Books
Playing the Waiting Game
Posted April 1, 2016 by Katie Caskey
I have good news and bad news. The (very very) good news is that I am graduating in less than 7 weeks! Done! Finished with school! And while I have absolutely loved my time at Simmons, and in academia in general, I am very ready to begin the next (paper- and homework-free) season of life…which brings me to the bad news. As I am learning, this next season may be aptly titled “The Waiting Game.” I’ve been applying to internships and job positions since late January, and so far, no nibbles. The hardest part is that with the company I’m applying to, I can track my application progress on their website. So while I can see that my application is being considered, I have no way of knowing how long that might last or how serious that consideration is. So, I’m having to re-learn the art of patience that was drilled into me by my kindergarten teacher. This is enough to drive a planner like me crazy, by the way. So I’ve decided that I’m…
The Dictionary of Imaginary Places: an Annotation
Posted February 27, 2016 by Amy Wilson
As promised, this week I am posting my assignment from last week: my reference annotation from my 407 class. I don’t make it a habit to post assignments because I think it’s kind of unoriginal, but I think when you read about this reference source, you’ll understand why I am sharing. This book, The Dictionary of Imaginary Places, is fun to read and fun to write about. I’ve written a long and a short annotation below. Find out more about annotations at Purdue OWL. (the long version) This 755 page paperback volume from Harcourt Publishing is a travel guide for the imaginative reader. The original text, published in 1980, was followed by an expanded paperback run in 1987; this critically acclaimed third edition has been, according to the authors Alberto Manguel and Gianni Guadalupi, co-authored by their readers’ submissions. Illustrators Graham Greenfield, Eric Beddows, and James Cook have created 150 maps and 100 illustrations to accompany the 1000 plus text entries. The book includes an original foreword and an authors’ note for this edition. The authors explain…
Yay for Free Books!!!
Posted February 26, 2016 by Katie Caskey
I will be the first one to admit that grad school is tough! There are papers to write, internships to complete, and that’s to say nothing of the one or two (or three) part-time jobs one has to work just to afford food and heat! But, you all know that already, so I’m not going to scare you/bore you with the woes of grad school. Instead, I want to take this time to highlight my absolute FAVORITE perk I’ve encountered in my time as a children’s lit. grad student at Simmons…FREE BOOKS!!!!!! Every year the children’s literature department holds their free book giveaway for all the students in the program. Many of the professors in the program are also book reviewers, so our department is sent many review and advance copies of newly-published or about-to-be-published books. As the year goes on the collection grows, filling the shelves in the book nook until there just isn’t room for anymore. It is then we all receive the much-anticipated invitation to come live out a book-lover’s dream. Each…
The Legend of the Famously Curious Monkey
Posted February 12, 2016 by Katie Caskey
In honor of this year’s Chinese zodiac animal, I would like to tell you all a story about what is, perhaps, the world’s most famous literary monkey…Curious George. I preface this post with the acknowledgement of the story’s source, Anita Silvey. Anita is a professor of Children’s Literature here at Simmons. She has worked for many years in the publishing industry, served as the editor of The Horn Book review journal, and has published a book (and a blog) called Anita Silvey’s Children’s Book-A-Day Almanac, in which she highlights a different children’s book for each day of the calendar. Because of her many years in the industry, she is full of remarkable behind-the-scenes stories of some of our favorite books’ publishing histories. When I took her class on Publishing I got the chance to spend an entire semester listening to her wonderful tales. Here is one of my favorites… Hans Rey, creator of our favorite mischievous monkey, and his wife Margret were living in Paris in 1941 during World War II. Just three days before…
A Christmas Gift for All the Bibliophiles on Your List
Posted December 4, 2015 by Katie Caskey
In some ways, book lovers are the easiest people to buy a gift for. If all else fails, they will always be ecstatic to unwrap a new book. But wading through the infinite pool of possibilities to choose the perfect book (or book-related item) can be daunting at best. Enter this gift guide, complete with the best tried and tested book and gift options around! So before you head to the store this season, arm yourself with this list…and some sort of caffeinated beverage…and prepare to win at your holiday shopping this season! For the traditional book lover… In our glitzy, shiny, high-tech world, there are still those who love the dusty smell of an old book, love to crack open the binding and feel the coarse paper between their fingers. For the traditionalist on your list, steer clear of the chain stores with their e-readers and their paperback-filled shelves. Instead, visit your local used book store and hunt the racks for a hidden treasure. Maybe you’ll find an early edition of…
Dreaming of December Reading
Posted November 24, 2015 by Alexandra Bernson
While free time and sleep are definitely high on my list of “Things I can’t wait to have once this semester is over,” the top of that list is “reading for pleasure.” I’ve been trying to sneak books in during slow weeks where presentations and projects and papers aren’t due, when there are only a few scholarly articles to read, but I can’t wait to dedicate some good time to my armchair, curled up with one of the many books I’ve put on hold at the BPL. In honor of this upcoming pleasure reading, I’ve included some of my favorite books that I’ve read recently in hope that you will recommend some of your recent favorites to me! Feel free to comment or email me with any suggestions! “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91lUeBR2G1L.jpg I see the words “murder mystery” and I’m a goner. Sadly, sometimes these grisly tales are poorly written, super predictable, or completely impractical: but this novel is none of these things. Plus, as a frequent rider of the…
This Blogger’s Ranking of the Best Book-To-Movie Adaptations
Posted November 13, 2015 by Katie Caskey
With excitement building for the upcoming final installment of The Hunger Games film series, I got to thinking this week about other successful (and not so successful) book-to-movie adaptations. So here are my top five favorite movies that started as beloved books. ***NOTICE: I said MY top five. Agree, disagree, vehemently disagree…that’s fine. I’d love to hear your lists as well! My Regulations: I am only including films on the list that I have seen about books that I have read. Hence, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Twilight will not be making an appearance…cheer or grumble as you will. I am only including film adaptations of children’s books. I could go on and on about the plethora of Jane Austen movies (and I just might in one of these posts), but I have to narrow the field for this list. I am not including made-for-TV movies or miniseries. There are some wonderful creations out there, and it could even be argued that the miniseries is a better format for book adaptation as it…
NaNoWriMo and Me
Posted November 5, 2015 by Tara Pealer
For most of the school year, I struggle with my time management skills. It’s not that I don’t have the skills, but rather that I struggle to effectively use them. I have planners and notebooks and generally know of the syllabus and the schedule I should be on to get everything done. I have a tendency to ignore all of them in favor of doing other things, which, often, are not actually productive. This, however, completely changes in the month of November. November is NaNoWriMo. I’m very passionate about NaNoWriMo. I’ve won the official NaNo every year since 2013. For the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. It occurs in the month of November when a bunch of completely crazy people, myself included, decide to write fifty thousand words in 30 days. This averages out to 1,667 words per day. It’s a lot of writing, and, to get it all done requires a lot of planning. I haven’t stayed up past midnight yet to get homework done or get a head start on my…
The Fraud Police and the Real Adults
Posted October 22, 2015 by Tara Pealer
This semester I’ve had trouble finding time to read books for my own personal delight. There’s the Excitement of A New City and of My First Semester As A Graduate Student, and the stress of When Will Someone Find Out I Don’t Know What I’m Doing?, all of which have taken over most of my time. It’s about halfway through the semester now. No one’s noticed yet that I’m making it up as I go. I’m getting worried. In her book, The Art of Asking, Amanda Palmer describes that feeling as ‘The Fraud Police’. The Art of Asking, which is the only book I’ve read this semester in full (though I’ve read it religiously) is about asking for help, and about accepting help. It’s about flowers and donuts. It’s about a lot of things, really. I have the section on ‘The Fraud Police’ underlined and highlighted. It helps to hear other people tell you that they’re also making it up as they go along. Amanda Palmer’s book cover For most of my life, I’ve been…
Star Struck at the Horn Book Awards
Posted October 9, 2015 by Katie Caskey
I think by now we can all agree that the SLIS programs at Simmons are pretty amazing. The small class sizes, the tight community, and the easy access to so many resources in and around Boston…all huge plusses. But, if you still need a bit more convincing, let me just say this…the Boston Globe Horn Book Awards! OK, the mere sound of these words may not make you jump and squeal like a schoolgirl (like they do me), but allow me to elaborate, and you will soon see why this is just the best. School. EVER! The Horn Book Magazine was founded in 1924 and is still one of the premiere publications in the field of children’s literature, with a fun mix of academic articles, book reviews, and editorial comments. Spawning out of this publication’s outstanding reputation, the annual Boston Globe Horn Book Awards work to recognize excellence in three categories of children’s literature: picture books, fiction, and nonfiction. And, because of Simmons’ close partnership with The Horn Book, guess where the awards are…