Monica Edinger's Blog, page 132

Green with Envy

Because Travis over at 100 Scope Notes got the scoop about the (arguably) hottest book of the year.

New Book Coming from Russell Hoban

One of my all-time favorite books is Russell Hoban's The Mouse and his Child so I was delighted to learn that he has a young adult book, Soonchild, coming out from Walker UK in 2011.  You can read the luscious-sounding beginning of it here.

Extras

Extras — acknowledgements, flap copy, and back matter — they've been under scrutiny of late.

Let's start with acknowledgements.   A  couple of weeks ago Elizabeth Blumie presented her feelings about them in this thoughtful post. Over the years I have worked on my Margru book many people have helped me with the research and I'd always assumed that I'd thank them in some sort of acknowledgement.  So reading Elizabeth's post and the many comments unnerved me at first.  But then last night I...

Dreams or Sweat Equity: One Agent Tells All

It seems Stephanie Myer is making my agent Stephen Barbara's life more difficult.  Check out his PW essay, "How Stephanie Myer Cramps My Style.'

Dear Mr. Sutton,

Yesterday, while I was off at the dentist my fellow faculty advisors had our 6th grade book bloggers take a look at your post about kid reviews. Here are some of their responses. (I will add the others in as they are posted.)

c18uw wrote her response in  "'Read Roger' – The Horn Book"

c18bf gives her feelings in "Hey! Ever Heard of the Horn Book?"

c18rc titles her post, "Grrrrrrr!!!"

Sincerely,

The Book Blogger faculty advisor with very clean teeth

Fantastic Mr. Fox

I took my 6th grade Book Bloggers Club to see this last week and really liked it (as they did, I believe).  The look was absolutely splendid. I was really taking right at the beginning when the Fox family is at breakfast and Mrs. Fox pours Mr. Fox coffee out of one of those cool Italian coffee makers. How the hell did they make such a tiny one?  I liked the Brechtian titles, the acting, the action, and so forth.  But I did wonder (as I did with WTWTA) about kid appeal.  So far two of my club...

Little Tweeter on the Prairie

You can always tell it'll be a long winter from the way the muskrats build their houses. And from their tiny hats and scarves.

That's a recent tweet from the adorable  @halfpintingalls.  And happy day, Wendy over at Six Boxes of Books has snagged an interview with her!  (If you don't know who she is, I suggest checking out her tweets and the interview. Great, great stuff.)

Michael Patrick Hearn and Some Glorious Art

Remember that amazing collection of children's book illustration up for auction this coming Wednesday? Even if you can't bid, tomorrow there is a chance to see the art and listen to Michael Patrick Hearn talk about it. Here are the details for this event which is free and open to the public:

Special Lecture by Michael Patrick Hearn

Illustrators of Our Time

Tuesday, 8 December, 6pm, Bloomsbury Auctions

For reservations call +1 212 719 1000

Fairrosa's Cyber Library of Children's Literature

In the early years of the web, Roxanne Feldman (aka fairrosa), a smart and knowledgeable children's literature specialist and one of my closest friends, created Fairrosa's Cyber Library of Children's Literature.  A thoughtful and provocative reader of children's literature, fairrosa is one to pay attention to. Right now she's got an interesting post on the series Pretty Little Liars. Do check it and her blog out.

Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey

A dystopian novel from the author of the delightful Thursday Next and Nursery Crimes books, Shades of Grey will be out here in the US in a few weeks.  I enjoyed it tremendously, partly because Fforde's brave new world is as witty and fully realized as his other alternative worlds,  partly because I found his new hero very endearing, and partly because the plot became more and more intriguing as I read on.

Jasper Fforde loves words, loves silly bits, loves envisioning other worlds filled with...