Updating the Blogroll!

Once a month or so, I update the blogroll. I know it's huge, but I also know that people use it as a resource to check out the kidlit blogs. So I keep adding new sites when needed.

Here's what I've noticed and added this month:

3 new author blogs:

• Leo Landry, children's book author and illustrator, has a great new blog: Leoland. He posts about his work and includes lots of his illustrations.
• (The) Julius Lester has entered the blogosphere with thoughtful posts at A Commonplace Book.
• Children's book author, horse fanatic, and Cybils Picture Book judge, Nikki Tate discusses writing, horses, and life at Work in Progress.

2 new kidlit blogs:

• Lady Schrapnell (that's a name!) hosts So Many Books. This is not a new blog, but for some reason I only found it recently.
• Tricia, a prof. from Richmond, VA, writes about children's books and teaching at The Miss Rumphius Effect. Welcome, Tricia!

1 new general book blog:

• Gwenda Bond, a writer and columnist, writes about books of all types (including YA) at Shaken & Stirred. Great content, excellent roundups.

Corrected one glaring omission:

• A blog I read frequently was somehow missing from my blogrolls! Alvina's Bloomabilities. Alvina also writes for Blue Rose Girls and is an editor in NYC. Why Bloomabilities was missing from my blogroll, I'll never know.

Also, I promise to update my "reading" and "listening" notes. For a month they've been static. (The reading hasn't been. I just sort of forgot about that part of the blog!) Now that I'm reading for the Cybils (MG Fiction), I'll keep you posted.

Sad News from the Wiggles

This just in from CNN/AP: There's to be a Wiggles press conference today and "reports said the group was likely to announce the departure of the 'Yellow Wiggle,' Greg Page."

Apparently, Page is suffering from an "unexplained illness."

Review: Smile

This capsule review was written by Alice Herold.

Smile! by Geradine McCaughrean encourages the reader to have a fresh look at the power of photographs. Children for example, can be forever young. A photograph stops time! The photographer in the story, aptly named Flash, is a magician, a maker of pictures.

Flash's plane crashes into the wilderness. He is clutching a cheap, instant camera and has ten pictures left. Read this book to discover what he photographs and why and how the camera helps his rescuers to find him.

Many questions remained unasnswered, adding to the suspense. Was there a remote village? Was there a girl named Sutira? Did the instant camera exist? What would you photograph if you had 10 pictures only? This is a clever, thought-provoking book to be enjoyed by all ages!

Where have I been all day?

It's been a busy day today, finalizing the Cybils Fiction Picture Book list and ordering all outstanding titles from publishers (who have been great). Why so, so busy? No big deal, getting a list together, right? Well here's the list of readers' favorites of 2006:


Across the Alley Written by Richard Michelson; illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Adele & Simon Written and illustrated by Barbara McClintock
The Adventures of the Dish and the SpoonWritten and illustrated by Mini Grey
The Adventures of Margaret Mouse: School Days Written by Cherokee Wyatt; illustrated by Angela M. Redmon
The Adventures of Odysseus Written by Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden; illustrated by Christina Balit
AlphaOops: The Day Z Went First Written by Alethea Kontis; illustrated by Bob Kolar
Ancient Thunder Written and illustrated by Leo Yerxa
Are You Quite Polite? Silly Dilly Manners Songs Written by Alan Katz; illustrated by David Catrow
Augustine Melanie Watt
Bats at the Beach Written and illustrated by Brian Lies
Beach Written and illustrated by Elisha Cooper
Black? White! Day? Night!-A Book of Opposites Written and illustrated Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Boo’s Dinosaur Written by Betsy Byars; illustrated by Erik Brooks
Bringing Asha Home Written by Uma Krishnaswami; illustrated by Jamel Akib
The Buffalo Soldier Written by Sherry Garland; illustrated by Ronald Himler
Caleb’s Birthday Wish Written by David Villanueva; illustrated by Edmundo Sanchez
Carrot Soup Written and illustrated by John Segal
Ceci Ann’s Day of WhyWritten by Christopher Phillips; illustrated by Shino Arihara
Cheep! Cheep! Written by Julie Stiegemeyer; illustrated by Carol Baicker-McKee
Christmas at the Candle Factory Written by Barbara L. Johns; illustrated by Carolyn R. Stich
Christmas in the Trenches Written by John McCutcheon; illustrated by Henri Sorensen
Chowder Written and illustrated by Peter Brown Little, Brown Young Readers
The Closet Ghosts Written by Uma Krishnaswami; illustrated by Shiraaz Bhabha
A Coach’s Letter to his Son Written by by Mel Allen; illustrated by John Thompson
Destructo Boy and Spillerella…We Are Who We Are! Written and illustrated by Howard Shapiro
Duck and Goose Written and illustrated by Tad Hills
Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct Written and illustrated by Mo Willems
Emily’s Balloon Written and illustrated by Komako Sakai
Estelle Takes a Bath Written by Jill Esbaum; illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma
Fish Kisses and Gorilla Hugs Written and illustrated by Marianne Richmond
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves Written by Julia Rawlinson; illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
Flotsam Written and illustrated by by David Wiesner
The Flower Ball Written by Sigrid Laube; illustrated by Silke Leffler
Fly, Little Bird Written and illustrated by Tina Burke
For You are a Kenyan Child Written by Kelly Cunnane; illustrated by Ana Juan
The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights Written by David A. Uffer; illustrated by Kirsten Carlson
Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese Written by Frank Hollon, Mary Grace, Dusty Baker; illustrated by Elizabeth O. Dulemba
Granny Gert and the Bunion Brothers Written by Dotti Enderle; illustrated by Joe Kulka Gwango’s Lonesome Trail Written and illustrated by Justin Parpan
Half of an ElephantWritten by Gusti
Hippo! No, Rhino Written and illustrated by Jeff Newman
Hop! Plop! Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Tali Klein; illustrated by Olivier Dunrea
How the Moon Regained her Shape Written by Janet Ruth Heller; illustrated by Ben Hodson
If You Were a Parrot Written by Katherine Rawson; illustrated by Sherry Rogers
I’m Not a Baby Written and illustrated by Jill Mcelmurry
Im Not Cute! Written and illustrated by Jonathan Allen
Jack and the Beanstalk Written by E. Nesbit; illustrated by Matt Tavares
John, Paul, George, and Ben Written and illustrated by Lane Smith
Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel Written by Anthony D. Robles; illustrated by Carl Angel; translated by Eloisa D. de Jesus
Learning to Fly Written and illustrated by Sebastian Meschenmoser
Library Lion Written by Michelle Knudsen; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Little Bunny Kung Fu Written and illustrated by Regan Johnson
Little Dog Written and illustrated by Lisa Jahn-Clough
Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin Written by Michelle Lord; illustrated by Felicia Hoshino Lucy Goose Goes to Texas Written by Holly Bea; illustrated by Joe Boddy
Lost and Found Written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Love, Ruby ValentineWritten by Laurie B. Friedman; illustrated by Lynne Woodcock Cravath
Love You When You WhineWritten by Emily Jenkins; illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier
Mama, I’ll Give You the World Written by Roni Schotter; illustrated by S. Saelig Gallagher
Max’s Words Written by Kate Banks; illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Mia’s Story Written and illustrated by Michael Foreman
The Mice of Bistrot de Sept Freres Written and illustrated by Marie LeTourneau
Mine! Mine! Mine! Written by Shelly Becker; illustrated by Hideko Takahashi
Mom and Dad are Palindromes: A Dilemma for Words...and Backwards Written by Mark Shulman; illustrated by Adam McCauley
Mommy? by Maurice Sendak, Arthur Yorinks, and Matthew
Moongirl Written by Henry Selick; illustrated by Peter Chan and Courtney Booker
The Mountain that Loved a Bird Written by Alice McLerran; illustrated by Stephen Aitken
The Munched-up Garden Written by Nancy Allen; illustrations by K. Michael Crawford Museum Trip Written and illustrated by Barbara Lehman
Ninety-Three in My Family Written by Erica S. Perl; illustrated by Mike Lester
Nutmeg Written and illustrated by David Lucas Knopf Books for Young Readers
Oh No, Not Ghosts! Written by Richard Michelson; illustrated by Adam McCauley
Once Upon a Banana Written by Jennifer Armstrong; illustrated by David Small
On Top of Spaghetti Written and illustrated by Paul Brett Johnson
Pinkalicious Written by Elizabeth Kann; illustrated by Victoria Kann
A Place Where Sunflowers Grow Written by Amy Lee-Tai; illustrated by Felicia Hoshino
The Plight of the Queen Bee Written and illustrated by Simone Fairchild
The Prince’s BedtimeWritten by Joanne Oppenheim; illustrated by Caroline Pedler and Miriam Latimer
The Princess and the Pea Written and illustrated by Lauren Child; photographs by Polly Borland
Probuditi! Written and illustrated by by Chris Van Allsburg
Red Fox at McCloskey’s Farm Written by Brian Heinz; illustrated by Chris Sheban
The Red Lemon Written and illustrated by Bob Staake
Rock 'n' Roll Dogs Written by David Davis; illustrated by Chuck Galey
Sadie Can Count Written by Ann Cunningham
Sail Away, Little Boat Written by Janet Buell; illustrated by Jui Ishida
Scaredy Squirrel Melanie Watt
Shadow: The Curious Morgan Horse Written and illustrated by Ellen F. Feld
Shelby Written by Stacy A. Nyikos; illustrated by Shawn N. Sisneros
The Shivers in the FridgeWritten by Fran Manushkin; illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
Silly Suzy Goose Written and illustrated by by Petr Horacek
Singing Shijimi Clams Written and illustrated by Naomi Kojima
So Few of Me Written and illustrated Peter H. Reynolds
Sound of Colors: A Journey of the Imagination Written and illustrated by Jimmy Liao
Sparks Fly High: The Legend of Dancing Point Written by Mary Quattlebaum; illustrated by Leonid Gore
Stanley Goes Fishing Written and illustrated by Craig Frazier
Stoo Hample's Book of Bad Manners Written and illustrated by Stoo Hample
The Talking Vegetables Written by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert; illustrated by Julie Paschkis
The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers Written by Caroline Arnold; illustrated by John Sandford
The Three Witches Written by Zora Neale Hurston; illustrated Faith Ringgold
Tudley Didn’t Know Written and illustrated by John Himmelman
Uno’s Garden Written and illustrated by Graeme Base
Waiting for Gregory Written by Kimberly Willis Holt; illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska
Walk On: A Guide for Babies of All Ages Written and illustrated by Marla Frazee
When Giants Come to PlayWritten by Andrea Beaty; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
When You Were Small Written by Sara O'Leary; illustrated by Julie Morstad
Winter is the Warmest Season Written and illustrated by Lauren Stringer
Wolves Written and illustrated by Emily Gravett
Wrestler Oddie Written by Grant Slatter; illustrated by Taylor and Wearin
Year of the Dog: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac Written by Oliver Chin; illustrated by Jerimiah Alcorn
Yesta's Sweater Written by Sylvia Olsen; illustrated by Joan Larson
Zoolidays Written by Rolandas Kiaulevicius; illustrated by Bruce Glassman

Now I can turn my attention to my own committee: Middle Grade Fiction nominating committee.

Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books

The BBC reports the results of the Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children's Books.

0-7 years: Little Lost Cowboy, by Simon Puttock and Caroline Jayne Church

8-12 years: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by You Know Who

13-16 years: Roxy's Baby by Catherine MacPhail

The Royal Mail Awards are decided partly by popular vote. Shortlists were created by "by a panel of literature and education experts." Kids then voted for their favorite books in each category.

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On a totally unrelated note, I can only say ewww to this newsreport. The author, of course, said he wrote his book because he, " didn't like a lot of the children's literature that [he'd] seen...."

The Edge of the Forest #9

The November edition of The Edge of the Forest is up!

In short, here's what's in store this month:

• New this month: Sounds from the Forest, a podcast column produced by Andrea and Mark of Just One More Book!! This month find out what the folks at the Classof2k7 are up to!
• Little Willow brings the Blogging Writer interview back, speaking with the ever-smart, fabulous Lisa Yee.
• An interview with Sebastian Meschenmoser, author of Learning to Fly, by yours truly.
• Pam Coughlan continues her series on funny books for kids with Bring on the Funny III. This month she recommends hilarious books for those tricky teens.
• Michele Fry considers Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series.
• Adrienne Furness recommends board books for the youngest readers in The Latest in Board Book Technology.
• Kim Winters contributes two columns this month, speaking to Illinois SCBWI members for What's in their Backpacks? and children's writer, Carolyn Crimi, for A Day in the Life.
• Reviews in all categories—from Picture book to Young Adult.
• Kid Picks is Teen Picks this month! Little Willow talks books with some pretty smart high school students.
• Don't forget to subscribe to The Edge of the Forest with our Subscribe feature. Just enter your name and e-mail address and you'll receive notification when each new issue is published.

The Edge of the Forest will return December 18 with our final issue of 2006 (#10).

Review: Blast from the Past: Ben Franklin's Fame

This book was reviewed by Alice Herold, new reviewer at Big A little a.

Throw away the history books! Order the series, Blast From The Past by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon (illustrated by Guy Francis).

As elementary school teachers, we are faced with the impossible task of teaching language arts and math standards with only minutes left for social studies and science. Reading the Blast from the Past series aloud would be a way to combine language arts and social studies. Better yet, order a class set and use it as a springboard for an in-depth study of famous Americans or for studying (and creating) inventions.

I read Blast from the Past: Ben Franklin's Fame. How refreshing for the children to learn about the innovative, creative mind of Ben Franklin. Creativity has been left behind in the wake of skill, drill, and kill! The authors deftly combine learning in the guise of a two hour time travel trip. They cleverly combine fiction (Deutsch) with fact (Cohon). They even include a timeline of Franklin's life. Aside to standards police--Reading a timeline is a California state standard.

Abigail, a 3rd grader, along with 3 of her friends belong to a History Club, which meets each Monday (sponsored by Mr. Caruthers, a beloved social studies teacher). Abigail and friends have been commissioned to stop history from being rewritten by Babs Magee. They jump into a time travel machine created by their mentor and trace Ben Franklin's life from Philadelphia when he signed the Declaration of Independence all the way back to 1718 when he was just a child. (The author interjects that Franklin loved to read more than anything else. This was a wise comment, not unnoticed by the teacher part of me.) The authors allotted a few pages at the end of the book to separate fact from fiction. In conclusion, take a time travel machine (the fastest one possible) to your nearest bookshop and support the creative endeavors of Deutsch and Cohon!

New Reviewer at Big A little a

It's been really busy around here these days, with The Edge of the Forest (new edition out tomorrow!) and The Cybils. But, I've had a recent stroke of luck. My mom, Alice Herold, has volunteered to review for Big A little a. Now as you all know, I love free labor and working with a mom is easier than coaxing an eleven year old to write a review. So, I'm thrilled beyond belief.

And, my luck goes beyond the free subcontracting bit. My mother happens to be qualified: she has taught in the California public schools (everything from K-5th) for over thirty years and is a consultant for a GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) program. Oh, and she's a lifelong reader and "reader-aloud-er."
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I still haven't figured out how to work the multiple profiles on blogger beta, so, for the meantime, I'll note which reviews are hers.

Weekend Reviews (II)

I hope your long weekend (if you live in the U.S.) has been all you've wanted it to be. (I wanted to say "productive," but then I realized that others may have been going for "relaxing" or "fun.") In any case, weekend reviews are popping up everywhere, most often in the form of year-end lists. Here's a summary:

Edward Bloor's London Calling is the Washington Post "Book of the Week."

Mary Harris Russell reviews six new children's books for the Chicago Tribune. This week she considers:

• Dizzy, by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Sean Qualls ("Strong words and pictures are well-matched here")
• Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter, by Susan Goldman Rubin ("Susan Goldman Rubin's emphasis is on Warhol's development as an artist...")
• No Dessert Forever!, by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Peter Catalanotto ("Almost any age can enjoy the theater of threat")
• Snow, by Joan Clark, pictures by Kady MacDonald Denton ("Like sun on a bright and sparkling snowfall, there's a lightness to this entire story...")
• The Red Chalk, by Iris van der Heide, illustrated by Marije Tolman ("Sara is bored. She thinks she never has the right thing to play with, so she's always trying to trade for something else...")
• The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems, compiled and illustrated by Jackie Morris ("elegantly arranged and illustrated")

You know, holiday season is coming up and people have suggestions. This week, fortunately, the suggestions are good, interesting ones.

The wonderful Amanda Craig recommends books for children ages 11 and up in the Times. Highlights include:

• Carole Wilkinson’s Dragonkeeper
• The Tide Knot, by Helen Dunmore (yes!)
• Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series

Amanda Craig also suggests holiday books for children ages 2-6 and 7-10 this week.

Julia Null Smith makes some great book recommendations for children of all ages in the Austin American-Statesman.

Public Service Annoucement: Adult Reads

I never review adult books, but every so often I can't help but make a public service announcement about a book I just loved for one reason or another.


Kate Atkinson is one of my favorite writers. Her books are clever, funny, and beautifully written. I've reread everything she's written at least once. Her new novel and second mystery, One Good Turn, is truly excellent. Part send-up of the Edinburgh Festival, part mystery, part comedy, and part meditation on the nature of coincidence, One Good Turn is a great read.


Oh, and fellow Scotsman and writer, Ian Rankin had the following to say in the Guardian article "Writers and critics make their picks of 2006": "Kate Atkinson's One Good Turn (Doubleday) is the most fun I've had with a novel this year. It's a convoluted murder mystery set in Edinburgh during the height of the festival season, and features a wimpish crime writer who better not be based on me."

HP Contest

Waterstone's and the Guardian are running a new contest. Here are the details:

• "Send us your most creative suggestion for the title of the seventh Harry Potter and the one we judge the best wins a fantastic prize, courtesy of Warerstone's: a signed JK Rowling bookplate. "

Also, "two runners-up will win a Best of 2006 children's library of 10 books. All three winners will also get a copy of David Langford's The End of Harry Potter?"

Now I'm not good at titles, so the library interested me the most. Which are the ten selected works? Here they are:

• The End by Lemony Snicket
• Horrid Henry and the Football Fiend by Francesca Simon
• Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
• Blood Fever by Charlie Higson
• Candy Floss by Jacqueline Wilson
• Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz
• Starring Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson
• Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer
• Sir Thursday by Garth Nix
• Soul Eater by Michelle Paver

Contest closes Dec. 6.

Review: Kiki Strike

This is the first in a series of reviews I'll be posting of books nominated for The Cybils in the Middle Grade Fiction category. I'm a member of the nominating committee and have thirty five books left (of 63 nominated titles) to read during the next few weeks.

I picked up Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City first, because so many other bloggers have loved it and now I know why. This book rocks! In fact, Kiki Strike is a book you can safely give to any girl ages nine and up. (Boys may enjoy Kiki Strike as well, but it's very much a girl power book, with nary a positive boy character in sight.)

Kiki Strike is written from Ananka Fishbein's point of view and begins when Ananka, at the time only twelve years old, spies an unusual sinkhole from the window of her Manhattan apartment. No one else is awake, so she leaves her home to take a closer look. On one side of the hole, just below the street's surface, is a perfectly preserved room. Before morning, the sinkhole is gone.

But Ananka had seen it and sets about investigating the Shadow City, a city built beneath the streets of New York. Fortunately for Ananka, her parents are perpetual PhD students and, as such, have a huge library devoted to a variety of arcane subjects. Before long, Ananka is exploring New York City with a copy of Glimpses of Gotham in her hands. She's soon noticed, at school, by a mysterious girl with white hair. Kiki Strike. Suddenly Ananka sees Kiki everywhere.

When Ananka is accused by the school bully, Princess Sidonia (of Pokrovia)* of stealing a diamond ring, Kiki comes to her rescue. And, invites her to (of all things) a girl scout meeting. Kiki has gathered a group of tween girls together, each with a special talent, in order to explore the Shadow City. There's Oona (hacker/forger/genius), Luz (engineer extraordinaire), DeeDee (chemist and explosives expert), Betty (fashion designer and master of disguise), Ananka (who doesn't know why she's there), and, of course, Kiki herself, who's a master spy and kung fu artist. The girls call themselves The Irregulars and hit the tunnels beneath NYC.

Many exciting things happen after the girls begin exploring the tunnels. There's an explosion, Kiki disappears, only to reappear a few years later when a mystery heats up. Kiki Strike is a plot-heavy book in a good way: it's always interesting and keeps you guessing. I didn't know what would happen until the very end. Kirsten Miller's characterization skills are especially adept: each girl has a strong, recognizable character; we don't know Kiki's motives or, indeed, whether she's "good" or "bad" until the final chapter; and Ananka is a hard-headed, reliable narrator with whom the reader empathizes from the first page. Here's what Ananka has to say, for example, about being a girl:

• "I've always found that one of the biggest benefits of being a girl is that most people refuse to take you seriously. While boys must be constantly monitored and are always the first suspects when anything goes wrong, everyone expects girls to do what they're told. It may seem a little insulting at first, but low expectations can be a blessing in disguise. If you're smart, you can use people's foolishness to your own advantage. It's amazing what you can get away with when no one bothers watching."

Kiki Strike is highly, highly recommended for readers ages nine to ninety nine. It's the perfect book for a long trip or a snowy afternoon. And, Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City is Kirsten Miller's first novel. Here's hoping we'll see more of Kiki and friends in the future.

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* The fall of the Soviet Union has been a boon for Young Adult authors. Need a kingdom? Look no further! Everyone from Pokrovia speaks Russian in Kiki Strike.

Weekend Reviews (I)

Wow, this week has just zoomed past, hasn't it? It's time already for the weekend reviews. Here's the first of them:

Elizabeth Ward recommends new Middle Grade Fiction for the Washington Post. Titles condsidered include:

• The White Elephant, by Sid Fleischman ("Fleischman, a Newbery medalist, excels in this funny, heart-warming tale of old Siam, every sentence as sharp as an elephant prod.")
• The Mailbox, by Audrey Shafer ("Audrey Shafer builds a story finely balanced between mystery...and meditation -- on loneliness, love and what a boy really needs to make a life")
• Grandfather's Dance, by Patricia MacLachlan ("a highly satisfying end it is")
• Frozen Billy, by Anne Fine ("a zinger of a plot")
• The Cricket Winter, by Felice Holman (a "1967 favorite, reissued with engaging new pencil drawings by Robyn Thomas")

Oh, it's the most wonderful time...of the year...

if you like lists, that is!

Julie Eccleshare rounds up her favorites of 2006 for the Guardian. Highlights include:

• Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and other Sea Monsters, by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart
• Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now, by Lauren Child
• The Horrible History of the World, by Terry Deary, illustrated by Martin Brown (I hope Santa brings me this one, truth be told!)
• Caddy Ever After, by Hilary McKay
• Soul Eater, by Michelle Paver
• Larklight, by Philip Reeve, illustrated by David Wyatt

ETA: Michele at Scholar's Blog has just posted a detailed review Larklight.

Poetry Friday Review: Go! Poetry in Motion

This week's Poetry Friday entry is a review of Dee Lillegard and Valeri Gorbachev's Go! Poetry in Motion.

Go! Poetry in Motion is dedicated to all sorts of things that go. Lillegard's simple, elegant poems celebrate vehicles, from hot air balloons to ice cream trucks. Her verse, peppered with lots of fun words and sounds, is perfect for frequent read alouds.

Valeri Gorbachev's illustrations are as vibrant, beautiful, and compassionate as usual. This time, Gorbachev honors Richard Scarry with bright, animal-filled illustrations complete with many things that go.

Go! Poetry in Motion is read-aloud fun for children as young as two. It's also a great choice for the K-2 classroom or a library reading.

As this week's Poetry Friday entry, I'm quoting two poems from Go! Poetry in Motion.

Scooter
Needs a hand
Needs a foot
Or else he'll have to
stay put.

School Bus
Friendly fellow
dressed in yellow
greets his kids
with a beep-beep hello!

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Liz B. at A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy is rounding up the week's entries.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Enjoy the turkey, the mashed, and all the rest of it.

It's interesting how each family tradition is different from home to home. We always add something spicy to the meal (this year, lamb cutlets). What do you all do differently?

I'll be back later with 2 reviews: one of a new Thanksgiving book, one of the super-fabulous Kiki Strike.

The Cybils: Nominations are In!

The long lists are tricking in over at The Cybils. (Nominations closed Nov. 20)

Take a look at the long lists for Non-fiction Picture Books (category coordinated by Chris, Bartography) and for Poetry (category coordinated by Susan, Chicken Spaghetti).

Long lists for Non-fiction (Middle Grade/YA), Fiction Picture Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult, and Graphic Novel will show up by week's end.

Congratulations to the nominated authors and illustrators!

Carnegie and Greenaway Longlists

With the exception of The Cybils, the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are the best children's book prizes of the year. The shortlisted titles are usually entertaining and interesting and certainly worth reading.

Michelle Pauli announces the longlists for the 2006 Carnegie and Greenaway prizes for the Guardian.

Alternative Bookfairs

Barbara F. Meltz writes of a movement to change the school Book Fair for The Boston Globe.

Here's the upshot: "A small but growing number of schools are turning their backs on Scholastic nonetheless. These parents and educators say Scholastic carries too many books and other items featuring cartoon and movie characters that are thin on literary merit."

In response, parents and schools have been organizing alternative book fairs, involving local, independent bookstores instead.

When reading about these trends, though, I couldn't help but thinking...could this happen anywhere other than in affluent districts?

Octavian Nothing in Slate

Emily Bazelon reviews M.T. Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: Volume I: The Pox Party for Slate.

Her conclusion? "The intricate and windy 18th-century prose should suffice to ensure that any 12- or 16-year-old who reads this book is a 12- or 16-year-old who really, really wanted to. The adult raves aside, I wonder how many of them there are. Pox Party bears all the worthy marks of a book that makes adults swoon and kids roll their eyes."

She didn't like it.

Now I know a lot of you kidlit bloggers really loved Octavian Nothing. How would you respond? Are teens reading this one?

Totally Cool Internet Stuff

I've missed out on so much this week! I was away at a conference and between the travel, a birthday, and preparing a talk, I haven't posted about a number of totally cool kidlit internet events. Here's what's happening these days:

1. The Cybils. This is it, folks! Tomorrow is your last day to nominate a book for a Cybils award. Head on over and have your voice heard. One book per category, please!


2. Jennifer Armstrong is hosting two contests at her website--one is individual (a quiz) and the other is a class project (storytelling). Be sure to enter...The American Story is yours for the taking. And, it's well worth the effort.


3. Renee, of Renee's Book of the Day and Shen's Blog, is putting together a cool podcast project. Head on over to get the full details, but, in summary, Renee is looking for your opinions on holiday books. Your thoughts will be put together in a nifty podcast.


4. Sheila at Wands and Worlds is hosting a chat with Michael Buckley, author of The Sisters Grimm series. Sign you or a child up for only $5 and you can chat with the author himself. What will those sisters be up to next? (The chat takes place on Dec. 3)

Weekend Reviews (II)

Two new books, both with "blue moon" in the title, share the title "Book of the Week" at the Washington Post. They are Journey to the Blue Moon, by Rebecca Rupp, and Blizzard of the Blue Moon, by Mary Pope Osborne.

Mary Harris Russell doesn't disappoint with reviews of six new books in the Chicago Tribune:

• Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea, by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop
• Saving the Buffalo, by Albert Marrin
• Trash, by Sharon Darrow
• Ancient Thunder, by Leo Yerxa
• Silly Billy, by Anthony Browne
• Julia Morgan Built a Castle, by Celeste Davidson Mannis, illustrated by Miles Hyman

Susan Perren is back at the Globe and Mail, reviewing the following books:

• Big City Song, by Debora Pearson, illustrated by Lynn Rowe Reid
• My Mom Loves Me More Than Sushi, by Filomena Gomes, illustrated by Ashley Spires
• Houndsley and Catina and the Birthday Surprise, by James Howe, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
• How Monkeys Make Chocolate: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Rainforest, by Adrian Forsyth
• Moby-Dick, by Herman Melville, presented by Jan Needles, illustrated by Patrick Benson

Gift Books from the Times.

It's that time of year again, whether we like it or not. Fortunately we have Amanda Craig to the rescue for the Times. She recommends the best book gifts for children ages 2-10.

Weekend Reviews (I)

I'm finally back in Smalltown. It was a quick, but busy trip to D.C. and I finally have a moment to round up this weekend's early reviews. So far, they're few and far between. Actually, I've found one so far:

Home Now, by Lesley Beake (illustrated by Karin Littlewood) is the Times Children's Book of the Week.

Back tomorrow.

World's Youngest Author

Matthew Beard reports (for The Independent) that a six-year-old boy will be publishing his first novel in the U.K. Here's the scoop:

• "Christopher Beale completed his 1,500-word, five-chapter novel This and Last Season's Excursions when he was six years and 118 days old, beating the previous Guinness World Record by 42 days."

The book is about "a boy and his favourite stuffed animals, his puppy Biscuit, his kitten Daisy and the fierce Big Hinnies, as they rescue owls, fight lions and search for a mysterious moving city, Quarles."

Want to know more? He has his own website. I'll just have you all take a look at its title.

Should I feel bad that my six year old is only now learning to read?

Poetry Friday, etc.

Hi All! I'm in full conference mode, so I think I'm going to take the day off from the ol' blog.

Susan at Chicken Spaghetti is on the PF roundup. So head over there and leave your link.

I'll be back midday tomorrow with the first of the weekend roundups. Happy Friday!

Big Award and on the road

A big congratulations to M. T. Anderson for winning the National Book Award for The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume One: The Pox Party.

----------------------

On a completely unrelated note, I'm on the road today. If I owe you an e-mail, which I probably do, I'll catch up late this evening.

Review: Small Beauties

Presenting another picture book dangerous for the sentimental adult reader.

Small Beauties: The Journey of Darcy Heart O'Hara tells the tale of the Irish Potato Famine and resulting mass emigration through one small girl's experience.

Darcy Heart O'Hara is born the seventh child and first girl. "'One day this child shall hold the very heart of our family in the palm of her hand,' Granny predicted. So they named the infant Darcy Heart O'Hara."

Darcy's life on her family's farm is busy and full. She has to take care of the animals and help around the house. The family relaxes to Granddad's stories "of brave heroes on white steeds and moonlit glens filled with little folk and fairy queens." Darcy stands out from the children of her village from the start: "She was a noticer. She stopped to notice small beauties wherever she went."

Darcy picks up the small beauties--pebbles, feathers and flowers--wherever she goes. It's a simple life filled with beauty. But then the crops fail, two times in a row. The family is evicted and their cottage destroyed. The family has no choice. They take the voyage to American offered to them. Heartbreakingly, Granny and Granddad stay behind.

• "Later that day, Darcy took one last walk with Granny down Derry Lane. ''Tis a big ocean that will soon be between us,' Granny whispered, a tear rolling down her wrinkled cheek. 'And the years will come and go like so many waves upon the shore. I'm countin' on you, my girl, you who notice so much. With all those small beauties you keep, here is one more.' She pressed the worn bead back into Darcy's hand. 'Help the other to remember, and not just the sadness, the hurt, and the hunger. Help them to remember all the beauty they left behind.'"

The worn bead? A bead from Granny's rosary destroyed when the Crown burned down the O'Hara's cottage. Okay. I dare you not to cry reading that aloud to a child.

Darcy's small beauties--a stone from their cottage, the bead, heather, etc.--help their family adjust in the new world. They bring back Graddad's stories, Granny's humming, and the sights, sounds, and smells of home.

Elvira Woodruff's text is at once lyrical and direct, and Adam Rex's illustrations are simply beautiful. Small Beauties is most appropriate for children ages seven and up due to subject matter and reading level. It's also highly recommended.

83

Again, via Alvina at Bloomabilities, the children's book list. Alvina and A Fuse #8 have both bested me.

There are at least 3 on the list I can't remember clearly. Aging. It's a difficult thing. The picture books I know well after 10 years of reading aloud to kids.


*Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
*The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
*Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
*The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
-Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
?The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
*The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
*Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (sob!)
*The Mitten by Jan Brett
*Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
*The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
*Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (I know, I know. Big stain on the conscience)
*Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
*Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
*Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
*Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst (my all-time favorite picture book)
*Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
?The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
?Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (I don't remember it!)
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
*The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
*Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
*Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
*The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
*The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
*Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
*Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
*Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
*The BFG by Roald Dahl
*The Giver by Lois Lowry
?If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
*James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
*Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
?Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (also don't remember)
*The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
?The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
?Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
?The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
*The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
*Corduroy by Don Freeman
*Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
*Matilda by Roald Dahl
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
*Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
*Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
*The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
*Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
-The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
*Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
*One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
*The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
*The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
*Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
*The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
*Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
-The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
*Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
*Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
?Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus
*The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
*Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
*Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown (only some)
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
*Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
*Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
?The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
?The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
*Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
*Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
*Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
*A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
?Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater (don't remember)
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
*Stuart Little by E. B. White
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
*The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
*The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
*Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
*Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
*Heidi by Johanna Spyri
*Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
-Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
*The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch

47

Yay! Alvina comes through with more book memes at Bloomabilities for this cold and cloudy November Thursday. Here's the first--adult books.

Instructions are: "In 2005, Time magazine picked the 100 best English-language novels (1923-present). Mark the selections you have read in bold. If you liked it, add a star (*) in front of the title, if you didn't, give it a minus (-). Then, put the total number of books you've read in the subject line. (I'm also adding a question mark (?) to indicate indifference or mixed feelings.)"

The Adventures of Augie March - Saul Bellow
All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren
*American Pastoral - Philip Roth
An American Tragedy - Theodore Dreiser
* Animal Farm - George Orwell
Appointment in Samarra - John O'Hara
*Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume
The Assistant - Bernard Malamud
At Swim-Two-Birds - Flann O'Brien
*Atonement - Ian McEwan
Beloved - Toni Morrison
The Berlin Stories - Christopher Isherwood
The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
*Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
The Bridge of San Luis Rey - Thornton Wilder
Call It Sleep - Henry Roth
*Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
*The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
* A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
The Confessions of Nat Turner - William Styron
*The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon
A Dance to the Music of Time - Anthony Powell
The Day of the Locust - Nathanael West
Death Comes for the Archbishop - Willa Cather
A Death in the Family - James Agee
The Death of the Heart - Elizabeth Bowen
Deliverance - James Dickey
Dog Soldiers - Robert Stone
Falconer - John Cheever
*The French Lieutenant's Woman - John Fowles
*The Golden Notebook - Doris Lessing
*Go Tell it on the Mountain - James Baldwin
*Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
*The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon
*The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
* A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers
The Heart of the Matter - Graham Greene
Herzog - Saul Bellow
*Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson
A House for Mr. Biswas - V.S. Naipaul
I, Claudius - Robert Graves
-Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace
* Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
Light in August - William Faulkner
*The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
*Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
*Lord of the Flies - William Golding
*The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Loving - Henry Green
Lucky Jim - Kingsley Amis
The Man Who Loved Children - Christina Stead
Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
*Money - Martin Amis
The Moviegoer - Walker Percy
*Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
*Naked Lunch - William Burroughs
*Native Son - Richard Wright
Neuromancer - William Gibson
*Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
*1984 - George Orwell
On the Road - Jack Kerouac
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
*The Painted Bird - Jerzy Kosinski
*Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov
A Passage to India - E.M. Forster
Play It As It Lays - Joan Didion
*Portnoy's Complaint - Philip Roth
-Possession - A.S. Byatt
The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene
*The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
*Rabbit, Run - John Updike
*Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow
The Recognitions - William Gaddis
Red Harvest - Dashiell Hammett
Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates
*The Sheltering Sky - Paul Bowles
Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
The Sot-Weed Factor - John Barth
*The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner
*The Sportswriter - Richard Ford
*The Spy Who Came in From the Cold - John Le Carre
*The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
*Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
*To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (one of my all-time favorite books)
*To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf
*Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller
Ubik - Philip K. Dick
*Under the Net - Iris Murdoch
Under the Volcano - Malcolm Lowry
Watchmen - Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
White Noise - Don DeLillo (college class)
*White Teeth - Zadie Smith
Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys

Some of my favorite writers are on this list. I think I've read everything Evelyn Waugh, Iris Murdoch, Martin Amis, Vladimir Nabokov, and Ian McEwan have written. For each (except, maybe, for McEwan), I would have chosen a different "Best Book."

Stolen memory meme

Gail Gauthier has a great meme up today. As she hasn't tagged anyone, I've decided to borrow it.

1. How old were you when you learned to read and who taught you?

My mom says I was two, but everyone else says that's an exaggeration. I know I was reading fluently by the time I was in school.

2. Did you own any books as a child? If so, what’s the first one that you remember owning? If not, do you recall any of the first titles that you borrowed from the library?

The first books I really remember were the Little Golden Books. They sold them at our grocery store and, if we were good, our parents would let us chose one from time to time. We also went to the library at least once a week. The Pokey Little Puppy is the first book I remember.

3. What’s the first book that you bought with your own money?

Hmmm...I'm not sure. Probably a Steven King novel when I was about 12.

4. Were you a re-reader as a child? If so, which book did you re-read most often?

Absolutely! Like Gail, I loved Little Men. (But not Little Women.) I also read The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, The Secret Language, A Wrinkle in Time, and Little House in the Big Woods many, many times each. Oh, and Enid Blyton's Malory Towers series.

5. What’s the first adult book that captured your interest and how old were you when you read it?

Agatha Christie was my gateway author. I began reading her books when I was ten. I also read Daphne Du Maurier at about that time. My Cousin Rachel was my favorite book for many years.

6. Are there children’s books that you passed by as a child that you have learned to love as an adult? Which ones?

I can think of two: Watership Down and Peter Pan. Talking animals upset me as a child, and I thought Peter was just too mean.

Steal away, my friends!

ETA: I just discovered who created this meme. The wonderful Kate S. of Kate's Book Blog wrote the meme herself (and has great answers).

Michael Morpurgo Interview

Sarah Kinson interviews Michael Morpurgo for the Guardian theblog/books. Here's a sample from the interview:

• "Did you have books in your home when you were growing up?"


• "Every wall was lined with books and I was expected to read and enjoy them. My grandfather was a philosopher and poet, and my stepfather was a writer and publisher. However, like many children, I didn't want to do what was expected of me so I didn't read much except comics and Enid Blyton, which was banned!"

Happy Birthday!

A very Happy Birthday to my girl (who reads this blog on occasion)! She turns 11 today and is a big a reader as they come. Mostly she likes fantasy: Harry Potter, The Bartimaeus Trilogy, His Dark Materials, but, really, she'll read anything. She's one of those cereal box girls.

11 seems old to me. I mean, I remember every confusing detail about being 11, don't you?

Children's Poet Laureate

Bob Minzesheimer tells us, in USAToday, what Jack Prelutsky will be up to as Children's Poet "Laminate."

• "As children's poet laureate for two years, Prelutsky will give speeches, recommend other poets online (poetryfoundation.org) and plans a contest at jackprelutsky.com to give away part of the laureate's $25,000 award.
• In the contest, children will be asked to write why their school libraries need more books.
• Prelutsky says the only burden of being a popular children's poet is that when he visits schools, especially in winter, some of his fans tend to sneeze on him. "

Review: The Boy Book

E. Lockhart's The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them) is fun, fun, fun.

Ruby Oliver starts her junior year in disgrace. Once one of a foursome of girls, kissing the boyfriend of the alpha member of the group cost her her friends. It doesn't matter that the boyfriend was formerly Ruby's own boyfriend--the girls had a code and wrote it down in their "Boy Book," a collection of lists and instructions on how to deal with the male species.

Ruby's also seeing a shrink, after experiencing a series of panic attacks following her very public fall from grace. Ruby's delightfully hippie parents suspect she may be a lesbian. And, Ruby is still pining after the boy (Jackson) who caused the angst in the first place.

Lockhart has really captured the voice of your intelligent, insecure sixteen year old. Ruby is fabulous narrator, fond of lists and a footnote or two. She talks too much, is a bit of a busybody, and doesn't, frankly, understand her own motivations. At least at the beginning of the book. By the end, however, and with the help of Dr. Z, new friends, old friends, and, yes, even her parents, Ruby has grown up enough to give the "Boy Book" away:

Nancy Drews

That is, things I am good at*

1. The backstroke. Not great, but decent and getting better.

2. Talking. I'm like my mom that way.

3. Making lists. I really could medal in this one.

4. Movies. Remembering trivia and being able to say semi-intelligent stuff about cinema when called upon to do so.

5. Getting animals to like me. And not being afraid of them.

...

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* A homework assignment from Doctor Z, which she shrinkily calls a list of affirmations, but which I prefer to term Nancy Drews, because Nancy Drew, girl detective, was good at everything, even horseback riding and water ballet, though there was no evidence she had ever practiced or even heard of either one until she miraculously turned out to be expert at them.

Hah! That's just what I thought of Nancy Drew.

Ruby Oliver finds some of herself over the course of The Boy Book and more. She learns how to be a better friend, that there's always two sides to the story, and that being yourself isn't such a bad thing.

The Boy Book is highly recommended for teens ages 14 and up. It's funny, sweet, and so very true.

Weekend Reviews (III)

In rounding up the remaining reviews of this weekend, here's what I've found:

Elizabeth Ward is back in the Washington Post Book World with a new "For Young Readers" column. Here's what she reviewed this week.

• Probuditi!, by Chris Van Allsburg ("entirely satisfying")
• Snow Globe Family, by Jane O'Conner (a "wry take on the big-little theme")
• Winter Song, illustrated by Melanie Hall ("The effect is magical, slowing the poem down and letting the paintings ignite it line by line")

Sherlock Holmes and The Baker Street Irregulars: The Fall of the Amazing Zalindas,
by Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin, is the Washington Post "Book of the Week."

Scaredy Squirrel, by Melanie Watt, is the Times "Children's Book of the Week."

Mary Harris Russell reviews children's books for the Chicago Tribune. This week she considers the following titles:

• To Dance, by Siena Cherson Siegel, illustrated by Mark Siegel ("Siegel shares the books and movies that inspired her, as well as the ups and downs of family life")
• Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters, by Patricia C. McKissack, illustrated by Andre Carrilho
• The Runaway Dinner, by Allan Ahlberg, illustrated by Bruce Ingman ("Certainly serves to animate the subject of any evening's meal")
• Probuditi!, by Chris Van Allsburg
• Once Upon a Banana, by Jennifer Armstrong, illustrated by David Small ("Lots of leaping paths for little fingers to follow")
• The Summer of the Pike, by Jutta Richter, translated from German by Anna Brailovsky ("Fishing and the discovery of depths are the metaphors dominating this understated narrative")

Baby-Sitters Club Paraphernalia

Recently Little Willow told us "What the BSC Means to Me" for the October The Edge of the Forest.

Now she has posted more on Bildungsroman/Slayground! Take a look at the fascinating results of her Baby-Sitters Club survey (Mary Anne and Stacy are the favorites). Also, Little Willow interviews Raina Telgemeier who has turned the first two BSC novels (Kristy's Great Idea and The Truth about Stacy) into Graphic Novels.

Movie Recommendation: Flushed Away

The youngest and I finally got a chance to watch Flushed Away this weekend, and it was wonderful. It's great looking, hilarious, and the characters are compelling without being obnoxious. After a year of mediocre animated children's movies (Barnyard, Open Season, Cars), check this one out. I have a really hard time reviewing movies, so I'm just going to tell you what I especially liked in this movie.

• Flushed Away is an Aardman Animations Production and it shows, even though Aardman's clay creatures are absent. Somehow the animation in Flushed Away resembles the trademark clay.
• This movie is FUNNY. To kids and adults. The slugs populating the sewer world are especially riotous.
• The movie was touching without being sappy. When the main hero realizes he doesn't have a family and is missing out because of it, he doesn't run away or have a wise elderly type advise him. He simply takes action. Finally!
• All the creatures--from toads, to rats, to slugs, to tadpoles with teeth--are cute, cute, cute.

I can't wait to see Flushed Away again.

On a related note, I highly recommend giving Santa Claus 3 a pass.

Weekend Reviews (II)

Whew! I'm exhausted after reading The New York Times Children's Book Section. But there are more reviews out there this Saturday. Here's what I've found:

Janet Christie reviews three very different books for the Scotsman: Powder Monkey and Prison Ship, by Paul Dowswell, Ten Minute Histories: Battles, by Emily Allison, Stone Circles, by Caroline Crewe-Read, and The Emperor of Absurdia, by Chris Riddell.

Amanda Craig considers Scott Westerfeld's Uglies, Pretties, and Specials for the Times.

Weekend Reviews (I)

Happy Weekend, everyone! I hope you're all having fun and it's not too cold where you are. This first weekend review roundup is devoted to reviews from just one source:

That's right, it's time for The New York Times' Children's Book's Special Section. It happens twice a year, so enjoy!

• Abby McGanney Nolan reviews The Little Red Hen, by Jerry Pinkney ("he’s made a virtue of the bright simplicity of this folk tale") The review opens with a profile of Pinkney.
• Dwight Garner takes a look at the big pop up books of the year: Mommy?, Sharks and Other Sea Monsters, Blue 2 (David A. Carter), and Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense (Kees Moerbeek)
• Naomi Wolf is back in the NYT with a review of Gail Carson Levine's Fairest. Wolf's conclusion?: "you will probably enjoy it only if you are not easily irritated by passivity. Levine is a writer of many talents; perhaps her next heroine will have a bolder view of herself and her place in the world."** (First Chapter)
• Jessica Bruder reviews two new picture books--Mini Grey's The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon and The Runaway Dinner, by Allan Ahlberg (illustrated by Bruce Ingman)
• David Small reviews three picture books, all fish-themed: Flotsam, by David Wiesner, Dear Fish, by Chris Gall, and Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea, by Chris Butterworth (illustrated by John Lawrence)
• Bruce Handy reviews picture books featuring "churlish creatures." These include Do Not Open This Book!, by Michaela Muntean (illustrated by Pascal Lemaître), Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, by Mo Willems, and I'm Not Cute!, by Jonathan Allen
• Steven Heller reviews picture books with "a graphic element"
• Patricia T. O'Conner considers books about the "secret life of toys," including Toys Go Out, by Emily Jenkins (illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky), Oscar: The Big Adventure of a Little Sock Monkey, by Amy Schwartz and Leonard S. Marcus (illustrated by Amy Schwartz), and While You are Sleeping, by Alexis Deacon
• Polly Shulman reviews picture books about numbers. Four of them, to be exact.
• A.O. Scott reviews The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne
• Ned Vizzini reads Tyrell, by Coe Booth (a "gritty and gripping first novel")
• Sarah Boxer considers picture books without words, including The Adventures of Polo, by Régis Faller, Museum Trip, by Barbara Lehman, and Oops, by Arthur Geisert
• Sara London reviews Hello Twins, by Charlotte Voake (Voake's "latest sibling homage reminds us that family harmony can happen even when the children sing separate songs")
• James Hynes reviews Firestorm: The Caretaker Trilogy: Book 1 , by David Klass (a "hyperkinetic new eco-thriller")
• M. John Harrison reads Rash, by Pete Hautman ("An agreeably black humor — which the author himself attributes to school days spent in the company of Joel Coen and Al Franken in Minnesota — draws us into his seventh novel for young adults") (First Chapter)
  -----------------------------------------

ETA: Jenny Davidson reviews M.T. Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation. Volume I: The Pox Party in the NYT this weekend as well.

**Okay, does anyone think Namoi Wolf may be writing a YA novel?

Poetry Friday Review: Ninety-Three in Our Family

Do you know a child who likes a tall tale? Or a child who loves animals and is constantly begging for just one more pet? Then Ninety-Three in My Family is for you!

Ninety-Three in My Family, written by Erica S. Perl and illustrated by Mike Lester, begins in the classroom. Today's topic? Our Families. The unflappable teacher asks the young narrator, "'How many live with you?'" And he answers, "I counted quickly in my head. I told her, 'Ninety-two.'"

Why ninety-two? Well here's the narrator's rundown as this week's Poetry Friday entry:

There's twenty-seven owls,
Ten cats, eleven dogs,
A pygmy hippo named Bernice,
And eight blue speckled frogs.

My mommy and my daddy,
My sister's gerbil, Ed,
Six goldfish and my sisters,
Darlene and Winifred.

Whenever people ask me
How many live with me,
I tell them true, there's ninety-two.
Plus one (that's me!), we're ninety-three.

Told in lively verse, Ninety-Three in My Family makes for a truly fun read-aloud. Mike Lester's illustrations are dynamic and, needless to say, packed with animals. The owls, with their grumpy faces, are particularly (dare I say it?) cute. Each colorful page has plenty to look at and look for. The book concludes with a surprise certain to delight the young reader.

Ninety-Three in My Family is highly recommended fun for children ages three-ten.

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Nancy at Journey Woman will be doing this week's Poetry Friday roundup. Head on over and leave her a comment.

Adele Geras responds to the celebrity book kerfuffle

Children's author Adele Geras asks the following questions in today's Guardian blog:

• "But why on earth devote the two front pages of G2 to promoting most spectacularly the very books and writers (or non-writers) you're slagging off? Goodness knows, even with the best efforts of the Guardian Review, there is precious little space devoted to proper criticism of children's books, so to throw away 2,000 words on not-very-good books seems... well, quite barmy. Why not, instead, use this prime site to promote six or seven very good picture books coming out in time for the festive season? Or six or seven picture books which have been unjustly neglected? Or six or seven picture books which we know are classics? Or anything at all really, rather than highlighting rubbish? Why would you want to do that?"

I thought Pilkington's article was rather good, but Geras asks some great questions, especially when we keep in mind that the Guardian is one of the only papers to consistently cover children's books.

Review: Shelter

I had a lot to do this morning. I'm preparing for a conference, writing an abstract for another conference, working with e-mail accounts, scheming for the next two The Edge of the Forests, organizing Cybils lists, etc. It was not the morning to pick up Shelter, by Beth Cooley. Shelter is an unputdownable novel. Two hours later and here I am with a review.

Lucy Durbin had it all, even if she didn't know it. She lived in a comfortable home, attended a swanky school, shopped for fun with her wealthy friends, and took ballet lessons. She had the life of your typical privileged American teen.

Lucy's life changes virtually overnight. Her father dies in a car accident and her stay-at-home mom discovers their financial stability was only a mirage. There's a mountain of debt, no life insurance, and a huge mortgage. Soon Lucy, her mother, and five-year-old Jimmy are on a quick downward spiral which ends at St. Agatha's shelter.

Lucy tries to resent her mother, but it's impossible. Cindy Durbin is more lost than her daughter is. She has no education, has never worked a day in her life, is used to a comfortable lifestyle, and worries especially about little Jimmy, who is small for his age and has been very coddled as the youngest child.

Living at St. Agatha's are women and children down on their luck. There's a high school dropout with a young child and a woman whose boyfriend was arrested for a meth lab in her basement. A Romanian mail order bride arrives after climbing out her bathroom window.

Lucy is a wonderful character with a compelling voice. As the eldest child, one who has to help her mother more than she should, she's hardworking and determined to make it. Here's what she thinks after her sixteenth birthday celebration in the shelter:

• "I lay awake for a long time thinking about the day. Being sixteen really meant something. It meant more than just being able to drive or get a job. It meant taking charge of your life. Or screwing it up. At sixteen Crystal was pregnant, Jan was dealing, Tina was on the streets. I might be in a shelter, but I wasn't messed up. I could make things happen. Good things."

Lucy does make good things happen--for herself and for her mother. Jimmy actually thrives in his new environment, allowed to grow up for the first time in his life.

Shelter is technically a Young Adult novel, but the content is tame enough for readers as young as eleven. It's a beautifully written novel with a very important message. But, don't get me wrong, Shelter is not a preachy novel in any way. It shows, rather than tells, that anyone is just a step away from bad luck and the collapse of their comfortable life. What you make of that luck is what matters. Lucy accepts help, finds friends and compassion in places she least expected it, and discovers herself in return.

Shelter will be released on November 14.

ETA: Isn't this a great cover? It really draws you in and it fits the book perfectly.

Review: Toys Go Out

Toys Go Out, by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, is one of those increasingly rare books--Middle Grade fiction aimed at the younger reader. Perfect for the six-to ten-year-old audience (and even younger, if read aloud), Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic tells what happens amongst the toys when no one is watching.

As the subtitle indicates, the movers and shakers in Little Girl's world are a stingray, a buffalo, and "someone called plastic." The first episode, "In the Backpack, Where it is Very Dark," finds the three friends (and rivals for Little Girl's affections) bouncing along in a backpack. They're afraid: Will they be thrown away? Are they going on a scary trip? Why does it smell so badly in the backpack? Fortunately they're the starring attraction at Show-and-Tell, their status as Little Girl's favorites confirmed.

Over the course of Toys Go Out, Stingray, Buffalo, and Plastic discover who they are and why each of them has a specific role in Little Girl's life. Stingray sleeps with Little Girl, Buffalo is a loved toy, and Plastic....Well, I'll let you discover who plastic is yourself.

Plastic, Buffalo, and Stingray are marvelous characters, but there's a fabulous supporting cast in Toys Go Out as well. Sheep is perhaps my favorite. When Buffalo hides because he's covered in peanut butter and does not want to go into the washing machine, he hides in a soccer shoe in the closet. Sheep wanders in and the following episode transpires:

"Sheep doesn't understand. She is distracted by the tasty-looking lace of the soccer shoe. It's not grass, and it's not clover, but it looks pretty chewable to the sheep.

She settles down next to the shoe and has herself a lovely munch, pulling the lace out bit by bit. She hears a Wurrffle Wummmpffle noise, and it's irritating, but she doesn't let it bother her. Pretty soon the sound quiets down to nothing.

When she is done chewing the lace, Sheep is mildly surprised to find herself in the closet. She burps and goes out to play pick-up sticks with the toy mice."

Buffalo is responsible for the Wurrffle Wummmpffle, being trapped in the shoe. Sheep, as you have read, had other concerns. The toys also interact with an urbane, intelligent, yellow towel named Tuk-Tuk and a grumpy, lonely washing machine.

Toys Go Out is highly recommended for children ages five to ten. It's funny, charming, and Zelinsky's drawings are a treat.

Toys Go Out has been nominated for The Cybils in the Middle Grade Fiction category.

Meg Rosoff's Top 10

The brilliant Meg Rosoff lists her top ten adult books for teens (for the Guardian, but of course).

I agree with her on many of her choices, including Catch 22, Crime and Punishment, and Perfume. I've actually read 8 of her top 10, but haven't read All the Pretty Horses (I know, I know) and Maus.

New Colleen Mondor column

Colleen Mondor has another excellent review column up at Bookslut. This month she reviews war books for teens. Head on over and enjoy!

Not-So-Favorite Classics

Fuse#8 asks the question that has occupied me since I was about eleven years old:

• "What are the 'classic' titles you've never much taken to? I was an adult before Where the Wild Things Are elicited any kind of a loving response. Were there books you knew of as a kid that just didn't do anything for you, in spite of your fellow preschool brethern's adoration?

Like Leila, I liked just about everything up to a certain point. Until 11.

I was eleven when I picked up The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I remember thinking "This author has just force fed me a moral and I don't like it one little bit." I've always been stubborn, but I was really upset by this experience. Why? Because it was such a great adventure and I loved the book until the end. I felt used.

Now, again like Leila (sorry Fuse, your question is taking the wrong direction here as well!), there are many titles on my list.

1. The Berenstain Bears. I didn't think much about these books until I became a mom. Now Mama Bear bothers me so much I refuse to read these aloud to my kids and make the grandparents do it instead. Mama Bear is such a know-it-all, I can't stand it. This may tell you more about me than about the Bears, but, still, there you have it.
2. The Little Prince. I've never understood this book. Not as a child, not now.
3. The Wizard of Oz. I've never enjoyed the Oz books and I really dislike the movie. (Sorry, J.L.!) I must admit, the Oz books are top on my list of "give-'em-a-second-chance" books.
4. Nancy Drew. I read plenty of Nancy Drew mysteries as a child, but never loved them. I was highly annoyed by Nancy herself. Rich, spoiled, perfect. I was well aware she'd never deign to talk to someone like me. Also, I really hated, even as a skinny child, that Bess was always called "plump." I like the Sammy Keyes mysteries much better.
5. Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates. Slow.
6. ETA: I've already thought of another one, or series. Eloise. Especially Eloise in Moscow.

I'm sure there are more classic titles I've "never much taken to." I may add more later.

Election Day

Hey! A brief political interlude here. Today's election day.

I'm not going to tell you HOW to vote, but I'm going to urge you to vote nonetheless. This year, for the first time in my life, I plan to vote by pressing one and only one button (or lever or whatever our new machine in Smalltown may offer). (ETA: It was a button this year. New machines.)

Voting and elections are an important part of our history as U.S. citizens. For further information, please read the best book of children's nonfiction I've come across this year--The American Story, by Jennifer Armstrong and illustrated by Roger Roth.

For many of us, the United States is our country, like it or not. And, today, November 7, 2006, is election day. Please vote.