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February 2010
Special Review / ALA Awards / Syndey Taylor Awards / Charlotte Zolotow Award /
American Indian Youth Lit Award / GLBTQ Books List / Feminist Literature List
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Upcoming Events for Children's Librarians
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Reminder - Time to Renew Your ACL Membership:
January 1, 2010, is the official due date for renewal of memberships. Please go to "Membership" on our web site and print out the application, to be filled in and submitted with dues.
March ACL Meeting in Berkeley:
Just a quick reminder that our meeting on Fri. March 12 will take place at the Berkeley main library, not in Oakland which is our usual location. Oakland was unavailable for this one meeting. To attend the meeting at Berkeley Main, go around to the staff entrance on Bancroft Ave by 9:20am (meeting begins at 9:00am). We will not have our usual coffee and tea available but you may bring your own.
Kirkus Reviews NOT Going Out of Business:
Looks like Kirkus Reviews will live another day to praise -- and skewer -- authors, but with some rather unorthodox owners for a publication with a long literary pedigree.
Herb Simon, the owner of the Indiana Pacers, the NBA team, and chairman emeritus of Simon Property Group, a shopping mall developer, has bought the venerable journal of prepublication book reviews from the Nielsen Company, which announced in December it was closing the magazine.
Martin Scorsese to film The Invention of Hugo Cabret:
He's a master of the crime drama, but one of things that makes Martin Scorsese truly great is his diversity as a director. For his next project, he's tackling a number of genres he's never done before, all in one film -- a science-fiction/fantasy historical fiction family adventure based on the Caldecott award-winning children's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
Described by author/illustrator Brian Selznick as "not a exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things", the massive book chronicles the life of street orphan Hugo, a young boy living in a Paris train station at the turn of the twentieth century. Hugo is obsessed with finishing work on a mechanical man that his late father discovered, while keeping his obsession a secret.
Selznick was inspired in large part by the films of George Melies, and the fact that Melies himself collected turn-of-the-century automatons. Expect to hear some casting news very soon -- Scorsese is scheduled to start shooting in June from a screenplay by John Logan (The Aviator).
U C Berkeley Extention Class - Writing the Young Adult Novel:
Through the reading and discussion of Printz- and Newbery-award-winning novels, examine the elements of craft evident in successful Young Adult novels. You discuss hooks and openings, point of view, voice, revision, as well as what makes a satisfying beginning, middle, and ending. In class writing exercises and the submission and critique of your work give you an opportunity to embark on the creation of a novel of your own. This class is appropriate for writers of all levels.
Instructor Annemarie O'Brien, M.F.A.
Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:30pm beginning March 25 at 1995 University Avenue in Berkeley, x472 | 2 semester units in English,
an elective in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Writing
Some of the readings include Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis; Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan; Newes from the Dead by Mary Hopper; Runt and What's Your Story by Marion Dane Bauer; Sold by Patricia McCormick; The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams; and The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.
For more information, email letters@unex.berkeley.edu
Annemarie O'Brien was awarded the Houghton Mifflin Clarion Harcourt Award for best YA manuscript with Dance with Borzois. She is an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the United States Board on Books for Young People. She also writes reviews for the Association of Children's Librarians.
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!
The 2010 Performers Showcase was held on February 6 at the Fremont Main Library, where 31 groups/ individuals demo'd their children's programming to a full house. The Co-Chairs, Armin Arethna and I, have told of our surprise at the overwhelming number of applicants, and the resulting line-up that consisted of 85% brand new performers with no oldtimers having performed more recently than 2004. Unpredictable, of course, is the quality of the performances, and this year's was superb in both quality and variety. We had bees, jousting Romans, young sister/musicians, a circus of sounds, one of the smallest circuses in the world, environmental music, Nigerian music, shadow puppets and much more. The audience had a real workout as we sang and danced along, and tried to catch the magicians out, but never succeeded.
ACL owes a huge thank you to all the volunteers who made the event run smoothly, including Sheila Dickinson, Pat Toney, Penny Peck and Sherry Kumler, who handled registration, Karen Roy who managed the stopwatch, and Miriam Medow, who helped with performer registration. Armin Arethna and Christina Nypaver worked all day getting the performers in and out on time and connecting them to our rental sound system. Of course Kay Lingo and Karen Pacheco of Fremont Main Library coped graciously with all the expected and unexpected challenges of being the on-site hosts, and many people helped us set up, pack up, clean up and decamp in record time.
All of us over the years have formed personal connections with various of the Bay Area's wonderful children's performers. I thought I'd share with you one of the very nice follow-up messages we received from this year's participants.
From George Martin of the Prairie Rose Band, who commented that
Whether or not we get many jobs out of it, the day was really fun. It reminded me of how much I love librarians. I've never seen or played for such a "live" crowd and went on to share his own history with public libraries.
When I was just a little tyke my mother took me to the library about every 10 days or so, … The librarian in the little town of Crockett, Contra Costa County, was one of my favorite grown-ups. She helped my mother pick out books, and since my favorite was Ferdinand the Bull, she let us renew it over and over. She said if anyone asked for it, she'd need it back, but I don't recall that anyone ever did.
Later as I grew up and read my way through the junior section, she let me check out grown-up books, particularly historical novels. About that time Saran Wrap showed up in my world, replacing waxed paper in my mother's kitchen. I got the idea of making book jackets out of it. The librarian always expressed gratitude for my artistic efforts, although looking back on it I suppose she shelved the book with my art work on it for a few days and probably tossed the covers. I don't think the average library patron would have appreciated a hand-drawn jacket, though I tried so hard to imitate printed lettering.
Last year when I was babysitting my two-year-old grandson a lot I took him to the Richmond West Branch Library for story hours, where I met Sheila Dickinson, another magical librarian. And Christina Nypaver.
Anyway, it was great to be in a whole crowd of you folks.
Shel Silverstein is still loathed and his books still challenged by a few unfortunate nincompoops. He gives readers the raw humor and bite of childhood, which is too overwhelming for some adults, especially some parents and librarians. Mr. Silverstein wrote what he liked and didn't read what critics had to say or compare his work to others. Kids will laugh out loud and make faces and love poetry in spite of themselves if they are given the chance to hear or read Shel Silverstein's poems.
A new 25th anniversary edition of A Light in the Attic has recently been published with a dozen newly added treasures, such as:
BIRTHDAYThe illustration for this poem shows a smiling coiled snake with blazing candles stuck on her back in celebration! In other newly published poems he writes about a scary clam, sucking thumbs and carnivorous televisions.
Other poems from this collection grab readers by the collar, by the throat, by the heart and by the funny bone:
CROWDED TUBHe picks at adults' memories of what it's like to feel rage, to be pouty, hateful, blissful, silly, disgusting, envious, lonely and vibrantly full of explosive goodness and badness. His poems represent the kids playing on concrete sidewalks, kids trapped in school, kids in front of screens, kids who hate their siblings, kids in love with their teachers, kids lost in frustration, kids overwhelmed by an all-encompassing tactile and emotional life, as shown here:
FEARShel Silverstein remained connected to the imaginations and true lives of kids. His illustrations are simple black and white line drawings but are full of movement and expressive emotion:
THE LITTLE BOY AND THE OLD MAN“A Light In the Attic” is still funny after 25 years, and with these dozen newly published poems, Silverstein's work has the magnetic power to pull new audience members into his gloriously silly world. First published in 1981, A Light In the Attic was the first children's book to make it to the New York Times bestseller list where it stayed for 182 weeks!
Hopefully a giant vault exists somewhere containing more unpublished poetry by Mr. Silverstein. And hopefully grownups will bestow his books upon happy readers all over the world for at least 25 more years.
Silverstein, Shel. A Light in the Attic: Special Edition. Harper, 2009. $18.99. ISBN 978-0-06-190585-8.
AWARDS ANNOUNCED
BOSTON - The American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, audiobooks and video for children and young adults - including the Caldecott, King, Newbery and Printz awards - at its Midwinter Meeting in Boston.
A list of all the 2010 literary award winners follows:
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature.
When You Reach Me, written by Rebecca Stead, is the 2010 Newbery Medal winner, published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.
Four Newbery Honor Books were named:
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip Hoose and published by Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly and published by Henry Holt and Company.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin and published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children.
The Lion & the Mouse,illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney, is the 2010 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers.
Two Caldecott Honor Books were named:
All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon and published by Beach Lane Books.
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults.
Going Bovine, by Libba Bray, is the 2010 Printz Award winner, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House.
Four Printz Honor Books were named:
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith, by Deborah Heiligman, published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.
The Monstrumologist, by Rick Yancey, published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Group.
Punkzilla, by Adam Rapp, published by Candlewick Press.
Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973, by John Barnes, published by Viking Children's Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.
Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults.
Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, is the 2010 King Author Book winner. The book is illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, published by Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
One King Author Honor Book was selected:
Mare's War, by Tanita S. Aavis , published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
My People, illustrated and written by Charles R. Smith Jr., is the 2010 King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Langston Hughes and published by Ginee Seo books, Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected:
The Negro Speaks of Rivers, by N. Joy, illustrated by E. B. Lewis, written by Langston Hughes and published by Disney - Jump at the Sun Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group.
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
The Rock and the River, written by Kekla Magoon is the 2010 Steptoe winner. The book is published by Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.
Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
Walter Dean Myers is the winner of this first-ever Coretta Scott King - Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children's author Virginia Hamilton. Myers' books include: Amiri & Odette: A Love Story, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; Fallen Angels, published by Scholastic Press; Monster, published by Amistad and HarperTeen, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers; and Sunrise Over Fallujah, published by Scholastic Press.
Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody the artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
Django, written and illustrated by Bonnie Christensen and published by Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press wins the award for young children (age 0 to 10).
Anything but Typical, by Nora Raleigh Baskin and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers is the winner in the middle grades category (age 11-13).
Marcelo in the Real World, written by Francisco X. Stork and published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., is the winner in the teen category (age 13-18).
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award the most distinguished book for beginning readers.
Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!, written and illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes is the 2010 Geisel Award winner, published by TOON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC
Four Geisel Honor Books were named:
I Spy Fly Guy!, written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold and published by Scholastic.
Little Mouse Gets Ready, written and illustrated by Jeff Smith and published by TOON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC.
Mouse and Mole: Fine Feathered Friends, written and illustrated by Wong Herbert Yee and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day, written by Kate McMullan, illustrated by R. W. Alley and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.
Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. Jim Murphy is the recipient of the 2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award. His books include: An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, published by Clarion Books; Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; The Great Fire, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; The Long Road to Gettysburg, published by Clarion Books; and A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy, published by Clarion Books.
The Pura Belpré Award honoring Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children's books.
Rafael López, illustrator of Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros, written by Pat Mora and published by Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers is the winner of the 2010 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award.
Julia Alvarez, author of Return to Sender, published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, is the 2010 Pura Belpré Author Award recipient.
Three Honor Books for illustration:
Diego: Bigger Than Life, illustrated by David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and published by Marshall Cavendish Children.
My Abuelita, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Tony Johnston and published by Harcourt Children's Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Gracias Thanks, illustrated by John Parra, written by Pat Mora and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.
Two Author Honor Books were named:
Diego: Bigger Than Life, illustrated by David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and published by Marshall Cavendish Children.
Federico García Lorca, written by Georgina Lázaro, illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro and published by Lectorum Publications Inc.
Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children.
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, written by Tanya Lee Stone is the 2010 Sibert Award winner, published by Candlewick Press.
Three Sibert Honor Books were named:
The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors, written by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani and published by Charlesbridge.
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, written and illustrated by Brian Floca, and published by Richard Jackson/Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, written by Phillip Hoose and published by Melanie Kroupa/Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.
Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video.
Paul R. Gagne and Mo Willems of Weston Woods, producers of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, are the 2010 recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video. The video is based on the book of the same name written and illustrated by Willems; it was narrated by Willems and Jon Scieszka with animation by Pete List.
Mildred L. Batchelder Award for the most outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States.
A Faraway Island is the winner of the 2010 Mildred L. Batchelder Award. Originally published in Swedish in 1996 as "En ö i havet," the book was written by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenck, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.
Three Batchelder Honor Books also were selected:
Big Wolf and Little Wolf, written by Nadine Brun-Cosme, illustrated by Olivier Tallec, translated by Claudia Bedrick and published by Enchanted Lion Books.
Eidi, written by Bodil Bredsdorff, translated by Kathryn Mahaffy and published by Farrar Straus Giroux.
Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness, written by Nahoko Uehashi, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, translated by Cathy Hirano and published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic
The 2010 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production is Live Oak Media for Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken. The book was written by Kate DiCamillo and narrated by Barbara Rosenblat.
Three honor titles were named:
In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber, produced by Listen & Live Audio; written by L. A. Meyer and narrated by Katherine Kellgren.
Peace, Locomotion,produced by Brilliance Audio, written by Jacqueline Woodson and narrated by Dion Graham.
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, produced by Brilliance Audio, written by Kadir Nelson and narrated by Dion Graham.
William C. Morris Award
William C. Morris Award honors a book written by a first-time author for young adults: Flash Burnout, written by L.K. Madigan, is the Morris Award winner. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff, published by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group.
Everything Matters! by Ron Currie, Jr., published by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group.
The Good Soldiers by David Finkel, published by Sarah Crichton Books, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
The Kids Are All Right: A Memoir by Diana Welch and Liz Welch with Amanda Welch and Dan Welch, published by Harmony Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman, published by Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group.
My Abandonment by Peter Rock, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Soulless: An Alexia Tarabotti Novel by Gail Carriger, published by Orbit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group.
Stitches: A Memoir by David Small, published by W.W. Norton & Company.
Tunneling to the Center of the Earth by Kevin Wilson, published by Harper Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins.
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith, written by Deborah Heiligman, is the winner of the first-ever YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award. The book is published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.
May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture recognizing an individual of distinction in the field of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site. Lois Lowry , will deliver the 2011 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. The internationally acclaimed author's career spans more than 30 years. She is a two-time recipient of the Newbery Medal, in 1990 for Number the Stars, set in Denmark during World War II, and in 1994 for the eerily dystopian The Giver. Both books are published by Houghton Mifflin.
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 of librarians and other children's literature experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALA Web site at www.ala.org .
The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Younger Readers:
The Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Younger Readers:
The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Older Readers:
The Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Older Readers:
The Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Teen Readers: Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle
The Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Teen Readers:
Notable Books for Younger Readers:
Notable Books for Older Readers:
Notable Books for Teens:
NOTABLE BOOK FOR READERS OF ALL AGES:
Notable titles, and more information about the Sydney Taylor Book Award, may be found online at www.SydneyTaylorBookAward.org .
What Can You Do with a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla is the thirteenth annual winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book. The award is given by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, a library of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The 2010 Zolotow Award committee named three Honor Books:
Birds, written by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek.
Pouch!, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein.
Princess Hyacinth: (The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated), written by Florence Parry Heide, illustrated by Lane Smith.
The 2010 Zolotow Award committee also cited four titles as Highly Commended:
Hello Baby!, written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Steve Jenkins.
Ready for Anything!, written and illustrated by Keiko Kasza.
Under the Snow, written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Constance R. Bergum.
Who Will I Be, Lord?, written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and illustrated by Sean Qualls..
For more information on the Zolotow Award, including a complete list of winners, honor books, and highly commended titles, go to: http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/zolotow.asp
The American Indian Library Association (AILA), an affiliate of the American Library Association, has selected A Coyote Solstice Tale written by Thomas King and illustrated by Gary Clement; Meet Christopher: An Osage Indian Boy from Oklahoma by Genevieve Simermeyer, and Between the Deep Blue Sea by Me: A Novel by Lurline Wailana McGregor as recipients of the third American Indian Youth Literature Awards.
The Awards are given for three categories: Best Picture Book, Best Middle School Book, and Best Young Adult Book. The winners of the 2010 awards are:
The AILA awards recognize excellence in books by and about American Indians. By identifying and honoring outstanding writing and illustrations in the field of children's literature, AILA encourages authors, illustrators, editors, publishers and tribal entities to create materials that present Native Americans in the fullness of their humanity in present and past contexts.
The winners will each receive a cash award and a beaded medallion featuring the AILA awards logo. The awards presentation will take place from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 28 during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table and the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association compiled a list of recommended books for children and teens with authentic GLBTQ content.
We just can't wait any longer! The 2009-2010 Amelia Bloomer Project committee proudly releases the 2010 Amelia Bloomer List! This list is in alphabetical order by author; a more formalized list (sorted by reading categories, with an introduction and annotations), is forthcoming.
Submitted by : Penny Peck, San Leandro Public Library
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