Happy World Penguin Day! Here’s ten books to celebrate with.

So, it’s World Penguin Day! Who knew? Had to reblog this because 1) It has And Tango Makes Three, which has been on the ALA’s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books list for several years (can’t have those homosexual penguins corrupting the youth), and 2) It’s a list of books about penguins. What more do you need in life?

TurtleAndRobot.com

Earlier today I discovered that it’s World Penguin Day. Though I had no idea such a day existed, I happen to love penguins. The penguin room at the Central Park Zoo is one of my favorite places in New York City.

So, in honor of this sacred day and my love for these utterly delightful creatures, I present ten of my favorite books featuring penguins.

 

Your Personal Penguin

Board Book

Ages Birth to 4

By Sandra Boynton

24 pages

Workman

2006

 

I’ve mentioned before, and can’t stress enough, how much I adore Sandra Boynton; her books—full of humorous stories, adorable characters, and warm, fuzzy feelings—are perfect for babies and toddlers. Her straightforward text and instantly recognizable, simple art is utterly appealing and completely irresistible.

In this heartwarming story, a darling little penguin is attempting to endear himself to an initially confused, eventually amenable, hippopotamus.

“Now, lots of…

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Knowledge Is Power

Hello, readers. It’s been some week, huh? While I have still been posting regularly this month, I do apologize for falling down in the review department and will be sure to have more up soon.

In the meantime, I thought this article about consent, relationship dynamics, abuse, and personal boundaries may interest many of you. I know I posted something similar recently, but this article particularly focuses on how access to library materials and other resources give young people much needed information that they may not be getting anywhere else, something very relevant to this blog and very important to me personally.

America’s Most Wanted

Hello, readers. I stumbled across this today and thought many of you may enjoy it:

http://flavorwire.com/384799/the-most-ridiculous-claims-used-to-challenge-classic-novels

As the ALA’s Most Frequently Challenged Books List in 2012 is now up, this article decided to take a look back on the history of book challenges in US schools and libraries, exposing the ridiculous and inaccurate nature of many of the claims. Have you read any of them? If so, tell me what you think of these challenges and the reasons behind them.

Catching Fire (At 451°F)

Hello, readers. As many of you may know, The Hunger Games Trilogy came in at #3 on the ALA’s Most Frequently Challenged Books List in 2011, with the books banned or challenged at numerous US schools and libraries. However, the movie adaptation of the first book was a phenomenal success. Thus, I bring you the trailer to the second installment in this scarlet-lettered series, Catching Fire:

http://www.fantascize.com/content.php?323-The-Hunger-Games-Catching-Fire-Trailer

Here’s lookin’ at you, Katniss. Don’t let the haters get you down.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Hello, dear readers. I was about to post about the upcoming movie adaptation of Catching Fire this afternoon when a breaking news report came in about the bombings at the Boston Marathon. Any act of terrorism (be it foreign or domestic, organized or lone wolf) or tragedy gives me pause, but one so very close to home rattled me quite a bit.

All of my friends in Boston and at the race are fine. I am lucky. I hope all of my readers are as lucky and are safe at home with those they love. My thoughts are with those who are not so lucky or find themselves facing a long road home, whether due to the T, grounded flights, or injuries.

However, as frightening and unnerving as today’s events may have been, it was not the screaming or the blood or the fire that caught my attention.

Speak Up

Hello, friends. I stumbled across this Talk of the Nation discussion on NPR this morning. It features blogger Shannon Bradley-Colleary and YA author Laurie Halse Anderson sharing their thoughts on how to talk to children about consent in light of recent events.

http://www.npr.org/2013/04/11/176930960/how-parents-talk-to-children-about-consent?sc=tw&cc=share

Superhero Registration Act?

This has been a bad year for cosplay, between the shooting in Aurora prompting theatres to ban costumes, numerous issues with sexual harassment and “cosplay as consent“, and the fake geek girl debacle that left many feeling unwelcome or unsafe at conventions. Now, an effort to ban or heavily regulate costumed characters such as requiring written permission from the copyright holder for the character stands to threaten cosplay at New York Comic Con. Even if this would not effect the private property at which a convention is held, there is the matter of getting to said location via public transit and public spaces.

I’m Not Dead Yet

I spoke previously about dead and lesser spoken languages in my post Dead Tongues Tell No Tales. Those interested in reading more on minority languages, their attempts to make a come back, and the legal/social struggles therein may find this article illuminating.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/mind-your-minority-language-welsh-gaelic-irish-and-cornish-are-staging-a-comeback-8454456.html

I hope you all had a good Easter, Ostara, or Passover. I’ll be posting a follow-up review of The Da Vinci Code movie adaptation sometime this week. As always, thanks for reading, commenting, and sharing. May the Bard be with you.