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Thoughts on the reading, writing, and sharing of children's books from a writer and library media specialst.
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Are you wondering about self publishing your work?
Check out this post by Susan Berger at Pen and Ink -- Interview with Self PublishedAuthor Sariah Wilson.
Wilson explains her reasons behind deciding to self-publish and let's readers in on editing, finding a cover artist, etc.
What happens when a scientist becomes a detective? In this case, biologist Karen Lips identifies a mystery -- Panamanian golden frogs are disappearing in the wild. She then researches the possible causes, formulates a plan of action, and works to solve the mystery. In this case -- spoiler alert! -- the culprit is a fungus for which there is currently no cure. Markle goes on to describe how scientists are taking steps to keep the remaining population alive in special zoos and research centers while they work to return the golden frogs -- the national symbol of Panama -- to their home.
Miller has created a book around a theme that invites the reader to explore word and image. The economy of language, set against the elegant simplicity of monotype illustrations, is deceptive and begs for a second and third reading to fully appreciate the depth of thought so artfully conveyed.
The night sky, the glow of moon on snow, a dandelion's "head is filled with/ winged seeds-her fluffy/ cloud-white dreams held/ back like eager children," are each given a special moment. Cat, cow, crow and fly are a few of the animals also treated to their moment in the spotlight. "Dog-eyed" with its accompanying look into a Border Collie's bright eyes, cleverly treats both the black and white vision and coat "... just as grand as / Irish Setter red."
Miller's work is sharp and perceptive -- well worth a look.
And now for all my friends who write Middle Grade Fiction -- this lively and thought provoking article at The Horn Book titled:
No Joke! Humor and Culture in Middle-Grade Books which was posted on May 1, 2012 by Uma Krishnaswami.
Krishnaswami makes the following observation -- "In 2004, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith spoke at the Reading the World conference about the dearth of funny books with cultural resonance. Why, they asked, are multicultural books so very serious?"
The essay in answer to this question provides writers with plenty of food for thought and offers some valuable insights into addressing cultural differences. In a time when many agents and publishing houses are eagerly seeking multicultural fictional characters, this is information well worth considering.
"Go 303,000,000 miles, then stop at the fourth rock from the sun".
So begins the journey of Spirit and Opportunity as Siy leads her audience through the exploration of our neighboring planet, Mars. Informative, with clear language and illustrated with stunning photographs, this book enables readers to understand the purpose and work of these two historic Mars rovers.
Additional reading is provided with a section about resources titled "Much more about Mars and the rovers," a glossary for the many unfamiliar scientific terms, and bibliography round out the book.
Loewen provides young poets with a beginner's look at poetry's basic tools in a discussion of forms and concepts such as rhythm, rhyme, simile and metaphor. Writing activities and tips together with a bibliography, glossary and list of related resources rounds out the book. Simple illustrations brighten pages without pulling focus from the content.
I read an excellent post this week and I'm delighted to share it with all of you.
As writers, we hear a lot advice on setting goals and this post certainly addresses that issue. But I was particularly impressed by the writer's discussion about identifying the possible obstacles that fill the road to those goals and how we must develop a strategy for confronting those obstacles.
The post by Frances Sackett is titled: "Frances: Writing a novel one bite at a time." You'll find it at the Crowe's Nest, the blog of Sarah Crowe, an agent with Harvey Klinger, Inc.
Sackett is a novelist with a book, The Misadventures of the Magician's Dog, coming out this fall from Holiday House. She shares her personal journey, but it is a story all too familiar to any writer and I recognized myself in many of her struggles with scheduling writing time, facing self-doubt, and trying to persevere. Sackett offers some excellent advice and five clearly stated steps to taking charge of your writing life.
Well worth the read.
Rosenberg collects short biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Clara Barton, George McClellan, Robert E. Lee, and Matthew Brady, six people who influenced and were influenced by the Civil War. Then Rosenberg takes the reader one step farther by relating how each of these six individuals were interconnected which takes this book into territory not found in more familiar biographies.
Rosenberg establishes the premise for his work in the introduction -- a portion of which is quoted here: Robert E. Lee is famous as the Confederate general. But did you know that he was originally supposed to command the Union Army? Who was Frederick Douglass, and why did Lincoln listen to him so closely? How did Clara Barton influence men and women on both sides of the war. Why is George McClellan important if he was actually dismissed from his military position" Who was Mathew Brady and why did Lincoln sometimes say he owed his entire presidency to him?
Rosenberg answers these questions and many others in a his 150+ pages that include archival photographs, a map, a detailed list of books, articles and websites for further reading and research, and index.
Janeczko collects the poems and thoughts of 39 contemporary poets that includes Jack Prelutsky, Cynthia Rylant, Gary Soto, Joanne, Ryder, and PaulFleischman. The book contains both verse and the inspiration and thought processes behind each poet's work.
J. Patrick Lewis was inspired by his childhood readings of classics such as Wind in the Willows and Alice in Wonderland. The magic of animals talking led him to write from the animal's point of view as he did in his included poem "Mosquito."
"In these strange and serious times, I want to try a little silliness--wordplay or nonsense verse--where, for instance, a mosquito can explain what mosquitoes do best." J. P. L.
This book (written at a seventh grade level) will appeal to poetry fans who would enjoy a glimpse behind the creative curtain.
Where is your writing space? Anyplace where you open your laptop? A favorite table at Starbucks?
Corner of the living room? Or office?
Why do I ask? For New York Times Bestselling author Po Bronson it was once a closet.
I came across this post by Bronson and found it well worth reading so I'm sharing it with all of you.
The post is titled simply Advice on Writing.
In response to the many questions he receives from aspiring writers, Bronson shares his thoughts on finding support, dealing with rejection, and measuring personal success, He also offers valuable insights into character, how to keep from boring yourself and your audience, voice, and storytelling.
He concludes his post by providing a video glimpse into his writing closet. We all have a process. What's yours?
Rappaport sheds her light on the life of Lincoln by skillfully detailing both the major events in his life and personal moments and balancing her narrative with relevant quotes from our sixteenth president that provide context through his words and a heightened sense of emotion through his voice.
Rappaport: "He stuffed books inside his shirt. In between splitting wood and plowing, he stood in the field and read." Lincoln: "The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who'll git me a book I ain't read".
Nelson's stunning illustrations capture both the man and the moment.
The book concludes with sections titled: Important Dates, If You Want to Learn More About Lincoln Read, Websites, Selected Research Sources, and the Gettysburg Address.
If you were going to have only one book by America's first Children's Poet Laureate this probably should be the one. Prelutsky has collected over one hundred of his favorite poems from his other works and then generously added fifteen new verses written expressly for this volume. In addition, he's included activities to enhance the experience of reading and sharing his work.
As always there is a wealth of clever wordplay and humor to be found in his poems with unexpected endings that will send readers back for a second, closer look at a verse that has surprised them.
Dorman's colorful artwork stands up to the challenge of sharing the page with Prelutsky's verses and celebrates the joyful words with clever visuals.
Fleisher offers students a short course in the science of storms that includes how various types of storms develop, how scientist predict the changes in weather and suggests simple observations that young readers can make.
In honor of Valentine's Day and just for giggles, I've selected Singer's pun-filled collection of couplets celebrating the love between various animal pairs. Designed as a gift book with a "To, From" page decorated with hearts, this is a little delight filled with kid-friendly verses celebrating the joy of friendship. Familiar dogs and cats share pages with bats and porcupines in search of their own "Valentine."
HORSES: "Nose to nose, hip to hip,/ours is a stable relationship.
PORCUPINES: "Hugging you takes some practice./So I'll start out with a cactus.
Wildish provides a perfect reflection of the merry verses with cartoon style illustrations.
This post is for all the writers out there who do workshops for students or adults or anyone looking for an innovative way to jump-start the creative writing process.
Check out "Writing with Coaches" posted by Mary Ann Rodman at Teaching Authors.
Mary Ann shares her experience of doing a writing workshop with a group of PE coaches which is entertaining in itself. Better yet she details an inspired exercise that really got the everyone on board with the fun of writing.
I can see a lot of potential in this simple but effective approach to getting in touch with our creativity.
Rubalcaba opens her trek into the past by acquainting the reader with Troy's legend as related by Homer. Then the search for the ancient lost city begins as she relates the history of the various explorations that began with Heinrich Schliemann in the 1800's and continue into the present day at what is now Hisarlik, Turkey. Illustrations and photographs document the excavation of the city and explain the changing techniques employed over time. Maps and timelines help readers to follow the complicated history of this legendary site which has been occupied for thousands of years with each city built over the destruction of the previous one. Archaeologists have identified nine Troys and there is still controversy and numerous theories about which, if any, is the site of Homer's Trojan War. Notes and a detailed bibliography is included for further reading.
Best for readers in grades six and up.
Budding entomologists will delight in these whimsical verses about twenty-one different insects. From dragonfly to caterpillar, daddy longlegs to cricket, Florian shares a defining characteristic of each in his signature style accompanied by abstract watercolors that will earn a second and third look. Verses vary with different subjects there's fun wordplay as in his "Caterpillar."
She eats eight leaves at least
to fill her,
Which leaves her like a
Fatterpillar,
The bold face type is Florian's -- perhaps a hint to his younger readers to note the double meaning of the word.
In other instances he physically shapes his poems to reflect their subject as in the inchworm and whirligig beetles.
He finds a voice to give readers an individual sense of each subject.
"The Daddy Longlegs" begins with a cool jazzy beat -- O Daddy/Daddy O/How'd you get/Those legs to grow/So very long/And lean in size?/From spiderobic/Exercise?
While "The Army Ants" has a martial tone with --
Left
Right
Left
Right
We're army ants.
We swarm.
We fight.
Inspiration needed.
Having trouble with your text? Struggling to get those words on paper?
Here's a bit of inspiration for you.
If you don't recognize all the books then perhaps it's time to expand your reading list. I was impressed and couldn't resist putting a few more titles on my "To Read" stack.
Wishing Everyone a Happy Holiday Season!
See you next year!
I'm always looking for new ways to make math interesting and this book fits the bill. "Collecting Data in Animal Investigations" is part of the Capstone Real World Math series. This volume offers readers an opportunity to follow a fictional fourth grade class as they gather data on animals at a local park and then present the information in a variety of forms that include diagrams and graphs.
Noonan's fictional research poses questions and includes problem solving activities, a glossary, and the answers to the problems. Colorful animal photographs brighten the pages.
Hale has collected more than one hundred works by poets ranging from Maya Angelou to William Blake including William Wordsworth, Emily Bronte, John Keats, Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, Christina Rossetti, William Shakespeare and Edger Allen Poe and anonymous. The verses range from light-hearted to thought-provoking and offer opportunities for readers of all ages to sample some of poetry's best-loved works and discover new favorites among less familiar works.
Well-known anthologist, Hopkins, has collected fourteen poems, 12 of which were commissioned for this volume in which the lives of famous Americans are remembered. Poets from J. Patrick Lewis to Jane Yolen, each a familiar name to poetry lovers, a variey of poetic forms to capture the essentials of such notables as Abraham Lincoln or Langston Hughes, Sacagawea and Eleanor Roosevelt. Subjects range from the sports with Babe Ruth to the space exploration of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldren. Staub enriches the historic sensibility with antique style portraits of her subjects to share each double-page spread.
This book is a valuable resource both as an introduction to many of these illustrious Americans or better yet as a model that elevates the traditional notion of a biography report to a new level with a poem and art project.
Bicycles have come a long way since the high-wheelers of the 1890s and so has the sport of cycling. Stauffacher shares the story of Swedish immigrant Tillie Anderson, one intrepid cyclist who was far ahead of her time. Tillie began her life in America as a seamstress, but soon became enamored of cycling. Tillie ignored societal conventions that dictated that females limit themselves to a gentle, ladylike circle or figure eight. She longed for speed and made up her mind to attempt the new sport of bicycle racing. She devised an exercise program to strengthen her muscles and develop her endurance. Skirts were not convenient for a lady determined to race so she designed and sewed her own cycling costumes. During her short career, Tillie established numerous cycling records and demonstrated that a woman could be a lady and active thus setting a new standard for women of her day.
Poetry Friday is hosted today by Teaching Authors.
My selection is "Ring of Earth" by Jane Yolen with illustrations by John Wallner.
Subtitled, A Child's Book of Seasons, Yolen offers a poem story for each of the seasons: Winter song of the Weasel, Song of the Spring Peeper, Dragonfly's Summer Song, and Autumn song of the Goose. She deftly weaves a naturalist's love of the subject with a powerful sense of time and place as in these few lines in the Dragonfly's voice --
"I am the sun's own darling.
My wings catch the flame.
Darning needle, Doctor, Hawk,
Dragon's Dragon is my name.
I was here at the world's first turning,
I will be here at the last.
What are the swift season to me
whose father's father's father knew the past?"
Yolen concludes her work with an Author's Note to provide additional information and context for the subjects of her poems. Wallner's elegantly detailed art in watercolor paints and colored pencils enrich the text.
Hartland chronicles the death, deposition and fossilization of a 145 million year old Diplodocus, its discovery in 1923 by paleontologist, Earl Douglas and the specimen's eventual exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum. The book discusses the many steps involved, the people, and the steps required to excavate, prepare and display this ninety foot long dinosaur skeleton.
Author's Notes provide additional information about dinosaurs, Earl Douglas and his discovery, and Museum displays.
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Loewen provides young poets with a beginner's look at poetry's basic tools in a discussion of forms and concepts such as rhythm, rhyme, simile and metaphor. Writing activities and tips together with a bibliography, glossary and list of related resources rounds out the book.
Sounds like this would go wonderfully with Hive Detectives for older kids!