Elizabeth Bird

Fusenews: Stuff You've Already Seen and Heard About Edition

• I bet that if I just blogged for a living I could do a lot more Fusenews. Then I wouldn't feel quite so left behind when everyone else in the world gets a gander at the new upcoming Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland before I have a chance to post.  Lackaday.  Guess I'll just comfort myself by staring at Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter.

Strange. I don't feel comforted after all.  Thanks to Kate and Don for the links.

• You thought I was kidding the other day when I said that a remake of Back to the Future was going to have to happen.  Well, we're one step closer (and yes, this doesn't have anything to do with children's literature, but I find it magnificently telling in terms of the current state of children's entertainment).  From Cynopsis Kids:

Warner Bros. is in the early stages of development on a re-make of the Michael J. Fox movie Teen Wolf, according to Moviehole.net .  There is no writer, director or direction set for the project as of now.  The original Teen Wolf movie was released in summer 1985 by Atlantic Releasing, and was followed by an animated series in 1986, which ran on the Saturday morning block on CBS, and the 1987 movie sequel Teen Wolf Too, which starred Jason Bateman.

• Oh geez.  That's no good.  No good at all.  I think I'll just go bury my head in my copy of A Time to Keep (I came this close to writing A Time to Kill by accident) and wait for all this to pass.  Thanks to Read Roger for the link.

• I don't normally report on the closing of children's bookstores because I don't know of many (hang in there, BookBug!!).  I have just heard that Hodge-Podge Books in Albany, New York is closing its doors, though.  I never had the chance to meet Mr. Hodge, but he sounds like a fine and lovely fellow. Thanks to Carol Reid for the link.

• Recently Elizabeth Bluemle had a very informative post on reading her customers' body language.  It got me to thinking.  I suppose that when I sit on the reference desk I too anticipate my patrons by observing how they enter the room.  You understand that the layout of my children's room places me directly in front of the entrance.  And because I am in a very strange position as a librarian, what they do says a lot about who they are.  If they . . .

1.  Are adults that immediately walk with purposeful stride to the back of the room - Then they are lost. 
2.  Are children carrying Build-a-Bear/American Girl/Toys R Us/M&M Store bags - They are tourists. 
3.  Are children with serious expressions on their faces, accompanied by adults who look a bit lost - They are also tourists, but they're probably looking for Winnie-the-Pooh.  I'm still reeling after an encounter I had with what must have been a five-year-old Australian boy.  He looked up at me with his big old Aussie eyes and said in the saddest imaginable voice, "I just think that Pooh should have a bit of fun."  Just plunge a knife into my heart why don't ya, kid?
4.  Are adults who walk in, beaming - They are American tourists.
5.  Are adults who walk in with serious but excited expressions - They are European tourists.
6.  Are adults who walk in frowning - They are New Yorkers.  But we love them too!

• The passing of Dickie Berkenbush has been noted.  Also noted, what various children's literary characters would tweet if they could.  My favorite: " STOP TWEETING ME, MOM! I MEAN IT!!! -- the kid from LOVE YOU FOREVER by Robert Munsch." 

• Maybe the funniest thing I've seen today has been Editorial Anonymous and her pie charts of how kids have learned the alphabet over the years.  I don't make enough use of pie charts on this blog.  50% of me is okay with that.  30% isn't.  And 20% doesn't care.  EA then proceeded to introduce me to the blog of The Intern.  I take back what I said about the pie charts being the funniest thing I've seen all day, by the way.

• Author James Kennedy has met the pint-sized cast members of the Mary Poppins musical.  We used to get these same kids in my library when we were located at the Donnell branch.  The performing arts school they attended would come to my room fairly regularly.  As I recall, they were the only kids on record to get super excited about our Mary Poppins umbrella on display.  It was donated by author P.L. Travers but Winnie tends to get all the love.

• I've fairies on the brain lately.  Reading Laini Taylor's latest Dreamdark book (spoiler alert: it's really good) as well as another title has gotten me to thinking about them.  Fortunately, Laini can feed your fairy craze with this post in which she finds a swell variety of fairy-related homes.

• Daily Image:

Thanks to Robin Benway for the link and for saying of it "Well, it's official.  My nightmares have come true."

Oh yeah.  Between that and Johnny Depp, I ain't getting any sleep tonight. 

Posted by Elizabeth Bird on June 25, 2009 | Comments (13)