Kids Lit
Books and More for Children and Teens

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has its Current Notable Children's Books List on their website.

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John Green's blog, Sparksflyup.com has a great photo essay about the phone call he got when he won the Printz for Looking for Alaska.

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The Dirty Little Boy by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Steven Salerno is a wonderful book.  It is the story of a little boy who is so dirty that he actually asks his mother for a bath.  She is busy doing white laundry in her washtub, so she tells him to go learn from the animals how to take a bath.  So he tries to bathe the way that birds, pigs, cats and horses do.  But he just gets dirtier and dirtier.  Finally, he returns to his mother, who promptly puts him in the washtub and gets him shiny clean.

The book takes traditional storytelling techniques and combines them with modern illustrations that retain a retro feel.  It is a perfect readaloud with its rhythmic language and repetition.  The writing is witty and fun, with a real child-friendly topic.  Just a joy to have discovered and to have read. 

Published in 2001, it was just released in paperback in October.

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See Hatfield is a blog from Charles Hatfield. The blog is filled with posts on children's books, films based on books, comics, and children's culture.

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Pixiepalace is a blog that has some children's books mixed in with other topics. Definitely worth checking out.

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YALSA has a list of the 2006 Selected Audiobooks that are recommended for their appeal to teens, the quality of their recording, and their enhancement of the written work. If you enjoy audiobooks or select them for a library, these are the ones to listen to.

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Sandra Boynton has a homepage that is silly, fun and sweet, just like her books.  Find out more about her and her work, share with other fans, and play online games.

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If you are looking for books that will fly off your shelves, then this is the list for you: 2006 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. I always find books that I have never seen reviews for or even heard of. This year they selected 91 titles for the list. The list is designed as recommended titles for teens who do not like to read.

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2006 Best Books for Young Adults is a wonderful list to look at. This year the list contains 91 recommended titles. The committee also selected a Top Ten:

Akbar, Said Hyder and Burton, Susan. Come Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager's Story. Bloomsbury, 2005. $24.95. (1-58234-520-1).

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. Scholastic, 2005. illus. $19.95. (0-439-35379-3).

Buckhanon, Kalisha. Upstate. St. Martin's, 2005. $19.95. (0-312-33268-8).

Green, John. Looking for Alaska. Dutton, 2005. $15.99. (0-525-47506-0).

Lynch, Chris. Inexcusable. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 2005. $16.95. (0-689-84789-0).

Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight: A Novel. Little, Brown/Megan Tingley, 2005. $17.99. (0-316-16017-2).

Vaughan, Brian K. Runaways: Volume 1 HC. Illus. by Adrian Alphona. Marvel, 2005. $34.99. (0-7851-1876-4).

Westerfeld, Scott. Peeps. Penguin/Razorbill, 2005. $16.99. (1-59514-031-X).

Wooding, Chris. Poison. Scholastic/Orchard, 2005. $16.99. (0-439-75570-0).

Zusak, Markus. I Am the Messenger. Knopf, 2005. $16.95. (0-375-83099-5).

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Good Boy, Fergus! by David Shannon is a wonderful book for dog lovers of all ages.  Shannon takes the familiar format of his wonderful David books and creates a vivid, funny picture of life with Fergus, his West Highland terrier.  The combination of Shannon's art and the text creates a real winner here.  Use this in a doggie storytime, share it with children who love dogs, or give it as a gift to a dog owner. 

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thebestkidsbooksite.com has a great section dedicated to storytimes. It is filled with themes that are complete with book suggestions and craft ideas. This is a quick way to put a storytime together or to get ideas to freshen stale programs. Great stuff.

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Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park is a great story for sharing with children, because it takes the familiar preparation of a meal with a mother and child and then turns it into a multicultural experience for children.  Of course, for children of Korean heritage the entire book will be warm and familiar.  The text is rhythmic and fun, reading it aloud to children will have them all joining in with the chorus of Bee-Bim Bop!  This was a lot of fun, though by the end adults will have their mouths watering from the delicious descriptions of Bee-Bim Bop. 

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Sci Fi Wire has a very, very short article on the upcoming sequel to Barrie's Peter Pan, written by Geraldine McCaughrean. The only information released about the book is that it has been completed and that the title is: Peter Pan in Scarlet.

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A huge THANK YOU!  to ALA for broadcasting the award ceremony on the web!  It made me feel like I was a part of the it.  Wonderfully done, it worked flawlessly.

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Honors:

Whittington by Alan Armstrong.
Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson

Winner:

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins.  (Now moved to the top of my must-read pile!)

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Here come the big ones!

Honor Books:

Rosa by Bryan Collier, written by Nikki Giovanni
Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth
Hot Air by Marjorie Priceman
Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems by Becki Prange written by Joyce Sidman.

Winner:

Hello, Goodbye Window by Chris Raschka, written by Norton Juster.

Great choices!!

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Outstanding Beginning Reader Award:  This is the first year for this award!

Honor Books:

Hi Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold (Yes!)
A Splendid Friend Indeed by Suzanne Bloom (Yes!)
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa by Erica Silverman
Amanda Pig and the Really Hot Day by Jean Van Leeuwen.

Winner:

Henry and Mudge and the Great Grandpas by Cynthia Rylant (How wonderful!)

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Outstanding Children's Video:

Man Who Walked Between the Towers

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Outstanding Latino Writer:

Honor Books:

Cesar:  Si, Se Puede: Yes We Can! by Carmen Bernier-Grand.
Dona Flor by Raul Colon, written by Pat Mora.
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan. (Yes!!)

Winner:

Tequila Worm by Viola Canales.

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(Nicely mirrored in Spanish as well.)

Outstanding Latino Writer/Illustrator:

Illustrator Honor Books:

Arrorro, Mi Nino by Lulu Delacre.
Cesar:  Si, Se Puede: Yes We Can! by David Diaz.
My Name is Celia by Rafael Lopez.

Illustrator Winner:

Dona Flor by Raul Colon, written by Pat Mora. (Yes!!!)

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Information book for children:

(This was a crowded field this year)

Honor:

Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.

Winner:

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine by Sally M. Walker

(Interesting, no John Lennon!  Maybe it was considered for too old an audience?)

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Foreign Language/Foreign Publisher Award:

Honor Books:

Nicholas by Rene Goscinny
When I Was a Soldier by Valerie Zenatti

Winner:

An Innocent Soldier by Josef Holub.

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Honors African-American authors and illustrators:

New Talent Award:

Jimi and Me by Jaime Adoff.

Illustrator Award:

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier.  (Yes!)

Illustrator Honor Book:

Brothers in Hope by Mary Williams, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie.

Author Award:

Day of Tears by Julius Lester.  (Perfect choice!)

Author Honor Books:

Dark Sons by
Maritcha by Tonya Bolden.
Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson

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This is the biggie for young adults! 

Winner:

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Honors:

Black Juice by Margo Lanagan
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
John Lennon:  All I Want Is the Truth by Elizabeth Partridge
Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson

Amazing that all of these got so much buzz this year.  Often I find books I haven't heard of, but not this time!

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Honors lifetime contribution to books for teens:

Jacqueline Woodson

(Great cheers of joy from the audience for this one!)    I completely agree!  What a wonderful choice. 

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Artistic expression of disability experience:

Childrens:  Dad, Jackie and Me by Myron Uhlberg, illustrated by Colin Bootman.

Middle School:  Tending to Grace by Kimberly Newton Fusco (Wonderful!)

Teen:  Under the Wolf, Under the Dog by Adam Rapp (Hurray!  This one got gasps of joy and great applause from the audience.)

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The online interface seems to be working wonderfully, so I should be able to post as the awards are announced!

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The Newbery and Caldecotte Medals (along with many others) are being announced today.  This article is a nice prelude to the Awards with some predictions of what might win.  I won't be making predictions.  I am always, always wrong, though I sometimes get my pick for winner chosen as an honor.  I will be posting the award winners as soon as I find out, though I must say I am not at ALA Mid-winter and will not be posting live from the awards floor.  :)

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Eurogamer carried the story that Police fight crime with games. In Edinburgh, the police department and the library joined forces to provide gaming programs for teens in the form of a gaming competition. Now this is a very creative solution for keeping teens happy in the library, and I love the inclusion of the police, allowing the teens to form positive relationships with not only librarians but officers. What an opportunity!

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Eide Neurolearning Blog focuses on learning differences, learning styles, gifted, autism, attention, testing, and much more. It has fascinating articles on new brain research, schools, and brain use and development. If you are a parent or teacher of a child with special learning needs this blog is for you.

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Teen Angels is a nice piece from Newsweek on Libba Bray, author of A Great & Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels. If you haven't read this series, it is very gothic, very fantasy, very cool.

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Ohio Library Bars Unchaperoned After-Schoolers says an ALA article. The Wickliffe Public Library has banned visits from unchaperoned children under age 14 between 2:30 and 5:30 pm.

“We regret this course of action but must protect one of Wickliffe’s most valuable resources and its patrons,” officials advised parents and their school-age children by letter in early January."

Yikes! When I was a children's librarian in a very popular afterschool library, we started serious programming for teens and preteens. The crowds had been out of control for some time and the librarians were tired of kicking kids out, monitoring what was happening in the stacks, and intervening in wrestling matches, so I do know how it feels. We did a two prong approach. First we created very strict noise rules where kids would be warned several times, then asked to leave, then if they returned and did the same, their parents would be contacted and if that didn't work, then they would be banned for a week. It worked really really well. In fact, we only had to ban one kid in the two years I was there while the rules were instituted. We also created a teen space in the meeting room, filled with books, Dungeons and Dragons games, a dedicated computer, and an adult. We could close the doors when they got too rowdy, but we could also do programming and really tell the teens that they were an important part of our community.

That is my problem with barring unchaperoned kids outright. What message are we as libraries sending these future taxpayers and what message are we giving to the parents of the teens? Doesn't seem like a very positive one.

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The new YALSA blog has great news for those of us not going to ALA Midwinter.  For the first time ever, the children's and teen literature awards will be webcast!  The blog has a list of the many awards that will be given out on the morning of January 23rd, including the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, King, and the new Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for beginning readers.  Hurrah!

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Girl Talk is a site helping parents talk to their daughters about underage drinking. The site offers straight facts, information on the power of mothers, consequences of drinking, and answers to questions along with recommended resources.

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Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by John Manders is a book with the perfect amount of text to share with Kindergarten classes or very attentive preschoolers.  It is the story of Henry, son of a pirate captain.  Henry is a bookworm, learning all sorts of things from the books he loves.  The pirate crew makes fun of him mercilessly, but Henry just turns another page.  It is not until the pirate ship is sunk and the crew is shipwrecked that Henry is able to shine.  His book learning leads to the survival of the entire crew. 

The plot of the book is not the highlight here, rather this is a book that celebrates reading and the illustrations are wonderfully cartoonlike and fun.  Boys crazy for pirates will enjoy it, as will entire classrooms. 

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Little Bird's ABC by Piet Grobler is a tiny picture book the perfect size for small hands.  But inside, it is an alphabet book with a huge sense of humor.  It is a lot less about learning the alphabet than about being funny.  Because of the size and the humor, you will not want to share this one with a group of kids, but it is perfect for a child who likes potty humor and pure silliness. 

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Booktrusted is a British site filled with information on children's books, authors, illustrators, events, organizations, news, magazines, and much more.  There are resources for teachers, interviews with authors, and a recommended Book of the Month. 

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YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) has a new blog that covers their activities, teen books, library service to teens, and being an advocate for your teen patrons.

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Yahoo!  has the news that Nickelodeon Movies is going to make movies from The Five Ancestors series, wirtten by Jeff Stone.  Stone has planned seven books in the series, and right now the movie deal is for two films. 

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Learning Fun for Kids Online is a great blog that collects sites that are both education and fun.  Perfect for home schoolers, afterschool as the site says, or for educators themselves. 

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Digital Spy says that JK Rowling has confirmed in an interview with Tatler Magazine that she has completed a non-Harry Potter book for children.

"It is what Rowling describes as a "political fairy story" about a monster and is aimed at children younger than those who read Harry Potter."

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The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has announced a new campaign to get school-aged children to use their public libraries:  KIDS! @ your library.  Hurrah!  One of my huge issues with many families' use of libraries is that we see them as preschoolers, but once they hit school age they disappear.  Right at the age that they need easy readers, beginning chapter books, and great reading material to inspire them to continue learning and finding reading to be joyous.  This is a campaign I can really embrace.

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BellaOnline has an article on what to do once you have finished writing your children's book.  The recommendations are very sound.  It is certainly worth taking your time to re-edit your book, figure out which publishers may be most interested in your work, and carefully following their instructions to the letter, especially since such a small fraction of children's book submissions actually get published. 

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ComingSoon.net says that Sam Raimi is to Direct The Wee Free Men, a movie based on Terry Pratchett's young adult novel. Raimi is the director for the Spider-Man movies.

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For kids at the Chicago Sun-Times has a brief article on the new graphic novel series, Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. Many of us are looking for good graphic novels for younger children, and this is a good one for elementary age girls.

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Sci Fi Wire has the story that Warner Brothers has acquired the rights to create a film of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

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Add another political name to the celebrity children's book list.  Senator Ted Kennedy has wirtten a book with his dog, Splash titled My Senator and Me: A Dogs-Eye View of Washington D.C.  It will be released in May of this year.

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Storynory offers i-Pod ready stories for children.  Cool!  They have a blog with updates and reports on children's literature topics that has an RSS feed too.  Just so you know, iPod ready does not mean you must have an iPod or any other mp3 player, you just have to download iTunes and you will be able to listen to them on your computer. 

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BellaOnline has a special section on Children's Books filled with book reviews and discussions. You can also subscribe to their RSS feed.

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Survival Unit Intro from the Montain City Elementary School in Mountain City, Tennessee is a nice unit for classrooms based on Gary Paulsen's Hatchet and Theodore Taylor's The Cay. The unit includes questions and activities for each book, information on safety, natural disasters and survival techniques, true stories of survival, and quizzes.

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Bookslut has a great article on upcoming science fiction for kids.  Books included are Rocket Science by Jay Lake, The Aquanauts by John Lunn, Animus by Seonna Hong, and Kids' Night In Volume 2.

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Easy Kids Crafts has a great collection of basic crafts. They include making clay, sand castle molds, ornaments, party favors, and puppets. They all use supplies you will already have at home or items that are inexpensive. They are also real crafts that kids will enjoy and that you as a parent or supervisor can handle too.

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I am behind in posting this, but feel it is worth posting about anyway, if you haven't alreaday seen it. The Edublog Awards were announced in mid-December. They have great categories and wonderful blogs to add to your list of subscriptions. If you are a teacher or school librarian who works withi technology, there will be many links of interest to you.

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Kate Thompson has won the Whitbread Children's Book Award for The New Policeman.  According to her biography on the site, she has won other awards for previous books, but I haven't read any of them.  The titles sound like she writes fantasy, one of my favorite genres, so I may have to dig them up. 

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Me, All Alone, at the End of the World by M.T. Anderson, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes is the story of a boy who lives all by himself at the end of the world.  He lives a slow-paced, simple but wonderful life, until Mr. Shimmer shows up and decides to create World Tours of the End of the World.  The changes start slowly and the boy makes friends with other children for the first time in his life.  He shows them all of his special places, and they have great fun in the amusement parks being built at the End of the World.  But eventually the boy decides that he must leave.  "I miss the wind. So I left." 

This is a book appropriate for sharing with older elementary students that can lead to discussion on the distractions of the modern world vs simple joys.  I think that it will speak to most people on a very deep level. 

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The National Writing Project offers ideas for improving writing and learning in American schools.  They have articles, links to project sites across the country, and information on upcoming events. 

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