Confessions of a Bibliovore

Oh fer . . .

2008-10-07T08:44:00.000-07:00

I ran across this article in my Google Alerts about children's lit, and I found it a fundamentally flawed study. Let me say this: it's one book. I'm the last person to say it's impossible that a book can change a kid's life, but this is pushing it.

In a nutshell: a study was conducted with overweight preteens. Some were given a book with an unhappily overweight protagonist. Others were given a book with a normal-weight protagonist. A third group wasn't given any book.

There are a number of things it doesn't take into account. Losing weight includes lifestyle changes that (especially for kids) never exist in a vacuum. Case in point:

For the study, the Duke University researchers recruited 31 obese girls between 9 to 13 years of age, who had already signed up in the Healthy Lifestyles Program at Duke Children's Hospital. Italics mine.

These were girls who already wanted to make a positive change in their health (or their parents wanted them to). It's not as if they plucked kids off the street and changed their entire outlook on life with one book.

In a telling omission, it touts the 71% statistic of kids who read the first book, but doesn't mention the change in weight for the other two groups.

It may be the writing of the article that makes it sound like one book was the deciding factor, but to me, this study is reducing children's lit to manipulation, and children themselves to paper dolls.

Grrr.

Book Review: Impossible by Nancy Werlin

2008-10-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

Book: Impossible
Author: Nancy Werlin
Published: 2008

All Lucy Scarborough wanted to do was go to prom. Dance, eat rubber chicken, kiss her date, have fun. But the evening turns nightmarish when her date rapes her and runs away to crash his car into a tree and kill himself.

Horrible, but only one night, right? Wrong. Lucy’s pregnant. Worse than that, she’s just discovered that she’s the most recent in a long line of women, all cursed to bear a daughter at the age of eighteen and surrendered their sanity to a merciless Elfin Knight. The only way to escape is to complete three impossible tasks before her baby is born.

No woman in her family has ever managed it before, but Lucy is determined to break the cycle--for herself, for her daughter, and for the poor, insane mother that she only sees sporadically. She’s got assistance, in the form of her loving foster parents and her lifelong best friend, Zach. But will that be enough?

It has to be.

When I picked this book up at BEA, the person manning the booth told it me was a story about a pregnant teenager. To which I say, Impossible is about a pregnant teenager in the same way that Hamlet is about a guy who’s a little down these days. Technically true, but there’s so much more to the story.

Pitchforked from innocent high-schooler to young mother fighting for her child’s future and her own, Lucy makes the trip with equal measures of fear and strength. Werlin makes a strong point that Lucy is luckier than her ancestresses, because she does have the love and support of her family. Zach especially becomes the one person without whom she would never succeed. Yet it is Lucy’s inner strength that pulls her though.

This is a story about a pregnant teenager, but it’s also about family, about the true meaning of love, and about doing the impossible because the alternative is unthinkable. Lucy’s quest is a compelling and fascinating one, especially for kids who are just starting to realize what adulthood is going to mean.

P.S. Be prepared to get Simon and Garfunkel stuck in your head for days, since “Scarborough Fair” is the traditional folk song on which Lucy’s impossible tasks are based.

Sit Tight . . .

2008-10-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Blogger has flagged Kid Tested Librarian Approved as a spam blog (?!) and locked it down until they can review it. I'm not sure why. If you're trying to get to it, I'll let you know as soon as everything gets sorted out. Sorry guys . . .

Another Unshelved Recommendation

2008-10-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Check this week's Unshelved Book Club for a neat cartoon booktalk of David Lubar's classic Hidden Talents. Mostly they do adult books, but every so often a great YA or kid's book will slip in.

This Looks Hopeful

2008-10-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Smart Bitches Trashy Books alerted me to a very good review at CNN of "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," otherwise known as "It Was a Fabulous Book, O Dear God Please Don't Let Hollywood Ruin It."

Key Quote:

so much goes down on Nick and Norah's one enchanted evening that the best advice is to enjoy the ride -- the actual ride -- around this vibrant new New York.

Anyone up for a trip to the movies?

Diablo Cody and Judy Blume

2008-10-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

Not sure how I missed this when it came out, but here is a neat little interview with Juno writer Diablo Cody about her love of all things Judy Blume.

This quote encapsulates a lot of Blume's enduring appeal at the time she first started writing and even today:

Every other book written for kids my age was sunny, upbeat, and about as subtle as a bullhorn-wielding camp counselor. Blume's stuff had an edge; it was grimly hilarious and worthy of my attention.

Go have a look-see.

Michael & Kat's Infinite Interview

2008-10-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Leila over at Bookshelves of Doom posted a link to this interview at the Onion's AV Club with Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, otherwise known as Movie Nick and Movie Norah. While longish, I liked what it showed about the movie, the characters, and the actors' involvement with both.

AVC: The book apparently has more boozing and drugs and swearing—

KD: Just swearing.

MC: Not boozing and drugs.

KD: Nick and Norah are straight-edge.

Hee. For some reason, I liked that little exchange, in which they are so insistent on this important element of their characters (the straight-edge-ness) that they're practically talking over each other. It makes me hopeful for their versions of Nick and Norah.

Reading Roundup September 2008

2008-10-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

Notice anything missing? With the opening of Kid Tested, Librarian Approved, I decided to move the preschool books portion of this roundup over there. This, of course, means more pointless and silly Because I Want To Awards for everyone!

By the Numbers
Teen: 25
Tween: 8
Children: 10

Standouts
Teen: Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
Tween: Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale
Children: Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker

Because I Want To Awards
I So Should Not Have Read This During My Lunch Break: Dead High Yearbook by Ivan Velez
Prompted Fangirl Screams of Joy Upon Acquisition and Then Read in Three Hours: Chalice by Robin McKinley
Most Wrenching: TIE Nothing by Robin Friedman and The Smell of Old-Lady Perfume by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez
Made Me Want to Go Rent Movies: Keep Your Eye on the Kid: The Early Years of Buster Keaton by Catherine Brighton

Cybils Nominations are Open!

2008-10-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

As of this morning, everyone should stampede on over to the Cybils website and nominate your favorites!

In a nutshell:

On Oct. 1, we publish all nine genres* as separate posts. You leave your nomination in the comments section of each post.

Having trouble? Feel free to email anne (at) bookbuds (dot) net with questions or complaints.

*The genres: Easy Readers, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Fiction Picture Books, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade Novels, Non-Fiction Middle Grade/Young Adult Books, Non-Fiction Picture Books, Poetry, Young Adult Novels.

Here are the rest of the rules.

I was a YA judge last year and it was a great experience. This year, I'm on the Fiction Picture Book judging committee, so find some great books for me to read!

Why are you still reading this? Off you go!

Conference AfterParty! With Pictures!

2008-09-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

As promised, pictures! It's always a jolt to meet other bloggers in person. Some will put their picture up, but often they won't, so you feel as if you know this person very well but you've never seen their face. I knew some people from last year, but I met new ones this year.

Farida Dowler (Alkelda the Gleeful) at Happy Hour with a hot toddy, which delighted me no end, even considering that the reason for the hot toddy was a horrible cold.

At dinner, I sat at a table full of writers, mostly of picture books. We all bought raffle tickets and fantastic prizes were raffled off. The money raised went to a good cause whose name I cannot quite recall. Here's a shot of the winningest table, as they celebrate over yet another one of their numbers being called.

After dinner, we took a group photo (see yesterday's post) and then toted all our winnings back to the hotel bar to celebrate with the Readergirlz as they welcomed their new diva, Holly Cupala. Pam Coughlan (MotherReader), Lorie Ann Grover (writer and Readergirl) and Lee Wind (I'm Here, I'm Queer, What the Hell Do I Read?) in a candid shot.

Betsy Bird (Fuse #8) and sock-puppet Edward Cullen. Uh, does she look a little pale to you?

Clare Bell and handmade friend. Isn't that the neatest?

I didn't take many more pictures, as I was much more involved in hanging out with Jackie, Pam, Lee, and various others. It was a great conference, and as always with conferences, the best fun was just meeting everyone, talking about the things we loved best, and throwing ideas around.

Next year's conference is slated for DC, and Pam Coughlan of MotherReader has volunteered to organize it. See you all there!

Book Review: Masterpiece by Elise Broach

2008-09-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

Book: Masterpiece
Author: Elise Broach
Published: On shelves today

Marvin and James share an apartment, but they’ve never traded so much as a “hello.” That’s because James is a human boy and Marvin is a beetle.

Their friendship starts the day that Marvin uses James’ new ink set to draw him a perfect copy of the view from the boy’s window, in miniature, of course. James is delighted with the gift for its own sake, but when his mother spots it, he has to lie that he drew it. Of course, this plunges both him and Marvin into a web of lies about about his supposed genius for miniatures.

They wind up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the lies get bigger as James and his “gift” are drafted to help with an elaborate sting meant to catch art thieves with a faked Albrecht Dürer, the Renaissance master of miniatures. Of course, even that’s not the end of it. How will James and Marvin ever get themselves out of this one?

As complex and confusing as I’m making this sound, there’s one theme that anchors this story, and everything else is pretty much window dressing. Dürer and art theft aside, it’s really about the friendship between James and Marvin. Even though they’ve just met and they never exchange a single word, it clearly runs deep from the very first moment, and both characters will go further for each other than they ever would for themselves.

Bugs, adventure, friendship . . . this is a great book for just about any kid.

New Outfit!

2008-09-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this on the webpage, you'll notice that I changed up the design. I've been feeling like it was time for a change, and I hadn't yet updated from a "template" to a "layout" in Blogger. It's much easier.

What do you guys think of the new look?

Kidlit 08 Conference Summary

2008-09-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

I was an idiot and left my camera upstairs until midway through the (first) Happy Hour. So this post will be augmented with pictures I've snatched from other bloggers.

The first session was a panel discussion with authors, bloggers, and a podcaster about bridging books and blogs. It included Mark Blevis (Just One More Book!), writers and Readergirlz Alice Pope, Dia Calhoun, and Lorie Ann Grover, and Betsy "Fuse #8" Bird. They talked about the ways blogs are working to publicize books (new and old). We even had a comment from Eric Kimmel (I know! That Eric Kimmel!). Big excitement.

The second was a presentation by Jackie Parker (Interactive Reader) and Colleen Mondor (Chasing Ray and Guy's Lit Wire), about doing group events like the Winter Blog Blast Tour. There was much snark and banter to be had, which Jackie assured me was not practiced or planned and was in fact the SOP whenever they're together, be it online or in person.

The next two sessions were breakouts, and I hit MotherReader's Better Blog session. Such was the appeal of this session that there were people sitting on the floor at her feet, like acolytes.

Immediately following, Jen Robinson, Sarah Stevenson, and Jackie Parker all ganged up to talk about how the Cybils will work, and to urge us to participate. I asked how effective the Cybils had been so far in their aim to recognize quality books with kid appeal, and Jen pointed out that teachers and librarians love the shortlists and publishers are actually putting "Cybils nominee!" in their catalogs. Hurrah! More on Cybilation in a later post.

Lunch was had at the hotel restaurant. I hung out with Deb Lund, Susan Blackaby, Christine Fletcher, Emily Whitman, Nancy Arruda, and Kim Baise, all authors and/or publishers. I did my fantastic impersonation of a ditzy fangirl for Christine Fletcher, whose historical YA Ten Cents a Dance I just finished last week and loved.

The afternoon kicked off with a discussion between Jen Robinson and Laini Taylor about the relationship between authors and reviewers. Another blog (Sara Ryan's, I believe) pointed out that what Jen was saying about how authors and publicists should approach reviewers was incredibly similar to what common wisdom says about unpublished authors approaching editors. Find out what we like. Don't just send things blindly. Don't pester with "have you read the book yet?" Interestink.

Greg Pincus taught us all how to optimize our blogs for the happy accident using tagging, proper post titling, and social networking. Look for me to become downright obnoxious on Facebook now.

I stopped into the Group Blog session with the Class of 2k8 and 2k9, which by the way is about the most interesting and efficient method I've ever seen of doing lots and lots of homegrown publicity. I know I've got books in my Blue Journal that I might not have even heard of if the Classes of 2k8/9 weren't around.

The last structured event for the day was the author meet and greet. I scored books from Alma Alexander (ee!), Clare Bell, Matthew Holm, Zu Vincent, and April Henry. These went into my bag to nestle next to the books I'd gotten earlier from Barbara Shoup and Emily Wing Smith. Not to make you envious or anything.

After-party stuff tomorrow! With more pictures!

The Bibliovore Has Even More to Say

2008-09-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

So I was hanging out at a table last night, imbibing beverages liberally, and I mentioned an idea I had for a blog name: Kid Tested, Librarian Approved. The chorus of, "Get that blog name right now before somebody else does!" darn near deafened me. But I thought, "I have a blog! What do I need a new one for?"

Then I realized--when I branched out into picture books, I started posting at two ends of a spectrum. There are people reading this blog who probably don't want to see YA reviews but they do like the picture book reviews, and vice versa. It's not your fault I can't make up my mind.

So with that in mind, I decided to create Kid Tested, Librarian Approved. That blog will focus on picture book and early reader news and reviews, and Confessions of a Bibliovore will continue with the MG/YA news and reviews.

Oh, and further conference news and unflattering pictures coming soon!

Taking a Breather

2008-09-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

The meat of the day is over with, as far as the conference goes, and right now is listed as "Happy Hour and Drinks," with "Buffet Dinner" following.

After a full day of listening to people talk about the kidlitosphere, talking to people about the kidlitosphere, and meeting new faces whose blogs I've been reading for insert amount of time here, I'm taking a breather. Don't get me wrong, it's been a blast, but boy, are my batteries drained.

The neatest thing about this (job? hobby? Something like both and something like neither) is that I have an iron-clad excuse to shamelessly beg for books that aren't even out yet, and they'll be put in my hands. Muahahahahahaha.

Okay, the breather has been breathed and now I'm going to investigate the "drinks" part of the entertainment.

Conference Eve!

2008-09-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

Is there anything more fun than hanging out with a bunch of bloggers at a bookstore and then a brewpub in downtown Portland? For tonight, I'll say no.

By the way, Powell's books?

Dangerous. Very, very dangerous.

And that's just one room. They have floors. Multiple.

Oh well, who needs money anyway?

Book Review: Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

2008-09-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

Book: Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (Maybe)
Author: Kimberly Pauley
Published: 2008

Most kids feel like their parents have superpowers--knowledge of when trouble is a’brewin’, perhaps, or supersonic hearing for that nasty name you just called your little brother. In Mina Hamilton’s case, it’s true. Her parents have super-hearing, don’t need to sleep, and always look good--just a few of the side effects of being vampires.

It’s something Mina’s always known but never given much thought to, until the day they sit her down and tell her that the Vampire Council says she has a month to make up her mind. Is she going to live out her life as a vampire, or a human? No pressure or anything.

Mina’s on the fence, and the vampire candidate classes she has to go to twice a week aren’t so much helping. If she chooses vampirism, she has to leave behind the human world, including her best friend. But if she stays human, she’ll not only lose her parents, she’ll lose all memory of them.

What’s a possible teen vampire to do?

With little notes on vampire myths and truths at the head of each chapter (my favorite was MYTH: Vampires have no reflection. TRUTH: That’s silly. How would you check your makeup?) and cute sketches of smiling bats and vampy faces, Pauley sets a cheerful, Princess Diaries tone that keeps this book bouncing along. While darker undercurrents in vampire society are alluded to, she wisely concentrates on the fun. Mina’s not battling evil here, just questions about how much to tell her best friend and what to do about the three (count ‘em) guys in her life, two of whom are in on the vamp secret.

I really liked that her parents weren’t pressuring her one way or the other--in fact, they’re determined not to influence her decision. Together with her Uncle Mortie, they form a loving family unit, the basis of Pauley’s tongue-in-cheek approach to vampirism, and an antidote to the brooding vamps of myth and legend. No cut-glass cheekbones, black capes, or widow’s peaks in this crowd--Uncle Mortie is a balding door-to-door salesman and Dad is an accountant with a fondness for Italian food, the more garlic the better.

To me, Mina reads a little younger than a senior in high school, but that’s okay, because (except for one euw-inducing vampire-sex talk from Mom) this book is clean enough to give out to middle-schoolers. While this novel is complete in itself, I would read a sequel, just to see how Mina’s life changes after her decision (no spoilers!).

Light-hearted and sweet-natured, this book is a sure hit with those kids that prefer laughs over angst with their blood-suckers.

Book Review: Born Too Short by Dan Elish

2008-09-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Book: Born Too Short: Confessions of an Eighth Grade Basket Case
Author: Dan Elish
Published: 2002

Keith Livingston is tall, handsome, and smart. He gets girls with the flick of a finger. He’s the star of every team he’s on. He’s written an entire rock opera, for God’s sake. Short, nerdy, awkward Matt Greene is in the worst possible position relative to Keith--he’s the Best Friend.

Matt feels horrible for being jealous of everything Keith has, but he just can’t seem to help himself. After the premiere of the famous rock opera, when he has to watch his date drool after Keith the entire night and listen to everyone else talk about how musically talented Keith is (news flash: he only knows four chords, and Matt has studied classical guitar for years!), he can’t take it anymore. He wishes--screams, actually--that Keith’s perfect life would fall apart.

And then it does.

As if to make matters worse, just as Keith is hitting the downslope, Matt’s life is looking up. But he can’t enjoy it properly while his best buddy is so miserable. If wishes really do come true, this is all his fault.

I kind of wondered if I was going to like this book. Matt’s jealousy is a toxic creature that infects everything in the first pages. Of course, at the beginning, Keith truly is obnoxious in all his successes, which makes Matt’s jealousy understandable. But as the story progresses, Matt’s personal growth allows him to show us the really good side of Keith that forms the basis of their friendship.

There are references to sex and drinking that make me hesitate to hand this over to every middle schooler, but I think the majority of them could handle it. Overall, this is a fast-moving, funny believable tale of how a real friendship can survive anything.

Talk Like a Pirate Day is Here!

2008-09-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

. . . for about four more hours, according to my clock. In honor of what's probably my favorite holiday, here's a hilarious little vid for y'all.

Thanks to Zooglobble for the heads-up. Arrrrr!

Got Your Towel?

2008-09-17T19:37:00.001-07:00

Word is that Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer is set to write the next book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I love Eoin Colfer's books, that's for sure, but I always felt that Douglas Adams had such an individual voice and outlook that it would be impossible to duplicate.

What do you guys think?

I'm so Judgemental

2008-09-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

The Cybils judges have been announced and--hooray! I got named as one of the Fiction Picture Book judges! Check out the company I'll be keeping come judgin' time:

Category Organizer

Pamela Coughlan, Mother Reader

Panelists (Round I):

Cheryl Rainfield, Cheryl Rainfield

Stephanie Ford, The Children's Literature Book Club

Travis Jonker, 100 Scope Notes

Melissa Wiley, Here In The Bonny Glen

Round II Judges:

Erica Perle, Pajamazon

Emily Beeson, Whimsy and Deliciously Clean Reads

Maureen Kearney, Confessions of a Bibliovore

Anne-Marie Nichols, My Readable Feast

Stefan Shepherd, Zooglobble

Check out the Cybils site for the other categories and judges. The nominations (that's where you out there in Internetlandia come in) start October 1, so start perusing the shelves for your favorites of 2008.

Scieszka in Scouting Magazine

2008-09-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

My dad, who's been a Scoutmaster for fifteen years and thus has worked with more teenage boys than you can shake a stick at, sent me this article from Scouting Magazine.

For most booky people, the article contains nothing really new. What I liked about it enough to post is that Scieszka's succeeding in his Ambassadorial goal--that is, getting the word out, not just to educators and librarians, but to the people who work with kids outside of schools and libraries. If these people absorb and transmit the message that reading is a) fun and b) part of life even when you're not getting graded on it, than maybe it has a better chance of sinking in for the kids themselves.

Odds and Ends

2008-09-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

Also known as "cleaning out the Google Reader starred items."

1. Bookfest! A fest, with books! And Betsy Bird! If you can go, I'll be desperately jealous.

2. Funny Book Awards! Erm . . . the books are funny, not the award. Well, maybe the award is as well . . . Ignore my blathering and check out the shortlist of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize over at Kidslit. Thanks, Tasha!

3. Pretty buttons! Get 'em while they're hot!

4. Hungry-making poster The Readergirlz have a poster for Teen Read Week, and it's a little freaky.

5. Interview with Maurice Sendak I just keep learning more and more about this guy.

I had a couple more, about Dionne Warwick and Lauren Conrad, but let's not and say we didn't.

Further Evidence of My Extreme Dorkitude

2008-09-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

This totally slays me. I mean, falling off the chair, lint in my hair, ribs-aching, slays me. It is so nerdy that it actually succumbs to Einsteinian physics and becomes cool.

Enjoy.

Join the Party!

2008-09-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, check out the list of people who are going to be at the second Annual Kidlitosphere Conference in two weeks! Are you on that list?

*fish eyes*

Well? Are you??

See you in two weeks!