I had a horrible reading habit as a child that consumed me for the better part of my early reading years until I was able to break myself of it mid-high school. Basically, if a book started to get dull in any way, shape, or form (and as I recall "dull" usually meant that I was reading a descriptive passage) I would skim and skim until I found something more interesting. In this way I "read" all of the "Dark is Rising" books, as well as "The Narnia Chronicles" and God knows what all. Needless to say, I didn't really read them at all (which "Dark is Rising" book has the long passage on properly pronouncing the Welsh language?) and later I had to go back and rediscover them as an adult to see what I missed.
So my heart was with one Martha Brockenbrough's piece, Are Kids' Books Boring? Silly title, of course. They may as well write "Are Adult Covers Green?" or "Are Teen Books in English?" for all that it makes grand sweeping statements. Still, I like the piece as a whole. It quotes our very own Liz Burns (whoop!) and I'm amused by the author's dislike of Ginger Pye. Admittedly, when I was doing my Read All the Newbery Books Challenge (making the odd choice to begin with oldest first) I never got to that particular Estes work. Still, the paperback flies off my library shelves with great regularity due in no small part, I'm certain, to illustrator Arthur Howard's covers.
Thanks to Tea Cozy for the link.
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By: Betsy Bird,
on 4/4/2007
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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By: Betsy Bird,
on 3/6/2007
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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By: Betsy Bird,
on 4/4/2007
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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By: Betsy Bird,
on 3/6/2007
Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: 826, Spyware, My Everlasting Love to Anyone Who Can Name the Sign's Artist, Dull Dull Dull, Add a tag
A quick update on The Boring Store. You may recall a February 2nd piece I wrote on it, explaining how it's a front for 826Chicago.
Well, it's just opened up, and it's a doozy. Looky.
They appear to be taking their cues from the Lemony Snicket Playbook.
You can see why I like it.
2 Comments on I'm a Fan of the Wall of Video Cameras, last added: 3/6/2007
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One of my recent blog entries touches on reluctant readers: http://eluper.livejournal.com/12185.html as I was certainly one growing up.
Posed to me in my Comments section, one reader asked what precipitated the shift from reluctant to unreluctant.
That is something I'm pondering now. I plan to post about it soon! It is an important topic.
My (almost) 14 year old daughter was just commenting this weekend that Estes is one of her favorite writers to (re)read (I think she rereads more than she reads new books). I don't think she's read Ginger Pye though- but certainly all of the various Moffatts books.
My almost eight year old enjoyed the Middle Moffet, but then didn't finish it because it got "kind of boring." She, too, has that habit. She has some sort of criteria concerning what is a worthy read.
Interesting use of the word "whoop" (from a Texas Aggie who knows a whoop when she hears one).
I'm proud that you can say that you've broken yourself of this particular habit... many, MANY people have not...
I love Martha! I read her Encarta column for years before meeting her and becoming friends. Hopefully someday we'll see her on the children's book shelves...she's a very, very funny writer.