April 2006 Archives

I just discovered this new children's lit blog: Outside of a Cat. Which is done by (gasp) a man! He posts reviews of children's and teen books he has read, including many classic favorites. This one is worth checking out.

You & You & You by Per Nilsson won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for young adult fiction last night. This is one on my list of must reads!

One of my favorite book award lists has been announced:  The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards that go to books that "effectively promote the cause of peace, social justice, world community, and the equality of the sexes and all reaces as well as meeting conventional standards for excellence." 

This year's winners are:

Delivering Justince: W. W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights by Jim Haskins.

Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX, the Law that Changed the Future of Girls in America by Karen Blumenthal.

Poems to Dream Together by Francisco X. Alarcon.

Sweetgrass Basket by Marlene Carvell.

Mystery Writers of America Announces 2006 'Edgar' Winners and the winners for teen and juvenile are:

Best Juvenile: The Boys of San Joaquin by D. James Smith

Best YA: Last Shot by John Feinstein

Ed Emberley has an amazing website. It is filled with information on him and his books. But best of all, it has animations and drawing pages to inspire kids to try art, and pdf files for printable activities. Click on the month you want, and you will find all sorts of things to do from paper airplanes, to mazes, to coloring sheets. And best of all, throughout the entire site, the feeling of an Ed Emberley book is maintained. Nicely done!

The International Herald Tribune has an interesting article: Teen-lit 'packages': Forget the young writer in a garret. It covers the "book packaging" industry responsible for books by the biggest names in teen novels: Cecily von Ziegesar, Ann Brashares and, of course, Kaavya Viswanathan. This is an interesting peek into the latest way to package and sell novels to teenage girls.

Filtering is a hard enough choice for a public library to make but Kids outsmarting Web filters make it that much harder. The article explains many of the ways that kids are getting around filters, so if you are filtering, you may want to be aware of these techniques.

Many of you may already have heard of the Canadian study mentioned in this article: Better grades? Thank a librarian. The study shows that better school libraries are linked to student achievement. And how do they decide what a better library is? Whether it has a certified teacher-librarian! Hurrah! They demonstrated that having a certified teacher-librarian is the critical component that makes a library more effective. Bad news for those American schools that are getting rid of their school librarians and replacing them with volunteers, or even worse replacing their libraries with computer labs.

I have been following the story of Kaavya Viswanathan being accused of plagiarizing her book How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life from Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. Now it seems that the Star young author admits 'unconscious' plagiarism. I'll follow her lead and just say, "No comment."

How Do Children's Get the Book Bug? is not an article about research.  Rather, it is about a family that reads, in both English and Welsh.  This is lovely stuff!  I especially enjoy the description of them reading aloud at the beach:  "they were listening open-mouthed, staring into the distance."

Graphic Novels are still growing!  Nielsen Bookscan reports that they grew 35 percent from 2004 to 2005, which is right about the time that libraries started to get on the bandwagon.  This article has all the stats, but also some real bad advice like reading about the genre before beginning to read the actual graphic novels.  While that is fine for some, many understand the genre already because they read comics as children.  The teens who read and love graphic novels are not worried about understanding the genre as a whole, they are just jumping right in and enjoying it.  Try it!

Gossamer by Lois Lowry.

First, I must say that I am such a fan of Lowry's that I probably am not being critical when I read her books.  I have enjoyed all of her work to date, and continually look forward to her next book.  So realize that this is a review written by a real fan.

Littlest One is a tiny, invisible spirit who is training to be a dream-giver.  With her teacher, she learns to lightly touch items throughout the house she is assigned and bestow memories as dreams.  Her first teacher, Fastidious, is unable to handle Littlest One's energy and questions.  Her next teacher, Thin Elderly does much better.  Together Littlest One and Thin Elderly witness as a young boy arrives at the home of an elderly lady.  The boy is filled with anger and memories that are less than pleasant, so the dream-givers struggle to find enough positive things to touch to fill his dreams.  But as he spends more and more time with the woman, he starts to create positive memories there.  What will happen though, when he is targeted by the evil Sinisteeds who bring awful tormenting dreams?  Will Littlest One and Thin Elderly be able to help him through it?

I enjoyed entering Lowry's imagination again.  The idea of tiny beings who bestow sweet dreams to us is very appealing and magical.  The characters are vividly rendered from the humans to the dream-givers.  In Lowry's distinctive writing style, we are carried into this story with complete belief that it is true and real.  The depiction of a loving foster care giver is especially effective and the example of abuse used is both horrifying and at the right level for children to understand.  Share this one with children who enjoy fantasy without dragons and knights or with children who enjoyed the Great Gilly Hopkins.  It is another winner in Lowry's body of work. 

The Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child, photographed by Polly Borland.

This is a great read-aloud fairy tale for both boys and girls to enjoy!  The book follows the same story as the classic fairy tale but has extra pizzazz.  The text is zippy and fun, filled with asides and clarifications that make it a hoot to share.  The illustrations are remarkable photographs of little theatrical sets filled with paper doll-like creations.  There is a place for this book in every public library.  It will find its audience of little girls very easily and parents will enjoy reading it aloud as much as children will enjoy listening.  It is also a perfect book to share with a group, because of the marvelous pairing of the wit of the text and the fabulous illustrations. 

Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Michelle Berg.

A more organized blogger would save this one for a Poetry Friday entry, but I am just so excited by this book that I can't wait!  This is one of my favorite books so far this year.  It is a must-see book.  Booklist starred it, and I resoundingly agree.

It is the story of a cat and dog who start out chasing each other but everything changes when they are caught in a rainstorm.  The entire landscape and all of the characters are created out of poetry.  Just reading across the pavement and the grass is amazing.  The changing cloud poems really capture the essence of being a cloud.  But my favorite has to be the tree poems that are so similar but so different.  Lovely!

And this is one poetry book that truly invites children in.  They probably will not recognize it as poetry at first, but that is part of its unique quality.  There is a rhythm to the words that matches so well the illustrations.  I was actually amazed after reading the book to find that it was done by two people rather than one.  Share this with kids!

Enjoy!

The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo. 

This book is framed by a modern story, but the heart of the book is the story of a girl living in Britain during World War II.  The girl, Lily, has a cat named Tips who she adores and lives in a small village with her grandfather and her mother.  Her father is off fighting in the War.  Then her village is evacuated so that the Allies can practice their training for D-Day.  When they evacuate, Lily loses Tips.  But a wonderful American soldier is there to try to help her find the cat.  The story has a great old-fashioned feel to it, combined with a spunky girl who never gives up.  It captures a fascinating moment in history in a child-friendly way. 

This would make a great read-aloud in classrooms that are studying World War II.  It is appropriate for third through sixth graders.  Recommend it to children interested in history or animal stories. 

As has been mentioned on several other children's lit blogs, Lois Lowry is now blogging!  I have her new book Gossamer on my stack to read next (which is why I don't ever make progress to the books on the bottom of the stack).  Lowry is one of the only authors I have ever written to to thank for writing a book, and her book The Giver remains at the top of my favorites reads ever. 

A Massachusetts 2nd grade teacher has gotten into trouble from parents for reading King & King.  Her administrator on the other hand, is supporting her teaching of diversity.  As I read the article, it seems to me that the outraged people tend to be the conservative organizations, not individual parents.  I also think that children living in families with gay parents have the right to be understood by their classmates and to have books read aloud that mirror their own lives. 

Released in May 2006.

Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins.

Ah, another book in the marvelous Underland series!  It is one of those books that despite my huge pile of books waiting to review, I had to start immediately.  And I wasn't disappointed. 

Marks of Secret is the fourth book in the series.  The books must be read in order, so don't skip around!  Gregor and his toddler sister Boots have returned to the Underland, a hidden civilization under the streets of New York that is filled with talking rats, bats, cockroaches, mice and humans.  In the Underland, Gregor is known as The Warrior and has been on a series of adventures.  In this book, the Nibblers (mice) are suddenly disappearing, so Luxa, Gregor, Boots, and many favorite characters from the earlier books join together to find out what they can.  They expect to only be gone for a short while, but then an avalanche cuts them off from the human settlement.  They are forced to take a dangerous journey through the Firelands.

If you have not read the Underland series, it is a must-read!  Especially for children who enjoy fantasy.  The adventure, pacing, language, setting, and characters are all masterfully presented.  In no time at all, you too will be joining me in waiting for Book Five, where a new prophecy will undoubtedly be revealed!

Deconstructing Dylan is an interesting look at the future.  It is 2014, and Dylan is a boy interested in insects, the Loch Ness Monster and girls.  His first girlfriend dumps him because he is so strange, but then a new girl arrives in school.  Robyn is dark, mysterious and also interested in strange subjects like death and Tibet.  The two of them hit it off.  But Dylan knows that something is slightly wrong about him.  He continues to have strange dreams where he is someone else.  Dylan's parents are both scientists who worked in genetics, but have both left the field.    When Dylan discovers a photograph of himself wearing clothes he doesn't remember and  having longer hair, he starts to unravel the mystery of his life.

I enjoyed this book because though it is scientific, there is a lot of softness to the character of Dylan.  It is a very introspective book that reveals the personality of a boy who is out of synch with his peers and his parents.  The book does slow down in the middle, when readers have solved the mystery but Dylan is just beginning to understand, but the ending makes up for it.  While not a fast-paced action book, it will hold the attention of most readers.  Teens who also feel out of step in their lives will enjoy this book, as will those interested in science. 

The Finalists for the LA Times Book Prize for Young Adult Fiction are

John Green for Looking for Alaska
Margo Lanagan for Black Juice
Per Nilsson for You & You & You
Andreas Steinhofel for The Center of the World
Markus Zusak for I Am the Messenger

The 2006 Edgar Award Nominees are:

Best Young Adult

Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams
Last Shot by John Feinstein
Quid Pro Quo by Vicki Grant
Young Bond, Book One: Silverfin by Charlie Higson
Spy Goddess, Book One: Live & Let Shop by Michael Spradlin

Best Juvenile

Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach
Wright & Wong: The Case of the Nana-Napper by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
The Missing Manatee by Cynthia DeFelice
Flush by Carl Hiassen
The Boys of San Joaquin by D. James Smith

Earth to Stella by Simon Puttock, illustrated by Philip Hopman is a very creative bedtime book.  Stella's father is trying to put her to bed, but Stella is pretending that she is traveling through space.  Her father calls to her:  Earth to Stella! and his messages get incorporated in her imagination.  The illustrations are fun and the text is straight-forward and clean.  I especially liked that this was a space-crazed little girl, rather than a little boy.  Preschoolers will enjoy this story, because they will all recognize how they can get caught up in their imaginary worlds.  The story ends with Stella's father joining her when she heads back out to space.   Perfect for space-themed storytimes or bedtime ones. 

Little Mama Forgets by Robin Cruise, illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen is a gem of a book.  It starts with the gorgeous line: "Luciana Maria Isabela Galvez-Molinero.  My grandmother's name is a morning song."  Lovely.  It is the story of Lucy, a little girl, whose grandmother lives with her.  Her grandmother is growing more and more forgetful, but Lucy pairs each thing that her grandmother forgets with something that she remembers.  The words are poetic while the illustrations are bright colored and filled with life.  It has just the right amount of text to use for a story time.  This is not a book about the sadness of forgetting, but about the joy of remembering. 

Steve Barancik has made a site that offers recommended books for children, advice on how to find/create free kids books, and information for new authors on writing and publishing.  But most of all, his site is filled with great lines that will re-inspire readers about the importance of children's literature and reading:

"Think. What activity can you encourage that will be more vital to your child's future than a love of reading?"

YALSA has announced the new Teen Read Week 2006 website.  The site is already filled with great ideas for programs and ways to interpret the Get Active theme.  You could do a Get Physical, Get Active in Politics, Get Outdoors, Get Crafty or many more! 

Sail Away, Little Boat by Janet Buell, illustrated by Jui Ishida. 

Lovely, lovely, lovely!  This picture book is a combination of poetic language and evocative illustrations.  It is the story of a little toy sailboat that floats down a little brook, into a river and finally into the ocean where some children discover it.  The illustrations are stylized and really evoke the feeling of a brook and a river.  The artist stays away from making everything blue and instead selects a palette of deep greens and greys.  The text of the book is gently rhyming poetry that matches the illustrations perfectly. 

Children will enjoy seeing all of the animals along the little boat's trip and realizing how rivers pour into the ocean.   The book's poetry reads aloud well and the entire trip will quietly captivate your preschool audience.  This is definitely a journey worth sharing. 

Overboard! by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Sam Williams. 

Doing a toddler story time?  Do I have a book for you!  Overboard is the story of a little baby bunny who enjoys throwing all sorts of things out of his high chair, his crib, the bathtub, etc.  The book has charming pictures that share the joy of throwing things down.  The illustrations are combined with a bouncy, rhythmic text that will engage toddlers and preschoolers immediately.  This one is perfect for sharing with groups but will also be enjoyed one-on-one. 

VOYA's 2006 list of recommended poetry books for teens Pure Poetry is their 8th annual list. There are some real drool-worthy titles on the list that I will have to take a look at. I'm not sure I've read any of them yet!

YALSA has a new booklist of Books for young adults who enjoy 'Gossip Girls' series:

Bauer, Joan. "Rules of the Road." [and sequel: "Best Foot Forward"]

Brashares, Ann. "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." [and sequels]

Cohn, Rachel. "Gingerbread." [and sequel: "Shrimp"]

Dessen, Sarah. "This Lullaby." [and "The Truth About Forever," same author]

Kantor, Melissa. "If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?" [also: "Confessions of a Not It Girl," same author]

Lockhart, E. "The Boyfriend List" (15 guys, 11 shrink appointments, 4 ceramic frogs,and me, Ruby Oliver)

Mackler, Carolyn. "The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things."

Maxwell, Katie. "The Year My Life Went Down the Loo" [and subsequent titles]

McCafferty, Megan. "Sloppy Firsts" [and sequel: "Second Helpings"]

Rennison, Louise. "Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging" [and subsequent titles]

D Is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine, illustrated by Yongsheng Xuan is a picture book about Chinese New Year that follows the alphabet and shows many aspects of the celebration.  The format, the text and the illustrations are all very child-friendly.  The illustrations are stylized and filled with bright primary colors.  Each page features textural Chinese letters behind the paintings, adding another level to the illustrations.  There is also a cat on every spread that reacts to each new letter and item.  This one is sure to draw all children into the holiday and give them a lot of information as well. 

The Phildelphia Inquirer has a great article, "In reading, Dick lags far behind Jane" that speaks of the gender gap in reading, college education and advanced placement classes.  It gives several of the theories of why this gap is happening as well as some remarks from boys themselves.  Important information for all of us working in reading with children. 

Scripps Howard News Service has an interesting article on Thacher Hurd, the child of two children's book authors who has finally embraced his family's trade. 

The 2006 Shortlist for Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards has been announced. One award is given to picture books and the other for a yound adult or middle book. The award winners are selected by two juries of schoolchildren. Here are the titles that made the shortlist:

Picture Books
* Caramba written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
* Forever: The Annual Hockey Classic written by Roy MacGregor, illustrated by Brian Deines
* Gretzky's Game written by Mike Leonetti, illustrated by Greg Banning
* The Nutcracker written by Karen Kain, illustrated by Rajka Kupesic
* Shi-shi-etko written by Nicola I. Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave

Young Adult/Middle Reader Books
* Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last by Susan Juby
* The Crazy Man by Pamela Porter
* The Gravesavers by Sheree Fitch
* Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel
* Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai

VOYA's list of the Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror is something I look forward to all year long.  The 2005 list has some of my favorites like Rebel Angels by Libba Bray and Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud.  But it also has so many titles that I haven't read!  Hurrah!

The Los Angeles Times has an article "In Their Own Words" that talks about the trend of young adults writing books for teens.  One of the books featured is The Notebook Girls, a nonfiction title compiled from a series of notebooks passed between four friends.  There are also several other titles mentioned.  Now this is a much better trend than celebrity picture books! 

The Little Red Hen by Jerry Pinkney will be released in May 2006.  Pinkney takes the classic story of the little red hen and keeps its timeless feel.  Pinkney's art transforms the story, as his art always does, into something even more marvelous.  I enjoy his slight changing of the animals who refuse to work so that the hen has an exact reason to pressure each animal to do a specific job.  Still they refuse, of course.  The pictures will project well to a group of children, allowing librarians, parents and teachers to share this classic tale.  This is a lovely addition to the stable of Little Red Hen books out there.  Purchase it if you need a new one, don't already have a copy, or need a version that will work well with a group. 

Yankee Doodle America: The Spirit of 1776 from A to Z by Wendell Minor is a book that takes readers down a road in colonial America through its use of wooden signs as illustrations.  Readers follow the signs through the alphabet, learning more and more about America during the Revolutionary War.  The information is concise and clear, making reading a pleasure.  But the real joys of the book are the wooden signs.  They range in topics from individuals involved in the revolution to events like the Boston Tea Party to the Liberty Bell.  Each sign is detailed, deeply colored, and finished with a cracked finish so that it gives the impression of having hung for some time above a public house.  Use this one in a unit about the Revolutionary War, or give it to students interested in history. 

The Seattle Times has a piece on author George Shannon who talks about the importance of sound in a book.  Shannon's goal is to create books that are fun, filled with word play and free them to be creative.  This approach is very evident in his books White Is for Blueberry and Busy in the Garden.  If you haven't read any Shannon, this is the time to try him out.   His poetry dances and his books create wonder.

The True Story of Stellina by Matteo Pericoli is a magical true story.  Holly, Pericoli's wife, found a tiny baby finch in the middle of Manhattan.  She waited for the mother finch to return, but it didn't.  So she took the baby bird home and raised it by hand.  The charm of the story is the details of how Holly took care of Stellina and how their friendship grew. 

This is another great nonfiction picture book that reads more like fiction.  It is lovingly done and lovely to read.  Share this aloud with a group, or with someone in your lap, it is sure to create discussion.

The Last Laugh by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey is a nearly wordless book that succeeds completely.  The book is filled with cartoon panels, so it is a graphic novel for the youngest of beginning readers.  It is the story of a mean snake who likes to go up behind other animals and hiss to scare them.  Then he accidentally swallows a duck and gets his comeupance.  The book is dedicated "to bullies everywhere." 

This isn't a good book for storytimes, but it is the perfect one to hand to children who are just starting to read or want to try to read on their own.  It has such a sense of humor and the pictures are so bright and silly that the panels carry the story even if they aren't able to read the words.  The

A Korean children's book, Magic Bottles, published by J'aimimage, has won the Ragazzi Award at this year's Bologna Children's Book Fair.  The article goes on to talk about another incredible children's book, The Cloud Bread, that also impressed everyone at the Fair. 

Rabbit Pie by Penny Ives is a sweet bedtime picture book. The text reads like a recipe for rabbit pie:  "Find six small rabbits, if you can!  Take off any dirty bits and place in warm soapy water."  But it really is the story of a bedtime routine for a jolly family of rabbits wrangled capably by a kind mother rabbit.  The joy of the book is that these little toddler bunnies are able to be noisy, silly and purely children as they get ready for bed.  Ives has created a little world filled with crunchy carrots, warm beds and lots of love that makes readers want to move right in.  This is the perfect quiet bedtime book for sharing when your rabbit is freshly washed, milky warm and ready to let rest until morning. 

Honey: A Gift from Nature by Yumiko Fujiwara, illustrated by Hideko Ise is a Japanese children's book newly published in the U.S.  It is a story told from the point of view of a little child who could be either a boy or girl.  The father in the family keeps bees for honey and takes the child with him to gather it.  Children listening to or reading the book learn about how honey is made, how beekeepers approach the bees, and how different flowers change the flavor and color of the honey.  The illustrations in the book are gorgeous paintings that are deep with color, evoking the wonder and joy of honey.  This is a nonfiction picture book of a high quality.  Share it with children interested in insects.

The Hiccupotamus by Aaron Zenz is a vibrant picture book filled with a sense of humor that bounces off of the pages along with the colors.  A hippo has a severe case of the hiccups and accidentally angers an elephant by hiccuping nearby.  She chases after him and on the way they encounter a whole group of animals bothered by his hiccups.  The text is done in a rollicking rhyme that will appeal to toddlers and preschoolers as well as the adults reading and listening.  This book is quite simply a lot of fun.  I would save it to pull out and brighten a rainy day.

For adults, Zenz's humor continues onto the final page of the book with the Cast Bios.  My favorite is that "the part of the buffalo was played by a groundsquirrel named Arlo."  For librarians, check out the subject headings, all rights reserved statement and other funny bits on the copyright page.  Laugh-out-loud funny! 

I'm a Pill Bug by Yukihisa Tokuda, illustrated by Kiyoshi Takahasi is a book perfectly designed for children.  It not only has child-friendly illustrations done with paper art, but also presents science in a very child-focused way.  All of the terms are fully explained and each concept is presented in a very accessible way.  Add to that that we all have pill bugs living around us, and this science book gets young children interested in identifying other tiny creatures they can find.  Share this in preschool classrooms doing insect units or in a general story time.  It is a perfect book for introducing nonfiction to small children. 

This book was originally published in Japan and has been brought to the U.S. by Kane/Miller Book Publishers.  I love seeing books from around the world brought to children in the U.S. 

The short list for The Children's Book of the Year Awards from The Children's Book Council of Australia has been announced. 

Older Readers:

Burke, J. C.        The Story of Tom Brennan
Caswell, Brian    Double Exposure
Condon, Bill       No Worries
Crowley, Cath    Chasing Charlie Duskin
Jonsberg, Barry     It's Not All About You, Calma!
Moloney, James      Lost Property           

Younger Readers:

Bateson, Catherine   Millie and the Night Heron
Fensham, Elizabeth   Helicopter Man
Flynn, Pat     To the Light
Gleitzman, Morris   Once
Godwin, Jane   The True Story of Mary: Who wanted to stand on her head
Jennings, Paul   How Hedley Hopkins Did a Dare, Robbed a Grave, Made a New Friend Who Might Not Have Really Been There at All, and While He Was at It Committed a Terrible Sin Which Everyone Was Doing Even Though He Didn't Know It

Early Childhood:

Bourke, Nike   What the Sky Knows
Dubosarsky, Ursula   Rex
Matthews, Cecily   Emily's Rapunzel Hair
Niland, Deborah   Annie's Chair
Shanahan, Lisa   Daddy's Having a Horse
Watts, Frances   Kisses for Daddy

Picture Book:

Crossett, Warren   The Sound of the Sea
Danalis, Stella     What the Sky Knows
Lissiat, Amy   The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley
Riddle, Tohby   Irving the Magician
Sheehan, Peter   The Island
Winch, John      Run, Hare, Run! The story of a drawing

Oink? by Margie Palatini, illustrated by Henry Cole is a wonderfully silly book.  Thomas and Joseph are two very content pigs.  But their neighbors, the rabbit, duck and chickens are not content at all.  They see the pigs as a pair of lazy louts who do nothing at all and simply cannot be happy that way.  So they decide to give the pigs some jobs to do that will improve their lives.  But things don't turn out the way the busybody neighbors expect.

This book's illustrations add to the humor.  The simple happiness on the pigs' faces is countered by the anger and frustration of the neighbors.  The text is great for reading aloud with plenty of pizzazz.  This is definitely one to share with a group, especially with its lack of an anti-laziness message.  Embrace your inner pig.

Fuse #8 Production has been one of the blogs I read for some time, and I have added her to my blogroll as well.  This librarian at The Donnell Central Children's Room in New York City has a great job and also has a phenomenal style to her postings.  She is not shy with her opinions and makes for great reading.  This is definitely a must-read children's lit blog!