Our Roots…
February 14th, 2008 by Sara
Posted in Authors, Valentines, I heart this book, Books
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Happy Valentine’s Day, Paul Fleischman
February 3rd, 2008 by Sara
Posted in Authors, Valentines, I heart this book, Haiku review, Books
February 15th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Here’s Paul Fleischman’s response!
http://www.sarawilsonetienne.com/paul-fleischman-responds.htm
A Month of L<3VE
February 1st, 2008 by SaraInstead of candy hearts and flowers, I’m celebrating Valentine’s Day with books! I hereby declare the month of February as one humongous Valentine’s card to my favorite authors and stories. Yes, even writers and illustrators need to feel the love. So lets give it to them!
I’m going to be dedicating each day of February to a different great artist. 
A St. Valentine’s card of bookwormy wonder. Feel free to add your own praises and throw out suggestions. So lets start handing out some…
<3
<3
<3
<3
Posted in I heart this book, Nifty happenings, Books, Writing
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Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
January 17th, 2008 by Sara
Wow.
Really wow.
I just listened to the amazing audiobook of Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, read by the author Jack Gantos. I found myself laughing and tearing up at the same time. Joey Pigza, a kid with extreme behavior issues, is so friendly, so dynamic, and so exuberant that I fell in love with him, even while I saw how he disrupted the world around him. The way he tried and the way the world often misjudged him, or didn’t have the time or patience or understanding to give him, broke my heart. But Joey is unstoppable, and infinitely embraceable.
This first-person trip into the mind of Joey, filled with uncontrollable impulses, extreme fears and desires, and a very funny narrative, opened my mind and heart* to kid’s in Joey’s shoes. It gave me a window into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the same way The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon opened a window into autism. Joey Pigza Swallowed The Key is a masterful book, written with a quality and candidness that you don’t always see in stories for this age group.
Plus, Jack Gantos did an amazing job reading this book. He’ll always be Joey Pigza to me.
HaikuReview: Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos
Just sit. Just listen.
Just do the impossible.
Just wishes he could.
*I do realize that I’ve used the word ‘heart’ twice and ‘love’ once in this review. Because I heart heart heart Joey.
Posted in I heart this book, Haiku review, Books
January 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Thanks sooo much for sharing this book!! It is next to read for sure!
Meg
A Company of Swans
January 15th, 2008 by Sara
HaikuReview: A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
Defiant woman,
Pirouettes through the jungle.
Sweet, swirling story.
Posted in I heart this book, Haiku review, Books
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If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period
January 7th, 2008 by SaraHaikuReview: If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko
Now that I’m done will the Great Picture Book Read of ‘07, I’ve been catching up with some middle grade and YA books. It turns out that If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period was a great place to start. Gennifer Choldenko won the Newbery Honor, as well as the Sid Fleishman Humor Award, for her earlier book, Al Capone Does My Shirts. So, of course, I was eager to read her latest book. Bonus points: she’s also a really nice person.
I’m glad to say that I was completely pulled into this story of outcasts and friends, told by two alternating main characters. Intriguingly, Gennifer Choldenko decided to tell one character in first person and the second main character in third person. I’m not sure I’ve seen that before, but it really worked in this book. I’d love to know why she chose to tell it like that.
Okay, enough chit-chat. On with the Haiku!
Flashbacks to 7th grade,
Feeling queasy as I read.
She gets it spot on.
Posted in I heart this book, Haiku review, Books
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Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree
December 25th, 2007 by Sara
Haiku Review:
Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
Christmas time machine,
This book is just the right size.
I am 5 again.
Merry Everything, Everyone!
Posted in Picture books, The Great Picture Book Read, I heart this book, Haiku review, Nifty happenings, Books
January 21st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I just read this, thanks to you. I totally loved it.
What a great idea for a Christmas picture book!!
“I’ve got a golden ticket…”
December 20th, 2007 by Sara
So, I’m going to see The Golden Compass tomorrow. I’m pretty excited, and not just because Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is amazing.
Tony worked on the movie and his name’s in the credits. Hooray!
If you go see the movie, keep an eye out for the wolves in Bolvangar. And stay long enough to cheer for Tony (under Rhythm and Hues Studios, ‘Look Development’) and all the other ‘men (and women) behind the curtain.’
Posted in I heart this book, Nifty happenings, Books
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Books of the Week: Illustrators
December 17th, 2007 by Sara
I’m constantly delighted by the illustrations in the picture books I’ve been reading. Here are a few illustrators that have really captured my imagination.
Dan Yaccarino
(Every Friday, Trashy Town)
Mark Teague
(How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, The Secret Shortcut)
David Shannon
(No, David, Duck on a Bike)
Steve Jenkins
(Move, Actual Size)
David Wiesner
(Tuesday, Flotsam)
These illustrators show a creativity with their subject matter that brings you closer to it. Their pictures invite you into the story and stay in your mind long after. Whether it’s the simplicity of line, the movement within a still image, or the depth of detail, all of these illustrators and their styles are a joy to look at and read.
Wanna see who else I’ve been reading?
Posted in Books of the Week, The Great Picture Book Read, Illustration, I heart this book, Books, Writing
December 22nd, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Hi Sara.
Jude sent me your website and I love keeping up with your writing and reading. Best of luck for 2008 - It will be a special year for you I feel sure.
Congratulations to Tony for his work on Compass. We enjoyed it, especially all the R&H work.
Merry Christmas to you both.
Books of the Week: Did I mention…
December 7th, 2007 by Sara
My Little Sister Ate One Hare
written by Bill Grossman and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Maggie and the Monster
written by Elizabeth Winthrop and illustrated by Tomie dePaola
The OK Book
written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Chickens to the Rescue
by John Himmelman
Bark, George
by Jules Feiffer
Click,Clack,Moo: Cows That Type
written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin
Waking Up Wendall
written by April Stevens and illustrated by Tad Hills
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
by Kevin Henkes
Traction Man is Here
by Mini Grey
Here are a few books I want to read over and over, give to everyone I know, and fill my bookshelves with. Hope you enjoy them, too. Have any favorite reads I haven’t mentioned?
Wanna see the other 800 picture books?
Posted in The Great Picture Book Read, Books of the Week, Picture books, I heart this book, Books
December 11th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Lately I can’t stop reading Ugly Fish. I finish it and start over without even thinking about it. :D (I saw you’ve read it, too!!)
Of course I will eagerly be hunting down those on this latest roundup that are new to me!! Thanks, Sara!!
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