The Best of Both Worlds

No worries--I won't be subjecting you to that Hannah Montana song of the same title.

There's this article over at Publishers Weekly about bundling print and e-editions of a book for customers, which I thought was very interesting. I don't care so much as a writer, but as a reader, I like the idea. I have a new e-reader, but still catch myself hesitating over ordering the e-edition over print.

Take book XYZ: the print edition is $14, roughly; Kindle sets you back $10. And I still find myself preferring print. Not sure why. Maybe because I'm old-school, maybe because I've lost my share of MP3 files and wish I'd bought the CD.

I for one would love this type of book bundle. The article talks lots about the business angle of it all, but I don't really care about that--from my reader perspective.

What do you think? Would you buy the bundle for a few bucks more?

Book Shopping In Style

Check out this feature of the 20 most beautiful bookstores in the world (Flavorwire). 

The photos to the left are of Selexyz bookstore in Maastricht, in my native Holland. Now there's some book shopping in style...

The More Things Change (Un-Scientific E-Book Thoughts)

With my debut coming out (hurrah!) later this year, I find myself getting a bit more serious about studying The Marketplace. I want kids, parents, teachers, librarians and random passers-by with an inclination to read to know how great DOUBLE VISION is, and where to buy it.

So I follow the talk on e-books, Kindles (with and without Fire), Nooks and apps--I mean, there are lots of serious people doing brilliant research on this stuff. All I have to do is listen, one would think. Who's reading what, and in what format?

This article tells me teens are reading more e-books! (Publishers Weekly, reporting on Digital Book World panels)

But then this one says: actually, not so much. (paidContent.org; ironically, reporting on the same convention, I believe).

So I'm still not that much wiser. I remember reading the same books as my friends, and then talking about them at recess. I know, four score and seven years ago...

Are kids really going to be doing all their reading on a phone, or a tablet device? Those things make my eyes hurt--that can't be very different for a kid, right? Will they read on a reading device instead?

I still have no idea, and I have a sneaking suspicion that nobody else really does either. But here's a cool un-scientific study of my eleven year-old. She was texting excessively the other day, so I asked her what the deal was, in my grumpy-mom-monitoring-technology-use voice.

"Emma and I are reading the same books, Mom. We're talking about them."

Maybe print vs. e-book doesn't matter. Maybe it's all about how we communicate our love for books--now isn't that a great kumbaya thought for a Wednesday?

Monday Music: I Want You Back, The Remix

Daughter (in car, buckling seat belt): "Can we listen to Victorious?"

Me (with slight sigh): "Sure."

Daughter (commenting on me singing along): "Hey, you know this song!"

Me (feeling old): "It's an old song, er, a classic, sweetie. There was this group called the Jackson Five..."

To be fair to Victoria (Disney star, for those of you unfamiliar), she did a decent job. But she can't touch Michael Jackson, I think--and how awesome are those pants??

 
 Here's Victoria...
 

 And check out KT Tunstall; she rocks anything.

 

Wednesday Good News: Pippi!

Those of you who are regular YA Sleutheri know: I have a great love for Pippi Longstocking. I still want to be her when I grow up.

 So you can imagine my joy when I heard that vintage Pippi comics are being translated for release this fall. Read the full story here at GalleyCat.

Exciting!

Printz Award

I'm a bit late with this, but...

Here's the winner of the Michael L. Printz Award! As well as a list of the honor books--I'm loving all the covers, b.t.w. Oh, and here are the Caldecott and Newbery winners too.

Edgar Nominees

Mystery Writers of America announced its Edgar nominees this morning; here are the kid lit ones:

BEST JUVENILE
Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger (Abrams – Amulet Books)
It Happened on a Train by Mac Barnett (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Vanished by Sheela Chari (Disney Book Group – Disney Hyperion)
Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby (Scholastic Press)
The Wizard of Dark Street by Shawn Thomas Odyssey (Egmont USA)

BEST YOUNG ADULT 
 Shelter by Harlan Coben (Penguin Young Readers Group – G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (Penguin Young Readers Group – G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall (Random House Children’s Books – Knopf BFYR)
The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines  (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group – Roaring Creek Press)
Kill You Last by Todd Strasser (Egmont USA)

Find the list for all categories here.

 Lots I haven't read yet, so joy! I feel a trip to the bookstore coming on...