Elizabeth Bird

Fusenews: News and Process

• Writer Laini Taylor indulges in a little process porn (all credit going out to Gwenda for that particular term).  I always preach that people like to see process, process, process.  For a glimpse into how a YA fantasy author works, check out her link.

• Speaking of process . . . .

You might wonder why I am the only New York Public Library children's librarian who blogs about books all that often.  There are reasons for this.  For one thing, NYPL provides private blog domains for its employees where you can blog at will . . .  and be read only by other NYPL employees.  In the past this has maddened me because there are some seriously talented children's librarians blogging for this system that are never read by other librarians in other systems.  I mean, don't you want to know what a New York librarian's life is like?  I'm not much use in that arena since I work in librarian heaven a.k.a. The Central Children's Room.  Now, at long last, one of my favorite children's librarians Kiera Manikoff's has a new blog which is viewable by the public.  Called Library Voice it covers the latest children's literary news alongside topics like Baby Explosion: Is Double Programming the Answer? (which I've stolen this image from).  Oh.  And she updates regularly.  Ka-ching!

• Here we are, at the precipice of eternity, where books about blogging start to look mighty fine.  Artful Blogging has just come out and it looks delicious.  My blog will never appear within its pages, but I would like to point out that my IT team has finally figured out how to make my blogroll permanent on the right side of my screen.  See the useful links just to my right?  Are they not pretty?  Next step:  Get more.  I had a character limit this go around.

• Suzy Becker will be filling in for Hillary Price on the comic strip Rhymes with Orange next week and Sunday, June 22nd.  Suzy Becker, as you might recall, is the author of that thoroughly charming picture book Manny's Cows which came out in 2006.  She is best known, however, for her book All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat (which hit the 2 million copy mark sometime back there) but I like to think that she shines brighter in the picture book arena.

• Studiously I avoid linking to YA blogs.  But... but... but... no woman is an island.  How can I not link to the remarkable Guy Lit Wire site which, thanks to Colleen Mondor and A. Fortis says to, "[exist] solely to bring literary news and reviews to the attention of teenage boys and the people who care about them"?  I will not link to any of their articles, but hopefully those of you with boy teen concerns on the cranium will check this out, love it, and attend to it frequently.
  
  

• In the same vein of the gosh-I-don't-blog-about-YA-but-check-this-out, you must be so good as to read John Hodgeman's New York Times review (he linked to me once, you know, and is mentioned here on Galleycat) of Jack Kirby's Fourth World, Eric Shonower's Age of Bronze, and (took him long enough) Y: The Last Man.  For the record, one of these days I know I'll break down, grow my sideburns out, start wearing hipster shoes, and blog only about YA.  It's a slippery slope.  Thanks to Oz and Ends for the link

• Let's see.  We have a Wizard of Oz blog.  An Alice in Wonderland Blog.  Several Harry Potter sites.  Where then is the Paddington Bear blog?  With the recent article of How the car-mad Clarksons gave the world the Paddington Bear doll, I refuse to believe that such a blog is not in the works somewhere, somehow.  Thanks to Big A little a for the link.

• FYI, this weekend is MotherReader's 48-hour book challenge.  No, I shan't be participating.  I am a lazy cuss.  Each review I write takes an ungodly amount of time (no brag, just evening-wasting fact) but that doesn't mean that YOU shouldn't participate.  Remember that each year Midwestern Lodestar wins it.  See if you can oust her from her seat of glory this go-around.

• This Telegraph article is remarkably unclear, but it seems that British publishers may start to put age levels on the covers of their children and YA novels.  What a terrible idea, you say?  Duh.  Philip Pullman isn't pleased.  Nor is Michael Rosen, Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson or Terry Pratchett.  Though I admittedly don't agree with Mr. Pullman's advice on the matter.  Quote, "Anyone unsure as to whether a particular book is appropriate should ask the bookseller, Mr. Pullman said."  Sure sure.  Or, y'know, maybe you could ask someone with an actual degree in children's literature like a, gee I dunno, librarian?  Come on, Phil.  We need all the shout-outs we can get.  Many thanks to Kids Lit for the link.  And for more information, The Guardian offers equally unclear information about this particular travesty.

• Daily Image:

This one grows on you.  You look at it at first and chuckle.  Then you go about your day and keep thinking about it.  Soon enough it pops to mind more often than not.  You start to think you need it.  Then, as time passes, you crave it.  Heck, I wouldn't mind one right now.  From ShelfTalker:

Posted by Elizabeth Bird on June 5, 2008 | Comments (3)