MotherReader

Do you think Jen Robinson will be ticked off if I just steal her announcement? I don’t think so, because she really is as nice as she seems on her blog. She’s also a good friend and can tell by my introduction that I’m having a bit of a stress surge. Of course, some things that she wrote won’t work because either they don’t sound like me — or they actually mention me, like in the third person. I’m not generally prone to doing that. So I’ll take the basics and play around.

I am delighted super-psyched to announce the launch of a new children’s book blog from PBS Parents, Booklights. Pam Coughlan (MotherReader), Jen Robinson (Jen Robinson’s Book Page), Susan Kusel (Wizards Wireless), and I will be working with Gina Montefusco from PBS, along with various guest contributors, to bring literacy smart-ass comments and reading content to the PBS Parents audience. The goal of Booklights, in line with the goals that Susan, Pam, and Jen have for our their personal blogs, is to help people to inspire a love of reading in children. (I’m in blogging for the money.)

Currently we’re in “soft launch” mode, which means that PBS won’t be announcing the blog anywhere until next week. But I wanted you, my loyal blog readers peeps, to be the first to know that the long-discussed “blog for PBS” has finally come to fruition actually happened, even though you thought I was making it up. We have some introductory posts and lists of favorite picture books now available. (If you could bring yourself to comment on them, then I won’t look like such a loser in front of the SuperSisters.)

I am thrilled jazzed to be working with Gina, Pam, Jen, and Susan on this project. I’ll be sharing children’s literacy and kidlitosphere news off-the-cuff book reviews at Booklights, along with posts about books and encouraging young readers random nonsense from my head that may be book-related. But not to worry, I’ll still be blogging as usual at Jen Robinson’s Book Page MotherReader. I do hope pretty much insist that you take a few minutes to check out the new blog, and that you’ll consider adding it to you promote it shamelessly and add it to your regular blog reading. We all welcome your feedback and comments! (Unless you’re going to say something bad, in which case only Jen welcomes your feedback and comments.)

Always late. I’m always late on these things.

Jen Robinson and Susan Kusel have both announced that we’ll be working together on a PBS blog in January. They’ve expressed their delight and excitement at this new venture. They’ve helpfully petitioned the creative kidlitosphere for a name for the blog. And I can add... um...

Ditto?

That’s what happens when you’re late. Everyone’s expressed all the good stuff. But truly, I am excited about blogging for PBS and about blogging alongside great people. I just have to look at Jen’s Expert Q&A article and the numerous comments it commanded to get all tingly about the opportunity to reach parents through PBS’s site. I’ll be contributing one day a week, so I’ll still be here doling out the book drivel as usual. And we could use a name — a matter that has been complicated by the large number of book blogs out there who took all the great names. (Book Whisperer, I’m looking at you.) Any ideas?