Robert's Snow Day 7

Here's the schedule for today's Robert's Snow features.

Sunday, October 21, 2007: (clicking on the author's name will link you to their work at amazon.com, clicking on the blog name will take you to the individual snowflakes)

• Matthew Cordell, featured by “LindaBudz” at Just Like the Nut


• Maxwell Eaton III, featured by Darla at Books and Other Thoughts


• Roz Fulcher, featured by Sheri Goad at Goading the Pen


• Susie Jin, featured by Stephanie Ruble at sruble’s world


• Susan Mitchell, featured by “MsMac” at Check It Out

If you'd like to see other features, please visit the links below.

Week 1: October15-October 21, 2007

Note to Blog Readers about Blogging for a Cure: When Jules of 7-Imp put out her call in September for bloggers to interview/feature artists who had created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2007 at their blogs, a number of artists had not yet sent in their snowflakes to Dana-Farber. As time was of the essence to get Blogging for a Cure underway, we worked with the list of artists whose snowflakes were already in possession of Dana-Farber. Therefore, not all the participating artists will be featured. This in no way diminishes our appreciation for their contributions to this worthy cause. We hope everyone will understand that once the list of artists was emailed to bloggers and it was determined which bloggers would feature which artists at their blogs, a schedule was organized and sent out so we could get to work on Blogging for a Cure ASAP. Our aim is to raise people’s awareness about Robert’s Snow and to promote the three auctions. We hope our efforts will help to make Robert’s Snow 2007 a resounding success. (Used with permission from Wild Rose Reader)

It’s time! Winners of the 2007 Summer Writing Challenge

It’s been months since the start of the Summer Writing Challenge, and now it’s time to announce the winners. So without further ado, here they are:

1st Place: Josephine and the Magic Mirror by Delagar
2nd Place: Saving Happily Ever After by Andy Lemmon
3rd Place: Ever After by Denise- Cinderella
Voting Winner: Davina Behin Jones

Thank you to everyone who entered! Your entries were all so wonderful, I wish I could have chosen them all! For the rest of you, click on the above links to read the winning entries, or view the original voting post to see all of the entered stories.

Winners: Please email me at shadyglade@mail.com letting me know you accept your winnings. Please include (1) your mailing address for your prize(s) and (2) a valid email address you would like the Amazon.com gift certificate sent to (if applicable). And, most important, (3) include 3-4 titles that you would like as your prize from our Prize box.

If anyone needs a refresher, here’s what you’ve won:

1st Place- 1 $10.00 Amazon.com Gift Certificate
2 picks from our Prize Box
1 Strawberry and Champagne Massage Candle (great for reading in the bathtub!)

2nd Place- 1 $5.00 Amazon.com Gift Certificate
1 Pick from our Prize Box

3rd Place- 1 Pick from our Prize Box

Voting Winner- 1 Pick from our Prize Box

Thank you for a great summer! If you’d like to see contests like this in the future, email me at shadyglade@mail.com or leave me a comment to let me know.

Robert’s Snow: Theresa Brandon

By now, many of you have heard of Robert’s Snow, but if you haven’t I’ll give you a quick overview. If you’ve read this before, skip down to see today’s snowflake.

Robert’s Snow was started in 2004 by Children’s illustrator Grace Lin when her husband Robert was diagnosed by with a rare form of cancer. That year, Grace gathered several children’s book illustrators together to each create a unique snowflake that could be auctioned off to raise funds for cancer research. Since it’s beginning, Robert’s Snow has raised over $200,000 dollars for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

And now without further here is the 2007 snowflake done by Theresa Brandon: “Her Royal Highness”: (Click on the picture for a larger version. Trust me, it's worth it!)

Isn’t this great? It combines two of my favorite things: cats and princesses. Also, (since it’s hard to tell from the picture alone) this snowflake also has antique beads and faux gems incorporated into the design in order to give it a three-dimensional feel.

For those of you who are ready to own this stunning piece of art, here are the specifics. The snowflake will be auctioned off in the second set of auctions starting on November 26 at 9:00am and closing on November 30 at 5:00pm. Visit the auction site for even more details.

And now more about the artist who created this beauty!

Theresa Brandon grew up in a small Northern Illinois town and graduated with a major in Art Education. She began freelance illustration in 1996, working part time while still being at stay-at-home mom. She lives in a 130-year-old Victorian house in Illinois, with her husband, two daughter, cat and Scottie dog.

Normally Ms. Brandon prefers to work with watercolor and other traditional media, but she if expanding into digital prints as well. How fun is that? Some of the illustrators she admires most include some of my own favorites: Beatrix Potter, Arthur Rackham, Edmund DuLac, Kay Nielsen. And let’s not forget my own personal favorite: Cicely Mary Barker!

To see more of her amazing artwork, visit Theresa Brandon at her website.

Robert's Snow Day 6

Here's the schedule for today's Robert's Snow features. Please note that these are not the ONLY Robert's Snow illustrators and thier snowflakes. There are several that aren't included simply because of time constraints. Visit the Robert's Snow site to see everything.

Saturday, October 20, 2007: (clicking on the author's name will link you to their work at amazon.com, clicking on the blog name will take you to the individual snowflakes)

• Linas Alsenas, featured by cloudscome at A Wrung Sponge


• Theresa Brandon, featured by Alyssa at The Shady Glade (That's me!)


• Karen Katz, featured by Emily Beeson at Whimsy Books


• Judy Schachner, featured by Kate Messner at Kate’s Book Blog


• Sally Vitsky, featured by Kerry at Shelf Elf: read, write, rave

If you'd like to see other features, please visit the links below.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Friday, October 19, 2007

Robert's Snow Day 5

Here's the schedule for today's Robert's Snow features. Please note that these are not the ONLY Robert's Snow illustrators and thier snowflakes. There are several that aren't included simply because of time constraints. Visit the Robert's Snow site to see everything.

Friday, October 19, 2007: (clicking on the author's name will link you to their work at amazon.com, clicking on the blog name will take you to the individual snowflakes)

• Graeme Base, featured by Andrea and Mark at Just One More Book


• Denise Fleming, featured by Pamela Coughlan (a.k.a. MotherReader) at MotherReader


• Jeff Mack, featured by Gina Ruiz at AmoXcalli and at Cuentecitos


• Jeff Newman, featured by Franki and Mary Lee at A Year of Reading


• Ruth Sanderson, featured by Camille Powell at BookMoot

If you'd like to see other features, please visit the links below.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Thursday, October 18, 2007

What Kind of Reader are You?

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Robert's Snow Day 4

Here's the schedule for today's Robert's Snow features. Please note that these are not the ONLY Robert's Snow illustrators and thier snowflakes. There are several that aren't included simply because of time constraints. Visit the Robert's Snow site to see everything.

Thursday, October 17, 2007: (clicking on the author's name will link you to their work at amazon.com, clicking on the blog name will take you to the individual snowflakes)

• Brooke Dyer, featured by Leila Roy at bookshelves of doom


• D.B. Johnson, featured by Elisabeth Rose Gruner at Lessons from the Tortoise


• Erin Eitter Kono, featured by Sam Riddleburger at his blog


• Sherry Rogers, featured by Loree Griffin Burns at A Life in Books


• Jennifer Thermes, featured by Gail Maki Wilson at Through the Studio Door

If you'd like to see other features, please visit the links below.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Don't Forget to Vote!

Don't forget to vote for the winners of the Summer Writing Challenge. You could win a prize just by voting!

Details available here.

Robert's Snow Day 3

Here's the schedule for today's Robert's Snow features. Please note that these are not the ONLY Robert's Snow illustrators and thier snowflakes. There are several that aren't included simply because of time constraints. Visit the Robert's Snow site to see everything.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007: (clicking on the author's name will link you to their work at amazon.com, clicking on the blog name will take you to the individual snowflakes)

• Rick Chrustowski, featured by Laura Purdie Salas at laurasalas


• Diane deGroat, featured by Jama Rattigan at jama rattigan’s alphabet soup


• Ilene Richard, featured by Susan Dove Lempke at Something Different Every Day


• Brie Spangler, featured by Kimberly at lectitans


• Don Tate, featured by Pam Calvert at The Silver Lining

If you'd like to see other features, please visit the links below.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Robert's Snow Day 2

Here's the schedule for today's Robert's Snow features.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007: (clicking on the author's name will link you to their work at amazon.com, clicking on the blog name will take you to the individual snowflakes)

• Selina Alko featured by Cheryl Klein at Brooklyn Arden


• Scott Bakal featured by Elaine Magliaro at Wild Rose Reader


• Alexandra Boiger featured by Kris Bordessa at Paradise Found
  
• Paige Keiser featured by Paula Willey at Your Neighborhood Librarian
  
• Janet Stevens featured by Tricia Stohr-Hunt at The Miss Rumphius Effect
  

If you'd like to see other features, please visit the links below.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Teen Read Week: Teens' Top Ten

You can now go online and vote for up to three of your favorite nominee for the YALSA Teens' Top Ten. Go here to vote!

Robert's Snow Kickoff

Today is the kickoff for the Blogger's Robert's Snow Event. If you'd like to learn more about the Robert's Snow charity for auction, visit 7Imp's explanation on her blog. Here's the schedule for today's featured snowflakes:

Monday, October 15, 2007: (clicking on the author's name will link you to their work at amazon.com, clicking on the blog name will take you to the individual snowflakes)

• Randy Cecil featured by Liz Dubois at ChatRabbit


• Michelle Chang featured by The Longstockings


• Kevin Hawkes featured by Cynthia Lord at Cynthia Lord's Journal


• Barbara Lehman featured by David Elzey at The Excelsior File


• Grace Lin featured by Becky Bilby at In the Pages

Check back everyday for the list of each day's featured illustrators, and stay tuned for additional features here, including this week!

How to Feed a Goldfish

And now a video brought to you by the Board of Irresponsible people: How to feed a goldfish

(This is just for fun)

Review: The Magic Hour

The Magic Hour by James S. Crowley

“ ‘I’ll come back as soon as they let me.’ Brian grinned. ‘Neat dream, huh? Flying all over town. Except it wasn’t really a dream!’ He waved good-bye and his image faded into the light…”

Born on Halloween, twins Eddie and Brian McCourt are practically inseparable. When Brian dies in a fall from their tree house, Eddie has a hard time accepting the fact that Brian is dead. Devastated by the loss of his best friend, Eddie’s has only one birthday wish this year: to see and talk to his brother again.

When Eddie talks to Brian in a dream, he is convinced that Brian is still alive. In addition to giving Eddie advice about helping his friends and neighbors, Brian urges Eddie to look for him “when time stands still” on Halloween night. The thought gives Eddie comfort, and he eagerly awaits the arrival of his birthday.

With the end of Daylight Savings Time, the clock strikes 1 o’clock twice on Halloween night. In an otherworldly experience during this magic hour, Eddie not only gets to see his brother again, but learns a valuable lesson in helping those around us.

Filled with cast of real and exciting characters, The Magic Hour is a enchanting read. In addition to Eddie and Brian’s story, readers learn about twin connections, Halloween customs, and how our actions can effect other people. Filled with humor, emotion, and even a tiny bit of love, Eddie journey is a truly thought-provoking story.

Recommended for readers 12 and up, although older readers and adults will probably gain more insights into the underlying messages. If you’ve been looking for a perfect Halloween read, then look no further. Autumn or not, this is a great book any time of the year.

Shady Glade Rating: 8/10

*Please note* This was originally posted off-site. Clicking on the below link will take you to the full body of my review found at www.yabookscentral.com

Click here to see the original review.

Rumors unconfirmed

Let me start off by saying that rumors of my demise have been greatly overstated. :-) Okay, just kidding. But I do realize I've been scarce lately. I've had this major biographical theory paper I've been reserching for about a week, and it's kept me pretty busy.

In good news, I've still managed to get a little bit of reading time in, so I've got some good reviews on the way. Really. I mean it this time.

Also, don't forget to cast your vote for the Summer Writing Challenge. You can win a prize just by voting, and your votes are due by next Thursday.

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll try to be back soon, wish me luck!

Let the Games Begin

It’s here! The moment where YOU decide who wins the Summer Writing Challenge. Entries are now closed, and you can vote to choose the winner! We got several great entries, and they’re just dying to figure out who won. So let’s not keep them waiting shall we?

1. 1. Links to all entries are posted below, at the bottom of the post. Read each entry and choose which one is your favorite.
   2. Send me an email at shadyglade@mail.com telling me which entry you chose.
   3. Yes, you can vote for your own story!
   4. You have until midnight (MST) on Thursday, October 18th to get your votes in. Then I will tally them all up and announce the winners.

*BONUS*- Surprise! There’s going to be another winner. In addition to the prizes previously mentioned, I’m hosting another way for all of you to win. Each person who emails me their vote will be entered into a random drawing to win one book from the Prize Box (your choice). So you have no excuse not to vote, even if you didn’t participate! Please include the best way for me to contact you in your email, or you won’t get your prize!

Extra entry- For those of you who are ambitious, you can gain an extra entry into the random drawing. Simply post somewhere (a blog, forum, website, etc.) about the voting. Then send me an email letting me know where you posted it (with a link). Once the post is verified, you’re entered again.

Also, if anyone would like to provide feedback I would be very grateful. What was done well? What needed improvement? Do you want to make this an annual contest? Let your voice be heard!

Thank you again to anyone who participated/commented/spread the word. Good luck to everyone. May the voting begin!

Entries for the Summer 2007 Writing Challenge (in no particular order):

• Saving Indira by Felicia- 1001 Arabian Nights


• Josephine and the Magic Mirror by Delagar- Snow White


• Penelope by Jessica Yeung- The Odyssey


• Notes From Rumpelstiltskin by Davina Behin Jones- Rumpelstiltskin


• Ever After by Denise- Cinderella


• Untitled by Jocelyn Pearce- Sleeping Beauty
  
• Saving Happily Ever After by Andy Lemmon- Goldilocks and the Three Bears


• Not Quite Snow White by Lydia- Snow White

If I missed one (or you missed the deadline on accident) email me and let me know. I may be able to squeeze you in… :-)

And they're off...

The Cybils nominations are now open! From now until November 21st, you have the oppertunity to nominate your favorite books in each of 8 categories:

• Fantasy/Science Fiction
• Fiction Picture Books
• Graphic Novels
• Middle Grade Fiction
• Non-Fiction: Middle Grade and Young Adult
• Non-Fiction Picture Books
• Poetry
• Young Adult Fiction

ANYONE can nominate! All you need is an email address. First, read the short list of rules here. Then, start nominating:

• All books need to have been published in 2007
• One book per person per category (for a total of 8 nominations)
• PLEASE read the other nominations first! That way you don't waste your nomination on one that's already been listed.
• Multiple nominations have absolutely no affect on whether or not a book wins. Trust me, I've been on the panels before, it doesn't make any difference.

Have fun! More information as it comes...

Cinderella's Galore!

So, in light of the Summer Writing Challenge, I decided to look up whatever versions of the Cinderella story I could find while I was at the library a few weeks ago. I’d long known that there was almost a Cinderella story for every culture, but it still surprised me what I found. Unfortunately, I only had about 10 minutes to frantically grab books of the shelves while my brother searched for a book on hamsters.

Despite the time issue, I did manage to find a few interesting books. So when I went home, I looked up Cinderella versions on amazon.com. I managed to find this incredible Listmania! list (does anyone else ever look at those?) that lists every version I’ve ever heard of (including the ones I found at the library) and a bunch more. I haven't read most of these, but that's a situation I intend to fix! So if you’re looking for a fairly complete list of Cinderella picture books, this is where it’s at. I’ve added comments for some of them, and I hope you enjoy!

(Feed users will need to view the original post to see this slideshow. Trust me, it's worth it!)



For older (middle grade and YA) retellings of the Cinderella story, check out my previous post on retold fairy tales.

Books shown in this slideshow:
Abadeha: The Philippine Cinderella by Myrna J. De LA Paz
Adelita by Tomie dePaola
Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderella by Jewell Reinhart Coburn
Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India by Meredith Babeaux Brucker
Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella (Picture Puffins) by Tony Johnston
Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci
Cendrillon: A Cajun Cinderella by Sheila Hebert Collins
Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson
Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella by Susan Lowell
Cinder-Elly (Picture Puffins) by Frances Minters
Cinderhazel: The Cinderella of Halloween by Deborah Nourse Lattimore
Cinderella by C Perrault
Cinderella (Fay's Fairy Tales) by William Wegman
Cinderella by K. Y. Craft
Cinderella: An Art Deco Love Story by Lynn Roberts
Cinderella: The Dog And Her Little Glass Slipper by Diane Goode
Cinderella Penguin: Little Glass Flipper (Picture Puffins) by Janet Perlman
Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci
Cinderella's Rat by Susan Meddaugh
Cinderlily: A Floral Fairy Tale by David Ellwand
Dinorella: A Prehistoric Fairy Tale by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Disney Princess: My Side of the Story - Cinderella/Lady Tremaine - Book #1 (My Side of the Story (Disney)) by Daphne Skinner
Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition by Jewell Reinhart Coburn
The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Ella's Big Chance: A Jazz-Age Cinderella (Kate Greenaway Medal (Awards)) by Shirley Hughes
Fair, Brown & Trembling: An Irish Cinderella Story by Jude Daly
Fanny's Dream (Picture Puffins) by Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner
The Gift of the Crocodile: A Cinderella Story by Judy Sierra
Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman and Julie Paschkis
The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story by Rebecca Hickox
The Gospel Cinderella by Joyce Carol Thomas
Hilary Knight's Cinderella by Hilary Knight
If the Shoe Fits: Voices From Cinderella by Laura Whipple
The Irish Cinderlad (Trophy Picture Books) by Shirley Climo
Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella by Jewell Reinhart Coburn
The Korean Cinderella (Trophy Picture Books)by Shirley Climo
Little Firefly by Terri Cohlene and Charles Reasoner
Little Gold Star: A Spanish American Cinderella Tale by Robert D. San Souci
Moss Gown by William H. Hooks
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters (Reading Rainbow Book) by John Steptoe
Naya, the Inuit Cinderella by Brittany Marceau-Chenkie
The Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo
Prince Cinders by Babette Cole
Princess Furball by Charlotte Huck
Raisel's Riddle by Erica Silverman
The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin
Rufferella by Vanessa Gill-Brown
Salmon Princess: An Alaska Cinderella Story (Paws IV Children's Books) by Mindy Dwyer
Sootface by Robert D. San Souci
Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella (Picture Puffins) by Alan Schroeder
Sumorella: A Hawaii Cinderella Story by Sandi Takayama
Cinderella/That Awful Cinderella: A Classic Tale (Point of View) by Alvin Granowsky
The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story by Penny Pollock
The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition by Nina Jaffe
Yeh-Shen (Paperstar Book)by Ai-Ling Louie