Stephen King on Rowling and Meyer...

In case you haven't heard (or read), our pal Stephen King has been flapping his gums with USA Weekend and recently had this to say about J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer:

"Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people. ... The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good."

King went on to talk about other terribly successful terrible writers, as well as a few he admires.

There's always a bit of backlash of what's wildly popular (in the book world and otherwise). There sure was a lot of Rowling backlash. (I remember lots of talk about her over-adverb-ing.) King has had his share of this sort of thing as well. But I wonder why he would bother criticizing Meyer. Trashing the current queen of bestsellerdom is certainly a good way to get his name all over the blogosphere, but Stephen King doesn't exactly need the publicity, as he's just helped launched the new Amazon Kindle.

I have never read a book by Rowling, Meyer or King so I can't offer an opinion on their prose. I can offer an opinion on King's statement: I think it's kinda mean.

While we're on a Twilight-related subject. Check out my new t-shirt (which is not mean--just funny):

In the News...

• The awesome Susan Patron defends the Newbery in the Los Angeles Times in response to Valerie Strauss's claim in the Washington Post last month that "the literary world is debating the Newbery's value, asking whether the books that have won recently are so complicated and inaccessible to most children that they are effectively turning off kids to reading."
• Publishers Lunch reports: "Running Press president and publisher Jon Anderson will join Simon & Schuster as evp and publisher of their children's division on January 21."
• PW Children's Bookshelf reports on holdiday sales: "Children’s books proved to be one of the most recession-resistant segments of the book business this holiday season, with the Twilight series and the latest from J.K. Rowling leading the pack."

Entertainment Weekly's 100 Best Books of the Last 25 Years...

I zipped home for lunch this afternoon, and found the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly in my mailbox (a happy surprise--it usually comes on Saturday) featuring The New Classics--The 1000 Best Movies, TV Shows, Albums, Books & More of the Last 25 Years. I almost didn't make it back to the office I was having so much fun reading it. And look at Daniel Radcliffe/Harry Potter smack in the middle of the cover! I immediately turned to their book list.

Now, as EW would say:

SPOILER ALERT!!

If you want to read these yourself leave my blog right now (or at least shut your eyes and scroll way down).

Here are five books of note that made the list:

#2: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because J.K. Rowling "went epic and evil."
#21: On Writing because Stephen King offers "some of the soundest advice to writers set to paper."
#40: His Dark Materials trilogy because Phillip Pulman offers "a grand, intellectually daring adventure through the cosmos."
#65: The Giver, by Lois Lowry because they agree with the Newbery committee (and it's a fantastic book).
#84: Holes, by Louis Sachar, because they continue to agree with the Newbery committee (and it's also a fantastic book).

Mixed in with the many fiction and nonfiction titles were several graphic novels such as Art Spiegelman's Maus, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, and Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

Fact that surprised me: The Da Vinci Code was on the New York Times Hardcover Best-Seller List longer than HP and the Goblet of Fire (166 weeks vs. 148 weeks--3 years-ish for each!)

My Saturday afternoon is officially taken--I have a date with this double issue.

National Children's Choice Book Awards Announced...

You may have spied the Children's Choice Awards widget on the right side of my blog. Well the results are in for the award, announced last night at a Children's Book Council dinner in NYC hosted by Jon Scieszka. Here they are (in non-widget form), reinforcing for all of us that kids dig scary stuff, precocious pigs and boy wizards (drumroll please...):

• Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year: Frankie Stein written by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Kevan Atteberry (Cavendish). I'm posting the cover of this one, because I really dig Kevan and his book. (Murray loves it too, but he's too young to vote.)
• Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year: Big Cats by Elaine Landau (Enslow)
• Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year: Encyclopedia Horrifica by Joshua Gee (Scholastic)
• Illustrator of the Year Award: Ian Falconer, Olivia Helps with Christmas (Simon & Schuster)
• Author of the Year Award: J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Scholastic)

Children's Authors and Illustrators Week...

There's an exciting event coming up, and I'm not talking about the Super Bowl. (Go Patriots! Actually I don't really care who wins, although an undefeated season sounds kinda fun. I'm just excited about the Big Sandwich--vegetarian for me--and the guacamole.)

I'm talking about Children's Authors and Illustrators Week which my loves-to-send-me-links brother clued me in on. Why is this not on my Madeline calendar in my office?

I love the idea of a week devoted to creators of book for young readers visiting those readers. Here's what the California-based Children's Authors Network says about CAIW:

During this annual event, acclaimed authors and illustrators from Children’s Authors Network (CAN!) visit schools, libraries, and children’s shelters all over the country. Lively storytelling, fascinating presentations, and hands-on writing workshops make books spring to life, and inspire a life-long love of reading and writing.

I say we turn CAIW into a national holiday! Even if you just heard about CAIW, you can still celebrate in your own way. Visit a bookstore or a library with some tiny little readers. Start a new YA novel on Monday. Devote next week to mailing out your own manuscripts. (Make a Big Sandwich in the shape of J.K. Rowling.)

On Dumbledore's Gayness...

I'm sure you've heard that JK Rowling has been revealing more than just her undergarments on her current tour (I hope I don't get hate mail or fired for that last link)--she's recently let Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore out of the closet. They're writing about it everywhere.

Check out the Onion if you'd like a chuckle. Then see Alison Morris's PW Shelftalker blog post, What Happens in Hogwarts Stays in Hogwarts with lots and lots of links and a thoughtful commentary.

I can't help but wonder if the people who wanted HP banned because of the magic are excited to have something else to object to.