1 Comments on We're flying high after our first Free Comic Book Day!, last added: 5/8/2012
Tomorrow, more than 3.5 MILLION comics will be given away in North America and Great Britain. It’s FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!! If you haven’t heard, FCBD takes place the first Saturday in May each year (5/5/12), and thousands of comic book shops give away special, limited-edition comics from today’s top publishers. . .for FREE! This year, Capstone is proud to take part with our 2012 Silver entry . . . THE ROCKHEAD & ZINC ALLOY 2-FOR-NONE!
But if you simply can’t wait until tomorrow, visit our website. There you’ll find more information about these characters, this contest, FCBD, and a totally rad trailer for your viewing pleasure!
So by now, you’re totally stoked about this fun-filled event, right? Then to find participating comic shops, visit the FCBD website, type in your zip code, and plan your route carefully because tomorrow...IT'S ON!
Donnie Lemke, Managing Editor
This young reader already has wonderful taste in books, and he isn't even four months old yet!
I recently spotted this little guy on a friend's Facebook page. Check out what he's reading! It's Hippo Says Excuse Me, by Michael Dahl. If you haven't seen this book yet, rush and find yourself a copy. It is adorable . . . almost as adorable as the little reader.
Dear Texas librarians,
Thank you for your wonderful hospitality last week at the Texas Library Association conference. It was my first TLA experience. What a pleasure it was to visit with you about Capstone and books in general! To know I was in the company of thousands of book lovers brought a simple joy and thrill that only fellow book lovers can appreciate. I’m happy to hear that your students love Bloodlines, Jake Maddox, the Sports Illustrated Graphic Novels, and anything by Michael Dahl. And of course, it made me smile to know that the girls can’t get enough of Kylie Jean and Katie Woo. Lots of other book series came up, too, and it means a lot to know that you feel we understand kids and what they like. My only TLA regret? That we didn’t have enough bags for each and every one of you. After all, everyone deserves to shout, “I’m bananas for reading!” Sincerely, Julie Gassman
This fall, we'll have a grubby, mischievous new addition to our title list . . . let me introduce you to Bertie, a boy who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Between his horrible habits and his crazy ideas, Bertie's adventures are sure to keep you laughing from start to finish. From trying to catch his sister's chickenpox to his attempts to prove his school's janitor is really a vampire, there's no adventure to big (or too dirty) for Bertie to tackle.
 This ham above is my three-year-old, Isla. Like many three-year-olds, she no longer believes she needs a nap most weekends. But by 5 p.m. on the days she skips, the rest of the family strongly disagrees with her. My solution? I start by calling her "kitty". Then I invite her to her room, where I show her this irresistible cover:
 And then together, we meow into a relaxed state. Before you know it, at least one of us is ready to nap . . . and sometimes it is even the right one!
Rarely does this 30+-year-old man find appropriate use for this type of tweenage SMS language. But today, my BFFs, is one heck of an exception! Samples of Capstone’s first-ever Free Comic Book Day comic arrived in the office, and they are — well, utterly PRICELESS!!
(Check out that cover!)
For the unacquainted, Free Comic Book Day takes place the first Saturday in May each year (5/5/12), and comic book shops nationwide give away special, limited-edition comics from today’s top publishers...for FREE!! A seriously great promotion of comics and reading and kids, and we’re proud to take part with our 2012 Silver entry....
THE ROCKHEAD & ZINC ALLOY 2-FOR-NONE
(Illustrated by the brilliant C.S. Jennings & Douglas Holgate)
(What? A Super-Pets pinup? You got that right!!)
(Total sweetness.)
0 Comments on 2-For-None as of 1/1/1900
I had mixed feelings when I read this blog post over at Jenn's Bookshelves. (Go read it if you haven't already.)
It's a huge honor for us to be known by kids as a tried-and-true publisher of books they actually want to read. That's the goal, after all. I'm so glad that John-John found his way to Capstone and the books we've created specifically for guys like him. And I'm glad he's no longer a reluctant reader.
But it really makes me sad that he says his friends don't like reading, and it makes me sad that even though he does, he's feeling let down by books that aren't accessible for some reason. And it makes me really sad that books are another place where guys who don't love sports or who are a bit "nerdy" can feel left out. Head over and leave some suggestions for John-John—if anyone can give him great recommendations, I feel pretty certain that the Capstone Connect readers can. And then let us know: what else could we be publishing? What other niches can we fill? What other readers could we create?
Have a good, book-filled weekend!
--Beth Brezenoff
Assistant Editorial Director
One of my very favorite poets, Adrienne Rich, died on Wednesday. I remember very clearly the time I first read her work: I was in my first year poetry seminar at Sarah Lawrence, and her "21 Love Poems" were in the collection of poems our professor handed out. Her writing is an incredibly strong influence on my own, and I am very grateful for her words.
Here are some of my favorite lines from "21 Love Poems" (section 21). "I choose to be a figure in that light,
half-blotted by darkness, something moving
across that space, the color of stone
greeting the moon, yet more than stone:
a woman. I choose to walk here. And to draw this circle." --Adrienne Rich
Beth Brezenoff
Assistant Editorial Director
It's always nice when our authors get positive feedback on their books — and it's even nicer when they share it with their editors! One of the most rewarding parts of being an editor is knowing someone, somewhere (maybe even all the way around the world!) is enjoying a book you worked on. Check out the nice email one of our authors Cari Meister received about her books:
Hi Cari,
I just want to let you know that my 3-year-old son totally loves your books! He especially adores the monsters (Snorp, Three Claws, Moopy and Ora) in the Monsters series. Keep writing, and remember, somewhere in another part of the world, your books are making children smile and keeping them happy before they go to bed every night. Love,
Alex & his 3-year-old son Kieran from Singapore
Our beloved managing editor Christianne's baby is going to be born today, and we can't wait to meet him/her!
While yesterday was technically the first day of spring, we have had a very unusual winter here in Minnesota and it has actually felt more like summer over the past few weeks. I am not complaining, but I will say that it has been rather unsettling to see my tulips and daffodils almost in bloom in my garden this early in the season! Happy Spring, everyone!
I have been counting the days to March 23. My husband and I have planned our semi-annual date night around the events of the day. And now it is just five more days until the release of The Hunger Games movie.
As a book lover, I get excited when a book series seems to explode. Being able to talk books with everyone from my financial analyst nephew to moms from daycare to complete strangers is the sort of thing I live for. It shows what I've always believed: a great story can unite people.
Over the weekend, I volunteered at a library Hunger Games event held for kids ages 12-18. Too often kids this age try to be low-key. They don't show a lot of emotion, and they don't want to draw attention to themselves. But not these kids. Every single one of them were there because they loved a book and they wanted to have some fun alongside other book lovers. The all-out enthusiasm was impressive. One girl even told me that she had gotten a bow and arrow so she could learn how to shoot like Katniss, the book's main character. If I had been excited for the movie before, those kids only sealed the deal.
 My Game-Maker costume (Only a great book would inspire a grown mother of three to spray her hair blue and wear way too much make-up.)
This past week, the world celebrated World Read Aloud Day and International Women's Day. My son brought home a list of global literacy statistics that seemed to fit with both days. It is not surprising to know that reading improves, and sometimes, saves lives.
• According to the latest data (2009), 793 million adults – two thirds of them women – lack basic reading and writing skills. Included in this statistic are 127 million youth aged 15-24. (UNESCO)
• Since 1985, the female adult literacy rate has risen 15%, which is about double the growth of the male literacy rate in the same time period. (UNESCO)
• On tests involving 4,500 to 10,000 students in 43 countries, half of the girls said they read for at least thirty minutes a day, compared with less than one-third of the boys. (UNESCO)
• In sub-Saharan Africa, girls have less than a 50% chance of finishing primary school. In some Asian countries, girls also struggle: 41% of girls in Pakistan and 30% in India fail to finish primary school. (results.org)
• A majority of youth in American public schools cannot read or do math at grade level in the 4th, 8th or 12th grades. (“The State of America’s Children 2011,” a report by the Children’s Defense Fund)
• A child born to a mother who can read is 50 percent more likely to survive past the age of 5 than a child born to an illiterate woman. (UNESCO)
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
© LitWorld, 2012
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1 Comments on We're flying high after our first Free Comic Book Day!, last added: 5/8/2012
I love the idea of Thursday lunches out! And I totally want the burgers in the pictures.
Can't say I'm on board with Taco Bell though. Living in Southern CA, with our zillions of great Mexican restaurants, I last ate at Taco Bell about 15 years ago.