How to use this Page

My son is about to graduate from high school and he doesn’t use email! His main way to stay connected is Facebook.

There are so many applications allowing you to connect to family, friends and readers. What do you use? Please vote for up to five applications.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Please do me a favor — add a comment about how you use these social media. Do you use it only for family? Do you have a Fan Group for your book? Please add the URL and we’ll all go and look!

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Do you read Digital Fiction? If so, in what format? Please add more details in the Comments. Results will be posted on Monday.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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I know our American friends were busy casting their vote yesterday, deciding who is to be the next President of the USA, but here’s something else very important indeed you can vote for. OK, perhaps not quite as important as deciding who is going to be the most powerful elected leader in the world, but hey, I’m British. I was feeling left out.

What we’re asking you to vote for, though, are the words you love to hate from 2008. Susie Dent has revealed the UK word of the year already but is there a word that has been everywhere that you would quite happily never see again?

We’ve made a few suggestions, but you can also nominate some words of your own. The survey closes on December 15th 2008, and all entries will be put into a prize draw. One lucky winner will receive a copy of Susie’s book Words of the Year.

Our suggestions are:

CREDIT CRUNCH - a multi-purpose word used to mean anything relating to the current financial turmoil

DELEAVERAGING - an opaque word to most, meaning the reduction of borrowed capital used to increase the return of an investment

MEDALLING - used at the Olympics, a curious example of a ‘verbed’ noun, from the word medal

FREEMALE - a manufactured word coined by a marketing company to mean a single woman

VISUACY - a word blend used as shorthand for ‘visual literacy’

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We finally got a chance to take a close look at this year's Publishing Trends survey of industry professionals—half of us enjoy the work for the intellectual challenges, and the free books don't hurt, either!—and a full 81.5 percent of those surveyed say "publishing jobs in general are less secure than they were a year ago," while more than 33 percent are worried specifically about hanging on to their own jobs. Asked to reflect further on their future, the number of people who'd like to quit their jobs and become agents is nearly equal to the number of people who are happy where they're at... but 28 percent say they can't decide until they find out who's going to be running the country for the next four years. On the off chance that you can't already guess how their hopes skew, 86 percent say they're voting for Barack Obama.

Not all the survey questions made it into the newsletter report, so the Publishing Trends blog is running additional results, from which you can learn that red wine is favored over white wine 2-to-1, and word of mouth is overwhelmingly the most frequent way publishing industry pros land staff jobs. More such tidbits are promised throughout October.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media

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Prompted by some of the answers I received in my Contest of Olympic Proportions over the past couple of weeks, I've been wondering about who our blog readers really are. (We assume there are a bunch of you out there, since we're getting tons of hits, but you don't speak up a lot.)

So, in a completely clever and wonderfully purple way, I'd like to find out a little more about Y-O-U! It's easy. Just check out the poll below. Select the answer that best describes why you're at the Buzz Blog. Then click VOTE.

And if you feel inclined to say a little more about yourself by way of introductions, well, then, that's what comments are for, right? (By the way, I think I totally overused commas in that last sentence.)

I am a(n) ...
( surveys)

Hugs,
TLC

OH. MY. GODS. (available now!)
GODDESS BOOT CAMP (coming June 2009)
http://www.teralynnchilds.com

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You've had a look at two different batches of dog pictures, and now it's time to choose your favorite among the two most popular. Will you pick Chachi, Leslie Banks's "nearsighted" Chihuahua/Jack mix, or will you vote for Darwin, the Airedale that inspired Sherry Rind's Houses Full of Laughter?

I choose...
( polls)

And, after much delay, I've finally come up with a prize for the dog that gets the most votes by 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on Wednesday, August 13: Alison Pace, whose Carlie ran a close second in Friday's competition, has generously agreed to sign a copy of her new novel, City Dog, for the winner.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media

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286 of you voted in our poll about who is to blame for poor book sales with 41% voting that everyone was to blame and 25% agreeing that the publisher has too many titles on their list. The poll has sparked some interesting conversations across the net most notably from Buzz, Balls & Hype which points out that I forgot to include "lack of marketing."

What's telling about the vote at the end - asking what "you" think goes wrong they list everything but "not enough marketing." They do mention the "publicity" failing... but in today's marketplace there's so little available publicity anyway, no one should be relying on publicity to get a book out there. Esp with fiction!!!

Of everything, it won't come as a surprise to readers of this blog that I believe lack of marketing is the reason most books fail. If no one knows the book exists, no one can buy it and publishers simply don't have enough money or time or creative thinking to give every book the marketing it needs to break through the clutter.

Bookseller Captaincurt posted an insightful comment about how publishers are putting out too many books:

As a longtime bookseller of 27 years I can tell you far too many books are being published every year. Shelves groan under the weight of all the new releases. Lets be honest. Few are really special reading experiences. Books deserving of wider readerships are crowded out each season by the obvious blockbusters Target and the price clubs stack high. I love handselling, but there are only so many hours in a day. I push what I love, show people what they ask for and go out on a limb once in a while and score new fans for my old favorites by the likes of Peter Taylor, Mark Helprin and Jeffrey Ford. No book should be published without some kind of marketing push behind it. I know resources are limited but to do otherwise does the author and his/her book an injustice.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media

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It's FishbowlLA correspondent Tina Dupuy's first BookExpo America, and she wants advice on what to look forward to this weekend:

What is the best thing about Book Expo America 2008 this weekend?
( polls)

Personally, I vote for the $5 hot dogs, washed down with a $3 soft drink.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media

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I tallied up the results of this poll a while ago but keep forgetting to post them.

The question: Which books mentioned in the Harry Potter series would you like to read?
The answers:

• Tales of Beedle the Bard (11 votes)
• Enchantment in Baking (10 votes)
• Hogwarts: A History (10 votes)
• Curses and Counter-curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying, and Much, Much More) by Professor Vindictus Viridian (9 votes)
• Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed (6 votes)
• History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot (6 votes)
• Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore by Rita Skeeter (6 votes)
• Rune Dictionary (6 votes)
• Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle (5 votes)
• Charm Your Own Cheese (5 votes)
• Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles by Wilhelm Wigworthy (5 votes)
• Powers You Never Knew You Had and What To Do With Them Now You've Wised Up (5 votes)
• Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts (5 votes)
• Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts (5 votes)
• Weird Wizarding Dilemmas and Their Solutions (5 votes)
• Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage (4 votes)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander (4 votes)
• One Minute Feasts: It's Magic! (4 votes)
• Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts (4 votes)
• Standard Book of Spells by Miranda Goshawk (4 votes)
• Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires by Eldred Worple (3 votes)
• Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble (3 votes)
• Invisible Book of Invisibility (3 votes)
• Men Who Love Dragons Too Much (3 votes)
• Numerology and Gramatica (3 votes)
• Ancient Runes Made Easy (2 votes)
• Death Omens: What To Do When You Know The Worst Is Coming (2 votes)
• Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard (2 votes)
• Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit (2 votes)
• Flying With the Cannons (2 votes)
• Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger (2 votes)
• Moste Potente Potions (2 votes)
• One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore (2 votes)
• Sonnets of a Sorcerer (2 votes)
• Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky (2 votes)
• Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch (1 vote)
• From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide (1 vote)
• Intermediate Transfiguration (1 vote)
• Jinxes for the Jinxed (1 vote)
• Magical Me by Gilderoy Lockhart (1 vote)
• Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling (1 vote)
• Monster Book of Monsters (1 vote)
• Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp (1 vote)
• Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches (1 vote)
• Voyages With Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart (1 vote)
• Wanderings With Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart (1 vote)
• Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe (0 votes)
• Break With a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart (0 votes)
• Flesh-Eating Trees of the World (0 votes)
• Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality (0 votes)
• Gadding With Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart (0 votes)
• Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests (0 votes)
• Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broom Care (0 votes)
• Holidays With Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart (0 votes)
• Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean (0 votes)
• Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy (0 votes)
• Prefects Who Gained Power (0 votes)
• Spellman's Syllabary (0 votes)
• Travels With Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart (0 votes)
• Year With The Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart (0 votes)

I agree, I'd love to read The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Thanks to Amazon (see this post) we can now at least read plot summaries of each story. Maybe this book will be published one day. That would be wonderful.

I'd also love to get a copy of all the cookbooks in Mrs. Weasley's kitchen. Enchantment in Baking and One Minute Feasts: It's Magic! would both be a real asset in my ridiculously busy life.

I'd like to read all the Gilderoy Lockhart books (although it appears that no one else would)... simply because I need a good laugh. Think of the humor value of those books!

I'm surprised that Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard got any votes... it was the assigned book in Professor Umbridge's class and sounds very boring.

I'm curious about the rest of The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, particularly the chapter about Harry and Dumbledore. But I also think this book would drive me crazy and I'd end up flinging it across the room before long.

If I lived in the wizarding world, I think I'd be the only person (other than Hermione) who would have read Hogwarts, a History from cover to cover.

For those who voted for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander and Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp you're in luck. J.K. Rowling has published these books and they're very funny (and useful when reading the Harry Potter series). I highly recommend them for die-hard Harry Potter fans.

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Clearly, most of my readership consists of fellow bloggers. That's what I found out from this poll.

Question: Do you have a blog?

Answers:

• I have two or more blogs. (14 votes)
• Yes. (13 votes)
• I contribute to a group blog. (4 votes)
• No. (3 votes)
• I'm thinking of starting a blog. (1 vote)
• What's a blog? (1 vote)

To the person who voted for "I'm thinking of starting a blog," I say go for it. And, once you do, let me know the address so I can read it.

To the person who voted for "What's a blog?"... you're reading one. Here's a brief description from Blogger, and incidentally, the page also contains a link for you to start your own blog.

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The readers of Wizards Wireless are good guessers.

Here's the results from a recent poll I posed for readers of For Better or For Worse.

Question: "When do you think Anthony is going to propose?"

Answers:

• In the next two weeks (8 votes)
• Never (I hope), but I'm being realistic, so I voted for one of the other choices too. (6 votes)
• In the next two months (3 votes)
• In the next six months (1 vote)
• In the next year (1 vote)

After you've patted yourself on the back for your all-knowingness (which is a word I just invented)... head on over and check out today's strip. But, you already knew what was going to happen, didn't you?

And check out the new poll I just added.

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Here are the results from a recent poll I conducted.

Question: Which sources do you consult the most when deciding what books to read?

Answers:

• Blogs (17 votes)
• Friends (15 votes)
• Award lists (10 votes)
• Libraries (9 votes)
• Word of mouth (8 votes)
• Reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble (7 votes)
• Reviews in professional journals (7 votes)
• The blurb on the book's dust jacket (7 votes)
• Your book club (5 votes)
• Bookstores: independent stores (4 votes)
• Reviews on Goodreads or LibraryThing (4 votes)
• Reviews in newspapers or magazines (4 votes)
• Bookstores: chain stores (3 votes)
• Conferences (3 votes)
• Websites: other than those listed above (2 votes)
• Your kids (2 votes)
• Your parents (2 votes)
• Other (2 votes)
• All of the above (0 votes)

Although this is a very small sample, it made me curious. Are blogs that influential? Does everyone read blog reviews or are they mainly read by other bloggers? I set up a poll on the sidebar that doesn't answer either question, but does ask if you're a blogger yourself.

And, continuing on this tangent for a moment... if blogs are really that powerful... that is to say, if more people consult them more than any other form of marketing or word of mouth... then that is really intriguing. And if it is true, do you think publishers are aware of this trend?

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What 27% of my readers want is for me to write a novel about unicorns versus zombies. And right now I gotta tell you I’m dead tempted cause it wouldn’t require nearly as much research as the current novel.¹ So colour me slightly nudged on the zombie v unicorn front. I may have news to report upon said subject at some point in the future. Or not. You never know where my ten-second attention span will take me.

The next most popular options were a ghost story where the ghosts are perfectly aware that they’re ghosts. Which would be just a regular ghost story, right? One day I will write one of those. And then the snowboarding werewolves. Gotta tell you, I don’t see it happening. I’m not oudoorsy and I am particularly against being outdoors in snow. I have no desire to try snowboarding. None at all. And you can’t write about a sport you haven’t tried yourself. Also I’d have to learn all about wolves. Too much research! I am currently against research.

However, what most astonished me about the latest poll was that several of my readers—3% of the total—voted for mainstream realism. Clearly, they were messing with me. There can be no other explanation. Me write non-genre? Are you insane? I have noted all your names and will go after you in my own time. Watch your backs.

Enjoy the new poll. I was feeling random. It happens.

1. Don’t hit me, Diana. I know you’ve done tonnes of research for your unicorn novel. But my unicorn v zombies novel would be a lazy one, okay?

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Since this blog is about books and Harry Potter, it seems only natural for me to talk about the books that are mentioned within the Harry Potter series.

J.K. Rowling liberally sprinkles book titles throughout the series, and I've posted a new poll listing some of my favorites. There are 60 books listed, so it doesn't contain every title mentioned in the series (if you're looking for that, see this list at the Harry Potter Lexicon.) But, if the book is featured in my poll, it means that it figures significantly into the plot. Or it's on Harry's initial shopping list in Sorcerer's Stone. Or I think the title is cool. Clearly, I used rigorous standards.

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Here are the results of a few recent Wizards Wireless polls:

Question: Are you a member of GoodReads?

Answers:

1^st place (14 votes)

• Yes

2^nd place (2 votes)

• I've thought about it, but haven't joined yet.

3^rd place (1 vote each)

• I used to be, but I'm not anymore.
• What's Goodreads?

4^th place (0 votes)

• No

Based on the results of this poll, and the huge reaction I got when I asked this question on the Kidlitosphere discussion group... I'd say that an awful lot of people use the GoodReads website. For the person who voted for "what's GoodReads?" see this post. I've been having a lot of fun seeing what friends and fellow bloggers are reading... although I can already see that the hardest part for me will be to keep my GoodReads reading list up to date.

Question: My favorite books written by Lucy Maud Montgomery are:

Answers:

1^st place (13 votes)

• Anne of Green Gables

2^nd place (7 votes)

• The Blue Castle

3^rd place (5 votes each)

• Anne's House of Dreams
• Rilla of Ingleside

4^th place (4 votes each)

• Anne of the Island
• Anne of Windy Poplars
• Emily of New Moon
• I haven't read any of her books

5^th place (3 votes each)

• Anne of Ingleside
• Anne of Avonlea

6^th place (2 votes each)

• Rainbow Valley
• Emily Climbs
• Emily's Quest
• The Story Girl

7^th place (1 vote each)

• Chronicles of Avonlea
• Mistress Pat
• Kilmeny of the Orchard
• Jane of Lantern Hill
• A Tangled Web

8^th place (0 votes each)

• The Golden Road
• Further Chronicles of Avonlea
• Pat of Silver Bush
• Magic for Marigold

As I expected, Anne of Green Gables got the most votes in this poll. But I was delighted to see so much love for The Blue Castle, which is a far more obscure book. For my favorite L.M. Montgomery books, see this post.

Question: Does anyone read these poll result posts?
It's the best way I can think of the archive the results, but they always seem so lengthy to me. Should I keep writing them?

See the new poll in the sidebar about what sources you consult for book recommendations.

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Here are are some poll results that surprised me. I thought everyone (given the chance) would love to play Quidditch, but it turns out what most people really want is a good seat in the stands (preferably in the Top Box, of course).

Question: If you could be involved in a Quidditch match, what would you chose to be?

Answers:

1^st place (9 votes)

• Spectator

2^nd place (8 votes)

• Chaser

3^rd place (4 votes)

• Seeker

4^th place (2 votes each)

• Beater
• Commentator

5^th place (1 vote each)

• Keeper
• Mascot
• Referee

I thought everyone would want to be a Seeker because it's the most glamorous and high profile position. Personally, I wouldn't want to be one, though... there's just too much pressure.

I'd want to be a Beater. You just fly around whacking Bludgers at people. Sure, you have to use a little strategy, but not much. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Speaking of polls, I recently posted one about the website GoodReads. Even though (I swear) I double-checked the poll before I posted it... there's a typo in one of the choices. Unfortunately, you can't change the options on the poll after people have voted... so now that typo is just sitting there, taunting me. Be sure to vote so I can take that poll down!

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There was an election held today where I live... so that put me in the mood for counting votes. Here are the results of three recent Wizards Wireless polls.

Question: Which businesses mentioned in the Harry Potter books would you like to visit?

Answers:

1^st place (33 votes)

• Flourish and Blotts bookstore

2^nd place (30 votes)

• Honeydukes sweetshop

3^rd place (29 votes)

• Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

4^th place (22 votes)

• Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor

5^th place (21 votes)

• Ollivander’s wand store

6^th place (16 votes)

• The Three Broomsticks

7^th place (15 votes)

• The Leaky Cauldron

8^th place (14 votes each)

• Magical Menagerie pet store
• Dervish and Banges magical equipment

9^th place (11 votes)

• Zonko's Joke Shop

10^th place (9 votes each)

• Eeylops Owl Emporium
• Gringotts Wizarding Bank
• Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop
• Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions

11^th place (7 votes each)

• Gladrags wizardwear
• Madam Puddifoot's tea shop

12^th place (6 votes each)

• Quality Quidditch Supplies
• Hogsmeade post office

13^th place (5 votes each)

• The Hog's Head
• Borgin and Burkes dark arts shop

14^th place (4 votes)

• Apothecary

I love that Flourish and Blotts bookstore won this poll. Come to think of it, that's the business I'd want to visit the most, too.

As for the next poll, all I can say is that if Madam Pince retires, there will be fierce competition to fill the job of Hogwarts librarian.

Question: If you were looking for a job in the Harry Potter world, which ones would you choose?

Answers:

1^st place (17 votes)

• Hogwarts librarian

2^nd place (10 votes)

• Hogwarts professor

3^rd place (6 votes)

• reporter for the Daily Prophet

4^th place (5 votes each)

• assistant at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes
• manager of Flourish and Blotts bookstore

5^th place (4 votes each)

• auror
• clerk at Honeydukes sweetshop
• Quidditch player

6^th place (3 votes)

• wand maker

7^th place (2 votes each)

• Minister of Magic
• reporter for the Quibbler

8^th place (1 vote each)

• broom maker
• curse-breaker for Gringotts
• dragon keeper in Romania
• employee of the Ministry of Magic
• Hogwarts headmaster

9^th place (0 votes each)

• conductor of the Knight Bus
• dish washer at the Leaky Cauldron
• dragon feeder at Gringotts
• healer at Saint Mungo’s
• Hogwarts caretaker
• Quidditch referee
• saleswizard at Quality Quidditch Supplies
• security troll trainer

I find it interesting that the Minister of Magic ranks as low as reporter for the Quibbler. I can't really blame you. I wouldn't want to be Minister of Magic either.

The last poll has nothing to do with Harry Potter. (Yes, I do run non-Harry Potter polls from time to time. =) This one is about a comic strip. (See this post for more details about what's going on with For Better or For Worse these days).

Question: If I could decide the fate of For Better or For Worse, I would:

Answers:

1^st place (13 votes)

• End it completely in September

2^nd place (6 votes each)

• Continue running it past September with a mixture of reruns and new material
• I don't read the comic strip

3^rd place (2 votes)

• I wouldn't be able to decide

Want to vote for something? See the current poll on the sidebar to vote for your favorite books by Lucy Maud Montgomery. (For more about my favorite books by this wonderful author, see this post.) And, there's a brand new poll about Quidditch.

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The Cybils Awards will be announced this Thursday. Which books do you think will win? Have your say over at the Cybils blog. (I have to say that some of the results are surprising me.)

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As another semester of graduate school starts in my life, my thoughts turn to my favorite fictional school, Hogwarts. I recently did a poll of favorite subjects taught at Hogwarts. Here's the results:

Question: Which Hogwarts subjects would you like to study?

Answers:

1^st place (21 votes)

• Transfiguration

2^nd place (20 votes)

• Defense aganist the Dark Arts

3^rd place (17 votes)

• Flying

4^th place (16 votes)

• Charms

5^th place (15 votes)

• Potions

6^th place (12 votes)

• Care of Magical Creatures

7^th place (9 votes each)

• Ancient Runes
• Herbology

8^th place (7 votes)

• Occlumency

9^th place (5 votes each)

• History of Magic
• Muggle Studies

10^th place (4 votes)

• Astronomy

11^th place (3 votes)

• Arithmancy

12^th place (2 votes)

• Divination

See the new poll in the sidebar which asks about occupations in the Harry Potter world. I have to say, I think I'd enjoy being the manager of Flourish and Blotts or the Hogwarts librarian. How about you?

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Thanks to, Mr Moles, for suggesting that what I really wanted to know was which supernatural creature are we most sick of. You’re a genius, Moles!

I will make no attempt to guide your voting since I failed so abysmally to get ghouls over the top in the last poll. Though I will say that I’m sick to death of vampire love stories. Not vampires, just them as an object of desire. They’re dead, people. Their flesh is cold. If vampires were realistically portrayed they’d be forever flicking maggots off themselves. Ewwww!

For those not quick of eye—the poll is in the sidebar to your right.

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Former Republican Congressman, founding trustee of the Heritage Foundation, and national chairman of the American Conservative Union, Mickey Edwards is the author of Reclaiming Conservatism: How A Great American Political Movement Got Lost- and How It Can Find It Way Back.  In the post below Edwards considers the Republican nominees and the voters who may elect them.  Read Edwards other OUPblog posts here.

John McCain’s victory in Florida’s Republican presidential primary (or, more accurately, Mitt Romney’s loss and Mike Huckabee’s distant fourth-place finish) illustrate once again – as did Rudy Giuliani’s once dominant lead in earlier national polls – that many outside observers, including most of the nation’s most prominent political reporters, have no clue as to the party’s real electoral base. (more…)

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Looks like I'm not the only one who was thrilled that The Invention of Hugo Cabret won the Caldecott Medal. Hugo was the decisive victor in my poll about the 2008 ALA awards.

Question: Which 2008 ALA Award winners are you the happiest about?

Answers:

1st place (21 votes)

• Caldecott: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
  

2nd place (10 votes)

• Newbery: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!

3rd place (9 votes)

• Geisel: There Is a Bird on Your Head!

4th place (5 votes)

• Siebert: The Wall

5th place (4 votes)

• Edwards: Orson Scott Card
  

6th place (3 votes)

• King Author: Elijah of Buxton

7th place (2 votes each)

• King Illustrator: Let it Shine
• Odyssey: Jazz
• Printz: The White Darkness
• Schneider middle grade: Reaching for Sun
• None of the above
• I haven't read any of the winning books

8th place (1 vote each)

• Arbuthnot: Walter Dean Meyers
• Belpré Illustrator: Los Gatos Black on Halloween
• Carnegie: Jump In
• Schneider young children: Kami and the Yaks
• Schneider teen: Hurt Go Happy

9th place (0 votes each)

• Batchelder: Brave Story
• Belpré Author: The Poet Slave of Cuba
• King/Steptoe New Talent Author: Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It

Let's wrap up some other polls while we're at it. Here are the results from my poll about traveling in the Harry Potter world.

Question: My preferred method of travel in the Harry Potter world would be:

Answers:

1^st place (14 votes)

• Appartition

2^nd place (8 votes)

• All of the above

3^rd place (7 votes)

• Hogwarts Express

4^th place (4 votes each)

• Broomstick
• Portkey

5^th place (2 votes each)

• Floo Powder
• Flying car
• Hippogriff
• Walking

6^th place (1 vote each)

• Dragon
• Knight Bus

7^th place (0 votes each)

• Deluminator
• London Underground
• Phoenix
• Thestral
• None of the above

I have to agree with the results on this one. After a few recent plane trips, I think apparition is definitely the way to go. I'm willing to deal with the uncomfortable physical side effects and the possibility of splinching in order to get where I want to go instantaneously.


And, here's the results of the poll that had the fewest choices available of any poll I've run so far.

Question: Are you in a book club?

Answers:

1^st place (14 votes)

• No

2^nd place (11 votes)

• Yes

3^rd place (4 votes)

• I have been in the past

Want to vote for something? No problem. I have two polls currently up. One is about subjects that you'd like to study at Hogwarts. And I just added a new one asking which business establishments in the Harry Potter world you'd like to visit. Happy voting!

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It's time to post results from my poll about favorite American Library Association awards.

Question: Which American Library Association awards do you like the best?

Answers:

1^st place (15 votes)

• John Newbery Medal : most distinguished contribution to children's literature

2^nd place (8 votes each)

• Randolph Caldecott Medal: most distinguished American picture book for children
• Theodor Seuss Geisel Award: books for beginning readers

3^rd place (4 votes each)

• Alex Awards: adult books that appeal to a teen audience
• Michael L. Printz Award: young adult literature
• Schneider Family Book Award: books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience

4^th place (3 votes each)

• Odyssey Award: audio books
• Laura Ingalls Wilder Award: authors and illustrators who have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children
  

5^th place (2 votes)

• Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award: non-fiction books

6^th place (1 vote each)

• May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award: recognizes an author, critic, librarian, historian, or teacher of children's literature
• Mildred L. Batchelder Award: translated books originally published in other countries
• Pura Belpré Award: recognizes Latino authors and illustrators
• Andrew Carnegie Medal: children's video
• Margaret A. Edwards Award: lifetime achievement in writing for young adults
• Coretta Scott King Book Award: recognizes African American authors and illustrators
• None of the above

Note, this poll was for the awards themselves. To vote for your favorite 2008 ALA Award winners, see the poll on the sidebar.

Other polls currently running:
What's your preferred method of travel in the Harry Potter world?

Are you a member of a book club?

And I just put together a new poll: which Hogwarts subject would you most like to study? The emphasis is on the subject, not the teacher. Let's assume you can select a teacher of your choice for classes such as Divination, Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts (otherwise, those choices probably wouldn't poll too well). And I added Occlumency... which, while not technically in the official course of study, would be an incredibly useful skill to have.

Have any suggestions for polls relating to children's books, comic strips or Harry Potter? Wizards Wireless is always happy to hear them!

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Do you have opinions? Wizards Wireless wants to know about them!

Now that the ALA award winners have been announced, which ones are you the happiest about? See the new poll on the sidebar.

I've also got another poll currently running that asks if you've ever been in a book club.

Only two polls? Why not make it three. Okay. I just posted a Harry Potter poll. Which method of transportation described in the Harry Potter books would you prefer for all your transit needs?

Oh, wait, there's actually four polls up now. There's still a day left to vote for your favorite ALA award.

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And we have a Newbery winner! Not for the 2008 Newbery... that will be announced tomorrow, but for my equally important poll about favorite past Newbery winners.

The winner is one of my all time favorite books: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.

I was surprised at how few votes King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry got (only 2)... and was impressed at how many obscure Newbery winner recieved votes. See below for the rest of the intriguing results.

Question: What are your favorite Newbery Medal books?

Answers:

1^st place (26 votes)

• 26: 1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

2^nd place (24 votes)

• 24: 1994: The Giver

3^rd place (23 votes each)

• 23: 1979: The Westing Game
• 23: 1978: Bridge to Terabithia
• 23: 1963: A Wrinkle in Time

4^th place (22 votes)

• 22: 1999: Holes

5^th place (21 votes)

• 21: 1990: Number the Stars

6^th place (18 votes)

• 18: 1959: The Witch of Blackbird Pond

7^th place (15 votes)

• 15: 1972: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

8^th place (14 votes)

• 14: 1981: Jacob Have I Loved

9^th place (13 votes)

• 13: 1944: Johnny Tremain

10^th place (12 votes each)

• 12: 1986: Sarah, Plain and Tall
• 12: 1961: Island of the Blue Dolphins

11^th place (11 votes)

• 11: 1995: Walk Two Moons

12^th place (10 votes each)

• 10: 1991: Maniac Magee
• 10: 1983: Dicey's Song
• 10: 1936: Caddie Woodlawn

13^th place (9 votes each)

• 9: 2004: The Tale of Despereaux
• 9: 1997: The View from Saturday
• 9: 1977: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
• 9: 1973: Julie of the Wolves

14^th place (8 votes each)

• 8: 2001: A Year Down Yonder
• 8: 2000: Bud, Not Buddy
• 8: 1996: The Midwife's Apprentice
• 8: 1985: The Hero and the Crown
• 8: 1984: Dear Mr. Henshaw

15^th place (7 votes)

• 7: 2002: A Single Shard

16^th place (6 votes each)

• 6: 2007: The Higher Power of Lucky
• 6: 1998: Out of the Dust
• 6: 1976: The Grey King
• 6: 1969: The High King
• 6: 1950: The Door in the Wall

17^th place (5 votes each)

• 5: 2005: Kira-Kira
• 5: 1988: Lincoln: A Photobiography

18^th place (4 votes each)

• 4: 1989: Joyful Noise
• 4: 1970: Sounder
• 4: 1967: Up a Road Slowly
• 4: 1962: The Bronze Bow
• 4: 1923: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle

19^th place (3 votes each)

• 3: 2003: Crispin
• 3: 1993: Missing May
• 3: 1987: The Whipping Boy
• 3: 1974: The Slave Dancer
• 3: 1956: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
• 3: 1955: The Wheel on the School
• 3: 1948: The Twenty-One Balloons
• 3: 1945: Rabbit Hill

20^th place (2 votes each)

• 2: 2006: Criss Cross
• 2: 1964: It's Like This, Cat
• 2: 1958: Rifles for Watie
• 2: 1949: King of the Wind
• 2: 1941: Call It Courage
• 2: 1937: Roller Skates
• 2: 1934: Invincible Louisa
• 2: 1931: The Cat Who Went to Heaven
• 2: 1930: Hitty, Her First Hundred Years

21^st place (1 vote each)

• 1: 1992: Shiloh
• 1: 1982: A Visit to William Blake's Inn
• 1: 1980: A Gathering of Days
• 1: 1975: M. C. Higgins, the Great
• 1: 1971: Summer of the Swans
• 1: 1954: And Now Miguel
• 1: 1953: Secret of the Andes
• 1: 1952: Ginger Pye
• 1: 1951: Amos Fortune, Free Man
• 1: 1947: Miss Hickory
• 1: 1946: Strawberry Girl
• 1: 1943: Adam of the Road
• 1: 1942: The Matchlock Gun
• 1: 1940: Daniel Boone
• 1: 1939: Thimble Summer
• 1: 1938: The White Stag
• 1: 1933: Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze
• 1: 1932: Waterless Mountain
• 1: 1929: The Trumpeter of Krakow
• 1: 1927: Smoky, the Cowhorse
• 1: 1922: The Story of Mankind

22^nd place (0 votes each)

• 0: 1966: I, Juan de Pareja
• 0: 1965: Shadow of a Bull
• 0: 1960: Onion John
• 0: 1957: Miracles on Maple Hill
• 0: 1935: Dobry
• 0: 1928: Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon
• 0: 1926: Shen of the Sea
• 0: 1925: Tales from Silver Lands
• 0: 1924: The Dark Frigate

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