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Here’s the schedule for this, the last day of the Winter Blog Blast Tour. I’m late gettin’ to it, but better late than never:

• Pam Bachorz at MotherReader
• Alan DeNiro at Shaken & Stirred
• Joan Holub at Bildungsroman
• Sheba Karim at Finding Wonderland
• R. L. LaFevers at HipWriterMama
• Lisa Schroeder at Writing and Ruminating

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione) are among the celebrities this year who have filmed a special appeal as part of the annual BBC Children in Need charity drive to help disadvantaged children in the UK. Broadcast earlier tonight on BBC1, thanks to our Order Partner RupertGrint.net, you can now see the video of their appeal at this link.


Thanks Rg.net!

The taping of the 60th National Book Awards will be broadcast on C-Span Book TV this Saturday, November 21, at 9 p.m. EST.

Make yourself comfortable before Gore Vidal starts talking -- he'll be a while. Fortunately, Nancy gets across her point and her passion in a scant two minutes. Vidal's and Dave Eggers' awards will come first, then Nancy will be up third to deliver the Young People's Literature Award to 2009 winner Phillip Hoose. So your patience will pay off...

I have a fun interview up on Deborah Lynn Jacobs's website today. She asks some great questions about BUG BOY and horseracing that I had not been asked before. So, in case you're interested, here is the link!

Winter online course registration now open YALSA opened registration this week for its winter session of online courses. Get teens engaged with reading after taking Booktalks Quick & Simple with Nancy Keane and rev up  your special events with Power Programming for Teens with Amy Alessio.  Classes last four weeks. Pricing starts at $135 for YALSA members (10% discount for groups of 10 or more). Learn more at YALSA’s Online Courses page or by contacting Eve Gaus at egaus@ala.org.

YALSA Events at Midwinter Join us for our two ticketed pre-Midwinter events, Libraries 3.0: Teen Edition and Games, Gadgets and Gurus.  Details and how to register for them after the jump (you can read about everything we have planned for Midwinter Meeting at the YALSA Midwinter Wiki).

Libraries 3.0: Teen Edition: Join YALSA from 9-4:30 p.m on Jan. 15 to learn how you can take advantage of free online tools and social networking options to enhance and expand the services for teens, discover strategies to gain funding for technology initiatives and buy-in from administrators, and hear speakers like Stacy Aldrich (futurist & acting California State Librarian), Cory Doctorow (BoingBoing.net, Little Brother), Laura Pearle, Wendy Stephens, and Buffy Hamilton. Lunch included! Libraries 3.0 costs $195 for YALSA members, $235 for ALA members, and $285 for nonmembers. Full details on this event, and all of YALSA’s plans for Midwinter, are available online at http://bit.ly/yalsamw2010.

Games, Gadgets & Gurus: Join us from 8-10 p.m. on Jan. 15! Spend a fun evening networking with colleagues and learning new skills to take back to your library! Come play games – both board and video; demo gadgets like e-readers, mobile phones, digital audio recorders, video cameras and the latest software; and take advantage of the opportunity chat one-on-one with a tech guru. Other participants include Galaxy Press, PBS’ Digital Nation, and Tutor.com. Mingle with colleagues! Enjoy some refreshments! Play with neat tech toys! And go home with great swag! Tickets cost $40; full details online at http://bit.ly/yalsamw2010.

Sign up for both and save! Tickets for both cost $215 for YALSA members, students and retirees; $255 for ALA members; $300 for nonmembers. Register through Midwinter registration or, if you only want to attend these two events, by downloading this form (PDF; skip section I) and following the directions at the YALSA wiki. Want to add these events to an existing registration? You can add events two ways: (1) By phone: Call ALA Registration at 1-800-974-3084 and ask to add a workshop to your existing registration.; (2) Online: Add an event to your existing registration by clicking on this link. Use your log in and password to access your existing Midwinter registration and add events in the “Your Events” section (screen 6). Then simply check out and pay for the events you’ve added.

Apply for $40K in awards & grants from YALSA YALSA members can apply for more than $40,000 in grants and awards! This year, we will award up the YALSA/Baker & Taylor Conference Grants, theYALSA/BWI Collection Development Grants, the YALSA/Greenwood Publishing Group Service to Young Adults Award, the MAE Award for Best Literature Program for Teens, the Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA Research Grant, and the Great Books Giveaway. Applications for all YALSA member awards are due by Dec. 1. Details on all the awards and grants are available online at www.ala.org/yalsa/awards&grants.

Connect with YALSA members for First Wednesdays YALSA’s new networking initiative launches Dec. 2! Use YALSA’s informal monthly online chats as a centerpiece for face-to-face networking in your area. Find out how to get involved on YALSA’s First Wednesdays page.

YALSA’s Lit Blog Manager Search extended Interested in editing YALSA’s new blog, focused exclusively on teen literature? We’re extending the application period until Nov. 30! Find out what we’re looking for and how to apply here.

Apply for a YA Lit Symposium travel stipend Join YALSA in 2010 for the Young Adult Literature Symposium, Nov. 5-7, 2010, in Albuquerque, N.M, with a theme  of “Beyond Good Intentions: Teens, Literature and Diversity.” We’re also giving away two stipends to offset travel costs, one for someone whose worked directly with teens in a library setting for ten years or less and one for a student in an ALA-accredited MLS program (you must be enrolled in an MLS program at the start of the symposium); stipend applications are due by Jan. 4, 2010. Details on both are available at www.ala.org/yalitsymposium.

Teen Tech Week registration open Register now for Teen Tech Week 2010! This year’s theme is Learn Create Share @ your library. Registration gives you access to this year’s theme logo. Teen Tech Week will be March 7-13. Visit the Teen Tech Week website for activity ideas, planning and publicity resources, and more!

That’s it for this week’s update! To stay up to date on the latest from the YALSA Office, sign up to follow YALSA on Twitter or become a fan of YALSA on Facebook!

Riddell, Chris. Ottoline Goes to School. Harper, c2008.

Poor Mr. Munroe. His status in Ottoline's life is rather unique - and rather unclear to outsiders. In fact, most folks can't quite tell what manner of creature he is, and so when he accompanies Ottoline to boarding school (the Alice B. Smith School for the Differently Gifted), he is labeled a dog and sent to stay in the east wing with the other assorted pets and companions (all of whom are at least as eccentric as Mr. Munroe).

This isn't Mr. Munroe's only dilemma. He is also suffering pangs of jealousy and sadness brought about by Ottoline's new friendship with Cecily Forbes-Lawrence III, a girl with rich but often absent parents (not unlike Ottoline herself, but they react to their similar situations rather differently). It is Cecily's attendance at the Alice B. Smith School that prompts Ottoline to enroll as well - and it's a good thing Mr. Munroe goes along, because he helps solve the mystery of a marauding ghost at the school.

I do love Mr. Munroe. He's not supposed to be the star of this book (it's not called Mr. Munroe Goes to School, after all), but his appearance is so odd (he's pretty much all long hair and feet, with a couple of large eyeballs peering through the mop that Ottoline loves to brush for him), his origins so mysterious ("Norway"), and his personality such a lovely blend of moroseness, optimism, and loyalty that he altogether steals the show as far as I'm concerned. Oh, Ottoline is a trooper, with her penchant for wearing different shoes on the same feet and absolutely making the best of her strange life living alone (well, except for Mr. Munroe and a bunch of helpers) in an apartment while her parents travel the world collecting stuff. But that Mr. Munroe...

Light on text and and liberally sprinkled with Riddell's intricate and piquant drawings, this airy, funny book will work well with readers ready for their first chapter books and as a one-on-one read-aloud. And here's a secret - my 15-year-old daughter is simply mad about the Ottoline books, so I know this one spans a great many grade levels. Cheerful, weird, and sweet. Recommended for ages 7 to, er, 15.

Here's a video of Chris Riddell drawing Mr. Munroe...

Today the NY Times reported a digital reading milestone for one bookseller's upcoming device: "Barnes & Noble says customers ordering a Nook will receive their devices the week of Jan. 4. So that stockings are not left completely empty, the bookseller will furnish buyers with a special holiday certificate."

GalleyCat has been tracking the stock performance of the major companies that influence the bookselling business. We created this chart with eight publicly-traded publishing stocks hand-picked by our readers--including company name, symbol, current stock price, and price increase or decrease at week's close.

-Name- -Symbol- -Last price- -Change-
The McGraw-Hill Co.. MHP 30.99 -0.74
Books-A-Million, Inc. BAMM 7.41 -0.14
Borders Group, Inc. BGP 1.94 0.02
Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN 129.66 0.67
Barnes & Noble, Inc. BKS 22.3 -0.01
Wiley John & Sons Inc. JW.A 37.26 -0.06
Scholastic Corporation SCHL 26.4 -0.17
News Corporation NWS 14.13 -0.59
Google Inc. GOOG 569.94 -3.05
Apple Inc. AAPL 199.92 -0.59
Sony Corporation SNE 26.8 -0.18

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

It's not often that we get to see the creator of the wonderful world of Harry Potter  enjoying a bit of magical fun, so we are delighted to report a fun tidbit today. The video of the sneak peek of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter from the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD is now online, and in this piece which you can see here, t<>here is this glimpse of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowl... Read the rest of this post

We have another treat for you today, this in the form of the scans from the booklets found in the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Ultimate Collector's Edition DVDs

Thanks to our own Erna, we can now show you in larger and very good quality scans of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows concept art including Malfoy Manor  and now Shell Cottage.... Read the rest of this post

Finally, finally, finally! This has been sitting on my desk for weeks, and I just got it uploaded. After Linda's invitation to join WaWe (back in October - oy!) I'm "finally" jumping in!

I had in my mind the thought of the wonderful imagination of a child, and how fun it would be if those wild things were fun furry things that came in at night to play hide-and-seek with!

Kids books: A conversation with ‘Strega Nona’ author Tomie dePaola
Tomie dePaola, author of “Strega Nona’s Harvest,” talks about the grandmotherly Italian witch/folk healer and her magic pasta pot.

What to Give & What to Get
More than 40 Penguin authors are sharing book recommendations for holiday gift-giving as part of Penguin’s What to Give & What to Get campaign. Check out videos of authors Nick Hornby, Kate Jacobs, Robert B. Parker and Frank Bruni who share favorite books on camera.

Oxford Word of the Year 2009: Unfriend
The New Oxford American Dictionary chose Facebook’s  “unfriend” as its 2009 Word of the Year, according to the OUP blog.

Bark for Books
A fun-filled, literary, family event with author readings, illustration workshops, and opportunities to buy books signed by the authors and illustrators (or “pawed” by protagonists) — just in time for the holidays! The books make thoughtful gifts for the animal-loving children in your life, and extras can be donated to the League’s Read-2-Me program, which provides humane-themed books to classrooms, school libraries and students.

Word Play: Going global
Interested in more than what the U.S. children’s market has to offer? The LA Times shares new imports from British, Dutch and French authors.

Overdue library books returned half century later
A high school librarian in Phoenix says a former student at the school returned two overdue books checked out 51 years ago along with a $1,000 money order to cover the fines.

Hippness is not a state of mind, It’s a fact of life!

-Cannonball Adderley

I am so thrilled to offer a book giveaway contest for two beautiful holiday books: The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson with pictures by Jon J. Muth and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King illustrated by Gail de Marcken. Below is a sneak peak into the story and illustrative magic of both books followed by contest entry information.

THE CHRISTMAS MAGIC
Far, far North, when the nights are longest and the stars shine brightest, Santa begins to prepare for his big night of giving. He gathers his reindeer, feeds them parsnips and berries, and polishes his bells and his sled. Then lovingly, he chooses toys for every child in the world. For Santa loves them all, and he knows what each child at heart wants most. Then, with the thrum of magic that makes reindeer fly, he spreads the Christmas joy and warmth throughout the world--as he always has -- and always will until the end of time. From best-selling author Lauren Thomas, and Caldecott Honor Artist Jon J Muth.

THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
On Christmas Eve, Godfather , something terribly amazing happens to Godfather’s handcrafted toys…they come alive. Marie is swept off her feet on an incredible journey with the Nutcracker in this astonishing classic story by E.T.A. Hoffman. Critically acclaimed artist Gail de Marcken’s stunning illustrations bring this spellbinding tale to life.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and The Christmas Magic book giveaway contest:

Two (2) winners will receive both copies:
 The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
 The Christmas Magic

To enter, leave a comment between now and midnight on Thursday, December 3rd, along with the email address where you can be contacted for mailing information should your name be selected (US only). If you do not leave an email address, I do not have a way to contact you and therefore you will not be considered for the contest. The winner will be randomly selected on Friday, December 4th.

"My book is free? Lock it up at once!"
—Lemony Snicket, regarding the new free online edition of THE BAD BEGINNING

For a limited time, you can read 100% of A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning for free online with Browse Inside!

View Lemony Snicket’s video response to this latest unfortunate event.
http://www.lemonysnicket.com/

This sounds too weird to be true, but the UPI reports "Four people were arrested in Peru in an investigation into the killing of people for their body fat, which was perhaps sent to Europe to be used in cosmetics."

I've been putting on my traditional winter fat layer. It might be worth their while to fly up here...

Read more here.

In his National Book Awards acceptance speech this week, biographer T. J. Stiles thanked everyone in a book's traditional production chain, from the agent to the bookstore clerk. Stiles concluded with an note of apprehension: "The advent of the eBook is fooling some into thinking that these people are not necessary anymore."

As the digital publishing industry grows over the next few years, publishers, authors, and readers need to reconcile these fears about the future. Earlier this week, GalleyCat writers and readers mingled at the eBook Summit preview party, trying to start a more productive conversation about the future of eBooks.

In this special video feature, eBook Summit speakers like Movable Type Literary Group agent Jason Allen Ashlock and Electric Literature co-founder Andy Hunter shared advice for reaching new digital audiences. Visit the Summit Facebook page to continue the conversation. (Special thanks to AgencySpy Matt Van Hoven for that excellent headline.)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

I just won't have time to get this past the sketch stage in time for the Jumble. Maybe I'll get back to it for the blog. Great topic, even if it is a repeat!

www.money-shotz.blogspot.com

People often tell me that I’m very productive, so it was a shock recently to take a procrastination test and come out in the top 10% of pracrastinators!

It said I scored 80 out of 100 possible points and “when it comes to putting things off, you often do so even though you know you shouldn’t… Though you are likely incredibly productive just before a deadline, you might not get all your work done and there is a lot of unwanted stress.”

Hmmm…

I wanted to mutter “stupid test,” but I was aware that certain bad writing habits (dare I call it procrastination?) were affecting the quality of my work. Oh, I got the writing done, but too often lately the quality was less than it could be because I delayed starting. I was submitting writing that was less than my best because it was hurried.

I think I had deluded myself into thinking there was no problem because I was busy all the time. I am never late with student lessons, and usually early. I am never late for my M-W-F blogs or paid critiques. I don’t even procrastinate on writing nonfiction books. Just fiction. Just the “pulling words out of thin air and making up people and whole worlds” kind of writing.

Check Yourself Out

Why is getting started so hard? In a recent magazine article on procrastination  in Children’s Writer, the following quote struck me as true–of me, anyway:

“In many cases, we procrastinate because we are anxious about the work at hand. It seems too difficult or onerous. ‘The hardest part of any task is the first five minutes. It’s like cold water. It’s just getting in that’s the hard part. Once you’re in, the water feels great,’ says Steel [a university professor who studies procrastination]. ‘Usually after procrastinating, once people finally get around to the task, they say, ‘I don’t know why I thought this would be so much worse than it was.’”

That struck me as true, so this week I’ve been starting my NaNoWriMo writing by setting a timer for just five minutes. Then I write furiously for five minutes, with permission to quit if I hate it at the end of five minutes. Have I stopped yet when the timer went off? No. I’m on a roll by then, and it wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d made it in my mind.

Why do we do this to ourselves over and over? It feels silly to have to “trick” my muse with a kitchen timer. But hey, it works, so I’ll probably keep doing it until I find something that works better!

What about you? What tricks do YOU use to get started?

Well, the ARCs definitely exist. I was sent a package with five of them (and a good thing I kept two). That's the front and the back up above. One of the ones I kept is my very own copy.

In fact, when they arrived Tuesday night (my UPS guy comes after 6 PM, which makes every day suspensefilled), I read it from beginning to end. Have I mentioned how fabulous the ending is? I would relay to you my emotional response, but I don't want to spoiler anything.

The other three copies went (in case you were curious) to my friends Janet (to whom The Dead And The Gone is dedicated) and Christy (who was the first person to hear the fabulous ending) and my cousin Ellen. Copy number five I'll give to my mother, who seems to be insistent on getting one.

I've been promised a lot more than five copies, and my guess is the package was sent to me because I've been whining and kvetching about these ARCs for more than a month now. At some point, I'll either get the box(es) with more ARCs, which I will then send to the people whose names get pulled out of the Bolivian hat, or I'll really whine and kvetch. I would do so now, but everybody I'd be whining/kvetching to is at NCTE right now, handing out ARCs of This World We Live In to anyone who is interested (which could be no one, for all I know). I may do some whining/kvetching on Monday, but with Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, no one may be around to ignore me. Or maybe the UPS guy will bring the box(es) this evening. I live in constant hope.

Two other pieces of sort of news. I bought a printer today that can actually scan. The last one couldn't, even though it claimed it could, and then it stopped feeding paper, and it really got upset when I pounded it with my fists. The new one is black and chic and at least it scans. I'll find out if it prints some other time.

And Amazon has changed the date on when TW will be published. No more April 1. Now it's March 31. I see this as good news/bad news. The good news is I won't have to listen to any more April Fool's Day jokes. The bad news is the counter on the right side of the blog, which took me a long time to set up, is now officially wrong.

Hmm...Maybe I should pound on it. Worse comes to worst, it would just ignore me!