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Oodles of caboodles of strudels and noodles for you today…. poodles. Lots of stuff to get through, so let’s make it short and sweet.
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First and foremost, SPOGG has taken my suggestion (so to speak) for a second name. And with a name like SPOGG, it’s gotta be good.
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I just found me a new Mock Newbery blog. Sharon’s Mock Newbery is brand spanking new and, happily, is considering many titles I already adore for their mock award. If you know of other Mock Newberys (can we call them MoNes?), please write their name in my comment section but NOT their URL. I’ll find them as long as I know their names. URLs send this blog into a tizzy and cancel out comments quick as a wink. FYI
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Speaking of pretty blogs I’d never seen before, check out author/bookseller Sarah Miller and her lovely layout. THAT is how you do it, people. Authors who haven’t made their own blogs yet, take note. Mighty nice template, don’t you think?
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Poor Pooh. He’s just such a sucker for the press. Looks like someone found my library’s dirty little secret. Go through the Guest Book and see how patriots the darling Brits get in the presence of one of their own. I’ve contemplating blogging on this topic in the past, but was always a little scared that maybe I’d get in trouble with NYPL as a result. Glad to see the New York Times has no such ties. Thanks to Educating Alice for the heads up.
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Who likes original scans from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? I do! I do! Many thanks to Kurt for the link. Those of you who would like to see scans of other classic children’s works would also do well to check out Children’s Books Online: The Rosetta Project. Just FYI
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My love for all things foreign children’s book related knows no bounds. If I were to have a different job I’d be the American based publisher of foreign children’s books. How awesome would that job be? You get to see worldwide goodies before anyone else in your country. You’d get first pick on things like Else-Marie and the Seven Little Daddies, The Rabbits, and The Zoo. Now Kids Lit has located a great article called German Writers Beat English Barrier With Kids’ Books, discussing German authors in our current kidlit market. Quick Question: Anyone familiar with Laura’s Star? Never heard of that one but the article really talks it up. In any case, let’s raise a glass to more international authors and illustrators breaking into the American publishing scene.
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Recently I received an e-mail from Anne Marie Pace. In it, she mentioned the following: ""My family recently vacationed in Chincoteague, home of Marguerite Henry’s MISTY. I was struck by the irony that this beautiful island, which gave its name to such a well-beloved children’s book, has the highest illiteracy and poverty rates in Virginia. The Chincoteague Island Library is in the midst of a fund drive to garner funds to build a new library building with room for literacy programs and children’s programs, among other things." To bring more attention to this issue she is now discussing The Chincoteague Island Library and its current fund drive on her blog. Be sure to give it a peek.
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At some point I’m just going to secretly hide a direct feed from Eric Berlin’s blog into my own. I may as well. At this point I’m just stealing all the stuff he finds anyway. For example, it’s not kidlit related but how the heck am I supposed to resist something called The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks? In college a friend of mine would go about putting quotation marks around certain words that appeared on flyers. "Study" Hour This Sunday. Call Me For a "Free" Couch. I loved unnecessary quotes ever since.
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This is a note to my fellow librarians out there. Has anyone else noticed the increase in bizarro patrons in the last week? Is it just my branch or is it more widespread? I tell you that reading an article like Working in the public library can be strange certainly puts my mind at ease. It’s not just us, it’s not just us, it’s not just us . . . .
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Then we start to get silly. For example, there is this item that comes in handy when holding a book is just too damn hard. And again from Eric Berlin it’s Stephen Colbert! In Rubic Cube form!
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About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
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As a kid, I always hated those original Oz illustrations. All the characters looked frighteningly bug-eyed and/or doughy. I liked the John R. Neill illustrations in the later books much more. I still love Art Nouveau.
This week at our library hasn’t been bad. Our summer reading club is finally over, and everyone’s on vacation! A great time to weed.
Blogs like SPOGG and the “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks (new to me! Thanks!) make me feel not-so-all-alone. Few things get me as riled as bad grammar/spelling in signage and advertising.
Oh, I want that as my second career too. “Oh, darn, I *must* go to the Bologna fair *again* this year. Sucks to be me.” Have you read me going ga-ga over Minedition and Pija Lindenbaum over at P&P? My adoration is borderline embarrassing.
To quote the dear departed Miss Snark, “Dear dog!” (And I mean that in the best possible sense.) I am flattered beyond all reason that you’ve noticed my blog. Now I wish I could remember where I ran across that layout so I could give credit where it is due….
Mock Newbery: Allen County Public Library