Sunday Afternoon Visits: July 5

Hope that you've been enjoying the July 4th weekend (for those in the US).The blogs have been pretty quiet this weekend. However, quite a few posts from around the Kidlitosphere have caught my eye over the past week or so. First up is Tanita Davis' public service announcement at Finding Wonderland about Kidlitosphere Central and the upcoming 3rd annual Kidlitosphere Conference. In other news:

The Readergirlz will be celebrating Cecil Castellucci's graphic novel The Plain Janes in July. They urge: "Join us all month right here on the blog for discussions and mark your calendars a LIVE chat with Cecil and Jim on Wednesday, July 22nd at 6pm PST/9pm EST."

Speaking of gutsy women, President Obama just signed a bill to recognize female pilots who flew during World War II. The New York Times Caucus blog says: "During World War II, more than 1,000 female pilots became the first women to ever take the controls of American military planes. Now, more than six decades later, members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots will receive the Congressional Gold Medal, one of America’s highest civilian honors." There's also an NPR story about it. I found out about this from Amy Nathan, who wrote a children's book called Yankee Doodle Gals about the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS) that's been getting some attention in light of the recent bill, and was on hand during the recent signing. I haven't read Yankee Doodle Gals, but it might be something that the Readergirlz postergirlz would be interested in, don't you think? Perhaps to pair with Mare's War?

Steampunk in young adult fiction also seems to be getting some play in the Kidlitosphere this week. Becky Levine wrote about this last week, quoting a definition by Jeff VanderMeer: ""Mad scientist inventor + [invention (steam x airship or metal man divided by baroque stylings) x (pseudo) Victorian setting] + progressive or reactionary politics x adventure plot = steampunk."". Becky also shared a lovely picture of her local bookmobile. Maureen Kearney also picked up on a recent piece about YA steampunk at Confessions of a Bibliovore, and suggests some omissions from a recent i09 story. Maureen also has a great snippet from a recent interview with new UK children's laureate Anthony Browne about not living pictures behind in appreciating books.

Natasha Maw at Maw Books shared a post asking: why do I own books when I rarely reread? She concludes: "I’ve decided that the reason that I like to keep the books that I’ve read and enjoyed, even though it’s unlikely that I’ll read them again, is because I just like to look at them. I mean, is nothing better then perusing your own shelf and remembering a particular story or characters? I like to reminisce. Plus, this is what people see when they walk into my home". There are a whole slew of comments - so many that I chose not to comment there. Personally, I do reread books sometimes, but I also keep some books just because they are my friends, and I can't possibly part with them. That's one of my bookshelves, to the left.

Another interesting discussion can be found in the comments on a post at Laurel Snyder's blog about epic vs. episodic fantasy. The post was inspired by a post from Charlotte's Library, where Charlotte was seeking Edward Eager read-alikes, and mentioned their episodic nature. I'm more of an epic than episodic fan myself at this point, but many of my episodic childhood favorites are mentioned in the comments of Laurel's post.

Parker Peevyhouse has a post at The Spectacle about "how to get rid of the parents" in children's literature. She asks: "How is a young reader affected by reading a story in which all of the adults are missing, incompetent, or antagonistic?  It’s a question that’s been brought up before, but the answer still eludes me."

The BookKids blog (from BookPeople) has a four-part series by Emily Kristin Anderson: "Fab YA Authors on their Favorite Queer-Themed Books". Here's part 4. You can find the other links here.

At A Fuse #8 Production, Betsy Bird shares her thoughts on 10-year-olds reading Twilight. She says: "If you are a parent, I fear you are merely delaying the inevitable. Your child, if forbidden Twilight, will desire it all the more. There's nothing saying you can't suggest other books as well, though." And she includes some suggestions.

Terry Doherty is ready early with this week's Nonfiction Monday round-up post at The Reading Tub. Contributors can use Mister Linky to enter their nonfiction posts tomorrow. 

Donalyn Miller (The Book Whisperer) calls upon people to celebrate their reading freedom. She says: "On this Independence Day, I am grateful for my freedom to read what I want. My fundamental right to write or read any book, blog, news article, or Twitter feed—no matter how controversial, thoughtful, or ridiculous—is not commonplace for all citizens around the world. When we choose our own reading material and encourage children to do the same—we exercise our rights as Americans. Celebrate your reading freedom today!" She also shares her recent reading list - she's trying for a book a day this summer.

Speaking of The Book Whisper, Sarah Mulhern from The Reading Zone shares her experience in implementing a survey recommended by Donalyn in her book. She asked her students which factors from their classroom helped them the most in their development as readers. The result is a list of seven non-negotiables, in order of importance. I think that all teachers looking to inspire a love of reading in their students should check out the results from Sarah's classroom. You might be surprised!

I'll also be sharing links to a bunch of posts written in defense of fun summer reading at Booklights first thing tomorrow morning. Other recent posts at Booklights have included a post in defense of comic strips by Susan Kusel, and some recommended beach-themed books suggested by Pam Coughlan. Happy reading!

Comments

[Becky Levine]

Thanks for the link, Jen. I need to get some of those books on my nightstand!

[Jen Robinson]

You are very welcome, Becky. Me, I think I need a bigger nightstand.

[Betty and Boo's Mommy]

Wow, Jen, these all sound very intriguing! Thanks so much for the great links ... I'm looking forward to checking them out.

[Doret]

Sherri Smith's Flygirl, would also go well with Yankee Doodle Gals

[Jen Robinson]

Good thought, Doret. I haven't read that one, but I have heard good things.

And Betty and Boo's Mommy, thanks for visiting, and for taking time to comment. Glad you found some links that look interesting!

[Maureen]

I hadn't heard about the WASP bill! So exciting, especially since I just finished Sherri Smith's Flygirl and came away with a much deeper appreciation of what these women gave for their country, and how profoundly it's been overlooked. How wonderful to think that they're finally going to be recognized, even if it is sixty-some years late.

Thanks for the link!

[Natasha @ Maw Books]

Thanks for the link Jen. I must say that I'm so jealous of that great bookcase. What a beauty! I can't stop looking at it.

[Sheila DeChantal]

I agree with Natasha - now thats a book shelf! :)

[Jen Robinson]

You are very welcome for the link, Maureen!

Natasha and Sheila, those bookshelves are my pride and joy - I've had them for a year, and I still smile every time I look at them. I'm very fortunate. Thanks!