At some point, every writer gets a message that changes their whole day.

This is THAT letter! :)

(Thanks, Patrick!)

This is me, happy to have a book coming out...

...then getting a mean review!

Oh, you silly person, you!

*fond wag of the head*

Via.

I don't like to brag . . . but grandparents LOVE ME.

BTW, I lied. I love to brag. (It's one of the things I do best!)

Book review from Washington Parent Magazine!

Well, that brightened my Monday! 

SUPERHEROES is "funny and useful"!

There's a new review at the Florida Times-Union for The Big Book of Superheroes. It reads, in part:

... the back cover of The Big Book of Super Heroes promises to teach readers how to defend themselves against pre-school villains, invent a satisfactory battle cry and decorate secret lairs. Heady stuff, this. 

Fans expect nothing less of author Bart King, who created Big Books about spy stuff, gross stuff, girl stuff, mischief and magic — to name a few. King’s ... sense of everything silly and sublime remains intact...

As usual, it is King’s breadth that impresses ... [and makes] this book funny and useful.

Brandy Allport, May 22, 2014 

A review of "The Big Book of Superheroes" from School Library Journal? Yes, please.

“The Big Book of Superheroes offers a tongue-in-cheek guide to adventure and all things heroic. King mixes superhero lore with tips on how to be a superhero ... This highly browsable book [has] entertaining black-and-white comics peppered throughout. This is ... an excellent addition to library and classroom collections.” 

—School Library Journal

Awesome. Did you see that? The book's "highly browsable" and an "excellent addition to library and classroom collections"! See the complete review below the break.

Wait—a supervillain reviewed The Big Book of Superheroes?!

This Kid Reviews Books is known far and wide as the finest website of its kind in the world. Why? Well, it helps that the site's run by the mysterious super genius known only as "Erik."

And in honor of Star Wars Day (today!), TKRB has a special reviewer for The Big Book of Superheroes—Darth Vader. Check it out!

BTW, Darth Vader made me toast once. But it was a little on the dark side. Also, he threw out the first pitch at a Cincinnati Reds game the other night. It was surprisingly unimpressive!

The Salem Library is hosting "No Screen Week" . . . and it has a fine suggestion!

Via the Statesman Journal.

Bart's King-Sized Book of Fun by Bart King

What it’s about: This collection of tricks, jokes, facts, recipes, games, pranks and fun includes ideas for various days of the month, a disco ball made from old CDs, a remote-control pumpkin, and more. Adult supervision is noted when appropriate. 

Bart King, author of The Big Book of Boy Stuff and The Big Book of Girl Stuff, has so many fun ideas crammed into this book that kids will be surprised when “No Screens Week” is over. No worries – they can enjoy these ideas year-round.

I guess I should check reader reviews at Amazon.co.uk more often!

Via.

Nice BOY STUFF review!

Via Amazon.

Do you know why Victor Hugo's masterpiece stank?

Because The Hunchback of Notre Dame wasn't more like the Disney film!

Via.

When a bad book review is AWESOME.

When Mike McGrady's novel Naked Came the Stranger came out, the Village Voice described it this way: as being

“[This book has] such perfectly realized awfulness that it will suck your soul right out of your brainpan and through your mouth, and you will happily let it go.”

McGrady probably loved it. To find out why, check this article. Ooh, and just for kicks, here's an unrelated illustration that struck a chord for me. (It didn't suck my soul out of my brainpan, though. Disappointed? A bit!)

Writers, make sure to come out of the gate strong.

Via.

It's official!

The Big Book of Boy Stuff is now the best book in the world. Thank you Anna, and thank you world.

I wonder why I never thought of Gossie this way?

I guess it's because I'm not insane! (Review, via.)

"Girl Stuff" is the perfect book for a 35-year old woman!

Via.

Funny Story!

Way back in April, the School Library Journal called Bart's King-Sized Book of Fun "an activity book extraordinaire for cool kids everywhere" ... but I never knew it! (Arg.) Here's the full review:

This is a lively and entertaining collection of tricks, jokes, facts, recipes, games, pranks, wordplay, and all-around fun. Inventions include airbag pants, a disco ball made from old CDs, and a remote-control pumpkin. Creative costume ideas include a pinata, an alien, chewed gum, a shooting star, and more. Adult supervision is noted when appropriate. Small black-and-white cartoons are scattered throughout. An activity book extraordinaire for cool kids everywhere.

Cuteness is happiness!

Over at CuteEverything.com, there's a review for my new book. It reads, in part:

Although I like to think of myself as a sort of connoisseur of cute, I certainly didn’t write the book on it. Bart King, on the other hand, has. In Cute! A Guide to All Things Adorable, he teaches the definitive meaning of cute, delving into just about every cute possibility out there. Cute! tells us how things like animals, polka dots, sparkly things, babies and more all have distinct cute elements, and exactly what those elements are ... In Cute!, Mr. King leads us through all the reasons why “Cuteness is Happiness”!

Why do they tempt me so?

I just got this message from Barnes & Noble:

Although I suppose there's no reason NOT to review my own book. (Besides silly stuff like ethics and professionalism.) Hey, maybe I wouldn't give myself five stars!

Ah, who am I kidding?