Author Skype visit

Image via CrunchBase

Author school visits are a wonderful way to turn kids onto books.  But, with tight budgets, a lot of schools simply can't afford the expense; unless they get creative.  Author Skype visits are a less expensive alternative, and it's easier than you think.  Most schools already have the equipment necessary and Margriet Ruurs has written an easy "how to" host an author Skype visit in Canadian Teacher Magazine. While you're there, check out a few of the other wonderful articles.

Help Slave Lake, AB rebuild their fire-devestated library

My son-in-law has been up fighting the fire in Slave Lake Alberta.  In a phone conversation to us he spoke about how terrible the destruction was.  What a nightmare for the people of that fire-devestated town. My heart goes out to them. One of their losses has been their new public library.  I'm so happy to see that support from other libraries, publishers and book lovers has been pouring in. Please consider helping with:
1) cash donations which can be made through www.slavelakelibrary.ab.ca on their "Make a Donation" link, or
2) donating new or nearly new books (they are asking for books no older than 2 years, probably to avoid musty cast-offs).  These can be shipped to the Peace Library system headquarters for cataloguing and storage until a temporary library can be opened in Slave Lake.


ATTN: Books for Slave Lake Library
Peace Library System
8301 -- 110 Street
Grande Prairie, AB T8W 6T2

Room by Emma Donoghue

I've been reading a book called Room by Emma Donoghue.  It's an amazingly powerful story about a young woman who is kidnapped from her university, locked in a steel reinforced shed and forced to become a man's sex slave.  She has a child, Jack who is the narrator of the story.  It's a difficult and yet wonderfully told story.  Aside from being a compelling story in it's own right, this is a novel that would be fabulous in terms of studying voice, character and how plot and character are and must be intertwined.  Donahue totally nails both Jack and his mother's voice before they escape, and after.  It's one of those must reads.  Although it's fiction, Donahue has created characters who live and breathe.

Blogging vacation

Life is crazy busy right now, so I've decided to cut myself a little slack.  I'm taking a blogging vacation until things settle down a little.  Feel free to peruse the past few years of  posts.  I'll still be tweeting and facebooking on occasion so I won't be disappearing entirely.  Happy spring.

Rock the Drop! Support Teen Lit Day

Yep, it's Teen Lit Day today, and there is no shortage of ways to celebrate.  For ideas on how to make this day rock, check out YALSA (Young Adult Library Services). 

Meanwhile, readergirlz, one of my favorite blogs, have come up with a pretty cool way to get the word out. It's called Rock the Drop!  Here's what you do.

1. Visit their site (the link is above)

2. Download the same bookplate I've snagged below

3. Print it

4. Paste it into your favorite YA novel

5. Drop the book in a public place (bus stop, coffee shop, etc.

6. Snap a photo 

7. Send it on over to readergirz AT gmail Dot com 

8. check out their site to see the YA love

9. Thank the cool ladies at readergirlz

10. spread the word

Here's my contribution.  I left it in the lobby of my local rec. centre and it was gone when I finished my workout an hour later.  I know that whoever has it will enjoy Miss Smithers by Susan Juby.

JULIAN SMITH - I'm Reading a Book: a great way to support Teen Lit Day

Today is Teen Lit Day.  Yeah.  I discovered this vid by way of a writer Mary McKenna Siddals.  It's pretty cool, and so is Julian.  If you like this, he's got some really cool other clips, music, social commentary and he isn't a bad writer either so have a look at his blog.

Flash Mob Freeze Mob to help Celebrate National Library Week, April 10-1...

Thanks for Leila at Bookshelves of Doom for the heads up on this week being National Library Week as well as National Volunteer Week.  Whew...busy busy week!

http://bookshelvesofdoom.blogs.com/bookshelves_of_doom/