The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

I read Walk Two Moons a few years ago and liked Sharon Creech's writing very much. Lately I was at the library and picked up The Wanderer. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The format of a diary fits the story. Also the viewpoint of a few different characters adds to the story. I have always been fascinated by water. I love to listen to and watch the ocean (when I'm near it) or a waterfall or river. Really any body of water. Some of my fondest memories are from the cabin. I would sit down on the dock at dusk and listen to the sound of the lake; the birds, fish, waves, and the feel of the setting sun. It was one of my favorite places to be. Of course the ocean terrifies me and a trip across it in a boat the size of the Wanderer gives me small nightmares.

Creech doesn't use a lot of words. But the ones she chooses to describe Sophie and her trip are the perfect ones. The reader can feel the boat and smell/see the ocean. They can also feel and understand the emotions Sophie experiences. This journey isn't just a physical one for her but an emotional and life changing event. The same goes for her cousins and uncles. Definitely a read for any age.

The Odditorium and The Night Gardener

My last visit to the library renewed my love of young adult literature. I picked up quite a few of them but am only going to talk about two right now. 

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is an interesting read. It is about two Irish kids who have left Ireland for a better life. The eldest (a girl) has to take over the part of being a guardian to her younger brother. She weaves stories to make things better. This is a large part of the story. They procure employment at a household that is haunted. But how it is haunted and how they get out keeps the reader going. There are some very important themes such as loyalty, family, friendship, and sacrifice in this book.

Alistair Grim's Odditorium by Gregory Funaro deals with magic and boyhood. It is a cute quick read. Grubb, the main character, is a chimney sweep who ends up working for Alistair Grim who may or may not be a mad sorcerer. The Odditorium is full of surprises and new experiences for Grubb. Funaro takes magical creatures like fairies, sirens, dragons and more and creates a story of adventure with a twist at the end. 

March Madness: Battle of the Books

Check this out: http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/03/15/books-bracket

Looks fun!!

Novelist Plus

There is a database I think everyone should be familiar with. I learned about it during my graduate studies and have used it off and on. Every public library website I have been on has had it. It's called Novelist Plus. There is also a Novelist K-8 version of it. All you need to access it is your library card number and pin. Very simple.

On the main page you can search for fiction or nonfiction titles on the left by genre, audiobooks, and Best of 2014. The database also singles out titles that may be of interest to a reader. If a researcher wants to be more specific they can type in an author, title, keyword, subject or narrator.

Let's say I type in Nora Roberts. I can find a list of her books, series, audiobooks, more information about her as well as lists and articles that mention her. This is great if you want to make sure you have read all the books in a series or by the author. I know it is possible to just Google the author. But this database provides much more information. If you scroll down you can select different genres and categories for different books/authors that fall under the same story lines as Roberts. Lastly, there is a list of Read-alikes for author suggestions.

There is so much a person can learn from this database.

Book Cover Designs

A while ago I came across The New York Times section on books and literature. They provide a variety of information about authors, reviews, changes in the industry and many more topics related to the field of literature.

One article that I found interesting is about book covers. It is a list of the best book cover designs from 2014. So many people just have their eReaders now so the novelty and importance of a book's cover seems to be going along the wayside. Just like the design on a wine or beer bottle or toy packaging; the cover art for a book is instrumental in the selling of the book. Of course the content of the book is the most important. But when you peruse the shelves (or online) the title and cover art jumps out to you. Does it say "Open me now!" or "Will I sleep at night reading this?" or "Hmmm...I must read on" or "What is this about?"

An artist may make a complicated picture to portray what is in the book. Or it may be as simple as the title in black and white, dripping blood, on a back drop of black (Dracula perhaps). Or just plain white with the title. Then there is the difference between the original cover art and the movie cover art (once it is a movie). Which copy sells more? Take your favorite book: how would you depict the story on the front cover? What scene would you illustrate? Or are there certain symbols or colors that you would use? Would you be more detailed or less?

The Huffington Post has an interesting article titled "20 Beautiful Book Cover Designs to Swoon Over." They also have a Rejected Covers series. It is interesting to look at some of them.