Scaredy and Company: by Lori Fennel
Children’s post—03/13/09
In honor of Scaredy Squirrel’s victory over his latest fear (of sleeping)—and not because I can relate or anything—I went searching for other timid and/or obsessive-compulsive souls in picture books, juvenile novels and teen literature, and now I have all kinds of compadres, er, characters. In the attached list, you will find Alvin Ho, Ruby Oliver, Franklin Delano Donuthead, Garmann, Wemberly (and a few other mice), a promising new worrier in Lisa Graff’s next book Umbrella Summer, and our old pal Grover. I believe literature needs to mirror all personality types, not just those intrepid (and yes, often high-achieving) go-getters
Adult New Fiction: by Kim Stack
Adult Fiction post—03/13/09
Debut author Reif Larsen has produced The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet with a whirlwind of publishing world chatter. T. S. is a 12-year-old Montana ranch boy who finds that he can express the world around him through cartographic drawings. When a D.C. institution presents him with a prestigious award, T. S. hops a freight train to accept without telling his family. The journey, however, is only half the charm, as item after item of marginalia the charts, maps and diagrams that T. S. Spivet creates depicts a world for the reader beyond the narration. T. S. will be out on May 5, 2009, but in the meantime check out releases like Liars Anonymous by Louise Ure, in which a murder investigation unravels the anonymous life of a former convict; Living Witness by Jane Haddam, next in the Gregor Demarkian series where murder and school board policy confuse an Appalachian town; and Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas, a historical story about the wives of Colorado miners as well as a great new book by Jane Hamilton, Thrity Umrigar.
Cult TV Shows: by Erin Stachowiak
Movie/Television post—03/13/09
I’ve been faithfully watching the television show Lost every week since 2004. I have attended weekly parties, even though some were many miles from my home. My friends and I have dubbed the day that first run episodes air as “Lostmas.” We’ve even dressed up as some of the characters. We’re known as “Losties” in some circles and I know there are more of us out there. Television shows and their cult followings foster this shared experience atmosphere. Rambunctious parties, delicious potluck food and group reactions and discussions afterwards all add together to make every viewing an extraordinary event.
This month, we sit down with Ken Burns
Ken Burns has been making films for more than 30 years. Since the Academy Award-nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1982, Ken has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made. The late historian Stephen Ambrose said of his films, “More Americans get their history from Ken Burns than any other source.” Burns’ documentaries have been nominated for two Academy Awards (Brooklyn Bridge in 1982 and The Statue of Liberty in 1986) and have won seven Emmy Awards, mostly from The Civil War and Baseball.
Recent Interviews
BWI’s Collection Development Department has had the pleasure of sharing some time with several of today’s top authors, artists and illustrators.
- Ken Burns
- Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier
- Meg Cabot
- Christopher Moore
- Richelle Mead
- Allan Stratton
- Pam Muñoz Ryan
- Francisco X. Stork
- Frank Cottrell Boyce
- Eric Carle
- Paula Young Shelton & Raúl Colón
- Mo Willems
- Linwood Barclay
- Barbara Taylor Bradford
- Scott Westerfeld
- Walter Dean Meyers & Christopher Myers
- Stephan Talty
- Buzz Aldrin
- Grace Lin
- S.E. Hinton
- Eliza Dresang
- The Low Anthem
- David Grann
- Kadir Nelson
- Fred Kaplan
- Matthew Holm & Jennifer L. Holm
- Alex Robinson
- Laura Amy Schlitz
- Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
- John Green
- Jon Scieszka
- Naomi Shihab Nye
- Neil Gaiman
- Garth Stein
- Jim Aylesworth
- Linda Buckley-Archer
- Jenny Downham
- Judy Schachner
- Mark Teague
- Melanie Watt
- Sharon Draper
- Kenneth Oppel
Collection Development
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