Blog of Note

Try Roger Sutton's blog, Read Roger.  He's been the editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc, since 1996 and was previously editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books as well as a children's and young adult librarian.  Read Roger is a great source for the latest and greatest information in the world of children's literature as well as bursting at the seams with lively conversation.

http://readroger.hbook.com/

Hilary and Abe

Enjoy this animated short featuring Abraham Lincoln and Hilary Clinton discussing the merits of modern libraries!

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12333641/dancing-with-abe

Cricket Magazine

Bursting with fiction, fantasy, folk tales, adventures, poems, history, and biography, Cricket magazine has won nearly every award given to children’s literary magazines. For over 30 years, Cricket has delivered quality writing and illustrations from authors and illustrators like Lloyd Alexander, Tomie DePaola, and Trina Schart Hyman. Advertisement-free, this magazine creates a space where children’s voices can be heard through its monthly story, poetry, art, and photography contests and its lively “Letters to the Editor” page, known as “The Letterbox.”  In this day and age filled with commercial offerings for children, Cricket magazine gives us sanctuary and nourishment, a safe place for children to explore the world. 

Recommended for ages 9 to 14.

Francesca Lia Block

Who is Francesca Lia Block?  This Los Angeles native writes postmodern, magic-realist tales that are at once both gritty and beautiful.  Her descriptive writing style is sparkly and transcendent, lending an otherworldly quality to harsh urban landscapes. She describes her own work as “contemporary fairy tales with an edge.”

The Youth, Young Adult and Adult Fiction collections feature such Francesca Lia Block titles as Weetzie Bat,  Echo, Girl Goddess #9, The Hanged Man, I Was A Teenage Fairy, The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold, Wasteland, and Violet & Claire.

To learn more about Francesca Lia Block, log on to  http://www.francescaliablock.com/books

or follow her on Twitter @francescablock