Teen Book Video Awards 2006

Random House Children's Books sponsored a contest where film makers and animators competed for the best book video for three of the top books of 2006.

The Book Thief is work that is interesting to both young adults and adult readers. Death is the narrator and as such explores the happenings in Liesle Meminger's life from when she is left by her mother and taken into a foster home. World War II is the setting for Liesel's life, her family, the torment and the trials she encounters. Her neighborhood is filled with memorable characters, struggling through the war and occupation. Leisel steals her first book, expressing herself the only way she can, secretively. Her foster mother's cruelty, the father's kindness, her best friend Rudy, an accidental refugee Max and the solitary wife of the mayor who provides access to her personal library and enables Leisel's thievery, pepper the story and connect with the reader.

The Great and Terrible Beauty

The setting is a Victorian girls school that has a secret history. Gemma leaves her Indian home after the suicide of her mother. She is sent to a finishing school in London where she has to deal with the strange circumstances of her mother's death and integrating into a new culture. Confused and intrigued by the death and the secret of the school, Gemma finds friends within a circle of girls. What happened twenty five years before the friends attended this school? What do the teachers know? What role does the cave on the school grounds play? How is it all connected?

How I Live Now

What would happen if ware broke out where you live? Daisy lives within frightening changes after her move from Manhattan into a relatives farmhouse in England. Daisy and her cousins live without adults to depend on while the farmhouse is taken by soldiers. Even her male cousins are taken from her as she struggles to keep herself and her youngest cousin, Piper, alive. Changes within Daisy are profound, taking her from a selfish teenager to a leader and survivor. She emerges shaken by her circumstances and experiences while maturing with compassion.

Take a look at the videos at Random House.

Harry Fans

Scholastic who wisely chose to publish the American version of the Harry Potter series, has some fun downloads; screensavers, bookmarks and a desktop alert widget, on their site. It is now 25 days, 14 hours, 23 minutes and 10 seconds until the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. For all things Harry visit Scholastic. The newest and last book in the series will be available July 21, 2007.

It has been reported that copies of Harry Potter are already available in China where copyright laws are shaky at best. A hacker who goes by the name of Gabriel claims he obtained a digital copy of the manuscript for J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' and has posted plot details online. Book Standard News also reports that "whether or not readers believe Gabriel, there is only one way to find out if he is right. And that won't happen until July 21".

Who are you going to believe muggles?

Don't have an MP3 Player?

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“With Playaway, we set out to create a product that was portable, technologically simple and easy to use, and it’s been a perfect fit for libraries,” said Christopher Celeste, President, Findaway World. “In fact, 99% of our current library customers would recommend Playaway to another library. We are excited to have provided such a welcome audio format for this important channel.”

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Book suggestions website

Book Sense

June 2007

#1 Pick:
"It is a feat to bring off a serious, historically-set novel where the
history doesn't overwhelm the human story, nor does the human tale simply
use the history as furniture. This most impressive, captivating debut
-- a novel of a young woman finding her way into life in 17th century
Iran -- is one that does justice to both story and history."
--Rick Simonson, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

See more book choices at Book Sense (http://www.booksense.com/bspicks/index.jsp)

52 Questions: #3 What book got you hooked?

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be —
I had a Mother who read to me.
- Strickland Gillilan

Every child needs a parent who reads to them. My favorite memories with my children when they were young were the times we spent snuggling and laughing together as we read books. Summer reading programs were a great excuse to get into the library and check out books by the ton, find a park and read for hours. I can't remember what their favorite books were as there were so many. I know the first book my daughter loved on her own was Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell and the book I am sure I could read in my sleep from reading non-stop to my son was That's Good! That's Bad! by Margery Cuyler.

First Book is an organization dedicated to getting books in the hands of young children. For 15 years First Book has been providing brand new books to children in low-income communities nationwide. They are asking for your help in celebrating the distribution of their 50 millionth book this summer: tell us what book got you hooked and you'll have the chance to share the magic with thousands of children in one lucky state. Take a minute out of your day to particpate!

After visiting the First Book website, share your choice, what was your favorite first book?

After hours.....

Thanks to apaulos2, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwihz7iZlx0

Presenting...Craig Johnson!

Craig Johnson, author of Death Without Company, Cold Dish and Kindness Goes Unpunished, indicated interest in this blog and offered to do a virtual interview! Here is what he had to say....

I love the phrasing in your books, for instance, when you said ‘my nose hit his fist’. That sounds like Wyoming guys that I have known. I love the humor, does that come from your experiences with Wyoming people, is it intrinsic to you or is it more universal?

I grew up in one of those families that went out on the porch after dinner and told stories, learning very quickly that it was an ability just like working cattle or rebuilding a small-block—a person who could tell a good story was an individual with a talent. I was talking with Mark Spragg about this and we both agreed that the writing is an extension of that ability. I think no matter what kind of writing you’re doing you have to tell the story and dialogue is a big part. I listen to people very carefully and try to differentiate the characters with their speech pattern, syntax, the word choices—I think that’s better than just throwing in ‘he said, or ‘she said’. There’s also the advice I give students, which is—Is there another way to say this? If you’re writing along and suddenly the writing sounds like it’s been done before… Guess what? It has. Writers are like everyone else; they get lazy and start using the same old words. The big trick? Listening. Ask questions, and then listen to the answers.


Henry Standing Bear represents spirituality, maybe the centering or conscience of Walt. Do you have an equal in your life for that kind of earthly spirituality? Can you permit yourself to trust in the fate when something as difficult as a daughter’s illness might occur?

I’m fortunate enough to have good friends on both the Crow and Cheyenne Reservations and am lucky enough to be one of the only white men ever asked to raise the center lodge pole in the Cheyenne Sundance, which is quite an honor. Indians are incredible in so many ways, their integrity, their humor, their spirituality… They are the bedrock of what I consider to be the west, and excuse the pun; it would be criminal to leave them out of the books. I’ve had a pretty varied life, and I’m not to the point where I can explain all the things I’ve experienced—the things I’ve seen out of the corners of my eyes—that’s for sure. There are stranger things, Horatio, than have been dreamt of in your philosophies… I think the trick in those mystical situations that are described in the books is in allowing the reader to interpret along with the characters—did that really happen or did I imagine that? I’ve been out there on the ragged edge, where you’re talking to people who aren’t there. I think there’s a strength in acknowledging that we don’t understand everything that goes on around us, or why.


Your scene in the kindergarten where you are reading to kids who have a raw realism to their questions, have your experienced something like that with children? What are your thoughts on where today’s children might be going and what kind of support they have in their lives?

There’s an opportunity in the books to show a truth—whether the characters are Indians or police officers. The job isn’t just pulling your gun and sliding over the hood of your car screaming some pithy, Hollywood phrase like, ‘I’m getting too old for this stuff…’ It’s a question of being honest and looking for the humanity in the character, no matter what their age, gender, ethnicity or profession. The kindergarten scene at the opening of Kindness Goes Unpunished is there for numerous reasons—a reminder of Walt’s connection to his daughter, a statement on the condition of a particular society, a metaphor for what happens later… I could go on for a half a page. I think it’s a pretty accurate portrayal, and I think there are always going to be concerns about the future generations. I’m pretty sure the last generation is still worried about us…

What would you like to see Wyoming libraries offer?

Wyoming libraries are run by a pretty capable bunch, and I think they do a marvelous job. I wouldn’t guess at trying to tell them how to do their jobs, but it doesn’t keep me from trying to help. When The Cold Dish first came out, I got an email from the, then librarian in Meeteetse who was wondering if I’d ever think of doing an event over there. She explained that they were a branch library out of Cody and didn’t have a lot of money. I wrote her back and explained that once you’ve reached a certain level of notoriety—you really can’t negotiate your honorarium… Mine was the same as it’s always been, a six-pack of Rainier beer, cans preferred. She accepted my deal within three minutes. It kind of set a precedent that I’ve stuck to—whenever a Wyoming library calls, I do the event for a six-pack. It’s my way of saying thanks.

What are you reading now?

I’m reading The Ox-Bow Man by Benton Jackson, a biography of Walter Van Tilburg Clark who wrote such western greats as The Ox-Bow Incident, Track of the Cat, and House of Trembling Leaves. Ron Carlson’s Five Skies and eight manuscripts from students I’ll be mentoring at the Jackson Writer’s Conference at the end of the month— they’ve got a lot to live up to…
All the best,
Craig

Thanks for the interest, your time, and the picture Craig!