MotherReader

As you are shaping your child's beginning home library, there are three types of books to look for in filling the bookshelves.

1. Classics
There are really two kinds of classics: the ones that you read as a child and the new classics that have come out in the intervening years. Your child's bookshelf should have some of both. Reading the books that you grew up on gives you a chance to share that connection with your child. Maybe these books don't honor the faster pace of today's child or use the latest research on teaching to the developing brain of a toddler. But they mean something to you, and that's important. Many also have a place as cultural reference that continues through generations. (Hello Man in the Yellow Hat.) Such books like Curious George; Madeline; Goodnight Moon, Corduroy, Where the Wild Things Are, Bread and Jam for Frances, and The Cat in the Hat belong on every child's bookshelf. You may have some books from your own childhood that are special to you that you should also share. New Classics are ones that you'll see featured at any bookstore, like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom; The Hungry Caterpillar, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!; Clifford the Big Red Dog; Guess How Much I Love You; and Fancy Nancy. Here's a hint on finding the New Classics: they often have a line of related merchandise. I'm not condoning it, I'm just saying'.

2. Mulitcultural/Diverse
Reading is one of the first ways that we see the greater world around us, so take the opportunity to widen that exposure with books that are diverse and multicultural. In looking for books featuring children of color, I've become fond of the illustrator Randy Cecil who used a great cast of characters in Looking for a Moose and How Do You Wokka-Wokka? (written by Phyllis Root and Elizabeth Bluemie, respectively). Kadir Nelson brings his art to life in every book he illustrates, but young readers will especially enjoy Please, Puppy, Please. Grace Lin incorporates Asian children and themes in the many, picture books she has written and illustrated - like in Kite Flying and you'll find Hispanic themes in the works of Pat Mora and Tony Johnson, among many others.

Explore the world without leaving home in the wonderful picture books of Barbara Kerley, with photos from National Geographic - like You and Me Together. Start even younger with the board books like Global Babies or broaden the concept with If the World Were a Village. Think about different kinds of families with The Family Book by Todd Parr (speaking of children of color, you'll see all the colors of rainbow represented here - literally) or And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell which tells the story of two male penguins who raise an egg together.

3. Art
If you're stuck on buying a book, look for the one with great art. I don't mean books with classic artwork in them - though I am fond of the Metropolitan Museum series - but instead books that have amazing illustrations. Step into the art of Steve Jenkins in books like Actual Size or the surreal world of David Wiesner in Flotsam or the perfect spareness of Peter Reynolds in Ish. Investigate the soft tone of Jon Muth or the lively colors of David Diaz. Compare the watercolors of E. B. Lewis to the scratchboard work of Beth Krommes. Find books that are illustrated with beauty, style, and creativity and you'll likely find yourself in possession of very, very good books.

(This post was previously published at PBS Booklights.)

What if I told you that for the cost of a few extra minutes a day, you can boost your blog readership, foster a feeling of connection, and make someone’s day? I’m talking about commenting. (Wow, with all the boosting, connecting, and making someone’s day, it’s like Viagra for blogs.)

At the KidLit Bloggers Conference, my-new-best-friend Lee Wind and I came up with an idea to get the community moving and grooving with a Comment Challenge. We held off to give you time to participate in the Cybils, to obsess about the election, and to Blog the Vote. But now it’s time to join us in The Comment Challenge.

Since it is said that it takes twenty-one days to form a new habit, we’re going to run the Comment Challenge for the next three weeks — from today, Thursday, November 6, through Wednesday, November 26, 2008. The goal is to comment on at least five kidlitosphere blogs a day. Keep track of your numbers, and report in on Wednesdays with me or Lee. We’ll tell each other how we’re doing and keep each other fired up. On Wednesday, November 26, we’ll have a final check-in post for the Comment Challenge. (Actually, it will go up on Tuesday night to catch all you Thanksgiving travelers.) I’m thinking that a prize package will be involved. Perhaps awarded by drawing from the bloggers who reached the 100 Comment Mark (five comments a day for twenty-one days with one day free of comment charge).

Seriously, this is the perfect time to make commenting a habit. Think about it. We have all this free time now that we’re not following CNN. We have writer friends doing National Novel Writing Month that could use our support. Maybe we are writers doing National Novel Writing Month who could benefit from supporting others. We have a series of author interviews coming up during the Winter Blog Blast Tour. Oh, and there were some amazing posts written for Blog the Vote that still deserve your attention.

Every comment doesn’t have to be insightful and intellectual. I know sometimes it’s hard to think of something to say. But what I’ve found is that when I’m in the habit of commenting, the words do come easier. I find myself reading posts with a bit more focus because I’m thinking about what is connecting with me.

Also, when you make yourself heard, that blogger may check out your blog. Can’t hurt your stats. Plus, you’ve made that blogger’s day a little bit brighter. Maybe you’ll make a new BFF — Blog Friend Forever.

I know, the whole thing sounds awesome. Ready to join us? Then get started by commenting on this post. And tell all your friends, because that’s kind of, like, the point.

So, I’ve been reading a decent amount lately, but I don’t feel like writing anything about the books. It’s not really writer’s block... more like writer’s malaise. And it’s not just reviews — I can barely write a coherent email.

My new job is partially to blame. The new rhythms and requirements have thrown me off my game. In the past, I did a fair amount of my kidlit blog reading in the quiet times at the information desk. But with a few weeks of books-to-shelves duties and then a few weeks of busy desk time, I wasn’t reading much online. The novelty of the new branch has worn off for the public, and now there are some quiet periods to check out my kidlitosphere friends, but I’ve found myself out of blog-reading practice. There are references to things I missed, certainly, but mostly it’s a loss of the habit of reading blogs. Does that seem strange?

Losing the habit of reading blogs and writing comments and drafting book notes, I’m feeling somewhat adrift. That clear head space I had hoped for in the summer is still elusive. Seemingly small jobs take forever. Tiny diversions become engulfing. And let’s not even talk about eBay.

I’m holding onto my summer book club tightly, as it is keeping me tethered to the online book world and to... caring. I am actually very excited that my book club will have its first videoconference with author Patrick Carman as we discuss The Dark Hills Divide tomorrow. What an amazing person he is to offer this opportunity to my Girl Scout Troop! I can only hope I don’t muck it up — though I am having someone else handle the technology aspect, since I would be likely to arrange it by waving a magic wand over my computer. Or in lieu of an actual magic wand, a mi Jam drumstick. We’ll be talking in the late afternoon, and I’m hoping to post the discussion that evening to keep up my trend of Wednesday Summer Book Club. Stop by and share your thoughts on the book. Or our snack. Or the wonders of videoconferencing. Whatever.

Holy Brother of Todd!!! The Kidlitosphere Conference is only one week away!!! I’m going to meet all these people, like, in Real Life!

Realizing that I’d see these blog buddies soon made me get back to blog reading and commenting. I do read through JacketFlap, but I haven’t been commenting as much. I think, honestly, it’s because I’ve been reading the blogs too quickly. I haven’t allowed myself time to digest the writings enough to want to add something.

I don’t think I’m alone in this feeling, since I’ve noticed comments going down in general and more people noting that they aren’t keeping up with their blog reading. Further evidence that everyone is writing in their blogs and not reading blogs is found in a post from Bottom Shelf Books. Check out this paragraph, in reference to the book Millions of Cats:

For those of you who are skeptical about the connection between advertising and religion, I present you with Exhibit A: Jesus. Regardless of your religious affiliation, there is no denying that Jesus is, by far, the most successful spokesperson in history — followed at a safe distance by Mickey Mouse, Ronald McDonald, and the late Anna Nicole Smith (the former spokeswoman for both TrimSpa and Giant Boobs... may they rest in peace).

How could the comments on this concept not go crazy? We aren’t paying attention. This guy’s walking the line. Taking chances. Putting it out there. To think that I might have missed it.

It’d be hard to miss John Green, especially when Brotherhood 2.0 is talked about in the Wall Street Journal! The online edition even has the liquefied Happy Meal video. To be fair, the subject of the article is the online campaign contributions collected by Daniel Biss, but there’s a lot of the Brotherhood in it too.

Also, a John Green Experience is described over at Miss Rumphius Effect. (Apparently, the experience is like a dolphin encounter at SeaWorld. Amazing and over too fast.)

From Original Content, I learned of a post at BookLust referencing amazing works of art where the artist carves out of a book. Really, you have to see it to believe it.

Miss Erin wrote about the very creepy book Coraline. But it was this quote about the book that caught me off guard:

I suggest that you step very slowly away from this book and go find another source of amusement, such as investigating an unsolved crime or making a small animal out of yarn.

— Lemony Snicket

Yarn animals? How did he know?

In other personal news, it looks like I’ll be changing my desktop wallpaper. (Totally kidding. Totally. Well, probably kidding.)