Toby and the Secrets of the Tree By Timothée de Fombelle Performed by Peter Berkrot Brilliance Audio (Candlewick) ISBN: 9781441888761 8 Compact Discs / Approx. 9.5 hrs $24.99 Grades 5-8 In Stores Some stories keep it simple. You got your main characters, a straightforward plot, a manageable theme, and a couple surprises to keep you […]
If every picture tells a story, then every picture of a hold shelf tells… (calculating) …well, let’s just say it tells a bunch of stories. Lots of stories. One story a hold shelf picture tells is What the Kids Are Readin’, and that is why I share my monthly snapshot. This one is from the […]
I will go to long lengths for kicks. Case in point: I’m redesigning the cover of every Newbery winning book, starting in 1922 and working my way up to today. I’ll post the results on Mondays. Click here to read my self-imposed rules for the project. Let’s see how things turn out today… 1924: The […]
With the recent release of part one of the final Harry Potter film, there has been a glut of HP-related whathaveyous on the internet, but few as amusing as this. Pop-culture figures sorted into the four Hogwarts houses. Can you guess where Big Bird ends up? Click the image below to read. (Thanks to BuzzFeed […]
A MUST SEE: ALA YOUTH MEDIA AWARDS WEBCAST While I’m excited to say that I’ll see them in person this year, I couldn’t be more pleased that the American Library Association will again offer a live webcast of their annual Youth Media Awards. Well, I guess I would be more pleased if they somehow combined […]
…at least for publishers, apparently. Is it just me, or does it seem like we’re seeing a lot of the number 13 these days? A sample of recent releases: 13 Words by Lemony Snicket 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison The Blade of Shattered Hope (The 13th Reality, Book 3) by James Dashner Thirteen Plus One […]
At the end of every month I snap a photo of the hold shelf in one of my school libraries… …slap it up online, and discuss the results. An example: To my mind, this is a good way to see which books kids are really digging. (Cue swelling orchestra) Now it’s your turn. My next […]
Have you been wondering what the covers of Newbery-winning books would look like if they were redesigned by a complete novice? You must do a lot of wondering. However, you’re also in the right place. Every Monday I’ll redesign the cover of a Newbery book, beginning at the beginning and working up to today. Click […]
Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science By Susan Hughes Illustrated by Michael Wandelmaier Kids Can Press ISBN: 9781554533626 $17.95 Grades 5-8 In Stores The nonfiction landscape is littered with books on unexplained phenomena. The Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot – these sorts of real-life mysteries contain endless appeal for readers. […]
If you’re a librarian, a children’s lit fan, or just some dude who has a thing for best-of lists, you’ll be well served to check out the 2010 edition of School Library Journal’s Best Books of the Year. So many great picks. Click the image below to read: On the more commercial side of things, […]
In honor of the just-released Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, I bring you the cast of the film trying out their best American accents. Boo-yah! Movie Trailers – Movies Blog
Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly By Carolyn Parkhurst Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan) ISBN: 9780312548483 $16.99 Grades K-2 *Best New Book* (Click to enlarge) Review copy from publisher. Watch the book trailer for Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly: Also reviewed by A Fuse #8 Production, Kids Lit, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, […]
Of the National Book Award finalists in the category of Young People’s Literature… We have a winner… Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine. Click here to see all of the National Book Award winners, along with pictures and video of the event.
NBA: IT’S FAN-TASTIC The National Book Awards will be handed out tonight (Wedneday, November 17), including the award for Young Peoples Literature (click here to see the nominees). I’m throwing my full support behind One Crazy Summer. In a bit of tech-related brilliance, you can experience the awards via Twitter by following @nationalbook. BROTHER, CAN […]
Educating Alice recently wrote about the sometimes misunderstood popularity of Newbery-winning books (quoting Betsy Bird’s interview at From the Mixed-Up Files). It’s a nice post and a good reminder to never underestimate a book’s potential audience. This inspired me to do some investigating at the 5th and 6th grade school where I work. I checked […]
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