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Here’s a link to today’s “One for the Books” column
on Books for Teens and Tweens.
Archive for the ‘For Kids’ Category
Teens and tweens
Friday, August 27th, 2010It’s ‘Mockingjay’ day!
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
In case you’ve been living under a rock, or you’ve been unlucky enough never to have heard of “The Hunger Games” trilogy, listen up: Today is the release day for the third and final book, “Mockingjay.” Not since the “Twilight” books and Harry Potter has there been such hoopla for last night’s midnight release of the book, targeted to teens but good enough for everybody.
It’s been embargoed until today, so I don’t have mine yet. But when it comes, I’m running home to read it, and I’ll have it in my column this weekend. (If it doesn’t come today, I’ll have to go to Plan B.) I can’t wait!
Al Roker’s latest pick
Friday, August 6th, 2010From Publishers Weekly:
Al Roker has chosen Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Little, Brown, Aug.) as the latest pick in his Book Club for Kids on the Today Show. Set in New Orleans before and during Hurricane Katrina, the middle-grade novel tells the story of 12-year-old Lanesha, who lives in the city’s Ninth Ward with the elderly midwife who delivered her; Lanesha is able to see ghosts, including that of her mother.
The pope writes children’s book
Friday, July 30th, 2010From the Guardian:
“Following in the footsteps of Madonna and Geri Halliwell, Pope Benedict XVI has written a children’s book. Already the author of a range of titles for adults, from an exploration of the legacy of St Paul to reflections on the role of Mary in human history, the pope is now turning his hand to children’s literature with a recounting of the story of the 12 apostles and St Paul. Gli Amici di Gesù (The Friends of Jesus), published by the Italian press Piccola Casa Editrice, brings together passages from the pope’s Wednesday general audiences with a prologue by Spanish priest Father Julian Carron. The pope “takes us by the hand and accompanies us as we discover who Jesus’s first companions were, how they met Him and were conquered by Him to the point that they never abandoned Him”, according to Carron….”
Dubious lessons for kids?
Friday, July 30th, 2010
From LemonDrop:
“Eleven beloved children’s books with seriously dubious lessons: Children’s books: innocent initiation into literacy, or sinister agents of fatal misinformation? Don’t get us wrong — we loved “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” as much as the next kid … which is probably why we binge eat. We’re just saying: In terms of lessons and age-appropriateness, might as well be reading your kids a Cormac McCarthy novel instead of the latest Caldecott winner (at least they’d know how to deal with an Apache attack). Check out our list below of just a small cross section of some popular children’s books with rather curious messages….”
McDonald’s encourages reading
Friday, July 2nd, 2010From the Detroit Free Press:
“Using burgers and book bags as an enticement, McDonald’s and Detroit Public Library officials launched a partnership Wednesday to encourage Detroit elementary school students to read more often. …”
New look for Wonder Woman
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
From BBC News:
“Wonder Woman has changed her looks and dons a trendy new outfit in issue 600 of the comic book series. The super hero’s star-spangled swimsuit is to be replaced by a radical new style that includes leggings. The visual make over goes hand in hand with changes to the Wonder Woman story, publisher DC Comics says. …”
And here’s the New York Times story.
Summer reads for teens
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010A guest blogger for Pop Candy recommends summer reads for young adults.
Keep kids reading over the summer
Thursday, June 24th, 2010From the Chicago Tribune:
Inevitably, children lose some of what they’ve learned during the school year over the course of a three-month vacation. Teachers typically spend several weeks in the fall making up for this “summer slide.” The best antidote to prevent learning loss? Reading. It is one of the most essential things that kids can do when school’s out. … Reading Is Fundamental, a national children’s literacy nonprofit organization, has a number of ideas to help make this summer a season of reading:
- Combine activities with books. Going to a baseball game? Head to the library and check out a biography about your child’s favorite player. Is summer camp on the agenda? See if the camp has a blog you can follow.
- Lead by example. Show kids that you love to read by picking up the newspaper each morning or sharing something you’ve read, and they’ll understand that reading is important to everyone.
- Relax the rules. Let summer be a time when children can read what, when and how they please. Don’t set any requirements, and don’t force kids to read something they’re not interested in.
- Visit the library. It has thousands of books and audio books to borrow, computers to use, and magazines to leaf through. Make the library your “go-to” destination for the summer.
- Think outside the book. Recognize that reading can happen in many formats, from eBooks to magazines to online read-along stories. …
‘Grandma’s book club’ — Regina Brett
Thursday, June 24th, 2010In today’s Plain Dealer, Regina Brett writes about “Grandma’s book club.” And, let me just say, this sounds like a wonderful idea.
Can kids read too many books? (No)
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
From the N.Y. Daily News:
“The Doyle kids from Roosevelt Island devour some 2,000 books a year, making them one of the New York Public Library’s most bookish broods. … The five Doyle children, who range in age from 10 to 15, are home-schooled by their mother and make the Roosevelt Island branch their second home. It’s where they do homework, socialize with other kids and, of course, read book after book. … Lynda Doyle said all her kids read at least an hour a day, with her oldest, Sean, 15, reading “so many hours, I can’t even count.” … The youngsters read plenty of fiction but also check out tomes on cooking, Web design and knitting. … The Doyle kids read the massive collection of 2,000 titles over 12 months starting last summer. Their mom credits the New York Public Library’s summer reading program, which kicks off today in all branches, for keeping her kids’ noses between the pages…. To keep track of kids’ reading stats, the library launched an online system in which youngsters log the number of books they read, recommend tomes to friends and earn badges for reviewing works.”
Favorite Irish book of the decade
Friday, June 4th, 2010from a press release:
This week, the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards announced the winner of the Irish Book of the Decade competition. ‘Comic fantasy’ novel Skulduggery Pleasant by Dubliner Derek Landy has topped the web-poll to decide Ireland’s favorite Irish Book of the Decade.
The shortlist was selected by a panel of experts from the Irish literary community including editors, librarians and book retailers. The shortlist comprises 50 of the best and most popular books written by Irish authors over the last 10 years and truly represents the interests of all readers across every genre. It included internationally renowned Irish authors and national treasures such as William Trevor, Eoin Colfer, Anne Enright, Colum McCann, John Boyne, among others.
“When Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant first came to prominence, Derek was hailed as a literary sensation, an unknown author who secured a seven figure sum on the back of a debut novel – not an easy crown to carry,” said Tom Owens, Chairman of the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards. “However, not only was Skulduggery Pleasant a huge international success, it mobilized many young people not only to start reading but to get passionate about reading.”Author Derek Landy says that he “seized the chance to write about all the things that I love: monsters, magic, martial arts, murder and mayhem.”
Skulduggery Pleasant, now published in thirty languages and with a major movie in development at Warner Bros, tells the story of Stephanie, a feisty twelve-year-old girl, who partners up with Skulduggery Pleasant, the wise-cracking skeleton of a dead magician. Skulduggery Pleasant has garnered many awards, including being listed on American Library Association’s Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults in 2008 and selected as a New York Public Library “Book for the Teen Age,” among others.
The Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book of the Decade competition was devised primarily to encourage reading and to build awareness of Irish authors. For more information on the awards, go to: www.irishbookawards.ie.
Rainy day books
Friday, May 28th, 2010
Importance of reading to children
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian talks about the importance of reading to children, and she and her cohorts list some of the best children’s books.
Below are their lists. (Click link above for summaries and explanations.) Keep in mind that she’s British. Not all of these may be available in the U.S.
12 years old and up
I Capture the Castle: Dodie Smith
His Dark Materials: Philip Pullman
The Chaos Walking trilogy: Patrick Ness
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret: Judy Blume
Goodnight Mr Tom: Michelle Magorian
A Little History of the World: EH Gombrich
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Mark Haddon
Little Women: Louisa May Alcott
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Mark Twain
Witch Child: Celia Rees
Exposure: Mal Peet
The Sterkarm Handshake/The Sterkarm Kiss: Susan Price
The White Darkness: Geraldine McCaughrean
8 to 12 years old
Stig of the Dump: Clive King
Charlotte’s Web: EB White
The Family from One End Street: Eve Garnett
The Story of Tracy Beaker: Jacqueline Wilson
Matilda: Roald Dahl
Tom’s Midnight Garden: Philippa Pearce
The Phantom Tollbooth: Norton Juster
The Narnia books: CS Lewis
Harry Potter: JK Rowling
The Borrowers: Mary Norton
Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror: Chris Priestly
The Lionboy Trilogy: Zizou Corder
Skellig: David Almond
5 to 7 years old
The Sheep-Pig: Dick King-Smith
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Roald Dahl
The Legend of Captain Crow’s Teeth: Eoin Colfer
The Adventures of Captain Underpants: Dav Pilkey
The Worst Witch: Jill Murphy
The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon: Mini Grey
Flat Stanley: Jeff Brown
Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire: Andy Stanton
Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age: Raymond Briggs
The Iron Man: Ted Hughes
Finn Family Moomintroll: Tove Jansson
2 to 4 years old
Goodnight Moon: Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
The Elephant and the Bad Baby: Elfrida Vipont and Raymond Briggs
The Snail and the Whale: Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
My Friend Harry: Kim Lewis
Where The Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak
Dogger: Shirley Hughes
Not Now, Bernard: David McKee
Gorilla: Anthony Browne
Once There Were Giants: Martin Waddell and Penny Dale
Newborn to 2 years old
The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Eric Carle
Dear Zoo: Rod Campbell
The Baby’s Catalogue: Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Where’s Spot? Eric Hill
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: Michael Rosen
Mr Gumpy’s Outing: John Burningham
Owl Babies: Martin Waddell
The Odd Egg: Emily Gravett
HUG: Jez Alborough
Handa’s Surprise, Walker: Eileen Browne
Al Roker picks
Thursday, May 13th, 2010From Shelf Awareness:
Al Roker’s latest pick for the Today Show Book Club for Kids is Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller. This first title in Miller’s Kiki Strike series introduces Ananka Fishbein, a New York City middle-schooler who discovers that the park across the street from her house has become a sinkhole. Once she enters it, her life turns upside down. For an excerpt of the story, check out the Today Show website. Miller will appear on the program next Thursday, May 20, during the 9 a.m. hour.
Children’s Choice Book Awards
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010The Children’s Book Council (CBC) in association with Every Child a Reader, Inc. (the CBC Foundation), announced the winners of the third annual Children’s Choice Book Awards…. Children across the country voted for their favorite books, author, and illustrator at bookstores, school libraries, and at www.BookWeekOnline.com, casting over 115,000 votes. The Children’s Choice Book Award winners are as follows:
Author of the Year —James Patterson for Max (A Maximum Ride Novel) (Little, Brown)
Illustrator of the Year — Peter Brown for The Curious Garden (Little, Brown)
Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year — Lulu the Big Little Chick by Paulette Bogan (Bloomsbury USA)
Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year — Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf/Random House)
Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year — Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renée Russell (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster)
Teen Choice Book of the Year — Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press)
Best books for kids?
Friday, April 16th, 2010
Lucinda Everett at The Telegraph has made a list of the 20 best children’s books ever written:
- The Wind in the Willows
- The Lord of the Rings
- Harry Potter series
- His Dark Materials
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
- The Faraway Tree
- Babar
- Treasure Island
- The Railway Children
- Swallows and Amazons
- Winnie the Pooh
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- The Gruffalo
- Peter and Wendy (Peter Pan)
- Watership Down
- The Story of Tracy Beaker
- The Tiger Who Came to Tea
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- Where the Wild Things Are
(Click the link above for her explanations and more art.)
Happenings in Hudson
Friday, April 2nd, 2010from press releases:
Saturday, April 10 Jane Miller, LISW, CDBC, brings her book, Healing Companions: Ordinary Dogs and Their Extraordinary Power to Transform Lives, to The Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N Main St, Hudson). Miller, a clinical psychotherapist and licensed independent social worker, will explain her work and experiences with psychiatric service dogs. A client of Miller’s will be on hand to answer questions, with her own on-duty psychiatric service dog. Miller will talk and sign books from 1 – 3 p.m.
Sandra Philipson will visit the Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St, Hudson) on Saturday, April 24th from 1 – 3 p.m. Philipson’s series of illustrated children’s picture books star her English Springer Spaniels, Annie (a cancer survivor), Max and Tak (Annie’s crazy brothers), and Trini (a three-legged stray adopted by Philipson), and the new pup, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ollie. She will be bringing some of her canine companions to the book shop with her for fans to meet. In Philipson’s newest book, Ollie’s Monsters, Ollie’s wild imagination turns the most ordinary objects into terrifying creatures. After battling imaginary monsters (like the vacuum cleaner and the garden sprinkler), readers join the rest of the canine crew to help Trini overcome her worries, watch Tak get his sister out of a jam, and listen to Max provide “helpful” advice on planning adventures. Prompts at the end of each story encourage kids to exercise their own imaginations in writing.
For more information, please contact The Learned Owl Book Shop at (330) 653-2252.
April is National Poetry Month and the Learned Owl Book Shop is celebrating with their annual poetry contest. Enter your reading- or book-related quatrain in person at the shop: 204 N. Main Street in Hudson, or submit it via email to: poems@learnedowl.com by April 28th, 2010. If your four-line poem wins, you could receive a twenty-five dollar gift certificate to the book shop.
So what is a quatrain, anyway? A quatrain is a stanza consisting of four lines. Generally, they rhyme. That’s it really, but if you want to get all hard-core about it, abab, abba, bbcb, aabb, & aaba are the most common ways in which they rhyme. Don’t get too worried, though – in deference to the internal rhyme schemes of the Chinese & Japanese quatrains called shichigon-zekku, yours doesn’t have to rhyme at the ends of the lines (or at all, if you don’t want it to). Perhaps the most famous quatrain of all time was written by Persian poet, mathematician & astronomer, Omar Khayyam in the 11th (or maybe 12th) century. It goes like this: A book of Verses underneath the Bough/A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread — and Thou/Beside me, singing in the Wilderness -/O Wilderness were Paradise enow! A close runner-up, fame-wise, is the Duchess’ lullaby from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: Speak roughly to your little boy:/And beat him when he sneezes./He only does it to annoy/Because he knows it teases.
Your quatrain can be serious or funny, rhyming or not, but must relate to books or reading in some way. To enter the contest, send it to: poems@learnedowl.com, or drop it off at the shop, before April 28, 2010. Don’t forget to include your name and contact information.
Favorite childhood books
Thursday, March 18th, 2010Blogger Elizabeth Bluemle talks lovingly about favorite books from your childhood that nobody else seems to know about.
Mine (the only one I know the title for) is “Polka Dot Tots.” Does anybody remember it?
Looking back at Little Golden Books
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. …”
Coretta Scott King Book Awards
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010from 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.
‘100 Cupboards’
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010Al 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.
Caldecott, Newbery, and more
Monday, January 18th, 2010The 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.
Upcoming author visits
Friday, January 15th, 2010On 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.
Bo in the snow
Monday, December 21st, 2009
MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
Santa Paws
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.
The Purple Dragonfly
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.
New authors recognized
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009from 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.
…
‘Going Rouge’
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.
Dress your pet as a literary character
Thursday, October 15th, 2009Remember “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.