Thoughts on Electricity

You know, I never would have made it in the 19th century. It's hard work to keep a family warm when it's below freezing outdoors. We used containers filled with hot water, stove burners, and sleeping bags all to keep the house at 52 degrees. Things get so dirty, too, when you can't see what's happening.

In any case, at least for the moment, we have power. And, I'm so grateful, if exhausted. My sites are back up as well:

• Help write the first children's wiki novel here at Witches and Wiki. We've got a great first chapter. What will happen next? You decide!
• The Edge of the Forest is back online as well.

Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect has a fabulous book meme going and I've been tagged. At the moment, though, I have fewer than 2 brain cells to rub together, so I think I'll respond tomorrow. Night, all!

Another Child Author

6-year-old Selina Banerjee will soon be a published writer. Here's the scoop:

• "In the grown-up world of publishing, Selina is one of its younger authors, having sold her first book, 'My Preschool Graduation,' a behind-the-scenes look at an event that took place a year ago at the Longwood Medical Area Child Care Center . Tate Publishing bought the 22-page manuscript last month and will publish it this summer as an illustrated children's book."

Johnny Diaz reports for The Boston Globe.

Picture Books: Not just for Celebrities Anymore!

Oliver Jeffers

Dina Rabinovitch profiles the wonderful Oliver Jeffers for the Guardian. Jeffers' new book--The Incredible Book Eating Boy--will be out in the States in April.

Rabinovitch tells us:

• "Jeffers is young, in his mid-20s, and writing children's books is only one of his skills; he's also an exhibited artist, with a project on the go that involves a kind of chain-letter art: he and some friends have a continual art event where they send each other work and add to it."
  

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I'm in Day 5 with no electricity. I'll be in and out when I can find a place with wireless. Man, is it cold.

Review: Tripping to Somewhere

Kristopher Reisz' Tripping to Somewhere is one of the weirder books I've read in a long time. And, I mean that in a good way. This book is truly unique.

Sam and Gilly, two "white trash" girls from Atlanta, encounter a homeless man with a black crow--a crow he kills in front of them. He then mentions the Witches' Carnival is coming to town and the crow pieces itself together, cawing loudly and frightening the two girls.

This event sets the girls thinking, though, and soon they're on a wild goose chase in search of the Witches' Carnival. First to New Orleans and then to London. In order to travel, they steal money Gilly's father has stashed under his bed. Gilly rationalizes that it's okay to take the money, as her dad, a cop, stole the cash during a bust.

Gilly and Sam do meet the Witches' Carnival, and they're every bit as wonderful as they had hoped. Even more so, for Gilly. Gilly, a lesbian, falls for Maggie, one of the witches, and is ready to follow her anywhere. Sam, who plays the role of friend with benefits to Gilly, is more apprehensive. But Tripping to Somewhere, above all else, is a story of friendship and Gilly and Sam both take risks for one another and stay true to their friendship in their pursuit of the witches.

While Tripping to Somewhere does contain magical elements, it is not a fantasy novel. (Reisz defines it as Urban Fantasy.) In fact, Tripping to Somewhere is very real in a way that might be too much for some younger teens. Drugs, sex, violence, forgery, and theft all necessarily come into play over the course of the novel as the Witches' Carnival is a group of international, nearly immortal party hosts trafficking in youth, beauty, good times, and mescaline.

Tripping to Somewhere has cult classic written all over it. Give it to a teen who likes edgy, fast-paced, and original reads.

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Review copy provided by the author.

Day 4

It's our fourth day without power. And no hope, only another ice storm, on the horizon. The Edge of the Forest and Witches and Wiki are both still down. I have read a million books, however, so I'll be posting reviews soon. In the meantime, here are a few items of interest in today's book news.

• Steven D. Hill and Peggy Hogan have created a new non-fiction packaging house, called Flying Point Press (allied with Sterling Publishing) releasing titles aimed at the 10-to 15-year-old boy reader. First up are the 1950s Landmark books (including Invasion: The Story of D-Day, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Deadly Hunt: The Sinking of the Bismarck, among others). David Mehegan covers the story for the Boston Globe.
• Mens News Daily talks to Jules Feiffer about his switch to children's books: "He says that where he once drew on a deep well of righteous rage to produce satire in his cartoons, plays and articles, children’s books such as The Man on the Ceiling, A Room With A Zoo and Bark, George, allowed his playfulness to emerge."

7-Imp Interview: Anne Boles Levy

Don't miss the latest 7-Imp Interview, this time with Anne Boles Levy, over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Anne blogs at Book Buds and is my Cybils co-conspirator. Thanks, Jules and Eisha! Great reading.

Weekend Reviews (Ice-Storm edition)

I'm bringing you the weekend reviews late. Still no power at home, but I've found a place to catch up for a few hours. It was a remarkably slow weekend, so it seems I didn't miss much.

Elizabeth Ward reviews Geraldine McCaughrean's wonderful The White Darkness for the Washington Post. I hope to post my review this week as well, should I ever be back on line for an extended period of time. Nice to see The White Darkness is finally out in the States.

Mary Harris Russell reviews six new children's books for the Chicago Tribune. They include:

• A Good Day, by Kevin Henkes
• Pirates Don't Change Diapers, by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon
• The Navigator, by Eoin McNamee
• The Bremen Town Musicians, by the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger
• Skyscraper, by Lynn Curlee
• Tamar, by Mal Peet

Where the heck am I?

In an ice storm, that's where. No power, no heat, NO INTERNET. I'm able to log in on a friend's computer (40% of the town has electricity) to say I'm alive and, yes, I know The Edge of the Forest and the wiki novel are down...but, at the moment, I can't do anything about it. I really hate winter. Hawaii is sounding better and better every day.

Scrotumgate 07

For the absolute best post on Scrotumgate 07 (from its lowly beginnings to its now fading significance), head on over to pixie stix kids pix.

pixie stix kids pix is a great new blog and one that should have been on my blogroll update since its inception. I'm fixing my oversight now.

Celebrating Children's Books

Amanda Craig and a host of well-known writers celebrate Dr. Seuss for World Book Day in the Times. I love what Meg Rosoff has to say about The Cat in the Hat: "I still know lots of it by heart. Having read The Cat in the Hat to my daughter, I just love how weird and radical it is, with the two blank-eyed children staring out of the window, and the mother who is somewhere else. "

I love that too, even though I know it's somewhat disturbing!

Jacqueline Wilson talks about her autobiography (for children--how wonderful) in the Guardian. She wrote it for what I consider to be excellent reasons:

• "...in 2005, I was made the children's laureate, and possibly because of this I learnt that my editors at Random House were thinking of commissioning someone to write a slim biographical book about my life and work. I was flattered - but I also started to fret about the idea. Just call me a control freak, but I decided that maybe I wanted to write it. That way I'd be able to decide how I was going to do it, what to put in - and, more importantly, what to leave out."

Amanda Craig reviews dragon books for the Times. Amanda Craig and dragons? Can't beat that. Enjoy!

Poetry Friday

Today's one of those days. I need a cheerful Poetry Friday entry.

The weather's awful (wintry mix, anyone?), I need to drive out of town for a skating exhibition, and a horrible thought about my novel struck me at 3am.

Thank goodness for PoetryFoundation.org. I found a poem that just made me smile and forget the hail, the words, the neverending winter, and the car. It's "The Best Game the Fairies Play," by Rose Fyleman. It doesn't appear to be copyright protected, so here it is in all its wonder:

The Best Game the Fairies Play
by Rose Fyleman

The best game the fairies play,
The best game of all,
Is sliding down steeples--
(You know they're very tall).
You fly to the weathercock,
And when you hear it crow,
You fold your wings and clutch your things
And then let go!
They have a million other games--
Cloud-catching's one,
And mud-mixing after rain
Is heaps and heaps of fun;
But when you go and stay with them
Never mind the rest,
Take my advice--they're very nice,
But steeple-sliding's best!

===========================
Liz B. is on the roundup over at A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy.

More New (or New-to-me) Blogs

MotherReader has inspired me to do another update of the ol' blogrolls. Luckily, plenty of new to me blogs have crossed my path this week. They are:

• 4 Obsessions: Reading, Writing, Cooking and Knitting. Okay, I only share two of those obsessions, but this is one smart blog.
• Andrew Karre's Flux Blog. "The Collected Musings of the Flux Crew on Flux Books, YA Lit in General, and Sausage-Making in Particular." Don't you know sausage is bad for you, Andrew? The rest of it is all good.
• SPOGG: the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. The title pretty much says it all. Thanks, Eisha!
• Teaching, Technology, The Library, and other stuff. A new blog focusing on, well, teaching, technology, the library, and other stuff!
• Related: What the Tech! (Great title.) A blog for the teachers and staff of Portage Township Schools, Portage, IN, but lots of good stuff for teachers who blog or use blogs as resources.

scrotum, scrotum, scrotum, scrotum

At least Susan Patron, in the end, will benefit from Scrotumgate '07. Here are the numbers:

• An Amazon top-40 title, jumping from #600
• A new print run of 100, 000 ordered

AP articla via Forbes.com. For full Lucky coverage, check out Fuse #8 and Chicken Spaghetti's roundup posts here and here and here and here and here.

Review: Harmless

Dana Reinhardt created a splash last year with her charming and brilliant first novel, a brief chapter in my impossible life. (review) I'm happy to report that her second YA novel, Harmless, is equally accomplished.

Harmless is much darker than a brief chapter in my impossible life. In the grand tradition of I Know What You Did Last Summer, it's the story of a lie and its consequences.

Three ninth-grade girls narrate the story and tell the lie--that they were attacked and one of them nearly raped. Each of the girls is insecure and unsure of herself. Anna is a coddled and much-loved only child who has never been popular. Her best friend Emma was transported to their small town--a town anchored by a college and CompuCorp--and misses New York City desperately. Like Anna, she has two loving parents. Unlike Anna, her parents argue, and they moved away from the city a few years earlier because of a sexual harassment charge against her father. New girl Mariah shows up at Orsonville Day School because her mother marries a wealthy man Mariah does not like much.

Mariah rebels by hooking up with a public school kid named D.J. When she invites Anna and Emma to a party, the lies begin. At first, Anna and Emma tell their parents that they are at one another's house. When they're finally caught, the lie is told.

Reinhardt is particularly skilled at first-person narration. Each girl's voice is so distinct, that I no longer had to read the chapter title by the time I was halfway through the novel. Emma is confused and hurt. Anna is intelligent and self-absorbed. Mariah is angry and desires attention, but is good at heart. What I especially appreciated about Harmless is that these girls are recognizable. Yes, they've each had a problem or two, but nothing drastic or unusual enough to explain away their lie. As Mariah says:

• "I know it sounds crazy now, but that night, making up the lie seemed like the easy way out. A harmless little lie. You've told lies before, haven't you? I ask them. Everyone's told lies. It was just that I was unable to see, right then, that the lie would gather speed and its current would carry it further and further away from me."

Harmless is highly recommended for teen readers ages thirteen and up. There is some sexual content.

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Review copy supplied by the publisher.

A call for help

I've hit rock bottom, folks. I can't go on. If I have to read another non-fiction title about rocks and minerals...

So, please, if you know of an interesting book about rocks and minerals for, say, a six-year-old child, leave a comment. Please.

New Pet Peeve

Okay, guys, I have a new pet peeve. It's very minor and, yes, petty, so I'm hiding it behind a "read more" button. If you don't want to witness me at my curmudgeonly worst, then skip this post.



Here's the deal. I can't stand the confusion between fewer and less ever present in the mainstream media. If you're interviewing an actor or a rockstar and he or she says "I have less friends, because...", okay, fine, I'll accept it. They're not in the business of words. But, these commercials and ads and articles whose authors regularly mess up fewer and less...well they're making me lose my mind. I just saw an ad for a major product (I've already forgotten what it was) and it was less X when they meant fewer X (something you can count) throughout. AARGH!

See what a curmudgeon I am? Also, since I'm ranting, just let me add that I hated Outlander. People I love and trust adore this book. I'm so glad it's over. The kilts and the heather and the beatings did me in. Oh, and the romance part.

As Michele would say [/rant].

(And yes, I do realize people will be able to read this entire post on bloglines and the like, but I just couldn't help myself.)

Review: Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend

Scaredy Squirrel is back, and this time he's preparing to make a friend. And preparing is the right word as Scaredy Squirrel does not go into the world unarmed. In fact, Scaredy Squirrel even knows ahead of time who would make a good friend and who wouldn't:

"A few individuals Scaredy Squirrel is afraid to be bitten by: walruses, bunnies, beavers, piranhas, Godzilla."

Scaredy Squirrel decides on a goldfish as a new friend, because he has a "bubbly personality," is "squeaky clean" and "quiet" and, most importantly, has "NO teeth" and is "germ-free." A goldfish doesn't do much, "BUT is 100% safe!"

But a funny thing happens on the way to the pond. A dog begins to chase Scaredy Squirrel and, after several hours of playing dead, Scaredy realizes the dog only wants to play. Scaredy must reevaluate and finds his "almost perfect friend" has "muddy paws," "wet doggy smell," a "loud bark," "drool," "germs," and "tooth." Most poignantly, dog is "83% safe, but Lots of Fun!" Aren't all good friends the same?

Mélanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel books are charming not only because they give a scaredy squirrel (or kid) a little nudge, but also because her cartoonish illustrations are cheerful, drop-dead funny, and full of intriguing details. She also indulges the little ones with series of lists as Scaredy goes about his day. (Have you ever noticed how much the 3- to 5-crowd loves a good list?) For example, when Scaredy is preparing to befriend goldfish, we learn of "A few items Scaredy Squirrel needs to make the Perfect Friend: lemon, name tag, mittens, comb, mirror, air freshener, toothbrush, chewtoy." Each item is placed in its own illustrated box. The air freshener does come in handy, but I won't spoil the pleasure in finding out how.

Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend is perfect for the three- to seven-year old reader and is an excellent choice for a school or library read aloud. Risk-averse children everywhere will thank you.
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The prequel to Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend, Scaredy Squirel, was the 2006 Cybils Picture Book winner.

Review copy supplied by Raab Associates.

The 11th Carnival of Children's Literature is up!

Over at MotherReader. Head on over and read.

Call for Submissions

I'm seeking the following for the March issue of The Edge of the Forest:

• Reviews (picture book, non-fiction, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels)
• A Kid Picks column

Please send me an e-mail if you're interested. Have an idea for a feature article or an author or blogging writer interview? Then send me an e-mail as well.

Review: Cures for Heartbreak

Margo Rabb's Cures for Heartbreak is one compelling, wise book for the teen aged reader.

Ninth-grader Mia lives in Queens with her mother, father (who owns a shoe-repair shop), and older, cantankerous sister, Alex. Mia and Alex attend the Bronx High School of Science, where Alex excels as a scientific genius.

One day, mom heads to the ER with a stomachache. 12 days later she's dead. Diagnosis? Melanoma with liver metathesis. Things happen in a blur as Mia finds herself shopping for a dress, with her frugal and decidedly unfeminine sister, for her mother's funeral. Mia, a confused, yet touching narrator, says:

"I stared at the hem of my $119 dress and thought about the one night I'd left the hospital to go home and instead of getting on the 4 train at 33rd Street, I walked all the way to the Barnes & Noble on 54th. I kept walking and when I got there I scanned the shelves of the grief section, the Death & Dying shelves, for a book that would comfort me, that would say exactly the right thing. I'm not sure what I'd been looking for, exactly. Maybe something like What to Do When Your Mother Dies from Melanoma, Which They Thought Was a Stomachache at First. How to Cope When You're Left Alone with Your Father and Sister, Who Drive You Nuts. How to Survive a Funeral, Especially One Hosted by a Disconcertingly Happy Funeral Director and an Upwardly Mobile Rabbi Who Drives a BMW. I didn't find a book I wanted to buy. All that had made me feel better was the walk." (14-15)

The beauty and authenticity of Cures for Heartbreak lie in the fact that there are no cures. Mia tries dressing in her mother's clothes, wearing too much makeup, fighting with her sister, reading romance novels, becoming a hypochondriac, and falling in love. The only things that work, though, are time, patience, and the real sympathy of a new friend.

Cures for Heartbreak is best suited for readers ages 13 and up. Pick this one for Rabb's honest, beautiful writing and her brave, yet vulnerable narrator. Mia is frightened, lonely and unsure of herself, yet she picks herself up time and time again. In the end, she realizes, "if grief had a permanence, then didn't also love?" (232)

Weekend Reviews (II)

Wow, it's a slow weekend in terms of book reviews. Here's what I've found:

Not a review, but Lesley White talks to Jacqueline Wilson for the Times.

Not a review, but Kristen Therrell profiles Rosemary Wells for The State (South Carolina).

Christopher Paul Curtis' Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission is the Washington Post Book of the Week.

Hmmm...I think I'll write a review or two of my own this afternoon.

Weekend Reviews (I)

Sorry for the late weekend reviews posting. I spent my afternoon in the ER watching my son get his split chin stitched up. Lots of fun. He's fine now, but I'm still feeling queasy. Anyway, on to the reviews:

Susan Perren reviews new books for the Globe and Mail. Books considered include:

• The Other Mozart: The Life of the Famous Chevalier de Saint-George, by Hugh Brewster, illustrated by Eric Valasquez
• Dimity Dumpty: The Story of Humpty's Little Sister, written and illustrated by Bob Graham
• The Elves and the Shoemaker, retold by John Cech, illustrated by Kirill Chelushkin
• The Tale of Sir Dragon: Dealing With Bullies for Kids and Dragons, by Jean E. Pendziwol, illustrated by Martine Gourbault

Mark Fisher reviews Zenith, by Julie Bertagna, for the Scotsman.

Not a review, but Julie Bosman discusses the scrotum kerfuffle in the New York Times.

More tomorrow...

The Best News Ever

Sarah Kinson interviews Philip Pullman for the Guardian. Now that's good news on any day. But, his answer to the last question just sent me to the ceiling. Here it is in all its glory:

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A sequel to His Dark Materials. But I can't say more than that. It's going to be a long book, and I'm only part way through it.

I can't adequately express my emotional reaction to this news. There simply are not enough exclamations or exclamation points at the ready. I'm just going to have to sit with this for awhile.

Poetry Friday: Mandelstam

This isn't the first time I've quoted one of my favorite Russian poets, Osip Mandelstam, for Poetry Friday. Today I'm contributing his "Self-Portrait," an eight-line poem that wholly expresses the poetic drive. I'm a prose girl myself, but I've known a few poets in my life and, it seems to me, Mandelstam has got it right.

Self-Portrait

A hint of wing in the lifted
head. But the coat's flapping.
In the closed eyes, arms' quiet,
there's nervous energy hiding.

Here's one who flies and sings,
and the word, in flames, hammered,
until congenital awkwardness,
by inborn rhythm's conquered.

Translation by A.S. Kline.

I'm up for the round up this week, so drop me your comments or an e-mail!
================================
Hey! Fuse is in with a Louise Erdrich poem and a fabulous story.

Michele shares from A Midsummer's Night Dream at Scholar's Blog.

Jules contributes some Jane Kenyon in a valentine's post at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

In an incredible case of kismet Mitali's shares the same Kenyon poem while she (Mitali) is working, working, working on the work she loves.

Yay! Gregory K. has another Oddaptation up at GottaBook. This time it's The Carrot Seed.

Elaine reviews Leah Wilcox's Falling for Rapunzel and contributes her own awesome poem, "Queen Speaking to Rumpelstiltskin When He Returns to Claim Her Firstborn Child ."

Liz celebrates the Queen of Noticing--Mary Oliver--at Liz in Ink.

Kelly Fineman discusses Lewis Carroll's "The Hunting of the Snark" in a fascinating post.

Little Willow quotes from Reaching for Sun, by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a Middle Grade novel in verse she says we all must read at Bildungsroman.

Adrienne contributes "When Skies Are Low and Days Are Dark" from Snowman Sniffles, by N.M. Bodecker, at What Adrienne Thinks About That.

Miss Erin shares Roald Dahl's funny, smart "The Pig."

Jone reviews Joyce Sidman's Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow over at Check it Out (new address). Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow just won a Cybils award for Poetry.

Mindy tells us all about a totally cool Victorian Poetry slam in Minneapolis at propernoun.net.

A Year of Reading is in with The Cremation of Sam McGee. (I know it's cold, guys, but let's not take it too far!) They've also provided some excellent links, including a link to audio of Johnny Cash reciting the poem.

Greg T. joins in the fun with an original poem set to She Loves You, by the Beatles.

Liz B. shares Edna St. Vincent Millay (and more) at A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy.

You know you want to...

write all about Moctor Fall and why he's in such a terrible predicament. Why is he on a rainy roof during a thunder storm? He hears noises--will he be caught?

Join the fun in co-authoring the first children's wiki novel. It's easy to do and a creative time-dump. Write me for a password, and you're in!

Oh, and the second you change a comma, please add your name to the writers page. So far only 2 people have, including me, have done so and I know there have been more writers at work.

BACA altert!

Guess which celebrity has "a children's book in him?" You'll be glad to hear it's Jim Carrey.

Joel Stein writes, for Time, "he's also got a children's book in him. 'It's called Cynthia's New Friend. It's about how we hate change. We hate people to change because we're afraid they'll fly away.'"

Sounds like a good one, no? It has a message! We all love that.

11th Carnival of Children's Literature

Today's the day! Dont' forget to submit to the 11th Carnival of Children's Literature, which will be held on the 20th at MotherReader.

There are two ways to submit: Through the carnival site or by e-mail. (MoReader has extended the deadline to the 17th if you submit by e-mail.)

Movies from Children's Books

You know that making movies from children's books is big business when MTV covers the story.

Shawn Adler lists the 10 children's books MTV thinks should be filmed next with explanations as to why. I must admit, their choices are pretty interesting.

Note: Unless you're a huge fan of MTV-style bumper music, turn the sound off before clicking over.

They're up.

We have just announced the 2006 Cybils Awards. Head on over and read.

Lisa Graff is in the house!

Welcome to day three of Lisa Graff's blog tour! I'm thrilled to welcome her here to Big A little a.

Lisa Graff's debut novel, The Thing About Georgie, has just been released (check my previous post for a review) and you can win a copy now! How? Here's the scoop:

The first three people to send an email to thethingaboutgeorgie@harpercollins.com, saying that you saw the Lisa Graff interview here on Big A little a, will get a free copy of the book. You should write "Georgie Giveaway" in the subject line, and include your name and address. (And don't forget to mention that you read the interview [and review] here at Big A little a.)

Okay, on to the interview:

Kelly: The thing is, Lisa...I noticed in your author bio that you're a former Californian. I am too! Do you miss the Golden State, or are you a New Yorker for life now?

Lisa: Hooray for fellow former Californians! I'm not sure I'm a New Yorker for life, but I do love it for right now. People usually assume that since I'm from California, I can't stand the winters out here, but I actually grew up in a ski resort town in southern California (go Big Bear!), so I'm a snow bunny at heart. It's the summers that drive me crazy--so humid and hot! California definitely has better summers.

Kelly: Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

Lisa: I'll pick a nice white wine. That sounds writerly, right?

Kelly: Are you sick of the phrase "the thing is" yet?

Lisa: Actually I kind of like it. I hope it begins to sweep the nation soon, so I can be the founder of the next big catchphrase. Also, I've always sort of wanted to be responsible for something that "sweeps the nation." (This would probably an easier goal to accomplish if I were from a really small nation, like Luxembourg.)

Kelly: Beach, city, or forest?

Lisa: Ooh, a forest sounds lovely right about now, with the trees rustling softly all about and stars you can actually see and a gentle breeze that lulls you off to sleep. No bears, though. My forest doesn't have any bears in it.

Kelly: What draws you to children's literature in particular? What I mean is, why Middle Grade fiction and not, say, mystery, chick lit, or "literary fiction"?

Lisa: I guess I write children's books because I love to read them, even now as an adult. I think good middle grade novels are some of the best examples of fine storytelling--a clear story arc, tight plotting and characterization, and no excess words. There's no room for mucking about in children's novels, because kids won't put up with that. They'll just close the book. Writing something that will amuse kids and also say the things I want to say is both a challenge and a joy for me.

Kelly: Coffee, tea, or a triple skinny latte?

Lisa: This is a difficult choice, but I'll pick tea. I've been doing a lot of writing at night lately, and I find that a good cup of tea gives me just enough oomph to get my brain churning without keeping me wide-eyed for hours when it's time to go to sleep.

Kelly: The Thing About Georgie is your first novel. How long did it take you to write? And I mean from the very beginning--from the spark in your eye to the lovely product I just received?

Lisa: From spark in my eye to publication, a little over three years. I first got the idea to write about a dwarf in Fall 2003, and then I did some research and took some notes before I started writing. The first draft didn't take too long, probably only about six months. It was rather horrendous, though. There was a long period where my agent was sending the novel out to editors and no one wanted it at all. They were all very nice and encouraging, but still, lots of rejections. Then I found my amazing editor at HarperCollins, and she led me through two more drafts of the book, with major overhauls--characters were added, plotlines were taken away or changed or revamped, scenes were switched around for emphasis or clarity...It was a lot of work, but I couldn't be happier with the finished product. And it made me realize that I'm not the kind of writer who can sit down and whip out the next Great American Novel in one go (I'd like to say this type of writer doesn't exist, but sadly I know a few). I'm the kind of writer who has to write something, read it, scratch half of it out, and re-write it. Writing is like a puzzle for me, and it always takes me a few tries before I can get everything in just the right place, but along the way I learn so much about my characters and what it is I'm trying to say, that revision has actually become my favorite part of the process.

Kelly: Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

Lisa: Definitely the theater. I'm a huge musical theater fan.

Kelly: If you had an entire week and unlimited resources to do whatever you'd like, what would you do and why?

Lisa: I'd do some traveling. My dream travel destination at the moment is the Galapagos Islands. I'm dying to meet 100-year-old Galapagos tortoises, and do some snorkeling, and get a little sun too. Oh, I'm ready to go right now!

Kelly: Halloween, New Year's, or Valentine's Day?

Lisa: Well, even though today is Valentine's Day (Happy Valentine's!), I think I'd have to go with Halloween. It involves more candy than Valentine's and New Years combined, and you really can't beat that.

BOOK QUESTIONS

Kelly: What I particularly admired about The Thing About Georgie is that, while Georgie is a dwarf and faces challenges uniquely his own, in all other respects The Thing About Georgie is about the challenges all children face when they're moving on to the Middle School age. You could replace Georgie with Jeanie the Meanie (ADHD? Family problems?) or Andy (your grandmother from Italy sharing your room? Yikes!) and tell the same story. Can you elaborate on why you decided to make Georgie your hero specifically?

Lisa: Oh, I'm so glad you felt that way! I tried very hard not to pound readers over the head with the fact that Georgie is a dwarf, because really, most of the experiences he has and the challenges he faces are similar to those of any child.

I think most children, at one point or another, feel like an outsider. Whether it's on their soccer team or at school or within their group of friends, most kids feel that there's something different about them that prevents them from fitting in. What drew me to the idea of writing about a dwarf was that these differences would be undeniably apparent. No one can try to comfort Georgie by telling him, "Oh, don't worry, I'm sure no one notices you're short," because Georgie knows people notice. So I wanted to see how he would deal with that -- to what degree he'd overcome his differences and to what degree he'd embrace them--because it seemed like a good way to talk about the experiences every child goes through.

Kelly: All the adults in The Thing About Georgie are intelligent and well meaning, yet the children still face challenges of one sort or another. This is fairly unusual in Middle Grade fiction. (Often, in children's fiction, parents are absent, defective, or otherwise strange.) Was this a conscious decision on your part?

Lisa: I'm not sure it was a conscious decision; I think I simply wanted to write about parents who felt real, and most of the parents I knew growing up were pretty darn good ones. No matter how great our parents are, though, we're still going to have our share of problems. Part of this is probably due to the fact that adults and kids look at the world in very different ways, and the adult solution to a problem doesn't always work in a child situation. Georgie's parents help their son deal with his dwarfism by buying him special furniture and adapting their house to fit his needs, which is exactly what they should do. But it takes Jeanie the Meanie to tell him that when he can't reach something he should stop whining and get a chair. And I think she's right, too.

Kelly: I found myself gaining an appreciation of Jeanie the Meanie over the course of the novel. Will we see more of her in the future?

Lisa: I'm so glad you grew to like her! I had a great time writing Jeanie. She's such a loose cannon, and just says whatever pops into her head without any sort of filter, but I think at heart she always means well. That said, I don't think she'll show up in any more stories. I spend so much time writing and re-writing a book that when I'm done I can't wait to try new characters on for size, and see what they have to say. Who knows for certain, though? Jeanie might just decide she wants to be in another novel (and if she does decide that, I'd better pay attention).

Kelly: What can we look forward to next from Lisa Graff?

Lisa: Right now I'm working on my second novel, which is also middle-grade, although it's very different from Georgie. It's called The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower, and it's a con-artist novel, in the spirit of The Sting or Paper Moon. I've just gotten it back from copyediting, so it's fun to see all the many colored pencil marks everywhere. That one comes out a year from now. I'm also in the midst of writing a third novel, which is about an eight-year-old hypochondriac and the strange old lady who moves in across the street

Review: The Thing About Georgie

Fourth-grader Georgie has a good life. He has loving, talented parents--both professional musicians. He has a best friend, Andy, with whom he runs a profitable dog-walking business. He has a crush on the prettiest girl in his grade. And, oh yeah, he's also a dwarf.

Georgie has become used to the special accommodations made for him in school and at home. The janitor has placed his coat hook lower than those for the other students. His parents have taped Popsicle sticks to light switches so Georgie can reach them without trouble. And Georgie has become used to the staring and comments ever-present in his life.

All of a sudden, however, everything changes in Georgie's life. His best friend wants to include another boy, Russ, in the dog-walking business. Georgie just can't accept that Andy may make other friends and his jealousy messes up their friendship. Jeanie the Meanie, the kid everyone has known and despised since kindergarten for her erratic and sometimes cruel behavior, has made Georgie her own special project. And, Georgie's parents make a big announcement: Georgie is going to be a big brother! And the new baby...is not a dwarf:

• "One day this kid, the one who wasn't even born yet, was going to be bigger than he was. It wouldn't take very long either; there were five-year-olds the same height as Georgie. Somehow it had never bothered him too much before. Georgie was short, and all those other kids weren't. But the thought of some kid living in his own home, growing taller every single day made him seriously queasy." (p. 43)

Georgie's predicament, on the surface of things, seems unique. But what I really love about The Thing About Georgie is that Georgie's story is really one of growing up, of figuring out who you are, and of opening your heart to others. Georgie, in the end, isn't much different from his peers. True, he's a dwarf and people sometimes stare at him. True, his parents will be having another child, one who is more "perfect" than he may be. But other people have problems too. His friend Andy, for example, has to share a room with his immigrant grandmother. And, Jeanie has to work against years of being the bad kid in her class, as well as having to deal with a difficult family life and attention issues. In the end, Georgie realizes that, yes, he has his problems and, yes, he's a unique individual, but, yes, he's not so very different in his individuality than anyone else.

Lisa Graff's debut novel, The Thing About Georgie, is a novel Middle Grade readers will enjoy greatly. It's also a book perfect for the 3rd-6th grade classroom read aloud. Graff has structured the novel in an ingenious way. Each chapter is introduced by a "handwritten" account of what it's like to live as a dwarf ("Stretch your right arm high up to the sky. Now reach across the top of your head and touch your your left ear....Did you know you could do that? Well, Georgie can't"), but the struggles that follow are universal. The Thing About Georgie is the type of book that any pre-Middle Schooler will appreciate: each child has individual issues, but together they can deal with anything.

The Truth About Georgie is highly recommended for readers ages eight and up.

Staying Away from the Keyboard

Tomorrow is a big day. Not only do I have Lisa Graff stopping by with an interview (and book giveaway!), but it's annoucement day at The Cybils.

There are nine of us out there who know the results. And I'm one of them. And, I'm horrible at keeping secrets or sitting on big news. Thank goodness, Michele at Scholar's Blog has come up with a World Book Day meme. The question is: What ten books can't you live without?

Here are mine, in order of importance to me:

War and Peace, Tolstoy
Behind the Scenes at the Museum, by Atkinson
Enduring Love, McEwan
His Dark Materials, Pullman (yes, this counts as one book.)
Speak, Memory, Nabokov
The Flowers of Evil, Baudelaire
Pale Fire, Nabokov
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rowling
Talking it Over, Barnes
Harriet the Spy, Fitzhugh

No tagging from me. But, please help me kill the time until 2 pm tomorrow when The Cybils are finally announced.

Lisa Graff tour

Have you all been following the Lisa Graff tour?

In celebration of the publication of her first novel, The Thing About Georgie, Lisa has been hitting the blogs for interviews and reviews.

• First stop? The Longstockings, Lisa's group home, so to speak. Coe Booth, fellow Longstocking and writer, conducts the interview.
• Today, Lisa's over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. The 7-Imp girls have a great interview up and it includes the Pivot quesitons!
• Lisa will be here tomorrow for Valentine's Day and The Cybils annoucements. I'll also review The Thing About Georgie. (spoiler: I loved it.)
• Thursday: Bildungsroman
• Friday: A Fuse # 8 Production
• Saturday: Mother Reader

It's Our Anniversary!

Happy 1st Birthday to The Edge of the Forest! The Forest (aka TEOTF) is a true labor of love for me, and I'm thrilled that so many of you in the kidlitosphere and beyond have written (for free, I might add) lovely reviews, interviews, and feature articles for it over the past year.

Here's what in the Forest this month:

• Sounds from the Forest, a podcast column produced by Andrea and Mark of Just One More Book!!, is back. This month Mark talks to author and illustrator Margaret Shannon.
• An interview with writer Joe Craig, by Camille Powell. Camille also introduces us to the Jimmy Coates series.
• Allie considers the work of Rachel Cohn in a special Profile.
• Michele Fry introduces the U.S. audience to Penelope Lively's Works for Children.
• Adrienne Furness looks fondly upon Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
• Kim Winters talks to children's writer and activist, Mindy Hardwick, for both the A Day in the Life and the In the Backpack columns.
• Pam Coughlan interviews the awesome Mo Willems in our Blogging Writer feature.
• Reviews in all categories--from Picture book to Young Adult.

Review: Babymouse: Heartbreaker

Young Babymouse is at it again--daydreaming, struggling with her locker, and trying to fit in with her peers at school.

This time, however, in the fifth installment of the Babymouse series, the Holms have thrown the worst of school indignities--the school dance--Babymouse's way.

A school dance leads to plenty of good daydreaming. Cinderella, handsome princes, makeovers, spectacular feats on the dance floor. It also leads to plenty of real life heartbreak when a Glamourmouse makeover fails and no one asks Babymouse to the dance.

Now what I really love about the Babymouse series is that Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm don't reach for the easy solutions. And, they don't pander to their audience by choosing romantic, cliched endings. Instead, an off-panel voice suggests to Babymouse that she might ask someone to the dance. And she gives it a go. And FAILS, as one might fail in real life. Then, an off-panel voice suggests she attend the dance by herself. Babymouse scratches her head and says, "Myself? I can do that?" Yes, she can and does. You go, girl! (Or, er, mouse.)

My favorite parts of the Babymouse books are always those set in school. In this Valentine's Day offering, we're told "School was not a very romantic place" and Matthew Holm's characteristic pink and black panels show glum-looking "children" getting off the bus, hands on backpack straps. Indeed. At least there's Babymouse to brighten the day. Every school library should have multiple sets.
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I received Babymouse: Heartbreaker from the authors. Check out these other blog reviews:

Jen at Jen Robinson's Book Page reviews Babymouse: Heartbreaker today as well. A Fuse #8 Production beat us to it with a review in November!

Stacks of books?

Do you have piles of books cluttering your house? Books you've read, but won't read again any time soon? Then consider Colleen's call for help over at Chasing Ray.

This bookdrive is a perfect opportunity for me, for example. I have a home for my picture books and MGs (the ones my children don't squirrel away), but did not have a place for the YAs I've read and reviewed. Now I do!

Oh, no...

I've been interviewed by the 7-Imp girls. Thanks, Jules and Eisha!

A note on the photo: I hate it*, but it's the only photo of me from the past 2 years that doesn't have a kid in the frame. (I'm the family photographer.) My mother-in-law, who is a "real" photographer, took it and had some fun playing with the color.
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*I hate the photo--I must admit to vanity here--because it makes me look fluffy, shall we say.

Weekend Reviews (III)

It's been a slow week for weekend reviews, especially as the New York Times put theirs out there early. Here are the remainders:

African Beginnings, by James Haskins & Kathleen Benson, is the Washington Post Book of the Week.

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat, by Chris Riddell, is the Times Children's Book of the Week. (I can't tell you how much I hate the new Times web format. Talk about clunky! It's unbearable.)

Mary Harris Russell reviews six new books for the Chicago Tribune. They include:

• Henry's Freedom Box, by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
• The Snow Baby: The Arctic Childhood of Admiral Robert E. Peary's Daring Daughter, by Katherine Kirkpatrick
• Cork and Fuzz: Good Sports, by Dori Chaconas, illustrated by Lisa McCue
• Make Your Mark, Franklin Roosevelt, by Judith St. George, illustrated by Britt Spencer
• Duck, Duck, Goose, by Tad Hills (I know I'm going to be in the minority here, but this one went on my black list [books I choose not to review]. It wasn't bad. But, it didn't live up to Duck & Goose. Illustrations are great, as previously, but there are simply too many words in this sequel. The story could have been told more simply.)
• Horris Grows Down, by Shari Becker, illustrated by Valeria Petrone

I'm off to finish the Forest. Have a great Sunday, everyone!

Witches and Wiki update

The Witches and Wiki project is up and running. The wiki novel has two paragraphs now! Any title ideas? You can write, change, or edit anything. Write me for a password, and join in the fun.

Here's what we have so far:

"It was a dark and rainy night, when it occurred to ten-year old Moctor Fall that perhaps this particular evening did not offer ideal conditions for breaking and entering. The thought hit him just as he was balancing on a well-rusted parapet, short stubby legs splayed apart in a wild attempt to get some better footing. He had not counted on the slippery roof...



He had not counted on the full-force hurricane-wannabe winds. He had counted on his weight being to his advantage in terms of keeping his balance (a couple kids at school could vouch for the fact that trying to push the unmovable Moctor over usually ended with him sitting on your head in retaliation) but the rain was another matter entirely.

He fleetingly considered turning back, but he could not. The others were counting on him. And the deadline was fast approaching. He turned up his collar, to keep the rain from dripping down his neck. He slowed his breath, and concentrated on the window. Was that a shape moving inside? "

I'll be clarifying my role as site administrator after I finish the February The Edge of the Forest, which will be up tomorrow.

Weekend Reviews (II)

Sorry for the late weekend reviews entry, folks, but my Saturday internet source (Panera) was down today. In any case, here are the reviews available so far:

Don't forget the New York Times children's book reviews.

Janet Christie reviews three new children's books for the Scotsman. They include:

• Mr. Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire, by Andy Stanton
• Finding Violet Park, by Jenny Valentine (this one looks intriguing!)
• Beware! Killer Tomatoes, by Jeremy Strong

David Ross considers Susan Patron's The Higher Power of Lucky and Jennifer L. Holm's Penny From Heaven for the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

More tomorrow...

Wiki Children's Novel

Our good friend and kidlitosphere star, A Fuse #8 Production, posted about the Penguin wiki novel yesterday and suggested we should start our own.

I responded with a "hey, I started one of those way back when." Nearly two years ago. But, at that time, the kidlitosphere was SMALL.

So, I've put it back up and even, creatively, wrote the first sentence. I've also adopted Fuse's provisional ground rules. But, as you know, everything is fleeting in wiki world.

The site is called Witches and Wiki (get it?), but the novel can be called anything YOU want.

How can you get started? Send me an e-mail and I'll send you a password. Don't worry. No one will be refused. Unless you turn out to be a malicious troll. Then you'll be removed.

Don't know how to write in wiki? There's a useful little wiki help link right under my cat. (This is not working yet. I'll contact my "webmaster.")

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P.S. I put the Google ad bar up long ago. If it becomes obnoxious, let me know. All (huge, I'm sure) proceeds will go to The Cybils.

Poetry Friday Review: Cowlick!

Cowlick!, by Christin Ditchfield and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw, is a book that called to me. You see, a cowlick has controlled my hair from birth. No bangs for me!

Ditchfield proposes a reason behind these recalcitrant clumps of hair in this vibrant picture book.

When the moon rises high
and the stars shine bright

two little boys are put to bed. While they are sleeping:

Clip-clop, clip-clop down the hall
Funny shadow on the wall

Closer now--tiptoe, tiptoe
Doorknob turning very slow

To the bedside she comes sneaking
Lifting covers, gently peeking
....
Bending low, bestows a kiss:
Sluuurrpp!
Sluuurrpp!
Cowlick!

That's right. An actual cow enters the brothers' bedroom and licks their hair, leaving them with "once-flat hair now standing tall."

Ditchfield portrays the cow as a merry-making jokester, so she's not at all scary. Beardshaw's bright and cheerful illustrations match the humor of of Ditchfield's text. While the boys sleep, a curious terrier watches the cow enter the house and make her mischief. Watch the dog's face for more fun.

Cowlick! is perfect read-aloud fun for kids ages 2-6. Don't read it at bedtime, though, if your child is afraid of cows.
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I received Cowlick! from the publisher, Golden Books.
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Elaine will be rounding up this week's entries over at Blue Rose Girls. Head on over and drop her your comments.

Chronicle Books Giveaway

Do you like contests? Do you like books? Then check out the Chronicle Books Giveaway Contest.

The grandprize winner will take home four autographed Chronicle titles. They're great books too--An Egg is Quiet, Ivy & Bean, Tour America, and Mom and Dad Are Palindromes. There are also two first prize winners, who will receive (unautographed) Emily's Balloon, Masterpieces Up Close, Ton, and Tools.

Review: Storytime: First Tales for Sharing

This book was reviewed by Alice Herold

Storytime: First Tales for Sharing, rewritten by Stella Blacksone and illustrated by Anne Wilson, is a collection of seven stories for those children who are under five. The author writes that one of her earliest memories was sitting in her armchair when she was young reading a book of fairy tales passed down to her by her father.

I enjoyed the author's rewriting style. The first sentence of "The Three Little Pigs" reads "The three little pigs were all pink and plump, and they all had curly, whirly tails." The wolf refers to himself as "your friendly, local wolf." He goes on to state, "I think it's time for an early evening snack." The wolf eventually falls into the cooking pot by leaping onto the roof, giving a roar of triumph and plunging down the chimney.

This book is colorfully illustrated by Anne Wilson. The pictures make the stories come alive which are sure to be a hit for young children. I plan to give this book to my soon-to-be youngest grandchild. Yes, we buy books for the grandbaby's library before we buy the diapers. Don't you?

Three more blogs...

Three more blogs have crossed my path this week. Liz B.'s Blog a Day plan is making a lot of sense at this point. It's becoming difficult to keep up.

Here's what's new on the blogroll:

• The ultra-smart HipWriterMama. I actually thought she was already on the ol' blogroll, but somehow wasn't. Check out her blog sometime!
• Homeschool Kid Lit. A new blog on the block about "children's literature from an unschooler's perspective."
• The CCB Review. Three bloggers focus on a popular niche market, Christian children's books.

Weekend Reviews (I)-The Early Edition

The New York Times has its Sunday Book Review up early this week and guess what's on the menu? That's right--children's books. Here's what they have to offer:

• A review of Mugglenet.com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Falls in Love and How Will the Adventure Finally End? Lee Siegel reviews the book and concludes, "Either way, this wonderfully enthralled, believing, open book makes me hope that Rowling ends Harry's story, when she does, with Yeats's tender lines in mind: 'I have spread my dreams under your feet; / Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.'"
• The first chapter of What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7 is currently available online as well.
• Tanya Lee Stone reviews Alabama Moon, by Watt Key.
• Rebecca Zerkin reviews When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom, by Carole Boston Weatherford (llustrated by Kadir Nelson).
• J. Patrick Lewis considers Jack Prelutsky's Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems (ill. by Illustrated by Carin Berger).
• This month's Bookshelf is devoted to children's books as well and includes capsule reviews of The Higher Power of Lucky, The Hare and the Tortoise and Other Fables of LaFontaine, Bronzeville Boys and Girls, One Naked Baby: Counting to Ten and Back Again, On the Night You Were Born, and The Dog Child.

Children's Bookstores

Cyndia Zwahlen has written an interesting article about a small renaissance in the children's bookshop industry for the Los Angeles Times. (The bookstores mentioned are all in Orange County.)

Here are some things that keep a children's bookstore in business according the the owners interviewed:

• Toys, toys, toys. Placing dragon toys with dragon books, etc. I agree that this makes sense as a business plan, but as a parent I don't like it.
• For one bookstore owner, removing the YA section worked. I have to agree that this makes sense to me. Teens like to go to the mall and to the big box bookstores. And, they don't want to be in place with "children's books." I've noticed, over the years, that the big box stores have also moved the teen section outside the children's section. Teens don't want to shop with the dragons and Thomas the Tank Engine.
• Welcoming environment and well-educated booksellers. Yes, yes, yes!

Do you have a favorite children's bookstore? When I lived in Los Angeles, I had two favorites: The Borders on Westwood Blvd. had a wonderful children's section--large, with benches and playtables, and, even, a large open section where there were readings and performances. They got rid of all the extras about seven years ago and we no longer go there. I also love the Duttons on San Vicente (best books, best booksellers), but the children's section is so crowded, it's better to shop without the children there.

Review: New Clothes for New Year's Day

New Clothes for New Year's Day, by Hyun-Joo Bae, is told from the perspective of a small Korean girl. It begins,

Today is New Year's Day.

It's a new year,
it's a new day, and
it's a new morning.
It's the first day for the beginning of everything.

The new sun hasn't shown up, and there are new clouds in the sky. (I hope we have new snow too.)

But the very best new things of all the new things are...

Then our narrator begins to dress in her beautiful new clothes for the occasion*: "A crimson silk skirt. A rainbow-striped jacket. Delicate socks embroidered with flowers. A hair ribbon of read and gold." And, there's more: "flowered shoes, a gift from Father," a "warm, furry vest with the gold decorations," and a "special winter hat."

The young girl dresses with care, tying each bow with perfectly, straightening her socks, and checking her progress in the mirror. It's a simple, yet beautiful and optimistic tale, completed by Hyun-Joo Bae's stunning illustrations. And the illustrations are truly something special--colorful, simply composed, and embellished with flowers, gorgeous rooms, and, finally, snow.

Hyun-Joo Bae has included two pages of informational text at the end of New Clothes for New Year's Day explaining each item of clothing, its significance, and the role of New Year's Day in Korean culture. New Clothes for New Year's Day is highly recommended for children ages four to nine and is an excellent choice for a read aloud on New Year's celebrations. It will also be enjoyed by that dress-up obsessed child in your life.
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I received New Clothes for New Year's Day from the publisher, Kane/Miller.

Other blog reviews: papertigers.org, Young Adult (& Kid's) Books Central. ETA: Anne at Book Buds has a review up now as well.
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* Don't worry. Our hero begins her day dressed in a white robe designed to be worn underneath her costume.

Thank you!

One final note on the new template. I just want to thank Repressed Librarian, who was kind enough to send me the code for her template. I was looking for something new, and I loved the clean design of her blog.

Also, thanks to all you kind readers who pointed out glitches here and there. It's much appreciated.

Yet Another Cybil Discussion

I have another question up over at The Cybils--this time to do with publicity. Please head on over and share your expertise and advice.

Speaking of publicity, here's another candidate for BACA to consider.

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

All week I've been reading about the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and the fact that Justin Timberlake will be hosting them. Normally I wouldn't pay much attention to these news items, but the category "books" keeps coming up in the press releases. When you read the reports more closely, however, said books are never mentioned. So, this evening, I took a look at the Nickelodeon site to find out, exactly, which books have been nominated.

Curious?

Here's the category:

Favorite Book

Harry Potter (series)
How to Eat Fried Worms
Island of the Blue Dolphins
A Series of Unfortunate Events (series)

I love how "movies," "games," "tv shows" all feature titles from this year. What about this list of books? Was there a movie of Island of the Blue Dolphins I missed? What is up with this list? Seriously.

I know your fingers are just itchin' to cast your vote.

Only tangentially related to children's books

TMZ (I know, I know...) is reporting the following:

• "Tom Cruise has been talking with Ben Stiller about starring in an updated version of "The Hardy Boys" at Twentieth Century Fox. Tentatively titled "The Hardy Men" -- a comedy that would be directed by Stiller's director on "A Night At the Museum," Shawn Levy ("The Pink Panther," "Cheaper By the Dozen")."

(I realize that second sentence is not, technically, a sentence, but I'm quoting directly.)

Let's just call this little gossip item "especially for Leila":

Geraldine McCaughrean

Dina Rabinovitch talks to Geraldine McCaughrean about Peter Pan in Scarlet for the Guardian.

McCaughrean makes some interesting points towards the end of the interview about Tinkerbell and Peter. Here's what she has to say:

"In the US, she's discovered, they are obsessed with Tinkerbell - drawn, in her words, 'to the saccharine and cutesy'. In the UK, on the other hand, it's Peter all the way.

'I don't dislike Tinkerbell,' she says, 'but the fairy aspect is the bit that least interested me. I'm most interested in characters who inhabit that sliding scale between good and evil - I don't like it when the hero's just all good, and the villain's all bad. I wanted to bring out the ambiguity of Peter; it's his dark side that's of interest to me.'"

But doesn't Tinkerbell have a dark side as well? What do you think?

Okay, never mind

The Harry Potter books ARE available on digital audiobook format. Why didn't I know this? Because they're an i-tunes exclusive.

Amended commentary on my part:

AP reports (link via USA Today) that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will not be available AS AN E-BOOK via download.

Here's what the AP has to say about the matter:

• "Rowling has cited two reasons over the years: concern about online piracy (which has never been a major problem for the Potter books), and the desire for readers to experience the books on paper."

The first issue is not true. I know that the books are translated illegally in at least 3 different languages on the internet. But the second issue, I have a question about. Are enough people actually using e-books to make such an enterprise viable in the Potter case?

Thanks to Liz B. and Stephanie for reading more closely than I did. I merely panicked.

New Template

Hey! It's my blogiversary. 2 years if you count my 2 posts in Feb 2005 (and no posts in March 2005). In reality, I should count May 2005 as my start date, but still...the first post was in Feb. 2005.

To celebrate, I have a new template up today and am looking for feedback. Can you read everything? Does it load fast enough? Are there BIG problems you can see here and there? Please let me know...I'm still tinkering...

Weekend Reveiws (II)

Hi, All! I'm back with more of this weekend's reviews. They're late because I'm working on a new template finally. So, if you see that some mangled site has linked to you in technorati, it's my work in progess. Ignore it for the time being, please.

On to the reviews!

Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent, by Thomas B. Allen, is the Washington Post Book of the Week.

Amanda Craig considers Viking Books for the Times. (The Times is undergoing a site design at the moment and the site is SLOW. So far I can't find the Children's Book of the Week.)

During such a slow weekend, it's nice to see Mary Harris Russell does not let us down. This week she reviews six new titles for the Chicago Tribune, including:

• Terrible Storm, by Carol Otis Hurst, pictures by S.D. Schindler
• The beautiful New Clothes for New Year's Day, by Hyun-Joo Bae
• Do Not Pass Go, by Kirkpatrick Hill
• War, Women, and the News: How Female Journalists Won the Battle to Cover World War II, by Catherine Gourley
• Big Bug Surprise, by Julia Gran
• I Don't Like Gloria!, by Kaye Umansky, illustrated by Margaret Chamberlain

Cool writers stop by

One of the best things about blogging about children's books is that, once in awhile, a writer stops by.

Or, a super hip little creature by the name of Babymouse!* Jennifer L. Holm, of the Newbery honors and the great books (Penny From Heaven, the Babymouse series, Our Only May Amelia), sent babymouse our way along with a the newest Babymouse title, Babymouse: Heartbreaker. Thanks Jenni! And, many thanks to Matt Holm too, who brings the series to life with his humorous illustrations.

In other author news, Anjali Banerjee, whose Looking for Bapu my mother reviewed here, wrote in to say she's working on the websites included in the book. Awesome! Kids really like that type of interactivity.

And writer Liz Wu commented on my mother's review of Rosa Farm. Alice began the review with three questions:

1. Was your favorite book as a child Charlotte's Web?
2. Are you an animal lover?
3. Did you read How the Rooster Stole the Sun

Liz wrote in and answered:

1. Yes, Charlotte's Web was one of my favorite books growing up. I also loved all Roald Dahl.
2. Yes, I love animals. I don't eat them, though.
3. I haven't read How the Rooster Stole the Sun, but now feel like I should!

Thanks for stopping by, everyone. It's great to talk with you.
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*Babymouse is so cool, my snarky 11-year-old daughter is pleased as punch to be seen with her.

Weekend Reviews (I)

Well, it's the weekend again and time for the weekend reviews. So far, Canada has been quite busy this February Saturday.

Susan Perren reviews new children's books for The Globe and Mail, including:

• Only a Cow, by Arlene Hamilton, illustrated by Dean Griffiths
• This is Daniel Cook at the Fire Station; This is Daniel Cook at the Farm; This is Daniel Cook on a Hike; This is Daniel Cook on a Plane; This is Daniel Cook at a Construction Site; This is Daniel Cook Making Honey
• Pierre in Love, by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Petra Mathers
• George Washington Carver: An Innovative Life, by Elizabeth MacLeod
• My Name is Number 4, by Ting-Xing Ye

Brenda Hoerle reviews new titles for The Record (Waterloo, Ontario):

• Hmmm...She also reviews Only a Cow, by Arlene Hamilton, illustrated by Dean Griffiths
• Lets Go for a Ride, by Maxwell Newhouse
• Factory Girl, by Barbara Greenwood (I just received this one and Hoerle's review has bumped it up in my to-read queue.)

More tomorrow!

New (or new to me) Blog Roundup

Blogs, blogs, and more blogs! Here's what I'm adding to the blogroll this weekend:

• CynJay--A new blog by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu, my writing group friend who reviews for The Edge of the Forest and whose first picture book will be out next year.
• Midwestern Lodestar--ZG is a former Youth Services Librarian. She also won MotherReader's 48-hour reading challenge last summer.
• Writer Kristopher Reisz's blog.
• Becky's Book Reviews--Becky reviews "mostly new" children's and young adult literature.
• UR student reflections on Children's Literature--a new blog. Okay, here's the scoop on this interesting blog. UR is an independent study student and Tricia the instructor. UR writes about her reading and Tricia comments. Teaching in action!
• The Longstockings--this group blog written by eight authors is on many a blogroll, but I've only run into it lately. Great blog!
• Writer Stacy DeKeyser's blog--Stacy's journal.
• ETA: Miss Erin. Erin is a teenaged girl who is crazy about books and fantasy in particular. She served on The Cybils nominating committee for fantasy and science fiction and is one smart cookie.
• Writer Jill Esbaum's blog--Down a Dusty Gravel road (Jill and I, it seems, live in the same state.)

Review: Hop! Plop!

Hop! Plop! begins with two bored friends on a sunshiny day. They decide to head down to the playground for a little fun.

And that's when the trouble begins. You see, our two friends are physically incompatible--one is an elephant, the other a mouse. The seesaw is complete failure, with poor mouse set flying with a "hop," a "plop," a "boom," and a "bop." Mouse tries to eat an entire watermelon to even up their weight, but all that water content doesn't help. Needless to say, "the swings were a total flop" as well. As is the whirlybird.

Finally, the elephant discovers some playground equipment that will work for the two friends. He creates a slide from his own trunk. The two are delighted and celebrate with rounds of "you're my favorite."

Written in compact prose by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Tali Klein, Hop! Plop! is, on the surface of things, a simple tale. But it offers so much more. Hop! Plop! is the perfect choice for a preschool or kindergarten unit on weights and measures. It's also a classic sibling or friend "finding a compromise" story. With a little ingenuity, two friends or siblings can work anything out, despite their differences. Hop! Pop! is also an excellent early reader title. Schwartz and Klein have kept the difficult words to a minimum and there are plenty of excellent onomatopoeic words just perfect for sounding out.

Perhaps it's the flu or the bitter cold, but Olivier Dunrea's cheerful, warm illustrations really drew me in. They suggest a languid summer's day when kids (or mice and elephants) have the freedom to find something to do.

Hop! Plop! is highly recommended for children ages three to eight.
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I received Hop! Plop! from one of the authors.

Poetry Friday

It is SO cold in Smalltown with no prospects of getting any warmer in the 5-day forecast. The windchill factor this morning was -21 degrees. I don't even know what that means except that it's too cold to leave the house. Oh, and we have the flu here too.

Today's entry, then, is a fantasy one: Sunflakes, by Frank Asch. Here are the few few lines:

Sunflakes
by Frank Asch

If sunlight fell like snowflakes,
gleaming yellow and so bright,
we could build a sunman,
we could have a sunball fight,
....
We could go sleighing
in the middle of July
....

To read the rest of the poem (under copyright protection) head over to Poetry Foundation.org.
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Let the roundup begin:

Check this out! It's awesome: MsMac, of the appropriately-titled Check It Out, shares student collaborative poetry as well as a link to her students' new blog.

The Old Coot shares some mnemonic poetry this week. (Thanks, Coot! Very interesting.)

Nancy at Journey Woman shares some groundhog day poetry as well as tons of info on that nefarious rodent. Becky at Farm School calls this year's bunch of groundhogs "nothing but a bunch of liars" and quotes from "To the ground hog," by Kay Winter.

Elaine reviews To Go Singing Through the World: The Childhood of Pablo Neruda at Blue Rose Girls. (Sounds like a great book, Elaine!)

Adrienne considers all those illustrated versions of "Paul Revere's Ride" over at What Adrienne Thinks About That. (It's a fascinating post.)

Mitali Perkins celebrates Black History month with Alice Walker at The Fire Escape. (She also asks for a short post on copyright and blogging. Susan, didn't you write about this once?

Speaking of Susan, she shares Walt Whitman's "I Saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing" at Chicken Spaghetti.

Jules has a great post up today at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast reviewing Mother Goose collections.

Susan Taylor Brown celebrates buying a house with "Home Sweet Home," by John Howard Payne

The Wordy Girls are in with two contributions: Laura Purdie Salas reviews When Riddles Come Rumbling: Poems to Ponder, by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and the Wordy Girls share their PhotoPoetry. Awesome!

Hey, MotherReader is in this week! She shares Shel Silverstein's "A Snowball's Chance" and a story every parent knows and will appreciate.

Christine contribtues "London Snow," by Robert Bridges, at The Simple and the Ordinary. Sick of winter seems to be a theme this week.

Liz Scanlon reviews Basho and the Fox, by Tim Myers and illustrated by Oki S. Han, at Liz in Ink. I want this book now, Liz. Thanks a lot!

Michele at Scholar's blog contributes excerpts from Alfred Lord Tennyson's "In Memoriam A. H. H. OBIIT MDCCCXXXIII."

Little Willow shares Thomas Hardy's magnificent "Old Furniture" at Bildungsroman. If you don't know this one, head on over and read it.

Melissa Wiley contributes John Keats "On the Sonnet" at Here in the Bonny Glen.

Liz B. brings "Quilts," by Nikki Giovanni, to the party at A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy.

Franki reviews Call Me Marianne, by Jen Bryant, at A Year of Reading.

Cloudscome celebrates Langston Hughes' birthday over at A Wrung Sponge.