I was at Children’s Book World the other day, and let me take this opportunity to say that Children’s Book World is an awesome bookstore. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and generous with their time and attention. It’s by far the best place to find a good read in Los Angeles. Anyway, I was at [...]
Books of the Week: Issue Books
November 9, 2007 – 3:00 am
Stories are, above all, a way for us to understand the world. When we see a character having the same feelings as us, going through the same experiences, reacting in the same way, we discover we are not alone. Lying, teasing, being frustrated, being jealous of a friend, does not make us a bad person. [...]
Books of the Week:For the Young’uns
November 2, 2007 – 5:00 am
Amazingly, some books have really stuck in my mind even after reading over 400 picture books. They aren’t always the ones I’m immediately ‘wowed’ by, but often the stories that come sneaking out when I’m telling Tony about my day. Or make me laugh later when I’m driving or writing email, from the memory of [...]
Books of the Week:Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad characters
October 26, 2007 – 1:19 pm
“The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another, his mother called him “WILD THING!” and Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” so he was sent to bed without eating anything.” – Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are What is it that makes wild, stubborn, grumpy, characters so [...]
Books of the Week: Old Favorites
October 19, 2007 – 5:00 am
When I’m perusing the picture book shelves and come across a favorite book from my childhood, it’s like crawling under the blankets, snuggling up with a stuffed animal, and sipping a cup of cocoa. With mini marshmallows. Those tiny pillows of delight. Spongey icebergs in a sea of chocolate. Morsels of fluffy happiness. Ahem. Reading [...]
The Morning Gift
October 14, 2007 – 6:54 pm
HaikuReview: The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson Vienna so sweet, It could only be fiction. Delectable tale.
Max Dare and the fantabulific picture book
October 11, 2007 – 5:00 am
Adam Rex (aka Max Dare… if you like anagrams) gets a gold star and a gazillionbillion exclamation marks. And maybe, even, a couple of smiley faces. His picture book, Pssst!, is wonderful, fabulous, and so very, very funny. The style of his pictures, the hilarious details, the surprise of the story blow me away. It [...]
Beach Books!
October 8, 2007 – 11:33 pm
What do you read while reclining on sugar-white beach under a thatched umbrella? This is a difficult and very serious decision. Only a professional should undertake a dilemma of such proportions. I mean, how can one paddle up to the poolside bar with a substandard book in hand? I suppose the more relevant question is, [...]
Books of the Week: Caldecott Books
October 5, 2007 – 4:30 am
It’s unusual for a book from the 40′s to still be on the bookstore shelves, but Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey is an exception. Not just because of its timeless story, but also because of its Caldecott Medal. The Caldecott is given each year “to the artist of the most distinguished American picture [...]
Books of the Week!
September 28, 2007 – 3:00 am
As I mentioned at the beginning of the week, I’m taking on the task of reading 1000 picture books in an attempt to crack the code and uncover the ancient secrets of this minimalist art form. As a result, I’ve read 70 picture books this week. Have I unveiled any secrets yet? I could tell [...]
Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
September 26, 2007 – 7:00 am
Jennifer Hunt at Little, Brown suggested I read this book after she read my work. She mentioned it as an example of dark, internal writing that worked wonderfully and kept its humor. It’s a strange, but brilliant book, written with an incredibly unique narrator. It keeps you wondering, fascinated, and engaged the entire time. ReviewHaiku [...]
An Abundance of Katherines
August 20, 2007 – 11:40 am
HaikuReview: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green X=good book Where Y is graves, graphs, wild boars. Therefore, read for laughs. By the way, Sara Wilson anagrams to ‘Alias Sworn’ Sara Etienne to ‘A Insane Tree’
Harry Potter and the Deathly Spoilers! (No spoilers here!)
July 30, 2007 – 12:08 pm
*Note, there are no spoilers in this post. Safely read on:) * So, you are about to get a glimpse into my life and see how truly nerdy I am! Comic-Con was nothing. Read on at your own risk! Tony and I, of course, picked up our Harry Potter book at midnight, as any self [...]
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie….
July 13, 2007 – 2:01 pm
HaikuReview: Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer Cold, hungry, and scared, I shivered on my plush couch. Fully transported. It’ s impossible to leave this book at just a HaikuReview. I read the story pretty much straight through in one day, staying up until 3 in the morning because there was no [...]
Lemonade Mouth
July 6, 2007 – 4:45 pm
HaikuReview: Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes Sweet Tangy-licious Strum by strum, cold cup by cup Rebels juice up life.
Dragonsong
July 4, 2007 – 6:43 pm
HaikuReview: Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey (Isn’t this cover art great? You gotta love the library!) Traditions can suck. But even old ways can change, If you have Dragons. All I have to say is: ‘klah.’ Yes. If you’ve ever read any of Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Klah is the [...]
Looking for Alaska
July 2, 2007 – 4:00 pm
Review of Looking for Alaska by John Green Artful labyrinth, Leading to the ‘Great Perhaps?’ Leads to a good read.
