![]() ![]() It was that perfect blend of happy kids and fun stories that made for a really nice experience (for kids and librarians alike). ![]() At 37 degrees, today's actually the warmest day Chicagoland has seen in quite awhile, but it's still pretty cold! :)Įarlier this week I had a storytime that went really well. I have five advance copies to give away and as of this posting there are only 14 entries, so your chances are good! Who's got kids or students that are Ranger's Apprentice fans? Give them a chance to read the latest book before it's on the shelf!Īnd on that note, I'm off to snuggle back under my blanket. Remember, there's still time to enter my giveaway for The Siege of Macindaw, the sixth installment in the Ranger's Apprentice series. Make sure you head over there and put in your two cents. I had a particularly strong reaction to the post in Mommy's Favorite Children's Books about what to do when you discover a corporate ad in a children's book. ![]() Tomorrow is the start of Black History Month, so remember to head over to The Brown Bookshelf where they'll be starting Twenty Eight Days Later - an annual feature of spectaular African-American authors and illustrators.ĭon't miss the January Carnival of Children's Literature, hosted by Lisa at Under the Covers. This is your one-stop guide to kidlitosphere news, kidlit blogs, the Kidlitosphere Conference and more. Interested in kidlit and kidlit blogs? Check out the brand new site Kidlitosphere Central. ![]()
0 Comments
![]() ![]() ![]() What makes a great Middle Grade Character?: The Ba.Awesome Author Interview: Christina Soontornvat!.Author Interview: Wade Albert White, Author of The.That makes for a character anyone would want to read about. But then they dig deep and find it within themselves the will to keeping going. These characters have drive and a sense of purpose and believe anything can be achieved if they just keep moving forward and putting one foot in front of the other. They’re intent on reaching a specific goal, and they’re not going to let anything get in their way (and they’re not going to believe any adults who tell them it’s impossible, because we all know adults are overly concerned with things like rules and safety and not blowing up the universe-they just don’t get it!). 2018 Customers Also Bought Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of Shadow Hills. Poppy Mayberry, an almost-11-year-old Monday, should be able to pass notes in class or brush her dog, Pickle, without lifting a finger. ![]() ![]() Not necessarily the type that leads to kissing (move along, YA people, nothing to see here), but passion in the sense that the character is passionate about something-whether it’s proving that aliens exist, or deciding to learn one ancient language for every year old they are, or simply creating the world’s largest wad of used chewing gum. In the quirky town of Nova, all of this is normal. I think one thing that makes a great middle grade character is passion. Brown is a high school English teacher by day and a freelance magazine writer by night. Wade Albert White, author of The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes Poppy Mayberry is a modern Annieimmediately likable, charming and spunky.' Robert Beatty, author, on paperback About the Author Jennie K. ![]() ![]() Quirky and wonderful, this story quietly celebrates a childs ingenuity and her ability to change the world around her. ![]() On a cold afternoon in a cold little town, where everywhere you looked was either the white of snow or the black of soot from chimneys, Annabelle found a box full of yarn of every color. The spare, elegant text and art are also infused with plenty of deadpan humor. A young girl and her magical yarn transform a community in this stunning picture book by rising stars Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. Reading like a droll fairy tale, this Barnett-Klassen collaboration is both seamless and magical. The final spread, all light and yarn-covered tree limbs, brings Barnett’s clever, quiet yarn full circle, to a little girl and a town, now colorful and happy.” - Horn Book (starred review) “Klassen’s pacing, especially the mostly wordless sequence when the box floats back to Annabelle on a triangle of an iceberg, is impeccable. ![]() “Klassen’s deadpan, stylized illustrations impeccably complement Barnett’s quirky droll writing.” - School Library Journal (starred review) ![]() “Understated illustrations and prose seamlessly construct an enchanting and mysterious tale.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review) Theres nothing to say butperfect. - Lane Smith, New York Times bestselling author of It's a Book ![]() ![]() The trip is full of peril, and Swift encounters forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before he finds his new home. ![]() His journey takes him a remarkable one thousand miles across the Pacific Northwest. Then a rival pack attacks, and Swift and his family scatter.Īlone and scared, Swift must flee and find a new home. ![]() Swift, a young wolf cub, lives with his pack in the mountains learning to hunt, competing with his brothers and sisters for hierarchy, and watching over a new litter of cubs. Illustrated throughout, this irresistible tale by award-winning author Rosanne Parry is for fans of Sara Pennypacker’s Pax and Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan. This gripping novel about survival and family is based on the real story of one wolf’s incredible journey to find a safe place to call home. ![]() ![]() While The Justice League of America and The Avengers were caught in a spiral downwards in terms of quality and talent, The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans were making their mark in comic book history. ![]() Marvel and DC Present = The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1Īs a comic book fan in 1982, you just couldn’t ask for anything more. ![]() “Long Box” refers to the lengthy, white cardboard boxes most comics find themselves stored within – bagged, alphabetized and numerically ordered. Each of these reviews will delve into what made that issue or run significant as well as discuss the creative personalities behind the work. ![]() Every other week, Jason Shayer will highlight an issue or a run of issues pulled from the horde of comic book long boxes that occupy more room in his house than his wife can tolerate. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Each day, however, the caterpillar is still hungry. For the following five days, Monday through Friday, the very hungry caterpillar eats through an increasing quantity of fruit: one apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, four strawberries on Thursday, and five oranges on Friday. On an early Sunday morning, "a tiny and very hungry caterpillar" hatches from his egg and searches for something to eat. It has been lauded as "one of the greatest childhood classics of all time," and has won praise for its iconic art style, featuring collage artwork and holes in the pages where the caterpillar "ate" through, that was innovative for its time. Since its publication it has sold more than 50 million copies, been translated into more than 60 languages, won various awards, and been adapted for television. The plot follows a very hungry caterpillar that eats a variety of foods before pupating and emerging as a butterfly, and incorporates elements that contribute to juvenile education, such as counting, the days of the week, food, and a butterfly’s life cycle. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a 1969 children's picture book designed, illustrated, and written by American children's author and illustrator Eric Carle. ![]() ![]() Leave a comment below and add to our list of cozy British stories. ![]() I’d love to hear them, whether they’re great on audio or on the page. Readers, I know you have some favorite British books to share. There’s a little something for every reader on this list, whether you like gritty mysteries, romantic classics, or witty British humor. Today I’m sharing 14 titles featuring amazing British narrators and immersive English settings. I know I’m not the only one who loves an audiobook narrator with an accent. British-narrated audiobooks immerse me in the setting, and some of my absolute favorite narrators have delightful accents. Now that the temperature has dropped here in Louisville (cool enough for me to pull out my jumper), I’m enjoying longer walks with Daisy, which means extra audiobook listening. ![]() ![]() Think of the hand-knit scarves and overcoats, the jumpers! (Why is jumper such a delightful alternative to sweater?) Think of afternoon tea in front of the fireplace, or sipping brandy after a dinner party. As far as I know, the British don’t have a term like the Danish hygge to describe the concept of coziness, but there’s something about dreary London Town or the English countryside that makes me feel extra warm and content in cold weather. ![]() ![]() ![]() The story also ties into the events that transform Harvey Dent into Batman's enemy, Two-Face. He instead riddles and gives Batman hints from his Arkham Asylum cell. ![]() This novel also acted as a re-introduction to the DC Universe for one of Batman's most elusive foes, Calendar Man, who knows the true identity of the Holiday killer but refuses to share this with Batman. Working with District Attorney Harvey Dent and Captain James Gordon, Batman races against the calendar as he tries to discover who Holiday is before he claims his next victim each month, while attempting to stop the crime war between two of Gotham City's most powerful families, Maroni and Falcone. Taking place during Batman's early days of crime fighting, The Long Halloween tells the story of a mysterious killer named Holiday, who murders people on holidays, one each month. The series' success led to Loeb and Sale to reteam for two sequels, Batman: Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome, which are set concurrently. It was the follow-up to three Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials (which were reprinted in Batman: Haunted Knight) by the same creative team. It was originally published by DC Comics in 19. ![]() First trade paperback of Batman: The Long Halloweenīatman: The Long Halloween is a 13-issue American comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() We have not read the original picture book (I’ll write another review for it if we do), but there don’t appear to have been any changes when the format changed. Sadly, this book falls more on the latter side. Others simply shrink down the size of the book and create a hybrid that might not work for either the original picture book audience or the babies and toddlers that typically use board books. ![]() Some cut valuable information and lose the meaning of the story or the grace of the illustrations. This is a picture book converted to a board book. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, illustrated by Henry Cole. The true story of two male chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo who became a family, and their adopted daughter Tango. Picture book converted to board book format, 32 pages. Little Simon, Simon & Schuster, New York, 2015, orig. ![]() ![]() ![]() This is where Dualed differs from other dystopian novels. This choice affects all the other decisions West makes for the rest of the novel, creating a theme that resonates throughout: Once you decide who you are, you can’t turn back. No: West decides to become a hit man, or “striker”. She doesn’t refuse to kill her Alt, though. West has lost nearly everyone she cares about, and she knows that unless she does something, her fate will end up the same as the rest of her family’s. Before a person’s twentieth birthday, they must eliminate their Alt in order to prove their societal worth. This is where first-time author Elsie Chapman’s novel Dualed breaks the mold.ĭualed tells the story of a girl named West Grayer who lives in a society where everyone has a genetic double–or “Alt”. It’s starting to get to the point where a person can accurately predict the end of a novel without even reading it. There seems to be a set formula for dystopian novels: Ruthless government forces its denizens into something that goes against the universal moral code, headstrong girl fights back and manages to fall in love along the way. ![]() ![]() Pub 2-2013, Random House Books for Young Readers ![]() |