Author: Andrew Clements Illustrator: Brian Selznick Genre: Contemporary Award(s): Christopher Award (1997), among many others Platform: print Who recommended it to me: Dave Why I wanted to read it: boy-centered MG fiction Why I'll remember it: the ending If this book was a dish it would be: an apple, only it'd be called a floobersteen Read this if: you like words, or you have BIG ideas • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Middle Grade Madness: Frindle
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Twitter = Small World
So Saturday I tweeted this.
And this morning? Guess who replied.
Weird and wonderful is the internet.
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Monday, May 25, 2009
Planter-Fence: Complete!
We chose purple fountain grass for the planter-fence we built last weekend. Each bunch should get 2 - 3 ft tall/wide. We may plant some trailing things later, but for now we're happy with the grass, which we surrounded with soaker hose and cedar mulch...
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Saturday, May 23, 2009
What $25 Will Buy at Chicho Boys Fruit Market
- mangos - 12
- lemons - 10
- limes - 10
- red onions - 2
- yellow onion - 1
- turnips - 5
- celery - 1 bunch
- strawberries - 2#
- cantaloupe - 1
- pineapples - 2
- carrots - 1#
- garlic - 3 heads
- avocados - 3
- beets - 2
- cucumber - 1
- broccoli tops - 4
- yellow bell peppers - 12
- orange bell peppers - 18
Love this place! 'Course the produce is rarely organic, and most is trucked in, so there's some give and take that way. But since it's located across from the main produce terminal for area groceries and restaurants, Chicho offers some good deals. They have weekly specials, but a lot of times, we'll show up and discover a last minute bargain -- like when we got 20# of bananas for $1. Made LOTS of banana bread + froze it. I like not knowing what we'll find -- makes dinner more interesting.
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Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Coming Soon: Shakespeare in the Park
Weekend Project: Planter / Fence
Leveling the ground...
21 ft long, 2 ft wide -- the toughtest part was getting it level in all directions...
Support posts and leveling legs go in (have I mentioned we were determined it should be level?!)...
Metal fence posts cut down, rest of facing lumber added w/ cross braces...
...then pretty trim/ledge on top...
Filled it w/layers, like the vegetable garden. From bottom up: cedar mulch, newspaper, leaves, hay, paper from my shredder, more leaves, compost. Final 2 layers will be alfalfa, then a compost/soil mix. Not sure yet what we'll plant, but it'll block the street nicely...
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Middle Grade Madness: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author/Illustrator: Jeff Kinney Genre(s): Humor, Graphic Novel Platform: print Why I wanted to read it: irresistible illustrations Why I'll remember it: I laughed. A LOT. If this book was a dish it would be: non-asphalt-aged cheese Read this if: you've ever been picked on, had and executed BAD ideas, or barely survived middle school • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Monday, May 18, 2009
Middle Grade Madness: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan Genre(s): Fantasy Award(s): School Library Journal: A Best Book of 2005, etc Platform: print Why I wanted to read it: local author writing for middle grade Why I'll remember it: great voice If this book was a dish it would be: ambrosia on a stick Read this if: you like Greek mythology or stories in which ancient and modern worlds collide
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Friday, May 15, 2009
Reason #549 Dave Is Awesome
Because he gave me this today:
Delayed reaction: I started crying as I scooted down Broadway to deliver a grant proposal. That's OK, though, because it starting pouring rain soon after, so I got soaked anyway.
Also, remember when DOG-BOY was a manuscript called HOPE, and Dave made these? I seriously have the best husband.
Finally, remind me to scan + post the art my nephew Conner made after beta-reading BRIAR-BOUND!
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Thursday, May 14, 2009
Not Enough Leftovers
I could eat this meal every night for a week: soba noodles w/ peanut sauce (pumped up w/ fresh ground peanuts), topped with chili shrimp and fresh chives (ours); seaweed + squid salad w/ cucumber (ours) and chiles (ours); and fresh spring rolls of mango, avocado, carrot, green + purple cabbage, and cilantro (ours)...YUM!!! We had the leftovers for lunch today, but they were slim, folks. SLIM.
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Greg Heffley in Greek? No Problem!
Or Serbian, for that matter...
Check out these foreign-language covers for Jeff Kinney's DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (which, yes, I'm still reading for Middle Grade Madness -- reading and laughing, Mr. Kinney!), posted by the cover's designer, Chad W Beckerman.
Loving all the translations of "wimpy kid".
Also: loving that "moron" is so similar in Serbian. (Note to self: Just because you now know "moroni", DO NOT use it when visiting Serbia.)
Also, also: have to admit one of my reactions was, "Man, those are a lot of foreign rights sold!"
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Zombie Fire Ants? Thanks, Science!
From McClatchy/YahooNews: (via @molly_oneill)
The flies "dive-bomb" the fire ants and lay eggs. The maggot that hatches inside the ant eats away at the brain, and the ant starts exhibiting what some might say is zombie-like behavior.
"At some point, the ant gets up and starts wandering," said Rob Plowes, a research associate at UT.
The maggot eventually migrates into the ant's head, but Plowes said he "wouldn't use the word 'control' to describe what is happening. There is no brain left in the ant, and the ant just starts wandering aimlessly. This wandering stage goes on for about two weeks."
About a month after the egg is laid, the ant's head falls off and the fly emerges ready to attack any foraging ants away from the mound and lay eggs.
Soon-to-be-published author of THE DEATHDAY LETTER (Simon Pulse, 2010)* Shaun Hutchinson points us to some cool, extreme-closeup photos of these ants and flies in action. Thanks, dude!
*A nearly seamless plug and totally on-topic, I assure you.
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009
In Case You Missed X-Men Origins: Wolverine
(headphones if you don't want your boss to know you're slacking)...
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Monday, May 11, 2009
A Mighty Bento Rumpus
Via Alison @ Publisher's Weekly comes this amazing bento box by AnnaTheRed...
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Children's Book Week, May 11 - 17
I'm celebrating Children's Book Week by outlining two followup books to BRIAR-BOUND.
I'm also reading Rick Riordan's THE LIGHTNING THIEF.
Fun stuff!
How will you celebrate? The Children's Book Council has some ideas.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A Jungle in Your Neck of the Woods?
Dave's adaptation of THE JUNGLE BOOK is being produced by Magik for national tour this fall.
*YAY*
These are the dates and cities so far:
September
29/30 - Cheverly, MD
October
10 - Muskego, WI
11/12 - Hartford, WI
16 - Sugar Loaf, NY
17 - Brentwood, NY
18/19 - Manasquan, NJ
27 - Helena, MT
29 - Idaho Falls, ID
November
4 - Brawley, CA
5 - Lancaster, CA
7 - Glendora, CA
11/12 - Columbus, GA
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Raised Beds + Layered Soil = Rockin' Tomatoes
(I'm about 5' 4")...
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And May Begins Well
Highlights of the weekend...
Scoring
It's fun to tell Dave I'm gonna score while he works at Magik. Too bad I'm only scoring essay responses for a state test. Can't talk about it (so secret!), but I'll say that the essay involving zombies got a 4 out of 4.
Not kidding. It seriously rocked the rubric.
Yard
Mowed!
Garden
Trimmed!
Magik
Had a Magik Sundae event on Sunday -- ice cream and a show -- can't beat it. The Dinosaur Musical plays through May 30. Behind the scenes, everyone's busy getting ready for Shakespeare in the Park: As You Like It, June 3 - 6 at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens (free!).
Wolverine
I'm not up on the canon of this storyline. All I can say is: If you like Hugh Jackman, you get to see a lot of him. Like, a LOT.
By the time he jumped nekkid from the top of a waterfall, I was like, "This is the greatest movie!"
Hiking
San Antonio's building multi-access trails along several rivers and creeks around the city. They're calling them Creekways. So far, they've completed four stretches of a few miles each. Yesterday morning, Dave and I walked our third one. Here's the master plan map.
Problem Neighbor: Gone!
Often drunk, always loud, and a magnet for petty criminals (who broke into Dave's truck at least three times). We learned yesterday he sold his house, and then we went to dinner to celebrate. Here's to a quiet, thievery-free street.
Hang Time
Enjoyed lots of time in the hammock (Dave) and hanging chair (me) and on our deck, reading. I started The Lightning Thief (print). I also started The Ruins of Gorlan (ebook), but was having trouble keeping the storylines straight and separate, so I downloaded Outlander for my phone. Will pick up Ruins again when I finish Thief. Dave's reading Tarzan (ebook) on his shiny new iPod Touch (ooooooooo!) and The Golden Compass in print.
NetFlix Nightcap
Finished our weekend with some 1st-season Six Feet Under. We're alternating it with The Sopranos (2nd season). That one hour of DVD (or online TV, like LOST) is about all we need -- football season notwithstanding.
Hope you all had a great weekend, too.
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Sunday, May 3, 2009
Good Thoughts
From my nephew Richard (thanks, Rich!), aimed at any editors holding BRIAR-BOUND...
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Friday, May 1, 2009
Free Comic Book Day...Tomorrow!
What: a FREE comic book / graphic novel / whatever you call it
When: Saturday, May 2, 2009
Where: participating stores (use the zip code locator tool thingy)
Why: comics are a great way to get Reluctant Readers into books -- action, illustration, minimal text, loads of story.
Aside That I've Wanted an Excuse to Blog: Have you heard of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES?
Well. It's pretty much what it sounds like: original Austen text mashed up with the undead.
Also, it's screaming out to be turned into a graphic novel. And that GN would be the best way to get male readers (besides author Seth Grahame-Smith and P&P screenwriter Andrew Davies) interested in Jane Austin. So.
If you still need motivation to visit your local comic shop tomorrow, please enjoy this message from Hugh Jackman...
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