
So many of my kidlitosphere friends point me towards books I love.
Fuse#8 found a copy of Mouse Guard at Comic.con. She talks about them here. I r-e-a-l-l-y want to see these graphic novels!
Mouse Guard website
The word moot is an archaic term meaning "argue, debate, discuss." In early English history, a moot was a meeting to discuss local affairs. Moot comes from the Old English gemot, meaning "meeting."
Joseph Delaney lives with his family in Lancashire, England, in the middle of boggart territory.
We’re In Charge
When we read, we decide when, where, how long, and about what. One of the few places on earth that it is still possible to experience an instant sense of freedom and privacy is anywhere you open up a good book and begin to read. When we read silently, we are alone with our own thoughts and one other voice. We can take our time, consider, evaluate, and digest what we read—with no commercial interruptions, no emotional music or special effects manipulation. And in spite of the advances in electronic information exchange, the book is still the most important medium for presenting ideas of substance and value, still the only real home of literature.
are launching readergirlz, a new online book community celebrating gutsy girls in life & lit. Our goal is to encourage teen girls to read and reach out. Every month, we will gather readers online to discuss a novel with us and participate in a community service project related to that book.
We'll kick off readergirlz on March 1, 2007, in honor of National Women's History Month.
One of the first things I heard about the Terabithia movie was that it was going to be a "sprawling fantasy adventure," and they had hired a big special effects team for it, and my initial reaction was to sort of recoil at this—
Paterson: Your initial reaction? (laughs) What do you think mine was?
I don't know, you tell me!
Paterson: Well, that was the thing I was most afraid of. And if you've seen the trailer, my word. I'm just telling everybody I know, "Don't see the trailer, don't see the trailer." Because it's exactly what the trailer ends up making you think, is that it's this glorified fantasy adventure with nothing but special effects, and that's not what we ended up with in this movie.
The story is ultimately about friendship ... and loss
We've ended up with a movie about a friendship between a boy and a girl who develop an imaginary kingdom, and the girl dies, and the boy has to deal with his loss, which is the story of the book. Now of course, because it is currently 2007 and not 1977, when you make a certain type of movie, people expect special effects—and so they've got some special effects. But I don't think they've ruined the movie. (laughs)
The one good thing that they managed to convey to me—and I can't guarantee that this will be conveyed to everyone who sees it—was that Terabithia is not another land, that Terabithia is absolutely coming out of the children's imaginations. It leads into the Terabithian scenes in such a way that I was convinced that they were creating this other land, which to me was masterful.
Perhaps you're lucky enough to work with colleagues with whom you share a passion for kids' books—or not. For those of us who are the sole children's or teen specialist at our library, it can get pretty lonely. Say you've just read a book and want to rave (or rant) about it, or you need to figure out which books to buy on a limited budget. Where can you turn? Sure, there are print publications, such as School Library Journal and the Horn Book. But as great as those magazines are, you may want more in the way of diverse opinions and extended reviews, not to mention a place to get answers to your questions or connect with fellow bibliophiles.
This win marks the first time that the author of a dual language book has been so recognized. The subject, however, of children in peril, so prominent in Ghost Fever/Mal de fantasma, also appears in the two runners up: The SOS File (with 20,529 votes) and The Lightning Thief (with 19,574 votes). Clearly adventure, a little danger, and fantastic adventure appealed to readers this year.
In this part of
This year however, we have also managed to squeeze in winter. January 2007 (and now February) has been so gray and cold and rainy that people are starting to suffer the kind of cabin fever and semi-depression that is usually reserved for snow bound folks up north. We are just not used to so many days in a row of gloom, chill and rain. This seems like a good time to bring a terrific book to the attentions of school librarians who are looking for new resources for the first grade "Seasons" unit or haiku poetry.
Lin and McKneally have crafted a different kind of "seasons" book. Autumn, winter, spring and summer are described with haiku verse and illustrated with scenes of children enjoying the time of year. There are also questions and scientific explanations for aspects of the seasons, like "Why do my cheeks turn red in the cold?" or "Why do bees like flowers?" Kids in this part of the world would probably like to know the answer to "Why is the air sticky?" The book would pair with Chris Van Allsburg's The Stranger as Lin beautifully illustrates frost on the window and the book answers the question, "Why is there frost on the window?" Alas, the concept of Jack Frost is hard to relate to here on the coastal plain.
Grace Lin's signature use of texture and pattern evokes childhood with every brush stroke and the clear beautiful colors will engage readers.
This is a Gotta-have-it for school libraries.