Kthulu Shop te ofrece esta vez un adelanto previsor a las fiestas de fin de año.

Sabemos muy bien lo detestable que es salir a vitrinear durante estas fechas. El calor, las calles atestadas de gente, el sudor y los olores tipicos del centro de la ciudad durante los dias mas calurosos tienden a convertir estas fiestas en un motivo de estres mas. Si sumamos a eso la limitada oferta que tenemos cuando se trata de regalar cosas a seres que significan mucho para ti, Navidad y su voragine consumista terminan siendo una fecha intolerable…

Pero ahora tienes una alternativa! sin moverte de casa puedes pedir el regalo que mas te gusta para la persona que mas quieres. Busca en internet el artículo que deseas adquirir y envíanos el link en un correo a kthulu.shop@gmail.com. Buscaremos la manera más rápida y segura de traer el articulo que deseas a tus manos a tiempo para que coincida con el paso del viejo pascuero por Chile.

En esta primera parte nos avocaremos a nuestra primera opcion (de manera personal) al momento de elegir regalos.

No hay, a nuestro juicio, un regalo mas personal y constructivo que un libro. Regalar un libro es un acto que involucra un conocimiento de la otra persona no solo a nivel de gustos sino también en un nivel personal pues estás, en gran parte, ayudando al enriquecimiento de su vida.

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Libros! amamos los libros! y próximamente Kthulu Inc. se los demostrará con novedades que van mucho mas allá del servicio Kthulu Shop.

Si no se las quiere perder agreguenos a facebook y mantengase actualizado al instante de nuestros proximos movimientos.

http://www.facebook.com/kthulu.inc

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Aprovecha estos precios extraordinarios en literatura juvenil.

Escribenos a kthulu.shop@gmail.com y encarga el tuyo antes de la quincena de noviembre para que lleguen tiempo para Navidad!

Esta es tu oportunidad de tener las ediciones mas bellas de los ibros que amas, reserva el tuyo ahora!

]]> http://darabuc.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/las-cronicas-de-spiderwick-de-tony-diterlizzi-y-holly-black/ Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:00:32 +0000 darabuc http://darabuc.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/las-cronicas-de-spiderwick-de-tony-diterlizzi-y-holly-black/

He leído con interés e intriga Las crónicas de Spiderwick, de Tony DiTerlizzi y Holly Black. Se suele citar a sus autores por este orden, contra la convención habitual de situar antes al escritor que al ilustrador; sin entrar en lo injusto o justo de ese hábito, no cabe duda de que en este libro hay un peso importante (principal, en algún aspecto) de la ilustración. Lo he leído en inglés (presentado en un cofrecito delicioso, que recoge los cinco libros con pasta dura, aire antiguo y corte irregular de las páginas) y no he visto aún la película. Se edita en cinco volúmenes, pero podría publicarse en un solo tomo de cinco libros (partes) que apenas superaría las 500 páginas.

A mi entender, la novela nace de un afán de juego tanto con la rica tradición feérica y de monstruos del mundo anglohablante (donde quizá tiene más vigencia actual que en el hispánico), como con varios cuentos populares de los más conocidos. Puede leerse un breve resumen del argumento de cada libro en El bosque de los cuentos.

Pero no solo: es tanto más importante el trabajo de DiTerlizzi, con numerosas ilustraciones a toda página (alguna de ellas, a color) que se declaran expresamente herederas de Arthur Rackham. Tanto es así que, entre el aspecto retro de las ilustraciones e incluso de los libros mismos, y la ambientación victoriana de la mansión, es fácil perder de vista que la acción transcurre en nuestro presente. Con frecuencia, adquirimos una imagen más clara de los seres fantásticos gracias a la imagen que gracia al texto; y en cuanto a su conducta, la novela tampoco entra en grandes detalles, muestra lo que muestra, y listos.

El tercer gran pie de la propuesta, a mi entender, es un relato familiar de final feliz: el reencuentro de Jared con sus hermanos y su madre, la aceptación de la ausencia del padre y el cierre de la historia inconclusa de Lucinda y su madre. En todo este proceso, los personajes yerran (por exceso de ira o falta de diálogo) y acabarán madurando tras comprender sus errores.

I hate it when I am anxiously awaiting for a bunch of books I put on hold at the library and then instead of coming one at a time they all come at once!!! I now have 4 books to read in a short time because there are many more people waiting for these wonderful books.

The best traps are sometimes our own. The Spider and the Fly is one such cautionary tale of cunning invitations and culinary twists of fate. The Spider and the Fly was originally penned by Mary Howitt in 1821 and recently interpreted by illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi of Spiderwick fame. DiTerlizzi narrates the story as a silent film with the Spider cast as a charming Rhett Butler arachnid bedecked in pinstriped trousers who seduces a doe-eyed fly in a flapper dress. At first, the Fly is suspicious of the Spider’s persuasion to step into his parlor. The Fly is aware of the Spider’s reputation yet oblivious to the futile warnings of the spider’s ghostly victims desperately making food gestures. Eventually, the Spider appeals to the fly’s vanity satiating both his appetite and arrogance resulting in a smug warning to the self-indulgent reader. DiTerlizzi’s cinematic illustrations heighten the intensity of Howitt’s noir-ish tale of suspense and morality weaving his own delightful blend of dark comedy.

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  Hardcover: 40 pages
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
  Language: English
  ISBN-10: 0689852894

Wow, my first “inspiration” post. Today I’ll be talking about Mr Tony DiTerlizzi, an American illustrator and writer.

Biography

Tony DiTerlizzi (born September 6, 1969) is an American fantasy artist, children’s book creator, and motion picture producer.

DiTerlizzi created The Spiderwick Chronicles series with Holly Black, and was an executive producer on the 2008 film adaptation of the series. He won a Caldecott Honor Medal for his adaptation of The Spider and the Fly. In the gaming industry, he best known for his work in the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering and on the Planescape product line for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

During his childhood he was introduced to the work of Norman Rockwell, Arthur Rackham, Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, and Jim Henson, all of whom he cites as major creative influences. He went to college at the Florida School of the Arts and The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale where he earned a graphic design degree in 1992.

(Wikipedia)

According to Wikipedia, some of his influences are Jim Henson (Sesame Street man), Dr Seuss and Roald Dahl. For the latter two I suppose he must have been exposed to the illustrations in their books as well.

Work

So what kinds of things does Mr DiTerlizzi paint? Most of the work I can find is rooted in the fantasy genre, though he does have several childrens’ books to his name as well.

He’s got monsters and things, done for WOTC’s Magic: The Gathering. This was pre-Spiderwick, and I guess he had to make the art consistent with the other artists WOTC had on board (I love WOTC for conveniently collecting all the good fantasy artists for me). Here are some of his card illustrations:

I’m not really sure how to describe his style, but I’ll try anyway.

Well, first of all, his humans and humanoids are quite stylized. Not cartoony (not very cartoony anyway), but they’re definitely not what people would describe as “realistic”. In his work the forms are all demarcated rather clearly with outlines, which lends them a kind of casual, sketchy feel. Yet at the same time his work is really well finished, especially his paintings:

His work can be really detailed, as you can see. I especially like the topmost picture – the texture on the face is really cool, and that eyeball is painted so realistically! If I remember correctly he uses gouache on bristol board for most of his wet media illustrations. Gouache is also called “opaque watercolor”, for obvious reasons – the color is less translucent than watercolor, but in return you get more intense color with fewer applications. Still, there is evidence of layering – for example, if you look at the folds of the girl’s dress in the image above, you can see individual brushstrokes. In fact, it almost reminds me of an oil painting. I believe he also uses colored pencils quite extensively in his work – some of the finer work on the silver crown and the green highlights on her dress look like the highlights were added by burnishing with a white colored pencil.

Right, so now we come to my favorite work: Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Below is a page from the French edition. Once again, the layering is apparent, especially on the creature’s boots and the milk bottle.

And another photo of a spread:

by thelostprincess (flickr)

I love how he manages to make the creatures seem so realistic and yet so obviously imagined at the same time. When I say “realistic” I am mostly referring to this gorgeous plate that is also found on the front cover:

Look at those wings. It’s enough to make a grown man weep.

I was inspired a lot by DiTerlizzi’s creature designs and paintings for Spiderwick. Unfortunately, I only discovered remembered that he used gouache and bristol board (instead of watercolor and watercolor paper) after starting on my coursework, which explains why my coursework paintings aren’t as tight and refined as I’d like them to be. Bristol board is a heavyweight paper that has both surfaces finished, and it’s smoother that the kind of watercolor paper I used, so it’s easier to get fine lines and smooth transitions.

Right, and that sums up my first artist inspiration post. Next time: Alan Lee and John Howe, since people seem to always mention them in the same breath nowadays. I like John Howe better though.

Available at Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com, BooksAMillion and other onlilne bookstores

Sitting atop Hathorne Hill, Danvers Asylum for the Insane towers above modern-day Danvers, Massachusetts.  Abandoned and neglected for nearly two decades, the Gothic spires of the moldering old edifice both attract the morbid and repel the superstitious.

But when November Atwood and her twin cousins, Jeff and wheelchair-bound Hawk, discover a strangely-marked wooden box, long-buried in the shadows of the asylum, they unwittingly set in motion events leading to the culmination of a diabolical pact signed in blood, by six church elders, more than three hundred years in the past–when Danvers was still Salem Village and witchcraft was a hanging offense.

Cryptic clues on an old vellum document, along with a curious gold coin, prompt the trio to venture into the tunnels beneath the asylum, where Jeff is struck by “elf-shot,” then abducted and replaced by a changeling.

After discovering the switch, November and Hawk are left with little choice but to go further into the tunnels in search of Jeff.  With clues from the document and the aid of a gnome named Dynnis, the pair embark on a journey on the Eve of Hollantide, through the treacherous tunnels and deep into the Hill of Hathorne. There they encounter Hob, the keeper of The Room of Rings, and his great grandmother, Ambrosine, who informs November that she is the “one they have awaited for 305 years”—she is “The Prediction.”  Ambrosine escorts November and Hawk through The Rings, to 1701 Salem Village, where November meets Thomas Parris, the sixteen-year-old son of Samuel Parris–crafter of The Bargain. 

Though they do not know it, November and Thomas are destined to forge a link across time that only love can sustain.

First however, she and Hawk  must overcome both fear and physical challenge to free Jeff from the Elfin realm, beneath the Hill of Hathorne.

After which, The Prediction must confront Lord Astaroth, the embodiment of corruption itself, with whom she will wager her very soul in order to bring to an end The Bargain of Witches.

Familjen flyttar in i det ödsligt belägna huset som gått i arv inom släkten och där föregående ägare sägs ha blivit tokig. Den bångstyrige och mer utåtagerande tvillingbrodern snubblar över husets hemlighet och porten till en värld full av älvor, troll och onda vidunder. Tillsammans måste syskonen stoppa den ondskefulla jorddemonen, spelad av en grymt obehaglig Nick Nolte.

Jag hade relativt låga förväntningar då jag började se den här filmen, men blev faktiskt positivt överraskad. Effekterna var påkostade och bra, spänning och tempo rätt genom filmen och barnskådespelaren (Freddie Highmore från Kalle och chokladfabriken) var inte så sliskigt sockersöt som barn i så många andra Hollywoodproduktioner. Det som också förvånar är att det stundtals är riktigt obehagligt och läskigt. Så här var inte barnfilmer då man själv var en knatte! Seth Rogen och Martin Short går två av rösterna till varelserna.Vad jag förstår finns en hel bokserie om Spiderwick och jag ser fram emot fler filmer i samma anda.

Betyg: 3

This is part three of School Librarians Revealed, a report on the joint SCBWI-BI Central East Region/Ipswich Children’s Book Group meeting with two Suffolk school librarians: Jayne Gould and Alison Baker.

What Librarians Want: Gaps on the Shelves

We talked with our panel and audience about what they felt the gaps on their shelves were and the books they wished more writers and publishers were producing.

• Good middle year readers and shorter books for older readers, especially in a market saturated with “brick size” trilogies. Year Six students need meaty books, but don’t necessarily have the stamina to read at great length. They would welcome good books that they could get their teeth into but not too long.
• Good but not lengthy fantasy – Spiderwick Chronicles (Holly Black and Tony DiTertizzi) were really popular (although helped by the film).
• Broke Hall School finds it hard to keep Horrid Henry (Francesca Simon and Tony Ross) and Beast Quest (Adam Blade) on the shelves, so more like these would go down well.
• Good, short books that would make good class readers for Year Five/Six would be welcomed. Anything ideal for teachers to read aloud to their class, but doesn’t take up a term to read, would be good. Once by Morris Gleitzman was cited as a good example of a book very easy to get through in class but has a lot to build lessons and discussions around.
• Fiction about Sport: although there are a few series on football, they could do with more stories including more sports as well as football, for example, a rugby series.

As part of the discussion, one author noted that this runs contrary to the advice given to many writers who have been told that publishers aren’t after books for middle age readers (7 to 9-year-olds) or shorter books for older readers. The prevailing economic demand seems to be for “value for money” books, which in other words, offer more pages per pound.

• More action and fantasy for boys (Charlie Higson, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Muchamore)

Laugh Out Loud Funny

• More humorous stories for older readers – somewhere between Horrid Henry/Jeremy Strong (too young) and Louise Rennison (too old).

High Interest, Lower Challenge

High interest level but easy reading books are in great demand. One in 10 students at Stoke High School is an EAL (English as an Additional Language) student, many from a Polish, Portuguese or Afghan background. It is difficult to source books in their own language to help them keep up their mother tongue as well as helping them to read English.

This is even more of a problem in special need schools, where teenage interest needs to be expressed at Biff and Kipper reading level. Students who use the Makaton symbol system to aid their reading find it hard to have any books suitable for them and staff often resort to remaking the books for their students. As an audience member said, it’s like “learning to play the piano at 11 and having to play nursery rhymes. It’s embarrassing.”

Scary

Students are always asking for “really scary books” (from Year Three onwards). However, what staff find scary and what the students find scary is another matter.

Alison was scared by Breathe by Cliff McNish, she even dreamt about it, but students didn’t find it scary. Stephen King was a little too old for most of their students, but an author who could “do” Stephen King “without the other bits” would do well. One of the troubles is that books now compete against TV, film and video games.

From Scary to Censorship

Interestingly, Darren Shan is not stocked by many librarians. In the primary school library in particularly there was a fine line between stocking a wide range of books and keeping them suitable. Even Robert Muchamore’s CHERUB series is not stocked after the second book at some libraries because it was felt the violence and teenage content escalates through the series, although CHERUB is very popular with many students.

A red dot system helps to indentify books that need to lend out with care (identified with small stickers) and may not be suitable for all readers. For example, Broke Hall School Library stocks Garth Nix’s Sabriel but are careful who borrows it (I am reminded of the system they use in the Clayr library in Lirael by Garth Nix). Children grow up and mature at different ages making many decisions on a pupil by pupil basis. With the introduction of self-service takeout systems, it makes borrowing easier when librarians are not there to offer guidance, however, it is possible to put a block on certain books (in other words, an electronic red dot!).

Parents, it was felt, are responsible in monitoring and being involved in their children’s reading. Surprising it’s often the books children coming in from home that are not suitable reading and parental complaints about the school libraries are, thankfully, rare.

Manga is popular at the high school library, but titles are selected with great care as most of the publications are only suitable for 18+ (and often contain offensive (violent and sexual) material not suitable for a school library). The school does have a Manga club — which also has a cultural focus on Japan. However, most manga’s violence and gore is mild compared with many of the computer games children play.

However, it could be argued that it is better to read about some of these areas than it is to see it on TV. At least with reading, there can be a difference between what is written and what is understood by the reader. Most people recognise the children see worst things at home — many students have watched 16 and 18 rated movies with their parents. (Year One, Two and Three students have seen Lord Of the Rings, and at least one Year One student has seen The Dark Knight).

Biography

Age appropriate biographies are a real gap in the market. Marley and Me by John Grogan was cited as a prime example of a biography that worked very well. The author adapted to his biography for younger readers (Marley: A Dog like No Other) and it’s very popular. The students would not have tackled the adult version.

Students wanted to read about people in the news — books about Richard Hammond (On the Edge), Lewis Hamilton and Jonny Wilkinson were read by many students, although it was felt that a more age-appropriate version of their biographies would go down well. When Year Eight and Nine students do biography work they can struggle to find contemporary biographies, either the books are not written yet, or, in the case of Katie Price’s autobiography, are not suitable for younger age group.

Many girls are into the so-called agony biographies — often led by their mothers reading, for example, Child Called It (David Pelzer) or My Sister’s Keeper (Jody Peacock). While the grown-up version isn’t really suitable for Year Six, an age-appropriate version would be desirable.

Coming soon – Part 4: What are the Best Books and Who Writes in a Shed?

After watching movie, I was thankful to my 6^th sense for preventing me from buying the DVD. While the movie deals exclusively with sprites and fairies, we have the ugly villains, the toad-like goblins shown for most part of the movie. I simply ffwded most of the movie once I grasped the gist of the plot. So its always advisable to watch the 1^st 10-15 minutes of a movie to understand the plot, and once you do, you can simply skim through the rest.

The movie opens with a professor, Arthur Spiderwick, documenting the lives of the selphs or the fairies as well as their enemies – Mulgarath and the goblins. He also writes about the gnome that guards the Spiderwick estate and the hobgoblin. He then seals and hides the book, placing a protection charm on it and disappears.

Cut to the present, Mrs. Grace and her kids – Mallory and identical twins – Jared and Simon are reluctant new owners of the estate, left to them by their great aunt Lucinda who is in a sanatorium. The ever curious Jared opens the forbidden Pandora’s Box when he ‘accidentally’ discovers the key to the secret room and trunk where the book is hidden. He ignores the warning note and opens the book awakening Mulgarath from slumber. The humans are thankfully protected by the magical stone circle that Arthur creates around the house and needless to say, you can safely ffwd through the scenes where there is a fight with the goblins. Jared and Mallory meet up with Lucinda who tells them to contact her dad, Arthur Spiderwick for help, but he is as usual helpless since he can’t step out of the fairy realm but does give good advice. Now armed with the manual, both the good and bad sides prepare for battle, the bad side is destroyed with some organic bombs, and Mulgarath is killed in the most unexpected and humorous way – the hobgoblin eats him while he is escaping with the remains of the book in the form of a raven. Then Arthur comes for a brief visit and takes away his daughter Lucinda with him.

Well I watched all this in a span of an hour thanks to my DVD remote, and well its been a different story. This is way better than the ‘Bridge to Terebithia’ owing to its spooky plot and action packed scenes whereas Terebithia needs imagination on your part to savour what the director was trying to create.

Moreover, this one reminded me of a century and half old (1872 to be precise) classic titled “The Princess and the Goblin” by George MacDonald which was published by Strahan & Co. This book is very similar in the plot – a princess is kidnapped by the goblins who plan to marry her off to their prince to ensure that the humans remain under their thumb (basically blackmailing the king to do their bidding). Now this plot is overheard by a miner’s son who goes in search of the princess and on the way overhears a goblin family talking about their king’s love story. The Goblin king had married a human, and the prince is a hybrid (very deformed indeed). The human died for whatever reasons and the king remarries a pure goblin instead. The miner’s son uses this to his advantage and rescues the princess, warns the king of an attack by the goblins, and the humans defeat the goblins by flooding their underground homes.

Although I read this book years ago, the story has struck with me for some reason I couldn’t fathom and well, it resurfaced while I watching this movie. It also goes on to show that the fairies can be very vengeful while looking serene and gentle!

Design: Gino Verna

This trading card set was never produced. Canceled Mid-project, but I did like the designs I did for them.

Cards shown: base cards

fronts and backs shown

I read through the first book of Holly Black’s THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES on the subway yesterday. Good fun. It’s middle-grade, very short. It’s cute — reminds me of The Borrowers and the early chapters of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Likable protagonists with clear personalities, economy of language. I was sad when it was over, wishing we got more depth into the characters and the mysterious world the children start to uncover at the end. Actually, it felt a lot like a TV pilot. Ms. Black’s novel TITHE is in the mail. I look forward to reading her adult writing style. You can tell a lot about a writer from how they change style between adult fiction and YA. I’ve been reading Elizabeth Hand’s Boba Fett series, which is middle grade, when I’m at B&N after work, and I started on her collection “Saffron and Brimstone” (awesome, btw). But more about that in a different post.

For close to a year I’ve been kicking around an idea with the working title “The Princess Detective” about a young lass who is heiress to a medieval kingdom and a brilliant crime solver in her ample spare time. I have a loose outline of the first book (it will probably be a middle-grade series, 100-150 pages each), but I need someone to help me hammer out the details. I want to set the series in the world of Torchpunk, a term I created over the summer. I see it as a fantastic world where wood-burning ovens power everything from horseless carriages to wooden fighter planes to giant mechas crafted from oak and stone. There are sling-guns and triple-swords and parachutes for wild castle raids.

Yikes, gotta stop daydreaming out loud, or the next time I go looking through the YA books I’ll spot “Handmaiden Mysteries.”

It’s their worst nightmare.  Wake up early, run down to the tree, and lo and behold: rectangular gifts wrapped in pretty paper.  These are BOOK-shaped gifts.  No reluctant reader wants to receive books for Christmas.

But plenty of you out there LOVE books, and you want to encourage the kid(s) in your life to love them, too.  What to do when they have no interest in reading?  I think I have a few ideas for you to put under your Christmas tree (or Chaunukkah bush, or Festivus pole…) that will make everyone happy.

Chapter Books:

Ignatius MacFarland by Paul Feig
This is my favorite “dude book” of the year.  Its main character, Ignatius “Iggy” MacFarland is so desperate to escape a world where he doesn’t fit in that he builds his own rocket ship in hopes he can go meet up with some aliens.  But when everything goes wrong and Iggy winds up in an alternate frequency, he and a new friend have to team up to save the world.  What makes this book so great for non-readers is the fact that Paul Feig was truly channeling his inner 12-year-old while writing it.  They guy humor is all there, not to mention some wacky illustrations.  If your giftee has already read this, try the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer or Sea Legs by Alex Shearer.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Already a runaway hit, this novel-in-cartoons has captured a ton of reluctant readers already.  Jeff Kinney’s book is the story of a middle school student, Greg, who seems to hit drama around every corner.  Based on the author’s web cartoon, this title is laugh-out-loud funny and sure to impress any boy or girl whether they like to read or not.  If your giftee already loves Kinney’s books, try The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (for novels with lots of drawings) or Louis Sachar’s Wayside School series (for belly laughs).
Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf by Jennifer L. Holm & Elicia Castaldi
This Lonestar List title is a smorgasboard for the eyes – it’s a novel-cum-scrapbook chronicling the life of Ginny Davis as she deals with seventh grade.  The book is full of “stuff” – notes and letters, diary entries, and instant messages – that move the plot forward while being visually stimulating.  Girls who are shy about reading will love this book for its cool format, and also for the neat story inside.  If your giftee has already read this title, try Ellie McDoodle by Ruth McNally Barshaw or Geek Chic by Margie Palatini.
Love That Dog & Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
These books by Sharon Creech follow the poetry assignment of Jack, a kid in Miss Stretchberry’s class.  Through the poetry – which he writes very reluctantly – we get to know Jack, learn of his experiences, and even see a dialogue between him and his teacher.  Because it’s written entirely in verse, these books are wonderful for kids who are intimidated by text-heavy novels.  They are sweet, engaging, and even humorous, and they include an index at the back of poetry that Jack is studying.  If your giftee already has these titles, try books by Karen Hesse (for more verse) and anything by Andrew Clements (for school hijinks).

Teen Books:

Crank and other books by Ellen Hopkins
Ellen Hopkins writes novels-in-verse, which, for the reluctant reader, means fewer words on the page and much less time spent reading.  However, despite her low word count, Hopkins’ writing is intense, packed with the grit of teen issues.  Crank deals with a former good girl’s addiction to crystal meth, Impulse is about three teens living in a psychiactric facility, and Identical follows two twins as they deal with abuse in very different ways.  While Hopkins’ books are very transgressive, teens love these titles and the style in which they’ve been written. If your giftee has already read all of Hopkins’ work, try out Sonya Sones‘ titles for verse or Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson for intensity.
ttyl by Lauren Myracle
Recently ridiculed for its potty-mouth language and mature content, ttyl desreves a second look.  This is a book about real girls dealing with real-life issues.  It’s written entirely in IM lingo, which is daunting for many grown-ups, but perfect for reluctant teen readers.  Ultimately, this is a smart book in which three best friends help eachother deal with their mistakes  – along the lines of some of Judy Blume’s work for teens and tweens.  If your giftee has already read the ttyl books, try The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart or the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison.
Kin by Holly Black & Ted Naifeh.

The latest from the co-author of The Spiderwick Chronicles is a beautiful graphic novel that takes the reader from the urban world they think they know into the faerie world lying just under their noses.  The format is perfect for a teen who isn’t too keen on reading, as it’s pretty much a big comic book.  Black’s writing is fluid and exciting, and Naifeh’s drawings suck you right in.  One thing is certain: after reading this book you won’t think about Tinkerbell anymore when you think of faeries.  If your giftee already has Kin, try Sandman by Neil Gaiman or Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.
Guys Write for Guys Read edited by Jon Scieszka
This is an anthology of short shorts and drawings from guys’ favorite writers and illustrators.  Each contributor has written (or drawn) a piece about being a guy.  Jon Scieska, who runs guysread.com, put this together to raise money for his site – a site that raises awareness about literacy for boys.  Because each piece is so short, and because it also includes comics and drawings, this is a great book to give a guy who doesn’t normally read much.  Not only can he read tons of stuff that resonates with him, but it won’t take long to read a piece or two.  If your giftee already has this anthology, try Burger Wuss by M.T. Anderson or The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman.

From Spiderwick to Comics: Talking to Holly Black

By Zack Smith

Les Chroniques de Spiderwick, ce sont d’abord et avant tout un cycle de romans jeunesse publiés en français chez Pocket Jeunesse depuis mars 2004, écrits par Holly Black et illustrés par Tony DiTerlizzi. Des livres aussi délicieux et prenants par l’histoire contée que par le travail sur les livres en tant qu’objets. Un univers qui devrait facilement convaincre vos enfants de se plonger dedans.

Pour de plus amples détails sur tous les livres parus à ce jour, nous vous conseillons l’excellent dossier du site www.livre-enfant.com qui présente les créations disponibles en français à ce jour.

Il fait l’unanimité chez les pros, Tony DiTerlizzi est un maître en matière d’illustrations de l’Imaginaire. Illustrateur des livres des Chroniques de Spiderwick, il a comblé ses fans en créant un univers merveilleux empli de créatures parfaitement réalisées.

Nous vous invitons à pénétrer en son antre, un site web appelé IMAGINOPOLIS à la hauteur de son univers. Vous en profiterez pour découvrir ses autres créations, tout aussi délicieuses et, cerise sur le gâteau, son blog, où Tony nous fait part de ses rencontres et découvertes entre deux infos sur son travail en cours. Un must !

Aujourd’hui, on va vous parler un peu, beaucoup, passionément des Chroniques de Spiderwick dont le DVD vient de sortir. Un monde fabuleux derrière lequel se cache le travail d’un illustrateur génial. Mais avant de poster un billet sur l’illustrateur en question, voici déjà un petit avis sur le film…

Trois enfants, deux jumeaux et leur grande soeur déménagent à contre-coeur dans une grande maison au milieu des bois. C’était la demeure de leur grand-oncle Arthur Spiderwick mystérieusement disparu et dont la petite fille a terminé à l’asile.

Jared, Simon et Mallory vont y découvrir un livre contenant tous les secrets des elfes, fées et goblins. Mais ce livre est convoité par l’ignoble ogre Mulgarath et sa horde de goblins, crapauds baveux prêts à en démordre avec les jeunes humains.

Nous avons adoré les créatures du film et les petits clins d’oeil au folklore et légendes féeriques (Pain et miel, enfants qui regardent par une pierre trouée pour découvrir l’Autre Monde, etc.).

Un très chouette film pour un bon moment à passer en famille. Un univers à prolonger par les livres de Tony DiTerlizzy et Holly Black dont on vous reparle dans quelques heures…

En attendant, plongez-vous dans le très ludique site officiel du film : http://www.leschroniquesdespiderwick.fr/

Voici le 2ème tome de “Au-delà du monde de Spiderwick”. Je ne peux pas vous le décrire car je ne l’ai pas encore acheté. Il est sorti le 16/10/08.

Voici sa photo :

I’ve watched this movie with my sister and niece last night. This movie really surpass our expectation. At first we think this is just an average movie but in the middle when Jared meets Thimbletack who explains about a magical world around them, this movie started to be interesting. The adventurous journey begin and without realize it, they had discovered something that is really important. Here, I’ve added just a simple synopsis written by Anthony Pereyra.

Once upon a time, upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames it all on Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate what’s really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and of the creatures that inhabit it.

Watch here
Download torrent here

Y si, nos hicimos la panzada de DVDs. Nos quedaba atrasada una con nominaciones y hasta alguna estatuilla en los últimos Oscar; una de fantasías y la otra, un descubrimiento, una chilena.

MICHAEL CLAYTON
Oscar mejor actriz de reparto (Tilda Swinton). 7 nominaciones, incluyendo Mejor película, director, guión original, actor principal (George Clooney), actor de reparto (Tom Wilkinson).
Michael Clayton (Clooney) trabaja para un famoso bufete de Nueva York, aunque no ejerce de abogado. Su especialidad es arreglar las cosas de la manera más limpia y rápida posible, y se ha pasado toda su carrera limpiando los trapos sucios de sus importantes clientes. No es ni policía ni abogado, sino la perfecta mezcla de ambos: el perro guardián, el compañero fiel que siempre obedece y nunca pregunta.
Pero a Michael la cosa ya no está tan fácil; su mejor amigo dentro del bufete, Arthur (Tom Wilkinson), que durante seis años ha defendido los intereses de Agtek, una importante multinacional agroquímica, descubre que un producto de dicha compañía ha provocado la intoxicación de cientos de granjeros.
La historia se pone fulera y grossa, para se bien gráficos. Ya sabemos, compañía que quiere tapar todo a base de plata, sin escrúpulo alguno, quien quiera destapar la olla será perseguido, amenazado, etc. Pero no por repetida la historia, deja de tener un toque de verdad, deja de ser una buena película.
Al contrario, es una muy buena película, se las recomiendo. Lo único donde discrepo, fue ese Oscar a Tilda Swuinton … No está mal, pero no para un premio, ni para una nominación. No se, son de esas rarezas de los premios.
Calificación:

Las Crónicas de Spiderwick
Adaptación de las novelas homónimas de Tony DiTerlizzi y Holly Black.
La familia Grace (compuesta por Jared (Freddie Highmore), su hermano gemelo Simon, su hermana Mallory y la madre de los tres (Mary-Louise Parker)) se muda a la vieja y aislada casa de Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), su tío bisabuelo. Empiezan a ocurrir cosas muy raras. Una serie de extrañas desapariciones y accidentes no tienen una explicación lógica, los hermanos empiezan a investigar. Poco a poco descubren la extraordinaria verdad de la estancia Spiderwick y de las criaturas que habitan en ella.
Otra de fantasía, otra de cuentos increíbles. Otra que, al mirarla y descubrir que los libros eran viejos, te hacen pensar en la “mente creativa” de la Sra Rowlings (Harry Potter).
Buenos efectos, buena aventura, momentos de mucha acción. Bastante entretenida.
Calificación:

Cachimba
Esta peli chilena, ganadora de algunos premios, es una comedia que narra el único momento importante de la vida de Marcos; un insignificante empleado de banco. En el interior de una vetusta casona a punto de derrumbarse, Marcos encontrará una colección de cuadros de dudoso valor artístico; supuestamente la obra de un desconocido pintor chileno que habría tenido un relativo éxito en el París de los años 30. Marcos, que fue de escapada a ese lugar medio perdido, hermoso por su costa, con su amadísima novia Hildita (una gordita de lo más tímida, de lo mejor de la peli), siente que debe asumir la misión de dar a conocer este “Tesoro artístico” para dejar como su legado de vida un nuevo patrimonio artístico para la nación. Como un Quijote chileno Marcos se enfrentará a las aventuras y desventuras al intentar rescatar su descubrimiento del abrupto interés de oscuros personajes por apropiarse del “Museo” y las “Obras de arte”.
A esto sumemos el personaje del viejo borracho, que es quien cuida la casona luego que faltase el “Maestro”. Y … habría que atender a otro personaje que, como suele suceder en la vida real, no se le dá pelota. Linda comedia.

Calificación:

Como ven, variadito el finde, respecto a los estilos de cine.