Your Tuesday Summary
Summer’s winding down. The wild look in your parental patrons’ eyes as they search desperately for any copies you might have of The Pigman and Me (32 holds and rising) isn’t going to go away for at least another week. My advice? Speak softly to them. Be kind. Find the items that you DO have and talk those books up. And, if you get a moment, consider the following kidlit news available to you.
- I wish I could say I was surprised that Peter Sis was interviewed on NPR regarding The Wall recently, but honestly they’d be crazy not to talk to him. Now, in the past I’ve received requests to make him a Hot Man of Children’s Literature. He’s cute and all, but may I give the award to his voice instead? WHAT a great voice to have. Someday I will be rich and I shall put out a compilation CD of different kidlit voices. Imagine placing the sonorous tones of Sis alongside those of Shel Silverstein. I bet you could accidentally short out your head that way.
- Big A little a located a really fun piece in The Times called My first break: Bestselling children’s authors tell how they got published. A smart American might ask all the bestselling authors they knew to do a similar piece. Hmmmmm….
- Some very interesting thoughts on A Wrinkle in Time over at Oz and Ends. It’s funny to me that some people find this a disappointing adult re-read. I’m always very pleased with L’Engle’s writing in the book, but I confess that I never considered the Cold War/McCarthy implications in the piece. How odd.
- From author Maureen Johnson, some fun with revision.
- A very Lemony Snicket-like post has appeared on YA author Robin Brande’s blog. It also appears to be one of her most popular.
- The Lois Duncan book Hotel for Dogs is being turned into a movie starring Emma Roberts. This falls into the category of How Did Hollywood Find This? I’m convinced that once in a while a book someone loved as a kid will end up on the silver screen long after it has fallen out of print. For example, my husband is friends with a lovely woman at Columbia University who’s currently working her tail off to get the rights to Snow Treasure. Duncan news found via Jen Robinson, who in turn got it from Miss Erin.
- Two round-up in particular got my attention today. The first is going to be incredibly useful to you librarians out there. Just yesterday a woman came up to me at the reference desk asking, "Do you have a list of really good back-to-school titles for kids?" Do I? No. No I don’t. You know who does? Wild Rose Reader. Check out this magnificent compilation of different Back to School links. You can bet I printed a couple of these out for my patron pronto. Round-up #2 comes via Semicolon. She has performed a whacked out bookshelf summary.
- Yay! Clancy the Courageous Cow by Lachie Hume was recently shortlisted in Australia’s Chrichton Award for Children’s Illustration. Go, Clancy, go go go! Better still, the Children’s Book Council of Australia just handed out their Book of the Year Award Winners for 2007. The picture book of the year? None other than the magnificent The Arrival by just-about-to-break-into-America-by-storm author/illustrator Shaun Tan. Of course. As if there would have been any doubt at all in our minds. Thanks to Kids Lit for the links.
- Sometimes I just sit and gape at the levels of sheer dedication that go into a single Bottom Shelf Books piece. A current favorite: The divinity of eggplant.
- Fun! I’ve found something to make my eyes bleed for a while. Many thanks to Gail Gauthier.
- Would anyone like to go and see The Wolves in the Walls with me when it comes to town? Maybe we should do a class trip.
- And finally, if watching movies is more your style, you can locate showings of The Hollywood Librarian at this nice site here.
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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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Ooooh, splendid round-up! Robin Brande is such a goddess, as are her fans. And I’m getting myself an invisible bookshelf. And I think we should arm-wrestle over that HP article (I agreed with lots of it). And a field trip to see “Wolves in the Walls” would be so fun!
Fuse,
Thanks for your link to my links to lists of school stories. I still remember all the requests I’d get from my teachers for books like these just before school started. I hope people find the lists helpful.
Yes (to Wolves in the Wall field trip) and by the way, I’m back with something you asked for (initials HP but in Icelandic).
YAYYYY!!! You’ll be at Cheryl’s picnic I take it?
Oh goody goody goody goody….
Sadly, I’m on my way back from Chicago the day of the picnic and don’t think I’ll bet down there (only get into JFK at 7)… I’m sad to miss it as we had so much fun last time and I was looking forward to both your garlic potatoes and teasing the police once more. But maybe you and Matt would like to do dinner one day soon on the roof and I can give it to you then?
Hey, I have HOTEL FOR DOGS! I got it from a book club in third grade.
Dinner on the roof sounds fine with me, Monica. Let’s count on it. Sorry not to be seeing you at the picnic. Let’s think about doing the roof while the summer’s still warm! Last time was just delish.