PERFECT BINDING! AHHHH!!!!

OK! Since we have to perfect bind books this week I thought I would post a link and a video I found about perfect binding. Maybe they will help you with your book. Maybe not. I know that I will keep searching until I find the right one for me.

If you find something you like please share it with us so our class can make some awesome books!

a link...

http://www.creativebloq.com/indesign/bind-your-own-books-5132651

and a video...

and this video for hard covers... (there are a lot of links in the summary section below the video)

Re: Your Go To Book- Derrick

Now, this is going to be interesting. I'm not sure If I have a "go to" book per se. Well, at least once a year I read (browse) my Harry Potter Books. I can't think off the top of my head what books, I read over again? I typically don't re-read a book unless it's really good- like my guilty pleasure books. ;)

 But, I will go with The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It was just a really powerful book with so many messages and concepts. The book cover wasn't particularly fascinating but it was interesting. I'm not sure why, but I've read the book almost three times off and on. I have seen the movie. The movie was really good but the book was better. I find it very inspiring and uplifting. It teaches me to not let anything stand it my way. Even though times might be hard, everything smoothes out and get better with time. 

Re: Your Go To Book - Kate

During my sophomore year of college, a friend of mine gave me Ethan Hawke's The Hottest State. I think I must have read it at least 15 times while in college and my early 20s. I don't know that it's particularly some sort of classic. I mean, I think the writing is good, the character development is vivid, and I could relate trying to navigate a emotions that felt some what out of control. But I kept going back to it mostly because it is a coming-of-age story about falling in love for the first time, having your heart crushed, and then trying to figure out how to move on from that. I also remember liking that it was from the guy's perspective, rather than the girl who is always getting dumped and being broken-hearted in literature.

And just to spare you all another posting with Harry Potter covers, I will only state that I have reread the Harry Potter series completely from book 1 to 7 at least four or five times, and reread parts of each book many more times than that. But by now, you all know what the covers look like!

RE: Children's Books and Literature- Derrick

Oh gosh, I loved children's books growing up as a child. I still read children's book for inspiration. I was very fond of Dr. Seuss and E.B White. I enjoy reading about fictional magical creatures teaching some sort of lesson. The covers to these books were also really interesting as well. It always used bold colors and big type. As I child I had a imaginary friend so I was really with using my imagination. Some of my favorite books from Dr. Seuss are The Grinch, Green Eggs and Ham, Red Fish Blue Fish...

 E.B White books seemed to open my mind and make me think. Where as Dr, S books were funny and playful, E.B. White Books taught me a lesson about life. It helped me grow and become more mature. Some of my faves from him are Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web and The Trumpet Swan. A part of the reason why I loved E.B. White's book are because some of the books have become movies.

My mom never read to me ;), however, my grandma used to read and sing to me. I don't remember what books she's read to me because I think she just made up her own stories. Stories about her life or what she thought her life should have been like. Lately, I haven't been reading much children's literate books per se, however I do refer to them for design ideas.

re: rereads (Christina)

I am not really a re-reader.  Its not that I haven't ready books where I just hated for them to end, but once they did and I knew the story, I haven't gone back.  For me, the magic is hard to recapture and so I move on.  That being said, after considering this topic, there is one book that I do wonder if I would love it as much the second time around:

Bill Bryson is a fantastic and witty writer.  I have read a few of his books, but none recently and none that I've loved as much as the lost continent.  If I were to reread any, this would be the one.  And now that I'm thinking about it, if I can find it on my shelves, I will.  Don't know if this is related, but I rarely if ever watch any movie a second time...with very few exceptions.  ????   Am I missing something? 

Short Film

Here's a link to the animated short film of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce. Tuesday in class I brought in the book and wanted to share the short film with you all. It's about 15 minutes long. There's also an amazing interactive Lessmore app.

Enjoy! It's lovely!

Re: Your Go To Book- Jessica

Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't really do any rereads. There are some though I remember enjoying reading in high school that I think I would enjoy more now as an adult. I imagine it would almost be like reading it for the first time again and would undoubtedly appreciate more now. Such as Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, John Gunther's Death Be Not Proud, and Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.

Also, there are others that I started reading and never finished-- or let slip by completely (oops!). Or breezed through sometime through college or shortly after, but definitely would want to pick up again. They're mostly some of the greats such as: Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Beautiful and Damned, Tender is the Night, and The Great Gatsby.

RE: Your Go To Book-Adina

Hmm I would have to say for the sake of keeping my sanity and esteem as a writer, my go to book is Stephen King's On Writing. It's the first, and only King book I've read but it's the honesty, the storytelling and the advice that pulls me in every time. As a 20-something aspiring writer, often times I have to keep in mind that it may take a while before I get to that place in my career where I want to be. One of King's most notable works, Carrie, is one that he explains was submitted and rejected by numerous publishers. It was because of his wife, Tabitha, who found the manuscript in the trash and encouraged him to send it off one more time, that Carrie became the iconic chiller known today.
King is a great writer with a lot of insight about the mechanics of writing. I thoroughly enjoy this book, its tone and his life story.

When you have the likes of Fifty Shades flying off of shelves, it can be rather frustrating and discouraging as a writer to see and read :/ So King's book is a true pick me up.

Re: Your Go To Book - Aseloka

Derrick I'm so glad you brought up the alchemist! I love that book but I haven't read it in at least 6 years. I'm gonna have to put that one on my list to re-read. Good choice!

Well I've mentioned this many times in class by my favorite books, a series by Joan D. Vinge which consists of The Snow Queen, World'd End, and The Summer Queen, are my go-to novels for comfort reading. They're familiar and rereading them is always a pleasure. I'm always caught up in the story no matter how many times I've read it and that's exactly why I read it.

I discovered the first of these books in my early days as a library volunteer. I picked it because I liked the cover and it was the biggest book I saw. I read then and have been hooked ever since! Nothing like a good ol' comfort read.

Your Go to Book

Is there a book that you consider your old faithful? A book that every couple of months you read it in any situation. Your book for a rainy day, whether you wanted a feel good story, one that inspired you or one that you just enjoy reading. I call this you go to book.
                   
About 6 years ago my friend recommended a book to me that he said I would enjoy called the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. He told me the story was about a young shepherd boy setting out to find his personal legend. I'd say he wasn't wrong with his story choice. Since then I've read this book atleast 3 times and listened to the ebook twice. It gets better every time I read it.

Initially when I saw the cover, I envisioned a story that had trials in it. The image seemed dark and unclear since there's a dark castle in the mountains. As I read it the cover choice made more sense to me.  This book tells the story of a challenging uphill road for the young boy, Santiago, sets out on a journey from a dream he envisioned and while on his path he meets an Alchemist who teaches him about his personal legend and he sets out to find that as well. To me the story shows and encourages you to follow your dreams and ambitions. Also don't be afraid to learn while in the process. A must read. 

There are other good books that I've read, but none that I find myself going back to read like this. My question is what's your go to books and why?

childrens books, covers (christina)

Re: Cover to Cover, favorite childrens books - Christina

The topic of favorite childrens books sent me down memory lane. In elementary school I was in love with a book series called Billy and Blaze about the adventures of a young boy and his horse.  Think Lassie but instead of a collie, a horse.  As I think about it, this was probably the first chapter books I read and I couldn't wait for the next one in the series to become available.  As an adult, I don't really follow kids books but I did read and thoroughly enjoy the Harry Potter series and I am currently listening to the audio book, His Dark Materials, the second in the Golden Compass series.  Interesting, as I compare each of these, animals play a major theme in each book. 

Re: Children's Book and Literature-Nicole

I actually don't remember the books I read or that were read to me as a little thing but I do remember reading in elementary and middle school. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe was one of my favorites and I really enjoyed the American Girls series.

I remember being totally transported into these worlds and wishing that I was actually there. The American Girls series was definitely one of my favorites and I read all of the books in the series. I really liked reading as a young adult and then once I hit a certain age I didn't want to read at all. Thankfully its coming back.

Children's Book and Literature-Adina

Ah another sweet trip down memory lane.....I enjoyed the Berenstain Bears book series as well as the television show. There was always a lesson to be learned, usually at the hands of mischievous Brother Bear. I think because the family, though bears, reminded me of my own household, I had an appreciation for the books. I think they tackled almost every topic imaginable for a kid back in the day. Sadly to say, Mother Bear's facial expressions definitely remind me of my mother's then and now.

 

As a tween, I loved the Goosebumps series even though I sometimes went to sleep with one eye open. The books were always so engaging and every story, every character, every setting was different. What I loved most about Goosebumps was the fact that I wasn't the only one reading them so many times my friends and I would exchange books. I remember Go Eat Worms being the first of many in my collection. What I appreciated was how the series stuck to the script of the book, which often times for adult books adapted into screenplays tends to shy away from terribly.

 

Interestingly enough two high school classmates have recently written and illustrated the Carribean-based children's book Callaloo. Having seen the author's play before the book's formation, I thought this was a wonderful idea as it meets the need of an underrepresented audience. What I'm also starting to see is an influx of children's book aimed at African American children, which wasn't exactly spilling off of bookshelves when I was a kid. As a result of this post I have a strong desire to go in my basement and attic and dig my old books out for some reading adventures.

Re: Children's Books and Literature- Derek

Looking at children's books brought back a nostalgic felling for me. Seeing books that I've read reminds me a my golden years in elementary, playing sports, watching tv and sleepovers at my friends houses. One of my favorite book sets to read was Arthur by Marc Brown. These were great stories that told the story of a young boy growing up in elementary school. Looking back the covers were interesting because there was a lot of color contrast with the images and the titles. There was a lot of spacing between the titles and the actual images which makes everything easy to read.
               

Even now I find myself reading some TMNT books with my nephew from time to time, as I did as a child. I like to considered bonding time. I was always a fan of Eastman and Laird illustrations, these days there computer generated and use more dark colors then they did when I was a child. These days the books have 2 stories in 1, which I think is a unique concept.  

Some other books I read as I got a little older were Wayside stories, goosebumps and even captain underpants. I just found out that pretty much all the books I read as a child are now cartoons. Below is a clip from the cartoon of Wayside schools if you have a couple of minutes to watch.

Re: Children's Books and Literature- Jessica

As mentioned in a previous post, I loved reading as a child. I remember reading Dr. Seuss regularly and some other favorites I can instantly think of include Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are and Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Some of my favorite authors I always turned to though as a child were Eric Carle and William Joyce.

Eric Carle has an easily recognizable style of beautifully bright, collaged illustrations. One of my favorites of his is the classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I also loved Draw Me a Star as a child because well, it taught me how to draw a star!

I grew up reading many of William Joyce's stories. We share the same hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana-- where he and his family still reside-- and he has had major success in his career. I knew him as an author of many of my favorites as a child, such as Dinosaur Bob and his Adventures with the Family Lazardo and Santa Calls. Now, he is an Emmy and Academy Award winning author, illustrator, and filmmaker. His production studio Moonbot Studios took home the 2012 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. The short film was based off the book version, and has now expanded into a pretty awesome interactive app. His books have inspired some pretty major animated films such as Epic, Rise of the Guardians, and Meet the Robinsons. He's a brilliant storyteller and illustrator. Obviously I've been a huge fan of his since childhood, and continue to follow his success.

Re: Children's Books and Literature - Aseloka

As a child I always loved the story If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. I loved the drawings and was thoroughly amused by the thought of this silly little mouse in overalls with so many requests. PLUS look at how big the cookie is compared to the mouse himself? How could you possibly want anything else after having eaten a cookie the size of your head??

I have very vivid memories of this adorable/outrageous critter and my fascination with the book itself. I was also a big fan of the Clifford the Big Red Dog books with the larger than life giant red pup!

I guess I've just always loved preposterous things. Even thinking back to that time just warms my heart, haha.

I don't read children's literature as an adult, but I've come across a book or two and what always jumps out to me now is the illustrations. I love a good visual representation of a scene that I'm reading about. That's definitely something I haven't come across in many of my readings as an adult that children's books are absolutely founded on. I love children's books that have the vibrantly colored, detailed illustrations. These are some pictures by an illustrator, Will Terry, whose work I admire.

I don't own any of the books he's illustrated but I love his drawings for children's stories especially. I might be stalking him a little bit on his blog. Just friendly stalking though, in a pinteresty sort of way. Nothing to worry about.

This isn't an area I've paid much attention to (aside from Will Terry's work) as an adult. I miss the expressive nature of everything that goes into a children's books. I just don't come across it enough now. Maybe graphic novels will be a nice compromise? I'll have to give it a go sometime. 

Children's Books and Literature

When I was a child, my favorite book was Goodnight Moon. My brother and I would race to point out the little mouse as my dad turned each page. I love the primary colors, the largeness, but coziness of the room and the rhythm of the words as my parent's read them to us. Now, as an adult, I still love children's books and children's literature. I think the illustrations in Runaway Bunny are beautiful. I love the juxtaposition of the black and white sketches with the full color illustrations of the fantastical scenes. And, I love the conclusion of the tale. It is reassuring and encouraging. 

There are a lot of children's books that I love, but in thinking about what I like about children's literature when compared to adult literature, I really relate to these thoughts by Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project. She writes: "The difference between novels for adults and novels for children isn't merely a matter of cover design, bookstore placement, and the age of the protagonist. It's a certain quality of atmosphere. Children's literature often deals openly with the most transcendent themes, such as the battle between good and evil and the supreme power of love. These books don't gloss over the horror and fascination of evil, but in the end, in even the most realistic novels, good triumphs."

This sums up how I feel about children't literature really well. I want to see good triumph over evil, wrongdoing punished and virtue triumph. Some of my favorites include C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the Harry Potter series (of course), Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Burnett's The Secret Garden and Enright's Gone-away Lake. 

What's your favorite children's book? What books did you read growing up? Did your parent's read to you as a child? Do you read children's literature now as an adult? If so, what books or series do you enjoy? 

Re:Guilty Pleasures - kate

I wish I had more time to read these days, so it's hard for me to come up with guilty pleasures. I guess what you would call "chick lit" is my guilty pleasure, though I don't particularly feel guilty for reading it. I enjoy just reading for pleasure and not having to think and analyze and try to figure out the deeper meaning of the classics or be sad and depressed by a lot of books for "grown-ups." A few of my favorite "chick lit" authors included Emily Giffin, Lauren Weisberger and Helen Fielding.