January 2007 Archives

The Show-and-Tell Lion by Barbara Abercrombie and Lynne Avril Cravath.

Under the pressure of having to come up with something for show-and-tell, Matthew blurts out that he has a pet lion at home.  Of course this is entirely made up, but before Matthew can admit he is telling a story, his classmates are quizzing him about the lion.  Matthew finally admits to his mother what is happening and she insists that he tell the truth about the lion.  In the end, Matthew finds a way to tell the truth and save face with his class. 

What a great picture book!  So many children tell stories without meaning to tell a lie and find themselves in this position.  This book demonstrates that it happens to other people and that when you tell the truth it solves the problem.  Even more importantly, the book features a child with a vivid imagination who allows it to get out of hand and then finds a solution himself.  It is a very empowering story for children.  I really enjoyed the illustrations with their soft blends of color.  I also liked the fact that as Matthew's lie grew and grew so did the imaginary lion until finally he was so big he had to leave the house. 

This would be a great addition for preschoolers and kindergarteners learning about honesty.  It can also be added to any storytime about lions or imagination. 

Galaxies, Galaxies! by Gail Gibbons.

Gibbons has once again created a winning nonfiction picture book with just the right amount of information on each page and charming illustrations.  This book focuses on galaxies from the Milky Way to other types of galaxies in the universe.  It looks at how galaxies are studied, types of telescopes, and ends with the fact that more galaxies are constantly being formed. 

Many children love astronomy and this book is ideal for units on planets and space.  The focus on galaxies themselves makes this different than solar system books and is a welcome addition to library collections.  As with most of Gibbons' nonfiction, it can successfully be read aloud to classes from kindergarten through second grade. 

Kampung Boy by Lat. 

Amazing, amazing, amazing.  This is a graphic novel that reveals a lost lifestyle of small villages in Malaysia.  Mat recounts his life from birth to when he leaves the village to go to school.  It is filled with details of rural Muslim life and brims with good humor and the grace of a simple life. 

This one belongs in all graphic novel collections.  It will be enjoyed by children in elementary school, but will be most appreciated by those older than that who will see the difference in the culture and life that Mat lives. 

I can't wait for the next volume!

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron.

This winner of the Newbery Medal is a quiet book with a deep soul.  It is reminiscent of Because of Winn Dixie in many ways. 

Lucky is worried that her guardian is going to return to France.  Every time Brigitte's mother calls on the phone, Brigitte cries.  Lucky is convinced that she is going to be left behind, so she plans to be the first to leave.  Of course, that means that she won't be able to continue her friendship with the knot-tying Lincoln or the cookie-loving Miles.  But unlike being put into an orphanage, she will be able to keep her dog with her.

The glory of this book is in its staying power.  I am so happy that I didn't have time to review this last week, when I read it, because this story stays with you and percolates in your brain.  It is such a quiet story but the setting is vivid and unique, the joys of a small town on the desert are wonderfully displayed, and the deep feelings of Lucky linger.  I enjoyed smiling at all of the great analogies in the story, reading a book that takes the show don't tell philosophy and runs with it, and finding a heroine this complex in a children's book. 

I agree with the Newbery Committee.  This one is a winner.  Even better, it has a lot of kid-appeal and I predict it will become one of the favorites in the Newbery units at school.

I really want to find time to talk about the great award winners that were announced this week. How thrilled I am that a graphic novel won the Printz, how much I enjoyed the Newbery and how happy I am that Flotsam won. But it has been one of those weeks at the library, from visiting legislators on Tuesday to a personnel situation that is affecting my every work hour. Perhaps tomorrow I can find a few minutes to review the books piled on my desk. Balancing love of children's books with directing a library can be a trick. Please bear with me and know that I am busily reading books and hoping to share them with you soon!

Author John Green, winner of a Printz honor for An Abundance of Katherines, was caught on video learning about the award. (It's the one dated January 22nd.)  It is priceless!  John and his brother are exchanging videos back and forth on his blog, giving a wonderful, humorous glimpse at a teen-book author. 

The Caldecott has gone to Flotsam!! Hip hip hooray!!

Honors are Gone Wild and Moses.

The Newbery has gone to a book that I just returned to the library this morning thinking I didn't have time to read it. Time to run down and see if it has left the building yet! Higher Power of Lucky.

Honors are Penny from Heaven, Hattie Big Sky, and Rules.

Hurrah! The YALSA blog has announced the winner of the Printz Award:

Honor Books:

Octavian Nothing
Abundance of Katherines (HURRAH!)
Surrender
Book Thief (YIPPEE!)

WINNER: American Born Chinese

Well done, Printz Committee, well done!

Well, last year I had the great joy of typing at lightning speed and trying to get the awards up almost live on this blog. This year, the webcast is full, so I can't get in. I will just have to wait until 10 am for the press release to be made public. I can't wait to see what wins!

Brave Bitsy and the Bear by Angela McAllister and Tiphanie Beeke.


Little Bitsy, a purple toy bunny, falls out of her girl's pocket and gets lost in the woods.  A huge brown bear finds her an agrees to help her get home before he goes to sleep for the winter.  As the bear walks her home, he starts to drift off and fall asleep over and over again.  Bitsy sings bouncy songs, marching songs, and even shouts to keep him awake.  Once Bitsy is safely home, she begins to worry about the bear and whether he managed to make it safely to his warm cave before he fell asleep.  So she takes a ball of red wool, ties one end to her garden gate, and heads off to make sure Bear is OK.  She finds him asleep on the ground.  He is cold and covered with snow.  All of the animals hear her singing and work together to build bear a shelter right where he is sleeping. 

This is a lovely story.  I adored the fact that the tiny singing bunny and the huge bear show such care for one another.  I also enjoyed the bravery of Bitsy heading back into the forest to see if her new friend was alright.  The illustrations complete the circle of the book, filled with bright warmth whenever the friends are awake and together.  They are also cold and grey when bear is in trouble. 

This is a book that can inspire even the smallest of us to try to help, to go out of our way, and to care.  It is a grand book to read aloud because of all of Bitsy's singing.  A tale of inspiring friendship, share Bitsy with preschoolers and kindergarteners for a great addition to bear, bunny or friendly storytimes.

Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman.

What a book!  I finally managed to sneak it out of the house to return it to the library.  It is the story of a flock of amazing chickens who solve the problems of the Greenstalk farm.  They get the farmer's watch out of the well, make dinner for Mrs. Greenstalk, help the son with his homework, rescue the cow and the sheep, and much more. 

This book is all about the illustrations.  The words on the page are auxiliary, just carrying the story forward.  It is all about the flurry of feathers and beating wings of the heroic chickens as they accomplish their mission.  The illustrations much be pored over to get the best out of them.  Find the bathing caps on the diving chickens, the chicken peeking out of the kitchen garbage, and the alarmed chicken who finds himself almost under the cow.  Also keep an eye out on each page for the dozing chicken with an egg.

This book is pure fun.  Laugh out loud glee will be heard from all children and adults.  We found ourselves talking over one another to point out our discoveries on each page.  And then we read it over and over again to see it all again.  What a joy!

Not only does this site have a great logo, but it also is the place to go to find out about the horror genre.  Monster Librarian offers new and upcoming releases, an index to reviews of horror books, and best of all separate sections for adults, teens and children!  Once you click on an age-group, you will find the books split into categories like werewolves, Buffy, and  supernatural.   The collection of titles is impressive and is made fun to browse with cover shots as well as descriptions.  Sweet!

Every Child Ready to Read Wiki is a place for librarians who are using the Every Child Ready to Read program. You can share the difference using the program has made, how to promote and train about it, finding funding, share recommended websites, and much more. Remember, it's a wiki, so it is YOUR site. Share your thoughts and ideas and it will prosper.

I don't know if anyone else remembers with a great fondness the Moomin books. The series was a favorite of one of my brothers when we were kids, and I have his boxed set of books and hope to hook my sons on them. Interestingly, they have a delightful website filled with all of the characters, like Little My, Moominpapa, and Moominmama. Brings me right back into childhood - oh, the power of books!

Make sure you click on the British flag at the bottom to get the English version.

Banjo Granny by Sarah Martin Busse and Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Barry Root. 

This warm book tells the story of Owen's granny who hears that he adores bluegrass music.  So she takes her trusty banjo case with its taped handle and heads off to see Owen.  She has to cross a river, a mountain and a desert to get there.  Granny's journey is presented along with Owen's time waiting for her, being told by the birds how the journey is progressing.  Until the final moment when they are joyfully together.

This musical book reflects the rhythms of bluegrass music with prose that dances along and is filled with repetition that creates a real sense of song.  The illustrations are bright, warm and filled with sunshine.  Granny is a wonderful character who is undaunted by each obstacle, pulling a solution out of her worn banjo case. 

Use this one in storytimes for preschoolers and even toddlers who are willing to sit a little bit.  They will get caught up in the rhythm and completely enjoy what Granny pulls from her case.  The mix of magic, warmth and love is what grandparents are all about.  That is completely captured in this book.  A perfect gift for grandchildren or grandparents as well.

Shivers in the Fridge by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.

I consider this one of the best picture books of the year.  I love its rather twisted concept which is matched by the illustrations by Zelinsky.  It reads aloud like a folktale with repetition, but has a unique setting and modern feel.

Papa Shivers, Mama Shivers, Grandpa and Grandma Shivers and Sonny Shivers all live in the cold and dark.  Occasionally a monster with long claws appears along with a huge light and snatches something out of their world.  As children listen to the story, they will soon realize that the Shivers live in a refrigerator and that the monsters are really humans.  But what are the Shivers and why are they in the fridge?  And what happens when the humans discover them?

This story builds and builds towards a final moment that is hinted at more and more clearly throughout the book.  Adults may pick up on it quickly, but children who are not trying to solve a mystery will just go along with the story and be happily surprised at the end. 

This is such a successful book with great language, nice pacing and wonderful illustrations.  It is a read aloud to share with kindergarteners and first graders who may wonder what is shivering in their fridges at home.

The First Music by Dylan Pritchett, illustrated by Erin Bennett Banks.

This is the perfect book for a crowd of rowdy preschoolers.  It is the story of how the first music started, and the book is filled with all sorts of animals sounds.  Elephant drums on a hollow log with a padada boom.  Crocodile's scales are played by Crane, and Monkey dances and makes the leaves rustle.  All of the noises come together to form music.  Except for the silent frogs who don't join in the earth-moving beat.  It is not until the seventh day that the frogs break into song themselves. 

The beat of the language is what creates the music here.  It is fast-paced, jaunty and lots of fun to read aloud.  Paired with the gorgeous deep paintings, this book will be a real crowd pleaser. 

The book can also be easily used for group participation in a more formalized way with different members of the audience making different noises.  Or that could be done afterwards with rhythm instruments.  Oh, the options are endless!

ALA will once again be presenting a webcast of the Newbery, Caldecott, King, Printz and many other awards for teens and children. The webcast is live and is a lot of fun for those of us who won't be at Midwinter to see it in person. I do plan on blogging the awards as they are announced. I only hope I manage to get a spot on the high speed access again. I know that many people were left out last year.

Tune in to the webcast on January 22nd at 7:30 am PST.

The lists of best books will also be released!

Liz In Ink is the name of the delightful blog from author Liz Garton Scanlon that offers glimpses into her writing process and the fast pace of her family life.

Reading Rants has been updated!  I love this website filled with great recommendations for teen reads.  And check out Jen's 2006 Top Ten list!

The Costa Book Award winners have been announced.  This award was formerly the Whitbread Book Award and is an award from the UK.  The winner for the children's book category is Set in Stone by Linda Newbery. 

The short list included David Almond's Clay, Julia Golding's Diamond of Drury Lane, and Meg Rosoff's Just in Case.

A Drop of Water by Gordon Morrison.

I always enjoy well-done children's nonfiction, and this is certainly a nicely done book.  It is a study of the water cycle from puddles to clouds to the mountain and then returning to the puddle.  But the best part is that it not only focuses on the water but also on the different species of birds, animals and plants that live at each stage on the mountain and down to the stream and pond.  It reinforces that life is dependent upon water in its many stages and that the environment is all interconnected.  And it does that without lecture or preaching and with a light enjoyable touch.

The illustrations of the book are beautiful.  They are line drawings with patches of color that show the water, the animals and the plants.  They are highlighted on the page, a blank canvas on which the world of the water is the focus. 

This is recommended as a great read aloud for children who prefer nonfiction.  It is a nice book to read with a small group or one-on-one because of the detail in the illustrations.  Children will delight in finding the birds hidden in the trees and the exact plants mentioned in the text. 

The Most Important Gift of All by David Conway, illustrated by Karin Littlewood.

Ama is a little girl who lives in Africa.  She has a new little baby brother and decides that she needs to give him a gift.  Her grandmother tells her that the most important gift she can giver her brother is love, so Ama sets off to find love.  She asks the weaverbird, the giraffe, and finally an old lion who tells her that "as sure as the rain comes, you will always know love when you have found it."  Ama's father finds her and returns her to the village where they celebrate the birth of her brother with a special meal and songs.  And the rain comes.

This is a lovely picture book with richly colored paintings as illustrations. The depth of the night out under the baobob tree and the brightness of the following day are marvelous.  The illustrations truly add another dimension to the book.  The language of the writing is also rich and deep, creating a believable world where lions can give advice to small children and there is a certain safety to the wildness of the world. 

Share this one with kindergarteners and first graders who may be welcoming their own new siblings.  It reads aloud well, but is also a nice lap book to share. 

A new Yahoo Group email list has been started by Richie Partington, of Richie's Picks. Middle_school_lit focuses on books for middle grades. 200 people have joined since it was started last week! It is already filled with great discussion, recommended reads, and much more.

Comingsoon.net has the story that the creator of The OC will be doing a series based on the Gossip Girl books. It will be an hour-long drama.

I really don't know what to think about this. I am always dismayed when trashy novels get the attention, but then I tend to hate what many studios do to the great novels. It is rather a Catch-22. But teen girls should be thrilled and you can be equally excited to know that the 11th volume in the series will be out soon!

I am back after a stomach flu and hoping to post plenty! I have a stack of picture books waiting on my desk to tell you all about and some recommended sites too.

Philippa Pearce, author of 'Tom's Midnight Garden' has died. I vividly remember reading Tom's Midnight Garden and realizing that I adored fantasies with a British feel.

The finalists for the Cybils have been announced with some surprises, shocking omissions of my own nominations (joking!) and my joy at participating as a judge of the YA books.  Most of that joy comes from the fact that I have actually read 3 of the 5 novels!  Hurrah!  Anyway, there are a lot of fascinating and wonderful books on the lists that you should check out. 

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books has announced their choices for Blue Ribbon books of 2006.  The choices represent picture books, fiction and nonfiction for children and teens.  I always enjoy the fact that they pick such accessible yet wonderful titles.  These books are ones that can be shared and enjoyed.