Housecleaning

Time to refresh the blog layout!  Here are 4 items I used to have on the sidebar.  I've moved them to this post so that they can be accessed via the "search this blog" feature. 

1) Favorite Authors (for personal entertainment reading): 

"This list is neither all-inclusive nor permanent. No one should be expected to choose a favorite author to the exclusion of others. Having made that clear, my current favorite authors are those I like to call Spinster Lit. Elizabeth Goudge, Rosamunde Pilcher, Barbara Pym, Miss Read, Margery Sharp, and Anita Brookner. I would like to try Mary Wesley, for I understand she writes in the same vein."

2) Favorite Illustrator [Of course I still do love Marla Frazee's illustrations; it's just time to feature someone else.]:

"My latest favorite illustrator is Marla Frazee. I admired her style for a few years, and then she bowled me over with The Boss Baby. After reading Boot and Shoe this fall [2011 or 2012] and liking it quite a bit, she became my next "official" favorite. I guess this title can be like a laureatehood--one artist holds it for a while, and then the torch is passed. "

3) Cut Paper Collage Illustrators:

Katie Endle
Huy Voun Lee
Judith Moffatt
Denise Ortakales

4) "More" Fairy Tale Novels [I no longer remember why I used the word more]:

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison ***** It was amazing!
Princess Tales (series) by Gail Carson Levine
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean: loved, loved, loved this one 
The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
Spinners by Napoli and Tchen

Celebrating a few Cincinnati Illustrators and Authors

Earlier this year, Louise Borden stopped by my store to shop and have lunch in the cafe.   I knew her name quite well but didn't know her by sight yet.  In the course of conversation at the register, she mentioned she writes picture books. (My favorites of hers are The Journey That Saved Curious George and Paperboy). She told me about her spring 2014 release Baseball Is..., and we were able to have her sign copies at the store on Reds Opening Day.

Loren Long signed my copy of The Little Engine That Could at the Blue Marble bookstore, and I heard his keynote speech at the OKI Children's Literature Conference in 2012.  Prior to then, I hadn't felt it necessary to own Of Thee I Sing, which he illustrated for President Barack Obama, but after hearing Loren's account of his visit to the White House I really wanted a copy.  I have a post-it note on my store's regular and board book copies of Otis alerting customers that he's local.  Otis and the Scarecrow releases fall 2014.

I met Will Hillenbrand at the Blue Marble, too, where I heard and saw his multimedia presentations about Louie!, One Fine Day, and Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! 

Two others I can think of right now:

Christina Wald, an excellent nature illustrator, with several books including Henry the Impatient Heron.

C.F. Payne, illustrator of The Remarkable Farkle McBride and more.  I was thrilled when he did a series of back covers for Reader's Digest. Every time I saw one I felt a surge of pride (in addition to just plain enjoying his work).

In the coming months, I hope to find ways to better highlight/promote these talented creators in the store.

Here's a list from Ohioana.org.  Loren Long is not on this list, so there may be others missing, too.

Lying is Not a Good Idea, even in Jest

I enjoyed this blog post by Elizabeth Bird and its precursor post by the originator of an Amelia Bedelia Wikipedia hoax.  Take a look here.