Evening links.
- There's a new edition of Twas the Night Before Christmas with all references to Santa's pipe removed. Speaking of smoking and guys named Clement, I'm still annoyed about that Clement Hurd picture, but whatever, it's been seven years, so I should probably move on.
- Mainers: Raina Telgemeier will be at Casablanca Comics (the one in Portland) on Saturday!
- The Mission Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Fremont, CA, has started a book club devoted to the books rejected by the local school district's curriculum committee: Bastard Out of Carolina and Angels in America.
- An Open Letter to the Dean of Sweet Valley University: "In fact, is it just me, or do a lot of people in Sweet Valley, and particularly at your campus, get murdered or almost murdered? And raped? And drugged? And contract brain tumors? And experience addiction? And commit suicide? I’m worried your promotional materials are not doing the positive sell you might think they are."
- Frank Cottrell Boyce wins Guardian children's fiction prize.
- From an open letter from the Kids' Right to Read and the ALA to the Rocklin Unified School District: "The issues and themes dealt with in “Apt Pupil”—the atrocities of World War II, violence, a power struggle, corruption—may not be suitable for all readers. If the parent feels the book is not suitable for her child, she is free to guide him to a different book, but her views are not shared by all parents and students." (Previously.)
- I had no idea that Edward Lear also did super-realistic paintings. Sadly, the upcoming book of them is INSANELY EXPENSIVE.
- GAAAAH. More GAAAAAAH. And by, GAAAAAAH, obvs, I mean AWESOME.
- Want some lists of Canadian novels? Then you're in luck!
- I'm thinking I might enjoy The Hobbit even more than I did the Lord of the Rings movies, if only due to my undying lurrrve for Martin Freeman!:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXh2P382us0]