September 18, 2013

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Librarian, Blogger, Author: Betsy Bird Talks About ‘Giant Dance Party’

Photo by Sonya Sones

Longtime School Library Journal blogger Elizabeth Bird, the New York Public Library’s youth materials collections specialist, can add published author to her name this year. Her festive debut picture book, Giant Dance Party, is about a girl who overcomes her stage fright by teaching blue fuzzy giants how to dance. SLJ caught up with Bird recently to discuss her unique path to publication, how her work as a children’s librarian informed her experience as a first-time author, and whether Lexy and the giants will be making a repeat performance.

Tiger Eyes Set to Sparkle on the Big Screen: Betsy Bird Talks to Judy and Lawrence Blume

Tiger-Eyes---Judy-Blume-and-Tatanka-Means

Tiger Eyes, the 1998 book by Judy Blume, is about to become a major motion picture, the first feature film adaptation of Blume’s work. Elizabeth Bird talks to Blume and her son, Lawrence Blume, about their collaboration on the film.

Review of the Day: Giant Dance Party by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day: Giant Dance Party by Betsy Bird

Giant Dance Party By Betsy Bird Illustrated By Brandon Dorman Greenwillow (an imprint of Harper Collins) $17.99 ISBN: 978-0061960833 Ages 3-7 On shelves now. Gotcha! I’m just messing with you.  No, I’m not going to actually review my book here.  I’m not going to wax rhapsodic over the hidden meanings lurking behind the mysterious cupcake [...]

NYPL Panelists Explore Alternatives to Traditional Librarianship

Librarians on Alternative Librarianship panel

SLJ blogger and NYPL youth materials specialist Betsy Bird moderated a panel, “The Alternative Children’s Library,” in which several children’s librarians discussed their own nontraditional paths to the profession. Their places of employment include the Bankstreet School for Children, New York Society Library, Children’s Book Council, and Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Teen Lit Publishing Experts Reveal Recipes for Bestsellers

Jenny Bent, Susan Katz, Joy Peskin, Marisa Russell, Hannah Moskowitz, Betsy Bird. Photo by Galo Delgado.

At the Women’s National Book Association NYC chapter’s event, “The Making of a Young Adult Bestseller,” writers, editors, publishers, and agents came together to discuss the key components of a hit YA novel.

NYPL Panel Offers Advice for Bullied Kids—and Bullies

BullyingNYPL

In a New York Public Library Children’s Literary Salon on October 20 that coincided with National Bullying Prevention Month, authors Paul Griffin, Madeleine George and others came together to talk about bullying: strategies for ending it, their own personal experiences, and the positive effect their books have on their readers.

KidLitCon 2012: Critical Reviewing in the Age of Twitter

bloggersimagepanelnypl

Facebook, Twitter, and blogs have made authors and book reviewers more visible—but have they also suppressed genuine literary criticism? Several book bloggers gathered at the New York Public Library September 29 for a KidLitCon 2012 panel discussion entitled “How Nice is Too Nice?: Critical Book Reviewing in the Age of Twitter” to explore the impact of social media on the book industry.

Writers Against Racism: 2012 Children’s Choice Book Awards (photos)

I am grateful to Robin Adelson, Executive Director of Children’s Book Council and Every Child A Reader, for inviting me to a wonderful evening in Celebration of Children’s Book Week. It was a night to remember!  Once my videos are finished downloading, I will share some clips from the awards presentation but in the meantime, [...]