Betsy Bird's Blog, page 268
March 5, 2015
Review of the Day: Lost in NYC by Nadja Spiegelman
Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure
By Nadja Spiegelman
Illustrated by Sergio García Sánchez
TOON Graphics (and imprint of RAW, Jr.)
$16.95
ISBN: 978-1935179818
Ages 8-12
On shelves April 14, 2015
While I’m aware that public transport was invented to meet the very real needs of urban commuters, when you’re the parent of a city child you can be forgiven for taking an entirely different view of things. Simply put: subways were created for the sole purpose of amusing children. How else to explain the...
March 4, 2015
What Are the Best Literary Apps Available Today?
The question came to me and I admit I was a bit stumped at first. A colleague was looking for recommendations of the best literary apps for kids. Put another way, apps with a distinct tie-in to specific children’s books. So I thought about it. I’ve toyed about with several apps for years. I could make such a list.
However, before I present it to you, I would like to point out that literary apps are in significant decline. When first they hit the scene they were prevalent because they were nove...
March 3, 2015
Cover Reveal – Mr. Puffball: Stunt Cat to the Stars
It is my infinite pleasure to present to you today a middle grade novel’s cover that amuses me in a way that really speaks to my particular proclivities. Humor is so subjective. Still, it is beyond me how anyone could look at this and not be immediately charmed. And so, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you MR. PUFFBALL: STUNT CAT TO THE STARS by Constance Lombardo.
And for the full jacket . . .
On shelves September 29th.
Thanks to the folks at Harper Collins for the reveal!
March 2, 2015
Video Interview: M.T. Anderson and the Symphony for the City of the Dead
What you learn in this life of children’s librarianship is that there is an exception to every rule. For example, normally I do not indulge in video interviews outside of my Fuse #8 TV ones. And normally I do not care diddly over squat for anything directed towards a young adult audience. But Mr. M.T. Anderson has a way of making a girl forget past restrictions. So when I was asked whether or not I would be interested in interviewing the man about his upcoming nonfiction title Symphony for th...
March 1, 2015
Video Sunday: La la la!
Morning, folks. We’ve a good store of goodies this morning, and I’m pleased as punch to give them to you. First up, a short film. A very short film, actually. I’ve spoken in the past on how Hollywood views children’s writers and the creation of children’s books. This film seems to believe that children’s books in general are being urged to be “darker”. Even picture books. An odd sentiment, but there you go.
Thanks to Stephanie Whelan for the link!
So, First Book is doing something called the Sp...
February 27, 2015
Bring It Back! Out-of-Print Crimes Against Humanity: Adios, Oscar
Let’s try something a little new. I’m only human. I like to rant and rail about various children’s books being lamentably out-of-print as much as the next guy. But I also acknowledge that in the current publishing state in which we live it is simply not possible to keep all books in print.
That said, there really are a couple books out there that I think deserve another chance at life. Now I’ve done variations on this kind of post before. Last year I wrote the piece
February 26, 2015
The Official CBC Bookmark Reveal
WHAT TIME IS IT, AMERICA!!!????!!!
If you answered that it was time for Children’s Book Week, you’d almost be right. Actually, Children’s Book Week (now in its 96th year) isn’t until May 4th – 10th. In preparation, I have a bit of a treat planned. On Sunday, April 26th at 2:00 p.m. the following program will be taking place at NYPL:
Children’s Literary Salon: Children’s Book Week – Its Past, Present, and Future
Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy i...
February 25, 2015
Review of the Day: My Near-Death Adventures by Alison DeCamp
My Near-Death Adventures (99% True)
By Alison DeCamp
Crown Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Random House)
$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-385-39044-6
Ages 9-12
On shelves now
Children’s historical fiction novels often divide up one of two ways. In the first category you have your important moments in history. In such books our heroes run about and encounter these moments by surprise. Extra points if it happens to be a Great Big Bad Moment in history as well. Then in the second category are the books...
February 23, 2015
Fusenews: Starring the World’s Creepiest Cat in the Hat!
Here in New York we’re getting very excited. The 90-Second Film Festival is coming!! And soon too! Here’s a PW interview with James Kennedy about the festival and for those of you in the NYC area you can see it at NYPL on Saturday, March 7th at 3:00 p.m. In fact, now that I think about it, you could begin your day at NYPL at 2:00 p.m. at my Children’s Literary Salon Blurred Lines?: Accuracy and Illustration in Nonfiction. We’ll be hosting Mara Rockliff (author), Brian Floca (author/illustrato...
February 20, 2015
Review of the Day: Everybody Sleeps (But Not Fred) by Josh Schneider
Everybody Sleeps (But Not Fred)
By Josh Schneider
Clarion Books (an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
ISBN: 978-0544339248
Ages 4-6
On shelves April 7, 2015
When attempting to turn small writhing human beings of very little years into mature, forthright, sterling individuals of singular merit and good humor we run into some challenges. There’s teaching them to eat their dinner (even the vegetables). There’s endowing them with an appreciation of tooth brushing. And then there’s the trickies...
