the 2011 Cybils

01 Oct 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in Events, For Educators, For Kids, For Parents Tags: , ,

Yep.  It’s that time of the year again.  You have just two weeks to nominate your favorite kids’ books.  TWO WEEKS folks!  Nominations close October 15 @ midnight, so get on over to the Cybils site and get nominating!  There are categories to cover all of your reading interests:

Just in case you haven’t heard of the Cybils, here’s the low down.  A few years back, six I think, a group of kids’ book bloggers got together to give out awards for the books they thought were the cream of the crop; the Cybils awards.  It started out small, but it’s grows exponentially.  Bloggers from near and far wade through piles of books for no other reason than interest.  Although there is zero monetary value associated with the awards for either authors or publishers, the winners garner huge prestige and of course bragging rights  as well as a fountain pen in an engraved box.

Finalists will be posted January 1st, 2012. Winners will be announced February 14th, 2012.

Even if you aren’t interested in nominating, the Cybils site is the place to be as the judges will be randomly posting excepts from their reviews throughout the judging period.  Personally, I can’t wait to find out what’s hot and what I’ve missed.

“I Am” is an amazing video

30 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, News Tags: , ,

This video, which came by way of the wonderful lip-slippery Sheree Fitch.  It’s made for you and me and everyone.

Raise-a Reader sets Greater Victoria streets abuzz

29 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in News Tags:

I participated in Raise a Reader for years, and although I wasn’t directly involved this year, I continue to support this excellent program. Raise-a Reader sets Greater Victoria streets abuzz.

The Importance of Early Literacy

29 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, For Parents, News, Worthy Causes Tags: , ,

Most of us know the importance of early literacy, but here’s a really good article by Wayne Grady that sums it all up.  You’ve heard it all before so why should you care?  The following is a short quote from the article with a few stats that I hope will make you sit up and take notice.

according to Statistics Canada, 15 percent of Canadians can’t understand the labels on medicine bottles, 27 percent can’t interpret the warnings on hazardous waste material sheets, and 42 percent are “semi-literate,” which means they technically can read, but their comprehension levels are very low. The Canadian Council on Learning recently noted that 48 percent of Canadians have skills below the internationally accepted standard of literacy required to cope in modern society.

Amazon unveils it’s new reader

28 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in News Tags: , ,

Today Amazon unveils their new reader.  I wonder if it’s worth an upgrade.  If anyone out managed to snag one (what would be the arc equivalent for a reader?) or is planning on upgrading, I’d love to hear what you think.  Mind you, even if you buy one today, they don’t ship until November 21, so I guess I’ll just use my same old same old in the meantime.

New National Reading Campaign YouTube Channel

28 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in Events, For Educators, For Parents, Worthy Causes Tags: , , , ,

 

Announcing the new National Reading Campaign YouTube Channel.  Watch well-known authors such as Terry Fallis, Robert Rotenberg and Brian Francis talk about what reading means to them.



The printer of your dreams

27 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in News, Writing Life

This is the printer I dream of instead of the slow, temperamental, ink-expensive, huge (takes up half a bookshelf) HP I’ve had since forever.  It will even scan. The only problem is that it isn’t available yet!

sigh…

Guardian’s Power 100 in books

27 Sep 2011 2 Comments

by sherylbooks in News Tags: ,

The Guardian has posted the power 100 list of most influential people in books in the UK.  Some of the names are obvious choices like the founder of Amazon, and JK Rowling, but check out # 100 on the list.  Don’t you love it!  Oh, and Jamie Oliver made the list too.

Book Power 100: full list

Rank Name Job title Category
1 Jeff Bezos Founder and CEO of Amazon Bookselling
2 JK Rowling Author Author
3 Larry Page CEO, Google Digital technology
4 James Daunt/Alexander Mamut MD, Waterstones/Proprietor, Waterstones Bookselling
5 Tim Hely Hutchinson Group Chief Executive, Hachette UK Publisher
6 James Patterson Author Author
7 Kate Swann CEO, WH Smith Bookselling
8 Jamie Oliver Chef, broadcaster and cookery writer Author
9 Gail Rebuck CEO, Random House Publisher
10 Tim Cook CEO, Apple Digital technology
11 Ion Trewin/Emmanuel Roman Literary Director, Man Booker prizes and COO, Man Group Literary awards
12 Rachel Harcourt and Garry Blackman Book buyers, Tesco Bookselling
13 John Makinson/Tom Weldon Chairman and chief executive and UK CEO, Penguin Group Publisher
14 Andrew Wylie Literary Agent Literary agent
15 Victoria Barnsley CEO, HarperCollins UK Publishing
16 Kate Mosse Author, honorary director, Orange prize Literary awards
17 Jacqueline Wilson Author, former children’s laureate Author
18 The ghost of Stieg Larsson Author Author
19 Ian McEwan Author Author
20 Janice Hadlow Controller, BBC2 Broadcasting
21 Carol Ann Duffy Poet laureate Poet
22 Anthony Forbes-Watson MD, Pan Macmillan Publishing
23 Ed Victor Literary Agent Literary agent
24 Martina Cole Author Author
25 Nigel Newton CEO, Bloomsbury Publishing
26 Stephen Page CEO, Faber Publishing
27 Zadie Smith Author Author
28 Terry Pratchett Author Author
29 Larry Finlay MD, Transworld Publishing
30 Tony Phillips Commissioning editor, factual programmes, Radio 4 Broadcasting
31 Nigel Portwood CEO, Oxford University Press Publisher
32 Julia Donaldson Author and children’s laureate Author
33 Stuart Proffitt Publishing director, Penguin Press Publishing
34 Mariella Frostrup Presenter Broadcasting
35 Malcolm Gladwell Author Author
36 Simon Prosser Publishing director, Hamish Hamilton Publishing
37 Marian Keyes Author Author
38 Philip Pullman Author Author
39 Ursula Mackenzie Chief Executive, Publisher, Little Brown Publishing
40 Dan Franklin Publisher, Jonathan Cape Publishing
41 Mark Lawson Author and presenter Author
42 Jamie Byng MD, Canongate Publishing
43 Sigrid Rausing Publisher, Granta magazine and Granta Books Publishing
44 Deborah Rogers Literary agent Literary agent
45 Salman Rushdie Author Author
46 Seamus Heaney Poet Poet
47 James Wood Critic Literary critic or editor
48 Peter Englund Author and secretary of the Swedish Academy Author
49 Richard & Judy Presenters, book club overseers Broadcasting
50 Martin Amis Author Author
51 Peter Florence Director, Hay festivals Literary festivals
52 Jonathan Franzen Author Author
53 Michiko Kakutani Chief reviewer, New York Times Literary critic or editor
54 Toby Mundy CEO, Atlantic Books Publishing
55 Alexandra Pringle Editor-in-chief, Bloomsbury Publishing
56 Nigella Lawson Broadcaster and cookery writer Broadcasting
57 Andrew Marr Author and broadcaster Broadcasting
58 Philip Roth Author Author
59 Stephen Fry Author, broadcaster, tweeter Broadcasting
60 Richard Dawkins Author Author
61 Stephenie Meyer Author Author
62 Deborah Treisman Fiction editor, New Yorker Literary critic or editor
63 Stephanie Duncan Digital media director, Bloomsbury Publishing
64 Dan Brown Author Author
65 Lennie Goodings Publisher, Virago Press Publishing
66 Tariq Ali Author, commentator Author
67 Robert Silvers Editor, New York Review of Books Literary critic or editor
68 Andrew Motion Poet Poet
69 Sarah Waters Author Author
70 Christopher MacLehose Publisher, Quercus Publishing
71 Hilary Mantel Author Author
72 Jeremy Hunt Culture secretary Politician
73 Ahdaf Soueif Author, Palfest founder Author
74 John le Carré Author Author
75 Ravi Mirchandani Publishing director, Atlantic Books Publishing
76 Nick Barley Director, Edinburgh international book festival Literary festivals
77 Nicholas Pearson Publishing director, Fourth Estate Publishing
78 Amanda Ross TV producer Broadcasting
79 Mary Kay Wilmers Editor, London Review of Books Literary critic or editor
80 Daisy Goodwin Author, TV producer and presenter Broadcasting
81 Neil Gaiman Author Author
82 Sam Husain CEO, Foyles Bookselling
83 Antonia Byatt Director of literature, Arts Council England Other
84 Colm Tóibín Author and publisher Author
85 Alan Bennett Author Author
86 Peter Stothard Editor, Times Literary Supplement Literary critic or editor
87 Peter Straus Literary agent and publisher Literary agent
88 Andrew Davies Author and screenwriter Author
89 Tom Holland Author, and chair of the Society of Authors Author
90 Caroline Michel Literary agent Literary agent
91 Simon Schama Historian, broadcaster Broadcasting
92 Jonathan Heawood Director, English PEN Other
93 Anthea Bell Translator Other
94 Hisham Mater Author, commentator Author
95 Tanya Seghatchian Film producer and former head of Film Fund, BFI Other
96 Alan Moore Graphic novelist Author
97 Antony Beevor Military historian Author
98 Ted Smart Founder, the Book People Bookselling
99 Amanda Hocking Self-published author Author
100 You Reader, buyer, blogger, commenter, tweeter… Other

Who is your favourite Jim Henson character? – Your Community

24 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Kids, News Tags: ,

Today, the legendary Jim Henson would have been 75.  It’s almost hard to imagine a time without his wonderful muppets…Big Bird, Bert, Earnie and the Cookie Monster.  If you’re a big fan too, you can vote for your favorite character at this link. I’m a little partial to Miss Piggy because she’s just so out there.  Who is your favourite Jim Henson character? – Your Community.

Flash Fiction Contest over at Austin Briggs’ blog

23 Sep 2011 4 Comments

by sherylbooks in News Tags: , , ,

I’ve mentioned flash fiction a few times recently, but here I go again.

Ok…so I’m a little obsessed.  But why be obsessed alone!  Austin Briggs has set up a flash fiction contest. Not only can you check out some very cool short short stories, you can write your own…in this case, flash fiction consisting of 55 words or less.  I gotta tell you that some of the stories posted are amazing.  One called “Paradise” by   totally blew me away.  Another one that I really liked was “The Possibility of Albert” by .

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