BBAW: Best KidLit Blog

Voting is now open at the Book Blogger Appreciation Week Awards.

OK, this category is the one I know best. All five of these blogs deserve an award for the great work they do to publicize children’s books and help adults and children choose children’s books that will pass on the love of reading to the next generation.

7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast 7-Imp, as it’s affectionately called, is the blog of Eisha and Julie (Jules), who excel at the author/illustrator interview. 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a “weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you.” Jules’ and Eisha’s place is great place to hang out and learn about children’s books.

Fuse 8 at School Library Journal Betsy Bird is a leader. She’s also a librarian in New York City. She’s the one who lead me to Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy, Mo WIllems pigeon books, the Opus shelving system (wish I had one), and just this week, Awkward Family Photos. Her Top 100 Picture Books project inspired my Top 100 Hymns project (which is currently in abeyance but will return).

Jen Robinson’s Book Blog Jen is a software engineeer by day, and a Literacy Advocate and Reader Extraordinaire by night, weekend, and whenever else she fits it in. Her reviews are long enough to be informative, but not too long, and she links to everyone who has anything of interest to say about children’s books and children’s literacy. Jen just runs an all-around fantastic and generous blog.

Maw Books Blog Natasha at Maw Books does it all: kids’ lit, inspirational fiction, challenges (The Bloggiesta), YA fiction, author recipes, and much, much more. She’s been a contributor to the Saturday Review, and she’s just all over the place helping out with and organizing BBAW.

Shelf Elf Kerry, sole eflin proprietor of Shelf Elf, is or has been or hopes to be a harpist, a pastry chef, a children’s books seller, a middle school teacher, a cookie artist, a groovy chanson songstress, and a nature photo-journalist. I’ve worked with her on a Cybils panel for a couple of years, and I can say she’s also an expert on children and their books.

My vote goes to Jen Robinson’s Book Blog, only because I have to choose. Jen has done so much work to encourage children’s literacy and the love of good books. Her reviews are thorough and readable. And she makes me want to read the books, all of the books, and then give them away to children and young adults and encourage them to read the way she does.

3 thoughts on “BBAW: Best KidLit Blog

  1. I know I nominated Jen in this category. She has always inspired me with her devotion to literacy. I am in continual awe as to how she does it all. I love reading these posts of yours. Fantastic idea!

  2. Sherry, wow! I am honored. Thank you so much for your kind words about my blog. What you said at the end, about making people want to read the books and share them to encourage kids and young adults – well, all I can say is that if I’m having success in that, then I’m satisfied that I’m making a positive difference in the world. Thank you. And thank you, Natasha, for your generosity here, and for nominating me. You deserve your many nominations.

    And can I add, Sherry, that I love this BBAW feature in general. I’ve starred several of your other posts, to go in and review for advice on ones I’d like to add to my blogroll.

  3. Yes indeed, thanks for the love over here as well! It sounds silly, but it really is just an honor to be nominated. Hope that hymns project is recovered someday!

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