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Say what you will about the ceremony itself (I actually found it to be refreshingly tender and dignified, for the most part), Sunday night’s Academy Awards were a tribute to Oscar’s own medium – the history, customs, elders, and influence of cinema. From the retro popcorn girls in the aisles and the live band in the balcony, to the themes of the films and the longevity of the careers that were saluted, Oscar celebrated his own crib and the significant contribution the film industry has made to our lives.
For many of us, though, there was another medium honored throughout a surprisingly large portion of the evening – children’s books. Back in January, Publishers Weekly noted that 21 of the nominations were ‘nods for films based on kids books,’ specifically Hugo (11 nominations), War Horse (6), Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows (3), and Tin Tin (1).
I would argue the number to be 24, if you count Puss in Boots, Jane Eyre (now widely considered to be a YA novel) and The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, a children’s book app as well as a short film, that in and of itself celebrates books and reading.
This is great news for children’s book authors of all stripes (though it would have been nice – and politic – to hear Brian Selznick’s name mentioned at least once over the course of the evening’s 5 awards given to Hugo.) It demonstrates the enduring appeal of stories for and about young people, from classic fairy tales, novels and comics to the richness of today’s middle grade and YA fiction and the exciting possibilities that new media represents for the entire genre.
But for me there was a subtler connection at play between the mediums of film and childrens literature on Sunday night. The films on offer this year were notably less snarky, trendy or cynical than those of recent years. Those familiar Hollywood qualities were largely replaced by conscience, compassion and – dare I say it – hope. What’s going on? Even in the darkest realms of YA, these are the universal themes of childrens lit!
Whatever it is, I like it. Let’s hope it sticks around awhile… or at least for as long as some of Sunday night’s honorees have.
0 Comments on And the Oscar Goes To… Children’s Lit! as of 1/1/1900
Martin Scorsese‘s award winning adaptation of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick has lead the Academy Award nominations this year, earning 11 Oscar nominations.
We’ve embedded the trailer above–what did you think of the film? Earlier this year, we wrote about Selznick’s personalized tours of the American Museum of Natural History.
The Best Picture nominees included a host of adapted novels. Below, we’ve linked to free samples of books adapted into Best Picture-nominated films.
Scholastic has launched a special educational website called “Teaching with Brian Selznick.” The free site offers virtual field trips of New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, the inspiration for Brian Selznick‘s latest illustrated novel, Wonderstruck.
The website also contains classroom resources for both Wonderstruck and The Invention of Hugo Cabret. In the video embedded above, Selznick takes viewers a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum.
Here’s more from the release: “The virtual field trip, which is also available in closed caption, is hosted by Selznick and museum president Ellen V. Futter, and takes students on a tour through three exhibits in the museum: the Wolf Diorama, the Ahnighito Meteorite, and the Giant Anopheles Mosquito, all prominently featured in Wonderstruck. Students will also learn about the museum’s history, exhibits, and collections from a museum curator, an exhibitions manager, and a senior scientist.”
Late in the darkened day, dozens of gifts finally wrapped, most of the cards out into the world, the house clean, the boy's room ready for the boy, and the clients happy, I stopped.
For my dear niece Claire, I'd bought a copy of Wonderstruck by the masterful Brian Selznick. I hadn't wrapped this gift yet. I'd wanted to take time with it, so that Claire and I could talk about it later. Those soft yet crystalline pencil drawings. Those two stories that become one. That old-time New York City. That cabinet of wonders. Meteorites and movie stars.
Six-hundred thirty-five pages of art. A book dedicated to Maurice Sendak. A book that, in this late hour, in a time where I've been feeling that brand of holiday rush and sad, felt just right, felt perfect.
Yes. This was the one. This was the book for my big-hearted, big-eyed beautiful Claire. This was the moment that finally ushered in my Christmas.
4 Comments on Wonderstruck/Brian Selznick: Celebration, last added: 12/18/2011
Your words leave me deeply touched. Thank you for sharing this, Beth. I cannot seem to find a word to describe Claire. None quite capture what I see here. The all fall short.
That author/illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka. He’s a good egg. It’s not everyone who founds their own youth scholarship, y’know. For the second time Jarrett will be hosting the 2nd annual auction for the Joseph and Shirley Krosoczka Memorial Youth Scholarships. The auction is already live as of this past Monday morning and it’s benefiting a great cause. You see, Jarrett named it after the grandparents that raised him and with it the Worcester Art Museum provides tuition to underprivileged children who are in unique familial situations. As for the auction itself there are all sort of great things up for grabs, including originalart (I sure hope someone buys the Lunch Lady art and gives it to an actual lunch lady) and lunch with Jarrett in his studio. Yet to my mind nothing but nuthin’ beats the idea of having Jarrett design your school’s mascot. I suggest that even if your school doesn’t have a mascot you make one up just so that Jarrett can illustrate it. You could be the Fightin’ Banana Slugs (after all, we know he has experience in that area) or the Seething Dust Bunnies. The possibilities are endless. And as of right now the bidding is a mere $51. Y’all better snap that up or I’ll do so myself and just find a school interested.
All hail our new fearless leader! Y’all might have heard that our beloved SLJ editor Brian Kenney upped and left us for the library world (doggone worthy that). So, in essence, I was floating about without a commander-in-chief. Who knows what kind of mischief I could have gotten myself into! Thank goodness Rebecca T. Miller is on hand to whip me into shape. Things to know about this new editor: “With a background in journalism that began at the Utne Reader . . .” Sorry, sorry, I’d say more but I’m sort of hung up on how fabulous that sentence looks. Wow. The Utne Reader. Love it. Welcome, Rebecca.
The holidays are almost upon us and I know exactly what you’re wondering. You’re wracking your brain trying to figure out what to get the children’s literary enthusiast who already has everything (even the newly annotated Phantom Tollbooth). I have the solution. Why not give them me? Or rather, why not give them 25 seconds worth of me. Some of you might recall the documentary Library of the Early Mind: A grown-up look at children’s literature that played in select libraries and library conferences around the country. I bet a bunch of you missed it and wished you could see it. Well happy days are here again because the producer of the film is selling both a
Summary: "Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery."
Seeing the movie trailer for, "Hugo" reminded me of my wonderful experience when I attended the 2007 NY SCBWI conference. Author/Illustrator, Brian Selznick, was one of the speakers and he was riveting as he shared his story of creating such an interesting book. Brian was down to earth and transparent, leaving me encouraged and motivated.
I guess the closest I can compare, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is to a graphic novel but not quite. Many pages are purely illustrative, especially in the beginning of the book and then less as the characters develop. Brian's illustrations are beautifully rendered in dark pencil using interesting perspectives to create drama and emotion in an innovative way.
Don't be put off by the size of the book. Although the book is thick, it is a quick read due to his heavy use of illustration. the first 22 pages are illustrations alone. I remember reading it on the airplane ride home, I couldn't put it down.
I would highly recommend especially before seeing the flick. I hope it does Brian's book justice and even if doesn't, who cares. Can
1 Comments on The invention of Hugo Cabret, last added: 11/10/2011
Somewhere along the way I completely missed this Percy Jackson video in which everyone from Brian Selznick to a moustachioed Eoin Colfer (when did that happen?) chat it up. Video #2 contains a bit of advice that John Rocco actually had to contend with when he made the jacket for The Lightening Thief: “Green covers don’t sell.” I love mistaken common publishing wisdom.
Kids these days. I dunno what to do with them. With their electronic thingymajigs and their Facebook whozaz and their cries to not ban books . . .
Thanks to Marjorie Ingall (who discovered this on her iPhone).
Full credit to Travis Jonker for finding this one. He’s right. Orrin Hatch totally whipped out a Harry Potter reference (psst. . . . nobody tell him which HP character Scalia actually resembles).
Now here’s an idea. Book trailer as music video. Surely this has been done before, right? Surely? In any case, here’ A Train With Wings for the book Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver. Harper Collins hired transmedia firm Radiator to create the trailer. I think the visuals are great. The song could have benefited if it had made the song less pop rock/Glee-ish and more haunting, but it’s still okay.
Thanks to Stephen Barbara for the link.
Finally I’ll get off-topicy with you but I will at least say that I could see these creatures as characters in a book for kids. Easily. Make sure you watch until they start walking.
I had heard so much that was so good about A Monster Calls, the Patrick Ness novel inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, that last night, when my arms were too achy to type a single letter more, I downloaded the book onto my iPad2.
Had I known that this book was so beautifully illustrated, I would have gone out to the store and bought myself a copy instead, so that I could, from time to time, look at these extraordinarily interesting, wildly textured Jim Kay drawings. A Monster Calls would be a very different book without these images, just as Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, the Ransom Riggs books enlivened by surreal old photographs, would not be the book it is had not a publishing house decided that teens, too (and the adults who inevitably read teen books) need, every now and then, to stop and see the world not through words but through images. Maile Meloy's new historical YA book, The Apothecary, is due out soon—a book that (if the preview pages on Amazon are accurate) features some very beautiful illustrations by Ian Schoenherr. And let's not forget The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, with its beautiful Andrea Offermann images. (And, of course, there are so many, many more.)
A Monster Calls reminds me, in so many ways, of the great Roald Dahl story The BFG. Dahl's books, illustrated by Quentin Blake, sit beside The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer) on my shelf—books that take me back to some of my favorite mother-son reading days. We loved the stories. We loved the illustrations, too. We loved the entire package.
Maybe we have Brian Selznick to thank for this return to the visual—to ageless picture books. Maybe it was just plain time. I only (with absolute surety) know this: I recently completed a young adult novel amplified by (in my eyes) gorgeous illustrations. I can't wait to see where that project goes, and on what kind of journey it takes me.
5 Comments on The Rise of the Illustrated Young Adult Novel, last added: 9/29/2011
I've been hearing such good things about A Monster Calls. I'll be sure to check it out in book form. I'm curious about your illustrated YA. It really depends on how it's done. I like illustrated scenes but I'd sooner imagine the characters themselves. Still, good illustration is a treat for all ages.
I'm a huge fan of BFG, so I definitely want to check this one out. Thanks for the recommendation! I am quite happy, actually, about this illustrated YA thing.
Scott Westerfeld talked about this very topic at this year's Kidlitcon! It was fascinating to hear how he went back and forth with the illustrator for his Leviathan trilogy.
And I'm very pleased to see illustrations return, especially since the project I'm working on will (if all goes as planned) have chapter illustrations. :)
Hype. What’s the point? A publisher believes that a book is going to be big so they crank up the old hype machine and do everything in their power to draw attention to it long before its publication date. That’s what they did for Brian Selznick’s Wonderstruck and I was sad to see it. As far as I was concerned, Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret was too tough an act to follow. Here you had a book that managed to get hundreds of librarians across the nation of America to redefine in their own minds the very definition of “picture book”. Cabret was remarkable because it combined words and pictures in a manner most closely resembling a film. Indeed the whole plot of the book revolved around filmmaking so what would be the point of writing another book in the same vein? If Cabret credits its success in part to its originality, doesn’t that give his Wonderstruck a handicap right from the start? You’d think so, but you might also forget something about Cabret. While the art was spectacular and the plotting just fine, the writing was merely a-okay. By no means a detriment to the book, mind you. Just okay. And maybe that’s partly why Wonderstruck works as well as it does. The art is just as beautiful as Cabret’s, the plotting superior, and the writing not just good, but fantastic. Where Cabret wowed readers with spectacle, Wonderstruck hits ‘em where it hurts. Right in the heart. For once, we’re dealing with a book that is actually worth its own hype.
Ben: Gunflint Lake, Minnesota, June 1977. Rose: Hoboken, New Jersey, October 1927. Ben’s Story – written: Newly orphaned when his mother dies, Ben comes to believe that he has a father, hitherto unknown, living in New York City. When an accident involving a telephone and a bolt of lightning renders him deaf, he sets out for the big city in search of clues to who his father really is. Rose’s Story – seen almost solely in pictures: A seeming prisoner in her own home, Rose too sets out for New York City to see the actress Lillian Mayhew for reasons of her own. The two children both end up in The American Museum of Natural History and both discover something there that will help to give them what they need to solve their own problems. And in that discovery, they will find one another.
I’ll just state right here and now that you could probably tell from the opening paragraph of this review that it’s extraordinarily difficult to talk about Wonderstruck without invoking Hugo Cabret in the same breath. This is mostly because of the unique written/image-driven style Selznick utilizes in both of these books. It’s not an unheard of technique, alternating written passages with visual ones, but it’s rarely done this well. What strikes me as significant, though, is that the style is chosen f
0 Comments on Review of the Day: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick as of 1/1/1900
Children’s book illustrator Patrice Barton begins a picture book with a spiral ruled notebook that she soon fills with ideas, tactics and to-do checklists related to the project.
It’s almost as if the words come first. The drawings, which for her are a series of tireless explorations only a tiny fraction of which make it to the book, spring forth after she’s worked out the notions, notations and marching orders for herself.
In the previous post she told how she assembled her scraps of sketches on tracing paper to develop finals for Sweet Moon Baby by Karen Henry Clark (Knopf Books for Young Readers.) This time she reveals the earliest stages of her artwork for the picture bookMine! by well-known children’s author Shutta Crum.
Released in June, Mine! is Patty’s second book for Knopf.
At the end of our video interview minutes before class time at the Art School of the Austin Museum of ArtPatty walked through the F&G’s for her third Knopf title, Rosie Sprout’s Time to Shine by Knopf editor Allison Wortche — due for publication in December. Here are sophisticated first graders, not babies or toddlers. With their glances, gestures and placements on the pages, Patty orchestrates a very funny elementary school drama of evil plans, remorse and redemption.
Watching her interpret Wortche’s scenes as text gives us insight into how she thinks about her characters and re-constructs a story in its most telling images.
The movie version of one of my favorite books of all-time, releases on November 23, 2011. Please read the book before seeing the movie—it’s outstanding!
The huge success of The Wimpy Kid series was soon followed by a spate of copycat publishing. This kind of “borrowed idea” publishing happens after every bestseller and it’s pointless to complain. But with Wimpy Kid, some publishers seem to have missed the main lesson. So we see countless new books rolled out about dorks and losers, nerds and geeks, whereas I’ve always maintained that a big part of the Wimpy Kid’s success was one of format over content. The books looked great, inviting, funny, accessible. They were illustrated!
I don’t think it’s a mystery: readers, especially reluctant readers, like pictures in their novels. They like the text broken up, with multiple entry points along the way. Witness the line of “illustrated classics,” which have been around only since forever.
We’ve seen it with Captain Underpants. Seen it with the Geronimo Stilton, first published in Italy. But also think of a book like Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Caberet, which effectively used illustrations to serve and deepen an already sophisticated manuscript. The book was a revelation — but it also taught us something we’ve known for decades. Yes, it’s more expensive to illustrate books, but those illustrations can broaden that book’s appeal. Look at the terrific job Matthew Cordell did with Justin Case, written by the very talented Rachel Vail. My point: A book doesn’t have to be a cliche in order for it be illustrated.
After that, let the number crunchers do the math.
Quick story about copycat publishing. I was at a book convention, long ago, and had the opportunity to hang out with the president of a small publishing company. A friendly guy, he specialized in down-market books. That is, cheap, affordable books that came in at the right price point, undercutting the competition. He had recently made a boatload of money by ripping off the Where’s Waldo books. As we drove in his expensive car, he told me with glee about the exact eureka moment when he had the idea for his successful new series of books. I thought to myself at the time, “Wow, he’s telling me with great pride about the day he got the idea . . . to steal the idea!” It was kind of spectacular, and a publishing moment I’ve never forgotten.
I had once hoped that my book, Justin Fisher Declares War!, would be illustrated. It had a funny main character, school-based adventures, and was written on an easy, accessible level for middle-grade readers. Unfortunately, my publisher did not share my view in the case of this particular book.
Which is why I’m so pleased to share these student illustrations. You see, I just spent an incredibly happy week in State College, PA, visiting five different schools along the way. After one such visit to Corl Street Elementary, I was presented with a gift that included a letter from Sue Harter. She explained that two teachers, Mrs. Evans and Mr. Schmidt, had rea
If you’ve ever attended Book Expo America (BEA), you’ll know that the food cart choices parked outside the Javits Center typically feature hot dogs and kebabs.
Penguin Young Readers Group author Sarah Dessen (pictured, via) will shake things up with the Dessen Sweetery Truck.
Associate director of publicity Elyse Marshall explained in an email: “Sarah will head out to the truck to hand out free whoopee pies to fans and hungry BEAers. There will be three flavors available: red velvet, chocolate, and Sarah’s Strawberry Surprise (a custom whoopee pie). The truck will be entirely wrapped in Sarah Dessen branding, with all her book covers featured. There will be giveaways available for a few lucky attendees before the Dessen Sweetery Truck moves onto it’s second location of the day: Union Square.”
Scholastic Press has unveiled the cover for author/illustrator Brian Selznick‘s forthcoming title, Wonderstruck. The novel will be released simultaneously in the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, and Canada on September 13th.
As reported earlier, Selznick credited his love of museums as one of the inspirations for Wonderstruck. The book will contain over 460 pages of original drawings. We’ve embedded one of those drawings below…
Here’s more about the book’s story from the release: “Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother’s room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing. Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories–Ben’s told in words, Rose’s in pictures–weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry.”
So I’m reading through my weekly edition of AL Direct and I notice that no matter what worldwide occurrence takes place, librarians are always there. Whether it’s damage to two libraries in Egypt, stories from the librarians in Christchurch, New Zealand, or how the Wisconsin Library Association delayed Library Legislative Day due to the protests, the profession is there. That last story was of particular interest to me, since I had wondered whether any school librarians were amongst the protesters in Wisconsin lately. According to the article, they most certainly are. You go, guys!! Seriously, I want to hear more about it. If any of you know any school librarians marching in WI, send them my way. I’d love to do a full post on them.
Speaking of folks in the news, I have to give full credit to author/illustrator Katie Davis for consistently locating the hotspots in children’s literature and convincing folks to talk to her about them on her fabulous podcast. In the past she’s managed to finagle everyone from the editor who wanted to replace the n-word in Huckleberry Finn to James Kennedy on the 90-Second Newbery. Now she’s managed to get Bruce Coville to talk about what went down when he and fellow children’s author Liz Levy got stuck in Egypt during the protest period. That Katie. She’s got a nose for news.
I’m having a lot of fun reading How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely these days, and I can’t help but see echoes of the plot in this story about the man behind the Hardy Boys novels. We hear about the various Carolyn Keenes all the time, but why not the Dixons? After reading this old piece in the Washington Post from 1998 (The Hardy Boys The Final Chapter) I feel vindicated. I reread some of my oldThree Investigators novels not too long ago and they STILL held up! I always knew they were better than The Hardy Boys. Now I have proof. I was going to save the link to this essay until the end of the Fusenews today, but it’s so amusing and so delightfully written that I just have to encourage you, first thing, to give it a look. Thanks to The Infomancer for the link.
Fun Fact About Newbery Winning Author Robin McKinley: She’s learning to knit. Related Sidenote: She also has a blog. Did you know this? I did not know this. And look at the meticulous use of footnotes. McKinley should write the next Pale Fire. I would
10 Comments on Fusenews: “The Hardy boys were tense with a realization of their peril.”, last added: 2/25/2011
I’ve been meaning to pick up HOW I BECAME A FAMOUS NOVELIST ever since John August mentioned it on his blog. He tells the story of optioning the book in his usual charming fashion here: http://johnaugust.com/archives/2009/how-i-became-a-famous-novelist. I’m gratified to hear someone dumping on the Hardy Boys. I hated those books as a kid … along with all the other series in which nothing actually happened to the characters. Why read a book that ends where it starts? (I will make an exception for Beckett.) That bias is probably the same reason I don’t watch procedural dramas today.
Elizabeth Bird said, on 2/24/2011 6:04:00 AM
I’m probably reading the book for the same reason you’ve been meaning to pick it up. Which is to say, I think Matt read the John August piece, got intrigued, read it, and passed it on to me. It feels so up-to-date and contemporary too. I have to wonder how well it will age, or if the books that are blockbusters now will continue to remain the same kind of blockbusters ten or twenty years down the road.
Three Investigators 4-Evah.
Julia Karr said, on 2/24/2011 10:58:00 AM
Ah, I was always a Nancy Drew fan and only read Hardy Boys comics (put out by Walt Disney when they were airing The Hardy Boys on The Mickey Mouse Club.) However, my tender young writer’s heart was crushed when I found out that Carolyn Keene was a psuedonym for a stable of writers. *sigh*
Jean said, on 2/24/2011 11:48:00 AM
“You go, guys!!!” How about a little objectivity? How about a Wisconsin public school where the librarian’s job description, according to the principal, was “to provide release time for the teachers”, which they were entitled to in their union negotiated contract? Yes, I went – to a non-union charter school (at half the pay), not to protest in Madison.
Dan McCoy said, on 2/24/2011 1:41:00 PM
>bites his lip, Jupiter Jones-style and nods approvingly<
Sondy said, on 2/24/2011 1:57:00 PM
I am SO with you on the 3 Investigators! Jupiter Jones rocks!
Hey, I’m planning to do a little piece of Library Advocacy this weekend with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. I’ll post about it on my blog, and then will try to get a little attention… We’re supposed to be happy that they aren’t planning any further cuts this year, after they cut 30% the last two years. I am glad to have a job back, but it’s still rotten for the people of the county….
Tracey said, on 2/24/2011 4:18:00 PM
I LOVED the 3 Investigators!
I was in first grade when the childrens librarian introduced me to the Hardy Boys. I didn’t like them that much, but I could read them very quickly, which mattered to me for some reason. And then, I found Nancy Drew and I never picked up another Hardy Boys again. To this day, I wonder why the librarian showed me the Hardy Boys but not Nancy Drew.
Lisa Yee said, on 2/25/2011 8:30:00 AM
L is for Lisa who loves your blog.
I’m in Boston this weekend, signing at Peter Reynold’s Blue Bunny bookstore on Saturday. When I saw on your blog that there’s a Gorey exhibit in town I was soooooo excited. Can’t wait to see it!
Sergio Ruzzier said, on 2/25/2011 8:36:00 AM
Thank you Betsy! I should get images from the show in a week or so.
Joanne Fritz said, on 2/25/2011 7:12:00 PM
The entire first chapter of HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE on a bathroom wall? Some people have waaaaay too much time on their hands.
Oscar-nominated actress Julianne Moore, Emmy-nominated comedian Mindy Kaling, and journalist Jim Lehrer will host breakfast events at this year’s Book Expo America.
Moore, author of picture book Freckleface Strawberry, will preside over the children’s writers’ breakfast. Kaling (a writer at The Office) and Lehrer (author of both fiction and nonfiction) will host two adult writers’ breakfasts.
Here’s more from the press release: “The other speakers who will be joining the hosts for these popular events include Sarah Dessen, Roger Ebert, Anne Enright, Jefferey Eugenides, Charlaine Harris, Kevin Henkes, Diane Keaton, Erik Larson, and Brian Selznick. In addition, Katherine Paterson, who is the current Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, will be saying a few words at the Children’s Breakfast on behalf of the Children’s Book Council.”
Mixtape: 10 Songs About Libraries and Librarians
Check out these fun songs about libraries and librarians, including artists such as Frank Zappa and Green Day. You can even listen in to discover why these songs made the list.
Baby-Sitters Club: Life After 30!
The acclaimed teenage gang gets a new twist as we ask the question: Where are they now? From Kristy Thomas to Stacey McGill, these projections will certainly bring back cherished memories.
The Caldecott, Newbery and Printz book awards go to…
John Pinkney’s exceptional illustrations were awarded the Caldecott Medal for capturing the true spirit of a classic fable. The Newbery Medal as well as the Printz Award were also given to some special talent for excellence in both children’s literature and young adult literature.
Books to Film: Martin Scorsese Continues the Trend
With the release of some truly spectacular new films based on classic children’s books, Brian Selznick’s “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” appears to be next in line.
An Illuminating History of Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins, Artist and Lecturer by Barbara Kerley illustrations by Brian Selznick Scholastic 2001 The story of Waterhouse Hawkins is one of those odd ducks that are at once as fascinating as they are forgetable. Waterhouse (as he apparently preferred to be known) was a (self-taught?) naturalist artist who (somehow) managed to find himself
1 Comments on The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, last added: 8/1/2009
I read this book over a year ago and actually liked it, in large part because I was already familiar with a lot of the material. I spent a lot of time reading about nineteenth century palentology when one of my sons was young. The dinner party given inside one of the dinosaur sculptures is very famous. <br /><br />I did think, though, that this might be another of those picture books that I think
I must have found this on one of those days when I was reacting just like those people on the commercial for Bing. It's in my bookmarked folder, but I have no recollection of how I found it, or where it came from. But I'm glad I bookmarked it! It's a good one. Here's the link. How to be a Children's Book Illustrator. Last week they had some great videos with Caldecott Medal Winner Brian Selznick. Oh, and try not to get lost while you're checking it out.
2 Comments on Wednesday Links, last added: 7/28/2009
Yes, Tom. The illustrations are wonderful, and so is the form in which the illos and story are combined. I'd love to hear what you think of it when you're done!
Yes, yes, I realize that this book won numerous awards last year so this review is a bit behind the times. But the book was recently recommended to me by a very enthusiastic 12-year-old so I had to pick it up...
The Invention of Hugo Cabret takes place in early 20th century Paris where a young and penniless orphan, Hugo, spends his days running the clocks in the train station and stealing food, and his nights working on a writing automaton in a tiny forgotten room inside the station. Ever since his father died trying to fix the automaton he found in the attic of a museum, Hugo has been passionate about repairing it, hoping that the message the automaton will write will somehow be a message from his father. To get the parts for his project, he steals mechanical toys from the little shop in the train station. However, when the owner there, a mysterious and bitter old man, catches him in the act, Hugo enters into a new adventure- a far less lonely one- tangled with a cast of characters all connected to his beloved automaton.
Well, the first thing I was intrigued by in the story was (of course) the unique format of the half picture book/half novel. I loved how Brian Selznick used the pictures to tell the story rather than just emphasize whatever the words are saying. As a Francophile, I like the setting in Paris and I thought the illustrations were perfect. Although I couldn't really identify with any of the characters, I think that the characters were almost incidental. I felt that the emphasis of the story was on images (definitely supported by the use of pictures instead of words in so much of the story) and there were many images that will stay with me.
The picture book (graphic novel?)/novel idea is quite unique. I think Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix would have been easier to read with that combination. Some of those fight/chase scenes were hard to follow!
Any books you would like to see as hybrids? Any picture book that could use more words or novels that could use pictures for part of the story?
0 Comments on The Invention of Hugo Cabret as of 1/1/1900
I remember reading a review of this book quite a while ago and being interested, but I had completely forgotten the name. Thanks for the reminder!
I particularly like an old (sadly, mildewed) copy of A Wind in the Willows with some beautiful full-page illustrations. I do think that illustrations are underused in adult literature - Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell used some fantastic ones.
Welcome to another day in the Golden Coffee Cup. It's election day so I'm posting a wee bit early. Click here to learn more. Here’s an innovative artist high five from the talented Mr. Brian Selznick.
Brian Seleznick—Robert Deutsch, USA Today
Brian won the 2008 Caldecott award for his breath taking book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. This book is about throwing every concept of what a book should be out the window and reiventing that. Work on bringing that kind of creative vigor into your work.
It's important to follow your muse. Here's some sage advice from Brian. It's funny because when I was working on the book, really the only thing I was thinking about was figuring out how to make the story work. I didn't know who was going to read it. I didn't know who would be interested in it.
Storytelling is an art. It’s connecting inwardly with creative power. It’s also about working out this unique time journey. We have beginnings, middles, and ends. We have seasons. Word after word goes on the page. Line after line, color after color. For the storyteller it’s about connecting with the rhythm of of your unique point of view. Let go of all the pressure and let your creative self take over. Chase after your story. Let me know what you find.
Keep working, folks. Every step of the journey brings you closer to your destination.
0 Comments on Day 4 of the Golden Coffee Cup: as of 11/4/2008 12:46:00 AM
Say what you will about the ceremony itself (I actually found it to be refreshingly tender and dignified, for the most part), Sunday night’s Academy Awards were a tribute to Oscar’s own medium – the history, customs, elders, and influence of cinema. From the retro popcorn girls in the aisles and the live band in the balcony, to the themes of the films and the longevity of the careers that were saluted, Oscar celebrated his own crib and the significant contribution the film industry has made to our lives.
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If you’ve ever attended 
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Your words leave me deeply touched. Thank you for sharing this, Beth. I cannot seem to find a word to describe Claire. None quite capture what I see here. The all fall short.
Wow, what a great gift to share all around. I love Claire's photo
I remember how dear to you (and what a reader!) your Claire is. My boys and I read HUGO a few weeks ago and then went to the movie. Pure magic.
They'll be getting WONDERSTRUCK for Christmas, too.
Oh, to be your niece - that would be a gift in itself. :)