By: Jennifer Thermes,
on 10/10/2016
By: Betsy Bird,
on 10/6/2016
Sweet little Friday is upon us. Let us celebrate the rapid approach of the weekend with ridiculousness. And that particular item I have in spades.
First off, I’m so pleased and proud and delighted to inform you that my husband of the Cockeyed Caravan blog has written a book. And what a book! Published by Writer’s Digest, it’s called The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers. I like to call it Save the Cat meets Joseph Campbell. Best of all, we’re going to have a lovely release party for it on Friday, November 4th at 6:30 at the Bookends and Beginnings bookstore in Evanston, IL and YOU ARE ALL INVITED!! I’ll even bake something. Not sure what. Something. All information can be found here.
Now that’s a good title. From Publisher’s Weekly: Trenton Lee Stewart Accidentally Starts a Mystery on Goodreads. Don’t you hate it when that happens? But this is actually a very sweet tale (and not a bad idea for someone to think up). Check it out.
Horn Book has a new parenting blog, did you see? Called Family Reading, they’ve so far had posts on newborns who hate to read, reading on the spectrum (Ferdinand the Bull as on the spectrum makes quite a bit of sense, when you think about it), and crafts inspired by picture books. Beware that last link, though. Its author’s kinda crazy.
The site Atlas Obscura has a new book out, but that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped updating their site or anything. As proof, you simply have to read their recent post, A Guide to the Real-Life Homes of the Heroes of Children’s Literature. It’s cool. I was worried from the description that it would be all-white-kids, all-the-time, and that’s definitely the bulk of it. But Kindred, Tar Beach, The House on Mango Street, and a couple others make it on there. It also gets a bit loosey goosey with the term “children’s literature”. Holden Caulfield? Maybe not so much. Thanks to Matt for the link.
The Good News: Folio Magazine nominated this blog for an Eddie Digital Award. Woohoo! Yay, team!
The Weird News: I’m nominated in the “Column / Blog – Government / Public Sector / Education” category (not too weird) alongside fellow nominees Everyday EMS of EMS1.com, PoliceOne.com – Be Advised… of PoliceOne.com, and strategy+business specifically the piece “Why China’s Stock Market Crisis Spread” of PwC Strategy& LLC (significantly peculiar).
Hey, folks. Today the film The Great Gilly Hopkins will open in select theaters and on demand. Don’t know if there’s a theater showing it near you? Then here’s a handy dandy chart where you can see if it’s anywhere near you. Behold:
| MARKET | THEATER | CITY, STATE |
| Atlanta | Plaza Theater 2 | Atlanta, GA |
| Charlotte | AMC Concord Mills 24 IMAX | Concord Mills, NC |
| Chicago | AMC Streets of Woodfield 20 IMAX | Schaumburg, IL |
| Cleveland | Atlas Diamond Centre Cinemas 16 | Mentor, OH |
| Dallas | AMC Mesquite 30 IMAX | Mesquite, TX |
| Denver | AMC Westminster Promenade 24 IMAX | Westminster, CO |
| Houston | Premiere Renaissance 15 | Houston, TX |
| Kansas City | Cinetopia Overland Park 18 & GXL | Overland Park, KS |
| Los Angeles | AMC Orange 30 IMAX & ETX | Orange, CA |
| Los Angeles | Laemmle Monica Film Center 6 | Santa Monica, CA |
| Minneapolis | Mall of America 14 | Bloomington, MN |
| New York | Pavilion 9 | Brooklyn, NY |
| New York | Carmel Movieplex 8 | Carmel, NY |
| New York | AMC Loews 19th Street East 6 | New York, NY |
| New York | Cinema Village 3 | New York, NY |
| Orlando | Rialto Theatre 8 | The Villages, FL |
| Palm Springs | Tristone Cinemas Palm Desert 10 | Palm Desert, CA |
| Philadelphia | AMC Neshaminy 24 IMAX | Bensalem, PA |
| Phoenix | AMC Arizona Center 24 | Phoenix, AZ |
| Salt Lake City | Megaplex 20 at The District IMAX | South Jordan, UT |
| Seattle | Varsity 3 Theatres | Seattle, WA |
| Wash. DC | AMC Loews Rio Cinemas 18 IMAX | Gaithersburg, MD |
Good stuff.
Daily Image:
Neat! Travis Jonker discovered this site where you can Brickify (turn into LEGOs) any image. He had a fun post where you could guess his brickified covers. I decided to do my own books out of curiosity. The results:
Is it bad to say that I kinda like some of these more? Thanks to 100 Scope Notes for the link.
By: Katrina DeLallo,
on 9/15/2016
I'm going to write about the second thing first, because it was more recent and I still feel geeked out by it.
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| The names have been censored to protect the innocent :) |
 |
| My first ever cityscape - be impressed. This was HARD |
By: Hannah Charters,
on 7/27/2016
On supermarket shelves, we are given a mind-numbing array of choices to select from. Shall we have some peppercorns on our macaroni, some cinnamon for baking, or a bit of rosemary with roast pork? Five hundred years ago, however, cooking with herbs and spices was a much simpler choice.
The post Around the world in spices and herbs appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Jennifer Thermes,
on 4/15/2016
By: Hannah Paget,
on 4/9/2016
The first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays printed in 1623 - known as the First Folio - has a rich history. It is estimated that around 700 or 750 copies were printed, and today we know the whereabouts of over 230. They exist in some form or another, often incomplete or a combination of different copies melded together, in libraries and personal collections all over the world.
The post Copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio around the world [map] appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Alice,
on 3/18/2016
Oral history has always been concerned with preserving the voices of the voiceless, and new technologies are enabling oral historians to preserve and present these memories in new and exciting ways. Audio projects can now turn to mapping software to connect oral histories with physical locations, bringing together voices and places.
The post Putting oral history on the map appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Catherine,
on 3/18/2016
There are eleven diverse hill states in India which comprise the group of "Special Category States." They all suffer from the disadvantages that result from remoteness and geographical isolation, as well as historical and demographic circumstances. In addition to pathetic infrastructures, scant resources, unrealized human potential, and stymied economic growth, these states also represented various groups of marginalized minorities.
The post Special category states of India appeared first on OUPblog.
By: John Priest,
on 3/14/2016
Every year, millions of people visit California in search of beaches, hiking, celebrity sightings, and more. In the map below, Peter J. Holliday shows us his version of California, focusing on the rich history of classically inspired art and architecture in Southern California. Enjoy the stories of grand landmarks such as Hearst Castle, Pasadena City […]
The post A guide to Southern California for classical art enthusiasts [interactive map] appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Jennifer Thermes,
on 3/4/2016
I was recently commissioned to do a few maps for an upcoming book* due out later this year. A few people asked to see the final art after I posted some work-in-progress details over on Instagram, so here it is, along with some process show-and-tell.
Since I'm usually asked to illustrate places that exist in reality, this project was super interesting, because these were more fantasy-based maps.
In this case, the art director sent over detailed notes about the story, along with a rough sketch of how the author visualized the world in her head. This was all extremely helpful, and gave me a great starting point, yet still left a lot of creative freedom...
Below is the first sketch sent to the publisher. (I swear I had some tiny rough thumbnails, but they were lost in the flurry-of-paper that is my studio.)...
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By: Zoe,
on 1/3/2016
I wanted a brilliant book to start the new year with and I’ve unearthed real treasure with How to Find Gold by Viviane Schwarz (@vivschwarz), out later this week in the UK.
Anna is a girl with an inspirational can-do attitude. She decides she wants to find gold with her friend (a crocodile) and refuses to be put off or to give up, simply because the task might be risky or hard to achieve.
Issues which might seem like problems to some are acknowledged by young Anna, but they never put her off her stride. Instead, her positive take on life, her ability to see opportunities rather than obstacles and the power of her imagination enable her and Crocodile to have tremendous fun looking for (and indeed finding) gold, even if (or partly because?) it is dangerous and difficult.
Together the friends search high and low, sailing the seven seas and facing terrible monsters before finding a chest full of treasure in a sunken wreck. But having found the treasure do they keep it? What is more valuable to them? Piles of gold to have and to hold or the wonderful experiences they’ve shared by together being brave, hopeful and believing in themselves?
In some regards, this outstanding picture book echoes Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and Caroline Binch, both conveying an inspiring message that anything is possible if you allow yourself to really go after your dreams. Both also happen to feature black girls, though in neither instance is this what the books are about. Their messages are much more universal – about having fun, about self-belief, about letting your imagination take flight to fruition.
Schwarz’s tale is full of humour, both in her words and imagery. The looks of determination and delight on Anna’s face, the unassuming dead-pan delivery of her decisions, her friend’s (mostly) calm absorption of Anna’s apparent impetuosity – all will make you smile.
Schwarz also uses colour brilliantly to intensify the adventure these two undertake. Monochrome real life is contrasted with a richly vibrant hunt for treasure.
Courageous, joyous and imaginative, Anna is a hero to enliven us all. This funny manifesto for adventuring with friends, for embracing challenges, for not giving up on looking for gold, whatever form it takes for you is outstanding. I can’t think of a better way to start my reading year, or yours.
Of course we were chomping at the bit for our own treasure hunt having read How to Find Gold but first we had to ensure there were plenty of gold coins to find in amongst the hoard of jewels.
We took inspiration from our box of coins from around the world, choosing those with designs on them which we especially liked.
We then placed these coins under gold confectionery wrappers (thin golden tin foil) in order to transfer their designs to the foil.
We also designed our own coins, using golden embossing paper and kebab sticks.
Next up we melted lots of chocolate and dropped dollops onto the foil (flipped over, so the gold side was face down).
An hour or two in the fridge later and we had our first glimpse at how our hoard of golden dubloons was coming along…
All that was left was to wrap the edges of the foil around the hardened chocolate to complete our chocolate coins and amass our amazing pile of gold:
Making our own treasure was definitely as much fun as finding it!
Whilst making money we listened to:
Other activities which might work well alongside reading How to Find Gold include:
If you liked this post you might like these other posts by me:
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Disclosure: I was sent a free review copy of this book by the publisher.
By: Zoe,
on 11/10/2015
On Saturday I held my monthly bookgroup meeting for 8-12 year olds at the local public library. These sessions are designed to encourage kids to discover new(-to-them) books and to become ever increasingly familiar with the library and the whole range of resources and services it offers (we don’t just sit and discuss a set book). This month, inspired by National Non-Fiction November, I took “maps” as my overarching theme and below you’ll find all the activities we had fun with, and which you might be able to adapt for use at home or school or your own bookgroup.
Activity 1
We started by talking about places in the UK we’ve visited outside of our home city, and then everyone found their (approximate) location of choice on this fabulous map (available from the Literary Gift Company, with other versions covering adult writers in the UK, Ireland and US)
We had a couple of “regular” atlases on hand too in case people weren’t sure where to find the place they are thinking of.
Once the kids had found the author associated with their location, their task was to find a book by that author in the library. If they couldn’t find a book by their author, we looked them up using:
Whilst this fabulous book is targeted at an adult readership, its short articles are easy for keen readers to manage.
We spent 5 minutes “tasting” the book(s) we found (looking at blurbs, covers, interior illustrations, reading the opening paragraph) and then we each shared our initial thoughts about whether our newly discovered books appealed to each of us, or if not, who we thought the books might appeal to instead.
Activity 2
This involved browsing a selection of map-themed/linked non-fiction books including:
The Big Book of Animals of the World by Ole Konnecke
Atlas of Britain Picture Book by Fiona Patchett, Stephanie Turnbull and Colin King
The Children’s Animal Atlas: An interactive and fun way to explore the animal world written by Barbara Taylor, illustrated by Katrin Wiehle
To the Edge of the Universe written by Raman Prinja, illustrated by John Hersey
City Atlas written by Georgia Cherry, illustrated by Martin Haake
The 50 States written by Gabrielle Balkan, illustrated by Sol Linero
Atlas of Adventures Activity Fun Pack by Rachel Williams and Lucy Letherland
Each reading group member had a set of questions to answer about the books, to encourage them to think about format, illustrations, factual content and to explore what they personally find appealing or interesting, especially when it comes to non-fiction books.
City Atlas was the overwhelming favourite amongst the kids on Saturday; “The cover is so cool”, “I like the colours”, “It’s easy to dip in and out of”, although one child was very cross with the book; she is a Catalan speaker, and under the entry for Barcelona (where native inhabitants are more likely to be mother-tongue Catalan speakers, rather than Spanish speakers, though all Catalan speakers will also have Spanish), only Spanish is listed as the language spoken.
This led to a fruitful discussion about what a fact is, how we check them and whether “simplified” facts ever have a place in books; not a bad discussion to have, though the child was still angry!
Another book which got special attention was To the Edge of the Universe. At the start of the day’s session we discussed how we might define what a map is. We ended up agreeing on this: “a picture representing a landscape or location, showing where things are in relationship to each other.” To the Edge of the Universe caught their imagination as it is a sort of map of the night sky, showing the orbits of planets around the sun, before moving further and further into deep space; the book unfolds to form a 4.3 metre long spread, allowing readers to physically walk through space and back in time. The unusual and outsized format of this book really caught the imagination of the kids, and it was taken to show the librarians and also reopened for each parent at pick-up time.
Activity 3
I had prepared a floor plan of the library with lots of Xs marking different locations where we would find map-related material in the library – OS maps, atlases (both in the adults and children’s section) and local historical maps. In teams the children explored the library, finding out what was at each different location, bringing back one item from each section which they thought was especially interesting. The atlases in the adult reference section of the library caused most discussion; again it was sheer size that got them excited, with one atlas being so big that two kids were needed to carry it! Whilst of course, it’s content which really matters, Saturday’s session reminded me on several occasions how important appearance is when it comes to getting kids curious about books they choose for themselves.
Activity 4
With the help of this pinterest board all about maps in children’s literature (created by Jake Hayes who writes Tygertale, an excellent blog about children’s books), I had pulled a variety of novels which include maps in their endpages from the library shelves, and we ended our session by looking at the maps they contained, and each choosing a book to take home, simply on the basis of their maps. (Just for fun, here’s a quiz about maps in books!)
Activity 5
Had we but world enough, and time (to borrow someone else’s words), we would have also marked up on a world map all the books we’ve read as a group set in different parts of the world. This could have made for a great display, but we ran out of time! If it’s an activity you would like to try, and are having difficulties finding literature from / set in various countries, here are some of my favourite resources that could help:
Do you have any other resources you’d recommend? Please do share any other map-related activities you’ve tried as a way to get children looking at new books and excited to read outside of their comfort zone.
By: Hannah Paget,
on 10/29/2015
At the height of his career - during the time he was writing Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friend - Dickens wrote a series of sketches, mostly set in London, which he collected as The Uncommercial Traveller. The persona of the 'Uncommercial' allowed Dickens to unify his series of occasional articles by linking them through a shared narrator.
The post Dickens’ fascination with London [map] appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Kim Behrens,
on 10/24/2015
Set on a huge continental stage, from Europe to China, By Steppe, Desert, and Ocean covers over 10,000 years, charting the development of European, Near Eastern, and Chinese civilizations and the growing links between them by way of the Indian Ocean, the silk Roads, and the great steppe corridor (which crucially allowed horse riders to travel from Mongolia to the Great Hungarian Plain within a year).
The post History of Eurasia [interactive map] appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Jennifer Thermes,
on 10/19/2015
By: SoniaT,
on 9/26/2015
Throughout history, many cities changed their names. Some did it for political reasons; others hoped to gain an economic advantage from it.
The post Istanbul, not Constantinople appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Chloe Baldwin,
on 9/13/2015
Post by Chloe
Saskia Rasink is an illustrator, based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Her work has a bold, graphic style and the warm, sophisticated colour palettes used gives her work a mid-century feel. She often depicts maps and architecture inspired by her passion for traveling. She is also inspired by Scandinavian design, interiors and nature.
If you would like to see more of Saskia’s work, please visit her portfolio.
By: Barney Cox,
on 9/10/2015
In 1682, the French court moved from Paris to the former royal hunting lodge of Versailles, which had been transformed under the supervision of Louis XIV into Europe’s most splendid palace, one which moreover was set in a stunning park that stretched all the way to the horizon. Versailles established a fashion for palaces surrounded by ample gardens that most major European courts would soon imitate. These parks provided appropriate backdrops for elaborately spectacles staged to impress visiting diplomats hunts as well as secluded settings for flirting.
The post The garden palaces of Europe and Asia [interactive map] appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Jennifer Thermes,
on 9/3/2015
By: JulieF,
on 9/3/2015
Thailand is one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world, housing more than 350 different species of reptiles. Learning about these turtles, tortoises, lizards, crocodiles, and snakes is more important than ever in light of recent threats to their extinction due to wildlife trade and loss of habitat for agricultural use of their habitat.
The post The reptiles of Thailand [interactive map] appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Sinead O’Connor,
on 8/14/2015
This year’s American Sociological Association Annual Meeting takes place in Chicago, and our Sociology team is gearing up. The 110th Annual Meeting will bring together over 6,000 sociologists nationwide for four days of lectures, sessions, and networking with some of the top figures in the field. This year's theme is "Sexualities in the Social World"
The post Preparing for ASA 2015 appeared first on OUPblog.
By: VictoriaD,
on 6/24/2015
After illegal drugs, illicit arms and human trafficking, art theft is one of the largest criminal enterprises in the world. According to the FBI Art Crime Team (ACT), stolen art is a lucrative billion dollar industry. The team has already made 11,800 recoveries totaling $160 million in losses.
The post The criminal enterprise of stealing history appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Connie Ngo,
on 6/19/2015
No matter where in the world you go, pastries are a universal treat. From Turkish baklava to Italian cannolis, French croissants to American cherry pie, these morsels of sweetness are a culinary tradition that knows no borders. Whether you're boarding an overseas flight or hanging around the neighborhood, we've hand-picked several pastry shops from the Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets to add to your personal itinerary.
The post Sweetness around the world appeared first on OUPblog.
By: Joe Couling,
on 6/19/2015
With a failing NHS and an ageing population in Britain, palliative care is a topic currently at the forefront of healthcare debate. Whether to abandon treatment in favour of palliation, is a challenging decision with profound implications for end-of-life care.
The post Palliative care around the world appeared first on OUPblog.
National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016
National Geographic Society & National Geographic Kids Magazine
National Geographic Society 5/12/2015
978-1-4263-1921-1
352 pages Age 8—12
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“This New York Times bestseller is packed with incredible photos, tons of fun facts, crafts, activities, and fascinating articles about animals, science, nature, technology, and more. New features include a special section on animal friends; an updated “Fun and Games” chapter filled with all-new games, jokes, and comics; a new “Dino Myths Busted” feature; all new weird-but-true facts, crafts, and activities; a new special “15 Facts” feature in every chapter; updated reference material, and much more! And, this is the only kids’ almanac with mobile media features that allow kids to access National Geographic videos, photo galleries, and games.” [publisher]
Review
National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016—Wow, where do I start? Color blasts out from every page. The photography is as spectacular as National Geographic photography has always been—brilliant, intimately detailed, knock-you-off-your-feet fantabulous. Divided into ten sections, the Kids Almanac 2016 begins with a section on interesting things happening in 2016, and then it explores the usual topics of history, culture, science, geography, nature, and animals. The almanac also includes a section on green technology and its effect on Earth, and a section about exploration and survival. Most likely, a favorite for kids will be the section on games. Actually, the Kids Almanac 2016 contains a game throughout the entire 350 pages. In each chapter is a clue. Find all ten clues and you can open up digital extras.
In reading the Kids Almanac 2016, I think National Geographic has covered all the subjects kids will find interesting and all those they need to know about. Adults can get a lot out of this almanac as well. There is a tremendous amount of information in this relatively small book. I loved the animal topics, of which there are many. Kids interested in dinosaurs will find a prehistoric timeline, nine “Bet you didn’t know” facts, and myths. Each section ends with a quiz on that section’s subject. When you cannot get to a place, or want to know what is happening in different places around the world, the Kids Almanac 2016 is a tremendous aid. Kids can also dig a little deeper in subjects they love and learn about subjects they never thought about or thought were dull. There is not one tedious word or picture in the Kids Almanac 2016. Here are a few subjects I found to be amazing:
“Secrets of the Blue Holes”
Animal photography and how to get the shot.
“The Wonders of Nature: the Oceans”
“Worlds Wackiest Houses”
“16 Cool Facts about Coral Reefs”
The jokes and comics in Fun and Games
Orangutan to the Rescue (Survival Story)”
What would a National Geographic book be without its gorgeous maps? The Kids Almanac 2016 has plenty of maps and flags. I think the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016 is a must read, if not a must have, for kids, especially middle graders who will learn a lot without realizing they are learning. The Kids Almanac 2016 is fun, exciting, and interesting. The pages are colorful, the photographs and images extremely detailed, and the subject matter is diverse.
Though kids are just now beginning to enjoy their summer school breaks, the Kids Almanac 2016 will keep them reading through the summer, which will help kids during their next school year, make them more informed about their world. Parents concerned about the books their kids read will have not one worry about this almanac. Every word, every subject, and every article is kid-friendly. The National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016 is an interesting read that will keep kids hooked long past summer vacation.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS ALMANAC 2016. Text and images copyright © 2015 by National Geographic Society. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, National Geographic Society in partnership with National Geographic Kids Magazine, Washington DC.
Purchase National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016 at Amazon
Kids! Join the National Geographic Kids Book Club HERE!
Teachers and Librarians can find additional information at: http://www.ngchildrensbooks.org
National Geographic Educational site is HERE.
Learn more about National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016 HERE.
Check out the National Geographic Society website: http://www.nationalgeographic.com
Find other National Geographic books at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/books
Learn more about the National Geographic Kids Magazine at the website: http://www.kids.nationalgeographic.com
Kids Almanac 2015
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Copyright © 2015 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved
Review section word count = 496
Add a Comment
Gaithersburg is pretty far out to really be the DC market, but I’ll look for Gilly Hopkins on demand. Thanks for posting that!
Congratulations on the Eddie Digital Award nomination!
Thanks!
Congrats to your better half on THE SECRETS OF STORY. I love books on the nuts and bolts of writing, & Writers Digest has put out some great ones (Chuck Wendig, Orson Scott Card, Nancy Kress.) You had me at STC meets Joseph Campbell.
Thanks! STC isn’t really our business so I never know if the reference is going to mean anything to the person I’m talking to. I knew I could count on you to get it!