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The winners of the 2007 Cybils awards have just been announced. Here is the press release:

"Boy Toy" author Barry Lyga bests Sherman Alexie in teen category; Palestinian's childhood memoir also honored

Chicago, IL--This was the year of troubled childhoods, with a wrenching story of a middle schooler's seduction by his teacher clinching a winning spot in the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards, informally known as the Cybils.

Barry Lyga's Boy Toy was a surprise choice in the Young Adult category over heavily favored Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which won a National Book Award.

Judges cited Lyga's ability to reach "beyond sensationalism and straight into empathy, challenging expectations and assumptions on every page," according to the awards announcement at the Cybils website. "Lyga's prose is unflinching and the result is heartbreaking and unforgettable."

The Cybils team hands out awards in eight genres of children's literature -- both Graphic Novels and Fantasy & Science Fiction were also split by age group, for a total of ten awards. The other five categories were fiction and nonfiction picture books, middle grade novels, middle grade/YA nonfiction, and poetry.

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood, Ibtisam Barakat's haunting account of the Six Day War won for middle grade/YA nonfiction, with judges lauding how the author "conveys the fear, confusion and tumult of war." At the same, they said, "It's also an excellent memoir of childhood in any culture: the broad injustices, the importance of trivial things, the mysteries of the adult world."

Not all the winning titles were so serious. The True Meaning of Smekday, Adam Rex's spoof of science fiction novels, won that category in the younger age group. Janice N. Harrington's impish The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County took top honors in Fiction Picture Books.

Nearly 90 kidlit bloggers participated in two rounds of judging; the first group waded through 575 titles nominated by the public last autumn. Their short lists were announced on Jan. 1 at blog.cybils.com.

The Cybils are the only online literary awards, said Boles Levy, and insist on only two criteria: the books must combine both literary merit and kid appeal.

"We're not about dictating kids' tastes," she said. "But we're impatient with formulaic garbage too."

For More Information:

Anne Boles Levy
Co-Founder and Editor, The Cybils Awards

And here is a widget from Adaptive Blue showing all of the winners:

Please consider purchasing these winning titles, and showing the publishers through your actions that you think that the Cybils are an important award that can influence sales figures. If you buy from Amazon or BookSense by clicking the links in the widget (here or at the Cybils blog), a portion of the proceeds will go to the Cybils organization. Thanks! Happy reading, and happy Cybils day!

Happy day before Valentine's Day, and day before the Cybils announcements! (If you're reading this on Thursday, they are probably already here). I've been delinquent in keeping you up to date on Kidlitosphere news, due to my recent travels, but I have saved up lots of interesting tidbits for you.

• First off, a not to be missed podcast for all of the Anne Shirley fans out there. In celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the release of Anne of Green Gables, Just One More Book! talks with Before Green Gables (the new prequel) "author Budge Wilson, editor Helen Reeves, LM granddaughter Kate Macdonald Butler, the Right and Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, LM Montgomery expert Betsy Epperly, publicist Alina Goldstein and the many voices of Anne Shirley enthusiasts." Did you know that there's going to be an Anne Shirley quarter released in Canada? And it's nice to know that LM Montgomery's family has been involved with this prequel from the start. But what's really wonderful about this podcast is listening to various fans talk about why they love Anne - I swear she's more alive to her fans than if she was ever real. Go listen. You won't regret the time, I promise. And for the record, Mark has convinced me to read Before Green Gables.
• And speaking of anniversaries, February 12th was the 199th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Becky has a comprehensive post about Darwin at Farm School, with simply tons of links and book recommendations. This post is a tremendous resource for readers, teachers, and Darwin fans everywhere.
• In a sad piece of book news, I learned from Educating Alice and BookMoot that mystery author Phyllis A. Whitney died this week at 104. It was fitting, however, that I read this news while visiting with my parents, because my mother and I shared a love of Whitney's books when I was younger (along with Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, and Daphne Du Maurier, as also cited by Camille and Monica). I had actually picked up one of Whitney's teen mysteries at a used bookstore earlier that day, though I didn't end up buying it.
• Charlotte from Charlotte's Library has a tip for engaging reluctant readers that I haven't seen anywhere before: "on nights when I think it might be a struggle, I communicate only in written notes... And it gets him to read." She also references the use of notes as games to engage children, as illustrated in Elizabeth Enright's Spiderweb for Two.
• Marjorie's most recent Books at Bedtime post at PaperTigers suggests "two resources which offer parents some tools to help make storytelling a joy for all concerned." She includes this wonderful quote from Australian author Mem Fox: "Please read aloud every day, mums and dads, because you just love being with your child, not because it’s the right thing to do."
• Jennifer Schultz writes at The Kiddosphere about one of my favorite books: Jim Trelease's The Read-Aloud Handbook. She notes: "Trelease stuffs his handbook with absorbing anecdotes from parents, teachers, librarians, and children. It's a wonderful read, even if you already incorporate reading aloud time in your home or school." I completely agree! Jennifer goes on to talk about two specific titles recommended by Trelease. In an odd coincidence, my local library blog also featured The Read-Aloud Handbook this week. Great minds think alike, I guess.
• The Horn Book has published a new guide to relatively recently published sports books for kids, organized into categories. Thanks to Read Roger for the link. Food for many a reluctant reader on the list, I'm sure.
• At Chicken Spaghetti, Susan writes about the neuroscience of Mother Goose. That is, she talks about "Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, by Maryanne Wolf, a cognitive scientist and professor of child development at Tufts. Her book looks at how children learn to read—or, in some cases, why they don't learn to read." It's fascinating stuff.
• The newest postergirl for readergirlz, HipWriterMama, has an important post about self-worth, teen dating, and violence awareness. She wrote this in honor of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, which was last week, but sadly, this information is relevant all the time. She especially urges communication, and closes with this validation: "Love is all about respect and empowerment. Love is about honor. Remember that. Because you deserve to be honored and respected. You are so worth it." A message for Valentine's Day, or any day.
• Speaking of respect for women, Tasha from Kids Lit links to the 2008 Amelia Bloomer list, which "honors authors and illustrators whose books are feminist and expand the role of girls and women beyond the traditional." However, both Tasha and the awards committee lament the "small number of truly powerful, well-written feminist books for young readers, and by the small number of non-white, non-Western characters."
• And speaking of non-white characters (well, of non-white authors, anyway), Mitali Perkins has the complete list of the Brown Bookshelf's 28 Days Later series of interviews for Black History Month. She's linked to the first few interviews - you can find the others at The Brown BookShelf. Also for Black History Month, Elaine Magliaro has several lists of relevant poetry and picture book biographies at Wild Rose Reader. You can find links to her wonderful posts, and several others, here.   

I must close by telling you how lucky I feel, reading all of these posts, to be part of such a wonderful community of smart, literate people who care about children and reading. I am truly fortunate, and in awe of the amazing things that all of these people are doing on their blogs and in their book-loving lives. Happy Valentine's Day! I wish you all happiness and chocolate.

Tonight I will be sending out the new issue of my Growing Bookworms weekly email newsletter. If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here. The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's books and raising readers, all in a convenient email format. There are currently 199 subscribers.

This week's issue contains reviews of four books (two fiction picture books, one middle grade title, and one title for middle schoolers), a children's literacy and reading news round-up, and a Kidlitosphere round-up with links to useful posts from the week. The Kidlitosphere round-up was published a bit early, because I was traveling, and I hope to be back with more news within the next day or two. I also have an important announcement about proposed funding cuts for Reading is Fundamental's book distribution program. Content published on my blog this week that's not included in the newsletter includes:

• An announcement about a book that I reviewed previously that's now available for purchase in the U.S. (The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd). 
• A slightly off-topic announcement about the start of the new season for Jericho, a compelling television drama about ordinary heroes living a small town in Kansas after a major crisis cripples the US government. I highly recommend that you check it out. 

The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains a subset of content already included on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, for readers who may not choose to visit the blog every day. It is also my hope that parents, authors, teachers, librarians, and other adult fans of children's books, people who may not visit blogs regularly, or at all, will learn about and subscribe to the newsletter. If you could pass it along to any friends or colleagues who you think would be interested, I would be very grateful.

Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms! And Happy Valentine's week! Don't miss the announcement of the Cybils winners, at the Cybils blog on Thursday.

I'm back from my travels for a bit, and hope to get the blog back up to speed soon. Meanwhile, here are a few children's literacy and reading news stories from around the wires.

• Via the International Reading Association website, I came across this AP story about a small-town Spanish mayor who is planning to pay kids to read. "Agustin Jimenez, Socialist mayor of the central agricultural town of Noblejas, is recommending the town's children be given a euro — the equivalent of $1.50 — for every hour they spend reading in the local library." While I commend this mayor for wanting to get kids reading, surely there's a better way than bribery. Doesn't this plan give kids the impression that reading is work, something that one has to be paid to do, rather than something enjoyable? Sigh!
• The Miss Rumphius Effect reports on a recent national poll that indicates "concern that public education in the United States is behind what is offered to students in other parts of the world and that we devote less attention to developing the imagination, creative skills, and innovation than other nations." Seems to me that more time spent in free reading, and less time focusing on tests, would increase emphasis on imagination. But I know that it's a complicated issue, since the test results often drive funding, and it's hard to quantify "imagination". Interesting stuff, though. Tricia has links to further discussion.
• Over at Reading Rockets, Joanne Meier urges parents to "do as I say, not as I do" in continuing to read aloud to older children. She reports that her two daughters are so happy reading themselves that they don't have an interest in listening to her read aloud to them. She's still trying, of course, and she's looking for recommendations for books that she can start that will have her daughters "begging for the next chapter".
• In a School Library Journal Extra Helping article, Debra Lau Whelan reports on a recent study that linked higher test scores to the presence of certified media specialists (school librarians) for New York fourth graders. "Specifically, preliminary findings by Professor Ruth Small and graduate students in the Center for Digital Literacy (CDL) show an almost 10-point difference in the ELA test scores of fourth graders whose schools had certified librarians." Go librarians, I say! We all know that they're important - it's nice to see a study that can quantify the benefit, and perhaps help school districts to justify funding.
• A new study has found that "literacy and numeracy rates among Australian school children have not improved since the 1960s and 1970s," according to an article by Laura Anderson Canberra in The Advertiser. One of the study's authors did note that "Australian students may be performing well in other areas, however, the findings focused only on literacy and numeracy results."
• According to an article by Lindsay McIntosh in The Scotsman, "Scotland's richest man last night branded the country's education system "Victorian" and claimed both private and public schools were unable to provide for its gifted children. Sir Tom Hunter, who has pledged to plough much of his fortune into learning, also accused the government of dragging its heels in implementing the much-vaunted Curriculum For Excellence." See also this editorial response, generally backing Hunter's statement, and this related Guardian story addressing the UK's treatment of gifted students.
• A recent EducationWeek article suggests that early morning exercise classes can help improve literacy, by "priming" students' brains for learning. Seems reasonable to me. Registration is required to read the whole article, but it sounds like a reasonable idea to me. How about some anecdotal support from homeschooling families? Do you get the kids running around a bit before sitting them down to work?
• In Israel, I have found a kindred spirit. According to a profile on ISRAEL21C, "Octogenarian Israeli nuclear physicist Harry Lipkin is not your ordinary scientist. Sure, he can easily talk about neutrino oscillations, quarks, and mesons, but he's equally adept concerning his other passion - reading education." Professor Lipkin is working to support a reading system developed by Israeli educator Nira Altalef. "The main feature of the system is the use of frequent simple diagnostic tests that enable the teacher to track a pupil's progress in real time." I don't know much about this system itself, but I love the idea of an 86-year-old nuclear physicist launching a second career to help children with reading.
• The Buffalo News has a special report by Charity Vogel about illiteracy in children living below the poverty line. It's not upbeat reading, but it's important. The article says that "Literacy among Buffalo’s children — 43 percent of whom live in poverty, according to census estimates — will affect the future of the region for at least a generation." Vogel outlines specific factors that lead to children from poor households having low literacy levels, and discusses the need for local literacy-improvement efforts to provide "one ticket to a better life".
• On a brighter note, The Herkimer Evening Telegram (NY) has an article by Kim Dunne about a local "love literacy" program spearheaded by Mount Markham Elementary School teacher Becky Marzeski. "The love literacy program is an after school program designed to partner students with volunteers who are there to assist the children and give them extra reading time. Marzeski says the program integrates literacy with all content areas the students learn in class, including math, science and technology."
• Only slightly off-topic: the Daily Record (WA) has a feature story by Don Gronning about local children's and young adult librarian Josephine Camarillo. The article says that "When she got married three years ago, she had 25 flower girls, all of whom had participated with her in story time at the library. She even timed the wedding to the story time, held at 10:15 a.m." Now this is a librarian who loves kids.
• The website SheKnows has an article for parents by Robert Gould about 10 ways to get your reluctant reader enthusiastic about books. The suggestions mostly cover well-known ground, but the list is written in an enthusiastic and accessible format that makes it a keeper. For example, here's #8: "Sing a song … act it out. Kids (especially boys) acquire knowledge more effectively when stimulated by music and movement. So sing a song when you read. Act out the stories. Get up and do a dance. Heck, it’s in the privacy of your own home – so go nuts and enrich your child!" This one is worth printing out and posting.
• And speaking of reluctant readers, the Cherry Hill Courier Post (NJ) has a column by Christina Mitchell about an upcoming "Read To A Dog" program at the Camden County Library. The author has booked her reluctant reader son for the program, despite his skepticism. I don't think that programs like this are for everyone, but they certainly receive a positive response from some kids.

And that is quite enough for one day. Happy reading!

Book: Mary Had A Little Lamp
Author: Jack Lechner
Illustrator: Bob Staake
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-9

Mary Had A Little Lamp, written by Jack Lechner and illustrated by Bob Staake, is simply hilarious. Told in rhyming verses, this picture book turns the classic "Mary had a little lamb" into modern, kid-friendly humor. Young Mary has a goose-necked desk lamp which she takes everywhere. She drags it behind her by the cord as she walks down the sidewalk. She gives it rides on the swings, and tries to guide it down the slide. She is wholly unabashed by her unusual companion. Her parents and the doctor that they take her to (a doctor with a couch for her to lie one) can't figure it out. But Mary is blithely unconcerned. Until one summer when she goes off to camp, and leaves her lamp behind. Is she growing up? Has she abandoned her quirky habits. Not to worry - Mary remains unique to the end.

Every page of this book is a rhyming couplet, though some of the rhymes are somewhat unconventional. Here are a couple of examples, to give you a flavor for the book:

"She took the lamp to school one day
To teach it how to spell --
But when she tried to plug it in,
The teacher tripped and fell."

And:

"The doctor said, "I've never seen
So puzzling a condition,
But lamps are not my specialty --
You need an electrician."

How fun are these couplets going to be to read aloud with kids? They strike just the right note of rhythm and humor. This is a book that, as soon as I had finished it, I wanted to read it again. I can totally picture kids walking around quoting from it, in sing-song voices.

Bob Staake's illustrations border on the abstract, and capture perfectly Mary's unconventional nature. Mary is drawn (created digitally in Photoshop) with a huge head, enormous round eyes, and a torso and legs that are straight-sided cylinders. The lamp somehow manages to look vaguely alive, like something out of a Pixar film. Mary's teacher has a round bun sticking out of the top of her head that looks like a ball of yarn. Her baffled parents are oval-faced, with red and purple coloring, conveying their frustration and bewilderment. Everything is exaggerated and unexpected, a combination of computer-generated geometric shapes, 3-dimensional-looking textures, and people seen as though through a fun-house mirror.

There are tiny gems of humor hidden deep within the pictures, such as the sign for "Camp Wottalottaphun", and the sneers on the faces of Mary's cousin Debbie and her groom. There's even a faint South Park echo to the illustrations of Mary's classmates. I think that these illustrations will make the book appealing to slightly older kids, kids who might otherwise think themselves too old for a picture book told in verse. 

Mary Had A Little Lamp will be available on April 1st, and it's definitely one to keep an eye out for. I think it would make a wonderful read-aloud title, for classroom or library. Parents of preschoolers will want a copy for home, too, because Mary Had a Little Lamp has the potential to stand up to repeat readings. Highly recommended.

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher

Book: Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood
Author: Timothy Knapman
Illustrator: Gwen Millward
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8

Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood, written by Timothy Knapman and illustrated by Gwen Millward, appealed to me as soon as I saw the description in the Bloomsbury catalog. The story begins as a young dragon finds "a Benjamin" (a small boy in striped boots), and takes it home to show his surprised parents. He attempts to the feed the Benjamin, though the slimy, yucky worms are not a huge hit with his guest. He takes the Benjamin to school, where the other students are astonished by this strange creature. Eventually, after realizing that his new pet/friend is homesick, the young dragon helps the Benjamin to find his way home.

The delightful thing about this book, of course, is that way that it confounds expectation. A child finding a lost dragon would be interesting. But a dragon finding a lost child is priceless. And touching, even:

"And instead of breathing fire from its nostrils,
it leaked water from its eyes!"

For the first couple of pages, it's not completely clear who found who, until the narrator realizes in astonishment that the Benjamin's "feet weren't striped after all." Kids are sure to laugh at the dragon's-eye view of a human, like the mother not being sure if "it's ever slept in a bed before" (like the child is a stray with questionable manners). Some of the humor is more subtle. The dragon plans to take the Benjamin to school, saying "Today, we're going to learn how to sit on a volcano!". When the Benjamin looks unhappy, he just figures that "Maybe they don't have any schools where it comes from."

Millward's watercolor and pencil illustrations suit the mood of the story perfectly. The dragons are oddly shaped, but manage to be cute and non-threatening. The Benjamin shows up small on every page, compared to the dinosaurs, and often looks sad. But his too-large boots lend him comedy, too. Some of the pages have extra details in the illustrations, like a hieroglyph illustrating volcano sitting, carved onto a rock in the classroom. My favorite illustration is a page with six small panels, each containing a small sketch that highlights some factoid about this unusual Benjamin. I also liked a page that shows the dragon's thoughts about the Benjamin's stories of home. He pictures the Benjamin's family, even the mother, all looking almost exactly like him, but of different sizes.

In short, I think that kids will be unable to resist Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood. Several references to soccer, in addition to the scenes set in the dragon's elementary school, make clear that the audience for this book is the four to eight year old set. This one is well worth checking out. 

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Publication Date: December 26, 2007
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher
Other Blog Reviews: The Alphabet Garden

Book: The Sword of the Spirits
Author: John Christopher (pseudonym of author Sam Youd)
Pages: 212
Age Range: 9-12

The Sword of the Spirits concludes John Christopher's trilogy of the same name. This installment begins with Luke Perry as Prince of Winchester, and soon, Prince of three cities. Luke is on his way to his prophesied fate - Prince of Princes, ruler of the seven cities, and the person who will bring progress to his people. He still maintains his moral compass at this point, despite his power. He names Hans the Dwarf a warrior, in recognition of Hans' loyalty on the trip beyond the burning lands. Hans' fidelity remains strong in return. He is downright Biblical in his discipleship to Luke, and Luke appreciates him. For example:

"I thought of it. To have followed me to Sanctuary would have been a great enough thing. I remembered my own fear when I first saw the stones, enormous in the empty hillside, and that had been on a fair day, with Ezzard the Seer guiding me. To have ridden up into the dread circle through a snowstorm, leading my horse with me unconscious or even dead on it's back ... I had been right to make him warrior. I did not think there was another in my army who could have done it." (Page 98)

Luke maintains his by now trademark mixture of clear-eyed strategic vision and personal blindness, unaware of a childhood acquaintance's more than friendly affection for him. His is also unaware of the growing affection between his friend Edmund and his own fiancee, Princess Blodwen. This blindness, combined with Luke's pride, costs him nearly everything.

This is a difficult book. Luke's anger and feelings of betrayal cause him to do terrible things. It's hard for the reader to remain loyal to Luke, despite understanding where he's coming from, as he behaves in an increasingly bitter manner. He maintains some of his loyalties, and forms a powerful alliance, but other relationships are lost to him.

I don't know how to talk about this book without talking, in general terms, about the ending. If you are someone who doesn't want to know anything about a book's ending, whether it's happy or sad, you should stop reading here. I'll go into as little detail as possible.

As a reader of many books, I kept expecting things to turn around. I kept waiting for Luke to do the right thing, and live happily ever after. But alas - happily after was not to be. There is resolution at the end, even a measure of success and progress. But happy? No. Luke, with whom we've traveled through various adventures, does not end up happy. I suppose he's like Frodo, a bit, too damaged by what he's endured (and put others through, in Luke's case) to ever be truly happy again. This, I think, is why this series remains out of print in the US. We're not very receptive to unhappy endings and hollow victories.

Don't get me wrong. I think this series, and this conclusion, are brilliant. Bravery and loyalty are celebrated. Complex moral questions are addressed. Readers are encouraged to think for themselves, and draw conclusions beyond those reached by the narrator himself. But the traditional happy ending usually found in middle grade children's books is not to be had.

The Sword of the Spirits series is not for everyone. The violence is sometimes graphic (the "twitching" legs of a hanging victim, for instance), and the vocabulary and story construction somewhat challenging for middle grade readers. But, for readers who can handle such things, readers ready to think about complex moral issues and intrigued by the notion of a post-apocalyptic future, this series is not to be missed. I am glad that I read it, and recommend it highly to fans of dystopian science fiction tales.

Publisher: Macmillan
Publication Date: 1972
Source of Book: Santa Clara City Library
Other Blog Reviews: The Bookian. Sam Riddleburger did a John Christopher week in November, and discussed the Sword of the Spirits series in this post. 
Author Interviews: Sam Riddleburger also interviewed Sam Youd (Christopher's real name) during John Christopher Week.

I'm in Florida for business today, but the way the schedule ended up working out, I have a free day before a function this evening. I walked on the beach this morning for as long as my gimpy knee would allow. Now I'm sitting in my hotel room, looking out at the ocean as I type (it's too bright to read the computer screen while actually on the balcony, but I'm right in front of the sliding doors). Things could be worse (though I'm still a bit shell-shocked over the Patriots' loss). I've been saving up a few links for you during my travels of the past few days:

• At Wildwood Cottage, Jenny has a list of snow-related picture books.
• Kelly reports at Big A little a that Amazon is buying Audible. Like Kelly, I'm a bit concerned because, although I like Amazon quite a lot, I've been very happy with Audible as it is for the past five years or so. I fear change. I fear losing access to my library of hundreds of Audible-formatted files. But I think it's a smart move on Amazon's part... 
• Susan writes in two posts at Wizards Wireless about trusting yourself and your own judgment regarding books, and that it's okay to not like a book that other people love. I have this experience regularly. I wouldn't say I hide it when I don't like a book, but I don't usually go out of my way to post "I disliked this book and here's why". I do agree with Becky (who commented at WW) about Octavian Nothing, though. And I have yet to grasp the charm of the Bartimaeus books. How about you all?
• Did you ever notice that if you spell stressed backwards you get desserts? Kim did, and wrote about it at her Escape Adulthood blog. Very cool! Maybe that explains why eating chocolate can relieve stress...
• And speaking of desserts, Kris discovered a tantalizing book at Paradise Found: Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer, filled with recipes from classic children's literature. Kris notes: "Author Jane Brocket is in the UK, and that’s where the book will be published. I suppose we can hope that it’s such a hit that North American audiences will have a shot at it, too." Doesn't that sound fun?
• Confronted with feedback from a boy who liked Hattie Big Sky despite the female main character, author Kirby Larson asks: "What is the underlying message being sent when we are surprised that boys enjoy reading stories about strong, adventurous, wacky, gentle or even angry girl characters? I certainly hope we're not saying that such stories are inherently less interesting, less worthy of being read simply due to the sex of the protagonist." I hope not, too, though this does seem to be a common response.
• At So Tomorrow, Anne writes about teen books that cross over with adult appeal. Meanwhile at Chasing Ray, Colleen writes about adult books with high teen appeal. Colleen in particular is looking for input, so that she can award the You Should Read This awards for 2008.
• Cheryl Rainfield takes up the cause of using comic books to entice young readers. She says: "I think, if you overlook comics as a source of reading, and especially reading for pleasure, then you’re overlooking a potential treasure trove." And what do you think about this business of writing a prequel to Anne of Green Gables? Cheryl has the scoop. I don't think that I will read it, myself, but the author seems to be taking a thoughtful approach to the whole thing.
• This is all over the place now, but I first learned about it at Bookshelves of Doom (Leila has links to a variety of responses). In the New York Times, David Itzkoff insults pretty much all writers of books for children, saying: "I sometimes wonder how any self-respecting author of speculative fiction can find fulfillment in writing novels for young readers. I suppose J. K. Rowling could give me 1.12 billion reasons in favor of it: get your formula just right and you can enjoy worldwide sales, film and television options, vibrating-toy-broom licensing fees, Chinese-language bootlegs of your work, a kind of limited immortality (L. Frank Baum who?) and — finally — genuine grown-up readers. But where’s the artistic satisfaction? Where’s the dignity?" You know what part gets me the most? "Limited immortality". Is L. M. Montgomery's immortality limited in some way? Frances Hodgson Burnett's? Dr. Seuss? I don't think so.
• Gail Gauthier writes about the common perception that "children's literature should be instructive and improving." Fortunately for her readers, she does not believe in putting lessons in her books, saying: "Adult readers don't tolerate lessons in their fiction. (We have self-help books.) Why should kids?" I agree 100%. I won't even read books that have the whiff of "lesson" about them. I think they are insulting to readers.
• MotherReader is blogging at ForeWord Magazine's Shelf Space this month. In her first post, she talks about picture books for black history month, specifically "picture books (that) keep the storyline tight and the art engaging."
• HipWriterMama attended Mitali Perkins' book launch party for First Daughter: White House Rules. I would have so loved to attend, and meet both of them, and see Vivian's daughters star-struck by Mitali. Maybe for the next book...
• The Cybils blog recaps Cybils finalist-related interviews past and future at Just One More Book! And speaking of interviews, both Sara Zarr and Robie Harris are doing blog tours this week. Check out Sara's schedule here and Robie's schedule here.
• And finally, if you are looking for a good cause, check out Laurie Halse Anderson's plea for support in her and her husband's efforts to raise money for cancer research. She says "BH and I will be running the Lake Placid Half Marathon (yep, 13.1 glorious miles) on June 15, 2008. We are trying to raise $5000 in support of this run." Her post explains why.

And that's all for today. I'm going to spend some time outside now, before my meeting.

Book: The Social Experiments of Dorie Dilts: The School for Cool
Author: P. G. Kain
Pages: 288
Age Range: 10-14

The School for School is the second book in P. G. Kain's new tween series: The Social Experiments of Dorie Dilts. In this installment, budding young scientist Dorie and her theatrical best friend Dixie are both accepted to a summer program in Washington, DC: The National Academy for Gifted Youth. Dorie, in the Science Academy, participates in experiments to combat global warming, while Dixie, over in the Arts Academy, directs a production of My Fair Lady.

Dorie does miss Grant, who may or may not be her boyfriend (things are a bit ambiguous). However, she's distracted by the chance to meet her idol, Jane Goodall, if her summer's work is good enough. Instead of focusing on her project, though, Dorie gets caught up in a "social experiment." She sets out to make her lab group leader, a true science geek named Igor, cool enough to catch the attention of her attractive roommate, Tiffany. As in her previous experiment (Dumped by Popular Demand), Dorie applies the scientific method to human interactions, with comical, though often surprisingly successful, results.

I must admit that I had a harder time getting into this book than I did the first one. The Washington setting didn't feel as intimate as the more local setting of Dorie's school. I also had a problem with the Dorie of the first third of the book. She struggles with the transition from being the smartest kid in her science classes at home to being, well, average among gifted students. As a result, she basically kisses up to Igor (who has the power to ensure her meeting with Goodall), and temporarily loses her confidence. What I like about Dorie as a character for tween girls is how smart and scientifically minded she is, even when she's socially misguided. Seeing her fumble on the science side, and make a less than stellar impression on her teachers, bothered me.

However, once the Igor experiment started, and Dorie re-gained her spark, I enjoyed The School for Cool. I think that Dorie (or P. G. Kain, I suppose) has a pretty accurate view of what it takes to make someone "cool." (I'll never tell - you'll have to read the book and see if you agree), though some of the details in this example are a bit over the top. It's also nice to see the classic teen makeover story with the boy instead of the girl being the one who needs the makeover. And I continue to adore both Dorie and Dixie as characters. I'm happy just spending time with them.   

Although a bit off to the sidelines of this story, as Dorie gets wrapped up in making Igor cool, Dixie still shines. This title is a bit more overt about Dixie being gay than the first book. He's not quite dating, but he's definitely interested in a boy named Simon, who Dorie thinks might be "somebody special" for him, and acknowledges that he's not the one to ask about what makes Tiffany attractive. He's still secure in himself, down to carrying an "orange glitter gel pen" in his bag, and using it in public. Most of all, though, he's enthusiastic about his art, and unfailingly loyal to Dorie, even when she doesn't quite deserve it.

As for Dorie, who wouldn't love a character so consistent in herself? She knows that she'll never be cool, because she can't bear to break rules. She takes color-coded notes, and raises her hand in class. She makes a map on her dorm room wall plotting the coordinates of Grant, on a boat trip with his parents. When she dances, she makes up a mathematical formula for herself to follow, so that she's less nervous. And when she gets caught up in something (like the Igor experiment), she gives it her full attention, regardless of the personal cost. Here are a couple of Dorie-isms, to give you a flavor:

"All of the government buildings in D.C. seem to have large Grecian columns that reach past a few floors. There is something about the grand nature of the buildings that makes you feel empowered. I stop next to one of the massive columns and look straight up from the base. Although the column makes me feel small, it also makes me feel like I can conquer anything." (Chapter 9)

"Guys are drawn to her like a moth to flame." (Dixie)
"Actually there is an entomologist who discovered that moths are actually attracted to the candle rather than the flame, due to an infrared wavelength emitted by warm candle wax." (Chapter 14)

I think that fans of the first Dorie Dilts social experiment will enjoy this one, too (and I do recommend reading them in order, though it's not 100% essential). This is an excellent series for tween girls, those who are ready for the kind of dating that involves holding hands in the movie theater, and not too much more. (In fact, I think that Disney should snap up the rights, and make a Dorie Dilts Disney Channel franchise.) I especially recommend this title for girls who are interested in the sciences. Despite her experiments with popularity, Dorie is proud of who she is - a scientist. In short, this is an enjoyable addition to a fun series - I look forward to Dorie's further adventures.

Publisher: Aladdin
Publication Date: February 5, 2008
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the author. Quotes are from the advance copy, and may not accurately reflect the final published book.
Other Blog Reviews: See my review of the first Dorie Dilts book, Dumped by Popular Demand

Today I will be sending out the new issue of my Growing Bookworms weekly email newsletter. If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here. The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's books and raising readers, all in a convenient email format. There are currently 194 subscribers.

This week's issue contains reviews of four books (one fiction picture book, one nonfiction picture book, and two middle grade titles), a children's literacy and reading news round-up, and a kidlitosphere round-up with links to useful posts from the week. Both the literacy and kidlitosphere round-ups were published a bit earlier than usual, because I traveled to Boston this weekend to watch the Superbowl (sigh!) with friends. Hopefully you'll still find them relevant. I also have my January 2007 Reading List (15 picture books and 16 non-picture books) and some links to articles about encouraging reading through comic books. Content published on my blog this week that's not included in the newsletter includes:

• An announcement about the newly published issue at Readergirlz, featuring Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes.
• A plea for the future of the New York Public Library's Central Children's Room Collection.

The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains a subset of content already included on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, for readers who may not choose to visit the blog every day. It is also my hope that parents, authors, teachers, librarians, and other adult fans of children's books, people who may not visit blogs regularly, or at all, will learn about and subscribe to the newsletter. If you could pass it along to any friends or colleagues who you think would be interested, I would be very grateful.

Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms!

Book: Pararescuemen in Action
Author: Michael Sandler
Pages: 32
Age Range: 7-12
Category: Nonfiction (this post will be sumitted to Nonfiction Monday at Picture Book of the Day)

I'm not quite sure how to classify Pararescuemen in Action, by Michael Sandler. It's a nonfiction picture book, with both facts and lavish illustrations on every page. But the subject matter is somewhat mature, and I don't think that I would read it with preschoolers. I would, however, give it to reluctant boy readers in elementary school, and I would expect them to find it utterly compelling. I know I did.

Pararescuemen is part of Bearport Publishing's Special Ops series (other forces featured include Army Rangers, Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Delta Force, and Marine Force Recon). The book begins with a helicopter's-eye view of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and describes pararescueman Keith Berry's experience dropping from a helicopter down to a flooded street to help people. This incident ends on a cliffhanger, returned to at the end of the book, and the text continues with a definition of pararescue jumpers (or PJs), and a trip through their training experience, called Superman School ("It is one of only a few Air Force jobs that not accept women."). The historical background of this elite air rescue team within the U.S. Air Force is given, and some of their key initiatives are described.

"Trained in medical, survival, and combat skills, PJs make rescues almost anywhere. They often parachute from planes or helicopters to get to survivors.

Many of their missions happen during war. If a plane goes down, the PJs search for stranded airmen. They tend to the wounded. They may even have to fight the enemy." (Page 6-7)

One brief chapter tells of a heroic pararescue jumped named Jason Cunningham, who helped care for injured soldiers in Afghanistan after a helicopter crash. The chapter concludes:

"During this mission, Jason saved the lives of ten other soldiers. Sadly, he was injured and then died. After his death, Jason was awarded the Air Force Cross, a medal given only to heroes." (Page 19)

Wow! This is in a picture book!? Don't get me wrong -- I think that kids will find this riveting. But that part of the book is very sad, and not for the faint of heart. There is, however, occasional humor, as in this paragraph:

"Another part of the Pipeline is survival school. A week in the wild teachers PJs to stay alive without supplies. No water? PJs collect dew that gathers each morning on their parachutes and then drink it. No food? PJs discover how tasty crunchy bugs can be!" (Page 16)

If that's not boy-friendly, I don't know what is. Like the other Bearport title that I reviewed last week (Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox), this book does a nice job providing an educational framework on top of an engrossing text. For example, whenever an incident in the book takes place in a foreign country, a small world map is displayed, with a red star highlighting that country. What a great way to work in a bit of geography. As another example, when a measurement is mentioned, the metric equivalent is included in parentheses. A glossary, bibliography, further reading list, and index are also included. The glossary particularly caught my eye, with its inclusion of words like Taliban, transfusion, and enemy lines. These vocabulary words are highlighted when they first appear in the text, too.

The illustrations are gripping. And the author's use of named individual PJs as examples makes the text more resonant and more accessible to kids. Overall, this is a thoughtful nonfiction title, assembled by author and publisher with care. I'm left with tremendous respect for these brave, hard-working pararescue jumpers, and the effort that they undertake to train for their service. I think that elementary school children, especially boys, will be impressed, too. This would make another excellent library selection.

Publisher: Bearport Publishing
Publication Date: January 2008
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

Book: Doctor Ted
Author: Andrea Beaty (see also the Three Silly Chicks Blog)
Illustrator: Pascal Lemaitre
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-7

Background: I met Andrea Beaty at the Kidlitosphere conference in Chicago last fall, and have long been a reader of her blog (with two other writers), Three Silly Chicks. I have heard great things about her most recent picture book: Iggy Peck, Architect, though I must confess that I haven't had a chance to read it. When Andrea asked me if I would like an advance review copy of her upcoming picture book, Doctor Ted, I took one look at the cover, and jumped at the opportunity. And I must say that I am now completely in love with Doctor Ted.

Review: Doctor Ted, written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre, is a delightful picture book about a resolute young bear who takes playing doctor seriously. After he bumps his knee one morning, Ted concludes that he needs a doctor. He looks around his room, but he can't find a doctor. So Ted decides to become a doctor. He dons a lab coast, stethoscope, and cap, and sets up a doctor's office in his room. Since not too many patients turn up in the room, however, he eventually branches out. He gleefully sizes up his fellow students in school (an array of different animals) as potential clients, and eventually plies his skills on his teacher and his principal. Sadly, however, his well-meant advice is not always well-received. But Ted persists, and eventually saves the day.

This book is laugh-out loud funny. Ted prescribes crutches for his teacher's "mumps" (which are really chubby cheeks), and a shot for his Principal's "bad breath". He also takes note of ailments like gingivitis and foot odor, and always has a solution to propose. Andrea Beaty's tone is perfect - not mocking Ted, but taking him seriously, in a 100% kid-friendly manner. For example, after a tough day at school: "That night he took two cookies and went straight to bed."

Complementing the humorous text, Pascal Lemaitre's digitally colored brush-and-ink illustrations are a joy. Some simple illustrations are full-page, such as a picture of Ted, standing proud after he first becomes a doctor. Other pages feature more detail, sometimes in a series of panels on the same page. These panels often convey action. The colors used throughout are lively and unexpected, such as a pink and purple hallway and breakfast table at Ted's house, and a teacher who is a purple cow in a red spotted dress. Amusing details often lurk in the background, like the posters on the wall of Ted's classroom.

My favorite picture is of Ted, lying dejected in bed, still in his doctor outfit. His little doctor bag is on the floor, next to a book with a skull and crossbones on the cover. At the foot of his bed is a lab chart, with a red graph pointing downwards, reflecting Ted's mood.

I don't know what more I can say. I love this book. Doctor Ted has heart and humor, and reflects the seriousness with which early elementary school children sometimes take their make-believe games. The illustrations are vibrant and engaging, and add considerably to the affection that I feel for Ted. The end of the book hints at further adventures, and I do hope that these adventures come to pass. 

Doctor Ted won't be available for purchase until April, but I'll tell you what. Just go and order it now. You won't be disappointed. This one is a sure-fire hit for parents and kids alike. Highly, highly recommended.

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (Simon & Schuster)
Publication Date: April 2008
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher
Author Interviews: Cynsations interview with Andrea

This is a list of all of the books that I read in January, broken up into Picture Books, Middle Grade Books, Young Adult Books, and Adult Books (well, book, in this case). I went on quite a picture book binge, and am just slightly below target for my goal of reading 200 titles that aren't picture books this year.

Picture Books

1. Alice B. McGinty (ill. Nancy Speir): Eliza's Kindergarten Surprise. Marshall Cavendish. Completed January 12, 2008. My review.
2. Charles Santore: The Silk Princess. Random House. Completed January 20, 2008. My review.
3. Karen Katz: Princess Baby. Schwartz & Wade. Completed January 20, 2008. My review.
4. Timothy Knapman (ill. Gwen Millward): Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood?. Bloomsbury. Completed January 23, 2008.
5. Kate Bernheimer (ill. Nicoletta Ceccoli): The Girl in the Castle Inside the Museum. Schwartz & Wade. Completed January 24, 2008.
6. Michael Sandler: Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox. Bearport Publishing. Completed January 24, 2008. My review.
7. Michael Sandler: Pararescuemen. Bearport Publishing. Completed January 24, 2008. (A picture book, but more suitable for older kids)
8. Meish Goldish: Smelly Stink Bugs. Bearport Publishing. Completed January 24, 2008.
9. Jon Scieszka (ill. David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon): Smash! Crash! (Trucktown): Simon & Schuster. Completed January 25, 2008. My review.
10. Barbara Park (ill Viviana Garofoli): Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! A Word from Your Baby-in-Waiting. Random House. Completed January 26, 2008.
11. Andrea Beaty (ill. Pascal Lemaitre): Doctor Ted. Margaret K. McElderry. Completed January 30, 2008.
12. Jack Lechner (ill. Bob Staake): Mary Had a Little Lamp. Bloomsbury. Completed January 30, 2008.
13. Sallie Wolf (ill. Andy Robert Davies): Truck Stuck. Charlesbridge. Completed January 30, 2008.
14. Dianna Hutts Aston (ill. Frank W. Dormer): Not So Tall for Six. Charlesbridge. Completed January 30, 2008.
15. Jay Lynch and Frank Cammuso: Otto's Orange Day. Toon Books. Completed January 31, 2008. This is a graphic novel for younger kids, not technically a picture book, but aimed at the same audience.

Middle Grade Books

1. P.J. Haarsma: The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1. Candlewick. Completed January 10, 2008.
2. John Christopher: The Prince in Waiting. Macmillan. Completed January 10, 2008. My review.
3. Michelle Edwards: Pa Lia's First Day: A Jackson Friends Book. Harcourt. Completed January 12, 2008. My review.
4. Alexander McCall Smith (ill. Laura Rankin): The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean. Bloomsbury USA. Completed January 13, 2008. My review.
5. Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm: Babymouse: Puppy Love. Random House. Completed January 20, 2008. My review.
6. John Christopher: Beyond the Burning Lands. Simon Pulse. Completed January 25, 2008.
7. John Christopher: Sword of the Spirits. Simon Pulse. Completed January 25, 2008.
8. P. G. Kain: The Social Experiments of Dorie Dilts: The School for Cool. Aladdin. Completed January 28, 2008.
9. N. D. Wilson: Leepike Ridge. Random House. Completed January 30, 2008. My review.

Young Adult Books

1. Ellen Emerson White: Long May She Reign. Feiwel & Friends. Completed January 1, 2008. My review.
2. Julie Bertagna: Exodus. Walker Books for Young Readers. Completed January 4, 2008. My review.
3. Carrie Jones: Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend. Flux. Completed January 13, 2008.
4. Nancy Crocker: Billie Standish Was Here. Simon & Schuster. Completed January 14, 2008.
5. Sherman Alexie: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Little, Brown Young Readers. Completed January 15, 2008.
6. Laura Resau: Red Glass. Delacorte Books for Young Readers. Completed January 19, 2008.

Adult Fiction

1. Laura Lippman: What the Dead Know. William Morrow. Completed January 23, 2008.

Book: Leepike Ridge
Author: N. D. Wilson
Pages: 240
Age Range: 9-12

Background: Leepike Ridge was selected for the Cybils shortlist for Middle Grade Fiction this year. The blurb on the Cybils site, written by Kate Messner, started with: "Leepike Ridge is a book for every kid (and every grown kid) who played in refrigerator boxes, caught critters in the woods, and floated down creeks on homemade rafts." This intrigued me (I remember well the box from our full-size freezer), not to mention catching the eye of the man of my house, a former fort-builder and intrepid neighborhood explorer. So I sought out a copy from the ever-generous Random House. I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed.

Review: Leepike Ridge, written by N. D. Wilson, is a solidly written middle grade adventure story, filled with engaging details for readers of all ages. The writing is slightly tongue-in-cheek, and draws the reader in from the very first lines:

"In the history of the world there have been lots of onces and lots of times, and every time has had a once upon it. Most people will tell you that the once upon a time happened in a land far, far away, but it really depends on where you are." (Page 1)

So begins the story of a boy named Tom, who sets out, in a fit of rebellion against a potential step-father, on a home-made raft down a small river. The river draws Tom beneath a ridge of rock, and he finds himself trapped in a series of caves below a mountain. While adventures ensue for Tom within the caves, his mother, Elizabeth, faces down villains at home.

The beauty of this book is that although the adventures are a bit over the top, they never stray quite into the land of fantasy. This is Indiana Jones for 11-year-olds, with trappings ranging from dead bodies to juice boxes. N. D. Wilson, a father of four, knows what kids, and the kid inside all of us, will find exciting. Young Tom is a realistic hero - sometimes resolute, and sometimes afraid, but always, eventually, moving forward. Elizabeth, too, despite moments of despair, is a fighter. There's also a grouchy neighbor named Nestor who is an unexpected delight.

I think that Wilson strikes an excellent balance between keeping the plot moving forward, and giving the reader enough description to clearly imagine the characters and setting. It's obvious that he reveres the best aspects of a rural childhood - the joy of exploration and the appreciation of nature. Here are a few of my favorite examples of Wilson's writing:

"Tom had traveled around the sun eleven times when the delivery truck brought his mother's newest fridge, but a number doesn't really describe his age. His father had been gone for three years, and that made him feel older. He was the sort of boy who had many friends when he was at school, but what they knew about him was limited to his freckles, brown hair, long arms, and the clenched determination that settled onto his face when he was angry or competing." (Page 3)

"Occasionally he could see his house, perched on top of the rock, and occasionally the whole world would disappear and he would be left with nothing but the trunk and branches of a willow and a nest full of noisy birds hanging out over the slow water." (Page 6)

"After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed. Tom was hardly drowsy, and he took more than a few mouthfuls. By the time he had reached the base of the rock, his senses were heightened nearly to the point of bursting." (Page 17)

After that, I stopped flagging passages, because I was so caught up in the story. I highly recommend this book for middle grade readers and up, for anyone who enjoys a bit of adventure. Leepike Ridge has a classic adventure story feel to it. In fact, I wonder if Tom's name in Leepike Ridge is an homage to another Tom who also was trapped in a series of caves... In any event, I strongly encourage teachers and librarians to try this one out on young readers. I think it's going to be a hit.

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 2007
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher
Other Blog Reviews: Lines ... in pleasant places, Kate Messner, The Book Club Shelf, Shelf Elf, Semicolon, Abby (the) Librarian, Emily Reads, Becky's Book Reviews, A Fuse #8 Production, Fairrosa's Reading Journal, Becky Levine (and doubtless others)
Author Interviews: Novel Journey

Since, as I've already said, I'll be preoccupied on Sunday watching the Patriots in the Superbowl, I thought I would share some news today. And there is plenty of it!

• First and foremost (to me), is that Becky from Farm School has warmed my heart by awarding my blog an "E for Excellent" rating. What amazes me is that she has the strength to do anything, let alone spreading good cheer, when it's nearly -50 degrees where she lives (by either scale). How is that even possible? And yet, she found the energy to brighten my day.
• Next up, please go and read Donalyn Miller's latest Book Whisperer column: Have You Praised a Reader Today? Donalyn recounts several incidents in which other people have been critical of seeing kids reading books outside of class (on field trips, on the playground, in the cafeteria, etc.). Her concern is with the message that this sends - that reading is something that one is only supposed to do at a desk. She concludes: "So, have you praised a reader today? One outside of a classroom? They are out there-- I promise. Scope out those buses, lunchrooms, and lines; find yourself a reader, and praise them loud and clear. You might be doing more for that child, and everyone within earshot, than anything else you planned to do today." So how about you? Have you praised a reader today? See also the Reading Zone's response to this post, a rousing defense of reading in the classroom and the fact that it isn't a waste of time.
• Not content with only encouraging readers, author Cynthia Lord encourages young writers, too. She shares part of a letter sent to her by a boy named Brandon, suggesting possible plotlines for a RULES sequel, and proposes that "imagining book characters beyond their pages" is a first step to becoming a writer.
• Via Confessions of a Bibliovore, I learned that Anne Shirley turns 100 this year. Well, not really, but the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables is on June 13th.
• And in other birthday news, I learned from Jason's blog at Escape Adulthood that Monday was the 50th anniversary of the Lego. Jason has an excellent picture of a Lego birthday cake constructed by Lego artist Sean Kenney.
• I've heard a lot of good things about Shannon Hale and Libba Bray's joint book tour, but my favorite post about it is by Miss Erin, who got to meet her hero. Her joy is infectious, and a pleasure to see.
• Book lists abound: Jama Rattigan highlights soup picture books; Wild Rose Reader and the Kiddosphere both suggest books for Black History Month; and Librarian Mom Els Kushner features books in which "the big city" plays an important part. Also, in her first podcast, Tricia discusses counting books at Open Wide, Look Inside.
• The NCTE recently announced the Orbis Pictus Awards for excellence in children's nonfiction books. Susan Thomsen has a nice recap at Chicken Spaghetti.
• Over at the PaperTigers blog, Janet writes about the importance of books at bedtime for kids. She notes that "babies whose parents read to them rapidly associate books with love and closeness. They become bibliophiles long before they can walk, with favorite books firmly established by the time they celebrate their first birthdays." She also asks for comments and suggestions by readers for Marjorie Coughlan's "books at bedtime" efforts.
• Boys Blogging Books shares 12-year-old David's Top Five Books of 2007. I think he made some great choices. His comments provide a window into what types of books please a 12-year-old boy, and why.
• At Educating Alice, Monica Edinger defends the rights of a reader to read the end first, if he or she wants to. She concludes: "please, don’t think I’m being bad, rude, unethical, or something else when I chose in my private act of reading to not read a book the way you did... The democracy of reading rules!" Now, I personally never read the end first - I hate spoilers. But I defend each person's write to read books in exactly the manner that please him.
• 7-Imp interviews Letters from Rapunzel author Sara Lewis Holmes. Her baby picture is adorable, and it's great to learn a little more about her.

And that's it for tonight. Happy reading to all! And Go Pats!

In response to my recent post about tips for encouraging young readers, Thomas Hanson of OpenEducation.net sent me links to three recent posts about using comic books as a tool for teaching reading:

• Innovative Teaching - Comic Books in the Classroom: This post, the first published of the three, references the recent NY Times article on this topic. The specific attributes of comics that make it easier for kids to learn reading and writing are discussed, with the general idea being that "if they help young readers become more fluent readers" then they are worth a look. The article concludes with a discussion of the difference between comic books and graphic novels.
• Innovative Teaching - Chris Wilson Discusses the Comic Book Movement: In this post, OpenEducation.net interviews Chris Wilson, author and editor of the site “The Graphic Classroom”. This post had me at the following opening statements: "Mr. Wilson ... feels that comics do a great deal more than help keep students invested in learning. In fact, Wilson’s number one goal is to develop of a love for reading in all his students - for him, the comic genre is one method to develop that love." I like Chris Wilson already! The interview is detailed and well-researched, and well worth your time.
• The Twelve Best Comic Books for the Classroom: This post provides a list of five titles for elementary school readers and seven for middle school and high school readers. The list includes titles specifically selected to increase "administrative buy-in" at the schools, mainly traditional tales set to graphic format (which "set the stage for reading the real text later in school") and stories that "truly teach students about the world around them." The list includes the "Bone" series, by Jeff Smith, which was mentioned in my recent article.

I've bookmarked OpenEducation.net - I think that Tom Hanson is someone worth listening to. I hope that you enjoy the above articles.

Book: Beyond the Burning Lands
Author: John Christopher (pseudonym of author Sam Youd)
Pages: 216
Age Range: 9-12

Beyond the Burning Lands is the second book in John Christopher's Sword of the Spirits trilogy, after The Prince in Waiting (reviewed here). Often, the second book is a trilogy is a bit weak - without the newness of the first book, and without the dramatic climax of the third. No so here, however. I think that Beyond the Burning Lands is the strongest book in this strong series.

This installment picks up where the first book left off. Teenage Luke is marking time in the Sanctuary of the Seers, in danger after his half-brother Peter was named Prince of Winchester. Good news arrives, however. Peter wants to make a fresh start, and has invited Luke to return, promising his safety. Things go reasonably well for Luke in Winchester, as his brother's presumptive heir, until a tragedy strikes. In the aftermath, Luke is allowed to accompany an Expedition that sets out to explore beyond "the burning lands" (volcanic mountains, just now starting to calm after many years of activity).

The country on the other side (inhabited by the "Wilsh") has been completely separate from the England of Luke's city, and has developed very different customs. It takes some time for Luke to fit in, but an act of heroism secures his position. His return to Winchester, however, is filled with peril. All in all, this book is quite exciting, especially the ending. My heart was in my mouth (even though I knew it was book 2 of 3, and likely to turn out ok).

Beyond the Burning Lands has an epic feel to it, despite not being very long. There's a dangerous journey, a strange land with strange customs, a battle with a monster, and a romance. Characters display loyalty and bravery, though some commit betrayals. Hans the Dwarf, a servant to Luke, is a loyal friend, in the tradition of Samwise Gamgee of The Lord of the Rings series. Peter the Prince is a delightfully complex character, influenced by his love of a woman. Many of the supporting characters are strong, too, especially the two rivals to Luke and Peter in Winchester and Luke's two best friends. I found the presence of the gelatinous monster a bit jarring, in a story that otherwise featured the possible, but perhaps the monster stemmed from some genetic mutation, too.

John Christopher, though Luke, shows kids that many issues aren't black and white. For instance, the two societies, the English and the Wilsh, treat the polymufs (people born with genetic abnormalities in the aftermath of radiation) differently. Both Luke and the Wilsh King, Cymru, think the other somewhat uncivilized in their choices, but Luke comes to see value in the approaches of both sides. Luke also learns that the strict gender roles of his own country, and the automatic subservience of woman, are not universal. The role of Christians also plays a part, their nonviolence in a violent world dooming them to live upon the fringes of English society. In this installment, however, Luke encounters more than one Christian who he can respect.

I think that the strongest aspect of this series is the way, despite giving us Luke's first person perspective, Christopher is able to show us Luke's flaws and misconceptions. Luke remains a sympathetic character, one who cares about honor and promises, even as he is intolerant in regards to the polymufs, Christians, and women, because he simply doesn't know any better, and bears no malice. Here's an example:

"And also, I guessed, since he had done that which was pleasing to his wife's strange Christian conscience. Nor had I any doubt that the main urging for my recall had come from her. Her influence over him was plainly great and this was something to be remembered. I could not see why it should be so -- why a man should let any woman dominate his mind -- but the fact that one did not understand a thing was no reason for not weighing its effects." (Page 24)

I also enjoyed the continued references to artifacts from our own fallen society. At one point, Luke and his friend come across an old, decaying painting by a man named Rembrandt, and Luke marvels at the painter's talent. They also find "small cylinders of a fragile white material packed with dried grass. Or so it seemed, but the smell was not a grass smell; it had a peculiar aromatic richness." I'm not sure that cigarettes would be included in a book like this written today, but they made sense when this one was written in the 1970's. Similarly, I'm not sure today's readers will understand about the knobs labeled "BRIGHTNESS" and "CONTRAST" on a mysterious machine with a screen. But surely their parents can explain.

Christopher never talks down to his readers. He uses words like "immured" and "floundered" in passing. He doesn't explain the motives behind every action - he leaves readers to figure things out. And he doesn't shy away from dark passages, like:

"The hills rose about the town and above the hills the sky was red, a heavy crimson from which now and then spouted gouts of orange flame. Seeing this, I realized that darkness which they never truly knew, could be a comforting and friendly thing. They lived their lives under this ominous light and it was small wonder they were soured by it. And there were ugly sounds as well -- distant foreboding rumblings as the earth growled in pain." (Page 65)

I would be interested to see what young fans of today's modern children's epics, like the Inheritance series, would make of the Sword of the Spirits books. Despite their relatively slim length, these are more difficult reads than many of their longer successors. I sometimes found myself re-reading passages, to better understand, and I am a very experienced reader of post-apocalyptic fiction. Morally ambiguous, tautly written, and laced with violence and cruelty -- I can see why these books are out of print. But I think that it's a shame. Books like these are what turn kids into critical thinkers. And to that in the midst of edge of your seat adventure -- that is a real achievement.

Publisher: Macmillan
Publication Date: 1971
Source of Book: Santa Clara City Library
Other Blog Reviews: The Bookian. Sam Riddleburger did a John Christopher week in November, and discussed the Sword of the Spirits series in this post. 
Author Interviews: Sam Riddleburger also interviewed Sam Youd (Christopher's real name) during John Christopher Week.

Tonight I will be sending out the new issue of my Growing Bookworms weekly email newsletter. If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here. The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's books and raising readers, all in a convenient email format. There are currently 184 subscribers.

This week's issue contains reviews of four books (one fiction picture book, one nonfiction picture book, and two young adult titles), my children's literacy and reading news round-up, and a Kidlitosphere round-up with links to useful posts from the week. I also have a recap of a recent reading my new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jon Scieszka, complete with photos. I had no other blog posts this week - everything that I wrote is included in the newsletter.

The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains a subset of content already included on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, for readers who may not choose to visit the blog every day. It is also my hope that parents, authors, teachers, librarians, and other adult fans of children's books, people who may not visit blogs regularly, or at all, will learn about and subscribe to the newsletter. If you could pass it along to any friends or colleagues who you think would be interested, I would be very grateful.

Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms!

Book: Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox
Author: Michael Sandler
Pages: 24
Age Range: 7-12
Category: Nonfiction (this post will be sumitted to Nonfiction Monday at Picture Book of the Day)

Background: I don't review much nonfiction on this blog. This is because I'm a story person - I live and breathe stories, the longer and more complex the better. However, what I've come to realize is that if the true goal of my blog is to help people to grow bookworms, then I need to highlight more nonfiction titles. Because many readers, especially boys, prefer nonfiction. So I was feeling fairly receptive when someone from Bearport Books approached me about receiving review titles. Especially when she said that the books were "written and designed for reluctant readers in grades K-8". I checked out Bearport's website and their books did look engaging. And then I saw that their new series, World Series Superstars, features a book about Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox. And I was sold.

I was inspired to save this post and publish it on a Monday, as part of the new Nonfiction Mondays championed by Anastasia Suen. You'll be able to find a roundup of nonfiction reviews every Monday at her blog, Picture Book of the Day. I'll be back next week with another Bearport title.

Review: Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox, by Michael Sandler, is a nonfiction picture book aimed at elementary school kids. The book begins with a key moment in the career of slugger Manny Ramirez, as he faces the Cardinals in game three of the 2004 World Series. The author quotes Manny saying: "When I'm going things right, I have no fear". The story then moves back to Manny's childhood, his days playing high school baseball, and his early days playing in the major leagues, before arriving at Fenway Park. Some context is given for the 2004 playoffs and the Red Sox - Yankees rivalry, before the book concludes in triumph and a victory parade.

As a fan, I enjoyed seeing the historical details in this book, like a photo of high-school-aged Manny sliding into second base, though the later facts were well-known to me. I think it's wonderful that the book shows kids how hard Manny worked to make it to his level of success. I also enjoyed the well-chosen pictures, and the brief mentions of some of the other key players from the 2004 team (though the absence of Jason Varitek's name is a sad omission).

As a fan, I would have liked to see more detail in the book, especially for the author to have conveyed to the kids what an epic event that 2004 victory was for all of New England. Then again, I'm not sure if anyone could get that across in a few short pages. Sandler definitely hits on the highlights. I think that kids, whether Red Sox fans or not, will enjoy this title.

Content aside, Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox is a beautiful production. Chock-full of vivid photos, it features several easy-to-read paragraphs on each page spread, as well as information nuggets displayed in text boxes adjacent to the photos. The baseball theme is carried throughout, in even the smallest of details. The text boxes have a scoreboard-like border, and patterned grass in the background. The page numbers are set inside baseballs. Some of the pictures have frames, and are set at unusual angles, like baseball cards dropped on the page. It's a very inviting publication.

One thing that I really liked about this book is that at the end there is a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. The words included in the glossary are bolded in the main text, and include both difficult words and baseball-specific jargon. Pronunciation guides are included. The bibliography and index are short, but they are a wonderful introduction for kids to what it means for something to be nonfiction. When we write nonfiction, we reference where our facts came from. We give people sources of further information. We index what we're doing, so that readers can look up particular facts quickly. Even in this, a book in which the facts are fairly well-known, the author both sets a good example for and shows respect for his audience, by taking the attribution and indexing seriously.

Recommended for early elementary school-age fans of sports, especially baseball, and for Red Sox fans of all ages. This book would make an excellent library purchase.

Publisher: Bearport Publishing
Publication Date: January 2008
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher

There are some excellent children's literacy and reading-related stories from around the wires this week. It's a veritable embarrassment of riches, in no small part due to the many article around this weekend's Family Literacy Day in Canada.

• The New York Daily news has a guest column by Jon Scieszka about how to "turn the page on kids' book boredom." He starts out by saying "I think we can change the world by reaching the reluctant reader. This is the kid who might be a reader, who could be a reader, but just isn't that interested. There are millions of these kids. And we need to reach them. Because the dismal end result of not reading, as the National Endowment for the Arts' new reading study bluntly puts it, is "poorer academic and social outcomes . . . adversely affecting this country's culture, economy and civic life."" He also includes "some tips I've learned from 20 years of teaching, writing and listening to kids who weren't too crazy about reading". This is great article, by our new and well-chosen National Ambassador for Children's Literature. 
• The Oregonian has an article by Angella Foret Diehl about parent Brian Martin's idea for increasing interest in reading through "Lunchbox Stories". According to the article, "Martin's love of reading, a summer road trip and a long-forgotten memory inspired the Intel business manager to create a unique reading experience for children and their parents. The result, "Lunchbox Stories," are sets of 5-inch-by-5-inch cards featuring a short chapter on each card. Parents can slip them into their kids' lunchboxes or use them for bedtime reading. The stories are designed for readers ages 7 to 12." You can find more information at the Lunchbox Stories website. Thanks to Cheryl Rainfield for the link.
• The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance blog this week published an excerpt from Ursula Le Guin's new Harper's article: "Staying Awake. Notes on the Alleged Decline of Reading". After a brief introduction to recent reports, Le Guin says: "Self-satisfaction with the inability to remain conscious when faced with printed matter seems questionable. But I also want to question the assumption—whether gloomy or faintly gloating—that books are on the way out. I think they’re here to stay. It’s just that not all that many people ever did read them. Why should we think everybody ought to now?". You have to be a subscriber to read the full article online, but it might be worth looking for at your local library.
• Walter Minkel links to several early literacy resources from The Monkey Speaks. His links include articles from the Knoxville Sentinel (with reading tips), LiteracyNews.com (with the suggestion to follow along with your finger while reading aloud to kids) and the National Institute of Early Education Research. They all look like great resources, and I recommend that you visit Walter's post for the links.
• The Calgary Herald has an article by Rachel Naud about Family Literacy Day activities in Canada. Thanks to a post at the Family Literacy discussion list of the National Institute for Literacy for the link. The article includes the history of ABC Family Literacy Day, which I hadn't known before (interest was sparked from a made-for-TV movie called Penny's Odyssey, in 1999). The article discusses the importance of adult literacy in driving children's literacy, likening literacy efforts to "being on an airplane and the oxygen masks drop down. They always say put the oxygen mask on yourself before assisting the child." The article also notes: "Dariel Bateman, executive director of Calgary Reads, a literacy development program, says children need a foundation of three factors to become great readers. They need to see adults read at home, they need to be read to on a daily basis for enjoyment and they need to be involved in conversations." The need for conversations is particularly addressed.
• For a more detailed treatment of the importance of adult literacy in assisting children's literacy, see this PDF article, presented at the National Center for Family Literacy Annual Conference by Tom Sticht.
• For more on Canada's ABC Family Literacy Day, see this article in the Brantford Expositor, with a quiz to test your knowledge on children's literacy facts. There's also a "Literacy Fun Checklist", and a schedule of local events. I also read articles in Kingston This Week, the London Free Press, the Daily Observer (about how a players from the hockey club helped a school celebrate) and CBC Canada (which quotes author Robert Munsch as saying that "Children "catch" a love of reading from their parents and elders"). There are many other articles around the Canadian press, also, too many to list here.
• I also enjoyed this profile by Ellwood Shreve in the Chatham Daily News (Canada) of a local school trustee, David Goldsmith, who volunteers at local schools because he is so passionate about encouraging a love of reading in kids. Sounds like a kindred spirit to me. Goldsmith has also personally worked to create and distribute hundreds of posters "around the community to promote the importance of early reading."
• The Sheboygan Press (WI) has a nice feature story by Doug Carroll about how a local teacher's love of reading won her a state award. Teacher Doreen VandeWater says "I used to read to them (her children) every day... Parents need to read to kids every single day and instill in them a love of reading. If you can do that, they will be readers forever." She was "recognized recently by OfficeMax as part of a campaign to salute teachers who go above and beyond the call of duty."
• According to an article submitted to the Reno Gazette, "University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) has released two publications that provide free information on children's literacy and language development. The publications are especially useful to parents and early childhood educators, and can be accessed online at www.unce.unr.edu." The article says that "Both parents and educators can find tips on how to improve their children's literacy and language skills. For example, children do better when parents plan time to read and allow their children to look at books or read on their own. Children do better when teachers plan regular time to read during the day and have a quiet place in the classroom for reading." It looks like an interesting study.
• In Jamaica, parents are being urged: "don't worry about GSAT (Grade Six Achievement Test), shift the focus. Worry about your child being literate and numerate." According to a recent news release, children won't be allowed to sit for the GSAT unless they are "certified as literate and numerate, said Minister of Education, Andrew Holness." See a related editorial in the Jamaica Gleaner.
• A Hawaiian literacy program has a primary goal of getting parents involved in their children's learning, according to a Molokai Dispatch article by Jennifer Smith. The article mentions that "In tune with the Hawaiian history and culture, parent Hanohano Naehu brought up the strong oral tradition that exists in many Molokai homes. In an evening focused on books, he asked the presenter if telling stories could be just as effective as reading them." The answer was a strong yes. I think this is an interesting point, one I haven't seen made all that often. If you get your child hooked on stories, even if the stories are oral, instead of written down in a boo, you teach your child that stories matter. Eventually, the child will find books, for more stories.
• KnoxNews.com has an article by Katie Collins about the third anniversary of the Knox County (TN) Imagination Library program, which delivers books to kids in their homes once a month until they turn five. A local library is also holding workshops for parents of preschoolers "offering guidance for how best to engage children and get them interested in reading in their earliest years. "What we do a really good job of right now is getting books in the hands of kids," library spokeswoman Mary Pom Claiborne said. "The next step really is to help parents understand the best ways to use those books to read to the kids and do some educational activities around that."" Sounds smart to me! A new Imagination Library program is also being launched in Peterborough County (Canada), according to Kawartha Media Group.
• According to an article by Dorothy Shinn in the Akron Beacon Journal, "The Akron museum, the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet and This City Reads! are collaborating to create imaginative interdisciplinary educational programs for Akron-area children and the community at large focusing on British author J.M. Barrie's classic tale. By spotlighting Peter Pan, the three groups hope to promote literacy, as well as the performing and visual arts, tying in a variety of programs and events taking place throughout the school year." Sounds like fun, doesn't it?
• According to the Herald Times Reporter, the Milwaukee Bucks are sponsoring a Reading Challenge this year. Kids in the third to tenth grades earn points for number of pages read, and those who reach enough points "receive a voucher for a free ticket to their choice of two Bucks games at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee."
• The Muskogee Phoenix has an article by Liz Hanley about how to encourage reluctant boy readers. The top recommendation are to give them choices in what they read, and for men to not be afraid to share what they're reading with the boys in their lives. Several recommended books for parents are also included.

And that is quite enough news for one week. I hope that each of you can find something of interest.

There continues to be more going on in the Kidlitosphere every day than anyone could possibly keep up with. But here are a few things that particularly caught my eye this week:

• Carnival creator Melissa Wiley has set up a beautiful information page for the Carnival of Children's Literature, with links to all of the past carnivals, FAQs, and the call for submissions for the next carnival. For those unfamiliar with carnivals, she explains: "A carnival is a collection of blog posts about a specific topic. Most carnivals are monthly or weekly events. Bloggers submit their posts for consideration, and the carnival host compiles the submissions into one big post full of links for easy reading." Although anyone can participate, and I always try to, I think that carnivals are an especially great way for new bloggers to participate in the community, and draw some traffic to their blogs.
• Camille has a helpful post with tips for authors about making school visits over at BookMoot. She notes that "School visits are NOT for the faint of heart", and makes tangible and witty suggestions, like "You have to develop a spine of steel and sang-froid."
• Wizards Wireless has a thoughtful post about the importance of context in assessing books, using the "basic journalism questions of who, what, where, why, when and how." She makes some excellent points, such as how your impressions of a book may be different if you "read it on your lunch break and compressed it into fifteen minute time slots" vs. reading it all at once. I think this is fascinating. We tend to write our reviews as though they are fixed - this is my opinion of this book. But I know that I react differently to audio books than to printed books, and differently to books that I read when I'm sick vs. books that I read when I'm well. And so on. How about you?
• The Class of 2k8, an organization for authors with debut middle grade and young adult titles in 2008, is hosting the first of four quarterly contests. Their post about it explains: "This quarter we've gone with a virtual scavenger hunt. Simply find the answers to the ten questions below and email your correct answers to [email protected]. Once we've checked your answers we'll notify you that you've been entered into a drawing. Our grand prize this quarter - three books from our fabulous authors!" Click here for the questions.
• Over at 7-Imp, Jules has another installment of her latest feature: 7 Picture Book Tips for Impossibly Busy Parents. This series is proving to be a great resource for parents looking for picture book ideas. I must admit that the only one I've read from this week's list is The Silk Princess, but I'm intrigued by some of the other titles. And, for a different take on picture books, MotherReader is reinstating her own prize, the Weird-A** Picture Book Award. She says "The WAPBAs are given to the books that make you go “Huhhh?” Awards are given for story, illustration, and cover art. The highest award goes to the picture book achieving outstanding weirdness in both illustration and text." She is accepting nominations now.
• Over at Misrule, Judith Ridge has taken up the cause proclaimed by Agnes Nieuwenhuizen in an Age article called "How to Help Our Young Enjoy Reading". Judith says: "Agnes has alerted me to a school library's advocacy site, The Hub, which is picking up on Agnes's "cause". I'm going to check it out, talk to Agnes, and have a think about how we can make this a focused, national campaign. I realise I am now fortunately in a position to have a real voice in this campaign. So, as of now, I'd like to hear from Misrule readers ideas as to how they think such a campaign can work." I wrote about the original opinion piece in a previous Children's Literacy Round-Up, and thought that Agnes made some great points. I'm glad to see this cause taking root at Misrule, and will be following closely.
• Sara Lewis Holmes and Liz Garton Scanlon have concluded their week of co-blogging about The Exercise of Writing (and how regular exercise helps with writing). In this post, Sara rounds up links to other posts and comments on this topic from around the Kidlitosphere.
• Farm School, a blog hosted by Becky, Cybils MG/YA nonfiction nominating committee member extraordinaire and all-around excellent blog friend, has moved to a new location. Check it out - the template and layout are gorgeous.
• Over at Finding Wonderland, TadMack shares news about a writing contest for children hosted by the UK's Writer's Magazine, a poetry contest that has kids as judges, and a contest for children's stories set in Wales. TadMack has the links and details.
• Emse Raji Codell was kind enough to mention my blog in a recent post about the Shameless Lions Award (she want over her list of five - mine was kind of snuck in as a mention). I'm very grateful and honored, because I'm so impressed by the work that Esme does to get kids excited about reading. If you haven't visited her blog, PlanetEsme, I highly recommend it. The wonderful Shelf Elf actually granted me this award back in December (Kelly Herold and I are leading parallel lives once again). I was very appreciative at the time, but it was during my holiday travel, and although I mentioned the award, I never did do my job and pass on the award to five other blogs. The truth is that all of the blogs that I feature in my weekly Sunday Visits posts should have this award for "people who have blogs we love, can't live without, where we think the writing is good and powerful." I couldn't possibly pick five. So, if I've ever linked to you in one of my "visits" posts, consider yourself granted "A Roar for Powereful Words" award. And feel free to pass it along.
• Congratulations to Mitali Perkins on this week's launch of her second First Daughter book: White House Rules. I wish that I could attend her book launch party at Wellesley Booksmith next week. Maybe for the next one...
• On the Through the Magic Door blog, Thing-Finder, Charles Bayless has a fantastic post comparing and contrasting recent lists of favorite children's books by the New York Times in the US and the Daily Telegraph in the UK. It's interesting seeing which titles and authors overlap across the pond, and which ones don't. Charles, President of TTMD, clearly knows children's books. If you're not familiar with TTMD, it's an online independent children's bookstore that "exists to foster a life-long love of reading in children and to kindle or reignite that love among parents". It's well worth checking out.
• Also worth checking out, Minerva66 shares a categorized list of time travel books at Book Advice. I enjoy reading time travel books from time to time, and am looking forward to reading my recently acquired advance copy of The Time Thief, second book in Linda Buckley Archer's Gideon series (thanks, LW!).

And that's all for this week. I will likely not have a post next Sunday, because, you know, the Patriots are in the Superbowl!. But I'll try to get you some links sometime over the weekend. Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

This post is (c) 2008 by Jennifer Robinson. All rights reserved.

Book: Smash! Crash!
Author: Jon Scieszka (see also the Trucktown blog)
Illustrators: David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon
Pages: 42
Age Range: 3-6

Smash! Crash! is the first of a new 50 book extravaganza about "Trucktown" being published by Simon & Schuster. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jon Scieszka is the author and creator of the series, with titles co-illustrated by David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon. The series will include picture books, board books, early readers, pop-ups, and a webkinz-like online world. The idea behind the series, an idea central to Scieszka's career, is that books should be about things that kids find fun. And, after attending a reading by the author yesterday at Hicklebee's, I have it on first-hand experience that kids think that Smash! Crash! is fun. (Photo below taken and generously shared by Susan Taylor Brown.)

The characters in Smash! Crash! are trucks, of various types. The main characters in the story are Jack Truck (a red flatbed) and Dump Truck Dan. They are surrounded by other quirky trucks like Izzy Ice Cream Truck, Tow Truck Ted, and Gabriella Garbage Truck. The kids in the audience for the reading especially liked Monster Truck Max, with his many eyes, and Rescue Rita, a baby ambulance with one tooth.

The story follows Jack and Dan as they make their way around the city, smashing things up whenever they can. Their smashing is loud and vigorous, but usually has surprisingly positive results. For example, they smash a bunch of dump detritus into the shape of a pirate ship and play on it. The two friends spend the book on the run from an unseen, big voice calling "Hey you two. I want you." But in the end, when the voice catches up with them, they find one more opportunity to do what they love -- smash and crash.

The text is sometimes poetic, with refrains like:

Jack and Dan hit the road.
"Uh oh."
"Got to go!"

There's enough repetition to give kids the chance to predict what's going to happen on the next page, with phrases like "Come on and..." at the end of one page, and "Smash! Crash!" on the next. SMASH and CRASH are written in big, bold, dramatic letters, letters that virtually cry out for yelling. This is not a passive book, but rather one that begs for read-aloud and audience participation. It's not a bedtime book, but is an excellent choice for storytime.

The digitally rendered illustrations are colorful, over-the-top, and engaging. Each truck's personality is conveyed through headlight eyes and grillwork mouths and other endearing quirks (the pink garbage trucks carries a teddy bear wherever she goes, though it's not mentioned in the text). I can easily picture these illustrations animated for television (though I'm glad that the books will come first). The pictures are vibrant and lively, with the action visually pulling kids' attention from one page to the next. And in a special visual treat, there is one page that folds out, upwards, to display the tall Wrecking Crane Rosie.

I love the fact that several of the trucks are girl trucks, including the garbage truck, grader, and wrecking crane, trucks that might, stereotypically, have been considered masculine. Grader Kit, for example, has purple tires and long eyelashes and is quite feminine, as trucks go. I think that it goes without saying that a series about trucktown, beginning with a book about smashing things, will appeal to many preschool boys. But I think that this well-executed, brightly colored book will also appeal to girls.

The story and vocabulary in Smash! Crash! may not be complex enough to hold the attention of elementary school kids, unless they can be in a big group, yelling "Smash! Crash!" at will. But I think that this book is destined to please many, many preschoolers. It's going on my mental list of "can't miss picture books to give as gifts." Highly recommended, and a lot of fun.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books
Publication Date: January 8, 2008
Source of Book: Bought it at a signing at Hicklebee's
Other Blog Reviews: A Year of Reading

Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing children's author, Guys Read founder, and National Ambassador for Children's Literature, Jon Scieszka at Hicklebee's Books in San Jose.

I attended with Susan Taylor Brown (shown to the left), who generously brought her camera and shared photos with me, including all of the photos displayed in this post. I was able to meet Mr. Scieszka, and talk with him briefly, though there was a bit of a line. Here is my picture with the author, taken by a helpful bookstore employee:

Scieszka read aloud to an audience of 40 people or so, including 15+ kids on the floor at his feet. He explained the origins of his newest book, Smash! Crash! (shown in the photo, and reviewed here), and read aloud from that. He also read aloud from the book that he called his favorite, Cowboy and Octopus. Then he took questions at the end.

Here is what I have to say: Jon Scieszka is very comfortable with kids, and very good at getting kids excited about books and participating in read-aloud and discussion. He taught school for 10 years, and it shows. And although he's clearly passionate about getting kids reading, he doesn't take himself too seriously. Commenting on the National Ambassador position, he said that he thinks we're at a "crisis point" with kids not being readers. But he also something to the effect that now he has to read aloud in a deeper voice and wear a sash, and that he's working on getting access to Air Force One.

He showed the kids early sketches for the trucks in Smash! Crash!, and talked about how he "stole" the characters in the book from real kids in a class that he visited. When he read Smash! Crash! aloud, he had the kids yell "Crash!" every time. This was a big hit, needless to say.

When he took questions, most of them were from kids, including things like "where do you get your ideas?" and "when did you start writing?" and "how is a book made?" He told them that he started writing books when he was seven. Can you imagine how much of a difference hearing that could make to a kid, from this successful author? When asked what sorts of books he likes to read, he mentioned Dr. Seuss, Mo Willems, and Cormac McCarthy. He said that he reads "everything", and that people should "let kids read what they enjoy".

It's clear to me that the Library of Congress made an excellent choice in naming Jon Scieszka the first National Ambassador for Children's Literature. I think that he's going to do great things.

My thanks again to Susan for attending with me, and for the pictures. This was a wonderful experience to share, and I'm extra glad to have photos, in addition to my two books, to remember it by.

Book: Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall
Author: Wendy Mass
Pages: 256
Age Range: 12 and up

Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall begins when sixteen-year-old Tessa is hit in the head during gym. When she wakes up, she finds herself in what is apparently heaven, though it bears a strong resemblance to her local mall. It's logical for Tessa to find heaven in the mall, because her parents both work there, and the mall has formed the backdrop of her life. Of course there are some differences from how the mall looks on normal days. Through the intervention of a boy with a drill-bit in his head who co-inhabits this virtual mall Tessa relives various experiences from her life so far. What she finds is not always pleasant, but she gains considerable insight into her own behavior.

Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall is a quick read, written in verse. The chapter / poem titles are taken from the names of stores in the mall. The sterile, deserted mall setting is one that I think will entice teen readers. It's unique and familiar, yet thrown askew by Tessa's circumstances. Here's a passage that I flagged about the mall itself:

"The escalator is turned off so I climb up it,
which feels weird, like trying to climb up a frozen waterfall." (Page 2)

As in Sara Zarr's Sweethearts, which I reviewed recently, the main character gives out hints about a traumatic event that she experienced, only revealing late in the book what really happened. This, combined with the question of whether or not Tessa is really dead, lend tension to the story, and will keep readers turning the pages.

Two other things struck me about this book. The first is the author's ability to make Tessa a likable character, despite her undeniable character flaws. Tessa, at least before her accident, is almost completely bereft of a moral compass. She lies, cheats and steals, in mainly small incidents, and certainly doesn't display admirable behavior. And yet, because of the way we're seeing her acquire this knowledge of herself, retrospectively, we can empathize with her. The book jacket likens this story to A Christmas Carol, and I can see the parallel. When Tessa sees, with detachment, what she's done, she's ashamed of her behavior, and the reader can like this more self-aware Tessa. Here's an example:

"I glance once at the door,
then I lift the egg out of his bowl
and switch it with mine.
I have long ago accepted the fact
that I am the kind of person
who does things like this,
so in a very real way,
it doesn't even feel wrong." (Page 94)

How sad is that?

The other thing that I like about this book is the way the Wendy Mass is able to sprinkle in a few universal truths. I think that the verse format is especially suited to this. Here are two examples:

"In a way, this whole dying thing
takes a lot of the pressure off.
It's just too hard trying not to cross
all those fine lines that everyone is aware of,
even though they don't talk about them:

Be honest, but don't hurt anyone's feelings
be independent, but not a loner
be smart, but not a nerd
...
How the heck is a girl suppose to "be" anything?" (Page 15)

And:

"It's all exactly like I imagined.
And that's the problem.
I feel like I'm going through the motions
of a girl going to the prom." (Page 225)

What teen hasn't sometimes felt like someone going through the motions?

Heaven Looks a Lot Like a Mall left me wanting to connect more with people, and be a better person. It also made me believe that people can improve themselves. That's quite a lot from such a quick, easy to read package. Recommended for reluctant middle school and high school readers, especially those going through any kind of self-assessment phase.

Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Date: September 2007
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher
Other Blog Reviews: Bookshelves of Doom, Becky's Book Reviews, Reader Views, Ms. Yingling Reads, From A to Z
Author Interviews: Bildungsroman

Book: Sweethearts
Author: Sara Zarr
Pages: 224
Age Range: 13 and up

Sweethearts, Sara Zarr's second young adult novel after last year's National Book Award finalist Story of a Girl, is about a girl who has a difficult childhood, reinvents herself to become popular and accepted in high school, and then has her past catch up with her. In elementary school, Jennifer Harris was one of the poor kids, the only daughter of an overworked single mother. She was a social outcast, quiet and overweight. She had only one friend, a boy named Cameron Quick. Her friendship with Cameron was intense and mutually dependent, right up until the day that Cameron disappeared. Years later, in a new school, and with a more stable home life, Jennifer has become the svelte and popular Jenna Vaughn. However, she remains very conscious of, and ashamed of, her hidden past.

Written in spare prose, this book explores truths about friendship, loyalty, and self. Several passages about how Jenna is going through the motions, pretending to be what people want, will, I think, resonate with teens. For example:

"By lunch, the work of being the birthday version of Jenna Vaughn started to wear on me. I'd been smiling all morning at the Happy Birthdays and the hugs and compliments while Jennifer Harris dogged me. I kept looking over my shoulder for I don't know what..." (Chapter 2)

"It was a nice scene -- me and my boyfriend studying on a Saturday night. Except that I wasn't really there. Narration ran through my head: There is Jenna Vaughn kissing her boyfriend, there is Jenna Vaughn with her trig book open, there is Jenna Vaughn smiling and playing footsie and acting like she is exactly where she wants to be." (Chapter 12)

I wonder if everyone feels like that sometimes? Sara Zarr clearly understands what it's like to be an outsider, even when that's not how it appears on the surface. She also demonstrates her keen understanding of why someone would take comfort in overeating, and how a person can keep friends, and even a boyfriend, at a distance.

The characterization in this book is top-notch. I especially liked the positive portrayal of Alan, Jenna's stepfather:

"Now, I got up and followed Alan into the kitchen, staying close to the wake of calmness that always surrounded him. He's like a walking security blanket -- quiet voice, softly curling gray hair, unassertive wire-rim glasses. I'm sure his general aura of safety had a lot, or everything, to do with by my mom accepted his proposal after only three dates. (Chapter 3)

There's also a mystery in Sweethearts, about something that happened to Jennifer and Cameron when they were young. The truth is doled out in teaspoonfuls throughout the course of the book, and the suspense will definitely keep readers turning the pages.

Sweethearts features fully rounded characters, an absorbing plot, and taut writing that gets right to the heart of things. It's probably more a book for girls than for boys, however. There's a pink-frosted, heart-shaped cookie on the cover, and I think that Cameron is a character who girls will admire more than boys do. But for fans of realistic, girl-friendly young adult fiction, and especially for teens who enjoyed Story of a Girl, Sweethearts is a must-read title.

Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Publication Date: February 1, 2008 (available now)
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher, from NCTE
Other Blog Reviews: The Well-Read Child, Kate's Book Blog, Charlotte's Library, Booktopia, Bildungsroman
Author Interviews: Mr. Media Interviews, Class of 2k7, Bildungsroman