Judy Blume’s new touring model

Random Person: What do you do?

Me: I work in children’s book

Random person: ehh really, is that a real job? I suppose you’ve read the  Harry Potter books then  and I suppose its important that kids do read books.  I remember really like Roald Dahl as a kid and oh yes those books that got passed around school with the important bits highlighted.

Me: Do you mean Judy Blume

Random Person: YES! thats the one, Forever was playground contraband in our place.

Okay so I’m generalising here but Judy Blume is a hallowed name in writing for young people. She’s still controversial for some adults. In fact Forever was the second most challenged book of 2005, according to the American Library Association and she is recognized as one of the most banned children’s authors in the US.

Anyway to celebrate her most recent titles, she’s touring book blogs – Its a great idea, creating sustained interest across the next few weeks and reaching people who are interested in her work.

First installment over on Big a Little A

new blog on the block – kind of

Irish Times journalist Fiona McCann has renamed her fringe blog and it’s set to continue as a general arts blog on the IT site. Good move all round, I think, and certainly a good companion to Jim Carrol’s blog. McCann has been busy in the print editions too with recent interviews with Joe Woods to mark all Ireland Poetry Day and  more recently McColgan about the Gate among other things.

Is the next step an IT book blog?