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• The weather!  She has warmed here in NYC!  The crocuses and daffodils and purple flowers that I can never identify are blooming in my front yard.  The birds are singing and there are buds on the trees.  Tis spring spring spring!  To celebrate, we begin today with a poetic celebration of baseball (a very spring thing) written by none other than my father.  You may have known that my mother was talented in this manner.  So too mon pere.  Enjoy!

• News That Did Not Make a Sufficient Splash in America: How is it that we are not ALL aware that over in Bologna the small Brooklyn publisher Enchanted Lion Books won the prize for Best Children’s Publisher of the Year in the U.S. category?  I do not recall seeing this in my PW Children’s Bookshelf (though perhaps I missed it) nor on my tweets.  Come on, people!  Big time honor here and it couldn’t have gone to a nicer company.  Well done!

• There are few things the British like more than rereleasing new Harry Potter covers.  They just revealed the new Jim Kay cover and while it does resemble some of the European covers I’ve seen, I think it is the very first time I’ve ever seen a hog associated in any way with Hogwarts.

Harry’s hair is actually messy!  And here is a nice interview with the artist in question.

• Did you read The Toast take on The Boxcar Children?  Not as creepy as their usual takes but it’ll do.  It’ll do.  If it’s horror you seek then Ayn Rand’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, also at The Toast, will fill that need.  That place is fair crawling with former English majors, it would seem.  Dobby’s tombstone was particularly choice.

• I admit it.  There were facts in this Mentalfloss article 10 Things You Might Not Know About Anne of Green Gables that I was unaware of.  Poland?  Really?  Knock me over with a feather.

• I say this in all sincerity: The Bay Area Children’s Theatre may be the coolest theater of all time.  Yes, I love the New Victory Theatre in here NYC and my heart will always have a soft spot for Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, but check out this upcoming season.  It was Rickshaw Girl that drilled it all home for me.  Rickshaw Girl!  That would work brilliantly on the stage.

• Oh. Ah?  Er. *sigh*

• This one’s interesting.  There’s an extension (I think they’re called extensions, though I’m a little hazy on that point) that once installed on your computer allows you to browse Amazon.com and see the availability of the items there in your local library.  The applications, should they get out, could be enormous.  Using an online retailer to search your local library (which could be useful if your library’s search engine is archaic).  Curious how people feel about this one.  It’s called Library Extension.

• We’ve seen books written by children reach various levels of popularity over the years.  Swordbird, Eragon, She Was Nice to Mice, etc.  And we’ve seen celebrity children’s books flood our shelves whether we want them or not.  Now the two have come together with an upcoming release and it’s . . . um . . . well, it’s kind of the ULTIMATE celebrity child author of all time.  This I’ll pass on, though.

• What kinds of children’s books would you like to see?  Where are your pet personal gaps?  Marc Aronson begins the conversation.

• Daily Image:

I don’t usually show tweets that amuse me, but this one had me laughing aloud in public for days.

I was trying to remember the last theater review I wrote for this site.  At first I thought it might be the review I did way way back in the day for the staged adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline where the main character was played by a heavyset middle aged woman (it worked quite well, thank you very much).  Then I remembered that I did write up the Matilda musical when Penguin was kind enough to offer tickets to local librarians.  Still, that was over a year ago and my theater going has shriveled in the wake of my increasing brood.  What would it take to get me back in the swing of things?  Good friends from my past, apparently.

The Snow Queen, which I have discussed here briefly before, came to NYC as part of the 2014 Musical Theatre Festival (spellcheck is questioning why I chose to spell it “theatre”, by the way). Having originated in the San Jose Repertory Theater the composer of the show is one Haddon Kime, a friend of mine from long back.  Indeed his wife Katie presided over my wedding and long ago he created the music for my very brief foray into podcasting.  He’s always been ridiculously talented but I confess that I’d never seen a show of his.  Until now.

For those of you unfamiliar with the plot of this Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, here’s the long and short of it. Two kids, Gerta and Kai, are best buddies.  Then one day two shards of a magic mirror enter Kai’s eye and heart, rendering him a cold-hearted bastard (which is to say, a teenager).  Along comes The Snow Queen who takes Kai away to her magic palace up North.  Rather than just mourn her friend, Gerta sets out to rescue him, encountering rivers, witches, crows, royalty, thieves, and more.  When she finds Kai he doesn’t exactly want to leave, so engaged is he in a puzzle The Snow Queen set up for him.  Fortunately love wins out, and the two kiddos go back home.

As the novel stands it is unlike most Andersen tales in that it has a metaphor so clear cut you’d swear it had been ghostwritten by Freud himself.  The shards of glass in Kai’s heart and eye are so clearly a stand-in for the changes adolescence that it’s scary.  Indeed, when Anne Ursu wrote the Snow Queen inspired novel Breadcrumbs, she made explicit what is only implied in the Andersen tale.  With that in mind, I was very curious how a staged production of the show would deal with some of these themes.

Right from the start the show casts Kai and Gerda as adults playing children.  This is a clever way of dealing with adolescence in a theatrical setting.  Years ago the remarkable staged adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials saga cast two adults as Lyra and Will, allowing them to learn and grow throughout the show.  And since Kai spends a fair amount of time in this show begging a grown woman in a white garter belt to kiss him, this was a wise choice.

I suppose you could say they decided to give the show a Steampunk feel.  There were a fair number of corsets and goggles, but it wasn’t overwhelming.  When I saw a Steampunk version of The Pirates of Penzance a couple years ago the effect was overdone.  Here it was subtle, more evident in the clothing than anything else.  Each character was outfitted in a simple but effective manner, none so effective as The Snow Queen herself.  Played to the hilt by the commanding Jane Pfitsch, she’s a photo negative of The Phantom of the Opera, bedecked all in white, luring a boy through a window (as opposed to the Phantom bedecked all in black, luring a girl through a mirror).  Admittedly her very cool costume resembled that of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” outfit from the MTV Music Video Awards, but there’s no crime in that.  Her blond bob stood in stark contrast to the elaborate headwear of Elsa in the Disney Snow Queen adaptation Frozen.  But it was her singing voice and violin playing that gave her true power.  A very strong soprano, you can actually see her right now in the current revival of Cabaret as Rosie.  As for the violin playing, this show followed the current trend of having the performers play instruments on the stage, but her violin contained not a jot of fly-by-night fakery.  This girl could play!  I was impressed.

Other strong performances included Eryn Murman as Gerda, Reggie D. White as a Troll, a Hyacinth, a Prince, and a Reindeer respectively, and Jason Hite as an oddly sexy River, Crow, and Italian (for no particular reason) Daisy.  But the strongest actress, aside from The Snow Queen herself, was clearly Lauren Cipoletti.  There is much to be said for performers that have fun with their roles.  Cipoletti, by all appearances, seemed to be having a blast.  First she was a rosebush, and though all she does is preen in a manner best befitting The Rose of The Little Prince, you are entranced.  Later she came on as an adorable nerdgirl princess, pulling off the cheery “Never Give Up” song that might have wilted in a lesser performer’s mouth.  Best, however, was last since her most memorable role was the psychotic Little Robber Girl.  Singing “I Want That”, a ballad worthy of Veruca Salt herself, Cipoletti let her freak flag fly.  She was punk one minute and a cabaret singer the next.  She was Amanda Palmer and Courtney Love and a whole host of other wild women.  You didn’t trust her not to slit your throat while cooing sweet nothings in your ears all the while.  I’ve always loved the Little Robber Girl.  Now I adore her.

The music?  Superb.  Catchy.  Hummable.  I have actually been humming the song “Flying” ever since I saw it online, actually.  See, here’s a taste.

New York News

Neat, right? The show is jam-packed with music, making it almost more operetta than musical.  Haddon mixes up the styles, creating punk rock anthems and Southern bluegrass and Irish ballads depending on what fits best.  Should the show ever get picked up it could, of course, be cut down.  Some songs were lovely but easy to do away with.  In fact the song “Gone” was probably the loveliest of the batch, but superfluous in terms of plot.

As I exited the theater during intermission I saw a small girl wearing a Frozen t-shirt.  Since it was a 9 p.m. performance she was the only one of her kind to do so, but I like to think that there were other kids in the audience in a similar state of mind.  Kids entranced by Frozen who have an interest in the original source material.  My husband has always said that Frozen feels more like a prequel to The Snow Queen than anything else.  A cool thought (no pun intended).  However you look at it,

The show ended its run July 20th and one can only hope and pray that it gets picked up here in the city in some manner.  For another opinion check out the New York Times review A Fairy-Tale That Rocks in which reviewer Anita Gates calls parts of the show “evocatively effective”.  Also check out the TheaterMania review which calls Haddon’s score, “an endlessly listenable pastiche with elements of bluegrass, punk rock, and symphonic metal.”

Interested in reading the original story?  For the best round-up of Snow Queen works, go to the SurLaLune Fairy Tales site containing Modern Interpretations of The Snow Queen.  There you will find a list that is jaw-dropping in its content. It really is a remarkable collection.

Hey all!  Before I dive into the oddities of the world in which we live, I just wanted to give a bit of a shout out to two distinct groups that allowed me to sprawl my librarian self all over their respective gatherings.  First up, credit and love to Nancy Castaldo and all the folks who made this weekend’s Eastern NY SCBWI Regional Conference the success that it was.  I’m mighty appreciative that I was able to offer the dessert keynote on Saturday.  Moreover, thanks to everyone who came out to see my censorship panel on Saturday at the Brooklyn Book Festival with David Levithan, Francesca Lia Block, and Lauren Myracle.  It’s always nice to moderate something that hardly needs any moderation at all.  Extra thanks to anyone who stayed around for my picture book reading later.  David Maybury I be looking at you.

And now, because the weekend was so darned exciting, I’m going to do some super quickie round-ups of the recent news.

• What’s that you say?  Beautiful posters inspired by the work of Roald Dahl?

Don’t mind if I do!

• I have dealt with difficult reference desk requests in the past, but Benji’s story on dealing with a student looking for Effie?  That takes the cake.  Thanks to 100 Scope Notes for the link.

• All right.  Love this look at what the voices behind Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh looked like when it first came out and what they look like today.  Had no idea Clint Howard was Roo.  That’s gonna take some reconfiguration in my noggin.  And I thought Thurl Ravenscroft was the first Tigger!  No?  Thanks to PW Children’s Bookshelf for the link.An

• Though it falls squarely into the Couldn’t Be Published in America category of European picture books, Sergio Ruzzier’s remarkable The Birds is WELL worth reading through today.  And not just because I like the name.

• Ever been curious about the history of children’s theater in New York City?  Well, you lucky ducks, I just found a post that’s gonna make your day.

• Confused as to where exactly I work and what exactly I work for?  My job has gotten a bit more complicated since I became part of BookOps.  This interview with my colleagues by Booklist should clear up any and all confusion, though.  At least I hope it does.

• Take one look at this image and tell me what you think it is:

If you said it was an Anne-of-Green-Gables-inspired-wedding-shoot you would be correct.  Sadly it wasn’t a real wedding, but you can tell it’ll serve as inspiration to a lot of folks.

• The title probably says it all for this one: Reading for pleasure puts children ahead in the classroom, study finds. Yup.  Thanks to Amie Wright for the link.

• Hooray!  The good Elizabeth Bluemle has collected The Stars Thus Far for 2013 and they’re a doozy.  A bunch of five stars are up, but not a single six star book has appeared so far this year.  Whodathunkit?

• Looks like we have a bookless library on our hands.  Now the only question is whether or not we’ll be seeing the community clamoring for print or not.  Not so sure I agree with the statement that “it will take more than 100 years before all libraries are paperless” (so that’s inevitable, eh whot?) but we can all watch this site with some interest.

• Daily Image:

Yup.  That’s gonna be the walls of my house someday.  Though the books will undoubtedly be thinner.

Thanks to Aunt Judy for the link!

...to come see The Wizard of Oz! Opening Night is tonight; there are two shows tomorrow and one on Sunday afternoon. Enjoy the photos while we put on the show!As Mayor of the Munchkin CityIn the county of the Land of OzI welcome you most regally...Barrister: But we've got to verify it legallyTo seeMayor: To seeBarrister: If sheMayor: If sheBarrister: Is morally, ethicallyCity Father:

Well, it turns out the reason he was cut had nothing to do with his performance, and everything to do with...ME!Yup, I screwed up big-time in not communicating clearly enough about a conflict we had listed on the audition form. I thought I understood one thing, and really, something else was meant. A tough lesson to learn!I was so consumed with guilt and "if onlys" playing through my head that

Last Friday night, the kids and I went back to see a musical at Wheaton Academy that so many friends and acquaintances where in. It was Into The Woods, and they did a wonderful job! It had been 15 years or so since I'd last seen the show, and it was amazing how differently it hit me at this stage of life. I never really "got" the darker Act Two, last time, but as a parent now launching

...There are some people who say you should have no weakness at all--no vices. But if a man has no vices, he's in great danger of making virtues out of his vices, and there's a spectacle. We've all seen them: men who were monsters of philanthropy and women who were dragons of purity. We've seen people who told the truth, though the Heavens fell,--and the Heavens fell. No, no, nurse one vice

A professional photographer came to one of our performances and took some great shots of our show!!!Don't miss the fabulous ones of Bantam13 and his partner doing the various difficult lifts and tricks during the swing dance number!! Their close-ups are in the middle row on page 10 and with the rest of the couples on page 11. (He even caught Bantam13 smiling!)Blondechick16 and the other Lolly

I am not always good at figuring out what is going on within my own heart and mind. That's one reason I blog! When I write, I discover what I am thinking and feeling. Since Schoolhouse Rock ended, I've been feeling kind of empty. What do I focus on, now that it's over? Going back to laundry and homeschooling seems so mundane! I couldn't even think of anything to blog about. But as I mulled

Tomorrow we'll have two performances in the morning for school groups, a little break in the middle, and then our first public performance in the evening--we are all so psyched! It's going to be a fabulous show. Blondechick16 has had such a fun time with this show, making new friends in this new chapter of our theater group. (By the way, this is NOT the new group I was talking about starting

While I've been backstage learning special makeup and quick changes, Papa Rooster made it to one of the dress rehearsals to get pictures! So in this post, we're featuring...Bantam9! That's him, at the end of "Unpack Your Adjectives." You know the song: We hiked along without care. Then we ran into a bear. He was a hairy bear, He was a scary bear, We beat a hasty retreat from his lair. And

Blogging about one's teenagers can be a little tricky. When I met up with Megan and Summer recently, I confided about difficulties we've had with one of our teenagers, and Megan said, "Oh, from your blog, you'd never guess!" For the record and in the interests of FULL disclosure, let me state that no member of our family is as one-sidedly positive as they may appear in this blog. (Including me!

I got a piece of good news the other day that I've been sitting on...trying to adjust myself to the idea that it's true... There really is going to be a Kenosha chapter of our Christian children's theater group!!!! Thank you so much to those who have joined me in praying about this!!! I am so excited about the ministry potential for this organization in the Kenosha area. Let me back up nearly

As I mentioned before, we are getting back into children's theater again this winter session, and classes start up next week. (Just when everyone else is getting a Thanksgiving break--ha!) But this week, Blondechick15 and Bantam13 had to audition for their class, which is something they've never had to do before. It's an Advanced Drama class, which will put on a complete play at the end:

Last night while I was making dinner and Blondechick was setting the table, she was telling me all about her day at school. She's doing very well academically, which has been reassuring to me, her former teacher. But last night I received a cosmic pat on the back when she said, "You know, I almost can't believe how well-prepared for high school I am--especially compared to the kids who've been

It's back to school (and work) we go! It sure was a busy weekend though. It began at noon on Friday with a McDonald's Playland birthday for Chicklet6. Lame, I know. But that was what she told me she wanted long before "birthday coming up" had begun to seep into my brain, and with all my preoccupation with new schools and schooling, the Playland sounded like an easy party to me! We were joined

Thanks, everyone, for all the blessings and rejoicings--what a celebration in the comments box there!!! Wish I could write several posts all about our weekend. I'd write one about our closing, because both our banker and the other realtor will be near neighbors, it turns out, and so while Papa Rooster listened to the mortgage guy explain what we were signing, I talked to them about the

And we’re all happy! Bantams 9 and 12 are both Pickpockets, or members of Fagan’s Gang, which means they’re in a lot of good scenes including the number “Gotta Pick a Pocket or Two.” That’s the part they hoped for--only the better-performing boys (and some girls) made it in to this group. Blondechick15 is in the Dance Ensemble, which means she’ll be in extra dancing scenes besides the large

The auditions for Oliver were last night and our kids did well! Bantam9 and Blondechick15 couldn't have done any better. Bantam12 had trouble hearing his accompaniment and got a little off from his music at one point, but he regrouped nicely and did an outstanding job overall. So we were quite disappointed this morning to find that none of them had been called back. Not unexpected for

Finally, I read my first Wendell Berry book! I had only a vague notion of what a Wendell Berry book was (he was an agrarian Christian poet/essayist?), but I knew some folks that loved, loved, loved his stuff, so I was eager to dip in when I received this one as a birthday present. (Thanks, Kay!) I was not disappointed. I liked this novel for some of the reasons I liked Gilead; they are both

Bantam9, during a Godspell intermission, pinned on an usher's nametag (“Sherry”), picked up a seating chart of the auditorium (the "house") and announced slyly: “I’m in disguise.” *** After Bantam12 suffered a head injury during his Keystone Cops and Robbers scene, I was thinking hard about whether to let him go on for it the next day; in the dark and the strobe light, I was afraid he might

As theater directors often remind the cast, "There are no small parts!" Our kids had "small parts" this time, but they performed them with lots of energy and humor. Godspell is full of the parables of Jesus. At one point, a busload of kids arrives for a field trip at the Art Institute, and Jesus invites the kids to help him tell the story of the sower and the seeds. Bantam9 and a buddy were the

It's hard to believe Godspell is over! What an amazing show it was--tied, I think, for the best show our county has done so far. The Chicago area executive director said it was in the top tier of shows he's seen in the past ten years. One reason it was so strong was that there were no weak links anywhere. Even the kids in the small roles--and we like to say, "There are no small parts!"--were

The Cast-- For the "Audience of One" This is our Judas dancing at the foot of the Art Institute of Chicago steps Jesus & Judas do Vaudeville-- such lighthearted fun is a stark contrast to Judas' later betrayal. Blondechick 15 sings in one of many chorus numbers Blondechick sings "Popular" from Wicked during the Broadway medley that tells the Good Samaritan parable. She portrays the Judge,

Still busy on the wallpaper-stripping/painting front.... But while I'm out buying the final selection of paint colors (if I can only choose between "The Big Chill" and "Clear Creek"), YOU can see pictures of Godspell taken by the professional photographer. I know there are some good shots of Blondechick15 in a pink suit jacket at the bottom of the second page...last one on the sixth page... Read the rest of this post