Sponsored by Wild Outside by Les Stroud (Annick Press)
From surviving a frigid night in northern Canada to munching on grubs in the Australian Outback, Les Stroud’s passion for the outdoors has driven him to some of the planet’s most remote and beautiful locations. In Wild Outside, he invites readers into his world of wilderness adventures with fast-paced stories, nature facts, and practical advice for spending time outside. Featuring kid-friendly activities and tips like how to safely observe wildlife, Stroud shows readers that adventure awaits everywhere—whether in a jungle or a city park. Andrew P. Barr’s dramatic illustrations amp up the excitement alongside photos of Survivorman’s adventures.
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Welcome to Check Your Shelf. This is a sad evening for me – my parents had to say goodbye to one of their kitties very suddenly this afternoon, and it was a tremendous shock to everyone. Lovebug and her two kittens came to live with my grandpa in 2009, and my parents took the three cats in after my grandpa passed away in 2012. Lovebug more than lived up to her name – she adored everyone she met, and had one of the sweetest kitty faces I’ve ever seen. We’re going to miss this fluffy lady.
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
Local public libraries in Portsmouth, Virginia have begun removal of the six Dr. Seuss books that were pulled from publication last week.
The New York Public Library has elected to keep the six Dr. Seuss books in its collections.
Cool Library Updates
Health librarians quell pandemic panic with webinars.
The road to normal: bookmobiles and outreach during COVID.
Worth Reading
A history of racism in American public libraries.
The Dr. Seuss controversy: what educators need to know.
The New York Times provided a summary of the Dr. Seuss news and surrounding controversy, if you need a catch-up or a refresher on what’s happened.
Cancel culture and “classics:” EDI and readers advisory implications. Or in other words, weed the racist books, librarians.
Want to borrow that ebook from the library? Sorry, Amazon won’t let you.
How a year without the library changed this writer.
Book Adaptations in the News
Kindred is being turned into a TV series.
Sarah Gailey’s latest book The Echo Wife is getting a film adaptation already.
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters is being turned into a TV series.
David Simon and George Pelecanos from The Wire are turning We Own This City: A True Story of Crime, Cops and Corruption by Justin Fenton into a limited series.
Amazon Studios is developing a series adaptation of The Wives by Tarryn Fisher.
Peacock is developing a series based on The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.
Disney’s 20th Television grabbed the rights to Chris Whitaker’s new novel We Begin at the End.
Armando Lucas Correa’s The German Girl is being turned into an international TV series.
Stephen King’s 2018 novella Elevation will be getting a film adaptation. Also, the creators of Stranger Things are adapting The Talisman.
The Queen’s Gambit is becoming a stage musical.
There’s a Bosch spin-off series set at IMDB TV.
Update on the new Goosebumps TV series.
Trailers for Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse and Made for Love by Alissa Nutting.
Books & Authors in the News
Norton Juster, author of The Phantom Tollbooth, has died at 91.
The kid lit community rallies against anti-Asian racism.
Carmen Maria Machado defends her memoir In the Dream House, which was one of several books pulled from Texas high school shelves for review following parent complaints.
Amanda Gorman reported being tailed by a security guard on her way home, who questioned whether or not she actually lived in her building. As Amanda said, “This is the reality of black girls: One day you’re called an icon, the next day, a threat.”
Mariah Carey’s brother sues for emotional distress caused by her recently-published memoir.
In much better news, NASA has named the Mars landing site of Perseverance “Octavia E. Butler Landing.”
Numbers & Trends
The most popular in-demand books in US libraries from October – December 2020.
Award News
The longlist for the 2021 Women’s Prize for Fiction has been released.
C.J. Cherryh wins the 2021 Robert A. Heinlein Award.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
Some writers aim to smuggle what Iran censors.
The artists dismantling the barriers between rap and poetry.
The Book Lady of Danville, VA wants to give away 1 million books to her community – so far, she’s given away over 63,000 books since 2017.
On the Riot
The ever-growing challenges of getting books into prisons.
A media studies perspective on canceling books.
15 online book clubs to boost your reading in 2021.
Your ultimate guide on where to buy ebooks.
A case for reading multiple books at a time.
Reflections on rereading and the self.
A brief history of the exclamation mark (!)
Have a good weekend, everyone. Give your fur babies some extra treats.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently listening to Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Trethewey.