BayNews November 2003

NEWS AND NOTES

Mark these meeting dates:

Mark these meeting dates:
Distinguished Round-up: Sunday, February 8, 2004, noon - 4pm at the home of Penny Peck.
Performers' Showcase: Saturday, February 28, 2004, at the San Leandro Public Library.
ACL Meetings, beginning in February: At the Thursday, Feb. 12, 2004 ACL will begin meeting at the Berkeley Public Library, corner of Kittridge and Shattuck. We will meet in Berkeley from February until sometime in the summer, due to construction at the Oakland Main Library, our usual meeting place. Thanks to both libraries for being so generous in hosting our meetings.

Oakland Library Employees of the Year! Mary Schrader, Children's Librarian at Dimond Branch and Nina Lindsay, a Children's Librarian at the Main Library were jointly named the Library Employees of the Year! In addition, Jamie Turbak former Library Aide at Claremont Branch has been appointed Branch Librarian at the Piedmont Avenue Branch. This is a position she has been filling in an interim position for some time.

National Book Award Nominees: The National Book Award winners will be announced on November 19, 2003. The nominees in the Young Peeople's Literature Category are: Paul Fleischman for Breakout, Polly Horvath for The Canning Season, Jim Murphy for An American Plague: The Terrible and True Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, Richard Peck for The River Between Us, and Jacqueline Woodson for Locomotion.

Children's Literature Association comes to Fresno in 2004

The Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children's Literature at California State University, Fresno, will host the 31st annual conference of the Children's Literature Association from June 10-12, 2004, on the Fresno State campus. The conference theme is "Dreams and Visions." About 200 people will travel to Fresno for this conference and local people are also invited. Optional university credit will be available. For information about the Children's Literature Association, see its Web site at www.childlitassn.org. Information about the conference and the call for papers may be seen at the Arne Nixon Center's Web site at www.arnenixoncenter.org. Proposals are due January 31, 2004.

Conference speakers will include Richard Peck, winner of the Newbery medal for A Year Down Yonder; Pam Muñoz Ryan, winner of the Pura Belpré Award for her novel Esperanza Rising; and British author Berlie Doherty, whose novel White Peak Farm will win the 2004 Phoenix award at the conference banquet. The Phoenix Award is given twenty years after publication to the author of a book for children published originally in English that did not win a major award when it first appeared. White Peak Farm has recently been republished in England as Jeannie of White Peak Farm. The conference will offer a discussion of this book by reviewers in the fields of education, English, and library science. The re-titled book is available now from www.amazon.co.uk for $16.13, including shipping. It is not yet available in the USA.

Michael Cart, librarian, writer, lecturer, consultant, critic, and national expert in children's and young adult literature, will deliver the Francelia Butler Plenary Lecture. The invitation to give this lecture is issued annually to a prominent literary critic who specializes in children's literature. The lecture is named in honor of one of the founders of the Children's Literature Association. Cart's latest book is Necessary Noise: Stories about Our Families as They Really Are.

Conference plans include a sunset party in a beautiful garden overlooking the vineyards and orchards of the San Joaquin Valley, a presentation on Finnish children's literature in honor of Arne Nixon's heritage, a display of Finnish books, an exhibition of collector Pamela Harer's Picture Books from Between the Wars, a reception sponsored by ANCA (the Arne Nixon Center Advocates), and an Oz panel discussion.
Full conference and one-day registrations will be offered and banquet tickets will be available separately if space allows.
For more information, contact the Arne Nixon Center by E-mail at [email protected]
or call (559) 278-8116. Updates will be posted on the Center's Web site at www.arnenixoncenter.org.

IS THIS WORTH ALL THE BOTHER? A REVIEW OF MADONNA'S CHILDREN'S BOOK

Madonna. The English Roses. Illustrated by Jeffrey Fulrimari. Callaway, 2003. $19.95, ISBN 0-670-03678-1.

Madonna, one of the best-selling musical recording artists in recent history, is now writing books for children. The English Roses is the first in a proposed series of five picture books by the popstar. Unfortunately, as is true of most celebrities who try to write children's books, her story is too long for the picture book format, and the message concerning the hurtful nature of teasing is far too heavy-handed.
Before you jump to the conclusion that this reviewer is holding Madonna's celebrity against her, as if her fame keeps her for being a good author, I can assure you that is not the case. The best example of a celebrity who is also a wonderful author for children is actress Jamie Lee Curtis, whose fun and funny picture books (Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born), are perfect examples of pacing and interest to the young audience. Another example is actress Julie Andrews, who writes under her married name of Julie Edwards, whose novels The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles and Mandy are popular with middle school readers who don't know she is the actress who played "Mary Poppins."
The "Roses" in the title are four friends who tease a pretty blonde girl named Binah. Now, the fact that a kids pick on each other is an important topic to address. But unfortunately the person teased is often the ugly duckling, not the blonde beauty. One of their mothers convinces them to give Binah a chance, to befriend her, and their fairy godmother shows them Binah at home, scrubbing the floor like Cinderella. Just like Madonna in real life, Binah has no mother so she has to do all the chores and make dinner. The Roses find sympathy for Binah and it all ends well. Madonna is probably well-intentioned, knowing how a child feels who is teased because her mother has died, and the story could help a child in a similar situation. But overall, it is a little too much bibliotherapy for the average reader.
One stand-out of the book is the illustrations. Energetic ink sketches with bright watercolor wash give the look of fashion design sketches, and the girls clothing and style also lend give the appearance of a high fashion design portfolio. And that art style suits the setting and characters; the Roses look and act like some teens.
If you get requests for Madonna's book, I would buy one for a public library. It isn't harmful, just a little boring and may not find repeat readers.
Penny Peck,
San Leandro Public Library

Sex, Death, & Divorce Bibliography

SEX including becoming sexually active, teenage pregnancy & parenting:
Hanging on to Max, Margaret Bechard
Forever, Judy Blume
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ann Brashears
Confessions of a Heartless Girl, Martha Brooks
Ready, Sex, Go series, Kate Cann
Love & Sex: Ten Stories of Truth, Michael Cart (short story collection)
What Kind of Love? The Diary of a Pregnant Teenager, Sheila Cole
Someone Like You, Sarah Dessen
Borrowed Light, Anna Fienberg
Looking for Home, Jean Ferris
Damage, A.M. Jenkins
First Part Last, Angela Johnson
Sloppy Firsts, Megan McCafferty
Chill Wind, Janet McDonald
Spellbound, Janet McDonald
The Perfect Family, Oughton
A Dance for Three, Louise Plummer
Detour for Emmy, Marilyn Reynolds
Sisters on the Homefront, Rita Williams-Garcia

DEATH:
Many Stones, Carolyn Coman
Say Goodnight Gracie, Julie Reece Deaver
A Northern Light, Jennifer Donnelly
Tears of a Tiger, Sharon Draper
Ordinary People, Judith Guest
Out of the Dust, Karen Hesse
Keeper of the Night, Kimberly Willis Holt
A Time for Dancing, Davida Wills Hurwin
The Lightkeeper's Daughter, Iain Lawrence
A Summer to Die, Lois Lowry
any Lurlene McDaniel title
Swallowing Stones, Joyce McDonald
Dana's Valley, Janette Oke
Mick Harte Was Here, Barbara Park
Remembering the Good Times, Richard Peck (suicide)
The Body of Christopher Creed, Carol Plum-Ucci
Striking Out, Will Weaver

DIVORCE:
Stand Tall, Joan Bauer
Tiger Eyes, Judy Blume
Losing Louisa, Judith Caseley
The Steps,Rachel Cohn
Gingerbread, Rachel Cohn
Night Hoops, Carl Deuker
My Not-So-Terrible Time at the Hippie Hotel, Rosemary Graham
Stranger in Dadland, Amy Goldman Koss
Taking Teri Mueller, Mazer
Unfinished Portrait of Jessica, Richard Peck
A Solitary Blue, Cynthia Voight
Claws, Will Weaver

ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS:
Dreamland, Sarah Dessen

Websites with book recommendations/bibliographies:
http://www.seemore.mi.org/booklists/
http://tln.lib.mi.us/~amutch/jen/index.html
http://www.teenreads.com/index.asp (Link no longer works as listed, not active 11/2012 - try www.teenreads.com instead.)

http://livonia.lib.mi.us/children/chlit.html
http://www.kcls.org/newya/deathanddying.cfm

Special thanks to Marcia S. Kalayjian who posted this bibliography on PUBYAC.

Media Watch: New Children's CD's

NEW FROM BAY AREA MUSICIANS:

Maria Cunya. "Music of Maria: Curriculum Songs to Learn and Love." Edukidsongs. Contact [email protected] for order information.
Jazz riffs mix with informational lyrics to combine for a fun and snappy look at educational songs for kids. Because the musical accompaniment is so strong, with keyboards and drums the highlight, adults will enjoy listening to this with their kids. And teachers will want to use these songs in the classrooms and in school assemblies.
Cunya wrote the words and music, and sings lead in a strong alto voice with energy, making the lessons go down easy. Sometimes the songs have a "doo-wop" style that will appeal to a wide audience; this isn't just for little kids but upper elementary students, too. Adults listening to this CD with their in the car will find themselves singing along.
The seven songs cover topics like Metamorphosis, Clouds, Layers of the Earth, the names of the Fifty States, Tidepools, the Solar System, and the Continents and Oceans. These seven cuts are followed by instrumental versions of all seven songs, which include the background vocals. Because Cunya is a classroom teacher, she knew these topics would fit the elementary school curriculum, and that teachers would like instrumental versions to adapt the songs for classroom use.
Maria Cunya is available to visit schools and libraries to conduct singalongs and family concerts. Contact her at [email protected].

Star Tom. "New Hope." Star Tom Music. Contact [email protected] for order information.
Tom McCurry, better known as Star Tom, has a new music CD of original songs. Overall, the acoustic guitar and Tom's voice are well-balanced. The majority of the twelve tunes are sensitive ballads that really grow on the listener.
Some of the songs' lyrics have a theme of a parent talking to a child, about how much the child is loved and protected. On "How Can I Tell You?" he sings "How can I tell you the things I've learned when they've taken a lifetime to know?" Another theme that appears more than once has a slightly spiritual component but is not overtly religious. For example, in "What If I Met Him Tomorrow," the songs ends with the words "He told us peace was his motto, he proved he was true to his word." Another song celebrates the belief that it is better to give than receive, and another explains that we all have gifts to give to our earth.
Tom appears at schools and libraries to lead singalongs or perform family concerts. His songs are those that parents can enjoy as much as the children, with his soothing voice that is a little reminiscent of James Taylor. The mellow sound of his songs will work as lullabies for the youngest listeners. And the CD just gets better on repeat listenings due to the strength of Tom's voice and skilled guitar playing.

NEW FROM STORYTELLER JIM WEISS:

Weiss, Jim. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." Greathall Productions, 2003.

Weiss, Jim. "American Tall Tales." Greathall Productions, 2003.

Weiss, Jim. "Uncle Wiggly's Storybook." Greathall Productions, 2003. Contact www.greathall.com for order information.

Storyteller Jim Weiss has recorded more than 30 CD's, all award winners, and he travels doing storytelling performances across the United States. Now living in Virginia, Weiss used to be a Bay Area resident and is still a favorite. He is unique in that his storytelling CD's are often recorded in an unusual way: he doesn't read from a script but performs the memorized stories as if the microphone is his audience.
He has won the Parent's Choice award, had his recordings named to the ALA/ALSC Notable Children's Recordings list year after year, and his new CD's are just as great as his previous work. His pacing - not too fast, not too slow, is what engages me as a listener, and I think that is true of children who listen to his recordings, too.
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" begins with some biographical information on Mark Twain, and a note on the now unacceptable term "Injun Joe." Weiss follows that with some of the most memorable episodes from the novel; the entire book is not presented word for word, but done like a radio play. As always, Weiss plays all the characters from Aunt Polly to Becky Thatcher to Tom and all the others. This one hour version works as a great introduction and will inspire middle schoolers to read the entire book.
In "American Tall Tales," Weiss recounts the stories of Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, and Pecos Bill. He also includes one original story, "The Fastest Draw in the West," a tongue-twisting tale of the Old West. The story tells of Lucky Luke from Laredo, awash with alliterative names and humorous voices.
"Uncle Wiggly's Storybook" contains seven stories read by Weiss from the original book by Howard R. Garris. These stories feature the gentleman rabbit and his housekeeper Nurse Jane, a muskrat. Weiss begins with an introduction, explaining how this stories are from nearly 100 years ago yet are timeless. This CD is probably best enjoyed by younger children.

FLAT STANLEY - NEW SEQUELS TO AN OLD FAVORITE

Jeff Brown's 1964 classic moving-up story FLAT STANLEY is as popular as ever; in part due to teachers who read the story to their classes, and then have their students make a "Flat Stanley" to send to another school through the mail. This popular project brings the story to life, and has inspired a continued demand for the old favorite. For information on how to mail "Flat Stanley" to another school, similar to having a pen pal, see http://flatstanley.enoreo.on.ca, the website for the Flat Stanley Project.
Brown wrote the original story for his sons, and followed up with a less popular sequel starring the Lambchop family. Working at the New Yorker and Saturday Evening Post magazines was his main job, not writing for children, and then he moved to Hollywood where he worked as a story editor and film producer.
Now retired, Brown has written several sequels staring Stanley, his brother Arthur, and the Lambchops. They all are easy chapter books, perfect for 2nd and 3rd graders ready to try something a little more demanding than an easy reader. The original was illustrated by Tomi Ungerer, and the sequels feature artwork by different illustrators, including Scott Nash and Steve Bjorkman. Even with the 40 year gap, the sequels are written in the same style and tone as the original, with gentle humor and believable fantasy action.
Here is a list of the Flat Stanley books currently available. All are by Jeff Brown, published by HarperCollins:

FLAT STANLEY, 1964.
Hardback, $16.89 - ISBN 0060206810.
Paper, $4.99 - ISBN 0060097914.

STANLEY AND THE MAGIC LAMP, 1996.
Hardback, out of print.
Paper, $4.99 - ISBN 0060097903.

STANLEY, FLAT AGAIN, 2003.
Hardback, $14.99 - ISBN 0060095512.
Paper, $4.99 - ISBN 0064421732.

INVISIBLE STANLEY, 2003.
Hardback, $12.00 - ISBN 0785799974.
Paper, $4.99 - ISBN 0060097972.

STANLEY IN SPACE, 2003.
Hardback, $15.89 - ISBN 0060298278.
Paper, $4.99 - 0064421740.

STANLEY'S CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE, 2003.
Hardback, $15.89 - ISBN 0060298286.
Paper, $4.99 - ISBN 0064421759.

NEW EDITIONS OF OLD FAVORITES

Bond, Felicia. Poinsettia and the Firefighters. HarperCollins, 1984/2003. $15.89. ISBN 0-06-053510-5.
Once a year, local firefighters visit our storytime and talk to the kids, and show them the fire truck. "Poinsettia" is one of my favorite stories to read at this storytime, as a young girl is the heroine who alerts the family to call the fire department. This new edition features new jacket art, but no other changes; since this is such a great book, no changes were needed. A great opportunity to buy replacement copies.

McPhail, David. Henry Bear's Park. Atheneum, 1976/2003. $16.95. ISBN 0-689-83967-7.
The text wasn't changed but the look of this is very different. The original measured 8X7", and was illustrated with ink sketches. The new version of "Henry Bear" is 91/2x11" and features full coloring by John O'Connor - it looks like a picture book now; the earlier version looked like a longer easy reader. Henry tends a park owned by his father, who is away hot air ballooning. This longer story rambles a bit but the artwork is very engaging.

Knight, Hilary. A Christmas Stocking Story. HarperCollins, 1963/2003. $15.89. ISBN 0-06-000986-1.
Originally published as one of the miniature books in the Christmas Nutshell Library, this amusing holiday story should find a wide audience. The rhyming text and color cartoon illustrations, done by the illustrator of the "Eloise" books, hasn't aged at all - animals mix up their stockings and trade what they received with another animal who is better suited to the gift.

Carlson, Nancy. Harriet and the Roller Coaster. Carolrhoda, 1982/2003. $15.95. ISBN 1-57505-053-6.
Loudmouth George can't wait to ride the roller coaster, but Harriet is afraid until she gives it a try. One of Carlson's mildly bibliotherapeutic stories that are popular at my library and with teachers.

Thayer, Jane. The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy. Illus. by Lisa McCue. HarperCollins, 1958/2003. $15.89. ISBN 0-06-052697-1.
The jacket art emphasizes the Christmas-time setting, but this story will appeal all year long. Told from the point of view of a puppy, who asks other dogs if they want to give up their owners, the puppy eventually finds a boy at a group foster home. Sweet but not overly sentimental.

Stamaty, Mark Alan. Who Needs Donuts? Knopf, 1973/2003. $16.95. ISBN 0-375-82550-9.
The extremely detailed ink drawings and wacky plot reminded me of other early 1970's picture books and TV shows. I'm not sure kids nowadays will enjoy this story, of a boy who follows a strange man who has a cartful of donuts. They save a homeless woman who is trapped in flood of coffee by having the donuts soak up the coffee river. Quirky but check it out.

Brown, Margaret Wise. The Little Island. Illus. by Leonard Weisgard. Doublday, 1946/2003. $14.95. ISBN 0-385-74640-7.
This Caldecott winner features the original text and illustrations; this edition appears to have deeper colors, probably better representing the original artwork. The island and the surrounding ocean glow with deep turquoise, greens, blues, and highlights of yellow and black. The story covers the seasons on the island and the wildlife.

DePaola, Tomie. Four Friends in Summer. Simon & Schuster, 1977/2003. $14.95/ISBN 0-689-85693-8.
Originally two chapters in Four Stories for Four Seasons, this works quite well as an independent picture book. The four friends- a cat, dog, pig, and frog reminded me of Frog and Toad in their old fashioned clothing and activities, which include gardening and boating.

Soifer, Margaret and Shapiro, Irwin. Tenggren's Golden Tales From the Arabian Nights. Illus. by Gustaf Tenggren. Golden Books/Random, 1957/2003. $19.95. ISBN 0-375-82636-X.
Tenggren, who provided concept art for Disney's "Snow White" and "Pinocchio," illustrated the best-selling Little Golden Books, including The Poky Little Puppy. His illustrations here are dramatic and reflect the Middle Eastern setting, with costumes and facial features and hair color of people from that area, but without stereotyping. The artwork is not cartoonish but has a sophistication; some of the perspectives are reminiscent of traditional art from India. The stories are children's versions but not "dumbed down;" for example, in "Ali Baba," Kassim's killing is described: "The thieves' scimitars flashed, cutting Kassim's body into quarters." Not for preschoolers, but this collection will be very accessible to the 2nd graders who study folktales and fairytales. The book begins with the story of Scheherazade, which sets up the following ten tales. The source note doesn't specify which translation was adapted but goes into the history of these stories.

Letters to the Editor

Dear Baynews,

Perhaps I'm just biased because I'm a fan of the Trixie Belden series, and I have been since I was 9 years old when my Mom introduced the series to me, a series which she had read since she was around the same age, but this seems pretty unfair. You've never read Nancy Drew and only a few chapters of Trixie Belden, and all ready you are ready to compare the two? Correct me if I'm wrong, but in short all you did was just compare two books you've never read and apparently never took any interest in. I'm sure there are two fruits out there you've never eaten. If you were to present these two fruits, and write a review on them, you would think that readers would have expected that you would have at least tried both of them. If you expect your readers to actually take advice from you, in which of the series to read, shouldn't have at least, say, READ them first?
I'm not going to defend what you said about Trixie "pretty spoiled" and Nancy "plucky heroine" because I am biased. I do prefer Trixie over Nancy. However, what it really seems is that you're going with the flow. You're joining the mainstream by siding with Nancy Drew. I realize that as a librarian, if someone comes to you and says, "I'm looking for a series for my daughter", you're supposed to be able to point them in the right direction. However, being that you obviously haven't read either of them, and never gave either of them the chance, the first thing you do is shoot down Trixie and build up Nancy because Nancy had the bigger audience.
Honestly, I found it very irresponsible for you and Baynews, and your librarian's organization to have let something like this get posted. You've shown how ignorant you are about young girls' mystery series, and you're also not very knowledgeable. Next time you compare two books, please...PLEASE read them first. And, if you don't care to read them, here is some advice for you: don't throw egg on your face right away by ADMITTING that you've never read either one.

Thank you for your time, Anna

Editor Penny Peck's response: Anna's letter is in response to an article announcing the reissue of the Trixie Belden series. I agree that no review should be done on a book that is not read in its entirety - but the article wasn't a review. I didn't read the entire TRIXIE BELDEN book which I spelled out in the article, but I have read several Nancy Drews (not as a child, but in my professional life), so I felt I could make a comparison. Rather than "throwing egg on my face," I thought spelling out that I hadn't read the entire Trixie Belden was only fair (I read up to page 80 and found her character so annoying that I couldn't finish the book). BayViews does not publish reviews unless the reviewer has read the entire book. BayNews does do articles on reissues, etc. sometimes without reading the books in their entirety. But Anna (who didn't leave her last name or library affiliation) brings up two good points: do kids today ask for Trixie Belden books? (In my 18 years on the job, that has never happened). Also, does a librarian have to read every book to be able to recommend books to their students/young patrons? Please send your opinions to [email protected].