June 21, 2007

Not sure what you want to read this summer? Well, I can recommend Book Crush by Nancy Pearl. It's Nancy's bookpicks for kids of all ages, arranged by topic like "Not Your Parents' Comic Books"; "Other Times, Other Places"; "Dragon Tales" and "Grin and Bear It". Each title has a brief description. I found myself wanting to reread old favorites, seek out some new titles and send Nancy an email with some titles I thought she'd enjoy. I read it in bits and pieces on a trip to Portland but it would be great to just have on your bookshelf for when you need a little inspiration.

June 5, 2007

I never read comic books as a kid but I'm a new fan of graphic novels which are basically highbrow comic books. My latest favorite is The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci. After a bomb explodes in the big city she lives in, Jane's parents move the family to suburbia to feel safe. She feels stifled by her new life and bands together with Jayne, Polly Jane and another Jane to form P.L.A.I.N.--People Loving Art In Neighborhoods, a sort of guerilla art movement. Jane's pain is the pain of every smart high school girl and I was easily swept up in her decision to make a statement of hope in a world full of adult paranoia and teen peer pressure.

May 22, 2007

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean, by Kevin Sherry

I am in love with this oversize picture book about a squid who brags and brags about being the biggest thing in the ocean. He's bigger than shrimp, bigger than clams, bigger than turtles, bigger than everything. Everything except the whale he doesn't see right behind him. Illustrated in blue and green with a little red in an appealing cartoon style that is a perfect match for the story. Perfect for story time.

May 19, 2007

I heard a story about the Cannes film festival as I was driving into work today and it put me in mind of a great book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick. It's set in the Paris Metro station and Hugo maintains all the station clocks even though he is just a boy. What really fascinates him though is creating his own machines and so he is in the habit of pilfering small mechanical toys from a stall in the station. This leads him to make friends and solve a mystery involving the early days of silent film.

The book is an amazing combination of pictures and words. Whole sections are told in black and white drawings, mostly wordless and interspersed are more traditional sections of text. The story is wonderful in and of itself but what really sets this book apart is the marriage of text and pictures to tell the story. A classic.

What does Young Adult mean?

I just read an advanced readers copy of The Spell Book of Listen Taylor, by Jaclyn Moriarty. It was fabulous--quirky characters, a family mystery, both funny and tender, but who was it written for? The book cover says its for 14 and up yet all the main characters but one are adults with adult concerns. Let's face it, no 14 year old is that interested in a list of "Irritating Things About My Husband", are they? Maybe I'm wrong about other 14 year olds, but I would not have cared for that at 14 or 16 or even 18. Listen Taylor (and isn't that a great name?) is 12 but I don't think she's the main character, but merely part of a large ensemble cast who work together to tell the story of the spell book and how it came to be. She's the one who works the spells but not the reason the book exists or even more than peripherally involved in the family mystery. So, although I loved this book, I won't be buying it for the store, because where would it get shelved? We have no spot for it.

But that doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it, just not for teens. Watch for it, it comes out in September and I'd be happy to order a copy for you if your interested.

Similes

May 8, 2007

My original plan was to post every day but I seem to be averaging once a week. Maybe I will be more prolific as time goes on but for now, no excuses will you hear from me but I will try to post a bit more often.

I'm working with a small group at my children's school doing some creative writing on Friday afternoons. This week we're going to talk about similes and I can't wait to share my new favorite book with them: My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks, by Hanoch Piven. For each member of the narrator's family is a whole list of similes describing them accompanied by a picture made of found objects. For example, Dad is as stubborn as a knot in a rope and the picture has a knotted rope for Dad's mouth.

May 1, 2007

One last poem to remember poetry month....

Book Crooks
They stole my pants,
Th y st le her purse.
T ey stol some let ers
From th s verse.

from Bing Bang Boing, by Douglas Florian

ZUCCHINI

April 24, 2007

ZUCCHINI

Zucchini
meeny
miney
moe.
Plant a seed
and watch it grow.

Eeny meeny
makes a lot.
Like a magic
cooking pot.

Eeny
meeny
munch a lot.
Zucchini every meal—
you’ve got:

Zucchini bread.
Zucchini spread.
Zucchini casseroles.

Zucchini pies.
Zucchini fries.
Zucchini dinner rolls.

Zucchini juice.
Zucchini mousse.
Zucchini jam and scone.

Zucchini hash
and succotash.
Zucchini
meeny
miney

MOAN.

from Busy in the Garden, by George Shannon.

Ready to plant some zucchini? Maybe next month.