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Bookheads has the shortlist for the Booktrust Teenage Prize:
* Siobhan Dowd - A Swift Pure Cry
* Ally Kennen - Beast
* Paul Magrs - Exchange
* Anthony McGowan - Henry Tumour
* Marcus Sedgwick - The Foreshadowing
* John Singleton - Angel Blood
And I haven't read a single one of them! They have an author, school student, school librarian, two journalists and four teen judges on their panel. The winner will be announced in November.
The Queen's Feet by Sarah Ellis, illustrated by Dusan Petricic.
This jaunty picture book features a queen who has uncontrollable feet, especially when she has to dress them up in formal clothes. Instead of behaving in a royal way, her feet act out kicking other people, doing the splits, and behaving generally badly. It gets to bad that a council is called and the queen is forced to find a way to control the behavior of her naughty feet. A compromise is reached where the queen rules most of the time, but her feet rule for one hour out of each day where they can run, kick and be rude.
This is a perfect picture book for wiggly children who can't control their body parts. They will laugh at the many things that the queen's feet do as well. It is a gentle entry into a discussion of controlling yourself in a class or storytime. Share this with wiggly preschoolers and kindergarteners who are just learning about sitting still for any length of time.
Winter Is the Warmest Season by Lauren Stringer.
This picture book is a tribute to the warmth of winter found in long scarves, fuzzy mittens and warm hats. It is the warmth of fireplaces, hot drinks, and cozy blankets. It is the warmth that those of us who live in the north completely understand. The joys of radiators and heating vents, hot steamy baths, and family. And it is all the more special juxtaposed against the cold outdoors, the whiteness of the snow and the crispness of the air. The illustrations capture this contrast beautifully, with many of the orangey glowing pictures surrounded by frames of puffy cool-colored snow.
Nicely Christmas and holidays are left out because there is enough warmth to go around without them. This means that it is a book all about winter without a Christmas tree, so that it can be used in diverse communities without offense. This book has a warmth of its own and should be considered another joy of the chilly season. Share it with children from toddlers to preschoolers. I can see it leading to discussions of what makes their own winters warm and special, perhaps an art project using warm and cool colors.
The Book Standard has an interesting article: Jessa Crispin Pops A Question To Borders. In it Crispin, author of the great Bookslut blog talks about Borders' choice to not carry Pop, a teen novel by Aury Wallington. They will special order it by request but will not have it on their store shelves. Why? Sex, sex, sex. I guess in this case, sex does not sell?
In the article, the Borders spokesperson pulls out the old no room on the shelves comment. Sigh. Don't they know that librarians have long perfected excuses about why they don't carry certain materials. Shelf space is so old hat. Instead try, "The binding is not high enough quality" (used by many libraries when talking about Madonna's Sex book) or "It would just get stolen anyway." (used when talking about any book with "sex" in the title and in conjunction with the previous example when talking about Madonna's book.)
Lame excuse, Borders, especially when your competition has found room on their shelves for it. One would think that a national bookseller would have more courage than this.
The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst.
A new take on the Gingerbread Boy, this picturebook features his younger sister. A year has passed since the elderly couple created the Gingerbread Boy and they decide to try once again, filling this little Gingerbread Girl with candy. While she is baking in the oven, the couple talk about the many mistakes the Gingerbread Boy made, especially by running away. But once they peek in the door at the girl, she is up and running too, setting off to prove that she is much smarter than her older brother. The story follows the same path as the traditional one as the Gingerbread Girl runs past animals, people, and more until reaching the river and the fox. But this one ends very differently much to the pure joy of children listening.
I enjoyed Ernst's ability to mirror the traditional but bring in modern touches and a new run-away rhyme. I also enjoyed her unmistakable art with the sweet-covered gingerbread, the surprised humans, and the many animals. Read this book to a class after reading the traditional version. Preschoolers and kindergarteners alike will enjoy the revenge the Gingerbread Girl takes as well as the happy ending.
Incantation by Alice Hoffman.
This is the remarkable book that tells the story of Estrella, a teenage girl growing up in Spain around 1500. She slowly realizes as the book progresses that she is somehow different than the others in her village, despite the fact that her family has lived there for 500 years. As the details are slowly exposed, Estrella learns that her family are actually Marranos, Jews who live in secrecy because of all of the hatred and exclusion of Jews in the society. Estrella also learns through the course of the book that she is more powerful and intelligent than she had ever realized. When her best friend grows jealous because her cousin is courting Estrella, she does the unthinkable and turns in Estrella's grandfather as a magician and heretic. Estrella realizes at that point that there is a monster of hatred that all people must battle within themselves and that sometimes the monster is strong enough to overtake an entire society.
Hoffman's language is pure poetry. This slim volume is easily consumed, but you will find yourself stopping time and again simply to reread her words that breathe a detailed life into Estrella and her surroundings. There is a beauty here that adds to the pain and the horror. It is masterfully done, a book of poetry without verses. The characterization is wonderful with the adults around Estrella become more and more human as their secrets are revealed.
But I must comment more on the writing itself. Here is a paragraph from the first page which made me know immediately that this was a book I was going to love.
"I have crossed over to a place where I never thought I'd be. I am someone I would have never imagined. A secret. A dream. I am this, body and soul. Burn me. Drown me. Tell me lies. I will still be who I am."
It is writing like this, characters like these, that make writing for teens so expansive and amazing. Occasionally I think about reading more books for adults and leaving behind books for teens, but then I find a gem like this one, a book that will stay with me for years, that I will recommend to others whether they read books for teens or not. It is pure, graceful poetry.
Fergus and the Night-Demon: an Irish Ghost Story by Jim Murphy, illustrated by John Manders.
Fergus is a lazy boy who will not help his mother at home. On his way to a night of fun in Skibbereen, he meets the Night Demon, a creature that has glowing red eyes and grows bigger and bigger the more that Fergus tries to avoid him. But the Night Demon cannot be avoided and Fergus must eventually admit that only hard work will get him out of the predicament.
Murphy's writing is nicely nuanced to bring out your Irish brogue if you have one and to allow those readers who don't want to through themselves all the way into an accent to read it straight. Combined with Manders' illustrations that really bring the Night Demon to life, this book is a lot of fun. It is filled with the exact right amount of shivers and scary moments to share with kindergarteners and early elementary school students. This one is perfect for either Halloween storytimes or St. Patrick's Day because of the Irish connection.
Library Goddesses is a fairly new group of blogs that any librarian (retired or currently working) is welcome to join. They have a blog for picture books, one for fiction for ages 5-8, fiction ages 9-12 and nonfiction. You can subscribe to just the blog you are interested in and it can be by email or RSS feed. Very nice.
This is a great opportunity to review books that interest you without having to maintain your own one-person blog. A nice entry-way into the world of library blogging.
ALA has a nice article with recommended holiday titles: Children's librarians recommend books for the holidays. It offers a gift-giving guide for children from preschool to 8th grade with picture books, fiction and nonfiction. Best of all, it is not overpowered by Christmas books, but offers a wider range of holidays.
Aggie and Ben: three stories by Lori Ries, illustrated by Frank W. Dormer.
This is a charming early chapter book! Ben is a young boy who gets to select a new pet. He thinks about all of his options, but finally decides on a puppy, Aggie. In the second chapter, Ben decides to pretend to be a puppy like Aggie, but sometimes Aggie's habits are a little off-putting. And finally, Ben and Aggie try to sleep through the night together but Aggie continues to see strange things in the dark.
The writing by Ries is clever. I especially enjoyed Ben's thoughts as he considered each choice for a pet and rejected them. The humor is understated but children will immediately understand it. Just a lovely, easy read. Dormer's illustrations give the book a feel of an early reader graphic novel where the illustrations are self-contained and boxed in, giving a comic strip feel to the book. I think this will increase child appeal even more. The text on each page is quite brief and not overwhelming at all for new readers. This one is certainly a winner.
Give this to newly emergent readers. Boys and girls alike will fall in love with the characters and will join me in waiting eagerly for the next volume of Ben and Aggie stories.
My Mother's Sari by Sandhya Rao, illustrated by Nina Sabnani.
An interesting mix of fabrics and painting, this picture book captures the essence of the beauty, grace and flexibility of a sari through the eyes of a child. With pieces of real sari material, we see a small girl interact with the sari and show the many ways it can be: long like a train, used as a hammock, or a safe blanket for a nap. The joy on the child's face as she explores the vibrant fabrics is contagious. The words are simple and evocative, especially the final spread. They will encourage all children to explore, play and dream.
This is a great choice to add to units on clothing, because for some children it will serve as a window to another culture and for others they will see themselves and their mothers' clothing reflected back to them. Because of the simplicity of the text, it can be shared with preschoolers. The text is brief enough for toddlers, but they may not understand some of the more ephemeral charm of the book.
Elusive Moose by Joan Gannji, illustrated by Clare Beaton.
This is a book where small children can have the joy of finding the moose on each page. Gannji has created poetry that carries children through the illustrations, naming the animals that readers see. Her poetry is comfortable and clean, perfect for reading aloud. The illustrations by Beaton are exceedingly well done in a variety of fabrics, stitches, and beadings. When I showed the book to children, they ran their hands over the cover and each page to see if it felt like fabric. Everything from stars to flowers to moths to berries and leaves are captured in fabric collages.
Share this one as a read aloud for toddlers and preschoolers. It will be useful for units on wildlife or animals. But can also be used in a program on seasons and the changes that can be seen as the moose moves through the year.
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin.
I started hearing about this book much earlier in the year from people who read the ARC. I just couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Some books dont' live up to the high expectations, but this one does. I would rate it one of the best of the year, if not the best.
Matthew has rules to survive living with his mother. He pretends to be grateful and loving when she is in a good mood, never crosses her in a bad mood, and protects his two younger siblings from her as best he can. His mother is a violent promiscuous drug user who struggles with her own demons. Matthew is trapped because he can never leave his sisters behind with her. But then Matthew finds a man in a quick mart who stands up to an abusive father and realizes that this man, Murdoch may be able to help them. As Matthew starts to try to find Murdoch, his mother finds out and begins her own relationship with Murdoch that will drag him into the family's drama.
This novel is about abuse, bravery, duty, and strength. It is about living in fear as both a child and an adult. It is about adults who can suddenly choose to be involved and in doing so can save children. It is powerful, amazing, and breathtaking. Werlin's prose is raw, troubled, honest and angry, speaking directly from the gut. Matthew is a complex character as are his younger sisters and each reacts to the abuse by their mother in a different and complicated way. Adding power to the story, Nikki, the mother, is also not stereotypical, but demonstrates how abuse can be more than physical. She is a frightening, horrid character, but readers will glimpse her humanity as well, which is a truly remarkable feat of authorship.
This book calls out to be booktalked and will fly off the shelves. It has a strong cover and can be recommended to all of the teens who enjoy A Child Called It. It has a strong crossover appeal for adults and would make a great book discussion title for teen/parent book discussions. This one is my top choice of the year so far.
ELLEgirl Magazine may no longer be in print, but it has reinvented itself as an online-only teen magazine. In their debut "issue" you can see Marie Antoinette fashions, learn about great costume jewelry, find out about your favorite celebrities, take quizzes, play games, and of course, read about boys.
School Library Journal is now doing podcasts with their School Library 2.0 Webcast series. Currently there are five webcasts you can listen to and more are on the way. Enjoy learning about blogs, wikis, podcasting, gaming, LibraryThing, and Library 2.0.
The Prince's Bedtime by Joanne Oppenheim, illustrated by Miriam Latimer.
The young prince simply will not go to bed! His royal parents try everything from warm millk to a soft quilt. Finally they call out to the kingdom for help. The doctor tries to give him sleeping draughts, but he refuses to take them. He ends up the only one awake after everyone else gives them a sip. Then dancers perform to get him tired, but again the prince is the only one still dancing at dawn. The ideas continue from magic to large pillows, but no luck. Until an old lady comes to the castle and pulls out a book. A bedtime story.
Children will relate to the prince in the story as he stays awake far into the night. They will also enjoy the humor of the all of the attempts to get the prince to sleep and the many ways they fail. The book is written in rhyme which carries the story onward with the romping energy of the little prince. The energetic, bright-colored and quirky illustrations also fill the book with zest and movement.
While perfect as a bedtime story tucked under your own soft covers and with your own pillow, this would also be a winner at a pajama storytime or special pajama day at school. I promise you, no one will doze off with this one being read aloud!
Dairy Queen by Catherinie Gilbert Murdock.
As I continue to read through books that people have been raving about, I encountered this entirely wonderful teen novel. DJ is a teenager who feels as if her whole life has been taken over by caring for the family farm. She isn't sure where her life is headed, especially since she failed English the year before. Then Brian Nelson, the quarterback for a rival football team gets sent by his coach to their farm to learn about working hard, and DJ slowly finds that she can talk with Brian more easily than with anyone else in her life. As she learns to open up with Brian, DJ also begins to be more honest with herself about the troubles in her family and what she really wants in life. And she definitely knows that she does not want to continue to do just what is expected of her.
Murdock captures Wisconsin and family farms in a wonderful way. I had a great friend in high school who was a DJ, a tomboy who worked more than her share of hours on the family farm. And like DJ, she struggled with obligations vs dreams.
The quality of writing in this novel is lovely. The quality of characterization lifts this far above other books that it could be compared to. The author never gets in the way of the story, allowing the book to read easily. It is like a scoop of homemade ice cream, that allows you to understand the work that is needed, be in awe of those who can do it, and is very satisfying at the end. Lovely stuff.
Recommend to any girl at all. Anyone will love it and recognize their own struggles with breaking free from expectations.
Orion Books has a completely lovely audio interview with author Kevin Crossley-Holland about his new book, Gatty's Tale. Gatty is a beloved character from his Arthur trilogy, and readers will be thrilled to see her back again in a story all her own.
Bringing Asha Home by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Jamel Akib.
This is a picture book for older children which celebrates adoption. Arun is celebrating Rakhi, the Hindu holiday special to siblings, and wishes that he had a little brother or sister. Soon he finds out that his wish is coming true and his family is adopting a baby from India. But the family faces many delays in Asha joining their family. It is almost a year before Asha finally joins their family.
In the year that Arun has to wait for Asha to arrive, he experiences lots of genuine fears and feelings about his new sister. It is well written and offers a real look at the ups and downs of an older sibling facing an adoption, especially an international one.
Recommend this to families adopting, but also to teachers and others who would like to use it to discuss feelings or families. It is the right length to use with first through third graders for reading aloud.
Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle.
If you have been looking at the top books of 2006 lists that are floating around on lists like YALSA-BK, you will have heard of Black Duck. It seems to be one of the top choices of the year. And I completely agree.
Black Duck tells the story Ruben, a teen boy at the height of Prohibition and rum running along the New England coast. Ruben and his friend Jeddy find a dead body floating along the beach and are caught up in the question of who the man was and why he was murdered. Ruben, son of the manager at the local grocery store and Jeddy, son of the local chief of police, rarely see eye to eye about whether something has to be reported or not. As their friendship crumbles, Ruben is drawn deeper and deeper into the world of the rum runners, especially the legendary Black Duck.
The writing here is perfect, unobtrusive and brisk. It captures the beauty of the setting filled with fog and uninhabited coves, as well as creating a world where the story surges forward carrying readers along. This is a great feat of writing where you get a strong feeling of place but also find that the action is unburdened by it. Readers will find it easy to read along at a breakneck speed as they are caught up in the adventure, but they will also find that they have learned a lot about the Prohibition Era on the way.
Recommend this novel to older elementary age and teens who enjoy a good adventure story, especially ones who will appreciate the fact that this is reality-based and could have happened. It should also be recommended to kids who enjoy historical fiction.
Pumpkin town: or nothing is better and worse than pumpkins by Katie McKy, illustrated by Pablo Bernasconi.
Jose and his family grew pumpkins of all sizes. They would take the pumpkins to market to sell, but the best pumpkins would be saved for seeds. Then the worst of the seeds were dumped over the hill and forgotten about. But the seeds landed on the town at the bottom of the hill, falling into straw roofs, gardens and flower pots. And then they did what seeds tend to do, they grew. The townfolks have no idea what to do about all of the pumpkins that they find themselves surrounded by, but when Jack looks down at the very orange town from the top of the hill, he knows just what to do.
This is a perfect fall tale that will have children anticipating the amusement to come as the seeds fall down on the town. The illustrations are modern collages of clipped images, fabrics, and wild hair that lend even more excitement to the story. The twist at the end is marvelous fun, and will have children asking for teachers, librarians or parents to read it all over again. Exactly what we all want in a picture book.
This book will be welcomed in schools where a pure autumnal harvest tale is more acceptable than Halloween stories. It may be a little long for preschoolers, but older children in Kindergarten and first grade will appreciate the humor and illustrations more anyway.
The New York Times has a surprising story: Married and Single Parents Spending More Time With Children, Study Finds, that shows that today's parents may work more outside of the home, but they spend more time with their children than any other time in the last 40 years!
I post this here, because though our lives may be busier, we still see families making time to bring small children into the public library. My concern is that when those children enter school, the public library becomes less of a destination for the family. Now that we know that parents are spending more time with their children, not less, we can start to focus more on how to draw those families in.
How do we remain a destination for elementary age children? We know that we have the materials that interest them. We know that when they come through the doors we can lead them right to books that will wow them. But how do we get them through those doors, and more importantly, how do we get their parents to spend their precious time with their children AT THE LIBRARY?
Wide Awake by David Levithan.
Levithan returns to his utopian writing of Boy Meets Boy with this political and social commentary on today's world. Imagine a future where Bush has created a second Depression, known as the Greater Depression, and the world has survived, but it has turned away from the blue and red of today's America and embraced a new green party made of Christians and the left out of which the first gay Jewish president is elected. Or is he? In this world, there is no more consumerism, no more brands, no more emphasis on affluenza. It is truly an amazing view of the future of the United States. All is not perfect in this future. There is still intense hatred by right-wing religious people towards people who are gay, but a vast movement has occurred that has created a Christian voting force and lifestyle that focuses on love. Again, amazing and fascinating and uplifting.
Levithan has once again created a world in which readers will want to live. Whenever I set the book down, I found it jarring to return to the world I live in. I saw commercials differently, listened to politicians speak in a detached way, and realized that there is hope even if things go all wrong and gas prices truly skyrocket and the world flips around. There is hope, hope that the new America may be more accepting, more forgiving, and less commercial than where I stand now. And it is all because of Levithan's knack at creating a world that is at first unthinkable and by the end impossible not to consider seriously. What if? That is the strength of Levithan's writing. A simple what if?
Levithan's characterizations are brilliant as well. His writing is effortless and easy to lose yourself in. The characters are people you know, people you are, and people you hope to be one day. Each one can be related to, is completely human, and reacts to the situation in a personal way.
Bravo! Bravo for having the courage to create a view of the future that takes us beyond the immediate darkness and shows us that the future of America is brightly lit with acceptance and love. Bravo!
Big A Little a has announced The First Annual Children's Book Awards, Blog Edition. She has all of the rules and participation opportunities listed as well. Volunteer to be either on the nominating or judging committee for the age you are interested in.
They are also searching for a cool name for the awards. You can see I won't be much competition in that regard from the title of my post!
Boo and Baa Have Company by Lena and Olof Landstrom.
If you have not read the earlier Boo and Baa books, run out and get them. Boo and Baa are two quirky little sheep who have small adventures that are filled with humorous moments. In this story, Boo and Baa are raking the leaves in the lawn when they hear a meowing noise. It takes them awhile to locate a cat caught in the tree above them, although children will immediately know what is going on. Then comes the rescue of the cat, leading to lots of laughter-inducing action. It is a lot of fun.
Landstrom's use of spare language underpins all of the humor and the simple illustrations carry the story with one or two lines adding tension to the pictures. The illustrations may be simple but they are masterfully so. Boo and Baa will appeal to preschoolers, but even older children will enjoy the humor here.
National Public Radio has a wonderful A Gruesome Guide to Lemony which celebrates the release of The End, the 13th volume in the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events. Listen to an interview with Daniel Handler, take a quiz, and it would not be complete without an interview with Lemony himself.
Bookseller Chick is the blog of an anonymous someone who works in a bookstore. While her writing is excellent and great fun, it is her incredible blog roll that outshines all others! It just goes on and on and on and on, with link after link to great children's lit blogs. Like I need an even longer list of blogs to read! ;)
The National Book Foundation has announced its 2006 Finalists. Here they are for
YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE
M.T. Anderson, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party (Candlewick Press)
Martine Leavitt, Keturah and Lord Death (Front Street Books/Boyds Mills Press)
Patricia McCormick, Sold (Hyperion Books for Children)
Nancy Werlin, The Rules of Survival (Dial/Penguin)
Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese (First Second/Roaring Brook Press/Holtzbrinck)
I haven't read a single one of them, though I have heard wonderful things about almost all of them. They are going on my reserve list at the library right now!
Mercy Watson Fights Crime by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen.
Ah, Mercy Watson, a pig who adores buttered toast, lives in a 50's styled world, and has adventures that will have everyone laughing along. Her first two books were fabulous, and the third in the series continues with the same feel. Mercy Watson hears something downstairs after she goes to bed. It sounds like the toaster, so she is sure that someone is downstairs making toast without her! Down she heads and discovers a robber in the kitchen. The robber would have been just fine if he hadn't had a buttery candy in his mouth.
These books are perfect for new readers who want books with real chapters and plenty of words but also colored pictures and plenty of action. They are also great read alouds for preschoolers through first graders. The question is whether you can wait for kids to grow up enough to read the books themselves, or whether you are like me and simply must share them as bedtime stories before then!
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller.
This is a book I discovered not from reviews in print journals, but from my fellow kidslit bloggers who simply raved about it. And that is exactly what I am going to do too. It is the story of Ananka Fishbein, who looks out her window one day to discover a giant sinkhole in the park across the street. She decides to explore it and by doing so, changes her life. Inside the sinkhole she finds a fully decorated room and a book that leads her to understand the dirtier and darker side of New York City, including the Shadow City, a warren of connected rooms deep beneath the ground. After her adventure, she meets the strange Kiki Strike, a tiny girl who is dangerous and mysterious. Ananka then finds herself on an adventure with the Irregulars, a group of preteen girls who all have different talents that will enable them to explore the Shadow City. Author Miller has created a riveting book filled with twists and turns, betrayals and lifelong friendships, populated with preteen girls who have real adventures. It is an amazing triumph to create female preteen characters who care about both style and explosives. This is a girl book that rocks, that captures exactly what girls really want: to be dangerous and to have adventures, but not be boyish in the least. The writing is witty, vivacious and pure fun just like the characters. Miller has also added guides throughout the book on subjects like detecting a liar, snakebites, and following someone without being found out.
Run and get this for any brave preteen girl who has spunk and a thirst for adventure. It is books like this that make me sigh about the lack of real modern adventure books for girls. Tamora Pierce is my hero for featuring girls in her stories that are just as tough and strong as the boys, but we have needed a modern story that features great female characters as well. Kiki Strike fills that void, and does it with great style.
Watch Terry Trueman's 2006 National Book Festival webcast on the Library of Congress website. Charming and funny, he reads some of his writing which is a real treat. Great stuff.
A Readable Feast is a blog on the ClubMom MomBlogs site. It is authored by Anne-Marie Nichols, a mother and freelance writer. Recently she has had a few Halloween books to recommend along with recipes and crafts to go along with them. Very nice!
One Laptop Per Child is something you have probably all heard of. But did you know that the laptops were going to be this CUTE! Looks like they will have the same appeal as iPods do with their slick and friendly design. Genius! Their site has all sorts of information on the project with a wiki, FAQ, press releases, people involved, and much more. But really, don't you just want to visit for more photos of the laptop itself?
Simon & Schuster now do podcasts about their new children's book releases. They have a feed you can subscribe to as well. This week's podcast is all about Peter Pan in Scarlet, the newly released sequel to Peter Pan, written by Geraldine McCaughrean.
A Beautiful Girl by Amy Schwartz.
Amy Schwartz is one of those authors who has created books that will live on forever, like Bea and Mr. Jones. With A Beautiful Girl, she has created a simple story where Jenna encounters an elephant who says that she has a very funny trunk! Jenna replies, "I am not an elephant. I am a big girl and this is my NOSE." The elephant then explains what he uses his trunk for, and then Jenna tells the elephant what she uses her nose for. Then they travel on together until they come to the next animal who asks her questions about another part of her face.
This book is simply charming. I enjoy that Jenna clarifies that she is BIG girl, because most children want that clarified as well. There are so many opportunities for audience participation as well as discussion afterwards where children can list what they do with their senses. The text is just the right length and the illustrations will work well with a crowd.
Share this for a preschool unit on the senses or just because it is a great book that children will enjoy.
An Island Grows by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Cathie Felstead.
Lovely, lovely, lovely. This is a great volcano book for toddlers and preschoolers, many of whom are fascinated by volcanoes. And to top the whole thing off, volcanoes are not portrayed as scary and destructive, but rather as the geological force that creates islands. Schaefer's text is inviting and easy to read, while Felstead's paper-crafted illustrations are at once visually exciting and very child friendly.
Perfect for a unit about the earth in preschool, a great read-aloud for a science storytime, or just the perfect book to read if you have a child interested in science. I would recommend this one especially for those children who appreciate nonfiction more than story picture books. It is a treat.
The Today Show had a feature on Maurice Sendak. You can view the video here. Just scroll down to Friday's videos and select the Maurice Sendak one.
Sendak talks about his "one theme" of "surviving danger" as well as his own childhood that he describes as "D-A-R-K."
Kane/Miller Publishers have created their own Squidoo lens. If you don't know about Squidoo and lenses, the easiest way to learn about them is to visit one. They gather sites, articles and online resources from all over the Internet and place them into the easy-to-use interface. This lens features their books, links to blogs that review them, a poll for the favorite book of theirs, quotes from their books, a map to their offices, and much more.
ALA has a new document to help librarians deal with the intellectual freedom issues that come along with offering graphic novels: Dealing with Challenges to Graphic Novels. Their advice is simple but effective: be prepared. They go into details about dealing with the media, language for answering pointed questions, and how to deal with complaints in an effective way.
