I can't stop looking at fonts now!

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield

ISBN-13: 978-1846683015

I started this one a while ago, but I just finished it, so it counts, right? A font is a style of lettering. On a computer it's easy to change almost instantly--but many fonts were first made by hand, by carving the letters one by one out of wood or metal, many years ago. If you wanted to use a certain font, you had to go the foundry where the letters were cast, and buy the individual pieces of type to arrange on your press. Once you start looking at fonts, you begin to realize how powerful they are, how they can change your feeling about a product (when used in advertising,) give you a hint of the genre of a book (when it's on the cover,) suggest a time period (some fonts just shout a certain decade,) or make you laugh (like when the feeling of the font just doesn't fit with the words--it's funny!)  This book was funny and interesting--a good one to keep in the pile to dip into in odd moments, especially if you're a word geek like me.

The Horn Book Magazine
The Horn Book is my favorite way to hear about new books. Every issue is full of reviews, but also articles by the smartest librarians, writers, and editors in the children's book business. The picture is of the current issue, but I actually haven't gotten to that yet. The issue I read (March/April) was all about books in other formats. An adjustment to my summer goal--read at least one audiobook ( I hear the new Newbery winner is a good choice,) at least one picture book app, and at least one e-book.

ISBN-13: 978-1423121909

Blackout by John Rocco
This is a 2012 Caldecott Honor book, and one of the 10 NH Ladybug Award Nominees for 2012. John Rocco has a great book trailer (like a video commercial,) on his website:
http://www.roccoart.com/blackout.html
The trailer made me think about times when the power went out when I was little. I was always jealous of my friends, who told stories of candles and huddling around the wood stove. We had a generator, so all our lights worked while the world around us remained in the dark. As a grown-up now I realize that we were the lucky ones! This book has a simple story, and it will be best when you plan lots of time for readers and listeners to trade their own blackout tales.