Robbi Kumalo at Godfrey Daniels

Join me on Sunday, February 2nd, at 2 pm at Godfrey Daniels as I absorb the wonderfulness that is Robbi Kumalo.  She has a voice like honey.  No lie. And she gets the kids up and moving.  Alone, or with her family of musicians, Robbi is a spellbinding performer.

So, if you live in the Lehigh Valley, or Southeastern or East Central PA or western NJ, get your self over to Godfrey's on Sunday.   Admission is $4.50 for anyone 5 years old and older and free for the littles!  And all children get free books from Cops'n'Kids.  This concert is made possible by the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild and the Eastern PA Arts Alliance

Squirrel Appreciation Day - KBWT

Children's Book Almanac is celebrating Squirrel Appreciation Day by spotlighting Scaredy Squirrel!

Here's a pic of Scaredy and a buddy taken from the Scaredy Squirrel Fan Page on Facebook!

If you don't already know Scaredy Squirrel, this warning poster will give you an idea of his priorities.

Here's Scaredy's website - just for some extremely careful fun.

90-second Newberys Revisited

It is THAT time again - time to enjoy the efforts of classes and kids - yay, verily, even adults - all over America to produce a 90 second video that captures the essence of a Newbery book.  Go to 90-Second Newbery Film Festival's Facebook page and click "Like" to get the latest on this competition.  Or scoot on over to James Kennedy's 90-Second Newbery Film Festival page.

Alas, the deadline for this year's entries was yesterday.  But here's a way to remember when those videos are due.  They are always due a week or two BEFORE the Newbery and Caldecott winners are announce.  And the Newbery and Caldecott winners are announced on the last Monday of January OR the First day of the ALA Mid-Winter Gathering.  This is my unofficial reckoning of when these awards are announced.  So, get those videos in by the second week of January and you should be on time.

You can make your own 90-second video.  If you start now, it will be in Top Shape by next January.  Check out the entire list of Award winners here.

Watch this delightful video developed by Chicago's Elephant and Worm Theater Company - Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH!

Incorrigibles

In The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood, Penelope Lumley and her three raised-by-wolves charges, Beowulf, Alexander and Cassandra - or Cassawoo - travel to the Swanburne School for Poor Bright Females to attend the CAKE.  (That's the "Celebrate Alumnae Knowledge Exposition".)  In the meantime, Penelope continues to unravel the mysteries of her own background, the sinister Judge Quinzy's true identity, and Lord Ashton's odd behavior at the full moon.  And there is also the matter of a certain journal that may or may not tell of cannibals and shipwrecks concerning the Ashton progenitors.

Swanburne Academy is under fire and may undergo awful changes.  Penelope and her charges are distracted by the journal and Judge Quinzy.  The narrator produces many diverting, amusing and illuminating parenthetical remarks. 

I would like to learn the mysterious beginnings that Penelope and her three delightful students seem to share.  But, I am more pleased that this series will have to continue in order that those mysteries be revealed.  Carry on, Brave Swanburne Girl!  I like the cut of your jib.

Zombies

 I will never, ever, EVER, EVER, eat feedlot beef again - ever.  Zombie Baseball Beatdown  by  National Book Award Finalist Paolo Bacigalupi is the story of three boys, their baseball team and the feedlots and meat packing plant that dominate their town.  This book is not for the weak of stomach - but, actually, I got through it.  I even, sort of, enjoyed reading it - except for the I-hate-zombies-more-than-anything part.

The story - a very very short synopsis:
Three best friends, Rabi, Miguel and Joe, discover frightening meat processing practices at a local plant after their baseball coach turns into a brain-sucking zombie.  All I can add to that is - I am glad the boys had their baseball bats with them.  Nuff said.

I'd suggest this read for readers in fifth grade and up and anyone who enjoys vampire/zombie/warlock/demon/sci-fi video games and comic books.  There is not enough detail in here to get most people upset but young readers who are easily frightened should read something else.  And stay away from the burgers.  I'm done.

I

Storytelling Update

Story Cabaret was so much fun.  I got to see people I haven't seen in a long time!!  My presentation was well-received.  The other storyteller was delightful.  But the best part of Story Cabaret - as far as I am concerned - is when the audience gets up and shares stories.  There are so many great stories out there and so many natural storytellers.  Many, many thanks to Mary Wright for making Story Cabaret happen.

Larry Sceurman's show at Godfrey Daniels this afternoon was very well-attended.  Lots of kids, lots of parents and grandparents and even some unattended adults.  Godfrey Daniels is such a cozy place to hang around afterwards, too.  Many thanks to Ingrid Bohn and Barbara Sceurman for helping behind the counter.  Larry, you rock.

SLJ's Battle of the Books announced.

It's official.  The books have been chosen and I have ONLY read THREE of them.  I have a lot of reading to do.  A blessing and a curse.

Click here to see what to read before March 13th when the competition begins.

Oh what the heck!  Here's the list

ALL THE TRUTH THAT’S IN ME by Julie Berry
THE ANIMAL BOOK by Steve Jenkins
BOXERS AND SAINTS by Gene Yang
A CORNER OF WHITE by Jaclyn Moriarty
DOLL BONES by Holly Black
ELEANOR AND PARK by Rainbow Rowell
FAR FAR AWAY by Tom McNeal
FLORA & ULYSSES by Kate DiCamillo
HOKEY POKEY by Jerry Spinelli
MARCH BOOK ONE by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
MIDWINTERBLOOD by Marcus Sedgwick
P.S. BE ELEVEN by Rita Williams-Garcia
ROSE UNDER FIRE by Elizabeth Wein
THE THING ABOUT LUCK by Cynthia Kadohata
TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP by Kathi Appelt
WHAT THE HEART KNOWS by Joyce Sidman

Well, whoop-de-doo.  I read FOUR of them.  Time to get serious.