Link Love -- Boys and Books, Neil Gaiman, and Tigger, No Less!

Took the week off from links last week, not because I planned to but because life just got away from me. Back on schedule this week though, and lots of linky goodness to share!

~ First up, a link from the New York times on boys and reading. Much is made of the need for books that appeal to boys, and whether that is the issue or if there are other factors at work. I tend to think there are lots of factors at work, not least is the need for kids to see adults modeling the behavior. BTW, if you're looking for great reads for boys, there are many options out there -- check out blogs like Guys Lit Wire, Boys Rock Boys Read, and Guys Read, for a start. (Thanks to Aubri K. for the NYT link.)

~ While we're on the topic of authors guys want to read, the Guardian has this interview with Neil Gaiman from the Edinburgh Book Festival. Enough said.

~ A little late, but still, here's a link to Publisher's Weekly's Fall 2011 Children's Books Preview. Make your wish lists now, folks! So much good stuff in one really long link. I might just have to buy this issue, for ease of having the whole list in one place. Oh, and I love that the cover art for that issue is by the illustrator of one of Sprout's current most requested bedtime reads. (Which I am, I fear, slowly in the process of memorizing. But whatever.)

~ Classes start up for me again in two weeks (though papers have already been assigned -- how unfair is that?). If your summer went waaaaay too fast too, how about a rundown of chapter books and picture books from MotherReader? Add a few of these to your library queue and extend the summer love well into the fall. We will be.

~  One of the bad things about balancing work, school and family is that it all cuts into my precious reading time. But I still work hard to fit in some pleasure reading, and Apothecary by Maile Meloy, due out in October, is one I'll make time for. Check out the Publisher's Weekly interview with Meloy. If that's not enough to peak your interest, the book trailer is sure to do the trick.

~ Now that I've whetted your appetite for interviews, how about this conversation with illustrator Jon Klassen from the blog Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. If Klassen's work looks familiar, you might have seen it in the Incorrigibles books by MaryRose Wood (which, if you haven't read, just get them. Now. You'll thank me later). Sprout and I recently brought home Cats Night Out by Caroline Stutson, which Klassen illustrated. The story itself went completely over Sprout's head, but we both loved the pictures. So there.

~ That last is just another case of a phenomenon that is simply unavoidable: kids and adults view the same material in different ways. Unfortunately it's not always possible for us, as literary professionals and as parents, to understand how and why that difference occurs. Sometimes when I read and rave about something, I wonder: is this a book that kids would actually read and love, or is this the kind of kidlit that is more appreciated by adults than the target audience? Along those lines, Fuse #8 was in a speculative mood this week. What's your opinion?

~ Literary dirty secrets: everyone has one. It's the book (or series) that everyone else in the known universe has read but you. For me, until recently, it was The Hunger Games, but I can now hold my head up high and say that I've read at least the first book, and loved it. At this link, one author comes clean on her hold-out. Fair warning, it's a doozy!

~ And finally, Flavorwire has a recurring feature in which they speculate on various literary characters' playlists. This time around is Tigger, and -- no surprise here -- it's all about fun!

More next week -- and as always, if you have a link to share, pass it on to me at sproutsbookshelf *at*gmail*dot*com.