Happy Valentine’s Day! Children’s Literature isn’t usually about romance, but there are some great — and not so great — couples that have made an impression on me over the years. They can teach kids a lot about what a good relationship should (or shouldn’t) be! Find out which romances I think are Good, Bad, and Ugly. Also, you’ll hear that co-host Chloë is deepening her appreciation for Enid Blyton books, an author most Americans are unfamiliar with but clearly has a lot to offer middle grades readers!
What are YOUR favorite couples in children’s books? Which romantic moments made you laugh, cry, or cringe?
The Dog Man book series by Dav Pilkey is DUMB. It’s IMMATURE. And so is the new movie adaptation. And those are COMPLIMENTS!! Find out how accurately the comics were adapted to the screen, with input from the 11, 10, 8, and 4 year old experts who came with me to the theater.
Apologies for the background noise in this episode — emergency repairs are going on at my house and that’s just how things had to be. I wanted to get this review out in a timely manner to tell parents that this is well worth the expense of a trip to the theater.
When I was a kid of course I had heard of Shakespeare, but I didn’t think much about it . . . until I saw a scene from Henry V performed in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Introducing classic art to kids is easier than you think — it just needs to happen in small, interesting, digestible moments that tempts young readers to discover more. Find out how Star Trek set me on a path to live long and prosper with the works of William Shakespeare.
Netflix has a very poor record when it comes to adapting works of classic literature. Instead of coming up with original stories, the streaming giant tends to pick off the skin of beloved characters and use them to act out modern day political and social issues. It’s frustrating to prejudge a show that doesn’t even have a script or a cast yet, but at this point the pattern has been repeated so many times that it’s hard for me not to believe that another bucket of slop is on the way.
Neil Gaiman is one of the most widely read and influential authors of the present day, and he’s written a lot of children’s books. So what should parents, teachers, librarians, and book lovers do with his books now that several women have made similar — and very serious — accusations against him? How can we use this situation as a case study of when it is and isn’t possible to separate works of art from their creators?
My heart is breaking for my hometown. First of all for the lives lost, then for the homes and livelihoods lost, but I am also very sad for the damage and threat to the cultural landmarks of Los Angeles. We won’t know the full damage for some time, but here’s a first look at the irreplaceable culture being wiped out by the fires.
So far the Zane Grey estate in Altadena has been destroyed. Grey was the home of one of the creators of the genre of Westerns, and his home was a beautiful Spanish revival mansion. Also gone is the Will Rogers ranch house in the Pacific Palisades, which was a beloved California State Park property that served as the starting point for many hiking trails. Luckily the Getty Villa and Getty Center are safe as of the time of recording, thanks to the careful construction of the buildings and the vigilance of staff. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which has inspired too many science fiction authors to count, is also safe for the moment.
Many other beloved and inspirational places have been lost, though, such as Christmas Tree Lane and the Bunny Museum. And many famous film sites in the Malibu hills are lost or under threat. Landmarks are a huge part of why Los Angeles is such a special place, and it’s terrible to lose so many of them. This is an unusual episode of the show but I had to take a moment to mourn the loss of important literary sites in these terrible fires.
Have you made a New Year’s Resolution? I stopped making them, oddly enough, because I go to the gym a lot and accidentally noticed a few things about goal setting and motivation. Many of you may have a goal to write a children’s book, and I think that’s great. That’s why I’ve decided to make amateur and independent authors the theme for the show this year.
I think everyone has stories to tell. But like those who join a gym every January and then quit in frustration by February, aspiring authors can sabotage themselves by not having a clear goal in mind or a realistic, enjoyable way to attain it. I want to do what I can this year to help all of us become the best storytellers we can be by inviting experienced writers and editors on to talk about how to avoid amateur mistakes and how to develop writing skills in a disciplined, enjoyable, sustainable way. I also hope to encourage writers to give up the all-or-nothing mentality that makes them think that writing must bring fame and fortune or it isn’t worthwhile. I think quite the opposite. All stories have value, especially when they deepen our relationships with friends and family.
At the beginning of the year, I made predictions about films based on children’s books that would come out in 2024. Was I right? Was I wrong? And what’s coming up in 2025? (AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!)
This episode managed to get published somehow despite
kids screaming and opening the door
a barking dog
my equipment failing several times
needing to get this done in a hurry because everyone was waiting for me to start cooking dinner
The Muppet Christmas Carol is not just a superb adaptation of literature to the screen. It’s also perfectly faithful to the text and spirit of Charles Dickens’ classic novella about how Ebenezer Scrooge learns to be a good man. This story combines so many genres – psychological thriller, ghost story, even science fiction. Only one thing could have made it better, and that’s Michael Caine and a whole lot of Muppets.
Do you have one more person on your holiday shopping list? Need some help? I’ve got you covered with several recommendations of books that make great gifts.
Also in this episode, I give a little update on the drama surrounding those dolls from the Wicked film. It turns out there is a lawsuit over the unfortunate misprint on the box, with one family claiming that they were harmed by being directed to visit a . . . corn . . . website. I still don’t think that this is that big of a deal, and that parents don’t really need to stress about it, especially considering that the dolls were all pulled from store shelves.
What I am a bit more concerned about, though, is that the success of the movie version of the Wicked stage musical has led publishers to put out a new edition of the novel Wicked by Gregory Maguire. It features the images of the actors in the film:
It’s common for marketers to do this when a film is based on a book, but this time it’s pretty inappropriate as well as misleading to consumers. The book Wicked is not now a major motion picture. Because the book has very little to do with the stage show, which is the inspiration for the movie. I read Maguire’s novel when it first came out. It’s wild and weird and interesting . . . and absolutely NOT for children. I know some teenagers are more mature than others, but I still wouldn’t give it to an underage kid. By having characters from a PG-rated film on the cover and implying that the movie and the book have much at all to do with one another, it would be very easy for a well-meaning adult to give a book to a kid which they simply aren’t developmentally ready for. I strongly disagree with this misleading marketing and want to warn parents and teachers about it.
