Archive for the ‘For Kids’ Category
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
from SFGate:
“I spent my first 5 years living in the Vanderveer section of Brooklyn, NY. My very earliest memory in life was of a large stack of Little Golden Books that sat on the floor, next to a big 1950’s style sofa. Not too far away was the metal pedal car I shared with my older brother and the five siblings that would follow. At age 18 my mother was told that she would not be able to have children. I guess she had to prove the doctor wrong. Books were ever present in our household. My mother was never without a long reading list herself. Her passion for books instilled a love of reading in me. … Little Golden Books began publication by Simon and Schuster in 1942, at a cost of 25 cents each. The low cost made them affordable to most families. In addition to bookstores, they were available in other locations such as department stores, which was a departure from how books had been sold. Despite paper shortages in WWII, the books were a huge success. Over one and a half million were sold within the first five months. Since their inception, more than two billion have been sold worldwide. …”
Posted in Books, Entertainment, For Kids | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
from a press release:
CHICAGO -- During Black History Month, teachers, librarians and parents are looking to the American Library Association's (ALA) Coretta Scott King Book Awards as a guide to quality children's literature that explores the African American experience. For more than 40 years, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards have encouraged the artistic expression of the African American experience through literature and graphic arts. The awards honor the late Coretta Scott King, wife of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for her commitment to continue her husband's work to foster peace and brotherhood among all races. Hundreds of libraries will showcase this year's award selections, including:
Coretta Scott King Book Award Author winner "Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal," written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie.
Coretta Scott King Book Award Illustrator winner "My People," illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr., written by Langston Hughes.
Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award winner "The Rock and the River," written by kekla magoon.
For a complete list of current and past Coretta Scott King Book award winners, visit www.ala.org/csk.
Posted in Books, For Kids, News | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Al Roker has picked “100 Cupboards” by N.D. Wilson as the next book in Al’s Book Club on the NBC Today Show. For more information and an excerpt, click here.
Posted in Books, For Kids, News, People | No Comments »
Monday, January 18th, 2010
The American Library Association has announced the Youth Media Awards. (Click that link for a complete list of winners, or follow @ALAyma on Twitter.)
The Randolph Caldecott Medal went to “The Lion & the Mouse” by Jerry Pinkney.
The John Newbery Medal was awarded to “When You Reach Me” by Rebecca Stead.
Posted in Books, For Kids, News, People | No Comments »
Friday, January 15th, 2010
On Saturday, Feb. 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. the Learned Owl Book Shop in Hudson will host writers Adam Besenyodi and John Booth. Besenyodi is the author of Deus Ex Comica: The Rebirth of a Comic Book Fan. He recounts growing up with Marvel Comics, and reveals the lasting appeal of sharing them with his son. Booth has written Collect All 21! Memoirs of a Star Wars Geek, revisiting the imaginative world of his youth, and his perspective on the series as a father. Both authors come to the Learned Owl Book Shop straight from the Akron-Canton Comic Con, where they have been asked to speak the previous weekend. Adam Besenyodi will be giving a presentation on his book and his love of comics, complete with lavish illustrations, at 4 p.m. on Feb. 13. For more information, contact The Learned Owl Book Shop at (330) 653-2252.
Costumed character Olivia, star of Ian Falconer’s award winning storybooks, will be at the Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St, Hudson) on Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13. Everyone is welcome at a drop-in, pre-school story time with Olivia on Friday at 10 a.m. Saturday’s festivities include a craft activity, photo opportunities, and pizza (provided by Zeppe’s). Three sessions are available: one starting at 11:00, the next at 11:45, and the last at 12:30. To register for Olivia events on Saturday, please call the Learned Owl Book Shop at 330-653-2252.
Olivia will also make an appearance at Zeppe’s Pizzeria of Hudson (5843 Darrow Rd.) on Sunday, February 14th. For more information, please contact The Learned Owl Book Shop at (330) 653-2252.
Posted in Books, Entertainment, For Kids, News, People | No Comments »
Monday, December 21st, 2009
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
Posted in Animals, Entertainment, For Kids, Politics | 1 Comment »
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Lyons Photography
Italian greyhounds Lola, left, and Luigi have their photo taken with Santa at Hattie Larlham’s Santa Paws event. See the article in the Record-Courier.
Posted in Entertainment, For Kids, Smile a While | No Comments »
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Five Star Publications is launching the Purple Dragonfly Award for children’s books:
“Geared toward stories for children between the ages of four and 10, the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards are designed to bring families together with great children’s literature, and a Purple Dragonfly seal on a book’s cover lets parents choose new titles for their bookshelves with confidence.“
For more information, visit www.PurpleDragonflyBookAwards.com.
Posted in Books, For Kids, News | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
from a press release:
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, selected five books as finalists for the 2010 William C. Morris Award, which honors a book written for young adults by a previously unpublished author. YALSA will name the 2010 winner at the Youth Media Awards on Jan. 18, during the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting in Boston.
These are the 2010 finalists:
- “Ash” by Malinda Lo, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- “The Everafter” by Amy Huntley, published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
- “Flash Burnout” by L.K. Madigan, published by Houghton Mifflin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- “hold still” by Nina LaCour, published by Dutton Children’s Books, a Division of Penguin Young Readers Group
More information on the finalists and the award can be found at www.ala.org/morris. … YALSA will host a reception honoring the shortlist authors and the winner, as well as YALSA’s Excellence in Nonfiction Award winners, at a free reception from 8-10 p.m. on Jan. 18 at the Westin Copley Place Essex Center South.
The award is named for William C. Morris, an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults. William “Bill” Morris left an impressive mark on the field of children’s and young adult literature. He was beloved in the publishing field and the library profession for his generosity and marvelous enthusiasm for promoting literature for children and teens.
…
Posted in Books, For Kids, News, People | No Comments »
Monday, November 9th, 2009
Image: Michael Stinson
In response to Sarah Palin’s about-to-be-published memoir, “Going Rogue: An American Life,” editors of the magazine The Nation are published “Going Rouge: Sarah Palin — An American Nightmare.”
And there’s even a “coloring and activity book” coming out under the “Going Rouge” title, says the Washington Post.
Posted in Books, Entertainment, For Kids, News, People, Politics, Women | 2 Comments »
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
Remember “Wishbone”? The blogger at the New Yorker does, while letting us know that about a contest for people who want to dress their pets as literary characters for Halloween.
Posted in Animals, Entertainment, For Kids, News | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
.
Mattel has (finally) introduced a line of black Barbies. (The story and photo are from the Associated Press.)
By MEGAN K. SCOTT, Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Mattel has launched a new line of black Barbie dolls with fuller lips, a wider nose and more pronounced cheek bones — a far cry from Christie, Barbie’s black friend who debuted in the 1960s and was essentially a white doll painted brown. The “So In Style” line, which hit mass retailers last month, features BFFs Grace, Kara and Trichelle, each with her own style and interests and a little sister she mentors: Courtney, Janessa and Kianna. The dolls reflect varying skin tones — light brown, chocolate, and caramel — and Trichelle and Kianna have curlier hair.
Barbie designer Stacey McBride-Irby, who is black and has a 6-year-old daughter, said she wanted to create a line of dolls for young black girls that looked like them and were inspirational and career-minded. For example, Kara is interested in math and music.
“I want them to see themselves within these dolls, and let them know that black is beautiful,” she said.
Many black women are praising Mattel for its efforts — Black Barbie hit the shelves in 1980 with white features shared by many of the dolls following her. But some say the dolls with long straight hair are not “black enough” and do not address the beauty issues that many black girls struggle with. In the black community, long, straight hair is often considered more beautiful than short kinky hair. … McBride-Irby said she originally designed all the dolls with long hair. Combing her Barbie’s long hair when she was a girl was the “highlight of my play experience,” she said. She was advised to create some dolls with curlier hair, so she did. …
Aside from the hair, some black women are concerned about the dolls’ thin frames. Barbie, which celebrated her 50th birthday in March, has for years come under fire for promoting an unrealistic body image, with her long legs, tiny waist and large breasts.
While white girls also deal with body-image issues, Kumea Shorter-Gooden, co-author of “Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America,” believes Barbie has a more negative impact on black girls. They are already struggling with messages that “black skin isn’t pretty and our hair is too kinky and short,” she said. …
Sheila Adams Gardner, 41, a mother of three in Woodbridge, Va., praised the varying skin tones. She said when her daughter was 4, she became very self-conscious about being lighter than everyone else in her family. “She has always had African-American dolls, but rarely dolls with skin like her own,” she said. “Often the lighter dolls were Hispanic or Indian. It was very heartwarming to look at a series of African-American Barbies and hear my daughter, now ll, exclaim, ’She looks like me!”’… The line will be expanding next year with Rocawear clothing, new dolls Chandra and her little sister Zahara, and Darren, who will have a little brother he mentors.
Posted in Entertainment, For Kids, News, Women | No Comments »
Friday, October 9th, 2009
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Today’s “One for the Books” column is on Picture Books for Ages 4 to 8.
Posted in Books, For Kids, IMHO | No Comments »
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
A court has ruled that Winnie-the-Pooh is the legal property of the Walt Disney Co.
Posted in Animals, Books, Entertainment, For Kids, News | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
A new character will join Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore will welcome Lottie the Otter, who will make her debut in Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, which goes on sale worldwide October 5. It is the first authorized sequel to A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh and House at Pooh Corner. Lottie the Otter, always dressed in pearls, has her own ideas about how things should be done and believes that everyone should follow the correct etiquette. She also knows a lot of facts and is a girl otter with great confidence. In Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, Lottie has a swim in Christopher Robin’s bath, helps to set up a school for the characters in the Hundred Acre Wood, and turns out to be great at cricket.
Posted in Animals, Books, Entertainment, For Kids, News | 1 Comment »
Friday, September 18th, 2009
An illustration of Hogwarts Castle in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal’s planned theme park in Orlando, Fla.
from The New York Times:
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the keenly anticipated Florida theme park, will open in the spring [in Orlando, Fla.] and allow visitors to tour Hogwarts, buy quidditch gear and drink butterbeer. Universal Orlando unveiled some details about the park, a 20-acre addition to its Islands of Adventure property, on Tuesday in a Web presentation. The resort, co-owned by NBC Universal and the Blackstone Group, secured the theme park rights to J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books in May 2007, but has been silent about specific plans until now.
The so-called theme park within a theme park will be faithful to the visual landscapes of the Harry Potter films produced by Warner Brothers, which licensed the rights to Universal after a flirtation with the Walt Disney Company. “We’ve tried to include something from every book,” Alan Gilmore, an art director for the films who is helping to oversee the park designs, said in an interview. …
Three rides will form the center of the new park. Universal still will not talk much about the biggest one, a high-tech experience inside the castle called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey that involves the likenesses of the heroes from the films. Flight of the Hippogriff is described as a family coaster that simulates a Hippogriff (the half-horse, half-eagle beast from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”) training flight over Hogwarts castle. Dragon Challenge is a twin high-speed coaster that will feature elements from the Triwizard Tournament. Interactive shopping is a major component, said Paul Daurio, show producer for the park. For instance, the Ollivanders wand shop will replicate Ms. Rowling’s story line: the wand chooses the wizard instead of the other way around. Other stores will offer Potter merchandise that is unavailable elsewhere, like extendable ears. The castle itself will be about 150-feet tall but will appear to tower some 600 feet in the air because of architectural and filmmaking tricks, Mr. Daurio said. Over all, the park will resemble Hogsmeade, Ms. Rowling’s all-wizard village. ..
Posted in Books, Entertainment, For Kids, News | No Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
Apparently, September is Roald Dahl Month. Click here for fun activities, games, lists of books, etc.
Posted in Books, Entertainment, For Kids, News, People | No Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
from The Guardian:
Here’s the short list for the Raold Dahl Funny Prize for children’s books:
The funniest book for children aged six and under
The Great Dog Bottom Swap by Peter Bently, illustrated by Mei Matsuoka
Octopus Socktopus by Nick Sharratt
Elephant Joe is a Spaceman! by David Wojtowycz
Crocodiles Are the Best Animals of All! by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Hannah Shaw
Mr Pusskins Best in Show by Sam Lloyd
The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg, illustrated by Bruce Ingman
The funniest book for children aged seven to 14
The Galloping Ghost by Hilda Offen
Eating Things on Sticks by Anne Fine, illustrated by Kate Aldous
Grubtown Tales: Stinking Rich and Just Plain Stinky by Philip Ardagh, illustrated by Jim Paillot
The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams, illustrated by Quentin Blake
Purple Class and the Half-Eaten Sweater by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Helen Bate
Ribblestrop by Andy Mulligan
Posted in Books, For Kids, News | No Comments »
Friday, September 4th, 2009
From Publishers Weekly:
After renowned Canadian author Mordecai Richler died in 2001, Tundra Books had some tough questions to answer. Richler had written three successful and beloved children’s books about Jacob Two-Two, the youngest boy in a large family who has to say everything twice to be heard over his siblings. The … Richler family told Tundra they wanted the series to continue after his death, but that left the company with the task of finding an author capable of filling a big pair of shoes. … In the end, Tundra chose writer Cary Fagan. Author of both children’s and adult fiction, Fagan had worked with other authors before, having written Beyond the Dance: A Ballerina’s Life for Tundra with ballerina Chan Hon Goh. “He’s really got a knack for listening and finding people’s voices,” Lowinger said. “And he also is very, very funny.” … The result is Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas—which is set directly after Richler’s first book, Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang. In Fagan’s book, the family is moving from England back to Canada, because Jacob’s father has written an important novel and the prime minister has requested his return. Their vessel turns out to be a pirate ship.
Posted in Books, For Kids, News, People | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
From the New York Times:
Lorrie McNeill, a teacher in Jonesboro, Ga., is letting her seventh- and eighth-graders pick the books they want to read for literature class.
Among their choices: James Patterson‘s adrenaline-fueled “Maximum Ride” books, plenty of young-adult chick-lit novels and even the “Captain Underpants” series of comic-book-style novels. But then there were students like Jennae Arnold, a soft-spoken eighth grader who picked challenging titles like “A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines and “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. …
The approach Ms. McNeill uses, in which students choose their own books, discuss them individually with their teacher and one another, and keep detailed journals about their reading, is part of a movement to revolutionize the way literature is taught in America’s schools. While there is no clear consensus among English teachers, variations on the approach, known as reading workshop, are catching on. …
In September students in Seattle’s public middle schools will also begin choosing most of their own books. And in Chicago the public school district has had a pilot program in place since 2006 in 31 of its 483 elementary schools to give students in grades 6, 7 and 8 more control over what they read. …
Posted in Books, For Kids, News | No Comments »
Monday, August 24th, 2009
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the publication of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” author Eric Carle will be presented by Crayola with a special crayon in a brand new color: Very Hungry Caterpillar Green. The last time Crayola did such a thing, they presented “The Color Purple” crayon to Oprah Winfrey.
Posted in Books, Entertainment, For Kids, News, People | No Comments »
Monday, August 24th, 2009
Reading aloud has always been one of my favorite things to do, whether it’s to kids, to friends, or to myself. It turns out there are people who read in public — just set up somewhere and read out loud. Why don’t we do that around here — maybe outside a library — while the weather is still nice?
Posted in Books, Entertainment, For Kids, Inspiration | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
From Mental Floss: Six characters from children’s stories inspired by real people. I guessed one right away. How many can you think of before you peek?
Posted in Books, For Kids, Inspiration | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
NPR lists some “must-read” children’s books. Wow — it’s a really short list. What’s missing here?
Posted in Books, For Kids | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
Oprah’s people have been following Michelle Obama around, checking out what books she’s toting around or reading to children. Here’s their report:
- The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
- The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
- Olivia by Ian Falconer
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
For more details, click on the link above to the original story.
Posted in Books, For Kids, News, People | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
The official baseball-type card of Bo Obama, the First Dog Of The United States, has been revealed. You can download a PDF file of the card itself. Here’s what the back looks like:
Posted in Animals, Entertainment, For Kids, News, People, Politics, Smile a While | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
Fans of the ShelfTalker offer suggestions for books kids might want to read over the summer. This is good stuff!
Posted in Books, For Kids | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Hey, teens! Would you like to win an 8GB iPod Touch and some audiobooks? Random House is having a contest just for you. Click here for rules and info on how to enter.
If you could go on a fantasy road trip with a character (or characters!) from your favorite series, where would you go? What would you do along the way? How would you travel? Create a video. … Best selling authors Libba Bray, Tamora Pierce and Rick Riordan will judge the videos and choose 3 grand prize winners!
Posted in Books, Entertainment, For Kids, News | No Comments »
Monday, June 1st, 2009
Wedding of the century?
Archie has made his choice. He has proposed to rich-girl Veronica, who has accepted, leaving poor, blonde Betty heartbroken.
“The final twists in one of the comic world’s most enduring love triangles is due to be shipped on Aug. 12, with sales at comic specialty shops to start on Aug. 19 and newsstands on Sept. 1.”
The link above has links to the comic’s blogs.
Posted in Books, Entertainment, For Kids, News, People, Women | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
Author, midwife, and mother Sharon Sofia Fletter is passionately devoted to accomplishing her goal of reaching and improving the lives of every child. She does this by supporting children with beautifully illustrated, soul-nourishing literature and by developing ways to help families provide for their basic needs and create future opportunities for the children they so dearly love. Her new book entitled My Guardian Angel, which honors children’s deepest memories and relationship with Spirit, furthers both goals. Written in simple verse translated on each page into six additional languages, the feeling of the book is one of gentle reverence. As Sharon Sofia says, “Stories of angels are often a young child’s first introduction to the invisible presence of Spirit.” As the pages float by, beautiful watercolor illustrations gently embellish and unify the language combinations while preserving a sense of peace and reverence.
Companion Guardian Angel Dolls that complement My Guardian Angel can also be purchased. A physical reminder of the angelic presence that watches over each of us, Sharon Sofia designed and initially made these hand-crafted, multicultural dolls herself. Today, the dolls are lovingly created by communities of women living in isolated and impoverished communities globally, with one hundred percent of the proceeds from the sales of the dolls going to impoverished women and their communities. Likewise, ten percent of the sales of all books go to these women, their families, and communities.
My Guardian Angel and the Companion Guardian Angel Dolls are available at www.soulsong.org. A CD with languages authentically spoken is included in each book.
— from press release (NOT my review)
Posted in Books, For Kids, Inspiration | No Comments »