February 2003
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Upcoming Events for Children's Librarians
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Upcoming Events for Children's Librarians
NEWS AND NOTES
Pullman's "His Dark Materials" to become a play: Philip Pullman's three part fantasy series, which began with "The Golden Compass," is being transformed into a two-part stage play by Nicolas Wright. It will debut in 2004 at the Royal National Theatre in London, under the direction of Nicholas Hytner.
"Reading the World" Conference at USF:
The fifth Annual READING THE WORLD will be held March 1-2, 2003 at the University
of San Francisco. Keynoters include Leo and Diane Dillon, Pat Mora, Gerald
McDermott, Naomi Shihab Nye, Hudson Talbott, Alma Flor Ada and over 40 workshops.
This conference celebrating multicultural literature for children and young
adults is not to be missed! More info at www.soe.usfca.edu/childlit
or from Beverly Hock, conference chair at bevvhock@earthlink.net.
"Turning Babies on to Books: tips from recent research."
Wednesday March 5, 2003
Sunnyvale Public Library
665 W. Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale
Program 9:00 - 11:45 a.m.
Registration fee: $15.00
For questions about the program or to receive program flyers/registration
forms please contact:
Karin Bricker
City of Mountain View Public Library
650-526-7042
karin.bricker@ci.mtnview.ca.us
Speaker: Linda Potter Acredolo: Linda has been a professor of Psychology
at U.C. Davis since 1984. With co-author Susan Goodwyn, she has written "Baby
Minds: brain building games your baby will love" and "Baby Signs:
how to talk with your baby before your baby can talk."
Drawing from research indicating specific early experiences that are important to later reading, Linda Acredolo will alert participants to inborn talents children bring to literacy and describe simple ways to develop a baby's love of books.
BALIS Workshop -"Isn't It Time for them to Go Home?"
The Bay Area Library & Information System Children's Services Committee
is sponsoring a half-day workshop, "Isn't It Time for them to Go Home?
Serving your library's "live-in kids".
DATE: Friday, March 14, at Fremont Main Library, 2400 Stevenson Blvd, Fremont,
CA 94538. The program runs from 9am-12:15.
Speakers will include:
--_Norma Myerholz-Seltz, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, child development
specialist and faculty member at Diablo Valley College, who will talk about
building resiliency in children;
--Rachel MacLachlan, Director of Security at San Francisco Public Library;
and
--Mary Nacu, branch manager and former children's librarian at San Jose Public
Library (where accommodating after school crowds has made the news!)
There will be a panel discussion and time for questions, answers, and sharing
ideas.
If you're a Children's Librarian and have sample activities, do-it-yourself
crafts, or any related material, please bring copies to share.
There will be time for discussion and questions. Registration is $15 in advance
(received by March 1) or $18 at the door.
For questions about the program or to receive a registration form, contact:
Bonnie Janssen, Alameda County Library
bjanssen@aclibrary.org
(510) 745-1591
NEWBERY, CALDECOTT AND OTHER BOOK AWARDS
Avi, author of "Crispin: The Cross of Lead," and Eric Rohmann,
illustrator and author of "My Friend Rabbit," are the 2003 winners
of the John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott medals, the most prestigious awards
in children's literature. They were among the award winners announced today
during the 2003 American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.
Considered the "Academy Awards" of children's book publishing, the
Newbery and Caldecott Medals honor outstanding writing and illustration of
works published in the United States during the previous year. "Crispin:
The Cross of Lead," published by Hyperion Books for Children, is an action-filled
page-turner set in 14th-century England. "Asta's son" is the only
name the 13-year-old title character has ever known when he is suddenly orphaned
and deprived of home and possessions. Accused of murder and wanted dead or
alive, Crispin flees his village and falls in with a juggler, Bear, who becomes
his protector and teacher. Relentlessly pursued by Crispin's enemies, the
pair flees to solve the mystery of his identity and fight the injustices of
feudalism. "Avi masterfully creates a plot that sustains tension and
suspense from beginning to end, while seamlessly weaving in details of daily
medieval life," said Starr LaTronica, chair of the 2003 Newbery Award
committee.
The 2003 Caldecott Medal for illustration was awarded to Eric Rohmann for
"My Friend Rabbit," published by Roaring Brook Press, a division
of The Millbrook Press. In the book, Mouse shares his brand-new toy airplane
with his friend Rabbit, and no one can predict the disastrous-but hilarious-results.
When the airplane lands in a tree, the chaos only builds as Rabbit drags,
pushes and carries the whole neighborhood, including Elephant, Hippo, and
Crocodile, to the rescue. It's a lighthearted celebration of a friendship
that will last - even if whatever Rabbit does and wherever he goes, trouble
follows. "Eric Rohmann's hand-colored relief prints express a vibrant
energy through solid black outlines, lightly textured backgrounds and a robust
use of color," said Pat Scales, chair of the 2003 Caldecott Award committee.
Five Newbery Honor Books were named: "The House of the Scorpion,"
by Nancy Farmer, a Richard Jackson Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers,
an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division; "Pictures
of Hollis Woods," by Patricia Reilly Giff and published by Wendy Lamb
Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House,
Inc.; "Hoot," by Carl Hiaasen and published by Alfred A. Knopf,
an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.;
"A Corner of the Universe," by Ann M. Martin and published by Scholastic
Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc.; and "Surviving the Applewhites,"
by Stephanie S. Tolan and published by HarperCollins Children's Books, a division
of HarperCollins.
Three Caldecott Honor Books were named: "The Spider and the Fly," illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi, written by Mary Howitt and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; "Hondo & Fabian," illustrated and written by Peter McCarty and published by Henry Holt & Company LLC; and "Noah's Ark," illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney and published by SeaStar Books, a division of North-South Books Inc. The awards are administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the ALA.
Coretta Scott King Awards
Nikki Grimes, author of "Bronx Masquerade," and E.B. Lewis, illustrator
of "Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman,"
are the 2003 Coretta Scott King Awards honoring African-American authors and
illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults. Janet McDonald,
author of "Chill Wind," is the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New
Talent (text) Award; and Randy DuBurke is the Steptoe New Talent (illustrator)
Award. "Bronx Masquerade," published by Dial Books for Young Readers,
is a fast-paced and revealing novel that features the voices of 18 urban youth
who share their innermost feelings. In "Talking About Bessie: The Story
of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman," also written by Grimes and published by
Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., winning illustrator E.B. Lewis
places Bessie at the center of each gracefully composed painting. His precise
attention to historic detail in oversized watercolor paintings parallels and
extends Grimes' poetry.
Occasionally awarded, the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award
affirms new talent and offers visibility to excellence in writing or illustration
at the beginning of a career as a published children's book creator. "Chill
Wind" by Janet McDonald is the story of Aisha, an unwed teen mother of
two, who is forced to face the termination of welfare benefits. The book is
published by Frances Foster Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux. "The Moon
Ring," illustrated and written by Randy DuBurke, sends his main character,
Maxine, on a wild and surreal adventure across space and time that begins
with a simple wish on a magic ring. The book is published by Chronicle Books.
Two King Author Honor Books were selected: "Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman" and "Red Rose Box" by Brenda Woods and published by G.P. Putnam's Sons. Two King Illustrator Honor Books were selected: "Rap A Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles - Think of That," illustrated and written by Leo and Diane Dillon and published by Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.; and "Visiting Langston," illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Willie Perdomo and published by Henry Holt and Co. Books for Young Readers.
Michael L. Printz Award
Aidan Chambers is the winner of the 2003 Michael L. Printz Award for his powerful novel, "Postcards from No Man's Land." Published by Dutton Books/Penguin Putnam Inc., Chambers' novel is a passionate narrative about 17-year-old Jacob, who comes to Amsterdam to find the grave of his grandfather who died there during World War II. Three Printz Honor Books were named: "Hole in My Life," by Jack Gantos, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux; "My Heartbeat," by Garret Freymann-Weyr, published by Houghton Mifflin Company; and "The House of the Scorpion," by Nancy Farmer, published by A Richard Jackson Book/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division. The annual award for excellence in young adult literature is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of ALA, and sponsored by Booklist magazine.
Robert F. Sibert
James Cross Giblin, author of "The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler," was named the winner of the 2003 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children. In the book, published by Clarion Books, a Houghton Mifflin Company imprint, Giblin poses and answers three questions in this compelling, accessible account of Hitler, his world and his legacy. "What sort of man could plan and carry out such horrendous schemes, how did he win support for his deadly ventures and why did no one stop him until it was almost too late?" Four Sibert Honor books also were named: "Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929," by Karen Blumenthal, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division; "Hole in My Life," by Jack Gantos, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux; "Action Jackson," by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker, published by A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press, a division of The Millbrook Press; and "When Marian Sang," by Pam Muñoz Ryan, illustrated by Brian Selznick and published by Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc. The annual award is administered by ALSC and is sponsored by Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc., of Jacksonville, Ill., in honor of its longtime president.
Margaret A. Edwards Award
Nancy Garden, author of "Annie on My Mind" (1982), is the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her lifetime contribution in writing for young adults. Garden's writing encompasses nonfiction and a range of fiction from historical to fantasy to realistic. "Nancy Garden has the distinction of being the first author for young adults to create a lesbian love story with a positive ending," said Award Committee Chair Rosemary Chance, an assistant professor at The University of Southern Mississippi. "Using a fluid, readable style, Garden opens a window through which readers can find courage to be true to themselves." "Annie on My Mind" is published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. The award is administered by YALSA and sponsored by School Library Journal.
Andrew Carnegie Medal
Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly of Weston Woods Studios, producers of "So You Want to Be President?" based on the Caldecott Medal-winning book by Judith St. George and illustrated by David Small, are the 2003 recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video. The video is narrated by Stockard Channing with music by Scotty Huff and Robert Reynolds. Playful renditions of "Hail to the Chief" provide a musical backdrop for St. George's portrayal of the diverse and often eccentric men who have held our nation's highest office. The Carnegie Medal, established with the support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, honors an outstanding American video production for children released during the previous year. It is administered by ALSC, a division of ALA.
Laura Ingalls Wilder Award
Eric Carle, best known for his picture books for young children, is the 2003 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award winner. His numerous picture books include "The Very Hungry Caterpillar;" "Do You Want to Be My Friend?" "The Tiny Seed" and "From Head to Toe." Born in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1929, Carle moved with his parents to Germany in 1935. He came back to the United States in 1952, first working as a graphic designer for The New York Times. Later, his work was noticed by Bill Martin, Jr., who invited Carle to illustrate his text for the still-popular picture book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" (Holt, 1967). The award honors an author or illustrator, published in the United States, whose books have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. It is administered by ALSC.
Mildred L. Batchelder Award
The Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., was named winner of the 2003 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for the most outstanding children's book originally published in a foreign language and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States for "The Thief Lord." Originally published in Germany in 2000, the book was written by Cornelia Funke and translated by Oliver Latsch. Two orphaned brothers, Prosper, 12, and Bo, 5, come to Venice on the run from relatives who intend to separate them. A band of street kids, a mysterious Thief Lord, a nosy detective and a magical carousel are all part of an enchanting story that combines mystery, adventure and fantasy. The Batchelder committee selected one honor book, published by David R. Godine. "Henrietta and the Golden Eggs" by Hanna Johansen and illustrated by Käthi Bhend, was translated by John Barrett. The book was originally published in German under the title, "Vom Hühnchen das goldene Eier legen wollte." The Batchelder Award is administered by ALSC.
May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award
Ursula K. Le Guin, distinguished writer of science fiction and fantasy for
young people and adults, will deliver the 2004 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture.
Each year, an individual of distinction in the field of children's literature
is chosen to write and deliver a lecture that will make a significant contribution
to the world of children's literature. Le Guin, who was born in 1929 in Berkeley,
Calif., and currently lives in Portland, Ore., has written more than 50 books,
including poetry, criticism, picture books, novels and short stories. She
has received numerous awards and honors during her long career. Titles in
her "Books of Earthsea" series, which include "A Wizard of
Earthsea," "The Tombs of Atuan" and "The Farthest Shore,"
have received the Newbery Honor Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the
National Book Award for Children's Books and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.
The award is administered by ALSC.
Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees composed of librarians and other children's experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, go online at: http://www.ala.org/pio/bookawards.html.
OTHER CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS:
Whitbread Award: Hilary McKay has been awarded the Whitbread for Saffy's
Angel, McElderry, 2002. This British Award has been given for the past 30
years, and includes categories for Adult and Children. Saffy's Angel concerns
an orphan girl who is adopted by her aunt and uncle, artists with three daughters.
McKay, Hilary. Saffy's Angel. McElderry, 2002, $16, ISBN 0-689-84933-8.
Scott O'Dell Award: First-time novelist Shelley Pearsall has been awarded
the Scott O'Dell for Historical Fiction, Trouble Don't Last. The novel depicts
Samuel, an 11-year-old slave who escapes to Canada via the Underground Railroad.
Pearsall, Shelley. Trouble Don't Last. Knopf, 2002. $14.95. ISBN 0-375814906.
Charlotte Zolotow Award: Author/Illustrator Holly Keller is the sixth annual
winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award, given for outstanding writing in a
picture book, by the Cooperative Children's Book Center. Her book, Farfallina
& Marcel, HarperCollins, 2002, $17.89, ISBN 0-06-623933-8, concerns a
caterpillar and gosling. One Honor Book was named: The First Thing My Mama
Told Me by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Christine Davenier, Harcourt,
2002. The award committee named ten titles as Highly Recommended: All You
Need Is a Snowman by Alice Schertle, Apple Pie 4th of July by Janet S. Wong,
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, Close Your Eyes by Kate Banks, Duck On a Bike
by David Shannon, Grandma and Me at the Flea by Juan Felipe Herrera, I Stink!
by Kate & Jim McMullan, Owen's Marshmallow Chick by Kevin Henkes, The
Pot That Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Goebel, and The White Swan Empress by
Jean Davies Okimoto and Elaine M. Aoki.
Ezra Jack Keats New Writer: The New York Public Library and the Ezra Jack
Keats Foundation are pleased to announce that first-time children's book author
Shirin Yim Bridges and illustrator Sophie Blackall have won the 2003 Ezra
Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Awards. The Awards, which recognize
and celebrate promising children's book authors and illustrators, go to Ms.
Bridges and Ms. Blackall for their picture book Ruby's Wish, published by
Chronicle Books. The Award is named in honor of children's book author/illustrator
Ezra Jack Keats (The Snowy Day), winner of the Caldecott Medal. Both honorees
will receive an Ezra Jack Keats silver medallion and a $1,000 cash prize,
made possible through the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. The winning book's publisher
will also be able to affix an adhesive medallion to the cover of each book,
identifying Ruby's Wish as the 2003 Ezra Jack Keats Award Winner.
Sydney Taylor Book Award: The Association of Jewish Libraries announces the
winners of its annual Sydney Taylor Book Awards for outstanding books of Jewish
content for children. The award is named in honor of the late Sydney Taylor,
author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family books about a Jewish immigrant
family at the turn of the twentieth century. HANA'S SUITCASE: A TRUE STORY
by Karen Levine (Second Story Press, Toronto) is the Sydney Taylor Book Award
winner for Older Readers. This nonfiction work unites decency across time,
space, and nationality to honor the memory of a Jewish girl who died at the
age of thirteen in the Holocaust. Hana Brady perished at Auschwitz, but her
suitcase became the centerpiece of a small Holocaust museum in Tokyo. Honor
Books in the Older Readers Category are ONE CANDLE by Eve Bunting, illustrated
by K. Wendy Popp (Joanne Cotler/HarperCollins); A PICTURE OF GRANDMOTHER by
Esther Hautzig, illustrated by Beth Peck (Farrar, Straus and Giroux); and
SMOKE AND ASHES: THE STORY OF THE HOLOCAUST, Revised and Expanded by Barbara
Rogalsky (Holiday House).
CHICKEN SOUP BY HEART by Esther Hershenhorn, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger (Simon and Schuster) is the winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Younger Readers. When his sitter, Mrs. Gittel, gets the flu, Rudie Dinkens knows how to cure her. Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor Books for Younger Readers are NOAH'S ARK by Jerry Pinkney (SeaStar/ North and South); SAMMY SPIDER'S FIRST TRIP TO ISRAEL: A BOOK ABOUT THE FIVE SENSES by Sylvia Rouss, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn (Kar Ben/Lerner); and PEARL'S PASSOVER: A FAMILY CELEBRATION THROUGH STORIES, RECIPES, CRAFTS, AND SONGS by Jane Breskin Zalben (Simon and Schuster). This year the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee presents a BODY-OF-WORK AWARD for outstanding contributions to the field of Jewish children's literature to Judythe Groner and Madeline Wikler, founders of Kar-Ben Copies Publishing. Kar-Ben pioneered in the publication of quality literature of Jewish content for young children. Many books with the Kar-Ben Copies imprint have been honored by the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee.
Warner, Gertrude Chandler. THE BOXCAR CHILDREN: 60TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION.
Illustrated by L. Kate Deal. Whitman, 2002, $18.95, ISBN 0-8075-0848-9.
In this 60th anniversary reissue, a biographical section on the author, with
lots of family photos, concludes the book. The book also has several silhouette-style
illustrations, and a map of where the Alden children traveled is on the endpapers.
Do children still read "The Boxcar Children?" They do at my library,
often because it is on the Accelerated Reader list, or because they are used
by conservative homeschoolers. What struck me in reading this is how easy
it is to read, especially for a chapter book. In fact, kids who need a 100
page chapter book will be hard pressed to find anything else on this level
- simple verb/predicate sentences, easy vocabulary, etc.
How do the Aldens fit into the 21st century? A little awkwardly. The two older siblings, Henry and Jessie, are surrogate parents to young Violet and Benny. Big sister Jessie does the cooking and cleaning, and big brother Henry earns the income. Even though they are without parents, they reflect very traditional gender roles. But I wouldn't say it is offensive. Kids seems to like these, especially in paperback, so you may want them just for high interest-low reading level. And for this edition, the book design is very inviting.
The pint-sized "Joe Friday," Nate the Great, hasn't changed at
all for this anniversary edition. No text or illustration changes, no author's
note, just a gold "30th anniversary edition" sticker on the cover
indicates this special celebration. And with the new TV version of "Dragnet"
debuting this month, Nate the Great's clipped speaking style and wry humor
will have an even broader audience than before.
Nate the Great has always been popular in my library, with both girls and boys moving out of the super-simple easy readers to the real "books," like Frog and Toad. The strong characters, plots, and style make these fun, as do the solvable mystery plots and the stylish cartoon illustrations by Simont. The series is still being added to, by Sharmat and her sons, Craig and Mitchell, with illustrations by Martha Weston. So they should continue to be popular. If you haven't read one in a while, pick one up to see just how clever and satisfying Nate the Great can be!
When author E. L. Konigsburg debuted, she had the distinct achievement of
having her first two children's books be honored with a Newbery Medal and
Newbery Honor in the same year, 1967, This 35th anniversary edition of the
Newbery Medal winner, "Mixed-up Files," comes with an afterword
from Konigsburg. (Her Honor book was Jennifer, Hecate, MacBeth, William McKinley,
and Me, Elizabeth).
Except for the afterword, the book is unchanged, with no revisions and the
same wonderful pen and ink sketches by Konigsburg, sprinkled throughout the
novel. Re-reading this Newbery winner, I'm reminded what a great mystery it
is, how realistic siblings Claudia and Jamie are, especially in their dialogue,
and how it can appeal to both boys and girls, and even reluctant readers.
Very little about the book seems dated: sure, they use a typewriter and the museum is free (now, the Metropolitan charges admission), but these small details of the 1960's don't really influence the feeling of the book. I can't wait to recommend this to students coming in for a good mystery, a Newbery book, or just a great read!
Although this isn't a special anniversary edition, this reissue is notable
because DORP DEAD was and is such a unique book. First published in 1965,
this reissue contains an afterword by Betsy Hearne, Professor of Children's
Literature at the Univ. of Illinois.
Reading this in 2003, it seems quite "timeless:" both the mythical,
almost Dickensian, setting, the implied violence, and the stark tone all seem
very contemporary. As Hearne states, Dorp Dead and 1964 Newbery Medalist It's
Like This, Cat, where considered cutting edge young adult literature. But
It's Like This, Cat seems dated now, of its time of the turbulent Sixties,
while Dorp Dead could have been published this year and would be noticed as
a dramatic allegory on our society.
Orphan Gilly is apprenticed to a cruel cabinetmaker, where he befriends his master's abused dog, and makes a daring escape from servitude. But the plot isn't what makes this significant, it is the almost cynical voice of the young narrator. Hearne compares it to the work of Robert Cormier, which debuted a decade after Dorp Dead. This is certainly a book to revisit and reevaluate for its haunting depiction of violence in some children's lives.
Campbell, Rod. DEAR ZOO. Little Simon, 1982, $10.95, ISBN 0-02-716440-.
Pop-up books and books with flaps, like Eric Hill's "Spot," can
now be found in most libraries. But when Campbell first came out with "Dear
Zoo," a lift the flap book, that was not the case. His book is still
attractive, simple in design but clever in the concept, and fun for kids.
Each spread shows a box or other "holder," and underneath the flap over the box is a zoo animal; all unsuitable pets. Until the final opening, when we see the puppy. None of the animals is named - you have to guess that it is a giraffe, lion, etc., but that is the fun of the book.
Penny Peck,
San Leandro Public Library
Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Hyperion, 2002, is this year's Newbery Medal winner. Its author, Avi, is a first-time winner but has been an Honor author twice before. "Crispin," set in the Middle Ages, will be perfect for the 7th grade curriculum, and can even be read by those middle schoolers who read below grade level. Thanks to a listing on PUBYAC, here are some other historical fiction novels for grades 5-9, set in the Middle Ages.