Fusenews: Deceased Roller Skaters and Wacky Policemen

• Lest you fall under the singular misapprehension that I am the only blogger out there who provides recaps of publisher previews, do be so good as to check out this highly informative look at the Baker and Taylor Fall 2008 Preview, as reviewed by The Reading Zone.  I was particularly intrigued by the notion of a preview lasting three (count ’em) three days.  But then, I’ve been to previews by single publishers that lasted a morning.  Put those publishers in the same room and I’m sure you could get a week’s worth of information out of the subject.  Fascinating!

• I’m so out of the loop.  Did you guys all know about the cool Cybils prizes given to the winners of this blogger-driven award?  The ones that look like this:

I didn’t.  Very neat stuff.

• Peter at Collecting Children’s Books has amassed his own list of Newbery winners that spawned sequels "for better or for worse."  Several points grabbed my attention.

1. David says of the book Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field, "No sequel yet, but why do I get the feeling that some smartypants is just waiting for the copyright to expire so they can write about Hitty’s ‘second hundred years’?"  How true it is.

2. He is under the distinct impression that Lucinda kills herself at the end of Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer and his evidence is compelling.

3. Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander was apparently the editor’s idea.  So THAT’S why I found it so dull!

4. Strider is the sequel to Dear, Mr. Henshaw?  Bad, librarian!  I should have known that!

5. Two words: "Desperaux Deux".  Wish I’d thought of them.

6. David discovers Marty McFly’s love of reference librarian tomes.

• Teach Alice in Wonderland in the classroom!  Why not?  It’s an idea.  An idea that has had its time.  Besides, Monica Edinger does such cool things with the book that you just HAVE to give at least some of them a try.

• Daily Image:

I love children’s books, I do.  But what I really love are modified children’s books rendered inappropriate for their original audience.  I am sophomoric at heart.  In a style that owes much to Uncle Shelby’s ABZs, please be so good as to check out The Ladybird Book of The Policeman as seen here.

James Lileks could be behind this and I wouldn’t bat an eyelash.  Thanks to Boing Boing for the link.

Filed under: Fusenews