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With National Film Score Day back this April 3rd, film scores are on the mind. Last year we matched movie scores with book recommendations so readers could not only transport themselves via words but via music as well. This year we’re trying something different and imagining which film composers would create fitting OSTs (original soundtracks) for Quirk book adaptations.

Quirk has had a handful of books adapted for the big screen, most notably Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and 2016’s Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, and there’s even an Amazon TV series in the works for The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. But what about those that haven't made it to the screen yet?

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Things should be looking up the further we traverse into 2021 and although select locations are opening up to visitors, many factors like historical site visitation hours and international travel are limited and make for a poor vacation season. This can be hard on any age group but especially for younger children who are experiencing what can only be described as a unique school year.

Now’s a good time to remind young readers that though physical travel may not be an option, one of the best ways to vicariously experience another place, culture, time, or experience is through books, and these select series are great ways for young readers to vacation to another space, even if it’s only virtually.

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Not too long ago it was pretty easy for indie, foreign, or streamed films to fly under the Oscar radar, but this past year has been, simply put, a weird one, causing major shifts in movie theater releases and a heavy focus on accessible movie streaming. And although this year hasn’t been the kindest, it’s nice to know that movies that historically could have been ignored by the Academy have rightfully earned their place as nominees for the 2021 Oscars.

To celebrate an odd but fruitful year of film, we’re pairing select Oscars nominees with some book recommendations. If you’ve already buzzed through these movies and are itching for something similar to hold you off until the winners are announced on April 25th, give one of these paired books a go!

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Here at Quirk we’re pretty passionate about the oldies, whether they be pop culture favorites or canon works of the literary world. That’s why we have series like the Pop Classics (adorably illustrated picture books of cult films and TV series like The Karate Kid and Elf), the Quirk Classics (horror takes on literary masterpieces like the New York Times bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), and Ian Doescher’s Shakespearean takes on Back to the Future, Mean Girls, Clueless, and Star Wars.

There’s something appealing with revisiting what writers and audiences have known to be compelling, but doing so through a new lens that revitalizes one’s love for the original. That’s why for National Old Stuff Day, we’re looking at some of the literary classics and their modern day retellings.

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National Library Lovers’ Month may be coming to a close, but it’s never too late to swing by your local library, call for curbside pickup, or log into your Libby/cloudLibrary/hoopla apps and put those tax dollars to good use. Whether you love the feel of a newly applied dust jacket, the swipe of a free and immediate ebook, or the thrill of pressing the play button on your audiobook, libraries have something for everyone. Yes, many even carry video games, hotspots, museum passes, digital streaming services, play kits, and things you would never think of like baking pans.

It’s no wonder so many people love libraries and it’s no surprise all of February is dedicated to those library lovers, but let’s take a moment to focus on some of the younger ones out there, the ones who dream of becoming a librarian and bettering a community, find solace hunched between the bookshelves and the pages of their latest pick, and pursue continual growth and improvement through expanding their world through books. Next time you check in at your library, see if they have one of these middle grade or young adult picks for a great story about the power of libraries.

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The Grinch, Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh, Oscar the Grouch—everyone has their favorite grumpy character, and with National Do a Grouch a Favor Day on February 16th, now’s the time to reach out and do your fictional favs a solid by writing some fanfiction where things start to look up for them.

You could also reread their stories and remind yourself that many grouches, even ones as crotchety as Scrooge, are often paired with characters like Cindy Lou Who or Pooh, whose good-nature and kind hearts unwittingly lead them to do the biggest of favors for these bad-tempered individuals: catalyze a change of heart (awwww).

In celebration of National Do a Grouch a Favor Day, here are a select few cranky and crabby, snappy and surly, moody and miserable fictional grouches and their benevolent benefactors.