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May 2006
In this issue:
Rosemary Wells books.
Lane Smith posters.
Young Readers Advisory Group.
April reviews from A-Review-A-Day.
"The Great Good Thing" by Roderick Townley, review by Mark David Bradshaw.
Author visit opportunity.
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We were at a presentation this morning featuring Rosemary Wells, and she signed
some books for the store. If you're interested in purchasing a signed copy of
"Carry Me!" or "My Shining Star: Raising a Child Who is Ready to Learn," call
the store at (316) 682-1181. The signed copies are limited in number.
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For the first six people to reply to this e-mail, I have a BIG poster (25.5 x
35.5") promoting Lane Smith's new book, "John, Paul, George & Ben." The poster
is appropriate for the classroom or library, as it reads, "Hey! Folks are trying
to READ... PLEASE SHUT YOUR BIG YAP!"
Maybe I should hang one in my office...
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We try to read as many books as we can, but we all know too well the expression,
"So many books, so little time." So we'd like your help to form a Young
Readers Advisory Group for Watermark Books.
Watermark is looking for 6-8 readers and critical thinkers, age 10-13 to form
this group. Our goal is to have each member read and evaluate the quality and
marketability of a minimum of four books per year. The store will provide each
member with a selection of pre-publication galleys (bound paperbacks,
generally), and a form for evaluation. We will meet formally four times per year
as a group to go over expectations and evaluations, discuss the books and
distribute new books.
Other details:
1. Meetings (with snacks) will occur on the first Monday of the following
months: May, August, November, and March from 6:30-8:00 pm at Watermark Books &
Cafe.
2. The group will choose a chair that will be responsible for making sure notes
are taken at each meeting and to remind group of upcoming deadlines and
meetings.
3. Comments of the reviewer will be used in marketing by the store and could be
sent to the publisher on a case by case basis. (Publishers have been quite
responsive to this — hearing from a group of readers!)
4. Galleys should not be sold or distributed beyond the Advisory Group.
5. We will work with the group on writing reviews and will post the reviews in
the store and on our website. The reviews may also be sent out to our email
list.
Qualifications for membership:
1. Must have critical thinking skills and have some knowledge of what makes
a
good book beyond what is simply taste.
2. Must have some writing skill or be adept at learning easily.
3. Must be available for meetings.
4. Must have an active email address for communication and have familiarity
with the website and e-letter of Watermark Books & Café.
We are excited about the formation of this group. We are constantly called on to
read the newest books and we simply cannot get to them all. Knowing there are so
many talented and smart readers out there that we can nurture and expose to the
world of publishing is exciting.
If you know of anyone who would be a good candidate, please send them this
information or send their name to Sarah Bagby (sarah.bagby@watermarkbooks.com.)
Sarah will send a short form for them to fill out and return, then will follow
up on that information.
Watermark Books & Café Young Reader’s Advisory Group
Store Contact: Sarah Bagby,
sarah.bagby@watermarkbooks.com
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The following are some links to reviews for children's and young adult books
which have appeared in our A-Review-A-Day e-mails this month:
PICTURE BOOKS
“Where Did Daddy's Hair Go?” by Joe O'Connor, illus. by Henry Payne:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0406-016.html
MIDDLE READERS
“Chew on This! Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food” by Eric
Schlosser:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0406-013.html
“Runaways: True Believers” & “Runaways: Escape to New York” by Brian K. Vaughan,
illustrated by Adrian Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0406-006.html
“The Liberation of Gabriel King” by K. L. Going:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0406-017.html
YOUNG ADULT
“A Mango-Shaped Space” by Wendy Mass:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0406-012.html
“How I Live Now” by Meg Rosoff:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/review0406-009.html
To sign up for A-Review-A-Day, send a blank message to this e-mail address:
a-review-a-day-subscribe@lists.watermarkbooks.com
Or reply to this e-mail with "ARAD" and I'll manually add you to the subscriber
list.
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“The Great Good Thing” by Roderick Townley (Aladdin, ISBN 0689853289, $4.99)
When a reader opens Sylvie’s book, the land inside its covers is bathed in
bright light, and everyone quickly gets in place for the show. They run through
the story, line by cherished line, through escapes and adventure, theft,
discovery, and return, to the finish – or until the reader takes a pause.
Everyone in the kingdom is like an actor who fully lives his part, and Sylvie is
their princess.
As the designated heroine, she is brave and inquisitive; she likes to poke
between the lines of text and to peer across the white margins to the outer
world. This habit gets Sylvie into trouble and threatens to derail her story,
but it also makes her the perfect person to lead her fellow characters to safety
when their book burns up. Sylvie and her followers survive by making the jump
into the dreams of a reader, where they set up camp in the wilds of her memory.
But they won’t be safe there forever: all memories rust and fade, and it will be
up to Sylvie to find a new home for her story.
The Great Good Thing is the first book in Roderick Townley’s
middle-readers
trilogy about Princess Sylvie’s adventures in and beyond the written word. A
Kansas City author, Townley has written books of poetry, fiction, and criticism
for adults and several books for children. He takes Sylvie’s story onto the
Internet in the sequel “Into the Labyrinth” and to the stars in “The
Constellation of Sylvie.” The series offers a playful take on the hidden
backstage spaces of stories – what a character does when her reader isn’t
watching and how books become permanent parts of us, treasures that we pass
down.
The Great Good Thing has charm to spare as Townley builds up Sylvie’s
imaginative story-world of kings, queens, jesters, and invisible fish. Like the
settings of The Never-Ending Story, or The Princess Bride, it’s a
splendid
place to visit with rules of its own, but it relies on the attention and
excitement of young readers to give it life. From the moment they open its pages
and the bright lights switch on, they’ll be pulled into Sylvie’s story and
become a part of the magic.
Recommended for readers ages 9 to 12 years old.
Review by Mark
David Bradshaw
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Roderick Townley will be in Wichita on May 13th, and he's willing to come a day
early to talk to students. If your school is interested, send me an e-mail or
call the store at (316) 682-1181.
Until June...
Beth
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