When you think about it, it’s pretty rare that kids get free choice. Parents, money, The Man – so many roadblocks. Not so at the school library. What you see below are the actual books on hold by students in the 5th and 6th grade school where I work. What’s on your hold shelf? Be […]
This week on the Brain Burps About Books podcast I review Peter Brown’s exuberant You Will Be My Friend. Host Katie Davis also chats with Jarrett J. Krosoczka, mastermind behind a bunch of books, including the Lunch Lady graphic novel series and my daughter’s favorite book of the moment, Punk Farm. Click here to listen. […]
A couple weeks ago I put out the ol’ all-call for interesting post ideas. Today, we have our winner. And it turns out to be a familiar face. I wrote about Canadian children’s librarian Lucas Maxwell a little while ago after learning of his genius idea for celebrating a library birthday. He ended up submitting […]
Every Monday (nay, most Mondays) a Newbery-winning book gets a new cover courtesy of me, a guy who gets a kick out of this sort of thing. If you’d like to see all the covers in one place, click here to check out the Covering the Newbery gallery. On to the show… 1957: Miracles on […]
Turkey and stuffing consumed, we now turn our attention to the movies. Hugo (man, it feels like I’m cheating whenever I type that title, going from 5 words down to just one) is now in theaters. Here are a couple recent tidbits to whet your appetite. CBS News recently ran a piece on the film, […]
KIRKUS WEIGHS IN ON 2011 There’s a lot to like here and, of course, a few unexpected picks. Cookiebot took me by surprise – I need to track that down. Click here to read. NEW YORK TIMES SAYS ‘WE SHALL NOT BE OUTWEIGHED’ The venerable Times recently released their list of notable books. Join me […]
Interested in learning about some of the most intriguing children’s books coming out this winter but would like to keep the amount of titles to a number easily divisible by 5 and 2? This, friend, is the post for you. What follows are 10 books that had me pretending to stroke my whiskers, raise one […]
You probably know how this goes. Every Monday I redo the cover of a Newbery-winning book. I’m starting at the start and working my way up to the modern day. Up this week… 1956: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham Original Cover: My Redo: Side by Side: Verdict:Mine might be a little plain, […]
Turning a book into a film is always a tricky proposition. The challenge? Filmmakers are trying to turn something successful and well-liked into something just as successful in an entirely different medium. It’s like when they try to turn a song into a picture book – you know how that usually works out. It is […]
If you’re on Twitter, you may have seen the WhiteHouse.gov school libraries petition making the rounds. I signed it and encouraged others to add their John Hancock too. School Librarian Buffy Hamilton takes a contrarian view on the matter, and makes a compelling argument or two in the process. Not enough to sway me, but […]
KEEP THIS BOOK UNDER YOUR HAT There’s an interesting post over at Read Roger about books with nondisclosure agreements that prevent reviews before the book publishes. In short – not very cool. Click here to read. YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS Time for a teeny tiny hipster library. (Thanks to Pop Candy for the […]
I Spy with My Little Eye By Edward Gibbs Templar Books (Candlewick Press) ISBN: 9780763652845 $14.99 Grades PreK-1 In Stores *Best New Book* *2011 Cybils Nominee* Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library When form meets function, it’s a beautiful thing. This can be tricky with books that feature die cuts. We’ve all seen […]
Maurice Sendak is the illustrator of our Newbery cover this week. While I’m tempted to throw in the towel, eat some Chex Mix, and skip this one on account of the fact that Maurice Sendak doesn’t need some punk “updating” his cover, the Chex Mix just ran out. So… 1955: The Wheel on the School […]
I tend to focus on the humorous and/or odd in these pages, but today we have something truly maddening. I recently came across Oranges, a picture book published in 1988, and I couldn’t let it pass without comment. And my comment is “Are you kidding me!?”. It’s a veritable who’s who of cultural stereotypes. While […]
I Want My Hat Back By Jon Klassen Candlewick Press ISBN: 9780763655983 $15.99 Grades K-3 In Stores *Best New Book* *2011 Cybils Nominee* Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library The experience of reading I Want My Hat Back is somewhat similar to watching the comedy of Steven Wright: Like Wright’s work, Jon Klassen’s […]
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