Parenthetical.net

Here’s the Science Fiction & Fantasy list — damn, that’s a lot of books! I’m glad I’m not on the Round I panel! …Er, I mean, what a fabulous list. I’m so sorry I won’t be reading all of them. :) Good luck, Round I team!
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Yet another conference speaker, who brought a guitar on stage and performed some Tom Lehrer, among other things. What’s with all the musical children’s authors? Maybe music should be Simmons’ theme next time…
I am not a poetry reader, as a general rule. But a few poems in, I was sold on this [...]

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Another conference speaker with whom I was unfamiliar. She’s also a jazz singer, and gave us a lovely impromptu a capella performance (just reinforcing the sense that I was at a folk festival).
I’ll admit, I found her book tiresome. The prose is lovely, I guess, but it was a Woman’s Sexual Awakening and [...]

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I’ve been neglecting you. The last couple of months of school were wall-to-wall work, and now here it is July already! Oops. I’ve been reading, but not so much reviewing. Which means hold on to your virtual hats, folks, it’s catch-up time.

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…If you are Rapunzel’s Revenge (Graphic Novel: Elementary/Middle Grade) or Emiko Superstar (GN: Young Adult), that is!

I’m super-excited about both of these: they were two of my personal favorites. (I even gave Rapunzel’s Revenge to my friend Kate Diamond as part of her wedding present, a bad-ass redhead for a bad-ass redhead.)
Congratulations to all [...]

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A couple of weeks ago, I suggested a Group Read of this one, in honor of President Obama’s inauguration. (Man, the phrase “President Obama” ain’t getting old anytime soon.) The premise (in case you haven’t been murmuring “gay Jewish president” in your sleep) is that the first gay Jewish president is elected by [...]

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Quickie backlog Cybils review:
Beautifully detailed line drawings and a wordless story featuring young Ivy “and her gifted Korgi cub, Sprout.” The Characters page in the back describes Korgis as “loyal, fox-like creatures with big ears and large smiles.” Do they look an awful lot like Welsh corgis? Gosh, they do! Does [...]

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My friend, a public librarian, found this in her library’s attic:
Behold, fabulously 80s library poster!
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This morning I checked out a digital camera to a middle schooler. The only one we had left was one of the old ones that stores the pictures on a floppy disk. I explained this to my student. Her friend overheard and asked, “What’s a floppy?”
The first student’s answer? “It’s like [...]

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Awhile ago I reviewed Inkheart, the first in this trilogy. I’ve finally finished Inkspell and Inkdeath, and after all the poetic waxing I did about Inkheart, my ultimate conclusion is… don’t bother.
Funke introduces way too many characters, throws their balls into the air (…enjoy that image!), and then forgets they’re up there. [...]

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