Monica Edinger's Blog, page 35

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: Launch Trailer – BBC One

Two Exciting Fall Books To Look Forward To

This week I receivedsomeespecially lovely mailings of two forthcoming books. First of all, there was Laura Amy Schlitz’s The Hired Girl (which I have read and wrote enthusiastically about here). The ARC came most appropriately with a small notebook and a dainty white handkerchief. How perfect for a book written as a journal from the perspective of an aspirational farm girl.

And then there was a book I’ve known was in the works for some time. I’m thrilled that it is coming out this fall and...

Kids and Ironic Humor

Years ago I wrote an article, “Pets and Other Fishy Books” in which Itook a look at kids’ reactions to subversive books.Among others I wrote about my class’s response to Chris Raschka’s Arlene Sardine:

Most unexpected to me was their reaction to Chris Raschkas Arlene Sardine. Assuming it was another piscatorial preschool book along the lines of Swimmy or Rainbow Fish, I quickly touched upon and then skipped right past it at the bookstore. It was only when I heard that it was something quite...

International Children’s Books Considered

YesterdayI attended “Where the Wild Books Are” at the New School here in NYC. OrganizersEtienne Delessertand Steven Guarnaccia(who have both created some of my favorite books of all time) put together avery worthwhile Saturdayafternoon (important because we were all in a dark auditorium on a spectacularly beautiful spring day).

Things opened with children’s literature expert Leonard S. Marcus giving an historical overview of international children’s books in the American publishing world. He...

2015 Children’s Africana Book Award Winner is…

Andrea Pinkney’s The Red Pencil! I reviewedthis fine bookfor the New York Times and am delightedto see this. Congratulations, Andrea and Little Brown Books for Young Readers!

More on the BBC’s adaptation of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

Thanks, Vickester51Corner, for alerting me to aninformative write-up of the preview of the forthcoming series here.

Book-Shame

But the truth is that those of us who feel book-shame are probably worrying too much. Most people neither notice nor care what others are reading.

The above is fromCharles McGrath in“Is There Anything One Should Feel Ashamed of Reading?.” And I’m now thinking — is there anything I’d be ashamed to be seen reading? Not really. That said, I love reading on my Ipad largelybecause I am a very fast reader and it allows me to have at my finger tips tons to read, but a secondary aspect is the privacy...

Thinking About International Children’s Books

I’m really looking forward to this free event next Saturday, April 18th:

Where the Wild Book Are

An event exploring and celebrating international picture books and the publishing industry, emphasizing their role in promoting global literacy and creativity.

Where the Wild Books Arewas conceived by artist Etienne Delessert, who, along withauthor/illustrator and Parsons faculty Steven Guarnaccia, will present the event as acreative response to explore cultural trends and changes in the field of...

Thoughts on Newbery: If I Could Change One Rule

Here’s my comment on Betsy Bird’s provocative post of today: “If you could change any rule…”

More awards are certainly all well and good, but the Newbery is the biggie out there (for better or worse it is the only one most know) and therefore as Ive argued many times before, Id like its criteria to change to be positive about the way art and design propel the storytelling. A graphic novel award will not keep the Newbery Committee from continuing to grapple with the current negative criteria*...

In the Classroom: Cultural Norms

Because we are living abroad, my kids have lots of inevitable small embarrassments during the day due to being international students and being out of linguistic and cultural step. Consequently, my husband and I are really conscious of making sure they have the right things with them when we can. The thing is, there are so many unarticulated things that cultural insiders just know and that no one thinks to tell you.

That is fromMarika Seigel‘s thoughtful article, “On Being the Mom of ‘the Fo...