I love this illustration by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. The quote by Madeleine L’Engle seems particularly apt for Banned Books Week, as her most famous book, A Wrinkle in Time has been on banned and challenged book lists since its publication in the 1960s.
Debbie has lots of other awesome illustrations available for sharing and printing. Make sure to check out her great work and share your enthusiasm for reading!
“Even though one loses out here and there, and even though one sometimes feels a falling off, one must rally and take courage again, even though things should turn out differently from what one originally intended…For great things do not just happen by impulse but are a succession of small things linked together.”—Vincent van Gogh
Take courage, artists. Every day.
(Image: Painter on His Way to Work. Arles, August 1888. oil on canvas)
Happy Friday, everyone! This week has been more than enough for me, so I’m all too happy to head into the weekend. Let’s get things started with a look at what I’ve been reading and writing, in fifteen words or fewer.
Reading: This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
Beautifully illustrated look at that summer between being a child and being a teen.
Writing: “I am so not a badger,” I said. “Take that back.”
This character has to learn to embrace his inner Hufflepuff.
Happy Friday, everyone! I’m especially psyched that it’s Friday because Monday is Patriot’s Day, aka Marathon Monday, and the Boston Marathon is my very favorite sports-related event. (Okay, pretty much the only sports event I care about.) Let’s get the weekend started with a little look at what I’ve been reading and writing in fifteen words or fewer.
Reading: Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang
Beautifully constructed look at a dark moment in Chinese history. Honest but hopeful.
Writing: “Do you think you could fight a coyote?” “What do I look like, a roadrunner?”
Things happen on a road trip.
The other day I came across the Best Book Covers of 2014, as listed by New York Times. My reaction:
The covers themselves are fine, but as a collection of the ‘best of,’ they’re all too minimal for my taste, and seem to run toward one idea of aesthetics. So I wondered what covers would be on my ‘best of’ list for 2014. I got into a great conversation on Twitter about what YA covers of 2014 people loved, and thought I’d share a few of my picks here. Some of these I’ve read and loved and some of these I haven’t gotten the chance to read yet, but their covers are so appealing I just had to include them.
Some of these covers, like Bleed Like Me or The Half Life of Molly Pierce or Stitching Snow are striking just upon first look. Others, like Breakfast Served Anytime or We Were Liars or Far From You are gorgeous when you first see them, but become even more meaningful once you’ve finished the book. And some just appeal to me for my own aesthetic preferences, like Isla and the Happily Ever After and Blue Lily, Lily Blue (love those blue-green tones).
And, of course, I have a very special place in my heart for The Chance You Won’t Return‘s cover.
Totally biased, of course, but I think Candlewick did a great job with with one.
In case you need even more great YA covers, check out this list from Buzzfeed–special thanks to Liz Maguire!
I know we’re not supposed to judge books based on their covers, but what are some of your favorite YA covers of 2014?
Let’s start the week off with lots of good links:
From Latin@s in Kidlit, Yuyi Morales reading Niño Wrestles the World is awesome and adorable and makes me cheer at the end:
This is just the kind of reading I needed for a Thursday morning. Niño recently won a Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award, and I was excited to get to hear/see this dynamic book. So cute and fun!
Click through for more info on Niño and Morales (who’s also a puppet maker? how cool!) at Latin@s in Kidlit.
I’ve been waiting all weekend to share today’s post with you all. Starting today, the Fourteenery is hosting a cover reveal/ARC giveaway for two 2014 YA debut novels, including The Chance You Won’t Return! For a sneak peak:
When I saw the cover for the first time, I literally jumped away from my desk I was so excited. I’m big into colors connecting with emotions, and the team at Candlewick has totally captured the vibe of the novel with this cover. I seriously cannot wait to see it out in the world.
And if that’s not cool enough, the Fourteenery is also giving away the amazing Far From You by Tess Sharpe. Tess’s writing is stunning, and I’m pretty sure this is going to be the big YA thriller of 2014.
Head on over to the Fourteenery blog for more info on the books and how to win. Winners will be announced at the end of the week, so get reblogging!
Some good links for the week:
A pop-up book art project tribute to Jukebox the Ghost? YES PLEASE.
Jukebox the Ghost is also the unofficial soundtrack artist to one of my future projects, so their music has a special place in my heart. And I love this use of an old book in an art project.
(H/T Walt McGough)