Now that I’m not totally absorbed in researching and writing J.R. (for now, that is — I still haven’t gotten to most of the books in that big stack I brought home), I’d just like to point out some a few posts of note elsewhere. Some are recent, others I only discovered recently, but all are good stuff.

  • Inspired by a recent New York Times article and op-ed, many folks (including Liz, Susan, and Roger) have posted about how the mythological role of quilts in the Underground Railroad has been frequently perpetuated in children’s literature. Farm School Becky has the most to say on this, and she says it well.
  • I don’t know how I missed Cynsations’ interview with author Lola M. Schaefer last August, but having read Schaefer’s wonderful, Cybils-shortlisted An Island Grows (illustrated by Cathie Felstead), I sure am glad I finally got around to discovering that post. And speaking of popular myths and misconceptions (see above), I found this bit especially intriguing:

“Actually, it took me more than 2 1/2 years to complete this text. Why?

“It was like putting a puzzle together. First I double-checked each stage of the progression with different scientists. This sounds silly, considering how straight-forward my topic was. But I never skip this part of the process. Quite often I learn how inaccurate common knowledge can be.”

  • Book Buds gives four stars to last year’s The Adventures of Odysseus by Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden and illustrated by Christina Balit. Having read this one myself — much of it out loud, to my entire family — I’ll give it four more.
  • Loree Griffin Burns recommends Fossil Fish Found Alive, from a few years back, about the coelacanth. I read about this fish somewhere recently, found it fascinating, but didn’t think to look for a children’s book about it. Now I don’t have to.