First off, be sure to visit ShelfSpace at ForeWord Magazine where Jen Robinson is guest posting all month long. Jen's first post, A Gift for All Seasons, gives some fabulous tips for giving children the gift of reading. In addition to the many benefits of possessing the love of reading that Jen lists in her post she says, kids will "learn to entertain themselves, and to assimilate different viewpoints." This is a wonderful post, and I look forward to see what else Jen has to say at ShelfSpace this month.
Speaking of Jen, she recently reviewed Maggie Stiefvater's Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception on her own blog. In her review, Jen said, " I think that Lament will also appeal to other fans of tales of star-crossed love, and of fantasies in which the magical world is juxtaposed against the real world." It sounds like a book right up my alley, so I'm adding it to my TBR pile.
I guess I should have left a comment thanking Jen for her review, but I confess to often browsing blogs without leaving comments. Thankfully, Pam (aka MotherReader)and Lee Wind have organized the Comment Challenge: 21 Days to Community. From November 6 through November 26th, Lee and Pam are challenging bloggers to leave at least five comments a day on kidlit blogs, with the goal of reaching 100 comments by the end of the challenge.
Says Pam, "What if I told you that for the cost of a few extra minutes a day, you can boost your blog readership, foster a feeling of connection, and make someone’s day? I’m talking about commenting." Because I decided to take some time off from blogging, I'm a bit behind, but I'm going to join now and make up by making extra comments in the days ahead.
One last thing before I head off to read and comment on blogs, Amy from My Friend Amy has organized a Books for the Holidays campaign. Says Amy, "So here's my challenge to you....are you willing to buy books this holiday season? Not just for the usual suspects but for as many people on your list as possible? We have a lot of librarians and book clerks in the community so I'm pretty sure we can help each person find just the right book! Are you in?"
If you are in, sign up at Books for the Holidays, and check back often for reviews and much much more.
Whew! Looks like I chose the wrong week for a bloggy vacation!
Thanks so much for your kind words, Jill. And I do hope that you like Lament. It definitely stands out.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that Cybils reading!
Hey, thanks for the info on the Comment Challenge, I went over to take a look and it looks like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteWe are participating in Books for the Holidays too.
A holiday from blogging? You mean I could do that? I sometimes wonder what I used to do with my time...
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen. I think I'll had it to my "holiday pile" of books to take with me while I'm traveling.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Steven. I hope you enjoy the comment challenge. I'm trying to catch up. I'm also looking forward to participating in Books for the Holidays. I was making lists in my head last night.
Mighty Mom...Well, you could take a holiday from blogging, but you see how well it's working for me. What did I do with my time before I had a blog?
Hi Jill, Thanks for getting the word out about "The Comment Challenge." And the changing images on your slideshow of "well read" children is SOOOOO great - I have no idea technically how you did it, but I applaud you - it's awesome!
ReplyDeleteNamaste,
Lee
Lee,
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for organizing this with MotherReader, and thanks for your compliment about my slideshow. I used PhotoBucket to create it, and it's fairly easy to use.
I'm the same way as far as commenting. This whole book blogging thing is so new to me, and I'm just now making friends in this close knit community. I'm trying to do better with the commenting thing. I just find myself lurking from blog to blog and reading all the fantastic content that I sometimes just forget how considerate it is to leave a comment now and then.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned getting everyone on your christmas list a book this year and it's such a great idea. I'm not surrounded by readers (most of my family members don't particularly enjoy reading), but everyone has some interest that they wouldn't mind reading up on. I think I'm going to try my hardest to get everyone on my list at least one book this christmas. Thanks!
Hi Ashley,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. I'm definitely trying to comment more, but I'm still not meeting the 5-a-day minimum in Pam and Lee's challenge. It's been a busy week, so I hope to catch up this weekend.
There are some family members where it's going to be a challenge finding just the right book for them, but I think I can do it!