Greg and I attended a signing yesterday for author Kathi Appelt and illustrator Joy Fisher Hein of Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How A First Lady Changed America (Harcourt, 2005) at the Wildflower Center here in Austin.
It was a bit of a soggy day, but the author and illustrator were as sunny as they could be.
Continue Reading Miss Lady Bird Signing at Wildflower Center »
Greg and I attended a signing party yesterday for author Anne Bustard and illustrator Kurt Cyrus of Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly (Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster, 2005) at BookPeople here in Austin.
Anne is also the author of T Is For Texas. Kurt also is the author/illustrator of Hotel Deep: Light Verse from Dark Water (Harcourt,
The Boyfriend List (15 guys, 11 shrink appointments, 4 ceramic frogs and me, ruby oliver) by E. Lockhart (Delacorte, 2005)(Listening Library, 2005). Everybody’s dumped Ruby–her boyfriend, her best friend, and all of the rest of her friends. She’s a leper at Tate Prep and the subject of unflattering scribbles on the bathroom wall. After a few panic attacks,
The Texas Library Association conference in Austin has made for an exciting week.
The highlight of Tuesday’s preconference activities was a talk by Dianna Hutts Aston, who spoke about the roots of her writing and her fascination with the mysteries of life. Dianna’s talk was heartfelt, enthusiastic, charming, and at times, funny.
In addition to one of the most gracious tributes to her illustrators,
The Texas State Reading Association (TSRA), the state affiliate of the International Reading Association (IRA), has announced the nominees for the annual Texas Golden Spur Award for Children’s Literature. This year’s recipient will be announced and honored in conjunction with the 50th IRA Convention to be held in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday, May 1, 2005, in the Henry B.
Dancing In Red Shoes Will Kill You by Dorian Cirrone (HarperCollins, 2005). Kayla is one of the strongest dancers at her performing arts school, but there’s just one problem. Or, well, two. Kayla’s busty–in a double D/needs-to-wear-three-bras kind of way–and the world of ballet has a very specific body type preference. Will she get surgery? Push back against societal expectations?
Continue Reading Dancing In Red Shoes Will Kill You by Dorian Cirrone »
Stained by Jennifer Richard Jacobsen (Atheneum, 2005). Jocelyn loves Gabe, loves Benny, but Father Warren sees her as a demon child, a temptation, in league with Satan, all bad. Or is that just a diversion from his own agenda and manipulations? Ages 12-up.
My Thoughts
A riveting look at passion and judgment,
The Association of Booksellers for Children has announced that the recipient of the prestigious 2005 E.B. White Read Aloud Award is Wild About Books (Knopf, 2004), written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Marc Brown.
The E.B. White Read Aloud Award, established in 2004, honors a book that reflects the universal read aloud standards that were created by the work of author E.B.
Continue Reading ABC Names Wild About Books Winner of E.B. White Read Aloud Award »
Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci (Candlewick, 2005). Victoria insists on being called “Egg” in honor of her favorite sci fi heroine, pushes herself to be just as superheroic, and distances from peers, especially boys, who might try to define her in their terms. But she can’t accomplish her goals–as a photographer, a scholar, even as a Vampire and Bat Wing apprentice–without reaching out and opening up to the real-world people around her.
Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo by Greg Leitich Smith (Little Brown, 2003)(Recorded Books, 2004). From the flap copy: Elias, Shohei, and Honoria have always been a trio united against That Which Is The Peshtigo School. But suddenly it seems that understanding and sticking up for a best friend isn’t as easy as it used to be. Elias,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Greg Leitich Smith on Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo »