Web Watch

by Zoe

With the Magazine’s September/October special issue, we highlight a topic that’s always up for discussion in children’s literature: gender.

Editor-in-chief Roger Sutton interviews Jon Scieszka, who talks about his campaign to make reading more accessible to boys. Jon’s website, www.guysread.com, gives us reason to believe that boys really are reading and features lots of recommended books. (Listen to outtakes from the interview on our podcast.)

In an offbeat but touching story, Cecil Castellucci discusses how, as a young girl, she showed the world her girlie-reading side but had a hiding place for what she really loved: her brother’s books. She presents a good case for having brothers! In her gritty style, Cecil blogs about her punk-rock life at castellucci.livejournal.com.

J.D. Ho argues in favor of manga, and after I read her article I wanted to read some for myself. A few minutes of web searching later, I unearthed a gold mine of free manga at mangavolume.com. Download some free stuff and see what these Japanese gems are all about.

Elsworth Rockefeller’s article, “The Genre of Gender,” introduces transgender literature as the new “taboo” topic that needs to be discussed in teen novels. There are always new resources for guiding adolescents through what may be a tough time, and I found one site that answers many questions: www.youthresource.com. The recent news section helps keep you up-to-date, and there are also helpful features, including a list of must-see GLBTQ movies.

Another new resource for those interested in GLBTQ books is K.T. Horning’s new blog, “Worth the Trip,” which Roger has mentioned in his blog. Horning has all sorts of insights into queer literature, and in addition to her book reviews and commentary, she also has the occasional author interview.

Fan mail from hundreds of readers of Phyllis Naylor’s Alice series is posted — with Naylor’s own responses — at www.simonsays.com. Topics range from practical grooming tips (“When I shave my armpits, I get little red bumps. Are these normal or am I do doing something wrong?”) to the facts of life (“What's so bad about having sex early? I know this sounds weird and all but what are the other risks of doing it besides pregnancy? Thanks for your help!! I LOVE PATRICK!!”) to the intensely personal (“I'm the girl who wrote a while ago about my mum dying of lung cancer...”)

We review Judy Blume’s newest chapter book for younger readers, but it’s her YA books that get the most press: “There is a large body of evidence to the effect that Judy Blume is responsible for puberty as we know it.” That’s from a 1998 article about Blume, who is also responsible for plenty of book controversies. Recently when I was visiting my mom in Miami I went to the local library and discovered that Judy Blume is still causing a ruckus! Of the thirty-four copies of Forever..., there were only three available across the county. The rest were checked out...forever.