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As I'm reading, I find myself wondering which children's and young adult novels feature a main character with an incarcerated parent. I put the question out on twitter, and here are the results (please leave other titles in the comments section and I will add):
Picture Books
KENNEDY'S BIG VISIT by Daphne Brooks
VISITING DAY by Jacqueline Woodson
Early Readers
NINE CANDLES by Maria Testa
THE SUNNY HOLIDAY SERIES by Coleen Paratore
Middle-Grade Novels
RUBY ON THE OUTSIDE by Nora Raleigh Baskin
QUEENIE PEAVY by Robert Burch
ALL RISE FOR THE HONORABLE PERRY T. COOK by Leslie Connor
AN ANGEL FOR MARIQUA by Zetta Elliott
JAKEMAN by Deborah Ellis
THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
As I'm reading, I find myself wondering which children's and young adult novels feature a main character with an incarcerated parent. I put the question out on twitter, and here are the results (please leave other titles in the comments section and I will add):
Picture Books
KENNEDY'S BIG VISIT by Daphne Brooks
VISITING DAY by Jacqueline Woodson
Early Readers
NINE CANDLES by Maria Testa
THE SUNNY HOLIDAY SERIES by Coleen Paratore
Middle-Grade Novels
RUBY ON THE OUTSIDE by Nora Raleigh Baskin
QUEENIE PEAVY by Robert Burch
ALL RISE FOR THE HONORABLE PERRY T. COOK by Leslie Connor
AN ANGEL FOR MARIQUA by Zetta Elliott
JAKEMAN by Deborah Ellis
THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
"Eat it," said Sara, "And you will not be so hungry.
My Saint Mary's College of California Jan Term students are beginning to consider the consequences of growing up with food insecurity and poor nutrition in our neighboring City of Oakland. This class is a community engagement course, one of Saint Mary's core curriculum requirements, and a distinctive for the school. When it comes to hunger, I plan to fill their minds with statistics, research, and facts, and they're using hands and hearts to work with children in the Oakland schools, but I still think there's nothing better than fiction to inform the imagination. I remember hating fictional hunger in the pit of my nine-year-old stomach when reading about the Pepper family in THE FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS, Sara Crewe in A LITTLE PRINCESS, the Hummel family in LITTLE WOMEN, the Brinker family in HANS BRINKER AND THE SILVER SKATES, and the Ingalls family in THE LONG WINTER. What other children's books inform the imagination when it comes to the experience of hunger?
This summer, as kids set up lemonade stands, car washes, and dog walking services, consider inspiring them to give a portion of their entrepreneurial proceeds to the children of Nepal.
Before the earthquakes, Nepalese were working fiercely to increase the literacy rate by building libraries across the country. Apart from our sorrow over the loss of life during and after the disaster, we also grieve a devastating setback in the country's efforts to progress in education.
We can help rebuild education and literacy in Nepal. Why not read a book featuring that beautiful Himalayan country with your children, Girl Scout/Boy Scout troop, summer reading program, Sunday School or Vacation Bible School class? Then encourage them to raise money for an organization working to rebuild libraries and literacy in response to the earthquakes. Check out a few choices below (reviews courtesy of School Library Journal), and please add more options for good books to read and organizations to support in the comments.
K-Gr 3—While shopping in the marketplace, Chandra and her sister, Deena, watch a man selling solar lights. Because few have electricity, at home, Nepali families use tukis, or kerosene lamps, that are very smoky and produce unhealthy fumes. Although the solar lamp is expensive, the girls are certain that it would help quiet their baby brother's smoke-induced cough. They excitedly share the information about the "magic light" with their father. However, it isn't until he sees one working at a neighbor's house that he becomes interested. The new lamps cost more than the family has available, so the girls brainstorm ways they can earn the money. They decide to sell bunches of colorful rhododendrons that grow in the hills. Arriving early to market, Deena has time to tell Chandra a story of the sun god, Surya, and the moon god, Chandra. The young girl is proud to be named for such a powerful god. The girls' stall does well, and they are able to purchase the last solar light available. That night, their little brother sleeps and breathes peacefully. The full-color, mixed-media illustrations dominate the pages with vitality and detail. Thorough endnotes provide much information about Nepal, its people and solar power as well as instructions for making a solar oven. This tale of sibling compassion and ingenuity provides enough story for enjoyment alone but would also work well as an introduction to another culture and religion. — Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY, School Library Journal
Namaste! by Diana Cohn (Author), Amy Cordova (Illustrator), published by Steiner Press, February 2013.
K-Gr 2 — Nima lives in the mountain country of Nepal. Every year her father has to leave to work as a mountain guide for climbers from around the world. The child and her mother part from him with prayers and rice offerings, and by placing a khata, the traditional shawl, around his neck for good luck. Then Nima walks to school. Along the way, she greets yaks, tourists, porters, traders, and Tibetan monks with a "Namaste" by bringing the palms of her hands together and bowing slightly. This greeting translates into "the light in me meets the light in you," and readers soon learn that Nima brings light to everyone around her. The vibrant folk-art illustrations showing the details of Nima's life in her village support the simple story perfectly. This beautiful book will appeal to primary readers and make an ideal addition to multicultural collections. An extensive glossary explains Nepalese terms, and an afterword gives background on Nepalese culture. — Monika Schroeder, American Embassy School, New Delhi, India, School Library Journal
K-Gr 3 – This fable begins at the marketplace, when a young father chooses a new basket for his family. Told from the point of view of the basket, the story proceeds as the baby boy grows up, the man's wife dies, and the son marries and has a family of his own. Through the years, the basket carries infants, crops, and even the woman's body to her grave; it becomes part of the family in a very fundamental way. At last, the father is a disabled old man and his son proposes to leave him at the temple so the priests will have to take care of him. The basket is consigned to carry him there, until the grandson intervenes with a haunting question that offers the moral of this traditional tale from Nepal. A quote from Kung Fu Tze in the sixth century B.C. opens the book: "What one wishes not upon oneself, one burdens not upon another." The simple text offers a splendid backdrop for the beautiful illustrations. Done in gouache, pastel, and collage, the pictures have graceful lines, subtle textures, and magnificent colors. With gold endpapers and gold edgings around each page, there's a timeless quality suited to the story. Lovely. – Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL, School Library Journal
Sold by Patricia Mcormack, published by Hyperion Books for Children, 2008.
Gr 9-Up – As this heartbreaking story opens, 13-year-old Lakshmi lives an ordinary life in Nepal, going to school and thinking of the boy she is to marry. Then her gambling-addicted stepfather sells her into prostitution in India. Refusing to be with men, she is beaten and starved until she gives in. Written in free verse, the girls first-person narration is horrifying and difficult to read. In between, men come./They crush my bones with their weight./They split me open./Then they disappear. I hurt./I am torn and bleeding where the men have been. The spare, unadorned text matches the barrenness of Lakshmis new life. She is told that if she works off her familys debt, she can leave, but she soon discovers that this is virtually impossible. When a boy who runs errands for the girls and their clients begins to teach her to read, she feels a bit more alive, remembering what it feels like to be the number one girl in class again. When an American comes to the brothel to rescue girls, Lakshmi finally gets a sense of hope. An authors note confirms what readers fear: thousands of girls, like Lakshmi in this story, are sold into prostitution each year. Part of McCormicks research for this novel involved interviewing women in Nepal and India, and her depth of detail makes the characters believable and their misery palpable. This important book was written in their honor. – Alexa Sandmann, Kent State University, OH, School Library Journal
A film based on McCormick's award-winning novel, Sold: The Movie, produced by Emma Thompson, is available for screening. Here's the trailer.
Organizations working to (re)build literacy in Nepal
READ has its roots in Nepal, where their first office opened in 1991 after a rural villager told the organization's founder that all he wanted for his village was a library. Since then they have opened READ Centers across the country, offering training programs in livelihood skills, literacy, health, and technology. With partner communities, READ has seeded sustaining enterprises that address community needs: from fish farming and turmeric farming to a community radio station. Almost 4,000 women participate in savings cooperatives at READ Centers in Nepal.
In 1998, Room to Read's Founder, John Wood, delivered his first few hundred books to a school high in the Himalayas, and the organization—then known as Books for Nepal—was born. Since then, Room to Read's local team has expanded operations in the country to include school libraries, reading and writing instruction, school construction, book publishing and girls’ education. They now work in both the Himalayan region and the lowlying Tarai flatlands to improve educational opportunities for Nepal's children.
The Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation maintains seven rural libraries in Nepal, and is seeking to build more. Once books arrive in Nepal, volunteers sort through them and divide them between the libraries. Books are either flown or taken by truck to the trail head and then loaded onto yaks, dzopkyos, donkeys, horses or people who carry them to their remote destinations.
For an overview of Nepalese Children's Literature, check out History of Children’s Literature In Nepal by Biswambhar Ghimire (Chanchal), courtesy of the International Board of Books for Young People.
In honor of Mother’s Day, the last day of Children’s Book Week 2015, the Children’s Book Council (CBC) partnered with The unPrison Project — a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to empowering and mentoring women in prison, while raising awareness of their families’ needs — to create libraries of books for incarcerated mothers to read with their babies at prison nurseries in 10 states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, New York, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
17 of the CBC’s member publishers donated copies of 45 hand-picked titles for children ages 0-18 months for each library. I'm excited, because four of the publishers are mine!
The books will be paired with simple interactive reading guides— fostering mother-child dialogue and bonding — and will be hand-delivered and organized in the nurseries by Deborah Jiang-Stein, founder of The unPrison Project and author of Prison Baby. Jiang-Stein was born in prison to a heroin-addicted mother, and has made it her mission to empower and mentor women and girls in prison. 15 additional titles have also been donated by these publishers to stock visiting room libraries for inmates and their older children.
CBC members participating in the effort are:
ABRAMS Books for Young Readers
Candlewick Press
Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.
Creston Books
Disney Publishing Worldwide
Finding My Way Books
Five Star Publications, Inc.
HarperCollins Children’s Books
Holiday House, Inc.
Kane Miller, a division of EDC Publishing
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
National Geographic Kids
Nobrow (Flying Eye Books)
Penguin Young Readers Group (Nancy Paulsen Books)
Random House Children’s Books
Scholastic, Inc.
The RoadRunner Press
“Of the 200,000 women in prison in the United States, 80% have children. Reading together can be one of the most powerful ways for mothers and their children to stay connected during a prison sentence, but visiting rooms in prisons are vastly underserved and books are hard to come by,” says Deborah Jiang-Stein, founder of The unPrison Project. “These prison-nursery libraries will fill that void for mothers and their babies.”
The Children’s Book Council is the nonprofit trade association for children’s book publishers in North America. The CBC offers children’s publishers the opportunity to work together on issues of importance to the industry at large, including educational programming, literacy advocacy, and collaborations with other national organizations. Our members span the spectrum from large international houses to smaller independent presses. The CBC is proud to partner with other national organizations on co-sponsored reading lists, educational programming, and literacy initiatives. Please visit www.cbcbooks.org for more information.
The mission of The unPrison Project (UP) is to empower, inspire, and cultivate critical thinking, life skills, self-reflection, and peer mentoring for women and girls in prison as tools to plan, set goals, and prepare for a successful life after their release, and at the same time bring public awareness about the needs of incarcerated women and their children. The unPrison Project is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit. Learn more at www.unprisonproject.org.
I've been reading The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence by Gary Haugen and Victor Boutros, which makes a strong case against the atrocities of gender violence. Yesterday I ran across this troubling article from ThinkProgress explaining how the world quickly stopped caring about the kidnapped Nigerian girls, and this opinion in the Telegraph that hashtag campaigns may fail by giving the perpetrators exactly what they want: global publicity. There's another way to keep our minds and hearts focused on the true protagonists of this horrible event—through the power of fiction. Here are three great reads that can connect us to the girls themselves as we hope and pray for their release.
No Laughter Here (Harper) by Rita Williams-Garcia Even though they were born in different countries, Akilah and Victoria are true best friends. But Victoria has been acting strange ever since she returned from her summer in Nigeria, where she had a special coming-of-age ceremony. Why does proud Victoria, named for a queen, slouch at her desk and answer the teacher's questions in a whisper? And why won't she laugh with Akilah anymore? Akilah's name means "intelligent," and she is determined to find out what's wrong, no matter how much detective work she has to do. But when she learns the terrible secret Victoria is hiding, she suddenly has even more questions. The only problem is, they might not be the kind that have answers.
"This exquisitely written short novel tackles an enormous and sensitive subject… Unapologetic, fresh and painful." — Kirkus Reviews (Starred review)
"Combines a richly layered story with accurate, culturally specific information ..... [a] skillfully told, powerful story."� ALA Booklist (Starred review) The Other Side of Truth (HarperTrophy) by Beverly Naidoo, winner of the Carnegie Medal.
A shot. Two shots at the gate in the early morning and a car screeches away down an avenue of palm trees. A tragedy - and a terrible loss for Sade and her younger brother Femi, children of an outspoken Nigerian journalist. Now terror is all around them and they must flee their country. At once. And alone. Plans for their journey have to be hastily arranged. Everything must be done in secret. But once Sade and Femi reach England, they will be safe - won't they? "Totally gripping, somewhat shaming and entirely believable, this is an engrossing and thought-provoking read for 10-years-olds plus." — Sunday Telegraph
"Narrated with exceptional skill in a bracing, unadorned style…" — The Scotsman
Fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother Jaja lead a privileged life in Enugu, Nigeria. They live in a beautiful house, with a caring family, and attend an exclusive missionary school. They're completely shielded from the troubles of the world. Yet, as Kambili reveals in her tender-voiced account, things are less perfect than they appear. Although her Papa is generous and well respected, he is fanatically religious and tyrannical at home—a home that is silent and suffocating.
As the country begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili and Jaja are sent to their aunt, a university professor outside the city, where they discover a life beyond the confines of their father’s authority. Books cram the shelves, curry and nutmeg permeate the air, and their cousins’ laughter rings throughout the house. When they return home, tensions within the family escalate, and Kambili must find the strength to keep her loved ones together.
"Prose as lush as the Nigerian landscape that it powerfully evokes. . . . Adichie's understanding of a young girl's heart is so acute that her story ultimately rises above its setting and makes her little part of Nigeria seem as close and vivid as Eudora Welty's Mississippi." — The Boston Globe
"In a soft, searing voice, Adichie examines the complexities of family, faith and country through the haunted but hopeful eyes of a young girl on the cusp of womanhood. Lush, cadenced and often disconcerting. — Publishers Weekly
If your kids are complaining about school, don't lecture them about the gift of an education. Instead, read them Razia's Ray of Hope: One Girl's Dream of an Education by Elizabeth Suneby, illustrated by Suana Verelst (Kids Can Press, 9/13).
This inspiring story is about a brave girl in Afghanistan who must convince the men in her family to allow her to attend school. The author, Elizabeth Suneby, was inspired by Razia Jan, one of CNN’s 2012 Top 10 Heroes of the Year. Jan founded the Zabuli Education Center outside Kabul, near villages where there had never been a school for girls.
Instead of telling us information about the school from an insider's perspective, Suneby introduces us to another Razia, a girl who gazes longingly at the school from the outside. Details about life in Afghanistan are seamlessly woven into the story. As they cheer for Razia on her brave quest, American children might begin to understand the value of an education and why so many of their counterparts in other countries desperately desire it.
I was delighted to be part of Primary Source's honorary committee at their annual Gala for Global Education, which took place at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts last Friday evening. For those who don't know about this organization and their exciting work with teachers, here's their "about us" statement:
Primary Source promotes history and humanities education by connecting
educators to people and cultures throughout the world. In partnership
with teachers, scholars, and the broader community, Primary Source
provides learning opportunities and curriculum resources for K-12
educators. By introducing global content, Primary Source shapes the way
teachers and students learn, so that their knowledge is deeper and their
thinking is flexible and open to inquiry.
At the Gala, Director Julia de la Torre gave an inspiring talk about the value of exposing educators to the world through travel and books. During a recent Primary Source trip to rural China, she was struck by the fact that teachers never travel alone, but "always bring their students along with them."
President and Publisher Brent Farmer came to show how my friends at Charlesbridge Publishing are behind me.
Long-time Brookline teacher Marcy Prager and her husband Robert are firm believers in global education.
Power librarian couple Ryan (Assistant Director of the Newton Free Library) and Jennifer (Primary Source's Librarian) Hanson enjoyed the wonderful evening.
My husband is always proud of me, and the feeling is mutual.
When I got up I was very happy knowing that I will go to school today. At school some girls were wearing uniform whereas others were in casual clothes. During assembly girls looked extremely happy and were hugging each other.
After assembly the headmistress advised us to cover ourselves properly and wear the burqa because it is a condition put by the Taleban.
This entry is from the BBC Diary of Pakistani Schoolgirl, written by Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year old living in Swat, Pakistan.
According to the BBC:
Private schools in Pakistan's troubled north-western Swat district have been ordered to close in a Taleban edict banning girls' education. Militants seeking to impose their austere interpretation of Sharia law have destroyed about 150 schools in the past year. Five more were blown up despite a government pledge to safeguard education, it was reported on Monday. A seventh grade schoolgirl from Swat chronicles how the ban has affected her and her classmates.
To my horror, I heard this morning that the Taleban tried to execute this brave writer. Would you join me in praying for Malala? Don't miss this short video to catch a glimpse of her courage:
For ideas about how to support writers like Malala, fighting for freedom with the power of words, visit Freedom to Write at PEN America.
The IBBY-Asahi Reading Promotion Award, initiated by the International Board on Books for Young People and sponsored by the Japanese newspaper company, Asahi Shimbun, is given every two years to two groups or projects making a lasting contribution to reading promotion for children and young people. The 2012 awards were announced on March 19th at the
Bologna Children’s Book Festival, and the winners are:
Abuelas Cuentacuentos (Storytelling
Grandmothers), Argentina. This program is aimed at inspiring a love of reading in the country’s poorest children. Elderly people visit schools, orphanages, and hospitals to read stories aloud to children. These volunteers, mainly unemployed women between the ages of 50 and 70, delight in this new and productive way of sharing their time, affection, and talents as storytellers.
SIPAR, Cambodia. During the regime of the Khmer Rouge all books had been destroyed and their creators killed. No publishing houses existed in the country. In 2000,
SIPAR (already working to build libraries across the country) started training workshops for publishing, writing, and illustration, mostly for children's books. Today SIPAR has a small Cambodian-run publishing department which has published 70 titles and printed 130,000 free copies for the 200 SIPAR libraries and students at teacher training colleges.
Here are all seventeen wonderful projects nominated for the 2012 IBBY-Asahi Award:
Abuelas Cuentacuentos : Grandmother Storytelling Programme, Argentina, proposed by IBBY Argentina
New Education Kids' Reading Promotion Plan, China, proposed by IBBY China
SIPAR, Cambodia, proposed by IBBY France and supported by IBBY Switzerland
Room to Read, proposed by IBBY Germany
Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation and Library, Pireaus, proposed by IBBY Greece
PaanPoee Vachanalay, Pune, proposed by IBBY India
Give us Books, Give us Wings, Iran, proposed by IBBY Iran
Nati per Leggere / Born to Read, Italy, proposed by IBBY Italy
Sod Nomun / Nomadic library, Mongolia, proposed by IBBY Mongolia
Kelompok Pencinta Bacaan Anak / Society for the Advancement of Children's Literature, Indonesia, proposed by IBBY Netherlands
I remember how much I anticipated Saturday afternoons, when my sister would walk me to the Flushing Public Library for my weekly fix of books. Ana, a girl growing up in rural Colombia, shares that eagerness for stories in WAITING FOR THE BIBLIOBURRO (Random House) by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra. Like me, Ana also discovers the joy of creating her own stories.
Recommended by my librarian, Jean Holmblad of the Newton Free Library, this gorgeous picture book is inspired by another librarian, Luis Soriano Bohórquez. A visionary man who grasps the power of books to change the world, Bohórquez spends hours transporting them to children around Colombia on two donkeys, Alfa and Beto.
I'd love to read this story to kids and let them feast their eyes on Parra's paintings. Then I'd ask, "Why did the man go through so much trouble to bring the children books to read?"
Check out this trailer of a 2011 PBS documentary on the mission and work of Bohórquez:
Ever wondered why Birmingham airport was renamed the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth airport in 2008? BLACK AND WHITE (Calkins Creek) by Larry Dane Brimner will have you cheering each time you hear the name. As Brimner notes: "Reverend Fred. L. Shuttlesworth never once thought about giving up the fight for human and civil rights. He was, after all, following the path God intended for him, and he'd answered that calling early in his life."
The best children's non-fiction history books chronicle events by combining arresting visuals with lucid prose. Thanks to Brimner's gifts of storytelling and research, a meticulous collection of photographs and letters, and a design that brilliantly pleads the case for the traditional codex, BLACK AND WHITE transports readers into the heart of the civil rights movement. The book brings two characters to life--Shuttlesworth and his nemesis, Eugene "Bull" Connor--as well as the town of Birmingham in the middle of the twentieth century, helping us remember the sacrifice and determination that secured changes we might start taking for granted.
A rousing portrayal of what faithful Christians can and have endured to bring about justice, BLACK AND WHITE singlehandedly makes me proud of our vocation to nourish the imaginations and intellect of the next generation.
Have you been looking for me? You have not been missing from my heart but I realize that my words have been missing from this blog. Please forgive me. The Fall of 2011 has given me great joy and even greater projects. I have been able to launch several anti-bullying initiatives and programs to change the scope of our communities. Much of my time has also been occupied by researching relevant subjects that will be in future books. Whenever I am not around-you are still with me. Without my readers I would not be who I am. I have been asked on several occasions about my motivation for doing the work that I do. It is simple. I want to use my passion to inspire and motivate others to be kind, to be caring and to be courageous. When I deliver a shipment of books to our Literacy Project Partners I deliver hope in written form. When I host anti-bullying info nights and sessions together we create a community that cares and when I meet my readers I meet my favorite people. Have you been working on a new project? Do you have something that is consuming your time that brings meaning to others? Let us know! Together we can make a difference. -Read something great
0 Comments on Sorry for my distance... as of 12/9/2011 12:14:00 AM
Last Tuesday, I was thrilled to be a guest at the IGNITE Change Awards Banquet hosted by Boston GLOW, a girl-power organization founded by several dynamic twenty-somethings, including my friend A.C. Gaughen, a YA author.
Along with Deb Sloan, Sarah Aronson, Anna Staniszewskiand Angie Frazier, I served as a panelist to judge the essay contest. It was delightful to be in attendance as Boston Glow distributed $5000 in scholarship prizes to the winners, a group of gorgeous, strong, smart young women. Enjoy the videos created by Nacie Carson, founder of The Life Uncommon, to get a taste of the event.
The IGNITE Change Essay Contest Awards Banquet was held on April 12, 2011,
and awarded $5000 in scholarship prizes to Boston-area teen girls.
Meet the finalists and glimpse a bit of their vision to improve life in their communities.
Cloud Tea Monkeys (Candlewick) by Mal Peet and Elspeth Graham is a tale about a compassionate, spunky, animal-loving girl about nine or ten. Know any girls like that? Then please invite them for afternoon tea and biscuits and read Tashi's story aloud.
More than a fairy or folk tale (even though it was an accolade book for the Aesop prize), this engaging child-centered story depicts clearly the source of our tea. Set in a Himalayan community, neither the story nor illustrations stint on the labor required from women and children to grow a product that many of us take for granted. Let your guests savor the glowing, gorgeous illustrations by Juan Wijngaard as you're transported to the faraway world of tea gardens, but you might also ask questions about how hard the women have to work and why Tashi isn't going to school.
One also wonders what might have happened to Tashi and her mother if monkeys hadn't come to the rescue. Real life doesn't have as many happy endings. How we consume in America makes a huge difference in the lives of girls like Tashi who don't have access to magic. (For example, Honest Tea buys 100% fair trade tea, Lipton is moving to this by 2020, but Snapple is far from that goal.)
Encourage children to learn about fair trade tea—it's a concept most of us can grasp at a fairly young age. Here are some free curriculum and great teaching suggestions from Equal Exchange, and enjoy this video from the people at Art of Tea.
Today's Writers for the Red Cross Auction swag bag is from me. It includes a signed hardcover of Bamboo People, a bamboo bookmark with pewter elephant from Thailand, a signed hardcover of Secret Keeper, and an alabaster candle holder from India. Browse the other items up for bidding—there are some generous donations.
Meanwhile, let's keep praying for Japan. In 1948, Nobel prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck published a children's book about a tsunami in Japan called The Big Wave. In 2005, NPR's Jacki Lyden read an excerpt from that "famous story of a Japanese boy who must face life after escaping the tidal wave destruction of his family and village." Has anybody read it since the recent tragedy? What are your thoughts?
I've been meaning to "follow" you for quite awhile. I'm good friends with Barbara O'Connor and I think we probably have many other MG writer friends in common. :-)
Wow, as a person who has had recurring dreams of "The Big Wave" Now what? The metaphor for the ocean as the unknown and then a tsunami as a destructive force that comes from that unknown....and in the destruction forces us to dissolve...
Thanks for your blog = a wealth of information
I am looking forward to reading and listening to your many books...And just wanted to say Hi.
Be transported to Burma, Cuba, Haiti and 1970s Boston and experience the challenges children just like you face every day. Mitali Perkins, author of Bamboo People, Christina Gonzalez, author of The Red Umbrella,Richard Michelson, author of Busing Brewster and Lionel Vital(inspiration for Youme Landowne’s Selavi) tell the stories and struggles of children around the world. Hosted by Bridgespan’sKatie Smith Milway, author of One Hen and The Good Garden.
In Burma, $50 can save five lives — providing rice, a cooking pot, a machete, a lighter, and a plastic tarp to boys like Tu Reh, Chiko, and their families.
After reading Bamboo People, if a classroom, scout troop, or book group wants to help, why not raise $50 through a bake sale, car wash, or other brilliant idea and send it to Partners World? After you raise the money and send it, write me ([email protected]) and I'll list you here along with other groups who participate.
Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients who traditionally lack access to banking. Organizations like Kiva and the Grameen Bank believe it's a vital weapon in the war against poverty. But how do we help kids grasp the concept? Here are five books that introduce children to the impact of microfinance (full disclosure: one is mine).
A young girl's dream of attending school in her small Ugandan village is fulfilled after her family is given an income-producing goat. Based on a true story about the work of Project Heifer.
Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. When Naima's rash effort to help to raise money puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful nature and her talents to save the day.
Beatrice (the girl from Beatrice's Goat)visited my classroom in 2001 when she was 16 years old. She was a lovely, articulate young woman who shared her story with my 4th grade students (in English, one of the many languages she spoke by then). They were so inspired by her that they set a goal to raise enough money to buy a goat, which I believe was $95 at the time. They were so successful that they raised more then $600 to donate to the Heifer Project. Heifer does wonderful work.
Michelle Cusolito Polliwog on Safari http://michellecusolito.blogspot.com/
Debra L. Holland said, on 5/7/2010 3:08:00 PM
Yes, Heifer is wonderful. Note that Jan West Schrock is the daughter of Dan West, founder of Heifer project. I was privileged to meet Jan at Heifer University last November, still carrying on Dan's work.
Here's a list of 26 classic and current YA novels recommended in response to yesterday's call for books about bullying in school, alphabetized by author last name. Scroll down to find out more about the titles in the widget below the list. As always, feel free to add more suggestions in the comments.
The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill Alexander
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Names Will Never Hurt Me by Jaimie Adoff
Blubber by Judy Blume
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
The Truth about the Truman School by Dori Hillestand Butler
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
Sticks and Stones by Beth Goobie
Girl on the Other Side by Deborah Kerbel
Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles
Schooled by Gordan Korman
The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Slam Book by Ann M. Martin
The Smell of Old Lady Perfume by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez
Found your site on Face book, YA Authors Against Bullying. I listed 2 books I have written for YA and would like to add to your list. The Puppet Triangle and Steps to Justice is the sequel.
Thanks for posting this. It's such an important issue with Facebook and cell phone bullying added on. My 13 year old daughter and I just finished 13 Reasons Why. A great book. You've got a lot of other really good ones on your list.
Wow, this is so incredible. I had no idea there were so many (but that is a very good thing). Have you ever considered of making this a feature on your blog? I love both this list and the one on forgiveness.
Every 15 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease. Can you believe it? This horror must end, and thankfully many good people around the globe are engaged in the battle.
When it comes to those of us who care about books and kids, you've heard me say it before: books can play a part in shaping a child's heart to care and learn about this issue.
In honor of World Water Day, here are five tried-and-true picture books illuminating the life-giving power of water (please add more suggestions in the comments):
BRINGING THE RAIN TO KAPITI PLAIN (Dial, 1981) by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal
Based on a Kenyan folktale, this Reading Rainbow selection uses cumulative rhyme to show how Ki-pat ingeniously brings rain to the arid Kapiti Plain.
THE WATER HOLE (Abrams, 2001) by Graeme Base
As one rhino gives way to two tigers, then three toucans, on up to 10 kangaroos, die-cut pages reveal the water hole in 10 different worldwide habitats, from African plains to Himalayan mountains to the Australian outback. But the water hole keeps shrinking, and with it the number of frolicking frogs. Can anything bring back the water that the animals all need to survive?
RATA PATA SCATA FATA (Little Brown, 1995) by Phyllis Gershator, illustrated by Holly Meade
Preferring to dream away the days on his Caribbean island, little Junjun tries saying magic words to get the chores done — including filling the rain barrel with much-needed water.
MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER'S GOURD (Orchard Books, 2000) by Cristina Kessler, illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop
Residents of a Sudanese village rejoice when a traditional water storage method is replaced by modern technology, but Fatima's grandmother knows there is no substitute for the reliability of the baobab tree.
Great suggestions. Thanks for this post. See more reading suggestions (PB and others) at Feb's Social Justice Challenge at mawbooks: http://socialjusticechallenge.mawbooks.com/monthly-social-justice-themes/water/
A Cool Drink of Water by Barbara Kerley (Nat Geo 2002) is a lovely look at water and the ways it is sipped everyday around the world. The photos, poetic text and explanations are prowerful!
Many of you have been participating in HarperTeen's enormously popular 28 Days of Winter promotion, and tomorrow (February 25) The Heart is Not a Size will be the featured book. Stop by the site to read an exclusive interview in which I talk about best friends, making a difference, romance (hmmmm), and travel. Answer the day's poll, and get a shot at winning a pretty grand prize.
Much of Heart focuses on Georgia's desire to somehow make a difference. Those of you who follow this blog know that the book was largely inspired by the Juarez trip that I took with some spectacular teens and adults. We went to build a community bathroom on the top of a hill and here, in these photographs, you see us at work. I'm the one in the pink and orange (what a color combo!) with a hammer in her hand. I'm the one who didn't want to come home. No. Wait. There were plenty of us who fit that description.
Ruta Rimas, thanks to you today for letting me know that Heart, the official hardback, has now arrived in the HarperTeen offices. I feel another contest coming on.
4 Comments on The Heart is Not a Size: Read an Interview/Get a shot at an IPod Touch, last added: 2/24/2010
A new study in Scotland finds tween and teen girls crumbling under cultural pressure:
Over the two decades, (Helen) Sweeting found that, while the 15-year-old boys she spoke to had experienced a small increase in psychological distress, the number of girls of the same age reporting mental issues from mild anxiety to issues serious enough to justify hospital treatment, had jumped sharply.
Assuming a growing global homogeneity of youth culture, I shared this article on twitter today and asked two questions:
Are there cultural sub-pockets where strong girls find shelter from the "be successful *and* sexy or else" stress storm?
When it comes to cultural pressure on teen girls, should YA writers try to mend, join the trend, or neither?
Theater, sports, Girl Scouts, fasting from media, and strong families were among the responses to the first question. (If you have others, leave them in the comments.)
As for the question of responsible writing for tweens and teens without didacticism, Janni Lee Simner, author of Bones of Faerie, gave this balanced answer: "They should try to show [the pressure] truly — to give it and readers a voice."
Books were definitely a haven for me in the face of cultural pressure, even though I came of age in a much less stressful time for girls. That's why I'm proud Secret Keeper made the 2010 ALA Amelia Bloomer List, a bibliography "intended to highlight feminist books examining women’s history, those that celebrate women who have blazed trails, and those that describe problems and identify solutions for situations we face today."
I suppose in religions girls can feel safe and have no pressure to be sexy. I definitely agree with the sports one! Bit I also think ins sports there is a lot of pressure to be sucessful and WIN.But that drive can be good. In most extracurriculars activites really, whther it be debate team, Model UN, math team, medical club, etc. these help shelter girls and help us to grow and feel more confident that we can do anything.
This is a sad study and I imagine if girls in Scotland feel this way, American girls feel it even more. I know I do.
I am a graduate of and a former teacher in an all-girls high school. I highly encourage parents to consider single-sex education for their teen girls. I realize that this is not feasible for many, but for those to whom it is accessible it is an invaluable opportunity. This article articulates the argument much better than I could http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/graduates-of-all-girls-schools-85038.aspx.
As for the responsibility of YA writers, I feel the mere fact that YA literature has completely exploded since I was a teen in the mid 90s is enough . I read adult fiction as a teen because there wasn’t much around then (or nobody was pointing it out to me) and by then I’d already outgrown Francine Pascal’s blond twins (worthy of another whole discussion). As the mother of a girl, an educator, and a library student, I feel it is the responsibility adult readers to connect teen girls with stories that portray strong heroines.
Pour yourself a cup of tea and join us as we find out more about the author (who is lighting up the Fire Escape with her beautiful smile, no?) and her funny, inspiring middle-grade book featuring an unforgettable guy protagonist.
Describe Gbemi at age fourteen.
Yikes! Trying to set a record for number of after-school activities. Obsessed with "A+"s. Tired of people suggesting that she change her name to something easier when she gets older. Certain she'd be a playwright and live in a very modern Central Park West apartment with lots of windows and stainless steel appliances. Lots of rubber bracelets, large and mismatched earrings, off-the-shoulder fashion, mini skirts and patterned tights. Enthusiastic participant in lip-sync competitions, and secret member of the math and debate teams. Voracious reader and painfully earnest journal-writer who desperately wished someone would know that she was a 'true princess', and a dreamer who was never quite able to mask just how out of place she felt.
I can just picture you, Gbemi. We would have been friends for sure. Okay, now about the book. What was the biggest (hardest) change you made in response to Cheryl Klein's editorial input?
Cheryl is such a gifted editor, and it was wonderful to work with someone who has such a passion for her work. She really understands story structure, and that focus really worked well for a character-driven story like mine, and we spent a lot of time moving chapters around to keep Reggie's story moving.
Just one example: Cheryl made this wonderful suggestion to move a segment that came in the later part of the book to the beginning, and I think that was a key change that helped Reggie's likeability factor. One of the hardest changes for me to make was the opening. I'd started with an opening sentence back in 2002, and was very much attached to it. I'd also spent a lot of time working on coming up with a *really* gross scenario on the opening pages, and I guess I succeeded; the verdict was that it was just a little too disgusting. But I was tremendously pleased with myself for going there, so it was hard to let that go. :-)
In general, I learned a lot about the importance of getting out of the way of my own work in the revision process. You can fall in love with a line, a passage, a character, and you want the world to know just how clever you are, what literary heights you can achieve (and by 'you', I mean me). I worried a lot about how I would be perceived, what image this book would project. There was a 'deep breath' moment in revising when I had to ask myself if I wanted to use Reggie and the other characters to tell my story, or if I wanted to listen and work faithfully to tell theirs.
Reggie was not an easy character to write. It took me a long time to love him; I spent a lot of time thinking variations of 'what a whiner/punk/irritant' this kid is! I can't believe him!' as I wrote. It was important for me to go back and re-discover his lovable moments, his positive qualities and revise with those things in mind, to add dimension
I so very much appreciated the earnestness of Reggie's exploration of faith in this book - so much heart, and so much soul, and so much of an encouragement to me.
Wonderful interview! I would definitely have been your friend in high school Gbemi =)
Ugh that's so annoying that people suggested you should change your name to something easier, it's beautiful! I should tell a Tom or Mary to change their name to something more interesting and original.
I think Reggies is such a lovable character and he rarely came off as a punk, never a whiner! He's adorable and is an inspiration that we can all help our communities regardless of age.
I have a copy that Doret (HappyNappyBookseller) was kind enough to send me and I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing SuperZero! I really enjoy reading interview such as this when one author interviews another. The questions you ask give such insight into a particular author and the writing/publishing process as well!
As we focus on the disaster in Haiti, I thought I'd compile a few books written for children and teens set in that country. Stories can bring faraway people and places from the screen into our homes and hearts, and keep them there, even through information overload or compassion fatigue. As always, feel free to suggest additions in the comments and I'll add them to our list.
SELAVI, THAT IS LIFE: A STORY OF HOPE IN HAITI by Youme Landowne
Cinco Puntos Press, 2005
Ages 5 to 10
The true story of Sélavi ("that is life"), a small boy who finds himself homeless on the streets of Haiti. He finds other street children who share their food and a place to sleep. Together they proclaim a message of hope through murals and radio programs.
TAP-TAP by Karen Lynn Williams, Catherine Stock (Illustrator)
Clarion, 1995
Ages 4 to 8
After selling oranges in the market, a Haitian mother and daughter have enough money to ride the tap-tap, a truck that picks up passengers and lets them off when they bang on the side of the vehicle.
RUNNING THE ROAD TO ABC by Denize Lauture, Reynold Ruffins (illustrator)
Simon and Schuster, 1996
Ages 3-8
Six Haitian children awaken before dawn each morning to run barefoot to school, a journey that is complemented by the sounds of nature and the bright morning sun, in a rhythmic ABC story that captures the nation's hill and meadow regions.
ANACAONA, GOLDEN FLOWER, HAITI, 1490 by Edwidge Danticat
Scholastic, 2005
Ages 9-12
Queen Anacaona was the wife of one of her island's rulers, and a composer of songs and poems, making her popular among her people. Haiti was relatively quiet until the Spanish conquistadors discovered the island and began to settle there in 1492. The Spaniards treated the natives very cruelly, and when the natives revolted, the Spanish governor of Haiti ordered the arrests of several native nobles, including Anacaona, who was eventually captured and executed, to the horror of her people.
A TASTE OF SALT by Francis Temple
HarperCollins, 1991
YA
In the hospital after being beaten by Macoutes, seventeen-year-old Djo tells the story of his impoverished life to a young woman who
Well, great minds think alike. I just started a post like this today, and now I don't need to finish it! Here are two additional titles I pulled from my shelf.
I really like the book CIRCLES OF HOPE by Karen Williams.
PLEASE, MALESE!: A TRICKSTER TALE FROM HAITI by Amy MacDonald is great fun and the illustrations are a wonderful homage to Haitian art.
You could include the Campbell family series by Janet Lambert, which begins with The Precious Days. The Campbells live on a boat in Haiti before their parents (in a later book) send them back to the US for school. This series is a bit dated but still very enjoyable. http://www.imagecascade.com/precious-days.html
Great idea, Mitali. I find it interesting that the last book was published five years ago. I've been trying to place a picture book manuscript set in Haiti for almost a year now. I received very nice rejections full of pride about the music of the text and what not, but rejections nevertheless. I do wish people would start thinking of Haiti as something else than the "most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere." There is so much more... But then, something horrifying like that happens. Anyway, writing a post about other books, but for adults. Haiti's history and culture are extraordinary and deserve to be better known. Thanks again.
I've been leading a Facebook read-to-change book group. We finished Michele Alexander's THE NEW JIM CROW: MASS INCARCERATION IN THE AGE OF COLORBLINDNESS and are about to start Bryan Stevenson's JUST MERCY. It's not to late to join us as we begin this round of reading next week.
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What a brave and beautiful girl. Thanks for sharing her story!
I don't know why more people aren't talking about this. So glad you blogged about it.