Monica Edinger's Blog, page 25

Pamela S. Turner’s Samurai Rising

My interest to date insamurai has been close to zero, mytolerance for violence and gore minimal (Game of Thrones had me running in the opposite direction), and being a pacifist I usually find books with endless descriptions of battles and war plans tedious. Yet all of this went out the window when I startedPamela S. Turner’s Samurai Rising. Immediately I wasbesotted, eager to return to it when I was forced to put it down to do other things,fascinated by the topic, taken by the exciting story...

David Denby’s Lit Up

Finished David Denby’s Lit Up yesterday evening. Denby spends his time observing English classes in several different high schools and hones in on what happens as gifted teachers lead students grappling with difficult texts. While it is mostly on the more traditional approach to literature instruction (a class tussling with one book, mostly so-called “canon” ones), Denby is very appreciative of one school’s focus on individual reading, writing glowingly of Penny Kittle’s work and with respect...

Juba

John Jeremiah Sullivan in his fascinating New York Times piece ‘Shuffle Along’ and the Painful History of Black Performance in America‘aboutthe forthcoming Broadway show (that I just saw and loved this past week), mentions the 19th century dancer Juba, remindingme of Walter Dean Myers’ posthumously published novel of last year, Juba! A Novel.

Children’s Literature and the Censorship Conversation: A Conference

On Saturday, April 16thThe Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature is hosting a conference on banned, challenged and censored books for young children.Led by experts in the field, theconversationswill revolve around the experiences of those who have been censored, the development of controversial works and the viewpoints of authorities on books, produced in 2015-2016, that have been challenged or censored.

Speakers at the conference will include Robie Harris, author of It’s Only Natural...

Another Take on Privilege

A decade agoI wrote the following Letter to the Editor in response to a New York Times article, about a wealthy US do-gooding family (“In Niger, Using a Vacation to Help the World’s Poor”). Not only is this sort of thing still happening, but it has become big business. And so I was glad to see Jacob Kushner’s article in Monday’s Times, “The Voluntourist Dilemma.”Ifyou really want tohelp, as I wrote a decade ago give money or better yet, as Kushner concludes, make it your career. (Similar to w...

Reviewing When We Think We Know or A Little Learning is a Dangerous Thing

A little learning is a dangerous thing
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring :
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely sobers us again.
Alexander Pope

I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about the conundrum that happens when reviewers think we know, but don’t.My friend Roxanne Feldman addressed this beautifully in her post, “Doing the Diversity Thing Diversely, Part 3: How Can We Know When We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know?,” focusing in on the reviewer’s d...

Forthcoming on Broadway: Shuffle Along

This past weekend I was wowed byShuffle Along or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All that Followed. Written anddirected by the legendary George C. Wolfe,with jaw-dropping choreography by the awesome tap dancer Savion Glover, and show-stopping moments by a stellar cast that includes Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Billy Porter, this isone unique and mesmerizing show. A complex one too — both elements of the original 1921 musical as well as a piercingly blunt history...

Children’s Africana Book Awards, 2016

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

BEST BOOKS Young Children Older Readers Nigeria Kenya Ethiopia Africa
by
NnediOkorafor MehrdokhtAmini
by
FranckPrévot
Aurélia Fronty
by
Elizabeth Wein
by
Beverley Naidoo
Piet Grobler HONOR BOOKS Young Children Older Readers Nigeria Ghana South Africa
by
Atinuke
Lauren Tobias
by
Kathy Knowles
Edmund Opare
by
Connie Manse Ngcaba NOTABLES Young Children Ghana The Gambia by
Laurie AnnThompson
Sean Qualls by
Miranda Paul...

New Horn Book Podcast

Because I’m addicted to adult titles for my listening pleasure, I tend not to follow podcasts. That said, I do keep NPR going as I work at home and definitely explore the occasional podcasts thatreceive a lot of buzz (e.g. Colby Sharp and Travis Jonker’s The Yarn). The other day I noticed thatRoger Sutton andSiân Gaetano, on a new Horn Book podcast series, were discussing topics of importance to me and so I took a look (listen?). I can say the two episodes to date are interesting, lively, and...

Mind the Gap: Entering the World of Shana Corey and Chris Sickels’ The Secret Subway

(All sketches and images, unless otherwise indicated, credited to Red Nose Studio)

Last week I was honored to premier Shana Corey and Chris Sickels’ (aka Red Nose Studio) trailer for their delightful nonfiction picture bookThe Secret Subway. Now, as promised, I’m back with comprehensive interviews and images. Thanks to Shana and Chris for taking the time to answer my questions so comprehensively.I urge you to read every word and pour over every image — just as you are certain to do with the...