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I just got around to reading Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson (Penguin/Dial Books for Young Readers, 2015) and boy, was it awesome!
This great graphic novel for middle-grade readers follows twelve-year old Astrid, who is inspired to join a summer youth roller derby camp after her mother takes her to a Rose City Rollers derby match. Astrid immediately falls in love with the sport and aspires to be like the rad roller ladies, whose colored hair, witty names, and rainbow socks absolutely scream cool. Unfortunately, Astrid’s best friend Nicole doesn’t seem quite so impressed by the roller derby. Soon after Astrid discovers that her bestie will be spending her summer at ballet camp with one of her not-so-favorite people, Rachel. So begins Astrid’s summer of growth as she learns that sometimes friendships change and that skating is not quite as easy as it looks.
The story felt very authentic to me, capturing the sort of girl drama that can blossom between friends, especially during those difficult and emotional middle-school years. Jamieson herself is a roller girl, skating with the real-life Rose City Rollers under the name “Winne the Pow” (how cute is that?!). Jamieson’s personal experience provides readers with a realistic glimpse into the world of women’s roller derby, while her bright, colorful illustrations bring this world to life. This book just may inspire readers to seek out their local derby team and become roller girls themselves!
Roller Girl is a stand-out graphic novel and an impressive debut from Jamieson. I look forward to seeing what she comes out with next! This title is a perfect book to put in the hands of Raina Telgemeier fans or young tweens who may feel like outsiders looking for their own place to fit-in. I might even use this title for a future tween graphic novel book club meeting, as there is plenty to talk about and relate to for girls and boys alike.
There’s very little for kids to do in the town of Bluefield, West Virginia. But once a week, eighteen students from different walks of life gather to talk about books.
Suzette Sims, the program services coordinator at the Craft Memorial Library, organized the book club a few years ago. It started with three middle school students and has since grown in size and friendship.
But the library doesn’t have money to buy books. When the book club had just three members, they could obtain books through interlibrary loan. Now, the program has grown and the book club needs almost twenty copies of books per week to keep it going – an almost impossible task.
Through First Book, Suzette can find enough copies of the books her students love to read. The students debate, learn and forge friendships.
“This is somewhere they can meet and see their friends once a week,” says Suzette. “It’s a mix of the groups. Some are friends, some didn’t know each other beforehand.”
Along with providing a safe and supportive environment, Suzette hopes to give her students the opportunity to discover their interests and passions.
“The more I can show them about different things – science, art, books – the more they’ll be able to figure out what they’re interested in and what they want to do,” explains Suzette. “I have a lot of hope for these kids. They have such a spark in them – if they want to, they can go anywhere.”
Recently, ALSC was awarded the 2014 Bridge to Understanding Award for their Día Family Book Club Program. ALSC President Ellen Riordan will accept this award from the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) during the USBBY Gathering from 8 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015 at the Hilton Chicago – Williford A. This event is open to all ALA Midwinter attendees.
Established in memory of Arlene Pillar, an educator who served USBBY as newsletter editor from 1984 until her untimely death in 1990, the Bridge to Understanding Award formally acknowledges programs that use children’s books to promote international understanding among children. The responses of many of the families who participated in the Día Family Book Club show just how successful this program has been.
Tumblr has announced its fifth selection for the Reblog Book Club, Katie Coyle’sVivian Apple at the End of the World. This project marks Coyle’s debut as a young adult author.
According to the blog post announcement, participants are encouraged to “express your feelings about the book however you choose—a written review, fan art, gifs, poems, letters… Maybe you have nail art? Maybe you want to post a video blog talking through your ideas, a g-chat with a friend, or a song you think the characters would relate to? It’s all up to you! And, of course, you can reblog other people’s posts to add your own thoughts and responses.”
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has kicked off 2015 by launching a book club on the social network.
The Year of Books Community has already attracted more than 100,000 members. “We will read a new book every two weeks and discuss it here,” explains the group’s Facebook page. “Our books will emphasize learning about new cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies.”
The first book is The End of Power by Moisés Naím it seems that many people have already gotten the book since it is temporarily out of stock on Amazon.
During the event, one kid in the audience asked Usher who he would recruit for a book club. The entertainer named actor Morgan Freeman, actress Scarlett Johansson, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and cartoon superstar SpongeBob SquarePants.
Usher later sat for an interview with Vulture and confessed that he forgot to mention that he also wants Sean Connery to be a member of his book club. Follow this link to watch a full replay of the webcast.
This selection marks the first time this book club will focus on a nonfiction title. Participants are encouraged to share messages and pictures on social media with the hashtag #PositiveProject.
According to the press release, “NBC’s Jenna Bush Hager will join Rawl for a Q&A session about her memoir at The Atlantic and MAC AIDS Fund’s Town Hall on Activism on Friday, November 14. The Town Hall on Activism convenes leaders around the country for a discussion on social justice and philanthropy to inspire positive action.”
Author Neil Gaiman has shot a video praising book clubs. In the video embedded above, Gaiman sharing his answers for what he feels would be “top book club questions” for The Ocean at The End of The Lane.
Thus far, the video has drawn more than 1,100 “likes” on Facebook. What kinds of questions would you ask Gaiman about this novel? (via Nerdist)
The TODAY Show has unveiled its next Book Club pick: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
According to the press release, “members will have the opportunity to participate in a Google+ Hangout live from the red carpet of a movie premiere. John Green and the stars of the film will join Willie Geist one hour before The Fault in Our Stars premieres in New York City.”
Visiting one of our favorite haunts, the rooftop sundeck of a nude-friendly, gay-friendly, everything-friendly boutique hotel, we stripped down and gorged ourselves on Prosecco and Tropicana, fresh-baked croissants and brioches and madeleines, and reading material ranging from hardboiled crime yarns to ancient-astronaut tracts to the indescribably glorious ABRAHAM nLINCOLN, PRESIDENTIAL FUCK MACHINE. Conversation ensued. One of our number demonstrated an uncanny ability to imitate the call of a loon, surely a useful urban survival trait.
NBC’s Today show will feature Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding as the second pick for its Today Book Club. This will include both televised and Google Hangout appearances by the author of the beloved Bridget Jones series.
Even though the book won’t come out until October 15, you can follow this link to watch the first Today show interview with Fielding. Here’s an excerpt, with the author talking about her new book:
Well, I dared to make her in her 50s. I thought, you know what, when I wrote the first Bridget, the idea of this 30-something single woman was still a spinster going to end up dying alone and being eaten by a dog and I thought the same thing is going on with the 50-something woman. She has a tight perm and a shopping bag. She’s past her sell by date. All the stereotypes aren’t reflecting what’s really happening. Women are what used to be called middle aged and still have it going on.
Today I shall begin by ripping out your heart and stomping it into tiny shreds upon the floor. You may be aware that for years I have worked with the real Winnie-the-Pooh toys at NYPL. You may also know that the real Christopher Robin had a serious falling out with his father about the books. Now Ian Chachere has written was is easily the BEST graphic story about Christopher Robin at the end of his days. Thank you for the link, Kate.
Well, get out your fire hoses and start running for the hills (I prefer my mixed metaphors shaken, not stirred). The Newbery/Caldecott prediction season is about to begin 4 realz. Calling Caldecott is gently starting its engine, checking its rear view mirror, and making sure the gas tank is full. Heavy Medal, meanwhile, is putting pedal to the medal (so to speak), revving this puppy as loud as it can go, and then tearing down the street leaving only burnt rubber and flames in its wake. If you have favorites, they will be systematically destroyed (even, God help us, Doll Bones if Nina’s comments are any indication). Personally I’m just biding my time until Jonathan Hunt attempts to defend Far Far Away as a Newbery contender.
Speaking of the berry of new, Travis Jonker is churning out the fun posts on Newbery stats. They remind me of the glory days of Peter Sieruta (he loved these sorts of things). Want to win a Newbery of your very own? Then you’d better check out So You Want to Win a Newbery, Part 1 and Part 2.
Whenever I hear that a celebrity has written a children’s book my reaction isn’t so much outrage as a kind of resigned, “What took them so long?” In my perverted take on Andy Warhol’s famous quote, in the future everyone will have their own children’s book for 15 minutes. The latest not-so-surprising travesty is Rush Limbaugh’s are-we-absolutely-certain-this-isn’t-from-The-Onion book Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims. And we could pull out the usual jokes and all (certainly I’m highly tempted to buy a copy, if only to randomly quote from it on this blog to comedic effect from time to time) but it was Thom Barthelmess who classed the joint up recently by writing of it, “I believe that librarians can shape that discourse by modeling respect for those with whom we disagree. And I believe that every time we suggest to a child that her book choice is inappropriate we weaken the foundation on which she is building a life of reading. This, my friends, is where intellectual rubber meets the freedom road. Let’s be sure we’re holding the map right-side up.”
How did I miss this? Last year I did indeed notice the plethora of Chloes. So why didn’t I see the abundance of 2013 Floras? Fortunately Elissa Gershowitz at Horn Book was there to pick up my slack.
Speaking of Common Core, not too long ago I gave a talk about it at a New Jersey SCBWI Conference. Now over at 1600 Words a Day, author Amy Armstrong summarizes me with a Snapshot of Betsy Bird’s Session on the Common Core with Nonfiction Recommendations. If you want to hear what I’ve read and liked nonfictionwise in 2013, this post may prove useful.
Once you start talking about Common Core it’s hard to stop. I’ll just close up my mentions of it here by pointing out that if you ever wanted some great reading, it’s fun to take a gander at Museums in a Common Core World.
Um . . . awesome.
If you’re not a regular reader of the very rare middle grade science fiction / fantasy blog Views From the Tesseract, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Stephanie’s recent post on the book The Fallen Spaceman is fabulous. Particularly when you discover which Caldecott winner and his son did the illustrations. Australian readers in particular are urged to comment on it.
Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! It’s time for a little game I like to call Guess the Picture Book. Or, rather, it’s a little game Marc Tyler Nobleman likes to call, since he’s the one who came up with it in the first place.
A book award for wordless picture books? Boy, wouldn’t it be nice if such a thing existed? Well here’s the crazy thing. Now it does. Seems that the folks in The Town of Mulazzo (no, I am not making any of this up) collaborated with a host of heavies and came up with The Silent Book Contest. This is for unpublished manuscripts, so if you’ve a wordless piece that’s been burning a hole in your desk drawer, now’s the time to pull it out and submit it. Many thanks to Sergio Ruzzier for the heads up!
It sort of sounds like a dream. Apparently if you win the Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship then you get to “spend a total of four weeks or more reading and studying at the Baldwin Library of the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville.” The catch? You have to be a working children’s librarian. Still and all, what fun! Maybe when I’m older . . .
Well, I can’t really report on this without being a little biased. The first ever NYC Neighborhood Library Awards are happening and five of NYPL’s branches are up for contention. Better still, two are in the Bronx (as I visit branches I am rapidly coming to the opinion that the Bronx is this awesome place that no one knows jack diddly squat about). Good luck, guys!
Things I didn’t know until this week: 1. That the New York Historical Society has this amazing children’s space that’s so drop dead gorgeous that I think I might cry. 2. That they have their own bookclub for kids who love history called The History Detectives. What’s more, they love authors who have written fiction and nonfiction books about New York history. So if any of you guys ever want to make a bookclub appearance, these folks would be a perfect “get”.
Of course, I highly recommend you read the piece just the same. The art of those jackets is dee-licious. Thanks to AL Direct for the link.
To be honest, his grandfather was also a looker back in the WWII days. If you don’t believe me, read one of those books about his spying days.
Here in NYC, Bookfest (that cataclysmic delight of children’s book discussions, hosted by Bank Street College) is nigh. Nigh and I’m moderating a discussion that so far includes Nathan Hale and Grace Lin . . . because life RULES!! Sign on up for one of the panels anyway. I’m sure there’s space (for now).
Well, you’re right–that comic was a heartbreaker. Thanks for posting this.
Jeanne Birdsall said, on 9/11/2013 10:19:00 AM
Yes, Betsy, someone must write a book about the hidden world of the Son Doong Cave, that underground Shangri La. I’ve been dreaming about it for days. I’d write the book myself if I had the slightest idea how to describe physical stuff like climbing giant walls and fording roaring underground rivers.
Ed Spicer said, on 9/12/2013 4:33:00 AM
Okay! You want to know what bugs me about Barbara Stripling and others who defend CCSS? No? Well, too bad: First of all, I do NOT mind the standards themselves because they are what most of the teachers I know HAVE ALWAYS DONE, ARE DOING NOW, AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO! So, CCSS do NOT raise expectations, they simply give teachers new busy-work in documenting standard procedure. What does Stripling and others think we have been doing? Each year I try to be a better teacher and so do most of the professionals PROFESSIONALS that I know. I truly resent the implication that somehow that is NOT what we have always done. Where I can get behind CCSS is in the very simple (and important) task of trying to introduce great new nonfiction into the curriculum. However, trying to set percentages is a fool’s game. There, rant over! Forgive me.
Karen Maurer said, on 9/12/2013 9:14:00 AM
I read both of Christopher Robin’s memoirs – and every book his father wrote that I could get in my greedy hands. It was not easy being Christopher Robin. No wonder he prefers being called Billy Moon.
Tumblr has launched the Reblog Book Club, its first official book club. The series opens with Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, “a coming-of-age story about fanfiction, family, and first love.”
And because this is a book club the Tumblr way, you can express your feelings about the book however you choose — a written review, fan art, gifs, poems, letters… Maybe you have Fangirl nail art? Maybe you want to post a video blog talking through your ideas, a g-chat with a friend, or a song you think the characters would relate to? It’s all up to you! And, of course, you can reblog other people’s posts to add your own thoughts and responses. Rainbow will even be answering your Ask Box questions throughout the project!
This isn't going to be a typical blog, more like all the notes I made when talking to two outstanding junior high librarians who do this at their campuses. There, of course will be some tweaking for high school, but I can see this happening :) So in incomplete sentence and bulleted notes, here's what was said:
Prizes awarded at 5, 8, 12, 15,20, and 25 books. Prizes are incremental, ie school bracelet, ice cream, coupon for Chick Filet, front of the line lunch pass or one-day delayed assignment, and a trip to Main Event. Every five books after that going in a drawing for iTunes cards
ELA teachers are responsible for keeping track (one teacher does book conversations)
Students don't like to write down anything or keep logs
Librarian role is to help find books and keep interest high
Advisory time is DEAR time, once a week for 25-30 minutes
Do books by genre
Another junior high does this program:
Create a Moodle page for the 25 Book Campaign.
Embed a database into the Moodle page. HTML will show up if it's copied and pasted
Iterate this is NOT an ELA thing. It's a school thing
Dates are important to the database so only that month is checked
Students are allowed to keep adding into previous entries to create on book account
Teachers can export an .xls document and sort information
What has access to the database? The librarian manages it and disseminates the info to teachers
High school adaptation and ideas of implementation:
get students involved in the process. Call the President's Club (president's and one other rep from each club on campus) to be the voice of the students
Classroom competition for pizza parties?
Advisory-based bulletin boards throughout the school to promote readers
Teachers are expected to read 25 books as well. They will get rewarded too. Modeling is important
Must decide what a book is: do magazine articles count? How about reading news or articles online? Classroom required reading can be used. Page count is important. ie 10 magazine or online articles represent 1 book
Librarian's role is to roam and do mini booktalks to classes. Check out books on the spot using online catalog
Each advisory teacher will be responsible for their group. These are typically smaller in size than regular classes and more equitable instead of doing this only in ELA classes. EVERY teacher is involved, not just a department
Do a prize patrol to reward students - make it a big celebration, not just an announcement. Principals will be in charge of this
Modify this program for SPED students so they can actively participate.
I don't know of many high schools that do this, so this is an exciting and curious journey we'll be undertaking next year. When things get settled in, I'll be sure to add more information.
10 Comments on 25 Book Campaign for high schools, last added: 4/17/2013
This is our first year for Ghosts Read. It is school wide. Each month, 3 students who have participated, will receive a gift certificate and there will be a pizza party at the end of the school year for the top 20-30 readers (pages)and the top 3 readers will receieve gift certificates. There is a form students fill out and then take it to teacher or librarian and with book in hand provide quick, plot, characters, theme and favorite part of book. This information is signed off on by a teacher or librarian and taken to library and information (student name, pages read)is placed on an excel sheet. There is a display case in the hallway with monthly winners and the total amount of pages read for the month. It was begun to increase recreational reading. Happy with the results so far.
Sandra, this came from our admin. Many will participate but many may not. I think it's one of those programs you have to continue and not stop because only a certain percentage participated. I'm believing and hope the students perpetuate it.
Hi Ms. Bates Your blog is awesome!! I can't wait to one day be in a library too, so I can use some of your super cool ideas for the 25. Have you ever hosted an online book club where students just blog and discuss a book on their own. I am wondering if this would entice a few of my reluctant ones to participate more.
Hey Donna- I have played around with bookclubit.com and it's a great book club site....I'm just not sure how to put 2500 kids in it. But I'll have to agree with you - anything tech and the students are all over it! Thank you for your kind words :)
Librarian Mr. Schu along with teacher Mr. Sharp of the #SharpSchu Book Club, have just announced the books they'll discuss for National Poetry Month : Sharon Creech's LOVE THAT DOG and MAY B.! Mr. Schu is giving away copies of both books at his blog, Watch. Connect. Read. Enter to win and please consider joining us on Twitter April 24 at 8:00 EST, hashtag #SharpSchu.
1 Comments on Two Opportunities to Win a Copy of MAY B., last added: 3/22/2013
We also have a giveaway this week: Enter at Pen and Ink to win a copy of Sariah Wilson’s The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back. I love this quirky YA story. I think you will too. http://thepenandinkblog.blogspot.com/
You can read all the online book reviews in the world, but nothing beats real-world conversations between readers and authors. You can share your work at our free Mediabistro Book Club April 2, 2013 in New York City.
If you are an author or publicist looking to participate, you can follow this link to apply. The deadline is Friday, March 1, 2013 at 11:59 PM (EST). If you are a reader, mark your calendar–the next installment of our free book club will feature four authors from different genres, tons of book giveaways and plenty of practical conversation. The location will be announced soon.
Check it out: “Mediabistro is proud to announce the Mediabistro book club, where authors can highlight their latest work for Mediabistro party attendees. At the event, four authors will mingle and share drinks with Mediabistro’s influential audience and read a five minute selection from their work.”
The New York Times had some key facts: “Liquor stores outnumber bookstores by three to one (the average household spent $100 annually on reading materials and $2,504 on other forms of entertainment). More Americans belong to a fantasy sports league (10.6 million) than to book clubs (5.7 million). Book club members are outnumbered by avid bird-watchers (5.8 million).”
Welcome to the Authors Who Skype with Classes & Book Clubs List! I’m Kate Messner, the children’s author and educator who maintains this site. I started it because I’ve found that virtual author visits are a great way to connect authors and readers, and I realize that many schools facing budget troubles don’t have the option of paid author visits. With that in mind, this is a list of authors who offer free 15-20-minute Q and A sessions with classes and book clubs that have finished reading one of their books. As an author, I offer free Skype chats for the following titles:
(Please check book release dates! Upcoming titles are also listed; Skype visits available upon book’s release!)
If you’re interested in booking a “virtual visit” with me, please visit my website or drop me an email (kmessner at katemessner dot com).
Authors Who Skype With Classes & Book Clubs (for free!)
The following authors offer free 15-20-minute Skype chats with book clubs and classes that have read one of their books! (Many also offer more in-depth virtual visits for a fee.) To arrange a virtual visit, check out the authors’ websites for book choices and contact information. Then ask for their books at your favorite bookstore or visit IndieBound to find a store near you!
If you’re an author of a traditionally published book who would like to be added, please email me (kmessner at katemessner dot com). If you’re a publicist and would like to send a list of all your authors who Skype with book clubs, that’s fabulous, too. Again…this is a list of authors who offer FREE 20-minute Skype chats with classrooms & book clubs that have read one of their books.
If you’re a bookseller or book club member, teacher, or librarian, thanks for stopping by – and feel free to comment with any questions!
Oprah Winfrey revealed her second Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 selection, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. Published by Knopf, the book “tells the story of the children of the Great Migration through the trials of one indomitable heroine.”
Winfrey explained her choice: “The opening pages of Ayana’s debut took my breath away … I can’t remember when I read anything that moved me in quite this way, besides the work of Toni Morrison.”
Winfrey will release an Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 edition of the book. She will interview Mathis on Sunday, February 3 at 11 a.m. ET/PT on OWN’s “Super Soul Sunday,” but the episode will air on Oprah.com and OWN’s Facebook page and on Oprah Radio’s “Oprah’s Soul Series” on Sirius radio.
You can read all the online book reviews in the world, but nothing beats real-world conversations between readers and authors.
In an ongoing effort to build community among readers, writers, and publishing types in real life, we are hosting our next Mediabistro Book Club tonight (November 14, 2012) from 6:30 until 8:30 pm at The Stand in Manhattan (see map).
You can read all the online book reviews in the world, but nothing beats real-world conversations between readers and authors. You can share your work at our free Mediabistro Book Club November 14, 2012 in New York City.
If you are an author or publicist looking to participate, you can follow this link to apply. The deadline is October 15, 2012 at 11:59 PM (PT). If you are a reader, mark your calendar–the next installment of our free book club will feature four authors from different genres, tons of book giveaways and plenty of practical conversation. The location will be announced soon.
Check it out: “Mediabistro is proud to announce the Mediabistro book club, where authors can highlight their latest work for Mediabistro party attendees. At the event, four authors will mingle and share drinks with Mediabistro’s influential audience and read a five minute selection from their work.”
Okay, so I took the summer off from everything except a few tweets here and there. This summer was just a time-out for me so get re-focused and enjoy bliss. Don't get me wrong, I love the library, librarianship, librarians...but I wanted to enjoy other things. I painted, swam, became a master at Tiny Wings, and cooked some savory and unsavory dishes. I vacationed, I slept, and I spent time planting trees and trying to keep them alive in this hellish heat.
But now, I'm back at work and there's something to be said about going back to work and getting back that professional focus. I want to be ON FIRE this year!! So, what do I have planned? Oh, so many things! First of all, this is the year I program! I've been saving emails, listening to what others have done, and will try to replicate these in the library. Here are a few ideas (not all my own ideas, so thanks virtual friends out there!) We'll meet once a six weeks or monthly, depending on how good my group is :)
Blind Date a Book - wrap a book in brown paper wrapping and have them be checked out by my (hopefully) book club to read and swap.
Poetry Slam - So many ideas! I'm following a thread right now about Blackout Poetry and Susan Smith has a wonderful idea dealing with words and pages. I'm also going to try my hand at spine poetry as well
Book Club - I've heard many people talk about how hard it is to get a high school group going, but I'm still going to try. I'll do it during lunches where there will be incentive (think food) as well as online through bookclubit
Book Bake-Off - I saw this last semester and loved the idea! Read a book, bake something that's thematic or relevant to the book and display (tasting later!!)
Book Art - Who doesn't like a great craft now and then? Who doesn't have weeded books they're getting rid of? In comes book art for the book club. It'll be all about cutting, shredding, pasting, and redesigning for library displays!
Book Techie - Let's get these kids involved! I'll be setting up GoodReads and Shelfari with the students as well as getting each one to read an e-book from the collection. I'll also try my hand at book trailers (of course!!)
I Dont Wanna Read Non-Fiction! - Get the club to choose and read non-fiction and create a web-based project about the book to be displayed on the library webpage
Booktalking by Genre - pick a favorite genre, read a book, booktalk it!
And so that's what I want to do this year besides the co-teaching with teachers, doing booktalks, helping with technology and databases and being involved on the state level. You know, it may sound like a lot, but for high school librarians, it's something we can all handle and do, especially with capable help. Wish me luck in this endeavor!!!!!
2 Comments on I"m baaaaack (thanks Jack for that incredible movie line!), last added: 9/8/2012
Naomi, We have been holding a relatively steady and successful book club at our high school for several years now, and you are absolutely right... food is the draw. When we had 2 librarians, we each made a crock pot of soup for our club kids (relatively cheap and makes lots of portions!). That drew them in, and we generally have 20 kids sign up and about 12-15 show up. This year, we're down to one, so I plan to just make dessert (cookies, cupcakes, or brownies) and the kids can bring their lunch with them. We'll see if I still get decent numbers, but good luck!! Let us know what books you all are reading!
You can read all the online book reviews in the world, but nothing beats real-world conversations between readers and authors. To help our community grow, we will host our second West Coast edition of the Mediabistro Book Club on July 18th at Whiskey Blue in Los Angeles.
Follow this link to RSVP. The free event will feature giveaway books and lots of literary conversation. Our featured authors will include:
Would your book club make a good television show? The Book Club Show will be a book-themed show on public television, and they just published a casting call for book club members.
Follow this link to apply. If your club ends up getting picked, be sure to tell us all about it. The video embedded above explains more about the upcoming show.
Check it out: “We’re looking for book clubs, book club members, and everyone who loves books to join the interactive conversation on TV. If you love to read and talk about books, and if you and your book club think you would like to be on TV, please submit your audition application. We’re looking for a book club group of 5-8 people, and we strongly urge you to apply as an individual book club member or as a book club group (4-8 members.) In order to be considered, you must fill out our SURVEY. Book clubs responding to the CASTING CALL must have each member applying fill out the SURVEY.” (Via Sarah Weinman & Wilda Williams & Random House)
There’s very little for kids to do in the town of Bluefield, West Virginia. But once a week, eighteen students from different walks of life gather to talk about books.
“This is somewhere they can meet and see their friends once a week,” says Suzette. “It’s a mix of the groups. Some are friends, some didn’t know each other beforehand.”
Tumblr has announced its fifth selection for the 
Facebook founder 
Usher headlined 
The TODAY Show has 
The TODAY Show has unveiled its next Book Club pick: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
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You can read all the online book reviews in the world, but nothing beats real-world conversations between readers and authors..jpeg?picon=2982)
5.7 million Americans now belong to book clubs, compared to 5.8 million bird-watchers in our country.
Oprah Winfrey revealed her second Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 selection, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. Published by Knopf, the book “tells the story of the children of the Great Migration through the trials of one indomitable heroine.”
Well, you’re right–that comic was a heartbreaker. Thanks for posting this.
Yes, Betsy, someone must write a book about the hidden world of the Son Doong Cave, that underground Shangri La. I’ve been dreaming about it for days. I’d write the book myself if I had the slightest idea how to describe physical stuff like climbing giant walls and fording roaring underground rivers.
Okay! You want to know what bugs me about Barbara Stripling and others who defend CCSS? No? Well, too bad: First of all, I do NOT mind the standards themselves because they are what most of the teachers I know HAVE ALWAYS DONE, ARE DOING NOW, AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO! So, CCSS do NOT raise expectations, they simply give teachers new busy-work in documenting standard procedure. What does Stripling and others think we have been doing? Each year I try to be a better teacher and so do most of the professionals PROFESSIONALS that I know. I truly resent the implication that somehow that is NOT what we have always done. Where I can get behind CCSS is in the very simple (and important) task of trying to introduce great new nonfiction into the curriculum. However, trying to set percentages is a fool’s game. There, rant over! Forgive me.
I read both of Christopher Robin’s memoirs – and every book his father wrote that I could get in my greedy hands. It was not easy being Christopher Robin. No wonder he prefers being called Billy Moon.