Coming Soon: 100 Scope Notes Covers Week

Normally, I like to keep the focus on what’s inside the book. However, every now and again I use these pages to write about what’s on the outside. Namely, covers – similar ones, unfortunate ones, trends and the like. It recently struck me as a good idea to devote an entire week of 100 Scope Notes programming to this topic. From this coming Monday, November 9 to Friday, November 13 you’ll be getting all covers, all the time. Here’s the schedule of events:

Monday (Nov. 9): A brand new “Create Your Debut Cover” meme. It may (or may not) be the best one yet. The fantasy and YA versions were well received, so I’m rewriting the rules for an entirely different type of book. I’ll also post a gallery and add reader submissions to it as the week goes on. It’s time to get creative in a really limited, rule-following way.

Tuesday (Nov. 10): An interview with Abrams Books for Young Readers art director and cover designer extraordinaire Chad W. Beckerman. The man behind the cover design of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (and the blog Mishaps and Adventures) certainly knows his stuff. Tune in if for no other reason than to hear his expert opinion on this cover:

Wednesday (Nov. 11): A brand-new inductee into the Unfortunate Cover pasture of misfortune. If you’re counting, this will be the 12^th in the series. You’ll also be able to vote for the best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) Unfortunate Cover thus far.

Thursday (Nov. 12): Cover Controversy time. Let’s just say it’s a bad day for tiny boats. Also, another trend continues its slow approach to world domination.

Friday (Nov. 13): The Children’s Literature Commissioner makes an important cover-related announcement. The increasingly unstable (and fictional) Children’s Lit Commish will deliver a (fictional) message regarding the future of book covers.

All Week: The 100 Scope Notes banner will be taken over by book cover-related comic strips created by your humble children’s lit blogger.

See you back here next week!

On a related note:

The official album of Covers Week is The Covers Record by Cat Power.

The official gangsta rap-soundtracked crime film of Covers Week is Deep Cover.

The official cover-up of Covers Week is a giant straw hat.

The unofficial cover-up of Covers Week is the Liar cover controversy.

The official response to a disaster during Covers Week is to take cover.

The official bet of Covers Week is for your team to cover the spread.

The official brand-new word I invented to celebrate Covers Week is “decovered”. When a book has had its cover removed, it has been decovered.

The official Covers Week response to shame is to cover one’s face.

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