David Macinnis Gill's Blog: Thunderchikin Reads, page 32

An "Exciting, Action-Packed Read on a Mars that is Red in Tooth and Claw."

Greg Leitich Smith, author of Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo and Tofu and T.Rex (Little Brown) and co-author of Santa Knows (Dutton), has posted a (I think) terrif review of Black Hole Sun on his blog at http://greglsblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/black-hole-sun.html

Here's an excerpt:

Plot is well-wrought, fast-paced, with an intriguing back-story; Durango, his AI implant Mimi, and Vienne (Durango's number two) are intense, sarcastic, and sometimes brutal in a society whose law has deteriorated...

Christopher Crowe, 2010 Hipple Award Winner

The ALAN Executive Committee is pleased and proud to announce Christopher Crowe as the 2010 recipient of the Ted Hipple Service Award.

The award is given each year to an individual who has offered significant contributions to the ALAN organization. It is named in honor of Ted Hipple, the first and long-time ALAN Executive Secretary, who passed away on November 25, 2004. Ted shaped ALAN through decades of unwavering service and support. He was a Professor of Education at the University of...

A "Carking Good Read"

Teri Lesesne, Goddess of YA, has posted a great review of Black Hole Sun on her blog, calling it "sci-0fi meets film noir meets kung fu feature." You can read the whole review here[image error].

Dirty Towels of Doom

Back in the Dark Ages when I was in college, I worked in a campus cafeteria. One day, after a particularly low health inspection and deservedly low score, an edict came down from Management: Thou Must Clean Better Starting Now. Fair enough. The cafeteria was messy, especially the ice cream machine, which had a drip pan that could grow mold faster than a bag of week-old bread.

But on the same day, another edict came from Management: Thou Shall Use Only One Towel Per Shift. Towels were a...

November 18-21, 2010: NCTE/ALAN

November 18-21, 2010: NCTE/ALAN Workshop (Orlando)

Time: TBA

Activity: Signing BLACK HOLE SUN in the HarperCollins booth and speaking on a panel at ALAN Workshop with Jo Knowles, Kerry Madden, and Chris Crowe.

June 25-28, 2010: ALA

June 25-28: ALA Convention (Washington DC)

Time: TBA

Activity: Signing BLACK HOLE SUN in the HarperCollins booth.

Authors and Illustrators Joining Teen Volunteers on Community Projects

Today's blog post comes courtesy of friend and amazing author Laurie Halse Anderson. LHA has joined forces with The NOLA Tree, a teen volunteer group that aids in the restoration of Post-Katrina New Orleans. The NOLA Tree is in the running for a 50k grant from Pepsi to expand it's service. Pepsi is using an online voting system to decide who gets the grant. Only the top ten vote getters are funded. The NOLA Tree needs your vote to push it up the ladder. Voting is hot, fast, cheap, and easy ...

Joan Kaywell Wants Your YA

TOP YA PICKS FROM THIS DECADE 1999-2009

Hi Fellow YA Lovers,

Every decade, Dr. Ted Hipple would ask YA enthusiasts, what their favorite YA books were for the last decade. He would compile the list and publish the results in THE ALAN REVIEW. Given that he was my mentor, I figured I'd follow the tradition.

So, here's my request:
Please e-mail me at kaywell@usf.edu your response to this question:
In your opinion, what are the 10 best YA books published between 1999 and 2009 with 1 being your...

Fingers on My Feet

You've heard of the barefoot running movement, right?  The one in which people run marathons shod only in their own calluses. This to me in the pinnacle of insanity. Not because of the barefoot thing but because of the running thing. See, I don't run. I haven't since my mid20's when my left knee blew out for the second time while I was taking a swing at a baseball. In fact, my whole left leg below the thigh, from the bum knee to the ankle with iffy cartilage to the bunions on both sides of...

Finger on My Feet

You've heard of the barefoot running movement, right?  The one in which people run marathons shod only in their own calluses. This to me in the pinnacle of insanity. Not because of the barefoot thing but because of the running thing. See, I don't run. I haven't since my mid20's when my left knee blew out for the second time while I was taking a swing at a baseball. In fact, my whole left leg below the thigh, from the bum knee to the ankle with iffy cartilage to the bunions on both sides of...