Book Hour - The Spiderwick Chronicles

Today on the show, Mindy interviewed Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, the co-creators of The Spiderwick Chronicles. They talked about how they work as a team to create the books, coming up with the story together and going back and forth as they split off the write the story and draw the illustrations. They discussed the movie and their inspirations for the Spiderwick books.

On today's show, Holly and Tony discussed their latest book The Wyrm King by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi.

Peter Glassman from Books of Wonder

Peter Glassman from Books of Wonder was on the show today talking about all these great books!

My Father's Dragon by Ruth Gannett
The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (Newbery Winner)
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (Newbery Honor Book)
The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis (Newbery Honor Book)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Newbery Winner)
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
Missing May by Cynthia Rylant (Newbery Winner)
The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain Book 1) by Lloyd Alexander

Book Hour - Lunch Lady

On today's show, Mindy interviewed Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of many books, including Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute.

Camille and I both loved the idea that the lunch lady has super cool spy tools, like a spork that is really a phone and a spatula that is a helicopter. I know we'll be keeping our eye out for the books.

Even more, our pals Recess Monkey has written a Lunch Lady Theme song that is available on the website www.lunchladycomics.com/.

Books of Wonder - Peter Glassman

On yesterday's show, Mindy interviewed Peter Glassman, the owner of Books of Wonder, "New York City's oldest and largest independent children's bookstore, as well as the city's leading specialist in children's literature both new and old."

They talked about a number of great series for kids to read. One series that he mentioned is the Oz Series books. Camille has read all 14 books in the original series, however, what was very interesting was to learn more about the history of the books, like that one came out every year right before Christmas, and giving these books turned into a Christmas tradition.

Another favorite of Peter's was Half-Magic by Edward Eager. Camille and I have enjoyed many of the books in this series as well. Even though the books were written in the 1950's, they are timeless in some sense.

Another series he talked about was Sluggers, which Chloe thinks sounds pretty awesome.

Camille and Chloe can't wait to get to NYC and visit Peter Glassman's Books of Wonder store!

Book Hour - Jennifer Ward

On Mindy's show today, she was joined by Jennifer Ward author of I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature.

The activities sound pretty interesting, although basic. My kids (who are likely older than the target) love to get outside and do their own thing and really don't like for me to direct them, so I'm not sure it would work for us. The advice given on the show is mostly "natural" to us already. But I will likely put it on my library list to peruse further before deciding on whether it would be useful to us.

Mindy made a great point : Kids can help us slow down and we need to be sure to slow down for them instead of asking them to speed up for us.

Again, so natural for us: Don't inhibit the play. Who cares if the clothes get dirty? My kids are almost never sick, and I have never been germ-wary. They have built up some great immunity, I believe.

Visit Authors for Earth Day
and Jennifer Ward's site.

Her newest book is for pre-teens Let's Go Outside.

Book Hour - JDRFI Doggie Treat Cook Book

Today Mindy interviewed j. Bernard Ralph, author of The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International Doggie Treat Cook Book.

He described many of the doggie treats in the book and talked about how he will write many more ....

Book Hour - Horrid Henry

As we were flying today, we missed the interview, but Mindy was supposed to interview Francesca Simon author of the Horrid Henry books. The latest, Horrid Henry's Stinkbomb, is due to be released tomorrow.

That's Right

Today Mindy interview Alan katz, author of Going, Going, Gone!: And Other Silly Dilly Sports Songs.

The book is full of parodies on familiar songs, telling new stories based on songs that we know.

Just before the interview, Dr. Wrongo (alan Katz) played a couple of rounds of "That's Right, That's Wrong" with some of Mindy's imaginary friends.

Book Hour - Amy Krouse Rosenthal

On today's show, Mindy interviewed Amy Krouse Rosenthal author of Little Pea and Little Hoot. Her new book is called Duck! Rabbit! in is based around an optical illusion that the illustrator Tom Lichtenheld. Amy has another new book coming out soon called Little Oink, in her "Little" series.

Games will be available soon on Chronicle Books.

Book Hour - Selina Alko

On today's show, mindy interviewed Selina Alko, author of I'm Your Peanut Butter Big Brother.

[Ed Note: At this point my sad, overworked computer decided it was time for us to take a coffee break, and I missed the entire interview.]

For more information, visit Selina Alko's website.

Book Hour - Neil DeGrassi Tyson

Danny joined Mindy in interviewing Neil deGrasse Tyson, author of The Pluto Files. They started out talking about Danny's superhero Scrap Metal. Neil asked about Scrap Metal's planet, and told Danny about some of the planets that have been discovered recently.

The celebrates how people reacted to the "demotion" of Pluto. Neil talked about gravity, the spinning of the earth and so much more. Quite an interesting interview!

Book Hour - Jeff Foxworthy

Mindy played a couple Lunch Money tunes as we drove through Columbia, SC, then, as we drove through rural Georgia, she interviewed Jeff Foxworthy about his new book. While I enjoyed the interview, I didn't take any notes as we drove down the highway.

Jeff read some excerpts from his book Silly Street by Jeff Foxworthy. She talked to him about how he came up with the ideas for the book and about how he got into comedy.

IT was a fun interview that kept us entertained as we watched the miles roll past!

Book Hour - Jenny Ryan

On today's show, Mindy's guest was Jenny Ryan author of Sew Darn Cute: 30 Sweet & Simple Projects to Sew & Embellish. Mindy said that the projects look really fun and the photos are amazing. The projects tend to focus on recycled materials, including old clothes. One idea is to make a soft snake or draft stopper out of layers of old sweaters. Others include using colorful patches on sweaters and making button embellishments. Fun projects also include dainty doll quilts.

For many of the projects, it does help to know how to sew with a sewing machine, but some you can do by hand sewing.

Kids can be involved in various ways such as picking out the fabrics for the embellishments. Another place where kids can help is by drawing the patterns to be used on cafe curtains. Or they can iron on a "monogram" on a baby shirt and then stitch it on with embroidery stitches.

Hand sewing is a good place for kids to start to sew. Making pet toys can also be a great way to introduce kids to projects involving fabric.

Jenny stated that every house should have a button jar. I strongly agree. I love our button jar.

I am so sad that I missed part of the interview and Camille missed most of it. I know she would have loved it. She could probably do a lot of the projects on her own, so I'm sending her over to Jenny's website at sewdarncute.com.

Book Hour - Muriel Harris Weinstein

This afternoon, Mindy interviewed Muriel Harris Weinstein author of When Louis Armstrong Taught Me Scat.

Mindy loves the story and the illustrations. Muriel said that the book was very fun to write. It is a secret, but she is 85 (shhh). She came from a family that loved to sing and dance. When Muriel went to school, they had a listening section, where they put kids that were not allowed to sing (and pulled them by their ears to put them there). The teachers thought they were improving the singing of the assembly by separating the people out. She loves to sing now, but she says she wishes she could sing the way Louis Armstrong does.

She was a teenager when she started to love Louis Armstrong's music; all his songs were romantic and made you feel like you had a special someone. He was The Jonas Brothers of her day. He played the trumpet like nobody else. She is surprised to hear that some of the bands now don't know how to play instruments (some do play guitars or drums).

Louis Armstrong allowed all the musicians to come up to the microphone. The jazz band used to play without anyone singing. He encouraged the "birdie" or girl to come up and sing. He inspired everyone to be free to sing and write as they wished. Louis Armstrong created scat - which is "nonsensical syllables" that make no sense. He did it first when he forgot the words, such as when he dropped the sheet music and didn't have time to pick up the sheets. It can be called "Doodling with your voice" or "Using your voice as an instrument."

Muriel got into writing books for kids recently, after writing text books and more. She used to teach school, where they did a lot of creative writing. She has another book coming out, a chapter book, that she is working on now.

Muriel read her book When Louis Armstrong Taught Me Scat live on Mindy's show.

Book Hour - Jeff Kinney

This afternoon, Mindy talked to Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney.

The diary books are not chapter books, but hybrid comic, text books. The main character, Gregg Heffley, has a lot of flaws and imperfections and is not a great friend. Jeff Kinney felt there were too many books about mini-adults, perfect, heroic characters. Roderick, Gregg's older brother, is a popular character. Fifth grade boy is the ultimate reader.

A "ploopie" is a word that Jeff's sister used to call him It was the "baddest" word that she could come up with. When she said it to Jeff, he would freeze. He wasn't a whiny kid, but a little detached.

Gregg was born on Funbrain.com in 2004. Jeff talked about how he would hide out in the locker room to avoid swim practice. Jeff has two kids, 3 and 6, but Jeff won't let his son read the Diaries until he is older.

The third book in the series, Diary of A Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, is now available.

Notes: In Japan, the characters had to have five fingers instead of four. The books are in 30 languages, including Catalan (language spoken mainly in Spain, Andorra and France). The girls are all drawn the same, except for the hair, since Gregg doesn't get girls yet.

Twentieth Century Fox is gong to make a movie, and kids can send in their autition tapes via iamthewimpykid.com. They are looking for a kid who identifies with Gregg. Jeff has some say in who gets chosen.

Question: Do you ever dislike some of the characters?
Answer: Yes, sometimes Gregg doesn't like Gregg, the protagonist.

Question: How many more books are you going to write?
Answer: At least two, maybe four more. He think seven is just about right.

Question: Is Gregg gong to get older?
Answer: No, he's going to stay the same age.

Question: When is the fourth book coming out?
Answer: This fall. Jeff is writing it right now, and it will be about Gregg's summer vacation.

Question: What was Gregg's best adventure?
Answer: Trying to knock someone off a bicycle with a football.

Question: When did Gregg meet his best friend Rowley?
Answer: Rowley showed up on Gregg's doorstep and asked Gregg a lame knock-knock joke.

Question: Where did Gregg get his name?
Answer: Jeff's mom wanted to name a son Gregg, but never did.

Question: When is the movie coming out?
Answer: Maybe this year.

Question: How old were you when you started drawing.
Answer: He drew a turtle at age two and his mom still has it.

Question: Did your mom watch romantic movies?
Answer: Yes, she watches romantic comedies.

Question: What is you favorite book.
Answer: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. As for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the red one.

Question: Did you know you were going to be a writer?
Answer: He didn't, he wanted to be a newspaper cartoonist.

Question: Which do you like doing better "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" or "Poptropica"?
Answer: Jeff likes both equally.

Question: How did you get the ideas for the characters?
Answer: Bits and pieces of people he's known and other ideas for types.

Question: Where do you get ideas?
Answer: Remembering his childhood and stuff going on around. Keep a journal. Jeff wishes he had kept a journal.

Question: When did you start writing the books?
Answer: Eleven years ago.

Question: What is Gregg's dad's name?
Answer: Maybe it is Frank.

Jeff also designs the Poptropica.com virtual world site.

Visit the Diary of a Wimpy Kid website for more information about the books. Also, Jeff will be at the Borders in Fairfax tomorrow, Saturday, February 14 at 1 p.m.

Book Hour - Florence Parry Heide

On today's show, Mindy interviewed Florence Parry Heide, author of The One and Only Marigold. Unfortunately, we missed the second half of the interview as we were told that the forward door had been closed and we had to turn off all electronic devices.

Ms. Heide called in from her home in WI and shared with us her big news of the week, which is that she is about to turn 90 years old! Wow! When she she was growing up, it was the time of the First World War, she didn't have tv or a telephone, and she loved to play games with her friends. She had bikes, skates and scooters.

She said that it is important to remember that whatever age you are, it is a wonderful age to be! However, she mostly remembers being a kid and that her life was full of sunshine. She wonders about today's listeners. In fifty years, what will you look back on and be amazed about? (The other day, Camille pointed out that there were no mobile phones and internet when I was a kid.) Mindy suggested one such invention that is likely to come about is that of automatic toilet paper dispensers?

Ms. Heide also said that it is important to put something out into the world (does this blog count?). Sshe said that people would ask her where her ideas came from and he would answer "I don't know.: She realized that isn't a very nice answer and started to try to learn about where her ideas came from. She described them as invisible balloons floating everywhere and she would sometimes pull them down with an invisible string.

As for her book, it is about a little girl named Marigold, and the pictures are wonderful. There are four stories in the book. And that's all we heard.

Book Hour - When Royalty Wore Ruffles

Mindy interviewed the author and the illustrated of When Royals Wore Ruffles: A Funny and Fashionable Alphabet! by Chesley Mclaren and Pamela Jaber. Mindy loves this new picture book: a funny collection of odd and peculiar facts of people and their clothing going back to the 1400's. Both Chelsey and Pamela love fashion and did lots of research to find out the funny and interesting things included in the book.

Some weird facts that they talked about: At one time there were wig snatchers because of the expensive jewels that people would fills their wigs. The wigs were so big and fancy that they wouldn't wash them, and would end up with creepy crawlies living in them. Women would make lipstick out of crush ed beetles and fish scales and crushed jewels and used crushed lead that was poisonous. People used to have animals living in the hair.

One fun fashion thing for kids to do is to create a window display of fashion ideas -- it takes imagination, paper, paint. It does help to have a theme.

Attitude is important to feel comfortable in what you are wearing. Fashion trends get started when someone has enough attitude...

Chelsey's Fashion Do's:
Do Get dressed
have fun in what you get dressed in
March out the door like you own the look.

Book Hour - Michael Ian Black

On today's show, Mindy interviewed Michael Ian Black, author of Chicken Cheeks. He is an author, comedian, actor, father, son, uncle, grocery shopper. Michael doing the interview from NYC. This is the first book for kids that he has written, and he has two more coming out. One is about a purple kangaroo and a mind reading monkey. The other is "A Pig Parade is a Terrible Idea," being published by Simon-Schuster.

The book is about animal tushies!?! His kids don't get credit for helping, then they don't get royalties. The book is supposed to be very funny, not a veterinary book. Some of the phrases are "Deer Rear", "Moose caboose", "Duck-billed platypus gluteus maximus.

The illustrations are great. There is a story to the book, all the animals are standing on top of each other.

Michael was a wild and loud little boy. He rode down the stairs in a laundry basket. His kids are their own best people.

Book Hour - Annie Barrows

Mindy interviewed Annie Barrows, author of the Ivy and Bean books. There are five books in the Ivy and Bean series.

Ivy and Bean did not like each other one bit. Ivy likes to sit quietly and read books. Bean likes to run around and play in the dirt. They live across from the street from each other and eventually became the best of friends, even though they are total opposites. Sometimes kids can find ways to like each other that their moms and dads don't know.

The names Ivy and Bean came to her before she came up with anything else about them. Annie has two girls that believe themselves to be like Ivy and Bean. Annie got inspiration from her kids, her own childhood and from watching kids at the playground. Annie thinks that she was like both Ivy and Bean when she was younger.

With each book, Annie gets to know Ivy and Bean better. Annie read an excerpt from the latest book, Bound to Be Bad. The next book, Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance, is due out in the fall. She has written some grownup books as well, after her 25 year break from writing.

Her website www.anniebarrows.com has lots of information, crafts and more ...

Interview - Brendan Fraser

Today, Mindy interviewed Brendan Fraser, a star in the new movie Inkheart. Brendan started out talking about the story of Inkheart and about the author Cornelia Funke, who had dedicated the book to him.

Brendan discussed how much he enjoyed working with Cornelia Funke. He said that he did not have to use a British accent to play the dad in the movie.