Unfortunately, when the server went down, so did my Blacklist on Moveable Type. So please be patient with all the spam that you will see. I am hoping they can fix it today. Right now spam is coming in almost as fast as I can delete it.
Fantasy Films
Fantastic Fantasies: Hollywood’s Hunt for the Next Boy Wizard is an article from The Book Standard that looks at the new trend of fantasy movies for children. Movie version of Eragon, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Golden Compass, and Artemis Fowl are all in the works. I love that all of these films are based on books, since it will draw kids who enjoy the movies to seek out the books they are based on.
Cronin Article
‘Click, Clack, Moo’ author inspired by her father is an article with the touching story of Doreen Cronin’s relationship with her father and how even after his death, he continues to inspire her work. Fans of Cronin, can look forward to her new Diary of a Spider and Click, Clack, Quackity, Quack. If you haven’t read Cronin’s Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type and her other books, you are missing some great kid humor. They are wonderful read-alouds for early elementary kids.
New Hardy Boys
Journal Gazette: Rad Reads offers a brief review of the newest version of the Hardy Boys books, the Undercover Brothers series. It looks like the language the boys use is updated and that this time the boys are working undercover as detectives. The books are also written from both boys’ points of view in alternating chapters.
Racy Reads
One of the more controversial stories among teen librarians is New trend in teen fiction: Racy reads – Nightly News with Brian Williams – MSNBC.com. You can either read the article or watch the video. Either way the gist is the same: that teen novels are too provocative and that the books are “gratuitous — even dangerous.” Now, yes there are racy reads for teens out there. There have been for a long time, anyone remember Deenie, Forever, and other Blume novels? Anyone love them as teens?
The only good part of the article is when at the end it encourages parents to read what their kids/teens are reading. Yes! Please parents, do this!
I think it crosses a line and becomes sensationalist journalism when the word “dangerous” is applied to teen novels. I am proud to say that we just purchased a whole set of the dangerous Gossip Girl series as well as some other hot teen paperback series like A-List and The Clique. I don’t see them as any more dangerous than Forever was for me. Good golly, all of these teens could be turned into radical librarians by reading so much! Be afraid, be very afraid!
More Inclusive Magazines
USATODAY – Fashion magazines showing more body types
Following Dove soap’s new real women ad campaign, teen magazines like Seventeen, Teen People and CosmoGirl are now featuring girls off all shapes and sizes rather than just tall, thin models. This can only be good for girls’ self esteem and body image. I look forward to seeing the trend continue with an emphasis on health rather than size.
Back Again!
The lost blogger has returned! The server that my blogs and the library’s website live on went down and it has taken almost a week to get it back up again. Meanwhile, I have been collecting things to post about, including a couple book reviews for wonderful new books. Plus, today I got a large box of preview books from Scholastic that have me drooling, but I will have to do my review book for SLJ first. So lots to look forward to. My pile of books next to my chair never seems to shrink, which is just the way I like it!
Late Summer Books
For Young Readers is a Washington Post article that captures the type of picture books that kids will want to read as summer wanes. Books that will prep little ones for the first day of Kindergarten, fun math books and other school subjects and finally books that are just plain fun.
Paper Toys
Paper Toys is a site that offers patterns for fold-up models. From building models to origami to cards to paper airplanes, this site offers a variety of challenges for kids and grown ups alike.
Waking Brain Cells 