Just a quickie this evening because the tendonitis in my wrist and hand is acting up and I need to rest it.
Nancy Pearl, rockstar librarian, has, some might say, sold out to the devil known as Amazon.com. Earlier this year Pearl made a deal with Amazon to reprint 12 books in her Book Lust Rediscoveries project. The e-books are only available for Kindle. Print versions of the titles will be available in paperback but lots of independent bookstores as well as Barnes & Noble have said they will not carry them.
Pearl is taking the backlash in stride even though she says that she might have to go in disguise to some of her former haunts. For Pearl, the fact that the books Amazon will publish were out of print and will be no longer is more important than who is publishing them.
Even though I have a Kindle I am not loyal to Amazon, really, I try to avoid them as much as I can since the more I hear about their business practices when it comes to books, the more I dislike them. I am not going to throw away my Kindle, but if I were buying an e-reader today I think I might go for the Sony or some other independent manufacturer. All that to say I am a bit disappointed with Pearl. I understand why she did it but wonder if she couldn’t somehow have come to some agreement with a company other than Amazon.
What do you think? Did Pearl do the right thing in partnering with Amazon?
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Nancy Pearl 
Award-winning librarian Nancy Pearl (pictured, via) has joined Publishers Weekly. Pearl’s new library-themed column, “Check It Out,” will feature her responses to questions, comments, and observations from librarians, publishers, readers, and others.
The column will run on a monthly basis in Publishers Weekly‘s print periodicals. It will be introduced in both the May 30th print issue and online.
Pearl had this statement in the release: “[I'm] looking forward to hearing from readers across the street and around the world on book- and library-related topics large and small. In my radio work and public presentations, my favorite part is always taking questions from the audience. With my ‘Check It Out’ column there are two things you can count on: I have lots of opinions, and I will always be honest in my responses.”
continued…
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Nancy Pearl is our
super hero, brandishing
books to marvel hearts.
Lorie Ann Grover, 2010
Nancy really is. We heart her as much as she hearts books. Marvel. :~)
So, this week's Weekly Geek challenge is a quotation on every post. I'm going to see if I can do all fortune cookies:
The greatest truths are the simplest and so are the greatest men.
That's what I got in today's fortune cookie. (Dan is back after spending the weekend in Houston with his family. They're fine, he's fine, and now he's home, so I'm fine. Anyway, we ordered Peking Duck for dinner. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Peking duck. Also, just another plug for The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer 8. Lee, which is AWESOME)
So, it's Nonfiction Monday!
This is not nonfiction for kids or teens, but rather a book for those of us who work with kids or teens or just like reading their books.
Book Crush: For Kids and Teens - Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Interest by Nancy Pearl
Ok, if you haven't yet read them, you must read
Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason and
More Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason, you need to go do so. Like, now.
Anyway,
Book Crush is along the same lines, but focusing on children's and teen books. As usual with Nancy Pearl's works, my To-Read list grew by PAGES. Everything from fiction to older teen works are covered.
If you're not familiar with the
Book Lust books, Pearl offers a subject, and then several books that deal with the topic. In this offering, such topics include "Rebels with a Cause" which includes
Where the Wild Things Are or "Friends Make the World Go Round" which includes both
The Egypt Game and
Meet Danitra Brown (the most splendifirous girl in town.)
I mean, who can resist book lists titled "May I Have This Dance? Old-Fashioned Love Hip Enough for the Jaded-at-Twelve Crowd" or "Kung Fu, the Samurai Crowd, and Ninja Stealth" or even "Dragooned by Dragons"?!
Of course, as a children/teen book aficionado, I had a few sad moments-- first off there's no mention of the
the Alice series by Phylis Reynolds Naylor. I really think this is an important work of middle grade and YA lit. I like Alice in small doses, but still, an important aspect of the field and completely ignored. And, I really don't think
The City of Ember is a fantasy (sci-fi? yes, dystopian? yes, fantasy? no.) And was sad to see that the description of
Private Peaceful was just plain wrong. (But then again, so is the flap copy, but in a different way. Let's just say that Tommo is NOT spending the night up on watch (which is was the flap says) and people are NOT being executed for falling asleep on sentry duty (which is what Pearl says) I won't say what is really going on though, because it's a spoiler.)
But there were happy ones too. Pearl laments that not enough people know about the out-of-print Madeline L'Engle title
And Both Were Young. I was horrified to learn this was OPP (but you can buy it from Amazon used for one cent, plus shipping and handling) but was happy to be one of the chosen few who love this book. (Seriously, buy a copy now and read it. It's wonderful.)
Anyway, many
weekly geeks ago, we asked for questions on unreviewed titles. Here are mine on this book:
Chris asks: How is Book Crush? Would you recommend it to your fellow book fiends or should we pass?Recommend! Especially if you like children's or teen lit-- I highly recommend all of Nancy Pearl's works to book friends.
Molly asks : Hi Fellow Weekly Geeker! I'm a HUGE Nancy Pearl fan, but have not read Book Crush. As someone who has not read a lot of teen and tween books, would I still enjoy Book Crush?Yes. I'm a big proponent of getting adults to read younger lit, because it's SO FREAKIN' GOOD and I think adults would enjoy it if they read it. So, I think if you like Nancy Pearl, you should check this out and read some more teen/tween and even younger than that books.
This books is super up-to-date and includes books that must have been ARCS when she was writing this!
Anyway, it's non-fiction Monday and, as per usual
, Anastasia has the round-up. Woot!
Nancy Pearl, world renown librarian immortalized with her very own action-figure, is pictured to the left to announce that today, April 13, is the start of
NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK. The American Library Association's website provides a brief history and explanation of this special week promoting libraries:
What is National Library Week?
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate.
The entire month of April is School Library Media Month. I know I'll be celebrating with school students in the St. Alban's School Library on Wednesday when I spend time with two first grade classes and their extremely well-organized and energetic librarian, Christy Bobbit.
How do you plan to celebrate libraries this week? Here are some suggestions:
- Check out a library book--or two or three or more
- Say an enthusiastic "THANK YOU!" to your librarian
- Send your favorite library (librarians) a "Just Because You're Special Card"
- Donate time or money to your favorite library
- Attend a library story time with your children
- Soak up the zen when you stop by your favorite library for some quiet reading time
While I'm waiting to have a phone conference with my editor to talk about marketing issues, I thought we could take a brief break from the book lauching biz so that I could tell you what a complete thrill it was for me this weekend to hear Nancy Pearl, Librarian Extraordinaire speak. Omigod. She is amazing! A bonafide rock star in sensible shoes.
And, as you can see, she has her OWN shushing Action Figure. The deluxe edition figure even comes with a book cart. If I ever have my own Mary Hershey action figure, it will be shushing, too.
It's not too big a stretch to imagine that a librarian is an introvert. I could have probably pegged that even before hearing her speak. But, she is such an extraordinary example of someone that is SO introverted and SO in the public eye. In 1998, she developed the program "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book," which has spread all over the country. She is a regular commentator about books on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" and NPR affiliate stations in Seattle and Tulsa. In 2004, she became the 50th winner of the Women’s National Book Association Award for her stellar contribution to the world of books.
During her talk, she told a very funny story about a breakfast event she had to attend, and how she dreaded it for days. She couldn't imagine she would have anything to say to anyone at her assigned table. Can you imagine? She-who-has-read-every-book-ever-written and remembers it with a savante-like ability! She ended up sitting with three men with a collective linguistic reciprocity score of minus three. Her desperate attempts to carry on a conversation with them had us howling. Part of the problem, Nancy shared, was that one of the men was very tanned and had shiny loafers with tassles. I so get that! Tassled footwear just puts me under the table, too!
She also can't abide the phone, channels another person entirely when public speaking, and prefers reading to most all life activities. I'm resting my case here. Nancy Pearl moves right into our Shrinking Violet Hall of Fame. Love her!
MARKETING HOMEWORK FOR THIS WEEK:
1. Research postcard and bookmark vendors
2. Brainstorm tie-ins for giveaways at book signings
Later, friends!
Mary Hershey
Now Reading: Madame Chiang Kai-shek: China's Eternal First Lady
Just Finished: Clay, Thumb on a Diamond
Well, in case you need some good
recommendations on what to read, may I suggest two most excellent books by Nancy Pearl (aka the
Librarian Action Figure )?
Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason and
More Book Lust are filled with annotated book lists of books to read and enjoy. Most of my favorites were there and some were missing, but the Ms. Pearl, the
rockstar librarian, encourages the rest of us write in with our additions. (Also, check out her
book wiki.)
So, these books offer lists with such topics as "Africa: Yesterday and Today" and "Quirky Science" she introduces the topic and writes a sentence or two about the books she lists, giving just enough to make you want to read them.
Read these books with paper and pencil, because your "To Read" list will expand exponentially-- I think I added 9 pages to mine with these books! Despite my
innate fear of writing in books, I'm taking a pencil to mine, putting little check marks by the books I've read.
I can't wait for the April release of
Book Crush: For Kids and Teens-Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Interest.
PS- Can you believe that no one has yet given me a librarian action figure with automatic shushing action?
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Book Crush sounds wonderful. Dangerous for one's tbr list, but wonderful.
I will now look for that Madeline L'Engle book. You made me very curious.
I second the recommendation for Nancy Pearl. All of her books on books are good. She's always got lots of titles listed that I've never heard of and am desperate to read as soon as I do.
She's also an excellent regular on NPR.