I’m going to be taking some time off from work and from blogging to spend time with my family.  I’ll be back on Monday, August 6th.  Expect my Twitter feed to go dark too, since I’m unplugging for the week.

I hope to read some great books and have them to share when I return! 

Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/52421717@N00/6323696803/

Happy Children’s Book Week!  I adore this poster by David Wiesner that features many beloved characters from children’s books.  Lovely!

I’m taking a few days off to be with my kids on Spring Break.  It will be some at-home time filled with colored eggs, fresh bread, and plenty of books.   I’ll also be snapping lots of spring pictures with my camera, like the one above from our magnolia tree.

It sounds idyllic until you add in my new addiction to Skyrim…

Image from sleepyneko.

After thinking long and hard about my policy of not reviewing self-published books, and looking closely at the changing landscape of publishing and authors, I have decided that I am going to start reviewing self-published titles.

As always, I will review only the books that I enjoy reading.  Frankly, I don’t have time to review all of the books I love, so I don’t have time to spend on books I don’t enjoy.  I know there are people who insist that negative reviewing is an important part of blogging, but after doing this for so many years I know how I prefer to blog and what energy I prefer to put out into the world.

For those who want to contact me about reviewing a book, you can email me at tsaecker@gmail.com.

Happy reading!

Here is the 2012 Rainbow List of GLBTQ books for children and teens has been announced by the Social Responsibilities Round Table and the Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Queer Round Table of the American Library Association.

Here are the titles with the ones in bold reflecting their position in the top ten:

   

Beam, Cris. I Am J.

Belge, Kathy and Marke Bieschke. Queer: The Ultimate Guide for Teens.  

Belgue, Nancy. Soames on the Range.

Berman, Steve, editor. Speaking Out.

  

Bray, Libba. Beauty Queens.

Brezenoff, Steve. Brooklyn Burning.

Carr, Jennifer. Be Who You Are.

   

Cook, Trish, and Brendan Halpin. Notes from the Blender.

Cooper, Michelle. The FitzOsbornes in Exile.

Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories.

Donley, Jan. The Side Door.

   

Farrey, Brian. With or Without You.

Goode, Laura. Sister Mischief.

Hopkins, Ellen. Perfect.

It Gets Better. Dan Savage and Terry Miller, ed.

   

Lo, Malinda. Huntress.

Lynch, Jane. Happy Accidents.

Mournian, Tomas. Hidden.

Myracle, Lauren. Shine.

  

Newman, Leslea. Donovan’s Big Day. Illustrated by Mike Dutton.

Pasfield, Scott. Gay in America: portraits.

Peters, Julie Ann. She Loves You, She Loves You Not.

   

Reardon, Robin. The Evolution of Ethan Poe.

Reardon, Robin. A Question of Manhood.

Ryan, Patrick. Gemini Bites.

Sanchez, Alex. Boyfriends with Girlfriends.

  

Takako, Shimura. Wandering Son, Volume 1. Translated by Matt Thorn.

Torres, Justin. We the Animals.

Welcome to Bordertown: new stories and poems of the borderlands. Holly Black and Ellen Kushner, ed.

  

Wilkinson, Lili. Pink.

Wright, Bil. Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy.

Zombies vs. Unicorns. Holly Black, ed.

Here are the links I shared on my Twitter and Pinterest accounts that you might find interesting:

7 Ways to Follow ‘The Hunger Games’ Movie on Social Mediahttp://j.mp/wtGwz9

Best of the Best Reading List – Chicago Public Library http://j.mp/A1aB0j

Better Book Titles does Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnieshttp://j.mp/AdFkTk

Biblio File: GIMME GIMME! Conferences, bloggers, and Bitterbluehttp://j.mp/zUL2u1

Cinder Author Marissa Meyer: My Query Letter « Novel Novicehttp://j.mp/xwnGsh

How can we make every day a World Book Day? – Schools need more time for reading aloud http://j.mp/zLG93s

RT @msmisrule: Proof, if anyone actually needs it, that John Hughes invented contemporary YA fiction:http://bit.ly/eObFJ9

Reading Rainbow’s LeVar Burton to Receive Tufts Award for Children’s Media – http://j.mp/yIZe0C

‘Star’-Crossed: When Teens With Cancer Fall In Love : John Green on NPRhttp://j.mp/xulky4

Top 10: Best Middle Grade Chapter Books by Books4YourKids : PragmaticMomhttp://j.mp/xwbouB

Very Hungry Caterpillar is most read children’s book in Britain – MadeForMums http://j.mp/xIa6UW #kidlit

Wired Magazine wonders about Dystopian YA Novels http://j.mp/AAk34e

You must MUST must listen to Jack Gantos on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!http://www.npr.org/2012/01/28/145998769/newbery-medal-winner-jack-gantos-plays-not-my-job

Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award

Ashley Bryan

 

Illustrator Award

Honor Book

Kadir Nelson for Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Winner

Shane W. Evans for Underground: Find the Light to Freedom (Yippeee!)

 

Author Award

Honor Books

The Great Migration: Journey to the North by Eloise Greenfield

Never Forgotten by Patricia C. McKissack

Winner

Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson (Amazing to win both!)

NO WINNER FOR CHILDREN’S CATEGORY!

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

TEEN

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

I am head over heels in love with the art by Jane Mount, an artist from New York.  She has created Ideal Bookshelves for all sorts of readers.  Best of all, my children’s lit fans, she has created ones that speak to us as well!  Yes, they would also be great in a children’s room.  But me, I’ll take one or more for my main living space!

Here are some of her pieces. 

You can also order your very own bookshelf with your special books on her Etsy shop.  Existing prints can be ordered at 20×200.

Thanks to Garden and Gun for the info.