Quick Caldecott and Newbery note:
Big Shout Out to Priscilla Mizell for dramatically texting me the results!
I was over my data limit for the month but NEEDED to know.
The programs I do with children are 2.5 hours, but there is a break an hour and a half in.
I ran over to my phone and checked and was SO EXCITED
that I had a hard time continuing to work.
Thanks for keeping me informed, Priscilla!
Big Shout Out to Hicklebee’s, my favorite bookstore ever.
They have awesome author and illustrator events.
And they are the sole reason that I have signed copies of the winners this year
(and a double signed copy of one of the honors too!)
Ok, back to the regularly scheduled programing.
Man, I’m tired.
This week I read 9 books.
But, let’s be clear, there were some LONG books in there!
And I worked for my brother all weekend.
He runs an outdoor laser tag business.
And that business is pretty much the reason
I can attend the Big Sur Writing Conference in March.
Now, I’m someone who LOVES my weekend.
I work hard all week and like to have a break.
But I also LOVE writing conferences.
So, camo it is for a few weeks.
I’m hoping to get more reading done though.
Oh, and I also had my first book club meeting at Hicklebee’s this week!
That was really fun.
Post coming later on Seraphina.
I loved all the books this week:
Brave New Pond, Squish #2: I love and will continue to love anything this dynamic duo produces. This is the only Squish I had yet to read. Loved it.
Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians: Ditto what I said above. I don’t know what it is about a lunch lady, but I just love her. And there’s only yellow in the book? Double love.
Drama: So I wanted to read this graphic novel so bad that I put it on hold at the library. Normally this is not really that exciting or out of the ordinary, but, then, I go to the library and see a copy of it on the graphic novel shelf. I pick it up, kind of knowing full well that my copy had to be on the hold shelf for this one to just be out in the open, ripe for the pickin’. And, my rational mind was right. But I literally walked with it in my hand over to the shelf, then picked up my copy on hold, then returned it to the shelf. I really loved this, and not only because I was a behind the scenes girl in drama productions (I played a mean trumpet!) It somehow managed to be light and breezy while also being deep and meaningful.
Under Wildwood: I saw this at the library and literally gasped. I’m serious. I then proceeded to set as much time as possible aside to finish reading The Raven Boys, because I only like to read one longer work at a time, but I NEEDED to read this one. I finished it in two days, which is no small feat considering I work full time and this thing is 540 something pages. I love the story, and I love the writing style. Even though it’s longer than I like sometimes, I can’t help but just want to devour these books. Can’t wait for the next one!
Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco: Another Lunch Lady. Another awesome read.
The Raven Boys: A different kind of novel, but I loved it all the same. I liked how there were different chapters with different POV, and the mystery and supernatural elements were something that I rarely read. Another series starter; can’t wait for the second one.
A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse: Lovely little book. I like Frank Viva, and thought I’d give this one a read when I was in the bookstore. Love the character of Mouse!
Because Amelia Smiled: Loved the message and story and art in this one. One of those books that you will just feel better after reading, and I’m sure it will inspire little ones and lots of random acts of kindness (or, like I like to say, random acts of awesome!)
Building our house: So excited to see this one at my local bookstore. Is it too soon to be thinking about the Caldecott for 2013? Well, this would be one of my votes. YES, I realize it’s just January, but this book is BEAUTIFUL. My dad is a carpenter so I could relate to so much in it. It’s a nice simple story but an entire house gets built! And the illustrations are charming, simple, and complex at the same time. Run and pick this book up and read it with kids!
I apologize for so few pictures; I’m exhausted.
At the time of writing this, it’s 7:33 on Monday night, and I’m going to finish this,
get going down to the beach (can’t forgo my January Resolution for anything)
and get in bed, reading “Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl.”
Doin’ good though:
What are we reading next?
Probably a bunch of picture books.
Or whatever the holds shelf at the library has for me.
What is everyone reading?
I PROMISE to do a more Caldecotty and Newberrish post
in the next few days when I recover from laser tag fatigue!
Until then, we’re enthusiastically yours, even though we’re tired,
KE and Singe Singe
We read Extra Yarn last year and liked it a lot so I’m glad it won an award. We read a few of the other winners but not all, so they will have to go on our to-read list.
The Raven Boys is on my to-read list too and it looks very interesting too.
Good reading!
The Raven Boys is good…and hooray for Extra Yarn! It’s such a timeless book…my question is, where will the sticker go? Doesn’t seem to be a lot of room on the cover!
How neat you have signed copies of all the winning books!
Thanks, Tina! I love signed copies, though, this year, I may not get so many signed by the same author. But, I say that now…we’ll see what happens when I see who’s coming to Hicklebee’s and who is going to be at the SCBWI conference!
And yes! I owe you another BIG, HUGE, ENORMOUS thank you once again for the signed Jon K. book. I thought of you immediately when I heard HAT won Caldecott! That book will be cherished in our family for a long time!
You’re welcome, Eric! I thought of you guys immediately actually! If I would have had a signed Caldecott winner when I was a kid…WOW! But I thought all authors and illustrators were dead back then 🙂 I’m glad it will be treasured forever…do you know when his birthday is? If not, I’m sure he’ll be back at Hicklebee’s soon; I can ask him!