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With all the NewberyandCaldecott talk and predictions out there I thought it would be nice to take a look at not only what may be the next winner, but what has won in the past. If you have a favorite title you are rooting for post it in a comment. I would love to hear about it! Next week I will post my favorite book of the year that I think is Caldecott deserving in every facet of picture book brilliance.
Mark your calendar for theCaldecott Medal 75th Anniversary!
The ALA will announce all the awards at 8 a.m. PT on Jan. 28 from the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. The awards include the esteemed John Newbery Medal, Randolph Caldecott Medal, Coretta Scott King Book Awards and Michael L. Printz Award.
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) announced that John Rocco will participate in a Caldecott 75th Anniversary Facebook Forum at 1 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Rocco won a Caldecott Honor in 2012 for his picture book Blackout.
Want to learn more about the logo 2008 Caldecott Medal winner Brian Selznick created especially for the 75th Anniversary celebration and the characters in it? Just click here.
And for a little more fun, read Brian's acceptance speech forThe Invention of Hugo Cabrethere and watch the illustrated sequence that played on huge video screens during the speech here.
0 Comments on Caldecott - Past, Present, and Future as of 1/16/2013 3:14:00 PM
In case you missed it, this week’s results for School Library Journal’s Fuse #8 Re-Seussify Seuss challenge were in, and they were pretty spectacular! The mission, as set forth by children’s lit guru Betsy Bird, was to draw a spread from a Dr. Seuss book, but in the style of ANOTHER famous picture book artist. I was inspired by the fun mash-up idea, and pulled off the image of Yertle The Turtle in the style of Arnold Lobel, above.
The idea for the image itself came to me pretty easily. It’s no surprise that I love drawing turtles, and Yertle The Turtle is a family favorite. The reptile vs. amphibian factor – Yertle crossed with Frog and Toad - was amusing to me as well. In particular, I wanted to try my hand at Arnold Lobel’s style. I thought the limited palette with textured graphite would be fun, and his characters and watercolors lend themselves easily to my own style. Plus, he’s a fellow Pratt alum!
I learned a lot about Arnold Lobel’s creative process from this video with his daughter, Anita Lobel. She sought to replicate her father’s paintings when she colored Arnold Lobel’s unfinishedThe Frogs and Toads All Sang:
I am very interested in Lobel’s use of color separations to make the Frog and Toad illustrations, and I wish I could find more on the subject. While Anita went with full-color in her recent interpretation, I wanted to imitate the 2-color (and black) separations by sticking to a green layer, a brown layer, and dark graphite. I’m pleased with the result and think it was rather successful, if I do say so myself.
Now go check out Betsy’s post for the other mind-blowing creative Re-Seussification mash-ups!
Our popular feature is back! Blank-Meets-Blank was actually started first by Betsy Bird at Fuse #8 – she ranks the best “Blank-Meets-Blank” when she attends publishers’ librarian previews. This is an awesome way to booktalk to kids and teens in your library or classroom!
Today, we’re sharing the best Blank-Meets-Blanks for our upcoming Fall 2011 titles:
“My brother teaches an undergraduate writing course at a university in New York, and he recently shared with me a thesis statement from one of his students’ papers: “Words are very important in A Passage to India.” It was, perhaps fittingly, a poor choice of words on the student’s part—it’s a novel, after all—but I think I see the point about word choice that the student was trying to make. Words, after all, are not simply bricks in the path upon which an author is leading a reader, identical and interchangeable and valuable more for their sequence than for their individual qualities. They are much more than that. They have shades and contours. They catch light in different ways. They are meant to illuminate a pathway that already exists, and when enough of the right ones are strung together in a great novel, they are just as tangible as the things they represent.
One of the reasons I love working with Anne Ursu, and especially on her latest middle grade novel Breadcrumbs, which releases this September, is because she knows how important words are. Anne is one of the most talented wordsmiths I know – her ability to turn a phrase is boundless, fluctuating so smoothly between humorous and heartfelt that the two almost seem to form one quantum state (“It was not the greatest insult ever, but one thing Hazel had learned at her new school was when it comes to insults it’s the thought that counts”). But Anne takes things much further than that in Breadcrumbs. It’s a contemporary fairy tale set in present-day Minneapolis which draws its structure and inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story “The Snow Queen.” In Anne’s book, a young girl named Hazel and a young boy named Jack are best friends, and they’re both dealing with hardship, but it’s their friendship that holds them together. They spend their days talking about Joe Mauer’s batting average and Batman’s utility belt and the Chronicles of Narnia, but what they’re saying with all of it is “I know you, and I am here.” They’re just saying it with different words, and it’s the words that make the difference.
If you’re familiar with “The Snow Queen”, you know what happens next. Jack’s heart is frozen by a broken piece of an evil mirror, and he decides to leave everything in his life behind – including his friendship with Hazel. Jack is still there, he is still speaking English, but the language they had created is gone. Now, baseball and comic books and talking lions are just baseball and comic books and talking lions. As in the original story, Jack eventually leaves, taking off into an enchanted forest with a woman made of ice. Hazel, of course, follows him, and under normal circumstances, this would be fine. She has read Alice In Wonderland, The Hobbit, A Wrinkle In Time. If she has to kill a sinister queen, slay giant spiders, or tesser, she’ll be good to go. But how do you save someone you can’t talk to anymore? How do you convince someone to come back home when no one there speaks the same language? How do you connect when words have lost their meaning?
Part of the brilliance of Breadcrumbs is that it is so deeply concerned with the shades and contours and light-catching that make words much more than interchangeable bricks. Hazel navigates the fantasy world in the book the same way the reader will – with the stories she’s brought in with her. It’s finding the right words that will save Jack or lose him forever at the end, but Hazel thankfully has enough words and stories to light the pathway to him. And we hope that readers will find a similar path lit for
Who knew that a perfect square could be transformed into so many things? In his stunning follow-up to last year’s MY HEART IS LIKE A ZOO, Michael Hall creates rivers, mountains, and parks out of a single square of paper. The storytime possibilities are limitless: give kids a square of paper and scissors and see what they can create. So often as a librarian, I would create elaborate artwork for the kids to do during storytime but, sometimes, all you need is a single piece of paper.
What’s buzzy about PERFECT SQUARE? It has received FOUR STARRED REVIEWS! Here’s what they’re saying:
“A smart lesson in thinking outside the box (or the square).” ~ Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Memorable for reading aloud and terrific for inspiring creative play with the simplest materials.” ~ Booklist (starred review)
“As its week progresses, the narrative turn of events in the square’s world encourages page-turning to discover the results. What will the square do next? This is a not-to-be-missed adventure for all young readers.” ~ School Library Journal (starred review)
“Young readers will absorb the visual lessons effortlessly and with delight.” ~ Kirkus (starred review)
True story: I was telling a teacher friend about the video contest the other day, urging him to check it out, and thought to myself: “Hmmm, blog fodder!”
Because once you have a blog, the world quickly divides into two parts: blog-worthy or not so much.
Here, give this 90 seconds and we’ll talk:
Fun idea, right? Simply compress the full story of a Newbery Medal or Honor Book into a video that runs no more than 90 seconds.
I can see how a good teacher, with a lively classroom, could make hay out of something like this. Get creative, allow students to actively contribute in different ways, read and learn how to analyze (not to mention summarize) a classic book, and so much more.
The contest will culminate in a Film Festival at the New York Public Library. The whole shebang has been spearheaded by author Jamie Kennedy and Betsy Bird of Fuse #8 Fame. Nice going, guys.
And I believe my favorite part is ... (drumroll)... the love shown One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia: "Does Bird have a prediction for the next Newbery winner in 2011? Of course, and naturally it's unconventional. "Have you heard the story about a mother who joins the Black Panthers?" she asks. It's called, One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia. "It's funny and painful and just a little bit brilliant."
My second favorite part is the picture with the article looks like the card catalog may be attacking Betsy. (Seriously, random shelves are pulled out and she is sitting so close that it looks like any second one shelf may push itself out to attack her. Duck, Betsy! The card catalog is upset it was replaced by an OPAC and is coming after librarians!)
Back to seriousness.
I am tickled pink that Betsy is highlighted in Forbes.
Because Betsy is a friend, and I know what a hard worker she is (along with being smart and funny and dedicated, hard working is important for any success story). Because I know how many people out there not only aren't reading any book blogs, but aren't aware of them as a resource, so having something that brings both positive attention and new readers is made of awesomesauce.
And because it makes me jealous in a good way.
Bad jealous: sitting at home, eating chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.
Good jealous: being inspired to follow my own dreams.
Anyway (like how it always ends up being about ME?), congratulations, Betsy!!!
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Aw. Thanks for that! That particular card catalog is located the further depths of my library. I always thought it would make for a great background, in spite of the horrid lighting.
Fuse #8 is not asking for just one. She's giving me 10 whole slots and a whole month to come up with my top ten middle grade books of all time. Why is this so hard?
0 Comments on The Top 100 Children's Fictional Chapter Books Poll as of 1/1/1900
The first photo is the cover; the second is with the article, This Blog's For You.
Betsy Bird (aka Fuse #8 Production) emailed me asking me if I wanted to come up to NYC for the cover. As luck would have it, I had no outreach, visits, or meetings scheduled for that day; and the people at MPOW allowed me the time to do this (thanks!!).
Then, the big worry. What would I wear? Those of you who know me in real life know my usual uniform outside of work is jeans, Doc Martens or Dansko shoes, and a T shirt and sweater. In work, it's very J.Crew lite, with trousers and cardigans. Quickly we decided that we wanted a grown up look, something dressy, something, dare I say it, Mad Men.
In other words... I was looking for an excuse to go shopping. And I had been handed that excuse on a silver platter.
So, for you fashionistas out there, after much trying on of clothes, I went with the Wool Seamed Dress from Ann Taylor: "A flattering sheath dress in wool with stretch for a perfect fit. Jewel neckline. Sleeveless." Color: Dark Heather Gray. In addition to looking good, it was very, very comfortable, which is what I wanted for the train ride to and fro NYC, not to mention finding the photoshoot.
Wanting to add a bit of color, I indulged in the Perfect Luxe Scarf, also from Ann Taylor, color Raspberry Ice, which you can see in the cover. The sweater in the second photo is from J.Crew; last summer, maybe the summer before, so no link or details on that. Shoes are Franco Sarto, The Artist's Collection; they are black, peep toe, with a buckle decoration. I bought them this past summer, so, alas, no link to photo for you. Jewelry: the pearls I got for High School graduation (thanks, Mom!). Hair is by DeJensen, and whenever my hair looks good, it is because of them. I did my own makeup. I also bought all these clothes myself.
The photo shoot was at The Globe, 158 East 23rd Street, New York, NY. It was my type of bar; tons of old-school details, hard wood, tin ceilings, you know the drill. This is actually my second photo shoot with SLJ. Back when I wrote Curl Up With a Cup of Tea and a Good Blog for SLJ (February 2007), I blogged about the Photo Shoot.
There were a few differences this time around. First, I wasn't involved in the setting up of the lights this time around! SLJ had a few people there, who were assisting with that type of thing so I got to chat with the other cover ladies. Second, this time around I had the benefit of years of viewing America's Next Top Model (thanks to Carlie and Melissa for introducing me!) Thus I could smile with my eyes and watch my elbows.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Thanks, all! I am very flattered & honored to be included in the article & the photo shoot. It's also kind of funny that there is a photograph of bloggers -- usually we're faceless, it's just our words.
that said, I'm seriously thinking of cropping one of those photos to use as my icon at twitter, FB & here.
You all look great, and it's great to see the faces behind the blogs. I'm still getting to know these different sites, but I know The Globe very well, and I can tell you for a fact that the tall Irish bartender pours the best pint of Guiness in NYC. Hands down.
Look at this!!!! Look at all my friends! I am so excited for all of you who are listed. If you check out my sidebar, you will find MANY of these blogs listed as the Best 100 Book Blogs for Kids. I think it is WONDERFUL! (I tried to tag all my cyber buds, but there were too many!)
0 Comments on All my Friends! as of 10/29/2009 9:23:00 PM
I'm doing a cut and paste from Fuse #8's post/ press release:
We've a simply magnificent gathering here at the library in November, and it's all about The Cybils. Join if you can!
The Children’s Literary Café at the new Children’s Center at 42nd Street is pleased to announce our event on Saturday, November 7th at 2:00 p.m.:
Cybils Kick-Off: Blogging in Style
Pam Coughlan of the sublime MotherReader children's literary blog (www.motherreader.com) headlines a panel of representatives from the greater Kidlitosphere. Each year the online children's literary community bestows child and teen novels their own awards: The Cybils. Pam and other bloggers will discuss the state of children's literature online today including ethics, publisher/blogger relations, transparency, influence (or lack thereof) over published titles, and what it means to represent an online community of children’s literary enthusiasts.
Susan Thomsen writes about children's books at her blog, Chicken Spaghetti (http://www.chickenspaghetti.typepad.com). A freelance writer and onetime editor, she is the mother of a fifth-grader.
Anne Boles Levy is the co-founder and director of the Cybils Awards. Her day job is as a news writer on the National Desk for Metro Networks, a radio newswire based in Scottsdale , AZ. She's married to another starving journalist and they're raising two bookworms.
The Children’s Literary Café is a monthly gathering of adults who are fans of children’s literature. Professionals, librarians, authors, illustrators, publishers, booksellers, teachers, and anyone else interested in the field are welcome to attend our meetings. The Literary Café provides free Advanced Readers galleys, a rotating series of talks with professionals in the field, and great conversation. This program is for adults only.
New York Public Library Children's Center at 42nd Street Room 84 42nd Street and 5th Avenue New York, NY 10018
******************************************* I'm looking forward to November 7th!
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Have you seen Betsy Bird's poll results for the Top 100 Picture Books on A Fuse #8 Production? Sure, everybody's seen them right! In case you missed it, or want to go back and check them out again, here's that link Top 100 Picture Books.
I can't believe with all the books on my bookshelf I don't have either of the top two voted classic. But thanks to Jean Reidy, it's now one down, one to go! Margaret Wise Brown'sGoodnight Moon is one the way to my studio. Thanks for the contest Jean.
Now, for the #1 ranked picture book Where the Wild Things Are. I had to check my bookshelf to make sure. Maybe I have a Scholastic paperback sandwiched somewhere between a couple of other titles. Maybe I forgot to file it alphabetically. Maybe I filed it with my autographed copies. (OK, now that's dreaming!) But alas, maybe I just check it out from the library for extended periods of time over and over. I mean I know the text by heart. I know all the images. But I don't have my own copy of Maurice Sendak's all time classic! That's just wrong. I guess know the next book I'm buying.
Sally sent the link to this new video to us all by email - it made me laugh so much, I just had to try and put it onto the blog. I say try because I’ve never uploaded a video before but here goes…
I love the way video is becoming more and more a way to promote new books: all these wonderfully imaginative authors create some pretty wonderful footage - and this has to be one of the best yet! It’s actually a spoof documentary made by picture-book writer Jarrett Krosoczka. There are lots of other authors/ illustrators in it and they must have had a lot of fun making it - spot the Blue Rose Girls, and the reference to Fuse #8, high in the celebrity stakes!
Jarrett unveiled it last week at the US SCBWI conference in New York, where he gave the opening address. In his blog posting about it he makes this very thought-provoking observation:
I was excited to hear Mr. Gantos speak. I would say I’ve never seen him speak, but that wouldn’t be a complete truth. I saw him speak when I was in the 3rd grade. He visited my school and I remember this clearly - he walked by my desk, pointed to my drawing of Rotten Ralph and said, “nice cat”. That had a profound impact on me.
Cloudscome has already picked it up, and she got it from Miss Rumphius Effect, who challenges us to name everybody before the credits roll…
I’m not sure this is quite the thing for those kids of an age to be reading the book, though - the irony was a bit wasted on my two and they were more inclined to take the whole thing literally… But silly me, of course Jon Sczieska pretends to be an answer phone whenever he doesn’t want to speak to someone!
0 Comments on The making of a book…!?! as of 2/7/2009 6:01:00 PM
In honor of the most anticipated delivery in my household at this moment, I am posting this here video. I grabbed it off Fuse #8. (Feel free to do a little fast forwarding, but you get the point... TEN MINUTES WORTH? It may be a bit much.)
The hot seat is getting even hotter with Elizabeth Bird, aka Fuse #8! She's one of the top 50 reviewers on Amazon and has reviewed for School Library Journal and Kirkus among others! She's got Jody Feldman's Gollywhopper Games in her TBR pile, and so could you! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment before June 29th. Winner will be announced June 30th! Let's get started:
What's your handle? Well, the blog is called A Fuse #8 Production. So I end up signing much of my correspondence (correspondence, in this case, meaning comments on other blogs) as Fuse 8. The name hasn't any real connection to anything children's literary whatsoever. It's named after my car, but I've found that it sticks appropriately in people's brains, so I am pleased.
What kind of books do you review? I review children's books. Basically anything between the ages of 0-12. I have been known to make exceptions for teen and YA titles, however, if they are A) Necessary in terms of communicating with my co-workers (Sherman Alexie is a good example of this) or B) Graphic novels. First Second's line of GNs, for example, are infinitely reviewable.
Approx # of books reviewed? Uh-oh. Ever or on blogs? The difficulty in answering this is that I don't quite know. In terms of children's books I make sure to duplicate all of them onto Amazon.com. Right now I'm #48 of the top Amazon reviewers with 1,458 reviews on there. That doesn't count my reviews on Epinions.com, where I put all my YA reviews. That just comes to 95. Then on top of that you have my professional reviews written for places like School Library Journal and Kirkus. I guess I'd estimate that I've done some 150 or so of those. So... a lot.
Where can we find your reviews? Well, everything ends up on my blog anyway, but not too long ago Kelly Herold of Big A little a created a Children's Book Reviews Wiki. You can find many of my aggregated reviews on my own little separate portion of the site at A Fuse #8 Production Collection of Reviews. I'm still adding them from my old blog site, so it isn't complete yet, but it's getting there.
Reading turn-ons: New takes on old tropes. Humor. Sentences that make me want to hit my knee in glee.
Reading turn-offs: Familiarity without a sense of anything fresh or new. Celebrities who think that writing for children is a piece o' cake. Poorly done humor.
Class of 2K8 books reviewed: Well, truth me told there were so many YA novels this year that I haven't had much of a chance to review anyone. I do have Gollywhopper Games in my To Be Read pile, though, so I think that I'll make that one the next book I read.
You won't be disappointed! But before you dive into Gollywhopper Games--let's dive into the questions! Tell us more about how you came up with your alias, Fuse #8! A little bit about how you got into book reviewing would be cool too.
Well, I came about it in a weird roundabout way. Years ago I had a car. A little 1989 Buick Century. It was my grandmother's, so you can imagine the state it was in around 2000. One day I drive it home, park it in front of my apartment, and take out the key. All of a sudden the locks on the car start going up and down and up and down and up. Clearly the vehicle is possessed and, worse still, it's shorting out the battery. Now I had just graduated from college and the last thing I needed in my poor poverty-stricken state was a huge car bill. But I dutifully walked it into a Richmond, Indiana garage. The fellow there hears my problem, reaches into my glove compartment, and pulls out . . . .Fuse #8. Turns out, the little fuse (once removed) solved all my woes. How does this apply to my blog, you say? Well, my husband's a bit of a filmmaker. Years ago he was looking for a good name for a production company. We tossed about a couple titles when all of a sudden I said "A Fuse #8 Production". That idea was squashed, but I liked the sound of it so much that I vowed to someday put it on something myself. When the blog idea popped up it was a perfect fit. And so it goes. Since then I've thought of more appropriate blog names, but this one will do for now.
As for reviewing, I came across it during library school. On a lark I had taken a children's literature course (I really wanted to be an archivist, originally) and part of the course consisted of learning how to write reviews of children's books. In fact it was so much fun that I started doing it on Amazon. As I kept reviewing I got better. Then I started to do it professionally. Finally I was doing it professionally for pay.
We're so happy that lark turned into much much more (and that your car was not possessed!). Speaking of school, let's talk grading systems, describe how you rate books in your reviews and how that translates to the reader?
Grading system. Hm. I don't do much of one on my blog. I know that some bloggers like to use "five star" systems and the like. I once thought about doing a "five fuses" thing on my site, but it was too much work. I do participate in grading on Goodreads and Amazon, though. Basically I don't give many low scores. Only if a book particularly offends me or I perceive it to be insulting to the child reader. Middling books that are fine if not extraordinary get 3s. Most books get 4s. They're strong but they just don't have that extra oomph to give them a 5. 5s are reserved for the cream of the crop.
That sounds fair, so how do you pick the books you review? Or are they picked for you? Do you ever read books that wouldn't normally interest you—and if so have you ever been surprised by what you've read?
When I review books for professional journals then I'm sent them in the mail without knowing what they will be. I can request specific titles if I'm looking forward to something, but I don't often get it. I pick my own books for review on my blog. Often I'll read quite a few books, but only review a handful. The ones that really stick out for me (for good or for ill) are the ones I write about. And yes, I'm often surprised by what I read. A book that everyone and their mother has enjoyed will sometimes comes across as horrid. Or I'll find a small unassuming gem from a small publisher that nobody's talking about. Small gems are my favorite things to find in a given year.
We love a good gem too! What are the best ways to find new books? Any advice for authors about getting their book noticed by reviewers?
Well, depends on what kind of reviewers you mean. Your publishing company will send out books to the professional journals, so no worries there. Sometimes they will also have a handful of ARCs or F&Gs that you may suggest be sent to one blogging reviewer or another. Be warned that just because you send a title, even autographed, to a blogger that does not guarantee a review. I suggest you look through the different bloggers out there, read their reviews, and find the ones that best suit your book. The last thing you want to do is send a YA novel to a site that only reviews picture books or a verse novel to someone who hates poetry. Interestingly enough I tend to pay more attention to a book if it's sent to me by an editor rather than the author themselves. If I'm not familiar with a writer, I trust that their editor knows enough to pick and choose what they send to me. Authors are always going to think their book is great. Editors are more choosy. I pay attention to that.
Great advice! So you get a book, but let's say you really aren't feeling it—will you make the ultimate sacrifice and finish it for the sake of the review?
Professionally I always finish a book. Always. And even when I'm reading a book for potential review on my blog, I do try to finish them. Once in a while the book is just so ludicrously terrible that I have to stop, but that tends to be the exception rather than the rule. I'm so picky on what I pick up in the first place that I rarely put anything down on a whim. When I start, I like to see it through.
And if you really love a book—will you read it again? If so—what are some of the books you just had to read more than once?
In theory, I guess. But I just don't have time these days. Between my blog and my professional life as well as my library, I'm always reading several things at once. One of these days I'll get back into rereading. But for now it's just a lovely pipe dream. I can say sincerely that the books I have reread for fun have included things like Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury and 90% of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series of mystery novels. Oh! And A.S. Byatt. I've lots of her stuff read and reread. She's painful but I love her.
Do you have a basic philosophy on what should be included in a review—or does it depend on the book itself?
On my blog I have several rules. First of all, I almost never do a critical review of a first-time author's title. Professionally I'll do it, but there's no reason to do it blogwise. I'll change this rule if a big publisher's marketing machine has revved up or if they're a celebrity author. Then they're fair game. Critical reviews always contain some positive notes, just as positive reviews should always contain some critical notes. Unless, of course, the book is so good that you can't find anything you'd want to change in it. That happens sometimes too. And books that don't spark my interest one way or another usually sit on my To Be Reviewed shelf until the end of the year, whereupon they are donated to the library.
As for the book that did more than just spark your interest--tell us about the last time your jaw dropped open, you laughed, or you cried while reading a book.
Honest-to-god, this happened just the other day. I have an Advance Reader Copy of the Suzanne Collins novel Hunger Games. Collins is an author you may know from her Gregor the Overlander series. This new book has been getting rave advance reviews hither and thither, and I had a hard time believing it was as good as everyone said. So I pick it up and weirder still it's a dystopian novel. Dystopian novels, by and large, aren't that gripping. I say that, but this book grabbed me by the throat and would not let go. I do much, maybe even most, of my reading on the New York subway system. This book not only began to mess with my mind (I'd step onto the platform at my stop and suddenly wonder if hidden cameras were tracking my every move) but when a beloved character died in the book I began to choke up in front of every jaded New Yorker in my car. Come October, I'm gonna be highly recommending that everyone read Hunger Games.
Oh wow. Let's hope there aren't any hidden cameras tracking our every move! But speaking of books coming to life--is there any character in a book that you wish would come to life? Or any place you wish existed?
Hmmm. Always an embarrassing question to give to a children's librarian. I'm going to pass on the character question, not because I don't have an answer but because it truly shows my nerd colors in all their sickly green glory. I do wish, on some level that (here it comes) Hogwarts existed, but maybe just because I'd love to work in the school library. Now THAT's a dream job!
LOL, you're not the only one who's mentioned Hogwarts! What books do you find yourself recommending over and over and why?
Good ones, typically. Oh, but as a librarian I get the same requests over and over. "My son only reads Captain Underpants. What can I do to get him reading other books?" Or "Do you have anything exactly like Eragon?" But I have a few books I turn to over and over. They fit certain categories.
For people who want something so new it defies description:
The Arrival by Shaun Tan For kids who want someone to bring the funny:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney For tween girls who want something that looks old but is just right for them:
Shug by Jenny Han For kids into ghost stories:
A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz For kids who want something really really scary:
The Spook's Apprentice - Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney My favorite fantasy of last year:
Faeries of Dreamdark - Blackbringer by Laini Taylor My favorite graphic novel of this year:
Jellaby by Kean Soo
Great list! Okay, we're getting toward the end here, it's time for the Extra Scandalous Question! The blog readers need to know: really bad reviews—do you ever fear giving them? Ever had an author get upset with you? (It's okay—you can tell us, just don't name names!) And what advice do you have for authors who get a bad review?
Oh yes. Yes yes yes. I used to do more, back when I only reviewed on Amazon. In fact, I got a very angry email on Thanksgiving Day from a well-known author. It wasn't even for a new book but one of his older (and definitely not as good) titles. I could only assume that he was drunk since what major author cares about Amazon reviews on Thanksgiving Day? I wouldn't change my opinion but I did say that I'd write an afterword in which he could state his own views. He was contrite the next day (hence my drunk theory) and so it went. On my blog, no one has ever objected to a negative review to my face. I always remember who I've made them for, however, and I always keep one eye out at book parties just in case I run into them.My advice regarding bad reviews comes from Roger Sutton. He once said this about reviews and I don't think I could possibly say it better."I once read an interview with soprano Dawn Upshaw, who said that she never read reviews of her performances but trusted her husband to do so and share with her any excerpts that could be useful in making her a better singer omitting those that would make her head explode from vanity or dismay. You might want to consider this."
That is excellent advice! One last question: if they aren't scared off by all that bad review talks and an author would like you to review her book, what should she do?
An author should always e-mail me first, just in case I'm so swamped with submissions that I can't take the time needed to give the book proper attention. Also remember that I do not review YA these days except in very rare moments. If I like the sound of the book I'll pass on my address. Plus I never ever ever do a negative or critical review of a book an author has sent to me personally. Bad form that.
We agree! Thanks so much for stopping by the hot seat and answering all of our questions! Now you may crack open Gollywhopper Games!
Remember leave a comment, and you could win your very own copy of Jody's Feldman's debut book . Fuse #8 has yet to review it, but here's what another reviewer has said about Gollywhopper Games:
"Feldman includes truly despicable villains, unexpected kindnesses, and a surprise ending ... Nonstop action, appealing pencil illustrations, and increasingly difficult brainteasers will keep readers engaged, and readers will pull out paper and pencil to try and solve the puzzles as they work through the book." Booklist
That is TOO weird - I was just at the book store with my chinese friend whose English is so-so and she picked up The Spook's Apprentice - Revenge of the Witch, started reading it and decided to buy it. And now I read this. I had never even heard of it before. I asked her if it was scary and she said "YES, very, very, very scary!"
Great interview, though I thoroughly disagree with the no-negative-reviews for author-sent books. I don't see how it's bad form to tell an author their book isn't up to par, whether they sent it or not. Makes no difference to me who sent it :)
One of the many awesome things about getting my book published has been discovering the on-line kidlit community. I think a lot of people know about this community before selling their first book but I lack internet savvy and so it was a wonderful surprise for me. My first discovery was the wonderful Fuse#8 , which is the perfect starting point since she is the center of everything kidlit. Her blog lead me to favorites like Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast and Bookshelves of Doom, as well as clueing me in to some great new books.
For years I was embarrassed to be an adult who read kid books. I thought I was the only one and I’d hide the covers of my books when I read on the subway, stuffing my latest YA favorite into my backpack so fast that no one could see that the thirty-something woman across the aisle was reading a book for teens. But now I’m part of this incredible community that loves kid books as much as I do. I know there are thousands of us around the country, reading and loving our teen and MG books. I now display my books with pride, and smile when I see that people are reading over my shoulder. Who wouldn’t want to read over my shoulder when I’m in the middle of BRALESS IN WONDERLAND or the latest Sarah Dessen?!
What I love the most about all these sites is how warm and open people are. This business could be so competitive and mean but instead it’s a group of people bound together by a love of kidlit, who are thrilled to discover another new book by another new author. Which is pretty much a dream come true for this new author!
10 Comments on Day 3: Up Close and Online with Daphene Grab, last added: 6/19/2008
I do love the kidlit community. Even though I am a teen I know that I will always enjoy YA and MG books, because I honestly feel like they have more to offer. I definitely think more adults should be open to reading YA books instead of thinking they're just for kids.
I agree, Tasha! If I read adult fiction, it usually has a coming of age theme or younger characters--like say White Oleander. I've turned many adult onto really great YA fiction (and some onto Gossip Girls as well, LOL)
I'm also one who reads my MG/YA books proudly in public places. It opens up a lot of conversations...one businessman on a train saw me reading a book with a very pink cover and asked in all seriousness, "Good book?" I said it was and recommended that he buy it for his daughter. Bet she was surprised when he showed up with that as a gift!
Thanks so much for the mention, Daphne!! :) You are awesome.
And I've noticed the exact same thing as you- the kidlit community is just so open and friendly, and it's great to chat with other MG/YA lovers, whether they be readers or authors. I love this community and am so glad to be a part of it.
Also, I used to shy around the fact that I still read YA books. I came very late to them, as I didn't start until I was 18, lol. But now I'm very open about it, and I'll tell people about the books I'm reading without shame. I'll even tell people about my site too.
YA is becoming so much bigger and limitless these days that I do believe that anyone, teen or adult, can pick up at least one YA book (if not more) and identify with it and love it. This genre is one of the best out there, and I'm so proud to be a part of it all.
tasha, i love your blog! and i agree with you and brooke that more adults should read ya and mg books- i think that's where the most exciting literature is.
courtney, i feel the same!
nina, i love that you read proudly and give recommendations!
book chic, YOU are the awesome one! and i agree 100% that this is the best genre out there. and your site rocks so i'm glad you proudly tell people about it!
Thank you so much for the mention, Daphne! So true about having that little secret YA reading habit, although now, as Book Chic pointed out, there is no shame in being a kid lit lover! Great post. :)
Here's the trailer for Eoin Colfer's new novel, Airman.
The novel gets a good review over at Fuse #8. Here's a bit of what she says there: Is it fantasy? No more than any historical novel where the hero indulges in science. Is it science fiction? Only if you consider the notion of one man discovering the use of propellers on his own fantastical. Is it steampunk? No. Stop being silly. No this is, odd as it may sound, fiction with spice. That's not really a category, so I don't know if you can call it anything but original.
I think we'll be needing this one. And incidentally, anyone who isn't in awe that Elizabeth Bird is doing a review a day and doing them darned well needs a slap upside the head with a good book.
0 Comments on A true 19th century Batman as of 1/1/1990
Hey all, I've got a guest blog called "Bookstore Breakup"* up over at Romancing the Blog. It's the first of what will be a monthly commitment. For those of you have no love for the Romance section, worry not, this post applies to anyone who has ever had to breakup with their bookstore.
I'll be back later with an actual column for this blog as well.
Enjoy.
*Now with a link that actually works! I really need to remember not to post before coffee.
2 Comments on Tele-Commute Blogging, last added: 6/12/2007
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Want to learn more about the logo 2008 Caldecott Medal winner Brian Selznick created especially for the 75th Anniversary celebration and the characters in it? Just click here.
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Totally proud that you made the list of awesome mash-ups! You rock like always! Now I can’t wait to see my mouse book!