Book Bits (April 21, 2014)

Happy Easter Monday!

I spent a semester in the Czech Republic during college and vividly remember a quirky Czech tradition: on Easter Monday, boys “whipped” girls with little braided whips and the girls gave the boys decorated eggs in return. I was in a small town;  I don’t know how much this tradition is still practiced in the bigger cities.

But onto more bookish links! Here’s an assortment of bookish fun and interesting bits from around the web:

Redeemed Reader Sonnet Contest ends THIS WEDNESDAY!! Don’t be intimidated. You’ll surprise yourself. Download our template (see the sonnet contest post) and give it a try. Every tenth and twelfth grader I’ve taught has made a successful attempt at this!

Harriet the Spy turns 50 this year. If this is a sentimental book for you, Random House is issuing a commemorative copy….

Dare to Disturb the Universe: Madeleine L’Engle on Creativity, Censorship, Writing, and the Duty of Children’s Books. A short collection of some of L’Engle’s quotations. I particularly like these two:

But I believe that good questions are more important than answers, and the best children’s books ask questions, and make the reader ask questions.

I do not believe that any subject is in itself taboo, it is the way it is treated which makes it either taboo or an offering of art and love.

Cast your vote for your favorite children’s book! This is for the Barbara Bush Foundation, and Scholastic will donate a book for every vote!

Serious reading takes a hit from online scanning and skimming. Worth a read!

Images from radio.cz and wikipedia