Until I Can Write a Real Entry

I'm not doing a terrific job of keeping up with this thing. I mention that to make clear that I notice, too. Some up coming entries will be about a book of teen poetry I hope to read soon and an authorized autobiography of Lemony Snicket I bought at the grocery store and haven't opened. Until I can get around to those, why not go visit Salon.com's new Weblog?

Need I point out that I was doing it first?

A Site to Visit This Summer

Presumably we all have less to do in the summer, which means we have more time to read. I haven't ever actually found that to be the case, but let's pretend you do. Where might you get some ideas for something new and different to read?

At BookSense.com, a Web site that functions as part of a marketing campaign for independent booksellers. There's plenty of information on books there. You can also order books at this site. If I understand the system correctly, the orders will be filled by an independent bookstore near you.

BookSense.com maintains a bi-monthly selection of new kids books chosen by independent booksellers, the most recent being called the Spring/Summer 2002 Children's Book Sense. Check it out for something new to read these next few weeks.

Things are Kind of Slow Right Now

It's summer so I'm not doing any school presentations, and kidlit conference season appears to be over. So I don't have much to write about these days. That's how I'm explaining and excusing this entry.

You see, yesterday I was at the grocery store, one of those big ones with a book section. It had been recently renovated and as grocery store book sections go, it was quite nice. Anyway, there, on an end display of picture books, what did I see but The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts by Shinta Cho. Oh, how I wish we knew how to insert graphics into this blog so I could show you the elephant butt on the cover!

The title is both lyrical and descriptive. The book is exactly what it says it is...The Story of Farts. I stood there next to my shopping cart with my mouth open and read the whole thing. As a mom, I would have been hesitant to make this book available to my kids because once I had they would have taken it as absolute permission to talk the talk and...uh, walk the walk, so to speak. As a reader, I have to say I know plenty of adults who would love this book. Yeah, for its factual information. That's right.