Angieville

I found out several days ago and have been quietly waiting to make sure it didn't disappear before my eyes before posting it here. And I'm happy to report that yes, it does in fact exist . That not only has it been up and running now for 10 days, but Ms. McKinley has been posting on it regularly . And no, it has not disappeared. I've given myself permission to sit back and relax. It appears the wonderfulness is here to stay.

So the wicked awesome people over at the Cybils were kind enough to give me a slot on the judging panel for the Graphic Novels category! I'm just a tad bit excited. Okay, I walked around with a dumb grin on my face all day. The coolest thing (apart from the free books and extreme blogability) is the illustrious company I'm in. Just look at their blogs. My kind of people. In case you're wondering, the Cybils are the Children's and YA Bloggers' Literary Awards. A first on the internet, they reside somewhere between the Newbery and the Quills. More about them here . The nominations begin October 1st so make sure to head on over and nominate your favorite books of 2007 in the following categories: Young Adult Fiction; Fantasy/Science Fiction; Graphic Novels; Middle Grade Fiction; Poetry; Picture Books; Non-fiction Picture Books; and Non-fiction (YA/MG). Anyone with an email address can nominate one book in each category, so don't miss out. More to come as the nomi...

Must they all go at once? First Lloyd Alexander and now Madeleine L'Engle. Don't they know I can only take so many childhood heroes departing at a time? I came across A Wrinkle in Time shortly after reading the Chronicles of Prydain and I still remember how smooth the pages were. And how much I dug Meg. She was my age. She was smart and awkward, angry and strong. And she never gave up. She held on to her family and those who became family like Calvin and Dr. Colubra. And when I read Mrs. Whatsit's line, "By the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract," I just couldn't put it down. I had no idea what a tesseract was or why the sound of it sent a chill down my spine. I didn't care. I just had to keep reading. I read my way through A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet and then I read all the Austin family books. The Young Unicorns is still one of my very favorites, chilling and beautiful as so many of hers are. Like Lloyd Alexander's b...

I can't believe it's been six years. I still have a hard time thinking about it. Today I simply wanted to link to Meg Cabot's arresting account of her experiences that day in New York City. Because it's important to remember. 9/11/01

Best reads of the past month: Love Walked In by Maria de los Santos I picked this one up on the recommendation of....now I've forgotten who (she says sheepishly). In any event, this is de los Santos' first novel. She is an accomplished poet and her way with words is evident throughout this charming debut. When I read the dedication, I knew this book and I would get on together. The book is dedicated to her significant other, with the lines, "You're the Nile, You're the Tower of Pisa." Ah, Cole Porter. What follows is essentially an homage to the films and film stars of the 1930s and 40s, particularly The Philadelphia Story . Not far in Cornelia, our protagonist, notes, "Jimmy Stewart is always and indisputably the best man in the world, unless Cary Grant should happen to show up." I nod my head, Yes, this is true. I liked Cornelia and the way she viewed her life as a film, waiting for Cary Grant to walk through her door. I liked Teo and his wonderfu...