MORE POSTS

Spike Jonze on ‘Where the Wild Things Are’

Travis Jonker, November 18, 2008 | Reviews



Seems like there hasn’t been much news on the “Where the Wild Things Are” movie front lately.  Last I heard the whole thing was getting scrapped. Things changed Tuesday when Ain’t It Cool News posted their interview with the film’s director, Spike Jonze. Apparently, the film is back on track. That whole “scrapping the project” […]

Read Post »

An Evening With Patricia Polacco

Travis Jonker, November 17, 2008 | Authors



Alright, I suppose it was more of a “Late Afternoon With Patricia Polacco”, but that doesn’t have the same ring. ‘Round these parts (the Mitten state) If you ask a elementary school librarian who would be on at the top of their Michigan author visit list, nine times out of ten you would hear the […]

Read Post »

Book Review: Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek

Travis Jonker, November 14, 2008 | *Best New Books*, Reviews



Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale By Deborah Hopkinson Illustrated by John Hendrix Schwartz & Wade Books ISBN: 9780375837685 $16.99 Grades 1-3 In Stores *Best New Books* Let me say off the bat that I’m biased. Abe Lincoln holds a special place in my stovepipe, which I have worn for the last […]

Read Post »

Book Review: Forever Young

Travis Jonker, November 13, 2008 | Reviews



Forever Young By Bob Dylan Illustrated by Paul Rogers Atheneum Books for Young Readers ISBN: 9781416958086 $17.99 Grades: It’s Complicated (See Below) In Stores My favorite audience moment? I was at the Detroit stop of Outkast’s 2001 tour. Standing there in the crowd, dumbfoundedly enjoying the show, Andre 3000 spotted me from the stage. We […]

Read Post »

Book Review: Knucklehead

Travis Jonker, November 11, 2008 | *Best New Books*, Reviews



Knucklehead By Jon Scieszka Viking ISBN: 9780670011063 $16.99 Grades 4-7 In Stores *Best New Books* Sometimes, reading a book is like getting to the end of a bag of peanut M&Ms – you slow down, savoring things, hoping that the end won’t come. Essentially a collection of short stories about family and growing up, “Knucklehead” […]

Read Post »

Video: Barack Obama Supports Children’s Lit

Travis Jonker, November 6, 2008 | News



Do you think you can name the president-elect’s favorite kids book? Hint: It’s not “My Dad, John McCain“. Watch the (kinda poor quality – many apologies) video of Mr. Obama speaking to the American Library Association to find out the answer.

Read Post »

Free Books Distributed

Travis Jonker, November 6, 2008 | News



I’m good at the contest part, just not the “giving away” thing. A few days late in the coming, I present to you the winners of the most recent book giveaway: Kara P. is going to be hyped up beyond belief (actual reaction may differ, but I’m hopeful) when she finds a copy of “Trick […]

Read Post »

Photos: The Most Well Read Book Ever?

Travis Jonker, November 4, 2008 | Articles



In my job, I split time between four elementary school libraries that range from preschool up to sixth grade. I’m getting to know the collections at the various schools pretty well, and when I was cataloging a new copy of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” this morning, I remembered there was something interesting about the old “Grinch” […]

Read Post »

Book Review: Round Like a Ball!

Travis Jonker, November 3, 2008 | *Best New Books*, Reviews



Round Like a Ball! By Lisa Campbell Ernst Blue Apple Books ISBN: 9781934706015 $15.95 Grades PreK-2 In Stores *Recommended* Often, die-cut books fall flat for me. I open them up, flip through the pages, and quickly realize that the story is just a vehicle for the cut outs. Fun for a minute, but that’s about […]

Read Post »

Dr. Seuss Invented Crunk

Travis Jonker, November 2, 2008 | Link Du Jour



Who knew Seuss was a fan of southern hip hop? Okay, rap hadn’t been invented when he was the first to use the word “crunk” (in “Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!”), but I think he would be happy to know the word lives on. The blog mental _floss recently posted the stories […]

Read Post »