Posts Tagged ‘the true meaning of smekday’

16
Mar

YAuthor to YAuthor: Interview with Adam Rex

   Posted by: rettstatt    in children's literature, writing

I’m starting a new feature called “YAuthor to YAuthor,” a series of interviews with other authors of Middle Grade and Young Adult books.
As a judge in this year’s Cybils, I was pulling for Adam Rex to win with THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY, which was one of my favorite books of 2007. Hilarious and heart-warming, which is a tough combination to pull off.
YAuthor to YAuthor with Adam Rex
Chris: Why do you prefer working on books for kids?
Adam: Well, I like reading them, though I read at least as much adult fiction and nonfiction as well. Maybe it’s because, when I write, I naturally lean toward genre stories of some kind or another. My impetus for writing tends toward ideas like, “human and alien come to terms with each other and forge a relationship against the backdrop of massive alien imperialism,” rather than, say, “humans come to terms with their disappointing lives and forge unhealthy relationships against the backdrop of an age of crippling ennui.” The former is typical kid lit, the latter is adult lit. I don’t know how to write the latter.
Chris: You seem to have more ideas than you have time for. How do you decide which ones you want to spend time on?

Adam: I don’t, frequently. The position of MOST PROMISING is something that a lot of my ideas take turns occupying. It’s very democratic. But some ideas are just lightning, and can’t be ignored.

Chris: Was there a moment when you felt like you had “arrived” as an author or illustrator?

Adam: I felt pretty good a year or two ago when people in the industry, librarians and booksellers and people in publishing, began to know who I was without my explaining it first. Once a librarian recognized me by sight alone. I understand now what a seductive feeling that can be, but as long as it’s happening primarily at book expos or conferences I’m pretty comfortable with it. When it starts happening at the supermarket I think it’s a problem, but then again I’m only an author, so it’s not a problem I’m likely to have.

Adam Rex’s cats

Chris: Are you a cat person?

Adam: I don’t really make a philosophical choice between cats and dogs, but I have no dogs and two cats, Little Nemo and Dr. Simon Dicker.

Chris: What did you think when THE DIRTY COWBOY was banned at W.C. Andrews Elementary?

Adam: Not a lot. There is a sort of thrill that comes from being banned, from being in the company of Sendak or Twain or the Apostles. And I’ve never known a book banning that didn’t raise interest in the book in question. So I can probably thank the school for a couple sales I wouldn’t have made otherwise. Otherwise, book banners just make me feel tired and full of pity. They have to be frightened, unhappy people who have entirely lost the connection with their childhood selves.

Chris: You seem to have successfully made the transition from illustrator to author/illustrator. Is there anything you miss about illustrating other people’s stories?

Adam: Not at all–I’m illustrating another author’s picture book right now. If a manuscript is great, I want to be a part of it. In an ideal world, I already am because I wrote the thing. But if that can’t be the case, I can at least illustrate it.

Chris: What are you working on now?

Adam: The debut book by author Mac Barnett, to be called Billy Twitters’s Blue Whale Problem. So lots of paintings of whales, and whale maintenance.

Chris: How do you say “Please pass the horseradish” in the Gorg language?

Adam: Hmmm…that would be…BAFF G’TA TODF’DAQIFT! You’ll notice I omitted the word “please.” It doesn’t really translate.

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15
Feb

Cybils 2007 Winners: Fantasy / Science Fiction

   Posted by: rettstatt    in children's literature, fantasy, kidlitosphere

After a marathon reading session, the judges for the 2007 Cybils in the Fantasy / Science Fiction category have selected their winners. And I’m happy to say, both were at the top of my personal lists.

Elementary/Middle Grade:

The True Meaning of Smekday
by Adam Rex
Hyperion
Nothing has been the same since the Boov invaded Earth and re- named it Smekland. But things get even weirder when twelve-year-old Gratuity Tucci embarks on a journey to find her missing mother–accompanied by her cat (named Pig), a fugitive Boov (named J.Lo) and a slightly illegal hovercar–and realizes that there’s more at stake than just her mother’s whereabouts. A terrific satire with a touching ending and spot-on illustrations by the author, the novel is heartwarming and hilarious at the same time. Gratuity’s narrative voice as she struggles to define “the true meaning of Smekday” will draw readers in.
Nominated by jennifer, aka literaticat.

Young Adult:

Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
On her first day as a Lady’s Maid, Dashti finds herself locked in a tower for seven years with her Lady, who is being punished for refusing to marry the Lord of a neighboring land. Thus begins a life-and-death battle against evil and time. Lyrically written and set in ancient central Asia, this novel retells a little-known Brother’s Grimm fairy tale with desperate, heart-wrenching emotion. Readers will be drawn in by the beautiful language and fighting spirit of Dashti, whose faith, spunk and ingenuity affect not only the darkness of her tower, but also the hearts and futures of kings.
Nominated by Sarah Miller.

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6
Jan

Cybils 2007 Science Fiction & Fantasy Finalists

   Posted by: rettstatt    in children's literature, fantasy, kidlitosphere

The Cybils finalists for the fantasy/scifi category (which I am judging) were finally announced, so I can post them here. They are divided into two categories, Teen/Young Adult and Elementary/Middle Grade. I won’t be commenting on the books during the judging process (I’ve started reading them already), but at some point this month I’ll write about the Cybils in general for the Blog Carnival of Children’s Literature.

Teen/Young Adult:


Book of a Thousand Days
by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books

Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense

Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher
Hodder Children’s Books (UK)

Buy from Amazon UK | Buy from Booksense


Northlander

Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands)
by Meg Burden
Brown Barn Books

Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense

Repossessed

Repossessed
by A. M. Jenkins
HarperCollins

Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense

Skin Hunger
by Kathleen Duey
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum

Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense

Elementary/Middle Grade:

The Chaos KingThe Chaos King
by Laura Ruby
HarperCollins/Eos

Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense


Into the Wild
Into the Wild
by Sarah Beth Durst
Penguin/Razorbill

Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense


The Land of the Silver Apples
The Land of the Silver Apples
by Nancy Farmer
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books

Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense

Skulduggery PleasantSkulduggery Pleasant
by Derek Landy
HarperCollins

Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense

The True Meaning of Smekday
by Adam Rex
Disney/Hyperion

Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense

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26
Nov

Cybils: 2007 Fantasy and Science Fiction Nominations

   Posted by: rettstatt    in children's literature, fantasy, kidlitosphere

Yes, I know there are a lot of tags. I want to make it very easy for people whose books were nominated to find out, and tagging is a good way to do it. 

There are 94 nominations in the Fantasy and Science Fiction category. I’m a judge for this category, and I’m looking forward to digging in, once this list has been whittled down a bit by the nominating panel.

I copied this list from the Cybils 2007 blog

100 Cupboards
written by N.D. Wilson
Random House
Buy from Amazon | Buy from Booksense (your local independent)

Alchemyst, The
written by Michael Scott
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Alfred Kropp: The Seal of Solomon
written by Rick Yancey
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
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Araminta Spookie 3: Frognapped
written by Angie Sage
HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
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Betrayed: A House of Night Novel
written by PC Cast
St. Martin’s Griffin
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Billy Hooten: Owlboy
written by Tom Sniegoski
Random House/Yearling
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Black Book of Secrets, The
written by F.E. Higgins
Feiwel & Friends
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Book of a Thousand Days
written by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
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Call to Shakabaz, The
written by Amy Wachspress
Woza Books
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Chaos King, The
written by Laura Ruby
HarperCollins/Eos
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Children of the 23rd Century: The Secret of the Lost Planet
written by Mel Hogan
Athena Press Ltd (UK)
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Choices
written by Deborah Lynn Jacobs
Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press
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City of Bones
written by Cassandra Clare
Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry
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Cobra King Of Kathmandu, The
written by P. B. Kerr
Scholastic/Orchard Books
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Cupid
written by Julius Lester
Harcourt Children’s Books
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Darkwing
written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperCollins/Eos
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Defect
written by Will Weaver
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Dragon Slippers
written by Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
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Dragonhaven
written by Robin McKinley
Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
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Dragon’s Keep
written by Janet Lee Carey
Harcourt Children’s Books
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Dreamquake
written by Elizabeth Knox
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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Eclipse
written by Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown Young Readers
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Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat
written by Lynne Jonell
Henry Holt and Co.
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Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness
written by Kaza Kingsley
Firelight Press
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Extras
written by Scott Westerfeld
Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse
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Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star
written by Brandon Mull
Shadow Mountain
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Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer
written by Laini Taylor
Penguin/Putnam Juvenile
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Fathom Five: The Unwritten Books
written by James Bow
Dundurn/Boardwalk Books
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First Light
written by Rebecca Stead
Random House/Wendy Lamb Books
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Flora Segunda
written by Ysabeau S. Wilce
Harcourt Children’s Books
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Fred & Anthony’s Escape from the Netherworld
written by Esile Arevamirp
Disney/Hyperion
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Ghost in Allie’s Pool, The
written by Sari Bodi
Brown Barn Books
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Giving Up the Ghost
written by Sheri Sinykin
Peachtree Publishers
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Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio, The
written by Lloyd Alexander
Henry Holt and Co
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Gray/Guardians
written by Kathy Porter
BookSurge Publishing
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
written by J. K. Rowling
Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books
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Hungry Ghosts
written by Sally Heinrich
Lothian Publishing (may be an imprint of Hachette Livre Australia)
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In the Serpent’s Coils (Hallowmere)
written by Tiffany Trent
Mirrorstone
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Incarceron
written by Catherine Fisher
Hachette Livre UK/Hodder Children’s Books (UK)
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Into the Wild
written by Sarah Beth Durst
Penguin/Razorbill
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Ironside: A Modern Faery’s Tale
written by Holly Black
Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry
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Jackie Tempo and the Emperor’s Seal
written by Suzanne M Litrel
iUniverse
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Jinx
written by Meg Cabot
HarperCollins
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Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger
written by Lee E. Fodi
Brown Books Publishing Group
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Lady Friday (The Keys to the Kingdom)
written by Garth Nix
Scholastic Press
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Land of the Silver Apples, The
written by Nancy Farmer
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
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Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want
written by Obert Skye
Shadow Mountain
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Little (Grrl) Lost
written by Charles de Lint
Penguin/Viking
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Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm)
written by Michael Buckley
Abrams/Amulet
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Marigold and the Feather of Hope
written by J. H. Sweet
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
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New Policeman, The
written by Kate Thompson
HarperCollins
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Night Tourist, The
written by Katherine Marsh
Disney/Hyperion
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Nightwalker: The Warlocks of Talverdin
written by K. V. Johansen
Orca Book Publishers
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Northlander (Tales of the Borderlands)
written by Meg Burden
Brown Barn Books
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Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm)
written by Michael Buckley
Abrams/Amulet
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Penguins of Doom, The (From the Desk of Septina Nash)
written by Greg R. Fishbone
Blooming Tree Press
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Platinum
written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Powers
written by Ursula K. Le Guin
Harcourt Children’s Books
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Prom Dates from Hell
written by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Pyre
written by James McCann
Simply Read Books
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Quest for the Elfin Elixir
written by Ami Blackford
Red Cygnet Press
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Red Spikes
written by Margo Lanagan
Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Repossessed
written by A. M. Jenkins
HarperCollins
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Return to Zandria
written by Christine Norris
LBF Books/Lachesis Publishing
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Secret of Grim Hill, The
written by Linda DeMeulemeester
Lobster Press
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Secret Zoo, The
written by Bryan Chick
Second Wish Press
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Seeing Redd (The Looking Glass Wars)
written by Frank Beddor
Penguin/Dial
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Seems, The: The Glitch in Sleep
written by John Hulme
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
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Senrid
written by Sherwood Smith
YA Angst
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Sensitive
written by Nina Wright
Flux
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Seventh Chair, The
written by Ann Keffer
iUniverse
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Silenced, The
written by James Devita
HarperCollins/Eos
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Silver World
written by Cliff McNish
Lerner Publishing/Carolrhoda Books
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Skin Hunger
written by Kathleen Duey
Simon & Schuster/Atheneum
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Skulduggery Pleasant
written by Derek Landy
HarperCollins
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Standard Hero Behavior
written by John David Anderson
Houghton Mifflin/Clarion Books
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Swan Maiden, The
written by Heather Tomlinson
Henry Holt
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Tantalize
written by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Candlewick
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Tattoo
written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos
written by R. L. LaFevers
Houghton Mifflin
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Thief Queen’s Daughter, The
written by Elizabeth Haydon
Tor/Starscape
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Through the Eyes of a Raptor
written by Julie Hahnke
iUniverse
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Titan’s Curse, The
written by Rick Riordan
Disney/Miramax
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To Catch a Mermaid
written by Suzanne Selfors
Little, Brown Young Readers
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True Meaning of Smekday, The
written by Adam Rex
Disney/Hyperion
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Two Moon Princess
written by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Tanglewood Press
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Un Lun Dun
written by China Mieville
Random House/Del Rey
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Verdigris Deep (Well Witched in the U.S.)
written by Frances Hardinge
Macmillan Children’s Books (UK)
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Warrior’s Daughter, The
written by Holly Bennett
Orca Book Publishers
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What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy
written by Gregory Maguire
Candlewick
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Wicked Lovely
written by Melissa Marr
HarperCollins
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Wildwood Dancing
written by Juliet Marillier
Random House/Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Woolies and Worms
written by Stephen MacNeil
Cobblestone Publishing/Cricket Magazine Group
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Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage
written by Alma Alexander
HarperCollins/Eos
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12
Nov

What I’m Reading

   Posted by: rettstatt    in children's literature, fantasy, kidlitosphere

When the twins came (a little over three months ago), I pretty much stopped reading for a while. I just couldn’t spare the hands. And when I go for while without reading, I start to become a different person. Even my dreams are different.

So finally I started again. I’ve mastered two enabling strategies:

  1. Audio books. The Chicago Public Library lets you check out audiobooks from their website. It’s the coolest thing since the invention of cool things. You just download it and the download expires after two or three weeks. So now I have all kind of books on audiobook, all free and all legal. I don’t even need any hands for that.
  2. One-hand baby hold. I’ve finally mastered the safe one-hand baby hold. I can hold a baby comfortably (to me and her) in one arm and turn pages with the other arm. Of course, there are times when I need yet a third arm for the unexpected, but it’s better than nothing.

So, here is what I am reading:

The Dragon's EyeErec Rex: The Dragon’s Eye, by Kaza Kingsley. I’m loving it so far, even more than I expected, but I won’t get into specifics until I’m finished. I got a signed copy at BEA, of this and the next book, Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness.

The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex. I got a signed copy of this at BEA as well (along with a drawing of a boov). I absolutely love the humor on the website, so I decided I’d read it. My only worry is that I may be missing out on the full effect, having an advanced reading copy. I’m thinking that if it’s nominated for a Cybil, then I’ll get a real copy (I’m one of the judges for scifi/fantasy), so I’ll just read it again.

The Softwire: Virus on Orbis, by PJ Haarsma. I listened to the first two chapters on audiobook (read by Nathan Fillion). I’m hooked already, but the problem is that only three chapters were recorded, so now I’ll have to go buy the book. I guess that was the whole idea. I met PJ at the kidlitosphere conference in Chicago and found out we’re both Candlewick authors, and he told me about the game he’d developed for the series.

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