Morning Notes: Charts and Graphs Edition

THE INVENTION OF BORAT?

The Martin Scorsese-led Invention of Hugo Cabret film project continues to move forward, with some recent (in negotiations) casting names dropped. One of these names is Sacha Baron Cohen, best known as Borat. Interesting. Click here to head over to MTV.com and read more.

ADULTS UNWELCOME; CHILDREN’S CHOICE BOOK AWARDS VOTING OPEN

Voting has begun for the 2010 Children’s Choice Book Awards and the slate of finalists (grouped into K-2, 3-4, 5-6, and Teen categories) is an odd mix. Any time you get a book like Coretta Scott by Ntozake Shange and illustrated by Kadir Nelson up against Oceanology by Ferdinand Zoticus deLessups (as is the case in the 3-4 group), head scratching is bound to occur. Click here to see all the finalists.

CHARTS, GRAPHS, KID’S BOOKS; NERD DREAM REALIZED

The ever analytical Eric Carpenter has just put up his data breakdown of books 100-20 of the Top 100 Children’s Novels going on at A Fuse #8 Production. The more in depth he gets, the more I love it. Click here to take a look.

Keeper by Kathi Appelt. On shelves May 18, 2010.

Appelt’s last novel, The Underneath, was a National Book Award finalist, Newbery Honor, and one of the more memorable recent additions to the children’s lit “love it or hate it club”. I was on the side of love, so I’ll be looking forward to this story of a girl and her dog adrift in the Gulf of Mexico.

Before 1971 the close-but-no-cigar Newbery and Caldecott books were called runners-up. From ’71 on they have been deemed honor books. Horn Book editor Roger Sutton wonders aloud about the difference. Peter of Collecting Children’s Books brings the knowledge in the comments. The internet again proves its worth.

Fact I learned from this CBS Sunday Morning feature on Neil Gaiman: the first book he wrote was a biography on 80s pop superstars … well, I’d feel guilty if I ruined it for you. Click the image above to head over to EarlyWord and watch.

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