The Joy of Children's Literature

June is Audiobook Month! Listen free..

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 21:43:00 +0000

2 Free Audiobook Downloads Each Week from Listening Library

Listening Library is proud to team up with AudioFile Magazine to support SYNC. Beginning this month, SYNC offers FREE audiobook downloads of Young Adult audiobooks and Summer Reading Classics!

Watch for Listening Library's IRISES by Francisco X. Stork available June 21 – June 27 and THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND by Jonathan Stroud available June 28 – July 4.

To find out when you can download titles to listen to on the run this summer, visit www.AudiobookSync. or text syncya to 25827.

NPR Books Confesses Love for Teen Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 21:37:00 +0000

NPR BOOKS CONFESSES LOVE FOR “TEEN” READS

“SUMMER BOOKS” SERIES COMES-OF-AGE WITH YOUNG ADULT FOCUS,

YA AUTHORS REVEAL FORMATIVE LITERARY INSPIRATIONS

NPRBOOKS.ORG FEATURES ANNUAL “SUMMER BOOKS” ROUND-UPS FROM NPR FAVORITES

May 30, 2012; Washington, D.C. – A good novel doesn’t just transcend the boundaries of its target market – it knows nothing about target markets. NPR Books takes this to heart with the launch of its annual Summer Books package, focusing this year’s theme on the coming-of-age stories that open our eyes to a world beyond childhood and stick for a lifetime. NPR Books will spotlight Young Adult literature with a new series and its annual listeners’ poll in addition to round-ups of critics’ picks and exclusive excerpts from this season’s most anticipated reads.

The centerpiece of Summer Books is “PG-13: Risky Reads,” a new series exploring the ageless themes and no-holds barred style that makes the Young Adult genre eternally inspiring. In first-person submissions, acclaimed authors including Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper), Abraham Verghese (Cutting for Stone), Lois Lowry (The Giver) and Jesmyn Ward (2011 National Book Award for Fiction, Salvage the Bones) remember the books they may have read before they were quite ready – a child peeking into the world of adults. The series began on All Things Considered with the nightmarish nail-bitter I Am the Cheese, which made a then-12-year-old Ben Marcus worry. Listeners can also visit the This Is NPR blog to read similar narratives submitted by NPR staff. Local stations and broadcast times are available at www.npr.org/stations.

In June, NPR Books will begin compiling readers’ nominations for the best YA literature of all time. Listeners can vote for their favorite formative novel and find further inspiration at www.npr.org/summerbooks. The Top 100 list will be released in August.

Summer Books 2012 will again offer its extremely popular package of themed critics’ lists compiled by NPR favorites such as Susan Stamberg, Lynn Neary and Maureen Corrigan, as well as acclaimed literary names like romance author Eloisa James (Pleasures trilogy) and novelist Madeline Miller (The Song of Achilles). Other notable compilations include critic Heller McAlpin’s list of “Seriously Funny” reads to distract that fidgety beach buddy, NPR bookworm Nancy Pearl’s “Under the Radar” list of inconspicuous gems, and librarian Lee Butler’s summer reading assignments for those avid YA fans. These recommendations – for literary fiction, mysteries, historical fiction, romance, humor and more – will make even avid NPR listeners turn down the radio and pick up a book. Listeners can also find exclusive text and audio excerpts from some of this year’s best reads at www.npr.org/books.

Win a Skype with Judy Blume

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:16:00 +0000

Enter by May 15th. Click here for more details.

Bunny SHARE

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:55:00 +0000

Last month, I signed up for the Marine Corp Marathon and I've started training. Everyday as I run through my neighborhood, this little bunny runs across my path. At first, I thought it was a fluke, since I live in a large subdivision with lots of concrete. But, each day, this little guy is still there, so now I look forward to seeing him. Today, I took my phone and snapped his picture. Cute, huh?

A couple of months ago I posted my thoughts on SHARE: the guilt that comes with feeling that you Should Have Already Read Everything.

One of the big ways I find time to read is auidobooks. I am a big fan of audiobooks for lots of reasons.

First, they are excellently performed. Have you listened to an auidobook for children/YA lately? I just finished listening to Rotters, written by Daniel Kraus and performed by Kirby Heyborne, which won the 2012 Odyssey Award and is brilliant! Last year, The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex and performed by Bahni Turpin won the award and it, too, was brilliant. Some are performed by movie stars such as the Curse Workers series performed by Jesse Eisenberg and others are performed by the author such as Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.
Audiobooks often include an interview with the author at the end. This is a special treat! John Green discussed his writing process in an interview at the end of The Fault in Our Stars and Libba Bray, who also performed Beauty Queens (which is amazing!) discusses her thoughts on the concept of beauty in our society.
Audiobooks are portable. I have an audiobook in my car, on my phone and on my iPod at all times. I have a two hour round trip drive to and from the university. It's not something most people would look forward to --- unless, you're listening to a fantastic book and you can't wait to get in the car to hear more! I listen on long car trips and on vacation, too. But, I also listen when I'm gong to the grocery store or other places not so far from home. Twenty minutes here and fifteen minutes there adds up and before I know it, I've finished a book. I also listen to audiobooks on my iPod when I run. I know that for some people, it would be hard to concentrate while sucking air and sweating profusely, but it doesn't bother me at all. However, I have been known to have tears running down my face or to burst out laughing as I'm running, too.
Audiobooks are abundant and accessible. There are a lot of children's and YA books available in audio format. I check them out from the library, order them through interlibrary loan, and download them from Audible. There are other sources as well.

If you haven't given audiobooks a try, I urge you to consider the possibilities of how they can help you SHARE the joy of reading!

PD: Caldecott Uncovered

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:43:00 +0000

This is the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal! In honor of this special occasion, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is offering a free webinar:

Caldecott Uncovered: What You’ve Always Wanted to Know About the Caldecott Medal

Instructor: Rita Auerbach, past Caldecott Committee chair

Tuesday, May 8, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time; Thursday, July 12, at 6:00 p.m. Central Time

This webinar will be offered completely free to members and nonmembers both. Don’t miss it! Space is limited; reserve your seat now.

Children's Book Week and Children's Choice Books

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:25:00 +0000

Exactly one month from today, Children's Book Week will begin!

Established in 1919, Children's Book Week celebrates books for young people and the joy of reading from coast to coast!

Check out the line-up of Official Book Week events! Over 40 cities are hosting author and illustrator events during Book Week (May 7-13, 2012), with additional venues to come!

Each year, the Children's Book Council enlists illustrators to design a commemorative Children's Book Week Poster and Bookmark. Download the 2012 Book Week bookmark by Lane Smith and order your 2012 Poster by David Wiesner!

Children's Choice Book Awards Gala! In 2008, the Children's Book Council created the Children's Choice Book Awards, the only national child-chosen book awards program, giving young readers a powerful voice in their own reading choices. Each year, the award winners are announced live at the highly-anticipated Children's Choice Book Awards Gala during Book Week (May 7, 2012)!

It's not too late to still have a voice in which books are awarded as Children's Choice Books. See which books make the list of finalists in K-2, 3-4, 5-6 and teens categories, then vote for your favorites. You can vote as an individual or you can post a group vote for your class.

You can also add a really cool widget to your blog or website with the CCBs finalists.

National book Festival Dates for 2012 Announced!

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:00:00 +0000

For more information, go to: http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2012/12-067.html

Bookmobile Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:34:00 +0000

Bookmobile: From NPR story

Do you remember the bookmobile? I do. Last year (in this post), I recounted the story of how I loved the library when I was growing up in Louisville, KY. It wasn't long, however, that my mother moved us to a very small town far away from the gorgeous library I loved. The library in the small town was a long way from where we lived and we didn't have a car and there was no public transportation. Not to fear---the bookmobile came by every week! I loved the bookmobile. I remember climbing the steps, smelling the books that filled the tight space, and looking through the small collection to make my selection each week.

Needless to say, the story that appeared yesterday on NPR, The Final Chapter for a Trusty Bookmobile?, brought back all of those memories. Especially since there is a bookmobile that has been abandoned close to my house as well.

I think of the bookmobile as the modern day version of librarian's on horseback, as depicted in Heather Henson's That Book Woman. One way or another, librarian's have found a way to get books in the hands of those who need them. According to the article, a bookmobile cost around $90,000 and with shrinking library budgets, it's easy to see why they are not being repaired or purchased. Yet, there are still a lot of people, especially children, who will not have access to books without the bookmobile.

I put my faith in librarians. I know somehow, some way, they will figure it out. They always have!

Pottermore Shop: HP eBooks!

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:11:00 +0000

From Publishers Weekly, 3/27:

As of Tuesday, March 27, all seven Harry Potter novels are now available in electronic form via the Pottermore shop, the exclusive retailer for Harry Potter e-books and digital audio books. A component of the long-delayed Pottermore site, the shop is initially selling U.S. and U.K. English editions, with French, Italian, German and Spanish editions to follow in the coming weeks, and additional languages coming later. OverDrive announced this morning that as of March 29 at 9 a.m. U.S. EDT, the e-books will be made available for checkout. A 10% discount on all the titles has been extended through April 30.

Every e-book purchased may be downloaded for personal use on a range of devices and platforms, including personal computers, e-readers, tablets and mobile phones. Compatible formats include the Nook, Sony’s Reader, Google Play, and Kindle; Kindle users may purchase via a dedicated Pottermore page on Amazon, which will direct them to the shop in order to purchase. Harry Potter e-books are DRM-free, but digitally watermarked in order to identify the purchaser and discourage unauthorized sharing.

The full Pottermore site has ended beta testing and is expected to launch in early April. The site will showcase new writing by J.K. Rowling and include extensive interactive content.

Upcoming web seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 02:34:00 +0000

Please make plans to attend the upcoming web seminar presented by Dr. Candace Kuby, on Sunday, April 1, 7:00 p.m./EST-USA: Her talk, “Tensions from Analyzing Children’s Images of Racial Bus Segration: Searching for Tools” is a part of Global Conversations in Literacy Research (GCLR) 2011-2012 series of free web seminars (http://globalconversationsinliteracy.wordpress.com). On the night of Dr. Kuby’s web seminar, paste this URL into your browser within 60 minutes of its start:
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=221&password=M.50295980BE948CB62AEBE26AA18523

Dr. Kuby is an assistant professor of early childhood education at the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA, with scholarly interests focused on early literacy, critical inquiry and multimodal literacies. Situated in data collected from a teacher/research study with 5 and 6 year-old children in a summer enrichment program in the South, this seminar addresses the tensions of analyzing multimodal images. The focus of the web seminar is not so much the empirical study of the images, but reflectively on the tensions of analysis.

All web seminars are free of charge, and certainly offer opportunity to engage in interesting conversations.

Workshop: Creating an Authentic Cultural Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 21:19:00 +0000

I just found out about an amazing workshop: Creating an Authentic Cultural Voice. This is a rare and wonderful opportunity to work with excellent children's authors and editors while learning about developing your own authentic voice. Below is more information on how to reserve your place in the program!

Call for Applicants: Creating an Authentic Cultural Voice

April 26-29, 2012

A program from the Highlights Foundation

Our children live in a world of diverse voices and experiences. They deserve to live in a book that authentically represents their world.

Creating an Authentic Cultural Voice

Join award-winning authors Donna Jo Napoli and Mitali Perkins, as well as editors Alvina Ling and Stacy Whitman, and special guest Kathryn Erskine for an intensive four-day workshop. Your mentors will work with you to discover your true cultural voice through impeccable research, imagination, empathy, and experience. Our goal is to gather a community of open-minded children’s book authors who wish to think deeply about questions such as:

• Who has the right to write multiculturally?

• How do we bring humility to our research?

• What audience are we writing for?

If you are interested in being a part of this amazing opportunity, please fill out the application and submit it, with your responses to the essay questions, in addition to your writing sample. Applications for our scholarships are available by e-mailing Jo Lloyd at jo.lloyd@highlightsfoundation.org, or calling, toll-free, (877) 512-8365.

2012 Finalists for the Audie Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:56:00 +0000

I love listening to audiobooks, so I am excited about today's announcement of the Audio Publishers Association's finalists for the 2012 Audies or "Oscars" of audiobooks. I am especially thrilled to see Libba Bray's reading of Beauty Queens on the teen list.

I've listed the children's and teens finalists below. The winners will be announced on June 5th.

CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES UP TO 8

Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnson, by Charles R. Smith, Jr., Narrated by Dion Graham, Live Oak Media
Django: World’s Greatest Jazz Guitarist, by Bonnie Christensen, Narrated by George Guidall, Live Oak Media
Looking Like Me, by Walter Dean Myers, Narrated by Dion Graham and Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Live Oak Media
Stone Soup, by John J. Muth, Narrated by BD Wong, Weston Woods
When I Grow Up, by Al Yankovic, Narrated by Al Yankovic, HarperAudio
Wolf Pie, by Brenda Seabrooke, Narrated by Andrew Watts, Recorded Books, LLC

CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES 8-12

Countdown, by Deborah Wiles, Narrated by Emma Galvin, Random House Audio/Listening Library
The Flint Heart, by Katherine Paterson and John Paterson, Narrated by Ralph Lister, Brilliance Audio
Heart and Soul, by Kadir Nelson, Narrated by Debbie Allen, HarperAudio
The Hidden Valley: The Incorrigible Children of Aston Place: Book II, by Maryrose Wood, Narrated by Katherine Kellgren, HarperAudio
A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz, Narrated by Johnny Heller, Recorded Books, LLC

TEENS

Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray, Narrated by Libba Bray, Scholastic Audio
Chime, by Franny Billingsley, Narrated by Susan Duerden, Random House Audio/Listening Library
Okay for Now, by Gary D. Schmidt, Narrated by Lincoln Hoppe, Random House Audio/Listening Library
Pick-Up Game, by Marc Aronson and Charles R. Smith Jr., Narrated by Dion Graham and Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Brilliance Audio
The Wake of the Lorelei Lee, by L.A. Meyer, Narrated by Katherine Kellgren, Listen & Live Audio

Reading, CYBILS and A New Top 100 List

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:55:00 +0000

I got home late last night and caught the tail end of Rock Center, hosted by Brian Williams on NBC. The information about the show indicated that there had been a segment on an innovative reading program between a charter school and a public school in Rhode Island.

Today, I checked NBC's website and found the segment. The innovative aspect is the collaboration between the charter and public schools, not the reading instructional approach, which is being implemented in schools around the country.

It is always great to see teachers working together for the benefit of their students!

The 6th Annual CYBILS (Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards) were announced on Valentine's Day. Winners included:

Book Apps: The Monster at the End of This Book

Fiction Picture Book: Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell

Nonfiction Picture Book: I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat by Carlyn Beccia

Easy Reader: I Broke My Trunk! by Mo Willems

Easy Chapter Book: Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke

Poetry: Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto by Paul B. Janeczko

Graphic Novels: Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright; illustrations by Barry Moser

Middle Grade Fiction: Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman

YA Nonfiction: Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

YA Graphic Novel: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

YA Fantasy and Science Fiction: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

YA Fiction: Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

The new "100 Greatest Books for Kids" list has just been released from Scholastic and Parent's Magazine. Which book is number one? You guessed it, E. B. White's Charlotte's Web! Here are the next nine on the list:

2. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

4. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jacks Keats

5. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

7. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

9. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

10. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

Click on this link to see the full list.

A few things that might be of interest...

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:59:00 +0000

A few things that might be of interest...

The SLJ Battle of the Kids Books is gearing up for a 4th year starting March 13. If your favorite book didn't win (or even get recognized!) in the ALA awards, maybe this year's BOB contest will correct that oversight!

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has announced a new four-book series from author Lemony Snicket (a pseudonym for Daniel Handler), set to launch this fall. On October 23, the publisher will release “Who Could That Be at This Hour?”, first in the “autobiographical” All the Wrong Questions series, which will explore Snicket’s youth “in a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted.” “Who Could That Be at This Hour?” will be published simultaneously in hardcover, audio, and e-book formats, and has a one-million copy announced first printing.

Maggie Stiefvater's writes about her new series with Scholastic, The Raven Boys, on her blog. The first book in the series comes out September 18.

Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books. According to the Notables Criteria, "notable" is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children's books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways. Find the list of Notable books here.

Finally, Megan McCarthy of the Blue Rose Girls blog writes about Maurice Sendak's appearance on The Grim Colberty Tales. If you haven't watched this "interview" yet, take the time!

From SHAME to SHARE

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:56:00 +0000

Recently, I read Brenda Power's introduction to the most recent The Big Fresh Newsletter. I always enjoy Brenda's insights and love the resources the newsletter provides for readers.

The title of this particular newsletter was Acronymia and in it Brenda shares her dislike and frustration with the myriad of acronyms used in education that can be intimidating to everyone, including teachers. However, at a writing retreat, she learned of a few new acronyms that she felt helped her to monitor her own behavior. For this post, I would like to talk about one of these acronyms, SHAME:

My favorite new acronym for teachers and literacy leaders is SHAME, which represents Should Have Already Mastered Everything. Isn't this exactly the trap so many of us find ourselves in, embarrassed that we haven't mastered everything there is to know about teaching and learning, including that massive number of acronyms so many folks sling around in conversations?

Like Brenda, and many teachers around the world, I also feel SHAME. However, as professor of children's literature, I would like to add a new acronym that follows this same line of thought, SHARE: Should Have Already Read Everything.

One of the first things teachers do when they enter my class is confess their feeling of SHARE. They express their feelings of embarrassment because they:

haven't read many children's books since they were kids themselves.

haven't read most of the books in their classroom library.

don't read the books their students are reading.

prefer adult books (even "trashy" adult books!).

prefer certain genres and never read others.

I suffer from a mild form of SHARE, too. I am one of those people who feel the need to have read the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz and other award winners "before" they are announced. When I haven't done so (which is almost always in one or more category), then I feel SHARE.
However, I do read quite a bit. For example, in 2011 I read 100 chapter books. If I were to add picturebooks and professional books, I would add at least 100 more.

For teachers, the key is often not the desire to read but finding the time to read. Teachers have so many things to feel SHAME about, that often, reading children's books gets pushed to the bottom of the list. I have multiple ways of reading that are integrated into my daily lifestyle that allow some time for reading everyday.

In the next post, I will share the ways I find time to read. In the meantime, I'd love to hear the ways others are finding time to read. Please post your thoughts in the comments section and I will include them in the next post.

LeVar Burton reads "Snowy Day"

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:02:00 +0000

LeVar Burton – The former Reading Rainbow host joins All Things Considered host Guy Raz for a reading of Snowy Day, credited as on of the first children’s book to feature a non-caricatured black protagonist.

Airdate: Saturday, January 28, on All Things Considered

Audio: Available Saturday at approximately 7PM (ET) at http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=2

ALA Youth Media Awards Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:01:00 +0000

That ALA Youth Media Awards were announced early this morning.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos won the Newbery! I loved this book and am happy to see it win. It also won the 2012 Scott O'Dell Award for best historical fiction, which I blogged about last week and included a link to his National Book Festival speech.

Two Newbery Honors were awarded: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhaa Lai, which also won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, and Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin.

A Ball for Daisy, written and illustrataed by Chris Raschka, won the Caldecott!

Three Caldecott Honor books were awarded: Blackout written and illustrated by John Rocco, Grandpa Green written and illustrated by Lane Smith and Me...Jane written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell, which also won the 2012 Charlotte Zolotow award.

Interestingly, all of the Caldecott award winners were written and illustrated by the same person.

All winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards can be found on the ALA website. I did well this year with having read the Newbery before it was announced as well as most of the other awards, but I do have some reading to do in a few of the categories. Soon, however, it will be time to take a deep breath and start all over again for 2012. Happy reading!

Jacqueline Woodson

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:08:00 +0000

Jacqueline Woodson (from PW)

I found out earlier today that one of my favorite authors, Jacqueline Woodson, is going to be the YA luncheon speaker at IRA and was thrilled! Then, quite prophetically, I found a great interview with her by Publishers Weekly. Below is an excerpt in which she talks about her newest book, Beneath a Meth Moon (due out in February), and what she is working on. Read the entire interview here.

Are you currently mining any memories for another writing project?

I feel like I’m still coming out of the fog of finishing Beneath a Meth Moon. I don’t think I realized how inside that story I really was. It was a hard and heavy book to write. But I’ve finished a picture book, Each Kindness, which E.B. Lewis is illustrating and Nancy Paulsen Books will publish in fall 2012. I was inspired by seeing third- and fourth-grade girls being so mean to each other and not even realizing that’s what they were doing. I remember thinking, “They think this moment is always going to be here, that there will always be a chance to go back and undo that.” And it’s not true. So Each Kindness is about a girl who isn’t kind and what happens with that. It’s about the importance of kindness—something I deeply believe in.

I’m also about to start writing the book for an opera about Clementine Hunter, an African-American painter from Louisiana whose work was shown at galleries that she wasn’t allowed to enter because of Jim Crow laws. And another project that is slowly coming together for me is a middle-grade novel which will be quite funny.

Tribute to the Newbery

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:54:00 +0000

For the past 90 years, the ALA has awarded the Newbery Medal, sometimes called the "Oscar" of children’s literature, to an author in recognition of the year’s most distinguished children’s book. Open Road Integrated Media has made available to the public a video that captures Newbery Award-Winning authors Virginia Hamilton and Jean Craighead George talking about how those awards (for Julie of the Wolves and M.C. Higgins The Great respectively) changed their lives. Hamilton was the first African American to win the award and George saw the view of children's literature change to "something important instead of something second-rate.”

This short (2:06) video is below. Enjoy!

Credit: Open Road Integrated Media

2012 Charlotte Zolotow Award

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:58:00 +0000

Me … Jane written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell is the fifteenth annual winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award for outstanding writing in a picture book.
Patrick McDonnell’s picture book about chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall as a child depicts her as a curious, scientific-minded young girl whose favorite stuffed animal was a chimpanzee named Jubilee. She took the stuffed chimp everywhere as she explored and carefully observed the natural world of her childhood . . . and dreamed of someday going to Africa. McDonnell’s spare, skillful, and superbly paced text balances a sense of playfulness with purpose as he conveys Goodall’s focus and determination. Me … Jane was edited by Andrea Spooner and published in the United States in 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

The 2012 Zolotow Award committee named three Honor Books:

Apple Pie ABC, written and illustrated by Alison Murray, edited by Stephanie Lurie, and published by Disney/Hyperion;

Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm, written and photographed by Jon Katz, edited by Sally Doherty, and published by Henry Holt; and

Naamah and the Ark at Night, written by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, illustrated by Holly Meade, edited by Katie Cunningham, and published by Candlewick Press.

The 2012 Zolotow Award committee also cited ten titles as Highly Commended:

All the Water in the World, written by George Ella Lyon and illustrated by Katherine Tillotson (ARichard Jackson Book / Atheneum)

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade, written and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Houghton Mifflin)

Fortune Cookies, written by Albert Bitterman and illustrated by Chris Raschka (Beach Lane Books)

Nothing Like a Puffin, written by Sue Soltis and illustrated by Bob Kolar (Candlewick Press)

Samantha on a Roll, written by Linda Ashman and illustrated by Christine Davenier (MargaretFerguson Books / Farrar Straus Giroux)

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature, written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beth Krommes (Houghton Mifflin)

These Hands, written by Margaret H. Mason and illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Houghton Mifflin)

Three by the Sea, written and illustrated by Mini Grey (Alfred A. Knopf)

Tía Isa Wants a Car, written by Meg Medina and illustrated by Claudio Muñoz (Candlewick Press)

The Twins’ Blanket, written and illustrated by Hyewon Yum (Frances Foster Books / Farrar Straus Giroux)

The Charlotte Zolotow Award is given annually to the author of the best picture book text published in the United States in the preceding year. Established in 1998, the award is named to honor the work of Charlotte Zolotow, a distinguished children's book editor for 38 years with Harper Junior Books, and author of more than 70 picture books, including such classic works as Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present (Harper, 1962) and William's Doll (Harper, 1972). Ms. Zolotow attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison on a writing scholarship from 1933-36 where she studied with Professor Helen C. White.

The award is administered by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, a children's literature library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Each year a committee of children's literature experts selects the winner from the books published in the preceding year. The winner is announced in January each year. A bronze medallion is formally presented to the winning author in the spring during an annual public event that honors the career of Charlotte Zolotow.

Members of the selection committee are appointed to a two-year term by the CCBC professional staff based on an individual's knowledge of children's books, a demonstrated ability to evaluate children's books and discuss them critically, and/or direct experience working professionally with children from birth through age seven. A CCBC librarian serves as one of the five members. Members are appointed to staggered, two-year terms.

Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:32:00 +0000

The 2012 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction went to Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos.

The annual award, established in 1982 by author Scott O'Dell, goes to an author for a meritorious book published in the previous year for children or young adults. The purpose of the award is to encourage other writers--particularly new authors--to focus on historical fiction. Scott O'Dell hoped in this way to increase the interest of young readers in the historical background that has helped to shape their country and their world.

A list of all award winners by historical period is available here.

On a personal note, I loved this book! I laughed all the way through it. I heard Jack Gantos speak about the book at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. last year and he was hilarious (as usual). A webcast of his speech is available here. Enjoy!

Free books for Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Thousands of adults, young adults, and children received eReaders this past holiday season and analysts predict that volume will continue to grow in 2012 to 28.9 million. Pricing is also expected to drop this year with Amazon’s Kindle as low as $49 and Barnes and Noble's Nook as low as $99.

I have had a Kindle since they were first introduced and though I am on my third one due to hardware and software problems, I do love that I can get most books anywhere at anytime at a cheaper price than the print copy.

Though eReaders have largely not made it into the classroom, as prices drop, this might change. The idea of having instant access to books that match students' interests is very appealing to teachers. However, teachers already spend a great deal of their own money to purchase books for their classroom libraries and school and library budgets are very limited.

With this in mind, there are a couple of ways to get free books for the Kindle. You can download Free Childrens Books and Young Adult Books for Kindle: Linked List of Over 1,000 Free Classics For Boys, Girls and Teens for .99 on Amazon. Each title is linked to the book on Amazon.com and can be downloaded to the Kindle free of charge. Of course, most of these books are classics, but they are still great books!

With Kindle apps, books can be read on more than one device that might be available in the classroom such as a computer, a tablet, or a phone (Android or Mac).

Most often, public libraries also offer patrons the ability to download eBooks. My local library doesn't offer many eBooks but other libraries nearby have a nice collection.

Another nice aspect of eReaders is the ability to respond and share your thoughts about what you are reading. Students can highlight words/phases and take notes and share them with other students.

Fun and Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:04:00 +0000

In this post, I'm sharing a few YouTube videos that have been quite inspiring and some that are just fun.

Below is a TED presentation by spoken word poet and teacher, Sarah Kay. You MUST watch it and be inspired!

I also watched a documentary titled, Louder Than A Bomb, about the spoken word poetry contest held in Chicago Public Schools. It was also extremely inspiring. Below is the trailer:

Finally, does everyone but me know about the book, Goodnight iPad, a parody of the original by Margaret Wise Brown? Hilarious! See the YouTube video below...does it not perfectly capture what goes on in the homes of many of our children today? Reminds me of a colleague who told me she texts her children to tell them to come to dinner.

The video below it is in stark contrast, titled: The Joy of Books. Enjoy!

The Costa and The Newbery

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:03:00 +0000

Today, The Costa Book Award category winners were announced. The Costa Book Awards are a series of five literary awards--First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children's Book--given to books by authors based in Great Britain and Ireland. The criteria are to select well-written, enjoyable books that they would strongly recommend anyone to read.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young won the Children's Book category. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the second book in the proposed series (Dust Lands), Rebel Heart, due out this year.

From The Guardian:

The first in a planned dystopian trilogy for teens, this searing debut has been compared to Cormac McCarthy and optioned by Ridley Scott. It tells the story of Saba's epic quest to get her beloved twin brother back after he is captured in an apocalyptic monster sandstorm. Teaming up with a gang of girl revolutionaries she finds she has the power to change a corrupt society from the inside - and change the course of her own civilisation along the way.

What the judges said:
“It’s astonishing how, in her first novel, Moira Young has so successfully bound believable characters into a heart-stopping adventure. She kept us reading, and left us hungry for more. A really special book.” Read an extract from Blood Red Road.

The Guardian also has a nice story on Moira Young here.

Speaking of children's book awards, the ALA Youth Media Awards announcements are only a few weeks away. The awards, which include the Newbery and Caldecott, will be announced at 7:45 CT from Dallas, TX during ALA's midwinter conference on January 23rd. There will be a live webcast of the awards starting at 7:30 CT.

So that still leaves plenty of time to catch up on a few titles before the big announcements. Jonathan Hunt, over at the Heavy Medal blog, has posted a list of children's titles that appeared on the "best of" lists for 2011. That list will give you a nice place to start for last minute reading.

I know there have been many mock Newbery, etc., predictions, but I wonder: What are your predictions?

And the New Ambassador is....

noreply@blogger.com (Denise Johnson) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:23:00 +0000

Walter Dean Myers, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature 2012-2013

Walter Dean Myers is a critically acclaimed author of books for young people. His award-winning body of work includes “Sunrise Over Fallujah,” “Fallen Angels,” “Monster,” “Somewhere in the Darkness” and “Harlem.” Myers has received two Newbery Honor Awards and five Coretta Scott King Awards. He is the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award (for excellence in young adult literature, given by the American Library Association) as well as the first recipient of Kent State University's Virginia Hamilton Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2008, he won the May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture Award. He is considered one of the preeminent writers for young people.

Myers began writing at an early age. “I was a good student, but a speech impediment was causing problems. One of my teachers decided that I couldn't pronounce certain words at all. She thought that if I wrote something, I would use words I could pronounce. I began writing little poems. I began to write short stories too.”

Myers’ 2009 title, “Amiri and Odette: A Love Story,” is a modern retelling of “Swan Lake.” “I had seen the ballet of ‘Swan Lake’ as a child. But it was as an adult, when I saw a production featuring Erik Bruhn, that I first noticed how significant a part the ever-present threat of violence played. This juxtaposition of great beauty and grace with a backdrop of pure evil stayed with me for years. As a writer, I absorb stories, allow them to churn within my own head and heart — often for years — until I find a way of telling them that fits both my time and temperament.”

“In listening to Peter Tchaikovsky's score,” Myers continues, “I found the violence muted, but slowly, in my head; the sometimes jarring rhythms of modern jazz and hip-hop began to intervene. I asked myself if there were modern dangers to young people similar to the magic spells of folklore. The answer of course, was a resounding yes, and I began to craft a modern, urban retelling of the ‘Swan Lake’ballet.”

In 2010, Myers received the Rutgers University Award for Literature for Young Adults, from the New Jersey Center for the Book and the Rutgers School of Communications.

“Myers is a giant among children’s and young adult authors,” said Dean Jorge Reina Schement. He is one of today’s most important writers of books for the youth of our age.”

Walter Dean Myers lives with his wife in Jersey City, N.J. He was born in Martinsburg, W.Va., and grew up in Harlem.

Walter Dean Myers’ Literary Awards

Newbery Honor

Scorpions, 1989
Somewhere in the Darkness, 1993

Coretta Scott King Award

1980, “The Young Landlords”
1985, “Motown and Didi: A Love Story”
1989, “Fallen Angels”
1992, “Now Is Your Time: The African American Struggle for Freedom”
1997, “Slam”

Coretta Scott King Honor Award

1976, “Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff”
1993, “Somewhere in the Darkness”
1994, “Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary”
2000, “Monster”
2011, “Lockdown”

Michael L. Printz Award

2000, “Monster”

Kent State University Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, 1999

May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture Award, 2008

Margaret Edwards Award, 1994

American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults List, 1993 and 2000

National Book Award finalist

1999, “Monster”
2005, “Autobiography of My Dead Brother”
2010, “Lockdown”