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Posts in the Authors & Illustrators Category
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An Evening of “Make-Believe” with Leonard Marcus
June 20th, 2008
Jen W.
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Last night, I had the immense pleasure of listening to leading author and children’s literature historian Leonard Marcus read from his newly published work, Minders of Make-Believe: Idealists, Entrepreneurs, and the Shaping of American Children’s Literature (Houghton Mifflin Co.) at one of DC’s most popular bookstores, Politics and Prose. The near-capacity crowd listened intently as Leonard expertly guided us on a whirlwind trip through the decades that shaped children’s literature as we know it today. Afterwards, a lively chat followed between the author and the audience, covering topics such as the merits of the graphic novel and the rise of publishing’s “Potter Phenomenon.” It was both a fascinating and fun evening, and I would encourage anyone who has an interest in the history of children’s literature in America to pick up a copy of the book – it’s a terrific read! (And if you would like to find out more about the book, please check out First Book’s recently recorded podcast interview with the author!)
A special thank you goes out to the wonderful Gussie Lewis of Politics and Prose for coordinating such a memorable event… and extra special thanks to Leonard for so patiently signing that stack of books I bought!
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A Tribute to Tim Russert
June 18th, 2008
Jen W.
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All of us here at the First Book office in DC have been hit hard by the recent death of one of DC’s most familiar figures, author and television host Tim Russert.Loyal readers of the First Book blog might remember this post from our coverage of Book Expo America 2006, when the meeting was held here in Washington, DC. Tim Russert was the keynote speaker for the show. I had the luck to be there that night and to hear him tell the audience about “Big Russ,” his beloved son Luke, and the joys of the writing process. I’ll never forget it.
In a lovely tribute to Tim, our friends over at Book Expo America have posted the 2006 podcast of Tim’s speech on their web site. Please have a listen. And keep in mind these words from those great folks over at Storypeople.com:
“It is still so new & all we see is the empty space, but that is not how it is in the landscape of the heart. There, there is no empty space & he still laughs & grapples with ideas & plans & nods wisely with each of us in turn. We are proud to have known him. We are proud to have called him friend.”
Thanks, Tim.
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Just One More Book
June 13th, 2008
Erin T.
Leave a Comment »As you can imagine, here at First Book we are very enthusiastic about reading and children’s literature. If there was ever a group of people who pleaded for an extra story at bedtime as children- it was probably us!
That is why I was excited when I recently learned of a fun children’s book podcast called Just One More Book! Three times a week a podcast is created from the creators’ favorite coffee shop. In their words, “Each weekday morning, we take a few minutes out of our morning coffee ritual to discuss one of our many favourite children’s books. We also feature weekly interviews with authors, illustrators and experts and enthusiasts in the areas of children’s literature and literacy as well as listener-submitted book reviews.”
Their podcasts vary from 5 to 25 minutes, and can be viewed on the website or downloaded onto an mp3. It is very convenient for the busy children’s book enthusiast!
So, grab some coffee and tune in!
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Toni Morrison honored with PEN/Borders Literary Service Award
May 30th, 2008
Teresa P.
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Recently we had the pleasure of witnessing Toni Morrison accept the PEN/Borders Literary Service Award at the 2008 PEN Literary Gala. It was truly inspiring to see Ms. Morrison recognized for her tremendous efforts. We feel fortunate to have such wonderful partners that care deeply about the state of literacy in our country. In honor of her award and our heroes at Borders, First Book will donate 10,000 books this summer to children who need them most.
First Book is happy to report that in the three years that we have worked with Borders, over $2.7 million in new books have gone to children in need across the country, with thousands of community groups impacted by Borders generous support. Congratulations to Toni Morrison and all of our friends at Borders.
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James Patterson Signing For First Book at BEA!
May 28th, 2008
Jen W.
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First Book is excited to announce that bestselling author and longtime First Book supporter James Patterson will be autographing copies of the third book in his popular Maximum Ride series, Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, on Saturday, May 31st from 3:00-4:00 pm at our booth during this year’s Book Expo America meeting in Los Angeles!For those of you who plan to be at the meeting this coming weekend, be sure to swing by booth # W3 in the West Hall (just outside the double doors to the Children’s Book section) and say hello to the First Book team. We’d love to meet you!
For First Book’s full schedule of authors signing at our booth during BEA, please click here.
See you at BEA!
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First Book Celebrates Children’s Book Week with Leonard Marcus!
May 12th, 2008
Jen W.
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I recently had the immense pleasure of chatting with historian and author Leonard Marcus about his newly published title, Minders of Make-Believe: Idealists, Entrepreneurs, and the Shaping of American Children’s Literature (Houghton Mifflin Co.) Over fourteen years in the making, Minders of Make-Believe tells the fascinating story of the development of children’s literature in America from its earliest beginnings to the advent of Harry Potter and beyond.Do you know the full history of how Children’s Book Week came to be? Or who Leonard would put his money on in a battle of wills between New York Public Library’s trailblazing librarian Anne Carroll Moore and Harper’s Editor Beyond Compare, Ursula Nordstrom? (True confession: they both scare me a little.) Listen to the inside story of the events and characters that shaped the classics using the link below!
And, if you plan to be in the Washington DC area on June 19th, don’t miss Leonard’s upcoming talk and book signing at Politics and Prose!
Happy Children’s Book Week!
P.S. Have a favorite author or other publishing figure you’d like to see featured in a First Book podcast? Feel free to email us with your suggestions!
First Book Podcast with Leonard Marcus - Minders of Make-Believe [34:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (136)
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Thank you, Texas!
May 5th, 2008
Elena B.
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Lyle Lovett immortalized the Texas spirit with a wonderful ditty whose lyrics include, ” That’s right you’re not from Texas, But Texas wants you anyway”. He’s not kidding! Stepping into the Lone Star State, you can feel the hospitality and open arms of Texans all along your route. Last week, two wonderful colleagues and I embarked on a Texas-size itinerary in a D.C.-size timeframe. We had just three days to visit three cities, run back-to-back “Meet and Greets”, and- because we go big or we go home- host an event with First Lady Laura Bush and First Daughter Jenna Bush.We owe many thanks to the people of Texas but want to take a moment to highlight some of the week’s superstars:
First Lady Laura Bush and Jenna Bush: As educators, these women turned their experiences into a delightful book, Read All About It! Students from Kate Bell Elementary (and staff, too) sat rapt as they read about class clown Tyrone and his realization that reading is actually pretty fun. Both women were in their element as they took questions and talked about the importance of reading. Afterwards, each child got to meet the First Lady and Jenna as they received their own copy of the book! This was truly a special event and left the students with wonderful memories to cherish.
HarperCollins Children’s Books: We are delighted that our long time publishing partner, HarperCollins, has made an incredibly generous donation of $1 million of books to First Book for distribution to programs across the country! Their continued support ensures that we bring the joy of reading to children every day.
Kate Bell Elementary Staff and Students: Principal Paula Viebrock, Vice Principal Linda Broome, and Librarian Susan Carnes are just some of the staff who helped make the event with First Lady Laura Bush and Jenna Bush a success. From the enthusiasm of the students to the dedication of the teachers, it’s clear that something very special happens every day at Kate Bell!
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Take the Cheerios Book Donation Challenge!
April 29th, 2008
John Lithgow
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Guest blogger John Lithgow is an award-winning actor, author and entertainer. His extraordinary talents have earned him two Tony Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, two SAG Awards, The American Comedy Award, and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. John is also a two-time Academy Award nominee.I am delighted to be joining Cheerios and First Book to present this year’s Cheerios® Book Donation Challenge. It is such a thrill to see my friends from Marsupial Sue, Micawber and I’m a Manatee doing their part to help get new books to children in need.
The Challenge gives you the chance to determine where Cheerios will donate 100,000 new books to children across the country. For every question you answer correctly, you can vote for the state that you’d like to receive new books for children in need. The top 5 vote-getting states will each receive 20,000 new books for local children! What could be more fun than that?
Take a look in the cereal aisle at a store near you for the special-edition Cheerios boxes featuring my friends from Marsupial Sue, Micawber, and I’m a Manatee! On the back of the cereal box you will find trivia questions that will keep everyone at the table thinking through breakfast. (In I’m a Manatee, what IS kept spick and span-atee?)
And be sure to visit the Cheerios Book Donation Challenge to cast your votes from now until Sunday, June 15th!
Before I go, I’d like to tip my hat to First Book and Cheerios for the terrific work they are doing to ensure that all kids have the chance to grow up with new books in their lives. As an author, and as a father, I can think of no greater gift to share with a child.
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Celebrate poetry!
April 21st, 2008
Katie B.
Leave a Comment »Special thanks to Rachael Walker, Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, for providing this post.
April is National Poetry Month. If April showers are keeping you indoors, use children’s poetry to encourage kids to read with this special online video presentation “Meet the Author: On Poetry” from Reading Rockets. Listen and watch as six acclaimed children’s writers explore the power and beauty of poetry.Check out too what author Pat Mora, who has written poetry collections for both children and adults, has to say about poetry. In her interview with Reading Rockets, she says, “…poetry’s my favorite form. It’s probably because it’s the most challenging. In many ways, it’s the most playful of the forms, I think.”
Pat is also the founder of El día del niños/El día del libros – Children’s Day/Book Day, the April 30 celebration that brings together children books, languages and cultures. Sharing poems is a great way to celebrate Dia!
What are some of your favorite poems?
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First Book Podcast: “Library Lion” Author Michelle Knudsen!
April 16th, 2008
Jen W.
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In honor of National Library Week, First Book recently had the opportunity to chat with best-selling children’s book author (and fan of libraries) Michelle Knudsen!Her New York Times bestseller, the award-winning Library Lion (Candlewick, 2006; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes) has become an instant classic with kids, teachers, and librarians alike!
Click the Play Now link below to hear Michelle tell us about her inspirations, her life-long love of libraries, and more.
