It’s our annual announcement of the biggest graphic novel of the year!
Wimpy Kid #10 will be out on November 3rd and it will be called Old School…and it will sell millions of copies, just like all the Wimpy Kid books before it. The cover was revealed via Twitter:
The title and cover were also discussed in a webcast.
Many moons ago, the Beat was the venue for the new Wimpy Kid covert debut. It’s true!!! I can’t find the post now because it happened when Ned Stark was alive. But social media has improved a bit since then, and other people like book jacket reveals!
Kinney’s Wimpy Kid books have sold more than 120 million copes worldwide and are a certified phenomenon, and the biggest book series now being published. Kids can’t get enough of the Greg Heffley-eyed view of the world. And just to prove what a cool guy he is, instead of spending his millions on fast cars and liquor, author Kinney opening an indie bookstore in his hometown of Plainville, MASS
Indie bookselling may be financially risky, but Kinney has planned the nearly 3,000-sq.-ft. bookstore and cafe carefully. And he’s had a chance to observe many stores firsthand on his book tours. “An Unlikely Story allows me to play with the truth,” Kinney says, explaining the store’s name. “We’re going to have fun with fables and tall tales.” That includes a replica of a Quidditch match above the children’s section, and books that appear to be flying overhead elsewhere in the store.
During the construction, Kinney has been visiting the store at least twice a day. “It gives me a sense of satisfaction,” he says. Even more satisfying is the opportunity to bring a bookstore to his community, after so many new bookstores have closed, including one where he grew up in Fort Washington, Md. “When I was a kid, we had a bookstore in my town that sold new books and magazines. I visited a few times a week, and the books I purchased there had a huge impact on my life,” Kinney says. “And then one day, the bookstore was gone and a valuable asset to the community was lost.”
As a kid, Saturday mornings were spent in my PJs with a big bowl of sugar cereal (breakfast of champions), glued to the telly watching The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, and The Smurfs. Rituals are not meant to be broken. Keep reading… Huckleberry Hound Safety Signs was written by Ann McGovern and [...]
Every time I hear a siren, I think about all the brave men and women whose jobs it is to keep us safe and the courage it takes to rush into danger as people are fleeing the scene. Keep reading… Fire Engines is part of the Little Golden Book series and is illustrated by Tibor [...]
Summer is flying by. I am going to keep things short and sweet so we can all head outside and soak up remaining summer sun. Keep reading… I found this wondering through the antique market this summer. The illustrations in Counting Rhymes remind me of the work of Mary Blair but the artist is Virginia [...]
Happy birthday to a very special boy! Keep reading… First published in 1964 The Giving Tree has been translated into more than 30 different languages. Written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein, this story is about a relationship between a boy and a tree. The tree loved the little boy very much and the little boy [...]
Continuing with the bear theme… Keep reading… The Biggest Bear was written and illustrated by Lynd Ward in 1952. It revolves around a character named Johnny Orchard. Johnny is jealous that every family – with the exception his — has a bear pelt hanging from their barn. With a rifle in hand he sets out [...]
This one is for Jori, who is knows all the names of the trees in the forest. Keep reading… Deep in the Forest written and illustrated by Brinton Turkle is a story about a curious baby bear that wreaks havoc in the cabin of a pioneer family out for a walk. Illustrated only with pictures [...]
This one is for my dad who has been poked and prodded by doctors and nurses the last couple of weeks. Keep reading…
Hi Folks, A family emergency came up so posting for B is for Books will be spotty for the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile I’ll be posting scans from my library of Richard Scarry collections. Thank you for your patience! Thao Keep reading…
May 13th had been circled on my calendar for a while now as it’s the date of the Toronto Book Fair & Paper Show. According to its’ website, the show is the place to be if you are searching for rare and used books. Being that this was my first time, I was super excited. [...]
Is graffiti art or vandalism? Keep reading… Our Mayor has been on a warpath, making it his agenda to clean up the city. I happen to live behind one of the city’s most notorious graffiti alleyways, and I think it’s beautiful. These pieces aren’t made by gangs marking their territory and damaging private property, these [...]
When I was in elementary school every spring the skies would be filled with colourful little dots. I don’t remember what the annual fundraiser was for, but it was pure joy to watch hundreds of balloons being released into the skies. Weeks before the event students were asked to sell raffle tickets. On the day [...]
As seniors in high school we got to go camping for a couple of days as a class field trip. It was an attempt to recreate the trips taken by the Group of Seven, a group of Canadian landscape painters who spent days in the wilderness drawing and searching for inspiration. Since I had never [...]
When Jake and I first started dating, we both really wanted to see Dick Tracy again. For me, it was one of those childhood movies I always remembered. Even as an adult, I still carried images of gangsters in brightly-colored suits and a young Madonna in skin-tight black lace. Jake at least carried images of the latter, as well, so we scoured Blockbuster until we found a copy and watched it together on my couch. Surprise, surprise: it was still good—great, actually, and fun to watch.
I caught it again last night, and again, I couldn’t pull my eyes away. It’s like stepping into a vintage comic book. The bright cartoon colors seep into my brain, and I’m hypnotized. I adore the offbeat performances by some of Hollywood’s elite, including Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Dick Van Dyke, and James Caan. Madonna as the hot jazz vocalist is stunning, and Warren Beatty looks dashing in bright yellow. More than that, it’s a simple battle of good versus bad with violence, action, suspense, and a big romantic smooch before the curtain closes. It’s got something for everyone, including a glorious score by Danny Elfman!
Oh my gosh, give me her wardrobe!
Then, today I realized … there aren’t any cuss words in
Dick Tracy. There isn’t any blood. No nudity. In fact, this gangster flick is rated PG! And it’s still a total blast! Can you say that about any action or gangster movie made in the last five years? I don’t think so, Tim.
Jake brought this up a couple weeks ago after we watched Date Night. Date Night is funny. I was entertained—thoroughly, during certain scenes—and I would recommend it to comedy fans. But Jake made a good point. He was annoyed by the penis jokes. He wanted to know why movies have to push the envelope. Why do we have to take it far and then go just a little further? The penis jokes could have easily been dropped. In fact, they felt forced and not funny. Does Hollywood think we like penis jokes? That we can’t live without them? I’m beginning to think so.
When we discussed Date Night, we went back to a shared favorite, Old School. Yes, Old School is not for kids, but in the vein of Dick Tracy, Old School never went too far. There weren’t any awkward dirty jokes that went on too long. The dirty jokes were subdued, in comparison with recent comedies I’ve seen. The nudity wasn’t crude. The drinking scenes were harmless, and cuss words were made laughable by use of “earmuffs.”
So the question remains: will we ever go back to movies like Dick Tracy, or do we require gore, profanity, and penis jokes to get us through a film? Jake is getting sick of it. I’m getting sick of it. I bet there are other people who are sick of it, too.
The funniest parts of recent comedies are the parts that make the mundane comical. Case in point: the best scene in crude, rude Get Him to the Greek was the “stroke the furry wall” bit. The best scene in
Redonkulous is one of my favorite words, it’s silly but it will always get a smile out of me. If you have seen Shrek (or have seen it a dozen times like me) than you’ll understand why redonkulous warms my heart and tickles my funny bone. Keep reading… Before Shrek hit the silver screen and [...]
“Little Island Comics is the first kids comic book store in North America – maybe even the world!” I am not sure if I should be terrified or super excited that it’s here. Endless joy just steps away from my backyard! Will this only feed my addiction? Brand spanking new Little Island Comics opened in [...]
With a hundred plus vendors set up on more than 20 acres of land, the Aberfoyle Antique Market can overwhelm even the most experienced antique enthusiasts. A few weeks ago I spent the day wandering up and down the aisles of the open-air market, enjoying the blue sky above and the autumn sun. Every nook [...]
Grandpa loved two things; wrestling and fishing. I spent hours watching WWF* with Grandpa, learning how perform the chokeholds and body slams, useful skills to learn when you are the smallest on playground. With all the time I spent with Grandpa I only went fishing with him once. It only took one trip for us [...]
Sometimes you just need to take a walk to clear your mind. Read more after the jump.
Best described as “A sunny, slapstick silent comedy” by The New York Times, Rosie’s Walk, written and illustrated by Pat Hutchins is a story about Rosie the hen, who went for a walk blissfully unaware of the fox trailing [...]
There was a time-honored tradition in our family whenever my sister and I had a loose tooth. My dad would tie one end of the string around the loose tooth and the other end to a doorknob. Standing a good couple of paces from the open door, anxiety would build while I wait for the [...]
With a slight break in the hot weather I decided to spend my Sunday afternoon at the antique market. It’s important to size up your opponent when negotiating with vendors, and to bring your poker face. There is not much to my game plan; I tend to wear people out. I usually let the salesperson [...]
S-N-A-K-E, just saying the word makes my skin crawl. When I was 6, I rushed home from Sunday school with a full bladder. Making a mad dash to the bathroom I was just about to sit down when out of the corner of my eye I spotted something slithering in the tub. My grandfather went [...]
This is New York. Read more after the jump.
First published in 1960, This is New York, written and illustrated by Miroslav Sasek is an historical account of the 60s. Touring the city with his sketchbook, Sasek captures everyday life in New York from The Statue of Liberty to the 90, 000 fire hydrants in the [...]
I’m from the school of ‘Life ain’t what it used to be and never was,’ so I’m with you, kid.
Many thoughts are running through my head. As i’m doing this on my phones tiny keyboard, i’ll be brief! 1: you are very right, but left out horror movies! They too, are pushing the envelope! Very graphic violence which isn’t all that scary. What about Psycho? The Birds? Gratuitious slasher films have their place I guess, but the whole torture genre really turns me off. Paranormal Activity scared the bejeezus out of me, and hardly anything happens! Its using the audiences mind and imagination to its advantage. 2: the other issue is that there are very few original ideas anymore, so it seems hollywood is making up for it by “pushing the envelope” and doing a bunch of remakes with more swears and violence. 3: there is a reason the old movies stand the test of time…they are just plain better! However, some very crude movies which the violence and/or swearing are not only necessary, they make the movie better. Case in point: Pulp Fiction. Who enjoys watching this on television?
Now that we’ve had this conversation, I can’t watch movies the same way! You’ve ruined me! But yes, I agree with you. I think that we live in a culture that is all about taking things to the next level, pushing the envelope, doing the outrageous and expectations of toilet humor. I think of movies from my childhood (Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken, Uncle Buck, Batman Forever, Labrynth…oh, this list makes me laugh) and they are “tame” in comparison to, say, Bridesmaids. Now, I will admit that I love Bridesmaids, but I also appreciate modern movies that understand restraint and don’t feel like they have to go there to get a laugh or to get a point across. Case in point: I watched Crazy Stupid Love last night and I thought of you. Ryan Gosling plays this crazy womanizing guy who takes a new girl home every night, but there isn’t one ounce of nudity in this film (some implied nudity on his part, but it’s not offensive). In fact, there’s a lot of bedroom action implied, but very, very little shown. There is swearing, but it isn’t gratuitous and it’s chosen carefully. A lot of the comedic moments are based on random circumstance, the unexpected and a gem of a moment when a high school girl impersonates a seal in the middle of a conversation…not penis jokes…Viva le Dick Tracy…with The Hangover thrown in every few months instead of every night.