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My general rule is that unless I find three good videos in a given week I am inclined to skip Video Sunday.  And the last week or two has been a difficult one.  Sometimes videos with a children’s literature connection sprout up like weeds.  Other times they’re rarities.  Today, I’m pleased to have found my minimum (plus the usual off-topic goodness).  First and foremost up there, a book I am incredibly excited about and looking forward to.  The trailer reminds me of Reading Rainbow, in the best possible way.

Then, naturally, we follow that up with the Battle of the (Kids’) Books trailer.  The Downton Abbey music did throw me for a second, though.

This one’s from a Scottish poet as a kind of ode to women who read.  Workplace friendly?  You’re call.  May as well play it safe, I suppose.

Thanks to Sue Banner for the link.

And finally, I’m only human. When a new OK GO video is out, I pay attention.  Even if it’s part car ad.  For the record this is real.  Not done in post or anything.

Kids’ books: This ‘March Madness’ is literally playing by the book
“School Library Journal is sponsoring a “Battle of the Kids’ Books.” Patterned after the wildly popular NCAA March Madness, the “Battle of the Kids’ Books” pits 16 topnotch children’s books against each other and asks popular children’s-book authors to choose a winner.”

10 of the best: heroes from children’s fiction
Don’t miss this photo essay featuring 10 heroes and heroines from children’s fiction including Huckleberry Finn, Anne Shirley and Petrova Fossil.

All-New Shel Silverstein Poetry Collection Due in 2011
This week HarperCollins Children’s Books announced the fall 2011 release of a collection of never-before published Shel Silverstein poems and illustrations.

Alabama youth reading Mark Twain to promote literacy
Throughout Alabama, children, big kids and families are reading or re-reading Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ event The Big Read.

Author Name Pronunciation Guide
Ever wondered how you pronounce tricky authors’ names? This site offers a collection of brief recordings of authors & illustrators saying their names. Check out the recording from Adam Rex, a favorite of First Book staff member and author Erica Perl.

Well the big news to come out of last week was the announcement of the titles that will be appearing on SLJ’s 2011 Battle of the Kids’ Books.  If you are unfamiliar with this event, each year sixteen books and around fifteen judges are selected by Battle Commanders Monica Edinger and Roxanne Feldman with input from Commentator Jonathan Hunt.  Like March Madness, each judge (a well-known teen or YA author) selects the “better” book between two potential winners.  This year the list of contenders includes some favorites of mine that I wish had gotten more award attention, as well as a slew of titles that I thought got just the right amount of attention (and sometimes too much).  Last year I was Team Lost Conspiracy (and we almost made it too!).  This year I think I’ll be Team A Tale Dark and Grimm.  And I pray it doesn’t get knocked out of the running on its first go round.

• Bah.  Things change a little too much in this business for my liking.  Why can’t everyone just stay in their jobs until they die?  Since we’re dealing with publishing here, not the Supreme Court it’s fortunate that we have Harold Underdown to do a monthly wrap up of who’s moving where.  It puts my mind to rest to think that somebody’s keeping track.

• Now some not-so-swell news.  Some, to be perfectly frank, awful news.  And that is all that I will say on that point.  Thanks to Jessamyn West for the link.

• Oo!  I love these.  New Blog Alert!  But before I do, I’d like to mention that if I ever have a website of my own (Note to Self: Make website), it would make me happy indeed to have a picture on my site that looks akin to this:

For those of you unaware, that is author Philip Reeve.  He of the fantastic Larklight books, the Hungry City Chronicles (including Fever Crumb) and what have you.  Turns out, he also blogs.  This is because he is akin to all good and great things in this world.  I’m calling this a “new blog alert” simply because it is new to me, but there’s so much here that I really and truly enjoy.  Take, for example, the man’s opinion on Buffy.  He likes i

School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books is a competition between 16 of the very best books for young people of the year, judged by some of the biggest names in children's books.

Books and brackets -- what could be better? The first match starts today.

And then it’s February.  How the heckedy heck did that happen?  Looks like 2012 is already establishing itself as the Blink and You’ll Miss It year.  Well, let’s get to it then.

First and foremost was the announcement of Battle of the Books 2012.  Or, as I like to think of it, the place where Amelia Lost gets its bloody due (if there’s any justice in this world).  We’re now in the earliest of the early days of the battle, but stuff’s on the horizon.  I can smell it.

• In other news there was an SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) meeting here in New York this past weekend.  I didn’t attend because, apparently, if it’s way too convenient I’m absent.  After checking out the recap on this blog, however, I clearly need to change my priorities.  Though I had to miss the cocktail party on Friday I did attend Kidlit Drink Night which was PACKED, dudes.  Packed to the gills!

• I like me some Megan Whalen Turner, which is pretty much just another way of saying that I am human and I can read.  In any case, the woman knows how to make words work.  Case in point, this guest post she penned a little while ago which might as well be called The Evolution of Not-Telling Or, how my policy of not answering questions about my books began as self-serving and over time became something even more self-serving. Mm.  Worth it.  Thanks to Beth Fama for the link.

• In her post Ms. Turner mentions the Mythopoeic Society.  By complete coincidence I stumbled over yet another link involving that society in question.  Neil Gaiman reprints an old speech he gave to the society in 2004 on C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Chesterton.  A great look at how good fantasy can influence kids.  Also a good look at how bad television programs lead kids to books.  I believe it.

• Well The Today Show may have passed up the chance to talk to the Newbery and Caldecott winners but leave it to NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me to speak to Jack Gantos for their Not My Job game.  Someone must have tipped them off to the fact that the man is the world’s greatest interview.  Love the Judy Blume reference.  And though I thought I knew his Hole in My Life story, clearly I missed some details.  Thanks to Susan Miles for the link.

• Of course Jack and Chris Raschka were interviewed by SLJ about their respective wins.  That’s good news about a Dead End in Norvelt companion novel.  Ditto the idea of Raschka working on a Robie H. Harris title.

• This 5 Comments on Fusenews: The Jack Gantos / Alfred E. Newman Connection, last added: 2/3/2012