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Ladies and gentlemen . . . the moment I’ve been waiting for.
Wait! Wait! Background information first!
So for years I worked as a children’s librarian and I’d get girl after girl after girl coming up to my desk asking for funny books. I credit some of this to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The boys and the girls loved that series and wanted more of the same. Sometimes they wanted it in a notebook novel format, like Kinney’s book. Sometimes they just wanted something hilarious, and they seriously didn’t care who wrote it. So I’d grab books for them and then it slowly began to dawn on me. Huh. For all that I could find some pretty fantastic and hilarious books out there for kids, where were the funny story collections written by women? Turns out, there weren’t any.
Until now.
I would like you to join me in applauding the following authors and author/illustrators . . . .
Behold! The cover by the aforementioned Charise Mericle Harper:
And here’s the full jacket in its entirety:
A portion of the proceeds of this book go to Write Girl, a Los Angeles-based creative writing and mentoring organization that matches girls with women writers who mentor them in creative writing.
When’s it out? May 9th, 2017! Feel free to pre-order it.
Oh! And while I’m thinking of it, there’s this other really fun thing that just started that I have to let you know about. As I may have mentioned before, my husband’s first book The Secrets of Story just came out recently and I could be prouder. He’s already put up a couple great videos alongside it (the latest is here and is about those little moments of humanity that make you like a character). But fun upon fun upon fun, he’s created a podcast with YA author and 90-Second Newbery Film Festival creator James Kennedy and it may well be my favorite thing of all time. I love it when James and Matt get together because they agree on NOTHING! And now they’ve a podcast together where they can extol the beauty of that nothing together. It’s huge fun for me, and it ends with a little feature where they mention a story idea they had that they decided wouldn’t work and give it away (as it were) to the masses for use. So if you like the process of writing or you just like banter, I’ve your new favorite podcast. The Secrets of Storytelling podcast is available through iTunes. Subscribe today!
20 Comments on Cover Reveal: And it’s for my own book!!!, last added: 11/13/2016
What a great idea. Thanks for editing such a terrific selection.
Karen Gray Ruelle said, on 11/7/2016 3:43:00 PM
Wow! This looks terrific! Congratulations!
Julie Gribble said, on 11/7/2016 6:57:00 PM
YES! I want one, too! Heading over to pre-order… whoosh.
Nancy Vo said, on 11/7/2016 11:09:00 PM
I will be adding this to my collection. We really need some funny, as we Canadians peer over the border, nervously watching our American neighbo(u)rs go to the polls.
Jane Stumpf said, on 11/8/2016 4:26:00 AM
This book looks and sounds amazing. I cannot wait to read it and share it with my students.
Jean Reagan said, on 11/8/2016 7:54:00 AM
Love the idea! Love the cover! Love the line-up of authors! HATE the pub. date! ;-(
Yep, I’ll pre-order it now.
Congratulations to all!
Elizabeth Rose Stanton said, on 11/8/2016 2:06:00 PM
I’m laughing already! Congratulations, Betsy! -Feelin’ free and will order
marjorie said, on 11/9/2016 6:07:00 PM
AWESOME cover, and heartiest mazel tovs!!!!! cannot WAIT to read. (i just typed “cannot wait to rad.” i am sure it is that.)
Jean Reagan said, on 11/10/2016 8:31:00 AM
Considering all the latest “developments,” can you please, please move up the publication date? (I can solicit Pigeon’s help on pleading, if it’ll help.)
Elizabeth Bird said, on 11/10/2016 12:46:00 PM
I like the way you think.
Melissa Stewart said, on 11/12/2016 6:00:00 AM
Awesome sauce! Can’t wait to read this.
melanie hope greenberg said, on 11/13/2016 5:39:00 PM
Hi, folks. Haven’t done one of these in a while. Let’s see what there is to see.
If I’m feeling nostalgic for NYC this week there’s little wonder. Whether it’s an article on many library branches’ secret apartments (I visited 8-10 of them in my day and someday a clever photographer should do a series on them) or New York Magazine’s (justifiable) kvetching over the new Donnell, it’s like I’m there again.
Speaking of kvetching, this article about My Little Free Library War is amusing. When I was leaving the aforementioned NYC I found I had too many books. The solution? Daily trips to the local Little Free Library. I’d fill them up one day and then come back the next with more. I don’t care what anyone did with them. That box was like Mary Poppins’ carpetbag.
Waldo’s cool with it. He doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight.
As for my current town, how cute is this? Our downtown is doing a Where’s Waldo / Where’s Warhol scavenger hunt. It all begins at the wonderful bookstore Bookends and Beginnings and goes from there.
This next piece is fantastic and I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. A British children’s literature blogger comes to America. Walks into a Barnes and Noble. Immediately she is struck by the massive differences between how a major British chain (like Waterstones) sells children’s books vs. how and American chain (B&N) does it. She writes up the differences in the post Picture book differences between the main bookshop chains in the US and UK – Paeony Lewis. What struck me as particularly interesting is the emphasis the author makes on how American bookstores don’t promote and sell paperbacks to the same degree that the British stores do. As a result, our books are more expensive. What are the greater repercussions of this? Fantastic read.
I got the following message from ALA last week and figured this was a good place to share. Ahem:
Now is the Best Time to Help Dr. Carla Hayden Become Librarian of Congress
The American Library Association (ALA) is urging the library community to contact their U.S. senators (before they adjourn next week) to encourage them to confirm Dr. Carla Hayden to become the next Librarian of Congress. This is the first time in more than 60 years that a librarian is poised to take on this role. ALA offers these talking points. Visit the ALA Legislative Action Center to email your senators, contact them on Twitter, or for information on calling your senators.
There’s been a lot of talk about Ms. J.K. Rowling in the news lately. Specifically, in terms of the international magic schools she’s been introducing. I feel inadequate to speak about them, and fortunately I don’t have to. Monica Edinger has written a great piece called J.K. Rowling’s Unfortunate Attempts at Globalization. A lot of people have focused solely and squarely on the references to Native Americans in the American school. Monica sheds additional light on the African, Japanese, and Brazilian ones, for which I am VERY grateful.
By the way, if you missed Jules Danielson’s interview with Evan Turk over at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, turn right around, leave this blog, and go over there. The art . . . the art . . .
For a while there I enjoyed a little Reading Too Much Into Picture Books series before my Fuse 8 TV interviews. Very much along the same lines is the recent Salon piece Pat the Bunny Is Kind of Twisted and Other Lessons I Learned from Picture Books. It’s not the same three tropes garbled over and over again. There’s a lot of smart stuff being said here. Enjoy!
There are many reasons to listen to the NYPL podcast The Librarian Is In. Reason #24601: Check out this simply adorable photograph of a young Lois Duncan.
Hey there! What Nibling just won herself a 2016 South Asia Book Award? Would that be Mitali Perkins for her absolutely fantastic Tiger Boy? Dang right it would! Go, Mitali, go!
Because my day job requires me to keep up with adult literature I read a lot of Publishers Weekly (that sounded like a very earnest television or radio ad for PW, by the way). The other day I was reading its articles on what Brexit is going to mean for the literary world, and I briefly toyed with the notion of doing a blog post on what it would mean for the children’s literary world. I decided not to pursue this idea since I know next to nothing about the topic and while that normally wouldn’t stop me, Phil Nel did it best anyway. Check out his piece Children’s Lit VS Brexit.
Curious about the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award? Want to know more about it? Interested in reading an interview with a woman who would visit Anne Carroll Moore in the library as a child? You can get all that and more with this interview with this year’s BGHB committee chair Joanna Rudge Long.
Um… so this one has nothing to do with children’s books and everything to do with my own childhood. Basically, if you’ve been waiting for an article to justify Lady Elaine Fairchilde as the feminist icon she truly was, your prayers have been answered. Extra Bonus: Check out the perhaps indeed legit comment from Lady Aberline. Or read my piece on the new Lady Elaine. Clearly this is a trope in my life.
Just want to give a shout-out to Christine Inzer, the self-published teen graphic novelist whose book Halfway Home was reviewed here in 2014. Christine got herself a real publisher and her new book just earned a stellar review from Publishers Weekly. Yay, Christine!
New Podcast Alert: In case you are unfamiliar with it, The Writing Barn is the brainchild of Owner & Creative Director, Bethany Hegedus, and offers writers “ways of deepening their process and perfecting their craft, whether they travel cross-town or across the country to our retreat and workshop venue”. Now Bethany has created Porchlight, a podcast that interviews the Barn’s guests as well as folks in the world at large. You know I’ll be listening.
Daily Image:
Best. Library. Clock. Ever.
Seriously, I want to do this with picture books. If not in my library then in my home. I should solicit the right titles, though. Hmmm…
Suggestions welcome.
6 Comments on Fusenews: Worth it, if only for the clock, last added: 7/15/2016
Congratulations to Mitali Perkins whose wonderful Tiger Boy (Charlesbridge, 2015 / Duckbill Books, 2015) has garnered another award (well, I said it should win plenty in … Continue reading ... →
On Friday, June 4th, Zetta Elliott and I were in San Francisco for the 2016 Association of Children's Librarians of northern California's annual institute. If you're on twitter you can find some of the gems from the daylong conference using the hashtag #ACLInst2016. Our remarks were taped. Here they are:
Here's Zetta's opening remarks:
And then, Zetta and I sat down for a brief conversation:
And last, I was part of a panel, moderated by Nina Lindsay. Here it is:
Thank you, Meredith Steiner, for inviting me to spend the day with you! At various times during the day, people I was talking with said that the information and conversations were better than what they've had opportunities to partake of, before. I heard "depth of thinking and interaction" that I think marks the entire day. We weren't celebrating kids books or writers. We weren't shying away from hard questions, either. If anyone who was there (or who watches the videos) wants to talk more about anything, please let me know!
0 Comments on Debbie Reese and Zetta Elliott at ACL 2016 Association of Children's Librarians as of 1/1/1900
WaterBridge Outreach: Books + Water recently announced the books in English they have selected this year for donation to the different schools and libraries they support around the world. WaterBridge Outreach is a non-profit that seeks … Continue reading ... →
Mitali Perkins is the acclaimed author of such books as the middle-grade Jane Addam’s Award Honor Book Rickshaw Girl, which was included in New York Public Library’s 2013 list of ‘100 Great Children’s Books‘, and YA novel … Continue reading ... →
I’ve been blessed to be a part of the PaperTigers’ team since December 2006 when I took on the role of Eventful World Coordinator just prior to the launch of the PaperTigers blog. As the years passed and PaperTigers continued to grow, evolve and expand (most noticeably with the launch of our Spirit of PaperTigers Book Sets and Outreach Program) my role within the organization changed too. In 2010 I was offered the job of Associate Editor and since then have worked closely alongside our wonderful and very talented editor Marjorie Coughlan to produce PaperTigers’ three components: the website, the blog and the Outreach site .
I consider myself so lucky to be doing a job that I love in a field that I love! Children’s literature has always been my passion and during my years with PaperTigers I’ve not been the only one in my family to benefit from the pile of books that just have to be read for work. (Insert a big smiley face here because really…how wonderful is it to have to read books!) When I started working at PaperTigers my children were in elementary school so naturally we focused a lot of our reading time at home on children’s and junior books. However as PaperTigers and my kids grew I found myself developing more and more interest in Young Adult books. Now I have to say that although children’s picture books will always hold a very special place in my heart , Young Adult books tug strongly at my heart too! So when it came time to do a Top 10 list for PaperTigers’ anniversary celebration, it only made sense for me to select my favorite Young Adult books. Drum roll please….in random order I present:
When her unemployed father leaves India to look for work in America, Asha, her mother and sister move in with family in Calcutta. When news comes that her father is accidentally killed in America and her family’s financial difficulties intensify, Asha makes a heartwrenching, secret decision that solves many problems and creates others.
When Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious as does the FBI who descend on his home, and Sami’s family (the only Muslims in the neighbourhood) becomes the center of an international terrorist investigation.
12-year-old Leela’s husband unexpectedly dies and custom requires her confinement at home for a year, “keeping corner.” Prohibited from ever remarrying, Leela faces a barren future: however, her brother has the courage to buck tradition and hire a tutor to educate her. This powerful and enchanting novel juxtaposes Leela’s journey to self-determination with the parallel struggle of her family and community to follow Gandhi on the road to independence from British rule.
12-year-old Diego is deep in the Bolivian jungle, working as a virtual slave in an illegal cocaine operation. As his situation becomes more and more dangerous, he knows he must take a terrible risk if he ever wants to see his family again. As well as being a great read, I am a Taxi packs in a store of information about Bolivia and the exploitation of children in the drug-trade, and raises polemics about the growth of the coca plant.
During the Vietnam War Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.
On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi is gunned down by two Sikh bodyguards. The murder sparks riots in Delhi and for three days Sikh families are targeted and killed in retribution for the Prime Minister’s death. It is into this chaos that fifteen-year-old Maya and her Sikh father, Amar, arrive from their home in Canada. India’s political instability is the backdrop and catalyst for Maya’s awakening to the world. Karma is the story of how a young woman, straddling two cultures and enduring personal loss, learns forgiveness, acceptance and love.
After a bullied classmate commits suicide, Kana Goldberg – a half-Japanese, half-Jewish American- is sent to her family’s home in Japan for the summer. Kana wasn’t the bully, not exactly, but she didn’t do anything to stop what happened, either. As Kana begins to process the pain and guilt she feels, news from home sends her world spinning out of orbit all over again.
Andi hasn’t seen her brother for eight years and when he steps off the plane from the Philippines, she cannot believe her eyes. He’s tall. EIGHT FOOT TALL. But Bernardo is not what he seems. Bernardo is a hero, Bernardo works miracles, and Bernardo has an amazing story to tell. In a novel packed with quirkiness and humor, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures.
As the oldest of eight siblings, Lupita is used to taking the lead—and staying busy behind the scenes to help keep everyone together. But when she discovers Mami has been diagnosed with cancer, Lupita is terrified by the possibility of losing her mother, the anchor of her close-knit Mexican American family. Suddenly Lupita must face a whole new set of challenges, with new roles to play, and no one is handing her the script.
Set in war-torn Afghanistan, post-Taliban and just after the American invasion in 2001, Wanting Mor brings a ravaged landscape to life and portrays the effects of war on civilians caught up in conflict, especially on children. Based on a true story about a girl who ended up in one of the orphanages Rukhsana sponsors in Afghanistan through the royalties of her book The Roses in My Carpets.
0 Comments on Happy Birthday PaperTigers! Here’s my contribution to the Top 10 Lists! as of 10/26/2012 7:24:00 PM
Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi today with Saffron Tree, who highlights two “lovely stories” wrapped in one book – The Story Lady by Shruthi Rao and Blanket of Stars by Rachna Chhabria.
The Sambat Trust has recently launched its seventh library in the Philippines – many congratulations. There are some photos of very happy children…
Author Mitali Perkins has announced the winner of her 10th Teens Between Cultures Prose competition; and in case you missed it, here’s the link to the Poetry Competition winner too – definitely take the time to read these winning entries.
Cynsations has an interview with Debbie Ridpath Ohi (whom we welcomed to the PaperTigers Gallery in August) – and there’s also a giveaway of Debbie’s just-released I’m Bored with a hand-drawn doodle… Quick! There are only four days left…!
And I learned something new from The Book Chook – I, who love elephants so, how come I never knew 22 September is Elephant Appreciation Day?! – phew – thank you, Book Chook. She has lots of elephant activities on her post. So what’s your favorite elephant book?
0 Comments on Read all about it… as of 9/19/2012 8:08:00 PM
In July I read THE SHALLOWS: WHAT THE INTERNET IS DOING TO OUR BRAINS. It was a month of travel, where my Internet time was drastically reduced. It was liberating not to be tied to messages that demanded response, whether truly urgent or not. I didn't miss the constant assault of opinions and noise on my Facebook page (I do like you, friends, but sometimes it's all pretty overwhelming). I had a chance to reflect, regroup, and breathe.
I don't think the Internet is evil, but I do know I don't always like the way it pulls me in. In an attempt to be intentional with my time on the Internet, I stepped back from Facebook for the month of August. I'm not over there often, but just this small departure from the norm has reminded me how easy it is to be idle, to wile away precious time. If you've ever felt something similar to what I've shared above, I encourage you to read the links below and come back tomorrow to read some quotes I found especially provocative in THE SHALLOWS.
I finally put a Hold on it at the library. I'm eager to read this!
Being intentional with our time. That's what I've been thinking exactly. I've been using the word, "Deliberate". I want to be more deliberate with my life and time and not get swept away . . . thank you for this.
I've been trying to stay away from the internet more. I'm with you--I don't think it's evil, but I definitely have (more than once) fallen victim to its addictive qualities.
The downside? Stepping back from the internet means stepping back from my internet friends. I've not been reading/commenting like I should. BUT! I wanted to tell you that I was catching up the other day and read your post about your goals as a professional writer--your decree, so to speak; and it was so, so good. I love how you made it so holistic, acknowledging how writing effects your whole life and coming up with a way to keep it under control. It really spoke to me. :)
Thank you for your kind words about my Navigating a Debut Year posts. They came out of watching others -- thinking of what I wanted to emulate and what I wanted to avoid. I had to do a lot of soul searching and examine things in my own life I didn't like.
If you want a poster, email me your mailing address!
I often take month-long breaks from the internet, from reading blogs and commenting on facebook posts, and I rarely visit Twitter anyway. Right now I'm limiting myself to reading blogs on Mondays only. My neurologist has already explained to me that it's not just me who's having trouble coping with normal things I used to be able to do -- like remembering dates and times. It's the way our brains are changing because of the internet. Maybe he read The Shallows!
Remembering details -- that's exactly the sort of thing the book talks about. The Internet trains us to scan and not read/think deeply. It spills into other parts of our lives.
Scanning, of course, is a valuable skill, but it's not the only way to interact with text or to think about the world.
Some years back as we settled into our bicultural family life with young children here in Japan, although we were surrounded by books in Japanese and took full advantage of Japan’s healthy picture book and middle-grade market, we discovered that finding English-language reading material to support our bilingual children was no easy task. Because our children attended Japanese schools, English education happened in our home, and we needed a steady supply of English-language books. But libraries in Japan stock few English-language books, and bookstores here carry very few and at hefty mark-ups, so whenever friends or family visited from the U.S. they brought books to us. Returning from a trip back to the States, our luggage was always heavy with books. We book-swapped with families in Japan, we ordered from Scholastic with our English-after school group, and we pounced on book sale tables at international school fairs. At last, Amazon Japan with free and quick delivery of affordable overseas books came to the rescue.
Always on the lookout for books relating to our lives while raising our bilingual children, we soon became aware of a lack of English-language children’s books that reflect Japan. English-language picture books set in Japan were rare, and those that existed, we discovered, tended toward folktales and nonfiction. Where were the day-to-day stories that reflected the landscapes and people and value systems surrounding us? Where was Japan?
We read and reread the bilingual Grandpa’s Town by Takaaki Nomura. We enjoyed folktale retellings like The Seven Gods of Luck by David Kudler and Yoshi’s Feastby Kimiko Kajikawa.and biographical works like Cool Melons—Turn to Frogsby Matthew Gollub. All excellent, but we were discouraged that such English-language titles set in Japan were few and far between.
Searching for other Asian cultures in English-language picture books yielded similar results—folktales, nonfiction and concept books, but few fictional stories set in Asia.
I cannot contain my excitement. After all these years, I finally get to meet Mitali Perkins (in person). She’s driving from Boston today and coming to my school to speak to grades 5 and 6 about her wonderful work. Stay tuned for clips from her visit.
Last summer I began to forge a theory about the what-next in young adult books. In time the 2011 National Book Award finalists were named, the 2011 Best Of lists were put forward, and the 2011 Printz and Newbery slates were unveiled. Throughout it all, the theory held. Today I am grateful to Shelf Awareness for sharing my thoughts in a story that begins like this:
For reasons both maddeningly obvious and impossibly elusive, young adult literature is particularly prone to categorization and trends--fenced in by labels, discriminated for or against, sold according to headline. Teeth sink. Wings ascend. Murderous games hold court. Landscapes are annihilated, and then annihilated again. It's a package deal.
Please read the whole here. I'm interested in your thoughts, of course. Where do you think the future lies?
8 Comments on Predicting the Near Future of YA in Shelf Awareness, last added: 2/11/2012
I'm really pleased with the YA books that are winning awards. I wish I had those books when I was younger. I particularly would have loved the ones about global history
I hope more books like the ones you highlight will continue to blur the lines (or erase them all together.) I don't like to make predictions. Not knowing is what makes it fun. :)
Ah Beth, I love hearing this good news -- and you make me want to read these books! Thanks for looking at the big picture, and for analyzing it so eloquently.
I enjoyed the entire piece, and sent it on to friends who are writing historical MG and wondering if there is a market for it. I think your analysis will inspire them.
Sarah Davies, agent, posted her wish list for what she'd like to see in her Inbox. Fascinating. She addresses this very thing, and says that she *rarely* gets what she wants. Here's a link: http://greenhouseliterary.com/index.php/site/comments/the_things_i_see_and_dont_see/
Excellent piece. I think I love YA because it is ill-defined, despite the labels slapped on it. It's a place where the rare can be the standard.
And I would love to read books about vampires in dystopias. What do the vampires do when the humans are almost gone and those who remain are cautious and tough? It would be an awesome story, I know it.
Bravo for this piece, Beth...I am right with you. My favorite book OF ALL TIME was Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief - and here I am, a committed "adult" reader who up until that moment, had not read a YA book as an adult. I have mostly veered from YA fiction because I don't want to read about vampires, etc... It is authors like yourself, and the ones you mention in the article, which have encouraged me to delve into the YA genre and find precious gems tucked away there. I hope you are right, that this will be the new trend in YA literature.
Submissions for the 2012 contest are now being accepted.
Do you love to weave words together?
Were you and/or one or both of your birth parents born in another country?
Do you live in the United States or Canada now?
Are you 13-19 years old?
If you answered yes to ALL of the questions above, YOU qualify to enter the Fire Escape Writing Contests! Submit an original, unpublished poem or piece of prose (fiction or non-fiction) that reflects some of the joys and struggles of growing up between two cultures in America. Mitali’s Fire Escape will only consider one poem and one piece of short fiction per person, so send your best work.
Though I am eager to start my third day in Chautauqua, I wonder how Monday can match Sunday’s experience. Not only is Send in the Clowns stuck in my head (and I can’t stop singing the song), for last night’s supper, we were treated to the best barbecued chicken I have ever eaten. And then, there were those chocolate frosted brownies next to an invisible sign with my name on it that said, “These special writer’s brownies are meant to be eaten in multiple portions. Do not eat just one!” I think everyone had an invisible sign with his or her name, because I was not the only one going for seconds—and thirds, and then, halfway to the bus, I turned around, yelling to Nanci. “I can’t help it. Save me a seat. Do you want another brownie?”
Prior to being served dinner, we were encouraged to walk the lovely grounds at Westfield and to pick our own blueberries to eat—one of my favorite fruits. I was so smitten with photographing the blueberries that I realized–too late–that I had nothing to collect the blueberries in. I did the next best thing: I ate one after another, until a gentleman offered me his full cup of blueberries. (I savored them for days.) Thank you, kind sir!
My belly full of blueberries, I listened to the birds sing, studied insects on leaves, and then discovered The Land of Dinosaurs Versus Trucks, which is where I was when the call of “Chicken being served,” resounded through the fields.
After everyone had eaten, we settled in our seats, where we quickly fell under Joy Cowley’s spell. If I had attended the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop in 2010, I would have missed Joy. And I can’t imagine missing the opportunity to connect with her. Joy returned this year after a three-year absence, and she is an absolute joy!
Joy Cowley
Joy speaks from the heart and from years of experience, and with such love for others, you feel as if you are a child, alone in a room with her, listening to stories. I would have sat there all night if I could. She stresse
0 Comments on How I Found the Wizard (Chautauqua: Day Three) as of 1/1/1900
Authors are Rocking the Drop around their areas RIGHT NOW! Here's who's tweeting so far.... use the #rockthedrop tag and join in with readergirlz and Figment to ROCK THE DROP!
Earlier this year I blogged about Primary Source when they hosted a Global Read of Mitali Perkins‘ book Bamboo People. On March 2nd Primary Source will be hosting a new Global Read, this time focusing on Christina Diaz Gonzalez‘ YA book The Red Umbrella. The online discussion forum will be followed by a live web-based session with Christina on March 9th from 3:00 – 4:00pm EST. Anyone interested in global issues is welcome to take part in this free event but must register online here.
The Red Umbrella follows a 14-year-old Cuban girl and her brother sent by their parents to live in the United States during the tumultuous period of 1960s Cuba. Christina says the story was ” loosely based on the experiences of my parents, mother-in-law and many of the other 14,000 children who participated in Operation Pedro Pan.”
Talking about why she wrote the book, Christina says:
“Obviously, this is a personal story and part of my family history. In fact, it’s an important part of American history and yet there wasn’t much written about it, especially from the point of view of the children who experienced it. The book showcases how the U.S. has always been a haven for those seeking refuge from injustice and oppression and how average Americans have stepped up to help those in need, even if they were foreigners in our country. I also wanted to show the pride immigrants (in this case Cubans) have for their homeland, but how, in the end, family is what matters most… home is not a physical place. It’s where you feel you belong, where you are surrounded by people who love and accept you.”
The Red Umbrella has been appearing on many YA book lists since being published in May 2010, including ALA/YALSA’s 2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults. You can read an interview with Christina here, and there is also an amazing book trailer made by Christina’s brother-in-law:
0 Comments on Primary Source Hosts a Global Read of The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez as of 1/1/1900
The judges for The Battle of the Kids' Books have been announced, and I actually know one. And I don't mean I actually know her in the sense that we have commented on each other's blogs or Facebook walls. No, I mean I've actually been in the same room with her. And I don't mean I've actually been in the same room with her the way I've actually been in the same room with Richard Peck, who is also a judge this year. No, I mean we were actually in the same room, and we actually spoke to each other. I was in the same room with Richard Peck, but he did all the speaking from the stage.
PaperTigers is excited to announce that we are now on Twitter. You can find us there under the name PaperTigersOrg (http://twitter.com/PaperTigersOrg) and will have some icons up shortly on our website and blog to take you directly there.
We look forward to exploring this type of social media and being able to connect with our readers in real-time, as well as follow the tweets of those involved in multicultural children’s and young adult literature around the world. Special shout-outs to Mitali Perkins who became our first follower and to all those who tweeted that PaperTigers had arrived on the scene. We can see how information spreads quickly with Twitter and look forward to jumping in with a big roar!
2011 promises to be a year full of exciting events as regards children’s and young adult literature, and we are thrilled to announce that we will be attending the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore this coming May. Obviously being able to tweet while attending such events will be wonderful and we look forward to being able to share our experiences in real-time on Twitter.
Yes, that’s my giant gob projected on a viewing screen. The picture was taken during a recent Skype visit. Quick, here’s a couple of other shots:
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I’m still in the early stages of figuring out this Skype business. I’m not even sure how I feel about it yet, or whether I can (or should) fit them into my schedule. That said: It is undeniably cool to connect with kids from far-away places, schools I’d never visit if not for this amazing technology. So I’m leaning yes.
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And it is amazing, as tired and cliched as that word sounds. Suddenly we’re looking at each other, waving, laughing, talking, snorting. It’s craziness and I think students really do feel a thrill.
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The photos are from my first-ever Skype visit. Since I didn’t know what I was doing, just fumbling around, I didn’t charge a fee. And I still don’t. Though that might change down the road if I decide to pursue this in any kind of organized fashion. The visit was a result of an enterprising teacher, Tyler Samler, who reached out to me after reading Bystander with his class. We decided on a 20-minute Q and A session. I enjoyed it, despite having to comb my hair. However, I found it difficult to read the audience. In person I’m pretty good at glancing around the room, know when to sit down and when to start flapping my arms, recognizing when I’ve got their full attention or when, perhaps, it’s slipping away. With Skype, I was less certain. Hopefully I’ll get better at that with practice.
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Tyler wrote to me after the session:
The Skype session was awesome! You’ve acquired some life long fans here at Hyde Park Elementary School. After the session we went around and had each student give imput and share their opinions. It was a really good response. They enjoyed your sense of humor and your kindness. I think they were greatly enriched to have this opportunity. You’re a wonderful storyteller!
February has arrived and with it Black History Month in Canada and African American History Month in the USA. To see some of the celebrations planned in the USA click here and in Canada click here. In honor of the month, many websites and bloggers are highlighting the richness of children’s literature that focuses on Africa, African Americans, African Canadians and the African diaspora. Here’s a small sample of what’s being offered:
The Brown Bookshelf has launched 28 Days Later, a month-long showcase of the best in picture books, middle grade and young adult novels written and illustrated by African Americans.
Margo Tenenbaum’s blog The Fourth Musketeer specializes in historical fiction for children and teens, and throughout the month of February will focus on reviewing African American titles.
Reading Rockets.Org has just updated it’s Black History Month section where you’ll discover great online resources for the classroom and for family discussions. I’ve just spent the morning watching the video interviews with award-winning writers and illustrators.
Having just finished reading Bamboo People, I was excited to see this email in my inbox today from Primary Source, a non-profit organization that promotes history and humanities education by connecting educators to people and cultures throughout the world:
Global Read of Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
You are invited to join us for a discussion of the young adult novel, Bamboo People, by Mitali Perkins — a compelling coming-of-age story about child soldiers in modern Burma. The online discussion forum will begin tomorrow – Wednesday, January 12th. Then join the author for a live chat on January 19th.
Online discussion forum: January 12th-19th, 2011 Live chat session with the author: Wednesday, January 19, 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST
Register online here (registration is free but participants are responsible for obtaining their own copy of the book). All are welcome – teachers, students, parents, and anyone interested in global issues!
I’m off to register now and hope that some of our PaperTigers readers will join me!
P.S. Don’t forget to take a look at our 1,000th post, with the chance of winning a Spirit of PaperTigers 2010 book set. The deadline for entries is midnight Pacific Standard Time, on Wednesday 19 January with the draw taking placing in San Francisco on Thursday 20 January.
0 Comments on Primary Source Hosts a Global Read of Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins~ January 12th – 19th as of 1/1/1900
Congratulations to 
Mitali Perkins is the acclaimed author of such books as the middle-grade Jane Addam’s Award Honor Book Rickshaw Girl, which was included in New York Public Library’s 2013 list of ‘
Happy 10th Birthday PaperTigers!
Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi today with .jpeg?picon=2982)
Some years back as we settled into our bicultural family life with young children here in Japan, although we were surrounded by books in Japanese and took full advantage of Japan’s healthy picture book and middle-grade market, we discovered that finding English-language reading material to support our bilingual children was no easy task. Because our children attended Japanese schools, English education happened in our home, and we needed a steady supply of English-language books. But libraries in Japan stock few English-language books, and bookstores here carry very few and at hefty mark-ups, so whenever friends or family visited from the U.S. they brought books to us. Returning from a trip back to the States, our luggage was always heavy with books. We book-swapped with families in Japan, we ordered from Scholastic with our English-after school group, and we pounced on book sale tables at international school fairs. At last, Amazon Japan with free and quick delivery of affordable overseas books came to the rescue.
As the children grew older, we came to realize that even less common than English-language picture books set in Asia were English-language middle-grade and YA novels set in Japan and Asia. What we found was mostly historical fiction. Of course we read and loved Korea-set historical novels by 
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I can’t wait for this one. Super cute cover too!
My kids (and I) will love this. We want it … now!
Hurray for you! Can’t wait to read it.
Congrats!
Looks great! Congrats.
This looks terrific. Congrats, Betsy!
So excited!
Now please go make 10 more.
kthxbai 😉
Pre-ordered. Way to go!
What a great idea. Thanks for editing such a terrific selection.
Wow! This looks terrific! Congratulations!
YES! I want one, too! Heading over to pre-order… whoosh.
I will be adding this to my collection. We really need some funny, as we Canadians peer over the border, nervously watching our American neighbo(u)rs go to the polls.
This book looks and sounds amazing. I cannot wait to read it and share it with my students.
Love the idea! Love the cover! Love the line-up of authors! HATE the pub. date! ;-(
Yep, I’ll pre-order it now.
Congratulations to all!
I’m laughing already! Congratulations, Betsy! -Feelin’ free and will order
AWESOME cover, and heartiest mazel tovs!!!!! cannot WAIT to read. (i just typed “cannot wait to rad.” i am sure it is that.)
Considering all the latest “developments,” can you please, please move up the publication date? (I can solicit Pigeon’s help on pleading, if it’ll help.)
I like the way you think.
Awesome sauce! Can’t wait to read this.
Congratulations, Betsy! Looks delightful!