Getting a Clue (the first of 39)

Well, after the all the handwringing at work yesterday about whether or not to circulate The Maze of Bones with the cards (wish I'd known about the cardless library edition in advance,) both copies are still sat on the shelf. So much for Buzz.

Publisher's Weekly does a good job of explaining the scope and ambition of this new series which, I must admit, sounds like a lot of fun. And I love the stable of authors they've got lined up to pen the future titles (bring on Gordon Korman!) But I hated reading about how the series was a property that needed to be "branded". How very corporate 21st century! Forget the threat from the Kindle--the biggest hurdle for books today is lack of brandability. What could The Westing Game have achieved with such a campaign (mind you, it did win the Newbery Medal, so it didn't exactly go unnoticed.)

Rag Doll Respect

Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy are joining the ranks of Holly Hobby and My Little Pony--iconic toys that have been "updated" for modern audiences. School Library Journal reports that Simon and Schuster and Starz Media have joined forces to return the dolls to the pop culture spotlight. The new Raggedy Ann looks awfully cute. She has a sort of manga style about her. But I loved her in her original incarnation. This must be how Pooh fans felt when Disney got their hands on the franchise and irrevocabley defined how Winnie the Pooh looked for generations of children.