MORE POSTS FROM OCTOBER 2011
Sitting down with an agent from CAA yesterday the conversation turned, as all conversations must, to Olivia. The Falconer pig, that is. There was some speculation as to why Olivia is as popular as she is. Her personality is certainly in the vein of Eloise, of course, albeit with better influences in her life. But […]
If I’m not too incorrect I believe that today is the last day for SLJ editor Brian Kenney before he steps off and joins the White Plains Public Library as their Director. It was Brian who first tapped me to become an SLJ blogger, and who, in effect, “discovered” me. He’s been a wonderful editor […]
We’re all friends here, right? I can confess things to you, yes? Okay. Here goes. *deep breath* I’ve been a children’s librarian for going on seven years here and I had no idea that there was an ALSC committee out there charged with the single, solitary duty of making lists. I endeavor to explain. When […]
A Monster Calls By Patrick Ness Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd Illustrated by Jim Kay Candlewick Press $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-7636-5559-4 Ages 11 and up On shelves now I don’t mind metaphors as much as I might. I think that generally I’m supposed to hate them when they show up in children’s literature. I […]
Little Chicken’s Big Day By Katie Davis and Jerry Davis Margaret K. McElderry Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) $14.99 ISBN: 978-1-4424-1401-3 Ages 4-8 On shelves now. Are there any picture book catchphrases that have entered the cultural lexicon? I’m serious in asking this, but I’m a poor judge of what everyone knows. When […]
Okay, here’s a thought for you. Perhaps this is a conversation better suited to Calling Caldecott but I’ve been thinking about those picture books that folks love in a given year but that they know in their heart of hearts will never win a Caldecott Award. And not because their illustrators aren’t American residents, but […]
Okey-doke. So today we begin with an addendum. I believe that it was not long ago that with the announcement of the new Printz Award blog Someday My Printz Will Come I mentioned its existence without acknowledging that there may have been another and previously existing Printz Award blog out there. Well slap my sides […]
Oh, heavens above, didn’t we just cover this earlier this year? It seems a recent article in The Times has everybody buzzing like a little hive o’ bees. The piece is No More Adventures in Wonderland by Harvard folklore professor Maria Tatar and in it she discusses darkness in contemporary children’s books versus books for […]
Nursery Rhyme Comics Edited by Chris Duffy Introduction by Leonard S. Marcus $18.99 ISBN: 978-1-59643-600-8 Ages 9-12 On shelves October 11, 2011 Nursery rhymes. What’s up with that? (I feel like a stand up comedian when I put it that way). They’re ubiquitous but nonsensical. Culturally relevant but often of unknown origins. Children’s literary scholar […]
Good old Black Cauldron. So glad to see the Boogie Woogie Kids trying their hand at synthesizing it into its most essential parts. By the way, is it just me or do other people always hear Gurgi’s voice as that of Grover from Sesame Street? Big time thanks to Aaron Zenz for this link. Oh, […]