tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56552247001989437352012-01-17T22:50:17.739-05:00Musings on children's and YA literature, the academy, and the relationship between them, from an English professor and mother.Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.comBlogger3731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-25193262103953914262010-09-25T08:41:00.002-04:002010-09-25T08:56:27.922-04:00

I'm giving a talk later this morning to families here for Parents' Weekend, and as a takeaway I made a list of books I like to recommend. These are almost all fantasy, almost all for pre-teen and up, almost all series. They are all also books I've read and therefore can recommend with some confidence--which is why, for example, Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan isn't on the list even though Nick

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-49398841517258741602010-08-21T12:55:00.003-04:002010-08-21T13:00:02.441-04:00

The fall semester is upon us, and I'm teaching two sections of a class I'm really excited about: Twice-Told Tales, Fairy Tales in Literary and Popular Culture. I'm just focusing on one fairy tale (Cinderella), and I've had a terrible time narrowing down the syllabus. What I've got still feels like a work in progress, but classes start Monday so it's as done as it's going to be for now.The

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-51356682243241702612010-06-06T17:11:00.002-04:002010-06-06T17:16:46.135-04:00

from Here, There Be Dragons... "Astraues," Aven called out. "God of the four winds and friend to sailors. Say a little prayer when you look at him, so he will give us what we need to keep on our course." "A little prayer?" said Jack. "To a constellation?" "To what it represents," said Aven. "But I don't believe in what it represents," said Jack. "Prayers aren't for the deity

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-91348303081763924412010-06-06T13:15:00.003-04:002010-06-06T13:20:33.239-04:00

Here's the summary of my 48-hour book challenge efforts:I read 7 books, including all four (to date) in The Alchemyst series, and the first in "The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica," Here, There Be Dragons. I can't wait to read some more in that series! All the books I read were fantasy (not a big surprise). I'm particularly intrigued by the overlaps in the two latter series--I want

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-89896167490028089342010-06-06T07:38:00.004-04:002010-06-06T07:42:36.761-04:00

The last book I read for the 48 hour book challenge is another series book, Here There Be Dragons, by James A. Owen. What a great way to end! It's a terrific quest story, with a similar mix of characters and motifs as the Alchemyst books has, but put to entirely different effect--more comic, and more directly intertextual. There's great pleasure to be had in trying to puzzle out the references

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-2193494147806082742010-06-05T20:39:00.003-04:002010-06-05T20:44:40.925-04:00

OK, I've finished my 6th book in the challenge, and put in 2 more hours and 389 more pages. So here are the updated totals:2454 pages14.75 reading hours2.5 blogging/networking hours6 novelsAnd now I've caught up in The Alchemyst series and I'm seriously annoyed that The Warlock is not yet available for me to read. The little teaser at the end of The Necromancer is pretty tantalizing...There are

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-82226566900287078712010-06-05T14:18:00.002-04:002010-06-05T14:24:14.148-04:00

Whew! I'm surprising myself by how much I've read. The quick totals, 28 hours in:12.75 hours of readinglet's call it 2 hours of social networking, blogging, reading updates, etc.2065 pages5 novelsThe last three I've read are the first three books in Michael Scott's Alchemyst series; we have one more in the house and that's the next up. This is one appealing series: gods, demigods, and monsters

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-661625726480385782010-06-04T20:22:00.003-04:002010-06-04T20:33:48.151-04:00

First in a series, Byron Davis's Starlighter gives us two planets, linked by tales that each has told of the other. Jason, our human hero, is a warrior in training who isn't sure whether to believe the stories his family tells of humans abducted by dragons, and a world beyond his own. On the other planet, children slave in mines and memorize a story that may be their salvation. Storytelling is

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-13562681231439339002010-06-04T20:12:00.004-04:002010-06-04T20:22:55.182-04:00

Dawn Miller's The Prophecy has a great cast of characters and a complicated plot--probably not the best choice for my first read-as-fast-as-you-can entry in the 48 hour book challenge. But it was at the top of my TBR list and it's YA, so there you go.So, there's a war between good and evil (um, angels and fallen angels) but there are some humans who are really important to that war. So far, so

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-65983343581051482762010-06-04T10:37:00.002-04:002010-06-04T10:38:38.076-04:00

I haven't participated in Mother Reader's 48-hour book challenge in a while, but I'm trying it this year. I'm home alone today with no car--perfect way to start out!--and I warmed up with three picture books this morning. But now I've got two novels sitting by my right hand and a bunch of other things I've been meaning to get to--so here goes!

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-92219137740200473172010-04-13T14:53:00.002-04:002010-04-13T15:02:03.911-04:00

So now that the list is out, it looks like folks are trying to see whether they've kept up with their reading. Like Tea Cozy's Liz B, then, I'll bold the ones I've read. How'd you do?100. The Egypt Game - Snyder (1967) [honestly? This one I hadn't even heard of...]99. The Indian in the Cupboard - Banks (1980)98. Children of Green Knowe - Boston (1954)97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-75048538666869838172010-04-12T07:17:00.004-04:002010-04-12T07:31:06.860-04:00

Our long season of waiting is over, and Betsy Bird's countdown of the Top 100 Children's Novels has finally made it to #1. Are you shocked? For some reason, it was #2 that surprised me most--it hadn't occurred to me that Madeleine L'Engle could beat out J.K. Rowling in this day and age.Seven of my top ten made the final list, by the way, with my top three in the top ten. And, for what it's

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-84060457463333751932010-04-03T07:55:00.003-04:002010-04-03T07:58:42.106-04:00

Finally a book I chose has cracked Betsy Bird's Top 100 Children's Novels List, over at Fuse #8. She even used my comments--hurrah! (And if you read the comments, you can see that her initial post for April 1 was, yes, a joke. I was so mad I didn't even click through to read the comments...)

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-18706857055681332812010-03-31T08:46:00.002-04:002010-03-31T08:51:49.350-04:00

If, like me, you're having trouble remembering which books have already been mentioned in Betsy Bird's fabulous series of posts on the Top 100 Children's Novels, you can check out this wonderful resource--just the list, provided by Six Boxes of Books. It's about two days behind at the moment, but I'm sure it will catch up soon.(Kicking myself that I forgot The Phantom Tollbooth; but what would I

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-63478448704530443182010-03-15T19:54:00.002-04:002010-03-15T20:00:33.813-04:00

Can you believe Alice in Wonderland didn't even crack the top 10? Ah, well; at least one more of my choices made the list. But I'm thinking at least two of mine won't, now. Maybe more...

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-19963828568082446162010-03-09T12:22:00.002-05:002010-03-09T12:23:41.439-05:00

another one of my choices makes the list!Top 100 Children's Novels (#35-31) - A Fuse #8 Production - Blog on School Library JournalPosted using ShareThis

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-76541741240579329882010-03-03T07:00:00.000-05:002010-03-03T07:00:05.143-05:00

Some years ago I wrote an article about role models in children's literature, wondering how far we can take the question of "identification." Do strong female characters produce strength in their readers? I couldn't answer the question--I don't do empirical research!--but I do think it's worth continuing to talk about the issue. Here's a nice piece in Parent Central that takes up some recent

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-76957913730783390482010-03-02T07:00:00.000-05:002010-03-01T21:27:30.621-05:00

When You Reach Me by Rebecca SteadMy rating: 4 of 5 starsMiranda's getting weird letters, and her mom is practicing to be on the $25,000 Pyramid, and her best friend doesn't seem to want to talk to her anymore. Middle school is bad enough--this all seems much, much worse.I loved this book. Miranda's connection to A Wrinkle in Time makes her my kind of protagonist--nerdy, emotionally interesting

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-40128716384509431722010-03-01T20:26:00.000-05:002010-03-01T20:27:32.405-05:00

The Lightning Thief by Rick RiordanMy rating: 4 of 5 starsLike everyone else in America, I enjoyed this book--a clever way to introduce kids to Greek myths and a fun adventure as well.View all my reviews >>but should we see the movie?

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-44152300856256128292010-02-24T09:53:00.003-05:002010-02-24T09:56:02.826-05:00

I'm pretty sure this is the first time one of my top ten has made it onto Betsy's list, so I'm excited to share this chunk of the list here. Scroll to the bottom to find the other installments--this is seriously a labor of love here, one that goes way above and beyond mere list-making--it's well worth checking them all out.Top 100 Children's Novels (#45-41) - A Fuse #8 Production - Blog on

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-6688709524363903322010-02-10T07:11:00.002-05:002010-02-10T07:12:43.367-05:00

Top 100 Children's Novels (#85-81) - A Fuse #8 Production - Blog on School Library JournalPosted using ShareThis

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-21307616150611106392010-02-09T09:11:00.002-05:002010-02-09T09:12:29.938-05:00

Top 100 Children's Novels (#90- 86) - A Fuse #8 Production - Blog on School Library JournalPosted using ShareThis

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-91065893626544187892010-02-08T21:39:00.001-05:002010-02-08T21:41:35.646-05:00

So that ten best list I gave you last time was just a teaser for Betsy Bird's list of the 100 best children's novels, voted on by her readers. Here are numbers 91-100, with all kinds of great commentary and links. None of mine are on this list...let's see if any of them break in a little higher.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-60199463814281529782010-01-30T22:16:00.004-05:002010-01-30T22:50:15.989-05:00

Betsy at Fuse8 is at it again. Last year she did a poll on the Top 100 Picture Books of all time--and I didn't participate, because--well, I didn't have a good reason. (Other than the whole not blogging thing, about which perhaps more another day.) Tomorrow is the deadline for her new poll, the Top 100 Chapter Books of all time--and this time I'm in. I just sent her my list, and since I don't

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-23848892505706869972009-08-29T16:50:00.000-04:002009-08-29T16:50:39.170-04:00

The Future of Reading - ‘Reading Workshop’ Approach Lets Students Pick the Books - Series - NYTimes.com: "For years Lorrie McNeill loved teaching “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the Harper Lee classic that many Americans regard as a literary rite of passage.But last fall, for the first time in 15 years, Ms. McNeill, 42, did not assign “Mockingbird” — or any novel. Instead she turned over all the

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-39515800473313592722009-08-26T21:54:00.000-04:002009-08-26T21:54:48.585-04:00

"What about children do you find compelling as characters?Children as a whole are more interesting as main characters because, by definition, there is lot that they don't know, and at the beginning of the book there is a lot that the reader does not know and so they can learn together."read the rest here:Terry Pratchett: State of the Nation - 8/24/2009 2:10:00 PM - School Library Journal

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-10455416313206236052009-08-12T16:50:00.006-04:002009-08-13T02:40:41.529-04:00

The White Horse of Uffington appears to be about 3000 years old, and is part of a complex of ancient sites in the Vale of the White Horse. The horse itself was probably constructed by digging trenches and then re-filling the trenches with chalk blocks; it needs to be cleaned regularly to remain visible. In Terry Pratchett's Discworld, a remarkably similar location exists:There were odd carvings

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-41936346403012303452009-06-22T10:32:00.002-04:002009-06-22T10:34:14.170-04:00

John Green is annoyed by the recent NYTimes piece on how Holden Caulfield is irrelevant today, and he blogs about it.(Has anyone else noticed that he's blogging more lately?)(For the record, I mostly agree with Green, but I love the cover of Catcher that the Times used to illustrate their piece...)

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-28063911305388725252009-06-19T09:11:00.002-04:002009-06-19T09:14:50.169-04:00

Nancy Pearl loves E. Lockhart's The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Of course she does! (I did, too. Last year.)

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-8606073565678387202009-06-19T08:46:00.002-04:002009-06-19T09:08:58.863-04:00

I know Louis Menand's piece on the creative writing workshop (ostensibly a review of Mark McGurl's book, The Program Era, which sounds fascinating) has already been discussed all over the place. After all, it came out three weeks ago, and in internet time that's an eternity. But I am getting to my New Yorkers late, and I have a bizarre aversion to reading them online, so I just finished the

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-14883269701948036872009-06-16T21:58:00.001-04:002009-06-16T22:00:39.423-04:00

in case you were wondering, here's why the time stamp on my blog is currently set to Tehran time. Seemed like a fairly easy way to try to help out folks who are trying to get information out to the rest of the world about their predicament--I can only hope it helps.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-7468592590382391832009-06-16T09:11:00.003-04:002009-06-16T16:34:41.964-04:00

I've been writing elsewhere, though.Here's my last column for Literary Mama.And here's today's installment at the Mama, PhD blog at Inside Higher Ed.Nick's last day of school is today--and I thought I'd post this picture here, since the tattoos are, yes, Dreamdark tattoos. Very cool. The whole concept was his idea; I was just his stylist. (The hair is a spray-on color that washes right out,

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-60368620238002004412009-06-02T14:30:00.002-04:002009-06-02T14:32:58.848-04:00

From the first time I saw a Kindle, I wanted one. It was an irrational desire, a visceral one. I couldn't explain it, though I tried to talk about saving my back (from the weight of all those books), more access, etc. Really it just looks like a cool piece of technology and sometimes Iwant them. But here's an interesting counter-perspective on the technology, from an interview with Sherman

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-54258127752305077112009-06-02T08:11:00.003-04:002009-06-02T08:12:48.029-04:00

In the middle of writing a conference paper, it's helpful to stop and think about why I'm doing it.Blog U.: Mothering at Mid-Career: Why I Do Research - Mama PhD - Inside Higher EdPosted using ShareThis

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-67931311570553801602009-05-30T09:17:00.000-04:002009-05-30T09:17:47.470-04:00

Op-Ed Columnist - Would You Slap Your Father? If So, You’re a Liberal - NYTimes.com: "“Our minds were not designed by evolution to discover the truth; they were designed to play social games.”"Hmm. I'm fascinated by this claim, and somewhat skeptical of it as well. I'm writing a paper right now on the ways in which teenagers are represented as learning in various YA novels, and this may be

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-15427127663338701082009-05-30T09:13:00.000-04:002009-05-30T09:13:53.212-04:00

Editorial Observer - Some Thoughts on the Pleasures of Being a Re-Reader - NYTimes.com: "The real secret of re-reading is simply this: It is impossible. The characters remain the same, and the words never change, but the reader always does. Pip is always there to be revisited, but you, the reader, are a little like the convict who surprises him in the graveyard — always a stranger."(Click the

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-23891276914684797242009-05-19T07:46:00.002-04:002009-05-19T07:54:09.002-04:00

The Guardian books blog poses the question today: who is the most famous fictional character? Apparently Penguin is promoting a new edition of the Sherlock Holmes stories this fall, and, according to The Guardian--"Sherlock Holmes," it is claimed on the promotional material, "is not only the most famous character in crime fiction, but arguably the most famous character in all fiction."That's a

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-53193898343721083312009-05-13T10:32:00.004-04:002009-05-13T11:09:01.662-04:00

I read Laini Taylor's Blackbringer just about two years ago, when my wonderful Penguin rep gave me an ARC and insisted that I'd love it. She was right. I loved Magpie, Taylor's fierce and determined main character, and I loved Talon, the faery prince who can't fly but can knit. I loved Magpie's crow brothers and I loved the central premise of the novel, that humans, a more recent evolutionary

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-82193593930111969942009-05-08T07:22:00.003-04:002009-05-08T07:24:33.307-04:00

From The Guardian, my favorite newspaper for book news:Diana Wynne Jones has a unique record of producing books you can't forget. Her intelligent, imaginative brand of fantasy is, at root, down-to-earth – heroes win humanly, by acknowledging their weaknesses and playing to their strengths, and by behaving nicely to other people and giving them the benefit of the doubt even when they appear to be

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-20704023912729475182009-05-03T15:05:00.002-04:002009-05-03T15:35:45.544-04:00

I started following Justine Larbalestier's career when Jenny Davidson mentioned the Magic or Madness books on her blog, about three years ago. I loved the Magic or Madness trilogy, which takes place in contemporary New York and Sydney, mostly, but which has a sharp fantastical edge to it. I was hooked by her writing, so I started following her blog, which is one of the must-reads in YA blogging.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-9135456504652865662009-05-01T09:19:00.000-04:002009-05-01T09:20:50.429-04:00

Apparently if you ask the former Children's laureates (British) to come up with a list of "greatest children's books of all time" you get a list that's heavily white and, um, old. (Was Ballet Shoes really from 1936? Shocked me...) I can't really complain about too many of the books on the list, but I could certainly come up with a few newer ones. How about you?What are the ‘classics’ of children’

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-52283598791384629792009-04-28T07:45:00.004-04:002009-04-28T08:07:45.465-04:00

A friend asked me yesterday if I had goals. Not just "things I'd like to do some day," but articulated, specified goals. With a timeline.In short, no.All the career advice I've ever read suggests that goal-setting is an essential part of an integrated, successful career. And I do have "things I'd like to do some day," don't get me wrong. But writing down goals...well, for whatever reason, I

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-52497594071839258992009-04-25T15:33:00.005-04:002009-04-25T15:45:46.365-04:00

All semester I've been chairing a committee to review and revise our first-year curriculum. One big part of most universities' first-year curricula is, of course, some kind of expository writing course. Maybe this one?ENG 371WR:Writing for Nonreaders in the Postprint EraM-W-F: 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Instructor: Robert Lanham Course Description As print takes its place alongside smoke signals,

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-32929441669309812182009-04-25T15:33:00.004-04:002009-04-25T15:42:28.492-04:00

McSweeney's Internet Tendency: Classic Nursery Rhymes, Updated and Revamped for the Recession, as Told to Me by My Father.Try this one, for starters:Humpty Dumpty Sure, in a perfect world, we'd all help put Humpty Dumpty back together, whether we were on the king's payroll or not. There's no question about that. But the world isn't lilacs and lollipops anymore, kid. I can barely afford all your

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-75779145805716610872009-04-13T21:36:00.002-04:002009-04-13T21:39:08.095-04:00

President Obama read Where the Wild Things Are to children at the White House egg roll. OK, so maybe there are better Easter picture books, but it's one of the best read-alouds of all time, and he looks like he had fun doing it. What a great moment!

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-41648865243042399132009-03-23T19:57:00.002-04:002009-03-23T20:07:52.180-04:00

Wow, that sounds portentous, doesn't it? But I mean it quite literally. I have a very different life--ok, a sort of different life--than I had before I was teaching children's literature. One big difference is that these days I occasionally--even, often--write about living authors. One of the big perks, frankly, of being a Victorianist is that the authors are all dead. I mean this in the

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-13645949925057238492009-03-11T08:12:00.004-04:002009-03-11T11:47:18.949-04:00

I try to support my kids' schools, I really do. I have volunteered at fundraisers, donated money, donated time, and--especially--overseen homework projects even when I have some questions about them. I never once asked why Nick should make a biography "cube" with six facts about his subject on the six sides (silly gimmick?); I sat with him while he researched women mathematicians and scientists

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-69381807226075003702009-03-07T21:37:00.003-05:002009-03-07T21:49:12.372-05:00

I had the pleasure today of leading a discussion on "children's classics for adults" at the West End branch of the Richmond Public Library. A committed group of grown-ups gave up the most beautiful day in months--well, an hour of it--to talk about Bud, Not Buddy, Becoming Naomi Leon, A Single Shard, and The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. We talked about art, families, agency, and finding a home

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-19613743177532357352009-03-06T08:41:00.002-05:002009-03-06T08:51:29.655-05:00

I heard a poem last night that so touched me I had to find and read it again. It's William Stafford's "Ask Me," and it begins like this:Some time when the river is ice ask memistakes I have made. Ask me whetherwhat I have done is my life.You can read the rest of it here--why don't you go do that now?OK?I have been thinking a lot about time, and whether "what I have done is my life," which is

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-62775914192765122572009-02-27T15:42:00.004-05:002009-02-27T15:48:17.817-05:00

I so wanted to review Mitali Perkins' Secret Keeper, a copy of which I received thanks to the author herself (I believe) some time ago. I read it over the weekend, when I was sick, and it kept me engaged and occupied (actually, it had me riveted!) as well as keeping my mind off of my increasingly nasty cold. So all is good.But (you knew there would be a but) I should have reviewed it Monday.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-52796489243363090942009-02-22T18:33:00.001-05:002009-02-22T18:34:14.779-05:00

Sometimes my friends and I joke that we need clones—one for work and one for home, perhaps? Wouldn't it be great, some days, to have someone else to help raise the kids—someone who wouldn't be bored by the endless play with Lego, who would miraculously make healthy meals they'll eat, who would come up with rainy day activities that are fun for the whole family? Of course on bad days at work I

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-74232732295348075722009-02-18T17:51:00.000-05:002009-02-18T17:51:04.419-05:00

Here's a great piece from the NY Times about grades and grading these days. One student puts it this way:"“If you put in all the effort you have and get a C, what is the point?” he added. “If someone goes to every class and reads every chapter in the book and does everything the teacher asks of them and more, then they should be getting an A like their effort deserves. If your maximum effort can

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-65453118927421968932009-02-18T12:11:00.006-05:002009-02-18T15:56:46.582-05:00

I'm just back from a meeting with some fabulous librarians about a program I'm doing for them next month. They've planned a wonderful opportunity for adults to talk about children's books, and I'm delighted to be facilitating the discussions. There are three of them, at three different branch libraries--here are some details.“A Family Affair: Children’s Classic for Adults”“A Family Affair:

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-34477539875099419092009-02-14T13:30:00.004-05:002009-02-14T13:38:58.279-05:00

The Cybils Awards have just been announced, and there are some great ones--check them out! Unlike last year, I wasn't on a judging panel this year so have been watching the doings from a distance--I'm glad I didn't have to make some of these decisions, I can tell you! I'm especially pleased to see the Middle-Grade Fantasy award winner, the Elem/Middle Grade Graphic Novel winner, and the YA

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-29365024326309580092009-02-11T07:03:00.003-05:002009-02-11T07:10:24.380-05:00

I'm blogging about Jill Biden, my new role model, over at the Mama, PhD blog at Inside Higher Ed. And trying to get to work on my column. Remember that? I do still write it, but only every other month these days. While I'm away, though, you might check out Mama at the Movies, writing about the lovely oldie, Fly Away Home. Back later!(cross-posted)

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-89058338379757518642009-02-05T15:26:00.002-05:002009-02-05T15:29:26.988-05:00

Seen on Fuse8, the most amazing bento box ever.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-78487817324644847162009-01-30T08:40:00.001-05:002009-01-30T08:40:56.093-05:00

Maira Kalman goes to the inauguration and likes it.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-58597356553055724192009-01-26T13:26:00.002-05:002009-01-26T13:43:20.093-05:00

OK, so I'm on twitter, though I can't do it from my phone and I'm really not quite sure what the point is but it's fun to catch up with people in these little tiny slices-of-life bits that they usually seem to post. So today several folks were twittering (is that really the right verb? or tweeting?) the ALA Midwinter meeting, because the big children's/YA lit awards come out today. And I was

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-13935463439507790102009-01-21T09:56:00.003-05:002009-01-21T10:34:22.056-05:00

I was delighted to watch the inauguration with my students yesterday. We started out watching the CNN.com feed (with the Facebook updates) but it froze and we switched over to TV instead. We found the Facebook updates interesting but a little unsettling; one student astutely noted that they must be filtering, because nothing nasty or "inappropriate" was being shown. It's sad that he assumed

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-49579426652961120992009-01-20T09:34:00.002-05:002009-01-20T09:43:36.436-05:00

I'm teaching a new course this semester, and I blogged about it for IHE today. I felt a little badly that I didn't have an inauguration post for IHE, but it just didn't happen. I'm not there, I'm here--and in fact I'm teaching from 11:15 to 12:30, right when the action will be happening. But then it occurred to me--my course is about revolutionary moments, moments when things changed in some

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-85260362267562917162009-01-17T09:12:00.004-05:002009-01-17T09:23:04.917-05:00

Many years ago a friend gave me a copy of A Humument, a "treated book by British artist Tom Phillips based on the Victorian novel 'A Human Document' by W.H. Mallock." In those pre-internet days, what she gave me was a bound paperback book, a reproduction of, I believe, one of the first books Phillips treated. It was not really readable as a book, but was an astonishing work of art, something

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-5219620378930091182009-01-13T21:50:00.003-05:002009-01-13T22:44:06.093-05:00

Jeanne from Necromany Never Pays passed along a cool award to me a while ago, and I hadn't gotten around to posting about it here. So here it is. Yes, that does say "for the coolest blog I ever know," and yes, everyone else who's gotten it--including Jeanne--has commented on the bizarre (ok, wrong) grammar there. Whatever. I'm still happy to have the award, especially because I've been so lax

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-74739462664467068282009-01-10T15:11:00.004-05:002009-01-10T16:02:56.521-05:00

Poetry I teach doesn't often make it into the news, but apparently Blagojevich finds solace in the words of 19th-century British poets. He really should have quoted Robert Browning, of course: "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp/Or what's a heaven for?"**From "Andrea del Sarto," and of course heavily ironic in context. The speaker is at best a hack, at worst a crook, and lamenting (

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-40739204936011472332009-01-06T07:45:00.002-05:002009-01-06T07:47:33.777-05:00

...things are changing around here. New semester, new courses, and --the biggest change of all-- Mariah heads off to CA for the rest of her gap year, any day now. I blog about that today at the Mama, PhD blog at Inside Higher Ed.Go!

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-36771379514304405562009-01-02T11:41:00.002-05:002009-01-02T11:51:14.110-05:00

I think I shifted my academic focus to children's literature in part because it put me back in that state of abandonment that reading had once been for me, but that graduate school had killed. In this I share something with Andrew Martino, whose piece in the Chronicle of Higher Ed (subscription required) I mentioned some time ago. I also share something with Michelle Slatalla, then, who sees in

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-40483463737435961422008-12-30T08:04:00.003-05:002008-12-30T08:07:25.130-05:00

I'm delighted not to be at the MLA convention this year. Though I love San Francisco, and the opportunity to catch up with old friends is one I'm sorry to miss, still I prefer spending Christmas and New Year's with my family, and without a convention in between them. Still, I'm glad Caroline is at the MLA and reporting on it for Inside Higher Ed--check out her insights here. (I'll be back

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-19377813406702356952008-12-29T08:11:00.000-05:002008-12-29T08:12:03.051-05:00

We're headed south today, leaving my parents' rural retreat and heading back to the city. But my Christmas column is all about the joys of the country Christmas, and of The Wind in the Willows. Enjoy!(cross-posted)

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-47559815736679430742008-12-20T10:31:00.001-05:002008-12-20T10:33:11.160-05:00

Stop picking on the Newbery Medal, the premier award in children's literature. - By Erica S. Perl - Slate Magazine: "literary awards should do more than simply affirm books that are easy to love and would likely find fans regardless of a medal. They also serve as inspiration for authors to take creative risks, push boundaries, and even reinvent the form. In 2007, American Born Chinese became the

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-82755809478565302732008-12-19T07:16:00.004-05:002008-12-19T07:18:29.074-05:00

Jen Robinson has an amazing collection of posts up at her blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page. There is enough reading about children's literature here to get you through the rest of the month, and then some. The Carnival is a "best of" this time around: bloggers nominated their best posts on children's lit of the year, and they came up with some terrific ones. So go on and check it out!

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-91646454931965264712008-12-19T06:51:00.000-05:002008-12-19T06:52:08.819-05:00

I never do Poetry Friday posts, and I never participate in Tricia's Monday Poetry Stretches, either. Well, never say never. Here's my attempt at a poem in terza rima, a little Advent piece.The season tells me wait: for grace, for love.I hope, and wait, and watch, but sometimes allSeems lost, It is, I know, a season ofThe worst of excesses. A heavy pallFalls over me. I aim for joy, for

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-24565347242710476802008-12-18T08:01:00.000-05:002008-12-18T08:01:41.997-05:00

Literature Scholars Face Steepest Drop in Jobs in Decades - Chronicle.com: "Those looking to land a job as a faculty member in English language or literature will have 22.2-percent fewer openings to look at during the 2008-9 academic year, compared with last year, the MLA projects. The expected number—1,420 jobs this year versus 1,826 jobs last year—is still above a historic low of about 1,000

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-82230415170158809002008-12-18T07:29:00.002-05:002008-12-18T07:55:47.850-05:00

Critics Say Newbery-Winning Books Are Too Challenging for Young Readers - washingtonpost.com: "'I can't help but believe that thousands, even millions, more children would grow up reading if the Newbery committee aimed to spotlight books that are deep and beautiful and irresistible to kids,' said Lucy Calkins, founding director of the Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University's Teachers

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-8553550109075801992008-12-16T07:49:00.005-05:002008-12-16T08:17:48.952-05:00

It's the season for appreciating children's books. Holidays connect us profoundly with our childhoods, with their traditions that call us back to our families of origin even as we forge them anew with our own children. Years ago in a graduate seminar I had a professor gloss the difference between diachronic (clock-time, linear time) and synchronic (recurrent, cyclical) time through holidays:

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-59953241912230869182008-12-12T11:47:00.002-05:002008-12-12T11:50:21.653-05:00

Which is worse, ripping the pages out of a book but still providing it to students, or removing it from the curriculum altogether?(The latest is about Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.)

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-39082535207781278952008-12-12T08:36:00.003-05:002008-12-12T10:40:42.239-05:00

Posting has really fallen off here this week--and, if I'm honest, all semester. I've had a hard time keeping up with any outside reading and that leaves me less to talk about here. That said, I'm blogging elsewhere, and I realize I've forgotten to link to the discussion here. So if you want to read up on the shape of academic careers, and the difficulty of balancing work and family, here's a

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-32114822124172037192008-12-08T18:03:00.003-05:002008-12-08T18:07:21.803-05:00

Here's the latest in the book censorship wars: a teacher in New Rochelle, NY (very near to my former hometown) has removed a section of Girl, Interrupted from students' copies of the book because the material was "of a sexual nature that we deemed inappropriate for teachers to present to their students."Huh?Listen, I haven't read the book. But these are twelfth-graders. I hate to break it to

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-15919475873378159042008-12-03T19:43:00.002-05:002008-12-03T19:45:25.363-05:00

I think maybe this post should be required reading for academics and the administrators who don't know how to "count" blogging...(link from Geeky Mom)

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-71282711487760021142008-11-25T15:25:00.001-05:002008-11-25T15:26:48.046-05:00

Sometimes my students ask me if authors really think about "that stuff" (symbolism, metaphor, allusion, intertextuality) when they write their books. Here is the unequivocal answer: yes.John Green rocks.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-15292942303991815612008-11-21T12:13:00.003-05:002008-11-21T12:23:58.528-05:00

The line between YA and adult books is, for me, very blurry. And apparently for some publishers, too, which is why (for example) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is only one of many books published in both categories. Now the School Library Journal blog (link from Kids Lit) takes up the question, listing nine books for teens from the last year that would be equally at home in

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-65901646883718175832008-11-20T22:26:00.002-05:002008-11-20T22:30:02.150-05:00

The Guardian Book Blog, one of my favorite reads on my feed reader, poses a fabulous question: What were your favorite books before you could read? I actually mentioned two of mine in my last post: Madeline, and Nomi and the Lovely Animals. I think that my dad began reading The Hobbit to me before I could read, too--I was just a week shy of my fifth birthday. I don't remember any others, but

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-1364135653419684812008-11-19T08:00:00.002-05:002008-11-19T08:00:01.104-05:00

I mentioned in my last post that we've been discussing favorite childhood reading on the child_lit listserv, so I thought I'd repost here the message that I sent. (I've made some tiny edits.)Like another reader, some of my favorite books (especially in fourth grade) were biographies. My earliest reading memories, though, are of my father reading me Madeline and, my very favorite, Nomi and the

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-73408876008153125282008-11-18T08:00:00.001-05:002008-11-18T08:00:00.975-05:00

As the holiday gift-giving season approaches, articles about children's books to give and receive are sure to start turning up. An early entry is this one by Joseph Bottum in First Things (I got the link from Neil Gaiman's blog), which I expect to see discussed in the kidlitosphere or on the child_lit listserv pretty soon. I don't at all disagree that this is a golden age of sorts for children's

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-4825448106258773332008-11-17T12:50:00.003-05:002008-11-17T13:27:48.265-05:00

It started today--and goes on all week, a series of interviews with children's and YA authors at all your favorite children's/YA lit blogs. Here's the list, borrowed shamelessly from Colleen Mondor of Chasing Ray*:Monday Lewis Buzbee at Chasing Ray: "The other part of the question: because I was so formed, in some way, by Steinbeck, I have always had an urge to write about him, but non-fiction

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-56312307080380674822008-11-10T21:31:00.004-05:002008-11-10T21:53:29.991-05:00

Many years ago my daughter dressed up for Hallowe'en as (her choice, her words) a "princess-fairy-angel-bride."* Friends teased me about "gender girl's" choice. But the part I remember best about it is the wings she insisted on having, that made the get-up a "fairy" or an "angel" rather than just a pretty girl. When did fairies get cute?Today my students read and discussed several "stolen

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-34263499726846813292008-11-07T15:28:00.002-05:002008-11-07T15:37:10.374-05:00

Yes, it's been talked to death. But I asked my students today what they thought characterized YA literature, and they pretty much agreed with Jen & MR in comments, below. Age of protagonist, teen--check. Subject matter, a little edgier, deeper, more emotionally intense than children's lit--check. They also think of YA literature as more realistic, longer, less illustrated, and more complex

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-42685273064089968412008-11-06T13:14:00.003-05:002008-11-06T13:23:43.350-05:00

Except I don't have a regular schedule. But I do feel as if it's been all election, all the time here and at my other blog for a while, and while I'm not sorry about it, it's time to get back to the business at hand, which is kids' books.I'm in a quandary right now. Colleen Mondor over at Chasing Ray pointed out a recent piece that raised, yet again, the question of YA literature. She vowed

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-54789698150926794272008-11-04T07:01:00.003-05:002008-11-04T07:02:50.681-05:00

Did you know that the Weekly Reader election poll has correctly predicted the winner of the national presidential vote 12 out of 13 times? This gives me hope this morning, as I get ready to go out and vote, and then volunteer, in the rain.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-67894804010247739852008-11-02T07:59:00.003-05:002008-11-02T08:06:05.382-05:00

While I'm deeply invested in the outcome of this election, I have to admit I'm tired of the campaign. Running for president seems to me almost nothing like being president, and I'm tired of the minute-by-minute scrutiny of folks doing a job that isn't the job we're electing one of them to do.This month my column at Literary Mama takes up some books in which children learn a similar lesson.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-2617012616042689432008-11-01T10:33:00.001-04:002008-11-02T07:59:33.203-05:00

(edited to add link & image)Colleen Mondor over at Chasing Ray has a wonderful post up about teaching and voting; go read it.Now.OK, are you back? Doesn't that make you want to vote? And, for that matter, to teach history?Her post is part of an effort she started called "Blog the Vote," in which bloggers are encouraged to blog about voting, in a non-partisan manner, over the next few days.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-31374760312723778952008-10-30T12:50:00.003-04:002008-10-30T12:53:58.088-04:00

This is too great: as Roger says, fun with intertextuality. Don't worry, you won't have to get annoyed: part II is right there after part I. No waiting.

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-83267477897701661242008-10-27T21:52:00.003-04:002008-10-27T22:13:07.877-04:00

I'm just a little bit annoyed with Laurie Halse Anderson. She's one of the most popular authors I teach in my children's/YA lit class; I teach Speak every year and every single time, someone tells me how important it is to her (usually it's a her). I've had students pass it along to their roommates, to younger kids they're mentoring, to groups they're involved with on campus. Students come to

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-89601725787517821482008-10-20T20:40:00.001-04:002008-10-20T20:41:50.761-04:00

I've already said that I loved The Graveyard Book; now you can read (or listen to) a brief interview with Neil Gaiman, and check out another review and a brief excerpt. Go, now, what are you waiting for?

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-53132342762109514842008-10-14T15:33:00.004-04:002008-10-14T15:50:19.440-04:00

I've actually managed to read two novels and a few picture books over the last couple of days--all of them non-required, almost-purely-for-pleasure books. (I say "almost" because when I read kids' and YA literature there's always a chance I'll teach it or write about it--but the initial reading is usually still for pleasure.) I've also bought a few more and am dying to get to them, although the

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-30797263290491375062008-10-08T08:21:00.003-04:002008-10-08T08:28:48.991-04:00

One thing I get to do in my job is arrange for a big lecture by a children's or young adult author every other year. The first year of the lecture series, we were able to bring Lois Lowry to give a fabulous talk (March, 2005) to a large crowd. Last fall we had John Green while he was still in the middle of Brotherhood 2.0. Now I'm thinking about next fall. Whom would you ask? Leave me

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-70019883033013190832008-10-07T08:55:00.004-04:002008-10-07T09:04:28.107-04:00

Tedra Osell's recent post on her "Career Coach" blog at Inside Higher Ed's Mama PhD got me thinking: what is the relationship between parenting and pedagogy? How has my pedagogy changed since becoming a parent? It's hard for me to answer the latter question, as I had only been teaching as a grad student for a few years before I became a parent; the two have really always been intertwined for me

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-13921533007667622352008-10-01T07:30:00.003-04:002008-10-01T07:30:01.060-04:00

Nominations for the Cybils open today. For those of you who missed them the last two years, the Cybils are the kidlitosphere's own children's book awards. (Cybils, as Little Willow helpfully explains, is a loose acronym for Children's and YA Bloggers's Literary Awards.) Cybils will be given in nine categories this year:PoetryFiction Picture BooksNon-Fiction Picture BooksEasy ReadersMiddle

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-752303404539852752008-09-30T14:54:00.003-04:002008-09-30T14:56:05.028-04:00

Here's a fun quiz, in The Guardian. (Linked all over the kidlitosphere already by folks who got to their Guardian feed before I did...)(I scored 9 out of 13, which is only so-so. Two or three of them I could have looked up right here in the office and done better, but I didn't cheat...)

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-74750924037273207452008-09-30T09:14:00.003-04:002008-09-30T09:22:31.280-04:00

I'm shifting back to my bimonthly schedule for the Children's Lit Book Group over at LiteraryMama. Though there are plenty of books to write about, my non-sabbatical year this year is keeping me hopping (or, more precisely, grading) in the moments when I might otherwise be writing a column. So look for that one next month.In the meantime, I'm still writing every week, on Tuesdays, for the Mama,

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-82560386955185031622008-09-29T13:51:00.002-04:002008-09-29T14:04:00.438-04:00

It's banned book week again, the week when the American Library Association reminds us that "free people read freely." I'm proud to say I've read 2007's most challenged book, though there are several on last year's list that I haven't read yet. It turns out that this fall I'm only teaching one book* on the 100 most challenged books 2000-2007 list, but I'll try to make up for it by reminding my

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5655224700198943735.post-39211212074588336552008-09-28T08:07:00.004-04:002008-09-28T08:16:55.735-04:00

Can this be? I just added the first movie to my viewing list since we came back from France in July. There have been movies I wanted to see, certainly--and I have gotten out of the house every now and then--but the movies somehow just aren't happening.Oh, I lied. Or, more likely, repressed. We did take a bunch of kids to see Star Wars: the Clone Wars for Nick's birthday, which I somehow

Libbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09406720496767981522noreply@blogger.com0