How to use this Page

Now this is really neat.  There’s a series called BOOKD through THINKR (apparently E’s are considered gauche these days) that will take a topic and really go into it with a panel of experts.  In this particular case the question is whether or not you should re-read Charlotte’s Web.  Author Bruce Coville and teacher/blogger/author Monica Edinger (amongst others) give their two cents.  Really nicely edited and shot, don’t you think?

In other news, I had no idea that the Royal Shakespeare Company had created a staged adaptation of The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban.  Hoban died just last year in 2012.  I feel a bit miffed that he didn’t get to see this.  Maybe he got a sneaky peak in some way.  At any rate, it look fantastic (love the ending on the second video).  I just wonder how they pulled off The Caws of Art.  I’ve two videos here for the same production.  Love them both for very different reasons.

Thanks to Stefan for the links!

Sometimes I like to step into an alternate universe where I grew up in the USSR and watched television like this version of The Hobbit.  Instead I grew up on the old Rankin & Bass version.  Which was better?  Um . . .

Thanks to Educating Alice for the link!

And kudos to The New York Times for this lovely Christoph Neimann illustrated video of an interview Sendak conducted with NPR.

When I die, let’s do that.  That would be fun.  Make a note of it.

And finally, for the off-topic part, gold gold goldy gold.  I don’t even know if you could label it “Off-Topic” since it involves a child reading.  Or rather, a three-year-old child “reading”.  I know it’s three minutes but I seriously sat down and watched the whole thing because it’s a fascinating case study in what words kids pick up on when they hear stories.  The “but then” particularly amuses.

Many thanks to Stephany Aulenback for sharing that.

#89 The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (1967)
22 points

The classic! The current popular Humphrey books (about the classroom hamster) could never be without Ralph and his motorcycle. – Gina Detate

We’re only into our second round of chapter book reveals and already Beverly Cleary has made another appearance (her first being Ramona and Her Father at #94).  And for a book that has fans, albeit quiet ones.  I think Gina put it best here when she pointed out that the current crop of small pet-like heroes (Sasspants, Humphrey, Freddy, etc.) owe this little guy a huge debt.

The description from the publisher reads, “Ralph the mouse ventures out from behind the piney knothole in the wall of his hotel-room home, scrambles up the telephone wire to the end table, and climbs aboard the toy motorcycle left there by a young guest. His thrill ride does not last long. The ringing telephone startles Ralph, and he and the motorcycle take a terrible fall – right to the bottom of a metal wastebasket. Luckily, Keith, the owner of the motorcycle, returns to find his toy. Keith rescues Ralph and teaches him how to ride the bike. Thus begins a great friendship and many awesome adventures. Once a mouse can ride a motorcyle … almost anything can happen!”

Harper Collins has an amusing list of awards won by the book.  These include (but clearly are not limited to):

• Nene Award (Hawaii)
• William Allen White Children’s Book Award (Kansas)
• ALA Notable Children’s Book
• ALA Notable Children’s Book
• Great Stone Face Book Award (New Hampshire)
• Great Stone Face Book Award (New Hampshire)
• Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader’s Choice Award
• Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader’s Choice Award
• Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader’s Choice Award

Many a cover has existed in the day.