Favorite Blogs: A Great Way to Keep Up with New Children's Books
Franki Sibberson
I have always had trouble sticking with a hobby. I tried gardening - that lasted about two weeks. I played the clarinet for three months in middle school. I took ice-skating lessons, roller skating lessons, and tennis lessons.
I took up scrapbooking, bought over $500 of supplies, and ended up spending about $264 per finished page before I abandoned that hobby. No matter what I tried, my only sustained hobbies have been reading, shopping, and baking.
Last year over coffee my friend Mary Lee Hahn suggested that we start a blog. We meet several times a year to chat about new books we are reading. We try desperately to read the book that wins the Newbery before it wins, and it has always been a fun excuse to get together. When Mary Lee suggested that we start a blog, I really had no idea what she was talking about -- I had little experience with weblogs, or blogs for short, which are on-line diaries kept by millions of people all over the world. I thought it would be a bit odd to write to each other on a blog, but I figured it would be an adventure.
Well, I am now TOTALLY addicted to blogging. Mary Lee and I keep up our own blog called "A Year of Reading" (www.readingyear.blogspot.com). We write about our reading of children's, professional, and adult books. It started out as a way for us to communicate with each other but somehow we have become part of the "Kidlitosphere"--the community of children's literature blogs. Now we get an average of 50 readers each day. We have also found so many other great blogs written by people who know so much about children's books.
I often have people ask me how I keep up on new children's books. I have always shopped and paid attention to new titles. But since Mary Lee and I started our blog and I have found so many other blogs out there, I now am able to find many of the new books that will work for the kids in my class first on-line.
The bloggers have a great time and most have a wonderful sense of humor. One tradition that you will find if you start reading these blogs is "Poetry Friday". Many blogs will post a poem or a review of a poetry book on Friday. There are things that readers are invited to try or to comment on. Each blog also gives readers terrific links to other blogs and websites that are of interest. It is definitely a fun way to keep up with children's books.
So I finally have a hobby, even if it is closely connected to one of my few enduring pastimes, reading. Below are some of the blogs I read regularly. Most of the blogs that I read have new posts several times each week. I visit them a few times each week to keep up on new reviews and literary gossip.
Jen Robinson's Book Page (www.jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog)
Jen blogs about new books several times each week. She reviews all genres but is especially interested in middle grade and young adult fiction. She also has great booklists on her companion site (www.growingbookworms.com). Her blog and website support the reading of children's books by adults. She has two terrific lists on her blog that she collected from readers (200 Cool Girls in Children's Literature and 175 Cool Boys in Children's Literature).
A Fuse #8 Production (http://fusenumber8.blogspot.com/) This blog is written by a children's librarian at one of the New York City library branches, the Donnell Central Children's Room. She posts several times each day and includes a "Review of the Day" each day. The books that she reviews are all very recent or upcoming publications which makes this a great website for keeping up with new books. The writer is also very amusing and includes posts such as "Hot Men of Children's Literature" periodically.
Big A little a (http://kidslitinformation.blogspot.com/)
This is a great blog by Kelly Herold who also publishes an online children's literature journal each month called "The Edge of the Forest". Her online journal includes book reviews, kid picks, author interviews and more. Kelly's blog also gives us round-ups each week of reviews that are found in various newspapers online. This is a wonderful children's literature resource.
Mother Reader (http://motherreader.blogspot.com) is a mother and a reader. She posts helpful, thorough reviews and fun posts connected to children's books, as well as great content and activities for readers to participate in. My favorite has been the 48 Hour Challenge (http://motherreader.blogspot.com/2006/06/48-hour-book-challenge-get-set.html) in which Mother Reader invited us to stop everything we were doing and read and blog about books as much as we could for 48 straight hours.
Read Roger (www.hbook.com/blog) is a blog written by Roger Sutton, the editor-in-chief of The Horn Book. Roger has lots of children's' literature news, links to The Horn Book, information about authors, book awards, and more.
A Chair, A Fireplace and A Tea Cozy (http://yzocaet.blogspot.com/)
How could you not love a blog that invites you to pull up a chair and have a cup of tea? Liz, the writer of this blog, discusses books, movies and more. She is another one that links us to other great sites in her own posts.
Chicken Spaghetti (http://chickenspaghetti.typepad.com/chicken_spaghetti/) is another fantastic blog about children's books, children's literature conferences, authors, and more.
The Children's Literature Book Club (http://childlitbookclub.blogspot.com/)
Stephanie writes about her reading several times each month. Her reviews include picture books, middle grade fiction, and young adult literature.
Here in the Bonny Glen (http://melissawiley.typepad.com/) is a blog written by a mother who is also an author and who homeschools her five children. She is the one who coined the term "Kidlitosphere" to describe the children's lit blogging community. Her blog provides useful book information on a regular basis.
The Cybils (http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/rules/index.html)
Although this is not an official blog, it is a site designed by children's literature bloggers. They have decided to create a yearly award for children's books called The Cybils. This is new for 2006 so it will be fun to watch the award discussions in each category begin!
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