Fusenews: My Vote for #3 = Al Capone Does My Nails

• Good old Kalamazoo.  Land of my birth.  Home of my gawky adolescence.  Aside from the fact that I was born in such a Seussian named city, K-zoo related news articles are few and far between to say the least (except for that whole all-the-kids-get-free-college thing).  So I was thrilled to death to see that the Kalamazoo Gazette had done an article called Young Readers Help Pick Caldecott Books.  The piece is primarily about Allegan first grade teacher Ed Spicer who is on this year’s Caldecott committee.  Way to go, Ed!  The piece also has very interesting thoughts on the current contenders too.  " ‘One of the youngsters’ most popular choices is Kevin Henkes’ ‘Old Bear,’ Spicer said. ‘I have a kind of bias toward my student group, so that one will automatically make it in to the mock Caldecott.” Kurt Cyrus’ ‘Tadpole Rex” has also been popular’."  As I am a fan of both Old Bear (note to self: review it) and Tadpole Rex, I approve entirely.  Many thanks to 100 Scope Notes for the link!

• There’s a great piece over at The Brown Bookshelf that talks about something nobody really brings up: filmed book adaptations of children’s and YA novels that feature African-American kids.  Called We Have Options Too, Carla Sarratt comes up with a really stellar list of titles that would translate beautifully from page to screen.  There’s certainly a market for these (and did you see that magnificent cover for Like Sisters on the Homefront?) should Hollywood go all sensible on us and start buying up the rights.  Tyrell would rake, I mean rake, in the dough.  Seriously, L.A.  Think outside the white middle class teen box for once.

• Inside Scoop Alert: This just in!  From wonderful reader Sharon Haupt I just heard the news.  A new Gennifer Choldenko book that’s a sequel to Al Capone Does My Shirts?  You better believe it:

Bored?  Care for a game of Ninja Cowboy Bear?  Google it sometime.  Better yet, Google Image it.  Thanks to Teacher Ninja for the link.

• I should probably be creative and reword this link’s description, but it’s tough when you have bloggers like Bookninja who know exactly how to describe such articles.  From Bookninja then: " Is it more important for your kids to be literate in text or film/media? The future (the present?) is one where anyone can make moving images that engage culture and mass audiences, and the level of professionalism necessary to reach the world with art or media is changing forever. Ouch. This one is going to hurt, people."

• Note to self: Tell Angus at Hyperion to send me Food Hates You Too by Robert Weinstock in 2009.

• Now that the Winter Book Blog Tour is all said and done, I’ll just pluck one out of the pile to direct your attention to.  The blog bloggers are all slowly coming to love D.M. Cornish and his Monster Blood Tattoo books.  This is a good thing.  Whenever I can I find myself placing his titles in the hands of friends, family, and foes.  And Finding Wonderland just happened to have an interview with the man himself.  If you remain one of the poor sad souls who have still not read these books, take a gander at this interview and then find yourself a title right quick.  And don’t let the gory title get you.  These books are some of the best fantasy I’ve seen in years.

• Daily Image:

Because you never know when someone might need some help.

On the surface they are shirts that show you how to wear a kimono or how to wear a sari.  In practice, they remind me of children’s books that inform in much the same way.  Particularly the instructional section at the end of Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins.  Thanks to BB-Blog for the link!

Filed under: Fusenews