National Poetry Month

I recently received my poster for National Poetry Month-which is in April. 

Here it comes--are you ready? 

Everything you need to know about it (and I mean everything) is on their website. Information galore! 

April 30 is Poem in Your Pocket Day. The idea is to select a poem, carry it with you and pass it along to family, friends, and coworkers throughout the day. There is a ton of information about it on the above website. You can even sign up to receive a poem each day during the month of April. 

Enjoy some great poetry in the coming month!

Sequel to The Hunger Games

So maybe there are some people out there like me who didn't know there was already a title and release date for the second book in The Hunger Games series. 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins currently has a September 1, 2009 release date. YIPEE!

Here's the synopsis:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

I secretly wish that The Hunger Games  would have been about another 100-200 more pages and that it would have ended with just being a wonderful one-book book. (A happy ending with a romance flung in.) 

A Bookshelf Blog

I came across this very cool blog all about bookshelves. I love just looking at all the interesting ones they show and dreaming about which ones I would like to have in my house and classroom. (Just dreaming for now though.)

Any book lover will want to check them out at the Bookshelf blog.

I Heart Your Blog Award

Thanks to Melissa at One Librarian's Book Reviews for my cool award. I am jumping up and down. Yee haw!

Now I get to follow the rules:

1. Add the logo to your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.

3. Nominate other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.

5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs. 

I think I will add a #6 to the rules. Sit back and relax and enjoy your award. Look for the cash to come in the mail (yeah, right) and have someone take you out to dinner to celebrate (their treat). 

Really, thanks for the award and here are my nominations.

Janssen at Everyday Reading. I really enjoy her blog. You not only get to read book reviews, but you get a little peek into her life (some great recipes too). I really enjoyed a recent post she did about a library that charges to reserve books. Have you ever heard of such a thing? 

Katie at Katie's Literature Lounge. Katie always knows when these certain non-traditional holiday days are. For example: Deaf Awareness Day, National Grammar Day, Johnny Appleseed Day, etc. Who knew? She also lists books that go with the specific day. 

Ruth and Stacey at Two Writing Teachers. This blog is just filled with so much wonderful information about writing. Their motto is: Write-it's good for you. One thing they listed under the mission of their blog is that it is for teachers to be fueled with a passion for teaching, writing, and living.

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester

I first heard about this book on Stephenie Meyer's website. Here's what she said: 

"It's the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men. I was smiling the whole time (except for the part where I cried). Prepare to have your heart warmed."

Yes, the main character in the story, Piper McCloud, can fly. Her flying ends up causing trouble so she gets sent to a top-secret school for kids with exceptional abilities. She stays true to her 'hick' self while getting into and out of trouble.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters, the adventures and the story. 

Calling the ALA Youth Media Winners

Before the awards were announced, the committees went into a private room to call the winners. I found it enjoyable to hear the reactions from the honorees. 

Here is the link to watch a video of the committee members make the exciting calls. I especially like Laurie Halse Anderson's reaction. I think she started crying. 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Okay, so there are many great reviews out there about this 2009 Newbery Award Winner. I really didn't read them because I didn't want to know anything about the book or read any spoilers. So this is just my opinion about the book. 

It was slow for me for a bit. The second half started getting more interesting. More adventure. Since it did win the Newbery I was expecting it to wrap up in a more incredible way than it did. I enjoyed the ending, and I even teared up a bit. That helped me to like the book more. Sometimes when books are not my favorite all the way through, but they have an ending I enjoy, then I appreciate them more. (I don't mean any offense to the author and those who love his work.) I'm just one person with my opinion that I share here on my blog.

Fablehaven News

Shannon Hale interviewed Brandon Mull on her blog. Of course, fans of the series know that the 4th Fablehaven book comes out this month. (Yipee!) 

Shannon was asking him about Fablehaven 5, which is due out in 2010. (Double Yipee!) That book will complete the series. 

This is what he said about book #5:

"Book five will probably be called Keys of the Demon Prison. Not many people know that yet. I've started working on it. I'm excited about the plan I have."

I am excited too!