I've been in two minds about the "Where the Wild Things Are" movie ever since I heard it was in production, even with (or maybe because of ) the hipper than thou director/writer team of Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers at the helm. Really, was there ever a book so bookish in its completeness and execution that nothing needed to be added to the experience rather than absorb it on its own terms?Maybe we always feel this protectiveness about things we love. Apparently the best way to enjoy this film is not as a realisation of Sendak's masterpiece but as a film version of Egger's novel "Wild Things". Hmmm...I'll let you know after I've seen it with my colleagues at the local multiplex tonight.
Last year it was a Book in Every Stocking, this year Booktrust's campaign for books as Christmas presents is 'A Book For LIfe'.
And, of course, while we want everyone to keep borrowing books from their local library (real bookworms can never get enough to feed the habit!), don't forget in your Christmas shopping rush that books are the perfect present for a child - and they're a lot less likely to be gone, one way or another by Boxing Day. They still don't need batteries (unless you have a snazzy new e-reader).
As ever, people are keeping busy in the exciting world of children's librarianship. (So busy, it's small wonder the blog has been quiet!)
Here in the North East, it was time for our annual book festival - the Northern Children's Book Festival. We're now a quarter of a century old, which is very ancient and respectable as book festivals go - and we are run by 12 library authorities (working together in beautiful harmony) with support from the majority of children's publishers, who kindly send us authors at a reduced rate.
It's a great time of the year - getting 1000s of children to see authors they never would otherwise, but also a time of much work and some stress, wondering whether schools will behave badly, authors suffer from nerves, or the book sales fail. (Don't mention snow, floods, narrowly avoided duels to the death between authors and headteachers...) Well, we're now in December and I'm happy to report that we all had a great two weeks, putting all kinds of authors, illustrators and poets into schools and libraries, inspiring children to read and write who might never otherwise have picked up a book for pleasure.
This culminated in the 26th Gala Day at Stockton's Riverside College on Saturday 21st November. It was a fantastic day, with all sessions full, nearly 2000 visitors - and we even doubled on last year's book sales, meaning that hundreds more children took home a signed book to remember the day. The staff from Stockton had worked their socks off, finding a brilliant, modern venue (with staff who were willing to be just as enthusiastic about the event as we were), booking a great line up - and some of them were even running around the place claiming to be Robin Hood and the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham... Those of us from the other library services, not to be outdone, put on our dressing up clothes to become various storybook heroes and villains and manned craft stands all in order to end up as glitter-bespattered as possible by 4pm. (Don't we all know that feeling?)
And we're not alone - there are plenty of other events like this happening all around the country at different times.
The only downside? Well, now work on next year's festival begins again! Don't we ever get a rest?
