 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
October 2007
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Upcoming Events for Children's Librarians
|
October 2007MARK YOUR CALENDAR Upcoming Events for Children's Librarians |
|
Reading the World X February 16, 17, 2008 University of San Francisco Join us to reflect upon a decade of Celebrating Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults, featuring many old friends from past conferences as well as new faces and voices - Alma Flor Ada and Leslie Tryon, Ashley Bryan, Sarah Ellis, Rita Williams Garcia, Naomi Shihab Nye, Doris Orgel, Peter Sis, Laurence Yep, Jack Zipes, and more... www.soe.usfca.edu/departments/ime/rtwconf
National Book Award Nominees Announced:
The finalists for the National Book Awards were announced on Oct. 9, 2007. There were five finalists for the Young People's Literature category:
Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Little, Brown),
Kathleen Duey, Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic, Book One (Atheneum Books for Young Readers),
M. Sindy Felin, Touching Snow (Atheneum Books for Young Readers),
Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic Press),
Sara Zarr, Story of a Girl (Little, Brown).
The winners will be announced on Nov. 14, 2007.
BayNews needs you! BayNews welcomes any articles, news, ideas on storytime or programs, etc. Just send any articles as a Word attachment to email, to Penny Peck at baynews@bayviews.org. Thanks!
OBITUARY: MADELEINE L'ENGLE
One reader's response to Madeleine L'Engle's workMadeleine L'Engle has been one of my favorite authors for the last 25 years. I was fascinated by A Wrinkle in Time (1962), and took courage from A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978). I had dealt with death before I met the fictional Austin family, but reading about Vicky Austin's difficulties in dealing with it (especially in Ring of Endless Light, 1980) gave me new ideas to grapple with. The first time I spoke to my college roommate, we discovered that L'Engle was one of our common interests, and we shared our collections of L'Engle books in the years we lived together. In fact, she once received about fifteen of L'Engle's books as a gift from her family. We looked at them with pleasure ("Hooray! More to read!") and dismay ("Fifteen fewer to find in the used bookstores!" - we liked the hunt).
In particular, I liked the range of L'Engle's books. She wrote plays, poetry, picture books, nonfiction, fiction and memoirs. Her books were in a range of settings: Switzerland (I've never skied, but I feel as though I could after reading about Flip's experiences in And Both Were Young, 1949), New York City (which felt most real to me in A Severed Wasp, 1982 and The Young Unicorns, 1968), and even Antarctica. She ranged from stories of family life (Meet the Austins, 1960), to stories of international intrigue (The Arm of the Starfish, 1965) and even melodrama (The Other Side of the Sun, 1971). Best of all, she had plenty of crossover in her books: characters will enjoy a painting or musical performance by someone who starred in another book, or minor characters will pop up in more than one series. This made the characters more real to me, as though they really had lives of their own.
L'Engle's novels for adults are darker than her books for children, but deal with the same issues of good and evil, faith and betrayal. Her books about Christianity simultaneously challenge and reassure the reader: if L'Engle has these questions about belief and faith, surely I can, too?
Her autobiographical works are fascinating looks at a life which seemed full and real. If she was in despair at the increasing senility of her mother, or appalled by casual acts of hate, it was balanced by moments of joy. Her account of her marriage (Two-Part Invention, 1988), which I read in college, helped to shape my ideas of life in a relationship: it's okay to fight with your spouse, and it's healthy if you don't agree on everything. Even the revelations (New Yorker, April 12, 2004) that she had idealized her life in these books (and that the family wasn't happy about this) made them, and her, seem more real.
This is not to suggest that I read L'Engle uncritically. If The Young Unicorns was ever a realistic look at gang life (which, truthfully, I doubt), it had ceased to be one by the time I read it in the mid-80s. Certain Women (1992) and a Live Coal in the Sea (1996) interested me because of the characters, but not always because of the writing. Her inclusion of a lesbian character in a teen novel (A House Like a Lotus, 1984) was an unusual step toward diversity for her, but the character's actions in the book were problematic.
I don't often re-read L'Engle these days, though I did in the past. By now I don't need to; phrases and ideas from her work have shaped my thoughts and personality for over two decades. One would like to think that she met her death as philosophically as her characters did; that she learned as much from them as her readers did. Certainly, it would seem that she had a busy and rewarding life.
Allison Angell, Head of Youth Services Benicia (Calif.) Public Library aangell@ci.benicia.ca.usBlogs Worth Bookmarking
Recently, two librarians I know invited other children's librarians to check out their blogs. I think both of them were well worth the time to read, and revisit every so often. Both offered practical ideas; one on collection development, and one on programming:
www.childrensprogramming.blogspot.comBarb Scott is a familiar name to many on the PUBYAC listserv. She often posts great “do it yourself” programming ideas, often focusing on a series of books, or an author, that is popular with kids ages 8-12. On her new blog, she has very simple but clear instructions on doing children's programs, with the theme of a children's book character. Some of these are adaptable for a preschool storytime, like the “Maisy” program, but most are aimed at grades 1-5 who might be coming for an afterschool program. She offers lots of games, crafts, and snack ideas tailored to the theme. All are very inexpensive, and can be done with just one or two staff members and teen volunteers. Check it out!
worththetrip.wordpress.comMany librarians know K.T. Horning; she is a past president of the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC), and wrote FROM COVER TO COVER: EVALUATING AND REVIEWING CHILDREN'S BOOKS , HarperCollins, 1997, which many use as a textbook in library school. Her blog focuses on children's and young adult books with gay and lesbian characters. Of course, she reviews new books, but also goes back to revisit older books and calls those “Retro Reads.” She also does interviews with authors on the blog. Be sure to tell your young adult/teen librarians about this blog, since many of the books she reviews are recommended for the teen section of the library.
Board Book Roundup
by Penny Peck, San Leandro Public LibraryKreloff, Elliot. HARRY BEAR & FRIENDS: OPPOSITES. Blue Apple, 2007. $7.95, ISBN 9781593546014.
The concept of opposites is demonstrated by a bear and other forest animals. A little larger than the average board book, the full color cartoon illustrations are perfect for babies, with just some crayon details. The simple story clearly demonstrates the concept, and the character of Harry Bear is endearing.
The Global Fund for Children. GLOBAL BABIES. Charlesbridge, 2007. $ 6.95, ISBN 9781580891745.
Close-up color photo of babies are set on deeply colored borders, and are captioned with a rhyme celebrating the love of babies around the world. Each photo also states the country in which the baby lives, from Guatemala, to Bhutan; 17 countries are featured. The babies are often seen in a special native costume, and the proceeds from the book sales go to The Global Fund for Children. This received a starred review from Booklist.
Boynton, Sandra. WHAT'S WRONG, LITTLE POOKIE? Random, 2007. $5.99, ISBN 9780375845529.
Another of Boynton's droll board books, featuring cartoon animal characters. Here, Mama Pig guesses what is making Little Pookie cry; he answers “no” at every suggestion. Toddlers will relate to the simple story, and parents will have a laugh, too.
Staake, Bob. THIS IS NOT A PUMPKIN. Little Simon, 2007. $6.99. ISBN 9781416933533.
The surprise ending is perfect for a Halloween storytime! What looks like pumpkin in the realistic illustrations isn't (just) a pumpkin in this brief but memorable story, perfect for the toddler attention span.
Colman, Michelle Sinclair. BEACH BABIES WEAR SHADES. Illus. by Nathalie Dion. Tricycle Press, 2007. $6.95. ISBN 9781582462042.
Retro-style angular color cartoons depict various babies at the beach, along with their parents. In previous board books by this author, such as Urban Babies Wear Black, the joke seems to be for the parent and over the heads of the child, but Beach Babies seems more accessible to young listeners.
Schindel, John. BUSY HORSIES. Photos by Casi Lark. Tricycle Press, 2007. $6.95. ISBN 9781582462233.
This new entry in the “Busy” series focuses on horses; previous books covered dogs, monkeys, penguins, and other animals. Rhythmic text captions dynamic color photos of horses and ponies; sure to be popular.
Fry, Sonali. MY FINEST FRIENDS. Illus. by G Studios. Little Simon, 2007. $8.99, ISBN 9781416927655.
Pale pastel watercolor critters in clothes decorate this simplistic rhyming tale that looks more like a greeting card than a board book for babies and toddlers. Skip.
Taback, Simms. DO YOU HAVE A TALE? Blue Apple, 2007. $8.95. ISBN 9781593546021.
A built-in mouse finger puppet is an element of this book, and even though it is not removable, this may be better for home use than for libraries. The mouse puppet asks each animal pictured in the book whether or not they have a certain body part - a nose, eyes, a mouth, etc. There is repetition, but it doesn't really go anywhere.
Capucilli, Alyssa Satin. KATY DUCK. Illus. by Henry Cole. Little Simon, 2007. $7.99. ISBN 9781416919018.
The first entry in a new series, this stars a little duck who starts dancing school. The story has a great flow, but may be more understandable to preschoolers than to babies. The cartoon illustrations, which appear to be done in colored pencil and watercolor, depict energy and show a lot of personality in the characters. Great for the upper age level of this audience.
Katz, Karen. PEEK-A-BABY. Little Simon, 2007. $6.99, ISBN 9781416936220.
The repetition in the text of “Peekaboo” and “I see you” will engage infants, and the close-up color cartoon faces of the babies will also hold the attention of the board book crowd. The flaps that hide the babies are relatively sturdy, so this would work for a library baby/lapsit storytime.
McGuirk, Leslie. TUCKER'S SPOOKY HALLOWEEN. Candlewick, 2007. $7.99. ISBN 9780763631819.
Tucker is a little white terrier who wants to wear a scary, not cute, costume for Halloween. Forced by his owner to dress like a cowboy, he finds a solution to his problem. The story has a great surprise ending and the clear color cartoon illustrations depict a lot of the action. A winner for preschoolers who like board books, and a great book for Halloween toddler storytime.
Blake, Michel. BABY'S DAY. Photos by Trish Gant. Candlewick, 2007. $5.99. ISBN 9780763633684.
Blake, Michel. LET'S PLAY. Photos by Trish Gant. Candlewick, 2007. $5.99. ISBN 9780763633691.
The “Easy-Open Board Book” series has a great feature - the pages vary in width slightly, which makes it much easier to turn the pages than a regular board book. This devise is perfect for a baby's motor skills. Each page has a b&w photo of a baby with an object; the word for the object captions the photo, and only that object is in color, making it easy for baby to find the rattle, book, or bowl.
Child, Lauren. CHARLIE AND LOLA'S NUMBERS. Candlewick, 2007. $6.99. ISBN 9780763635343.
Child, Lauren. CHARLIE AND LOLA'S OPPOSITES. Candlewick, 2007. $6.99. ISBN 9780763635350.
Known to preschoolers for the picture books and animated TV show starring Charlie and Lola, these characters depict concepts in these board books. Cartoon collage illustrations show the siblings demonstrating the concepts; even those learning to read will enjoy these.
Harper, Jamie. NIGHT NIGHT, BABY BUNDT. Candlewick, 2007. $6.99, ISBN 9780763632397.
Harper, Jamie. SPLISH SPLASH, BABY BUNDT. Candlewick, 2007. $6.99, ISBN 9780763632403.
Each of these color cartoon retro board books is subtitled “A Recipe,” and the first page lists the items you need for either bedtime or bathtime. The text reads like instructions for the activity, and the illustrations show the big sister giving baby a bath and putting him to bed. Great for older toddlers who have a baby at their house.
Sami. YELLOW-RED-BLUE. Blue Apple, 2007. $8.95. ISBN 9781593545871.
Sami. BIG-LITTLE. Blue Apple, 2007. $8.95. ISBN 9781593541644.
Entries in the “Flip-A Face” series, these board books have thick, spongy pages and die cuts. In the first, cutouts show different toddler faces, depicting the title colors yellow, red, and blue. In Big-Little, the concept is depicted by animals; an elephant has a big nose, a bear has a small nose. The simple saturated color cartoon illustrations, the one or two words per picture text, and the thick pages all combine to make a great book for babies and toddlers.
Schachner, Judy. SKIPPYJON JONES UP & DOWN. Dutton, 2007. $6.99. ISBN 9780525478072.
Schachner, Judy. SKIPPYJON JONES COLOR CRAZY. Dutton, 2007. $6.99. ISBN 9780525477822.
The big-eared chihuahua from the picture books is now found in a series of concept board books. Demonstrating opposites and colors, the character is pictured on stark white backgrounds, with crayon scribbles showing items used to teach the concept. Just for fans of this character.
Campbell, Rod. DEAR ZOO: A LIFT-THE-FLAP BOOK. Little Simon, 1982/2007. $6.99. ISBN 9781416947370.
For its 25th anniversary, this has been reformatted as a board book with flaps, which works quite well. It is smaller than the original, and more sturdy; it is also available as a popup book. But the board book size works well, and the simple story of the narrator receiving various animals from the zoo until he gets one that is just right is appropriate for toddlers.
Low, Alice. SUMMER. Illus. by Roy McKie. Random House, 1963/2007. $4.99. ISBN 9780375838705.
Originally in an easy reader format, this small board book has colorful cartoon illustrations that are Seuss-like, and a bouncy rhyming text that celebrates things we all like about summer, like ice cream.
Carle, Eric. MY VERY FIRST BOOK OF ANIMAL SOUNDS. Philomel, 1986/2006. $5.99. ISBN 9780399246487.
Almost like a book of flash cards, the pages are cut in half; a picture of an animal is on the top facing the word for the animal, and below is an animal sound. But they don't match up; the reader needs to flip to match the picture of the cow to the “Moo,” etc. Only the board book version is in print, but it works really well; in fact, it is sturdier than the old picture book version where the pages could tear. Carle's signature torn tissue paper illustrations depict the animals. This will be fun for emergent readers.
Dale, Penny. TEN IN THE BED. Candlewick, 2001/2007. $5.99, ISBN 9780763635145.
A little boy and his stuffed animals act out the popular fingerplay/song. It is no longer a counting song, but one about the names of different animals. Out of print as a picture book, the board version works fine; the colored pencil illustrations work well in this size. Each time an animals falls out of bed, a different onomatopoetic word is shown, such as “plop,” “bang,” or “ouch.”
Carle, Eric. THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR. Philomel, 1969/2007. $14.99, ISBN 9780399247453.
Includes a CD of Eric Carle reading the story. This oversized board book is almost as big as the original picture book, and the sturdy pages will hold up better, too. It doesn't replace the original, but it is a nice alternative. Great for emergent readers who can listen to the story and follow along.
Haskins, Lori. DUCKS IN MUCK. Illus. by Valeria Petrone. Random House, 2000/2007. $4.99. ISBN 9780375840289.
Brown, Margaret Wise. I LIKE STARS. Illus. by Joan PaLey. Random House, 1954/2007. $4.99, ISBN 9780375840272.
Originally issued as easy readers, these have very simple texts that are great for the baby/toddler audience as well as emergent readers. I Like Stars was originally published with different illustrations in the 1950's as a Little Golden Book, written by the author of Good Night, Moon. This new version features cut paper illustrations, in deeply saturated colors, and shows stars in different colors. Duck in Muck shows ducks playing in mud, in deeply colored acrylic illustrations, with a very brief text using words rhyming with “duck.”
Katz, Karen. DADDY HUGS. Little Brown, 2005/2007. $7.99, ISBN 9781416941200.
Katz, Karen. MOMMY HUGS. Little Brown, 2006/2007. $7.99. ISBN 9781416941217.
Still in print as picture books, these counting books are now available as board books and work well in this new format. In each, the parent and baby count activities from one to ten, complete with both the numeral and word for the activity. But there are not actual things to count; we can't count the “seven splishy, splashy bathtub hugs.” The cartoonish illustrations show round-headed characters, and are full of color.
Awdry, The Reverend W. BLUE TRAIN, GREEN TRAIN. Illus. by Tommy Stubbs. Random House, 2007. $4.99, ISBN 9780375839849.
Originally published last year as a picture book, this handheld board book is based on the “Thomas the Tank Engine” TV show. The full color illustrations have an old fashioned look, and the rhyming story depicts a train that works during the day, and one that works at night. Since toddlers love trains, this will be in demand.
Kleinberg, Naomi. TEACHERS! Illus. by Nelson, Mary Beth. Random House, 2007. $4.99, ISBN 9780375837883.
Part of the “Meet the People in Your Neighborhood!” from “Sesame Street.” Elmo and other characters interact with a male and female preschool teacher. The teachers and puppets are photographed and then added to crayon illustration backgrounds. There are also books in the series focusing on firefighters and police officers.
Sesame Street. BABY PLAY. Photos by John E. Barrett. Random House, 2007. $4.99, ISBN 9780375837630.
Sesame Street. BABY SAYS. Photos by John E. Barrett. Random House, 2007. $4.99, ISBN 9780375842016.
Full color photos of babies playing with “Sesame Street” puppets should appeal to the board book audience. The brief text describes what is seen in the photos.
November, Deborah. ELMO'S A B C BOOK. Illus. by Carol Nicklaus. Random, 2007. $4.99. ISBN 9780375840371.
Elmo ponders which letter of the alphabet is his favorite. The full color cartoon illustrations depict the Sesame Street characters on white backgrounds. The text describes the item being discussed, with that specific letter of the alphabet in color while the rest of the text is in black. Fairly effective as an alphabet book, with the added appeal of Elmo.
Submitted by : Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library
Copyright © 1999-2007 Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California. All rights reserved.