Links Galore

April 3, 2013Leave a comment

Lots of good links today.

More evidence that teen years mater: study finds that teens who establish positive peer connections do better later on.
Fascinating article on Louise Fitzhugh and the relationship between clothing and sexuality in Harriet the Spy.
Not too surprised to see To Kill a Mockingbird voted as the Great American Novel.
Still unsure about this whole Goodreads/Amazon thing.
The Doctor: Literary Hero. (My favorite has to be his encounter with Agatha Christie.)
A list of fictional characters who would make terrible boyfriends in real life. I’d add Maxim de Winter and the Wizard Howl. (I know, I love Howl as a character, too, but he got super lucky with Sophie.)
William Shakespeare: grain hoarder!
Your agent doesn’t need to be a social media “rock star.” They have to be a kick-ass agent for you and your book.
My haiku-loving heart digs these unintentional poetry from the New York Times. (H/Y Elizabeth Brenner)
When I’m an eccentric billionaire, I’m going to do a world tour inspired by children’s books.
“Those leaves are totally foxed!” and other book anatomy terms.
Are you an urban fantasy fan, or do you prefer alternate worlds? The Hub looks at the different categories of fantasy.
Be an activist for library and early literacy resources!

Links Galore

March 27, 2013Leave a comment

Lots of good links to get you through the middle of hte week:

I’d like to add “nonplussed” to this list of words that don’t sound like what they mean.
You can vote on the cover of Elizabeth Gilbert’s next book.
The Princess Bride and Cyrano de Bergerac? Yeah, I totally read like a Hufflepuff.
No surprise that librarians make excellent writers.
I am really distraught that the Lizzie Bennet Diaries is almost over, but it’s not over until we celebrate on Thursday! And I am SO happy to know they’ll live on via Kickstarter.
Not sure if Hemingway’s Instagram would be epic (bull fights! exotic locations!) or embarrassing (fishing? drunkface selfies?).
I’m not sure whether I should be laughing or crying.
Interesting (but, sadly, not entirely surprising) look at the correlation between heteronormativity and popularity in school.
East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop? I want to see Chicago Manual of Style vs. The Elements of Style rap battle.
Need the coffee shop ambiance without having to fight for an outlet? Try Coffivity. (via the Official SCBWI Blog)
Fellow 2014 debut author Natalie C. Parker talks about what kind of critiques there are and what makes a good critique partner (with Firefly gifs!!!)
Usually I begrudge celebrity authors, but Sonia Manzano (aka Sesame Street’s Maria) has, you know, some experience with children’s education and development.
The Horn Book looks at what makes a good YA coming-out novel. My favorite part: “Coming-out stories don’t unfold in a vacuum, and nor do teens’ own lives. The best books integrate queer teens’ coming-of-age stories into the rich and varied spectrum of human experience.”

Links Galore

March 6, 20132 Comments

Apparently I’ve been hoarding lots of great links. Anything to make it through a Wednesday!

An interesting article on how writing can be “taught” and fostered through writing programs.
Author Patricia MacLachlan and illustrator Steven Kellogg are teaming up to write a book for children about Sandy Hook. Hopefully this will be a great resources for parents and educators to help kids deal with this terrifying situation.
Ghost writing the Sweet Valley High books; writers gotta pay the bills.
Wish you could have taken a class with your favorite writer? Scan the syllabi and pretend it’s the first day.
Proofread like a pro.
Brookline Booksmith has some great reading suggestions to get rid of the late-winter blahs.
Somehow a literary Oxford tour seems incomplete without a reference to His Dark Materials, even if Lyra’s Oxford is in an alternate universe.
On pen names and having a “writerly-sounding” name. I’m just glad that when you Google my name, I’m the one that comes up. (Me and cardigans, that is.)
Attention current high school seniors! Enter Penguin’s essay contest and win money for college.
Another awesome bookish March madness competition–Paper Lantern Lit’s Swoon Madness!
On Gilmore Girls, pop culture and high art existed side-by-side for the main characters. Which is pretty much how it is in real life.
Shannon Hale on girl characters and why they don’t have to just be love interests.
VIDA compares the last three years of female writer representation in major journals and newspapers. Spoiler alert: it ain’t good.
Cool recap of a readers advisory training for librarians working with children and teens
A behind-the-scenes look at the book acquisitions process

Stay Gold, Coppola

March 6, 20132 Comments

In middle school, one of my favorite books was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I must have read it twenty times. Then I found a copy of the VHS and watched that repeatedly, too. There’s a lot of argument pitting books against their movie versions, and for The Outsiders I loved both. So it was awesome to see today’s Letters of Note, in which a school librarian and her students helped bring The Outsiders to Francis Ford Coppola, who ultimately directed the film. The first letter:

Click through to see the full exchange. It’s really heartwarming to see how one librarian aide’s letter helped create a fantastic movie. And it’s a great lesson in never doubting that your voice can make a difference. Maybe it won’t come to anything–but maybe it will.

(image via Letters of Note)

Links Galore

February 19, 20131 Comment

A few fun (library love-heavy) links for today:

Have libraries had their day? No way!
Famous writers agree that libraries rock.
Still not convinced? Here’s a giant list of things kids will miss without a school librarian.
The good, the bad, and the ugly in Pride and Prejudice covers.
Excellent post on writing from the transgender perspective–would love to see more books on this list.
I want to print out this post by fellow 2014 debut author Michelle Krys and hand it to anyone who says, “Your book isn’t out yet?”

Links Galore

February 8, 2013Leave a comment

Lots of great links to get you through Friday:

The Outsiders was one of my very favorites in 8th grade. How could it get better? Add a hip soundtrack, that’s how.
It’s easy to take libraries for granted, but we need to remember that their resources weren’t always available to the public.
“These manuscripts, they are not just for us in Timbuktu…They belong to all of humanity. It is our duty to save them.” Compelling article about protecting precious historical manuscripts from extremist invasion.
Writers on seeing their books in print for the first time. Warm squishy feelings.
Fictional ladies and their noms.
Getting rid of book clutter aka me insisting I’m going to reread everything.
Kenneth Branagh, watch out–the Pigeon is tackling Hamlet.
Virginia Woolf knew her way around a doodle.
Maureen Johnson imagines classic literature remarketed as chick lit.
Love Jo Knowles’s storyboards!

Links Galore

January 25, 2013Leave a comment

A few links to round out the week:

Happy birthday, Virginia Woolf! Might have to buy some flowers in your honor.
Glad to hear about all these new independent bookstores.
This story of a library’s Kirsten doll and what she meant to young readers is so heartwarming.
A wizard’s guide to problem solving.
I tend to be a shoe myself–what does your Monopoly token say about you?
I’m pretty sure “sick lit” was bigger in the 90s thanks to Lurlene McDaniel.

Libraries Are More Than Just Basic Information

January 24, 20134 Comments

Today in things-that-fuel-my-rage, this article about the death of the library, including this quote:

“I don’t personally use the library. I kind of have the feeling that libraries are going the route of the video rental stores but I’m probably… wrong about that,” said Coun. Ian Paton. “With the access to information now, with everyone having computers in their home, why do we spend so much money?”

My initial reaction:

My second reaction:

Then I finally got around to putting my thoughts into something resembling words.

Libraries are about way more than just accessing information. Sure, when I have a general question (“When was Abraham Lincoln born?” “What’s the difference between flours?”) I turn to the internet. But what about when I need more information than just the basics? That’s when I turn to a library’s resources. Librarians are people who are trained to help you find information. They know way more than just how to Google something, and they have the resources to help you find that information. For example, not all newspaper articles are available online–if you want to read an article from say, 1987, you might want to check with your library. Also, not everyone has internet access at home–but the library sure does.

Also, I don’t know about Paton, but I’m a reader and I can’t always afford (or keep) the books I want to read. Fortunately, the library has books and e-books for free. This is where I cannot understand why anyone would think that library’s aren’t worthwhile. How else are you supposed to get all the books you want to read?

Libraries also offer readings, social events, trainings, etc. A lot of the community loves and depends on events like these. Libraries can also serve as a meeting place for study groups, as an office for writers, or as a safe place for kids and teens to meet and interact.

Basically, I think it’s really short-sighted to assume that the internet can take over pretty much everything a library does. Libraries are invaluable resources for readers and communities, and we need to support them.

(H/T bookshelves of doom)

Almost Time for the ALA Youth Media Awards

January 18, 20131 Comment

The 2013 ALA Youth Media Awards (aka, the Newbery, the Printz, the Caldecott) will be announced on Monday, January 28. Like pretty much everyone else in the kidlit world, I’m psyched to see which books are honored:

I’ve always been interested to see who’s nominated for these awards, but now that I’m becoming part of the YA/children’s lit community, I’m also really excited about the possibility of actually knowing people whose books could be selected. Less likely for 2012, but I know a few 2013 authors and lots of great 2014 authors. Even though obviously the ALA awards can’t recognize every awesome book, I’m still psyched by the possibility of actually knowing an award-winner.

(via School Library Journal)

In Favor of the E-book

January 16, 20133 Comments

Yesterday I talked about why I like physical books and what advantages they for readers. Most readers I know feel the same–they love books, they love holding books, they love the smell. (Heck, Giles agrees. How can I argue with Giles?)

So what about e-books? So far, I haven’t heard a lot of readers talk about how much better the e-reading experience is. Some people, like Jonathan Franzen, don’t even think an e-book counts as real reading. Do we need to gather the villagers and our pitchforks and run e-books out of town?

I say no. E-books have their place in the book world, too. Here are a few things I like about the e-reading experience:

1. Your Library in your Suitecase
I avoided e-readers for a while, but then my husband and I were getting married and going on our honeymoon–keeping us away from our home libraries for more than two weeks. A big part of my vacation time includes reading, so it was a choice between bringing eight hard copies or investing in an e-reader. I was able to have a dozen books with me in a convenient little device.

2. Size Doesn’t Matter
Even when I’m not traveling, sometimes it’s not convenient to carry around a giant book. (I’m looking at you, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.) I’d end up leaving heavier books at home because they wouldn’t fit in my purse or would be too heavy to lug around all day, and it would take me much longer to finish them. On an e-reader, you can carry around Moby-Dick and War and Peace and the entire Harry Potter series in your purse.

3. New Books Without Leaving Your Home
On a snowy, sleety day like today, I’m tempted to crawl under the covers and never leave. Thanks to e-readers, I’d still be able to get new books. As awesome as it is to go to a library or bookstore, it is pretty cool to have a new book while I’d curled up on the couch.

4. No Library Fines
Permissions for e-books and libraries are still a big issue, but I hope we see an increase in libraries that can offer electronic options. With regular books, you have to run back to the library on your due date or risk being fined. (Or as I like to think of it, you risk a donation to the library, which makes me feel better about myself.) With e-books, you simply lose access to your checked-out book on the due date. Way less hassle for readers.

5. Free Books
No, not just library books–you can download electronic versions of anything in the public domain for free. You want to read Franekstein? Get it now. How about Persuasion? It’s yours forever. When I first got my e-reader, I downloaded a bunch of classic novels. Getting them for free was a great excuse to dive into content I always thought about but never pursued as much as I should have.

6. Cheap Books
Okay, so maybe they’re not free, but there are still a lot of daily deals for e-books. If I see something available for $3 (as opposed to $10), I’m way more likely to download a copy than I would be to search for a hard copy–even a discounted one. I think this helps me take more purchasing risks. If it’s cheap and won’t take up space on my bookshelves, why not spend a couple bucks? And even if it’s not providing the publisher/author with the same amount of royalties, these are probably books I would have waited to get at the library anyway.

7. Dictionaries at Your Fingertips
I admit–sometimes when I come across a new word in a paper book, I gloss over it and assume I’ll understand from the context. (Sorry, English teachers!) Usually it’s because I don’t have a dictionary with me. My e-reader, on the other hand, came with several dictionaries, so I there’s really no excuse to skip over unrecognizable words.

8. Organization
I always have great ideas about how I’ll organize my bookshelves, and inevitably they fall to disarray. But on my e-reader, I can create categories (like Classics or YA or Non-Fiction) and immediately sort books. That way, I always know where Jane Eyre is. On my bookshelves, it’s probably somewhere on the tall one? Maybe on the one by the kitchen?

So where does that leave us? Is one option better than the other? My opinion is no–they both have benefits and flaws, and they both have their place in my life as a reader. I’m not afraid that e-books will totally kill paper books, and even if they do eventually, that’s a long time coming.

At the end of the day, delivery method doesn’t concern me as much as story. Reading A Tale of Two Cities or Because of Winn-Dixie on an e-reader or as paper books still provides me the same story. As long as publishers keep giving me that, I’ll keep reading.

Are you on one side of the physical book vs. e-book debate? Share your thoughts in the comments!

(image 1: Gene Wilburn)(image 2: smohundro)(image 3: albertizeme)

Annie Cardi

Category: Libraries

Links Galore

Links Galore

Links Galore

Stay Gold, Coppola

Links Galore

Links Galore

Links Galore

Libraries Are More Than Just Basic Information

Almost Time for the ALA Youth Media Awards

In Favor of the E-book