Monica Edinger's Blog, page 85
February 12, 2012
A Wrinkle in Time Celebration
Yesterday's Wrinkle in Time's 50th Anniversary Event was excellent. Symphony Space, Macmillan, Betsy Bird, Bank Street Bookstore, and everyone involved did a fantastic job. The place was packed with a lovely range of kids, parents, and adult admirers of the book (now out in a gorgeous 50th anniversary commemorative edition) and its author, Madeleine L'Engle. The event was part of Symphony Space's author series, the Thalia Kids' Book Club. Next up — Carl Hiassen.
The program was a lovely mix...
February 10, 2012
This Isn't My First Battle
SLJ's Battle of the Kids' Books OFFICIAL (well, as official as anything we do at the BoB) Trailer!
Created by the amazing Everdeen Sisters (AKA Summer Ogata and Lauren Downey). More about them and their making of the trailer here.
February 9, 2012
The Mysterious Mr.Snicket is Returning this Fall
As he did so brilliantly with A Serious of Unfortunate Events*, Mr. Lemony Snicket is teasing us by giving us small bits of information about his new series, coming out this fall from Little Brown. For those who weren't following the previous series in real-time, Mr. Snicket not only wrote wonderfully clever and witty books about the very sad Baudelaire children, but also did some absolutely brilliant promotion between books. There were websites with daily clues, wonderful author events...
February 7, 2012
The Judges Are Coming!
To launch this year's Battle of the Kids's Books SLJ did a smashing article in which four of our distinguished judges were revealed. Starting today we will be celebrating each of our judges with individual posts. The first four will be of those already announced, but then we will go with those who were not. So if you want to know ALL of this year's judges keep a close eye over the next few weeks over at the BoB site!
As for what they will be judging — we will be announcing that closer to the ...
February 1, 2012
SLJ's Battle of the Kids' Books 2012
And so it begins — the contenders for this year's Battle of the Kids' Books have been revealed! If you aren't familiar with this contest (which yours truly, I'm happy to admit, initiated four years ago), do check it out.
January 28, 2012
SleepVolking a la Jack Gantos
Yesterday one of my 4th grade students was reading the ARC of Dead End in Norvelt (choosing it over the also-on-display hardcover) and came over to ask me what sleepVolking is. I suggested it was Mrs. Volker's wit on display and then wondered if it was in the final book. (Unfortunately all my copies are at school and I'm at home so I can't give a direct quote or page number — maybe someone else can though.) He went off to check and then returned showing me that it wasn't. Now I suppose this s...
January 26, 2012
Stephen Colbert and Maurice Sendak Together At Last
Last year, after noticing the Today Show had decided to break their tradition of interviewing the Newbery and Caldecott winners the day after they won, I suggested that Stephen Colbert do it instead. While it didn't happen last year or this year (and I know for a fact that this year's Newbery winner Jack Gantos could easily match Colbert, crazy comment for crazy comment), they did something arguably more awesome: they got Colbert interviewing "Mo" (as he calls him at one point) Maurice...
January 24, 2012
Thoughts on Newbery: The Day After
Ten years ago yesterday I received a phone call from my great friend Roxanne Feldman who was on that year's Newbery Committee. She told me to guess the winner. "It was a book you liked!" she said excitedly. After a few poor answers she put me out of misery and told me the winner was A Single Shard. Having vicariously lived through that year with her (and it was a particularly hard one for both of us New Yorkers because of 9/11) it was easy to convince me to attend my first banquet that...
January 19, 2012
Coming Soon: Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache
Yesterday a package of ARCs from Abrams arrived at my home, among them Tom Angleberger's forthcoming Fake Mustache and, needing a light read before bed, I decided to give it a try. Next thing I knew a couple of hours had passed and I'd gulped down the whole delightful confection. It isn't out till April so I hope this isn't a dreadful tease, but I thought Origami Yoda fans as well as others looking for good and funny middle grade books might like to know what they have in store.
So wacky this ...
January 18, 2012
Thoughts on Newbery: My 2012 Druthers
On Friday the members of the 2012 Newbery Committee will position themselves around a table in an undisclosed location and begin their work. At some point over the next few days they will make their decision at which point a puff of white smoke will come out of the Dallas Convention Center for the waiting multitudes.
Well, okay, no white smoke. Instead we will get to see the Committee members wandering around looking inscrutable, exhausted and exhilarated until Monday morning when all will...
