Read Roger (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
In Betsy Bird's SLJ article "This Blog's for You" (and I thank her for including Read Roger in the list of "Ten Blogs You Can't Live Without"), she asks a bunch of swell questions: Do kids' lit bloggers influence publishing decisions? Are library systems basing their purchasing decisions on our recommendations? Should they? And to what extent is a blog about literature...
Jen Robinson's Book Page (Free subscription) | 11/01/2009
Betsy Bird has an excellent article about children's literature blogs in this month's School Library Journal (it's actually the cover story). She discusses how and why she started her own blog ("a magazine article changed my life"), and the difference...
Sarah Miller: Reading, Writing, Musing... (Free subscription) | 7 hours ago
I've just found out Donna Jo Napoli has a new fairy tale novel coming out this spring, and it's making me die a little. WAAAAAANT. The Wager is an adaptation of the Grimm tale called The Bearskinner , and I will trade a whole batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies for the chance to read an ARC. (Note: I am really good at chocolate chip cookies. Ask Deborah Wiles.) Thank you, Betsy Bird...
Writing and Ruminating (Free subscription) | 11/19/2009
... of novels. Illustrator and graphic novelist Michael Hague at Fuse #8 , where the usually composed Betsy Bird is discomposed enough to become a fangirl. If you're an author or illustrator who is feeling disheartened from receiving rejections, read this interview. I pretty much guarantee that none of your rejecting editors or agents has suggested that you consider driving a truck instead....
Jen Robinson's Book Page (Free subscription) | 11/22/2009
... for the Cybils process. Sheila has been doing an amazing job as this year's Publisher Liaison. Betsy Bird also links to various write-ups about the recent Children's Literary Cafe at the New York Public Library (focused on the Cybils). Posts about holiday gift-giving are already proliferating. I especially liked this Semicolon post with book ideas for eight and twelve-year-old girls,...
Read Roger (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
I see that PW has followed up on Betsy Bird's thoughts on the Amazon Vine program; their speculation that membership in Vine might be a perk for good customers is intriguing if not substantiated. What seems oddest to me is that this program--for which publishers and other producers pay for the privilege of having their products evaluated--is being criticized for eliciting cluelessly negative...
Confessions of a Bibliovore (Free subscription) | 11/17/2009
A few weeks back, Betsy Bird posted a piece at Fuse #8 about the Amazon VINE program, which offers free books to members in return for reviews. She discussed certain things that unsettled her about the program, the titles were offered to participants, and the reviews generated. A lot of people who are part of the program stopped by and weighed in. Now, Amazon VINE and similar programs...
The Lisa Yee Blog (Free subscription) | 11/11/2009
Wheeeee!!! We got some great news about BOBBY VS. GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY). The New York Public Library named it one of the 100 BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN and adults and animals!!!!! (I may have added that last part.) (A tragedy involving Peepy once occurred at the NYPL, but it ended well .) Here's NYPL's own Betsy Bird's review of BOBBY for School Library Journal! Speaking of Bobby, earlier...
Cybils (Free subscription) | 11/11/2009
Okay, so paneling is not exactly a verb in a way that means "a group of kidlit obsessives who natter on to an audience of strangers." But paneling we did. Betsy Bird of Fuse #8 fame moderated a discussion on...
MotherReader (Free subscription) | 11/09/2009
Sure, I need to write about my great trip to New York City to talk about the Kidlitosphere and Cybils with Betsy Bird , Liz Burns , Anne Boles Levy , and Susan Thomsen . It's true that I've ignored my NaNoWriMo obligations for a long time. Yes, there is indeed a pile of unfolded laundry in the middle of my living room, along with neat stacks of clothes that apparently won't be taking...
MotherReader (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
... Cybils Kick-Off: Blogging in Style. I'll be joining with the members of the other five families - Betsy Bird , Liz Burns , Anne Boles Levy , and Susan Thomsen - for the panel and then afterwards. It is possible with all of us in the room at the same time that we may change the face of kidlit blogging as we know it to be. Fair warning. If you want to reel in our power, I'd suggest...
educating alice (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
I’m in need of a time-turner for this Saturday. Anyone got a spare they can lend me? You see, there are two events that I badly want to go to taking place at the very same time at opposite ends of town. In midtown at Betsy Bird’s library there is the monthly Literary Cafe featuring a [...]
Jen Robinson's Book Page (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
... details . At Pixie Stix Kids Pix , Kristen McLean takes on "the Amazon Vine brouhaha kicked off by Betsy Bird over at Fuse #8 last week", saying "I think this discussion has some larger implications for the industry, which is why it’s going to continue to get play." She begins by discussing the lack of transparency in the Amazon program, and moves on from there. Picking up on another...
pixie stix kids pix (Free subscription) | 11/03/2009
Not sure if you’ve been paying attention to the Amazon Vine brouhaha kicked off by Betsy Bird over at Fuse #8 last week, but if you are an industry tracker I’d urge you to take a look. Here’s Betsy’s original post (make sure you read all comments), an additional perspective from Chasing Ray, as well as [...]
educating alice (Free subscription) | 11/02/2009
I’m a fairy person. I grew up loving fairy stories — the classical fairy tales and various delightful stories involving encounters with little, magical people. So I was totally charmed by Laura Amy Schlitz’s forthcoming book The Night Fairy and delighted to see Betsy Bird’s mention of the associated website. It is indeed the perfect [...]
