Introducing Emily’s Library. Part 1: 62 Great Books for the Very Young
Welcome to a new feature on Nine Kinds of Pie: “Emily’s Library.†It’s named for my eight-month-old niece, and it will feature only the very best children’s books.
Holiday Mix Redux
I’d hoped to post some new (well, new to you) mixes for the holidays, and I may yet manage to do so. Â It’s been the busiest semester of my professional career and, indeed, of my life. Â And, where I’m currently staying, there’s no wi-fi… well, unless I poach some from another apartment. Â (I’m writing this
Top 12 Covers of 2011
Inspired by NPR’s 5 Great Cover Songs from 2011, here are my top 12 covers from 2011 – starting with two of the hardest-rocking, and ending with the quietest ones. 1)   Like a Prayer  Grace Potter & The Nocturnals     6:23 This cover of Madonna’s 1989 hit comes from Grace Potter & The Nocturnals‘ iTunes Session
If I Were a Middle-Class White Kid
Gene Marks’ instantly infamous “If I Were a Poor Black Kid” column (Forbes, 12 Dec. 2011) is a classic example of how privilege remains invisible to the privileged. Though he acknowledges that he is “a middle aged white guy who comes from a middle class white background” and so “life was easier for” him, the
Children’s Literature & Comics/Graphic Novels at MLA 2012
For those who may be heading to the MLA in Seattle (5-8 Jan. 2012), here’s a list of all the panels on either children’s literature or comics/graphic novels. I count sixteen panels exclusively devoted to one or more of these subjects, and an additional nine panels in which one ore more paper addresses either children’s
The Best Holiday Film You’ve Never Seen: The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
Everyone knows It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), A Christmas Story (1983), Miracle on 34th Street (1947), and the many versions of A Christmas Carol (1938, 1971, 1984). Â But far too few people have seen The Bishop’s Wife (1947). Â Sometimes, when I mention the title, people will say, “Oh, the Denzel Washington movie?” Â That picture –Â The
Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss Biography: Final Cuts, Part 3. Does This Make My Manuscript Look Fat?
I’d intended to post more of these in process, but literally had no time. The manuscript was due back to the copy-editor yesterday – I mailed it today, and it will reach her Tuesday. Some of her suggestions were dead-on, some were not, and others were somewhere in between. I accepted the first type, rejected the
Mock Caldecott 2011: Manhattan, Kansas Edition
With thanks to the Children’s and Adolescent Literature Community (ChALC) for organizing the event and the Manhattan Public Library for hosting it, we held aMock Caldecott at this afternoon. Of course, we weren’t able to get all of the books we wanted to look at – so, there are certainly Caldecott candidates we didn’t get to review. Here are the top
Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss Biography: Final Cuts, Part 2. The Dog Problem.
Immersion in the thoroughly copy-edited manuscript has prevented me from getting more cuts up here, but there are plenty to share.  As noted in the post from earlier in the week, the copy-editor was also charged with reducing the length of Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How An Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and
Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss Biography: Final Cuts, Part 1. What’s in a name?
I know. You thought that me posting omitted portions of the biography was over months ago. So did I. Thing is, the copyeditor for Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss: How An Unlikely Couple Found Love, Dodged the FBI, and Transformed Children’s Literature (coming September 2012) was also charged with getting the manuscript shorter still. Â And