Bookshelf #24:
Mia Wenjen (Pragmatic Mom)
Boston, MA, USA
Mom of three, Mia Wenjen is better known in the kidlit blogging world as Pragmatic Mom. She blogs on “picture books through YA with a special focus on Newbery/Caldecott/Printz quality books, Asian & people of color characters/authors, special needs, graphic novels and math/science.”
“I started reading children’s lit again…when I realized I was giving my oldest Newbery Award Winning books that were her reading level, but were inappropriate because of content. As my middle child started reading independently, she was so picky that I had to wrack my brain to get her books she likes. And my youngest, who is just starting to read, has gone on a reading strike lately. So, there you have it. It’s always a challenge to find “just-right” books and that has become my life.”
Submitted by: PragmaticMom, Education Matters. You can also follow her on Twitter (PragmaticMom) and Facebook (PragmaticMom)
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The KidLit Blogosphere is a formidable force in the children’s book industry, and an important one to become familiar with. Essentially, it is comprised of ‘bloggers’ – that is, people writing regularly in blog form on their websites – who devote their content exclusively to children’s literature. Their posts might encompass book reviews, industry trends, news, rants and raves and more – but they will always be relative to the world of children’s lit. Some Kidlit bloggers write exclusively about one genre – YA is a popular choice – others dabble in several.
The KidLit Blogoshpere has become so powerful within the industry that many publishers and authors feel it can be as important to garner a good review from one of these blogs than from the New York Times. Interestingly, the vast majority of the most esteemed KidLit Bloggers are women, mostly comprised of librarians, educators, booksellers and authors. There are annual awards – the Cybil Awards – for the best in KidLit blogging. Kidlit bloggers are fiercely protective of their territory. You cannot buy their favor – you have to earn it.
Below is an impressive list of Kidlitosphere blogs recommended by fusenumber8 (a.k.a. NYC librarian/blogger Elizabeth Bird), with additional thanks to Roger Sutton. School Library Journal also maintains links and lists of the best in the blogosphere. Get to know them all, for each has something unique to offer. I subscribe to most of these through my Google Reader, which makes it easy to view them all in one place at one time:
Alice’s CWIM Blog — The editor of Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market offers her perspective on the literary market, as well as thoughts on hot kidlit topics.
Big A, little a — A Midwestern blogger with almost daily updates on almost every topic imaginable. Author Kelly Herold also edits the online children’s literary magazine “The Edge of the Forest.”
Blue Rose Girls — The collective blog of authors, editors, and enthusiasts, including Grace Lin, Elaine Magliaro, Libby Koponen, Linda S. Wingerter, Anna Alter, Meghan McCarthy, and Alvina Ling.
Book Buds — A driving force behind the kidlit blogger book award, the Cybils, Anne Boles Levy reviews picture books that might not get the attention they deserve elsewhere.
bookshelves of doom — An irreverent and clever blog touching on kidlit and YA topics. The second blog I check every morning. Says the profile, “Highbrow intellectual critiques do not live here.” It’s too modest.
Brooklyn Arden — Blog of Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein, touching on everything from what a typical day for an edito
I've been searching through kidlit and mommy blogs for bloggers who might want to review my new book, How to Raise a Dinosaur. I've found a few, but I noticed that others I wanted to send to do not have a way to contact the blogger, or maybe that's the idea.
So I'm putting out a call to bloggers who review or giveaway children's books, please email me at [email protected] if you want a copy of my book, and/or a blog interview. I'd be happy to oblige. Please share this post with any blogger friends you might know.
I'm so excited about my new book - it's my first lift-the-flap! And the illustrations are wickedly wonderful.
It was a privilege watching the new movie Amazing Grace. I say privilege because the movie was a touching insight to the terrible trials of the slaves trade and the incredible achievement of one man and his supporters. The story about William Wilberforce and his determination to stamp out the inhumane cruelty of the 17th century slave trade was more than inspiring.
The slaves where shipped
