Who's smarter than a fourth-grader?

I've been very, very busy for the past few months and the blog has suffered. I hope that I'll soon be back to posting more frequently--at least once a week.

For now, here are some thoughts:

Part of the "very, very busy" was preparing for the 27th Children's Literature Festival on Oct. 27. (I'm on the Festival's Board of Directors.) We hosted 650 local third- through sixth-graders at Davenport's River Center for a day of exciting literary activities. We had over 700 kids registered but some canceled due to the flu. Now that we've had a couple of weeks to catch our collective breath, it's time to begin planning for next year's festival.

My fourth-grade neighbor Sophie wasn't able to attend the Lit Fest, so she persuaded her teacher to invite me to her school to talk about writing. That was last week. Yesterday, Sophie delivered a packet of thank-you notes from her classmates. I only wish that book critics were as exuberant as fourth-graders. Here are some favorite comments: Grace was "soooo happy" I came; Lilly thanked me "so, so, so much for coming"; Emme thinks that I "have a great imagination"; Abe says "thanks for inspiring us"; and Philip summed up, "Thank you!!!!!" Aren't fourth-graders wise beyond their years?

Check out this piece by writer James Collins on Jane Austen in the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703683804574531863687486876.html
I willfully ignored Austen for decades but finally gave in and read Pride & Prejudice and Emma this past summer. My assessment appears here: http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=6442180479921974747&searchType=ALL&txtKeywords=&label=Jane+Austen
Hint: I'm now a fan.

Last year, I reviewed Daemon, a debut novel by software developer Daniel Suarez. See my review here: http://www.military.com/entertainment/books/book-reviews/military-bookshelf-mid-winter-chills--thrills It was a surprisingly good apocalyptic thriller. I've just finished an advance copy of the sequel, entitled Freedom and due in stores in January, 2010, and it's as disappointing as Daemon was enthralling. It quickly degenerates into a fuzzy jeremiad against capitalism and globalism and an even fuzzier anthem for a kind of modern feudalism. Capitalism in Suarez's view is essentially a global conspiracy. Here's my favorite quotation from the book: "What he saw was very nice, indeed. Just the way he liked a woman--young, nude, and tied up." Indeed!

My advice is to stay away from this one.