The rocking awesomest Jon Scieszka (Stinky Cheese Man, Time Warp Trio, etc.) has been named as America’s first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, the President did not make this appointment. The very smart people at the Library of Congress did.
Right now copy editors across the country are ripping through their files triple-checking the spelling of Jon’s last name. “Four consonants at the end? In a row? Are you sure?” They are all wishing for a vowel movement that is not going to happen. For the record, it is pronounced “Sheh-ska”. And “J-on”.
(Washington Post coverage, and the New York Times has a very nice picture and article. Publisher’s Weekly weighs in. I’ll add more coverage as people wake up and write about it.)
Along with being a terrific storyteller, writer, and all-around nice person, Jon is the brains and force behind the Guys Read program. I think this is a fantastic choice and I can’t wait to see what he does.
Jon and I share two publishers. Here we are with Viking editor, the ever-fab Sharyn November at IRA last year.
Ahh, I adore the superteam that is Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith.
I owe everything to them for warping my young mind with The Stinky Cheese Man and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs.
Congratulations to Jon! This news warms my heart.
Yay. Perfect choice. Though it’s fun to picture Walter Mayes in the role (until you get to the part where he accidentally squashes a toddler).
Very appropriate. I use his books in my class all the time. Middle schoolers love ’em and so do I.
I love that picture, by the way. You, Sharyn November, and Jon Scieszka in one photo. Lovely.
Guess What!!
First of all, congrats to the new ambassador!! I have read “The Stinky Cheese Man”, like a million times! It’s awesome!! 😀
Also, we’re watching Speak in English today and tomorrow! It’s really pretty good for a Lifetime movie! But I like went crazy when I saw you as the lunch lady with potatoes! How could you serve potatoes to whoever threw them at poor Melinda!? lol, jk. It was an Oscar worthy performance, though, if I do say so myself! 😉
Re: Guess What!!
Thanks for the Oscar nod. I hope you have fun watching the movie. Here are some random trivia facts for you:
1. The total budget for the film – everything! – was one million dollars.
2. It was filmed in 30 days… with one camera. (That’s all they could afford.)
3. The end of the movie is different from the end of the book. The movie ending was dictated by Showtime/Lifetime. If the director had not agreed to the ending they demanded, they would not have given her the money.
4. I had very little to do with the film, but I am really happy with the way it turned out.
Re: Guess What!!
Wow! I also heard taht they filmed during a huge heat wave and had to turn off the air conditioning because it messed with teh sound! Also, it was filmed in my home town!!! I recognized soo many places, it was kinda freaky!!
Oooooh!! I LOVE the Stinky Cheese Man. 😀 😀
It’s such a fantastic choice.He’s hilarious and kids love him.