Friday Fifteen

January 31, 20145 Comments

Happy Friday, everyone, and happy last day of January! Let’s end the month with some good ol’ micro-book reviews.

1. The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket
A fun send-up of boarding school books, and the series starts to hit its stride.

2. The Hanged Man by Francesca Lia Block
Probably the darkest Block book I’ve read, but tough issues are handled well.

3. Melville: The Making of the Poet by Hershel Parker
I didn’t even know that Melville wrote poetry. Nice general bio info as well.

5. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
A love letter to readers. Ending didn’t quite hold for me, but lots of awesomeness.

4. What Happens to a Hamburger? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2) by Paul Showers
All you ever wanted to know about noms in a picture book.

Niño! Niño! Niño!

January 30, 2014Leave a comment

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.

Spending the Morning with the ALA Youth Media Awards

January 27, 20143 Comments

Most Monday mornings:

ALA Youth Media Award announcement Monday:

My Twitter feed during the announcements:

People tweeting about other things during the announcements:

Speaker comments about the necessity of supporting libraries and literacy:

All of the winners and honorees:

When my livestream blips out for buffering:

What my reading list is like after hearing all the awards:

Congratulations to all the award winner and honorees, especially the team at Candlewick Press. Love you guys!

Friday Fifteen

January 24, 20142 Comments

Friday, I am so glad you’re here. Onto the weekend, and onto the mini-book reviews!

1. Witch Craze: Terror and Fantasy in Baroque Germany by Lyndal Roper
When you take history of witchcraft in college, you get to read books like this.

2. Big Bird’s Bedtime Story by Rick Wetzel
The story of a giant egg. Really cute and cozy.

3. Fat Angie by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo
Hard but ultimately hopeful. That group running scene killed me.

4. Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Loved getting more of Morwen, not so much Killer. Also, major cliffhanger.

5. Forest Born by Shannon Hale
Great way to round out the Bayern books; loved Rin’s anxiety about “people-speaking.”

Links Galore

January 23, 20141 Comment

A few good links for your Thursday:

Laurie Halse Anderson answers fans’ questions about her latest book, mental health issues, and what song she has memorized.
One cool way to take advantage of the cold weather–stories in the snow.
The Battle of the Books approaches…
Love this defense of Ron Weasley.
Best use of vertical library space ever.
Zadie Smith’s rules of writing. I especially like “…try to read your own work as a stranger would read it, or even better, as an enemy would.”
How to keep similar scenes interesting.
Tools to keep you writing, one of which includes kittens.

Friday Fifteen

January 17, 2014Leave a comment

Happy Friday, guys! Onto the weekend and onto the micro-book reviews:

1. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Just reread with friends. Karana was more stoic than I remembered; pragmatism helps you survive.

2. Prisoner of Time by Caroline B. Cooney
Didn’t grab me like the first two books. Devonny’s great, but ending felt random.

3. What Makes Day and Night (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2) by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
Was big into question-and-answer science books when I was young. Loved the art/photos in this one.

4. Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know about Writing by Patricia T. O’Conner
More about the technical aspect of writing than the creative side. Don’t remember much overall.

5. Mathemagic (Childcraft: the How and Why Library #13) by World Book-Childcraft International
I would actually read a book about math. Let that sink in for a minute.

Links Galore

January 13, 2014Leave a comment

It’s Monday; we need a few good links.

A shoutout to OneFour Kidlit and writing dares at PW!
A children’s librarian shares what she’s learned in her first year on the job.
A look at dismissing YA as “over the top.”
Gender-switching in classic children’s novels.
Let’s raise the the Bechdel Test standard.
The perfect response to any “X number under X age artists to watch” list.
And speaking of this, this might just be the best one ever. Claudia Kishi style FTW.
The stories behind awesome bookstore names.
Roundup of 2013 YA and MG books by African American authors.
A look at the male characters in Laurie Halse Anderson’s powerful books.
“When you applaud or critique a young girl’s taste based on how well or badly it aligns with yours, you are suggesting that your taste = THE RIGHT TASTE, because you are the one IN THE KNOW.” Mic dropped.
Currently singing “Charlotte’s web, Charlotte’s web…” (See more here!)
A Pride and Prejudice engagement is pretty much the cutest thing ever.
It doesn’t matter how many books you read in a year. Stop judging.

Friday Fifteen

January 10, 20145 Comments

Happy Friday, everyone! Let’s say farewell to the polar vortex with some micro-book reviews.

1. In the Hand of Goddess (Song of the Lioness #2) by Tamora Pierce
Alanna becomes a knight, fights evil, kisses swoony guys. Maybe my favorite of the series.

2. I. by Stephen Dixon
Don’t remember much, but the depiction of his wife’s condition was striking.

3. The Littlest Dinosaurs by Bernard Most
I loved the art in this one. Tiny dinosaurs!

4. Violet & Claire by Francesca Lia Block
Liked the contrasting screenplay/poetry formats, but not one I returned to like other Block novels.

5. Picnic, Lightning by Billy Collins
The title poem is a great take on a two-word aside from Lolita.

Bad Reviews as Read by Children’s Book Authors

January 7, 20141 Comment

Normally I don’t approve of authors responding to bad reviews, but this is too good to pass up:

To be fair, I’d be a little concerned about that lion in the rain, too.

It’s a good reminder that even well-respected and established authors, who get lots of positive reviews, also get some bad reviews. Just gotta shrug it off, smile, and keep going.

(via bookshelves of doom)

Links Galore

January 6, 20142 Comments

Lots of good links to start the week:

The benefit of the MFA in the work force.
We’re just outside of the Twelve Days of Christmas, but this bookstore version is too cute to save until next year.
Fair use, books, and Google.
Mister Rogers makes everything better.
Classic literature + tasty food = I’m there.
Reading is really good for you. Thanks, science!
Perfectly tongue-in-check post about writing the perfect YA heroine.
“How to name a baby” is also helpful for “how to name your teenage characters.”
Kentucky Wildcats, may the odds be ever in your favor.
Kate DiCamillo is the new National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature! More about DiCamillo and her work here.
A great post about those of us reading as teens in the 80s and 90s. Keep an eye out for my contribution!
Stop the side-eying and hand-wringing over millennials, already.
Love this poem by Mary Oliver.
11 things you probably didn’t know about The Hobbit.
Erin Bowman shares what she learned debuting in 2013.
“The book was better.” The stats agree!
To thine own selfie be true.
Shannon Hale on how people use YA tropes to disparage the teen experience.

Annie Cardi

Category: Childrens Lit

Friday Fifteen

Niño! Niño! Niño!

Spending the Morning with the ALA Youth Media Awards

Friday Fifteen

Links Galore

Friday Fifteen

Links Galore

Friday Fifteen

Bad Reviews as Read by Children’s Book Authors

Links Galore