Metaphysics, Graphics-Style
For some folks, graphic novels are actually a discipline to be learned—their eyes don’t know where to go first and they tend to jump from word to word. It takes a little effort for them (okay–for me) to slow down and glean from the pictures. But we all know people, of the male persuasion particularly,…
Read MoreWhat is Virtuous Romance? A Discussion with Gina Dalfonzo and Rea Berg
What is Virtuous Romance? Tonight at dinner, my husband, two daughters and I had our first conversation about…boys. They had curled up with daddy on the couch Sunday to watch a western with John Wayne, and for the first time, they were smitten with one of the young gunslingers. It didn’t seem to matter when…
Read MoreHappy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln
I’ve heard that aside from William Shakespeare, more books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than any other historical figure. That makes it difficult to come up with a fresh angle, but Lane Smith has succeeded, and Russell Freedman has at least written a readable history that opens up a few windows for fresh air.…
Read MoreWeb Newberys (Feb 11)
Alas, it is Monday and I have a cold (again). On the upside, though, it’s Valentine’s Day week! And that means I get to talk books AND eat lots of chocolate in the next few days. So it’s not all bad! Web Newberys (Recent Book-related Stories of Interest) Book Boys of Mumbai: A heart-breaking but…
Read MoreFor Beginners: ALA Geisel Award Winners
The Theodore Seuss Geisel Medal (featuring a bas-relief of Dr. Seuss himself) is given by the American Library Association every year for outstanding books for beginning readers. They’re usually clever and engaging and loads more fun than Dick and Jane. Here are the picks for this year: Up! Tall! and High! by Ethan Long. Putnam,…
Read MoreWholehearted Romance: Living Book Library Picks
Many of you may remember our interview last fall with Liz and Emily, proprietors of the Living Books Library website. They were kind enough to do a Christmas list for us a few months ago, and it was so popular that we thought we’d tap them for some classic Valentine’s Day recommendations for the young…
Read MoreWeb Newberys and News (Feb. 4, 2013)
Hope you guys survived the Super Bowl! It’s a new month, and we’re looking forward to some great new books at Redeemedreader. Leading up to Valentine’s Day, we have some very fun guests to help us think through the idea of virtuous romance, and we’ll get lots of ideas of classic, recent, and movie versions…
Read MoreUnseduced and Unshaken: An Interview w/ Rosalie De Rosset
AN INTRODUCTION Last week, we ran a book giveaway of this book, Unseduced and Unshaken: The Place of Dignity in a Young Woman’s Choices by Dr. Rosalie De Rosset. I felt it was particularly noteworthy for our readers, considering both the author’s background and the use of classic literature as a kind of moral capital…
Read MoreThe 2013 ALA Youth Media Awards: It’s the Bomb!
Only total kidlit geeks would do this: click the live webcast link on the American Library Association website and watch an hour of book geeks (I say that nicely, patient being one myself) announcing the winners of their Youth Media awards, while their peers clap, gasp, whistle, and cheer. Only a tiny slice of the…
Read MoreValentine Books for Little Ones
VALENTINE’S DAY PRESENTS With Valentine’s Day creeping up on us, I thought I’d throw out a few of my favorite Valentine books for the little ones. These are books that I think parents and grandparents could really enjoy reading a loud, and maybe pair with a few chocolate hearts to sweeten V-day for everyone. 1)…
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