Omnivoracious: End-o'-the-Week Kid-Lit Roundup

End-o'-the-Week Kid-Lit Roundup

by Paul on September 21, 2008

In this week's roundup, we celebrate a birthday, learn about a resurrected Brit kids' mag, and check in on Al Roker:

Happy Birthday, Children's Bookshelf! I don't usually make a habit of extending birthday greetings to e-mail newsletters, but I'll make an exception for Children's Bookshelf, which just turned three this week. Although it's primarily intended for booksellers, librarians, and other industry professionals, anyone who wants to keep up on the world of kids' books will learn a lot by subscribing (even just interested parents who want to keep up on their kids' favorite series or read new reviews and author interviews). It's free to subscribe (and if you're into comics, check out PW Comics Week while you're at it).

Marvin And Another Thing... Speaking of Children's Bookshelf, that's where I learned that Eoin Colfer (author of the stupendously popular Artemis Fowl series) will be writing a follow-up to Mostly Harmless, as a continuation of the even more stupendously popular Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy"--which ended abruptly after the death of Douglas Adams.

Reaction has been predictably mixed, with excitement but also apprehension and skepticism towards the early PR for the book (along the lines of Marvin saying, "Well, I wish you'd just tell me rather than try to engage my enthusiasm"). Colfer is clearly chuffed at the prospect (likening it to "suddenly being offered the superpower of your choice"), but even he says, "My first reaction was semi-outrage that anyone should be allowed to tamper with this incredible series." But if you're familiar with Colfer's talents and you listen to his audio announcement, it's hard not to get a little giddy at the news.

(Perhaps not surprisingly, though, Arthur Dent himself does not sound entirely pleased.)

New Al Roker Pick: Inkheart. Al Roker's Book Club for Kids recently announced its newest pick: Inkheart, the first book in Cornelia Funke's soon-to-be trilogy--followed by Inkspell (a favorite of mine) and Inkdeath, which will be published next month.

The Roker announcement revealed a literally fun fact that I hadn't heard before, about the Inkheart movie: "Cornelia Funke wrote the character of Mo with Brendan Fraser in mind, and Cornelia got to see her wish come to life--Brendan Fraser plays Mo in the movie!" You know, that kind of makes sense.

"Sniffup..." "Spotera." That was the coded greeting exchanged by "Puffineers," readers of the Puffin Post, an apparently very cool British kids' book magazine shut down in the early '80s that is now being relaunched. Check out the new Web site and all the cool old covers. E.g.:

Three quick links

Sad news for the world of children's literature this week. Celebrated New Orleans author and storyteller Colleen Salley passed away. (The ALA Flickr stream has a particularly sweet photo of her reading from Epossumondas.)
Some big-hearted kids' authors are pitching in for an auction to help a relief fund inspired by one of their fans who died in a storm earlier this year. (Check out the Brightspirit Relief Fund auction and consider donating or bidding.)
Adam Gopnik rescues Babar from reductive lefty analyses.