Random House's Fall List

One of the reasons children's authors attend conferences is to keep their fingers on the pulse of the publishing houses--who's publishing what and why. Random House is presenting an online discussion on their fall list. Now this is part of their marketing to schools and libraries, but it could also be a great way for authors to get an inside look at what they are doing and why.

Listen to our Editors discuss highlights from their upcoming

Fall 2010 list.

See the covers, hear about the books, and find out why the editors decided to publish them!

Francoise Bui Executive Editor, Delacorte Press

Robin Corey VP & Publishing Director, Robin Corey Books

Michelle FreyExecutive Editor, Knopf Books For Young Readers

Schuyler Hooke Senior Editor, Random House Books for Young Readers

Kate Klimo VP, Publisher, Random House/Golden Books for Young Readers

Wendy Lamb V.P., Publishing Director, Wendy Lamb Books

Wendy Loggia Executive Editor, Delacorte Press

Laura Mancuso Marketing & Publicity Manager, Tricycle Press

Anne Schwartz V.P. & Publisher, Schwartz & Wade Books

Allison Wortche Associate Editor, Knopf Books for Young Readers / David Fickling Books

When: Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Where: AT YOUR DESK, ON YOUR COMPUTER

Time: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. E.S.T.

(and please feel free to share this information with your colleagues!)

Please RSVP to schoolandlibrarymarketing@randomhouse.com

by Tuesday, August 3, 2010

You will receive easy instructions for accessing Webex from any computer before the preview.

Science Cafes

Maybe I'm way behind the curve here, but I've only just learned about a cool event called Science Cafes.

Science cafés are live events that involve a face-to-face conversation with a scientist about current science topics. They are open to everyone, and take place in casual settings like pubs and coffeehouses.A science café's casual meeting place, plain language, and inclusive conversation create a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for people with no science background.

Each meeting is organized around an interesting topic of conversation. A scientist gives a brief presentation and sometimes shows a short video clip to kick off the discussion. You can leave a café meeting when you want, but you'll miss out if you show up late.

There are many variations on the basic science café. One café might have a trivia quiz. Another might include a panel of scientists. Topics range across all sciences, and some cafés even explore connections between science and other disciplines, like the arts.

What a fun idea! Of course, with my background in education and children's writing, my thoughts always turn to "How can we do something as cool as this for kids?"

Perhaps there could be Science Cafes inside schools--maybe a monthly presentation done by older students to younger ones. Maybe an occasional visiting scientist could come into a school to present a "cafe" to students. This could become a springboard for students to further the learning experience through research of their own. To engage parent involvement, perhaps a science cafe focusing on a topic that would interest parents and students alike could be hosted by a school during the evening hours. There are so many possibilities.

I am lucky enough to have a Science Cafe right in my own backyard (well...sort of) at The Ohio State University. I can't wait to attend an event there!

Nestle works to lower deforestation of rainforests

From the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's blog, Nestlé will work with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and The Forest Trust (TFT) to build responsible supply chains, starting with palm oil, and focusing on the systematic identification and exclusion of companies owning or managing high-risk plantations or farms linked to deforestation.

This conservation effort is worth getting behind! Nestle's chocolate all around!

Sobering Statistic: 61% of low-income families own no age appropriate books

Read about the sobering reality of “America’s Early Childhood Literacy Gap,” and how librarians worry about the gap widening.

Animal Cam Site

I'm not totally sure how I feel about this--in other words, I hope these animal cams were set up humanely, and with the welfare of the animals in mind. It strikes me that this kind of video would be a great resource for students doing reports on these animals. The videos could also be used as springboards for writing. The animal cams that are *on* the animals could give kids the chance to write in first person in the animal's POV, which could be fun too.

Incredible cat-attracting cologne!

From my friend Robin at the Black and Orange Cat Foundation, the rescue group I've fostered for (then adopted from) posted a link about this crazy fact. Researchers in Guatemala are using Calvin Klein's cologne Obsession for Men to help lure and study jaguars. Oddly enough, this was discovered at the Bronx Zoo, in an experiment with Cheetahs. Now I'll have to get to the mall, spritz a little on, and come home to see if my domestic cats react to it!

Home Again, Home Again

I have been terribly absent from this blog. Among other things, I have been helping my best buddy Ken move from his place, two and a half hours away, to a new place, three minutes away. Much of his stuff is at his new place, waiting to be set up and unpacked, and some of it is at my house, including his kayak, which is sitting, upside down, in my living room. My cats have discovered that an upside down kayak can be a lot of fun! They run across the room, leap onto it, and slide along the length of it. Remember being a kid and running then sliding across packed down snow or ice? Yeah...it's something like that!