Kids Lit
Books and More for Children and Teens

Welcome Precious by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Bryan Collier.

This picture book features one of Nikki Grimes' incredible poems.  Her words are always a magical combination of reality and metaphor.  In this poem, a baby is being welcomed into the world, a world of rainbows, warmth, sun, moon, and kisses.  Collier's paintings are equally as magical as he matches the wonder of the poetry page by page. 

Give this one as a baby gift.  It encapsulates all you would wish for a new baby to have.  It can also be shared as a first picture book, though the parents will love it most. 

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Dear Mr. Rosenwald by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie is the story of Ovella's one-room schoolhouse and the community's effort to build a new school for African-American children.  The community must raise money for the school and then Mr. Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck & Co will match those funds.  The book demonstrates the struggle of a poor community to raise funds, the joy of accomplishment, and the wonder of a new school and learning.  This picture book is done in verse with each two-page spread a combination of poem and picture.  The book is well executed with the illustration and poetry enhancing one another.  The illustrations have the feel of folk art, evocative of the effort and community that it took to build this school. 

This is a picture book for older children and a very important one.  It speaks both to the power of community and to the wealth of generosity.  Modern day children need to understand the history of African American poverty and lack of schooling.  Share this in an African-American history unit, a unit on schools or just to share a moment in history with children.  Children aged 3rd grade and up will enjoy it most.

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I am always on the lookout for great programming ideas. You know, the ones I may not be able to do exactly the same, but that get me thinking in a new direction. The Dublin Library just offered a program that teaches kids to create own comics. Very cool, timely and fun! I love one of the quotes:

"With schools lacking resources to offer such programs, librarians recognize they can give an opportunity for kids and address these interests right here and now."

So true! And what other programs could libraries be offering to fill gapes. Music? Science? Math? They all tie beautifully into reading and writing. Let's create a new generation of Renaissance children inspired by their libraries.

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ComingSoon.net has the news that Walden Media has teamed up with American Girl to bring the Kit books to the big screen. American Girl recently did TV films of two of their other titles, and they were remarkably watchable and well done. Let's hope that they continue that trend with their first big screen film.

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The Books Section of the Christian Science Monitor has several articles about children's books right now. They include authors Kate DiCamillo, Kevin Henkes, Megan Whalen Turner, and Tim Egan.

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As I drove to a meeting late yesterday afternoon, I caught Here On Earth on Wisconsin Public Radio. They were talking about video games with emphasis on how developers are creating video games to help solve global issues. A lot of the program focused on the fact that video games are not harmful to the children who play them, which is music to my ears, since I play video games, my children play video games, and none of us want to stop! As librarians, educators and parents who struggle with the issue of video games and their impact, this is a good glimpse into what video games are becoming and their effect on today's children and teens.

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Bats at the Beach by Brian Lies.

This is my new favorite beach read-aloud.  The bats discover that the moon is perfect to head to the beach, so they all grab their towels, books, buckets, shovels, and more to have the perfect beach party.  But the author does not forget that these are bats, not people, so the bats' party is uniquely batty with bat treats and bat games.  And his illustrations add additional depth to the story through their luminous yet definitely nighttime perfection.  My favorite illustration is the bat who has tested the water when they first arrive.  I don't think I can imagine a bat looking more chilled with a grimace on his face and his wings tightly wrapped around him.  It has a great rhyme pattern that makes it easy to read, but the author is also not afraid to use wonderful words that children may not know like embers, slender, weary, and crevice.  What a lovely way to learn new words. 

This is a must-read and a must-have for beachy story times, but share it with kids interested in bats.  It also makes the perfect bedtime story as it ends with the bats all curled up together as morning breaks. 

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Scroll down to page 14 of the Kirkus Autumn & Winter 2006 Preview and you will find the listings for children's books. Some of them look great, though I am just judging them by their covers and authors at this point.

Saint Iggy by KL Going is already on my to-read list. As is London Calling by Edward Bloor, oh and the new David Levithan is a must read for me. The picture book that looks wondrous is Up by Jim LaMarche. The cover alone will have that one flying off the shelves. And for some reason, I hadn't heard that Philip Reeve has a new title coming out. It is described as "Part Star Wars, part Alice in Wonderland -- and all comic adventure." Well, I just gotta add that to my ever-growing list as well!

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Mrs. Crump's Cat by Linda Smith, illustrated by David Roberts.

Mrs. Crump is a rather grumpy, older woman who lives by herself.  But her life changes when a cat insists on entering her house and staying.  She finds herself buying cream for the cat, even though the grocer warns her not to feed it.  And on her walk back home, it somehow seems shorter.  Each day, Mrs. Crump tries to put the cat out, but then something makes her reconsider.  As the days pass, she gets happier and more friendly.  When she puts up the missing cat flyer to see if the cat belongs to anyone, she describes the cat in very unique terms.  No one claims the cat, so Mrs. Crump has very little choice but to happily live with it.

I enjoyed this more than other unwanted cat stories, because the cat does nothing but simply be a cat.  It is not sneaking back in after being thrown out or making a pest of itself.  It simply is there wanting to be fed, happy to be petted, looking for a warm lap.  Recommend this one to cat lovers.  It is a nice length to share with Kindergarteners or first graders in a cat storytime. 

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Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw tale of friendship and freedom by Tim Tingle, illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges.

Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, crosses the Bok Chitto River even though she has been told not to.  There she finds a slave church service out in the forest.  Martha makes friends with Little Mo, a young slave who returns her safely to the other side of the river after slowly and silently passing right under the noses of the Master and his family.  Then it is Little Mo's turn to see the Choctaw people doing a wedding ceremony.  The two children cross back and forth, learning more about each other's cultures.  But then comes the day when Little Mo's mother is sold away.  The only solution is for them to escape.  It is his friendship with Martha Tom that will save their family.

This book is gorgeously illustrated, winningly written, and will sound a chord with most people.  The use of faith and song to tie two cultures together is done lovingly and with great respect for both.  This is one to hand to families looking for a deep, moving story whatever their faith or background.  Simply lovely.

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Sigh. After casting around for an image of the great cover of this book, I give up. I present you a review with no accompanying cover, but know that it is quite a nice cover, especially considering this is historical fiction and those covers are so often not reflective of the actual story.

Desperate Journey by Jim Murphy.

This work of children's fiction is written by that amazing author of children's nonfiction, Jim Murphy. With this book, he proves that he is just as good at fiction as nonfiction. 12-year-old Maggie lives on a boat on the Erie Canal along with her father, mother, younger brother and uncle. Life on the canal is hard and lonely as the mules that pull the boat must be worked with, people who live on land not accepting their roaming way of life, and the constant motion of moving from place to place with cargo. Maggie's father is known all along the canal as a man who is not afraid to fight but who only fights to right a wrong. Last year, her father fought Longfingered John and lost hundreds of dollars. Now the family is hurrying to their next port to get a bonus that will let them keep their boat. But when they stop along the way, Maggie's father is accused of assaulting a man and beating him almost to death. Maggie's uncle is accused as well.

With her father and uncle dragged off to jail, Maggie and her brother find themselves alone on the river with their ailing mother trying desperately to reach their next port to claim the bonus and then rush back down the canal for the trial.

This book is gripping. The constant pressure the family lives under as well as the roughness that surrounds them is daunting, but Maggie and her family continue to do the right thing and fight against the adversity they find themselves in. Maggie is a strong female character who manages to not lose her feminity while she does the work of a grown man. The characterizations of the family are three dimensional and well done. Only the villains of the story are two-dimensional and that is to be expected because that is how Maggie herself views them. I especially enjoyed the character of Billy Black, an unlikely hero in the story. The historical aspects of the book are vividly written and the small details woven into the story create a whole that is realistic.

Recommend this book to teachers to read aloud for historical fiction. Also recommend to young readers who enjoy survival stories and history.

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The Dream-Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn is the third book in a series that started with The Safe-Keeper's Secret.  Each book in the series is set in the same kingdom, but focus on different characters.  This book is about Kellen, a girl who is raised as a boy because her mother insists that she gave birth to a boy rather than a girl.  When Kellen starts school, she meets Gryffin, a very intelligent boy whose legs are damaged so that he walks with canes.  They are both outcasts of the village because of their differences, and they become fast friends.  Through the years, they meet a variety of characters as they work in bed and breakfasts and a bustling inn.  Their friendship is just starting to turn into something else when Gryffin's life changes forever and he must leave their village for the capital city. 

If you enjoyed the previous two books in the series this one is just for you.  Though it features the stories of Kellen and Gryffin, readers get to see many of the other people of the realm.  Written in Shinn's clean language the writing allows readers to completely embrace the magic within the story.  Recommend this to teens who enjoy either romance or fantasy.  The magical parts of the story are subtle, rather than wizards and zinging spells, which is part of the charm of the series as a whole.

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Official Peter Pan sequel faces stiff rivalry is the story in The Age, an Australian newspaper. Author Geraldine McCaughrean has finished her official sequel to Peter Pan, Peter Pan in Scarlet, which will be released in October. I enjoy the fact that they talk about staying true to the original in more than just broad terms, referring to the darkness of the original story. Most peoprle know Peter Pan from the Disney film, rather than the book. Hopefully this new sequel will have children and adults returning to the original book.

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Ouch! by Ragnhild Scamell, illustrated by Michael Terry.

Hedgehog has just finished creating the perfect nest to hibernate in, but as she stands back to admire it, an apple falls from the tree above her an lodges itself in her spikes.   Now she can't fit into her snug nest anymore.  She asks Squirrel to help her, but when he tugs on the apple, three nuts get stuck along with the apple.  Hedgehog goes from one animal friend to anther asking for help and each time ends up with more and more things stuck to her back.  It isn't until she asks Goat for help that the situation is resolved.

This book is great fun for kids.  It is the perfect length for preschool storytimes and will get kids giggling along at Hedgehog's obvious dismay as each new item adds to her burden.  I can see this being a great addition to autumn storytimes.  It reads aloud well and there are plenty of character voices to add to the fun.  Share this one with a group or in your own snug nest at home.

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The Wisconsin Library Association has announced the Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award Winner for 2006:

Invisible by Pete Hautman

The award is given to a Wisconsin author or illustrator for distinguished achievement in children's literature. How lovely that Invisible won! It was one of my favorites of 2005. And now I know that Hautman is from Wisconsin which opens up programming possibilities. *sound of gears in head spinning*

There are also five Outstanding Books selected:

Crackback by John Coy
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (Hurrah!)
Leonardo Da Vinci by Kathleen Krull
The Lioness & Her Knight by Gerald Morris
White is for Blueberry by George Shannon (Hurrah!)

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The Quill Book Awards are going to start in August.  This is a series of book awards given out by popular vote, so as people who understand children's literature in a broader sense, it is important to participate.  Awards for children's books are given out in two categories:  Children's Illustrated Book and Children's Chapter Book/Middle Grade.  Then there are two awards of interest to teens:  Young Adult/Teen and Graphic Novel.   You can see which books got the prizes last year with lots of attention paid to commercially successful titles of course.  Consider this the antithesis of the Newbery, Caldecott and Printz. 

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It's been awhile since I recommended a children's lit blog, so here is my latest pick: Confessions of a Bibliovore It is the blog of "a recovering English major and brand-new librarian." She reviews books and talks librarianship. Sweet!

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YALSA and ALSC announce Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults Hurrah! Now I will know which ones to listen to in my car.

The award will start in 2008 with the award being given to the top title from 2007. I am intrigued at it bridging the children and YA gap with a single award. I would much rather have seen two separate awards, since there are so many great audio books out each year.

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School Library Journal has an interesting article about the middle grade novel: Disappearing Children's Books.  Writer Vicky Smith speaks eloquently on the current situation where middle grade novels are growing more and more endangered as teen novels grow in number and children's picture books increase their share of the market.  As a lover of the true middle grade novel, I tend to agree.  But they are out there and some of them are just as wonderful as the books of our childhood.  It just makes being a librarian who deals with children who are beyond easy readers and before angst novels even more challenging.  Don't you love a good treasure hunt though?

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Infoblog has a podcast featuring Michael Cart on the best graphic novels where he defines the genre of graphic novels and gives some of the best of the best. No download is needed, you can listen to the podcast right in your browser.

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Teen reading: Read for fun or for future? is a newspaper article saying that college professors are saying that students are less likely to have read the classics before going to college. As an English major, I have read my share of the classics and now I read almost entirely children's and teen books.

Yes, classics are important. Having a grounding in them is an important way to judge modern fiction. But isn't the burden less on teens and more on the schools they attend? I had a good grounding in classical literature because I took those classes in high school. Then I added on to that with additional classes in college.

Even if that is not happening in high schools, teens can still choose to remedy any lacking reading themselves. There are many websites and reading lists for college teens. Just take a look and see if you have read ANY of them.

Hmmm. Maybe I am putting it back on the teens themselves afterall. My final word is READ! Just READ!

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Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesly M. M. Blume.

This book is a charmer of a story.  It is the story of lonely, 11-year-old Cornelia, who finds it hard to make friends, hides behind her large vocabulary, and has an impossible relationship with her famous pianist mother.  As Cornelia grows lonelier and lonelier, she meets her new next-door neighbor who happens to be Virginia Somerset, one of the four famous Somerset sisters who traveled the world together.  In Virginia Cornelia finds a kindred spirit who listens to her, understands her and tells incredible stories.  Cornelia begins spending lots of time in Virginia's apartment where each room has been redone to reflect a country she traveled to and with each visit, Cornelia hears a wonderful story or two.  By the end of the book, Cornelia has found herself changed and her mother as well. 

I often don't like framed stories, because they are a little too neatly done and the stories mesh too well.  In this book though, the stories Virginia tells are wonderfully fresh and fun.  Readers will feel their own spirits rise along with Cornelia's.  Cornelia is a shy, lonely child whom readers will also respond to.  She makes a great foil through which to see the gusto and verve that the Somerset sisters had in their lives. 

This would be a good readaloud for classes interested in women's history or history in general.  Recommend it to any reader who enjoys history or girls having adventures.

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Dimity Duck by Jane Yolen is a great toddler book.  Dimity is a fluffy yellow duckling who wakes up, spends her day in the pond with her frog friend, Frumity, and then in the evening heads back home.  The text has a wonderful rhythm and movement to it, yet still manages to be quiet and gentle.  This is one of those elusive titles that will keep small children interested but will not make them hyper or put their adults to sleep. 

One thought is that if you used this title in a storytime, you could do big motions with it.  Children could waddle, toddle and whoosh their wings along with Dimity.  They could wave their feet along with Frumity.  It could be a good way to get their own wiggles out. 

Share this one with a crowd of toddlers or preschoolers.  It fits well into duck story times or even frog ones.  Recommend it to the daycare teachers you know as well.  They will love it too.

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The eBay Bookseller Blog has an interesting post on the Top Ten Children's Books sold on eBay this June.  The ten books include the modern Eragon which was the #1 book of the month.  A signed 1st edition sold for over $9,000.  I'm not so interested in that one, but the others are all classics that make this book-lover drool.  From Tale to Peter Rabbit, to Little Black Sambo (one of my childhood faves and my mother's too) to Green Eggs and Ham and Winnie the Pooh.  Sigh.  Lovely lovely things.

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Charlie Cook's Favorite Book by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler is a picture book for book lovers.  It is not just a story within a story, but every two pages it is another story inside another story inside another story.  Charlie Cook is reading his favorite book, Shiver Me Timbers: The Story of an Old Sea Dog.  The pirate chief in the story opens a treasure chest and finds a book, Fairy Tales from a Forgotten Island.  In that story Goldilocks is reading Sir Percy and the Dragon, and then Sir Percy has a book.  It goes on and on like that until it finally comes full circle when a headless ghost is reading a book about Charlie Cook. 

The book is silly, fun and a great way to demonstrate that lots of different people read in all kinds of settings.  It is also a nice way to introduce nested stories to children, though this book takes that to the extreme.  I don't know that it is the best book for storytimes, but it would work with a smaller group of children in Kindergarten and first grade.  It could also serve as inspiration to have older children write their own stories within a story.

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Good Knight, Sleep Tight by David Melling is a picture book that will have children and their grownups happily poring over the illustrations and finding new silly details.  When a new princess is born in the palace and her favorite pillow is destroyed by the royal cat, a knight is sent out to restuff the pillow with something soft and fluffy enough to please the princess.  The knight bravely gets bear fur, wolf hair, and finally feathers to stuff the pillow.  Each new stuffing is tried out by his trusty horse.  When the knight returns with the pillow, the princess still isn't happy, but her older brother has the solution. 

This book is very silly and children will have a super time with it.  Make sure that on your second reading you follow what the knight's shield is doing on each page.  And then you can also spend a long time at the Feather Trees with all of the birds and the horse who is scared of heights.  This is a lot of fun.  Add it to the not so huge list of great read alouds that feature knights. 

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Wait for Me by An Na is an incredible read.  From the author of the Printz award winning A Step from Heaven, I believe that this surpasses that.  It is the story of Mina, a teen who works in her family's drycleaning shop.  Mina lives with her sister who is partially deaf, her domineering mother, and her gentle father.  She struggles with all of the expectations and obligations that are forced upon her by her mother.  Mina's mother wants her to go to Harvard, but Mina is very aware that her grades are not good enough.  But she could never bear to tell her mother that.  So Mina has begun forging her grades and stealing money from the till.  She feels trapped now not only by her mother but by her own lies.  Until she meets a man who may just show her a way out. 

The tension in this book is palpable.  The language and writing are masterful at capturing the mood and revealing just enough of Mina's story at a time to create a book that just can't be put down.  Readers of all types will relate to Mina, because all teens have found themselves caught to a certain degree in this type of situation where expectations and lies meet.  This is a great one for teen book discussion groups because there are no easy answers to the dilemma Mina finds herself in.  It is too late for the easy solutions.  Recommend this to high school teachers looking for a great discussion book and teen readers of many types.

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The Most Perfect Spot by Diane Goode is a charming picture book.  It is the story of Jack, a little boy who wants to take his mother to the perfect place for a picnic.  So they head together to the park.  As they go through the park, each perfect place they find has something go terribly wrong with it.  Horses gallop through, rain starts, the carousel goes too fast, and much more.  Readers who are paying attention to the illustrations will notice that most of the trouble is caused by a little white dog who is following them around.  Though the perfect length for storytimes, this book is best enjoyed with a small group or single child because of the humor and detail of the illustrations.  A great Mother's Day or mother unit story, share this one with your little picnic lover. 

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The Carnegie Medal was just announced today. Tamar by Mal Peet has won.  Here is how the site describes the winner:

This is an enthralling and multi-layered novel that traces the story of two men caught up in secret operations in World War Two. It looks at the negative impact that war has on those involved and on succeeding generations. Guilt and its ramifications lie at the heart of this well-written and serious novel that skilfully interweaves past and present.

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Mermaid Dreams by Mark Sperring, illustrated by the Pope Twins.

Mermaid Dreams is the charming story of Meriam who does not like to get ready for bed.  Meriam's wild hair flows across both the book's cover and many of its pages as she brushes her teeth, gets her tangles combed out, and gets ready for bed.  But what does her mother find in her hair?  A shell, a fish, a starfish, and seaweed.  Meriam describes what she has done all day:  visited the beach, swum deep down underwater.  And finally gives her mother a pearl that she found.  Only at the very end is it revealed that Meriam is a mermaid.

This clever book will have children delighted at the end by the surprise.  Yes, grownups will have it figured out long before, but part of the charm of the story is the surprise itself.  The illustrations are fabulous, filled with water, waves, sand and creatures, they echo and reinforce the magic of mermaids. 

Share this with mermaid crazed girls, but don't forget that boys enjoy a surprise too.  It is the perfect length for reading aloud and should be added to summer storytimes about beaches and swimming. 

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Half of an Elephant by Gusti is a strange picture book but not without its own unique charm.  It is the story of what happened when all of a sudden the world cracks in two.  Poor elephant is left without his back half and sets out to find it.  On the way, he meets many other half animals and even tries to unite with some of them, but it doesn't work out.  When the world suddenly joins back together again, elephant finds his back end, but their relationship has changed.

Strange enough for you?  Well, add in the industrial feel of the illustrations, created from collages of corrugated cardboard, wood, found items, and tools, and you have a very unique book.  The illustrations are a draw for kids, who will enjoy looking at the strange creatures made from wrenches, screws and bolts. 

Give this special book a chance.  It has a unique perspective and a fantastic visual edge. 

Published in September 2006.

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Midwestern Lodestar is the blogger that read the most books during a challenge 48 hours of reading recently. Since then, her blog has continued to grow as she spends each weekend reading away. It is a nice blog with succinct takes on children's books that are only updated once a week, making it easy to keep up with the amazing amount of reading she does.

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A big thank-you to my new colleague, Marge, who shared this fascinating new study with me. Marge is Head of Children's Services Extraordinaire here at Menasha Public Library. The Kids and Family Reading Report is interesting reading for anyone teaching children or serving them. It offers amazing statistics that show that children who read more have higher perceptions of themselves. Hurrah! My theory is that children use books both to understand that they are not alone in their own situations and feelings and that they also use books to better understand that others out there are different from them. Both very powerful things to comprehend as a child.

I was also fascinated to see that the number one reason kids cite for not reading more is that they can't find books they enjoy! Librarians and teachers take note! This a huge opportunity for us! Step up, rally the troops, and both listen to the children about what they like to read and then get those perfect books that fill our shelves right into their hands.

There are many more points made by the survey. It is definitely worth reading on your own to see how it can inspire you as a parent, teacher, librarian. Oh, it is a pdf document so make sure you have Adobe loaded and remember that they work best on a fast Internet connection or with lots of patience.

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Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales is this summer's theme for many of the public libraries in the U.S.  The California Summer Reading Program has a nice series of "PAWEDCasts" that you can listen to online.  The podcasts have songs, books, and much more.  Great fun to add to your programming and to share with others. 

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Girl, Going on 17: Pants on Fire by Sue Limb.

If you have not read the first book in this series: Girl, 15, Charming but Insane, you really must!   Sue Limb is a British author who manages to capture the horror and joy of being a teenager with hysterical humor. 

Now that Jess is 17 years old and happily going out with her perfect Fred, what could go wrong?  Well, how about having a really awful row with Fred right before school starts, discovering that her favorite teacher has been replaced for the term with an utter hag, and finding herself in the tiniest bit of trouble wearing a short skirt and no underwear.  This is perfect British chick lit for teens.  I would compare it to Bridget Jones, but I find Limb's writing deadly funny and right on the mark almost all the time.  I was glad to find that Limb had returned to a school setting for this third book in the series.  Though the second was funny, this one returns to the glory of the first book. 

Great fun fluff to recommend to any Anglophile teen and even those who aren't.  This book is the perfect humorous counterpoint to all of the horror and angst found in most teen books. 

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