Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Of all the ARCs I picked up at Midwinter this year, Generation Dead by Daniel Waters intrigued me the most, so I read it first when the box o' goodies I'd sent myself arrived. Happily, I was not disappointed.

From the ARC back jacket:

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. Termed "living impaired" or "differently biotic," they are doing their best to fit into a society that doesn't want them
Fitting in is hard enough when you don't have the look or attitude, but when almost everyone else is alive and you're not, it's close to impossible. The kids at Oakvale High don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing. And there are no laws to protect the differently biotic from the people who want them to disappear - for good.
With her pale skin and goth wardrobe, Phoebe has never run with the popular crows. But no one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of hte dead kids. ot her best friend, Margi, whose fear of the differently biotic is deeply rooted in guilt over the past. And especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Recently, Adam has realized that his feelings for Phoebe run much deeper than just friendship. He would do anything for her, but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

The characters in this book are very well developed, and each voice is unique and resonant. There are a number of instances of dialog free from "said so-and-so"s and there's no need - it's always clear who is speaking. Individuals have distinct senses of humor (and good ones), something that feels rare in a coming of age novel.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of zombies. These zombies are quite different from most, though, in that they are literally just the walking (and talking and going to school) dead. They aren't hungry for brains or violent at all. They are unique individuals just as the trad (traditionally biotic) characters are, with some being smarter than average, some faster, and so forth.

The zombies in Generation Dead could represent a number of other populations that aren't universally welcomed in mainstream high school/society: special education students, immigrants, non-heterosexuals, or any of about a dozen other groups I could think of. I think that the effect is striking without knocking you over the head. Well done, Mr. Waters.

While I was reading this book, I was reminded a few times of Heathers, and as it turns out, the screenwriter of Heathers just happens to be named Daniel Waters. I haven't found positive confirmation online that it's the same individual, but I have to think that it is.

I highly recommend you find yourself a copy of Generation Dead as soon as you can. I've got a few people waiting to read my copy of the ARC, but if you'd like to be added to my lending list, leave me a comment. It's only January but I have no doubt that this book will remain on my faves list all year and longer.

Check out Tommy's (hopefully soon-to-be-posted-to) blog at mysocalledundeath.blogspot.com and do not miss reading Generation Dead when Hyperion releases it this spring.

Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave

Favorite Socks Book
Originally uploaded by TrueStar

I haven't done much sock knitting before, but I keep thinking about it. I've tried and like the two-circular-needles method (I don't mind using dpns, but I feel more comfortable with circs) and I've been thinking about making a pair of socks but haven't found a pattern that really jumped at me. Favorite Socks has a ton of great patterns, including one that is designed for circular needles. Anne Woodbury's Merino Lace Socks combine four eyelet and lace patterns to achieve a subtle, elegant effect.

There are several patterns not designed for circs that are very appealing to me, too, and might convince me to try a pair of socks with dpns. Jennifer L. Appleby's Uptown Boot Socks have a really classy all-over cable pattern. Ann Budd's Mock Wave Cable Socks use a pattern of knit and purl stitches that create a cable look without the bulk.

I'm looking forward to trying a pair of socks in the near future.

The Little Red Fish by Taeeun Yoo

The Little Red Fish by Taeeun Yoo
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian

The notion that libraries are magical places and that books are magical things is nothing new, but it's always a treat to find a new vision of that idea. In The Little Red Fish, a boy visits his librarian grandfather's place of work, bringing with him his small red friend. The boy is left alone and of course has adventures beyond expectation. The story may be familiar but what sets this book apart are the unique and captivating illustrations. They remind me a little of Edward Gorey's work, but mostly in tone and not at all in a derivative way. The Little Red Fish is one of those great books that the reader can read and re-read, noticing new things each time.

Dial, 2007

EcoGeek interviews Daniel Quinn

Ishmael - Daniel Quinn
Originally uploaded by Swaroop Krishnamurthy

EcoGeek has a featured "EcoGeek of the Week" and this week it's Ishmael author Daniel Quinn. Ishmael is one of those books that I've given to a myriad of people and have read and reread numerous times myself. It sort of slipped off my radar for the past few years but it just recently came to mind again and I've put it in my queue to reread again soon.

Sew What! Skirts

Sew What! Skirts
Originally uploaded by veganmom30

I thought I'd written about this book before, but apparently I have not. It's friggin awesome! I've made several skirts using the formulas inside and have had really good luck in getting a nice fit - much better than when I've used conventional patterns. So far I've been playing around with it and have made a few that, while not fitting perfectly, have helped me to figure out exactly the measurements I need to use in the future. I really like that their formulas take into account the fact that everyone's got different hip-to-waist ratio, including how much vertical distance there is between the two. I've read some comments online from folks who thought that the formulas didn't work well for people with curves, but I have to disagree - I think the formulas work much better for people with curves than most conventional patterns.

I could go on and on, but my favorite sewing blog A Dress a Day has a terrific review that points out many of the things that make it so great. I don't often find it necessary to purchase books (having access to just about everything through my library and others - as a reminder, you do too) but this is a definite machine-side keeper.

Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian

I finished this book awhile back and have mentioned a few times how freaking awesome it is (read it now! seriously). I've always been pretty interested in the environment (even earning the nickname -from my sister?- the Recycling Nazi while in high school) and my ability as one person to make the world a better place, but more than anything else being environmentally responsible appeals to me because it is efficient. It just makes sense to use things that originate near you, and to waste as little as possible.

Reading Kingsolver's story of local eating inspired me to plant my first vegetable garden this year and to make the trek to Ann Arbor's farm market (tho it does mean using more gas, the selection cannot be beat, and it's the only place to get local dairy). I'm by no means truly living locally at this point, but I feel good about doing what I can, one bit at a time.

Mary Lee has a review up at A Year of Reading

UPDATE: added to the AVM Blogpost Roundup

The Magic Raincoat by Ryan David, illustrated by Sibylla Benatova

The Magic Raincoat by Ryan David, illustrated by Sibylla Benatova
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

The rich textures and colors of this book stand out immediately, creating intense visual interest and drawing the reader right in. Emily is all bright watercolors and bold black lines, in contrast to the natural fibers and mostly earthtones of the backgrounds. Emily's technicolor wardrobe and her punkrock anime hair perfectly illustrate her bold and opinionated personality.

The story of her new raincoat, which contains the expected but still delightful mishaps that often accompany magical wishes, unfolds with ever-increasing brilliant colors taking over the formerly bland-ish backgrounds. This fun in this book is the illustrations, which beg to be pored over. Recommended.

Rules

Borders
Originally uploaded by Mr Toms World.

How do you decide when to buy a book? I've mentioned before that I don't buy a ton of books, as I get most of those I want from the library. Discardian has some rules of thumb for when to buy a book (as opposed to when to check it out from the library) that pretty closely mirror my own.

via Dirty Librarian

Scarlett Thomas interview

Scarlett Thomas
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Don't miss Bookslut's interview with Scarlett Thomas, author of such superfantasticawesome books as PopCo and The End of Mr. Y. Every time I read one of her books I just want to sit down for tea with her and pick her brain about 101 different things. This interview contains a lot of great information and insight into the writer.

Edward's version

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Fans of Twilight will be interested to know that Stephenie Meyer has posted chapter one (PDF) of Midnight Sun at her website. Midnight Sun is told from Edward's perspective, and chapter one relates his experiences during Bella's first day at school.

(This may be old news, but I just found out about it.)

via Blog from the Windowsill

Shug Mix

Shug by Jenny Han
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Longstocking Jenny Han has created a mixtape for the titular character of her coming-of-age novel Shug (one of my favorites of 2006). This is a great mix that spans the past few decades, which to me seems perfect since Shug (the book) has such a timeless feel.

Punk Farm

Punk Farm by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

How awesome is this? Pretty Fing mega awesome!

via Fuse #8

Also, Punk Farm fans will be happy to see that the sequel, Punk Farm On Tour is out in October!

Readergirlz

Readergirlz
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

So a few weeks ago I started seeing all this stuff about Readergirlz - they're on MySpace, they're mentioned on various kidlitosphere blogs, they're sending me emails offering me frippery (frippery!) - and I wondered just who they were and what they were after. As it turns out, they're several female writers of teen lit (Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, Lorie Ann Grover & Justina Chen Headley) who are on a mission:

Reading a book isn't the same thing as experiencing a book. You know what we mean. There's a reason why we readergirlz are known to shove books at our best friends: books that have rocked our world, books that have revealed our souls, books that are gifts of the heart. So here's our official readergirlz Manifesta: what we stand for, what we believe, what we promise YOU:
* Readergirlz is about having serious fun while talking about books with the author and your friends!
* Readergirlz is about getting the inside scoop about why the novel was written, the tears and joys and real-world angst that the author has lived and layered into her story.
* Readergirlz is about reading great books to get to know yourself, your friends, and yes, even your mother, better.
* Readergirlz is about celebrating strong girls in books who've got the guts to dream.
* Readergirlz is about reaching out to others based on what you've read.
* And most of all, readergirlz is about inspiring girls to make history of their own!

And they did send neat frippery! Happy colorful brochures, tiny 1" punkrock style pins, and more stuff, which I have set aside for our new teen librarians to share with the teen patrons (as soon as the new staff start, that is). Readergirlz seems to be just getting started, and I'm excited to see where it goes.

The PLAIN JANES by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

The PLAIN JANES by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

The PLAIN JANES by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

Official publisher summary:

When a transfer student named Jane is forced to move from the cool confines of Metro City to Suburbia, she thinks her life is over. But there in the lunch room at the reject table she finds her tribe: three other girls named Jane. Main Jane encourages them to form a secret art gang and paint the town P.L.A.I.N. — People Loving Art In Neighborhoods. But can art attacks really save the hell that is high school?

This first graphic novel in the new Minx line by DC Comics is written by teen lit rockstar Cecil Castellucci and illustrated by Jim Rugg. I'm a fan of graphic novels and comic books, but many of the really popular titles don't do much for me. I'm not a fan of superheroes (I'm not putting them down, just saying that they're not my cup o' tea). PLAIN JANES is a whole other kind of book, though, the kind I really dig. It's about realistic people living in realistic places battling realistic problems and on occasion, having a good time just doing everyday things. The characters have realistic appearances that are true to their characters and not everyone is stunningly attractive. There is not a buxom babe in the bunch, which I find quite refreshing. The storyline is compelling and believable, the characters are engaging and totally people you want to be friends with, and the entire thing is absolutely awesome! Very highly recommended.

For more info, check out this interview with Cecil Castellucci at Comic Book Resources (shout-out to writer Dave, who is a standout staffer at my 'brary)

Also check out the Minx site at DC

Also check out Castellucci's blog


reviewed from the Advance Readers Copy
On sale May 2007

Twinkle's Big City Knits: 31 Chunky-Chic Designs by Wenlan Chia

Twinkle's Big City Knits: 31 Chunky-Chic Designs by Wenlan Chia
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

This gorgeous book of knitting patterns for chunky yarns is a well-designed treat. The pages are thick and the photographs lush. Being a sucker for stupid glossy fashion magazines (I know, I know, they're often misogynist, promote consumer culture and bad body image, and have about a thousand other things wrong with them, despite all that I still like to look at them), I can see that this book has many similar design elements/photographic choices, but it's so much better!

For one, there are the knitting patterns, which are not at all intimidating (love, love, LOVE the amount of white space on the instruction pages), look fabulously not-homemade (making things yourself is awesome, but things that look homemade are often less fun to wear than they were to make - HANDmade is an entirely different term with altogether different implications), and probably knit up in record time given the thickness of the yarns used.

For two, there are photos of the most adorable french bulldog you've ever seen (not counting our half-frenchie half-boston terrier, Logan) throughout the book and not once is it made to wear a silly piece of clothing you know just drives it nuts.

Despite the fact that the models pictured are typically skeletal, many of the actual patterns are for items that just about anyone can wear. Who doesn't need another cardigan, and is it possible for a scarf to look bad on any particular body type?

I was about to be annoyed by the fact that all the patterns are designed to be knit with yarns by Twinkle Handknit Yarns (the author founded the company) , which from the list of stores in the back of the book, may not be available in my immediate geographic area. However, the author has included a helpful note suggesting other yarns that work well as substitutes for her own. Hooray for that!

I'm very excited to try one of these patterns (the Karate Sweater looks delish and though I've not yet knit a cardigan, I think I could do it). If it goes well, this book will definitely make my list of must-own knitting books.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Apparently Martin Scorcese loves Hugo Cabret as much as the rest of us and wants to make it into a movie. (Why doesn't Brian Selznick get his photo in the Variety article? Weak.) I'm inclined to be skeptical, but who knows?

via Cinematical

Voting begins for 2007 Thumbs Up! Award

Michigan Library Association Teen Services Division Thumbs Up! Award
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

The Teen Services Division of the Michigan Library Association is pleased to announce that voting has begun for the 2007 Thumbs Up! Award.

Since 1986, the Thumbs Up! Award has honored the best teen title published during the previous year. Since 2001, the Thumbs Up! Award has included a teen vote. We ask that you promote the Thumbs Up! Award to teens ages 12 to 18 in your classroom, your media center, your library, and your community and ask them to vote for their favorite title by May 25, 2007. The title with the most teen votes will automatically be an honor title if it is not selected as the winner by the Thumbs Up! Award Committee. The winning title and honor titles will be announced in June 2007.

The Thumbs Up! Award committee considered more than 300 teen titles first published in the U.S. between January 1 and December 31, 2006. Our hardworking committee (listed below) has narrowed that list to the Top Twenty titles, and we ask that teens help us in selecting the best teen book of the year.

The Top Twenty ballot (PDF) is available on the Michigan Library Association website. This document includes annotations. You are encouraged to make paper copies of the ballot available to your teens.

This page provides cover shots of the Top Twenty titles as well, but doesn't print as nicely.

Lastly, the Top Twenty are listed here.

You may email the total number of votes for each title to Anne Heidemann, Thumbs Up! Award committee chair, at aeheidemann at gmail dot com, or you may mail your ballots to me at the address at the end of this email. Either way, submit your votes by May 25, 2007!

The Top Twenty list, in alphabetical order by author:

* The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume One: The Pox Party by MT Anderson
* Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler
* Pieces of Georgia by Jen Bryant
* Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
* Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
* Golden by Cameron Dokey
* Copper Sun by Sharon Draper
* What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles
* Saint Iggy by K.L. Going
* An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
* Rash by Pete Hautman
* Sold by Patricia McCormick
* Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
* Between Mom and Jo by Julie Ann Peters
* King Dork by Frank Portman
* Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick
* It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
* Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos
* The Storm Thief by Chris Wooding
* The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


Please encourage your teens to vote early and vote often! While the award is given through the Michigan Library Association, teens anywhere may vote. If you have any questions, please contact committee chair Anne Heidemann.

Gold seals for winning titles and silver seals for honor titles are available for purchase from the Michigan Library Association. Please contact Anne Winkel, winkela at mlcnet dot org , for pricing and quantity information.

The Teen Services Division extends our thanks to the 2007 Thumbs Up! Award Committee for all of their hard work:

* Allison Boyer, Loutit District Library
* Jayne Cogsdill Damron, Farmington Community Library
* Dawn Dittmar, Highland Township Public Library
* Kathleen Gallagher, Grosse Point Public Library
* Jennifer Grodnoski, Monroe County Library System
* Stefanie Halliday, Belleville High School
* Pat Hemingray, Auburn Hills Public Library
* Tracy Morsi, Clinton-Macomb Public Library
* Linda Pavonetti, Oakland University
* Karen Persello, Chelsea District Library
* Erynne Purvis, Capital Area District Library
* Beth Revers, DeWitt Public Library
* Katie Rosen, Rochester Hills Public Library
* Karrie Waarala, Auburn Hills Public Library

If you will be attending the Spring Institute conference in Frankenmuth, Michigan March 28-30, please stop by our Top Twenty book discussion the afternoon of Thursday, March 29. This is your opportunity as library workers to tell the committee what you think of each title--what should have been on the list, what never should have made it, and which title you think should win. Registration and information for this fabulous three-day conference are available on the MLA website.

Thank you!

Cult of Castellucci

Cult of Castellucci t-shirt
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Oh my goodness! I must have this Cult of Castellucci t-shirt! The Castellucci in question is Cecil, author of kickass teen novels Boy Proof and Beige (among others! Those two are my current faves).

I also need the Trust Snape design, so it looks like I'll be putting in an order as soon as they're both available.

This and other awesome designs are available on a rotating basis at BoD's Etsy shop

MTV discovers what we've known all along...

Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back by Shel Silverstein
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Namely, that books for children are awesome! On the heels of adaptations such as Bridge to Terabithia and Charlotte's Web, MTV Movie News speculates on ten titles they think would make good movies. I'm not convinced that every, or even any great children's books should necessarily be made into movies, but they've pegged a few that I'd totally dig. Unless they ruined them, which is a very real risk and one that happens more often than not. This is why I'm so skeptical despite my love of movies. Of the titles they listed, two are childhood favorites of mine: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin and Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back by Shel Silverstein. The former would easily translate to live action and, as long as they didn't Hollywoodify the characters, would totally work. The latter, though, would be dependant on animation of some sort and I just can't imagine it being any good.

Random Lafcadio-related fact about me: One of the things I liked most about Lafcadio was his love of marshmallows, and the fact that he had a marshmallow suit created for him. I learned how to sew as a youngster and the concept of threading marshmallows into a suit just blew my little mind. Loved it. I also loved eating actual marshmallows until the day when I ate a signifcant portion of a large bag of them and haven't desired to eat any since.

via Big A, little a

Official Cybils Press Release: 2006 Cybils Literary Awards Announced

CYBILS Medal
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Cybils Literary Awards Announced

Bloggers sought a balance between literary quality and "kid appeal"among the 482 titles nominated by the public.

Contact: Anne Boles Levy
(909) 908-3656
anne@bookbuds.net

CHICAGO, Illinois—A terrified squirrel, a quiet egg and an infinite playlist were among those earning top honors today in the first-ever awards from kidlit bloggers.

The Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards, or Cybils, were won by nine books in eight categories, from picture books to graphic novels and even fantasy and science fiction.

The awards cap five months of activity by roughly 80 volunteers, who plowed through 482 books nominated by the public at the Cybils blog. The contest grew out of a comment on a blog post last October and rapidly gained traction in the tight-knit community of librarians, teachers, homeschoolers, parents, authors and illustrators, dubbed the "kidlitosphere."

The idea was to find books with literary merit that kids couldn't put down, striking a balance between the highbrow Newberys, for example, and the populist Quill awards.

Any children's or young adult title published in English in 2006 was eligible, and anyone could nominate a book. Nominees then went through two rounds of judging: those surviving the first cut were announced New Year's Day.

Here are the winning books:

Fiction - Picture Books:
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
Kid's Can Press

Fiction - Middle Grade:
A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz
Candlewick Press

Fiction - Young Adult:
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Non-Fiction - Picture Books:
An Egg is Quiet written by Dianna Aston; illustrated by Sylvia Long
Chronicle Books

Non-Fiction - Middle Grade and Young Adult:
Freedom Walkers by Russell Freedman
Holiday House

Poetry:
Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes
Houghton Mifflin

Fantasy and Science Fiction:
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud
Hyperion: Miramax

Graphic Novels - Ages 12 and Under:
Amelia Rules, vol. 3: Superheroes by Jim Gownley
Renaissance Press

Graphic Novels - Ages 13 and Up:
American Born Chinese by Gene Yang
First Second

For further details on each winning book, please see the Cybils blog.

2006 CYBILS announced!

CYBILS Medal
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Get yourself on over to the Cybils and see the list of winners!

It was a pleasure to work on the fiction picture book nominating committee and I truly hope to be involved again in the future. A huge HUZZAH! to all who were involved in this inaugural Cybils.

roll with it

New technologies can be hard for some people to adapt to.



via Fuse #8

Hubert the Pudge: A Vegetarian Tale by Henrick Drescher

Hubert the Pudge: A Vegetarian Tale by Henrick Drescher
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

There are not a great many picture books about vegetarianism. There are even fewer about pudges (to my knowledge, this is the first and only). One reason that there are so few about vegetarianism, I believe, is that it is truly difficult for passionate adults to set aside their desire to educate and enlighten and sometimes even to lecture or attempt to shame readers into agreeing with them. In many -ism books, telling a good story falls by the wayside, fun is completely forgotten, and the illustrations are an afterthought.

Hubert the Pudge's illustrations are in no way an afterthought and despite a touch of lecture-iness, the descriptions of the pudges' lives at Farmer Jake's Pudge Processing Farm are straightforward. Like many storybook kept animals, Hubert yearns for freedom and makes a run for it through a small hole in the fence. Having reached the forest, Hubert dines on the wealth of plant life at his hooftips and (after one scary-noise-filled night) befriends the other animals who live there. Pudges don't normally live past eight months, so as Hubert ages (and eats) he grows exponentially, finally reaching "superchunky-normous" proportions.

All is well until he remembers his former friends, still trapped at the factory farm, so he and his new friends head back to his former home to set all the pudges free. Farmer Jake is coerced into promising to reevaluate his business and stop eating pudge. He also starts working out, gains a dapper new appearance, and falls in love with his trainer, Heidi. The two lovebirds start a new business, Jake and Heidi's Tofu Hot Dogs Company, which (natch) provides work for all those pudges with years of life to spare.

Despite being a vegetarian myself and thus interested in books on the topic, I was very skeptical when I picked this up. It does have some didactic moments and I'm sure there are those who will take offence. Overall, though, I enjoyed Hubert's journey and found the illustrations oddly appealing.

Alphabet Explosion: Search and Count from Alien to Zebra by John Nickle

Alphabet Explosion: Search and Count from Alien to Zebra by John Nickle
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Perfect for filling an afternoon, this alphabet search and count book devotes a page to each letter. Within that page, the reader is encouraged to find a myriad number (each page specifies how many to look for) of items illustrating that letter. Though each page is filled with images, there is a fair amount of space between and the result is an uncrowded success. Guidelines for guessing are stated outright (don't count the suction cups on the octopus as individual Os) and a list of answers is provided in the back. Readers are also encouraged to let the author and illustrator know (via email) if they find additional items. This is a fun book for an individual or for a pair searching together.

Brave Bitsy and the Bear by Angela McAllister, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke

Brave Bitsy and the Bear by Angela McAllister, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Upon turning to the first page of this story, the reader is immediately struck by the rich, lush watercolor forest scene. The earth tones are so intense that one is drawn right in. This immediacy is appropriate to the story, where Little Bitsy the rabbit has just fallen, "THUMP!" out of her little girl's pocket. Little Bitsy's store-bought purple color is a striking contrast to the natural environment she finds herself in. Before long, an imposing but ultimately friendly Bear appears and offers to help LB find her way home.

Knitting-related content!: After returning home, LB worries that Bear might have fallen asleep on his way back to his cave, and uses a ball of yarn from the knitting basket to mark her path from home.

This story is at once familiar and fresh, and the illustrations bring the characters completely to life. The winter theme makes it a perfect book to curl up with for reading together.

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

This charming book shows the reader what happens when a young rabbit is asked, "Why are you sitting in a box?" It is, of course, not a box, but anything the rabbit can imagine it to be: a racecar, a mountain, a robot, and many other wonderful things. With very few words and strong, thick line drawings in a limited palette (which grows along with the young rabbit's not-a-box ideas), the design and illustrations mirror the simple-on-the-outside-ness of a cardboard box. The cover and endpapers provide the satisfyingly tactile experience of running ones hands over cardboard.

You Should Read This

reading a red book
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Chasing Ray recently came up with a brilliant idea and has officially begun collecting nominations for the first ever You Should Read This (YSRT) Awards. 2007's topic will be Coming of Age stories, specifically:

This year I am looking for books that fall into the "Coming of Age" cateogory. (Thought I'd go easy this first year.) All books must predominanlty involve the protagonist coming of age. Things that knock a book out of this category: heavy plot reliance on a romance, on solving a mystery, on surviving a war, on killing aliens, etc. Also, just because your parents die does not mean you grow up - just means your parents die. So don't think that is a no-brainer inclusion.

Her goal is not to find a winner, but to create a list of great books that anyone (readers, parents, librarians, teachers, etc) can take and use as works for them. Nominees will be accepted until February 27, and the list will be published on February 28 (talk about instant gratification!).

Going by the comments, many of my recent faves have already been nominated, but multiple nominations do count, so I'll definitely be sending in a list myself.

To nominate a book, email Chasing Ray at colleenatchasingraydotcom .

Blogging allowed after all (mostly, anyway)

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) logo
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Back at ALA Midwinter, rumors were flying about whether or not literary award committee members would be allowed to blog about books during their terms.

As many of us had hoped, blogging will still be allowed. The policy states that

"Members of award committees who run or participate in social networking web sites or software, including blogs, wikis, electronic discussion lists, and the like, should not engage in any discussions about their ALSC award committee work, or about the status of eligible books in relationship to these awards during their term of committee service."

So you can blog about books. Can you state that you're on an award committee, or would that constitute discussion about your award committee work?

Lately I've seen several references to the fact that some librarians/experts-in-the-field consider blogs as a whole to be inferior. These opinions have ranged from those who see bloggers as amateur reviewers to those who see them as unprofessional and/or usurpers of the throne of 'real' reviewers. (See Cybils: Who Do You Think You Are and the comments on Fuse#8: My Newbery Half a' Year) It goes without saying that there are all kinds of bloggers writing in all kinds of styles and with all kinds of writing quality, and I think it's a mistake to dismiss bloggers as a group as unprofessional. It's probably easy to do so for those who haven't really read what's out there, but, to me anyway, many of the amazingly insightful kitlitosphere blogs are often more interesting and useful than some of the print journals with established cred.

I was very glad to see that this applies only to award committees (where money and fame are part of the reason it's so contentious) and that members of process committees aren't limited (as far as I've been able to find, anyway) in terms of blogging. I don't think we should be; I think that it's a great opportunity to stimulate discussion and has the potential to get more members actively involved, especially those who aren't able to travel to conferences.

Anyway, I do appreciate what must have been a time-consuming and difficult decision-making process for the ALSC Executive Board.

related items:
ALSC policy for service on award committees (PDF)
FAQ regarding the ALSC conflict of interest and confidentiality policy
School Library Journal's take

Trust Snape (again)

Trust Snape
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Awhile back I posted about Bookshelves of Doom's kickass t-shirt o' the week. Now she's got them available in her Etsy store, along with a few other designs. I'd already have ordered one but it appears that she only has a few sizes available at any given time and right now they're boys size L and XL (it's possible that the XL might fit, but I'm thinking it'd be a bit tight for comfort).

Rainstorm by Barbara Lehman

Rainstorm by Barbara Lehman
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian. <