poem could possibly be on mind today?How Is It That the Snowby Robert HaightHow is it that the snowamplifies the silence,slathers the black bark on limbs,heaps along the brush rows?Read the poem in its entirety.The round up is being hosted by Mary Ann at Great Kid Books. Do stop by and take in all the great… -
Poetry Stretch Results - Snow
5 Feb 2010 | 4:32 amThe challenge this week was to write about snow, very fitting considering another foot or two is headed this way. SNOW PLOWS by Steven Withrow of Crackles of Speech Frigid night, first light snow frosts blacktop. Plows shiver to life after silence, sleep. Truck engines cough quietly, frothy exhalations. All move out, slow, coordinated convoy. Snow falls. Blades scrape cold roads clean. Tired plowmen stop. Consider letting it mount, letting it grow. New light shows new snow flakes. Truck engines rumble. Last Night's Snowby Kate Coombs of Book Aunt The white eraser took out black lines of… -
Monday Poetry Stretch - Snow
1 Feb 2010 | 6:58 amRichmond got dusted with another good amount of snow this weekend. There's at least a foot, schools are closed (not the university, however), and with low temperatures hanging around, it won't be going away any time soon. So, let's write about snow.Leave me a note about your poem and I'll post the results here later this week. -
Poetry Friday - Erasers
29 Jan 2010 | 6:31 amI'm always on the lookout for new sources of poetry online. I was looking for a poem by Marie Ponsot when I came across the Poetry Series from Online NewsHour. As any good stumble on the Internet is bound to encourage, I spent an hour or so exploring all this site had to offer. You'll find audio, video, and a wealth of poems. Be sure to check it out.While there I came across a terrific poem, which I am sharing today.Erasersby Mary Jo SalterAs punishment, my father said, the nuns would send him and the othersout to the schoolyard with the day's…
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The Longstockings
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FEB winner!!!
4 Feb 2010 | 8:16 amLadies and gentlemen, we have a winner! And the winner is... KATE F.! We have already been in touch with Kate and are preparing to read her submission. I'll be back at the end of the month to share how it all went. For now, keep working on those submissions and enter our contest again in March! Mwah. -
Writing Tip: Kill Your Darlings
3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amWe've talked about this before on the Longstockings, but I'm bringing it up once again as this week's Wednesday Writing Tip because it's very much my life right now.I'm nearly finished my ms, one that has been more difficult for me than the first two combined, and as I was going through the manuscript really fine-tuning, I would skim over some of my favorite parts that I knew were smooth and poetic, to get to the messier stuff.But that's WRONG. Because those smooth, favorite parts are from three drafts ago! That's the thing about killing your darlings. You have to scrutinize every line, every… -
Salinger on why he never sold movie rights for CITR
2 Feb 2010 | 6:39 pm"Not to mention, God help us all, the immeasurably risky business of using actors. Have you ever seen a child actress sitting crosslegged on a bed and looking right? I'm sure not. And Holden Caulfield himself, in my undoubtedly super-biassed opinion, is essentially unactable. A Sensitive, Intelligent, Talented Young Actor in a Reversible Coat wouldn't nearly be enough. It would take someone with X to bring it off, and no very young man even if he has X quite knows what to do with it. And, I might add, I don't think any director can tell him."I love it. "No very young man even if he has X… -
Holden in NYC
1 Feb 2010 | 10:00 amWhenever we go to the carousel in Central Park (which is pretty often because I adore it) I drive my husband slightly batty talking about how Holden Caulfield enjoyed watching Phoebe ride around and around at the end of the book (I think he found it interesting the first fifty times but then it started to wear thin). THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is one of my all-time favorite books and I can never approach the carousel without imagining Holden sitting on the benches on the side as he watched his sister. (Don’t even get me started on all I had to say this year when I took my kids to the… -
WTF, Amazon???
31 Jan 2010 | 5:03 amDue to an ongoing battle between publishers and Amazon over price setting for ebooks, Macmillan yesterday drew a line in the sand over how Amazon would be allowed to price ebooks from its authors (a proposal which actually allowed Amazon to make more than it was making, while also ensuring a stable and sustainable ebook model for authors and publishers). Amazon didn't like this proposal, and REMOVED ALL OF THE BUY BUTTONS on its site for ALL Macmillan books.Macmillan includes many different publishing houses -- Roaring Brook, FSG, Henry Holt, Feiwel (that's just for children's!). Huge adult…
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MotherReader
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ABC Storytime: M is for...
9 Feb 2010 | 7:09 amNo introduction today, just right into...The Letter MBook: The Grumpy Morning, by Pamela Duncan Edwards, or Good Morning Sam, by Marie-Louise GaySong: “Good Morning Song”Book: Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do, by Eileen ChristelowRhyme: “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”Five little monkeys jumping on the bed.One fell off and bumped his head.Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,"No more monkeys jumping on the bed.(Continue with four, three, two, one monkeys.)Book: Jeremy Draws a Monster, by Peter McCartySong: “Horns, Fangs” (sung to "Head,… -
That’s a Lot of Snow
8 Feb 2010 | 8:39 amIt’s hard to think about blogging when you’re in the middle of a historic snow event. Snowpocalypse! Or as some might say, Snowpocalypse II: Electric Boogaloo. We had two feet in Northern Virginia and spent a lot of the weekend digging out. Schools and the government are closed today, I’m betting on school closed tomorrow, and then another storm comes in on Tuesday afternoon! Craziness.For those who scoff at our snow totals, you have to understand that the DC Metro area is simply not equipped to handle this amount of snow. While we have no lack of clueless drivers to block… -
Booklights, Cybils, and Jeremy Draws a Monster
4 Feb 2010 | 9:57 amWe are closing in on the final winners for the Cybils. So exciting! For my category, Fiction Picture Books, I first posted at Booklights with the three titles I thought most likely to win a Caldecott. And I was right on two of them. Yes! Today at Booklights I’m sharing three more titles from the finalist list — one serious, one silly, and one downright dangerous. The seventh title I actually wrote about in December as a book that I was giving my three-year-old niece. I’m sharing that review here today as an appetizer to my other Cybils reviews. Plus because I love the… -
ABC Storytime: L is for...
3 Feb 2010 | 7:22 amWhenever I come to the letter L, I have to face that strange ladybug rhyme. I mean, “Your house is on fire”? What is that all about? So instead, I’m substituting the Sesame Street song, which pokes fun of the rhyme with its line “They talked about the high price of furniture and rugs and fire insurance for ladybugs.” The Letter LBook: Leonardo the Terrible Monster, by Mo WillemsBook: Ladybug Girl, by David Soman, or The Grouchy Ladybug, by Eric CarleSong: “Ladybug’s Picnic”Watch and learn the Sesame Street song.Book: Lost and Found, by Oliver… -
LOST Returns
2 Feb 2010 | 6:04 amOh yeah, I’m ready. Are you?Final Season Of “Lost” Promises To Make Fans More Annoying Than EverLinks to material on Amazon.com contained within this post may be affiliate links for the Amazon Associates program, for which this site may receive a referral fee.
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Pinot and Prose
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The Dead Girl Genre
7 Feb 2010 | 11:56 amYou book folks know exactly what I'm talking about. What's with all the dead girls lately? Do you know how many times someone has recommended a book to me and I have caught myself saying, "Another dead girl book?" What's up, publishers (including the one for which I work)?But you know what happens? I end up reading each one. And I end up loving each one. Thus far, each book I have read has given me a new, fresh perspective and each book has made me feel something different, has provoked me in a different way. Rather than getting tired of the dead girl genre, I'm getting more and more excited… -
Diary of a Wimpy Kid trailer!
31 Jan 2010 | 7:26 amOkay, I know everyone and their brother has already seen this, but I have to post it anyway. I'm so friggin EXCITED! I give you the Diary of a Wimpy Kid trailer:The countdown starts! -
Cooking with kids
31 Jan 2010 | 7:15 amThose of you who cook with kids must check out Kitchn's post: On Cooking with Kids. It perfectly captures my own feelings about cooking with Bug and children in general. Why, because it's children, must so many kids' cookbooks be baking centric?! Kitchn's post has a great list of recommended cookbooks that don't dumb down food but are still kid-friendly.Eat, drink, and encourage our kids to do the same! -
Porridge (comme les francais)
31 Jan 2010 | 6:24 amLike most people, I have been struggling to...um...zip up my pants post-holidays. I indulged heavily this year - and it was heavenly - but lately I've realized I need to recommit myself to eating consciously, with my head.So I am re-reading French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano. To say that I am a devotee of this book is a vast understatement. In conversations with the Soul Twin, we just refer to it as "The Book", as in "I overindulged last weekend but I'm reading The Book again and getting back on track." What I appreciate about The Book is that… -
Chicken Noodle Soup
28 Jan 2010 | 5:53 pmI know I've been posting a lot of food lately and thanks to all my bookish friends for being patient. I've actually written three posts in the last two weeks about work and books and life...but I couldn't quite write them in a way that was...uncontroversial. So until I figure it out, I'll talk about food.Last weekend was glutinous. On Saturday night, thanks to Eatery Row: Forest Hills, we discovered the local joy which is Manor Oktoberfest. I ate every bite of an enormous bratwurst and drank a whole pint of my new favorite lager, Kostritzer. Sunday morning started with poached eggs and…
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Poetry for Children
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LBH Award Announced
8 Feb 2010 | 6:27 amI’m excited to announce the 2010 winner of the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award: Button Up by Alice Schertle (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009) illustrated by Petra MathersThis picture book collection contains 15 “mask” poems told from the point of view of children’s clothing, from shoelaces to T-shirts to galoshes. Each clever poem references a child’s name, like “Jack’s soccer jersey” giving it added personality. Pithy watercolor illustrations by Petra Mathers depict each “child” as a different animal adding humor and whimsy to each poem’s double-page spread. -
Big World of Poetry
5 Feb 2010 | 7:47 amIn my most recent “Everyday Poetry” column for Book Links magazine, “The Big World of Poetry,” I take a look at poetry for young people that is published OUTSIDE the U.S. We have such riches in the poets and poetry of the U.S., that sometimes we forget to cast a wider net for the fresh perspectives available in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and poems in translation from Central and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.Across the globe, poetry’s roots go very deep, from Greek epics like “The Odyssey” to the holy writings from the Bible, the Koran, and Hindu holy books also… -
Poetry 2010 Sneak Peek List
22 Jan 2010 | 5:15 amHere’s the scoop!After scanning the recent publisher catalogs and web sites and talking with reps at the ALA Midwinter conference, here’s the list of poetry books for young people that we can be on the lookout for in 2010. Please let me know of any others I can add.Looks like another interesting crop, with more topical anthologies, intriguing verse novels, updated classics, new voices, fun favorites, science connections, sequels and more. There was lots of buzz at ALA about Stephanie Hemphill’s new Wicked Girls and Marilyn Singer’s Mirror, Mirror and Douglas Florian’s Poetrees and… -
ALA Poetry Notables
21 Jan 2010 | 5:17 amThe ALSC Notables Committee has just issued their list of “best books” of 2009 for kids ages birth-14. Good news, there are several poetry titles among their picks, including:Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce SidmanDiego: Bigger Than Life by Carmen T. Bernier-GrandFederico Garcia Lorca by Georgina LazaroA Whiff of Pine, A Hint of Skunk; A Forest Poems by Deborah RuddellMother Poems by Hope Anita SmithSweethearts of Rhythm; The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Band in the World by Marilyn Nelsontofu quilt by Ching Yeung RussellMy People by Langston HughesI’m so glad to see a few more 2009… -
ALA Awards; Poetry Nuggets
18 Jan 2010 | 9:55 amThe ALA, ALSC, and YALSA awards were announced this morning and you can get the full report here. I was lucky to serve on the Arbuthnot Committee (we chose Lois Lowry to deliver the next lecture) and we had front row seats at the press conference! As we celebrated each new announcement, I noted which of the winners and honor books were poetry books, of course. There were several (although not as many as I would have liked, given how many terrific poetry books were published this year, IMO). Here’s the list:Once again, the Coretta Scott King Award committees selected poetry books for several…
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Kids Lit
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Heist Society – The Movie
9 Feb 2010 | 3:42 am/Film has the news that the film rights for Ally Carter’s Heist Society have been purchased by Warner Brothers. The book is due out next week, and I have to say the cover is rocking. Unfortunately, the teen novel’s characters will be aged to their 20s instead of remaining teen characters. Sad, because I would think it would make a better movie with teen protagonists rather than college-aged ones. I look forward to reading the book which has been called a teen-aged Thomas Crown Affair. Related articles by Zemanta Warner Bros. Steals Heist Society From Disney,… -
Boom Bah!
8 Feb 2010 | 12:19 pmBoom Bah! by Phil Cummings, illustrated by Nina Rycroft Break out the noise makers, drums, and kazoos and start your own band after you share this one. It all starts with a mouse tinging a spoon against a teacup. Then the cat gets involved by banging a spoon on a can. Pig grabs two pot lids to bash together as cymbals. And soon a line of animals are marching and dancing to the beat. What could that be coming over the hill? A real marching band with real drums, a tuba, trombones and more. Everyone starts to play music together with a happy “Hey… -
Brownie & Pearl Step Out
8 Feb 2010 | 11:56 amBrownie & Pearl Step Out by Cynthia Rylant, illustrations by Brian Biggs In this simple, charming story, Rylant explores shyness. Brownie, the little girl, and Pearl, her cat, are going to a birthday party that cats are invited to too. Once they are at the door to the party, Brownie starts to feel shy about knocking. Pearl, though, is not shy at all and enters the house by the cat door, forcing Brownie to have to knock and join the party. By the end of the party, full of cake and ice cream and having played lots of games, Brownie is very happy to have come. … -
Passing By
5 Feb 2010 | 8:45 amPassing By by Yona Tepper, illustrated by Gil-Ly Alon Curiel Yael likes to watch the street outside her house from her balcony. She can see dogs walk by, a cat hiding in the flowerbed, a car driving past and honking its horn, a man riding a bike, a tractor with a trailer filled with brush, and a bird. Best of all, she sees her father coming! The book has a nice rhythm and repetition both before each thing on the street appears and after it leaves Yael’s sight. Tepper’s prose has a quiet feel that really allows readers to feel a sense of ease and leisure that is… -
Bunny Days
5 Feb 2010 | 8:19 amBunny Days by Tao Nyeu The author of the marvelous Wonder Bear returns with a picture book that once again features the big white Bear. This book however takes a different approach than the loosely plotted first book. The book is in three chapters, each featuring an scrape the bunnies get into which is resolved by Bear. In the first story, Mr. Goat is driving past the bunnies on his tractor and splashes them all with mud. They head to Bear for help and he fixes everything by putting them all in the washing machine. On delicate cycle of course. Then they are…
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CYNSATIONS
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U.S. Paperback Release of Eternal & Giveaways
9 Feb 2010 | 6:15 amEternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith is now available in paperback in the U.S. from Candlewick Press. From the promotional copy:At last, Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die.Elevated and adopted by none other than the reigning King of the Mantle of Dracul, Miranda goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight.Meanwhile, her reckless and adoring guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as the princess’s personal assistant, has his work cut out for him trying to save his girl’s soul and plan the Master’s fast-approaching Death Day… -
SCBWI Bologna 2010 Author-Scholar Interview: Leonard Marcus
8 Feb 2010 | 7:02 amInterview by Jenny Desmond Walters for SCBWI Bologna 2010; photo of Leonard by Sonya Sones.As a historian and leading authority on children's literature in America, your knowledge of the history of books for children is inspiring.As you followed the development of children’s books through the last 300 years, do you recognize any specific elements of long-standing children’s literature that you would you say have contributed to a particular work’s ability to stand the test of time? Do any patterns emerge?Hmm. While it's hard to generalize, I would say that one quality that the… -
Austin SCBWI 2010: Destination Publication
5 Feb 2010 | 6:54 amAustin SCBWI's Destination Publication: An Awesome Austin Conference for Writers and Illustrators took place last weekend. Keynote speakers were Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson and two-time Caldecott Honor [author-] illustrator Marla Frazee.The faculty also included: editor Cheryl Klein of Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic; author-editor Lisa Graff, formerly of FSG; agent Andrea Cascardi of Transatlantic Literary; agent Mark McVeigh of The McVeigh Agency; editor Stacy Cantor of Walker (Bloomsbury); and agent Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown, Ltd.In addition, Cheryl and Sara Lewis Holmes spoke… -
Cynsational News & Giveaways
5 Feb 2010 | 6:35 amEnter to win a copy of Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire by Julius Lester (Harcourt, 2007)! From the promotional copy (slightly tweaked to condense):This is the story of Cupid—the god responsible for heartache, sleepless nights, and all those silly love songs—finally getting his comeuppance.When the god of love falls in love himself, things are bound to get interesting. And when he crosses his mama, Venus, in the process...Well, things could get downright messy.Julius Lester brings his renowned storytelling skills to one of the world's most famous tales. In doing so, he weaves a romantic,… -
SCBWI Bologna 2010 Author-Illustrator Interview: Frané Lessac
4 Feb 2010 | 6:56 amInterview by Jenny Desmond Walters for SCBWI Bologna 2010As an author/illustrator of over 35 award-winning children’s books that have been published around the globe, what advice do you have for writers who are just starting out?Write about something that you’re passionate about. It shows in the words and art. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you have it, a perceptive editor will catch it and eventually your readers will relive that original passion.Be active with your SCBWI membership. It’s the best way to keep your finger on the book publishing pulse. You’ll make firm friends and meet…
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Blog from the Windowsill
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warning - there be cursin' ahoy
5 Feb 2010 | 1:21 pmThis piece isn't really specific to children's books and I'm not even sure I entirely agree with it, but how could I not quote this?"WRITE YOUR OWN FUCKING BOOKS.Yes, I'm serious. FUCK you, Anne of Green Gables Fights Poseidon by Lucy Maud Montgomery's Straw Boater and Fred LazyAss. FUCK you, The Long Winter - with the Abominable Snowman by Laura Ingalls Wilder's exploited corpse and Penny CantWriteWorthaShit. FUCK you, A Little Princess - Of MARS! by Frances Hodgeson Burnett's debt-ridden great-great-grandniece and Suzanne ArtisticHack." -
This is what the internet does best
1 Feb 2010 | 11:11 pmAn amazing learning tool: The scale of the universe. -
It's not just about conjunctions anymore...
1 Feb 2010 | 9:16 pmSchoolhouse Rock for a more complex age.(No, not really. But it will make you nostalgic.) -
Where the Sidewalk Never Ends
20 Jan 2010 | 10:02 amChildren's books we might see today. (Some are kind of annoying, but most are pretty funny.) -
the future is now
19 Jan 2010 | 11:11 amChildren's books, always the best resource on how we should be living.
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BookMoot
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T-Shirt War
9 Feb 2010 | 12:12 am -
Nonfiction Monday: Hairy Tarantulas
8 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amDewey: 595.4Hairy Tarantulas by Kathryn Camisa, Bearport, 2009I am becoming such a fan of Bearport's nonfiction series books. This volume is part of the No Backbone!: the World of Invertebrates series. The format of the book is very well designed and well laid out for young readers. A nicely sized and very readable typeface is used through out. It has several elements, the table of contents, index, a list of additional resources, that are very useful for teaching information skills. The index terms are highlighted in boldface.Full color photographs of very, very hairy tarantulas are clearly… -
Peter and the Wolf
3 Feb 2010 | 8:07 pmPeter and the Wolf: based upon the original work by Sergei Prokofiev of Peter and the Wolf, retold by Chris Raschka, Atheneum, 2008 (review copy provided by book retailer)There is always music in Chris Raschaka's work.Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf is often the first introduction children have to symphonic music. Raschka recreates the rhythms and melody lines of the music with his text.Recall the iconic opening of the symphony that represents Peter. It goes like this: 'de dum dum de dum de dum de dum de dum de dum de dum de dumdum de dumdum de dumdumdum.' Rashka echoes this theme with his… -
The Youngest Templar
3 Feb 2010 | 5:06 amKeeper of the Grail, Book 1Trail of Fate, Book 2The Youngest Templar Trilogy Series: by Michael P. Spradlin, Putnam, 2008, 2009. Audiobook, narrated by Paul Boehm, Listening Library, 2008, 2009 (audiobook review copy source: public library audiobook download / paperback review copy source: publisher provided))Nice performance by narrator, Paul Boehm, Spradlin keeps the story moving briskly with lots of action and character development. He ends each book with a "oh-no-don't-stop-now" cliffhanger.Young Tristan, raised in a monastery, his parentage unknown, is taken on as a squire by Sir Thomas… -
The Hunchback Assignments
1 Feb 2010 | 8:16 pmThe Hunchback Assignments #1 by Arthur Slade , read by Jayne Entwistle, Listening Library, 2009 (review copy source: public library audiobook download) // Hardcover edition: Wendy Lamb Books, Random House, 2009. (review copy source: publisher provided)Arthur Slade brings new life to Victor Hugo's 1831 classic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and resets the story in Victorian England. His twist on the story mixes Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde into a steampunk adventure with human robots (or is it robotic humans?) and explosions and intrigue.Initially, I wondered how much appeal…
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Read Alert
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Roundup 04/02/10
3 Feb 2010 | 8:07 pmBill Martin, author of popular picture book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? had his book banned by the Texas Board of Education. Why? Because he has the same name as an academic who wrote a book called Ethical Marxism. Here’s an interview with the Marxist Bill Martin. There’s more on the sex-in-YA debate by If I Stay author Gayle Forman. We’re asking teens their thoughts over at Inside a Dog. -
Roundup 3/2/10
2 Feb 2010 | 8:02 pmKevin Rudd tells us about why children’s literature/literacy is so important. Publisher Andrew Wilkins lets us know his thoughts on the ebook possibilities of the new Apple iPad. And speaking of ebooks, have you caught up with the Amazon/Macmillan kerfuffle? Scott Westerfeld explains all. And there seem to be a lot of teenage authors talking about sex out there. Like 17 year old Alexandra Adornetto and 16 year old Steph Bowe. Two very different perspectives, there. And did we mention that Garth Nix is in Residence on Inside A Dog? -
Garth Nix…
1 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pmGarth Nix is in the Residence on Inside A Dog! And if you want to MEET Garth, come along to our FREE event on Sunday 21 February. Garth will be in conversation with me (Lili), talking about Lord Sunday, the final thrilling installment in the Keys to the Kingdom series. 2pm Bookings essential: http://garthnixinconversation.eventbrite.com/ -
Welcome back
31 Jan 2010 | 8:22 pmStudents are back at schools across Victoria today and elsewhere in Australia. So if you are in a school - whether librarian, teacher or student - welcome back. And remember, there will be holidays in April. We can at last report the good news that the Centre for Youth Literature has been invited to work with the Year 7 and 8 students of Nathalia Secondary College on project about graphic novels and picture books. Mike met with principal Andrew Harnett and teacher Deanne Dewar last year to devise the project. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with students, teachers, and an… -
Michael L Printz Award
18 Jan 2010 | 3:27 pmLibba Bray’s Going Bovine has won the prestigious US Michael L Printz Award. I’m currently reading it now, and it’s a cracker. Imagine a book a bit like Skellig meets Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but that’s a contemporary American road trip. Featuring a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a garden gnome. Going Bovine will be published in Australia by Allen & Unwin in February. Stay tuned for a COMPETITION on Inside A Dog!
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The PlanetEsme Plan: The Best New Children's Books from Esme's Shelf
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GROUNDHOG WEATHER SCHOOL (PICTURE BOOK)
27 Jan 2010 | 7:31 pmPICTURE BOOKGROUNDHOG WEATHER SCHOOL by Joan Holub, illustrated by Kristin Sorra (Putnam)When a rabbit hears a weather report that spring has arrived, he is chagrined to find snow outside his abode. The good citizen writes a letter suggesting a more regional approach, thus inspiring a nationwide search for talent and the best newspaper ad since art schools asked wanna-be's to sketch Tippy Turtle. "Have you got what it takes to be a weather forecaster? Take this quiz and check all that apply: Are you a mammal?...Are you furry?...Do you live in a burrow?...Are you a rodent?...Are you an… -
AROUND THE WORLD WITH MOUK (PICTURE BOOK)
26 Jan 2010 | 7:57 pmPICTURE BOOKAROUND THE WORLD WITH MOUK by Marc Boutavant (Chronicle)Take your eye for a walk! And what a walk it is, from continent to continent accompanied by a restless little brown bear who bids au revoir but not adieu to his friends in a French café while he goes off to collect some more comrades. Mix the Asian-influenced, almost unnerving cuteness of Gyo Fujikawa with the eager, overpopulated animal world of Richard Scarry in a new wave trip-hop blender, and wah-la! The result is a book to look at repeatedly, and with wonder. The animals that inhabit these pages are not trite children's… -
ALA YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS ANNOUNCEMENT
18 Jan 2010 | 8:30 amALA Youth Media Awards were announced this morning! It's like the Oscars for the American children's book world. And the winners are...Newbery (for writing)Gold:WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead (Random House)Silver:CLAUDETTE COLVIN: TWICE TOWARD JUSTICE by Philip M. Hoose (Farrar Straus Giroux)THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Tate (Henry Holt)WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace Lin (Little, Brown)THE MOSTLY TRUE ADVENTURES OF HOMER P. FIGG by Rodman Philbrick (Scholastic)Caldecott (for illustration)Gold:THE LION & THE MOUSE by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown)Silver:ALL… -
A POP-UP BOOK OF NURSERY RHYMES and AWARD PREDICTIONS
17 Jan 2010 | 10:06 pmPOETRYA POP-UP BOOK OF NURSERY RHYMES by Matthew Reinhart (Little Simon) One of the masters of the movable book puts some spring in the step of classic verse with scenes that are as much sculpture as illustration. Besides the dramatic pop-up splays on every spread, a bevy of insets brim with small surprises such as a black sheep that transforms into three bags full of wool before our eyes, a tiger caught by the toe who really gives jumping off the page a college try, and some glittering lenticular stars to wish upon. The palette borders on the nursery-friendly pastel, but is bumped up with… -
TODAY I WILL (NONFICTION)
14 Jan 2010 | 12:00 pmNONFICTIONTODAY I WILL: A YEAR OF QUOTES, NOTES AND PROMISES TO MYSELF by Eileen and Jerry Spinelli (Knopf)This page-a-day book feels like getting to peek at the genius scribblings on napkins or the secret "stuff drawers" from the desks of two brilliant authors (and husband/wife team), with a little goodie to pull out for every day of the year. Highly conceptual, each page contains the date (without a year named), a quote taken from children's literature, a brief reflection on the quote and a sort of junior "self help" suggestion for the reader's improvement or affirmation. Each page is…
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childrens-book « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Bob Dylan's song "Man Gave Names to All the Animals" to be published
8 Feb 2010 | 7:20 pmSterling Children’s Books announced February 1 that it will publish a picture book inspired by -
The Beginning of Armadillos
8 Feb 2010 | 3:35 pmThe Beginning of Armadillos by Ruyard Kipling This jungle tale is a fun explanation of how the armadillo, one of nature’s strangest looking creatures, came to be. Two friends, the turtle and the hedgehog are prey for the young leopard. The leopard’s mother tells him that the turtle is the one that can swim fast (but is slow on land) and the hedgehog is the one that has spikes when it rolls into a ball. The first time the baby leopard has an encounter with the two creatures, they successfully confuse him and escape. Then they decide to help each other in order to be ready for the… -
"Sammy and His Shepherd" (A Children's Book Review)
8 Feb 2010 | 9:23 amSammy and His Shepherd written by Susan Hunt and Illustrated by Corey Godbey is one of the best chil -
THE LITTLE GENERAL AND THE GIANT SNOWFLAKE
8 Feb 2010 | 8:34 amMatthea Harvey is one of America’s quirkiest poets. So it is no surprise that her illustrated tale THE LITTLE GENERAL AND THE GIANT SNOWFLAKE is completely charming. In the tradition of an Oscar Wilde fairy tale–suitable for children yet pointedly amusing for adults–the story’s hero is a small but Mussolini-esque general, a person who wants order. The appearance of a giant snowflake interrupts the existence of a man who is reading about how to alphabetize his attic. It results in change, understanding, peace, and lunch. The book is tender-hearted but delivers a real… -
Interview with Hasta la Vista, Lola!'s Misa Ramirez
8 Feb 2010 | 6:33 amMisa Ramirez is the author of the Lola Cruz mystery series: Living the Vida Lola (January ’09) and Hasta la Vista, Lola! (2010) from St. Martin’s Minotaur. A former middle and high school teacher, and current CEO and CFO for La Familia Ramirez, this blonde-haired, green-eyed, proud to be Latina-by-Marriage girl loves following Lola on her many adventures. Whether it’s contemplating belly button piercings or visiting nudist resorts, she’s always up for the challenge. Misa is hard at work on a new women’s fiction novel, a middle grade series, is published in Woman’s World Magazine…
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School Library Journal Breaking News
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NBC Launches Science of the Olympics Site for Educators
8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pmHow do physics, biology, and chemistry fit into this year’s Olympic winter games in Vancouver? NBC Learn, the network’s educational arm, has launched the Learn the Science of Olympic Winter Games Web site, which offers a free 16-part series designed to explore the science behind the speed of a bobsled or an airlift ski jump. -
Westerfeld Wins Aussie’s Aurealis Award For Best YA Novel
4 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pmScott Westerfeld’s Leviathan (S & S, 2009), a World War I steampunk novel, is winner of the 2009 Aurealis Award in the category of best young adult novel. -
Artist, Author Stephen Huneck Dies at 61
2 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pmStephen Huneck, a wood carving artist, furniture maker, and children’s book author and illustrator died January 7 from a self-inflected gun wound. He was 61 years old and lived in St. Johnsbury, VT. -
Hurry and Enter the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Competition
2 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pmThink you have what it takes to be the next Stephenie Meyer? Here’s your chance to prove it. Amazon.com, its subsidiary CreateSpace, and the Penguin Group USA are accepting submissions for the third annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition, an international contest that’s seeking the next popular novel. -
What Are They Reading for Fun? Independent Schools Edition
2 Feb 2010 | 10:44 amRealistic fiction and memoirs
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School Library Journal - Nonfiction Matters
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There Must Be a Way Out of Here
That's a Bob Dylan Quotation, But Also My Sense of This Moment in Nonfiction Here are the contrasting forces of this moment -- as they effect al... -
Delayed
Sorry to Be Posting Late -- I Am Doing Too Many Things at Once I have the printed out pages of two books on my desk, was working on an Op-Ed, an... -
Avatariana
What Does Avatar Have to Do With History? I joined the mob at Avatar this past weekend. Like most people I was dazzled by the&nbs... -
From David Aguilar -- and Open Invitation
Calling All Artists, Designers, Art Directors, Photographers Who Work with Non-Fiction This post is David's response to Linda's question on how ... -
Crosscurrents
Building Bridges to the Past Yesterday SLJ put out an article on the BBYA story -- with some of my comments, YALSA Axes Venerable BBYA List...
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School Library Journal - A Fuse #8 Production
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Press Release Fun: Brandywine River Museum Caldecott Exhibit
Cool. Were I in Pennsylvania, I would be there. Media Contacts: Hillary Holland or Lora Englehart, 610-388-8337 or lenglehar... -
Top 100 Children's Novels (#90- 86)
"Arrrrggghhh! A top ten list is impossible to pin down. As the saying goes, it's like trying to nail Jello to a wall. It's just so effing subj... -
Top 100 Children's Novels (#100-91)
It wasn't enough that I said to you, "Tell me the books that changed your life" was it? No, it was worse than that. When I asked yo... -
Video Sunday: Bouncy Abbreviated Madness (or B.A.M.)
You know, under normal circumstances I don't lead off with a book trailer. But first off, I missed this one when it debuted in Oct... -
Fusenews: Ga-Dunk
My prayers have been answered. If by "prayers" I mean "my desire to see out-of-print books rolling off the presses once more". ...
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washingtonpost.com - Michael Gerson
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President Obama betrays his community-organizer roots
4 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmFormer community organizer Barack Obama once seemed to recognize the important role of community institutions. It was among his few credible claims to ideological outreach. On the eve of his inauguration, cameras in tow, Obama took a paint roller to the walls of a D.C. homeless shelter. He retained the White House office that promotes community and faith-based charities. In June, during a speech saluting nonprofits, he said, "Solutions to America's challenges are being developed every day at the grass roots. And government shouldn't be supplanting those efforts, it should be supporting those… -
U.S. solidarity could boost Iran's Green Revolution
2 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmIt means something in foreign policy circles when realists and idealists converge on a policy -- as they are beginning to do on Iran. -
In the State of the Union address, 'Principal' Obama had lessons for all
28 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmThe most revealing congressional reaction following President Obama's State of the Union address came from Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina: "He sort of took us to the principal's office, didn't he?" -
The flailing state of Obama's polarized union
26 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmOne of the kinder explanations for President Obama's failed first year is that his agenda was just too darned ambitious. Like Bill Clinton on health reform and George W. Bush on Social Security restructuring, Obama found that, in columnist Ron Brownstein's words, "big legislative crusades aimed at big national problems produce only big political headaches." The fault, in this view, lies in a polarized political system that punishes the bold. -
Obama's options, in a post-Massachusetts nation
21 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmIf Tuesday had been a national election, Scott Brown's victory merely would have been the high-water mark of a Republican deluge. A five-point win in Massachusetts would have translated into blowout Republican victories throughout the country. Every Democrat with political skills short of Franklin D. Roosevelt's would have suddenly seemed a "weak candidate." President Obama now is left with three options as he stumbles toward the State of the Union: He can try to ignore the anger, embrace the anger or blunt the anger.
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Semicolon
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School UNFriendly
8 Feb 2010 | 10:47 pmMaybe it’s my own personal homeschool bias, but a lot of the books I read for the Cybils (Middle Grade Fiction), didn’t feel very school-friendly. I’ve already discussed the confusing mixed messages from and about school in Barbara Dee’s Solving Zoe, and how the protagonist, Zoe, learns and thrives much better outside of school than she does in classes. In The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Calpurnia has this conversation with her grandfather: “What are you studying in school? You do go to school, don’t you? “Of course I do. We’re studying… -
Many Happy Returns: February 9th
8 Feb 2010 | 10:17 pmHilda Gerarda van Stockum was born in Rotterdam in 1908. She grew up in Ireland and in the Netherlands. Her brother, Willem van Stockum, was a mathematician and disciple of Albert Einstein. He was “the first to notice the possibility of closed timelike curves, one of the strangest and most disconcerting phenomena in general relativity.” (I don’t know what that means exactly, but it does sound rather LOST-like, doesn’t it?) Willem died in combat a few days after the Normandy invasion. The author’s first children’s book, A Day on Skates, won Newbery honors in… -
Many Happy Returns: February 8th
7 Feb 2010 | 10:35 pmOn February 8, 1577, English scholar Robert Burton, was born in Leicestershire. He spent most of his life at Oxford University, first as a student, then as vicar of St. Thomas Church in Oxford. Burton was a mathematician who had an interest in astrology, and he suffered from depression, or melancholy as it was called in those times, for much of his life. One of his attempted self-cures for his depression was to go down to the bridge at Oxford and listen to the barge men “scold and storm and swear at one another.” Hearing such nonsense reportedly made Mr. Burton laugh uproariously. -
Many Happy Returns: February 7th
6 Feb 2010 | 10:29 pmBorn on this date in 1812, Mr. Dickens has been delighting readers for over 150 years. Dickens Novels I’ve Read: David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Pickwick Papers, Great Expectations, Our Mutual Friend DIckens Novels I Have Yet to Enjoy: Hard Times, Dombey and Son, Bleak House, The Old Curiosity Shop, Barnaby Rudge, Martin Chuzzlewit, Little Dorrit, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Favorite Dickens Hero: Pip, Great Expectations Favorite Dickens Villain(ess): Madame Defarge, Tale of Two Cities Favorite Tragic Scene: Mr. Peggotty searching… -
Saturday Review of Books: February 6, 2010
5 Feb 2010 | 6:14 pm“Why have we none (that is, no grace) for books, those spiritual repasts–a grace before Milton–a grace before Shakespeare–a devotional exercise proper to be said before reading the Faerie Queene?”~Charles Lamb If you’re not familiar with and linking to and perusing the Saturday Review of Books here at Semicolon, you’re missing out. Here’s how it usually works. Find a review on your blog posted sometime during the previous week of a book you were reading or a book you’ve read. The review doesn’t have to be a formal sort of thing. You can just…
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childrens-book-illustration « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Respecting Trees Illustrated
25 Jan 2010 | 3:00 amSoo had to illustrate the poem I wrote, but got a bit ambitious with the length so some pages are a bit rushed, as I had to get it completed for an assessment. But I like at least half of it which is positive, I’d love to redo pages and get it bound properly -
Lurzers International Archive
21 Jan 2010 | 2:38 pm2 posters I created for the Hogle Zoo are in Vol.6-2009 the last issue of 09. This mag has some heft. It’s one half inch thick and weighs in at about 4 pounds. I just finished up these little promo sticker packs for my agent to hand out at gift expos. I like how they turned out. My photos always turn out reddish. What’s up with that? -
Illustration Friday: Wilderness
19 Jan 2010 | 7:06 pmGrandpa Beaver’s Ice Fishin’ Trip, thought it would be a cool concept for this week’s topic but also to tell a story for a children’s book using nostalgic illustrations/collages. -
Goals, Resolutions & All Things 2010
13 Jan 2010 | 7:56 pmPhew! It’s a new year, a fresh start, a new beginning, and a time when many artists set new goals. My first goal is to finish the illustrations for my latest illustrated book by March….and I am only on the 5th of double-page 13 spreads. Normally, illustrators of children’s books are given about a year to complete a book project…but I was given 5 months. Honestly, I could not say “no” to the project because I really believe in the story and felt the book had Divinely landed smack-dab in the middle of my drawing table. I’ve learned not to say… -
Dinosornament
16 Dec 2009 | 12:16 pmI just wanted to post a link to my free, cut and fold,holiday download. Nothing says” the holidays” like dinosaurs and bicycles. Festoon your tree, mantel, or rearview mirror with a Slackart cut and fold Dinosornament. Guaranteed to bring you and your loved ones at least fifteen minutes of crafty yuletide cheer. You can download it from my website. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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NPR Topics: Children's Books
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'Birthright': The Astonishing Story Behind 'Kidnapped'
7 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amIn his new book, Birthright, author A. Roger Ekirch gives a historical account of the 18th-century kidnapping of 12-year-old British aristocrat James Annesley. The story captivated public attention and inspired at least five novels, including Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure tale Kidnapped.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Blio: Perhaps The Future Of Books?
6 Jan 2010 | 3:55 pmI watched a demo of Blio this afternoon and I was impressed. eReaders like the Kindle and the Nook only let you see the book in black and white. Blio brings back the color. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
'Wind In The Willows': A Christmas Take On A Classic
25 Dec 2009 | 8:52 amThis year's Christmas tale is adapted for radio from Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's favorite The Wind in the Willows. Washington, D.C., actress Jennifer Mendenhall narrates Chapter 5 — "Dolce Domum," or "sweet home" — starring Mole and Rat.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Kids' Favorite Sandra Boynton Makes Music Video
21 Dec 2009 | 11:41 amIllustrator, kids' book author and songwriter Sandra Boynton can add filmmaker to her resume. She has turned her song One Shoe Blues into a music video starring B.B. King and an ensemble of colorful sock puppets. Boynton tells NPR she makes no distinction between kids and adults who will enjoy her work.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us -
Holiday Story: 'The Boy Who Laughed At Santa Claus'
20 Dec 2009 | 1:00 pmStoryteller extraordinaire and Seattle librarian David Wright reads a holiday tale — the 1942 Ogden Nash classic "The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus."» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
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Mad Woman in the Forest
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Microblog - things I thought would never happen
7 Feb 2010 | 3:36 amMy writing is going well. So well, I'm having a hard time sleeping. (This is a good thing.)Amazon has stopped being the bookstore bully, for the time-being.Blogosphere is having good and overdue discussions about telling the stories of all kids.Wendy Glenn wrote a book about me. This feels very odd.Back to writing. -
Microblogging Amazon's Shoving Match
5 Feb 2010 | 10:31 amI'll make this fast.Amazon is feuding with publishers. Reuters explains why.Other people have written smart and funny blog entries about it. Like Deb Heiligman. And John Scalzi. The Author's Guild just started Who Moved My Buy Button?The Buy button is missing from the hardcover version of SPEAK because it is published by FS&G, which is owned by Macmillan, one of the publishers that is standing up to the 800-pound gorilla. You can still buy it through Amazon resellers. I'd rather you bought it from an independent bookseller, but that's up to you.What do you think about this? Does it change… -
Microblog
4 Feb 2010 | 2:24 amConfused about Amazon vs. Macmillian and everyone else? Harkaway explains.I loved his book, BTW. -
I double-dog dare you
1 Feb 2010 | 4:14 amLet's see how short I can make this post....I double-dog dare you to step away from the Internet for the month of February.Don't blog.Don't read blogs.Loose track of the shenanigans of celebrities and politicians.Do not update your status, your mood. Let your Farmville fall apart and your Cafe close.Why do I suggest this?Because so many of you are struggling to find time to write, or paint, or read, or do the other creative things that make you happy. Did you participate in NaNoWriMo? Consider this NoNoBlog-o (thanks for that title, Harold). Blog-Free February. BFF.Does going… -
Vote for your favorite chapter books OF ALL TIME!
29 Jan 2010 | 3:35 amI am at the Kindling Words conference kindling new book ideas.You are sitting at your computer and you need something fun to do.Fuse #8 is running the poll and has all of the instructions. Get yourself over there and read them, then start compiling your list - now!The deadline in January 31st.Hurry!
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Holly Black, No Longer Dry Like a Martini
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Zombies Vs. Unicorns Cover!
6 Feb 2010 | 6:19 pmHere's the official announcement in EW's Shelf Life of my second-ever anthology (co-edited by the fabulous Justine Larbalestier), Zombies vs. Unicorns, or as everyone at S&S calls it, ZvU!We have a great line-up in store for you, including, on the zombie side: Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Maureen Johnson, Carrie Ryan, Scott Westerfeld.And on the unicorn side: Meg Cabot, Kathleen Duey, Margo Lanagan, Garth Nix, Naomi Novik, Diana Peterfreund.And here, finally, is the absolutely fantastic cover by Josh Cochran. It is amazingly detailed and hilarious. Plus, you can see… -
WHITE CAT ARC con-test
3 Feb 2010 | 8:29 pmSo the time has come for me to give away five ARCs of White Cat! I am really, really excited about this book and, in the hopes that you will be excited too, I am putting the first chapter online. If you came to see me at an event, chances are you have already read this, but for those of you who have not, here it is.Now let's go down to brass tacks.There is a reason I am calling this a con-test! Tell me one con that you or your friends have pulled. It doesn't have to have worked; it just has to be clever. And yes, you can absolutely post anonymously, just include an "alias" so that you can be… -
Your List of Recommended Reading
3 Feb 2010 | 12:14 pmHere's the list of what you guys are reading and want to recommend from the entries in the ARC contest. As a reader and as a writer, I was thrilled to see such a diverse list of books and one that includes both old and new titles.Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire (2x)This World We Live In - Susan Beth PfefferEnchantress from the Stars - Sylvia EngdahlBallad - Maggie StiefvaterThe Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman (2x)Sandman Slim - Richard KadreyAlice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis CarrollFire - Kristen CashoreGraceling - Kristen CashoreStardust - Neil GaimanThe Brothers Lionheart - Astrid… -
POISON EATERS contest WINNERS
1 Feb 2010 | 6:28 pmThis contest to win ARCs of POISON EATERS AND OTHER STORIES was a lot of fun for me -- seeing you all with favorite books was really cool. I hope you liked seeing one another. Sorry for almost having this contest end a day early and then actually end it a day late!Without further delay, since I asked for pictures of you, I give you pictures of me choosing the results for the contest.First, I printed out everyone's names and put them in a bowl. Here is a picture of me with said bowl:Then I picked out names:Here is our first winner:Congratulations, Meagan!Here is our second… -
Running Behind Schedule!
31 Jan 2010 | 10:06 pmI have not managed to post winners due to some camera troubles and water heater troubles. I apologize. Will post on Monday, honest!
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ALLY CARTER
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It's tour time!
8 Feb 2010 | 8:09 amHey everybody,I'm sitting in my kitchen watching it snow (hard!) and getting ready to go start packing for tour. I'm leaving this afternoon and hoping the snow doesn't mess stuff up too much.Assuming I can get to Chicago (and I bet I can) I hope many of you will come out tomorrow to help me welcome Heist Society into the world!Yay! Heist Society is here! It's finally here!This is going to be a really fun tour. Just FYI I'm including the complete tour dates once again. If one of these is near you, please visit the store's website for details and come see me!Take care!AllyHEIST SOCIETY… -
Heist Society movie news!
5 Feb 2010 | 4:35 pmHey everybody!Wow. Where do I begin?So you guys know that I'm at the American Bookseller's Association's Winter Institute? I've got a book coming out... A tour starting... More books to write...There's a lot going on.Well, I just THOUGHT I was busy because yesterday things went...crazy.You see, about a week ago my wonderful film agent, Sarah Self, sent Heist Society to a handful of trusted producers in Hollyood. That was Friday. On Monday morning she started getting calls about it. By Tuesday night it was going out to studios. Wednesday while I was on a plane to California we started getting… -
And so it begins...
3 Feb 2010 | 8:40 amI'm sitting here, looking around my living room, thinking "I hope I can remember what this place looks like" because, let me tell ya, I'm not going to see a lot of it in February.Because February = National Fall in Love With Hale...I meanNational Heist Society release month! Yay!Just a quick reminder that I'll be at the American Bookseller's Association Midwinter Institute this week, so if you're a bookseller who is heading that way, please say hi!AND...I'll be signing books TOMORROW for the very first stop on the Heist Society tour!!!Here's the complete tour schedule one more time if you've… -
Mini blog: hello out there!
31 Jan 2010 | 2:50 pmHello out there!I'm still working, trying with all my might to make GG4--ONLY THE GOOD SPY YOUNG--as strong as possible. So that's why the blog has been pretty quiet lately.That and all the tour prep.And the big AllyCarter.com redesign.And the getting ready for the winter Olympics (that gold metal in hot chocolate drinking is mine this year! ALL MINE!)And the Percy-Jackson-movie-freaking. (It looks sooooo good!)And the soup eating.And the snow watching.And the rewriting. Did I mention the rewriting?I did?Oh well, then that's probably a sign I should get back to it.--Ally -
The complete tour schedule!
26 Jan 2010 | 5:13 pmYay! At long last I can confirm that I will be doing a signing at 1:00 on Sunday, February 14th--yes, that February 14th--at the legendary Books of Wonder in New York, NY!Yay!And that's it...the last piece of the Heist Society tour puzzle!I hope to see all of you somewhere down the road!-AllyHEIST SOCIETYTourThursday, February 4*3:30 PM - 5:30 PMBorders356 Santana RowSan Jose, CA 95128*because Heist Society officially releases on February 9th, copies will likely be made available EARLY for this event only.Tuesday, February 97:00 PMBorders1500 16th Street, Suite DOak Brook, IL 60523Wednesday,…
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John Green's Weblog
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Indianapolis Next Monday: More Info
3 Feb 2010 | 12:20 pmSeveral commenters have pointed out that the UIndy web site seems to disagree with me about the scheduled time of my writing workshop next Monday.This is because there are, in fact, two events.There will be a free writing workshop at 4 PM on Monday Feb. 8th at the Wheeler Art Center (1035 Sanders Street # 111 Indianapolis, IN). I will talk about writing and we will do writing exercises and have fun. (Hopefully.) To attend that, rsvp to Bryan Furuness: furuness--at--gmail.comThat evening, I will be reading and talking about my books at 7:30 PM at Good Hall, which is at the corner of E. Hanna… -
A Free Writing Workshop with Me
2 Feb 2010 | 1:39 pmSorry for not blogging much. In case you don't follow me on twitter, I had a baby, which can really slow down your blogging. BUT:If you live in or near Indianapolis and you are a high school student (or can convincingly pretend to be one), I'll be teaching a free writing workshop next Monday, February 8th, at the University of Indianapolis. The workshop will be from 4 PM to 5:30 PM at the Wheeler Art Center (1035 Sanders Street # 111 Indianapolis, IN).If you'd like to come, RSVP to Bryan Furuness: furuness--at--gmail.com -
More Questions Answered about The Future of Books
7 Jan 2010 | 10:29 amThanks to everyone who has responded to the essay I wrote for SLJ about the future of reading and publishing in the US. To answer a few more questions:1. I am not in any way proposing that physical books are dying as a medium, nor do I imagine some all-digital future for text.I do believe, however, that the survival of printed text won't matter very much from a business perspective, because the big issue is not the medium but the distribution network.The distribution network--insofar as it still involves bookstores--is in big trouble. (As pointed out in the essay, the stock price for chain… -
The Future of Reading: Your Questions
2 Jan 2010 | 12:02 pmSchool Library Journal has just published an extensively footnoted essay I wrote about the future of reading, book publishing, This Is Not Tom, and some other things.I'm going to use this blog post as a space to answer questions about the essay and continue the conversation about the future of publishing, but none of this will make sense unless you've already read the essay. Feel free to leave more questions in comments; I will update this post frequently over the next few weeks. Questions so far:---Q. What's this about Cory Doctorow abandoning his publishers? His new book is with Tor?He does… -
For those of you who do not regularly watch the videos...
2 Jan 2010 | 11:59 am...you should probably watch this one to the end.(Also, why don't you go subscribe to our youtube channel? It's far better than this old thing.)
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Among Amid While
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A belated snipe at some 3-month-old news
4 Feb 2010 | 12:10 amNews of Tender Morsels' WFA win was apparently broadcast on 2CH on 8 November last year.The author has responded [to the 'sordid wretchedness' accusation] by questioning the assumption that children have the luxury of an innocent childhood. Her aim, she says, was to equip readers for life by showing them “the sorts of issues other people encounter.” [What I actually said was: "How on earth do people imagine we equip children for life, if we never show them the sorts of issues other people encounter...?"]One of the tragedies of 21st century life is the loss of juvenile innocence we once… -
ABR fave Aus. novel poll
2 Feb 2010 | 3:11 amAnd, cool! The Australian Book Review's poll of 290 favourite Australian books, voted by the magazine's readers, includes Tender Morsels! -
Locus Recommended Reading List for 2009
2 Feb 2010 | 2:45 amOh, this is nice! I've got two short stories:"Ferryman", from Sharyn November's Firebirds Soaring, and "Living Curiosities", from Deb Noyes's Sideshowon the list, as well as my novella,"Sea-Hearts", from Keith Stevenson's X6 (and yay to Paul Haines, whose "Wives" is on there, too!)On top of that, Jonathan Strahan's Year's Best (with "Ferryman" in it), and Rich Horton's, with "The Fifth Star in the Southern Cross" (originally published in Jack Dann's Dreaming Again), and Ellen Datlow's The Best Horror of the Year, containing "The Goosle" are in the collections list.And among the collections,… -
The NZ juggernaut begins to rumble to life...
27 Jan 2010 | 10:27 pm...with this article by Laura Kroetsch, who tells you what books to read in preparation for the New Zealand Post Writers and Readers Week in March:We are thrilled to be hosting Neil Gaiman, the literary superstar, and Margo Lanagan, the Australian writer whose recent novel, Tender Morsels, has done that remarkable trick of ‘crossing over’ to adult readers. Both Gaiman and Lanagan are fabulous writers and even those who don’t think they like fantasy should give them a goShe doesn't actually tell you that Neil and I will be on the same panel, chaired by Kate de Goldi. I will just sit… -
Causing thoughtfulness
20 Jan 2010 | 8:19 pmOver here, Niall Harrison takes Seven Bites of Tender Morsels, and chews them over thoroughly. I never thought of my blandification of Liga's heaven-world as a swipe at the Grimms' makeover of Stahl's 'The Ungrateful Dwarf', but it could be nothing else:Re-reading “Snow White and Rose Red” once done with Tender Morsels, it is a real joy to discover how clever, and how sly, Lanagan’s revisioning is. The spine of the Grimm tale – two girls, living with their mother in a cottage in the forest, have encounters with a friendly bear and a wicked, treasure-hungry dwarf – is retained in…
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Justine Larbalestier
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Guest Post: Ah Yuan on the Importance of Diversity
8 Feb 2010 | 2:39 pmDue to boring circumstances beyond my control, I will not be online much in February. Fortunately I’ve been able to line up a number of stellar guests to fill in for me. Most are writers, but I also thought it would be fun to get some publishing types to explain what it is they do, teach you some more about the industry, and answer your questions, as well as one or two bloggers. Today we have one of my favourite YA lit bloggers, Ah Yuan, whose blog, GAL Novelty, should be on your blogroll if it isn’t already. I love how no-holds-barred her reviews are. Thoughtful, smart and… -
Guest Post: Sarah Rees Brennan on Movies & Sex
5 Feb 2010 | 2:04 amDue to boring circumstances beyond my control, I will not be online much for the next week or so. Fortunately I’ve been able to line up a number of stellar guests to fill in for me. Most are writers, but I also thought it would be fun to get some publishing types to explain what it is they do, teach you some more about the industry, and answer your questions, as well as one or two bloggers. Today we have Sarah Rees Brennan, who is quite mad, which is often quite an advantage for the writing of fine fiction, as you will discover if you read any of SRB’s books. She was last here for… -
Zombies versus Unicorns Cover
4 Feb 2010 | 3:03 pmToday mine & Holly Black’s Zombies v Unicorn anthology was featured on EW’s Shelf Life, the press release went out, and the Simon & Schuster’s official Z v U page is officially official.1 Go there to vote Team Zombie—my team—because zombies are superior to unicorns in every way. Over the next few months leading up to the antho’s publication in September I will have much to say about it. But today I wanted to talk about the art because it is so spectactular that I’m still pinching myself. I love it!2 The artist, Josh Cochran, has surpassed… -
Guest Post: Ask Publicist Lauren
4 Feb 2010 | 1:49 amDue to boring circumstances beyond my control, I will not be online much for the next week or so. Fortunately I’ve been able to line up a number of stellar guests to fill in for me. Most are writers, but I also thought it would be fun to get some publishing types to explain what it is they do, teach you some more about the industry, and answer your questions, as well as one or two bloggers. Today we have Lauren Cerand, who is a freelance publicist. I know that many people are confused as to what exactly a publicist does. (I know I frequently am.) It took me ages to realise that there… -
Guest Post: Tansy Rayner Roberts on Reading as a Luxury
3 Feb 2010 | 2:31 pmDue to boring circumstances beyond my control, I will not be online much for the next week or so. Fortunately I’ve been able to line up a number of stellar guests to fill in for me. Most are writers, but I also thought it would be fun to get some publishing types to explain what it is they do, teach you some more about the industry, and answer your questions, as well as one or two YA lit bloggers. First up we have a fellow Australian, Tansy Rayner Roberts, who’s not only a fine fiction writer, but her reviews and blogging skills are second to none. After reading this post I was…
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Writing in the margins
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Have you got your Vplates?
30 Jan 2010 | 4:37 pmWhen I read this by Alexandra Adornetto, I wasn't sure whether to laugh, cry, or wonder whether I'd woken up in 1950. (I will try to put down some of the more naive comments to her youth, but Tony Abbott has no excuse.) All of my YA novels have dealt, to greater or lesser degree, with female sexuality, past and present - not least my most recently completed one, which deals with the ramifications of four girls making a deliberate decision to lose their virginity. I have therefore had some cause to reflect on the complexities faced… -
Where I've been lately
29 Jan 2010 | 8:40 pmin which there was this, which was gobsmackingly amazing, and highly recommended.There was also a swimming pool which had hairballs like tumbleweeds. You have to work hard to let something get that filthy. But I won't hold that against you, Canberra. -
"Violence is one of the most fun things to watch"
23 Jan 2010 | 9:25 pmThe quote in the title is, perhaps unsurprisingly, attributed to Quentin Tarantino. It no doubt refers to film rather than real life violence, but lately I have been pondering the massive apparent increase in violence of all kinds, whether it's drunk guys smashing each other on Saturday nights or the appalling violence visited upon Indian students in Melbourne or sexual assaults or kids filming fights at school and posting the results on YouTube. I say 'apparent' because I'm not sure whether there is actually more violence, or whether it is being reported more… -
For a sneak peak ...
14 Jan 2010 | 10:34 pmof Chess Nuts, click here. The official publication date is the first of February, and I'm getting excited. This book is entirely different to anything else I've done, and I'm proud of it. My mother, who has never played chess and does not dispense praise unless it's necessary, loved it, so I take this as a good sign. I am working on something with the gutsy and amazing Delphine Jamet at present, who I think needs a few more lives running parallel to fit in all the many and varied things she's into: I don't think I've met anyone with so much energy. Not… -
Why it's okay not to be okay
9 Jan 2010 | 11:04 pmI haven't read this book by Barbara Ehrenreich yet, but I intend to. I have long held a deep suspicion about the cultish spin-offs of the 'think positive' movement (in business, in alternative health care, in management models), not least because of the way they do not acknowledge or honour pain, grief or suffering. In doing so, think-positive proponents deny the experience and reality of those who do not share their belief system, a system which aims to narrow and control people's responses to difficult events. On a personal level, the people I know…
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westerblog
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What Is Steampunk?
4 Feb 2010 | 4:49 pmMany of you didn’t know much about steampunk before reading Leviathan. So I should salute you for your bravery (and faith in me as a writer), because you forged ahead and read it anyway. Yay, you. But even now, some of you possibly don’t realize how big steampunk is. It has books and bands and games, along with a huge visual culture of jewelry shops, clothing stores, mad inventors, sculptors, and artists. Enough to fill a museum. Um, literally. Below is a video from the Oxford Museum of the History of Science, which is currently hosting a steampunk exhibition that looks positively… -
My New Button
3 Feb 2010 | 10:35 pmHere’s my new button for anyone who wants to buy my latest novel, Leviathan. Just select whatever retailer you want: Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, Books a Million, Borders, Buy.com, Overstock.com, Powell’s, or Walmart. Yep, that’s all of them. Order Leviathan! (Select a Retailer) Barnes & Noble IndieBound Books-A-Million Borders Buy.com Overstock.com Powell’s Wal-Mart Online Well, almost all of them. For reasons discussed here, there’s no Amazon link anymore. Sorry for any inconvenience, but trust me, it’s not as annoying for you as it… -
Zinc Blinked
31 Jan 2010 | 6:26 pmThis is a bit out my usual blogging style, as it concerns technical aspects of the publishing biz. Feel free to ignore it and look at Stormwalkers made of Legos. But as an author, I have to keep up with these things, and occasionally make my opinion known. This weekend, Amazon more or less “de-friended” one of the six big US publishers, Macmillan. They removed the buy buttons from all Macmillan books as part of an ongoing conflict about electronic book pricing. Many people are quite annoyed with Amazon, and a few are also blaming Macmillan, in a “pox on both your… -
Fan Art Friday – Lego Stormwalker!
29 Jan 2010 | 4:39 pmIt’s Saturday here in Australia, but it’s always time for Fan Art Friday! Especially when we have such awesome Leviathan-inspired art. Check out this beautiful Lego Stormwalker from Sam Hinz: Yes, that’s Alek, Volger, and Klopp (left to right) hanging out at the bottom of the picture. And now some more glorious views: And here, for reference, is Keith’s original version: Okay, that was awesome. Lego Leviathan, anyone? -
Aurealis Awards (& Adelaide Event)
24 Jan 2010 | 9:17 pmEvery year, the Australian speculative fiction (that is, science fiction, fantasy, and horror) community comes together for the Aurealis Awards. This year, Leviathan was nominated in the YA category, and won! My speech was a bit shambolic, but here’s everyone I should have thanked: My lovely agent Jill Grinberg, who (among many other things) makes sure that my Australian rights are kept separate, allowing me local publication. My wonderful publisher here, Laura Harris of Penguin Australia. Keith Thompson, of course. All my editors (US, UK, and Oz) and the US production team, for making…
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Deborah Wiles - One Pomegranate
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what's good
9 Feb 2010 | 7:18 amGood Book, says Jim. Look at how intently he's studying the pages! My turn to read it, next.Also good: I am safely home. Met some good friends for some good noodles on the way home from the airport last night, then slept in my own good bed, with my own good husband, in my own good home.I am sitting by the fire, in the pink chair, surrounded by manuscript pages. Later this afternoon, paperwork awaits. Good work to do. Maybe after a good nap. -
best laid plans: snow day!
8 Feb 2010 | 6:43 amSo I guess I shouldn't brag "just watch me!" like I did yesterday. I woke up this morning in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a snow day. No school.So what happens next? The author has flown in from Atlanta, nine schools and one public library system are prepared and ready for that author, and all systems (but the weather) are go. More snow is expected this afternoon. Like a snag in a sweater, or maybe dropped stitches is a better metaphor, we're left with an incomplete program, even if we could do the next two days. And it's too hard to wedge today into tomorrow or add on a day -- schools' schedules… -
sense and sensibility rain, then sunshine
7 Feb 2010 | 8:43 amIt has rained almost all week in Atlanta. The earth is soggy, the air is cold. The fire cracks and snaps, spits and blazes, continuously. This is the kind of damp cold that gets into the bones and won't leave. It's Emma Thompson telling Kate Winslet, "Your feet are cold!" and getting out of bed to put on a pair of socks. It's Kate tramping aimlessly across the grassy hills in the pouring rain, catching her death of cold and pining her heart out for Willoughby. Only it's not that romantic.Then, this morning: sunshine. Glorious February sunshine. You know what I mean, don't you? It has that… -
on the road again
1 Feb 2010 | 10:00 amSo I didn't bring the camera with me Saturday before last, when we attended a house party and were mightily entertained by the Hotlanta Dixieland Trio, all friends who have played with Jim. I didn't bring it the next afternoon, when Jim gigged at the first jazz jam in our neighbor's living room. Players were on keyboard, banjo, guitar, upright bass, clarinet, mandolin, balalaika, and the original instrument: voice.I dearly wished I'd had my camera, so I could share with you that experience. Folk tunes, jazz standards, Russian gypsy songs, Yiddish favorites, ragtime, and Dixieland - I took my… -
binding off
26 Jan 2010 | 3:08 pmIt's hard to let go of a novel, especially one you have nurtured for fourteen years. I started Countdown in 1996. It was a picture book. Now it is a documentary novel. What a long, convoluted, amazing journey this has been. Yesterday I handed over to my editor my final-final changes to final page proofs. My work on this book -- my word work -- is done. I can hardly believe it.It's a bit like binding off a project on the needles. You cast on 180 stitches, and you stay with them for months, and then, when you are through, you begin to cast off, one stitch at a time, until, finally, at some…
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the thinkings of a lili
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JaFeNoWriMo
29 Jan 2010 | 11:49 pmI have a deadline. It involves finishing my work in progress by the end of February, which basically boils down to 35 000 words in 35 days. A challenge, but a not insurmountable one. January and February are not particularly busy times of the year for me, at work or socially. Basically, they're no November. So I apologise for the lack of bloggery. I beg forgiveness and offer the first snippet from the work in progress as a teaser. I think I've already put the first line up before, but here's the entire first BIT.On entering the taxidermy laboratory in Melbourne Natural History Museum’s… -
The kindness of strangers and the mystery of old books
28 Jan 2010 | 5:30 pmIt's lovely when things just come to you, unexpectedly.I got an email about a month ago from a kindly soul who said she had an old Collins' dictionary that was inscribed to a Lily Wilkinson in 1924, and would I like to have it?It was her husband's, the kindly soul told me. He used it to learn English when he first came to Australia. It's such a beautiful little dictionary, with lovely little woodcut illustrations.The inscription says "To Lily, with love and best wishes from E Anderson, 2.11.24", and above it is written "Miss L Wilkinson, Post OFfice, Woodford". I'm not sure if it's a Woodford… -
Homemade Christmas
2 Jan 2010 | 12:18 pmSo I didn't do EVERYTHING home made this year, but I still got my crafty oar in.teacher gloves for a @jellyjellyfishstrip quilt cushion for Michael's mumpatchwork cushion for Erincoasters for mum and dadstrip quilt cushion for mum and dad -
2009
1 Jan 2010 | 12:00 amI wasn't going to write this post, after reading everyone else's 2009 wrap-ups, but people convinced me.A lot of people I care about had a crappy 2009. I didn't.2009 started well, surrounded by my friends in Philip Island. Then Michael came into my life and made everything just that little bit more awesome. I've never felt so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful, inspirational, supportive people.It's also been a bloody good year for writing. I was a guest at the Edinburgh Book Festival and did about a zillion school visits which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had two books published, Angel Fish… -
Potatoes!
17 Dec 2009 | 1:09 amYou can't have Christmas dinner without some good roast veg. Potatoes are a must, and a little roast pumpkin and onion and garlic won't go astray either.I also steam some green beans, just so there's something in the meal that isn't totally artery-clogging.Let's start with potatoes. I par-boil them first (just peel and boil them in salty water for about 10 minutes). Then drain, and bash them around a bit in the pot with some salt, rosemary and a little semolina.Now, there are two options.1. When my turkey has been cooking for about an hour and a half, I pour off most of the juices from the…
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ACHOCKABLOG
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Whoopsydaisy
7 Feb 2010 | 3:18 amWaterstone's Admits 'Terrible Mistake' WATERSTONE'S, Britain's biggest bookseller, has recommended a novel full of expletives, sex and violence for children as young as eight. -
Gods and goddesses make Percy Jackson an obvious winner - Times Online
7 Feb 2010 | 2:49 amAmanda Craig On Percy Jackson Gods and goddesses make Percy Jackson an obvious winner, says Amanda Craig, in The Times.... Series companion... Book description: "In these top-secret files, Rick Riordan, Camp Half-Blood's senior scribe, gives you an inside look at the world of demigods that NO regular human child is allowed to see. These highly classified archives include three of Percy Jackson's most perilous adventures, a Spotter's Guide to Monsters, a Who's Who in Greek mythology, Percy's Summer Camp report and much more. So, if you're armed with this book, you'll have everything you need… -
Inga Moore, illustrator of The Wind in the Willows
6 Feb 2010 | 12:56 pmInga Moore - GuardianFeature Joanna Carey talks to Inga Moore about her determination to illustrate a classic of children's literature... -
Jeffrey Berman: Neil Gaiman: Literary Rock Star and Me
4 Feb 2010 | 1:02 pmNeil Gaiman Interview Jeffrey Berman interviews Neil Gaiman for The Huffington Post: The first time I met Gaiman was in a little comic shop I used to frequent in Sherman Oaks, California, called Forbidden Planet. "The Sandman" had been in print less than a year and Gaiman was several years off from becoming the superstar he is today. I found him seated alone at the back of the store, making the rounds, promoting the comic from store to store, city to city and God knows where else. There he sat as the rush of comic collectors wound their way around the store pawing through that week's new… -
Simon & Schuster UK sign up two early novels from Vampire Diaries author
4 Feb 2010 | 12:29 pmCover of The Vampire Diaries: The AwakeningPress release from S&S UK: Venetia Gosling, Fiction Editorial Director at Simon & Schuster Children's Books has acquired UK & Commonwealth rights in two L. J. Smith novels for a high five figure sum, at auction, from literary agent Ginger Clark on behalf of Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown NY. Never published in the UK before, The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valour are classic fantasy adventures with wide age appeal and follow a gang of kids on a journey into a parallel world of legend and danger. The Night of the Solstice was the…
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Between the Lines Book Blog
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Beautiful Creatures
13 Jan 2010 | 9:43 pm‘…an absolute gem - gripping, magical, well-written, with a terrific supporting cast and a refreshing lack of vampires. Great choice for teen readers, but with plenty of substance to keep adult readers entertained. Spell-binding’ Herald Sun Well that's what the... -
Lady Macbeth's Daughter
18 Nov 2009 | 2:10 pm -
Thirteen Reasons Why
13 Oct 2009 | 9:17 pm -
Blood Promise: A Vampire Academy Novel Vol 4
31 Aug 2009 | 9:59 pm -
Beatle Meets Destiny
12 Aug 2009 | 9:58 pm
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Bookwitch
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Let’s Talk About Sex
8 Feb 2010 | 11:01 pmYes, let’s. Or let’s read about it, anyway. I was a bit slow on the uptake, but Daughter pointed out that we used to have this book when she was younger. And I do recognise it. I think in those days I saw it as a way of getting most of the necessary information across to someone who may not have been so receptive to spoken words as to pictures. The pictures are good in this book stuffed full with facts about sex and everything that belongs with it. I’m surprised the book hasn’t been X-rated, but maybe you can’t do that with a book. And it is a children’s… -
From DaVinci to Jordan
7 Feb 2010 | 11:41 pmI have said some not so nice things about The DaVinci Code, haven’t I? I’m not sure I’ve ever mentioned Katie Price and her literary pursuits, but there is a first time for everything. Consider it done. There was one last lesson learned at Random last month. In my chat with Philippa Dickinson she pointed out that they had made much money on books like the above. And it’s not just that publishing companies like making money. We all do. But with the profits from bestselling – if light – books Random, and others, can do great things. Basically it’s the… -
Black Stars: Malorie Blackman
6 Feb 2010 | 11:25 pmThis useful short biography of Malorie Blackman was waiting to be reviewed quite some time ago, but after coming with me to London when I interviewed Malorie, my copy of the book somehow just disappeared into the bookcase as though its job was now over. I was reminded of it by a recent comment on the blog, where someone asked for information about Malorie’s early life and how she started writing. And that’s exactly what you get in Verna Wilkins’s brief biography. It’s intended for young children, so the style is very simple. There are short chapters on Malorie’s… -
Three today!
5 Feb 2010 | 11:13 pmWe’re getting on. It’s not quite old age, but three is a reasonably impressive age for a whim. Sorry, intended to say blog. And I don’t mean to boast, but I can remember the last time I was three. Actually. Not that I recall yesterday terribly well, but that’s another thing altogether. Today being a Saturday I can take it easy, too, and celebrate most of the day. On Saturdays you don’t call in to see me as much as you do on the other days of the week. It would seem that you lot don’t go to church on Sunday mornings, but on Saturdays you definitely do things… -
Chains
4 Feb 2010 | 11:20 pmThis book has waited faithfully for me to have time for it, and now that the paperback is freshly out I’ve at long last sat down with the book. It’s as great a read as I always thought it would be. Chains also provided that kind of strange connection with the book I read just before it. Laurie Halse Anderson’s story is set in New York in 1776 and Isabel is a young black slave. It’s tempting to think that it wouldn’t be long until things were better for the slaves, but reading Sara Paretsky’s Hardball which features black people in Chicago in both the 1960s…
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Collecting Children's Books
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Saint Iggy vs. The Blind Colt : Brunch for Superbowl Sunday
7 Feb 2010 | 1:22 pmWelcome to another Sunday Brunch at Collecting Children’s Books. Thanks for dropping by.SUPERBOWL READINGIt’s Superbowl Sunday, a day that has become almost a national holiday in the United States. I just read that it’s the second highest day for caloric consumption after Thanksgiving. And that some schools in Indiana will start a couple hours late tomorrow so that bus drivers can sleep in after the big game. Me? I think I’ll read a book. Here are a few titles to choose from:THE WINGED COLT OF CASA MIA by Betsy Byars (1973)THE BLIND COLhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifT by Glen… -
The Two Reds Scare
3 Feb 2010 | 6:57 amA small paperback called RED CHANNELS was published in 1950.Subtitled "The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television," the book fed into the era's "Red Scare" hysteria -- the belief that communist sympathizers were infiltrating American society. RED CHANNELS listed over 150 actors, directors, and writers believed to be "subversives"; many would eventually be blacklisted by the entertainment industry.Among the writers listed in RED CHANNELS were Lillian Hellman, Irwin Shaw, and Arthur Miller. No children's authors were included, though a couple of the mentioned writers -- such as… -
Sunday Brunch
31 Jan 2010 | 12:00 pmMore random ramblings about children’s books. Please forgive the erratic sizes of the pictures below. I'd like to have them uniform throughout but, for reasons I never can understand, sometimes I'm allowed to make larger images and other times only small ones work. However, you can sometimes click on an image and see a larger version. MARTHA-LITEThe other day I thought I saw a new book about Martha, the canine star of Susan Meddaugh’s modern classic MARTHA SPEAKS. I eagerly pulled the volume off the shelf and discovered this instead:It wasn’t really a new Susan Meddaugh book, though she… -
The Clean-up Crew
28 Jan 2010 | 6:56 amI have never worked as a janitor. I did, however, spend a couple teenage years employed at McDonalds where, on rare occasions, I was assigned "lot and lobby" duty. This entailed mopping the restaurant's floors, cleaning the bathrooms, and crushing full garbage bags in the giant trash compactor behind the store. As I said, I didn't pull "lot and lobby" too often, but of course one of those times had to be the day someone died in the parking lot and the manager told me to go outside and "hose down the blood." When I think of janitors...custodians...maintenance engineers...I always think of… -
By the Time It Reached Us
26 Jan 2010 | 6:54 amAs I mentioned on Sunday, several people have asked about the availabilty of this year’s Newbery winner, WHEN YOU REACH ME, in first edition.Unlike some titles which are published to little fanfare and grow in popularity due to good reviews and word-of-mouth enthusiasm, Rebecca Stead's novel had a lot of buzz right from the start. In fact, the publisher, Wendy Lamb Books, actually issued two versions of the ARC (advance reading copy) before publication. There are several cosmetic differences between these two versions; the first has a coated cover, the second does not. There are also…
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Confessions of a Bibliovore
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Reading Roundup: January 2010
1 Feb 2010 | 6:47 pmBy the Numbers Teen: 26 Tween: 12 Children: 16 Sources Review Copies: 3 Swapped: 4 Purchased: 3 Library: 35 Standouts Teen: Going Bovine by Libba Bray The weirdest, most hopeful, and funniest book about a dying teenager you'll ever read. Tween: The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane So much more than a Dead Dad book. Children: The Frog Scientist by Pamela S. Turner Exquisite pictures and awesome science. Entertaining nonfiction for kids at its best. Because I Want To Awards Most Interesting Combination of Religion and Sexuality: Thinking Straight by Robin Reardon Most Depressing… -
Book Review: The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
23 Jan 2010 | 9:54 pmBook: The Spectacular Now Author: Tim Tharp Published: 2008 Source: Local Library Sutter Keely isn't just the life of the party, he is the party. He's the one who'll jump in the pool with all his clothes on or start belting out Dean Martin songs to counteract the cheese-headed pop they've been playing all night. So what if he starts drinking several hours before the party starts? He just likes to be fortified. A little whiskey and 7-Up in the morning never did anyone any harm, right? You only live once, might as well live in the now. But as the end of senior year bears down on him, now is… -
More Cover Controversy
21 Jan 2010 | 9:02 pmHey, this feels familiar.So Magic Under Glass, an upcoming YA fantasy romance by Jaclyn Dolamore, gets this cover:I think it's a pretty cover, if kinda generic. But the heroine is described in the book as dark-skinned, and while the lighting's somewhat dim on the cover, it's not dim enough to disguise up the lack of melatonin in that young lady. Also check out the trailer below for how the author pictured the heroine, Nimira.Oh, brother.I've heard murmurs over the past week or so as people started reading it, but Ari over at Reading in Color really turned the murmurs into shouts.Didn't we… -
2010 Awards Reactions
19 Jan 2010 | 5:43 pmNow that we've had a bit over a day to digest this crop, it's time for the reactions!Two things to mention about the awards overall.1) Was it me, or was there a lot more nonfiction sprinkled throughout the awards this year? Between Claudette Colvin and Charles and Emma, biographies had a strong showing, but straight-up nonfiction also made showings in the Odyssey award (for best audiobook) and Coretta Scott King winners. Plus of course, the Edwards award went to a writer of primarily nonfiction. Interesting. Do you think this was because it was a good year for nonfiction, or nonfic's profile… -
2010 Newberians, Caldecottites, and All the Rest of Them
18 Jan 2010 | 7:15 amThe Three You've Been Waiting ForThe John Newbery Medal (for the best children's novel of the year)When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead(H) Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Philip Hoose(H) The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelley(H) Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin(H) The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman PhilbrickThe Randolph Caldecott Medal (for the best picture book of the year)The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney(H) Red Sings from Treetops illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman(H) All the World illustrated by Marla…
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life or books?
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'She is no longer "good" at writing'
6 Feb 2010 | 2:13 pmJenny Davidson linking to Rachel Cusk in the Guardian. -
In which the Noodle discovers Get Smart
6 Feb 2010 | 12:33 am'The cone of silence is enough laughs for a whole episode', he says. But oh he laughs many more times than that.For myself, I am surprised to find that 99 simpers at Max. In my memory she was the tough and clever one who saved the day, and I idolised her as a child and wanted to be just like her when I grew up. I realise now where my desire for straight dark hair comes from. It's a little disconcerting to see her being tough and clever, but also subservient and breathless. -
First day of school
2 Feb 2010 | 1:22 amFirst day of school, with the bag full of stationery and the body full of nerves. Chaos. Kids everywhere, desperate to catch up with each other and teachers desperate to tell them what to do and where to go and to be QUIET please.It's Grade 3. It's First Fleet again, the Noodle tells me. He tells me there was a 114 question survey to determine everyone's learning style. He told his teacher about his neuropathy. In front of every other kid in the class during circle time when they had to say something about themselves. He told a new kid about his eye, and told us how sick he is of people… -
Books in the post
1 Feb 2010 | 1:16 amMy law textbooks arrived today, representing a considerable investment in money (which equals time, as you well know). I have that great classic, Laying Down the Law, but the newest edition is lacking the cheesy cartoons on the cover and it also looks a lot bigger than it did when I was but a baby bookseller*. I have the Butterworths Concise Legal Dictionary. Which will be useful come what may, because I work with so many lawyers and one must at least make a genuine effort to understand what it is they are trying to say.I also have Law of Contract and Principles of Administrative Law. I fear… -
Lord Sunday, by Garth NIx
31 Jan 2010 | 12:02 amThe Noodle has his hands on Lord Sunday, the final in the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix.We had to interrupt his reading for dinner, and I don't think we would have been able to do it successfully if dinner was not spag bol (although pizza probably would have worked). The Noodle has always been a keen reader and he has always had favourites that inhabit his imagination, but this is something else. I don't know how anything is ever, ever, ever going to live up to this reading experience. I think it may be the pinnacle of his life.I have to wait until post-Noodle bed time to get my…
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We Heart Books
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3
1 Feb 2010 | 2:45 amMy beautiful book eating boy has just turned three and reveled in celebrations this week with a stamina that has been hard to keep up with. I still have a fair way to go in terms of party organisation but I did manage to make some cute bunting for decoration out of some old Golden Books…. We have recently moved house and I found a great local OP shop that has a large collection of Golden Books all shelved together. They were in varing degrees of quality, some with sticky pages and others with scribble, so I didn’t feel to bad cutting them up for flags. As Golden Books are all… -
Chic Kids in Paris
29 Jan 2010 | 2:15 amI came across this awesome poster while reading one of the best mummy blogs around - Babyccino. The post, written by Parisian Emilie is about a kid’s nightclub party organised by So Chic Kidzin Paris. The poster is instantly recognisable as being by one of our fav illustrators Marc Boutavant. What could be more fitting for a funky party, in a PARIS nightclub!!! Wish I could have gone. -
The Heart and the Bottle
29 Jan 2010 | 1:56 amThere are books I just long to see and own – The Heart and the Bottle is one of those. I will be on the door step of the local indie bookseller on the 1st of March to grab a copy. This is the current blurb about the book… ‘There is a wonder and magic to childhood. We don’t realize it at the time, of course . . . yet the adults in our lives do. They encourage us to see things in the stars, to find joy in colors and laughter as we play. But what happens when that special someone who encourages such wonder and magic is no longer around? We can hide, we can place our heart in… -
A Charley Heart
27 Jan 2010 | 3:05 amI have always said that the gorgeous Charley Harper flash cards would be perfect for wall art and neglected the Charley Harper Memory Game. Then I came across this spectacular photo and post on the awesome blog Made By White These memory cards are so beautifully made, on strong, durable card and the reproduction of Harper’s art is so vibrant that they just beg to be used like this. Thank you to Kelly from Made By White for the permission to use her photo. -
A Story for Bear
25 Jan 2010 | 4:42 amWe are definitely in the midst of the ‘Why?’ phase with Rowan. Seems like it has already been going on for a while and friends tell me that it keeps going for a lot longer again… I know it’s healthy, but sometimes I just like to get through a page of a book at bedtime without five questions about the story and the illustrations. So last night I could hardly believe it when Rowan sat absolutely absorbed and completely silent as I read him for the first time A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley and illustrated by Jim La Marche. The book tells the story of a friendship…
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ReadPlus Review Blog
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Barnaby Grimes: Phantom of Blood Alley by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
9 Feb 2010 | 5:20 pmCorgi Books,2010. (Ages 10+) Recommended. Set in Dickensian England, this is the fourth outing for the Barnaby Grimes series, although each novel can be read independently as regular characters are reintroduced. Barnaby is a tick-tock lad; he delivers anything to anyone and knows the city streets like the back of his hand, although his preferred mode of travel is to 'highstack'; to scramble across the rooftops and avoid the bustle below. As a sideline Barnaby investigates mysteries and is invited by Clarissa Oliphant to discover the explanation for her brother's increasingly secretive and… -
Elizabethan Mysteries: Revenge by John Pilkington
9 Feb 2010 | 5:19 pmUsborne Publishing, 2009. (Age 10+) In Elizabethan London, apprentice actor Ben Button befriends a young beggar and thief. Ben convinces his master to give the beggar shelter, but soon discovers that things are not as they first appeared. The beggar has a mysterious past, and a vendetta against an important nobleman, whom the beggar claims is supplying arms to the enemy Spaniards. Ben is reluctant to believe the stories he is told, but once he sees the proof for himself, finds he must help his new friend to save England. While there are moments of authenticity to the writing, there are also… -
Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children by Jen Storer
8 Feb 2010 | 3:10 pmPenguin, 2009 . ISBN 9780670073399 (Ages 10 and up) When Albie Gribble collects a basketful of linen from the front of the hospital, he finds instead an abandoned baby, and his life takes a dramatic turn. Crossing the River Charon, Albie sees a 'skriker' and the lorry he is driving tips into the water. He follows the urging of his guardian angel, saves the orange headed baby from the water and takes her home. Although he loves the orphaned Tensy, she is later taken into The Home for Mislaid Children. Tensy's adventures begin in earnest when, after having been adopted, she is returned to the… -
Gamers' Quest by George Ivanoff
8 Feb 2010 | 3:08 pmFord Street Publishing, 2009. (Age 10+) Zyra and Tark are teenage thieves in a world created by the Designers. Everyone in this world struggles and fights to gain enough money to get a 'key', allowing them to escape their reality briefly and become avatars in Designer's Paradise. In their quest they encounter other characters and must figure out if they are to be trusted or defeated. Upon reaching Paradise however, Zyra and Tark discover something is wrong, and that their Suburban avatar existence is flawed. Eventually they are faced with the thought that their world may not be all it seems. -
The penguin who wanted to find out by Jill Tomlinson
5 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pmIll. by Paul Howard. Egmont, 2009. ISBN 9781405230414. (Ages 6-9) Recommended. It's wonderful to see a picture book that is full of information, while stimulating the imagination with great characterisation and beautiful illustrations. Otto is a baby penguin chick who lives on his father's feet in the Antarctica. He wants to find out about lots of things: Why hasn't he fallen off since he lives at the bottom of the world? What is a blizzard? And what is the funny feeling he has in his tummy? As Otto grows and begins to leave the safety of his father's sheltering feathers and feet, he learns…
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Young Adult (& Kids) Books Central Blog
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Winners: The Wish Stealers
8 Feb 2010 | 2:06 pmHere are the winners of The Wish Stealers by Tracy Trivas!Christy HawkesAllyson Foleyrae norsworthyBethany FetzerPatty MagyarNancye DavisChristina SapytaRenee WelchCathy McMahonDongyi ChenCongrats to all the winners! -
Best of the Best: Author and Blogger Cheryl Rainfield
8 Feb 2010 | 1:26 pmI'm pleased to announce this week's winner of the Best of the Best from YABC: Cheryl Rainfield! Do you have a site (author, book blogger, whatever) you'd like to nominate as one of the Best of the Best? Comment here or e-mail it to me and I'll check it out. -
Winners of Dream Life!
8 Feb 2010 | 10:59 amThe winners of Dream Life by Lauren Mechling are...Kellie ConklinAshley ForeAmanda TempelSabrina HorandeEmily LehmannCongrats to all the winners! -
Winners of Evil? !!
8 Feb 2010 | 10:32 amCongrats to the following winners of the Evil? giveaway on YA Books Central held last month!Lisa VanceKayla PotegaAmanda M. PadgettKenna McKee (who had the BEST entry ever)Shirley QiuBe sure to enter this month's current giveaways, as well as the monthly Kindle giveaway!! -
Dirty Little Secrets
5 Feb 2010 | 5:32 pmLucy's mother has a secret. She's a hoarder. Lucy has lived in shame fearing others will find out about the junk and trash that is inside her home. The one time she was careless, someone at her private school found out and she ended up with the title 'garbage girl'.Now she only has two more years till she graduates. She can't wait to get out and start her own life. Then a horrific event happens that changes everything. Dirty Little Secrets is sure to generate discussion on hoarders and the children that live in that situation. Read more of my review at YA Books Central.
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avengingsybil
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Were There No Spark Notes for Gatsby?
3 Feb 2010 | 8:50 amFew things bring out my ugly, judgmental side more than people who are famous for no particular reason and who are continually rewarded for their celebrity. In this case I'm speaking specifically about Lauren Conrad, who I was already mad at just by the virtue that I know who she is even though I've never watched her show. Don't get me wrong, I watch a lot of questionable TV (my latest obsession being Be Good Johnny Weir), but I missed out on The Hills altogether and I can't say I regret that. I'm mostly--mostly-- over the fact that in her early 20s Ms. Conrad has… -
Tesser Well
26 Jan 2010 | 1:11 pmWhen You Reach Me, good gracious what a book! Granted I am not a big reader of middle grade fiction and so haven't read much of what 2009 had to offer, but I'm not at all surprised that Stead's novel won the Newbery. It's a book with everything - a coming-of-age friendship story, a story about growing up in a lower-income, single-parent household, a tale of time-travel intrigue and a portrait of New York in the 1970s all combined into one magical whole. The characters, of course, were the standout feature of the book for me. They all felt so real, I never got a sense of… -
Full Frontal Critiquing
20 Jan 2010 | 11:49 amDid anyone catch the movie adaptation of Angus, Thongs and "Perfect" Snogging? Aside from the idiotic title change, I'm wondering how it was received by other Georgia Nicholson fans. I didn't love it, I thought it lacked a lot of the book series' true hilarity-- the ending was pat and overly sunshiny, Libby wasn't weird enough and Georgia, while suitably mad and very cute, was too straight-out good of a person. I like her self-centered and naughty. Also, Dave the Laugh got the shaft bigtime. Props for the casting though-- Jas lacked her famous fringe, but other… -
25 degrees
13 Jan 2010 | 9:41 amShiver, indeed! What a delicious book. I'm so sad it's over, but I see there's a sequel in the chamber? I don't see how it could get into my hands fast enough. The chemistry between Grace and Sam jumped off the page - that was something I'd been told I'd find with the main characters in Twilight but it never materialized for me. Of course it's not fair to compare every supernaturally-leaning story to that oeuvre, but it's such a cultural gargantua it doesn't seem possible not to. Besides, Shiver stacks up more than favorably. I found the love story… -
With a Bullet
5 Jan 2010 | 11:33 amIt's a busy busy time right now so I've just got a few bullet points: I was impressed by this article by Katy Kelleher which was posted on jezebel.com in December. I emphasize that my personal feelings about "hooking up" on the whole aren't relevant here, I'm not saying I'm for or against it, I merely agree that, as always, the way young people conduct themselves sexually shouldn't be the sole measurement of their worth. What really stood out to me as the crux of Kelleher's piece: Stop the presses: casual sex doesn't cause kids to turn to…
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Maureen Johnson's Posts - YA for Obama
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WELCOME
Hello and welcome to YA for Obama! The YA for Obama project is closed. We stopped accepting members and adding blog posts a few weeks after the election. Forums are now closed and the site is an archive. Feel free to look around, however! There's plenty to read! Happy New Year! -
THE MOMENT OF JOY
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THE AMERICAN JOURNEY OF BARACK OBAMA
Thank you for all of your ideas about what to do with this site! I am still working on a plan, but in the meantime, there are twelve gorgeous books to give out. The winners of The American Journey of Barack Obama by the Editors of LIFE Magazine are: Adam Philpott Eileen Oboefae Jessica Goodman Mags Karolina Merrg PolitcalChickTayler Kurtis SupernovakGirl Genevieve Max To get your copy, please send a note with your full name and mailing address to me here on the site. Many thanks to the publisher for sharing this great new book with our members! -
GRACIOUS
This morning, I was sitting there with my cup of tea, reading the news. And the news, I have to say, was kind of fabulous. There were some incredibly enjoyable things on there, things that would have DESTROYED THE FABRIC OF MY MIND just three days ago. Like Bill O'Reilly, for instance, going on for FIVE ENTIRE MINUTES on Sarah Palin's incompetence. Like how she didn't know Africa is a continent, not a country. Or what countries are in North America. This was on FOX. "Tee hee," I said to myself. "Tee hee hee hee hee hee hee. Also, that's what we've been telling you for two months." Wonderful… -
IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE
To celebrate this historic day, I have ten copies of The American Journey of Barack Obama by the Editors of LIFE to give away, courtesy of the publisher. To enter to get one, post a blog with your ideas about what you would do if YOU ran this site from now on. How can we transform it?
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There's a Botticelli Angel Inside, Snapping Beans:
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2 Feb 2010 | 9:09 pm
2 Feb 2010 | 9:09 pmIt's always a good thing for someone to turn a critical eye on the construction of fatness in literature. We need this critical eye desperately. Good work, Beth Carswell!I'm unsure why someone who's read Marilyn Wann's Fat!So? -- I'm assuming Carswell has read it because she uses its cover image at the top of the post -- is still using the word "overweight." Carswell clearly knows some fatpol 101, and "overweight" isn't a neutral word, it's an anti-fat word. "Over" what weight? Inherent in the word is the notion that fatness is bad. Quote: In a world that is (all too slowly) more often… -
6 Jan 2010 | 10:26 am
6 Jan 2010 | 10:26 amThere's plenty of reasons you should be reading Fatshionista.com, but Lesley's post yesterday had a quote that teared me right up:"Being who we are—being, ferociously, ourselves—is both an act of terrible bravery and an act of desperate survival. Let this year, and every year, be a time for knowing yourself, and for being true to your convictions." -
6 Jan 2010 | 10:20 am
6 Jan 2010 | 10:20 amSome of you have heard that someone is trying to resuscitate Kirkus. It's true, but the sale has yet to go through. Reliable bosses told us to do a dance, but I can't bring myself to consider it a done deal -- not until the sale goes through.We don't know who the purchaser is, but if you know me, you know why I'm picturing Clark Gregg. My brother and I are watching "Quo Vadimus" today. -
29 Dec 2009 | 11:29 pm
29 Dec 2009 | 11:29 pmI've just read two Angela Johnson books that I'd never read before, Looking for Red and Bird. Both gorgeous; both aching with a simple poetic melancholy you'll recognize from Heaven and The First Part Last. Speaking of Heaven and The First Part Last, the third in that trilogy is due out next week. It's called Sweet, Hereafter and it's incredible. Read those three in a row, in the right order, for the most depth.I could read Angela Johnson until the cows come home. I could read her and miss a sunset and a sunrise and not know what day it is. -
Follow-up about fiction authors writing reviews
22 Dec 2009 | 12:46 amThank you to everyone who participated in the discussion exploring the value of published reviews written by fiction writers. Typically I try to respond to all comments, but by now I've thought so hard about this issue, and learned so much from that discussion, that I can't respond individually. Let me just say ta to all, because thanks to that discussion -- which turned, in my mind, into more than the sum of its parts -- my viewpoint has changed. It makes perfect sense that the NYT is trying to attract general-interest readers to their book reviews, and one way to do that is to feature…
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I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I read?
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You Wanna See Hypocrisy In Action? John McCain Wants To Keep "Don't Ask Don't Tell" No Matter What!
9 Feb 2010 | 3:02 amGet this - McCain said in 2006 that "Don't Ask Don't Tell" was working (for whom, Senator McCain? More than 13,500 servicemembers have been fired under the policy since 1994.) At that time, McCain said he would only consider changing the policy if the leaders of our USA military said it should be changed. Fast forward to last week: On February 2, 2010, The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, testified that "Don't Ask Don't Tell" should be eliminated and that Gay and Lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in our armed forces... And guess what? It would seem McCain… -
GSA Monday: A gay 15 year old sues his old school for not protecting him from bullying.
8 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amSo Jacob is this 15 year old in New York who was harassed at his school for being gay. For not looking like a stereotypical straight boy. He dyed his hair (blue, sometimes pink). He wore eyeliner. He was out. When asked if he was gay, he's say:"Yeah, I'm gay, whatever. Peace out."But he was teased. Bullied. The school didn't stop it. A teacher told him he should be ashamed of himself for being gay. One kid wrote "I hope you die" on his shoe. Another pulled a knife on him.So Jacob and his Dad sued. The new angle is that their suit, with the NYCLU, argued that people who are gay and/or who do… -
Superbowl Sunday Bonus Post: Here's The Gay Commercial CBS Doesn't Want You To See:
7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amCBS rejected this ad (remember that they recently "relaxed" their standards in order to accept that anti-abortion ad?)And then, CBS tried to say that the gay dating site didn't have the money to pay for the ad, and they only submitted it because they knew it would get rejected and then they could get all this free publicity for it. The company says CBS should call their bluff, run the ad and charge them. I agree. CBS should run the ad. And the dating site should pay.But really, did they spend "more than $100,000" on this ad? Really? I mean it's clever, but it feels like a more like a hokey… -
Gay Teen Ideas... For Knitting and Crocheting? Why I love Google Alerts
5 Feb 2010 | 3:05 amCheck this out:It's a magazine from 1944, called "Gay Teen Ideas for Knitting and Chrocheting."The word "Gay" has evolved quite some distance, hasn't it?See, one of the great things you can do with Google Alerts is put in an alert for what you are interested in and what you blog about. (I set it for daily e-mails) Then see what pops up on the web. I found this gem because I have a Google alert for "gay teen."And because of that, now I get to share this with you. I mean, after all, how else are you gonna know how to make a "New-some Two-some jerkin and beanie?" (Yeah, I have no idea what that… -
Punkzilla
4 Feb 2010 | 3:04 amBy Adam RappJaime's 14, and the black sheep of his family. He drops out of military school and is living on the streets, strung out.He decides he'll make his way from Portland, Oregon to Memphis, Tennessee - by bus - to visit his gay older brother, who's dying of cancer."Punkzilla" is a novel in letters that Jaime writes - to his brother and others."Punkzilla" just won a 2010 Michael L. Printz Honor Award (meaning it was voted by the ALA Youth Media Award folks as one of the 5 best YA novels of 2009!) Thanks to Tricia for letting me know about this one!Add your review of "Punkzilla" in…
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School Library Journal - Practically Paradise
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Book Lovers or Library Lovers Day
I have been calling February 14th Book Lovers Day this year. Rather than wait for anyone to send me flowers or chocolate, I'll be surrounded by my ... -
Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour with April Wayland
On January 12, 2010, the Association of Jewish Libraries (www.jewishlibraries.org/blog) announced the winner in the Younger Readers ... -
Controversial Covers
This January while many bloggers were focusing on the ALA Youth Media awards, there arose another issue in the biblioblogosphere: covers with ... -
Capstone's new site
Capstone Publishing has a new website www.capstonePub.com They've sent some press releases but since you are probably as busy as I am, let me... -
Reminder: Send in your fav teen titles
January 2nd I announced The Search for the Top 100 Teen Titles. The February 14th deadline is swiftly approaching so I wanted to remind you of the ...
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CMIS Evaluation Fiction Focus
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Tuesday spotlight: Patrick Ness
8 Feb 2010 | 2:50 pmPatrick Ness. Image courtesy of Walker Books Australia The author of the acclaimed Chaos Walking trilogy, Patrick Ness, will be visiting Australia and New Zealand shortly (his tour schedule is at the end of this post), so it seems like the right time to find out a little more about him as the focus of today’s Tuesday Spotlight. Born in the US but resident in Britain for the past 20 years, Patrick Ness has written for corporate publications, penned another novel and some short stories, but only the Chaos Walking series has ended up for a YA audience. (It was not the original… -
O Canada
3 Feb 2010 | 7:11 pmWhen we think international YA books published in English, it’s usually the USA or Britain first, New Zealand next, but rarely Canada (or South Africa, for that matter). Household names might include Deborah Ellis or Tim Wynne Jones but we know far less about what else is happening in north of the US border than we should. And with the eyes of the world on Vancouver in coming weeks as the 2010 Winter Olympic Games get underway, let’s make a few amends. Awards are a good starting place: The most prestigious appear to be the Governor General’s Literary Awards, administered by… -
Spirit of Papertigers
2 Feb 2010 | 5:19 pmWe often mention Papertigers in these posts. It’s an organisation with its lens fixed on the Pacific rim and south Asia and as Australia is part of the region, posts from PT give us an insight into what is being published and enjoyed by our near neighbours. In its February update, Papertigers has announced the Spirit of Papertigers project (an initiative of Pacific Rim Voices) , which aims to place 100 sets of seven carefully selected books into needy libraries and schools across the region. Quick to acknowledge the work of other organisations that also bring books into the hands of… -
Tuesday spotlight: Margaret Wild
1 Feb 2010 | 2:36 pmImage courtesy of Allen and Unwin Last year we experimented with regular Tuesday posts on book trailers that we dubbed ‘Trailer Tuesday’. We were reasonably discerning about the titles we featured but as the year wore on it became more and more difficult to find just what we were looking for. So in 2010 we are broadening the scope a little and will focus on a different author each Tuesday. And if there happens to be a suitable trailer we will certainly include it. The series begins with perhaps one of our most prolific writers. It’s likely that only Jackie French would… -
Cinematic Sutcliff
31 Jan 2010 | 11:15 pmThanks to Ruth over at Skerricks, we learn that the Rosemary Sutcliff classic, The Eagle of the Ninth, is in film post production, with a July release forthcoming. OUP calls it ‘one of the most outstanding children’s books of the twentieth century’ so let’s hope the film does it justice. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for the trailer. The image of the legionary fortress at Isca Silurum is used under Creative Commons licence and is the work of electropod on flickr.
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CMIS Evaluation Primary Focus
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Primary Focus 2010 is on the road
8 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pmThe Primary Focus 2010 booklets have been sent to every Public Primary and District High School and the display of books is at two Perth locations this week. Everyone from any school/system/library is welcome to attend the closest display. The full itinerary is available on our website. Primary Focus Fiction 2010 Primary Focus Nonfiction 2010 The main Fiction and Nonfiction booklets can be downloaded in PDF from the linked covers above or on our our Primary Focus webpages. The NEALS Licence [National Education Access Licence for Schools] allows you to use the contents for your own educational… -
Chinese New Year
7 Feb 2010 | 9:42 pmIn China and around the world, over a billion people are preparing for Chinese New Year which falls on February 14, 2010 this year - the Year of the Tiger. Determined by the Chinese lunar calendar, this important holiday begins on the night of the first new moon of the year and ends 15 days later with the Lantern Festival, when the full moon is welcomed with parades of lanterns through the streets. Share these books with your students to introduce this holiday festival, explore elements of Chinese culture, and invite discussion about other festivals and family observances. Among the fiction… -
Profile of illustrator Inga Moore
5 Feb 2010 | 7:32 pmThe Guardian newspaper profiles artist Inga Moore, whose most recent work, her illustrations for The Wind in the Willows, is one of the recommended titles for for the 2010 Primary Focus Fiction list. In the ‘things-we-didn’t-know’ category is that Inga Moore spent her chidhood from the age of eight in Adelaide. -
Michael Rosen’s A to Z : the best children’s poetry from Agard to Zephaniah
26 Jan 2010 | 6:04 pmFormer children’s laureate Michael Rosen gathers together the best children’s poetry from Agard to Zephaniah in this new collection. Presented alphabetically, the poems are a mix of some little known names as well as established poets like Wes Magee, Tony Mitton and Adrian Mitchell, (who sadly died as the book was being put together) among others. As the title suggests everything is organized around the simple idea of finding good poets across the alphabetic range and ordering their poems accordingly. There is a poet for every letter of the alphabet with all of the poets except Allan… -
Newbery Medal 2010
18 Jan 2010 | 3:36 pmThe American Library Association’s gala children’s book awards night was held overnight, and with it the announcement of winners of arguably the most prestigious awards in the US. There are many categories in these ALA Awards, but the focus in Australia tends to be on the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal for illustration and the Michael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature. Winner of the Newbery Medal is Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me. It will be published in Australia next month by Text Publishing. The Caldecott Medal for illustration has gone to a retelling of…
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Literacy, families and learning
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Multiple Intelligences
6 Feb 2010 | 10:00 amThe recent debate about the 'My School' website in Australia has reminded me that it is far too easy to narrowly define education, educational achievement and intelligence. Education is about people and how we facilitate their learning and growth. If we narrowly define what counts as knowledge and how we define intelligence and learning then we will end up with a very narrow curriculum at school, narrow approaches to assessment and a very narrow range of experiences at home.We often hear people say, "wow he's smart" or "gee, she's intelligent". What do people mean when they say things like… -
'My School' Website: A blunt and inadequate instrument
30 Jan 2010 | 10:45 pmDeclaring my conflicts of interestI had hoped to avoid commenting on the 'My School' website released in Australia on Friday, because I figure that no matter what I say about it, lots of people reading the blog will disagree. But when one of the readers of the blog (Jo) asked for my opinion I thought that I should say something. As well, the publishing of league tables of the 'best' and 'worst' schools made me quite angry. My apologies to international readers of the blog for this more parochial topic, but I'm sure that some of you will have had similar models for national assessment in your… -
Literary Tapestry of a Nation: Celebrating Australia Day Through Children's Literature
26 Jan 2010 | 12:01 amWhat makes Australia a nation?Today is Australia Day, the official national day of our nation. It commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, which marked the start of British colonisation. Last year I suggested on this blog that Australia Day was 'A Time for Storytelling and Action'; a time to point to the injustices faced by Indigenous Australians, who archaeologists suggest have been here for 40,000 years. I featured Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins wonderful book 'My Place' as a must read for all children (especially on Australia Day). I still think this is a good idea, but this… -
Literature as Relational Glue
19 Jan 2010 | 10:34 pmIn my last post on ‘Making Books Come Alive’ Jo responded with a comment that ‘Looking For Crabs’ is a favourite book for her family. She commented, “We can often be heard saying, "There are no crabs at our beach...", after we have been looking for a while. Her family’s comment is an echo of the book which tells of a family outing to a beach where the children look for crabs when it’s too cold to swim, only to be frustrated that they don’t ever seem to find any. But of course, there are crabs hiding everywhere just under their noses, disguised as rocks, hidden amongst the… -
Making Books Come Alive!
12 Jan 2010 | 5:45 pmIt's the summer school holidays in Australia, and it is hot. So forgive me if this post seems more suitable for summer than a northern hemisphere big freeze. But your turn will come so you can explore these ideas when the weather clears (or I'm sure we could think of some good winter examples).One of the most wonderful things to do with any book is to try to contextualise it by visiting the setting, or a place that is close to the setting for the book. There are some great reasons for this:It helps young readers gain a stronger sense of the setting and its importance for literature (see my…
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The Graphic Classroom
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CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH COMICS
6 Feb 2010 | 6:10 amFrom the EditorFebruary is Black History Month and as promised, you can look forward to some reviews of comics on the subject. You will notice that the comics are not just about Americans, so that you have a broader context from which to choose. We also have comics written on every level. We hope the reviews this month help you find quality comics to meet your diversity needs throughout the year. To this end, I am adding a new label (diversity) so you can easily search for comics about minority populations. -
IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK
6 Feb 2010 | 6:04 amBy Chris WilsonEditor-in-Geek The Mathews Elementary PTA in Nixa, MO donated several comics to THE HALL OF HEROES fourth grade comic book club through their work with Scholastic. The titles were shipped with our school’s Scholastic Book Fair books and I received them this week. As you can see from the picture above, the PTA was very supportive of the comic book club’s efforts to enhance reading in our school. Here are some reasons they invested: Kids who were never interested in reading are now reading comics and traditional books. Kids in third grade are already requesting to be in the… -
COMICS, MOVIES & GREEK MYTHOLOGY
6 Feb 2010 | 5:54 amFrom the EditorI am a fan of Greek mythology (traditional and comic adaptations) and I am using that love combined with the PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS movie that debuts next Friday, Feb. 12 to support the efforts in my school’s comic book club. I am reading PERSEUS: THE HUNT FOR MEDUSA’S HEAD (Lerner Publishing) to the students in the HALL OF HEROES comic book club in preparation for the movie. Many of the students have read or are reading Rick Riordan's excellent PERCY JACKSON novel series and love it. Together, we are learning about the character the popular book series is based… -
DEOGRATIAS: A TALE OF RWANDA
6 Feb 2010 | 5:46 amBy Chris Wilson Editor-in-Geek Author & Illustrator: Jean-Philippe Stassen Translator: Alexis Siegel Publisher: First Second Genre: Realistic Fiction Format: Softcover Pages: 96 Color: Color ISBN-13: 978-1-59643-103-4 ISBN-10: 1-59643-103-2 REVIEW The story of young Deogratias is one that is gut wrenching in its authenticity, brutal in its storytelling, and painful in its truthfulness. The horrors of Rwanda are exposed in a fly-ridden heap of human travesty, the stink of which is only seconded by the visual display of the pack of dogs feasting on the pile of humanity. DEOGRATIAS is… -
IN THE CLASSROOM THIS WEEK
29 Jan 2010 | 2:19 pmFrom the Editor Comics, comics everywhere! This was a gangbusters week as far as receiving new titles. So many in fact, I don’t have the energy or the time to list and link them all. I just couldn’t get my work done if I did. So I’m going with a picture and genres: sports, action/adventure, fairy tale, nonfiction and Spanish-language comics. Most of what I picked up this week is aimed at the elementary and middle school crowd, but I have been reading some great older teen and college level books that I can’t wait to publish. The reviews are already written. Next month is Black…
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TOON Books - Easy to Read Comics
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TOON Raffle Giveaway Draws to an End
2 Feb 2010 | 10:02 amTomorrow we will be announcing our 2010 TOON Books Raffle Giveaway winners! But first, we would like to thank everyone for your enthusiasm and participation!Before we draw names, let’s look at some of the flattering feedback we’ve received:Head of Youth Services at Wood County District Public Library, Maria Simon, says: “Spotting your email had me so excited! I love the TOON books. We do need more at my public library. These books really take our children far with lots of fun. Thank you TOON.”“What a wonderful experience it was to hear Ms. Mouly speak along with Harry Bliss in… -
PRINT IS THRIVING! (at least where we stand...)
31 Jan 2010 | 8:54 amTWO YEARS AGO, LIBRARIAN MICHELE GORMAN'S ARTICLE in School Library Journal about comics for young children was summarized thus in ERIC, the government database used by "education researchers, teachers, librarians, administrators, education policymakers, instructors and students in teacher-preparation programs, parents, the media and business communities, and the general public.""After years of fighting for shelf space in libraries and classrooms, graphic novels have finally become an acceptable alternative to their prose-packed counterparts--and kids can't seem to get enough of them. For… -
Expanding what will work for beginning readers!
25 Jan 2010 | 5:57 amSusan M. Veltfort, the chair of the Geisel committee, came over to meet us at the RAW Junior office (once her formidable research skills allowed her to find us.) We hosted a lunch to celebrate our sweep of the awards given "to the author and illustrator of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year." In attendance were, left to right: (seated) Françoise Mouly & Susan M. Veltfort; (standing) Geoffrey Hayes, Michael Rockliff, Leonard Marcus, Leigh Stein, Jon Scieszka and Trade Loeffler; (photo) Iru B.While… -
Librarians Across the Country Chime In
19 Jan 2010 | 2:25 pmOur raffle entrants really know how to make a publishing house blush. Esther Frazee of Tenacre Country Day school says, “You have provided so many of the first/second graders I teach with fun books. You are making them love reading. I teach pK-6 and many parents come in to say ‘thank you’ when I send home a TOON book with their child."Lucie Dubuc of St. John’s School adds, “I read Stinky and I’m in love with him! I want to offer all the series to the students in my library.”We are still reeling over the news from the ALA Midwinter Meeting and wish to express our deepest… -
What comics appeal to kids? Ask the librarians.
15 Jan 2010 | 8:33 amWe've seen that librarians have been at the vanguard of the “comics for kids” revolution, while the medium’s self-styled experts lag far behind, not quite understanding which comics actually appeal to today’s kids.Our allies in the fight for good comics for kids recently asked, Are all comics for kids? Esther Keller notes, "...the problem, in my opinion, is that the perception is that if it's a comic, it's for kids. And that's just not true. Those of us who are avid readers of comics know that there are comics for kids and comics for teens and comics for adults. The casual reader or…
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The Book Bench
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You Learn Something New Everyday
31 Jan 2010 | 9:57 amTwo weeks ago a good friend of mine and her husband were here from Ireland and spent an afternoon with me and the kids. My friends lovely Irish husband inquired about what nine year old daughter has been reading lately. She was happy to report that aside from her beloved Roald Dahl of course, her current favorite author is Eoin Colfer. She raved about the Artemis Fowl books and recommended The Legend of Spud Murphy for his young nephews. She and I kept pronouncing the author's name as if it is pronounced "Ian." When my daughter showed my friend's husband the books, he congratulated her on her… -
On the Edge of the Driver's Seat
26 Jan 2010 | 7:04 pmIn my ongoing quest to satisfy my boys' desire for scary books that I feel are appropriate, I have hit upon a real doozy. I've been listening to Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book on CD as I drive to and from work this week. I'm almost hoping for a traffic jam. It is gripping! Before checking it out of the library, the sum total of knowledge I had of this book was that its author also wrote Coraline and that it won a number of awards last year, including a Newberry. Now I know I love it. It tells the story of Bod, Nobody Owens, orphaned as a toddler when his family was murdered and now being… -
Haiti
13 Jan 2010 | 2:24 pmAll day I've been thinking about the people of Haiti who are surely suffering in the wake of yesterday's earthquake. It serves as a good reminder to support the Red Cross. It also makes me think of Tracy Kidder's amazing book Mountains Beyond Mountains about Dr. Paul Farmer and the work he does in Haiti. It is a wonderfully written and inspiring book. It's a book about an infectious disease specialist and Harvard professor which I think about often. I recommend it and give it as a gift frequently. Let's all hug the people we love and be grateful for our safety today. -
School Nurse Books
12 Jan 2010 | 4:27 pmWere you the kind of kid who frequented the school nurse's office or avoided it like the plague? As a kid, I was never a big fan of visiting the school nurse. Do not misunderstand; my elementary school nurse, Mrs. Koch, was a lovely woman. I even played her in a tribute/school play when she retired. I think I landed the part because my own mother is a nurse and had a uniform, complete with nurse's cap, for me to use as a costume. Despite that, I didn't want much to do with the nurse's office. I always failed the eye test and feared failing the scoliosis test (Deenie, anyone?). So I was a… -
2 Jan 2010 | 12:48 pm
2 Jan 2010 | 12:48 pmSomehow Santa got wind of our plans to take a family trip to Europe in the spring. The Bookbenchers are headed to London and Paris for a week this year and the giftgivers jumped all over that, much to my delight. We unwrapped maps and guides to those two cities as well as novels set in them. My boys received Stepping Stone easy reading chapter book versions of Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Last night we read the first two chapters of Quasimodo and Esmeralda's tragic story before bed. We were all hooked and can't wait for tonight's installment. Before you get to thinking,…
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3 Evil Cousins
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Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
25 Jan 2010 | 3:54 pmLee Fiora is a modest girl from the Midwest, blessed by luck and hours of effort, who has won a place and a scholarship to the Ault school, a prestigious Northeastern boarding school. Vineyard Vines, Ralph Lauren and J. Crew labels are everywhere to be seen, while the school demands more academically than Lee has ever experienced. Awed and apprehensive, Lee begins her Ault career, unsure of her place in this affluent, preppy world. As the weeks and months continue, Lee becomes progressively more alienated, feeling friendless and very much an outsider. She is not privy to East Coast slang, the… -
Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon
10 Jan 2010 | 5:35 pmFor those of you who desire the short, sweet version, Nightlight is a parody of Twilight. The basic storyline is similar enough to mock Twilightyet different enough to be its own work of fiction. Belle Goose moves from Pheonix to Switchblade, Oregon to live with her father Jim, a window wiper. Belle has an obsession with dating a vampire. At her new school, she meets Edwart Mullen, a super-hot (yet fictitious) computer nerd with such a lack of social skills, one could argue he has negative social skills. After noticing a few events, such as Edwart leaving his lunch untouched, Belle realizes… -
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
4 Jan 2010 | 5:44 pmKate Malone is one of those over-achievers; every school has one. Not only is she a straight-A student with especially outstanding grades in math and science, she also happens to be a long distance-running track superstar. She is a minister's daughter. She is dating Mitchell "Mitch" Pangborn III, who is got accepted Early Decision into Harvard. She is the unwilling caretaker of her family, between the death of her mother and the religious duties of her father, Kate is left with most of the house chores. On top of all this, she is a master of avoiding emotions. However, her emotional avoidance… -
Sacred Scars by Kathleen Duey
28 Dec 2009 | 9:29 pmWARNING: The following review contains spoilers of Skin Hunger, the first book in this series. If you have not read Skin Hunger, dash off to your local library as fast as you can and read it! Then you may read this review, and subsequently Sacred Scars, at your leisure.When we left Sadima at the end of Skin Hunger, she, Franklin, and Somiss were in a cave with several orphan boys, kidnapped from Limori. Sadima is miserable living in the cave. She feels the fear and loneliness of the trapped boys, whom Somiss forces to learn how to copy the Gypsy symbols. Somiss is even more reclusive- and yet… -
Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix
3 Dec 2009 | 2:07 pmIt is the peak of immigration in New York City, at the dawn of the twentieth century. Shouts in dozens of languages whoop through the air and smells from every dish imaginable waft through the streets of the Lower East Side. Tenements, rickety but home, climb the sky, fire escapes snaking down. The streets are crowded with pushcarts and calls. Thus is the setting for The Uprising, by Margaret Peterson Haddix.Bella is a young immigrant girl, fresh from Italy and weighted with the daunting task of providing for her family overseas. She is lucky to find a job, though the hours spent hunched over…
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Dulemba.com
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Coloring Page Tuesday - Happy Valentine's Day
9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amSign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and to view more coloring pages - click here! Valentine's Day is this Sunday! Do you have plans with your favorite Valentine? Here's a traditional Cupid to help you celebrate... Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send me your colored version (less than 1mb) to dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog! It's always nice to celebrate the day of love with all things pink - like... my picture book… -
Author Overload
8 Feb 2010 | 8:05 amRT @thewritermama: The Remedy For Author Overload (Hint: It’s a Very Short Word) http://shar.es/aPGY0 SO, SO TRUE!!!A bit more on this subject: I am lucky enough to have followers who love my work and want to help spread the word by asking me for giveaway books, visits, and artwork to share in charities, fund-raisers, at needy schools, etc. Sometimes I receive several requests a day. As you can imagine, at that rate, there's no way I can say 'yes' to everybody. (And just responding to them all can eat up huge chunks of creative time.) But these are sincere… -
The Potential of SixthSense Technology
8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amFrom TED: The Thrilling Potential of SixthSense Technology. All I can say is WOW. And check out the tech as it pertains to book browsing!!! -
Gustaf Tenggren
7 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amGustaf Tenggren was one of the masters of the early days of picture books. He set a standard we still work by today. He was also one heck of a marketer. He started out with Disney but quickly realized it did him no good to sign his work 'Disney.' Hence, the Tenggren books and the golden days of the Golden Books. Did you have a "Tenggren Tell-It-Again Book" when you were a kid? Do you recognize the style? Go to AnimationArchive.org for a fantastic summation of Tenggren's work at Gustaf Tenggren and the Genesis of the Golden Book Style. -
One More Story
6 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amOne More Story is a groovy resource for your kids - recently voted a top 10 Digital Resource by School Library Journal! You can subscribe to enjoy up to 108 picture books online - including some Caldecott winners. They can be read to you (or not) in English or Spanish or Mandarin! Very groovy way to spend a Saturday.
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The Book Chook
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Letter to The Book Chook - Reading Challenge or Reading Chore
8 Feb 2010 | 7:19 pmDear Book Chook,My reluctant reader has found a series of books that she loves. She's reading two of them a week! And I don't have to nag her to read them. It's rare to see her enjoy reading so much. Seems wonderful, except that the books are below her reading level. They are easy chapter books for grades 2-3, and she's in grade 4. I know she could read more difficult books. Should I push her to challenge herself with a harder book, or just let her enjoy these?Concerned MomDear Concerned Mom,Congratulations on wanting what's best for your daughter! It's obvious you understand how important… -
Get Ready for Chinese New Year
6 Feb 2010 | 3:25 pmNi hao!Today I am preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year, Year of the Tiger, which starts in 2010 on February 14. Our friends in China call it Spring Festival. We lived in China in 2003, so I have a special place in my heart for all things Chinese.I have some excellent resources about China for you, plus some activities to try with your kids when you are studying Chinese culture, or just because they're fun!LiteratureDo you know Libby Gleeson's picture book, Big Dog ? It's a lovely story about a little girl who is afraid of a dog. Her brother and his friend decide to scare the dog by… -
Interview with Writer and Publisher Paul Collins
4 Feb 2010 | 6:42 pmToday I'm so pleased to be able to welcome Paul Collins to The Book Chook. Paul is the brains behind Ford Street Publishing, an Australian publishing company that has won my heart because of the high standards it sets. Paul is also a writer - his latest novel, The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler, has just been published by Celapene Press.BC: What sort of books do you think young people want to read? Can you give some examples and say what it was about those books made you choose them from all your submissions?PC: I have a pretty eclectic taste so I’m not confined to boundaries like… -
Book Review, The Last Dragon
3 Feb 2010 | 6:45 pmI think books specifically designed as "easy readers" are great. They support young readers by restricting vocabulary and sentence structure, while cementing a love for reading with exciting plots and interesting characters. Publishers ensure there is lots of white space in these books so that youngsters won't be put off by dense text.But what about kids who have struggled with reading, and are reading below their age level? If you're fifteen, you don't want to read stories targeted toward the interests of ten-year-olds.That's where books like those from High Interest Publishing come in. The… -
Make a Movie with Xtranormal
2 Feb 2010 | 2:02 pmPsst! Want a cool place where kids can explore creating and making stories? Try Xtranormal. It's a web space where you choose cartoon characters, type in your script, choose actions and camera angles, and add voice, sound and background. Once you're satisfied, you can publish your movie. My first effort is below. (In case you can't see it, try here.)The free option is a little limiting, and the paid option seems to offer much more. I also found the voices difficult to hear clearly, but that could be a sad comment on the state of my hearing! Pixar it isn't - however, what Xtranormal does is…
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Brimful Curiosities
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A Week of Vintage Valentines - Short Tale
9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 amDid you keep any of the valentines you received as a child? I didn't but my grandfather kept some from his childhood. His valentines are around 80 years old and in surprisingly good condition considering their age. I've scanned a few of them to share with you over the next week. The first, "A Short Tale: Will You Be My Valentine" is my daughter's favorite - a cute chocolate-brown puppy holding a heart. -
Homemade Valentine's Day Cards - both vintage and modern styles
8 Feb 2010 | 1:00 pmToday I cracked open my closet and pulled down some boxes filled with letters -- letters I wrote my husband when we first met, letters he sent me. Cards and letters I received from my grandparents, my mother-in-law, my parents, my cousins. Cards and letters from penpals and friends. Some homemade. Some not. All special. Valentine's Day will arrive at this week's end. For me, Valentine's Day has always been about the letters and the cards. And by that I don't mean something bought in the store last minute and signed, "Love Ya." A real valentine, one that will be cherished and kept forever, is… -
Full to the Brim not happening this week
6 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pmSorry about the lack of a Full to the Brim post yesterday. I've been swamped trying to organize the school science fair and every free minute lately has been devoted that particular activity. Hopefully next week I'll resume my normal posting schedule. -
Doors by Roxie Munro - Feed Me Books Friday
5 Feb 2010 | 7:36 amI've decided to participate in today's Feed Me Books Friday meme, held over at The Adventure of Motherhood. Each week she posts a special theme. Today it's all about lift-the-flap books.Lift-the-flap books have always been a huge hit with my kids. We own several Spot books by Eric Hill and you can't beat Karen Katz's huge selection for toddlers. But both my kids have their very favorites:My son's current lift-the-flap favorite: Trains (Lift and Look) - Usborne BooksThis sturdy board book has managed to remain intact despite the eager hands of both my children. It is well constructed and has… -
Valentine's Day Picture Books and a Valentine Craft
4 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pmWe've started preparing for our favorite sweet holiday by reading a couple Valentine's Day picture books. Both books feature homemade valentines. You can't get too fancy when it comes to Valentine's Day. Fancy Nancy: Heart to Heart is one of the newest paperback books in the popular Fancy Nancy line and it even includes stickers. Nancy and her friend Bree make "magnifique" homemade valentines for school using sequins and doilies. When Nancy receives a special valentine from a secret admirer, she tries to discover its origin. Kids can use the sheet of stickers in the back of the book to…
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Brimful Curiosities
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A Week of Vintage Valentines - Short Tale
9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 amDid you keep any of the valentines you received as a child? I didn't but my grandfather kept some from his childhood. His valentines are around 80 years old and in surprisingly good condition considering their age. I've scanned a few of them to share with you over the next week. The first, "A Short Tale: Will You Be My Valentine" is my daughter's favorite - a cute chocolate-brown puppy holding a heart. -
Homemade Valentine's Day Cards - both vintage and modern styles
8 Feb 2010 | 1:00 pmToday I cracked open my closet and pulled down some boxes filled with letters -- letters I wrote my husband when we first met, letters he sent me. Cards and letters I received from my grandparents, my mother-in-law, my parents, my cousins. Cards and letters from penpals and friends. Some homemade. Some not. All special. Valentine's Day will arrive at this week's end. For me, Valentine's Day has always been about the letters and the cards. And by that I don't mean something bought in the store last minute and signed, "Love Ya." A real valentine, one that will be cherished and kept forever, is… -
Full to the Brim not happening this week
6 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pmSorry about the lack of a Full to the Brim post yesterday. I've been swamped trying to organize the school science fair and every free minute lately has been devoted that particular activity. Hopefully next week I'll resume my normal posting schedule. -
Doors by Roxie Munro - Feed Me Books Friday
5 Feb 2010 | 7:36 amI've decided to participate in today's Feed Me Books Friday meme, held over at The Adventure of Motherhood. Each week she posts a special theme. Today it's all about lift-the-flap books.Lift-the-flap books have always been a huge hit with my kids. We own several Spot books by Eric Hill and you can't beat Karen Katz's huge selection for toddlers. But both my kids have their very favorites:My son's current lift-the-flap favorite: Trains (Lift and Look) - Usborne BooksThis sturdy board book has managed to remain intact despite the eager hands of both my children. It is well constructed and has… -
Valentine's Day Picture Books and a Valentine Craft
4 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pmWe've started preparing for our favorite sweet holiday by reading a couple Valentine's Day picture books. Both books feature homemade valentines. You can't get too fancy when it comes to Valentine's Day. Fancy Nancy: Heart to Heart is one of the newest paperback books in the popular Fancy Nancy line and it even includes stickers. Nancy and her friend Bree make "magnifique" homemade valentines for school using sequins and doilies. When Nancy receives a special valentine from a secret admirer, she tries to discover its origin. Kids can use the sheet of stickers in the back of the book to…
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Moms Inspire Learning
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Connecting the Dots of Chinese New Year
8 Feb 2010 | 9:19 amIt takes a village of bloggers to really bring a subject to life, especially one as vast as Chinese New Year. That's why today, I'd like to share a couple of related posts from two of my favorite bloggers. 1. What's a cultural celebration without art?When I first decided to write a series of posts relating to such a vast topic, I realized right away that there would need to be some kind of an art component to really bring the subject to life for children. Storytelling is wonderful, but when you can connect it with real life activities and projects, the words take on a life of their own...So,… -
More Books to Add to Your Chinese New Year List, Part 2
4 Feb 2010 | 8:58 amHere are some additional picture books relating to Chinese New Year, which will provide you and your child with plenty of opportunities to make comparisons with other children's books and connect the dots with so many other subjects: The Runaway Rice Cake, by Ying Chang Compestine. LOVE this one because it will complement just about any other picture book relating to Chinese New Year, but also can be used as a springboard to a study of the many books which are similar to The Gingerbread Boy. The culinary aspect of this celebration is fully explained at the end of the book, as are two… -
More Books to Add to Your Chinese New Year List
3 Feb 2010 | 9:47 amI'm still in the process of sorting through some of the many picture books relating to Chinese New Year. I can't possibly look at them all because there are so many, so I thought I'd just give you the heads-up about a few of the ones I love the most (so far). Today, it's just a partial list, and over the next week I'll give more details about some of these books. That way, you can seek them out ahead of time. My local library didn't have most of these, so I had to wait a few days to have them sent from other libraries in my area. I'm still waiting for more, so I'll be doing a part 2 of this… -
Passion at the Book Store
2 Feb 2010 | 2:52 pmJim Trelease was right. Librarians can learn a lot from book store employees. But, as I learned this weekend, the lesson is not only about how to display books in an appealing way. After Monday's post, I didn't want people to get the idea that I had a bone to pick with Barnes & Noble. It's really the SYSTEM that I have a problem with. I started that post talking about how the book store was bustling with people of all ages. It was truly a sight to see, after all the dismal talk about the future of books in print lately. Anyway, I visited the same book store the week before. As I was… -
The Case for Not "Judging a Book by its Cover"
1 Feb 2010 | 12:19 pmI was in the Barnes & Noble on Broadway and 82nd Street in Manhattan on Sunday, and I was happy to find it bustling with activity! People of all ages were there enjoying books, either by themselves or with family members. I love it! Long live books-in-print....While I was there, I decided to buy my very own copy of The Read-Aloud Handbook. Funny thing, though. I couldn't find it anywhere!!!! So, I asked an employee. He looked it up, and guided me to the homeschooling section. And there it was - at the very bottom of a very tall bookshelf! Houston? We have a problem. No wonder I never knew…
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Gail Carson Levine
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Both Feet in the Story Door
3 Feb 2010 | 1:38 pmOn January 13, 2010 Maybe a Writer definitely wrote, What I can't seem to get, is what happens right after my beginning. I sometimes don't even know where I'm taking the story, but I have a tiny idea for a plot. The story I'm working on is the most well-planed out I have, but I'm still on page three. Any ideas?Alas, I’m having the same problem right now, and this will be my twenty-first book, counting just the published ones! I’m on page thirty-one, not three, but I haven’t figured out how to move further into my story. What I think I’m working on is a fantasy… -
Goodbye Dialogue Land
27 Jan 2010 | 6:47 amOn January 4th, 2010, Inkquisitive asked, "...do you have any help for those of us who seem to live in Dialogue Land? I know you have touched on this a little before, but do you have any suggestions on how to convert a conversation-heavy scene into more action? My book is starting to look like a play (which I do not want) with bits of narrative strewn among a majority of conversation. Thanks.Here are some suggestions for getting from Dialogue Land into Action Land.Suppose your main character’s objective is to restore a friendship. In real life and fiction that’s usually achieved… -
Keeping On Keeping On
20 Jan 2010 | 9:04 amOn December 28, 2009 the Tenth Muse posted this comment: When I write, I have two issues with finishing. My first is that I almost write the story up in my head, and when I attempt to put it to paper, it feels tedious and I usually leave it unwritten. My next is most likely born from the first. :) It's that, after I've written the whole thing down or put it together inside my head, I realize I also want to do something else with the story. Then the new idea begins to take over, and I start second guessing my original ideas. And then I feel extremely lost!Some authors (not I) won’t… -
The Challenge of Length
13 Jan 2010 | 7:57 amOn 12/23/09, Asma posted this comment: I was actually referring to the process of beginning to write, after an idea has formed in your mind. I have attempted your advice to start in the middle, but usually I don't know where to go from there or where I've come from. If I try to begin at the beginning, I usually don't know where to start, get bored, or become obsessed with perfection. I usually don't have this problem with short stories (my reference to length) as the entire plot is so short as to have fully materialized in my mind, and all I have to do is write it down. Longer pieces… -
The Mystery Puzzle
6 Jan 2010 | 6:24 amBefore I start, I want to point out a new link on the page, right below the two websites, which will take you to an interview with me. I hope you’ll check it out - and then come back.This week I’m combining two questions. On December 11, 2009 Amanda posted this comment: I'm thinking about writing a mystery novel but I've never written a mystery before. Do you have any tips on how to write one?And on December 23, 2009 Curious Mind wrote: I like a bit of mystery in my writing, but cannot seem to hold back information very well, and there is no suspense. Any…
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Kids Lit
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Heist Society – The Movie
9 Feb 2010 | 3:42 am/Film has the news that the film rights for Ally Carter’s Heist Society have been purchased by Warner Brothers. The book is due out next week, and I have to say the cover is rocking. Unfortunately, the teen novel’s characters will be aged to their 20s instead of remaining teen characters. Sad, because I would think it would make a better movie with teen protagonists rather than college-aged ones. I look forward to reading the book which has been called a teen-aged Thomas Crown Affair. Related articles by Zemanta Warner Bros. Steals Heist Society From Disney,… -
Boom Bah!
8 Feb 2010 | 12:19 pmBoom Bah! by Phil Cummings, illustrated by Nina Rycroft Break out the noise makers, drums, and kazoos and start your own band after you share this one. It all starts with a mouse tinging a spoon against a teacup. Then the cat gets involved by banging a spoon on a can. Pig grabs two pot lids to bash together as cymbals. And soon a line of animals are marching and dancing to the beat. What could that be coming over the hill? A real marching band with real drums, a tuba, trombones and more. Everyone starts to play music together with a happy “Hey… -
Brownie & Pearl Step Out
8 Feb 2010 | 11:56 amBrownie & Pearl Step Out by Cynthia Rylant, illustrations by Brian Biggs In this simple, charming story, Rylant explores shyness. Brownie, the little girl, and Pearl, her cat, are going to a birthday party that cats are invited to too. Once they are at the door to the party, Brownie starts to feel shy about knocking. Pearl, though, is not shy at all and enters the house by the cat door, forcing Brownie to have to knock and join the party. By the end of the party, full of cake and ice cream and having played lots of games, Brownie is very happy to have come. … -
Passing By
5 Feb 2010 | 8:45 amPassing By by Yona Tepper, illustrated by Gil-Ly Alon Curiel Yael likes to watch the street outside her house from her balcony. She can see dogs walk by, a cat hiding in the flowerbed, a car driving past and honking its horn, a man riding a bike, a tractor with a trailer filled with brush, and a bird. Best of all, she sees her father coming! The book has a nice rhythm and repetition both before each thing on the street appears and after it leaves Yael’s sight. Tepper’s prose has a quiet feel that really allows readers to feel a sense of ease and leisure that is… -
Bunny Days
5 Feb 2010 | 8:19 amBunny Days by Tao Nyeu The author of the marvelous Wonder Bear returns with a picture book that once again features the big white Bear. This book however takes a different approach than the loosely plotted first book. The book is in three chapters, each featuring an scrape the bunnies get into which is resolved by Bear. In the first story, Mr. Goat is driving past the bunnies on his tractor and splashes them all with mud. They head to Bear for help and he fixes everything by putting them all in the washing machine. On delicate cycle of course. Then they are…
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Moms Inspire Learning
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Connecting the Dots of Chinese New Year
8 Feb 2010 | 9:19 amIt takes a village of bloggers to really bring a subject to life, especially one as vast as Chinese New Year. That's why today, I'd like to share a couple of related posts from two of my favorite bloggers. 1. What's a cultural celebration without art?When I first decided to write a series of posts relating to such a vast topic, I realized right away that there would need to be some kind of an art component to really bring the subject to life for children. Storytelling is wonderful, but when you can connect it with real life activities and projects, the words take on a life of their own...So,… -
More Books to Add to Your Chinese New Year List, Part 2
4 Feb 2010 | 8:58 amHere are some additional picture books relating to Chinese New Year, which will provide you and your child with plenty of opportunities to make comparisons with other children's books and connect the dots with so many other subjects: The Runaway Rice Cake, by Ying Chang Compestine. LOVE this one because it will complement just about any other picture book relating to Chinese New Year, but also can be used as a springboard to a study of the many books which are similar to The Gingerbread Boy. The culinary aspect of this celebration is fully explained at the end of the book, as are two… -
More Books to Add to Your Chinese New Year List
3 Feb 2010 | 9:47 amI'm still in the process of sorting through some of the many picture books relating to Chinese New Year. I can't possibly look at them all because there are so many, so I thought I'd just give you the heads-up about a few of the ones I love the most (so far). Today, it's just a partial list, and over the next week I'll give more details about some of these books. That way, you can seek them out ahead of time. My local library didn't have most of these, so I had to wait a few days to have them sent from other libraries in my area. I'm still waiting for more, so I'll be doing a part 2 of this… -
Passion at the Book Store
2 Feb 2010 | 2:52 pmJim Trelease was right. Librarians can learn a lot from book store employees. But, as I learned this weekend, the lesson is not only about how to display books in an appealing way. After Monday's post, I didn't want people to get the idea that I had a bone to pick with Barnes & Noble. It's really the SYSTEM that I have a problem with. I started that post talking about how the book store was bustling with people of all ages. It was truly a sight to see, after all the dismal talk about the future of books in print lately. Anyway, I visited the same book store the week before. As I was… -
The Case for Not "Judging a Book by its Cover"
1 Feb 2010 | 12:19 pmI was in the Barnes & Noble on Broadway and 82nd Street in Manhattan on Sunday, and I was happy to find it bustling with activity! People of all ages were there enjoying books, either by themselves or with family members. I love it! Long live books-in-print....While I was there, I decided to buy my very own copy of The Read-Aloud Handbook. Funny thing, though. I couldn't find it anywhere!!!! So, I asked an employee. He looked it up, and guided me to the homeschooling section. And there it was - at the very bottom of a very tall bookshelf! Houston? We have a problem. No wonder I never knew…
