Monica Edinger's Blog, page 145
June 19, 2009
Furry Things?
Dave Eggers’ The Wild Things Fur-covered Edition is now available for pre-order from McSweeney’s. Here’s the catalog copy:
The Wild Things, based loosely on the storybook by Maurice Sendak and the screenplay co-written with Spike Jonze, is about the confusions of a boy, Max, making his way in a world he can’t control. His father is gone, his mother is spending time with a younger boyfriend, his sister is becoming a teenager and no longer has interest in him. At the same time, he finds himself ca
Revisiting: AS Byatt’s Possession
Okay, it isn’t really quite my revisiting, but I am an AS Byatt fan, loved Possession, and am eagerly waiting for the US publication of her latest, The Children’s Book. So I very much enjoyed reading Sam Jordison over at the Guardian book club leading a discussion of this title. Like a fellow Guardian writer, Jordison considered himself a Byatt skeptic due to a problematic experience earlier in his reading career, but this book changed his mind. He writes:
The first thing that surprised me abo
June 17, 2009
In the Classroom: Evolving Technology
Franki at A Year of Reading has been thoughtfully considering new literacy tools in a number of posts this year. Now she is focused on how Ipod Touches can be used in the classroom. Now I have to say that due to many years in a fourth grade classroom exploring new tools I am a bit cautious about any particular thing. I’ve had an IPod Touch myself for a year and I love it, but I have to admit I haven’t been interested in using it with my students. Why? Because I’m fortunate in having more th
June 16, 2009
Docteur Seuss, Zombies, and More
From the NYTimes Paper Cuts Blog, “Je ne Les Aime Pas, Sam-C’est Moi”, I’ve learned that Ulysses Press has two Dr. Seuss classics available in French. Fun that, but even moreso is seeing what else is on their catalog page for juveniles. Say The Zombie Handbook which, among other things, “… combs through every zombie-ological subject, from feeding habits to favorite sexual positions…” There’s also What Will Happen in Eragon IV, and The Unofficial Harry Potter Vocabulary Builder (”Learn the 3,
Revisiting: The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish
“I’ll swap you my dad,” I said.
“Oh-oh,” said my little sister.
This was the year of Neil Gaiman for my class. In the fall I read aloud an ARC of The Graveyard Book, we fell madly in love with it and made a mural, and were thrilled beyond measure when it won the Newbery Award. The Coraline movie caused much in-class discussion (especially some of the changes from the book) and the kids also enjoyed tremendously my reading aloud Gaiman and McKean’s clever The Wolves in the Wall. I then wanted
June 15, 2009
Coming Soon: A Conspiracy of Kings, by Megan Whalen Turner
I had some informal information about this, but now it is official! (Thanks to Charlotte’s Library for this.)
June 14, 2009
Best NYC Children’s Book Store?
Over at Nickelodeon Channel’s Parents Connect site, they are running a poll, asking “Where do you head to get your kid to put down the joystick and pick up the Potter [in New York City:]?” Since one of the nominees is actively campaigning I figured I’d give my view (as a New York City bookstore patron) for what it is worth. Before doing so I would like to note that one of my favorite bookstores wasn’t nominated — The Corner Bookstore at 1313 Madison Avenue. They do a periodic publication of k
June 9, 2009
June 5, 2009
The Question of Hope
Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein has come up with a very thoughtful definition of YA Lit over at her blog. I’m particularly interested in one point she makes, “… a YA novel should end with hope, that there must be some thread of a ghost of a promise of a happy ending or more growth, that there is indeed meaning to the events enclosed.” I agree wholeheartedly and think a sense of hope important for children’s stories as well.
I realize that the phrase, “a sense of hope” can be seen as trite, but I
