Morning Notes: Richard Scarry is a-Changin’ Edition

DO YOU WORK IN A QUAINT RELIC?

Have you heard the comments CNET Editior Brian Cooley made about libraries on a recent Buzz Out Loud podcast? Let’s just say he’s not a fan. While steam begins to emit from my ears when I read stuff like this, I do think there are some lessons that can be learned as well. Click here to read (and try to not punch your computer screen).

(Thanks to @kishizuka for the link)

THIS TAKES “CUSTOM BOOKSHELF” TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Provide the dimensions of a stack of books and Jane Dandy will make a table to hold them. Crazy.

Click the image for more details.

(Thanks to Colossal for the link)

IRMA BLACK AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCED

The Irma Black Award is unique. A shortlist is chosen by committee of adults, and then kids choose the winner (click here for info on the award). The lovely How Rocket Learned to Read was this year’s recipient. Click here to read.

GET JUDGED…

…by the Judgmental Bookseller Ostrich.

I don’t know who came up with this or why, but I recommend you click here for more hilarity. Multiple laugh out loud moments to be had.

RICHARD SCARRY CHANGES WITH THE TIMES

I didn’t expect it, but I was kinda fascinated as soon as I started looking at Alan Taylor’s Flickr set showing the alterations to Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever. Some things are obvious: “pretty stewardess” is now “flight attendant”, but there are some very subtle changes as well. The real moral of the story – if you put a bow on something, it changes from a boy to a girl. Click here (or the image below) to check it out.

(Thanks to The Society Pages for the link)

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. Currently #5 on the New York Times Children’s Chapter Books bestseller list. Click here to see the entire list.

Schmidt’s latest seems to be everywhere lately. Aside from hitting the bestseller list, it’s getting love on Anita Silvey’s Book-a-Day Almanac, A Fuse #8 Production is spreading the word about a Gary D. Schmidt webcast, and the book is getting glowing reviews from Bookends, Literate Lives, A Year of Reading, and Waking Brain Cells. Is it a surprise that the book also recently popped up on the ACPL Mock Newbery list?

Other than the fact that I always try to add an “e” at the end when I write about it, I routinely enjoy the hell out of author Jonathan Auxier’s blog The Scop. The post above, about how Roald Dahl’s Matilda flies in the face of current parenting trends is an excellent example of how J.A. rolls. Click here (or the image above) to read.

If you’re interested in notable upcoming releases, @HUnderdown has things covered, pointing the way to a Publishers Weekly article on the big books of BEA. Click the image above to read.

In terms of blog authorship, I am nothing if not flying by the seat of my pants on a daily basis. The few times I actually find something cool in advance, I forget about it. Thankfully, there are sharp folks like Philip Nel and  the blog Boing Boing who reminded me to share the following Pat the Bunny parody Pat the Zombie (click here to buy the book on Amazon). I’ve been reading the original quite a bit in the last year (it’s one of Lina’s favorites), so I got extra enjoyment out of this.

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