Ken Baker: Children's Author

Curious George Saves the Day

2012-05-29T17:00:00.001-07:00

I loved Curious George as a child. Decades ago, before I was old enough to read , I remember frequently going to the children’s section of our public library and heading straight for the shelf with Curious George on it, tucking it under my arm. and taking the book home (Of course, I would always check it out first.). Curious George was a treasure to me then and still is today.

As part of her review of the top 100 picture books, Betsy Bird spotlighted Curious George today and shared a little known, yet amazing story of how an early sketch of Curious George saved the life of the book's creators, H.A. Rey and Margaret Rey when Nazi Germany invaded Paris..

What are some of your favorite picture books from childhood? What are some of your children's favorite picture books?

Review: Icefall

2012-05-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

After seeing Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby garner so much national attention, I decided to read it the other week. Although, set in Viking times, it’s not your typical Viking warrior and berserker middle-grade fantasy. Yes, it does have Viking warriors and berserkers, but they’re really just supporting characters. This fantasy/historical fiction is a character driven story about a young girl who is deemed unimportant in the eyes of her father, a Viking king. Icefall takes us on her journey to prove her worth to herself and those she loves. Deeply colored with a backdrop of Nordic tradition and mythology, Icefall is a tale of mystery, friendship, and treachery that pulls the reader in with a cast of rich characters and great storytelling.

Happy Late Cinco De Mayo

2012-05-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

The other day we celebrated Cinco De Mayo with our children, nephews and nieces. We had enchiladas and taco salad, which I'm sure is very authentic Mexican food. But the big hit was the owl pinata full of candy. All the kids got a few a whacks at the owl until it burst open, freeing its candy for all those hungry little (and big) mouths.

My wife and I have celebrated Cinco De Mayo for many years, not that we have any ties to Mexico, but because it seemed like a fun celebration. It makes me wonder how many others celebrate occasions like this just for the fun of it. Anyway, happy late Cinco De Mayo!

15 Reasons for Reading Aloud to Children

2012-04-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

In a follow-up to my interview with librarian and educator, Lisa Von Drasek, I've created a list of 15 reasons why reading aloud to children is important. Some of these come from my conversation with Lisa, others come from different social networks commenting on the interview and subject.

Crucial to a child’s ability to learn to read
Allows children to hear the sounds that make up words
Builds vocabulary
Provides a safe place for children to hear and live the lives of characters in a story
Has a more emotional impact
Positively influences the desire to read
Builds attention span
It's fun
Improves listening skills
Improves retention and learning for auditory learners
Teaches children how to read with emotion, expression and dramatic effect
Enriches child language skills
Nurtures relationships between child and adult
Gives adults insights into a child's world through the questions they ask
Creates opportunities to talk about the book and subjects related to or beyond the book

Feel free to add to the list in your comments.

Making a living as an author

2012-03-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

I make a living as a writer, a freelance writer, and have done so for about 15 years. But what I really want is to make a living as a children's author. That's a bit more difficult. Agent, Rachelle Gardner has a great post that talks about why it's hard and what you have to be able to do make a living as an author. www.rachellegardner.com/2012/03/make-a-living-as-a-writer-part-1/

Librarian Booktalk with Lisa Von Drasek

2012-03-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

Interview with Lisa Von Drasek, Director of the Center for Children's Literature, Adjunct Faculty member, Children’s Literature Specialist, and Children’s Librarian at Bank Street College of Education. Lisa is also an ALSC board member, active member of ALA, and blogger for School Library Journal, and EarlyWord.com.

Tell me one of the key things you try to teach future teachers who study at Bank Street College?
Lisa: To not be too busy to read aloud. To make reading aloud part of the day. We read aloud all the way through middle school at our school. We model reading aloud for teachers who are learning to be teachers.

Why is it so important to read aloud to children?

Lisa: Ah, well, without reading aloud we won’t learn to read. You won’t hear those words and have the awareness of the sounds of the letters that make up a word. And it’s so important to read aloud even after your child knows how to read for themselves because you have a vocabulary that is vast compared to a six year old emergent reader. So you’re building a listening vocabulary every time you read aloud.

Also, it’s like what we say about fiction, as you go through a book, you really can get into other people’s heads. For example, there is a new book called Wonder about a kid with a facial disfigurement. It’s told from his point of view, the point of view of the sister, and the point of the view of his best friend. 6th and 7th graders who hear this book read, start to live the lives of these middle school children. A classroom teacher who reads this book aloud gives children the permission and a safe place to hear these words.

Do you feel it has more emotional impact when children hear a book read aloud versus them reading it themselves?
Lisa: I’m not sure about the emotional impact, but maybe you’re right. I think it does. I think people forget how important it is that you are modeling. As a teacher as a librarian or as a parent, you are being watched all the time. You can’t control everything. Of the smallest things you do, you don’t know which one of those things will make a child think, “Oh, that’s it.”

I taught a child years and years ago, who had been born with cerebral palsy. She had difficulties speaking, but she made friends and was integrated as part of the classroom community. Years later I ran into her on vacation and she started telling her mom the story I read aloud when she was in the 3rd grade. Then she said, “Oh, you never finished the Tale of Despereaux!” She must have missed the last class. But the point is, you just don’t know the impact you have.

Do you have advice for parents on how they can develop a love for reading in their children?
Lisa: In Mem Fox’s book, Reading Magic, she says that every child should have one thousand books read aloud to them by the time they enter preschool. That sounds crazy, but it really isn’t. If you read just 3 picture books a day, which takes only five to ten minutes, you’ve met that goal. So, pick an old favorite, a classic or one that a librarian recommended. I have parents coming up to me all the time and say, “Oh , you picked the perfect book for my kid!”

What books do you recommend as read-alouds?

Lisa: We’re always looking for the new great read-alouds. We have found that the number one question people ask us is “What are the best books to read aloud?” So our children’s book committee at Bank Street put together an ebook called Best Books to Read Aloud with Children of All Ages. It’s not a comprehensive list, but it’s a starting point. It helps you learn what we look for in a good read-aloud. It answers questions, such as why and what are the differences in read-alouds for different age groups, and how to be interactive when reading aloud.

Do you find that teachers or librarians are sometimes resistant to reading aloud?
Lisa: I don’t think they’re resistant, but I think in this day and age people are expected to do things outside their comfort zone. So, everything is practice. You can’t expect anyone to read cold. You have to practice. That’s part of it. Sometimes, some people feel self conscious.

What are some of the other key things you try to teach future librarians?
Lisa: Even if somebody else is selecting the books for your library’s collection, you have a professional responsibility to read reviews and to read. There’s School Library Journal, Library Journal, and VOYA. I read Horn Book. I read PW. I read Shelf Awareness. I write for Earlyword.com.

This is your community that you joyously entered when you became a librarian. There’s no down side to becoming a member of ALA. Not only is it part of that professional responsibility, but it also give you people to bounce things off of. You also have LM_net, an online community of school librarians. When I have a question, and I just don’t know the answer, I give it to the group,

How do you define what a young adult book is and who’s it for? Perhaps everyone you know is giving Hunger Games to 5th graders, but you don’t want to give it to 5th graders. What do you do? Well, maybe the answer is to not read aloud Hunger Games to 5th graders, but don’t take it out of their hands. Those are all professional questions you can ask the community to help you make your choices.

How do you hope to make an impact with the work you do?
Lisa: To get teachers reading. Teachers are busy and overwhelmed. They’re dealing with so many different issues. But despite all of that, I hope that they’re taking their kids either to their school library or to their public library, that they’re asking for recommendations and that they’re reading and sharing.

What do you enjoy most about being a librarian and teaching teachers?

Lisa: It’s when you’re in the teaching moment and the faces lights up. We have a picture book award that we give every year that’s a children’s choice award (The Irma Black Award). One of the four finalists is a book called All the Way to America by Dan Yaccarino, which is a very quiet book about generations. He comes from Italy to the United States with a shovel, and the shovel gets passed down.

Just last Friday when I read it to the class, I turned the page and the narrator’s voice says “And my father would take us into New York City to the San Gennaro Festival, and we would eat Zeppelli and I love New York City.” And you turn the page and “Now when I grew up, I moved back to New York City where my great grandfather came to when he came from Sorrento, Italy.” And you see the kids’ faces all of the sudden go “Wait a minute. Wait a minute.” And the narrator continues, “And my children use that shovel to dig and plant on the terrace of our apartment and I’m a children’s book writer and illustrator.” And they’re all going, “Dan! Dan! The author of the book, it’s his story.” Even though it says in the title, The Story of an Italian Family that came to America, these 6 year-olds suddenly light up and make the connection. I think for every teacher, those are the moments that get you past the hard times. These are the moments you live for.

The Irma Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature is a children’s choice award that goes to an outstanding book for young children. Over 10,000 children across the United States participate in the award, choosing four books as finalists from a field of sixteen that have been selected by the Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College as a result of their reading over a thousand books published in the previous year. The four finalists for the 2012 Irma Black Award are All the Way to America by Dan Yaccarino, I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, What Animals Really Like by Fiona Robinson, and You Will Be My Friend by Peter Brown. The list of semi-finalist can be found at bankstreet.edu/center-childrens-literature/irma-black-award/ and Lisa Von Drasek blogs about the progress of the award at blogs.slj.com/bank-street-irma-black-award/. The winner of the award will be announced April 9th, 2012.

Now located in New York City just a few steps from Broadway, Bank Street College of Education has been serving students, families, schools and other non-profits, and the education policy community since 1916. It focuses on creating and understanding environments that enable children to learn. Bank Street aims to carry out this mission through engaging with children in classrooms, museums and other settings. In addition, Bank Street prepares teachers for these settings. And, through the activities of its faculty, Bank Street preserves and generates new knowledge about the teaching and learning environment.

Old MacDonald Had a Dragon - Cover Art

2012-03-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

I just received the near final art and layout for Old MacDonald had a Dragon (The book will come out September 1, 2012). Pretty exciting. Here's the cover page.

Real Flying Robots Playing James Bond

2012-03-02T14:40:00.001-08:00

It's not science fiction. It's real flying robots playing the James Bond theme. Enjoy!

Librarian Booktalk with Deanna Romriell – Part 2

2012-02-23T12:47:00.001-08:00

Part 2 of my interview with Deanna Romriell, Caldecott Committee member (2012), Manager of the Salt Lake City Public Library's Children’s Department, former president and long-time member of the Children’s Literature Association of Utah (CLAU), and reviewer of audio books for School Library Journal.

You recently served on the 2012 Caldecott Committee. What can you tell us about your experience on the Caldecott committee?
Deanna: I could go on for hours about what a wonderful experience serving on the Caldecott Committee was. I have had a long-time dream of serving on either the Caldecott or Newbery. So I have served on several Committees for ALSC hoping to one day have that opportunity. This past year every day was one of discovery. I loved coming home from work and seeing boxes of books stacked on our kitchen table. I loved the anticipation of looking at each new title. I loved reading and taking notes and really thinking about everything I read.

Then, meeting with the full committee in January to make the final decision was an awesome opportunity. To be literally locked in a room for hours and hours with other committee members who have also put countless hours of thought and consideration into the titles being discussed is an eye-opening experience. I really learned to respect all of the committee members and the value of their unique insight. I also think I will never be disappointed in a winner again as I have so much appreciation now for the process. It’s amazing what comes up in committee conversations that I would not have considered on my own or even talking with colleagues.

What insights can you share on the medal and honor winners?
Deanna: I can share very little, as we are sworn to secrecy about any conversations that occur once that committee meets. That said, I can say that they are all exceptional books. A Ball for Daisy, which was our winner, is outstanding in the way that it captures the deep emotions of love, loss, and ultimately joy – all on a level that a very young reader can relate too.

Me…Jane allows readers a powerful connection to a person that is admired by many and has such a wonderful “aha” moment at the conclusion. Blackout is wonderfully paced and the use of light to carry the story is quite lovely. With Grandpa Green, Lane Smith offers up a wonderful story of love and connection across generations. And, it’s just amazing how much variety and texture that is created using primarily the one color of green.

I love all four books for what they have to offer and feel even more strongly about each after hearing the insight of those other 14 committee members.

What did you like most about participating on the committee?
Deanna: Receiving all of the books published during the year and coming across those that are really gems. It’s an amazing feeling to open that one book, after reading a dozen others, and finding something really special.

Do you have any unique or interesting stories about your experience on the committee that you’d like to share?
Deanna: When the committee gathered to call Chris Raschka, we were all so excited of course. We were crowded into a tiny room and gathered around a speaker phone. We enthusiastically dialed the number given to us only to hear a voice on the line telling us that we had dialed a number that is no longer in service. What a let-down! We then called our contact with his publisher and she tracked down a new home phone number as well as a cell phone number to try. We tried both – no answer!! We had to move on and call all of the Honor Winners. We then went back to Raschka – still no luck! We were on a very tight schedule and were told we would have to leave. The disappointment was huge. We had all really looked forward to making that call. Then, just as the committee was filing out of the room, the publisher contact called our Chair on his cell phone with yet another number we could try. With high hopes we all hurried back into the room and made the call. Chris answered! It was so great to hear his voice and be able to share that exciting moment with him. After all of the drama of not being able to get through to him, it was the perfect ending.

Any last words?
Deanna: I know that libraries are at an interesting point in time with a lot of questions about the future of libraries circulating out there. But, I am sure that libraries in some form will be essential to our communities for many, many years to come. Libraries are about books but, more importantly, they are about information in all of its forms as well as discovery, community, and life-long learning. Libraries offer people a place to come and make connections to each other and the world at large. I love being a part of that.

Librarian Booktalk with Deanna Romriell – Part 1

2012-02-17T14:22:00.001-08:00

Interview with Deanna Romriell, Caldecott Committee member (2012), Manager of the Salt Lake City Public Library's Children’s Department, former president and long-time member of the Children’s Literature Association of Utah (CLAU), and reviewer of audio books for School Library Journal.

Tell me a little about your role at the Salt Lake City Library.
Deanna: I am the manager of the Children’s Department which is, I’m sure, the best job in the world. Not only do I get to do all of the things I love like Pre-School Storytime, Book Baby, Puppet Shows and Outreach Storytimes but I also have the opportunity to work with the most amazing staff on the planet. They are full of energy, creativity, and a passion to serve the young members of our community and their parents, teachers and caregivers.

What advice do you have for parents who want to instill a love for reading in their children’s lives?
Deanna: Read! Read with your children. Provide materials for them to read. And, read yourself. I think that one of the most valuable things parents can do is to let their children see them reading and talking enthusiastically about what they read. I also think providing a variety of reading experiences for children adds to the fun – let them read magazines, comic books, fiction, non-fiction. In the midst of all of the possibilities they are likely to find something that turns them on to reading.

What are some of the more recent books you recommend to young readers?
Deanna: I do like to recommend Diary of a Wimpy Kid because it is so appealing to so many. It looks fun and is not at all intimidating. I also love to recommend John Flanagan’s new title, The Outcasts from his new series The Brotherband Chronicles. I was a fan of his Ranger’s Apprentice series and I think I like this new one even more. For younger children I still love whatever is new by Mo Willems. I think everything he does is just perfect for the pre-school/beginning reader crowds. He really knows how to have fun with words and with his illustrations. In the realm of alphabet books I adore the new E-mergency by Tom Lichtenheld. I laughed so hard my first time through and every time I go back to it, I find something new that makes me laugh out loud. Anyway, I could go on for ages. There are always so many excellent new titles coming out and each reader is so different, I am always finding a new favorite to recommend.

Do you have a favorite book you like to recommend to young readers?

Deanna: Well, every reader is so different I really make recommendations based on the individual child that I am helping at the time. That said I have had a number of young animal lovers ask for recommendations lately. For them I love to recommend Jenny and the Cat Club by Esther Holden Averill (or any of the other titles in that series). Originally written in 1944, it is still full of wonder for today’s animal-loving young readers. It’s so fun to recommend because very few of them have ever heard of it before so it’s a new discovery.

Tell me some of the ways you hope to make an impact with the work you do at the library.
Deanna: I am always hoping to ignite a spark in children that will lead them to a lifetime of learning, reading, and exploring new possibilities. I went to an Outreach in a Pre-Kindergarten classroom the other day and when I walked in the children were jumping up and down and yelling “Miss Deanna, “Miss Deanna” – not because I am amazing but because they absolutely love to hear the stories and join in the fun of learning something new. Children have such great enthusiasm and I am so blessed to get to experience that first hand. I hope that the things I do as a librarian serve to encourage that joy as they grow older.

Do you or the library do anything unique or interesting to help get children excited about reading?
Deanna: We have a wonderful preschool program called Start Smart. As part of the program children’s librarians across our library system visit Pre-K classes and Head Start classrooms once a month to provide what we hope is a fun and interactive storytime. Then, during the course of the year, we work with the School District to offer Parent/Family Literacy nights. The individual schools plan the evening and we are given the opportunity to meet with the parents for 45 minutes or so and talk to them about literacy and the huge impact that they can have on their children’s reading development as they interact with them. The parents receive a brochure full of ideas to help them read with their children and have fun doing it. Then, each child receives a free book. The program has been a great opportunity to get out into our community, to get to know the children on a personal basis, to meet with parents that don’t always come into the library, and to partner with the Salt Lake City School District.

What do you enjoy most about being a librarian?
Deanna: I became interested in becoming a librarian while working on a Master’s Degree in Children’s Literature at Simmon’s College in Boston. So, I started out in librarianship because I love children’s books in all their forms. However, I have come to love working with the children the most. I particularly love storytimes as they give you the chance to really connect with the children and see their eyes light up as you share the books with them. For me, not much could be better than that.

Deanna recently participated on the 2012 Caldecott Committee. Next week I'll post part 2 of my interview with her, in which she relates her experience on the committee.

One hundred years since the Salt Lake City Library first opened its doors in 1898, it now has five branches in addition to its new 200,000 square-foot main library building. The Salt Lake City Library system is a dynamic civic resource that promotes free and open access to information, materials and services with a focus on enabling community members to better enjoy life, explore new ideas, ensure early literacy, access technology, and make its community an even better place to live.

Nightmare Sports Parents

2012-02-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this article has nothing to do with writing or books, but it has everything to do with what to do and not do when your a parent of child that plays sports. Enjoy!

What Makes A Nightmare Sports Parent -- And What Makes A Great One

Getting Children to Love to Read

2012-02-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

In one of the social networks that I participate in, I asked the question, “How do you get children to read?”

A little more than 40 people responded with the suggestions that worked for them. I’ve listed them below in the order of the most frequently mentioned suggestions with the percentage of how many people mentioned that particular suggestion.

I have to admit that I’m not surprised by many of the suggestions. We used most of the suggestions with our own children and have had great results (* indicates those we’ve used in our family.) That said, I think it takes a multifaceted approach. You have to find what works best for your family, but there are probably multiple things you need to do to be successful in fostering a love for reading in your children.

List of top ways to get children to read or develop a love for reading:

Read every day or frequently to your children, starting at a very young age.* – 55%
Find books they will enjoy or that interest them specifically. Every child's tastes are different (i.e., Harry Potter, comics, non-fiction, magazines, etc.)* - 21%
Let your children see you reading.* - 14%
Take children on frequent trips to the library.* - 14%
Make reading fun.* (i.e., competition, family read-a-thon, games, flashcards, races, let them create their own books) - 12%
Be involved in what your kids read. Know what they're reading. Discuss with them what they're reading.* - 12%
Buy them books as gifts or let them pick their own out at the store.* - 10%
Leverage fun DVDs, websites, or books that help young children learn to read.* - 10%
Limit computer and TV time.* - 7%
Make lots of interesting books available to your kids. (adventures, mysteries, classics, biographies, fantasy, encyclopedias)* 7%
Find books that match their age or ability. (Librarians can be a great help with this)* - 7%
Determine if they have a certain condition that makes reading less enjoyable. (Needs glasses, audio learners vs. visual learners) - 5%
Don't force a book on a child. Let them read what they want.* - 5%
Turn on closed-captions when you watch TV, especially for shows in another language, like Japanese cartoons. - 5%
Provide them books with lots of interesting or entertaining pictures.* - 5%
Listen to audio books.* - 5%
Let them stay up past their bedtime to read.* - 5%

Other Mentions of How to get Children to Read

Have fathers read to their children.*
Encourage children to read books aloud.* (Especially helpful for audio learners)
Stay away from mediocre books
Read together as a family.*
Have a place in your house just for library books so that it's easy keep track of them.
Create a special reading nook in your house.

3 Little Pigs Shakespeare Style

2012-02-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

This is hilarious from comedian John Branyan ! Enjoy.

Writing for Charity 2012

2012-02-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars. On March 17, 2012, Utah children's authors will be donating their time to host and present a writer's conference that will not only help aspiring authors to improve their craft, but proceeds from the conference's low $45 registration fee will be used to help place children's books in the hands of underprivileged children. Hosted at the Provo City Library, the conference will be a day full of interactive break-out sessions, professional critiques and a silent auction of donated autographed books, critiques, and even lunch with famous authors..

The Writing for Charity conference was originally founded by Shannon Hale in 2008, who will be participating along side an array of other children's authors including Brodi Ashton, Kristen Chandler, Kristyn Crow, Bree Despain, Sharlee Glenn, Mette Ivie Harrison, Tess Hilmo, Clint Johnson, Matt Kirby, Kristen Landon, Lisa Mangum, Janette Rallison, J. Scott Savage, Emily Wing Smith, myself and others.

You can learn more about the conference at writingforcharity.blogspot.com

Cow Can't Sleep Cover Art

2012-01-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

Here's the cover art for Cow Can't Sleep. Enjoy

Librarian Booktalk with Elizabeth Bird – Part 2

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Continuation of transcribed phone interview with Elizabeth Bird, Youth Materials Specialist at the New York Public Library as she discusses her favorite books of the different sections listed on the 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2011 recently released by the New York Public Library.

Picture Books
Elizabeth: For picture books, the title is Everything Goes on Land by Brian Biggs. I like to describe it as Richard Scarry meets Robert Crumb. A boy and his father drive through a city and you just see the sheer swath of vehicles that you run into when you’re in a city. It’s so involved, so complicated, and so much fun. It’s easy to follow the storyline, if that’s what you want to do, or you can try to find all the little details. For example, there is always a bird wearing a hat hidden in the pictures somewhere. It’s just a great book that if you want to spend some time with it, it really rewards the reading.

Folk and Fairy Tales
Elizabeth: Folk and fairy tales have always been very important to the New York Public Library. So, we always have a folk and fairy tale section, but it’s tough because recently folk and fairy tales have been disappearing. Publishers are less willing to publish folk and fairy tales. They don’t sell as well as some other things. So the numbers have really depleted over the years, which is too bad because teachers want them more than ever right now. So we always try to find just the best of whatever is out there. We have some really good ones this year. My favorite without a doubt was The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred. It’s sort of a cumulative tale, sort of a recipe. It’s beautiful art. It teaches Spanish along the way, but in a fun way. It incorporates the Spanish words into the text so beautifully, so effortlessly that the kids are learning Spanish and they’re not even realizing it.

Early Chapter Book
Elizabeth: The hardest books to find every year are early chapter books. There are tons of easy books, but to get to the chapter books where you’re transitioning from easy books into chapter books, it’s so tough. You have to really search for them. There is a really good one that came out this year by Atinuke called The No. 1 Car Spotter and it’s just fantastic. This is certainly the first and maybe only African boy I’ve ever seen in an early chapter book published in America. It is funny, well written. And Atinuke is clearly a professional storyteller because the language is the book is just top notch.

Middle Grade Chapter Book
Elizabeth: The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander flies off the shelves. I cannot keep this book on the shelf. Kids adore this book. They do not get the Godfather reference. They don’t care. It’s just a really fun story about a kid who gets other people to owe him favors. He takes over an abandoned bathroom in his school and kids come to him in the fourth stall where he has set up a whole desk area where they can ask him for favors. It’s very enjoyable, and a great boy and girl book.

Poetry
Elizabeth: Some years poetry is really strong and some years it’s not. This year we had the weird sensation of having to deal with a lot of dead people who suddenly have new works coming out. There was a Dr. Seuss poetry book and a Shel Silverstein poetry book. Fortunately, both these poetry books were really good, which is not always the case in these situations. The new Shel Silverstein (Everything On It) was done really well and really looks like his other previous books. The Silverstein estate was very careful about which poetry selections they chose. And his art is just fantastic.

Graphic Novels
Elizabeth: This is a new selection that was not on the list 100 years ago. This is maybe the second or third time we’ve had the graphic novel section, because now we’re seeing really good graphic novels. I selected Dan Santat’s Sidekicks. It’s the idea that these sidekick animals of superheroes have their own adventures. I run a book group for kids and suggested we do Sidekicks. They loved it. It’s beautiful. It’s full color. It’s a lot of fun.

Non-Fiction
Elizabeth: The last one that I chose is actually because I am sort of bias. Coral Reefs by Jason Chin takes place in the main branch of the New York Public Library. Chin just did a beautiful job. The architecture is spot on. The idea is that this kid is reading a book and it sort of feels like she’s been submerged into the world of coral reefs. It looks like it’s a fantasy because on the cover she is swimming around with a shark. The text is straight nonfiction, talking about coral reefs, the different animals there, how they’re threatened by pollution and things like that. It has beautiful watercolors. Chin is a true artist.

In addition to being the Youth Materials Specialist at the New York Public Library, Elizabeth is a former Newbery Committee member (2007), blogger for FUSE #8 Production, professional reviewer for Kirkus and New York Times, regular contributing author to “The Horn Book”, author of CHILDREN'S LITERATURE GEMS: CHOOSING AND USING THEM IN YOUR LIBRARY CAREER (ALA Editions, 2009), and author of the forthcoming children’s picture book GIANT DANCE PARTY (HarperCollins).

Librarian Booktalk with Elizabeth Bird – Part 1

2012-01-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

Partial transcript from a phone interview with Elizabeth Bird, Youth Materials Specialist at the New York Public Library; former Newbery Committee member (2007); “School Library Journal” blogger for its FUSE #8 Production blog channel; professional reviewer for Kirkus, New York Times, and TimeOut Kids New York; regular contributing author to “The Horn Book” and author of CHILDREN'S LITERATURE GEMS: CHOOSING AND USING THEM IN YOUR LIBRARY CAREER (ALA Editions, 2009); and author of the forthcoming children’s picture book GIANT DANCE PARTY (HarperCollins).

From librarian to blogger, author and committee member, with your active involvement in so many different facets of children’s literature, how do you hope to make an impact or difference?

Elizabeth: My goal in life is to bring all the different aspects of children’s literature together; booksellers, academics, librarians, parents and bloggers. To do that I have to sort of spread myself a little thin, but I’ve tried to touch into a bunch of different areas to get good books and the books that I love publicized as humanly possible in the hopes of getting them into the hands of as many kids as possible. There are just so many different places for people to look for and discover books. So, I sort of try to find every place that a person might possibly go to find a children’s book and tell them about the good ones there.

My position at the New York Public Library (NYPL) allows me to do that in a very direct manner. My reviews on my blogs, Amazon and Goodreads let me alert people to good books there. But a lot of librarians don’t read blogs. They just read the professional reviews. That’s why I review for the New York Times, which will also be seen by the general public. What I’d really love to do would be to review or get a column in a parenting magazine, because that’s another area where people are really paying attention. I just want to reach as many people as possible to tell them about what’s out there, what’s new, what’s great, and what’s being overlooked in a given year.

What do you say to parents or librarians to help them get reluctant readers or any child or teen to take better advantage of all the good books that are available?

Elizabeth: The librarian mantra is always “The right book for the right child”. There was a great book that came out last year called Miss Brooks loves Books (And I Don't). It’s about a little girl who hates books until her librarian reads her Shrek, which is so gross and disgusting and then the girl is like “THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER!” That is my take on it. There is a book for every kid. You just have to find that book, which can be tough, especially for parents.

You have to find a resource that you can trust, that’s not going to lead you astray, and that can consistently give you great books for your kids. That’s tricky, unless they’re getting something like the School Library Journal. So what they have to do is go to their local librarian or local bookseller and consistently ask for recommendations.

You have to let parents know to a certain extent that a book for a child does not have to be War and Peace. You can give children Captain Underpants and it will not rot their brain. It may even make them want to read another book. From there you can kind of move them into Diary of a Wimpy Kid, to a book with slightly less pictures, and then into longer novels. That is sort of a path that you can follow. There are a bunch of different techniques for getting kids to read, but my favorite is definitely parental involvement.

NYPL just came out with its latest 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2011. Tell me a little about it’s history and how it comes about.
Elizabeth: The library has been doing the list for 100 years. It began in 1911 by Anne Carroll Moore, who was the great children’s librarian of NYPL. She was also the person who started Children’s Services within the library system. There weren’t recommended lists like this back then or one-stop shopping places for parents to go for recommend books. We think it’s tough today, but back then, oh man, you couldn’t find them anywhere. So, the list originally began sort of as a gift list that she would bring out before Christmas every year.

Now the librarians meet through the entire year, reading everything they can, debating, and winnowing it down to just 100 titles out of all the books that are published in a given year. Generally speaking it comes out before Christmas, although this year it came out a little later. Still, it has consistently come out every single year since 1911. So this year we had the 100th list of the 100 titles.

What are some of your favorites on this year’s list?
Elizabeth: Actually, on my blog post I show a sample cover of my favorite from each section on the list, but I can tell you why I selected each one. (Elizabeth’s discussion on her favorites from the list will be posted in Part 2 of this interview on Monday.)

Tell me about your experience with the Newbery committee.
Elizabeth: My experience was strange because it’s not how people typically get onto the committee. Usually you are either appointed or you’re voted onto the committee long before the first meeting in January and then you have a full year until the final decisions are made the following January. Around June of that year, I was having dinner at a restaurant with my husband and my phone rang with an area code that I didn’t’ recognize. It was the president of ALSC, who said we had someone drop out of the committee, can you fill in? I was like, “Oh, Yes. Yes. I will.” But I came in half way through the year, which is not normal. And usually when someone drops out, they pull somebody from the ALA Notable Committee. I’m not sure why they didn’t do that that year, but I’m very grateful that I was plucked up instead.

Do you have any predictions for this year’s Newbery?

Elizabeth: This year I’m going to make a weird prediction. All the talk has been about Gary Schmidt’s Okay for Now. Often when people are on committees and they get down to the wire with five books still in front of them, their inclination is to disregard anything that they can object to and make it an honor instead. People love Okay for Now, but it has a problematic ending. The ending tears people apart. They either think it’s fine or they hate it more than anything in the entire world. So, I think Okay for Now is going to get an honor.

The book I think that is going to win is the one that I have not been able to hear a single objection to and everybody loves, but no one has seriously considered it because it’s non-fiction. I’m pretty sure Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming could get away with the gold. That book is brilliant and there hasn’t been a non-fiction winner since something like 1988 when Lincoln: A Photobiography won. She has a really good shot. And if a Honor goes to The Trouble with May Amelia, then this will be the year of the Amelias, which would be awesome.

Last question. Tell me what you enjoy most about being a librarian?
Elizabeth: What it is, doesn’t even take place when I’m in the library. But if I’m on the subway or somewhere else, and I see a kid with a book that is a library book, it makes me so happy. I really have a practical way of getting books into the hands of kids. Right now it’s more direct than ever. I can get people to read good books. I can really highlight good books. I can buy great books. And that’s what I like best. I like to get books into the hands of kids.

To get more children’s literature insights and advice from Elizabeth Bird, visit her blog at http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production.

The New York Public Library first officially opened its doors on May 24, 1911 on a two-block section of Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. Today the Library has 90 locations, four research centers, and a network of neighborhood libraries throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. The library provides free and open access to its physical and electronic collections and information, as well as to its services for people of all ages, from toddlers to teens to adults. For more information about the New York Public Library visit http://www.nypl.org.

Book Covers & Reading Choices

2012-01-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

Newer cover

Last night as I was reading one of the Lightning Thief books with my 10-year old daughter, it reminded me of the first time the book was introduced to me shortly after it came out. I was looking for a book for my pre-teen son and myself to read. Our local librarian recommended Lightning Thief. I took one look at the cover, and I had no desire to read it. Which is strange for me since I love reading children’s books, especially if they have plenty of action and adventure. I also enjoy fantasy and mythology. But the art cover turned me off. It looked old-fashion and faded. Still, I checked the book out for my son, which he read and enjoyed. Of course, Lightning Thief went on to become a huge success, in spite of what I thought about the cover. It's interesting though that when the publisher reprinted it based on its high demand, that they changed its cover with what I think is much nicer and appealing art.

Older cover

How does the cover art of a book affect you and your children’s reading choices? They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but I think sometimes it’s hard not to. What do you think?

Librarian Booktalk with Carla Morris

2012-01-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

Interview with Carla Morris, current Chair of ALA’s 2013 Theodore Geisel Committee, former Caldecott Committee member (2004), librarian for the past 32 years at the Provo City Library and its current Children's Service Manager, and children's author of “The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians” (Peachtree Publishers 2007). Carla has a special interest in Emergent Literacy and teaching parents how to get their children ready to learn to read.

What advice do you have for parents who want their children to read more?
Carla: Read yourself! Let your children see you read. Let your children see you cry over a book or laugh. Talk about what you are reading to your kids. Have books in your home. Have big shelves of physical, real, tangible books. Your children should own copies of their favorite books. Give them books for Christmas, their birthdays with something personally written to them inside the cover. Those books will outlast their toys. You should have copies of your favorite books so your children can see what you value. Children should always have bookshelves with books, and reading lamps in their bedrooms. I know everyone is moving towards e-books, and that’s good too. So call me old fashioned, but BOOKS need to be in your home!

What do you see as the main challenges that parents, librarians, and/or educators face in getting young people to read and what are some of the best ways to overcome those challenges?
Carla: It’s a matter of setting priorities and balance. Kids who spend a lot of “screen time” are actually reading…just in a different way than what we think of as reading. However, if they are spending a lot of time on social media, are they learning new vocabulary? Learning about characters, settings, problem solving that they would learn from reading a book? Acquiring movies at our fingertips allows us to spend hours viewing movies that may or may not be mind expanding. We don’t fully know the outcomes of so much screen time. Turning everything off and reading a book (actual or on a notebook) just a few minutes a day should be a part of our daily routine…..working on the intellect!

What do you say to teens or young readers to encourage them to read?
Carla: I say have you heard about???????, then give them a short synopsis of something new, point them in that direction and let them browse. Be there for them when they have questions…..give them the tools and let them explore.

What are some of the more popular books you see kids reading today?
Carla: Children love the series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rick Riordan books, Magic Treehouse, Alchemist, Fancy Nancy, Pinkalicious, Olivia, Dora the Explorer, Horowitz's Alex Rider, Ranger’s Apprentice, Captain Underpants, books on super heroes, and Star Wars. Brandon Mull books are popular here. Kids still ask for Goosebumps. Animorphs are being reissued. Kids will love those.

What are some of the more recent books you recommend to young readers and why?
Carla: This is a broad and complicated question. Children are varied! Our motto at the Provo Library is "Get the right book into their hands at the right time of their life." To help with that, we have a whole wall filled with brochures of more than 50 Book Lists: Adventure, Books for Girls, Books for Boys, Fantasy, Fairies Historical Fiction, Mermaids, Horses, Trucks and Trains and Things that Go, Wordless Picture Books, and more. You can also find those book lists on our website at www.provolibrary.com/booklists

What’s your favorite book to recommend to teens or young readers and why?
Carla: I love children’s non-fiction. Usually heavy on graphics and short, concise text. You can always find something great to recommend to a child who will give you even a little hint of what they are interested in. Children are all about fantasy right now, but there is a world of absolutely beautiful non-fiction books! Graphic novels are branching into non-fiction, especially history. The reluctant reader can learn about history through comics!

I love magazines and always have. The brevity, slick pages-- very visual. Children should be introduced to them. Check them out and take them home. A recent trend that I love is the Picture Biographies--a little slice of life (in picturebook format of historical figures), such as “Me Jane” by Patrick McDonnell.

What are some your favorites that you recommend and that readers seem to enjoy?
Carla: I have always loved Cynthia Rylant. She has written a variety of Fiction, Easy Readers and picture books. She is a master at developing characters and scenes. I love the feeling that comes from reading her writing. I frequently recommend Kate Di Camillo, Ian Lawrence, Cornelia Funke, Gary Schmidt: all beautiful writers.

I love the I Spy Books and books by Tana Hoban because they encourage adults and children to cuddle up together and point, talk, have discussions about life-- all while having fun with books.I refer patrons to Mo Willems and Kevin Henkes who both seem to remember what it’s like to be a child. Rosemary Wells, Mem Fox are classic. My all time favorite illustrators would be Barry Moser, Kadir Nelson, David Small, David Catrow, Christopher Bing, and (this always surprises people…. Holly Hobbie…I LOVE the Toots and Puddles series). And I can’t forget the classic illustrations of Garth Williams, Ernest Shepard, Robert McCloskey, Barbara Cooney (so dear to my heart). There are hundreds of favorites--these names just pop out of my head. I know that I’m leaving out so many!!!

With the Caldecott Awards coming up and your past experience as a committee member, tell me why you think such awards are important.
Carla: Keeping our standards high!

Can you share any experiences you had on the committee that might be of interest to other librarians or book lovers?
Carla: Mostly the fun of Caldecott is receiving close to 800 free picture books and carefully analyzing them and having discussions about them with other committee members. The networking and friendships formed are amazing.

Do you have any predictions for this year’s award winners?
Carla: I’m sure Lane Smith’s Grandpa Green will be a winner. However, my personal favorite is “Me…Jane” by Patrick McDonnell.

What do you enjoy most about being a librarian?
Carla: Being a librarian has greatly expanded my life and has made me and my children better people. When you work in a library you learn something new every day. You are exposed to the richness of ideas, illustrations, books, multimedia which rubs off on you and makes you so much more interesting than if you were not exposed to such a wealth of thinking!!!

I love the books. I love the kids. I love the people I work with. I have a great library director Gene Nelson who supports the Children’s Department. My staff are all experts in customer service and.great storytellers who put their whole being into doing our story times. I love and appreciate the parents who take the time (and gas) to find their kids shoes and books and bring them to the library regularly. They are “the heroes” and their children and the world they will ultimately live in will be the benefactors.

Any last words?

Carla: The public library has always been an important part of American life. The world of writing, publishing, e-books is currently in a state of flux. I wrote my picture book “The Boy Who Was Raised By Librarians” to bring attention to the contribution of libraries in our communities and to show the relationship between librarians who work together, as well as the relationship formed between librarians and patrons. Many times the public library is referred to as the “living room of the community.” I frequently tell library staff as well as our patrons, ”I hope you will always feel comfortable at our library, and you are always welcome home here.”

To learn more about Carla and her work as a children's author, visit her web site at www.carladeemorris.com.

Located in Provo, Utah at the historic Academy Square, the Provo Library is known for age appropriate programming. It offers 24 age specificprograms every week geared towards children 0 – 12 years of age. It's also know for 2 signature annual events: "Fairy Tea Party" and "Big Guy Little Guy parties." More information on the Provo Library can be found at www.provolibrary.com.

Amazon Publishing to buy Marshall Cavendish Children's division.

2011-12-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

Marshall Cavendish just announced yesterday that Amazon Publishing is buying the Marshall Cavendish Children's Book group. I'm not sure what to think about it yet, but I hope it ends up being a good thing for my 2 picture books that will be coming out fall 2012 from Marshall Cavendish. Here's a link to the press release about it. http://www.marshallcavendish.us/marshallcavendish-us/news/AmazonCCB.xml

Book Reviews on Children's Books

2011-11-21T17:01:00.000-08:00

On my old Web site I posted book reviews written by young readers on the books they enjoyed reading. I have now added those book reviews to my new site at www.kenbakerbooks.com in a section called Kid Picks. I plan to add newer reviews to it from time to time. Check it out and enjoy!

Coming soon! Librarian booktalks and interviews

2011-11-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

In the coming days or weeks, I plan to introduce a new regular feature to this blog, where I will interview children's librarians across the country to hear what they have to say about what kids are reading or why they're not reading. Some posts will be like mini-book talks, others will have advice for other librarians, parents and young readers, and others will offer a glimpse into the life of children's librarians. Anyway, I'm excited about it and I hope you are too. Stay tuned.

Value of Publishing Options

2011-10-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

One of the discussion forums I’m on asks why authors would continue to try to go the traditional publishing route now that there are e-books and self publishing? First off, self-publishing has always been an option. The difference today is that e-books provide an easier, much more pervasive vehicle for self-publishing than what print-only offered in the past. So one of the questions that really needs to be asked is what value does traditional publishing provide over self-publishing?

Some of the values that self-publishing delivers, includes:

No barriers to entry (This is also a negative, since it opens the floodgates to low quality stories)
Faster time to market
More control
Higher royalty percentage (However, this doesn’t necessarily promise higher actual revenue)

Some of the values that traditional publishing delivers, includes:

Built-in distribution sales channel and marketing for both print and electronic versions
Team of seasoned experts that contribute to all aspects of the book publishing journey, such as story editors, line editors, cover artists, layout designers, PR people, salespeople, production team, and more.
Inherent stamp of approval for major book chains and distribution channel in terms of book quality
Inherent stamp of approval for readers in general (While this might eventually become less of a factor as ebooks evolve, with some exceptions I believe for the present most readers will choose traditionally published books over self-published)
Higher chance of success (While I don’t have numbers to back this up, I would predict that on average traditionally published books have a higher per-book sell-through rate than self-published books. Please feel free to provide numbers that confirm or dispute this)

Of course there are cons to both options too. Self-publishing typically requires an upfront investment by the author as well as increased marketing effort by the author. Even though traditional publishing is requiring more from its authors in terms of marketing, it’s hasn’t yet reach the level required by the self-publisher for success. Traditional publishing also has cons, the foremost of these being that it has a very high barrier to entry. Some feel that barrier is too high. For me there is actually value in that barrier and it’s worth it to me to spend years and significant effort breaking through it. I also place significant value on having a team of experts backing me up. I look at that as a key ingredient to my long-term success as an author.

So, the question really comes down to, what do you want as an author? If you’re a great marketer yourself, if you don’t think you need the expertise that publishers provide or you just simply want to have a book published, then self-publishing might be your best publication path. If you want a team of experts to contribute to your success and you’re willing to put the effort in to join their team, traditional publishing might be the best route.

While to some, this post might seem like a contradiction to my post of the other day, it’s really not. Both publishing routes deliver a set of values, but the importance of each those values will change based on individual author perspective and as the publishing landscape continues to evolve and change in the wake of the digital revolution.

Also, I know that the above is just a short list of the values that both routes offer. Feel free to add to the list in your comments below.

Author Platform: Friend or Foe?

2011-10-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks I’ve read a number of articles that talk about the importance of author platforms for increasing book sales. One of the main concepts of the author platform is to create an instant audience for your books through those who follow you via social media, whether it’s your web site, blog, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever. Consulting editor, Alan Rinzler has a great article on The “New Author” Platform – What You Need to Know . Along those same lines, children’s author and SCBWI regional adviser, Kathleen Temean has some great ideas on her blog post today on how to drive traffic to your web site. Additionally, well-known blogger and literary agent, Rachelle Gardner talks in her blog today about why author platforms are so important to agents and publishers.

These are just a few examples of great articles on the how-to’s and importance of the author platform, and I will definitely continually refer to them as try to build up my own platform. But as I read these and so many other articles like them, it makes me wonder if publishers and agents are slowly putting themselves out of business with the increasing emphasis that they place on authors creating their own audience and promoting themselves. It’s obvious that the days are long gone when an author could sit in seclusion, cranking out new books and then passing them off to their agent or publisher to market and sell. But if more and more of the marketing and promotion responsibility falls to the author, what role does that leave for the publisher and agent?

I have long been an advocate of going the traditional publishing route versus the self-publishing route. One of the main reasons for that has been that I’m not an expert in book distribution, promotion and sales. While I enjoy speaking at conferences and doing school visits, I want to be a full time author, not a full time marketer. But if traditional publishing continues down its current path, that might be exactly what I need to do to be a successful author.

Of course, another important role for the traditional publisher and agent is to be the gatekeeper, to make sure only the highest quality books make it to market. But with the exponential rise of epublishing, are they really needed as gatekeepers anymore? Word of mouth and social interchanges of discerning readers have the ability to determine which books are worth reading or not. In many ways, traditional publishers and agents are being seen by many authors as road blocks to publication rather than vehicles to publication.

It reminds me of an interchange I had with an author friend about a year ago, in which I was suggesting that she steer clear of the self-publishing route and go with a traditional publisher. She basically said, “Been there, done that. It was a financial fiasco.” She then told me that due to the publisher’s standard royalty rate that she didn’t make nearly as much money as she thought she could. Inwardly I thought, well that’s just the way it is; the publisher gets their cut, the distributor gets their cut, and retail gets their cut. That’s life. But then she told me about her author platform of more than 30,000 dedicated followers who would instantly buy her new book whether or not it came from a traditional publisher. She built up her author platform so well that she really didn’t need any more of what the publisher had to offer her.

Along similar lines, an article two days ago in the New York Times talks about how Amazon’s vision of end-to-end publishing services has publishers running scared because it leaves them completely out of the publishing loop. For authors that have built up a popular marketing platform, Amazon offers a compelling and more profitable option than the traditional route.

Although, I’m still an avid proponent of the role that traditional publishers and agents can play in regard to author success, as the ebook industry evolves and as publishers and agents shift more and more of what used to be their responsibility to the author I have to wonder what role they will leave for themselves, if any.

What are your thoughts about the growing emphasis on the author platform and self-promotion?

How do you see that increased emphasis affecting the role of publishers and agents?

Advice to Aspiring Authors

2011-10-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I'm contacted by aspiring writers for advice on how to get started as a children's book author. Whether they want to write picture books, chapter books or YA, my advice is pretty much the same. First I tell them that it’s great that they’re interested in writing a children’s/YA book, but then I warn them that having a children’s book published is not an easy endeavor. It’s a very competitive business. A single publisher might receive about 20,000 manuscripts in a single year from potential authors. Of those 20,000, the publisher might publish anywhere between 5 and 30 books, depending on the publisher’s size and needs. I don’t say this to discourage them, but I say it to give them the proper perspective of what they’re getting into.

If they’re serious in their publishing pursuit, here are some of the main suggestions I give them:

1. Attend local or national children's writing conferences. Not only will writing conferences teach you much of what you need to know, they're great places to make contacts with other authors as well as editors and agents. Preferably, you’ll want to look for conferences where national authors, editors, and agents attend to present their insights on writing and getting published. A good resource for finding about some of those events can be found at www.scbwi.org/Regional-Events.aspx.

2. Join a critique group. A critique group can give you objective advice on your stories. Once again, SCBWI is a good resource for finding out about local critique groups. Even if you’re not a member of SCBWI, the regional coordinator for your area would likely be happy to tell you about critique groups in your area. (www.scbwi.org/Pages.aspx/Regional-Chapters).

3. Attend writing workshops. Quite often different published authors offer workshops. This might be authors local to your area or ones that happen to be visiting your area in conjunction with a book tour. Simply do a Google search for writing workshops in your area.

4. Do your research. Read different books on writing children’s books. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books by Harold Underdown is a good book to read, as is the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market by Writer’s Digest. For longer works, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas is an excellent resource. There are also a lot of Web sites and blogs with good information too, such as www.underdown.org and www.verlakay.com.

5. Reads lots of current children’s books. If you’re not reading what’s being written and bought today in your genre of choice, you won’t have the familiarity you need with what sells in today’s market. Read as many books as you can.

If you have other suggestions for the aspiring author, please share.