oh, so notable

The New York Times have released their notable books list and this year it makes me feel like such a slacker. Usually, I average about ten books on the list. This year I read a dismal one. One!* I guess this was not my year to be current and hip.

And, um, grown-up. If we turn our attention to the Children's list (and really, it's children's and teens) I've knocked out five of them. I just finished Hunger Games last night and have been thinking about it all day, and have spent the latter half of the year talking up the E. Lockhart. Little Brother I liked but think has been overrated and the picture books were darling. Where is the love for the middle grade reader though?

* In my defensive, I started at least four others on the list and just could not get into them. And, the McCracken is in my checked-out-and-waiting-to-be-read pile.

confessions

It always gives me a slight pause when, post-craft program, a kid offers me what we've just made. It doesn't warm my heart the way spontaneously-made pictures do (yes, I'm still a sucker for that), but it's sweet. And as an occassional crafter, I know it's really all about the process, much more so (usually) than the final product.

But, I always try to talk them into taking it home, because honestly? I'm just going to throw it away.

object of my desire

On the Kristin Miller posted about Adam Wallacavange's work on the Kiki Strike blog today and I cannot stop obsessing over them.

So ... all the reviews I've been seeing of Twilight make the movie sound so, so awesomely bad. Like it is possibly, maybe, very likely the Showgirls of its time.

This obviously increases my interest in the moive about 1000%.

This post on the ALSC blog about the Personal Librarian Kit caught my attention, not for the actual product (which I don't mind and would probably like having-just-to-have, although I'd not really use it and I'd never want to pay money for it, so someone would have to give it to me as a gift. And actually, I'm surprised no one has, because that's the sort of thing that people like to give as gifts to people like me.)

But! That first line of the ALSC post got me thinking: I wonder how many librarians used to play librarian when they were little? I definitely did. I made little slips and was (brifely) the Happiest Little Girl in the World when someone bought me my very own date stamper.

So, did you?

And, just for the record, other professions I also remember playing include detective, school teacher, store clerk and astronaut. Only one of which I have subsequently done as an adult.

my storytime crowd is not nearly so large

I think it's super cool that the Life pictures archives are available on google images. No more dreading the decades assignments and fearing that our books on the sixties will get cut up!

Also cool: the fact that the winner of the National Book Award (for young people) honed her writing chops penning star wars novelizations. And the book does sound pretty darn good.

I have to say, I'm pretty excited about the Coraline movie, even though we're a ways away from relief date. And the presence of Teri Hatcher (whom I'm so not a fan of) won't even deter me, especially when I lurve so many of the other people involved. (John Hodgeman! Ian MacShane! French & Saunders!) USA Today has an article and picture gallery and I think that the poster is movie poster is pretty swell.
(thanks, Early Word!)