Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

The longlist for the Guardian Children's Fiction award has been announced. Here's the link.

(How did I not know Frank Cottrell Boyce has a new novel out? Where have I been?)

Book Review: The World's Greatest: Poems

J. Patrick Lewis and Keith Graves bring together short snappy poems, wacky illustrations, and world records in The World's Greatest: Poems. This delightful and--dare I say it--fun volume of verse pays homage to those Guinness-like records children love so much, with poems and colorful illustrations devoted to things like "The Kookiest Hat" and "The Most Plates Spinning."

It's clear that J. Patrick Lewis understands children based on his selection of poem topics which range from silly ("The Biggest Potato") to cool ("The Highest Air on a Skateboard") to yuck ("The Most Live Scorpions Eaten by a Human"). Lewis's verse complements his subjects beautifully, whether the subject is wistful ("The Longest Time a Message Was in a Bottle at Sea") or silly (The Dumbest Dinosaur"). Keith Graves's illustrations are humorous, colorful, and kid friendly.

The World's Greatest: Poems is best suited for children ages five to eleven when they are at the height of their bragging prowess and when the world's greatest everything most interests them.

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Today's Poetry Friday entry is a poem from The World's Greatest: Poems, which is posted here with J. Patrick Lewis's permission:

"The Tallest Roller Coaster"

You're swerving north,
You're curving south,
Your stomach sits
Inside your mouth.

You hold your breath,
You lose your nerve,
You're scared to death
At every curve.

You're feeling very
Sick, but then
You tell your Dad,
"Let's go again!"

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Other Blog Reviews:

The Miss Rumphius Effect
A Year of Reading
Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Curled Up Kids
Children's Book Page


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Becky of Becky's Book Reviews is on the round up!

A pre-Poetry Friday post

My Poetry Friday post will be up soon (Becky has the roundup this week), but I just wanted to point out two sentences that made me laugh out loud this morning. They're from Steve Almond's essay on the perils of homeownership in today's Salon.

#1: "Yes, along with shopping and invading countries that pose no military threat to us, homeownership is now part of the American Dream lexicon, to be invoked as a single compound noun -- like a German word, only uplifting."

Okay, yes. Sentence #1 is a grammar-nerd sentence, so I love it.

#2: (This exchange is characteristic of my overall attitude when it comes to home improvement.) I am both self-righteous and incompetent, a truly American combination.

Hah! How I can relate. Facing a new roof, new walls, and new floors, I also am self-righteous and incompetent and, frankly, scared out of my gourd. Thanks, Steve, for making my morning brighter.

(He does get called out in the comments for being lazy. I'm guilty of that as well. I'd rather be reading or writing, wouldn't you?)

Playing Catch up/Blog Administration

I'm taking one more day off the blog--a day to catch up, to answer e-mails (Anne, Cyn, interview coming soon!), organize all areas of my life. This is a good week for catch up, though: The Summer Blog Blast Tour is taking the kidlitosphere by storm. Catch the details at Chasing Ray and I'll see you all for Poetry Friday.

In the meantime, I have some blogroll administration to take care of. Is your children's literature or book blog missing from my list? Please do let me know in the comments! (Other bloggers use these lists too, so don't be shy. I've been very distracted the past few weeks, so I know I've missed a number of great new blogs.)

The Summer Blog Blast Tour

The SBBT marches on! Here's today's schedule:

Delia Sherman at Chasing Ray
Ingrid Law at Fuse Number 8
Polly Dunbar at 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Tera Lynn Childs at Bildungsroman
Siena Cherson Siegel at Miss Erin
Barry Lyga at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

Update

Fantastic news: Kid2 does not have a brain tumor or lesion or anything else in his brain. It looks as if we're dealing with some sort of idiopathic epilepsy, which, believe me, looks pretty good at this point. Loads of tests to come, but now I can end my suspended state of animation and get back to work. Regular children's book programming to continue shortly.

(Can you feel the relief through the internet?)

A Very Busy Monday

It's graduation. Rain for the first time in years. Then we're off for a Very Important Medical exam for kid 2 in nearby University City. So, basically, I'm out of here. But, before I go, I wanted to tell you there's lots to read today on the children's book blogs. The Summer Blog Blast Tour begins today! You can find the schedule at organizer Colleen Mondor's blog Chasing Ray. And Elaine Magliaro has a great roundup of other events today at Wild Rose Reader.

Oh, and don't miss my nephew's review of What's Up Duck?, by Tad Hills, if you're in need of a smile.

Best Book Review Ever: Tad Hills's What's Up Duck: A Book of Opposites

My nephew reviewed Tad Hills's newest toddler book, What's Up Duck?: A Book of Opposites, for me this week. Just press play! His reaction to What's Up Duck? tells more than any review I could ever write would. Enjoy!

I'm thinking of hiring my nephew. He's a great reviewer.

Weekend Reviews (I-II)

I hope you all are having a lovely weekend. It's warm and beautiful in Smalltown--just perfect for reading and walking outside.

Here are this weekend's reviews in the major media:

Philip Pullman has written a comic book (The Adventures of John Blake) and a child shares his thoughts on it in the Independent.

Nicholas A. Basbanes reviews children's books with "tall tales and timeout" themes for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Liz Rosenberg reviews three completely incongruous books (The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, Tad Hills toddler book What's Up, Duck?: A Book of Opposites, Gary D. Schmidt's Trouble) in today's Boston Globe.

Weirdest article on Harry Potter ever alert: Titled "In their words: 'Harry Potter isn't that great.' Oh, really?: Columbia College students riff on the boy wizard" the article then consists of five Columbia College students explaining why Harry Potter is, in their opinions, well, great. (Chicago Sun-Times)

Rebecca Young reviews two new picture books starring POTATOES for the Olympian.

Interview Alert: Amanda Craig talks to Celia Rees for the Times.

Denise Hamilton reviews Rick Riordan's The Battle of the Labyrinth for the Los Angeles Times.

Mary Harris Russell reviews five new books for the Chicago Times, including David Almond's latest book.

Diane Samuels reviews Josh Lacey's Bearkeeper for the Guardian.

Rebecca Young considers YA books on the war for the Kansas City Star.

The Canadian Press recommends books for kids on the road.

Susan Perren reviews five new books for the Globe and Mail.

Kate Schatz writes about Ariel Schrag's Berkeley High comic books which are being republished by Simon and Schuster in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Neil Clark makes a case for bringing back Biggles in the Telegraph.

James Holland reviews Amazing Tales for Making Men Out of Boys, by Neil Oliver, for the Telegraph.

Book Review: Imaginary Menagerie (Poetry Friday)

Imaginary Menagerie combines mythological creatures, crisp poems for the four-to eight-year old reader, and sumptuous illustrations into one first-class picture book. Imaginary Menagerie is an instant classic--one that will appeal to boys and girls, one that makes a great bedtime read and a classroom staple. It's a knockout.

Subtitled A Book of Curious Creatures, Imaginary Menagerie puts the emphasis on curious. Poet Julie Larios writes about, or from the point of view of, a variety of fascinating creatures--including the Centaur, Hobgoblins, Gargoyles, Naga, and the Sphinx among others. Larios's poems rhyme, but each individual poem has its own rhyme scheme and meter. Larios keeps it simple for her intended audience, but includes a sly touch of humor or moments of solemnity for older children and adults reading this beauty aloud. Take, for example, the final three lines of the six-line "Centaur": "Can he be half man, half horse?/The answer is no./And yes, of course." Or, consider the final four lines of "Sphinx": "But the cat-man sleeps./He never even stirs./No one can answer/the sand."

And Julie Paschkis's illustrations? They are dramatic, rich in color, and simply gorgeous. They resemble stylized woodcuts infused with deep, warm color. Paschkis modifies her paintings ever so slightly--but not too much so that she loses her own style--to match the culture from which the subject was born. Paschkis's Sphinx is more angular, more elongated than her other subjects, her Firebird explodes into a Russified sky, Thunderbird appears as a totem figure on the move.

Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creatures is a book to treasure, a book to give, a book to keep forever.

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Other Blog Reviews:

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (Don't miss this one: Jules and Eisha share a poem from Imaginary Menagerie and illustrations from the book.)
Charlotte's Library
Kelly Fineman (scroll down)
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I thought of writing an original poem this week on the subject of grading final papers. Then I realized it would go something like this:

grading
grading
grading
grading
gra-

and decided to write a review instead. Here's wishing you a happy Poetry Friday. The Two Writing Teachers are on the roundup.