Monica Edinger's Blog, page 128

The National Theatre's Nation

Yesterday I saw my first HD satellite broadcast on a movie screen, the National Theatre's production of Nation.  I thought it would be like some of the plays I've seen in years past on PBS, but it was much, much better.  I was impressed and would definitely go to something like this again.  In fact, watching it made me wish the NT would do another revival of His Dark Materials so they could broadcast it worldwide too.

That said, I should say this production is pretty loosely based on the a

Thoughts on Newbery: Mashups

Dear Gatekeepers,

Where are the new genres?  If you feel compelled to place a book into one, why use the old ones?

On this Heavy Medal post, Cindy comments:

I've been sharing the medal winners and honor books with my students and have come across the same issue with When You Reach Me. According to the definition we use (takes place at least 30 years prior to date of publication), it does qualify as historical fiction. Since I was only a couple years younger than Miranda in 1979, it doesn't feel...

That New Apple Thing

Warning: not subtle.  No doubt this 2006 MadTV skit will be all over the place if it isn't already.  (I got it from galleycat who got it from someone who got it from someone…)

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The Exquisite Corpse: Episode Nine

Nancy sputtered, exasperated. As for Joe, he suddenly felt like Alice in Wonderland, unable to get straight answers out of anyone after she slid down that rabbit hole. (Okay, so he had swiped Nancy's copy of the book and read it. But who could resist a story about a giant rabbit with a pocket watch?)

From Nikki Grimes' contribution (arguably my favorite, for obvious reasons).

Nicki Grimes

In the Classroom: Reading Aloud When You Reach Me

I can still hear a bunch of my students outside my room packing up to go home, debating and mulling over just what is happening in this remarkable book.  I thought I'd be able to finish reading it to them today, but ran out of time.  Had to stop at page 170 with 36 pages left.  But they are wildly curious, many stayed in the room with me for a while after school,  to speculate, to surmise, to guess. One figured it out, but doesn't know it yet.  Others think they know, but don't.

I read this...

Bit-O-Stead

Just as Wheelie offers this jaw-breaking confection in Rebecca Stead's Newbery winner When You Reach Me, so I'm offering a few bits too. (Mine are far less cavity-inducing though)

"For me, as a kid, a book was a very private world," she said. "I didn't like talking about books with other people very much because it almost felt like I didn't want other people to be in that world with me."

From The Book Club With Just One Member

I believe–and this is not an original idea from me–that really...

The Environmental Imagination and Children's Literature

This conference sounds amazing. Having heard many of the speakers before I know they will be thought-provoking, moving, and entertaining.  It will be held March 5-6, 2010 at the University of Toronto's Trinity College.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMAGINATION AND CHILDREN'S LITERATURE will feature renowned children''s authors from Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.: David Almond, M.T. Anderson, Susan Cooper, Sarah Ellis and Tim Wynne-Jones. They will be joined by Professor Lawrence Buell, Powell M. Cabot...

Of Conspiracies and Kings

One of the most exciting forthcoming 2010 titles is Megan Whalen Turner's A Conspiracy of Kings.  And may I just gently suggest that if you have not yet read the first three books, do.  Right away.  That is, now.

To whet your appetite, over at the Greenwillow Blog, editor Virginia Duncan is celebrating the release of this new book to the printer with a delightful book trailer for the first in the series, The Thief.

Be still my heart.

Behind the Scenes at the Awards

Thanks to ALA for this one (and Stacy Dillon for alerting me to it and pointing out that you can see the two of us very briefly at the end as we waited to get into the ballroom for the press conference).

Happy Day

My horse won!