Memorial Day is a time for family and remembrance. Here are some resources you may find helpful as your family prepares for Memorial Day. If you are looking ...Read Full Post
Children's Literature
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Most Topular Stories
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Memorial Day Resources for Families
About.com Children's Books20 May 2013 | 5:01 pm -
Photographs Aren’t Real
westerblog23 May 2013 | 8:41 pmAs the guy who wrote Uglies, there are certain kinds of news stories that are forwarded to me by everyone. Hi-tech tattoos, bizarre plastic surgery, stuff that hovers, and of course anything having to do with beauty. So it was no surprise that a recent story about the Miss Korea contest flooded my inbox. The basic story went like this: Plastic surgery is so prevalent in South Korea that all the contestants in their national beauty contest look freakishly alike. Look, we haz proof! And yes, I will admit that this is a somewhat chilling image. With a few exceptions, it looks like twenty photos… -
Me and Libba Bray and Barry Goldblatt at Sydney Writers’ Festival
Justine Larbalestier22 May 2013 | 7:23 pmLook what’s happening this Sunday, 26 May at 10AM1 Sydney Writers Festival Pier 2/3 Club Stage Walsh Bay, Sydney, NSW This event is free and no bookings required. FUN AND GAMES WITH LIBBA BRAY AND JUSTINE LARBALESTIER Moderated by fancy NYC literary agent Barry Goldblatt (also known as Mr Libba Bray). I imagine this will involve juggling and poker. Even though I always lose to Libba. She’s a total card shark. I bet me and Barry can get Libba to pop out her fake eye. I love it when she does that. We’ll also tell the very weird story of mine and Libba’s second meeting. -
Cheap Stuff
westerblog19 May 2013 | 6:52 amNote All of these deals are over. But there’s a cool video below, and info about my Sydney Writers Festival appearance. If you’ve never tried the audio book of Leviathan, it’s pretty awesome. Alan Cumming does a wonderful job with all the accents and characters. For the next day or so, you can download the audiobook for only $5.99 from Audible. (Offer only good in the US, I think.) Click here to make it happen. This offer expires at the end of Monday May 20, US time. As a reminder, here’s one of my interviews with Alan about the books: Also, on Monday morning, US time,… -
“For country, mail, and Geneviève!”
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast22 May 2013 | 11:01 pm“…his hands were nimble…” Last week at Kirkus, I chatted with author Matthew Olshan and illustrator Sophie Blackall, who recently collaborated on The Mighty Lalouche, released this month by Schwartz & Wade Books. That Q&A is here, and today Sophie is sharing a few sketches, some of her research images (all the vintage photos you see below), and a sneak peek inside the book. The artwork, as you can read at the Q&A, was rendered in Japanese paper dioramas, or tatebanko. (You can click on most of these images to enlarge them, though they’re a…
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Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
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Celebrate the Life of One of Children’sLiterature’s Luminaries: A Peter Sieruta Event
24 May 2013 | 3:04 pmIt was one year ago at this time that, sadly, Peter D. Sieruta passed away. For those of you who knew Peter and plan to attend this summer’s annual conference of the American Library Association in Chicago, please note the following information and join us on June 28th, if you can. What: Celebrate the Life of One of Children’s Literature’s Luminaries: A Peter Sieruta Event When: Friday, June 28th, 4:30 p.m. Where: The Lake Erie Room at the Hilton Chicago How did you best know Peter Sieruta? Was it through his remarkable blog, Collecting Children’s Books (a go-to site… -
What I’m Up To at Kirkus This Week,Plus What I Did Last Week, FeaturingJoanne Lew-Vriethoff and Christian Robinson
23 May 2013 | 11:01 pmIllustration from Linda Ashman’s Peace, Baby!,illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff Christian Robinson’s character development and exploration forsome of the characters in Linda Ashman’s Rain!(Click to enlarge) This morning over at Kirkus, I write about Emily Jenkins’ newest picture book, Water in the Park: A Book About Water and the Times of the Day, released recently by Schwartz & Wade Books and illustrated by Stephanie Graegin. (Stephanie will visit 7-Imp next week.) That link is here today. Last week at Kirkus, I chatted with picture book author Linda… -
“For country, mail, and Geneviève!”
22 May 2013 | 11:01 pm“…his hands were nimble…” Last week at Kirkus, I chatted with author Matthew Olshan and illustrator Sophie Blackall, who recently collaborated on The Mighty Lalouche, released this month by Schwartz & Wade Books. That Q&A is here, and today Sophie is sharing a few sketches, some of her research images (all the vintage photos you see below), and a sneak peek inside the book. The artwork, as you can read at the Q&A, was rendered in Japanese paper dioramas, or tatebanko. (You can click on most of these images to enlarge them, though they’re a… -
The Graduate
20 May 2013 | 11:01 pm“We’d wait by the windows / gaining in size /with plans for the nighttime / and daytime’s goodbyes”(Click to enlarge) Philadelphia-based illustrator and designer Rita Carroll just officially became an illustrator and designer. She graduated last week from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, as you’ll read below, so I think it’s a great time to feature some of her artwork. This is something I typically do on the first Sunday of each month—feature, that is, a student illustrator or new-to-the-field illustrator—but she just earned that… -
7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #331:Featuring a Small Crew of Smiley Faces
18 May 2013 | 11:01 pm(Click to embiggen) My Imp readers will have to forgive me today: I don’t have illustrations to share this morning, as I always do on Sundays, but I was out of town this weekend for Knoxville’s 2013 Children’s Festival of Reading. Knoxville does these festivals up right, and they’re always good fun. This year (as I did last year) I moderated a picture book panel. 2013’s visitors included—as pictured left to right above—author Deborah Diesen, author/illustrator Bob Shea, author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka (had never met him in person before, but I…
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Finding Wonderland: The WritingYA Weblog
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Thursday Review: THE SHORT SELLER by Elissa Brent Weissman
23 May 2013 | 5:02 pmReader Gut Reaction: Elissa Brent Weissman's earlier novel Nerd Camp won the 2011 Cybils Award for Middle Grade Fiction, so although I don't read/review many middle grade books, I was eager to get my hands on this one. Plus, the premise is fantastic (and I do love me a book about a moneymaking scheme that goes awry, ahem…).Seventh grader Lindy Sachs, who is home sick with mononucleosis, is bored, bored, bored until her dad gives her a hundred dollars and an online trading account. Lindy isn't great in math at school—in fact, she's just been demoted to the regular class from advanced math… -
TURNING PAGES: Weather Witch by Shannon Delany
21 May 2013 | 8:26 amSince A.F. finished HER review of DARK TRIUMPH before I could finish the book (!) I am going with my second string review for today. Reader Gut Reaction: I loved the alliterative title of this book, which helped give me reasons to pick it up - I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. Coupled with an attractive cover, I was easily reeled in to a tale of a witch in trouble. While initially I was excited about the novel, I realized that I was two-thirds in before the action really started. I felt like a lot of time better spent in developing the plot was spent on setting the scene. I was… -
Monday Review: DARK TRIUMPH by Robin LaFevers
20 May 2013 | 8:00 amReader Gut Reaction: I adored the first book in the His Fair Assassin trilogy, Grave Mercy (reviewed here), so I was all over reading Dark Triumph and continuing the story of the deadly female assassins dedicated to Saint Mortain. In the first book, we were introduced to Ismae, who fled a sordid live and abusive marriage in 15th-century Brittany to join the convent at Saint Mortain. The second book continues the story, which left off as Ismae fled to Rennes with a small group of loyalists devoted to the young duchess, determined to fight off both the invading French and the scheming,… -
Pennies from Heaven? Nope, it's 5 & Dime Friday...
17 May 2013 | 9:01 amA fabulous week, which means there was 100% less SWAT team in my neighborhood. That alone is worth pennies from heaven, but you know what happens when people throw change from up high... DUCK! Otherwise known as America's Sweethearts, Melissa Wiley and Scott Peterson are ridiculously adorable. I mean, adorkable. Behold, the cartoonist's proposal. Go ahead and sigh, girls, he's well taken, and has been for nineteen years. Happy May 14th, guys, and many happy returns of the date. RESPECT to the fat kid: Or, we wish YA fiction had some respect for body diversity. But, too often, weight is a… -
TURNING PAGES: Reaper's Novice, by Cecilia Robert
15 May 2013 | 12:14 pmIt's not every day that you read a book set in Vienna that has really nothing to do with the stereotypical Vienna. I mean, there's the odd schnitzel, a few mentions of Mozart, but only in a passing kind of way. It's funny how some cities seem to fit into middle grade and young adult lit only as historical settings or vacation destinations. What also interested me was that the character was biracial, living in Vienna. There is a realistic mention of racism and some Austria-for-Austrians action which leaves emotional scars. All in all, this is old European city is made modern in this story,…
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educating alice
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Africa is My Home: The Cover! The Book Trailer!
23 May 2013 | 5:05 amWhile I can’t show you Robert Byrd‘s gorgeous interior art for Africa is My Home, I can show you the cover in the following book trailer. (And if you are at BEA, do stop by the Candlewick Press booth for a more comprehensive look or, even better, come to my Thursday 3:30 signing of F&Gs of the complete 64 page book.) -
Joydeb Chitrakar and Gita Wolf’s The Enduring Ark from Tara Books
19 May 2013 | 3:37 amAfter seeing many tantalizing mentions of Tara Books over the last few years, I was delighted to receive Joydeb Chitrakar and Gita Wolf’s The Enduring Ark and get a firsthand look at one of their creations. It is said from time to time, the world is re-made. Ancient stories talk of an age when a huge flood destroyed the earth, leaving nothing behind. … You may have heard it before, but great tales must be retold – and so I will tell it now in my way, as I have heard it said. So begins Gita Wolf in her version of that old story in The Enduring Ark, but even before we read this… -
BEA and Me (Signing AFRICA IS MY HOME)
17 May 2013 | 5:35 amBEA is, as many know, the premier bookseller trade show, which has been held in NYC for the last few years. Years ago I made it to the floor and remember it as incredibly big and wild, getting coveted ARCs, crazy guys in costumes promoting books, tasty treats, swag, and being completely blown away by it all. And so when Candlewick contacted me about doing a signing for my forthcoming book at this year’s show I was thrilled and nervous. Thrilled, as it is making the long road to publication real, and nervous, as I remembered that autographing hall full of long lines for the famous and… -
Coming Soon from Jon Scieszka, Mac Barnett, and Matthew Myers: Battle Bunny
15 May 2013 | 7:00 amI am a big fan of subversive books, say the ”recommended inappropriate books for kids” featured in Lane Smith’s Curious Pages. That said, I also have observed that kids respond better to some of these more than others, an issue I explored years ago in a Horn Book article “Pets and Other Fishy Books.” So when I ran into Jon Scieszka a few months ago and he excitedly told me about the forthcoming Battle Bunny, I was intrigued but also wary — was this a book kids would get or would it be something more amusing for adults? Then an advanced copy of the… -
Posting the Old-Fashioned Way
15 May 2013 | 1:59 amBetsy Bird has a charming contest inspired by Sophie Blackall’s remarkable mailing, of hers and Matthew Olshan’s book The Mighty Lalouche, to a bunch of folks in the old-fashioned way — wrapped in brown paper with string accompanied with a letter sealed with wax. Having received one of these lovely, lovely packages I’m not going to participate in Betsy’s contest, but urge others to do so. And even if you don’t wish to do so, I highly recommend reading the contributions there already. They are varied and all so moving! My own memories of packages are many.
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Chasing Ray
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Andrea Barrett finds The Polar Bear Expedition & her story is amazing
21 May 2013 | 2:05 amAs I've mentioned in a few posts here and there, I've been slowly reading an ARC of Andrea Barrett's upcoming story collection Archangel. Her fans are going to adore this; it's everything you expect from Barrett and more - a truly fabulous set of stories. I love it. The final story is "Archangel" and includes the main character from the earlier story "The Experiment", now all grown up and fighting in WWI. It's 1919 in "Archangel" and although the war is over, for these men it continues in Russia, where they are assigned to The Polar Bear Expedition and bizarrely, stuck in the Russian Civil… -
Because most middle grade readers would love the idea of looking for the Lost Dutchman's Mine
17 May 2013 | 11:10 pmI don't talk much about my son here but he's eleven years old and while he loves a good story (I read all of the Harry Potter books to him several years ago), he is not always patient enough to read them. He prefers graphic novels and shorter nonfiction and so when I caught him up in bed, reading ahead in Elise Broach's Superstition Mountain books, I knew they were something special. He loves these two books and is d-y-i-n-g for the third to come out. I felt it was my duty (*grin*) to make sure everyone knew about them. In every possible way Treasure on Superstition Mountain and Missing on… -
Angelina Jolie is amazing....
14 May 2013 | 2:59 am.........go read her piece in the New York Times about choosing a preventative mastectomy. It's stunning and sobering and braver than anything I've read in a long long time. I'm tired of pink ribbons making us all feel better - we need to cure cancer and we need to do it now. Breast cancer alone kills some 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The… -
On flying dreams and more...
13 May 2013 | 2:22 amA couple of weeks ago Alaska Dispatch ran a piece I wrote about these guys who are on this crazy madcap all-kinds-of-wonderful mission to save a B25 Mitchell bomber from a sandbar north of Fairbanks where is has been sitting for 50 years. They have founded a museum just so they can make this airplane the centerpiece of it and not only do they want to rebuild the plane, they want to fly it again. This is the stuff that dreams are made of, folks. I find it inspiring that they can even dream this big. Anyway, they've formed a Kickstarter to get $20,000 and if you can show them so financial or at… -
YA Column: "A Horse Named Charming"
11 May 2013 | 3:29 pmEvery time I think I've read it all an author comes along and wham, I get reminded that yes, indeed, you can take an old story and make it new all over again. Dear readers, I give you Six-Gun Snow White, which is exactly what it sounds like -- a Western spin on the fairy tale classic. Catherynne Valente spins it in such a way that somehow you end up with visions in your head of Clint Eastwood, William Randolph Hearst, Coyote, the horrible mines where all those poor kids were enslaved in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Annie Oakley times seven. But the idea alone, even with all these…
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Booktalks Quick and Simple
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Grahame, Abby. WENTWORTH HALL
24 May 2013 | 3:22 amGrahame, Abby. WENTWORTH HALL -
Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. A THUNDEROUS WHISPER
23 May 2013 | 3:11 amGonzalez, Christina Diaz. A THUNDEROUS WHISPER -
Giff, Patricia Reilly. GINGERSNAP
22 May 2013 | 3:22 amGiff, Patricia Reilly. GINGERSNAP -
Gewirtz, Adina. ZEBRA FOREST
21 May 2013 | 3:19 amGewirtz, Adina. ZEBRA FOREST -
Fusco, Kimberly Newton. BEHOLDING BEE
20 May 2013 | 3:37 amFusco, Kimberly Newton. BEHOLDING BEE
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Books for Boys - Children's Adventure & Mystery Author Max Elliot Anderson
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About.com includes my middle grade books
21 May 2013 | 6:08 amAbout.com includes my middle grade books for summer reading http://specialchildren.about.com/b/2013/05/20/as-the-hunt-for-reluctant-reader-friendly-summer-books-begins.htm -
He thought his parents didn't love
18 May 2013 | 7:45 amHe thought his parents didn't love him because of their rules. He pretended to run away and...oh my! You won't believe what happens next. An exciting kids book - Barney and The Runaway. http://www.amazon.com/Barney-Runaway-Max-Elliot-Anderson/dp/0984559841%3FSubscriptionId%3D1QZMGW0RRJC2PX87HDR2%26tag%3Dsalranexp-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0984559841 -
Author Video
14 May 2013 | 2:02 pmHere's a short new author's video. It's part of an exciting announcement I'll make soon. Until then, enjoy the video http://youtu.be/48nLqzNFBWg Book Covers -
National Children's Book Week
13 May 2013 | 3:43 pmThis is National Children's Book Week. Why not go out and buy a kid some books? http://www.amazon.com/Max-Elliot-Anderson/e/B002BLP3EE -
The Over 50 Writer
10 May 2013 | 5:52 amHere's the link http://www.pattishene.com/theover50writer/105/1
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About.com Children's Books
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Celebrate National Egg Month
22 May 2013 | 5:01 pmMay is National Egg Month. It's not too late to celebrate with children's books. First, share An Egg Is Quiet with your children. Artist Sylvia Long illustrated the ...Read Full Post -
Lyle the Crocodile and Bernard Waber
20 May 2013 | 5:01 pmI was sorry to read about the death of Bernard Waber on May 16 at the age of 91 (Source: AP story, Wall Street Journal, May 20, 2013). His ...Read Full Post -
Memorial Day Resources for Families
20 May 2013 | 5:01 pmMemorial Day is a time for family and remembrance. Here are some resources you may find helpful as your family prepares for Memorial Day. If you are looking ...Read Full Post -
Happy Birthday, Mary Pope Osborne!
19 May 2013 | 5:01 pm...Read Full Post -
Children's Books News - 5/18/13
18 May 2013 | 5:28 pmIt's National Bike Month - You'll find Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom on my May Calendar of Children's Books, but there are many more children's ...Read Full Post
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Wands and Worlds
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Book Review: Grave Mercy
30 Apr 2013 | 3:18 pmGrave Mercyby Robin LaFeversPlot: Ismae Rienne still bears the scars of the poison her mother took in an attempt to abort her. Her survival from that, and the scars from the incident, prove that she was sired by the god of Death. At seventeen, when her abusive father sells her to an equally abusive husband, she is spirited away by secret followers of the old gods to the convent of St. Mortain, the god of Death. The convent takes her in, gives her a home, and trains her in all the skills necessary to serve St. Mortain, from poison and weapons training, to history and "feminine… -
Book Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns
26 Apr 2013 | 12:39 pmThe Girl of Fire and Thornsby Rae CarsonOnce every generation, God chooses someone to bear the Godstone, a mark which indicates that person is selected to perform an act of service sometime in his or her lifetime. Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza, the younger daughter of the King of Oraville, is the current bearer of the Godstone, but she doesn't feel worthy. She's not thin, beautiful, or adept at court politics like her older sister, and she worries that when the time comes, she won't have the courage to perform her act of service.When Elisa is wed to Alejandro de Vega, the King of… -
Book Review: Throne of Glass
26 Apr 2013 | 12:38 pmThrone of Glassby Sarah J. MaasPlot: 18-year old Celaena Sardothien was an assassin with a feared reputation, until she was sentenced to hard labor in the death camp of Endovier. After she has suffered a year of torture in Endovier, Crown Prince Dorian visits her in the prison to make an offer: fight in a competition his father is having to select the next King's Champion, and if she wins the competition, serve his father for four years in exchange for her freedom.Notable Characters:Celaena Sardothien aka Lillian Gordaina. Kick-butt heroine who also loves books and beautiful gowns.Prince… -
Book Review: Losers in Space
22 Mar 2013 | 10:24 amLosers in Spaceby John BarnesPlot: In a future where celebrity status is regulated by the government, a group of teen celebrity offspring stowaway on a ship to Mars in order to get media attention and boost their recognition scores enough to qualify for celebrity status. To the teens, it's just another party, until things go very, very wrong! Adrift in space with only their own skills to draw on and a sociopath on board, the teens must learn to rely on themselves and each other as they try to survive and find a way to get home.Notable Characters:Susan Tervaille. Protagonist… -
Book Review: Planesrunner
22 Mar 2013 | 8:34 amPlanesrunnerEverness, Book Oneby Ian McDonaldI decided to try a new format for my reviews. I hope this is a useful format.Plot: Everett Singh's dad, a quantum physicist, is kidnapped off the street in view of Everett by three men in a black car. Later that night, Everett gets a message from his father containing a mysterious app, with only the note "For you only, Everett." Turns out that his dad has been working on a scientific project seeking physical proof of parallel universes, and the app is a map of all the known universes, the only one of its kind in existence. Now Everett is on the run…
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American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL)
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Cynthia Leitich Smith on Gansworth's IF I EVER GET OUT OF HERE
15 May 2013 | 6:08 amWhile I'm working on my review essay about Eric Gansworth's If I Ever Get Out of Here, here's what Cynthia Leitich Smith had to say about it:"[If I Ever Get Out of Here is] A heart-healing, mocs-on-the-ground story of music, family and friendship." -- Cynthia Leitich SmithI put her comment in large print because Gansworth's novel is exceptional. I highly recommend it. And, Cynthia--who is Muscogee Creek* and an award-winning and acclaimed author herself--writes Cynsations, one of the top blogs in children's literature. Her thumbs up is significant. Pre-order your copy of If I Ever Get… -
THE BROKEN BLADE, by William Durbin
14 May 2013 | 6:55 amAn individual responsible for curriculum in a Wisconsin school district wrote to ask me about The Broken Blade, by William Durbin.Durbin's book is about a 13-year-old boy named Pierre. He lives in Montreal in 1800. His dad gets hurt and Pierre decides to join the North West fur trading company, which means he'll paddle 2400 miles to Grand Portage. The book is about his experiences going to and from Grand Portage.There's only a few passages about American Indians in Durbin's book.In some places, Indians are made out to be savages, but the narrative does not provide us with any context. -
A Native Perspective on Francesca Lia Block's CHEROKEE BAT AND THE GOAT GUYS
9 May 2013 | 7:28 amFrancesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat is a much acclaimed book. When published in 1989, it was hailed as groundbreaking, primarily for its inclusion of a gay teen relationship. I had not read it until a few days ago. While I agree that its LGBTQ content was something to celebrate, that content is overshadowed by Block's depiction of Weetzie as someone who is "into Indians." To demonstrate being "into Indians," Weetzie makes and wears headdresses for herself and later, for her baby.Pink Smog, published in 2012, is set in the years prior to Weetzie Bat. Over a decade had elapsed since Weetzie… -
"Indian American" in Francesca Lia Block's PINK SMOG
6 May 2013 | 6:02 pmA few days ago, I wrote about Francesca Lia Block's now-classic Weetzie Bat. Although I appreciate that the gay relationship in it was groundbreaking in 1989 when it was published, I can't--and won't--move past Block's portrayal of American Indians. Or, I should say, her MISportrayal of Native culture.I started reading Pink Smog this evening. Ping Smog is new. Published in 2012, it is billed as a prequel to Weetzie Bat. It is about Weetzie in junior high school in L.A. It is easier to read than Weetzie Bat, which is filled with oddly named characters right away. I stumbled each… -
WEETZIE BAT by Francesca Lia Block
4 May 2013 | 11:33 amYears ago I started reading Weetzie Bat but put it down, in part, because of these passages in the first few pages of the first chapter (note: To write this post, I read an e-book that doesn't provide page numbers):Sometimes she wore Levi's with white-suede fringe sewn down the legs and a feathered Indian headdress... 'She' is Weetzie Bat. Her friend, Dirk, who has "chiseled" features compliments her outfit:Weetzie was wearing her feathered headdress and her moccasins and a pink fringed mini dress.Weetzie replies:"Thanks. I made it," she said, snapping her strawberry bubble gum. "I'm…
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Archimedes Forgets
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Links: not dormant, just distracted
8 May 2013 | 7:32 amSara Zarr takes on L'Engle's Austin familyThe ABFFE Silent Auction has an online presence this year (all credit to the fab Kristen Gilligan Vlahos!)Buildings made from trees -- as in trees, not lumberTypography for LawyersAnalyzing the narrative features of breaking newsFor everyone who liked my "how to flirt with your bookseller" post -- Edwardian flirting!(Some) actual numbers on independent bookstores and e-booksTrying to make academics write betterBook snobbery smackdownsHow privilege might apply to reading romanceThe historical fiction fan's tour of London -
WiNot: Blog edition
26 Feb 2013 | 10:31 amMinions of Isidore is spot on. (On so many things. I don't know who's behind this blog, but s/he is brilliant.)This is the third year now that I haven't been at Winter Institute, and oh yes I miss it. Two years ago, those of us in the Boston area who didn't make it to the main event in DC met up at Porter Square Books for the #WiNot Tweetup. This year, I just followed along via Twitter.It's not the same as being there, especially when nuance is required. But there's still quite a lot to think about.[View the story "Wi8" on Storify] -
Links
19 Feb 2013 | 7:44 amOn being an introvert: Kelly, Liz, CharlotteOn discoverability: Guy, Laura, BrettLeila is hosting PetersweekJames Fallows on the latest State of the Union speechWorst neologism of the week: "boutique revivalism"An appreciation of the Post Office's social impactOn writing for readers in an academic contextFrom the perspective of an African-American WWI YMCA canteen workerJournalism skills for novelists -
TBR alert
8 Feb 2013 | 10:00 amFrom today's Publishers Lunch: "Caitlin Fitz's OUR SISTER REPUBLICS, about how the early United States' enthusiasm for foreign revolutions shaped popular U.S. understandings of race, rebellion, and republicanism"Yes, please. -
Can I flirt with my bookseller?
5 Feb 2013 | 12:20 pmWith Valentine's Day around the corner, this is the question that is naturally on every book lover's mind: When I go into my local bookstore, am I allowed to start flirting with the staff?Short version: Of course! Booksellers are lovely people (not that I'm biased), and often enjoy chatting with other book lovers. Many of them are also single and looking. But even if they're not, they may well be open to innocent flirtation.Longer version: As long as you're not stupid about it. Aim to amuse yourself and others, not to get yourself banned from the bookstore. Please review these examples of…
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Bildungsroman
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Poetry Friday: Locations and Times by Walt Whitman
24 May 2013 | 7:00 amLocations and times - what is it in me that meets them all, whenever and wherever, and makes me at home?Forms, colors, densities, odors — what is it in me that corresponds with them?- Walt WhitmanView all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at Bildungsroman.View the roundup schedule at A Year of Reading.Learn more about Poetry Friday. -
Poetry Friday: The Language Inside by Holly Thompson
17 May 2013 | 7:00 amthen we talk about journeysthe different meanings of the wordand we brainstorm going around the circlewords that come to mindwhen we hear the word journey-airplanebackpackjournalPuerto Ricodustsneakershotelreunionluggagesunsettearscockroachesimmigrationmoneymagic carpetlegs Zena saysand I say TohokuThis comes from Holly Thompson's new verse novel, The Language Inside, a book I very much enjoyed. Read my full-length review of The Language Inside.Related posts at Bildungsroman:Verse Novels BooklistTough Issues for Teens BooklistPoetry fun:View all posts tagged as Poetry Friday at… -
Straight on 'til Morning by Christopher Golden
14 May 2013 | 8:21 pmReaders, I am so excited right now.One of my favorite classic tales retold by my favorite modern author has been republished.Now available as an e-book, Straight on 'til Morning by Christopher Golden takes the tale of Peter Pan and re-imagines it as a coming-of-age horror story. Set in the summer of 1981, it follows Kevin Murphy as he bridges the gap between middle school and high school. Desperately, secretly in love with his friend Nikki, Kevin gets his heart broken when Nikki runs off when her new boyfriend, an older boy named Pete.Then he realizes Nikki didn't leave willingly, and… -
Interview: Jessica Day George
10 May 2013 | 8:40 amIn 2007, Miss Erin and I conducted an interview with Jessica Day George to discuss her novel Dragon Slippers andsome of ourfavorite foreign fairy talesToday, I'm catching upwith Jessica as she celebrates the release of her book Wednesdays in the Tower.Thanks for stopping by Bildungsroman on your blog tour, Jessica! Your newest book, Wednesdays in the Tower, is a sequel to Tuesdays at the Castle. Did you always plan for this story to be a series?I knew when I was writing Tuesdays that there was potential for more adventures in Castle Glower. Not long after finishing Tuesdays, I hit on a… -
Poetry Friday: After the River the Sun by Dia Calhoun
10 May 2013 | 7:00 amStanding before the open window,she lifted her bowlike a wand of lightand began to play.The old violin had a golden tone-each note as bright and warmas the sunshinecoming through the window.Today's poem is plucked from the pages of the verse novel After the River the Sun by Dia Calhoun. This is a companion to Dia's verse novel Eva of the Farm, which I quoted for Poetry Friday last week and reviewed earlier this week. I've also included both titles on my Verse Novels Booklist.After the River the Sun will be published on July 9th, 2013. I will post my full-length review of the book…
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bookshelves of doom
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May 23, 2013: Lucky Penny Day.
23 May 2013 | 8:51 amI haven't been able to find anything about who started Lucky Penny Day, or why. Which leads me to realize that creating these "national days" is a pretty serious free-for-all. CLEARLY WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND COME UP WITH SOME NEW ONES. Anyway, despite the dubious nature of this "holiday", I shall point you back to my old post about Jennifer L. Holm's Penny from Heaven anyway, because I'll use any old excuse to highlight a good book: My affection for Holm's characters just sort of crept up on me—I hadn't realized how much I cared… -
Today @KirkusReviews...
23 May 2013 | 7:36 am...I wrote about Aaron Hartzler's Rapture Practice: Capital-b Belief is something that I have immense respect for, but I’ve never felt like I’ve succeeded in completely wrapping my mind around it. Maybe it’s one of those You Know It If You Feel It things? But this book, despite the vastly different life experience that it depicts—...when I say we believe that Jesus is coming back, I don’t mean metaphorically, like someday in the distant future when the lion lies down with the lamb and there is peace on earth. I mean literally, like glance out the car window and, “Oh, hey,… -
How to stretch your library budget...
23 May 2013 | 7:28 am...with BookMooch and PaperbackSwap (and some nice shout-outs to Flux and Orca, too) at Maine Crime Writers: I’m still operating on the same material budget I had when I took on the job as Hartland Public librarian in 2006. I don’t need to tell anyone what inflation has done to book prices, etc. since then. One of the first things I discovered when looking for better ways to build a collection was online swapping sites. I love it. -
Mortal Instruments character posters.
23 May 2013 | 6:16 amAnd suddenly, I am so excited to see this movie: More here! -
New YA: March 22-31.
22 May 2013 | 6:03 pmNew hardbacks: Avenger (Halflings Novel, A), by Heather Burch Black Helicopters, by Blythe Woolston Dear Life, You Suck, by Scott Blagden Going Vintage, by Lindsey Leavitt If You Find Me, by Emily Murdoch Impostor, by Jill Hathaway Period 8, by Chris Crutcher Shadow on the Sun, by David Macinnis Gill Wasteland (Wasteland - Trilogy), by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina You Know What You Have To Do, by Bonnie Shimko New paperbacks (that I've read): A Touch of Scarlet, by Eve Marie Mont: Emma's narration never really gels into a…
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the excelsior file
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if you want to see a whale
10 May 2013 | 7:32 amwords by julie fogliano pictures by erin e. stead. roaring brook press 2013 a very old school picture book poetic in word and image now this is what i’m talking about. the title is the premise a set of instructions for what you need to do in order to see a whale it starts with a window and quickly moves to a landscape of the mind the text and instructions more of a tone poem told legato -
status not so quo
18 Apr 2013 | 7:20 amThere's reading, and there's writing, and there's blogging about reading and writing. I haven't been doing enough of any of these lately. Actually, I have been reading. Quite a lot, and much of it kidlit. I keep meaning to come here to the ol' blog-a-roo and load up what I've been reading but... And while I've been incredibly busy with a number of writing projects I still don't feel like I'm -
A Little Book of Sloth
2 Apr 2013 | 5:16 amby Lucy Cooke Margaret K. McElderry Books 2013 This non-fiction book, ostensibly for kids, should forever change the synonym for sloth from "lazy" to "cute." Many decades ago when I first learned about sloths and their sloth-like behavior they seemed to me a perfect insult. Calling someone a slug was up there but there was nothing that rolled off the tongue quite like "move it, you sloth!" -
Happy Harry's Cafe
7 Mar 2013 | 1:20 pmby Michael Rosen illustrated by Richard Holland Candlewick 2013 Harry makes great soup, or so we are told. Harry is a Bear. He work's at a cafe that bears his name. Harry's friends are birds and cats and other animals. Harry's friends love his soup so much they come running before it runs out. But on this day Matt the cat does not like the soup. Because he hasn't tried it. Because he has no -
Marathon
4 Mar 2013 | 1:20 pmby Boaz Yakin illustrated by Joe Infurnari 2012 Some Greek guy runs from one place to another. And for this a race is named after him. Have you ever seen a movie storyboard? At its most basic, it's a collection of images with key dialog or actions described beneath the sketches to help communicate what the final film sequence should look like. It is a way for the director to communicate to
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Jen Robinson's Book Page
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Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: May 24
24 May 2013 | 9:17 amHere are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week@JensBookPage. Book Lists and Awards Winners of the 2012 Andre Norton Award have been announced | Waking Brain Cells http://ow.ly/liEbL @tashrow #yalit RT @catagator:So you want to read YA? Amy Stern (@yasubscription) has 12 suggestions for you! http://www.stackedbooks.org/2013/05/so-you-want-to-read-ya-guest-post-by.html… Top Ten YA Road Trip Novels by Ben Kuhlman | @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/ldPo4 #yalit One day I'll read YA with my daughter RT @tashrow: YA mother-daughter reading recommendations – The Horn Book… -
Boy Nobody: Allen Zadoff
23 May 2013 | 10:45 amBook: Boy NobodyAuthor: Allen ZadoffPages: 352Age Range: 12 and up Boy Nobody is a tense thriller about a 16-year-old boy who has been trained as an assassin. The first person narrator (we don't learn his real name until late in the book, but let's call him Benjamin) was kidnapped by a shadowy organization, apparently part of the government, after a boy named Mike killed Benjamin's parents. Benjamin was trained to execute meticulously planned missions. For each mission, he is inserted into a school, where he befriends some key student. His target is someone close to that… -
Mousenet: Prudence Breitrose
23 May 2013 | 10:33 amBook: MousenetAuthor: Prudence BreitroseIllustrator: Stephanie YuePages: 416Age Range: 8 and up Mousenet is a middle grade novel written by Prudence Breitrose and lightly illustrated by Stephanie Yue. The premise has oodles of kid-appeal. Mice have learned to read, and to use human computers (though it takes a whole team of mice to accomplish anything using a full-size PC). When a quirky inventor in Cleveland invents a teeny, tiny laptop (dubbed the Thumbtop), mice spring into action. They enlist the inventor's niece, Megan, in their quest to put "a Thumbtop in every… -
1, 2, 3 ... By the Sea: A Counting Book
21 May 2013 | 10:19 amBook: 1, 2, 3 ... By the Sea: A Counting BookAuthor: Dianne MoritzIllustrator: Hazel MitchellPages: 36Age Range: 3-6 1, 2, 3 ... By the Sea is a nice little counting book written by Dianne Moritz and illustrated by Hazel Mitchell. The story is a bit more advanced than that of many counting books, making this more a book for preschoolers and kindergartners than for babies and toddlers. A boy, his mother, and his dog bike to the beach for the day. As the day progresses, they count things. Like this: "Big waves tumble onto shore...crashing,splashing.We chase FOUR." The… -
Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter: Simon Mayo
20 May 2013 | 10:52 amBook: Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element HunterAuthor: Simon Mayo (@SimonMayo)Pages: 432Age Range: 12 and up Itch is a young adult thriller featuring an unusual hero. Itchingham Lofte (aka Itch) is a total science geek. His passion is collecting elements from the periodic table. When a fellow collector shares a very unusual rock with Itch, Itch soon finds himself, and his family, in grave danger. Itch is in many ways a classic YA thriller. There are chases. There are over-the-top bad guys. There is a need for the hero to be brave. But there is also science. Instead of using…
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Writing and Ruminating
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At the new Belmar boardwalk with AT THE BOARDWALK
22 May 2013 | 2:27 pmSome of you may remember that I went to the public library in Belmar, NJ on September 29th of last year to read At the Boardwalk at their cute, historic library. I put up a post about the visit. Thirty days later, Hurricane Sandy came ashore, with what used to be the eye passing just over Brigantine, NJ, a bit to the south of Belmar. Towns to the north of the eye were walloped, including Belmar, which lost its entire 1.3 miles of boardwalk to the superstorm. The town of Belmar started construction on its new boardwalk in January. Today, I was invited by the library to attend the grand opening… -
Downsizing 101: Making lists and plans
21 May 2013 | 11:49 amFirst off, I should note that making lists is one of my favorite sorts of things to do. It feels like work, you see, even though you aren't truly accomplishing anything concrete besides taking ephemera that's clogging up your brain and putting it on paper for the world to see. Or, you know, anyone who wants to be bothered finding your notebook and deciphering your writing. But I digress.There are several sorts of lists/plans that need to be made. Here's a list. (Yeah, a list of lists. Go me!) 1. You need to get or create a floor plan for the house/apartment/space you are moving into. This… -
Reading at Belmar tomorrow after all
21 May 2013 | 10:17 amEarlier today, it appeared that the schedule was in such disarray and everything was on such a hurry-up basis in Belmar that there may not be time for me to read AT THE BOARDWALK to the kids during the reopening of the boardwalk, but it turns out that there IS time after all. To wit, from 12 to 12:20 tomorrow afternoon, plus or minus start and finish and such. I am very much looking forward to it. -
Finishing the Shakespeare poems
20 May 2013 | 3:13 pmAnd no, I'm not talking about the many poems written by William Shakespeare. I'm talking about my own YA poetry collection, which I am now calling The Lady Doth Protest, and which has taken a few years to get right. Turns out, though, that it's not quite done, and that the poem I had to close the collection has to go. Which means I have to write (yet) another poem for Miranda, from The Tempest.All the other poems are written in formal poetry, but I think I'm going to embrace Miranda's sentiment about it being a "brave new world" and break ranks for this one. Quoth Miranda in The Tempest, Act… -
Upcoming reading in Belmar, NJ
18 May 2013 | 10:14 amOn Wednesday, Belmar, New Jersey, is opening its brand-new, rebuilt-after-Sandy boardwalk.The Belmar Public Library invited me to attend so I could read my book to school kids as part of the event. Of course, I said "yes". Turns out that there's going to be a BIG to-do on Wednesday, including the schools closing early (or at least running field trips) so that the kids can all be there for the grand (re)opening, and a visit from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. And sometime after he's done speaking, I'm supposed to read AT THE BOARDWALK to some subset of the school kids. I am going with…
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The Miss Rumphius Effect
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Monday Poetry Stretch - Ideograms
20 May 2013 | 1:28 pmThis in one of my favorite May Swenson poems.Cardinal Ideogramsby May Swenson0 A mouth. Can blow or breathe, be a funnel, or Hello.1 A grass blade or cut.2 A question seated. And a proud bird’s neck.3 Shallow mitten for a two-fingered hand.4 Three-cornered hut on one stilt. Sometimes built so the roof gapes.Read… -
Monday Poetry Stretch - Rhopalic Verse
6 May 2013 | 7:15 amIn the book Fly With Poetry: An ABC of Poetry, written and illustrated by Avis Harley, you'll find descriptions and examples of many different poetic forms. This week I want to try rhopalic verse. Here's how Avis defines it.Rhopalic Verse: (from Greek "rhopalon"--a club which is thicker at one end)Lines in which each successive word has one syllable more than the one before it.Here is an example.TAPESTRIESSmall spiders filigreethe garden greenerywith silken precision. Delicately, definitively,they network tapestriesthat capturemorethan morning's gloriousdew.Poem ©Avis Harley. All… -
Poetry A-Z: Day 30 ... Celebrations
29 Apr 2013 | 9:01 pmI can't believe it's that last day of April. As usual, after 29 days of poetry goodness I have a laundry list of things I wish I'd done differently, topics I wish I'd covered, and books I know I missed. So how does one cap off a month filled with poetry? I've decided to do it with a bit of celebration.CELEBRATION - the action of marking one's pleasure at an important event or occasion by engaging in enjoyable, typically social, activityDays to Celebrate: A Full Year of Poetry, People, Holidays, History, Fascinating Facts, and More, written and edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins and… -
Poetry A-Z: Day 29 ... Gardens
28 Apr 2013 | 9:01 pmMy son and I spent Saturday morning in the community garden on campus pulling weeds. Growing weeds seems to be my forte, while growing vegetables ... NOT SO MUCH! My garden partner and I have planted radishes, broccoli, two kinds of basil, squash, and sunflowers. We're waiting a bit to put in the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. I do love fresh vegetables, so pulling weeds will be tedious and highly annoying, but I have to keep reminding myself of all the good things that will come in the end.Given my recent experiences, this seems like a particularly appropriate time to write about poetry… -
Poetry A-Z: Day 28 ... School Days
27 Apr 2013 | 9:01 pmAs my friends in K-12 schools finish up the last 9 weeks of the school year and begin testing like mad, things here are winding down. Classes here have officially come to an end, but we still have finals and I have LOADS of grading ahead of me. As I work to wrap up the spring semester and plan for summer school, I'm thinking a lot about the academic year. This cycle of school days puts me in mind of some wonderful books of poetry about school.First Food Fight This Fall: And Other School Poems, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa, follows a group of…
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MotherReader
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Poetry Friday: Follow, Follow
24 May 2013 | 7:37 amFollow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Josee Masse Dial 2013, review from library copy This picture book of poetry has a clever twist. The poems can be read backwards or forwards. With different line breaks, punctuation, and intended inflection, the reversed poem becomes something altogether new. Having common fairy tales as the subjects makes it easy for the reader to jump right into the story told in the contrasting verses. For instance On With the Dance captures - so to speak - the twelve dancing princesses: Sleep, soldier. Do not follow this eager pack of… -
Waiting
22 May 2013 | 8:42 amToday is all about waiting. I'm waiting to see if Anna will be used as a photo double for a local film, though it's probably unlikely. I'm waiting to find out if Erin will be cast and/or called back for a local theatre production, which is probably likely. I'm waiting to learn the extensiveness and cost of repairs on my car, which has a continuum of suck factor I don't want to contemplate. Around me, people are waiting. Friends in their last weeks of pregnancy are fighting with meditation or tearing apart rooms in the struggle with biding their time. Teacher friends are eyeing the last weeks… -
Poetry Friday: "Shop Vac"
17 May 2013 | 7:19 amAnother in the songs as poetry series, Shop Vac by Jonathan Coulton was requested specifically for inclusion by TeenReader. Well, it is a favorite of our family. Suburban angst, yo. We took the freeway out of town We found a place to settle down We bought a driveway and a swingset and a dog You got your very own bathroom I got my very own workshop in the basement We sit around staring at the wall-to-wall Take field trips to our favorite mall Waiting for the day When all the kids grow up and leave us here So if you need me I'll be downstairs With the shop vac You can call but I probably won't… -
48 Hour Book Challenge: New Host
15 May 2013 | 7:51 amThanks to Ms. Yingling everyone who needs their 48 Hour Book Challenge fix will - I repeat, WILL - be accommodated. Along with help from Abby the Librarian, they will bring that weekend of guilt-free reading your way starting on June 7th. Check back in with Ms. Yingling for details, and kudos to her for taking on the challenge behind the challenge of running the challenge. While I delayed in figuring out what to do with this community event, I am glad and grateful that it can continue. Read on, dedicated readers. Read on! Thanks for all of your comments of support and friendship on My Most… -
I'm So Sorry
8 May 2013 | 9:58 amLook, I know I've been phoning it in and I know that you know I've been phoning it in, but what I don't know, really, is why. It's bigger than malaise and smaller than depression. It's not something drawing my interest elsewhere so much as not being interested in much of anything. Seriously, I don't want to do anything. Even reading seems... tiresome. The easiest, best part of my day is just hanging out with the girls hearing about their days at school. A close second is petting my cat for a questionably long time. These are not scenes that lead to grand plans. With that, I've held off on…
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Poetry for Children
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Ms. Neeland's Green Screen Mo Po Poetry Project
24 May 2013 | 6:55 amOne of my fabulous former students is Carol Neeland, a teacher at the American School of the Hague (in the Netherlands). She is doing really creative things with kids incorporating technology in promoting and responding to poetry-- she calls it "green screen poetry." I've shared some of their gems before and have permission to do so once again. Here are very clever poem movies that her students created for two poems by Shel Silverstein."Crazy Dream" was created by 6th graders Amanda and Anna and it features some special guest stars:Dr. Richard Spradling, SuperintendentMs. Mary… -
The poetry of shoes
18 May 2013 | 8:52 pmI'm currently in Bali (yes, THAT Bali) for the IBBY Asia Oceana Congress to talk about poetry, what else? (More on my presentation, "The World in Verse," later.) But first, I've done a bit of touring and ran across this and I had to share!Since I am a shoe lover (although I just can't manage the way-high heels I wore in my "youth"), I get that shoes and bags do have their own kind of poetry! Don't you agree?(Also, my apologies for being AWOL. Bali is blocking Gmail and Blogger, but I stumbled upon a "back-door" today, which will probably slam shut any moment! If not, I'll post… -
9th Annual Poetry Round Up at TLA
3 May 2013 | 8:19 pmThis time last week, I was lucky enough to host the 9th annual Poetry Round Up at the Texas Library Association conference in Fort Worth. What an amazing lineup of poets and what a great audience. For those of you who couldn't join us, here are a few video clips to share the magic!Robert Paul Westonhttp://robertpaulweston.com/ Charles Watershttp://charleswaters.netAmy Ludwig VanDerwaterhttp://www.amylv.com/ Michael Salingerhttp://www.michaelsalinger.com/ Rebecca Dotlichhttp://rebeccakaidotlich.com/&Jane Yolenhttp://janeyolen.com/SELECTED BOOKS BY 2013 ROUND UP POETS… -
P*CON at TLA 2013
30 Apr 2013 | 10:30 pmThe whole P*CON poet crew and me!Michael SalingerRebecca DotlichJane YolenAmy Ludwig VanDerwaterCharles WatersRobert Paul WestonGuadalupe Garcia McCallJane and Rebecca discuss collaborating on GRUMBLES FROM THE FORESTWill Richey and teens rock the house; volunteers step up to participateOur enthusiastic audience; Jane and Charles talking about process; poets in the audienceThanks to the poets who spoke so eloquently and each stayed for the entire 4 hour institute. Thanks to Penguin and Boyds Mills Press for bringing several of our poets. Thanks to our lovely audience who were so committed,… -
Blast from the Poetry Past: 2006
29 Apr 2013 | 10:30 pmThe Children’s Poet Laureate was established by the Poetry Foundation in 2006 to raise awareness of the fact that “children have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them.” 2006The first Children’s Poet Laureate was Jack Prelutsky, chosen in 2006. 2008Mary Ann Hoberman was selected as the second Children’s Poet Laureate in 2008. 2011J. Patrick Lewis was selected as Children’s Poet Laureate in 2011 and also received the National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in…
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Cynsations
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Cynsational News & Giveaways
24 May 2013 | 6:40 amBy Cynthia Leitich Smithfor CynsationsAuthor Interview: Tim Tingle on How I Became a Ghost from The Edmond Sun. Peek: "My great-great-grandfather...was 10...when his family began the long walk (The Trail of Tears) to what is now Oklahoma. I wanted to write a book based on these family memories that a young reader would enjoy, with humor and discovery, with snow monsters and shape-shifting panthers."Author Insight: The Write Mood from Wastepaper Prose. Peek: "Sometimes the simple act of writing becomes challenging. How do you make yourself write when you aren’t in the mood? Do you ever… -
New Voice & Giveaway: Laurie Boyle Crompton on Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillains)
23 May 2013 | 5:50 amBy Cynthia Leitich Smithfor CynsationsLaurie Boyle Crompton is the first-time author of Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillains) (Sourcebooks, 2013) and looks forward to the release of Adrenaline (FSG/Macmillian, 2014) and The Real Prom Queens of Westfield High (Sourcebooks, 2014).From the promotional copy of Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillains):When comic-obsessed Blaze stands up to her evil ex, he posts a racy picture of her online and a battle of epic proportions ensues. Before she knows it, Zap! Thwack! Pow! Blaze becomes the target of intense bullying. She must… -
Guest Author Interview: Eric A. Kimmel on Marketing Manuscripts to Publishers
22 May 2013 | 7:18 amBy Laini Bostianfor Cynthia Leitich Smith's CynsationsLibrarian Laini Bostian blogs at The Made Up Librarian. Today she talks to Eric A. Kimmel about authors marketing their manuscripts to publishers. Learn more about Eric from Scholastic.Eric: About writing and marketing, it’s never one or the other. Professional writers do look to the market. They have to. There are always compromises and adjustments to be made during the composition process and during the revision and editing processes.The key is how does the author feel about making the changes. If you go too far and say… -
Redirect: Cynthia Leitich Smith on Writing for the Long Haul
21 May 2013 | 5:40 amCyn sounds off!By Cynthia Leitich Smithfor CynsationsSurf over to author Janni Lee Simner's Desert Dispatches for my thoughts on Writing for the Long Haul, the first in a series of posts by "writing survivors." Peek: "I have a respectful patience for the inner artist but always hold her accountable."Read the whole post. -
New Voice: Polly Holyoke on The Neptune Project
20 May 2013 | 4:39 amBy Cynthia Leitich Smithfor CynsationsPolly Holyoke is the first-time author of The Neptune Project (Hyperion, 2013). From the promotional copy:With her weak eyes and useless lungs that often leave her gasping for air, Nere feels more at home swimming with the dolphins her mother studies than she does hanging out with her classmates. Nere has never understood why she is so much more comfortable and confident in the water than on land until the day she learns the shocking truth—she is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the…
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Read alert
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Prizes and Patrick…yes please
14 May 2013 | 7:23 pm2013 Text Prize The shortlist for the 2013 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing was announced this morning with four talented authors chosen from 350 submissions. This all female line up at in competition for the $10,000 prize. The winner is to be announced on Wednesday, 29th of May. The shortlisted authors are: Waer by Meg Caddy Lost Vegas by Jo Hegerty Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller Flood Damage by Diana Sweeney Short synopsis of each of their titles can be found here. Patrick Ness – Exclusive Melbourne Event The Melbourne Writers… -
Where to get your dose of YA events this week!
8 May 2013 | 10:00 pmMelbourne’s exploding in YA awesomeness this week with many opportunities to rub shoulders with our homegrown talent! An evening with James Roy Thursday, 16th of May, 6-8pm Come down to the City Library on Degraves Street to meet multi-award winning YA author, James Roy. The Children’s Book Council of Australia (Victoria branch) will be pulling out some wine , cheese and a fabulous speaker. Who could ask for more?! Click on the link to make your reservation to this free event. Meet James Roy at The Little Bookroom Wednesday, 22nd of May, 6pm Make your way to the 769… -
Know a keen teen reader? We’re looking for Inky Award Judges
18 Apr 2013 | 12:20 amI have this post-it note beside my computer, because it’s something I can never be reminded of enough. Teens are smart. Teens are discerning. And a lot of them love books. The Inky Awards are all about celebrating the best of new young adult releases – and facilitating the teen voice in what makes a great book for teens. If you know an enthusiastic teen reader, we want to hear from them. Teens aged under 20 can now apply to be a 2013 Inky Award judge. The successful applicants will receive the twenty longlisted books (titles announced 1 June), but in return they have the… -
PD Opportunity: Teaching Melina Marchetta in the Secondary Classroom
14 Apr 2013 | 5:56 pmPenguin Teachers Academy has been offering a broad range of professional development courses throughout 2013 and we couldn’t help but mention this one. Taking place in Melbourne on the 2nd of May, the PTA workshop “… will allow participants the opportunity to hear Melina Marchetta speak about the use of her novels in a classroom setting and share a vast array of activities, ideas and assessment tools for use in your classroom or library.” It’s a well known tale that Marchetta is a former English teacher who had to teach Looking for Alibrandi to her own students… -
2013 Ethel Turner Prize
10 Apr 2013 | 10:10 pmIt has been a busy week on the Australian literary scene with the shorlist announcements for CBCA early in the week and the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards today. Congratulations to all the recognised writers, it was surely a difficult decision for the judging panels. Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature shortlist: Three Summers - Judith Clarke (A&U) The Ink Bridge – Neil Grant (A&U) Sea Hearts – Margo Lanagan (A&U) A Corner of White - Jaclyn Moriarty (Pan Macmillan) Into that Forest – Louis Nowra (A&U) Unforgotten –…
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childrens-book « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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The Teacher
18 May 2013 | 10:54 amThe relationship of Wang Ming with the other characters is vast while also being very basic and organic. He is the friend and guardian to all the other animals in the forest. He is the one who challenges his friends’ mind sets while also guarding their basic values they hold dear to. He is the savior of the villagers while also being a thief in their eyes. In the end though, through the growth of Wang Ming do the other characters grow. He becomes the ultimate teacher. -
Sneak Peek At J.K. Rowling’s Annotated ‘Philosopher’s Stone’
18 May 2013 | 10:35 amEarlier this month it was announced that J.K. Rowling was placing a first edition annotated copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone up for auction. New photos of the book released today depict some amazing notes written by the author within her debut novel. The Guardian shared three pages from inside this extremely rare charity item. In addition to the new notes, we also see a sketch of baby Harry in his carriage sitting out front Number Four Privet Drive. Above each photo is a typed version of what Rowling wrote on the pages, for easier reading. One particular interesting item… -
Shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People's Book Prize
18 May 2013 | 10:21 amWho says you have to choose between the sciences and the arts? When I was at school, I did maths and arts A levels. At Cambridge University, I started off studying in the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and ended up in the Department of Engineering. I enjoyed analysing a poem just as much as I enjoyed doing spectrographic analyses of speech signals. And so when it came to creating my Buzzing! book, it was entirely natural to me to mix science and amusing poetry, entomology and etymology, to create a colourful, fizzing, ‘edu-taining’ experience. I was thrilled to… -
Parrots
18 May 2013 | 8:11 amI went with my friend, George Sommers, author of I SAW WILD PARROTS IN NEW YORK CITY!, Yellow Bird, -
Want to read my new children's book?Only today,
18 May 2013 | 6:20 amWant to read my new children’s book? Only today, you can download it for FREE on Amazon.com and enjoy it!
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School Library Journal
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Rally for NYC Public Libraries; Christopher Awards Gala
24 May 2013 | 11:48 amPlease send your pictures of the week to sdiaz@mediasourceinc.com. On May 22, Council Members (l. to r.) Vincent Gentile, Peter Koo, Jimmy Van Bramer, and Andy King showed their support for NYC public libraries at a rally to protest proposed funding cuts. Photos courtesy of Queens Library Supporters of NYC public libraries marching by City Hall Warren St. John (for Outcasts United) and Jo S. Kittinger (for The House on Dirty-Third Street) at the Christopher Awards gala on May 23. The Christophers are presented to writers, producers, directors and illustrators “whose work affirms… -
Pick of the Day: Infinity Ring, Book 1: A Mutiny in Time (Audio)
24 May 2013 | 8:40 amInfinity Ring, Book 1: A Mutiny in Time. By James Dashner. 4 CDs. 4:31 hrs. Scholastic Audiobooks. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-46633-4. $49.99. Gr 4-6–History is broken and it’s up to kid geniuses and best friends Dak and Sera to fix it. When Sera fixes the Infinity Ring, a time travel device created by Dak’s parents, a secret society called the Historians recruit them to save the world. A destructive organization known as the SQ has somehow altered the course of history, causing breaks in Earth’s time line. Earth gets closer and closer to catastrophe as natural disasters increase and… -
CISSL Study Helps Define Role of Successful NJ School Libraries
23 May 2013 | 12:40 pmWhat does a good school library look like? What role does a good school library play in educating New Jersey students? These are the questions that Ross Todd, Ph.D., and Carol Gordon, Ph.D., co-directors of the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL), sought to define in a recent two-phase study they conducted in public elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the state. Todd and Gordon began looking to study NJ school libraries several years ago at the behest of Lucille Davy, then NJ Education Commissioner, who prompted the New Jersey Association of School… -
Picture Book About Islam Ignites Twitter Battle
23 May 2013 | 10:19 amChildren’s book author and former teacher Kate Messner has always had a passion for sharing books with kids, so when she recommended Hena Khan’s beautifulGolden Domes and Silver Lanterns(Chronicle, 2013) to her Twitter followers for its portrayal of Islam, she did not expect the backlash she received. A few days after her original recommendation, a user who does not follow her on Twitter initiated an intense multiday exchange with her about what he or she believes to be “the real Islam.” The person went on to cite aspects of the Islam religion as “very dangerous,” and… -
Pick of the Day: Songs for Junior Rangers (AUDIO)
23 May 2013 | 6:00 amSongs for Junior Rangers. CD. approx. 60 min. with lyrics, poster map, activity. Prod. by National Park Service. Dist. by CDBaby.com. 2012. ISBN unavail. $9.95. Gr 1-5–This celebration of our national parks features songs that explore Yellowstone, the Everglades, the Statue of Liberty, Carlsbad Caverns, Padre Island,Mount Rushmore, and several more. Jeff Wolin wrote 19 of the songs, and Krishel Augustine wrote the Navajo song. Vocal and instrumental performances on guitar, bass, banjo, fiddle, piano, accordion, sax, trombone, trumpet, harmonica, drums, and percussion are solid and…
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A Fuse #8 Production
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Press Release Fun: 2013 Carle Honors Honorees Announced
20 May 2013 | 9:01 pmThe Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Announces 2013 Carle Honors Honorees Eighth annual awards fête the individuals and organizations that provide creative vision and long-term dedication to the world of picture books (Amherst, MA –May 20, 2013) The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is pleased to announce the 2013 Carle Honors honorees to be celebrated at Guastavino’s in New York City on Thursday, September 26, 2013. The eighth annual benefit will pay tribute to the talented people who have made the picture book such a vibrant and impactful art form in America. This year, the… -
BEA One Stop Shopping: What to See and Do That’s YA & JUV
20 May 2013 | 1:00 amHowdy, folks! I can’t take full credit for today’s post since it was my ineffable co-worker Alison Hendon who took the time to cull together all the stuff at this month’s upcoming Book Expo that is children and YA book related. If you have any interest at all in attending but you’re not quite sure what there is to do, here’s a lovely schedule of events: BEA 2013 THURSDAY, MAY 30 Getting Kids Reading 9:30-10:20 1E12/1E13 YA Editors… -
Review of the Day: Hold Fast by Blue Balliett
18 May 2013 | 6:43 pmHold Fast By Blue Balliett Scholastic $17.99 ISBN: 978-0545299886 Ages 9-12 I honestly don’t think you can be a reviewer without being honest about your own personal prejudices first. When I pick up a book for children I have to cut through a thick swath of issues infecting my brain that may have little to nothing to do with the book in hand. Maybe I was forced to read Stuart Little when I was a child and that’s why I’ve never liked animal fantasies. Maybe a poorly constructed sports novel burned a small hole in my soul and that’s why this particular baseball novel… -
Fusenews: Honest Toddlers and Awesome Amish
16 May 2013 | 1:00 amFirst off, I have to suspect that after this week my blogging stats will be fairly healthy. First I wondered whither the 2013 middle grade black boys and then Sophie Blackall let me become the repository for some truly fantastic stories. Doubling back to that question about diversity in 2013 middle grades, author Varian Johnson has a good post of his own delving into that same topic. I randomly ran into Varian on my little book tour while hanging out with James Kennedy in Chicago. It is a very small children’s literary world after all, my friends. Along very much the same lines,… -
Press Release Fun: 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award Nominees Released
14 May 2013 | 9:01 pmSwoon. IBBY Announces the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award Jury and Nominees The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children’s books. Given every other year by IBBY, the Hans Christian Andersen Awards recognize lifelong achievement and are given to an author and an illustrator whose complete works have made an important, lasting contribution to children’s literature. The 2014 Jury, selected by IBBY’s Executive Committee from nominations made by its national sections, comprises the following ten…
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Michael Gerson: Most Recent Articles and Archives
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The unwelcome role of the IRS in Obamacare
23 May 2013 | 4:49 pmLet us stipulate that now might not be the best time — with IRS officials exposed for abusing power, caught in self-serving deceptions, invoking their constitutional right against self-incrimination — to dramatically expand the authority and size of their agency. But this is what Obamacare requires. Thousands of new IRS agents will implement 40-odd provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — the exact number is a matter of dispute since the law itself is so confusing. The largest tax law and social policy change in a generation will be imposed on a skeptical public by… -
GOP fear of Common Core education standards unfounded
20 May 2013 | 4:48 pmModern conservatism comes in two distinct architectural styles. The first seeks to build from scratch, using accurate ideological levels and plumb lines, so every wall is straight and every corner squared. The goal of politics is to apply abstract principles in their purest form. But there is another type of conservatism, often practiced at the state level, which attempts to build out of flawed, existing materials, resulting in some odd angles and incongruous additions. These conservative reformers assemble unexpected alliances, accept reasonable compromises and welcome incremental progress. -
Government’s heavy hand felt in IRS, AP scandals
15 May 2013 | 5:02 pmSo, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has investigated the IRS investigation of conservative groups. And the FBI has launched a criminal investigation of the IRS. And the State Department’s Office of Inspector General is investigating the Accountability Review Board that investigated the administration’s response to the Benghazi terror attack. And House committees including Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, Ways and Means and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence are variously investigating the Benghazi matter, the… -
Political corruption at the IRS
13 May 2013 | 12:12 pmSuppose that the Environmental Protection Agency were to admit offhandedly that the fluoridation of water had only modest communist mind-control effects. Or the United Nations were to concede it had been running fleets of black helicopters over U.S. cities, but only in the course of conducting extensive goodwill tours. Read full article >> -
Incompetence, not criminality, in Benghazi investigation
10 May 2013 | 5:25 amIn some cases, the fog of war is initially thick, then dissipates. After the Sept. 11, 2012, Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, the facts were initially clear. The fog was a later addition. Read full article >>
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Semicolon
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Saturday Review of Books: May 25, 2013
24 May 2013 | 5:09 pm“When the Day of Judgment dawns and the great conquerers and lawyers and statesmen come to receive their rewards–their crowns, their laurels, their names carved indelibly upon imperishable marble–the Almighty will turn to Peter and will say, not without a certain envy when he sees us coming with our books under our arms, ‘Look, these need no reward. We have nothing to give them here. They have loved reading.’” ~Virginia Woolf Maybe Ms. Woolf was being somewhat hyperbolic, but the best reading is at least a taste of heaven. Welcome to the Saturday Review of… -
Links and Thinks: Thursday, May 23, 2013
23 May 2013 | 1:14 pmIt’s World Turtle Day. There’s a Big Sale going on at Confessions of a Homeschooler. I looked over some of her unit studies, and they look as if they would be perfect for individual use or for our homeschool co-op. Around the World in 60 Days: Summer Reading Challenge for Kids. Tomorrow’s Poetry Friday round-up will be held at Jama’s Alphabet Soup, a lovely and visually delightful children’s literature blog that you really should check out while you’re there to get the poetry links. Ms. Jama even has a recipe for Mango Bread that looks delicious, along with… -
The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer
19 May 2013 | 7:36 pmThis legal thriller may have begun with the question: “What if all of the prisoners in a jurisdiction got together and went on strike? Specifically, what if all the criminals who were arrested in Harris County today made an agreement NOT to accept a plea bargain of any kind? What if all of the cases in the Harris County DA’s office had to go to trial? No deals. The wheels of the justice system would come to a halt. In The Last Plea Bargain, assistant DA Jamie Brock and her office must deal with just such a scenario. And it’s all designed to thwart the prosecution of one… -
Saturday Review of Books: May 18, 2013:
17 May 2013 | 10:29 pm“You must get into the habit of looking intensely at words, and assuring yourself of their meaning, syllable by syllable–nay, letter by letter… you might read all the books in the British Museum (if you could live long enough) and remain an utterly illiterate, uneducated person; but if you read ten pages of a good book, letter by letter, — that is to say, with real accuracy– you are forevermore in some measure an educated person.” ~John Ruskin Welcome to the Saturday Review of Books at Semicolon. Here’s how it usually works. Find a book review on your blog… -
Beholding Bee by Kimberley Newton Fusco
17 May 2013 | 9:11 amI reviewed Ms. Fusco’s book, The Wonder of Charlie Anne, a couple of years ago, and I enjoyed reading it. This novel, Beholding Bee, set during World War II in the northeastern U.S.(Ohio, Illinois), tells a good story, too. Bee is a feisty girl who learns over the course of the novel to stand up for herself and persevere—lessons we could all afford to learn and re-learn. “When you have a diamond shining on your face, you have rules about things. First you keep it hidden. There is a hose outside every place where we hook up because we need water to run our traveling show.
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Holly Black
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Thanks, Amazon!!
1 May 2013 | 11:53 am -
Doll Bones comes out on May 7th!
16 Apr 2013 | 8:30 amAnd I just got my first printed copy in the mail!If you like this kind of thing (and I hope you do), my spooky middle grade book comes out on May 7th.And I have tour dates! Including a new one! And a SPIDERWICK one!NEW!May 4thBOOKS OF WONDER18 W. 18th StreetNew York, NY1:00 PMMay 6thANDERSON'S BOOKSHOP123 West JeffersonNaperville, IL7:00 PMMAY 7thCUDAHY FAMILY LIBRARY3500 Library Drive (just south of Layton)Cudahy, WI6:30 PMMAY 9thADDENDUM BOOKS165 Western Avenue. N #14St. Paul, MN7:00 PMMAY 10thWILD RUMPUS2720 West 43rd StreetMinneapolis, MN6:30 PMNEW!MAY 15thwith Tony DiTerlizzi in… -
In NYC? Come See Me Tonight!
20 Mar 2013 | 10:33 amWednesday. March 20 (42nd St NYPL, South Court room, 6-8): Imagination: A ConversationDescription: It’s a given that authors’ minds are very strange, wonderful, twisted, illogical, inventive places. Here we talk to five rather imaginative authors about how they conjure the worlds in their books and the stories that they tell, along with glimpses of the strange and wonderful worlds they are creating at the present.Holly BlackLev GrossmanMichelle HodkinAlaya JohnsonRobin Wassermanmoderators: David Levithan and Chris ShoemakerFor more NYC Teen Author Festival events, click here. -
Cover for Coldest Girl in Coldtown, revealed!
4 Feb 2013 | 8:39 amI am super excited to be able to share with you the cover fo THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN. I absolutely love it, especially the veins underneath the type which I think are perfect for the book and also gorgeous (in a creepy way, yes, but I am a creepy lady) and the blue brocade which almost looks composed of menacing faces. I was delighted when it was first shown to me and I love it even better now. I have put it as a background screen on my computer and each time I look at it, I am delighted all over again.Want some ARC copy to tell you a little more about the book?COLDTOWN WAS DANGEROUS,… -
Check Out the Gorgeous New Art for Spiderwick
25 Jan 2013 | 3:39 pmTony really outdid himself this time in redesigning the Spiderwick covers for their 10th anniversary (!!!) and a larger size for the hardcover. Here’s the first one Click over to EW.com to see an exclusive look the other five covers and read an interview ith Mr. DiTerlizzi about his inspiration for the repackage.
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Ally Carter
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Happy Memorial Day!
24 May 2013 | 3:17 pmHi everybody! Happy Memorial Day Weekend to those of you who live in the U.S. For my family, it also marks the end of the school year (something about which my nieces are super excited). Memorial Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. Not because it is about going to the lake or the pool or having barbecues. I was raised to believe that Memorial Day is for…remembering. We always went to the cemetery as a family to decorate the graves of veterans and our family members. We always have big family meals and gatherings (one of which we had last weekend, actually). I know for a lot… -
United We Spy!
21 May 2013 | 4:22 pmHi everybody! So thrilled to come to you today with something that has been in the works for a very long time. As many of you no doubt saw, last week EW.com unveiled the title, cover, and description for the sixth–and final–Gallagher Girls book. (Read the original announcement here.) Well, now I can officially share it here. I hope you’re as thrilled as I am! Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know… -
Magnificent Monday Reading List
20 May 2013 | 5:43 amHey Everyone! Great job last week on finding the excerpt! I accepted all answers from hardback, paperback, and electronic formats. No prize this week but I do have some questions for you! As I am starting to pack for my vacation later this week I was gathering my GG books to take. I am rereading the GG series before Ally gives me United We Spy to read! So my questions for you are…. 1. What is on your summer reading list? 2. Are the books for school, pleasure, or both? 3. Have you read the book(s) before or will this be the first time? 4. Any books that are also movies? 5. What book are… -
Mission Winner!
15 May 2013 | 6:18 amThanks to everyone for participating! And the winner is…… Becca C. says: May 13, 2013 at 2:45 pm (Edit) Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover page 170 CONGRATULATIONS Becca!!!!! Please send me your mailing address to allycartercontest@gmail.com. I know a lot of you are curious as to why only US residents can be winners. The reason is because each country has different rules and regulations for winning prizes and taxes for shipping prizes into different countries. We LOVE our foreign fans but just aren’t able to send any kind of prizes to them. xoxo, Shellie The post Mission… -
And the title of GG6 is…
14 May 2013 | 1:18 pmHi everyone, Huge news today. Huge. Mega. Enormous. You see, the title and cover for Gallagher Girls 6 is now live over at EW.com. Check it out (and please let EW know how grateful we are to them for hosting the reveal.) Ally The post And the title of GG6 is… appeared first on Ally Carter.
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Among Amid While
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US and UK editions of Yellowcake
16 May 2013 | 11:50 pmUS edition My short story collection Yellowcake came out in the US this week, to some very nice starry reviews! "These are stories worth hungering for. Cut yourself a thick slice," said Cate Fricke in her review (click the "nice" link) while kind Sarah Potvin (click "very") said, "...if everyone wrote short stories of this caliber, they might be as popular as they should be. Lanagan has a true -
Ditmar and Hemming joy!
29 Apr 2013 | 1:41 amOn Saturday night at the Conflux 9 convention in Canberra, I was very honoured to receive, for Sea Hearts/The Brides of Rollrock Island, the Norma K. Hemming Award (for exploration of race, gender, sexuality, class or disability in science fiction or fantasy), and the Ditmar Award for Best Novel.Thanks, Deborah Biancotti for hosting a great awards night, and thank you, Hemming and Ditmar judges -
Ditmars, Norma K Hemming, CBCA, NSW Premier's
19 Apr 2013 | 9:59 amMore wonderful shortlistings! In the Ditmar awards, Sea Hearts is up for Best Novel, "Significant Dust" from Cracklescape is nominated for Best Novellette and Cracklescape itself is up for Best Collection. Sea Hearts is also up for the Norma K. Hemming Award, which will be awarded at the same ceremony next weekend at Conflux, and which "marks excellence in the exploration of themes of race, -
Two new interviews
10 Apr 2013 | 6:14 amAlan Baxter asked a bunch of writers about our "ongoing angst" and posted a great series of interviews on his blog. Here's mine; the other subjects are Kaaron Warren, Jo Anderton, Lisa Hannett, Angela Slatter and Trudi Canavan. Find out what we're all afraid of. And the Stella Prize is running interviews with shortlistees and judges over on its site; explore all those, too. -
Oh, and remember that Indie shortlisting?
3 Apr 2013 | 1:15 pmWell, look here! Sea Hearts, winner, Children's and YA section, Australian Independent Booksellers Awards 2013
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Justine Larbalestier
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Me and Libba Bray and Barry Goldblatt at Sydney Writers’ Festival
22 May 2013 | 7:23 pmLook what’s happening this Sunday, 26 May at 10AM1 Sydney Writers Festival Pier 2/3 Club Stage Walsh Bay, Sydney, NSW This event is free and no bookings required. FUN AND GAMES WITH LIBBA BRAY AND JUSTINE LARBALESTIER Moderated by fancy NYC literary agent Barry Goldblatt (also known as Mr Libba Bray). I imagine this will involve juggling and poker. Even though I always lose to Libba. She’s a total card shark. I bet me and Barry can get Libba to pop out her fake eye. I love it when she does that. We’ll also tell the very weird story of mine and Libba’s second meeting. -
Where I Will Be in 2013
24 Apr 2013 | 6:34 pmAfter Scott put up this post about his appearances for the rest of this year, I realised I should do likewise because most of those places he is, I will be also. An eerie coincidence, I know. Most of the events are in Australia. Sorry, rest of the world, who may have some interest in saying hello. We’ll always have Twitter. Conflux Canberra, ACT April 26-28 I’ll be interviewing the brilliant and wonderful -
Overused Words
22 Apr 2013 | 3:57 pmThis post is a reference post for my convenience. It’s taken from my large post on rewriting from a few years back. With some additions that I’ve noticed crop up in my writing more recently. (The horror.) When I get my novel to the point where I think it’s finished I have a ritual of searching on the following words. These are all words I have a habit of overusing. I’m always sure that I will have learned my lesson, that with each finished novel I will find I’ve overused fewer words. But, um, I appear to be a very slow learner indeed. Spoiler: I always overuse… -
Ten Years of Writing YA Novels For A Living
31 Mar 2013 | 3:12 pmIt is now TEN WHOLE YEARS since I became a freelance writer. I know, right? How did that happen? Ten years! And one more time because truly my disbelief is high: I HAVE BEEN A FULL-TIME, FREELANCE WRITER FOR TEN WHOLE YEARS. I know it’s also April Fool’s day but I truly did begin this novel-writing career of mine on the 1st of April. What better day to do something so very foolish? Back in 2003, having sold only one short story, I took the plunge. The first year did not go AT ALL well, but since then it’s mostly worked out. Here is my traditional anniversary post writing and… -
Torment and Writing
10 Feb 2013 | 8:44 pmOne of the most insidious myths about writing is that of the Tormented Genius.1 I blame the Romantics: Byron, Wordsworth, Shelley, that lot. Who were all: [i]f you have not suffered, if you have not had your soul embiggened by your torment and anguish and substance abuse—preferably opium, but, hey, alcohol will totally do in a pinch—then you cannot write a single soulful sentence! If you are neurotypical2 and have managed to live past forty? Totally not a proper writer!3 Obviously this is one hundred per cent true because think of all those famous writers: F. Scott Fitzgerald,…
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westerblog
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Photographs Aren’t Real
23 May 2013 | 8:41 pmAs the guy who wrote Uglies, there are certain kinds of news stories that are forwarded to me by everyone. Hi-tech tattoos, bizarre plastic surgery, stuff that hovers, and of course anything having to do with beauty. So it was no surprise that a recent story about the Miss Korea contest flooded my inbox. The basic story went like this: Plastic surgery is so prevalent in South Korea that all the contestants in their national beauty contest look freakishly alike. Look, we haz proof! And yes, I will admit that this is a somewhat chilling image. With a few exceptions, it looks like twenty photos… -
Cheap Stuff
19 May 2013 | 6:52 amNote All of these deals are over. But there’s a cool video below, and info about my Sydney Writers Festival appearance. If you’ve never tried the audio book of Leviathan, it’s pretty awesome. Alan Cumming does a wonderful job with all the accents and characters. For the next day or so, you can download the audiobook for only $5.99 from Audible. (Offer only good in the US, I think.) Click here to make it happen. This offer expires at the end of Monday May 20, US time. As a reminder, here’s one of my interviews with Alan about the books: Also, on Monday morning, US time,… -
My Interview on the ABC
21 Apr 2013 | 9:13 pmWhen I was at Adelaide Writers Week last month, I did an extended interview with Sean Williams, who writes the Trouble Twisters series with Garth Nix. The ABC was kind enough to film the talk and put it online. I talk about Uglies, Leviathan and the history of illustrations, living with another writer, from whence inspiration comes, my other books, and pretty much everything else writerly. It’s a whole hour long! Hope you enjoy it. Thanks to Adelaide Writers Week for having me, to everyone who asked questions, to the ABC, and to Sean for being a great interviewer. Here is the ABC page… -
My Doings in 2013
17 Apr 2013 | 10:01 pmI don’t have a book out this year, so I won’t be on any sort of tour. But I will be traveling around a bit and doing a few live appearances (mostly in Australia) so it makes sense to list everything in one place for easy linkage. And this is that place. Here are all my known appearances in 2013. I will update this page as things change. Note that Justine will be at many of these things. Conflux Canberra, Australia April 26-28 I’ll be doing a presentation about Leviathan and the history of illustrated novels on Friday (April 26) at 5:00PM, Event Room One. (And otherwise… -
Cool Hungarian Stuff
7 Apr 2013 | 7:27 pmTwo posts ago, a commenter called Hungarian Boy pointed us all to the site of Richard Vass, the artist for the Hungarian covers of the Leviathan series. His original paintings can be found there, and they are all full of bonus awesome. So here they are: Pretty cool. Go check out the rest of his stuff.
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Lili Wilkinson
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Blog! Stuff! Books!
17 May 2013 | 5:40 pmThings are super busy here in my world. Working on my new book, which has transformed itself into also being part of my PhD. Also working on my thesis, which I’m enjoying so much more than I thought I would. I love literary criticism! Who knew? I’m also super busy at various schools, festivals and other events. I’m really enjoying being a host for The Wheeler Centre’s Texts In The City program – I’m reading lots of things I’ve always meant to read, and rereading some old favourites. I do a lot of talking about my own books, so it’s very… -
The Zigzag Effect launch!
25 Feb 2013 | 2:55 pmThe Zigzag Effect comes out in less than a month! And there’ll be a celebratory event at Readings Carlton, where I’ll be in conversation with Emily Gale! You should totally come along. -
The Next Big Thing
2 Jan 2013 | 6:38 pmSimmone Howell has tagged me to do this, and it’s SUPER late because I got distracted by Christmas. But here we go! 1) What is the working title of your next book? The Zigzag Effect. That’s the final title. For a while it was Never Miss A Trick, then The Sucker Effect, then about a million other things, but now it is definitely, finally The Zigzag Effect. 2) Where did the idea come from for the book? A documentary about magician’s assistants. There is a bunch of ladies whose job it is to dress up in a spangly little leotard, look beautiful, get tied up, cut in half… -
2013!
2 Jan 2013 | 1:06 amWell. I was pretty rubbish at blogging in 2012. But in my defense, I did: get engaged release a new book buy a house move house get married go on a honeymoon go through PhD confirmation write a novel (more on that tomorrow) do over a hundred talks/workshops in schools attended four literary festivals and like a million other things that I can’t remember. It’s been a pretty damn awesome year. I’m hoping 2013 will be just as wonderful as 2012 was. I have lots of super exciting projects coming up. Plus in three weeks we are getting a PUPPY. YAY! -
The Zigzag Effect cover reveal!
18 Nov 2012 | 5:01 pmIntroducing my next book – The Zigzag Effect! It’s about Sage Kealley, who gets a job working for a stage magician. Naturally, not everything is as it seems… I LOVE this cover. Look at the bunny! (his name is Warren, and he is VERY important to the story)
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Bookwitch
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Put out to grass
24 May 2013 | 9:13 pmI wish. That I was here. Oh well, I suppose there is grass at this end, too… -
Space Blasters
23 May 2013 | 9:34 pmYou have to love Philip Caveney’s cinema books! Here we are again, all ready to pop into the latest ‘Star Wars’ film. Or not. Kip, whose Dad runs this Stockport cinema with a difference, has decided once and for all that he will not go into any more films, however much Mr Lazarus tries to tempt him. And Mr Lazarus, the 120-year-old projectionist, respects his wishes. Things went wrong last time. And the time before that. Dad is happy, because his cinema is finally doing well. He has no idea why, though, which could be the reason he is stupid enough to talk to the press. So,… -
Happy Birthday, Emil!
22 May 2013 | 9:40 pmI have it on fairly good authority that Emil in Lönneberga is fifty today. Although – as you probably know – he must be quite a lot older, really. Something like just over a hundred, maybe? Astrid Lindgren’s Emil lived at the beginning of the last century, and to start with he was a little boy. (When he was a fully proper adult he became chairman of the local council.) But, today it’s fifty years since Astrid needed to calm her grandson who was having a tantrum, and so she came up with Emil. Hujedamej. The theory is that if Emil was a child today, he’d be… -
Our visiters
21 May 2013 | 8:27 pmThe New Librarian is over from Sweden. She came with a group of 25 librarians to check out our libraries. To be cynical, it’s good they came while there are still libraries to check out. It’s a EU thing, apparently. They have been travelling all over the place to see and learn stuff. Son and I went into Manchester on Tuesday evening to eat pizza with her. It was nice to see her here again. We do see her in Sweden, but it’s been a while since she popped over to Manchester on a regular basis to hear outlandish bands in concert. We’re dreadfully cool. They had done… -
The Unicorn Hunter
20 May 2013 | 10:08 pmIt was only as I studied the cover of Che Golden’s second faerie book, The Unicorn Hunter, that the penny dropped. I’d been thinking the cover was fantastic, but also that it made Maddy, the heroine, look too old. She looks a cool 14, while she’s really only ten. I think. She acts more like 14, too. But back to the cover illustration. If you have Maddy looking ten years old, and add a picture of a unicorn, and if you made it pinker, it would be something straight out of My Little Pony. Thank goodness for cool looks. A year has passed since Maddy and her cousins Roisin and…
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Confessions of a Bibliovore
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Book Review: Under Shifting Glass by Nicky Singer
18 May 2013 | 11:18 amBook: Under Shifting Glass Author: Nicky Singer Published: 2013 Source: review copy from publisher via Edelweiss When her beloved great-aunt dies, Jess feels as if she’s gone into a tailspin. With her mother and stepfather totally focused on her twin baby brothers, and her best friend gradually pulling away in favor of boys and popularity, there’s nobody left who really gets her. She feels lost, overlooked, and helpless to change any of the big things happening in her life. Then, in a desk she inherited from her great-aunt, she discovers a bottle with a strange mist inside. What is it? -
Book Review: The Garden of My Imaan, by Farhana Zia
11 May 2013 | 11:11 amBook: The Garden of My Imaan Author: Farhana Zia Published: 2013 Source: Review copy from publisher via NetGalley In many ways, Aliya is the girl next door. She has friends and enemies, she worries about popularity and bullying and grades. Though her family is Muslim, they aren’t strict about it. Though she tries to eat halal, she doesn’t have to wear the hijab. Then Marwa comes to her school. Marwa is far more open about her Muslim-ness than Aliya, wearing the hijab and responding calmly in the face of racist bullying. Aliya starts to resent being “the other Muslim girl.” At the same… -
Reading Roundup: April 2013
1 May 2013 | 6:29 pmBy the Numbers Teen: 14 Tween: 6 Children: 7 Sources Review Copies: 11 Purchased: 1 Library: 13 Standouts Teen: Dark Trimph by Robin LaFevers Yes, it is possible to get darker than Grave Mercy. Sybella has some nasty secrets in her past. If you can handle that, pick this up. Tween: How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg Short, self-contained chapters and plenty of gross details make this a natural for reluctant readers. Just don't read while eating. I can't emphasize this enough. Children: 13 Planets: the latest view of the solar system While the stuff about… -
Book Review: Out of Nowhere by Maria Padian
6 Apr 2013 | 9:22 pmBook: Out of Nowhere Author: Maria Padian Published: 2013 Source: Review copy from publisher via NetGalley Tom's family has lived in Ennistown for generations. His grandparents and his parents were born in this little Maine town, filled with French-Canadian blue-collar workers. But Tom's Ennistown is changing, as waves of Somalian refugees pour in. He pays little attention to his new neighbors, except for the new Somali players on his soccer team, who play a kind of soccer he's never seen before. When a stupid prank on a rival school forces Tom into community service at the local Somali… -
Reading Roundup: March 2013
1 Apr 2013 | 10:33 pmBy the Numbers Teen: 13 Tween: 15 Children: 12 Sources Review Copies: 11 Library: 23 Standouts Teen: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson When I picked this up, I thought it would be just another cookie-cutter dystopia with a tired romance. That couldn't be farther from the truth. With a unique setting and premise, this was easily my favorite book all month. Tween: Under Shifting Glass by Nicky Singer Another book that wasn't quite what I expected. Touching on the big mysteries of life, death, and faith without being too glib or pat-answery about any of it, this is a book to start kids…
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ReadPlus Review Blog
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Riley and the jumpy kangaroo: a journey around Canberra by Tania McCartney
24 May 2013 | 11:31 amIll. by Kieron Pratt. Ford St., 2013. ISBN 978 1 92500 02 3. (Age: 6+) Warmly recommended. Picture book. Cities. Canberra. The fifth in the series of Riley and his zany bunch of animals traveling around major cities will fill a niche in school libraries. With few books about cities on offer to a younger audience this series of books will have appeal for use in the classroom when discussing the city in question or library where younger readers are looking for a picture book about that place. The large pages of photographs showing significant places in the cities mentioned have broad appeal. -
The watcher in the shadows by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
24 May 2013 | 11:29 amText, 2013. ISBN 9781921922527 (Age 11+) Recommended. After the death of her father, Irene's family which had been well off, fall into poverty and when Irene's mother accepts a job as a housekeeper for a strange toymaker, they all believe that things will improve. However, Lazarus, the owner of the crumbling mansion by the sea, creates strange and dangerous mechanical beings. Fearful lights come from an old lighthouse and there are strange stories about a woman's disappearance. Irene meets Ismael, a young sailor and together they battle the angels of the dark in this gothic thriller. From the… -
Ellie MacDoodle: Have pen will travel by Ruth McNally Barshaw
24 May 2013 | 11:28 amBloomsbury, 2011, 192 pgs (pbk.) ISBN 9781599907154. (Age 7+). Recommended. Eleven-year-old Ellie McDougal is called Ellie McDoodle by the kids at school because she loves to draw. When her parents go away, Ellie is forced to go camping with her annoying cousins and control freak aunt and uncle. Ellie captures all the excruciating and funny details of a dreaded camping trip with her crazy relatives by illustrating her sketchbook with her observations. Due to her scathing descriptions of her relatives it is imperative she keeps this sketchbook hidden at all times. But one day her cousin Eric… -
When my name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
24 May 2013 | 11:24 amUniversity of Queensland Press, 2013. ISBN 9780702249747. Daily life for Sun Hee and her family becomes almost intolerable when the Japanese invade Korea during the Second World War. Hungry for resources to supply the war effort, the brutal new masters strip the local population of food, possessions and even young men to fill the ranks of their army. When the dictatorial regime becomes so oppressive that the Korean citizens are ordered to change their names and speak Japanese, tensions develop in Sun Hee's family as they struggle to maintain their security and identity. This story is told… -
When we wake by Karen Healey
22 May 2013 | 2:51 pmAllen & Unwin, 2013. ISBN9781742378084. (Age 14+) Highly recommended. Science fiction. Dystopian fiction. Set in the year 2127, 16 year old Tegan wakes up from a 100 year sleep. Her last memories were so happy: she had discovered that the boy she had wanted for so long wanted her too, and she was going to a protest with her best friend. In this new world some of the things that her friends had fought for have happened. Gay marriage is legal and the world is greener, but Colonel Dawson seems to be manipulating her for his own ends and a religious fundamentalist group leader talks of an Ark…
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There's a Botticelli Angel Inside, Snapping Beans:
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Who's That Fat Kid?
13 May 2013 | 10:00 amI'm honored to be posting about fat politics over at the Children's Book Council's Diversity blog today. -
from American Indians in Children's Literature
4 May 2013 | 1:09 pmDebbie Reese talking about hipster Indian appropriation in Weetzie Bat. -
Ben Spatz on Publicly Sponsored Hate Speech
1 May 2013 | 7:54 pmMy brother takes on the fatphobia that masquerades as public health. -
How to follow Jeanette Beal's case
23 Apr 2013 | 4:12 pmJeanette is now blogging updates to her situation at her own blog. Please follow and comment there. Thank you! -
Specific requests from Jeanette Beal, to help her case.
9 Apr 2013 | 4:09 pmHere's a note from Jeanette (read that post first if you haven't yet) about some things people can do to help.*Hi! If you'd like to help me out, I could use some of the following:1. Contact PearsonVue, makers of the MTEL and tell them this is wrong. 800-989-85322. Contact Judy Sohn-White, educator policy, preparation and leadership, DESE 781-338-6600 xt. 6254. Tell her this is wrong. 3. Contact Cindy Wills, MTEL alternative testing accommodations coordinator (at PearsonVue) and tell her this is wrong. There's no direct line, but the MTEL number is 413-256-28924. Share this with your local…
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I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I read?
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The Thousand Natural Shocks - 13 Year Old Charles (Who's Secretly Gay) Doesn't Fit In At His High School... So He Goes To Military School, and It's Even Worse... at First
24 May 2013 | 3:05 amThe Thousand Natural Shocks by Michael SáenzThirteen-year-old Charles Siskin is not like other boys. He doesn't like sports, he reads all the time and by the time he is ready to enter high school, he doesn't have a single friend. But it is more than these things that separate him from kids his own age. For as long as he can remember, Charles Siskin has liked boys.Set apart from everyone by his odd disposition and what his schoolmates see as a distinctly feminine way of speaking and walking, he has become an outcast. In his search for a better education, and because of his need to get away… -
Whistle Pass - The 1950s, Homophobia, and Gay Romance
23 May 2013 | 3:04 amWhistle Pass by KevaD (a.k.a. David Kentner)On the battlefields of WWII Europe, Charlie Harris fell in love, and after the war, Roger marched home without a glance back. Ten years later, Charlie receives a cryptic summons and quickly departs for his former lover’s hometown of Whistle Pass.But Roger Black isn’t the lover of Charlie’s dreams anymore. He’s a married, hard-bitten political schemer who wants to secure his future by destroying evidence of his indiscreet past. Open homosexuality is practically a death sentence, and that photo would ruin Roger and all his wife’s nefarious… -
Rin!: A Gay Romance on the High School Archery Team
22 May 2013 | 3:03 amRin! by Satoru KannagiSince he was little, sweet and anxious Katsura has soothed his fears and insecurities by asking for a tight hug from Sou, his older brother’s best friend. Now shooting together for their high school’s archery team, Katsura is ridiculed by homophobic peers for clinging to another man, and Sou’s gruff complaints about the touching indicate he’s growing tired of it. Dramatic moments of growth occur as Katsura and Sou explore their true feelings for each other and find the strength in themselves to love in a healthy way.This manga holds fascinating insight into… -
A Life of Experience - A Gay Teen Grows Up
21 May 2013 | 3:02 amA Life Of Experience by Alan PhillipsAbused by his father, Michael Parker leaves home at sixteen and becomes embroiled in the gay prostitution scene on the streets of London. From there he then finds himself involved in gay pornography and is quite successful and in demand. Wishing to get away from that world, he manages to escape and become a male model. His good looks and natural ability in front of a camera lead him into television as a legitimate actor but at the pinnacle of his career his early life is exposed in the press and he confronts his nemesis with disastrous consequences. Ten… -
Letters From The Closet - A Girl's Memoir About Her Relationship With Her Gay Teacher
20 May 2013 | 3:00 amLetters From the Closet by Amy HollingsworthIt was an improbable relationship from the start—a high school English teacher, still in the closet, and his best student. From the confines—and protection—of his closet, Amy’s teacher wrote these letters, letters that were read, cherished, answered, and then locked away for years.Now Amy looks back at the decade of intimate letters that preceded her teacher’s untimely death, collects the shards left by their clumsy, sometimes violent attempts to unmask each other, and counts again the cost of knowing and being known. Recommended for…
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Literacy, families and learning
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Helping Children to Spell: Eight Strategies That Work!
22 May 2013 | 1:54 pmHow do we learn to spell?Learning to spell like learning to write has often been surrounded by many misconceptions. It has been misunderstood by children, parents and even some teachers. The standard way to teach spelling in schools has generally been through the memorisation of lists of words and learning rules.But as I pointed out in a previous post on spelling (here), it is impossible to learn the number of words that we use as adults by memorising lists. So, while spelling lists might help children to memorise some words, proficient spelling requires the development of a range of… -
Why Re-creation Matters for Learning: Some age appropriate examples
14 May 2013 | 11:43 amSam (age 7) holding his 'Swiss Family Robinson' gameImaginative recreation is an essential part of learning. By re-creation I mean the reconstruction, presentation or retelling of a story in new ways. The story might have been experienced firsthand (e.g. an event, eye witness account, careful observation), seen as a film, video or TV program, heard or read.Story in its own right is critical to learning, communication and well-being. This is something that I've written about many times (for example HERE & HERE). For children, the re-creation or reliving of a story is a critical part of… -
Appreciating Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories*
6 May 2013 | 5:45 amAn Introduction for non-Australians Emily Gap N.T.Indigenous Australians were the original inhabitants of the continent we know today as Australia. They include Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders. Together they make up 2.5% of Australia's population today. It is believed that they are amongst the oldest races on earth with estimates suggesting that they first arrived on this continent between 40,000 and 125,000 years ago. They are an ancient people with a rich and unique culture. There is enormous diversity across the many nations and clans, with an estimated… -
An exciting new author & illustrator: Charlotte Lance
29 Apr 2013 | 5:46 amCharlotte Lance is the author and illustrator of a delightful new picture book call 'A Really Super Hero' published by Allen & Unwin (2013). Charlotte is from Melbourne. She freelanced as an illustrator and graphic designer after she graduated from Melbourne's NMIT in 2004. She has been working as an illustrator for the last five years. This has been mainly in book publishing, but she also has an illustrated children's T-shirt label 'BOY GIRL'. She sells selected work as prints, and occasionally exhibits her work.'A Really Super Hero' is her first author/illustrated work and… -
Developing Craft & Stamina in Young Writers
19 Apr 2013 | 12:31 amThere are many good reasons to implement daily writing workshops classrooms. Probably most important amongst these is that they offer the opportunity for children to experience writing as process not just as product. That is, to understand that writing is something that has to be worked on if it is to communicate with and engage readers. Young writers need to experience writing as craft, something that requires hard work, revision, research, planning, careful use of language and a sense of purpose and audience. But Katie Wood Ray reminds us in this short video that there is something even…
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The Book Chook
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Make a Video with Kids at Pixorial
23 May 2013 | 12:00 pmMaking movies with kids is a wonderful learning activity. Children get to develop communication skills, think creatively and critically, and express themselves via digital media. I value any opportunities for kids to develop digital literacy skills in a natural way, under the guidance of a parent. Making movies meshes well with modern family life, and gives parents and kids the chance to share a creative project. Pixorial is a web-based video editor I explored recently that lets you upload, edit and share videos. The interface is very clear and simple, and the free account allows you 7GB of… -
Children's Book Review, Night Watch
21 May 2013 | 12:00 pmChildren's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Night Watch is a children's picture book written by Phil Cummings, illustrated by Janine Dawson and published by Working Title Press (2013.) Giraffe, Elephant, Hippo and Baboon all live by the lake, happily going about their own business, until one day Giraffe spies the shadow of Lion - prowling, creeping, stalking, sneaking. What are they to do now? Cummings has given us a polished gem of a picture book story. He shows us the contented lives of Giraffe, Elephant, Hippo and Baboon, their happiness, the noises they make and the… -
Have Fun with Fungooms
19 May 2013 | 12:00 pmHave Fun with Fungooms by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Lots of parents I know try to balance the amount of screen time their kids get. I think that's an excellent idea. Sometimes kids lives are so switched on, or so full of extra-curricular activities, that they don't get much time for two very important things: creative play and sharing books. However, when it IS screen time, it's nice to have options for screen activities that are gentle, entertaining and wholesome. So I'm always on the look out for such options when I wander around the internet. Recently I stumbled across… -
Let's Prepare Our Kids for the Future
16 May 2013 | 12:00 pmLet's Prepare Our Kids for the Future by Susan Stephenson Regular readers of The Book Chook will have picked up by now that I believe strongly in the importance of play as the way kids learn best. When children start school, I think we should maintain this attitude of learning through play as much as possible. It seems a no-brainer to me that kids learn best when enjoying themselves, and when they're engaged in thinking creatively and critically about their learning. Recently, I watched a video that suggested education is NOT preparing kids for their lives in the future. Kids may be… -
Children's Book Review, Once Upon a Slime
14 May 2013 | 12:00 pmChildren's Book Review by Susan Stephenson, www.thebookchook.com Once Upon a Slime was written by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton and published by Pan Macmillan (2013). - Have you ever wondered where ideas come from and how stories are made? - Would you like to know the true stories behind some of Andy and Terry's books and characters? - Are you looking for simple, practical and inspiring writing activities? - Would you like to discover 45 great ways to have fun with words and pictures? If you answered YES to any of these questions, then this is definitely the right book for you!
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Reading Rumpus
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Sunshine State Young Readers Award Elementary List 2013-2014
7 May 2013 | 6:00 amSome days I miss elementary school. My middle-schoolers can be bundles of angst making me long for the simple times depicted in this year's Sunshine State Young Reader Award titles. Yesterday I posted the middle grades list so if you are unfamiliar with the Florida process, look HERE. I thought I would also share the elementary titles today. ESPECIALLY since my favorite book of 2012 (and the Newbery winner) is on the elementary list. Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger: "Regular kid Lenny Flem Jr. is the only one standing between his evil-genius best friend—Casper, a master of disguise and… -
Sunshine State Young Reader Award Middle Grades Lists for 2013-14
6 May 2013 | 5:00 amAh, summertime...... The Beach. Theme Parks. Water Parks. What do we Floridians really do in the scorching Florida heat? We avoid those places and hunker-down under a shady oak to read our Sunshine State Young Readers Award books, of course. Most schools in Florida ask (well, really pray) that students to read a number of books from the fifteen Sunshine State Young Readers Award books each summer. This year my school will also be participating in the Scholastic Summer Challenge so reading the Sunshine State Young Readers Award booksshould be even more fun! -
Book Review: Two solid picture books to add to the shelves = Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Mary Walker Wears the Pants
4 May 2013 | 11:28 amI have been reading so many ebooks this year that it was nice to wrap my hands around some actual paper-based books this past week. Albert Whitman sent me Mary Walker Wears the Pants, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and In Search of Goliathus Hercules (to be reviewed later). I am trying to let these titles soothe my sadness at having to miss Book Expo America (someone please tell those folks that us educators would like to attend too and that the end of the school year is impossible!). First off....... Mary Walker Wears the Pants: The True Story of the Doctor,… -
House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini - Book Review
21 Apr 2013 | 9:43 amPublisher's Synopsis: "Brendan, Eleanor, and Cordelia Walker once had everything: two loving parents, a beautiful house in San Francisco, and all the portable electronic devices they could want. But everything changed when Dr. Walker lost his job in the wake of a mysterious incident. Now in dire straits, the family must relocate to an old Victorian house that used to be the home of occult novelist Denver Kristoff—a house that feels simultaneously creepy and too good to be true. By the time the Walkers realize that one of their neighbors has sinister plans for them, they're banished to… -
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
14 Apr 2013 | 3:14 pmPublisher's Synopsis: "At the School for Good and Evil, failing your fairy tale is not an option. Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil. The two girls soon find their fortunes…
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Gail Carson Levine
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When?
22 May 2013 | 5:27 amI’m announcing, proudly, that I’ve had a poem published in each of these two anthologies: On the Dark Path, An Anthology of Fairy Tale Poetry, and the cancer poetry project 2. The first is probably appropriate for high school and above. My poem, called “Becoming Cinderella,” presents an entirely different version of the story from Ella Enchanted. I love that the fairy tale can accommodate both interpretations. The cancer anthology is also for high school and above, but I think it will be most meaningful if you at least know someone who’s struggled with cancer. My poem,… -
Pickles
15 May 2013 | 5:36 amIf you’d like to see spring in all its glory at our house, just click on my husband’s website on the right. And scroll down to see the latest (two) photos of Reggie. The second one shows his maniacal glee in a play fight with his BFF Demi.On to the post. On February 11, 2013, Kenzi Anne wrote, I have trouble finishing stories because I get my characters into pickles and I'll think "wow! this is great!...snap, now how do they get out of it?" In other words...I'm not clever enough to get my characters out of their pit. If I'd been in most of my characters' situations, I wouldn't have a clue… -
On Being a Writer
8 May 2013 | 5:10 amThanks again to Jane Collen for her informative blog post on intellectual property!Sarah wrote this on the website in January: I've loved writing stories for as long as I can remember. Even before I could write actual words, I'd draw pictures and make up stories to go along with them. I've always hoped that one day I might be able to be an author.Now, I'm in high school, and I still love writing. I'm getting to a point where I need to begin thinking seriously about what I want to do. I'd still like to be an author, but I'm not sure that's possible. I write all the time in a journal, and love… -
Copyright, the Double-Edged Sword
1 May 2013 | 6:42 amHere is the promised guest post on copyright, very kindly contributed by Jane Collen, who asked me to add the website of her law firm, where you'll find more information: http://www.collenip.com/. I visited the site and found it most helpful to click on "News and Events" and then on "Podcasts and Blogs" and then on the blog on copyrights. It's wonderful for those of you who have a legal bent and like getting into the weeds. If you have questions about the post or about other aspects of copyright or about projects you're working on that make you wonder about copyright, you can get in… -
Robin’s Merry Band of Secondary Characters
24 Apr 2013 | 7:30 amI recently met an intellectual property attorney (patents and copyright) at a fund raiser for a book festival. We started talking - she’s writing for kids, too - and I told her about the blog and the questions that sometimes arise about copyright, and she offered to write a guest post, so that’s coming up in the next few weeks.Now for today’s post. On January 26, 2013, Anna Marie wrote, I let a very close friend of mine read a story I wrote and she has recently gotten back to me. One of the things she mentioned was character development, she says I could go a little deeper. I totally…
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Blog - Alan Dapré - Children's Author
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Why it’s great to be a Dad :)
20 May 2013 | 4:03 pmLife is different when you have a child. It means finally growing up and taking responsibility for someone else. Someone who needs love, affection and to be shown the right developmental path. You want a well rounded, caring, thoughtful, enquiring, … Continue reading → -
13 More Uses For A Dead Kindle … by Alan Dapre
7 May 2013 | 2:43 amHere are a few more uses for a dead Kindle. Quick Kindle story> A few months ago my wife left her Kindle on a British Airways domestic flight from Glasgow to London. It was in the pocket attached … Continue reading → -
101 Uses for a Dead Kindle (well, 10 actually) by Alan Dapre
6 May 2013 | 2:31 pmIt’s all in the timing. In early 2011 I was beavering away to create a book called ’101 uses for a dead kindle’ – and had 50 drawings under my belt with 51 more sketched out … when I got … Continue reading → -
Ten tired picture book plots
25 Apr 2013 | 1:52 pmI’ve read hundreds of children’s picture books if not thousands and sometimes it’s hard to tell one from another. Especially when a particular story becomes a best seller and other publishers want to jump on the bandwagon. Trouble is, a … Continue reading → -
Cuddle Muddle – my picture ebook is now free 25,26,27th April
25 Apr 2013 | 9:29 amWell, if you like pandas and you like cuddles then this is the book for you. I’ve made it free several times before and have got quite a few downloads and some nice reviews. If you have a Kindle Fire/Paperwhite … Continue reading →
