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From Wired.com’s GeekDad (Oct. 1, 2011): This week I came across one of the scariest stories I’ve read in some time. It doesn’t have zombies or vampires or werewolves, dastardly masterminds or super-powered villains or even your guy-next-door-who-turns-out-to-be-evil. What makes it frightening to me, actually, is what it doesn’t have: books. Well, okay, that’s not technically true. “The Future of Books: A Dystopian Timeline” (posted this week on TechCrunch) paints a picture of the future of publishing, and in this world, digital publishing will supplant traditional publishing as soon as 2025, at which point people like me will be the last hold-outs, futilely clinging toRead More →

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Publisher’s Weekly (Oct. 3, 2011) reports: The young adult market these days is a bit like a nephew you haven’t seen in years: transformed from a little darling into a hulking almost-grownup who is maybe even a little scary. Teen titles dominate publishers’ fall lists, and those books overwhelmingly feature menacing creatures, forbidden romances, and apocalyptic versions of this and future Earth. “Blood” is a common word in titles, as is “dark,” “death,” “deadly,” and even “darker still.” Wait, that is an actual title. Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber (Sourcebooks, Nov.) “I don’t think the readership is tired of these types of stories,” saysRead More →

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Two or three times a year, PBC has the privilege to host a small dinner with a touring author and a group of Valley educators.  Jade & I look forward to the opportunity to bring some of our diverse, but like-minded (i.e. book-obsessed!), customers together for a relaxing evening, a good dinner, and interesting conversation featuring an author.  In the past we’ve welcomed Heather Brewer, James Dashner, Laurie Halse Anderson, David Levithan, and many others and it’s always been an experience to remember.  Last night, while on his nationwide tour for Goliath, the final book in the Leviathan Trilogy, best-selling author Scott Westerfeld  joined us for another great gathering. Read More →

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Did you know that it is currently Banned Books Week? Every year, during the last week of September, hundreds of libraries and bookstores across the US join together to celebrate the freedom to read and the importance of the first amendment. Since 1982, more than 11.000 books have been challenged for a variety of reasons. Banned Books Week celebrates American’s right to free and open access to information and points out the harms of censorship by looking at both actual and attempted bannings of books across the country. Want to know more? Check out the ALA website and bannedbooksweek.org. In 2010, the 10 most challengedRead More →

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From toolboxforeducation.com: “Raise up to $5000 for your school in minutes. It’s almost that easy when you take advantage of Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant program. Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) knows how hard you work for your kids and your community and we’re dedicated to helping your parent-teacher group achieve even more for your school. Apply for our Toolbox for Education Grant now and build on your already impressive parent group success with Lowe’s. Now in its 6th year of helping build better schools and communities, the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program has provided nearly $25 million to more than 5,000 schools acrossRead More →

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From National Public Radio (Sept 20., 2011): Fresh Air’s Terry Gross conducted a long interview with Maurice Sendak, on the occasion of his new picture book, Bumble-Ardy, which he called “a combination of the deepest pain and the wondrous feeling of coming into my own.” Read the story and listen to the interview HERERead More →

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From Reading Rockets: Small love notes tucked inside a lunch box or book bag can really bring a smile to your child’s face. In addition to reinforcing reading skills, you’re also modeling the power of writing. Click Here to visit the site and get free downloads of ready-to-print note papers, featuring whimsical, colorful artwork by well-known children’s book illustrators. Cori says:  My mom used to leave me little notes all the time (in fact, she still does when I go home to visit) – tucked into my lunch box, in my night bag when I went on a sleepover, and so many other places. It wasRead More →

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School Library Journal’s Nell Colburn (9/1/11) reports: Four-year-old Ana peeks out the window and jumps up and down as soon as she sees a special visitor pull up in front of her apartment complex. “Mama, the bags, las bolsas,” she shouts. Mama has the two bright red bags ready. They’re full of children’s books, the only ones in their home. One holds Spanish-English board books for Ana’s baby brother, Tomás. The other has books for Ana: two picture book classics in English, Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar (World, 1969) and Martin Waddell’s Owl Babies (Candlewick, 1993), and two bilingual picture books in Spanish andRead More →