Poetry Friday

Hi Everyone! It may seem like I've fallen off a cliff, or something, but I'm feeling better and will be back to regular posting this weekend. In the meantime, two pieces of news:

1. Poetry Friday is held this week at Yat-Yee Chong's place. Head on over and leave your links!
2. As of this morning, I have entered a new phase of life. I am now the mom of a teenager. Wish me luck.

Weekend Reviews: Early Edition

Dragging myself out of my blogging slump to let you know that the New York Times Children's Book Special is now available online. There are many great reviews and articles to explore, including "Books about Scary Things," "Introductions to Poetry," and "Books about Darkness."

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And speaking of the New York Times, Judith Warner's column on Obama's win and why it is important to people who came of age in the Reagan era is the best (or most personally-relevant) analysis I've read on the events of this week to date. (That Reagan story happened to me too, only in California and I was in 7th grade, not 10th.) And, don't miss the photo posted towards the end of the column.

Poetry Friday!

Don't miss this week's Poetry Friday, hosted at Check It Out.

Poetry Friday: Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween, everyone! This week's Poetry Friday roundup takes place at Poetry for Children.

Weekend Reviews on a Monday

First, the apologies:

1. I've been a bad, bad blogger. But I'm turning a new leaf now that The Cybils review copies have been ordered.
   
2. Poetry Friday roundup will be up tomorrow. Many great entries, including some first timers this week.
3. Against all my better judgment, I'm joining Jennie of Biblio File (Smalltown alum!) for NaNoWriMo. Yes, I should be working on editing other things, but I have a new story to tell. Adult, or at least teen, this time.

Okay, apologies over, short and sweet. Let's just get to this weekend's reviews:

The Publishers Weekly reviews are up. David Macaulay's latest The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body gets a big red star.

And speaking of Macaulay...Andrew Dansby interviews him for the Houston Chronicle.

And speaking of interviews, don't miss Nicolette Jones's with David Almond for the Telegraph. (Selected quote from Almond: "Sometimes I think the reason I write for children is to tell myself, with hindsight, that everything, however horrible it is, will work out OK in the end.")

And speaking of David Almond...his new novel, Jackdaw Summer, gets a rave review from Geraldine Brennan in the Guardian. (Brennan also reviews a few other new books in this column.)

Also in this week's Guardian:

• Lisa O'Kelly reviews Middle Grade fiction.
• Kate Kellaway reviews new picture books.
• Alyssa McDonald appreciates E.M.Gombrich's A Little History of the World.

Amanda Craig "recommends magical and macabre children's books for Hallowe'en" in the Times. 'Nuff said.

The Times Children's Book of the Week is The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams, ilustrated by Quentin Blake, reviewed by Nicolette Jones. (Quentin Blake!)

The AP brings you cooking books for kids. (Link via the Maryland Daily Record.)

Three children's book articles in this weeks San Francisco Chronicle:

• Halloween books, reviewed by Regan McMahon.
• Regan McMahon also reviews fall books with kids, cats and other creatures.
• And Susan Faust reviews books "that take on war."

Feature Alert: Libby Purves writes in the Times that "children need to be sprinkled with fairy dust" in reaction to the news that Richard Dawkins is writing a children's book. (Selected quote: "The reason I am delighted at Professor Dawkins' investigation, therefore, is that I am pretty sure his intelligence will bring him to the same conclusion as the psychologists: that a bit of magic and fantasy in childhood is useful and helps you to grapple with your fears about life, death, peril and chance.")

Dan Smith talks to Neil Gaiman about The Graveyard Book for the Toronto Star.

Susan Perren reviews six new books for the Globe & Mail.

Mary Harris Russell reviews Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, and Octavian Nothing: The Kingdom on the Waves, for the Chicago Tribune. ("Brilliant historical fiction.")

Janet Christie reviews children's books for the Scotsman. Also in the Scotsman, an interview with Anthony Horowitz.

Good week!

Poetry Friday HERE

Leave me your links, people! I'm on the roundup.

This Week in TV--One Week On

It was sad to get home this evening and realize there was no Project Runway awaiting me. (This moment was especially poignant when I realized we have no idea when PR will return. Or where. [Please, don't let it be on Lifetime. I'll have to get over serious issues to watch it on Lifetime.]) Then I remembered we hadn't yet discussed the finale, so I could at least blog about it here.

Okay, so first and foremost...the editing? Nightmarish. It seemed as if Kenley had a chance of winning the whole thing, even though you and I watched the whole season (along with Michael, Nina, and Tim) and knew, just knew, she would be third. And, of course, she came in third. Come on, people, we're not stupid!

Leanne? Total winner. This was my favorite dress in her collection (to the right). Gorgeous, unique, and new. (Those of you who know my book tastes know that risk-taking is always rewarded.)

And, her win proved to me that Project Runway, over five seasons, has mostly gotten it right. Let's break it down:

• Season One: Jay? Yes, even though Kara Saun was a close second. An awesome season overall.
  
• Season Two: All of them failed in my opinion. Daniel's collection was awful, Chloe's was weird, and Santino's poorly crafted. I would have picked Santino for the win (I did like his California Golden Girl dresses best), but understood why the judges chose Chloe. She had a collection. It just happened to be ugly.
• Season Three: Okay, this was the season that upset me most. I was 100% behind "Bad Mommy" (Laura) from day one. I liked her clothes, I liked her attitude, I liked her snark. Jeffrey's Gothic Lolita look (which won) seriously got me down. Oh, and Mychael Knight? Nice Guy, horrible final collection.
  
• Season Four: Three great people in the top three--Rami, Christian, and Jillian. Christian totally deserved the win, however.


• Season Five brings us back to Korto...the best second-placer ever.
  

I'm sorry, but this is one gorgeous dress. (Even though the ProjectRungay guys accuse it of titscrepancy.) Everything in Korto's collection was beautiful, the colors were brilliant, and normal women could wear her clothes. But she just didn't reach the same level of innovation as our sweet nerd girl Leanne did.

That being said, I'd buy clothes from Korto. (Especially this particular dress.)

What say you...about Project Runway Season Five? About Project Runway in general? About the end of Project Runway on Bravo? (Tim doesn't want to move to Los Angeles. I think we should support Tim, because he's the best thing about Project Runway, hands down.)

Photos

I've stayed away from politics on the blog during this oh-so-very-long season. But, I just have to link to Callie Shell's photographs of Obama. They are stunning. Enjoy.

(Keep clicking on "show me more images." The best ones are behind the first page.)

(Link via Gawker.)

Weekend Reviews

I do know it is Tuesday, and not the weekend, but I figured a late roundup was better than none at all. So here we go--the weekend reviews!

It's almost that time of year: Karen MacPherson reviews Halloween books for Scripps News Service, published here in The Rocky Mountain News.

And, Rebecca Young reviews Halloween titles in The Wichita Eagle.

And, Scotland is in on the game: Kathryn Ross takes a look a Halloween books in the Scotsman.

Oh, and did you know there's an election soon? Monica and Hannah Young review political books for the youngsters in the Winston-Salem Journal.

Here's a link to this week's Publishers Weekly reviews. (I really want to read My So-Called Family.)

Stephanie Dunnewind considers many new picture books for The Seattle Times.

Mary Quattlebaum is at the helm of this week's "For Young Readers" column in the Washington Post Book World. (She reviews four new books, including The 39 Clues.)

Judith Meyrick reviews Canadian children's books for The Chronicle Herald (Nova Scotia).

Sonja Bolle is back in the Los Angeles Times, this week reviewing Marion Bataille ABC3D. It's a rave review.

Um, super weird article on Harry Potter from the Telegraph.

Interview Alert: An interview with Judith Kerr in the Times. (When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit was one of my favorite books as a child.)

Also in the Times: Amanda Craig + dragon books = genius review column.

Kristin Kloberdanz provides "one-minute" reviews of three teen books, including John Green's Paper Town, in the Chicago Tribune.

Also in the Chicago Tribune, Mary Harris Russell reviews four new books in her "For Young Readers" column.


Have a great week, everyone!

Majorly OT: Entertain me, people!

I've had blogging malaise lately. Heck, I've had life malaise. Maybe it's the change of seasons, the loss of summer. Maybe it's the LONG Cybils lists or the endless grading. End result? Slow blogging and slow reading.

But...I'm trying to pull myself together and write the super-huge weekend reviews post and then order the Cybils review copies. In the meantime, I turn to you to entertain me, people. Here's what I want to know: Which ill-advised pop song do you love even though you know you shouldn't? You know, this song shows your lack of taste and discernment, but you love it anyway.

I'll put my answers in the comments, though the image is a hint. Tell me the truth, and you know you'll feel better.

(I am also majorly behind in my critique groups, so I have my work cut out for me!)