Just what I needed on a late Friday afternoon! Variety reports that Reliance Entertainment is acquiring feature film rights to Kristin Cashore’s Graceling trilogy. This is the same studio that is producing Vampire Academy as well.
My only worry is that the worlds that Cashore builds are political and complex. I wouldn’t want to see any of my beloved series watered down or lost.
Tiger Eyes, the amazing novel by Judy Blume, has been made into a feature film. It was named the Best Feature Film at the Palm Beach International Film Festival this month. Now there is a gorgeous trailer for the film:
The Canadian Science Writers’ Association has announced the winners of their annual book awards for outstanding contributions to science writing. The winner of the youth award for 2012 is:
The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Willow Dawson
Here are the links I shared on my Twitter and Pinterest accounts this week that you might find interesting:
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Book Doctor: do classic children’s books give us too rosy a view of childhood? | Children’s books http://buff.ly/11Bdn98 #kidlit
Gillian Cross’s top 10 books about being different | Books http://buff.ly/14SvvBs #kidlit
Mo Willems: Children’s book author shares his secrets http://buff.ly/11C6XaR #kidlit
New Video Throws Spotlight on Newbery Authors http://buff.ly/11H7EyD #kidlit
Remembering Elaine Konigsburg – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/11zwsd9 #authors #kidlit
Tacky the Penguin’s Creators Celebrate 25 Years – Publishers Weekly: Lester and Munsinger’s first-ever collabo… http://bit.ly/13XRt5a
EBOOKS
Looking for a good laugh about digital vs. paper? The Paperless Future – "Emma" http://buff.ly/YPCKBT
Patterson Sees Ads as a Wake Up Call http://buff.ly/15LaB6c #reading #ebooks
LIBRARIES
The Most Playful Libraries in the World – Flavorwire http://buff.ly/15Ck1Bq #libraries
Nice!! "A Quick Guide to Private Browsing" – iLibrarian http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2013/a-quick-guide-to-private-browsing/ …
READING
5 Ways to Become a Better Reader – Lifehack http://buff.ly/Zl95V5 #reading
30 things to tell a book snob | Booktrust http://buff.ly/11DFNiC
World Book Night: Ten writers’ reasons for reading | Books http://buff.ly/ZNe50g
TECHNOLOGY
Twitter Scares CNN President http://buff.ly/11GWycO #twitter
Who Are The Top 50 Social Media Power Influencers, 2013? – Forbes http://buff.ly/ZN2L46
TEEN READS
Elizabeth Vail: Lovesick and Tired: Unnecessary Romance in YA http://buff.ly/11GXw98 #yalit
‘Tiger Eyes’: A Family Film http://buff.ly/15LaW9c #yalit
The Loopy Coop Hens: Letting Go by Janet Morgan Stoeke
This is the third Loopy Coop Hens book and it continues the silly adventures of these three goofy hens. Here the question is why apples fall. The hens think that it is probably the fox hiding in the tree and throwing apples at them. They try to get Rooster Sam to help them, but he is so traumatized by the falling apples almost hitting him, that he runs away. The hens know that it is up to them, so Dot volunteers to climb up the ladder to see what is going on and whether it is a fox or not. Dot heads to the top of the tree and discovers two things: why apples fall and how gorgeous the view is that high up.
Stoeke has a real touch for the absurd and silly. In her flighty hens, she demonstrates how even the silliest can also be the brave ones. Her art is simple-lined and really tells a lot of the story along with the words. The book works well as a read-aloud and the pictures are large enough to work well with a group.
This is a simple chapter book in the guise of a picture book, inviting beginning readers to give it a try. Even better, it ends with chickens falling out of trees! A perfect addition for fall and apple story times and units. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.
On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky
The author of Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau (my review) returns with this picture book biography of Einstein. It follows the story of Einstein from birth through his series of amazing discoveries about the universe. The book begins with pages where Einstein as a small child does not speak until he is inspired to ask questions thanks to a compass which is given to him. Einstein is also inspired by picturing his bicycle riding on beams of light, racing through space. So he began to study science and numbers and after graduating from college wanted to be a teacher. Instead, he found a job working in a government office where he had extra time to think. That time to think turned into incredible discoveries about science and the nature of the universe until scientists and professors were seeking Einstein out to come and work with them. The end of the book celebrates Einstein’s eccentricities as well as the discoveries that he made. This is an inspiring look at a scientist who broke all the rules and decoded the universe.
Berne’s writing truly celebrates this amazing thinker. The pacing is brisk, but the tone allows readers to linger and think if they wish to. When she focuses on his odder behaviors, they are seen through a lens of what they meant for his genius rather than just being peculiar. And who wouldn’t want to not wear socks and have ice cream too!
Radunsky’s illustrations are done on textured paper that adds a soft yellow glow to the entire book, something wonderful to have in a book that speaks about rays of light. His drawings are rough and have a wonderful sense of playfulness.
A great read about a great man, this picture book biography should be welcomed by young scientists as well as in science classrooms. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
Reviewed from library copy.
ALSC has some great Summer Reading book lists that are available free of charge, you just need to print them. Nicely, the books selected should be in all libraries. If you don’t have the books, it’s probably a good idea to get them anyway!
The lists are broken into three age groups: K-2nd grade, 3rd-5th grade and 6th-8th grade.
Print some out for a quick and easy way to welcome summer into the library!
The American Booksellers Association has announced the winners of the 2013 Indies Choice Book Awards and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards. The awards are voted on by independent booksellers across the nation. Here are the winners:
YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
E.B. WHITE READ-ALOUD AWARD – MIDDLE READER
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
E.B. WHITE READ-ALOUD AWARD – PICTURE BOOK
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
INDIE CHAMPION AWARD
“Presented to the author or illustrator that has both the best sense of the importance of independent bookstores to their communities at large and the strongest personal commitment to foster and support the mission and passion of independent booksellers.”
John Green
PICTURE BOOK HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobokina
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith
The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton
Andy and Terry live together in an amazing 13-story tree house. It has a bowling alley, a secret laboratory, swinging vines, a see-through swimming pool and even a man-eating shark tank. Unfortunately, all of these fun things around them are distracting them from finishing the book that is due in to the publisher! They have barely started and it needs to be finished quickly. But what are you supposed to do when there are flying cats, giant bananas, an evil sea monster, gangs of rampaging monkeys, and burp-filled bubblegum bubbles around you? You will just have to read the book to find out how Andy and Terry managed to finish their book in time.
Wildly funny and perfect for children who enjoy books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The author and illustrator worked together beautifully, creating a hilarious world that is a pleasure to visit. The book has illustrations throughout, black and white line drawings that add to the silliness of the story. Do not read this one looking for logic, just enjoy the giggles!
A great pick for reluctant readers who will appreciate the silly storyline and funny illustrations that effectively break up the text. Get this into the hands of your Wimpy Kid fans! Appropriate for ages 6-10.
Reviewed from copy received from Feiwel and Friends.
