MotherReader

Today I’ve got a few penguin books over at Booklights. Wow, that sounded even more boring as I typed it. Maybe you should visit Jen’s post on series books instead.

At ForeWord I pulled together some of our thoughts on book buzz from the KidLitosphere Listserv discussion. Laurel Snyder contributed her extremely clever, funny and spot-on summary of the issue. I then attempted to categorize different types of buzz with examples, key words, and actor equivalents. I know you all have opinions on the topic, so head over and share them at ForeWord.

I missed the Carnival of Children’s Literature because I was in Virginia Beach getting in our last ocean visit of the summer. But actually, that works out well because the Labor Day weekend is bound to be a quiet blogging week, allowing all of us some blog reading time. And what better place to see the best posts of August then at the official round-up of such things at the Carnival of Children’s Literature? Go and enjoy.

Now with the middle-school Open House behind me — where the kids looked like real teenagers, heaven help me — I’ve got the elementary school version today along with school supply shopping. I know. We’re like the only place in the country who isn’t back to school yet. In Virginia they call it the Labor Day Law, and we’re soooo happy with it. Not.

Man, I’ve been so lazy this summer. I can’t seem to get anything done. The garden is a mess, the house is a disaster, and the blog needs work. Yet I’ll read in bed or watch TV with the family or head to the pool — anything but do the chores. Omigod, I’m a child.

To be fair, it’s my first summer without working for ten years. And even ten years ago, I had a newborn, so that shouldn’t even count as a summer off. So really it’s my first work-free summer since... I was a child. Huh.

Today, instead of writing, I’ll be enjoying the wonderful Summer Carnival of Children’s Literature. Melissa Wiley pulled together a great collection of posts that are not to be missed.

Also, here’s a little video I saw on Library Stew. Being musical (and with a musical daughter), I particularly enjoyed it, and would love to find out more about this session on Notes & Neurons.

Today is the perfect day for looking back and looking forward. First, a round-up of the best of March in the Carnival of Children’s Literature, with thanks to the host, Jenny’s Wonderland of Books. Lots of great posts to peruse.


Today is the last day to contribute your list to Fuse#8’s Top Picture Books. I already sent mine in, but would someone please do me a favor and submit The Day the Babies Crawled Away in their top ten? I owe you one.

Today may be the last chance (or almost the last chance) to participate in the various Library Loving Challenges, where you comment your way to their donations. Many of the bloggers have reached their goals, but there are several that still need your comments, and you’ll find that list with Jama.

And that’s enough on March — a month that has been killing me with its lack of Springness. Yeah, I see the daffodils and blooming cherry trees and I am not impressed. Because the heat is still running even though I’ve turned the thermostat down to 65 degrees. Because we’re still routinely pulling out our puffy winter coats. Because our bushes are dead piles of branches flanking our walkway. (Though that last one might be our fault.)

So onward to April, and hopefully some better weather. Soon. But if the warm days aren’t enough to sell the month, then the amazing kidlitosphere Poetry Month events (as lifted from A Year of Reading) should do it.

Gregory K. at GottaBook announced his project, 30 Poets/30 Days: “Every day in April, I’ll be posting a previously unpublished poem by a different poet.” Authors include Jon Scieszka, Linda Sue Park, Jack Prelutsky, Nikki Grimes, and Douglas Florian.

Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect is sharing her interviews with “the most amazing writers of poetry for children on the planet.” She’ll have 36 interviews in 30 days. Authors include Jane Yolen, Adam Rex, Ralph Fletcher, and Joseph Bruchac.

Jone at Check it Out will be doing a variety of poetry projects with students in her school, as well as challenging herself to write 30 poems in 30 days for a third year!

Anastasia Suen, author of Pencil Talk and Other School Poems, has started a new blog just for students’ poems about school. She’ll feature a student’s poem every day in April.

Sylvia Vardell at Poetry For Children will be reviewing a new children’s poetry book every day.

OMG, this month the Poetry Fridays are going to ROCK!

If the poetry doesn’t wow you, then how about the School Library Journal Battle of the Books starting the week of April 13th? Print out the competitors and wait for the fun to begin. There is a wonderful, boiled-down-to-the-bone comparison at Tea Cozy. I’m going to print that out too for reference. Particularly to remind me not to comment indignantly about how very different the books are in BOB when apparently that is the point.

On April 16th, you can Rock the Drop by leaving a great YA book for a teen to find and enjoy. Check out readergirlz for more info.

On April 18th, you can indulge your need to read with the 24 Hour Read-A-Thon. (Wondering about the 48 Hour Book Challenge? Let’s say same time — June 5th–7th — same place. More info soon.)

Funny story that Maureen writes about Maureen making it a thing to Blog Every Day in April. I was already planning to do this, except I call it Blog Every Day in April Except on Weekends or When I Don’t Really Feel Like It.

All month long — heck, all year long — you can do your searching on Hoongle to help hunger. Huh? Here’s the scoop from Miss Rumphius:

When you perform a search using Hoongle, your search is routed through Google. So the results you see are identical to Google’s. The difference is that when your query originates with Hoongle, Google shares a portion of its revenue. This income is donated (less necessary operating costs) to the United Nations World Food Program, which carries out operations around the world to deliver food aid to those in need.

It’s also time to start booking your hotel room for the Third Annual KidLitosphere Conference here in Washington, DC, on Oct 16th–18th. A website should be ready soon for online reservations, but feel free to set up your hotel room now by calling the Sheraton reservations line at 800-627-8209 and making a reservation under the group block for “Kid Lit Conference.” The cost is $109 per night. I’ll be getting together more information on the conference this month while all these other blogs are doing the heavy lifting post-wise. Basically, I can say that Friday will be an optional dinner get-together in Arlington. On Saturday we’ll have the conference running from breakfast to a late dinner, with lots of social time, and the cost will be about $100. On Sunday, we’ll do a visit to some DC place. Unfortunately, the Library of Congress isn’t open on Sunday, so maybe we’ll arrange a visit there for Friday during the day.

On Tuesday, I literally jumped up and cheered upon hearing this part of President Obama’s Adresss to Congress:

These education policies will open the doors of opportunity for our children, but it is up to us to ensure they walk through them. In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a parent, for a mother or father who will attend those parent-teacher conferences, or help with homework, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, read to their child.

Yes! It fits in wonderfully with the concept of Share a Story, Shape a Future. The initiative looks wonderful, and I hope to play a part in some way when it hits the KidLitosphere come March. I kind of missed the boat when I lost the messages in my overstuffed email box.

Through a perhaps ridiculously diligent process, I was able to bring my emails down to 1300 from 3447 on a first-look, barely skimming, toss-the-trash weeding. I also moved groups of emails to folders because they will be easier to deal with at one time rather than as I come across them. My husband did something techie to my computer that appears to be helping, and I also found that I was having more luck using my daughter’s computer account. I’m going to keep plugging at it because those extra emails are simply computer clutter.

Speaking of clutter, an article in School Library Journal talks about cluttered houses in terms of their impact on early literacy. This is gonna hurt...

Household order — characterized by regular bedtime routines, mealtimes, and chores, as well as cleanliness and being able to stay on top of things — has a positive effect on a range of early reading abilities, the report says.

Well, so much for that. Thanks to Charlotte’s Library for pointing it out, and making me laugh with her own experience.

Another shared experience caught my attention this morning as Maw Books asks for the most horrific way you’ve ever ruined a book. She already has thirty responses, and yes, one of them is mine. And no, I’m not proud.

I had to assume that she was talking about accidental book disfigurement, because otherwise I’m in real trouble with my new hobby of book altering. The one week I had few school activities and few scheduled work days, I wasted with a box of old schoolbooks and an Exacto knife. I had a lot of fun though, and I think it released some of the mental pressure I was feeling with booking the KidLitosphere Conference...

Which is now, officially, set for the weekend of October 16th–18th at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel! I’m sending in the contract today, so it’s too early to book your room, but I’ll let you know. I can tell you that the rate is $109 per night, the conference cost should be around $100 with a breakfast and dinner for Saturday included. As we’ve done in the past, Friday will feature a dinnertime outing to some local place for whomever can come. Saturday will be the conference and dinner. Sunday will be some Washington, DC, adventure — to be determined. I’ll be working on session ideas and maybe even speakers...

Like this guy, my dream speaker. Because if you’re going to dream, dream big. I forgot how much I enjoyed his videos because they aren’t on my feed, but fortunately Bookshelves of Doom reminded me with this one:


Edited to add: For more videos, podcasts, and regular old posts, don’t miss the newest Carnival of Children’s Literature. It rocks!

Stitchin’ and Pullin’: A Gee’s Bend Quilt, by Patricia McKissack, tells the story of a young girl growing up in a community of quilters. As a small child, she watches the quilting, and then under the tutelage of the women, she begins her own quilt. These women are making more than lovely quilts. With each stitch, they are keeping tradition and history alive. For generations, the quilts have combined the practical traits of reusing old fabric to make warm blankets with the creative endeavors of employing cloth and color to make art.

Patricia McKissack uses poetry to capture the journey of a girl on the path to making her own quilt, alongside the history of a particular community and a people. Illustrator Cozbi A. Cabera pulls out all stops on the palette, drenching us with the vibrant colors of the quilts and the stories they represent. This is a beautiful book that presents a different angle on African American history. The poems themselves are about quilts and relationships, tradition and community, heritage and history. For today, when I feel like I’m pulling together lots of pieces of my own projects, I’d like to share this poem:

Puzzling the PiecesA quilt
is a puzzle made of cloth —
Squares of
red and white gingham;
Solid rectangles, print ones, too;
Dotted triangles and a few plaids mixed in.
Flowered circles and long, narrow strips,
spread out on the floor.
Now comes the puzzling —
mixing and matching
colors, shapes, and patterns;
Finding combinations of pieces that
fit like a puzzle — making a picture,
telling a story.

Poetry Friday round-up is hosted at The Holly and the Ivy. The schedule of upcoming hosts is available at KidLitosphere Central. Oh — don’t forget to find or write your post by February 23rd for the preferably-multimedia Carnival of Children’s Literature, with the easily workable theme We Love Kid Lit! I’m thinking of doing some audio stuff with the kids. It’s exciting.

Inaugural poet Elizabeth Alexander talks with Stephen Colbert about poetry. She gets in some wonderful explanations, even as he gets the laughs with such questions as: “What’s the difference between a metaphor and a lie?” Good stuff.

Poetry Friday round-up is hosted at Adventures in Daily Living. Hey, did I just submit the first video for Poetry Friday? I’m a maverick.

Edited to add: For some great weekend reading, don’t miss the January Carnival of Children’s Literature hosted at Under the Covers. Great timing. Now I have something to do at work today. I mean, on Saturday... on my own time.

As I looked back over my blog year to find my favorite literary posts of 2008 for the December Carnival of Children’s Literature, I realized a couple of things. First, that my favorite posts weren’t about books. I’m not sure what that says, given that this is supposed to be a book blog. And second, that I haven’t reviewed very many books. Again, perhaps a problem for a book blog.

I decided that my favorite book posts were actually series of posts — ABC Storytime, which I expanded to include holiday storytime books, and Twenty-One Ways to Give a Book, which totaled more than a hundred ways in five posts and was an enormous amount of work.

Other than those series, I enjoyed looking back at my take on the Kidlitosphere Conference with its many and sundry links. While I liked the many author interviews I conducted this year, there is a special place in my heart for the informal chat-style one with Caroline Hickey and Sara Lewis Holmes.

It was a political year. Remember? Because it seems ages ago already. I certainly wrote about it enough. My favorite post was part of the fantastic Blog the Vote initiative, and focused more on my desire for an inclusive society rather than my Obama-mania.

There were big projects.

And funny stories.

And blah days (which I tried to keep light).

And periods of reflection and resolution. And even reflections on resolutions.

The next year will bring new WAPB titles and a new venture. It will begin with a Cybils shortlist that I helped create, just as last year did. Oh, and so much more is in store. So much more.

The Biggest, the Best Carnival of Children’s Literature is over at Jen Robinson’s Book Page, where she rounds up our favorite posts of the year. Honestly, you could spend hours there checking out the links, and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing this evening in my Dedicated Blog Reading Time.

Do. Not. Miss. It.

I’m keeping it short today, but before I go, I also wanted to mention again the excellent resource available in Chicken Spaghetti’s List of Lists of Best Children’s Books of 2008, featuring a stunning amount of sources. My personal favorites for this time of year are the Best Books lists of School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and The Horn Book. In January, I look forward to the Cybils shortlists and the ALSC’s Notable Children’s Books List to round out my reading year.

If you’re still shopping this holiday season — and who isn’t — consider my hundred-plus ways to Give a Book. I’m ready to share my Starbucks gift card with Mary Pearson as we discuss her book The Adoration of Jenna Fox — only my favorite YA book of 2008. Her suggestion. Perhaps because she’s safely located on the opposite coast.

It’s a dreary, rainy Monday in Virginia and seems like the perfect day for a carnival. Well, a Carnival of Children’s Literature in any case. I’m heading on over to take a look and I suggest you do the same.

I remembered and forgot to submit an entry about four times last week. I would be stuck on what to put into the carnival, get distracted, and forget. Until I remembered again. But the last time I remembered it was Too Late. Let that be a lesson to you. I’m still not sure what I would have submitted. The Weird-Ass Picture Book Awards was my most important — and I write that with some irony — post of March. But I get enough strange searches from my choice of award names and wouldn’t want to foist that burden on someone else. Let’s say it would have been a review of a new Mother Goose book, since I posted it on Good Friday as my readers left for the weekend.

I’m late on this report — like that’s a surprise — but I have to comment on the Children’s Choice Book Awards, mainly because I’m mystified by them. There are only a handful of the titles that I would have put on that list. There are several that I don’t know, but seem to have pretty limited appeal. I mean, Tucker’s Spooky Halloween? I don’t understand why there aren’t any novels in the fifth/sixth grade list, but two picture books. (I’m not knocking picture books for older kids, but that’s for another entry.) Probably the strangest thing is how none of the favorite authors or illustrators have books in any of the age categories. And it’s not just me — Fuse#8 and Roger are also puzzled by this award. The official word is that nominees were compiled from reviews of bestseller lists. I’m thinking that the nominees were selected by covering a wall with the ISBN numbers of recently published titles and playing a rousing game of Pin the Award on the Children’s Book.

I’ve been physically sluggish since the holidays. I’ve managed to get the basics done for my family, but not much more. And believe me, much more needed to be done. So finally, in the last two days, I feel somewhat energized — and my back goes out. It happens once in a while, this sharp pain in my lower back. It usually lasts a couple of days. That would be the couple of days I had totally free to catch up on work around the house. I’m so ticked off.

However, I’m pretty comfortable sitting straight up in this chair by my computer, so I suppose I’ll take some extra time with the January Carnival of Children’s Literature, now up and ready at Wizards Wireless. The theme is children’s book awards, so you’ll find tons of great posts leading to even more wonderful books. Don’t miss it, even if you’re not confined to your chair.

For the upcoming holidays, I give you the gift of knowledge. Which is better than a S’more maker any day, I think we’d all agree. For the November Carnival of Children’s Literature I asked bloggers to share tips, suggestions, advice, and lessons learned from all areas of kids’ lit. I’ve pulled together those submissions, and went out searching for even more. I’ve grouped the tips in primary categories, but there is lots of overlap for everyone involved in children’s literature. Authors may find helpful advice for school visits in the Teachers/Librarians sections. Reviewers can benefit from tips in the Writers section. So dig in and grow wiser.











The next Carnival will be hosted by Big A, little a. The theme is books that make good gifts. So dust off the reviews of your favorites or get ready to make some new suggestions. Thanks to everyone for their contributions.

Me: Ask me what makes me so funny!

You: Okay, what make you so f—

Me: Timing!

Today’s tip is about writing humor. I’m not even sure that I should be giving suggestions here, given that my process tends to involve an ongoing internal monologue about what I think I want to write that occurs throughout the mundane events of the day. I’ll be running the Swiffer WetJet over the kitchen floor, or retrieving a Mickey Mouse magnet from under the refrigerator with a spatula, or plucking the stray hairs on my chin, and the ideas just come.

But within that internal monologue, I revise until it’s funny. Okay, maybe just funnier than it was, but sometimes I crack myself up. There are tricks to make things just a touch more humorous, and I share them with you now. Lord help me.

1. Specific things and names are funnier than the generic. So “running the Swiffer WetJet” is more amusing than “sweeping the floor.”
   


2. Some imagery will just hit the right chord. It’s funnier to think of someone lying on the floor fishing around under the fridge then washing the dishes.
   


3. Revealing personal things is funny. So if I tell you about plucking stray hairs on my chin, you have an “Omigod, I can’t believe she said that!” reaction, and it’s funny.
   


4. Truly, some words are funnier than others. Spatula is better than broom. Swiffer WetJet is like a gift from the comedy gods.
   


5. Showing an awkward personal experience that others share is amusing, like digging under the refrigerator or plucking chin hairs.
   


6. Generally, the rhythm of funny is in threes. Two normal phrases, and the last punch line. But not always.
   


7. References to current events or trends is funny, but it has to be current. You don’t want to look oh-so-two-minutes-ago. Retro can also work, but anything before the late seventies isn’t retro anymore, it’s just old-people funny.
   


8. Tone can really change how funny something is. I’d pledge my lifelong allegiance to the person who comes up with an ironic font — and no, the little winking emoticon isn’t enough.
   


9. Everyone loves a good inside joke. Well, everyone on the inside does anyway.
   


10. Setting up for the unexpected is funny.
    

Here’s an example. My husband had a project to write and film fake public service announcements for “problem behaviors” at his workplace. They were going for a satire of those “The More You Know” ads on NBC. One of the ads was about jaywalking from the office to the Starbucks across the street. When I thought about this, I came up with the idea of a squirrel running across the street and getting hit by a car on the way back, and using that as a word of warning to the employees. Here’s what I wrote:

Squirrels are amazing creatures, built for speed and agility. Once I saw a squirrel running across M street, darting in and out of traffic. It got to the Starbucks, and came back just as quickly. That is, until it was flattened by a Hyundai. You know, people aren’t as fast as squirrels. Just something to think about.

Now look at it with the rules applied.

Squirrels⁽⁴⁾ are amazing creatures, built for speed and agility. Once I saw a squirrel running across M street,⁽⁹⁾ darting in and out of traffic.⁽²⁾ It got to the Starbucks,⁽⁷⁾ and came back just as quickly. That is, until it was flattened⁽⁴⁾ by a Hyundai.⁽¹⁾ You know, people aren’t as fast as squirrels.⁽¹⁰⁾ Just something to think about.⁽⁸⁾

You’ll see that it wouldn’t have been as funny if it had been a cat — far too personal, and not a funny word. Using flattened evokes old cartoon images, and is funnier than run over by. Of course, Hyundai is better both as a specific — instead of car — and as a funny word. The whole fake ad was an inside joke and was said in a casual tone.

So, now I’ve gone for broke on my trade secrets. And all in honor of the November Carnival of Children’s Literature, where the theme is tips, tricks, and advice. Yes, for this month I want a tip as a reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, or editor of children’s literature. I want a lesson learned from a teacher, librarian, author, or parent with regards to kids’ lit. It doesn’t have to be a post that you did in November or October, though you may consider tweaking and re-posting an older entry to use; you can pick a post from any point this year. If you have something from last year, polish that baby up and repost it. I’ve got a good part of the Carnival ready now, so if you want to send something, get it to me by Tuesday evening. Send your links through my email (see the Email MotherReader! button). I have some great submissions so far, but I want more. Because I give and give and give to this relationship, and I need to take. I need to take something for myself. Or for, you know, the Carnival.

In the interest of promoting the upcoming Carnival theme, I’m going to share tips over the next few days to get you in the mood. I’m also going to ask if some other blogs could mention it out there, especially the extension for submissions — Tuesday, November 27th, by 9:00 a.m. EST.

Today’s suggestions come from my role as a librarian and story time lady. They may help children’s librarians, sure, but the tips may also be useful for authors giving a reading or parents going in to read to a class. So here goes.

One of my daughter’s preschool teachers used to call the kids “my friends.” I liked that so much that I always use it now in story times. For instance, “You can sit closer. I like my friends to be able to see the books.” It feels much warmer than “you kids.” I also introduce myself as Miss Pam — I don’t know if that is a preschool thing, library thing, or southern thing, but I love it.

After trying several techniques for getting kids quiet to listen to the books — and I should note here that often my story times have from babies to five-year-olds — I’ve settled on singing more of my directions. Now, I don’t know if it relies on my sweet singing voice, but boy do they focus. I usually say, “Oh, we almost forgot to get ready to listen to the books.” Then I sing, sort of recitative-style, “Let’s get on our watching eyes, so we can see the pictures [motion ‘adjusting’ eyes]. Let’s get on our listening ears, so we can hear the story [motion ‘adjusting’ ears]. And let’s get on our quiet mouths, so everyone else can hear the story too [motion finger on mouth].” Then I start reading before I lose them. If they get too busy later, I’ll have them wiggle it out while sitting, and then go through the song again.

Know this: You cannot ask a question of preschoolers that involves simply raising their hands. They will raise their hands, but at least three of them will have to say something — have to. Just be prepared. For kindergarten through second grade, they can do the raising-hand thing, but they will leave them up forever in the hopes that maybe you will call on them to share their specific, partially on-topic story. Here’s what I say, “Raise your hand if you have a library card. Good. Now hands down.” If you are taking questions from this crowd, you don’t want to open up to comments. Because once one kid tells you about the snake he once saw, everyone is going to have to tell you their snake story. If I’m taking questions, I say, “Does anyone have any questions about the summer reading program? And remember, a question is something that needs an answer.” Then if I get a comment, I’ll say, “Well, that’s nice, but does anyone have a question that needs an answer?” It seems to send the message that I’m not looking for more comments, which keeps the room from exploding with personal stories.

As a reminder, I’ll be hosting the November Carnival of Children’s Literature. For this month I want a tip as a reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, or editor of children’s literature. I want a lesson learned from a teacher, librarian, author, or parent with regards to kids’ lit. It doesn’t have to be a post that you did in November or October, though you may consider tweaking and re-posting an older entry to use; you can pick a post from any point this year. If you have something from last year, polish that baby up and repost it. The deadline for submission was Saturday, November 24th, but in all honesty, I’m not going to be pulling this puppy together until Tuesday morning, so you have until then, and I’ll post the Carnival on Wednesday, November 28th. Well, Wednesday-ish. Send your links through my email (see the Email MotherReader! button) or the Carnival site. I’d love to see some editors and publishers give us some ideas for getting a foot in the door. Some librarians share a special program that rocks. Some reviewers tell how to handle the mountain of books. Some authors address school visits or writer’s block. I know that we all have so much knowledge to share with each other, and I wanted to present one great big opportunity to do so.

In the interest of promoting the upcoming Carnival theme, I’m going to share tips over the next few days to get you in the mood. I’m also going to ask if some other blogs could mention it out there, especially the extension for submissions — Tuesday, November 27th by 9:00 a.m. EST.

Oh, and in case you missed the original call, I’ll be hosting the November Carnival of Children’s Literature. Carnivals are simply collections of posts in a specific topic area (in this case Children’s Literature), pulled together by a host for easier reading. Since they can have a theme, I’ve decided to do something a little different, maybe even a bit of a stretch. For this month I want a tip as a reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, or editor of children’s literature. I want a lesson learned from a teacher, librarian, author, or parent with regards to kids’ lit. It doesn’t have to be a post that you did in November or October, though you may consider tweaking and re-posting an older entry to use; you can pick a post from any point this year. If you have something from last year, polish that baby up and repost it. The deadline for submission was Saturday, November 24th, but in all honesty, I’m not going to be pulling this puppy together until Tuesday morning, so you have until then, and I’ll post the Carnival on Wednesday, November 28th. Well, Wednesday-ish. Send your links through my email (see the Email MotherReader! button) or the Carnival site — and please indicate, if possible, whether the tip/trick/hint is more for reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, editor, teacher, librarian, or parent. (Yes, I know that there is plenty of overlap, but it would save time for me in organizing the posts if the suggested category were included with your link.) I’d love to see some editors and publishers give us some ideas for getting a foot in the door. Some librarians share a special program that rocks. Some reviewers tell how to handle the mountain of books. Some authors address school visits or writer’s block. I know that we all have so much knowledge to share with each other, and I wanted to present one great big opportunity to do so.

One of the things that has worked for me as a book reviewer, is my technique for keeping notes on my books. Often at work, I’ll read a picture book that I don’t want to bring home to review. Or I’ll be returning a book and realize that I didn’t copy down that perfect quote from it. Now, I can’t blog at work and my notes are related to my librarian job as well. So what to do?

I’ve had success in composing an email to myself, writing my notes in there, and sending it. The notes are usually quick impressions, plots, quotes, or booktalking points. After sending them, I keep them in a folder on my email account. Sometimes I use them to review a book. Sometimes I use a few of them for a compilation post. Sometimes they remind me of the perfect booktalking point. Sometimes I don’t use the notes at all. But in any case, I’m able to let go of that book because I know that I wrote down some reminder of its existence. It also keeps the information accessible from home or work, as the notes can be relevant to both places. Anyway, it helps me, and maybe it will help you.

This trick taught me something else extremely important for a librarian who supervises computers for the public. We get kids who want to type something on Word and print it for class. They never seem to have a disc or flash drive, but they need to save it because their first session is ending or they might need to correct it. I tell them to send the document as an attachment in an email to themselves. Then in their second session, or if they do need to correct it after all, they can pull it up from their email. I saved countless school reports this way, and if your library has a similar setup with timed-out computer sessions, this may be a helpful tip for your library. (Before I realized this, I’d talk to three kids a week who would “save” documents to the desktop of the computer, not realizing that the documents would disappear as soon as their session was over. Heartbreaking.)

Thing Number One:
There’s a DC-brand KidLit Drink Night this Saturday, November 10th. Because we define DC broadly here, it’s actually in Bethesda, Maryland. The Rí~Rá Pub & Restaurant at 4931 Elm Street features a cheap parking garage across the street (its meters take change) and easy access from the Bethesda Red Line Metro stop. I’ll be there at 6:00 p.m., along with writers Sara Lewis Holmes and Caroline Hickey, and hopefully you! (Rumors that Bono is attending have not been confirmed.)

Thing Number Two:
In case you missed it yesterday with my long-winded introduction, I’ll be hosting the November Carnival of Children’s Literature. Carnivals are simply collections of posts in a specific topic area (in this case Children’s Literature), pulled together by a host for easier reading. Since they can have a theme, I’ve decided to do something a little different, maybe even a bit of a stretch. For this month I want a tip as a reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, or editor of children’s literature. I want a lesson learned from a teacher, librarian, author, or parent with regards to kids’ lit. It doesn’t have to be a post that you did in November or October, though you may consider tweaking and re-posting an older entry to use; you can pick a post from any point this year. The deadline for submission is Saturday, November 24th, and I’ll post the Carnival on Wednesday, November 28th. Send your links through my email (see the Email MotherReader! button) or the Carnival site — and please indicate, if possible, whether the tip/trick/hint is more for reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, editor, teacher, librarian, or parent. (Yes, I know that there is plenty of overlap, but it would save time for me in organizing the posts if the suggested category were included with your link.) Some examples (and indeed previews) include Kelly’s writer tips, Sara’s how to write a poem, Robin’s look at writers and money, and my booktalking for teens. I’d love to see some editors and publishers give us some ideas for getting a foot in the door. Some librarians share a special program that rocks. Some reviewers tell how to handle the mountain of books. Some authors address school visits or writer’s block. I know that we all have so much knowledge to share with each other, and I wanted to present one great big opportunity to do so.

Thing Number Three:
Today, Poetry Friday is hosted by A Wrung Sponge, and she has an excellent idea for us. She suggests that we take our poetry out into the world. Put a poem by the microwave at work! On the bulletin board in school! In the bathroom stall at Target! Okay, I might have added that last one for giggles. Today I’m taking out a poem from John Grandits’ book, Technically It’s Not My Fault. It’s a collection of concrete poems, and I’ve used a couple of them in booktalking sessions to the middle school, particularly the title poem, which is on the cover and goes something like this:

I know, I know. You’re really mad. But I can explain. See, I was reading about Galileo, a guy who made all these great discoveries and did cool experiments. and the book said that he dropped a heavy object and a light object out of a window to show they’d land at the same time because gravity is constant. But I thought, No way! Heavy things fall fast and light things fall slow. We know this from Saturday morning cartoons, right? So I decided to do the experiments myself. I found a concrete block in the garage and I got a tomato from the fridge, and I took them up to the attic and opened the window and rested them on the sill. And it really, really looked like there was going to be plenty of room for them to fall between the house and the car. I mean, like, who knew?

(If you want to read the rest, click over to the Amazon listing and click on the Browse Sample Pages: Front Cover. I’ll tell you, read fast, this poem kills at booktalks.) Today, I’ll be putting a copy of “The Little House” by the water fountain at work (kids love water fountains). It has a drawing of a house, and the first part has the words all piled up on top of each other in a way that I can’t replicate here, but they say:

Building a poem is like building a little house. You start with some bricks — a pile of words. They’re all mixed up. There is no order. They keep tumbling all over each other.

Those words are in a pile like the bricks they mention, but then the other words of the poem are inside the house and the ideas are of building, taking your time, and leaving space. I love this poem, but since I can’t find it online and can’t (and wouldn’t) post it here, you’ll have to look for it on your own or come to my library and visit the water fountain.

Thing Number Four:
Don’t forget to check out the newest issue of The Edge of the Forest, which features an interview with Sara Zarr, a discussion about readergirlz’ “31 Flavorite Authors for Teens,” and many reviews of Young Adult novels. It also includes an article I wrote, “Can A Funny Book Be Taken Seriously?” and I’m feeling pretty positive about it. After all, it reveals a conversation wherein a noted literary agent calls a Printz-winning book crap, and then ends with a brilliant paragraph on the topic area by the author of that Printz-winning book in a way that could be summed up by a current expression — that expression being SNAP!

Are you ready for a Carnival? I know I am. I’ll be hosting the November Carnival of Children’s Literature and I’ll be looking for your submissions through my email (using the ever-exciting Email MotherReader! button) or through the Carnival site. There is a theme and it is...

Wait. Let me introduce it this way. (Readers who like to get to the point can skip the next two paragraphs.) As a mother, I feel like I have lots of knowledge to share, but it tends to come out in clichés. Nap when the newborn naps. Pick your battles. Homework before playtime. The hints are true, but so general as to not really be helpful. But if I had to pick one specific tip, one lesson learned, there’s one at the ready. Buy your child’s violin on eBay.

See, I rented a half-sized violin for a year to the tune of $250. Of course, the rental goes toward a violin over, like, a period of years, but it didn’t seem like a good deal to me. But what could I do? Apparently, violins cost hundreds of dollars. Made sense to me. Except that they don’t necessarily cost hundreds of dollars, since I was able to buy a new 3/4-size and later a full-sized violin for about sixty bucks each, including shipping. They were both new and both from a music store. I assume that they are not of the highest quality, but as long as their construction didn’t involve rubber bands and they weren’t stamped with Fisher Price on the side, they are good enough for us.

Back to the Carnival theme. For this month I want a tip as a reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, or editor of children’s literature. I want a lesson learned from a teacher, librarian, author, or parent with regards to kids’ lit. It doesn’t have to be a post that you did in November or October, though you may consider tweaking and re-posting an older entry to use. You can pick a post from any point this year. The deadline for submission is Saturday, November 24th, and I’ll post the Carnival on Wednesday, November 29th. Send your links through my email or the Carnival site — and please indicate, if possible, whether the tip/trick/hint is more for reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, editor, teacher, librarian, or parent. (Yes, I know that there is plenty of overlap, but it would save time for me in organizing the posts if the suggested category were included with your link.)

For today, just for fun, share a tip in the comments. Any tip to save time, money, or energy. Frankly, I’ve been having a little bout of the blog crisis flu and could use a little comment noodle soup to make me blog-healthy again.

I was going to start on my own lists for Best Books of 2007 (So Far), but I’m not ready yet. You know, emotionally. So instead I’m going to spend the next two days beating you over the head with the idea. Or simply mentioning it. One or the other.

With my vacation at the end of the summer, I missed announcing the arrival of the August Carnival of Children’s Literature. Since the feature was hosted at a homeschooling blog, there were many participating blogs that I didn’t know. I was particularly interested by Woman of the Tiger Moon’s personal list of
her favorite 100 children’s books. I’ve seen the National Education Association’s Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children, but there are several books on there that I wouldn’t choose. Plus the list doesn’t include books published after 1999 (are they going to update it any time soon?). I’m intrigued by the idea of making my own Top 100 sometime. Hmmm. By the way, the next carnival will take place at Charlotte’s Library.

I also was interested in a question received over at The Longstockings, where an English teacher asked, “What MUST READ books would you include in a primer dedicated to YA or on a syllabus for a YA course?” I’ve seen a course guide for Young Adult Literature, but again, the question made me think of a more personal approach. What would I suggest, especially if I had to keep the choices limited — say, to a selection of twenty books? Hmmm. I may have to look at that issue, though I suspect that I have some readers who are ready to answer that question right now.

I hadn’t paid any attention to BlogShares for a while, until I learned that Gotta Book was subject to a hostile takeover. It made me look, and I found that the kidlit blogs have been targeted. Probably because none of us takes any interest in — or for that matter understands — the whole BlogShares concept. I have to admit, however, that I loved my “press release” — even if can’t comprehend it.

MotherReader was the subject of much speculation when analysts at several firms were heard to be very positive about its recent performance. Its share price rose from B$126.14 to B$182.90. Much of the hype was said to originate from Ken Adams whose Maurice Sendak (artefact) was said to be involved.

Yesterday I looked obsessively for this exchange from Friends, when Monica and Chandler got engaged, because I had to use it today.

Rachel: I’m so happy for them!

Phoebe: Me too! So happy for them!

Rachel: I’m so happy and not at all jealous.

Phoebe: Oh no! No, God, definitely not jealous!

(They both take a drink of coffee.)

Rachel: I mean I’m probably 98 percent happy, maybe 2 percent jealous. And I mean, what’s 2 percent? That’s nothing.

Phoebe: Totally. I’m like 90/10.

Rachel: Yeah, me too.

It’s the perfect lead-in for pointing out the fantastic, incredible, totally zazz interview with Mo Willems over at Seven Impossible Things. Not only is Mo funny (of course), not only is the content interesting (naturally), but they also linked to several other interviews through the ages. My Mo-view is listed, and I believe my obsession is noted, along with the announcement that I and the 7-Imp gals will be co-reviewing the Elephant and Piggie books. I’m so happy...

Oh, one quick thing for a laugh. Read Roger pointed out this great site with 15 Unfortunately Placed Ads. Some were groaners, but several made me crack up. I’ll never forget the one with the cat and... Jesus.

Honestly, I was going to copy two entire posts from Big A, little a and paste them here, but apparently I don’t know how to do that and retain the links. So instead I’ll have to link only to the Edge itself, and the allow some text to tempt you to delve further.

The May issue of The Edge of the Forest is up. Here’s what’s in store this month:

Kelly interviews Kerry Madden and investigates JacketFlap. Allie discusses “The Bermudez Triangle: Too Cool for School?” and profiles author Deb Caletti. Kim Winters talks to children’s writers on retreat about what they are reading and why for the In the Backpack column, and gets personal about writing for children in A Day in the Life. Kelly Fineman interviews David Lubar in our Blogging Writer feature. There are reviews in all categories — from Picture Book to Young Adult — and Best of the Blogs covers THE scandal of the month (you know which one...)

Don’t miss the 14th Carnival of Children’s Literature, to be held one week from today at Chicken Spaghetti. Stop by there and email your submission or use the form at the Blog Carnival site. The deadline is Thursday.

Thanks, Kelly, as today I only had the energy to slap in a couple of links and edit a smidge.

When everyone else is posting about the Carnival of Children’s Literature, I stay quiet. Then...

BAM!

I hit you with it today. Why? Because if you’re anything like me, you went to a few blogs and then meant to get back to it and forgot. So go to The Carnival over at Midwestern Lodestar and use the leisurely weekend to see all the sites.

February’s a month chock full of themes. Valentine’s Day leads us to themes of love. President’s Day leads us to themes of American history and the presidency. Groundhog Day leads us to themes of rodents. It’s a month dedicated to profiling Black History. It’s a month linked to cold and snow and icicles. We even got Chinese New Year in the mix this time. So rounding up posts this month should be easy. Y’know, as compared to March. What’s March got? Leprechauns? Soooo lame.

However, these themes of the month — these multiple themes of the month — generally did not seem apparent in the posts I received for the carnival.

Yes, HipWriterMama shares a lovely snow day post.

WordSwimmer looks at Show Way in connection to black history. And Mitali Perkins points out a powerful film on the black experience of girls and children.

The Kiddosphere gives us Chinese folktales with Three Ninety Eight Thursdays Go to China and Reflect on Folktales in General. As does A Wrung Sponge in her post, Gung Hai Fat Choi.

Bookwink presents a video booktalk on love and the hilarious mix-ups caused by Cupid. I proclaim my love, of a sort, again.

But as it turns out, February isn’t confined by its noted themes. Its many, many noted themes. No indeed. It’s a month of reflection and quiet times. It’s a month to…

Write a book:
Big A, little a invites us to a wiki novel.

See an old book in a new way:
GottaBook writes a new Oddaptation.

See a really old book in a new way:
The Common Room presents Childrens’ Book: Dollie’s Big Dream, or The Man of Mirth.

See the movie too:
DigitalRich presents DigitalRichDaily: Unanswered Questions.

Be part of a community:
Midwestern Lodestar writes about the kidlitosphere.

Rest and renourish:
Liz In Ink presents Empty Baskets.

Tackle a tough issue:
Megan Bayliss presents Bitss of Caramel Marmalade on Toast.

Be inspired to write a poem:
Kelly Fineman shares the nature of poetry.

Think about a poem:
Alone on a Limb presents A Poem to Start the Week: Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.

Juxtapose two poems:
Chicken Spaghetti shares a mash-up of Odysseus and “17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Any More.”

Reflect on first reading experiences:
Babylune presents Our Little Literary Awakening.

Reflect on book characters:
Miss Erin presents Love-to-hate characters.

Read a good book:
Tea Cozy’s Liz B reviews The Braid.
Trinity Prep School’s Maureen reviews Gregor the Overlander.
My Domestic Church reviews Trumpet of the Swan.
Gail Gauthier reviews The Good Fairies of New York.

Read books about reading a book:
A Year of Reading gives us the The Master List of Books About Books and Reading.

Decide to read the Best Books Ever:
Semicolon starts the Newbery project with The Golden Fleece.

Buy a book, before it’s too late:
Melissa Wiley talks about books going out of print, including her own.

Visit a reading theme:
Readable Feast presents The Super Bowl of activities and books.

Visit a genre:
Check It Out explores The Fantasy Genre.

Or indulge in a favorite genre:
Little Willow gives us a list of Coming-of-Age Novels.

Or a favorite author:
Scholar’s Blog presents Philip Pullman on Narrative.
Whimsy Books presents The One and Only Rosemary Wells.
Penny Richards presents Jane Yolen.
Trivium Pursuit presents Home-Spun Artists: Historical Sketches — Beatrix Potter.

Meet someone new:
Cynthia Leitich Smith presents Author Interview: Brenda Ferber on Julia’s Kitchen.

Support a serious cause:
Chasing Ray gives us a use for Young Adult books.

Or a silly one:
MotherReader asks us to kick celebrity writers to the curb.

Reflect on endings:
Wands and Worlds writes about The end of an era.

Follow a passion:
Barbara Bietz shares her writing passion.

Celebrate the child within:
Jen Robinson presents Being Childlike (No, Not Childish).

And even add something last-minute:
Book Moot explains the difference between concerned parents vs. book-banning know-nothing nutters.

Thanks to everyone for participating in this month’s Carnival. Next month’s Carnival is accepting submissions at the website at any time. Though you might want to wait until you’ve had a chance to write something spectacular. Maybe about leprechauns.