Cover Glam

Cover Art is an important part of a book's marketing strategy. My students are often drawn to a book simply because of what is on the cover. It is the first impression a reader gets about the book, and although I usually make my decision about buying a book more on the publisher's summary and who actually wrote the book, I am not immuned to cover art glam.

Here are five books that strongly illustrate just how gorgeous book art has affected a me:

• From the moment I first laid eyes on this cover I knew I had to have this book. The golden light shining through the winged couple accenting their silhouettes, the girl's long hair feathering outward, and the closeness of the couple's faces provide the impression that this is a heavenly love.

• Another gorgeous cover. The model's  porcelain skin against the black background is sheer beauty. The dots of silver pop, and the mist whispers of magic.

• The colors in Hex Hall is what drew me to this cover. They are vibrant and sort of have a Ying Yang affect with the completely different mirrored images. I also love the details of the title being reflect in the pool, and the misty forest in the background. Finally, the totally different stance to the two females one cries out shy and unsure, while the other is assertive and daring. 

• This cover speaks to me because of it's crisp clean lines. The model's eyes peeping over the top of her extra large sunglasses and her smirky smile (a modern day Mona Lisa) dares the reader to resist. The reflection of the painting is a nice touch too.

• The vibrancy of the azure flower against the totally black background in  The Body Finder is incredible in and of its self, but then, the addition of a light behind the flower illuminating the flower's veins, sharpens the image making it pop giving it  a three dimensional feel.

Despite the fact that I have enjoyed all of these books (except Halo, which isn't out yet), each one called to me from their shelves because of their glam.


So have you ever bought a book based solely on cover glam?

A Top 100 List of Children's Books

Jim over at Teacherninja asks, Which books have you read?

For the last four months Elizabeth Bird at Fuse #8 has been compiling a list of the Top 100 Children's books. The list is now complete: Out of the 100 sadly, I have only read 36, and most of them I have read in the past 18 years when I began my career as a teacher.

There are only a few books on the list that were even written during the time I was growing up (1950's), and try as I may I have no recollection of books teachers read to me in elementary school.  I do remember, however, that I was a big biography buff and read George Washington Carver's biography, which obviously impacted me enough for me to be able remember this.

My memories of books I read in high school and in college for lit classes are a least a bit more sharp. So I am wondering what books would make the top 10 young adult list?

100. The Egypt Game — Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard — Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe — Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane — DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches — Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking — Lindgren (1950)
94. Swallows and Amazons — Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn — Brink (1935)
92. Ella Enchanted — Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School — Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall — MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father — Cleary (1977)
88. The High King — Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday — Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek — Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse — Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief — Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three — Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon — Lin (2009)**
80. The Graveyard Book — Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family — Taylor (1951)**
78. Johnny Tremain — Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember — DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust — Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog — Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers — Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain — George (1959)
72. My Father’s Dragon — Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning — Snicket (1999)**
70. Betsy-Tacy — Lovelae (1940)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society — Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons — Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher — Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins — Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes — Stratfeild (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago — Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake — Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock — Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl — Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle — Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart — Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase — Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 — Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars — Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins — Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG — Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows — Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret — Selznick (2007)
51. The Saturdays — Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins — O’Dell (1960)
49. Frindle — Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks — Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy — Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows — Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass — Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing — Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest — Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie — Wilder (1935)**
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond — Speare (1958)
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz — Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me — Stead (2009)
38. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry — Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret — Blume (1970)
35. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire — Rowling (2000)
34. The Watsons Go to Birmingham — Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach — Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH — O’Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic — Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh — Milne (1926)**
29. The Dark Is Rising — Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess — Burnett (1905)**
27. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass — Carroll (1865/72)
26. Hatchet — Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women — Alcott (1868/9)
24. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods — Wilder (1932)
22. The Tale of Despereaux — DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief — Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting — Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda — Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee — Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy — Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie — DiCamillo (2000)
14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban — Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia — Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit — Tolkien (1938)**
11. The Westing Game — Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth — Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables — Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden — Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver — Lowry (1993)
6. Holes — Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler — Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe — Lewis (1950)
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s/Philsopher’s Stone — Rowling (1997)**
2. A Wrinkle in Time — L’Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte’s Web — White (1952)**

Of all the books on this list, I have to say my favorites are definitely A Wrinkle in Time,  Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry,  The Giver  and Bridge to Terabithia, and Maniac MaGee.

So how many have you read?