Web Newberys, News, and Freebies (Mar 25)

News

It’s the last week of March, and RR is gearing up for some spring-a-licious posts this week.  With Easter only a few days away, Janie will look at some children’s Bibles for us, as well as give some insight on Bible translations for kids.  What she found may surprise you!  Plus, Betsy will survey some gardening books for kids.  So much to plant, so little time!

Next week, I’ll do a short series on dealing with kids who can’t read well in your church.  We’ll talk to one mom who has a dyslexic son, and I’ll offer some basic things you can do in your Sunday School, youth ministry, and worship services to help those with reading difficulties feel more welcome.  But before we get fully into that, Megan will take April 1st to look at some trickster stories for us.  Should be fun, no foolin’!

Web Newberys

Here are some of the most interesting book-related stories I’ve found recently on the web:

• On Writing Jokes and Kids’ Books:  kids’ book author Sally Lloyd Jones posted recently about the challenge of writing picture books, and she recounts admissions by Maurice Sendak and others that although kids’ books look simple, they often are excruciating to write.  And she offers a video on how, in a similar way, Jerry Seinfeld took two years to write one joke!

• Evangelical “Bonnet Rippers”:  With a Christian Amish romance appearing on the market every four days, it’s work looking at what’s driving them…and what real Amish folks find offensive about them:  “Evangelical writers of Amish romance novels channel [their] convictions in their books, with a typical Amish heroine traveling two vectors as her story unfolds: one from the works-based religion of her people to a more warm-hearted and evangelical spirituality, and another from loneliness to love.”

• 11 Writers Who Loved Cats:  For you cat lovers….

• Illustrating Jesus’s Names for Lent:  It’s not too late to do this simple, fun activity over at Aslan’s Library to help your kids get excited about the real meaning of Easter.  And when you’re done, put them together for a keepsake book you can read together each year!

• Gay Lit: On top of the Covers:  The latest excitement in the publishing world is over a cover that shows two boys kissing.  Get ready for the knock-offs, and for your kids to be seeing this book in your local library and bookstores.  And be forewarned, don’t click on this link unless you want the image in YOUR head.

Freebies

•  11 Free Passover Lapbook downloads

• Level One Creating a Masterpiece Art Giveaway

• Preschool Printables Easter Pack

• Free Kindle ebooks (which I haven’t read but look interesting for the price):  1) The Ugly Duckling (Illustrated); 2) What The Fox Learnt (Illustrated) (Four Fables from Aesop); 3) Treasure Island; 4) (This one is $.99) Bunny Brown Series

Janie’s and Emily’s Links

And I thought before I sign off, some of you might like to read Janie’s and my recent World articles.  A couple of them deal with books:

• R-rated Libraries by Janie.

• Notable Books Highlighting New Beginnings by Emily

• Emily’s review of Duck Dynasty

• Peter’s Identity Crisis by Janie

All right!  And with that, I’m off to do my grocery shopping and make a library book-refueling pit-stop.  Hope you all have a great Monday, and let us know in the comments if you have book news or questions you’d like to share!