Monica Edinger's Blog, page 41
November 10, 2014
Africa is My Home: Children’s Africana Book Award Celebrations
I was so honored by the celebrations around this year’s Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA). These began with a Meet and Greet dinner at the venerable Bus Boys and Poets (a place I’d always wanted to see) where I met so many wonderful people, among themIfeoma Onyefulu, a former winner of the awardwhose books I’ve long admired.
The following day I spoke to 4th gradersat the fabulous Capital City Public Charter Schoolunder the auspices of An Open Book Foundation.Here’s the description of what...
November 6, 2014
His Dark Materials, the Television Series (Wishful thinking?)
The excellent news that Netflix is adapting Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Eventsinto atelevisionseries has me nowdreaming that they or another forward-thinking company (HBO? BBC? Showtime?) will consider turningPhilip Pullman’s His Dark Materials into one.Please, please, please, please, please?
November 5, 2014
Africa is My Home: Children’s Africana Book Awards Festival This Saturday
On Saturday November 8, 2014, the Smithsonian’s National Museum ofAfrican Art (NMAA) in Washington, DC will host the 22nd annual Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA).CABA was created by Africa Access and the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association to honor authors and illustrators who have produced exceptional books on Africa for young people.
Children’s Africana Book Awards Festival
Join Us! 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Saturday November 8, 2014
Smithsonian’s National Museum of African...
November 3, 2014
Writing “Authentic” Historical Dialog
My reasons for looking at dialogue in a different way were mainly because I was heartily tired of reading what I have taken to calling the Berlitz phrase-book approach to dialogue and character-thought. In the phrase-book approach all language is modern, except when specific words are inserted. Sometimes words from entirely the wrong language are used: Modern French instead of Old or Middle French for the Middle Ages, for instance. Get me after a drink or two and I’ll tell you which writers i...
October 31, 2014
The “It” Book of 2014?
So Goodreads decided to look at their own data to see what is 2014 so-called It book of the year, “It Book” being defined by them as:
They’re the ones that we pass along, that we hope our friends have read so that we can discuss and debate. Love them or hate them, we can’t stop talking about them!
Check out their results here(and then you may discuss amongst yourselves as to what it meansin terms of the debate as to whether certainadult readers are going to hell in a handbasket or the opposite)...
October 27, 2014
Learning About Africa: Best Source for Ebola Info? Not What You May Think
I have never agreed with the dismissalof Wikipedia as a source of information, even for students. This is because that while, yes, there are pages that are full of misinformation, others are excellent. The latter are carefully maintained by experts and highly knowledgeable people regarding the topic in question. I’d long ago read about scientists who were seeing to it that Wikipedia pages on their subjects of expertise were being properly maintained. I think that rather than teaching students...
October 26, 2014
October 22, 2014
Holly Black and the Twelfth Doctor
Holly Black has joined a stellar line-up of children’s authors (to name a few: Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman, Patrick Ness, Eoin Colfer and Neil Gaiman) who have each crafted a short tale for every incarnation of the eponymous Time Lord.
When the original run of e-books ended in November of last year Matt Smith was the incumbent Doctor but now acting heavyweight Peter Capaldi has taken on the role it seems apt that he should be featured in a story.
Black’s story, Lights Out, is unique in...
October 18, 2014
A Westing Game Movie Directed by Neil Patrick Harris with a Screenplay by Gillian Flynn?
What book would you most like to see turned into a movie?
I have, for years, been a bit obsessed with “The Westing Game,” by Ellen Raskin. It’s a young adult murder mystery, about a group of residents in an apartment building, the death of a millionaire in a mansion nearby and their trying to solve clues left by the deceased to win his inheritance. Apparently it has already been made into a movie, but not by me! I’m dying to direct a really dark, moody version of it. Then I read that Gillian F...
October 17, 2014
Frank Cotrell Boyce on the Importance of Story
I love visiting schools. There’s a humbling, Homeric magic in the sight of a crowd of children sitting down waiting to listen to your story. A few months ago, however, a lovely young NQT stepped between me and that crowd and said: “Now we are very lucky to have Frank with us today. We’re going to use our Listening Skills (she touched her ears) to try and spot his Wow Words (what?) and his Connectives so that we can appreciate how he builds the story.” Imagine going on a date with her. “We’re...
