Diablo on Judy

Diablo Cody, author of Candy Girl and screenwriter of Juno, writes a column in Entertainment Weekly called Binge Thinking.  Her most recent column was in praise of children’s/young adult author Judy Blume.  Check out “In Praise of Judy Blume” for Cody’s unique take and appreciation of Judy Blume and her work.  The comments section also makes for good reading–Blume’s work really seems to leave a lasting impression on readers. 

And if that’s not enough Judy appreciation for you, check out the book of essays Cody mentions in the article called Everything I Need to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume.   Authors (mostly chick lit) like Meg Cabot and Megan McCafferty talk about how Judy Blume’s books affected their lives.  Fun reading, though it’s amazing how many authors talk about Deenie.  (My personal favorite–and Cody’s–is Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself.)  (Carol J.)

MPR’s Mid-Morning on Catcher in the Rye

On Friday 9/5, Mid-Morning on MPR tackled the question of what classics students are reading in school, and whether those classics (such as Catcher in the Rye) should be put aside for more current and contemporary fiction.  The article which triggered the discussion, by Anne Trubek, is pretty interesting in its own right.  The author includes her own list of suggested reading, and the comments get pretty heated. 

An interesting discussion ensued, with listeners calling in to contribute their ideas of great modern fiction that students should be reading.  (From at least one car, I can tell you, the name Sherman Alexie was being shouted at the car radio, and luckily, he was the first author to be mentioned.)

Kerri Miller promised a list of suggestions was going to be posted on the website, so check back at the Mid-Morning website for more details!  (Carol J.)

Confessions of a Children’s Librarian

I love the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.  Yes, it’s teen vampire romance with a few werewolves thrown in for excitement, but the dialog is well written and the plot zooms along so fast, you waste 2 hours without even trying.  I read the first book in 3 days, the second book in 4, and the 3rd book in 2.  And I have two kids under age 4. 

It’s scary to admit loving something so trivial to one’s peers, but doesn’t everyone have at least one book or author they’re embarrassed to admit they like?  Don’t YOU?  (Ann W.)