November Author Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the following authors who celebrate their birthday in November:

• Stephen Crane, November 1, 1871
  
• Michael Cunningham, November 6, 1952
  
• Albert Camus, November 7, 1913
  
• Bram Stoker, November 8, 1847
  
• Neil Gaiman, November 10, 1960
  
• Robert Louis Stevenson, November 13, 1850
  
• Christopher Paolini, November 17, 1983
  
• Sharon Olds, November 19, 1942
  
• Marjane Satrapi, November 22, 1969
  
• Kevin Henkes, November 27, 1960
  
• William Blake, November 28, 1757
  
• Mark Twain, November 30, 1835

Book Discounting Good for Some, Bad for Others

There's been an intense price war going on between Wal-Mart, Target, and Amazon.com over the past few weeks, and it's all about books. The three retailers will be selling some of the hottest new titles at just $10 a pop.

But the big three want to make sure that other booksellers don't benefit from their discounts. Wal-Mart will be limiting its customers to two copies of each discounted book. Amazon.com will limit its customers to three copies, and Target will have a five-copy limit.

The new $10 pricing will be great for consumers, but it won't be good for independent bookstores and smaller book chains, who may not be able to compete with the larger retailers. It will be interesting to see if the new discounted pricing system works. Time will tell.

Spookiest Halloween Books

There's no better way to enjoy Halloween than with a book (after you go trick-or-treating, of course). Here are some of the best Halloween books around, grouped by age/grade level.

AGES 5 AND UP:

Five Little Pumpkins by Dan Yaccarino
The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey
Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes
Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi

AGES 9 AND UP:

Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Beware! by R.L. Stine

FOR TWEENS:

Half-Minute Horrors by Susan Rich
A Light in the Darq (Scarlett & Crimson Series) by Allyson Black

FOR TEENS:

Hunted by P. C. Cast
The Werewolf's Guide to Life by Ritch Duncan, Bob Powers
Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

FOR ADULTS:

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

Scholastic Decides Against Censorship

On Wednesday, October 21st, School Library Journal, a magazine for children's librarians, reported that Scholastic Book Fairs were refusing to sell the book Luv Ya Bunches because of its 'homosexual content.'

It turns out the 'homosexual content' wasn't anything racy or inappropriate at all. The book, written by Lauren Myracle, centers around four girls. One of the girls (Milla) is being raised by two moms. Hardly revolutionary in 2009.

Scholastic went so far as to ask the author to rewrite the book and make Milla's parents heterosexual. The author refused.

After School Library Journal publicized the information, Scholastic received a number of e-mails and phone calls from librarians, teachers and parents protesting their decision. They reviewed the book a second time, and have decided to include Luv Ya Bunches in the Spring book fair.

Hooray for progress!

Sports Heroes Come Clean

Sports aficionados will have a lot to read during the next few weeks. Two intriguing and controversial books will be in bookstores and libraries soon.

In his new book, Open: An Autobiography, tennis champion Andre Agassi writes about the ups and downs he's experienced throughout his life, from his marriage to actress Brooke Shields to his struggle with constant, crippling pain. Of course, that's not why his book is getting so much press. That's all because of the shocking admission Agassi makes in the book about doing crystal meth while still a professional tennis player.

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird (with the help of author Jackie MacMullan) have also penned a new book, When the Game Was Ours. In the book, the two lifelong friends write about their time in the NBA, when they were aggressive, competitive rivals.

Don't worry, this book has its own controversy. Magic Johnson reportedly accuses fellow NBA alum Isiah Thomas of starting rumors about his sexuality. Thomas recently found out about the book's claims and has publicly denied Johnson's accusations.

Sounds like these 2 books are going to be flying off the shelves.

When the Game Was Ours by Larry Bird and Earvin 'Magic' Johnson will be released on November 4th.

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi will be out November 9th.

School Library Switches to E-Books

Cushing Academy, a private, co-ed high school in northern Massachusetts is one of the first school libraries to make the switch from print books to e-books. According to USA Today, the school decided to change to electronic books because students were hardly using the print collection. Economics also played a role in the decision. The school administration is hoping that e-books will cost the school less than print books in the long run.

E-books aren't the only new devices in the Cushing library. It is now home to 3 big-screen TVs and a coffee bar, which features a $12,000 espresso machine. Hmm.

As a librarian, I wonder if the school might be jumping the gun by getting rid of the majority of their print books. I'm all for new technology and I'm all for getting books into the hands of kids, whether they are ink-and-paper books or e-books. Let's face it: reading is reading. My concern is whether or not a library that couldn't get kids to read regular books is going to be able to get them to read e-books.

Yes, for some kids and teens, technology is the perfect hook to get them reading. But for many others, it isn't the format of the book that makes the difference, it is finding the right book for the right child. I've seen many kids go from being non-readers to readers because of one book. Consider the popularity of books like Harry Potter, Captain Underpants, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Twilight. Some kids fall in love with reading because of a particular author or genre. You never know what type of book will motivate someone to read.

In the end, I don't think it really matters if you give someone a paperback book, a magazine, a newspaper, a laptop, or an e-book. What matters is that the right book somehow gets into the right hands.

The Benevolent Stephen King

Author Stephen King is the ultimate good guy. In an effort to help brick-and-mortar bookstore sales, King has chosen to delay the release of the e-book version of his latest novel, Under the Dome. The hard-cover (traditional) version of the book will be available in bookstores and online on November 10th. The e-book will not be available for download until December 24th at 12:01 AM.

Why the decision to delay the e-book edition? According to the Wall Street Journal, it's not because Stephen King is a luddite. In fact, his last novella, Ur, was actually sold exclusively on Amazon's new Kindle. King just wanted to do what he could to give both independent and national bookstores a chance to make some money.

Kudos to King. I'd forgotten that you could be both a good human being and a shrewd businessperson at the exact same time.

Sarah Palin Back in the Spotlight

It's hard to believe that it's been less than a year and a half since former Alaska governor Sarah Palin hit the national stage. Most of us had no idea who Palin was until August of last year, when Presidential candidate John McCain asked her to be his running mate.

Since then, Sarah Palin has drawn both praise and criticism from the American public. Some people love her, some people love to hate her. But soon she will have her say -- in book format anyway.

Palin's memoir Going Rogue: An American Life will be released November 17th. The book, co-written by Lynn Vincent, was originally scheduled to come out in Spring 2010, but was finished early.

For those interested in a different perspective, editors of the political magazine The Nation will be releasing their own book on November 17th. Going Rouge: Sarah Palin, An American Nightmare, is a collection of essays about the former Alaska governor, written by several well-known left-leaning authors.

If you don't plan on reading any of the books, but want to see what all the fuss is about, you can catch Palin on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on November 16th, the day before her book comes out. She's baaaaaack, and I'll be watching.

Happy Birthday Dewey!

American librarian Melville Dewey, known worldwide for his invention of the Dewey Decimal System, was born today in 1851.

A quirky fellow, Dewey began his librarian career at Amherst College in Massachusetts. He soon discovered that books were being cataloged and shelved in date order, which made finding a particular book very difficult. This inefficiency drove Dewey crazy, so he decided to find a better solution.

After speaking with librarians all over the country, he came up with the idea of using decimals to classify books. In his system, books would be arranged by subject area to make them easier to find. The decimals were used because they allowed for future expansion or revision of a subject area. He convinced Amherst College to let him re-classify its library, and, as they say, the rest is history.

So today we celebrate Dewey and his decimals. The classification system may be over 125 years old, but it is still used in the majority of public and school libraries throughout the world.

Teen Read Week Begins

Teen Read Week 2009 will be celebrated in libraries, classrooms and bookstores across the country from October 18-24. This year's theme is Read Beyond Reality @ your library. This important literary initiative seeks to remind young adults of the importance and fun of reading.

To find out what Teen Read Week events are going on in your area, check with your local public or school library. Parents and relatives can also celebrate by giving a teen you know a book or magazine subscription, taking them to the library or bookstore with you, or sharing a copy of your favorite book.

For additional information, click here.

Classic Book Comes to the Big Screen

The movie version of Where the Wild Things Are opens in theaters today. The beloved children's book was written by author and illustrator Maurice Sendak and published in 1963.

Is it possible for filmmaker Spike Jonze to interpret the book without some diehard fans being disappointed? Probably not. But that's okay. It's his vision and if Sendak can give him his blessing, then so can I. One thing we know for sure -- anything (art, movies, music) that inspires children (and adults, for that matter) to read is good for all of us.

Here's a list of some of the 2009 films that were based on books:

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
Hotel for Dogs by Lois Duncan
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult
Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, by John Godey
Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

National Book Award Finalists Announced

The National Book Foundation has revealed the finalists for the 2009 National Book Awards, and (drum-roll please) the nominees are...

Genre: Fiction

Bonnie Jo Campbell, American Salvage
Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin
Daniyal Mueenuddin, In Other Rooms, Other Wonders
Jayne Anne Phillips, Lark and Termite
Marcel Theroux, Far North

Genre: Nonfiction

David M. Carroll, Following the Water: A Hydromancer's Notebook
Sean B. Carroll, Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species
Greg Grandin, Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's
Forgotten Jungle City
Adrienne Mayor, The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy
T. J. Stiles, The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Genre: Poetry

Rae Armantrout, Versed
Ann Lauterbach, Or to Begin Again
Carl Phillips, Speak Low
Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, Open Interval
Keith Waldrop, Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy

Genre: Young People's Literature

Deborah Heiligman, Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith
Phillip Hoose, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
David Small, Stitches
Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times
Rita Williams-Garcia, Jumped

Winners will be announced November 18th at the National Book
Foundation’s 60th anniversary celebration in New York City.

For more information, click here

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Returns!

The fourth book in author Jeff Kinney's insanely popular series hits stores (and libraries) today. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, continues the story of Greg Heffley, a 7th grader just trying to survive the ups and downs of middle school.

Interest Level: Children in 4th-7th grade.

Reading Level: 5th grade.

Perfect For: Reluctant readers and fans of
Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants series.

Top 100 Books Ever Written

Back in June, Newsweek Magazine ran an
article about the top 100 books of all time.

The top 10 on the list were:

1. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.
2. 1984 by George Orwell.
3. Ulysses by James Joyce.
4. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.
5. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.
6. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.
7. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.
8. The Illiad and The Odyssey by Homer.
9. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
10. Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.

To read the entire list (interesting stuff) click here.

Writers Born This Month

Oodles of wordsmiths were born during the eerie month of
October. Are any of your favorites on the list?

• Jackie Collins, October 4, 1937
  
• Anne Rice, October 4, 1941
  
• Clive Barker, October 5, 1952
  
• R. L. Stine, October 8, 1943
  
• Nora Roberts, October 10, 1950
  
• Elmore Leonard, October 11, 1925
  
• e. e. cummings, October 14, 1894
  
• Mario Puzo, October 15, 1920
  
• Oscar Wilde, October 16, 1854
  
• Shel Silverstein, October 18, 1932
  
• John LeCarre, October 19, 1931
  
• Ursula LeGuin, October 21, 1929
  
• Michael Crichton, October 23, 1942
  
• Randy Pausch, October 23, 1960
  
• Augusten Burroughs, October 23, 1965
  
• Pat Conroy, October 26, 1945
  
• Sylvia Plath, October 27, 1932
  
• Ezra Pound, October 30, 1885
  
• John Keats, October 31, 1795

Everyone's A Critic

Many writers, filmmakers, chefs, musicians, and other artisans have a love/hate relationship with the critics. Get a rave review, and you're well on your way to bestseller-land. Have a critic tear your new album apart, and your sales hit the floor. Critics have an awful lot of power.

Alas, they do not always get it right. Here's are some of the best goofs:

-- Critic Samuel Pepys called William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, "The most stupid ridiculous play that I ever saw in my life." One of the bard's most popular works, the play has been read and performed by millions of people over the past few centuries. Whoopsy.

-- Another critic, after reading the classic Madame Bovary said of the author, "Monsieur Flaubert is not a writer." In a 2007 poll of contemporary authors, Madame Bovary was chosen as one of the two greatest novels ever written.

-- In the 1870s, the Odessa Courier called Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina "Sentimental Rubbish." It has since been made into a movie over a dozen times, was declared "flawless" by Dostoevsky, and made publishers a nice bundle when Oprah included it in her Book Club. Too bad Leo couldn't enjoy his own success.

-- Finally, Catch-22, written by Joseph Heller was denounced by critic Whitey Balliett of the New Yorker, who said, "Heller wallows in his own laughter... and the sort of antic behavior the children fall into when they know they are losing our attention." Yet, the book has had such an impact on popular culture that even people who have never read the book know that the phrase "catch-22" means "a no-win situation." Can't beat that.

I guess everyone has an off day.