School Library Journal talks to publishing's brightest stars. en-us http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/community/Interviews/47052.html?nid=3240 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/info/260304.html Terms of Use. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:09:27 MST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6705452.html?nid=3240 Former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo talks about his latest book Running Wild, his passion about the world’s natural habitats, and why he’s throwing his weight behind MySchoolBook.com. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703707.html?nid=3240 Popeye lives with his grandmother, Velma, who recites the names of the kings and queens of England in chronological order so she won’t go crazy. What else should we know about Popeye’s life? Popeye lives in a small Southern town with nothing to do in the summer, and he’s bored. And then, lo and behold, a shiny silver motor home gets stuck in the mud in front of his house and, ... Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703695.html?nid=3240 From Grace Lin’s blog: June 19, 2007 Relief Even though I have been quiet about it, the last two weeks have been really brutal. Robert has suffered viciously, yet still soldiered on. I felt the least I could do was try to do the same. But the last few days have brought improvement and relief, and as it rains upon us, my creative seeds begin to sprout again… and it looks like I’... Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6704240.html?nid=3240 Greg Heffley’s back again—and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (Abrams/Amulet, 2009), the fourth book in Jeff Kinney’s hugely popular series, is already dominating national bestseller lists. SLJ just caught up with Kinney to talk about his book tour, why he’s keeping his day job—and yes, the fact that a fifth book is in the works. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6699356.html?nid=3240 Eric Carle, 80, says he’s officially retired. SLJ caught up with the legendary author and illustrator to talk about the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and how he spends his time these days. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6697381.html?nid=3240 Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has been keeping busy since her retirement three years ago. Her semi-autobiographical picture book, Finding Susie (Knopf, 2009), came out in June, and she recently launched Our Courts, an interactive civics Web site for middle schoolers, which features cleverly animated role-playing games, videos, resources for teachers—and a chance to chat with the first woman justice herself. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6696778.html?nid=3240 Leave it to the Father of Fat Albert to champion libraries. Bill Cosby, the legendary comedian, actor, author, and supporter of public schools, recently flew to Detroit to tape two public services announcements (PSAs) meant to remind students in failing school districts about the treasures they can unlock inside libraries. We caught up with Cosby, who also has a PhD in education, to ask why we need libraries now more than ever—and how parents can benefit, too. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6699113.html?nid=3240 Your new novel takes place on a fictitious volcanic island, where a group of extraordinary people, called the Lost, are mysteriously murdered. What exactly is a Lost? A Lost is somebody who is capable of sending their senses—effectively fragments of their consciousness—away from their body in a loosely tethered fashion. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6699412.html?nid=3240 Getting arrested by the Taliban, hanging out with Somali pirates, and riding through the streets of Phnom Penh are all in a day's for photojournalist Jason Florio. Now he and his partner, Helen Jones, are walking 700 miles around the perimeter of The Gambia to raise money for the U.K.-based Eden Project charity. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6697008.html?nid=3240 The late award-winning author and illustrator Arnold Lobel never expected that the private sketches he gave as gifts to friends would ever be published. But after an estate sale last year uncovered several unpublished works, his daughter Adrianne Lobel placed a few calls—and a new book was quickly under way. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6696746.html?nid=3240 From her home in New Zealand, author Margaret Mahy, 73, has penned more than 100 books—the first of which was published while working as a children’s librarian in 1969. Her latest picture book, Bubble Trouble (Clarion, 2009), a giggling romp about a baby bobbing through the air, earned her a prestigious Boston Globe Horn Book Award. We asked her how she stays aloft as a writer and from where her inspiration flows. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6687419.html?nid=3240 Forget ash blonde or sable brunette. Kat Werner, the head of teen services at Benton Public Library in Benton Harbor, MI, prefers the more adventurous shades of the rainbow on the top of her head. That’s why she decided to auction her hair color to a lucky winner in her summer reading program. On September 9, Werner changed her hair color yet again—this time to yellow and orange. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:15:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6685554.html?nid=3240 You’ve won five Caldecott Honors and five Coretta Scott King Awards. But a lot of folks are saying this is your best book yet. You often hear authors and artists say, “I respond to and I’m inspired by the child within me.” And a lot of my career was about that. I was reaching down to find that part of me that spoke not only about my childhood but what I thought about chi... Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6685547.html?nid=3240 John Palfrey is one busy guy, with an impressive gig. In 2008, he was named the Henry N. Ess III Professor of Law and Vice Dean for Library and Information Resources at Harvard Law School. And when he’s not teaching courses on intellectual property and Internet law, there’s a good chance he’s overseeing the L school’s research library. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6678735.html?nid=3240 Former media specialist Marcia Mardis wants school libraries to continue being the center of learning. That’s why the assistant professor at Florida State University’s (FSU) School of Library and Information Studies is using a $400,000 grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to explore how K-12 media centers can integrate digital resources into their collections and services as quickly and easily as they collect traditional resources. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6676401.html?nid=3240 Most followers of the fantasy genre know Terry Pratchett’s beloved "Discworld" series. But Nation, (HarperCollins, 2008), Pratchett’s recent coming-of-age tale, steers readers into the adventure realm. We caught up with the award-winning British author to ask why he often features children as his main characters and how his work has changed since his diagnosis with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6676285.html?nid=3240 Anthony Browne, the beloved author of Gorilla (Candlewick, 2002), has just stepped into his new role as Britain’s newest Children’s Laureate. We caught up with Browne to hear how he plans to promote school libraries in the U.K., why he believes adults should read children’s books too, and where he finds his muse for his work. By the way, his latest book, Little Beauty (Candlewick, 2008), is—surprise, surprise—about gorillas. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6675238.html?nid=3240 It’s not often that public schools are built by famous architects or house artwork by known artists, but author and art historian Michele Cohen has found more than 1,500 works of art in New York City schools and documents them in Public Art for Public Schools (Random, 2009). Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6674343.html?nid=3240 Photographer David Doubilet travels the world snapping pictures of life under the sea. In his new book, Face to Face with Sharks (National Geographic, 2009), created with his wife, Jennifer Hayes, he’s hoping that children will become enthralled with these creatures and help save their dwindling population. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:10:00 EST http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6673583.html?nid=3240 Your latest novel is about a 14-year-old punk who steals cars, does drugs, and gets into fights. When Bobby’s family moves from Dublin to the country to start over, they soon discover that their lives may be in peril. What inspired you to write such a gritty story? I had this idea kicking around in my mind for about five or more years. Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST