LEGO run a workshop to train business facilitators “to develop powerful and compelling solutions to business problems.” Apparently used by some of the worlds leading organisations, SERIOUS PLAY enables teams to address complex issues… and put all the pieces together. (Mandatory pun)
It sounds incredible – any excuse to apply LEGO to life – but at a whopping €675 learning through LEGO could get expensive.
Plenty more details at roryoconnor.ie (found via Kieth)
Have a look at the incredible quality of this – shot wholly on iPhone 4:
iPhone 4 film – “Apple of My Eye” from Michael Koerbel on Vimeo.
Joining the elite – namely J K Rowling, Dan Brown and Mark Haddon – Stephanie Meyer has reached the two-million-in-the-21st-century book selling landmark.
What that means is that last year, one in every 47 books bought in the UK was penned by Meyer.
And as if that nugget wasn’t enough news for you – Forbes magazine has a breakdown of the Twilight fortune and where/who is making money.
This sees Meyer earn $40 million – ranking her 59th on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Last year ranked 16th with $50 million.
Nickeloden – the TV giant with characters such as Spongebob Squarepants, Fairly OddParents and Dora the Explorer – have agreed a whopping theme park deal on Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach.
The deal will see the the shows and characters appear at the resort – and construction of Nickelodeon Land begins in September rides, shops and games to look forward to.
The Kilkenny Arts Festival is just around the corner (okay so festivals can’t actually turn corners but if they could this one would be just about to spring a surprise corner-turning maneuver.)
And this years festival has a huge children’s literature/theatre lineup including a cartoon creating workshop with Fabian Erlinghauser and Roxanne Burchartz from the Cartoon Saloon (the folks behind The Secret of Kells) and the terrifyingly mean Derek Landy (as they say, behind every skeleton detective is a great munchkin army general).
Curious to find out more?? Have a click!
Eoin Colfer features in the Irish Times – live from Paris (and the Guardian have a chat with him too)
R.J. Anderson and Saundra Mitchell talk faith and fantasy and Meg Rosoff looks at biography and writing real life characters into fiction.
Frank Cottrell Boyce reviews Louis Sachar’s excellent The Cardturner:
Reading his books is like being hustled in a card game by someone who seems straight-talking and modest but who turns out to be a virtuoso card sharp. So is The Cardturner one big bluff or is he really holding all the trumps? I don’t want to spoil it for you but he does something towards the end of this book that I can’t imagine anyone else even trying to get away with. As Uncle Lester might say, nicely played, Louis.
The Famous Five are pulling their socks up and entering the 21st-century. (Tony Purcell’s not entirely convinced)
Mary Arrigan reviews a host of recent books this week (and last!)
The Bookseller really like Chris Haughton’s A Bit Lost.
The Puffin PR crew have invented the perfect author profile… except he’s real – introducing Alex Scarrow.
School Library Journal highlights the best of summer reading – including Hope Larson’s Mercury.
Naomi Alderman investigates games with a message -
I’m glad games are tackling such big issues, even awkwardly. Train has moved some players to tears – if that doesn’t make games art I don’t know what does.
Beverly Cleaver’s Ramona and Beezus is hitting cinema screens in the states – this could be great!
The Guardian Science Blog celebrates Maya Lopez (Echo) one of the only successful deaf characters in literatire – and she’s a superhero.
Witching the world – Disney pins all of its hopes on the Harry Potter experience
The information Tyrannosaur recommends 10 iPad apps for Librarians.
The Washington Post reports that Ginsberg’s Howl is as popular as ever.
Bill Murray bears all – including how/why he ended up in Garfield.
Burger King pit Edward and Jacob fans against one and other – whopper!
Patrick Kingsley remembers a slower time.
This years UK Libraries Change Lives Award went to Edinburgh jails library -
Prisoners have a dedicated 45-minute session in the library each week, but can access it at other times. Before the new library opened, only 5% of prisoners used to borrow books – now 50% take books out. And damage to the books has gone down from 80% to zero.
I know, like me, you have been losing hours, days – possibly months – of sleep wondering what might just happen to the cast of Harry Potter now that the two final films have been shot, cut and are mid-way across the editing floor.
So here it is – the proof that there really is life after Harry Potter:
Daniel Radcliffe will start production on the thriller The Woman in Black (based on Susan Hill’s novel) as well as being lined up for a remake of All Quiet on the Western Front, and The Journey is the Destination.
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) is to star in Eddie the Eagle, playing Britain’s Olympic ski jumper Eddie Edwards.
Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) is to join the upcoming Rise of the Apes, prequel to the Planet of the Apes. (He joins James Franco, Freida Pinto and John Lithgow)
As of right now – as I type – the Lord Mayor of Dublin is announcing that Dublin has been named a UNESCO City of Literature – one of only 4 in the world (Edinburgh, Iowa and Melbourne).
The City of Literature is an international network of UNESCO Creative Cities. A permanent, non competitive title in recognition of Dublin as a world centre for literature and literary activity.
I am absolutely delighted about this achievement – which confirms what Dubliners have known for years – this is a city that has always produced – and continues to produce – great writers.
- Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen
The City of Literature was secured by a steering and management group led by Dublin City Council’s library service (namely Jane Alger) in consultation/collaboration with literature organisations, writers and libraries throughout Dublin.
Curious to find out more? Visit dublincityofliterature.ie now and read up!
It’s Friday – and what better way to celebrate than with some bookshelf porn? And of course, this being the internet, there is a site dedicated to very pretty bookshelves:
Like these:
but not quite this (last pic is an old shot of my desk…):
And it being Friday… how about some weird X-Rays?
What did you have for breakfast? Guarantee it wasn’t a spoon, a blade and an unidentified object:
Fancy a game of Spot-The-Toothbrush?
It’s the first day of Eoin Colfer week – and Eoin will be live streaming a similar natter on 20 July at 2pm to a few thousand folks on the internet. For FREE tickets all ye have to do is put your name on the list.
And Mr Colfer (or someone very like him) is in Dublin on Thursday (July 22) for a chat, maybe some jokes and of course… to show off the new Artemis Fowl. Easons have all the details on their site - get clicking, typing and entering!
Mario in your neighbourhood! Some interesting use of augmented reality – this is only the beginning:
Super Mario Bros. from Andreas Heikaus on Vimeo.
This story is getting a little tired – but the estate of Adrian Jacobs, the late author of The Adventures of Willy the Wizard, continues to barrage and battle for attention. The estate have instigated a new lawsuit in New York, claiming that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is “substantially similar” to the Willy the Wizard book published in the eighties.
Bloomsbury have already said that the allegations are unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue. And that an intital approach was made to the company in 2004 but was unable to identify any text in the series that copied from Willy the Wizard. New claims that Rowling’s agent once represented Jacobs are also being denied and ridiculed.
Aaaand we’re back! After an incredible weekend in London – gallery visits, lots of very tasty food and of course gasping through the London 10K.
Thanks to everyone who has sponosered Special Effect – the gang really appreciate all of the support and were flabbergasted by the kindness of everyone. Thanks too for all of the emails asking to see the famed go-faster-headband (modelled by yours-truly)
It’s not too late to make a last ditch donation (help us reach £1,000 – go on!)
It’s life Jim. But not as we know it – an incredible video from Blu:
BIG BANG BIG BOOM – the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
(From the vault of Andy Stanton)
Somewhere in Ireland, unbeknownst to the rest of the world the world reached a milestone yesterday. The inimitable, and unconquerable Herbie Brennan turned 70!
With his name to more than 100 books – including the most recent success series Faerie Wars and The Apprentice’s Guide to the Secrets of the Wizards’ Guild – Herbie shows no sign of slowing down. Check out The Shadow Project too – the newest book from a legend.
Happy Birthday Herbie!
Hello – it’s one week to the great London adventure… and already there has been a slanderous act of misrepresentation concerning the *high levels* of preparation for the forthcoming London 10K race.
It seems some wise-acre has been busy on Photoshop and created an incriminating fake photograph of myself, Tom and Sarah-Jane drinking pints of an un-sporty nature in a non-gym-like environment (Pictured here to save you the indecency of seeing about it first in tomorrow’s Metro Herald).
Please do not believe your eyes! In reality we have been training as only the French World Cup squad know how – dedicated to the cause and never say die have become our raisons d’etre!
Obviously, such skulduggery has come as a bit of a shock to the system, leaving us more than a little hurt by the implication that we’re not taking our involvement in this challenge as seriously as perhaps we should…
In such circumstances, we are calling upon all you good and right thinking-people to rally against the doubters and the naysayers and give generously to our chosen charity Special Effect by clicking here.
Many thanks in anticipation of your support and please, have no fear, we will make you all very proud come July 11th!
Tom, David and Sarah-Jane
AKA Team Guinness/ Ireland
(If anyone is having trouble making a payment using the Virgin Money page please let me know. We’ll accept cash pledges as well of course!)
How about some new Lego creations?
There’s a list of some favourites here or you can just check out the highlight tour:
A little later than normal – but here’s some of the more interesting bits from the papers this week:
The Irish Independent reviews The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Carlos Ruiz Zafron’s The Prince of Mist and John Grisham’s Theodore Boone.
While it would seem hard to sympathise with a creature whose overwhelming desire is to quench her insatiable thirst with a steady stream of disposable humans, Meyer manages to create an empathy with Bree, and leaves the reader rooting for her, even though her fate was long since decided. The Short Second Life is definitely only going to appeal to fans of the Twilight saga, but is well worth a read by us Twihards.
Mary Arrigan rounds up more children’s books in the Irish Examiner while Rachel Roberts meets Henry Winkler. (Queue any number of Fonz headlines)
Anne Frank gets controversial in Annexed, Sharon Dogar’s reimagining of the Anne Frank Diaries.
Mary Hoffman reviews Jon Mayhew’s Mortlock:
Jon Mayhew is still finding his true authorial voice, but he knows what he likes and what he likes is gothic; fortunately lots of children like it too and will fall on Mortlock like those maligned crows.
Louisa Young (Zizou Corder) has an interesting take on child protection – essential reading.
The Daily Mail reviews some recent fiction releases.
Rachael Kilgallon celebrates Harper Lee on the 50th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird.
John Crace reads Theodore Boone (John Grisham’s children’s fiction debut) so you don’t have to.
Social Networks go to school – the advantages and disadvantages are interesting.
The Salon visits the new Harry Potter theme park in Florida. (The New York Times pays a visit too)
Rachel Redford reviews Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Prince of Mist:
With present and past entangled with the real and the unreal, it makes astonishingly cinematic listening, its sophisticated mystery heightened by the narration.
Deb Aoki talks manga piracy and what comes next. (And Publishers Weekly has more on Graphic Novels at ALA)
Neil Gaiman is out to prove a point. And Todd McFarlane doesn’t look to be winning the argument.
Guardian Podcast goes graphic.
I’ve just discovered the Cultural Learning Alliance.
Move over Demons. Angels. Vampires. Minotaurs are where it’s at.
And finally – have you voted for your Teen of Queen yet?
Eoin Colfer has been voted the Puffin book to beat all Puffin books.
In a vote that reached more than 10,000 readers Artemis Fowl managed to steal 68% of the votes (he is a criminal mastermind after all). That’s 68% of the total vote – ahead of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte’s Web and Goodnight Mister Tom!
But… not everyone agress with the youth of Britain (those clever kids). Alison Flood reckons that Michelle Magorian should have nabbed the gong with Goodnight Mister Tom:
With all due respect, small children, your choice of the admittedly excellent Artemis Fowl as the ‘Puffin of Puffins’ is deranged and wrong. It should clearly be MY choice: Goodnight Mister Tom
Admittedly it is a good defence for an incredible book… but still. 68 per cent. I’m flabbergasted (Think how Eoin Colfer feels!)
Fancy new obsession?
Have a read of I think you’re a sauceome – it will make you smile, think and enjoy lunch.
Bow to the might of Sarah Becan.
Look what’s here! Yup – it’s my Special Effect t-shirt, an official number for the London 10k AND some important announcements!
Now all I need is your money. Cold hard cash. You can find out more about the London 10k and Special Effect here.
Or just skip all that and donate some dosh! Ah, g’wan.
Ever wonder what it would be like to work for Pixar?
Pixar Animation Studio President Ed Catmull talks about Collective Creativity and how Pixar have successfully produced breakthroughs and blockbusters over the last decade and half.
Pixar is a community in the true sense of the word. We think that lasting relationships matter, and we share some basic beliefs: Talent is rare. Management’s job is not to prevent risk but to build the capability to recover when failures occur. It must be safe to tell the truth. We must constantly challenge all of our assumptions and search for the flaws that could destroy our culture. - Ed Catmull
Who wouldn’t want to work in that?!
The Irish Times features new round-ups of the best books – including Niamh Sharkey reviewing Luise Yates, Kevin Waldron, Shirley Hughes and Lynne Richards:
Dog would say he loves books, but most of all he loves to share them. Make sure you do too, with your little ones. These tales are perfect for reading on a blanket on a sunny day, or curled up on a chair if it rains.
Mary Shine Thompson reviews a heap – including David Almond/Polly Dunbar, Linda Newbery, Jenny Valentine and Andi Watson:
When it comes to reading, seven-to-nine year olds are leaving the bunny slopes to test gentle pistes unaided. Trouble is, easy-peasy can be uninspiring. The challenge for fiction writers is to create demanding, diverse runs and avoid deadly pitfalls.
Anna Carey reviews the latest and greatest teen fiction including Tanya Landman, Ally Kennen, Derek Landy, Leander Deeny.
Bloomsday and comic-con – only the New York Times could make that connection.
Mary Arrigan reviews Dexter Bexley, Louise Yates and Alf Proysen and Hilda Offen.
The Irish Independent reviews John Grisham’s Theodore Boone -
Grisham cleverly avoids making his young hero particularly nerdy or freaky. Theo wears his obsession with the law, nurtured by his parents’ passionate commitment to it, lightly, and he is a normal young teenager in every other respect, burdened with the drudgery of homework and inarticulately in love with the prettiest girl in the class. I look forward to Theodore Boone’s next case.
Rachel Cooke talks graphic novels and talks to Daniel Clowes.
I’m not proud of this but, for years and years, I thought that graphic novels were only read by geeky guys with long hair, fetid bedrooms and a serious fondness for thrash. – Rachel Cooke
John Grisham is out for Harry Potter’s spot on the best-sellers list.
Judith Rosen talks about getting tweens to read and review books – and ARC’s.
Kirkus Reviews – some of the best, worst and greatest of what is available – with the regular Kirkus aplomb.
Bernard Beckett talks about converting to agnosticism. (Have you read Genesis yet??)
Roger Ebert talks about twitter and refinding a voice in conversation.
Tim Burton could give you nightmares… even at 51
Of course – you were all at the Irish Stone-Skimming Championships at the weekend. Right?
In a post that has no relevance to anything (it is Friday).
The Arts Council of Ireland announced the awards for their touring and dissemination grants this week – and there are some great projects to look forward to. (Full details about the awards are here – my highlights are below)
The fund will see the Little Island authors on tour across the country and the Kids’ Own Travelling Library will be on the move - from library to library on both sides of the border (with artists and writers on hand for workshops and noise making!)
Probably the most exciting – the fund will see the return of Louis Lovett in The Girl who Forgot to Sing Badly – The Ark in association with Theatre Lovett will be taking Finegan Kruckemeyer’s play on the road!
There was plenty of reading and debate of children’s books in the Irish papers this week – including Shane Hegarty’s piece on Derek Landy winning the Irish Book Awards, Irish Book of the Decade.
Saturday saw the launch of The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner. Stephanie Meyer answers some questions here and USA Today feature the release. Imogen Russell Williams reviews the Second Short Life in the Guardian.
Anything that can get a teenager up out of bed that early on a Saturday morning must be worth it
- Dave O’Callaghan
Robert Dunbar on Patrick Ness’ Monsters of Men and Philip Reeve’s Web of Air:
Fans of Ness and Reeve will find plenty in these novels to maintain their enthusiasm; new readers will quickly succumb to the challenge and the entertainment provided by two of the most talented and inventive of contemporary writers. What they have in common is a remarkable ability to combine a strong, engaging and beautifully paced storyline with a passion for argument and ideas: they make much of what passes for young adult fiction seem very thin indeed.
Liam Kennedy reviews Donald E Pease’s biography of Dr Seuss – Theodor Seuss Geisel and I did mention that there was some coverage of the Irish Book of the Decade, right?
John Spain sinks his teeth into Irish library habits – Darren Shan being the top of the list.
Mary Arrigan has a round up of some more new titles including Kate Cleminson’s Wake Up! and Martyn Beardley’s Black Death.
Sam McBratney’s Guess How Much I Love You reaches the stage.
A large percentage of children’s books in the US are made from paper that includes “fibre linked to the clearing and conversion of Indonesia’s rainforests.”
The New Yorker has a new 20-under-40 list. (The last time that happened we got David Foster Wallace)
Nicollette Jones reviews Eva Ibbotson’s The Ogre of Oglefort
Anna Carey reviews Valerie Grove’s So Much to Tell (biography of puffin editor Kaye Webb):
For all her faults Webb remains a fascinating and heartbreaking character, and Grove’s account of her life is sensitive, lively, insightful and utterly unsentimental. This exemplary biography will entertain and inform even those who grew up in a Puffin-free world. But those who grew up reading and loving Webb’s selections will realise just how much we owe this extraordinary woman.
Marcus Sedgwick reviews William Nicholson’s Rich and Mad:
I would want to defend Nicholson’s right to write this book as he has, even if I find it less strong as a result. And maybe the problem for Rich and Mad is that the final scene in the book is, after all, its whole point. Take it away, and what would be left? How else would you handle it? Maybe the answer is to be found in the old-fashioned way, with a good solid set of ellipses . . .
Boris Johnson wants to see a Harry Potter theme park in London. Who doesn’t?!
Carlos Ruiz Zafón reviews his top 10 20th-century gothic novels.
Paste Magazine features the 40 Best Cartoon Characters. It’s not Daria Morgendorffer or The Rescue Rangers.
Obama isn’t perfect. The US President doesn’t get computer games.
A bronzed Tintin statue sells for €125 thousand (corrected). Still… really?!
Nickelodeon’s addictinggames.com wins the Worst Toy of the Year prize.
The bestselling comic-book creator in the world today? Jack Chick.
Some bad news folks. One of the greatest writers of magic in the world, Diana Wynne Jones, is very ill.
DWJ has stopped chemotherapy treatments and doctors have predicted months rather than years. From what I’ve read/heard the treatments are making her very sick and Diana has decided to stop them and face what comes.
Diana is THE reason I write the type of stories I do. Chrestomaci’s nine lives was my beginning and it has been a whirlwind, lifelong affair since. Thoughts are with her family and friends who are seeing her. You can send wishes/thoughts and match boxes by email which are printed and delivered reguarly.
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