It’s Letters about Literature time again.
Letters About Literature Writing Competition Announced
The Oklahoma Center for the Book, located in the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, has announced the national Letters About Literature (LAL) writing competition for the 2011-2012 academic school year.
Sponsored by the Library of Congress and Target Corporation, LAL offers students fourth grade through twelfth grade the opportunity to write a letter to an author (living or dead) from any genre—fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, contemporary or classic–explaining how that author’s work changed the student’s way of thinking about the world or themselves.
“Most everyone can relate to a favorite book or character,” said Oklahoma Center for the Book Executive Director Connie Armstrong. “Yet, not everyone responds to a particular book the same way. This program allows students to express how he or she as an individual relates to the book.”
Last year, approximately 70,000 students participated in the national writing contest. Oklahoma tripled its student participation. Three competition levels are offered: Level I for students in grades 4 through 6, Level II for students in grades 7 and 8, and Level III for students in grades 9 through 12.
Next spring, winning students from around the state, along with their parents, teachers, family, and friends will attend an awards ceremony sponsored by the Oklahoma Center for the Book and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. State winners will receive a Target gift card and cash prizes. The first place state winners will advance to the national competition, where six national winners and twelve national honorable mention winners will be announced.
The national winners will receive a $500 Target gift card, and will secure a $10,000 LAL Reading Promotion Grant in his/her name for a community or school library. The national honorable mention winners will receive a $100 Target gift care, and will secure a $1,000 LAL Reading Promotion Grant in his/her name for a community or school library.
Letters will be accepted September 15, 2011, through January 10, 2012. For more information regarding the program and to download an entry form log on to www.lettersaboutliterature.org.
Michael Wallis on Jon Stewart
I just saw Michael Wallis on Jon Stewart and he did us proud, talking about his David Crockett book. He even mentioned he lives in Oklahoma. It was great. And remember Young Bill included him on one of the Library Youtube Breaks. You can tell Bill and I are big Michael Wallis fans, and the biggest reason I’m his fan is he appreciates the real history of Oklahoma and the West.
Library YouTube Break #23:
ABE gives us a book moment
ABE Books is a great place to find out of print books. Thousands of book sellers at your fingertips. Enjoy.
New widget for Okie Bookshelf
Indie Bound is very cool and has let me create a book widget for new Oklahoma Author titles.
I love gadgets on the web.
Let me know what you think.. And check out the titles while you are here.
Dr. William T. Hagan, author, professor, historian
Dr. William T. Hagan was an honored historian, teacher and author. We are saddened to hear of his passing.
His research specialty was American Indian history, and he has authored many books on this topic. He served as president of both the American Society of Ethno History and the Western History Association. In 1989 he was awarded the Western History Association Prize and in 2003 was inducted into the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Oklahoma Historian Hall of Fame.
In 1998 he was a Non-fiction Oklahoma Book Award finalist for Theodore Roosevelt and Six Friends of the Indian, and in 2004 a Non-fiction finalist for Taking Indian Lands: The Cherokee (Jerome) Commission, 1889–1893.
His other titles include: The Sac and Fox Indians; United States-Comanche Relations; Quanah Parker, Comanche Chief, and, Charles Goodnight, Father of the Texas Panhandle.
Dr. Hagan will be missed, but his work will continue to inform and teach us about our Native American heritage and culture.
August 5th in Oklahoma, OU Press and what’s new on your Shelf Awareness
An interesting little book just crossed my desk, A Year in the Life of Oklahoma. For example, on this day, August 5th, 1903, JOE “IRON MAN” MCGINNITY of McAlester, Oklahoma pitched and won both ends of a doubleheader for the major league baseball New York Giants. He earned his nickname working in coal mines in southeast Oklahoma. He had two 30-win seasons and eight 20-win campaigns in ten years in the majors. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
This book is written by Oklahoma historian, Bob Burke and I can see that it would really come in handy for teachers, writers, history buffs, and a fun book for kids.
Just got my e-newsletter from University of Oklahoma Press. Looks like interesting new arrivals and recent releases. 
My favorite is by John Wooley, Shot in Oklahoma: A Century of Sooner State Cinema. You probably recognize his name from his very popular book on Oklahoma music, Blue Devils to Red Dirt: The Colors of Oklahoma Music.
And since I just found this website and want to put it up on our links list, Here’s a literary kittie moment,
Go to ShelfAwareness. This blog hosts two newsletters, one for Readers and one for folks (like librarians and booksellers) in the book trade. You can get the newsletters sent to you directly or just stop by for a read. The Book Trade newsletter comes out each morning with essential information for booksellers, librarians, book buyers at nontraditional stores, members of the media, marketers, salespeople, publishers, including news about titles coming out now, titles getting buzz in the media, authors on major shows movie tie-ins, sleepers, news about the business, tips on how to sell, etc.
The Readers newsletter comes out Tuesdays and Fridays with the best 25 books coming out in the week as selected by industry insiders.
Articles, reviews, author interviews and events. Latest from twitter followers. This is a great find.
Brain Freeze
I’m just hot, hot, hot. My brain is frozen like when you drink something really cold and your head hurts until you think it will explode.
So the best I can do today is tell you what I added to my reading list.
Along the Watchtower by Oklahoman Constance Squires.
The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar.
Dandy Gilver & an Unsuitable Day for a Murder.
Wickedly Charming by Kristine Grayson.
the Half-Made World by Felix Gilman.
Embellishing with Felted Wool by Mary Stori
Library YouTube Break #21 Build a bookstore and they will come
Here’s a Library (bookstore) YouTube Break, thanks to the folks at GalleyCat, this morning.
So many books, so little time….
Kurt Wallander break from the Heat
It was so hot again this weekend that I decided to play a BBC video of the Kurt Wallander crime dramas. 
Kurt Wallander is the detective creation of Henning Mankell. Manell is a famous Scandinavian crime writer well before Stieg Larsson came on scene. The DVD stars Kenneth Branagh as Wallander. There are three 90 minute movies. I thought they were excellent, if perhaps not for the faint of heart. It really makes me want to read more Henning Mankell, particularly after viewing the extra bits on the DVD of his interviews with Branagh. I’m off to find the first in the series, Faceless Killers. Mankell doesn’t just write Wallander books, even though he is most notably recognized for them. Henning Mankell masterfully draws our attention to social issues through his novels. Human drama and violent acts are the same in every climate.
All of this reinforces the need to keep checking Detectives Beyond Borders to find out what the rest of the world is reading. And amazingly enough look what I just found there, a link to a Scandinavian Crime Fiction website. And blog. This should add a chill to your summer reading.
Site of the week: Speaking of lists… I’m Indie Bound
Literary Kittie has been loafing because it’s so HOT. 108 degrees, no less! After my little talk about bestseller lists getting off the mark it was surprising to find this gem for the Site of the Week. So for all my talk I love lists, love making them, love reading them, love not being able to accomplish what is on them.
Indie Bestsellers from Indie Bound
Bestseller lists for these categories:
There’s bestseller lists by specialty,and there’s Indie next lists (recommendations as to what to read NEXT). All of this brought to you by the Independent Booksellers of America. You can also search the Indie store finder for the closest Independent Book Store to you.
