A random, random assortment of items on a beautiful Saturday in Little Rock, Arkansas IF you only look through the windows…open the door, it is not so beautiful for this individual who wonders now how she played outside most of the summertime growing up here…whew, hot, hotter, TOO hot with some fierce humidity! (Be sure to squint and see the “feels like” temp!)
Below you’ll find in this order: # of books published, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Alice, Scholastic Kids Press Corps, 39 Clues, Congressman Crockett, ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY, Nancy Drew, Green Eggs and Ham, 99 Rise and Fall books.
129,864,880 — What is that number? The number of books published on earth at least as of 8:26 a.m on August 5!
Only one week left on The Wimpy Kid Ice-Treat Truck Tour! Check out the fun they are creating along the way and the schedule for this coming week. Check out film star Zachary Gordon talking about the film and his tips for the first day at school.
ALICE: Back in late April there were numerous posts around the kid lit world showing the way to a short “Alice for the iPad” video. Somehow I missed this thoughtful piece later posted by Prathambooks on making the video. DEADLINE October 12! Know a kid between10 and 14 who loves reporting on current events or has other budding attributes of a reporter? Scholastic has announced applications are open for the 2010-11 Kids Press Corps! So what is it like to be one of these kid reporters? From the Frequently Asked Questions section online:
What’s it like to be a Kid Reporter?
It’s a lot of fun, but it is hard work too. Over the years, Scholastic Kid Reporters have interviewed many government officials, including President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden, Jill Biden, former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton and many more! Sometimes Kid Reporters interview celebrities, such as the Jonas Brothers, Taylor Smith, Kanye West, America Ferrera, Will Smith, Jordin Sparks, Dwayne Johnson and Tom Cruise. Other interesting interviewees have included sports stars, museum curators, race car drivers, zoo scientists, tank commanders, other news reporters and more.
ALERT: AUGUST 31: All seven 39 Clues authors will be part of a live webcast answering questions. Check out the website now as there are current activities including a contest and more leading to the 31st.
CONGRESSMAN CROCKETT! Davy Crockett’s birthday was August 17, and I noted several pieces on twitter and Facebook about this special day…what nostalgia waved over me that day as I remembered the special scrapbook my mother helped me make in elementary school when our statewide newspaper ran a chapter a day of a children’s book on the life of Davy Crockett. That is when my morning newspaper reading habit started, and I was so excited I was putting a real book together! Do any of you remember chapters of books being printed daily in newspapers? I had forgotten until reading the birthday tributes that Davy Crockett was also a Congressman representing Tennessee.
SHE IS 80 YEARS OLD????????? Yes, one of the literary world’s famous “Nancy” characters – NANCY DREW – is this year turning 80! You have already missed the convention, but you can get a press kit, accessories including a cookbook, compass necklace, great t-shirts of course and probably more!
And those Green Eggs and Ham? The book turns 50! Did you know there are only 50 words used in this book written on a bet by Dr. Seuss? And that more copies of GREEN EGGS AND HAM have been sold than HARRY POTTER? Check it all out, the video is fun – recalls that great Jesse Jackson Saturday Night Live spot as well as a butter carving this year at a state fair!
99 books against the wall! Check it out – as shared by Scope Notes recently, there are at least 99 books with Rise and Fall in the title.
If you’re somewhere the outside is hot, stay cool and Happy Reading to all!
Carol
Well, my last MUSE BRIEF opened with the photo of an attempt in NYC to fry an egg on the sidewalk (using a pan, how sophisticated!)…we’ve gone far beyond that point now; perhaps roast a chicken or bake a cake outside? Wow. When I learned the reason it felt so warm and stuffy out at 9 p.m. last night by glancing at the temp and humidity, I vowed not to look at the weather channel today. But last night was a beautiful full moon, indeed beautiful.
As I drove home last night I saw in the area of the Lincoln Memorial what appeared to be a glimpse of at least half the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) who currently wear the uniform! A little searching upon arriving home, and I learned 2010 is the centennial of BSA. Sunday, July 25 at 1 p.m. there will be a large celebration here in DC. Happy Birthday Boy Scouts!
I’ve seen no total stats, but clearly this NPR article “Why The Next Big Pop-Culture Wave After Cupcakes Might Be Libraries” was highly read or at least highly clicked over the past week…of course “cupcakes” in the title drew me initially but then it was coupled with “libraries” and that was really enticing. We can only hope. Two more pieces found last week to assist us in our ongoing advocacy effort for libraries include a recent THE PLAIN TREE blog entry as well as an updated ”Quotable Facts about America’s Libraries 2010“. And to prepare for putting your advocacy into high gear, take advantage of this online library advocacy training offered by the ALA’s Public Library Association, free of charge to ALA members.
Libraries hold books but not many hold tiny books like these! THE HUFFINGTON POST recently shared news of 90 tiny books going on display in Edinburgh; no one of the books is larger than a playing card. Fourteen international, contemporary artists designed the books.
Another form of smaller though not “tiny” books are the various styles of readers. If you have one, do you have the latest in a cover? I like this one for my non-existent reader, “still looking for the arrival of my” iPad….what memories are dredged up of days in the office gone by with this rumpled envelope!
And for human outer covering, Booktagger had a wonderful display last spring of literary high fashion. I am only sorry we did not all discover these designs before ALA when award winners were madly shopping for just the right dress, tie, and more! My favorite? A book jacket of course!
On the Eastern Shore of Maryland sitting under a huge tree with breezes blowing…
Stay cool, happy reading!
Carol
(Photograph by Karly Domb Sadof for The New York Times)
Okay, it is hot, really hot and humid here in DC, but I think my friends in New York City, New Jersey and Boston are suffering far more…the “hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk” photo is from today’s New York Times; quite frankly, in Arkansas when we talked about this hot weather trick we never fried the egg in a frying pan….of course I don’t remember anyone trying to eat the eggs we fried either. (Thanks Monica for the early morning alert to this article!)
Having grown up in the wretched (didn’t realize it was that bad as a child) heat and humidity of LA (lower Arkansas), I have great empathy for those of you whose mercury is climbing higher, and the air conditioning is not existent at home and/or failing at the office. Here’s a collection of book related “stuff” that requires no thought, only the minor heat of the computer putting forth…
Having more friends over than chairs to enjoy your place if it IS air-conditioned? Want to provide something more than the floor on which to sit? Try designer Darris Hanroun’s “Take a Seat” books which I learned about via Book Patrol.
BOOKTRYST recently shared the opening of the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution’s “new exhibit, Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop and Turn, showcasing the art of the ‘movable book.’ (This is a more inclusive term than “pop-up,” as it covers all books with moving parts.)” I haven’t made it there yet but those museums are usually kept very nice and cool and this one looks like great fun. I was taken with the repair work shown on an older book with movable parts. The exhibit is on display through the coming fall.
Speaking of paper and molding it in different ways, have you enjoyed the visuals created from books by Su Blackwell? The one I have chosen to exhibit here is not the most intricate, but its title “World of Ice” seemed fitting.
Continuing with the book theme, hop over to Germany and explore this hotel on a blog sent to me by an architect!
Have any of you signed up yet? ” ‘Glee’ summer camps may be a hit with singing students” was noted in a recent edition of USA TODAY.
I was unable to attend but thought this was a great idea! The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art sponsored a Children’s Book Festival: Celebrating Dogs in Picture Books in mid-June; great idea for an event any time of year in a classroom or neighborhood or library!
So as the “dog days” of summer proceed, stay cool in the best way you find possible, and happy reading!
Carol
A pleasant Saturday trip to the Eastern Market, busier than I have seen it in months…prize of the day? Strawberries brilliant red through to their centers!
PURPLE, the cover will be PURPLE! The title of this 5th in the series of Diary of a Wimpy Kidwill be announced in July. I liked this quote from an SLJnote on the upcoming book: In response to how in the world he comes up with all the Wimpy Kid jokes, author Jeff Kinney noted “When I’m writing, I usually spend a few hours each night sitting on my couch with a blanket over my head trying to think of something original and funny,” he adds. “I feel like there are a lot of jokes in there, but it’s tough trying to tease them out.” VARIETYreports that Fox 2000 will release the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie sequel, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, on March 25, 2011. Several people knowing of my fondness for the Wimpy Kid sent me the link to this Atlantic article “Revenge of the Wimps”…worth the read.
Sure wish I had known about this wallpaper pattern LIBRARY by Tom Slaughter of Cavern as RIF planned our interiors for the new building…alas, probably way out of our budget! (via BOOK PATROL)
An April leftover from SLJis the story of young Justin shown here…I mean imagine being a fourth-grader in Pflugerville, TX and getting a call (or letter) telling you the design you submitted to the Create Your Own Sports Star contest is THE WINNER and now Dash the Flash that YOU created will be the featured character in a “Sports Illustrated Kids Graphic Novel” available January 1, 2011 in hardcover and paperback. Congratulations, Justin!
Funniest book I have seen on grandchild William’s bookshelf? Check out the series if you haven’t seen these previously…pretty cute! And I really must stop referring to one-year-old William as a baby. I received a video by email late yesterday, and William is walking; my daughter suggests I get tennis shoes with wheels in the soles for my next babysitting stint.
Shannon Hale is next up for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, episode 19 to be posted on June 4, 2010; she also contributed episode 7. Don’t forget you can not only read the various episodes but listen to them as well. By the way, I noted Hale’s bio lists as a pet “a small plastic pig.”
Another recent Book Patrol feature was an intriguing Weapon of Mass Instruction cruising the streets of Buenos Aires. I agreed with the narrative, pretty nice if all tanks were converted for this purpose!
Happy Reading through the remainder of the weekend!
Carol
Ooops, I meant to post this yesterday but found the wi-fi site I frequent on the mountain closed “early” and therefore, no posting Saturday afternoon.
Week two in the new office finds RIF settling in and working full steam ahead on upcoming activities: “See What’s Brewing” on the Hill this week and the week of May 24 our spring Board meeting, Gala, visits by our national Volunteers of the Year and both our Literature Advisory Board and Multicultural Advisory Committee. Is this best called “piling it on” ourselves? It will be fun!
COTY: Looking in the rear view mirror, last week was kicked off by a delightful train trip to Stamford, Connecticut where RIF Board member Juanita James of Pitney Bowes was honored by the City of Stamford and the Jewish War Veterans Fred Robbins post 142 as the 65th Stamford Citizen of the Year (COTY). A room at the Italian Center the native Stamford citizens told me is regularly limited to 350-400 guests was packed with 550 individuals present to honor Juanita; quite a tribute, eh? And these folks know how to run a tribute program….an hour of great visiting in advance, dinner, scholarship presentations, and a fun Larry King Live production featuring Juanita followed by a formal presentation of her through remarks of her husband and son, Juanita’s acceptance and voila, it was only 9:15 p.m….plenty of time for more visiting by those who wished to do so! Without question the highlight of the evening was Juanita’s son Dudley N. Williams III presenting his mother – no dry eyes in the room and the most genuine mother/son love you could hope to find in a presentation. Congratulations, Juanita and family, we are so proud to work alongside you!
Pictures below: (1) Squint and you will see it is truly Larry King Live with Juanita as the guest! (2) Dudley III presents his mom. (3) Juanita accepts the award.
DCI: A few years ago as a 40th RIF anniversary gift to the children of DC, RIF national took on the task of directly coordinating the RIF Books for Ownership program within the DC Public Schools; we call it the DC Initiative or DCI. Working in cooperation with a designated lead at each school, RIF closes its office doors three days a year to spend time “walking the walk” in more than 40 schools. It is a time of learning for us and for renewing our dedication to RIF’s mission. This year we have used as the theme for the three distributions the particular culturally designated celebration in the month of the distribution…last week’s distribution was in honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. DC’s Martin Luther King Jr. elementary school has been paired this year for each distribution with students at Tyson William Elementary School in Anchorage, Alaska for a Skype experience each distribution; read more about the Dragon dance and these great students!
BookSpring of Austin: I learned through Twitter this week Supt. Carstarphen of Austin visited a RIF site at Barrington Elementary overseen by BookSpring in recent days. She found upon entering the library that it was camping time! What a great way to lead into summer reading – reminding our students in fun ways how important it is for them to continue their reading, expand their reading horizons!
HALF THE SKY: Finally, early in the week I completed this book by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn; it is a tough book to read…tough emotionally, tough intellectually to genuinely absorb “yes, this is all really happening to women and girls around the world.” I’ll write more later, but you need to put HALF THE SKY: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide on your reading list, the “must” read side of the list!
Wishing you all best wishes as you start the new week, Happy Reading!
Carol
As Terry and Jen mentioned “way back when,” they were shifting to a twice-a-month format. This has changed the way we look at the literacy and reading news and has created a new opportunity to look back at what’s happened each month. I have agreed to help “fill in” during Jen’s initial time with her new baby bookworm, so here goes for April…and yes, I realize I am late, yes, I am late for this very important date of my first Roundup…the tardiness is a story better than the most creative of children’s stories, and it begins with a mistaken laptop case identity. We’ll leave it at that and proceed!
LIBRARIES: The month of April in review was a month producing a great deal of information about libraries in trouble, books for American Indian teens, the relationship of writing to improving reading skills, twitter archives headed to a special home, and the volcano in Iceland (and just what Carol does that have to do with literacy for children?),
In mid-April the American Library Association released The State of America’s Libraries, 2010indicating Americans are turning to libraries in the economic downturn more and more as they seek information about job searches. At the same time, with state, regional and local governments feeling the severe pinch of that same downturn, libraries are in the news daily showing cutbacks and full system closures.
Similarly, school libraries are suffering; The American Association of School Librarians conducted an informal survey over recent weeks on the cutbacks and closing of school libraries. More graphically, you can follow the progression of cuts on this Google map created by Shonda Brisco and open to all collaborators.
As you review what is happening to libraries in your community I encourage you to at least review summaries of the two reports mentioned as well as the map, glance at some earlier thoughts I posted in Rasco from RIF and above all, visit personally with the librarian(s) in the libraries that might be suffering in your community.
BOOKS PURCHASED: The online community showed its generosity in responding to the call by GUYS LIT WIREto purchase books for two American Indian school libraries. It was a SELLOUT with 772 books purchased as you will note in the linked post. I personally looked forward to checking the comments daily as those comments were often a rich discussion about the books on the wish lists, the deep meaning for many individuals to be able to give to these students and more. Congratulations and even more, thank you to Colleen for organizing the lists and keeping us all focused on the need. And how exciting to read about the reactions of the parents and students and school personnel as the books began to arrive!
WRITING AND READING:Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Readingis a new report from Carnegie Corporation of New York and published by the Alliance for Excellent Education (the Alliance). The report outlines three related practices for instruction that are found to be effective in improving reading: (1) students writing about texts they read; (2) students learning about writing skills and the processes that are used in creating text; and (3) students writing more. It was noted in a later April conference on the Common Core State Standards that states participating in the standards initiative want writing – considered a vital communication skill – taught across the curriculum beginning in kindergarten. The draft writing standards may be reviewed at www.corestandards.org/Files/K12ELAStandards.pdf.
MIND IN THE MAKING is both the title of a book by Ellen Galinsky, President of The Families and Work Institute, as well as ”an unprecedented and unparalleled collaborative effort to share the science of early learning with the general public, families and professionals who work with children and families.” Learn more in a Katie Couric interview of Ellen about the seven essential life skills Ellen outlines in the book as well as the Marshmallow Test.
BRIEFLY
The day it was announced the Library of Congress would be housing the “Twitter” archives, the flurry of activity on twitter and throughout the news media was nothing short of incredible. Matt Raymond writing on the Library of Congress Blog agrees as he notes “I’ve been working in journalism and public relations for nearly 20 years, and of all the stories with which I was personally involved, this one has beaten the rest by a mile.” This posting by Matt then adds the first set of Frequently Asked Questions about the twitter acquisition.
Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano: I can’t prepare a roundup of April news without some mention of this volcano that dominated the news for more than a few days. And there is a good library story out of DC on the matter! 20 British teens were grounded here in DC much longer than planned; the director of the group approached personnel at The Martin Luther King Jr. central branch of the District of Columbia Public Library, and the students were able through the use of the library’s computer room to access their school’s virtual class work. The students noted in a television interview they were originally only to have spent two days in DC at the end of their USA tour and were delighted to have a “bit more time” to study some of the institutions and exhibits.
LOOKING AHEAD
Don’t forget CHILDREN’S BOOK WEEK to be celebrated May 10-16, a week celebrated since 1919. Download a bookmark and more!
THE VIDEO: Terry and Jen advised me they hoped to close these newly formatted Roundups with a helpful, perhaps fun video. Well, I looked and I didn’t find one that “grabbed” me…but I found these items regarding the distribution of books that were fun to review, I hope you enjoy them, too!
The Penguincubator, say what? Read about it…..and learn a bit of history about paperback books at the same time.
FACTOID OF THE DAY: On February 4, 1789 George Washingtonwas elected the first President of the United States of America. Google kicked off its third installment of Doodle 4 Google, a yearly nationwide art contest for students in grades K–12. Eligible students can submit their own “Google Doodles,” and the winning Doodle will appear on Google’s homepage for one day, May 27. The winner will also receive a $15,000 college scholarship, a laptop computer, and a $25,000 technology grant for his or her school. All doodles must be submitted by March 31.
From The Reading Zone came a posting titled Wait a Minute…Reading is Fun?! As 3rd period filed into my classroom one of my students yelled from across the room, Hey Ms. M.! Reading is fun! I had no idea!
I laughed and asked him what he meant.
“Like, it’s awesome. I never knew that before. But last night I took out my book for my 20 minutes of reading and all of a sudden an hour went by. I finished half the book last night! It’s a really great book! I never knew a book could be this good!”
Needless to say, I walked around with a huge smile all day. This is why reading workshop works. This is why requiring students to read every night, instead of filling out worksheets, works.
Oh, and the “awesome book” in question? Gone from These Woods by Donny Bailey Seagraves.
Well of COURSE I had to include that full posting…that is a living ad for the mission of Reading Is Fundamental! Go, The Reading Zone, awesome teacher!
FROM SCHOLASTIC: Mark Teague, illustrator of the How Do Dinosaurs series, uses his imagination to help dinosaurs learn about lots of important things—how to say good night, play with friends, go to school, even to say “I love you”! Now It’s Students’ Turn! Create a book cover by filling in the blank: How Do Dinosaurs __________? Then draw the cover you imagine! 1 Grand-Prize Winner will receive a classroom visit from Mark Teague! 10 Runners-Up will receive a 10-book Mark Teague library! Check out the complete rules.
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, episode 10, “Wolf at the Door” is posted! Contributed by Megan McDonald (think Judy Moodyseries) and illustrated by James Ransome (The Creation for which his illustration was awarded the Coretta Scott King Award), this story begun last fall continues with episode 11 due February 12.
Reactions to The Exquisite Corpse Adventureto date?
Greg Toppo of USA Today recently shared a posting “Color Me A Dinosaur” from the blog WEATHER SEALED. In this posting Dinosaur and friend Velo do some research on Crayolas which originated in 1903 with the mere 8 colors known still in the “really small box”; together Dinosaur and Velo formulated CRAYOLA’S LAW which notes “The number of colors doubles every 28 years!” There is a wonderful color spectrum chart 1903 – 2010 which in turn leads to the conclusion Crayola’s “gonna need a bigger box, because by the year 2050, there’ll be 330 different crayons!”
Do you regularly check in at THE BOOK PATROL blog? Missing a treat if you don’t. With all the talk last week about the iPad, the most entertaining piece I saw was “Thomas Edison’s Kindle-iPad Combo.”
Recently Art Clokey passed away…Art Clokey? Oh, yes, he was the creator of Gumby. Turns out he created Gumby as a student project in the early 50’s and based the swooping head on the permanent and pronounced cowlick of his biological father who passed away when Art was in elementary school. My memories of Gumby are fond ones from his appearances on “The Howdy Doody Show” of which I was a great fan!
Finally, over the last week many a blog has shown the item I have posted here in closing; but it is so special I cannot resist showing it as well. If or when I get a MacBook or a MacBook Pro, the top of my “wish list” to accompany it is a BookBook by 12 South. In Vibrant Red, thank you very much!
Ever finish a long week full of highs (award announcements) and lows (cover controversies, personnel disappointments) and simply want to curl up and read a book quietly? Well, most if not all book bloggers and book-related blog readers will say yes. But where to curl up or sit and read? Seeing these “Most Amazing Rooms to Read In…” on The Huffington Post yesterday gave me some new ”dreams”! You can vote on your favorite as well…my vote for today is either the Abbey Library of St. Gall or the Strahov Monastery Library…I can so see myself in one of those right now! Think it is the ceilings?
Are you up to date on The Exquisite Corpse Adventure through episode 9 which is written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen? A little behind maybe? Quickly, catch up, catch up as episode 10 is revealed Friday, January 29!
The more I learn from authors, the more I want to learn; the writing process is fascinating to me. Here is a great post in the form of a letter to Tyler by Kate Messner…complete with pictures of her handwritten diagrams and all! The comment section turns this great post into the beginnings of a community discussion, do check it out.
And just what is a “community discussion” as used in that last sentence? If you missed MotherReader’s posting yesterday, you need to read it. I am sure this quote she shares is going to stay with me a long time, I sure hope so: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AUDIENCE AND A COMMUNITY IS WHICH DIRECTION THE CHAIRS ARE POINTING.
Start getting ready now for Clifford’s 2010 BE BIG In Your Community Contest sponsored by Scholastic and partners; grand prize is a $25,000 community grant and there are additional prizes! The contest begins February 1, but you can read the rules now and start your planning….and also learn about last year’s winners which is a special experience just reading about them! You or a team of friends can be next!
Quick Muse Views
Congratulations to Dr. Perri Klass, Medical Director of Reach Out and Read, named recently as one of Woman’s Day Magazine’s 50 Women Who Are Changing the World! Indeed the world is being changed for young children and their families receiving books and encouragement in literacy skills through Reach Out and Read programs!
From Andres Henriquez sharing from @web20classroom on Twitter: Free Technology for Teachers- Seven Places to Find Free eBooks
As we settled into this first full week of the new year and the RIF national office family returned to work, several quick items through blogs and twitter and such caught my eye…..
On Tuesday, January 5 there was an interesting Washington Post story about a place “Timbuktu” many of us use often in conversation: Interest in ancient books could restore Timbuktu. Oh, if you’ve often wondered just where IS Timbuktu, check out the map:
Know of a person, a group or an institution doing something really special to instill/promote a lifelong love of reading ? It’s time to nominate for the National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize, 2010 and you may know just the right nomination to make! A number of prizes of up to $2500 each will be awarded. Deadline for nominations: February 17, 2010.
Speaking of libraries and competitions, there was an upbeat video “I Love the Library” (5:48) highlighted in AL Directthis week. It was the winning entry in a competition sponsored by the Library Association of the Republic of China (Taiwan); the winning producer received a scholarship sponsored by Elsevier, and it was noted for her “the library is like a big treasure, provides inspiration, and can help create a happy mind.” I don’t know Mandarin but didn’t find that hampered my smiles and upbeat mood watching this one!
Cooking is an activity I find captures the imagination of many, many children and very often they have no idea they are “reading” as they look at recipes, study them, use them to concoct delicious treats. I’ve seen eyes light up in reluctant readers in ways that have brought a tear or two to my own eyes! The latest success story I read was compliments of my friend Alice Wilder of Think It Ink Itwho shared a classroom cookbook project she read about which ultimately provided community service through funds to a shelter in the community. Anytime I think about cooking with children I remember all the fun things my own mother did at home…whether it was so simple as teaching us how to color sugar green to put on our oatmeal on March 17 or baking a cake for Father’s Day iced to look like a shirt with tie; she was always making the kitchen a fun learning experience, a great “together” time. What kind of cooking experiences with children have you used successfully at home or in the classroom?
And of course I am always happy when I find new, fun cupcake entries online…and there were several this week! One of the most intriguing was shared by Nerd Salad featuring a New Year’s Party that incorporated 100 game-themed cupcakes into the party fun; check them out!
Finally, Greg Pincus shared via Twitter a new type of artist for me at least: Herb Williams, a crayon sculpture artist! Like this yellow dog? The web article notes Herb is one of the only individuals in the world who has an account with Crayola…yeah, I guess he does need an account!
A random, random assortment of items on a beautiful Saturday in Little Rock, Arkansas IF you only look through the windows…open the door, it is not so beautiful for this individual who wonders now how she played outside most of the summertime growing up here…whew, hot, hotter, TOO hot with some fierce humidity! (Be sure to squint and see the “feels like” temp!)
Only one week left on The Wimpy Kid Ice-Treat Truck Tour! Check out the fun they are creating along the way and the schedule for this coming week. Check out film star Zachary Gordon talking about the film and his tips for the first day at school.
DEADLINE October 12! Know a kid between10 and 14 who loves reporting on current events or has other budding attributes of a reporter? Scholastic has announced applications are open for the 2010-11 Kids Press Corps! So what is it like to be one of these kid reporters? From the Frequently Asked Questions section online:
ALERT: AUGUST 31: All seven 39 Clues authors will be part of a live webcast answering questions. Check out the website now as there are current activities including a contest and more leading to the 31st.
Hollywood get ready! ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY is headed to the big screen led by 20th Century Fox. Previously this book has been seen as an award-winning 30 minute video as well as a play produced several years ago by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts which has online an electronic version of the book, an interview with author Judith Viorst and an Alexander board game. (The “tour information” you will see online is outdated information.)
SHE IS 80 YEARS OLD????????? Yes, one of the literary world’s famous “Nancy” characters – NANCY DREW – is this year turning 80! You have already missed the convention, but you can get a press kit, accessories including a cookbook, compass necklace, great t-shirts of course and probably more!
BOOKTRYST
FROM SCHOLASTIC
