SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

September 11, 2011 by Betsy Bird

Video Sunday: Weirdly supple crystal balls

September 11, 2011 by Betsy Bird   6 comments

Oh good.

Now we have a rallying cry. Bonus.  Thanks to Maureen Johnson for the link.

Travis at 100 Scope Notes recently discovered the author video cache to beat all author video caches.  As he puts it “I challenge you to a good ol’ fashioned game of ‘I Bet I Can Find a Video Interview of An Author You Like’.”  Apparently Reading Rockets has done everything in its power to videotape many of the major power players out there.  Your Selznicks.  Your McKissacks.  Your Yolens.  There’s a Website and a YouTube channel so take your pick!  Talk about a useful resource.

Of course, if you want to save yourself some time and trouble in terms of finding the authors you love you can just watch this trailer for The Chronicles of Harris Burdick.  But make sure you watch it until the end.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

I could live a long and happy life in the belief that Chris Van Allsburg was some kind of a criminal mastermind.  Yup.

Do all the classic children’s authors also know how to draw?  I only ask because it keeps coming up.  Tolkien drew.  J.K. Rowling can draw.  Now apparently Philip Pullman does too.  Extraordinary.

A couple thoughts on this next one.

A: Check out those guns on Katie Davis!  Wowza!

B: Yes, folks, we all know that Tuck Everlasting didn’t win a Newbery. It’s okay. Let it go.

C: When I start a band I am totally calling it Weirdly Supple Crystal Ball.

Book trailer time! This one comes to us courtesy of Jonathan Auxier.  He’s even gone so far as to write a post about the Five Things I Learned from Making My Own Book Trailer.  The piece is fascinating in and of itself.  The final product?  I’d say it’s worth it.

Sort of reminds me of last year’s Adam Gidwitz trailer for A Tale Dark and Grimm.  Were I to teach a course on book trailers, I’d definitely pair those two together.

And while we’re on the topic of book trailers . . .

Now.  Give me that book now.  Now now now.  I want it.  Now.  Gimme.

And today’s off-topic video is a bit of indulgence on my own part.  It’s a lesson in how cool Neil Gaiman is.  How cool is he?  He is sooo cool that when musicians like Sxip Shirey break his bowls, they immediately turn the musical shards into catchy apology video songs.

From here on in, anyone breaking anything in my house has to use the pieces in a musical way.  Even if you break my air conditioner you make those remaining shards sing.  Ragtime preferred.

Filed under: Videos

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments
Adam Gidwitzauthor videosbook trailersChris Van AllsburgGregory MaguireJames KennedyJon ScieszkaJonathan AuxierJulian HectorKate DiCamilloKatie DavisLemony SnicketLinda Sue ParkLouis SacharNeil GaimanPhilip PullmanSxip ShireyVideo SundayWalter Dean Myers

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

November 2022

There's a Party. It's in Kansas City. And You're All Invited.

by Betsy Bird

September 2022

Tyler Merritt: The Summer That Changed My Life

by Betsy Bird

August 2022

Supper Time! A Delicious "How To Eat a Book" Trailer Reveal and Interview

by Betsy Bird

July 2022

Guest Post: The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival Is Back, Baby!

by Betsy Bird

February 2022

One Sky: An Aaron Becker Board Book Video Premiere

by Betsy Bird

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Notes on January 2023

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

The Archie Encyclopedia | Review

by J. Caleb Mozzocco

Heavy Medal

FREEWATER wins the Newbery Medal, live reactions from Heavy Medal bloggers

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Cindy Crushes Programming: My Top Ten Craft Supplies

by Cindy Shutts

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

What Are Your Banned Books Week Plans This Year?

Get Creative and Go Big: Successful Large-Scale Events are Possible at the Library

Reimagined Favorites for Fans of 'Disenchanted' | Read-Alikes

Be Afraid (but not too afraid) | The Year in SLJ Covers

Looking for a Book to Read Aloud? These Classics Made the Hall of Fame.

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.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Monica Edinger says

    September 11, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    You can see all of Philip Pullman’s illustrations for HIs Dark Materials on his blog: http://www.philip-pullman.com/pages/js_gallery/index.asp (I have a boxed set that was published a while back that has all the illustrations.)

  2. James Kennedy says

    September 11, 2011 at 4:05 pm

    Lordy! That Sxip Shirey one was like staring down the abyss of madness!

    The edition of “His Dark Materials” that Philip Pullman had illustrated is beautiful. I was moved to buy the whole series over again. By the way, I don’t know if he’s still like this now, but back in 2000 or so, every time I wrote Philip Pullman an email he would write back scarily quick — like, within the hour. And I was nobody! A complete stranger! Eventually I stopped writing to him, only because his rapid response time exhausted me. Classy fellow, that Pullman.

    Happy to find myself cheek-by-jowl with Auxier. His trailer is marvelous, and so is his book!

  3. mhg says

    September 11, 2011 at 10:42 pm

    Sxip Shirey is amazing! I love the off-beat music. He’s a regular in the Brooklyn/NYC music scene. I especially love when hooks up with my Superfine friends here and in Europe.

  4. Katie Davis says

    September 12, 2011 at 11:07 am

    Obviously James and I *think* TUCK EVERLASTING won, because we refer to it in that category. But we’ll let it go now, James, yes? Unless I’m still dead to you?

  5. Jonathan Auxier says

    September 12, 2011 at 5:53 pm

    ALA was one of the most fun weeks of my life — in part because I got to hang out with James and Katie! Thanks for linking to my book trailer, though I must say that to compare it to Adam’s trailer is crazy … his is way slicker AND has werewolves!

  6. James Kennedy says

    September 13, 2011 at 3:59 am

    @Katie Still dead to me. But I hear tell zombies are a big deal these days.
    @Jonathan ALA was a blast, I agree! Roger Sutton facedown in that punch bowl — I’ll never forget it. I wonder if he even remembers?

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023