BayNews November 2004

NEWS AND NOTES

National Book Award Winner: The winners of the National Book Awards were announced on November 17, 2004. The winner in the Young People’s Literature category is: Pete Hautman, Godless (S&S). He receives $10,000. The other nominees for the National Book Award in the Young People’s Literature category were:
Deb Caletti, Honey, Baby, Sweetheart (S&S), Laban Carrick Hill, Harlem Stomp! A Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance (Little Brown), Shelia P. Moses, The Legend of Buddy Bush (S&S), Julie Anne Peters, Luna: A Novel (Little Brown).

Mock Newbery Discussion: There will be a Mock Newbery Discussion on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2004, 2-6pm, at the Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College Ave., Oakland, CA. Please RSVP to nlindsay@oaklandlibrary.org if you would like to attend. Attendees should read the Newbery Award Criteria at http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/newberyterms/newberyterms.htm and read all nine books to be discussed:

Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts,
Creech, Sharon. Heartbeat,
Farmer, Nancy. Sea of Trolls,
Freedman, Russell. The Voice That Challenged a Nation,
Hannigan, Katherine. Ida B,
Hesse, Karen. The Cats in Krasinski Square,
Kadohata, Cynthia. Kira, Kira,
Konigsburg, E.L. The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place,
Schmidt, Gary. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy.

Boy Scouts Lose Court Case: The Pentagon has agreed to warn military bases worldwide that they should not directly sponsor Boy Scout troops, partially resolving claims that the government has improperly supported a group that requires members to believe in God.

The settlement was the result of a 1999 lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which says American military units have sponsored hundreds of Boy Scout troops.

" If our Constitution's promise of religious liberty is to be a reality, the government should not be administering religious oaths or discriminating based on religious beliefs," said ACLU attorney Adam Schwartz.

Balkin Buddies: Founded by Catherine Balkin in January 2004, Balkin Buddies is a new author appearance service featuring over seventy authors and artists on its website: www.balkinbuddies.com

An excellent source of biographical information about authors, this site also provides detailed information on author appearances, including honorariums, program content for each author’s sessions, the number of sessions each author does during a typical school day, references from schools where each author has appeared before, author book lists, book ordering information, and a list of which publishers own which imprints. There is also a section providing author schedules (dates and cities) for schools who would like to try to arrange tie-in visits and thus save on author expenses.

Most authors shown on the site are also available for library visits, in-service teacher programs, young authors’ conferences, library and educational conferences and festivals, and other programs.

This site is not limited to authors, as the site features a number of illustrators as well. All grade levels, from preschool through young adult, are represented. The authors and artists of Balkin Buddies live all over the United States.

Catherine Balkin, the founder of this service, is the former Director of Library Promotion of HarperCollins Children’s Books, who spent well over a decade arranging author appearances for hundreds of HarperCollins authors.

Nancy Drew Article: Look for the interesting article in the October 8, 2004 issue of the New Yorker – “Nancy Drew’s Father: the Fiction Factory of Edward Stratemeyer,” by Meghan O’Rourke, pages 120-129. The article discusses not just Nancy Drew but the early history of series books for children.

Performers’ Showcase: Mark your calendars now for the 19th annual ACL Performers’ Showcase, to be held on Saturday, February 26, 2005 at the San Leandro Public Library. Registration forms can be found in this month’s BayViews, and on our website at www.bayviews.org.

Erratum: In the October 2004 issue of BayViews, on page 33, the reviewer reminds us that there is a clerical error – John Nieuwenhuizen is listed as the illustrator when it should say translator, for Anne Provoost’s In the Shadow of the Ark, Scholastic, 2004.

Note to Reviewers: Our copyeditors remind us that the proper format for mentioning another book within your review is to put the title in italics, the publisher, and the date of publication. For example: Olive the Other Reindeer, Chronicle, 1997.

2004 AESOP AWARDS

The Children’s Folklore Section of the American Folklore Society announced the Aesop Awards for 2004. These awards are given for books of folklore which accurately reflect cultures, cite their sources, and further the child’s understanding of folklore.

The 2004 Aesop Prize has two winners this year: Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents by Sarah Conover and Freda Crane. Illus. by Valerie Wahl. Spokane, WA: Eastern Washington University Press, 2004) and The Magic Gourd by Baba Wagué Diakité (New York: Scholastic, 2004).

2004 Aesop Accolades are awarded to four other excellent books: Bottle Houses: The Creative World of Grandma Prisbrey by Melissa Eskridge Slaymaker. Illus. by Julie Paschkis. (New York: Henry Holt, 2004); The Painted Wall and Other Strange Tales selected and adapted by Michael Bedard from the Liao-Chai of Pu Sung-ling. (Toronto: Tundra Books, 2003); Sure as Sunrise: Stories of Bruh Rabbit & His Walkin’ Talkin’ Friends by Alice McGill. Illus. by Don Tate (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004); and Walking on Solid Ground by Shu Pui Cheung, Shuyuan Li, Aaron Chau, and Deborah Wei (Philadelphia: Philadelphia Folklore Project, 2004).

Reading the World VII Scheduled for March 12&13

The University of San Francisco will once again host the annual “Reading the World” conference, “celebrating multicultural literature for children and young adults.” Set for the weekend of March 12 & 13, 2005, the conference will take place at Presentation Theatre and is sponsored by USF’s School of Education.

The conference will feature workshops on art, folklore, cultural identity, gender issues, poetry, and many other topics, as well as have book sales and author and illustrator autograph sessions. The many well-known speakers scheduled include Arnold and Jaime Adoff, Pat and Fred McKissack, Nancy Garden, Suzanne Fisher Staples, Nikki Grimes, F. Isabel Campoy, and Alma Flor Ada.

This popular annual event always is a sell-out so check out the registration information and fees at www.soe.usfca.edu/institutes/childlit.

Letters to the Editor

BayNews recently asked our readers whether or not an ACL review should reveal a key plot point, like the death of a major character. Here was one reply:

Hi Penny,

Here's my $.02 about revealing plot points in ACL reviews:

I'd say it depends on the book.

If a book is outstanding, and there's a major plot twist at the end, then it's counterproductive to reveal too much (after all, presumably the reviewer wants others to put it on the Distinguished list, which is harder if they all know the ending). If it's a low additional book, and one must reveal the plot to explain why the book is sub-par, that's okay. And certainly, if any book (even if outstanding) ends with a traumatic scene, that could go into a review without giving away the plot. "Be advised that this novel contains scenes that would traumatize even the most hardened horror fan" would suffice, without telling the details.

For example, a reviewer can talk about Where the Red Fern Grows by saying "this is an historical fiction story of two dogs, Big Dan and Little Ann, and their owner, who hunt together and form an unbreakable bond. It contains a few gory scenes, so leave it for those over 10 years." The reviewer wouldn't have to say that

S
P
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Big Dan and Little Ann both (sniff! sob!) die at the end; a librarian would be able to buy the book for his/her dog-loving patrons without giving away (or even necessarily knowing) the ending.

Allison Angell, Children's Librarian
Benicia (Calif.) Public Library

Thanks, Allison, for your thoughtful comments! All letters to BayNews should be sent to Pikly@aol.com - we are interested in hearing from you!

"If You Liked Eragon, Try. . ."

Dragon's Blood by Jane Yolen (1st in trilogy)
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede (1st book in series)
The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King (definitely fantasy, not his usual)
Dragon Wing by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Sabriel by Garth Nix (1st in trilogy)
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
The His Dark Materials trilogy (Phillip Pullman)
Harry Potter (JK Rowling)
Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levine)
Lord of The Rings trilogy (JRR Tolkien)
The Sally Lockhart series (Phillip Pullman)
The Artemis Fowl series (Eoin Colfer)
Faerie Wars (Herbie Brenham)
The Dragonriders of Pern (Anne McCaffrey)
Everworld - Applegate
Remnants - Applegate
The Lost Years of Merlin - Barron
The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1)- Stroud

Originally posted to the PUBYAC Listserv by Georgi Sandgren of the East Islip Public Library.

Re-Issues & New Editions
Korczak, Janusz. King Matt the First. Translated by Richard Lourie. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1923.2004, 330p. $13.95, ISBN 1-56512-442-1.

An amazing and heart-wrenching tale, written originally in Polish in 1923 for the children in the orphanage for Jewish children in Warsaw, of which Korczak, a pediatrician and educator was director. The book became very popular in Poland. An English edition was published by Farrar, Straus, Giroux in 1986, and this is a reissue of that edition. A new introduction by Esme Raji Codell replaces the introduction done by Bruno Bettleheim. Codell mentioned King Matt the First in her book, How To Get Your Child To Love Reading. The cover illustration done by Brian Selznick is also new, with a quotation by Maurice Sendak: “We need King Matt now, in our world, more than ever.”
Very briefly, Matt becomes King at an early age, knows nothing about ruling a country, but learns about war when he impulsively runs away to fight in one his country is waging. As he matures, his objective is to prevent war by offering friendship to all the world’s rulers and to reform the world, with their help, and that of children who he always consults. Inevitably, others become jealous of his popularity and the reforms he institutes, including a children’s parliament, and he is exiled.
When the Nazis invaded Poland, Korczak stayed with his children, and despite offers of safety, was gassed with them at Treblinka.

Dorothy Helfeld,
retired

Hample, Stoo. The Silly Book. Candlewick, 1961/2004. $15.99, ISBN 076362256-7.

The first book from author/illustrator Hample, best known for Children’s Letters to God, My Mom’s the Best Mom, and You Stink! I Love You, does not seem dated in the least. The cartoon illustrations, done in ink with digital red and yellow coloring, look very timely. I did not have the original at hand to compare, but if I had not read the flap copy, I would have thought this was a new book, not a reissue of a 40 year old book! Originally edited by Ursula Nordstrom, the book inspired “The Silly Record” and a doll based on Boodleheimer the dog, the mustachioed pooch who appears on the cover.
Not a story, this collection of poems, puns, nonsense songs, and other tidbits is like a comical magazine with Boodleheimer appearing periodically to connect it all together. A sample poem:

Silly Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses
And all the king’s men
Had scrambled eggs.

Not just a nostalgia piece, this will be enjoyed by kids and parents alike.

Penny Peck,
San Leandro Public Library

Eager, Edward. Half Magic. Illus. by N.M. Bodecker; 50th anniversary edition. Harcourt, 1954/2004. $18.95, ISBN 0-15-205302-6.

The books of Edward Eager never really fell out of favor because so many children’s librarians would booktalk them and suggest then to their students. But when “Harry Potter” came along, the demand for Eager’s books increased; his titles are often found on fantasy booklists used by those who want to find more books in the Potter vein. This 50th anniversary of Eager’s Half Magic is a great way to get the book into the hands of today’s young readers who are interested in fantasy.

Using the original cover art and green ink drawings sprinkled throughout the rest of the book, the only new thing added is an introduction by Jack Gantos, author of the “Joey Pigza” novels. I wish more children’s novels featured spot art within their chapters; they add so much appeal and give comfort to those just moving into chapter books.

The introductory remark by Gantos talks about Eager’s reasons for writing children’s books, and how he was inspired by E. Nesbit’s work. Gantos goes on to describe 1954 – a time some look back on with nostalgia but as Gantos points out, was a time of nuclear testing, segregation, McCarthyism, and the advent of television. In comparison, the 1920’s setting of Half Magic depicted a more innocent time. He also talks about how the “magic” in the book is believable – the coin that sends you back in time – which may be why the book still resonates with readers.

The timeless story of a brother and three sisters who find a magic coin, that allows them to time travel, is not a story that can become dated. The telling may seem a little formal to today’s child but that adds a lot of the charm

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. 30th anniversary edition. Knopf, 1974, 2004. $8.95, ISBN 0-375-82987-3.

I have heard Young Adult expert Michael Cart, former YALSA president and current columnist for Booklist, talk about the history of Young Adult literature several times. He always mentions Cormier’s The Chocolate War as the book that marks when Young Adult literature really came of age; a book that was truly for teens but was also literary. This new “Readers Circle” 30th anniversary edition celebrates that notion – a book for teens so layered and thoughtful that it demands to be discussed.

This new trade paperback edition does not have an introduction, but the book concludes with an essay and discussion questions. Patty Campbell’s “Who is Robert Cormier, Anyway?” a three page tribute to the author, talks about the book’s influence on the world of Young Adult literature, and gives some insight into the author.

After Campbell’s essay, we find the two page introduction Cormier wrote for the 1997 edition. He talks about how the book was not welcomed by publishers who found it too downbeat, had too many characters, and other objections until he found an editor at Knopf, the eighth publisher to read the novel.

The thoughtful, open-ended discussion questions that end the book make this a perfect choice for book discussion groups as well as for library circulation collections. The issues of conformity, tyranny, and abuse of power are more timely than ever; perhaps that is the reason The Chocolate War is always on the list of most “banned books.”

Burnett, Frances Hodgson. Little Lord Fauntleroy. Aladdin Paperbacks, 2004. $4.99, ISBN 0-689-86994-0.

First published in 1886, Little Lord Fauntleroy is not as popular as The Secret Garden or The Little Princess, both of which were recent feature films and get requested by girls at most libraries. This new “Readers Group” edition of Little Lord Fauntleroy features discussion questions at the back of the book, as well as a list of possible activities. Book discussion groups could expand on the reading by doing research on British aristocracy or by studying the differences between England and the United States during the Victorian Era.

This edition begins with a humorous forward by Polly Horvath. She writes about the famous Fauntleroy velvet suits that came in fashion as a result of the novel, and how Burnett dressed her two sons in this attire. Horvath wonders aloud if 21st century kids would enjoy a story about a boy with sausage curls and a velvet suit, then reassures them that they will enjoy this story despite its preachy tendencies. The theme of treating everyone the same, poor or royal alike, is as timely now as ever. This should appeal to fans of Burnett’s other books and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin or Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Penny Peck,
San Leandro Public Library

Poet Nancy Larrick Dies

Nancy Larrick died on Sunday, November 14th at age 93 at the Winchester Medical Center, Winchester, VA. A former editor of children's books, Larrick was a national authority on children's literature. Among her many accomplishments as an author, poet, educator, children's literature specialist, and the second president of the International Reading Association, Nancy Larrick is remembered for her article "The All-White World of Children's Books," which appeared in the September 1965 issue of the Saturday Review. This article continues to influence the multicultural movement in children's literature.