October 2001

• Nov. 2-5, 2001. CLA Conference. Long Beach, CA www.cla-net.org
• Thurs., Nov. 8, 2001. ACL Meeting. 9 a.m. Oakland Public Libr.
• Thurs., Dec. 13, 2001. ACL Meeting. 9 a.m. Oakland Public Libr.
• Thurs., Jan. 10, 2002. ACL Meeting. 9 a.m. Oakland Public Libr.
• Jan. 18-22, 2002. ALA Midwinter. New Orleans, LA
• Sun., Feb. 3, 2002. Distinguished Books. Noon - 5 p.m. Penny Peck's house
• Thurs., Feb. 14, 2002. ACL Meeting. 9 a.m. Oakland Public Libr.
• Sat., Feb. 23, 2002. Performers Showcase. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. San Leandro PL

African American Book Fair: The Oakland Public Library’s African American Services Committee and the Acquisitions Dept. are hosting an African American Book Fair on Friday, Oct. 26th, from 9am-1pm, at the African American Museum and Library, 659 14th St., Oakland. For more information on this special event, phone 510-637-0203.

Performers’ Showcase: Mark your calendars! ACL’s next Performers’ Showcase is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, and will be held at the San Leandro Public Library. Can you believe it is the 16th year of the Showcase? Look for a registration form and more information in the this issue of BayNews and BayViews.

Ava Weiss retires: Greenwillow Books long-time art director Ava Weiss has announced her retirement, which will begin next year. Weiss adapted a drawing by Janina Domanska for Greenwillow’s original logo. Her retirement comes shortly after that of Susan Hirschman, Greenwillow’s head. Current head of Greenwillow Virginia Duncan worked under Hirschman and Weiss for four years before taking on her new post.

Paula Fox memoirs: Borrowed Finery is the title of the just-released memoirs of Newbery Medalist Paula Fox (Slave Dancer), author of books for adults as well as children. Her traumatic children serves as the fascinating if fragmented centerpiece of the book.

S.F. Chronicle’s Book Section: After an overwhelmingly negative response to the S.F. Chronicle’s decision to incorporate their Sunday book reviews into the Datebook Section, editor Phil Bronstein has reinstated the separate Book Review section. Although it is not in the same form or size as the original Book Review Section, it is back again as its own separate entity, beginning with the October 7th issue.

The finalists for the 2001 National Book Awards were announced on October 10^th. The nominees in the Young People’s Literature category include one nonfiction book, three novels, and a biography written in free verse poetry. One of the nominees, An Na, lives in Oakland, and was nominated for her first book, A Step From Heaven, about a young girl who moves with her family from Korea to Southern California. The awards will be announced on Nov. 14^th in New York.

The finalists are: Kate DiCamillo for The Tiger Rising, Candlewick Press, Phillip Hoose for We Were There, Too! Young People in U.S. History, Farrar, Staus, and Giroux, An Na for A Step From Heaven, Front Street Books, Marilyn Nelson for Carver: A Life in Poems, Front Street Books, and Virginia Euwer Wolff, True Believer: A Novel in the "Make Lemonade" Trilogy, Atheneum.

Newbery-winning novelist for children Lloyd Alexander has been chosen as the recipient of the first-ever Parents’ Choice Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award in Children’s Literature. He was chosen for his body of work, which includes two National Book Awards and a Newbery Medal.

The Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards were handed out on Oct. 19th, to honor books published in the last year that promote peace.

The honorees in the Picture Book category:
Winner: The Composition by Antonio Skameta, illustrated by Alfonso Ruano, Groundwood Books.
Honor Book: The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Henri Sorensen, Peachtree Publishers.

The honorees in the Longer Books category:
Winner: Esperanza Rising by Pamela Munoz Ryan, Scholastic Press.
Honor Books: The Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph, HarperCollins Books.
Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish Resisitance and the Rescue of the Jews by Ellen Levine, Holiday House.
Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues by Harriette Gillem Robinet, Atheneum Books.

Former Bay Area resident Jim Weiss now resides on the Atlantic Coast, but we have three new recordings of his to enjoy. Many librarians know Jim Weiss, who still makes West Coast appearances, telling stories in person to rapt audiences. His recordings are exemplary in capturing the live storytelling experience, and he has received numerous awards, including Parents’ Choice awards, and his recordings have been named to the ALA Notable Children’s Recordings lists many times. His three new titles will appeal to a wide age range.

"Treasure Island" begins with an introduction to Robert Lewis Stevenson, then Weiss performs selections from the book. He does all the voices, each distinctly different from the other, and reverts to his own voice for the third person narration. This recording will work wonderfully for parents and teachers who can use it to motivate middle schoolers to read the original book.

"Tell Me A Story!" will appeal to the youngest listeners, with retellings of six popular folktales. Weiss begins with an introduction about folktales and an original song about storytelling, done in a folk-style accompanied by acoustic guitar and harmonica. The stories include "The Bremen Town Musicians," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "Things Could Always Be Worse," "Rumpelstilskin," "The Little Red Hen," and "The Hare and the Hedgehog." His animal voices are remarkable; they capture the natural brays and barks, while still telling the story with clear, distinct diction.

"Jewish Holiday Stories" contains one story each about Chanukah, Purim, and Passover. Weiss tells the stories of how these three holidays originated, based on historical events like the tale of the Maccabees, or the Exodus story that is the basis for Passover. As always, Weiss performs all the voices, and will hold the attention of all ages. "Jewish Holiday Stories" replaces the previously released cassette "Chanukah: Festival of Lights." For more information about Jim Weiss’ recordings or his personal appearances, visit the website www.greathall.com.

What a remarkable feast of stories and illustrations! This anthology contains some of the most popular children’s books of the last quarter-century, and will be perfect to suggest to those who ask, "What is a good gift book to give to a child?" With the December holidays coming up, be sure to put this one on your list of Christmas or Chanukah gifts, to give and hopefully to receive! Schulman has selected these favorites for children ready to read on their own, as well as those who still enjoy being read to by a parent or grandparent.

For the most part, each book appears with the full text and selected illustrations for the original picture book. The book almost serves as a history of post-WWII picture books, and the variety of illustration styles is remarkable. And even though all the illustrations don’t appear, the abundant white space and sizable typefaces will make it a book that invites a child to read on his own.

The many stories included are too numerous to list here, but the book includes "Amos & Boris" by William Steig, "The Shrinking of Treehorn" by Florence Parry Heide, "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown, "Freckle Juice" by Judy Blume, "The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs" by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, and many many more. There is a selected chapter from Louis Sachar’s "Sideways Stories from Wayside School," and the picture book biography "Wilma Unlimited" by Kathleen Krull and David Diaz.

Many of you know about Schulman’s earlier anthology, The 20^th Century Children’s Book Treasury, released in 1998. That book contained classic picture books intended for preschoolers. This new anthology is for the Kindergarten through third grade crowd. Both work hand in hand, and you should make room on both your library and personal bookshelves for this new treasure.