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Book Review: Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires

Travis Jonker, August 21, 2009 | *Best New Books*, Reviews



Binky the Space Cat By Ashley Spires Kids Can Press ISBN: 9781554533091 $16.95 Grades 2-4 In Stores Review copy provided by publisher *Recommended* The pet who thinks it knows better than its owner is a mainstay protagonist in children’s literature and popular culture in general. From Mark Teague’s LaRue books to Garfield, young readers enjoy […]

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Create Your Debut YA Cover on Pop Candy

Travis Jonker, August 19, 2009 | News



I regularly peruse USA Today pop culture blog Pop Candy. The other day I emailed Pop Candy mastermind (and occasional VH1 talking head) Whitney Matheson to see if she would partake in creating a debut YA cover (which I posted the steps for a couple weeks back). A fan of young adult lit, I figured […]

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Book FAIL

Travis Jonker, August 19, 2009 | Articles



I have absolutely no comment on the following. Click the image below to enlarge. (Thanks to FAIL Blog for the link) All this book rental business reminds me of the recent Brian Williams video where he discusses “the Netflix of books”. This is great stuff: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3n8kHThR8Y]

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Audio Clip: Wilder Women on NPR

Travis Jonker, August 19, 2009 | News



Why read when you can listen? Consider this an audio addendum to my post about Little House in the New Yorker from a few days back. The Rose vs Laura debate continues (as in, who is more responsible for the success of the series – Laura Ingalls Wilder or her daughter Rose?) . They even […]

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Unfortunate Covers (#11)

Travis Jonker, August 18, 2009 | Unfortunate Covers



Sometimes a cover doesn’t match the tone of the book it’s wrapped around. Such is the case of our most recent Unfortunate Cover candidate: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. The world’s most listless treasure hunt. I feel like the artist was working with some models who weren’t that into it. Cover Artist: “Alright, we […]

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The Wildest of Books

Travis Jonker, August 18, 2009 | News



I figured it was a hoax, but lo and behold – the fur-covered edition of The Wild Things by Dave Eggers. Loosely based on Sendak’s classic. Can you put this on a shelf? (Thanks to EarlyWord for the link)

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Book Review: My Uncle Emily by Jane Yolen

Travis Jonker, August 17, 2009 | Reviews



My Uncle Emily By Jane Yolen Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter Philomel Books ISBN: 9780399240058 $17.99 Grades 1-3 In Stores Review copy provided by Raab Associates While the work of American poet Emily Dickinson may be difficult for some readers to fully wrap their heads around, My Uncle Emily tells a tale of honesty that could […]

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Link Du Jour: Narnia Covers Redone

Travis Jonker, August 16, 2009 | Link Du Jour



I really don’t get tired of these. Artist M. S. Corley, the man behind the recent redesign of the Harry Potter and His Dark Materials covers strikes again. This time he bestows the classic Penguin treatment on The Chronicles of Narnia. These covers won’t be coming to a shelf near you, but fun to take […]

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Book Review: Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) by Lisa Yee

Travis Jonker, August 14, 2009 | *Best New Books*, Reviews



Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) By Lisa Yee Illustrated by Dan Santat Arthur A. Levine Books ISBN: 9780545055925 $15.99 Grades 2-4 In Stores Sept. 1, 2009 Review copy borrowed In a climate where you can’t throw a dinner roll without hitting five or six new series, Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) is a middle grade school story […]

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Little House in the Big New Yorker

Travis Jonker, August 14, 2009 | Uncategorized



Can’t say I’m well-versed in the Little House series. “But you’re a children’s librarian” you say? Yes, yes – well, we all have books on our “shelves of shame” (as the wonderful Bookends blog puts it). The New Yorker recently did a piece on Laura Wilder and her daughter Rose, who worked together in creating […]

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