
Teen Librarian Toolbox
March 10, 2021 by Betsy Bird
You're in for a treat today. Eugene Yelchin's memoir of his boyhood growing up behind the Iron Curtain is as funny as it is gutting. I talk with the man about how he managed to own a pair of Baryshnikov's blue jeans and reveal his new cover.
March 21, 2019 by Betsy Bird
Here’s an idea: Why not take the idea of a world gone mad and give it a jolt of lightning to the veins? Set your book in another era when America went a little crazy, then liven things up with spies, car chases, murder attempts, gunshots, traitors, double agents, and that’s just the first few chapters! A book for the kids that want to read a response to our age that will thrill them to the core, and maybe plant a couple of seeds of rebellion in their craniums at the same time.
July 18, 2018 by Betsy Bird
Last month I found myself overwhelmed. Overwhelmed, that is, with an incredible desire to review a book a full four months before its publication date. This is not an unheard of action on my part, but I do try to avoid talking up books too far in advance of their releases. Sometimes, though, when the […]
June 5, 2018 by Betsy Bird
The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge By M.T. Anderson Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin Candlewick Press $24.99 ISBN: 978-0-7636-9822-5 Ages 10 and up On shelves September 25th In my job I read a lot of books written for kids and middle schoolers. To guide this reading I take into account a lot of professional reviews from sources […]
February 9, 2017 by Betsy Bird
The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! By Carmen Agra Deedy Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin Scholastic $17.99 ISBN: 978-0-545-72288-9 Ages 4-8 On shelves now Allegorical tales are not supposed to make you giggle. They’re steeped in seriousness. Rooted in meaning. Awash in heartfelt feelings that are meant to make you think deeply about the state […]
January 24, 2011 by Betsy Bird
Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku By Lee Wardlaw Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin Henry Holt and Company (a division of Macmillan) $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-805-8995-0 Ages 4-8 On shelves February 15, 2011 A substitute teacher came up to my reference desk seeking, “Fun haiku books” to turn into lesson plans with their kids. That’s […]
Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.