This, That, and the Other
November 4th, 2013 by jules
[Edited to Add, Tuesday morning — I meant to say one more thing, dear readers: I am PERPETUALLY behind on email. I get a lot of blog-related emails. I am months behind, but I am making chinks in the stone and slowly getting caught up. If you’ve emailed me about something and you’re thinking I’m rude and incommunicative … well, no, all my emails this morning, as I try to catch up, begin with “sorry it took me months to reply.” Is it weird to wish I had a 7-Imp Administrative Assistant? Anyway, I hope to get back to everyone soon.]
I don’t tend to do news’y-type posts here at 7-Imp, but it’s just time for a few announcements that I find worthwhile for one reason or another:
First, I just have to share this. My favorite musician, Sam Phillips, recently wrote this:
I’ve decided to make November “Art Month.” It seems like a more interesting way to kick off the holidays. Some say that food is the new rock n’ roll, so I say that art is the new food.
Amen.
Okay, the announcements. I decided to use rock-and-roll hands, instead of boring bullets:
I’m currently in the second year of my two-year term as a member of the ALSC Grant Administration Committee for the American Library Association. It’s truly inspiring to read about what many innovative and enthusiastic librarians across the country are doing. We were encouraged to remind librarians about these grants; as you’ll see, some deadlines have passed, but not all of them. Please spread the word, librarians, and consider applying (if eligible). There are some great opportunities here.
Speaking of ALSC/ALA, I’m honored to be on the ballot for the Newbery 2016 committee, posted here.
Voting for ALSC members isn’t till Spring, but no matter the results, I am, as I said, honored to even be named there.
It’s Picture Book Month, an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book every November. Since every month is Picture Book Month ’round these 7-Imp parts, I of course am super supportive of this initiative. I’ll even be visiting the site soon, and there are all kinds of other picture book enthusiasts and picture book creators visiting the site all month, weighing in on the art form that is the picture book.
For those of you in the middle Tennessee area, don’t forget Nashville Kidlit Drink Nights. We currently meet on the second Thursday of every month at Fido in Nashville, which means we’ll be meeting there next Thursday, November 14th.
If you want more information, we have a Facebook page (hope that link works) or you can always just email me and ask away.
I was a judge this year for the Cheerios New Author Contest, but judges are just the first part of the process. Now it’s up to the public to vote, and we judges were also encouraged to get the word out. So, here’s the low-down:
This award (only about five years old) is for debut picture book authors. The chosen manuscript will be paired with an illustrator and published by Simon & Schuster after being included in Cheerios boxes as a mini book. If you’re so inclined, go vote on the three manuscripts. All kinds of nonsense can get thrown at kids in cereal boxes, but books? I can get behind that. Also one aspiring picture book author will end up really, really happy. Here’s the link.
Did you see the New York Times’ 2013 Best Illustrated Children’s Books, announced last week? Here’s the slideshow. And if you want to see even more art, I covered some (not all) of these books here at 7-Imp this year. I would tell you to hit the archives page here, but I’m months behind in updating that page. One day I’ll find Hermione Granger’s Time-Turner and find some time to update it with all of 2013’s posts thus far.
Until later this week …
