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Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Donnell Childrens Reading Room, Most Recent at Top [Help]
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1. Interview with GENNA - a Children's Book Reviewer Who Nails Authors with Her Insights

Interview With a Book Reviewer
Who Knows Kid's Books

GENNA


Genna is an experienced reviewer of children's books. She works hard during the day, and plays hard on the weekends. She loves to read, have fun with friends, and tell readers of her column all about the great books she has read. Genna is not one of those wimpy reviewers – she tells it like it is. When she promised to review my latest book, "Rattlesnake Jam,” my stomach stayed in a snakelike twist until after I read her review – WHEW! My book made the grade!

By the way, did I mention Genna was 8 years old ?
Below are my interview questions, and Genna's exceedingly mature answers:

Margot:
Well Genna, did you always love reading books?
Genna:
Yes. Even when I was a little girl, I loved to read. I used to sneak books into my bed at night. I still do sometimes.

Margot: What is the title of the first book you really loved?
Genna: I loved Mama Cat has Three Kittens because I loved the illustrations, and on every page me and my 'Mama Cat' would find the hidden mouse and I would pounce on it!

Margot: Why do you like reviewing books?
Genna: Because they are fun, and I get to read the books first, and they are really good. When I showed by friends my first review of the Hairy Book, they loved it. I like when people give me feedback about what I do.

Margot: Which is your all-time favorite book.
Genna: Diary of a Worm and Diary of a Fly, because they are really funny books with a lot of funny scenes. My favorite scene in Diary of Worm is when the worm says "Don't bother Dad while he's eating the newspaper. CHOMP!" I just can't get over that!

Margot: What sort of story don’t you like to read?
Genna: I don't like to read scary stories.

Margot: If you wrote a book, what would it be about?
Genna: Kittens! Horses!

Margot: Do you like mysteries, biographies, fantasy, lots of action and dialogue – or just something fun to read?
Genna: All of them. I like stories set in the old days, like Black Beauty and The Secret Garden. I like fantasies, like The Fisherman's Son. I liked it because it has animals and magic. I also like dragons, horses, mysteries and wizards. I also like books about Hannah Montanah and High School Musical.

Margot: What about characters: do you like them to be goody-goody all the time? Or get into lots of trouble, and then finally learn why it pays to keep OUT of trouble.
Genna: My favorite characters are the worm from Diary of a Worm, THUD, the robot from Andrew Lost, Ginger from Black Beauty and Elden from The Fisherman's Son. Some of them are funny, some are serious.

Margot: What keeps you reading a book: the evil villain, the wonderful hero/heroine, or the great plot?
Genna: The great plot.

Margot: Can you imagine yourself writing a book one day?
Genna: Yes. I've already started one about worms and an apple tree and a girl.

Margot: Which one of your Mom’s rules do you hate the most
Genna: The reading rule. I have to read for at least half an hour before I can watch TV.

Margot: What about your mom do you love the most
Genna: We have Mommy-Genna days once a week. Last week we went to a dinner theater. This week we are going Letterboxing, which is like a scavenger hunt in the woods. There are boxes with stamps, and you have to stamp your journal every time you get to a box. (Mom's note: check out www.letterboxing.org)

Margot: How old do you think you’ll have to be before your mom lets you have your own e-mail AND Blog?
Genna: And cell phone? At least 59! Because my mom never lets me have one! (Genna asks Mom: I'm going to get a cell phone before that, right?)

Margot: What do your best friends like to do?
Genna: We make up dance routines, make crafts, play camp. This week me and my friend Emily made styrofoam ball critters. We got the idea for these in the Family Fun magazine.

Margot: What would you like to be when you leave college?
Genna: A scientist, or a singer, or a writer.

Margot: Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers about yourself or your reviewing?
Genna: Yes. I like to do gymnastics, horseback riding and golf. I like to play with my friends every day.

Margot: Thank you Genna. I loved your answers. Interviewing you has been an honor and a pleasure. I had to think hard to find just the right questions to ask you. And, may I add, that you are lucky to have such a talented and loving Mom.
...
NOTE TO READERS:
If you want an honest and insightful review of your new book for children,
...
Mom's Website is also worth a peek.
...
(Comments Welcome)
...

3 Comments on Interview with GENNA - a Children's Book Reviewer Who Nails Authors with Her Insights, last added: 7/10/2008
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2. Library Geek Misses Her Big Chance (Reports from the NY SCBWI conference)

The first in a series of mini-reports on my trip to the New York SCBWI Winter conference:

I did something geeky last Friday. I went to the Central Children's Room at the Donnell branch of the New York Public Library and asked to see a copy of my book. I was just going to peek at it on the shelves and marvel that my book (MY book!) was in the same building as the original stuffed animals from Winnie the Pooh, Wyeth paintings, and a Newbery medal.

But my surreptitious plan didn't work. The librarian on duty insisted upon doing her job and helping me. It turns out that Letters From Rapunzel at this particular branch was non-circulating, and The Most Helpful Librarian in the World jumped right up and went to the back stacks to pull it for me.

Really, I didn't mean to make her leave her desk and go fetch my own book! It's not like I haven't seen it before. But I hadn't seen it in a library in New York before, and I really did want to. Maybe because I went to kindergarten in NY. Maybe because I went to the library often in NY. (Although not the Donnell branch, sadly, according to my mom and dad. More likely the local Queens branch.) Or maybe because I'm a total library geek.

Anyhow, I held it, stroked its shiny library cover, and fantasized about filling the white space on the title page with a pithy literary comment, my non-trembling signature, and the date: Feb. 8, 2008. Then, I reluctantly gave it back to the Most Helpful Librarian. Turns out that I screwed THAT up.

Because later that night, at the KidLit Drinks get-together, I talked with Betsy Bird, librarian at the same famous Donnell Children's Room, and blogger as Fuse 8 (read her detailed post about Donnell here,) and she said: Oh, did you sign your book?

WHAT? I could've written in a library book? Really? *sigh*

On the other hand, I did do some things right on my visit to Donnell. I inspected Eeyore's tail and marveled at Tigger's realistic stripes. I signed Pooh's guest book. I eavesdropped on a play being rehearsed in a back room. I said a little prayer before the plain, matter-of-fact sign reading: In Memoriam: Madeleine L'Engle and Lloyd Alexander (among others.) I peered through the window of an office at a model of the Little Cabin in the Woods, and longed to move the figures around in a dance to a fiddle tune. I oohed over the Mary Poppins books and umbrella.

Most of all, I left feeling grateful for the chance to stand in a place where I could picture myself as a child, rushing in the door, running over to the new books, getting lost in all the choices, visiting old favorites on the shelves, and leaving with an armful of the best of the best. I wouldn't have noticed if an author had been standing there, holding her own book. Except of course, if it was a book I wanted to read. And then I would've thought: HEY! WEIRDO! Are you done with that?

P.S. The building that holds the Donnell branch has been sold. Betsy Bird has been gathering memories of the Children's Reading Room. If you have a good story, please get it to her here.

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