The Cool Crowd

You know, I'd be such a better writer if I could meet up with fabulous YA authors at cafes in NY and write. Er, "write."

Ooo, bask in the Mac Love.

That reminds me of getting together with friends to "study" in college.

At least I have the right computer to become a famous YA author, right?

Virtual Contact

John Green responded to my comment!!

Comment by Sarah
2007-02-23 17:37:22
Just cheering the Diana Wynne Jones book on the dresser. I want to be her when I grow up…even though I’m 29. There’s still time.
Love the book tour, Hank. (Any book recs from you two are very welcome and going right to my List.) Will we get the chance to see the rest of John’s book storage system?

Comment by John Green
2007-02-23 20:19:53
Sarah, you should see it shortly…

Hooray! I'm adding John Green to the list of author's I've met. I wonder if he knows Tobin Anderson? They seem like they'd get along swimmingly.

What do you mean you still aren't watching the Brotherhood 2.0 vlogs? --->They reformatted the main page, so it is THE one to read.

Optional but Interesting

I've been following the Brotherhood 2.0 vlogs pretty rabidly (I think John Green's personal site has a better format and the same info; the posts on the main page are out of order for the last few days). Every year, John's brother Hank posits a survey to friends and family. John answered it in two vlogs and Hank posted his responses just the other day.

What with new people joining up and in the interest of deciding the state of the self and sharing it, I'm posting Hank's list of questions here. You are welcome to answer none, some or all of them.

I've posted the questions in the comments section; COPY-PASTE the list into your own comment box to answer.

A. B. C. Rolling Ball & etc.

We are welcoming some new additions to the Rumpus, courtesy of Susie--welcome Beth and mundane4life! Please introduce yourselves! (I have met them both multiple times and can vouch for them, too. They are quirky enough to fit in, methinks.)

Regarding American Born Chinese, the discussion is open. I know Susie has a copy because I was with her when she bought it, so I'll post my very short initial blurb here and await further commentary!

One word review: wonderful.

The story was painful, amusing and thought-provoking, but you can NOT talk about this book without referring to the art, which I really liked—clean lines, excellent drafting.

V. nice how the storylines come together.

More when I don't have flying headache.

***Be sure to reserve a copy of March's book at your library: The Book of Lost Things.

The Dark is Rising is a movie!

Hmmm.

I refuse to see the Bridge to Terebithia movie and Charlotte's Web. This one might have a chance...

More on casting here.

Roger's a Drawing!

Mr. Sutton has finally hit the big time.

Let the voting commence....again!

VOTE AGAIN FOR NEXT MONTH'S CHOICE!



Maybe I should start putting these in the sidebar. I'll upgrade to the New Blogger soon.

Fevvyary

Okay, I cheated this time and put up winning books from the recent awards & honors up. OF MY CHOOSING. Sorry to get all non-democratic on you all, but Susan suggested it, and I do all that she suggests.

- - - - - - - [Jeopardy music] - - - - - - -

Um, we may have a problem getting these, as many are on backorder at Amazon and I can guess what that means at libraries and bookstores.

I'm looking at the Horn Book's Recently Announced Awards page. Suggestions?

We could choose a book from the less-publicized awards...I think the Newbery Award and Honor books will be v. hard to get.

Potentials:
+ Surrender by Sonya Hartnett (Meera, did you read this one already?) -PRINTZ HONOR
+ American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (I just read this tonight, as it came in on hold at the library, and would love to discuss) -PRINTZ WINNER
+ Copper Sun by Shannon Draper -CORETTA SCOTT KING WINNER
+ The Last Dragon by Silvana de Mari -BATCHELDER (TRANSLATION) HONOR

Do tell!

Green vs. Green

With varied levels of success, we read John Green's Looking for Alaska last year, and I read (and loved) his most recent An Abundance of Katherines as well. He and his brother, Hank, have committed themselves to Brotherhood 2.0 a video blog (short, like two minutes each) exchange for 2007. It's very amusing. I've spent much of this morning catching up on their January correspondence.

John's "NannyNannyRichKid" song is awesome.

Hank has a Narnia map on his basement wall.

(Okay, I have one, too, but it's in a box and I had it for when I was teaching.)
Anyway, it's great; they really do look like the brothers from The Proclaimers.

And, wholly unrelated to YA or books period, Making Fiends is also funny and a welcome distraction to a cold cold day.

Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, Sibert, etc., Awards announced

Our next several books have to be from this list, right? I want to read them all!

Kalpana's Dream

Oh dear.

I did NOT like this book! Was it supposed to be serious? Silly? Both? I spent much of the time asking myself what the hell was going on.

More when I have my notes in front of me--just wanted to get the topic open.

2007 Summer Symposium?

Anyone know anything about the Symposium this year? I did a quick search but could not find anything.

I haven't picked my copy of Kalpana's Dream yet; my copy is on hold but we're having ice issues and I don't want to brave the highways. People here don't know how to drive in icy conditions and I'm not risking their inexperience!

January Book

Kalpana's Dream it is!

MPH!

I heard him on Studio 360 tonight talking about The Wizard of Oz!

Not sure which clip he was in. Hmm.

Dammit; they are in RealPlayer only.

A new year, a new book.

Our list of contributors has shrunk; I hope three options is enough to get a majority.

New Year!

How about making a resolution (or, as I like to say, READOLUTION!) to read at least six of the Hedgehog books this year??? Hmmm? You can do that!

I'm putting up a poll tomorrow sometime. Be sure to vote!

Very Merry Poppins

Horn Book 2006 Fanfare (click)

The good ol' HB posted its best books of 2006. I've read four of them, three fiction and one non-fiction, and am adding some of the others to my list. Just not doing well on picturebooks this year.

To make it official

Just so you know, we'll be taking the month of December OFF and resume bookreading in January. A poll will go up later this week to choose the January book, giving you plenty of time to acquire and read it.

I'm going to clear out the Wish List books that have been voted down a few times and pepper it with some fresh blood. Add your own suggestions, please! What genres are we missing? (Nonfiction?)

Is getting the book a major obstacle for anyone? I'd love for more people to participate and, if that's the problem, we can easily switch to strictly paperbacks. I'm guessing that time is the issue, though.

If you know someone who might like to join, please invite them.

Better late...

Click the title to be whisked away to five (5) video segments of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards!

I haven't read ANY of those books -- not even the picturebooks! I miss hanging out with Simmons people at the bookstore and making intelligent picturebook conversation.