Earlier this week we let you know that Stephen King was working on a sequel to The Shining. Well, somehow that discovery led me to Lilja’s Library, a compendium of King links, news and video created by a Swedish fan. Just the last week’s worth of posts turned up gems like the promo for Maximum Overdrive and an MTV bit with King acting as a VJ and interviewing AC/DC. But I think my favorite is a clip from a Portland, Maine, newscast about a 1983 book signing. The fashion! The accents! (Close second: Stephen King killing it on “Celebrity Jeopardy!” in 1998.)
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James Patterson wrote an article about getting kids to read for CNN that has been burning up the social networks ever since it was published on Wednesday. “Sorry, moms and dads, but it’s your job—not the schools’—to find books to get your kids reading and to make sure they read them,” Patterson begins, going on to discuss how he turned his own son, Jack, from a reluctant reader to a devourer of books. Patterson has founded ReadKiddoRead, an organization that sends free books to needy children and suggests great reads to kids of all ages (the children’s section of BookPage is good place to look too!). Parents out there: Do you agree with Patterson’s manifesto? What books have your kids loved?
For another take on getting kids—especially boys—to read, see our interview with reading advocate (and all-around hilarious dude—he did write The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, after all) Jon Scieszka.
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Another link making the rounds is Terry Gross’ interview with Maurice Sendak on “Fresh Air.” Warning: Have tissues nearby, because this may be the rawest and most emotional interview I’ve ever heard on public radio. The subject of discussion is aging—the author is 83, and he lost his partner of 50 years, Eugene, in 2007—and also Sendak’s latest book, Bumble-Ardy. In BookPage, Alice Cary described Bumble-Ardy as “a riotous birthday tale” filled with “the master’s wild, wonderful illustrations.” (Check out Sendak’s author page on BookPage.com for more reviews of his work.)
What literary links have you uncovered this week?
