Dear friends:

Fanfare is here! (And I’m reminded, once again, of the Horn Book’s continued predilection for music metaphors. Sure, it started with “blowing the horn” and all, but now we have Cadenza, Impromptu…. I can see why the English teacher at our booth at an IRA conference took a copy of the Magazine saying, “Perfect! I’ll give it to the Band teacher.”) Fanfare is a very old Horn Book department, but made fresh annually with our choices for the best books of the year. I’ve already received outraged text messages about omissions, but do look at what’s there, and not just at what’s not (the book reviewer’s number one rule, by the way).

I do enjoy those fights about bests lists, though. Are you up on the scandal about the New York Times leaving Meryl Streep off of its list of the “25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century (so far)”? Eh—I’m reminded of the time Maria Callas was told she would get more press for not attending a party than she would for going. That’s fame (and an introvert’s dream).

Have you all seen Book Bundles? It’s a new project helmed by immortal Guide Goddess Kitty Flynn, who every week is writing three (or more) reviews of new books on timely topics. This week? Earth Work. Kitty was the Executive Editor of the Horn Book Guide for many years, and does she know how to pack a lot of information into a few words. (That would be reviewers’ rule number two, by the way, and by the way of by the way, take a look at Kitty’s review in the November/December 2020 Magazine of You Poop Here by Paul Meisel.)

Now I am off to spin the dreidel and think about what rule number three should be…

Love,

Roger