When I heard that Lisa Von Drasek, the curator of the Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Minnesota had given a home to a new ABC of It (the children’s literature exhibit that Leonard Marcus curated in NYC), I was intrigued. And when she allowed me to interview her about it? I was thrilled. Here’s Lisa explaining how she managed to right a great wrong, and contribute something mighty to the world of children’s literature.
Boy, howdy. I haven’t done a good old-fashioned Fusenews in a long time. How do these work again? I just sort of throw up the recent children’s literature news from a variety of sources with comments of some sort? Honestly, I used to do these pieces fairly regularly. That is, until I realized that PW Children’s Bookshelf basically had this game in the bag. They know what they’re doing over there. Still, there are always some interesting tidbits that catch my eye. On beyond the usual suspects:
Happy news, neighborinos! Today I bring unto you a video from BookFest, a yearly celebration of children’s literature hosted (these days) by Bank Street College of Education. Kidlit TV recorded almost the entire thing live and then put it on air. This year I had the honor of moderating a panel discussion with funny folks […]
I’ll confess to you that I think I just discovered the secret to Video Sunday. If I “Favorite” videos I see in Twitter throughout the week I end up having a MUCH stronger series than if I’d just scouted them out on my own. Phew! Happy to know there’s a secret there. Now in the […]
All right. Me stuff off the bat. I was recently asked to moderate a panel of authors for the Children’s Media Association. The panel consisted of Ame Dyckman, Joanne Levy, Katherine Longshore, Elisa Ludwig, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and Sarvenaz Tash. During the course of the evening it was suggested that we perform a Giant Dance […]
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when you have easy access to amazing things the relative value you place upon those things diminishes significantly after a surprisingly short amount of time. Case in Point: When I worked across the street from the MOMA for several years it was apparently too difficult for me, even […]
Morning, fellow plebes! And isn’t the weather just fine and dandy these last few days? It has been in New York anyway. Which is to say, it feels like we briefly stole San Francisco’s temperatures for our own use this week. Giving it back is going to be awful. To take my mind off that, […]
Fifty years ago Madeline L’Engle published her best known creation A Wrinkle in Time. Since its release the book has gone on to be one of those rare titles that can get away with being part fantasy, part science fiction, and part religious allegory. All that and it’s interesting to boot. Not surprisingly Macmillan (the […]
So I’m at a lovely Little Brown librarian preview earlier this week and the first special guest star of the day turns out to be none other than Daniel Handler a.k.a. Lemony Snicket. A resident of San Francisco, I wasn’t sure why he was in town. Turns out, he was on Rachel Maddow’s show talking […]
Nursery Rhyme Comics Edited by Chris Duffy Introduction by Leonard S. Marcus $18.99 ISBN: 978-1-59643-600-8 Ages 9-12 On shelves October 11, 2011 Nursery rhymes. What’s up with that? (I feel like a stand up comedian when I put it that way). They’re ubiquitous but nonsensical. Culturally relevant but often of unknown origins. Children’s literary scholar […]
The Children’s Center at 42nd Street presents The ABC of It: The Story of the New York Public Library’s Pioneering Work with Children Join Leonard Marcus for an illustrated lecture celebrating one of the New York Public Library’s first and most lasting contributions to America’s cultural life: its tradition of ground-breaking service to children. Starting […]
Yeah, this week is party week, baby! First I recap a Robert Forbes party alongside Cynthia von Buhler’s event of the year. Now I turn my attention to a party beneath a bridge. The 59th Street Bridge, if you’re going to be technical about it. Picture, if you will, a glassed enclosure nestled sweetly beneath […]
As you may have heard, Mr. Leonard Marcus, our foremost Margaret Wise Brown scholar out there, will be speaking at my library this coming Saturday at 2:00 p.m. about the lady’s life and work. But before he prepared for this speech, he recently conducted a lovely tour of the stomping grounds of Ms. Brown during […]
Minders of Make-Believe: Idealists, Entrepreneurs, and the Shaping of American Children’s Literature By Leonard S. Marcus Houghton Mifflin $28.00 ISBN: 978-0-395-67407-9 On shelves now This is a review certainly, but it is also a look at how librarians fit within Marcus’s take on the publishing industry, past and present. When you are aware of your […]
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