Weekend Reviews (I-II)

I thought this would be a slow weekend, what with the holiday, but I was wrong. There are many interesting reviews and articles out and about the major media available this weekend. So, let's get going:

(Before we do...aren't these lovely late summer flowers? A friend of ours brought them by and I'm in heaven.)

Do you wonder what Roald Dahl was up to during World War II? Jonathan Wiley reviews a book that explains everything this weekend in the Washington Post.

Philip Pullman gets his own table at Waterstone's and explains how he chose the 40 titles he wanted to display in the Times.

Also in the Times, Amanda Craig reviews three new picture books for the very young.

The Famous Five Survival Guide is the Times Children's Book of the Week, reviewed by Nicolette Jones.

Phillip Ardagh reviews The Toymaker, by Jeremy de Quidt, illustrated by Gary Blythe, for the Guardian. (This one looks really cool! Click on over to read the review.)

Susan Perren reviews five new children's books for the Globe & Mail.

Nicole Villalpando recommends wildflower books for children in the Austin American-Statesman.

BACA alert: Another celebrity (Jamie Oliver's wife) finds there are no good children's books for her own children. Guess what? She decides to write some of her own! (I know, you were surprised at her ingenuity.)

Ian Rankin says boys should read comics (Hey! What about the girls? They like comics too!). Steve Dinneen reports for the Scotsman.

Monica Young recommends some good history books for children in the Winston-Salem Journal.

Joanna H. Kraus has put together a list of great back-to-school books for kids of all ages in the San Jose Mercury News.

And, speaking of back-to-school books: Karen MacPherson recommends a number of excellent titles for Scripps News Service, linked here from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Kids keep on reviewing books in the Chicago Tribune.

Who Was Mr. Toad? Andrew Johnson has the scoop in the Independent.

Susan Fasut reviews Adèle & Simon in America and Babar's USA in the San Francisco Chronicle.

On-Children's-Books: The Telegraph has (fascinating) excerpts from More About Boy by Roald Dahl

Interesting stuff this weekend. I hope you're having a great 3-day weekend! (If you have one--I don't!)

How much do you love your children?

I don't mean to brag or anything, but I just sat through The Clone Wars. What an appalling waste of two hours. Getting three fillings at once would have been more enjoyable.

Sue George Lucas I must. Brain damage now I have.

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Okay, now that I'm home I have to mention a few things that really bugged me about The Clone Wars:

1. Luke, or Anakin, or whatever-his-name-is Skywalker has a new female apprentice. Is she dressed like the other Jedi? Is she wearing articulated armor from head to toe? No, she wears a bandeaux top (no straps!), a mini skirt and what looks like Uggs. Ugh, indeed.
2. The Clone Wars is a cartoon, right? So, they can draw people however they'd like. But...female characters were drawn much differently than the males. In particular, the shoulder blades of the women were drawn back and almost pinched together. How can a woman fight like that? She can't, that's how.
3. Too loud. With all that shooting and laser blade fighting, a mom can't sleep through the horror. Believe me, I tried.
   
4. The "plot" centers around the kidnapping of Jabba the Hut's son. Somehow involved in this scheme is Jabba's Uncle. Who is also a she. S/he is a stereotype so offensive, I was unable to even analyze what was going on. Of course, s/he is the villain.

On the plus side:

1. No Chewbacca, so I didn't have to listen to that Chewbacca sound throughout the movie.
   

(Poetry Friday) Book Review: Our California

As bright and beautiful as California itself, Pam Munoz Ryan's Our California makes a wonderful gift for young residents of the golden state or for those planning to visit soon.

Pam Munoz Ryan takes a trip to fourteen California cities and regions, dedicating a few lines of verse to each. Ryan's California road trip begins in San Diego ("Start in the south of this golden land,/in fair San Diego, where vistas are grand") and ends in Palm Springs ("Put up your feet and enjoy the poolside.") Along the way, readers visit Yosemite, Sonoma, San Francisco, and the Central Valley.

Rafael Lopez's illustrations are stunning--they are bright and colorful and grand in the best California tradition. (Think Diego Rivera. Yes, I know Rivera is a Mexican artist if we're being precise, but we Californians--Southern Californians, especially--associate Rivera with our state.) Each city or region is devoted a two-page spread infused with sunlight and the deep colors of nature.

Information about California and each city and region featured in Our California is included in the back of the book. Our California is best suited for children ages two to six years old.
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Today's Poetry Friday entry comes from Our California and concerns The Channel Islands:

Now, the Channel islands! Take a boat out
and cruise these blue waters to glimpse a whale's spout.
Here in the Pacific, among the kelp strips,
are playful sea otters and the ghosts of old ships.

A very happy Poetry Friday to you all! The roundup is at Charlotte's Library.

Poetry Friday!

This week's Poetry Friday roundup is at Charlotte's Library. I'll be back with a review California poems for the youngsters in a few hours here.

Link, Link, Linkety-Link

Whew, what a week. With the Cybils, the start of teaching, and a crisis at home, I've fallen behind. But...I'm ticking through tasks and finally making progress. While I'm busy answering e-mails from all you lovely Cybils volunteers, here are a few links of interest:

• A wire report on healthy lunch books for kids. I always have trouble packing lunches, so I hope I'll learn something from one of these books.
• Holly Newton has books you'll need to help a child transition back to school (Columbia Tribune).
• Michael Rosen prefers books to the SATs. (Independent)
  

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This week's Project Runway note: Goodbye, Keith! You seem like a nice guy, even if you get a little stressed out. (I'm with you there!) But...I don't really appreciate your shredded aesthetic, so I was not surprised to see you auf'd. I'm now waiting for an all-female finale, starring Korto, Leann, and Terri/Stella.

Are You an Easy Reader?

We're adding a new category for the 2008 Cybils--Easy Readers. Easy Readers are those 6" x 9" books found in the easy-to-read section. The category will be headed up by none other than Anastasia Suen (Book of the Week, Children's Book Biz News, Picture Book of the Day, Scholastic's Kid Lit Kit) and we're looking for judges. If you're interested, read the judging announcement on the Cybils blog and send me and Anne an e-mail. (If you've already written in, but would consider serving on Easy Readers, then please also drop us a line.)

P.S. I am 24 hours behind responding to Cybils e-mails. Do not panic. I will answer Thursday afternoon.

Book Review: Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One

The Pain and the Great One return in the 2008 Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One. (Judy Blume's first Pain and Great One chapter book, Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One, came out in 2007.) This time the brother and sister duo face bullying at school, the dreaded school bus, name changes, pet show and tell, and art class.

Blume wrote The Pain & the Great One series for newly independent readers and the series is perfect for kids heading into kindergarten and the first through fourth grades. Blume's remarkable understanding of child psychology and trademark dialogue make The Pain & the Great One as important and entertaining as Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret is for older children. The Pain and the Great One narrate alternating stories each in distinct voices. The Great One is bossy, wants to stand out from the crowd (changes her name from Abigail to Violet Rose), and protective (goes after a bully who picks on the Pain). The Pain is inquisitive, sweet, and, of course, can be a pest. Take a look at how this conversation--narrated by the Pain--tells us all we need to know about the siblings (and their grandmother):

"'Grandma never should have given you that magnifying glass,' the Great One said. 'You're way too young.'

'Am not!'

'Are too!'

The next time Grandma came to visit, the Great One said, 'I don't think Jake is old enough to have his own magnifying glass.'

'I do,' Grandma said. 'He's interested in science.'

'Ha ha,' I said to the Great One. 'I'm interested in science.'

'I'm interested in science too,' the Great One said. 'Ms. Valdez is my favorite teacher and she teaches science.'

'I'm glad to hear that,' Grandma said.

'But no one ever gave me a magnifying glass from the science museum,' the Great One told her.

'Did you ever ask for one?' Grandma said.

'No.'

'Well, that explains it,' Grandma said. 'Now I know what you'd like for your next birthday.'"

Any child with a sibling will recognize the truth in this conversation. Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One is highly recommended for anyone with a sibling (or anyone who wants to rejoice in being an only child), anyone in elementary school, and anyone anywhere who enjoys a good story and great narration. Enjoy.

The Cybils: It's time!

It's time to fill the Cybils panelist and judging committees for the 2008 awards. All the details are available at the Cybils blog, so head on over and read all about it. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Weekend Reviews (II)

I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend. There's a touch of Autumn in the air here in Smalltown--just a slight chill on an evening breeze. I've met my first year students and classes begin on Thursday. Summer is over, but the weekend reviews will go on. Here are the remainder of this weekend's reviews:

The Robber Baron's Daughter by Jamila Gavin is the Times Children's Book of the Week, reviewed by Nicolette Jones.

More children's book reviews by children in the Chicago Tribune.

This week's "For Young Readers" column in the Washington Post considers "ballot books" for the kids. (Reviewed by Lisa Von Drasek)

In this week's Not-a-Review article (in the Independent) we learn that the Enid Blyton estate has authorized more "Blyton" books.

An on-children's-books review: M. John Harrison reviews Lewis Carroll in Numberland, by Robin Wilson, in the Guardian.

Sonja Bolle reviews four new children's books for Newsday.

Weekend Reviews (I)

It looks like it is going to be a busy children's book weekend in the papers, so I thought I'd get the roundup started early this week. Here's what I've found so far:

John Sutherland considers animal protagonists in adult literature for the Times. (Reference to children's lit in the article. I have to admit I have a bias against animal lit for both children and adults.)

On children's literature review: Jonathan Bate reviews Seth Lerer's Children's Literature: A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter in the Telegraph. (I plan on reviewing this one soon too.)

Amanda Craig reviews vampire books for teens, including Breaking Dawn.

Bringing Jacob Two-Two back: James Bradshaw has the scoop at the Globe and Mail.

Interview alert: Sonja Bolle talks to Jon Scieszka for the Los Angeles Times.

Megan Cox Gurdon takes a look at election books for the kids in The Wall Street Journal. (Conclusion? "Electoral politics may be surpassingly interesting in the adult world, but in children's books, mostly, they're not really that much fun.")

More reviews tomorrow...

Poetry Friday

The Poetry Friday roundup is over at Read. Imagine. Talk! Head on over and leave your links...

Thursday Links

It's the first day of school here in Smalltown: After a great summer, the kids were ready to go. I have to dust myself off and get ready for my own students, but before I go, here are some (mostly) book-related links:

Children's Book Crime Report: Kids' Books used to smuggle cocaine to Hong Kong and a shipment of children's books headed to Indiana are stolen en route.

You've all heard that Enid Blyton was named "best loved" British children's writer, right? Lucy Mangan defends the choice in the Guardian.

Michael Rosen questions teaching to the test in the Guardian.

Random House removes an "offensive" word in a Jacqueline Wilson novel aimed at the Middle Grade reader. (Alison Flood reports for the Guardian. )

Did you know those super-cool Readergirlz have their own YouTube channel?

Okay, so Nastia Liukin may have won the all-around gold in Beijing, but she doesn't have a butter statue like Shawn Johnson does. Check out these pics at flickr.

Higher Learning #3

My third Higher Learning interview--interviews with college guys about what they're reading, what they read in high school, and what books are important to them now--is up over at Guys Lit Wire. This month's subject, Ben, has some strong words for 9th and 10th grade English! Head on over and show him support.

(I was assigned Moby Dick for 9th grade English, read it over the summer, and then we never talked about it in class.)

Non Fiction Monday: Real Life Meets YA Lit

For this Non Fiction Monday, I bring you (instead of a review) a real-life story that concerns Young Adult fiction.

Let's just say I know a thirteen-year-old girl. She's a good kid: a great student, kind to others, and interested in the world.

All of a sudden this thirteen-year-old girl does something entirely out of character: She attempts to steal a candy from a convenience store. She's caught and read the riot act. At home, she's grounded beyond grounded.

When questioned with a "what the heck were you thinking?", the girl answered that almost every book she's read lately (Young Adult fiction) contains an episode of shoplifting. And that she just wanted to try it once.

Obviously the mother did not buy this argument, nor did it sway her in any way. But, still, it's interesting, isn't it? I mean, if we all got out our notebooks to emulate Harriet, or made bread out of walnuts a la Little House on the Prairie, could we also not copy other behaviors?*

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* And, don't worry. I'm not saying we should ban, or restrict, or water down any book. I do believe every child should read what he or she wants to read. This is just the first time I've encountered a child who has copied a negative behavior from a book.

Weekend Reviews (I-II)

It's the last weekend of summer in Smalltown. Kid1 and Kid2 go back on Thursday, and I'm back on Friday. I'm very much a summer person--I've been on an academic schedule for most of my life. But it's not just the time off--time spent reading what I want to read. I like the sun, the heat, the long days, the grubby snake-handling children, the cicadas, the fireflies, the water--all of it. Heck, after ten years in the Midwest, I don't even mind the humidity anymore.

One thing Autumn does promise, however, are good books. So let's get to the roundup!

It's children's book weekend in the New York Times. Here's what's on deck this month:

• John Schwartz reviews Snow Falling in Spring: Coming of Age in China During the Cultural Revolution, by Moying Li
• Sherie Posesorski considers Guo Yue's Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing and finds it offers "many pleasures."
• Donna Freitas praises E. Lockhart's The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.
• Julie Just reviews new titles for this week's "Bookshelf." Books reviewed include Imaginary Menagerie (a poetry book I liked very much) and Breaking Dawn.

Karen MacPherson recommends five new books for Middle Grade readers in The Detroit News.

Amanda Craig presents a science fiction for children and teens roundup in the Times. Not to be missed.

Angelo, by David Macaulay, is the Times Children's Book of the Week, reviewed by Nicolette Jones.

It's children's book weekend in the Independent. I think this is a bianual event, so don't miss it! Here's what's in store:

• Leo and Benjy Taylor are back. They're an editor or writer's sons at the Independent and must be in their teens now. This time they're recommending books for boys.
• Another "young" reviewer, Poppy Fraser, recommends books for girls.
• Nicola Smyth reviews new picture books.
• And Amanda Craig shows up in the Independent, reviewing the best in children's audiobooks.

Um, this is not really a review, but Leonard Sax weighs in on the whole Breaking Dawn question in The Washington Post. I have to say that I find his conclusions rather icky. What do you think?

Not-a-Review (and not even about children's books), but I really like Chris Bohjalian's piece for The Washington Post about obsessing over his Amazon customer reviews.

Children are reviewing books this week in the Chicago Tribune.

Well, not a very busy weekend...but a good one. Enjoy!

Author meets Lexile scores

Writer and blogger extraordinaire Gail Gauthier is writing today about Lexile Scores.

I have VERY strong feelings about Lexiles. I hope you'll head over to Original Content and take part in the discussion.

Poetry Friday Review: My letter to the World and Other Poems

What is your favorite series? Mine is Kids Can Press's Visions in Poetry--a collection of picture books for readers ages 10 and up.

Picture books for readers ages 10 and up? What can they be thinking? Based on the three Visions in Poetry titles I've read--The Owl and the Pussycat, The Raven, and now Emily Dickinson's My letter to the World and Other Poems--Kids Can Press is thinking exactly the way publishers must in order to inspire a generation of poetry fanatics.

The simple-yet-brilliant concept behind Visions in Poetry is the pairing of classic poems with innovative, stunning illustration. The Raven is enhanced by Ryan Price's sinister blacks and grays. The Owl and the Pussycat is charming in Stephane Jorisch's whimsical, psychedelic pastels. In My letter to the World, Isabelle Arsenault brings a Gothic sensibility (with a palette of blacks, whites, browns, and grays--highlighted with just splashes of pink, orange, or yellow) to seven of Emily Dickinson's most famous poems.

These books make perfect gifts for teens and adults who love cutting-edge illustration but don't read poetry. Or, they are great presents for teens and adults who adore poetry and will appreciate classic poems in a new context. In other words, if you know anyone who is older than the age of 10 or so, put these on your gift list now. Are you listening? Stock up now. (And, no. No one is paying me anything for this recommendation.)

For this week's Poetry Friday entry, I'll quote the first two stanzas of the first poem in My letter to the World--"There's a certain Slant of light..."

There's a certain Slant of light,
Winter afternoons--
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes--

Heavenly Hurt, it gives us--
We can find no scar,
But internal difference,
Where the Meanings, are--

read the rest of the poem here at The Literature Network...

I can't even read this poem in winter, if you must know the truth. From the safe distance of August, it's lovely--especially when glorified by Arsenault's street scene, which is in turn accented by the pink in a young girl's face in the center of the page. My letter to the World and Other Poems, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, is highly, highly recommended.

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The roundup is here this week. I always do the roundup old school, so leave your comments and I'll update throughout the day.
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The first links are in at midnight!

Tricia of The Miss Rumphius Effect is off to the mountains and celebrates with "Pied Beauty,"
by Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Kelly Fineman talks pantoum at Writing and Ruminating and provides a great example of the form by Peter Oresick.

It must be Emily Dickinson week! Little Willow shares "It's all I have to bring to-day..." at Bildungsroman.

More in the morning...

And now it's "morning," if you count 10:21 as still morning. (But I had to stay up and watch Iowa girl Shawn Johnson compete. Go Shawn and Nastia! ) Okay, here we go...

Suzanne of Adventures in Daily Living brings us Mary Oliver's "Heron Rises From the Dark, Summer Pond."

Michele of Scholar's Blog is going to see David Tennant AND Patrick Stewart live and playing Shakespeare! She celebrates with Sonnet 23.

Sylvia Vardell readies for Back-to-School with reviews of three child-friendly poetry books at Poetry for Children.

Katie D., at Creative Literacy, is also thinking Back-to-School: She shares her five favorite poetry books for primary students.

Karen Edminsten shares "If Everything is Lost," by Dom Julian, this Friday.

Poet Julia Larios contributes "A Duo of Triolets" at her newish blog The Drift Record. (Bookmarking now, Julia. Welcome to the land of blogs!)

MmeT (who shares a striking resemblance to Project Runway's Chris March) has found Matthew Dickman and shares his "Trouble" at Destined to Become a Classic.

Sara Lewis Holmes shares a wonderful way to memorize Shakespeare (and some reasons why) at Read Write Believe.

Mary Lee celebrates 10 great years after concluding treatment for breast cancer (go, Mary Lee!) with Arnold Wesker's "Count Ten" at A Year of Reading.

Carol is also thinking Back-to-School, sharing a poem ("Now," by Prince Redcloud) she'll use on the first day at Carol's Corner.

Tadmack shares math angst and "Flash Cards," by Rita Frances Dove, at Finding Wonderland.

Jama Rattigan is talking teddies, lobster, champagne,and John Betjeman today at Alphabet Soup. It's a post bound to raise your spirits. Thanks, Jama!

Janet shares "crutch" poetry at Findings. Get well soon, Janet!

Sarah Reinhard brings some termites to the party from Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering. Um, thank you, Sarah?

Laura Purdie Salas shares 15-word poems celebrating tweens and summer. Looks like it was a great trip, Laura!

Cheryl Rainfield shares an original poem celebrating books this week! Thanks, Cheryl.

Here's a teacher desperate to hold on to one last summer Friday: Stacey shares Eleanor Farjeon's "There Isn't Time" at Two Writing Teachers. (Stacey, I'm 100% behind you. It's my LAST Friday before teaching starts, and I need to make a to-do list.)

Jules talks Karen Rigby's new chapbook Savage Machinery over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Looks cool! Thanks, Jules, for the heads up.

Lisa Chellman talks about Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking the Poet Withinthis week . (I had no idea Stephen Fry wrote poetry. Interesting!)

Ms. Mac issues a challenge and invitation to you all! She's building a list of great poetry books for her school library. Head on over to Check It Out and nominate your favorites!

Diane shares some prompt sources over at The Write Sisters. Thanks, Diane!

Barbara H. shares some Richard Armour at A Home for the Stray Thoughts of an Ordinary Christian Woman.

Yat -Yee Chong shares "The Seed," by Alleen Fisher this week.

MotherReader shares J.Patrick Lewis's "The Tallest Roller Coaster" from his fabulous The World's Greatest Poems this week.

Susan Thomsen contributes Naomi Shihab Nye's wonderful "Last August Hours Before the Year 2000" at Chicken Spaghetti. (I guess Junior doesn't start school this Thursday like we do in Smalltown. Enjoy the summer, Susan and Junior!)

More later...

OT: Cake Wrecks

Sorry for the off-topic posts today. But I just can't let this link pass you all by:

Via the Mental Floss blog, I present to you the Cake Wrecks blog.

Now I don't bake. I'm that mom who brings store-bought items to the band booster events. (I know. Lame.) But I just read this entire blog and laughed until I cried.

(Not appropriate for children.)

OT: Project Runway fans, what say you?

I'll admit it: Project Runway is my favorite show on television*. It's the only show I'll make time for and try to watch in real time. And, while I realize this may not be a popular opinion, can I just say I'm loving this season? And here's why: I have no idea who will win. In season four, the top three were obvious from episode 1: Rami, Jillian, and Christian were, simply, more skilled than the rest of the designers on the show. And, while I have my favorites of season five (Terri, Korto), there's no real guarantee they'll be in the top three.

Are any of you watching? What do you think of Season Five? Who are your favorites?
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*Needless to say, I am distressed by the move to Lifetime. Bravo has a nice, clean Target-like aesthetic. Lifetime? Cluttered, fussy, floral.

Crossover Book Review: What Was Lost, by Catherine O'Flynn

Recently I complained about the adult fiction I've been reading. I kvetched about my weariness with the 20th century anti-hero. In brief, I'm tired of the over-educated, New York-living male hero who is alienated from his family and from the world.* Susan, of Chicken Spaghetti, recommended What Was Lost, a first novel by Catherine O'Flynn, and not only did I find What Was Lost a fantastic and restorative read, but I also think it is a book teenagers will enjoy as well.

What Was Lost is a novel no less ambitious than any of the top-10 New York Times reviewed novels of 2007 or 2008. Catherine O'Flynn uses many protagonists to tell her tale, most prominent among them a 10-year-old girl and two mall employees--all from Birmingham.# The novel opens in the voice of Kate Meany, 10-year-old girl detective. Kate is an orphan and she spends her days watching people in the shops and at Green Oaks--a new shopping center. She's sure she's about to catch a criminal in the act when she disappears.

The narration then skips forward twenty five years and is primarily in the voices of Kurt, a Green Oaks security guard, and Lisa, a manager at the mall's music store. Lisa has a connection to Kate: Her elder brother Adrian was a friend and mentor to Kate at the time Kate disappeared. Kate's disappearance leads, of course, to Adrian's own hiding, even though he was innocent. Kurt also has a connection to Kate, although he doesn't remember it at first. He saw Kate, on her last day in Birmingham, when he was about her own age. Kurt doesn't remember his sighting until a series of hallucinations visit him when working at the mall in the middle of the night.

What Was Lost is ostensibly a mystery--how and why did Kate Meany disappear? But it's also the story of finding your way when you're a young adult stuck in the soulless world of a suburban mall. Will Lisa be able to dump her manager's job at Your Music and her even lamer boyfriend Eric? Will Kurt be able to come to terms with his father--who hated the mall, but worked there as a janitor because there were no other jobs left for him in the city--and move on? These are real questions ninety percent of the reading public face and Catherine O'Flynn presents them with humor, grace, and intelligence.

But let's not forget our heroine who opens the story. Kate Meany, girl detective, is quite possibly the most authentic 10-year-old girl I've read in years. She's smart, vulnerable, naive, and believes in truth and justice, even in her run-down neighborhood in Birmingham. Children like Kate, who have nothing, always have hope--hope Kurt and Lisa have lost, but must find again in order to remake their lives.

I highly recommend What Was Lost to all readers ages twelve and up. Tweens and teens will be drawn to Kate's story, and the multiple points of view will challenge them. Anyone who has ever worked a dead-end job in a mall will recognize Kate's world. What Was Lost is a not-to-be-missed novel.

Thank you, Catherine O'Flynn, for restoring my faith in the "literary" novel.
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* Seriously, novelists: Stop this.
# Did you hear me? TWO MALL EMPLOYEES. They have lives too! Who would have known?

LOL

Recently Marc Aronson began a fascinating text discussion over at Non Fiction matters: Will texting change language? I have to say that I don't think so. Frankly, I worry that the LOLCat movement will change English--or, at least, English spelling--more.

Now don't get me wrong. I like LOLCats. I especially love LOLVogue over at Jezebel. (Gotta love those moddles!) Now even the Guardian is in on the act with LOLBush. (#4 and #7 are my favorites. Thanks to Jezebel for the link.)*
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I'm still mulling over the appropriateness of a British newspaper a) using LOLspeak at all and b) LOL-ing the President of another country. They did make me laugh, though. What say you?

Book Review: Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One

Judy Blume is a hero of mine: She turns the everyday into humorous, entertaining, thought-provoking stories any child or teen can relate to and find solace in. So, when I was offered the opportunity to ask Judy Blume five questions for an upcoming September blog tour, I jumped at the chance and began reading the series she'll be talking about--The Pain and the Great One. (The third volume in this series for readers ages four to eight--Going, Going, Gone! With The Pain and the Great One--will be out this Fall.)

When I cracked open Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One, I was in San Francisco visiting my sister.

"Wow," I said to her. "This book is great. But it seems familiar."

"It is familiar," she said. "Don't you remember? There's a Pain and the Great One story in Free to Be...You and Me. You were the Great One and I was the Pain."

Talk about a blast from the past. Once she mentioned me calling her "the Pain," it all came back. Free to Be...You and Me was a staple in our home. My sister and I had it memorized. I'm sorry I called you the Pain, Kara!

So after thirty three years Judy Blume brings the Pain and the Great One back for more adventures in the 2007 Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One. (The first The Pain and the Great One was published as a picture book in 1974.) And the Pain--a first-grade boy named Jacob--and the Great One--a third-grade girl named Abigail--are just as relevant as they were in the 1970s. Sibling rivalry never gets old.

In Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One, the Pain faces a dreaded hair cut, plays soccer, and teases his sister. The Great One has bigger problems: She's in third grade and can't ride a bike. Even the Pain can ride a bike! Abigail has resorted to telling her friends she Rollerblades faster than they can bike and that her bike is broken anyway. It's a delicate situation and not the only sticky scenario Abigail faces: She also throws a half birthday party only one child can attend and changes her name to Violet Rose--an attempt at originality that fails miserably.

See? Everyday, humorous kid situations. But Blume's sympathetic touch and skillful narrative technique make Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One a winner. This book--a book written for newly emergent readers--had me turning the pages past midnight. The alternating narration between the Pain and the Great One works beautifully--each voice is distinct and neither the Pain nor the Great One dominates the story. Indeed, the story is forged from their two, and sometimes conflicting, points of view.

Soupy Saturdays with the Pain & the Great One is highly recommended for all children ages four to nine and to anyone of any age who has a sibling. Enjoy!

A review of Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One will follow later this week.

Weekend Reviews (I-II)

After a long journey, I'm back in Smalltown just in time for the weekend reviews. Here we go:

Nicholas A. Basbanes considers back-to-school books for the four-to eight-year-old reader in the Orlando Sentinel.

Elizabeth Hand reviews this week's big book--Breaking Dawn--in the Washington Post. (The review contains the following line: "Reader, I hurled.") Mary Harris Russell also reviews Breaking Dawn in the Chicago Tribune.

Abby McGanney Nolan reviews Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing, by Guo Yue and Clare Farrow (illustrated by Helen Cann), also in the Washington Post.

Monica Farrow takes a look at A+ alphabet books for the Winston-Salem Journal.

Profile Alert: Misha Berson profiles William Steig for The Seattle Times.

Sue Arnold considers the audio version of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox (read by Martin Jarvis) in the Guardian. (Sue Arnold also reviews Jasper Britton's reading of Treasure Island, Ian McKellan's reading of Michelle Paver's Outcast, and Neville Jason's reading of The Sword and the Stone.

Also in the Guardian, Rachel Cooke talks to Raymond Briggs!

Lizzie Skurnick reviews Chris Adrian's A Better Angel: Stories in the Los Angeles Times.

The Traitor Game, by B.R. Collins, is the Times Children's Book of the Week, reviewed by Nicolette Jones.

Also in the Times: Fiona Terry interviews Lynley Dodd (Harry Maclary)

Susan Larson reviews post-Katrina books--including a number of children's titles--in the Times Picayune.

Award News: The 2008 TD Canadian Children's Literature Awards finalists have been announced. Here's the scoop from the Montreal Gazette. (Some really great choices here: Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose; Chester)

Oprah's Kids Reading List is live at Oprah.com.

Unexpected Outage

Hi everyone! I'm on the road again and internet has proved trickier than anticipated. I'll be back home in Smalltown for good (well, until December 24, in any case) on Saturday. In the meantime, here's the scoop:

Poetry Friday: This week's roundup will be held at Becky's Book Reviews.

The Edge of the Forest: New edition, new version will be up early next week. If you've written to me about editing, I'll be in touch on Sunday with the details.

Until Saturday...

More Links on a Monday

A few interesting articles came to my attention past the weekend deadline. Also, there are some noteworthy changes in the kidslitosphere. Here's what's going on:

First "major media 'review'" (called a snap judgment) of Breaking Dawn at the Los Angeles Times. I haven't read any of the Twilight books for a number of reasons, so I can't comment on the review.

Matthew Thornton has an interesting piece on "shared translation" in Publishers Weekly.

The Publishers Weekly children's book reviews are up and online.

Think issue books (marijuana, plastic surgery, anti-drug) are only big in the U.S.? Then check out this article from The Local: Sweden's News in English.

Anastasia Suen's new Scholastic blog--Kid Lit Kit--is now live.

Do you have a children's book or writing blog? Then consider joining the Kidlitosphere Circle set up by Melissa Wiley. (I have mine in the right side bar. Just scroll down and you'll find it.)

Weekend Reviews (I-II)

I hope you're all enjoying this first weekend in August and that it's not too hot wherever you are. I've managed to pilfer the new Tana French from my mother and am looking forward to reading it after rounding up this weekend's reviews. Let's get a move on, so I can find out what Cassie Maddox is up to:

The Guardian has a series of children's book recommendations this weekend, including:

• Stephanie Merritt's reviews of Young Adult fiction, including the new Kate Thompson book, Creatures of the Night
• Geraldine Brennan reviews fiction for the 8 to 13-year-old reader
• Kate Kellaway recommends books for the two- to five-year-old reader (I guess those six, seven, and eight year olds are out of luck this weekend!)

Sonja Bolle reviews Nick of Time and Keep Your Eye on the Kid for Newsday.

Not a review, but don't miss our own Gwenda Bond talking about Anne of Green Gables on NPR!

Susan Perren reviews five new children's books for the Globe and Mail, including Jane Yolen's new toddler book One Hippo Hops.

Not-a-Review: Alex Beam in an op-ed on political books for children in the Boston Globe.

Sue Bradford Edwards reviews new picture books for the St. Louis Tribune.

Interview Alert: Amanda Craig talks to Lauren St. John for the Times.

Flashback Alert: Sonja Bolle discusses James Thurber's The 13 Clocks in the Los Angeles Times.

Stuart Kelly reviews the new Artemis Fowl title (Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox) for the Scotsman.

Kristin Kloberdanz reviews teen fiction for the Chicago Tribune. (One title reviewed is the graphic novel version of Coraline.)

Also in the Chicago Tribune, Lizzie Skurnick contributes an essay on the Twilight series.

Profile Alert: Horatia Harrod on Dick Bruna (Miffy) in the Telegraph.

In the end, kind of a slow weekend. Enjoy!

Poetry Friday

When you live in Iowa, you're never 100% sure how a town's name will be pronounced. I was shocked to discover that Madrid, Iowa was pronounced MA (as in cat)-drid. Or Nevada? Just a few states over there's a Nevada. A good model. But here in Iowa, Nevada is pronounced with a long a--ni-VAY-da.

So why had I never thought about Des Moines's pronunciation? Obviously we don't use correct French pronunciation when saying Des Moines. But its odd pronunciation never crossed my mind until I read the wonderful "In the Elementary School Choir" by Gregory Djanikian at Poetry Foundation.org. Here's the relevant stanza:

It was a problem which had dogged me

For a few years, this confusion of places,

And when in 5th grade geography I had pronounced

“Des Moines” as though it were a village in France,

Mr. Kephart led me to the map on the front wall,

And so I’d know where I was,

Pressed my forehead squarely against Iowa.

Des Moines, he’d said. Rhymes with coins.

Beautiful! Do read the whole poem here.
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The Well-Read Child is on the roundup!

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