November 2005 Archives

Sad news that Children's book creator Stan Berenstain dies at age 82. He and his wife have written more than 200 Berenstain Bear books.

BookPALS | Storyline has Screen Actors Guild Foundation members reading children's books aloud online via streaming video. Books include The Polar Express read by Lou Diamond Phillips, Brave Irene read by Al Gore, and WIlfrid Gordon McDonald Patridge read by Bradley Whitford.

If you want to see an incredible public library site for children, take a look at The Early Elementary Library from the Public Library of Charlotee and Mecklenburg County. It has interactive features, a separate section for pre-schoolers, guides to children's literature, recommended books, and much more all done with a sense of humor, great style, and warm spirit.

Wisconsin Identification Record 2004 is compiled by the CCBC and lists Wisconsin authors and illustrators who do children's books. This is a great resource for librarians in the state who are looking to book an author and can immediately see who lives nearby.

If you haven't seen the incredible John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth, visit the site to read reviews, preview the book, and learn more about Elizabeth Partridge, the author.

I know, we have heard it before, but once again a newspaper is saying that a new Children's author is tipped to match Harry Potter magic. The author in this case is Lucy Daniel Raby who has written a story about Father Christmas, Nickolai of the North which has become quite a success in Britain. Certainly one to put on the reading list when it is released in the U.S.

I know, we have heard it before, but once again a newspaper is saying that a new Children's author is tipped to match Harry Potter magic. The author in this case is Lucy Daniel Raby who has written a story about Father Christmas, Nickolai of the North which has become quite a success in Britain. Certainly one to put on the reading list when it is released in the U.S.

Season's Readings: Kids books to choo-choose isn't a list of children's holiday books, rather it is a list of the top choices for the year that will make great gifts. And once again I am finding books that I have yet to get my hands on. Hurrah!

I know, we have heard it before, but once again a newspaper is saying that a new Children's author is tipped to match Harry Potter magic. The author in this case is Lucy Daniel Raby who has written a story about Father Christmas, Nickolai of the North which has become quite a success in Britain. Certainly one to put on the reading list when it is released in the U.S.

The Christian Science Monitor has an article on Two series that are fortunate events. They recommend two series: Spy Mice by Heather Vogel Frederick, a series on special agent mice, and Portraits from Scholastic which is historical fiction with each book based on a famous work of art.

Mad About Manga reports the interesting news that several American newspapers are going to start including manga in their Sunday funnies to try to attract more young readers. Participating papers include the LA Times, Denver Post, Vancouver Sun, and Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

The Wisconsin State Journal has an interview with Walter Dean Myers focusing on his new book The Autobiography of My Dead Brother, why he became a writer and the responsibility of authors for young people.

The Parents' Choice Awards are a great place to find recommended toys for children. But they also give out awards to the best audio, software, DVDs, and books for children.

Kirkus Reviews presents their The Best Children's Books of 2005 list. I'm happy to see so many of my personal favorites on their list. And happy to see some new titles to explore.

Frontline has done another incredible program, this time looking inside the teenage brain. It is a program that those of us working with teens should watch, and best of all the Frontline programs are available online in their entirety.

Publishing's 'Oscars' go to Vollmann, Didion and to Jeanne Birdsall for The Penderwicks, winning the National Book Award for young people's literature.

Harper Collins has created a controversy by editing the photograph of Clement Hurd, author of Goodnight Moon in the new edition. The editing removed the cigarette from Hurd's hand. Goodnight Reality is a site where you can vote about whether you approve of the change or not. Personally, I don't see any reason to remove a cigarette from the hand of an author. How does removing a cigarette help children? I think we need to protect children, yes, but this is not how it should be done. Sanitizing the world doesn't help our children understand the world they live in nor does it make them any more safe.

Farm tale wins GG award has the news that Pamela Porter has won the Governor General's award for children's literature for her book, The Crazy Man, written in poetry.

Tony DiTerlizzi's IMAGINOPOLIS is the new official site for this author of the Spiderwick Chronicles and my favorite, Ted. It has news, information about Tony, shop, and FAQ. But best of all it has a glimpse into his art process and a books section where you too can download Ted wallpaper for your computer.

Julie Hearn, author of The Merrybegot or The Minister's Daughter in the US, has a site with information on her books, a FAQ, her writing, and appearances.

Bags and Boards is a blog from Variety that follows the comic book industry.

Japanese Sound effects and what they mean is exactly that, an alphabetical list of Japanese sound effects that you will find in manga. Great fun!

The LiveJournal of Kerry Madden is named for her book: Gentle's Holler. Here you will find tales of her travels to promote the book, links to great sites, and much more.

Finding Wonderland: The WritingYA Weblog is a blog all about writing for teens. They cover news, recommend links, and offer advice.

I'm off on vacation later today, so don't expect any updates for a week or so. Then I will be back having hopefully made it through some of the stack of books I have packed. I always pack far too many books on a trip for fear of not having enough to read.

A very nice service from Simon & Schuster is their collection of Simonsays.com >State Reading Lists. You can search by specific grades, and authors & illustrators.

Publisher's Weekly has released their list of the Best Children's Books of 2005. It is a wonderful list of some of the best of the year. Most of them are familiar titles, but there are always a few hidden gems to explore.

mary e. pearson's journal ~ ~ ~ ~ what's new . . . is her Livejournal that gives us a glimpse into the life of this author of A Room on Lorelei Street, which is a fabulous book.

Cachibachis is author, illustrator Amy Moreno's blog about children's illustrations and writing for children.

Picture Book Junkies is a group of children's picture book authors and illustrators who share one site. Participants include: Patrice Barton, Holli Conger, Roz Fulcher, Jenny B. Harris, Mary Haverfield, Paige Keiser, Laura Logan, Heather Powers, and Janee Trasler.

Childrensillustrators.com gives you access to hundreds of children's book illustrators, agents and books. There is an artist of the month, artist of the week, new talent spotlight, interviews, bestseller list, newsletter and much much more. This is really a site to lose yourself in for awhile, basking in the beauty of the illustrations.

Dan Yaccarino's homepage reflects his unique illustration style. Filled with appearances, biographical information, contact information, books, and his popular children's show, Oswald.

Margo Lanagan has won the World Fantasy Award for both short fiction and collection for her book of short stories, Black Juice. I have not yet read the book but it is sitting on my shelf in my huge to-be-read pile and I can't wait! I have heard great things about it for a long time.

This article on Children's Movies Push the Boundaries of PG comes after I had a run-in with Millions, the movie version of the book by Frank Cottrell Boyce. I adored the book and loved the movie. Due to the PG rating, I chose it as a movie for the library's family movie series. Luckily, I found time to watch the film the night before we showed it, because I had a mother show up with two very small children, ages 4 and 6 and I gently recommended that they not stay and watch. PG doesn't mean what it used to.

I am not saying that the movie shouldn't have been shown as part of our series. But it does mean that I have to be on my toes about what kind of PG movie it is, so I can help parents understand that times are changing. Our most popular film in this most recent film series was Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants where I had a gaggle of preteen girls all enjoying the movie immensely. Some boys came in to meet their sisters and walked out in disgust because there was kissing!

Grace Lin, author and illustrator of several children's books, has a great website about her, her books, and visits. She includes coloring sheets for specific books and ideas for follow-up actvities after reading them. She also has a blog, Gracenotes.

Betsy Lewin, illustrator of many amazing picture books, has a great website with biographical information, a list of her books, awards she has won, information on author visits, and contact information.

The Truth-Teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn (0670060003) follows her Safe-Keeper's Secret but can stand entirely on its own. It tells the story of twin sisters Eleda and Adele who are mirror twins, exact opposites in looks and in personality. Eleda is a truth teller, a person who is unable to tell a lie and can sense truth in others. Adele is a safe-keeper, who keeps other people's secrets safe until it is time to tell them. The book focuses on both sisters and their teen age years as they fall in and out of love and in and out of trouble.

The book is not as mystical or deep as the first in the series, but it is wonderful to return to this medieval world that Shinn has so winningly created. Recommend the series to girls who enjoy fantasy, but also those who like romance and mysticism.

Teens across the country voted for their favorite book of the year and created the 2005 Teens' Top Ten:

1. Girls In Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

2. The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen

3. Looking For Alaska by John Green

4. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

5. Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

6. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

7. The Gangsta Rap by Benjamin Zephaniah

8. Teen Idol by Meg Cabot

9. The Garden by Elise Aidinoff

10. How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater by Marc Acito

I listened to the marvelous Bolinda audio version of Abomination by Robert Swindells. Martha is a loner at school, chased by her classmates, bullied and ignored. That all changes when Scott moves to town and befriends her. But there is more to Martha's story than just not fitting in. Her home life is abusive and cold because her parents belong to a strict religious sect. Martha is beaten and not allowed any freedom, but she knows it could be worse. It could be worse because she could be like Abomination, living in a cage in the cellar and taken care of through the bars.

The story unfolds at a cruelly slow pace with the reader coming to understand what Abomination really is. Both Scott and Martha's characters are fully developed and complex. Unfortunately, Martha's parents are less well drawn, sometimes becoming cardboard. I also had problems with the final resolution of the story, where Martha manages to get out of her situation without getting her parents into any trouble. With such a complicated subject and complex characters, I felt the ending could have used some complexity as well. That said, this book is worth reading for the characters of the two children. Just be ready to get ticked off by the neat resolution.

Karen Katz's website reflects the bright colors and joy of her books. Her round-faced children of all races, loving parents, and warmth come shining through. Learn about new books coming soon, those recently published, and a little bit about her life.

Clare B. Dunkle, author of The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy, has an amazing homepage as atmospheric as her writing. It offers information on her, her books, what's new, book signings, and writing.

Philip Ardagh has a wonderful homepage about him and his books. It also offers a forum where you can share your thoughts and a place to send an e-card. Ardagh is author of two series: The Eddie Dickens Trilogy and Unlikely Exploits.

The Three Bears' Christmas by Kathy Duval, illustrated by Paul Meisel is a charming holiday version of the classic three bears story. Meisel's art is evocative of a classic Christmas story, further tying the new to the old. The three bears go out while their gingerbread bears are cooling and when they return they have familiar tell-tale signs of someone having been there. But this time, that someone has left behind a mitten, hat, boots and coat all red with white fur trim. This is a perfect holiday book to share during Christmas storytimes with preschoolers.

Girl, (Nearly) 16: Absolute Torture by Sue Limb is the sequel to Girl 15, Charming but Insane. As with most sequels, it doesn't reach the heights of hilarity of the first book, but it does allow readers to return to the world of future stand-up comic Jess, her new boyfriend Fred, strange librarian mother, and blood-thirsty Granny. In this book, Jess's questions about her parent's divorce are finally answered. There are laugh-out-loud moments again, mostly created by Jess's witty comments and asides. The writing is just as sharp and smart as the first book, and the jealousy and elation of new love is perfectly captured.

The Problem with Chickens by Bruce McMillan, illustrated by Gunnella.

In a village in Iceland, the women could not reach the eggs of the wild birds because they lay them on the cliffs. So the ladies get chickens and bring them to the village. The ladies and chickens are very happy together and the chickens start following the ladies around as they do their chores. But then the chickens start acting like the ladies, and stop laying eggs. What are the ladies to do?

This is a charming picture book with a folktale feel that matches well with the rustic illustrations. Perfect for reading aloud to children because of the amount of text on each page, this one is a winner.

The homepage of Kathi Appelt is lovely in lavendar. This author of the books for older children and picture books is best known for her books for younger children, including the Bubba and Beau series.

R.W. Alley is a children's book illustrator whose website offers information on his new books plus has an online store. But the best part is of course the illustrations on the site that will have you looking for his books in libraries and bookstores. Lovely.