World Book Day 2011

Today is World Book Day!

Thanks to PaperTigers who blogged the link via The Book Chook. Though I am not reading any book at the moment, I thought about the books I have read the past three months - Beastly, Linger, The Cellist of Sarajevo, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (and oh, the reviews I need to write for these plus the Book Drum contest I need to finish next week!), The Amulet Books 1-3, Masterpiece and GP Taylor's Doppelganger. What a list, huh! I am so proud of myself for having read nine books in the last three months. And there are three more books set aside for reading in the next quarter.

For more information on World Book Day, go to the link and explore the site. It's very British but note that the event began with a UNESCO proclamation as part of its literacy campaign. There's loads to discover from the Brits and how they celebrate World Book Day so head on to the link. You might just realize how we share some things in common with them.

Reading the World Challenge 2011

I'm not removing the Reading the World Challenge logo in this blog because I've joined in the challenge.

Again.

Yes.

After last year's miserable reading list, I will be reading and writing reviews of books I've read (three already!!!); the book I'm currently reading; and the books I will read till the end of the year.

Hmm... and there's the Book Drum Tournament on top of all this!

For the mechanics, head on to PaperTigers' blog by following this link.

Reading Inventory 2010

Here's keeping up to another blogging tradition -- a round up of books read in 2010. 

At the start of the year, I joined PaperTigers' Read Around the World challenge and failed. I only read and reviewed two books from the UK, US. Dismal. I know. 

I have to try harder this year. Sigh.

Apart from Percy Jackson and Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, here's a random list of books I've read in 2010.

a. Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck

b. Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

c. Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

d. The Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

e. The Solitary Vice Against Reading by Mikita Brottman

f. Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl

g. Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud

h. The Science of Harry Potter by Rodger Highfield

i. Lost and Found by Rica Bolipata-Santos

j. Batang Bayani Series by KUTING

k. Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynn Jones

l. Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman

m. Grimm Fairy Tales by Zenescope Entertainment

A pitiful count of fifteen books. Argh. I didn't include the folk tale books I read and used in finishing the ms for Tales From the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories though. 

Let's see how I will fare this year, 2011!

The 2010 NCBD Fever

Invites have been sent to friends and affiliates of PBBY for this year's NCBD celebration. PaperTigers has run a blog post on this year's NCBD. Many thanks to Corrine Robson and the many dedicated individuals who make the core of Pacific Rim Voices. They continue to lend support in spreading the news, and the love, on Philippine Children's Literature.



At the home front, Tarie Sabido will be covering this year's NCBD and a host of blogger-writers too!

The Spirit of PaperTigers

PaperTigers is in the process of selecting books for children that will be donated to places around the world where the need is great. Here's an introduction on the project they launched last February 1, 2010.

The Spirit of PaperTigers project is best understood within the overall goals of PaperTigers: that is, to encourage literacy, helping to make children hungry readers and thus helping them form a lifelong habit. It is also our goal to do that within the context of promoting “multicultural” or “cross-cultural” books: this means we focus on books that promote awareness of, knowledge about, and positive acceptance of “the other”, books that encourage empathy and understanding.

I'm hoping that The Spirit of PaperTigers reach the Philippines. To stretch my hopes further, it would be a great opportunity if PBBY can network with PaperTigers on this endeavor. Click the highlighted words for more information on the project.

Reading the World

Because I want to READ the WORLD, I am joining PaperTigers' Reading the World 2010 Challenge. Since I no longer work in a regular school setting, I need to find a group to discuss my reading choices. There's the monthly SCBWI-Manila meeting and the KUTING general assembly but scheduling is something I have to work on. It seems pretty easy to do though.

Here are the rules --

Choose one book from/about/by or illustrated by someone from each of the seven continents – that’s:

Africa
Antarctica
Asia
Australasia
Europe
North America
South America

Have the books read aloud to you or read them yourself; share them as part of a book-group or in class. Combine your choices with other reading challenges. The books can be picture-books, poetry, fiction, non-fiction… the choice is yours.

Read! Read! Read! It has so many benefits! It's one of the many ways to being a better writer, besides.

PaperTigers Zooms On Philippine Chidlren's Literature

PaperTigers is currently featuring Philippine Children's Literature in their website. Reviews and views by Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz and Tarie Subido are great reads! Carla Pacis, Panch Alcaraz and Serge Bumatay are featured as well.

While this news is something all Filipino librarians specializing in children's and young adult library services must read, PaperTigers provides a comprehensive interview with Nancy Harrington. Ms. Harrington and her husband Dan are the proponents of a book donation and library development project in Mindanao and other parts of the southern islands in the country. Book for the Barrios has set up floating libraries in Agusan.

Thanks to PaperTigers! It could not have come at a better time but now.