Fusenews: Gleep!

Durn.  This is what I get for not doing a Fusenews in a while.  A whole plethora of good stuff!  Let’s see what we can use up in a single day, eh?

For the record, if you haven’t read these Hunger Games comics (in the style of Kate Beaton, no?) then now’s the time.  They’re surprisingly good.

Good old poetry month.  From spine poems to 30 Poets / 30 Days the celebrations are magnificent.  Go ye, seek out and find.

• I won’t normally link to podcasts but this recent Scriptnotes that covers how a screenwriter options a novel he wants to adapt includes a discussion of older children’s books that were considered for screen adaptation.  FYI!

• On the one hand they’re 9 Barbies Based on Books.  On the other hand, if that Edward doesn’t sparkle and glow in the dark then I hope the people who purchased him got their money back.  Thanks to bookshelves of doom for the link.

• When I worked the reference desk I got a lot of Stumpers.  Folks would ask me to come up with a beloved book from their childhood and I would try to figure it out.  If I couldn’t find it I’d take down all their information and ask PUBYAC on their behalf.  If that didn’t work I’d suggest Loganberry Books, even though they charge money.  Would that I had known about Whatsthatbook.com.  A free site where folks post their stumpers and other folks answer them, it’s pretty cool.  Sometimes I just like hearing the wacky descriptions. Current favorite: “Young girl reading to an older lady, girl almost gets caught in quicksand”.  I hate it when that happens.

• Hello, under-a-rock denizens.  J.K. Rowling’s newest book is going to be released.  Hope you like community politics!!!

• Feel discomfort about Tikki Tikki Tembo?  You’re not alone.

• Do Childish People Write Better Children’s Books? Dude, if you want to walk up to Maurice Sendak and inform him that he is childish, be my guest.  I’m just gonna go hide behind this sturdy concrete pillar over here until the spatter of your remains stops with the spattering.

• Stealing books from publishers is nothing new, but there’s something particularly slimy about doing it during the Bologna Book Fair.

• In theater news there’s a two-man Harry Potter show coming to town.  Though if you ask me, ten shows a week is madness.  Madness!

• In other news, Rich Santorum’s wife wrote a children’s book.  Bono blurbed it.  And that, right there, is information that may cause your head to balloon to triple in size, don’t you think?

I don’t usually find much that is new when I read articles like the recent 6 Popular Children’s Books That Teach Kids Horrible Lessons.  But I will say that in the midst of the regular stuff (the obligatory Berenstain Bears, Rainbow Fish, Love You Forever, etc.) there was one book I hadn’t really encountered before.  Anyone else ever seen Because Your Daddy Loves You?  I admit it.  I’m curious now.

• My library seems to be in the news quite a bit these days.  The Guardian speculated about our upcoming big changes (though it failed to mention that 2 million books would remain on the premises).  Then this article came up in The New York Times this past Sunday.  And over in England the Telegraph had a piece on a book about the Winnie-the-Pooh dolls.  I’ve the book in my home to examine closely.  The article is just a bit odd since it says that no one really knows who owns the toys.  And here I thought that brouhaha with Giuliani, Tony Blair, and even President Clinton made it awfully clear back in the 90s.  On to look at the book!

• Hey hey!  The Caldecott is turning 75!  And Nina Lindsay is chairing the Caldecott 75th Anniversary Task Force.  Neat!  You can see all the details here.  I’ll have to do something particularly fun for the Newbery/Caldecott Banquet this year (Note to Self: Actually buy a ticket to said banquet).

• Always on top of things Good Comics for Kids located all the child and teen comics nominated for the 2012 Eisners.  Looks like I’ll be doing some heavy duty shopping for my branches from this list.  Phew!

• Not too shabby.  I was a little worried when I read the description for the Daily News article From Dr. Seuss to Dostoevsky: A Literary Guide for the New Parent, but I shouldn’t have worried.  Our man Minh Le is back on the children’s literary scene and any article that mentions Sam, Bangs and Moonshine is a-okay with me.

• Admittedly the title “Saving Mr. Banks” is pretty good.  Particularly if you’re talking about an upcoming movie about how frickin’ long it took Walt Disney to get the rights to film Mary Poppins.  All star cast and a children’s literary story.  And yes, this is in that book I’m writing for Candlewick as well.

• Should we go about labeling titles as “boy books” or “girl books”?  Heck no!  And the Horn Book piece On the Rights of Reading and Girls and Boys says as much.

• A show of hands.  How many authors out there have done class visits to Easter Island?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Ah.  One of you then.

• Yay!  It’s time for the Guys Lit Wire Book Fair!  This year it’s the Ballou Sr High School in Washington DC again and they still need help.  Check it out and lend a hand.

• Dear Santa: For Christmas I would like this show to play down the street from me and I would like several tickets.  Failing that, a pony.

• Daily Image:

Oh Dr. Who mash-ups.  Will you never cease to amaze?

Now to find the Inspector Space Time version.  Thanks to Nine Kinds of Pie for the link!

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