Slate has recycled an article about how professional reviewers can review books so very quickly.  The article has a new intro on Harry Potter but is really about Bill Clinton’s My Life.  Part of what I love about blog reviews is that we post about books that we feel merit the mention.  I know that when I start reading glowing reviews they are being written because that blogger feels passionately about the book.  Not because it was assigned.

There is a sort of natural quality control that happens.  While I do accept free books from publishers, I only review a fraction of them on the blog.  Only the ones I love.  Or in the case of one special book about a stuffed rabbit, the ones that others love but I don’t.

Eco-Libris, a wonderful program where you can balance out the books you read by planting a tree, is offering a way to offset your purchase of the new Harry Potter.  Send them a picture of you posing with a copy of any of the HP books, and you will get a chance to have trees planted in your name.  The first fifty entries will get trees planted in their name:  seven trees, one for each book.  Then the best picture will get a free copy of the newest Harry Potter printed on 100% recycled paper. 

Caught this Morning Edition piece on NPR this morning.  It is a very interesting segment on the copyright pirates in China creating not only Harry Potter books in violation of copyright, but also making their own new Harry Potter stories and selling them.  Some of the titles and concepts are shocking, but being the strange person I am, I wish that I could just read one…

AfterElton, a blog that offers news and information for gay men, has a very nice article on the battle about children’s books with gay themes.  The article mentions And Tango Makes Three, King & King, and The Trouble with Babies.  As a public librarian, I especially appreciated the following quote from Arthur Levine:

“Ten percent of the children’s book readership, at least, will grow
up to be gay or lesbian,” he said to AfterElton.com. “Wouldn’t it be
nice if their first exposure to the idea that there are gay people in
the world isn’t when they’re teenagers — so when little Johnny falls in
love with that really cute, brainy boy in his computer class, he’s
grown up with the idea that it’s not unusual and there’s nothing wrong
with that.

“And an even higher percentage of picture book
readership will grow up to know and love somebody who’s gay or lesbian.
So when you think about it that way, a large percentage of your picture
book audience can really benefit from naturalizing the idea that there
are gay and lesbian people in the world. When you think about it that
way, it’s even more of a mystery why there aren’t more of these books.”

Hurrah!  I know that many librarians think they are serving only the straight in their community, but gay families, children who will realize they are gay, or families with gay loved ones all need to have a haven in their public library where their lives are mirrored and acceptable.

Nancy Pearl is back on NPR with a list of books with Great Opening Lines to Hook Young Readers. 

The books included are

Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson.

Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Lee.

Ragweed by Avi.

Fear by M.T. Anderson

Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

Make sure you listen to the clip, because Nancy’s enthusiasm will completely sell you on the titles.

Amy Keroes is a mother who was searching for good reads for her children.  She wanted books that offered positive and believable characters for her son and daughter.  Out of her search came the Anti-Princess Reading List, a collection of picture books that feature strong girls in lead roles.  Her site also offers books that feature working mothers and book for babies.  If you are a working parent yourself, she also has lots of parent reads she recommends.  

Michael Rosen has been named the British Children’s Laureate.  An author for over 30 years, Rosen has written some of the all-time favorite books of many.  Story times just wouldn’t be the same if we couldn’t read restless toddlers We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.  And if you haven’t read Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, then run run run and get your hands on it.  It is a treat to see an author with this range of quality writing get an honor like this. 

Got an email today from Cheryl Rainfield, who does a great job of providing book reviews of picture books and books for teens.  She has great taste in books, clever titles, interesting subject grouping, and a friendly written style.  She gives each title a star rating, but so many of her choices are winners that it is hard to go wrong. 

To the Best of Our Knowledge is a great Wisconsin Public Radio program.  This Sunday (June 3rd) they will be discussing children’s books.  Here is the great intro statement that I heard on WPR this morning as I drove to work:

One of the worst things about growing up is you get kicked
out of the children’s section of the library. I mean, you learn to read
and life is one olong happy string of books, from Peter Pan to Winnie
the Pooh to Harriett the Spy, but then you reach a certain age and you’re
supposed to graduate and spend the rest of your life reading grown-up
books. Well, have no fear. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge,
it’s children’s books, for us.

Great sounding, isn’t it?  Authors like Maurice Sendak and Philip Pullman will join in the conversation.

Even if you don’t live in Wisconsin, you can listen to the program later in the week online using the link above.  Just click the Listen button and off you go!