Best big word in a picture book

That honor, at least this week, will have to go to "malfeasance", from Ian Falconer's Olivia and the Fairy Princesses. As in: "I [Olivia] could be a reporter and expose corporate malfeasance."

I have to confess--I can't even pronounce 'malfeasance'.

Am I the only one who thinks that Olivia will grow up to be Harriet the Spy?

Picture Books with Promise

Okay, when I saw the title of this book in the Publisher's Weekly Fall Children's preview I got excited because I had images of cockney wide-boys dancing in my head. One look at the cover has disabused me of that notion, and a visit to Urban Dictionary has enlightened me to the fact that "geezer" is a term used in the US as well as the UK, although the connotation is completely different. I guess I've watched too many episodes of "The Fast Show"to think of a geezer as a crotchety grandpa. That being said, "geezer" is still one of my all-time favorite words, and so as long as this story bears little to no resemblance to The Shivers in the Fridge (creepiest. children's. book. EVAH), this book just might live up to the promise of its title.

Millionth Word "declared"

The millionth word on the internet has been declared. That's all well and good, but have they taken into account Frindle?

What I am Reading Today--No Talking

I have always been impressed with Andrew Clements' ability to surround his too-precocious-for-their-own-good protagonists (Nick from Frindle comes to mind) with wise adults. This is especially impressive because so many of his books take place in public schools. And because (I hope I'm not too inclusive in saying this) the general public has been told that public school teachers are jaded and unmotivated, and that an enlightened teacher is the exception rather than the rule, the presence of adults who see teaching opportunities in almost every interaction they have with the kids, is refreshing and an excellent plot device. No Talking is a lot of fun so far, as the boys and girls of one fifth grade class try to outlast each other during a two day silence contest. The narrator's voice is strong here, which makes sense since the characters themselves seldom speak. This is not the first time Andrew Clements has explored the consequences of talking, as fans of Double Trouble in Walla Walla will well remember.