Fusenews: And Wherefores

Oh, dear sweet new blog where have you been all my life?  It finally happened.  Someone has gone and made (I am so excited!!!) a blog dedicated ENTIRELY to children’s and YA book jackets!!!  Called Jacket Whys I’m terribly embarrassed to see that it was started way way back in December of 2007.  I only found it now because Chad Beckerman linked to it more than a week ago.  According to him the creator is a librarian and former graphic designer.  Two great tastes that taste great together.  Just as a sampling check out her posts on the use of feathers on covers, lace, and a jacket design that I always associate with Lisa Yee.  I will be adding this blog to my daily reading posthaste.

• Have you ever wanted a complete and constantly updated listing of children’s bookstores in America?  Well one Kathleen Duey has compiled such a list.  It was updated as recently as 8/16/08 so if you’re planning on book tours/finding great places to visit, this is a must-read.  Thanks to Dotti Enderle for the link.

• God’s thumbs!  You all know how in-depth and intelligent interviews are at 7-Imp , yes?  You know how they delve for information and pull remarkable images and pictures seemingly out of thin air, yes yes?  You are aware that their interviews are THE interviews to read when it comes to blog reading, yes yes yes?  Well I have to say that the most recent interview with Jane Yolen . . . . the sheer amount of links . . . the veritable plethora of information . . . I am speechless.  Or typeless, since we’re talking about blogs here.  Go look.

• Remember the woman I wrote about a while back who was going to take over a school library and needed some help?  Well, she recently let me know about a site that she may be using.  DonorsChoose.org ostensibly is related to classrooms and raising funds for them.  Here’s the description: "DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund." However, it seems that school libraries can take advantage of this service as well.  I don’t know much about it or how effective or reliable it is.  Still, if you’re working in a school library and you need some monetary support, maybe this is a good way to go.  They even have a blog.  Worth looking at.

• Editorial Anonymous takes it upon herself to explain that space in bookstores is essentially real estate.  To illustrate this point she also includes a little Monopoly-type visual that, since I am distracted by shiny things, I was enthralled by. Lookie at all the little words she managed to fit in!  How’d she do that?  I wish I was a rude, terrible person who lifted other people’s images without asking.  Instead, you’ll have to go to her site to check it out.

• Uh-oh. Enid Blyton Haters, you better avert thine eyes from this newest little poll. According to a survey conducted for the Costa Book Awards, guess who Britain’s most beloved author is?  I’m sorry that I had to be the one to tell you.  Thanks to Bookninja for the link.

• The blog Perpetua has located an article artist Ronald Searle once wrote describing his process.  "… if I ever have the slightest uneasiness about the finished work, I re-draw it at once rather than attempt to scratch and patch. I feel it is essential for work of this nature to appear spontaneous."  Thanks to Drawn for the link.

• There’s a kind of round robin discussion of Sara Varon’s graphic novel Robot Dreams, inspired by its inclusion on the Oprah Book Group thingy, about what age group it’s appropriate for.  The people doing the discussion are librarians Brigid Alverson, Robin Brenner, Eva Volin, Esther Keller, Snow Wildsmith and Kate Dacey.  And just to add in my own two cents, I’ve had kids in my library that love that book so much that they seek out Varon’s picture books.  And we’re talking about ten and eleven-year-olds here.  Thanks to the First Second blog for the link.

• I don’t tend to link to things on the NYPL website for the same reason I don’t trip across the street to the MOMA every chance I get.  It’s too easy.  But when I saw that there was a slideshow up of historic NYPL bookmobiles… well, that’s just too cool not to link to.  Check it out.

• Daily Image:

It had to happen.  Behold the green glory that is Sakurako Kitsa’s Bento box version of Green Eggs & Ham.

A great deal of thanks to Cheryl Rainfield for the link.

Filed under: Fusenews