Kids Lit
Books and More for Children and Teens

Welcome to TV Turnoff Network

TV-Turnoff Week is coming April 19-25. This site offers information on organizing a TV-free week with more reading and less TV watching.

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197 Bogus Graduation Rate Studies and Reality from Wisconsin

A Harvard study has been in the news lately. It states that Wisconsin public schools have some of the worst graduation rates of white vs. Hispanic and African-American children. True? No, not according to this article from EducationNews.

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Alma Flor Ada

Official website for this prolific author of children's books, many in Spanish or bilingual.

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Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (0-439-43536-6)

It is very rare to find a children's fantasy title that breaks into new territory, but this is one. Gregor and his toddler sister, Boots, fall through a duct in their laundry room into the Underland. It is a world filled with talking rats, spiders, bats, roaches and humans. The story follows a quest format, but with such action and spirit that it never drags.

Recommend this title to kids who enjoy fantasy. It will open their eyes to the possibilities out there beyond Harry Potter. Even better, the end hints at a sequel to come!

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Farnsworth revisits illustrative art in McCloskey tribute

The Farnsworth Art Museum in Maine is paying tribute to the art of Robert McCloskey.

"In addition to McCloskey, the exhibition gathers the work of 16 Maine children's-book illustrators of many generations, all of whom link directly or spiritually to McCloskey. Some are of an earlier era - Dahlov Ipcar, Ashley Bryan, Carol Inouye and Peter Parnall. The rest are younger, contemporary illustrators whose work is influenced by the older generation."

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The Journal Times Online

This article outlines an incredible book program in Kenosha, WI. Run at Carthage College, the program brings kdis from middle schools who have all read the same books and presents hands-on workshops on the themes within the books. Very cool.

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Hollywoodreporter.com

Cool! A movie based on The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Amber Tamblyn (star of Joan of Arcadia) has signed onto the project.

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MTV.com - News -Is Alicia Keys The Next Nancy Drew? Singer Planning 'Street Mystery' Series

Alicia Keys, the singer, is working on a multi-book deal. One book of poetry and one book based on her diaries.

"But it's her idea for "Alicia Keys' Street Mysteries" that is the most unexpected portion of the proposal. The young-adult series, with each book titled after a Keys song, would present the singer as a 16-year-old attending a Harlem performing-arts high school, who dreams of being a singer but also has a "sometimes-dangerous penchant for investigating — and solving — heart-pounding whodunits." So in between auditions, demo sessions and dating, the Alicia character would track down kidnappers or clear friends framed for murder. Recurring characters would be Alicia's best friends, Lavinia "Lovey" Ramon, a Puerto Rican dancer whose father is a detective for the NYPD, and Schulyer "Skye" Franklin, an aspiring actress who helps bluff her way into almost any situation.

The series, which would combine "the hipness and diversity of the 'Cheetah Girls' and the timeless appeal of ‘Nancy Drew,' " would be written by the husband-and-wife writing team of Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld, whose work includes writing for the WB's "Smallville" series, as well as mass-market book tie-ins to "Smallville" and "Dawson's Creek.""

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The Official Harry Potter Website

Brand new website for Harry Potter! It is filled with fun things to do like be sorted by the sorting hat (I am a Ravenclaw), play Quidditch online, post to the message boards, read the Daily Prophet and much much more. A great place to send Harry Potter loving kids to.

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Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber (0-06-009334-X)

A great goth novel with a marvelously accurate tone and voice. Readers are immediately caught up in "Dullsville" with the town goth 16-year-old Raven. Raven is known as the strange one in town until a new family moves into the town's abandoned mansion. And best of all is Alexander, the teenage son of the new family who seems to be Raven's dream vampire.

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Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events Dominates March 21 New York Times Best Sellers List

"On the March 21, 2004 New York Times Best Sellers List, A Series of Unfortunate Events held seven out of ten slots on the Children's Chapter Book List-a feat only duplicated by the Snicket series itself on May 5, 2002; Feb. 9, 2003 and April 13, 2003.

No series has ever dominated a New York Times Best Sellers list like A Series of Unfortunate Events. The seven titles on the March 21 list-The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, The Wide Window, The Miserable Mill, The Ersatz Elevator, The Austere Academy and The Slippery Slope-have been on the New York Times' list a total of 448 reported weeks. The series as a whole has been on the list in excess of 600 weeks."

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Sci Fi Wire -- Muppets Head for Oz

There will be an upcoming Muppet version of The Wizard of Oz! Best of all is the final sentence of the blurb that tells us it will be based on the children's book, not the 1939 musical! Hurrah!

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TheStar.com - A hip-hop approach to lit

Article on a bookstore that specializes in urban literature for teens. It also speaks of the increase in black imprints responsible for many of the new urban books.

Via [places for writers].

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The BookHive

An online guide to children's literature from the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. The site offers book reviews, a place to hear stories, activities and a spot for young authors to post their work.

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USATODAY.com - Harry hits his teens

Nice article on the next Harry Potter film with tantalizing glimpses into the changes from the first two films.

"Light, or lack of it, will play an important part in the film. Cuarón has created a distinctly different look, with the colors darker and more muted, the music more haunting, and the tone edgier.

He used more wide-angle shots than in the first two films to heighten the sense of drama, says cinematographer Michael Seresin. "The story is more dramatic, so the lighting is more dramatic, high contrast, more shadows. It has a very different look and feel from the previous films."

Plus, there will be visual treats for the careful viewer.

"There are lots of extraneous little bits of magic appearing in the background," says Craig. "Strange animals that live in Hagrid's hut, for example. There's somebody's tail poking through the floor. They're real throwaways, but there's extra richness, extra detail in these wide shots.""

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The Chicken House

Very slick and fun webpage for this children's book publisher.

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USATODAY.com - Comedians writing children's books for a laugh

Celebrities writing for children has been a big trend lately, but here comes another one: comedians writing for kids. This article lists the new authors as including Jay Leno, Billy Crystal, Ray Romano, Rhea Perlman and Whoopi Goldberg. Now the question will be if any of them are actually funny in print!

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KRT Wire -- New novel holds appeal for the young outdoorsman

A sportsman's take on Gary Paulsen's latest book "Brian's Hunt." It even ran in the Sports section of the newspaper.

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Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (0-439-53164-0)

There has been a lot of positive buzz around this title, so I was anxious to read it. Well, it is fully worthy of all of the buzz. It is truly a book for book lovers. The quotations at the start of every title from classic children's books are priceless, evoking an immediate emotional response that prepares you for the chapter ahead. Just lovely.

I don't like giving away the plot, because it is such a treasure to journey through. I enjoyed the female characters who exhibited courage and honor throughout the book, letting readers see that sometimes heroes are the least likely people.

Share this one with kids. Read it aloud, because that will double the magic inside. Any kid who enjoys fantasy will love this book, but bookworms will treasure it.

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Aesop's Fables

I have had this site on my List of Links for some time, probably since they came up in 1997. I love to find sites that have been in operation for such a long time (in Internet time.) This site offerse an online collection of over 655 fables by Aesop with their morals.

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ReadWriteThink

This site is provided by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. It provides teachers and students with lessons, information on standards, materials and a list of quality web sites on reading.

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Young People's Poetry Week

The third week in April in Young People's Poetry Week. Perfect time to highlight the library's collection of underused but fantastic poetry books.

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Bookshelf: Children's Books in Brief

Another quick glimpse at new children's books from The New York Times. Registration required.

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

A new version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will be released in June 2005. Johnny Depp will star as Willy Wonka, directed by Tim Burton. For more articles on the film, scroll down to the bottom of the page.

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Lite Brite

I always like to find good websites to let kids play on. This one is the old toy Lite Brite from my childhood without the sore fingers from poking those plastic pieces through the paper. No popup ads, no ads at all, just a simple game to share with kids.

Via Metafilter.

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NOW with Bill Moyers

Tonight on NOW with Bill Moyers (and usually repeated sometime over the weekend) Bill Moyers will interview Maurice Sendak about his new book, Brundibar.

The NOW website has articles up about Brundibar as well as censorship of children's literature.

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Scripps Howard News Service

"This month, Scholastic Books rolls out a new Nancy Drew series featuring a fresh version of everyone's favorite girl detective _ with quite a few notable changes."

What changes? Well, they are now written in first person, rather than third. Nancy is a little older now, out of high school. Best of all, the first four volumes have an introductory price of 99 cents!

Via [places for writers].

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Independent.co.uk -- Education

"The novels of Philip Pullman, which have been condemned as blasphemous by some critics, should form part of pupils' religious education, the Archbishop of Canterbury said in a speech made public yesterday.

Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, which was partly inspired by Milton's Paradise Lost, should be used by teachers to address the "inadequacy" of some religious education courses, Dr Rowan Williams told a meeting of religious leaders and academics hosted by Tony Blair at Downing Street on Monday."

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Coming Soon! - Latest News

"Judy Blume, one of the world's best loved authors ("Are You There God? It's Me Margaret," "Blubber," "Superfudge," and "Deenie," among others), filmmaker Lawrence Blume, and renowned producer Jane Startz (Ella Enchanted) have entered into a multi-picture deal with The Walt Disney Studios to develop and produce films based on Judy Blume's bestselling books for young people, it was announced today by Nina Jacobson, president of the Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group. Under the terms of the deal, the Blumes' Tashmoo Productions Inc. and Jane Startz Productions, Inc. will adapt several of Blume's books, beginning with Deenie, Blume's acclaimed bestseller about a young woman's struggles to define herself independently from the dreams and expectations her parents have for her."

Via ACHOCKABLOG.

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RTÉ.ie Entertainment in association with the RTÉ Guide - Animated pic for Seabiscuit's Ross

Universal Pictures will make an animated film of The Tale of Despereaux. It is being developed by Gary Ross, writer and director of Seabiscuit.

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Peter Panned (washingtonpost.com)

I read Peter Pan when I was a kid, but this article may just have inspired me to pick it up again as an adult.

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Narnia film on the cards

New film version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Disney will be released for Christmas 2005. It has not been announced whether it will be live action or animated.

Via LISNews.com.

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NapaNews.com | As research moves online, pity the poor encyclopedia

"With so much free online information, including proprietary databases for which libraries pay for the public's use, families like Amy Sahn's say encyclopedias seem unnecessary.

Her oldest of two sons, Zach, 10, will soon have more complicated school assignments, but the Redwood City mother thinks the Internet will suffice.

"The kids are so computer literate," Sahn said, "that it would seem almost foreign to them to use a book.""

Well, I am compute literate too, but that only makes me better understand how much information on the Internet is suspect and should be used with care. Sadly, I don't think that children or teens understand any of that, unless they encounter a teacher, librarian, or parent who can explain it to them. Most of the teachers in our community require kids to use at least one print resource in their reports. That's why we continue to purchase new encyclopedias.

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Series and Sequels

The Bettendorf Public Library presents this teen page that lists an amazing number of young adult series.

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Survive Dickens' London

A fun way to spend a little dark and dreary time in Dickens' London. I could see this being a fun way for kids to learn about Dickens, his books, and the setting.

Via Blog of a Bookslut.

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Ready for School: The Case for Including Babies and Toddlers as We Expand Preschool Opportunities

A treatise on the importance of quality care for kids from birth to age three. Quality care is defined as care that focuses on learning, preparing small children to become lifetime learners.

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Youth Art Month

This is the perfect month for public libraries to invite the local schools to display art in the library. We have an extensive art display program in the library and save March for the youth of the community to shine.

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Holmen Courier - Features

FROM THE PUBLISHER: Time invested reading to kids is time well spent

Yes, I know I am preaching to the choir here, but it is great to have an article actually say that kids who watch TV and play video games can still enjoy books.

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SECRETS IN THE FIRE by Henning Mankell (1-55037-801-5)

This amazing book based on a true story has a breathtaking heroine named Sofia who lives war-torn Mozambique. Her village is attacked, her father killed, and she flees with her mother, sister and younger brother. After travelling on foot for an amazing distance, they reach a new village where people driven from other destroyed villages have come together. This new village is surrounded by landmines, and people are told to keep to the paths. Sofia is playing a game and steps off the path and onto a mine. The rest of the story tells how she survives against all odds.

The cover of the book grows more and more evocative as you read the book. The deep oranges, purples and browns grow richer and Sofia's eyes more and more wise.

This gem of a book will have to be brought to kids' attention. Give it to children who like true stories, adventures, and tragedy. Those girls looking for books that are sad and have lots of emotional tugs will really enjoy this one.

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no name calling week :: 2004

I found out about No Name Calling Week a little late to do anything at the library, but it would be a great chance to display some of those books for elementary kids that feature bullies and name calling. Our local school seems to be doing a lot of activities around this this year, so I will have to plan a display at the library next year, or a bibliography that the teachers can hand out.

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Guardian Unlimited Books: Georgia Byng: books to feed the imagination

Ten books that inspire imagination from Georgia Byng, author of the Molly Moon books.

Via Metafilter.

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Center for Children's Books: 2004 Gryphon Award

Douglas Florian has been announced as the winner of the first Gryphon Award for Children's Literature for BOW WOW MEOW MEOW, a poetry book. The Gryphon Award focuses on transitional reading.

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Studying Hyperlexia May Unlock How Brains Read (washingtonpost.com)

Fascinating article on hyperlexia, a disorder where children begin reading spontaneously at a very young age. This is different from being a gifted or early reader, since other delays are associated with hyperlexia.

"Understanding hyperlexia may also help explain how normal brains accomplish the feat of reading. Unlike seeing and hearing, skills acquired through evolution, reading is usually not acquired naturally. Humans have been reading for only a few thousand years, and the pressure for everyone to become good readers has become intense in only the past couple of centuries.

Reading involves a complex series of brain activities: Visual centers must first perceive variable, tiny features of printed symbols on a page, then those changes must be mentally converted into strings of sound, and finally the patterns of sound must be interpreted by language centers in the brain to register their meaning."

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Sun-Sentinel: Palm Beach County news

"Will Heckman, the school's media specialist, thinks the school's growing graphic novel collection is keeping kids out of trouble and hooking them on reading, albeit in a nontraditional format. In its first year, almost half the 600-book collection is usually checked out of the library. Acquired with about $5,000 from the Palm Beach County School District, the books account for 1 percent of the library's collection but 50 percent of the books students check out."

Via LISNews.

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The Miami Herald -- FCAT scores up at schools with good libraries, study shows

"In her Making the Grade report, Education Professor Donna Baumbach found FCAT scores were 20 percent higher in 2000-01 at high schools with at least one full-time professional librarian and one full-time assistant. Among elementary schools, the same level of staffing meant a 9 percent improvement.

And yet, the amount of state money provided to libraries is ''pitiful,'' Baumbach said. Since 2000, the state account earmarked for library materials has remained at $15 million, despite an overall growth in student population. This year, Gov. Jeb Bush's proposed budget would keep it at $15 million, while the state Department of Education is asking for $18 million."

Via LISNews.

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Teen Ink: A Magazine and Book Series Written by Teens for Teens

VOYA recommended this site in their February issue. Teen Ink is a monthly magazine where all the writing is done by teens. Teens can submit articles, art, photos, reviews, and poems to the magazine.

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