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Albert Whitman & Company has been publishing children’s books that entertain, educate, and encourage since 1919. This blog is a means to extend those values. We feature weekly podcasts with our authors and illustrators, nostalgic look-backs through Albert Whitman’s early archives, and "Classroom Connection," news and materials specifically geared for educators. Of course we will also keep you updated with sneak peeks on forthcoming titles, industry news, and Twitter-ready musings.
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For our continuing series of asking young readers to comment on our books, we asked Alex (age 13) to talk about Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera and if doing so had sparked any continued interest in the subject. We asked him this question because the anniversaries that began with the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 this past September continue. The 10th anniversary of the opening of the Guantanamo Bay detention center is next week — January 11, 2012.
Guantanamo Boy was an amazing book. I would recommend it to all historical fiction fans anywhere because it has the perfect combination of history and fiction. This book opened my eyes in so many ways to the awful things that happened after 9/11 to mostly innocent people.
This book was important for me to read, because it was the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and we learned about it in school. After we learned about it in depth, I went back and read this book again and was horrified that the United Sates Government could do such a thing. I know that they were angry with the Taliban, but not all Muslims are a part of the Taliban or are even dangerous. The Taliban and the al-Quaeda are just extremely small extremist groups within a vast population of generally peaceful people.
After reading about how cruelly the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay were treated, I decided to do some more research. I found out that the Taliban had already tried earlier attempts than 9/11. I found out that the prisoners were put in Guantanamo to find out more about the Taliban and al Quaeda through interrogation. Once they were in Guantanamo the prisoners were starved and treated harshly in the hopes that it would break their will and they would tell about the terrorists.
What the government didn’t know was that few prisoners knew anything about the terrorist activities.
by Josalyn Moran
On Saturday November 19 we had the opportunity to visit the Swedish American Museum in the Chicago Andersonville neighborhood and to participate in their first Flick, Ricka, Dicka celebration.
The event was keynoted by readings throughout the day from the Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr series by Swedish author Maj Lindman.
Children delighted in having their pictures taken behind or with a life-size cut out of the literary triplets.
Delicious hot drinks were served from a hot chocolate bar complete with a tempting array of toppings. Swedish holiday cookies were provided by the Swedish Bakery.
The craft room was abuzz with decoration making including felt ice skates and cone shaped Christmas trees.
Attendance at the event was free and open to the public. Several merchants in the area, including Women and Children First Bookstore, Swedish American Museum Gift Store, The Wooden Spoon, and The Red Balloon Co. generously supported a raffle by donating delightful gifts.
Copies of the newly reissued Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka and The New Skates (complete with paper dolls) sold briskly at the gift shop.
A splendid time was had by all and we look forward to partnering with the museum on future events. A special thanks goes to Jessie Aucoin, education manager for the museum, for all her efforts in making the day so wonderful.
0 Comments on Flicka, Ricka, Dicka Celebrate the Holidays as of 1/1/1900
by Caity in Sales
I recently had the pleasure of working at the Scholastic Book Fair at my children’s schools. I always enjoy working at the fair. I get a chance to look at some of the newest books, interact with the kids, and buy some books for the holidays (using my volunteer coupon—a little perk).
Now I wish I could say that the kids are only buying books, but let’s be realistic here. Many of these kids are spending their money on giant pencils and cool erasers (which they’ll never actually use to erase anything), posters and bookmarks. Of course, some buy a book or two first, and then as they feel they have to spend all the money that mom or dad gave them, they finish out the sale with these little tchotchkes.
I was there on the first day of the fair at my son’s school (2nd-5th grades) when kids came in to write up a wish list, or purchase items if they had money and were ready for that. I wasn’t working the cash register, so I’m not exactly sure what the hot items were. But I know the stack of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever was quickly dwindling. Many of the kids also checked out the displays for Lego, Star Wars, Rebecca Caudill, and Blue Stem.
My son went to school with money that morning and came home in the afternoon with a copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid along with one about the 25 best pitchers in the Major Leagues for 2011. I wasn’t at all surprised as those were the two books I figured he would be interested in. I’m happy that he spent his money on books and not posters or a cell phone eraser.
Two of our titles were visible at the fair—What Am I? Illinois and Fox Walked Alone. The librarian really liked What Am I? Illinois (even though it’s the wrong age for this school), and thought that it would be a great book for parents to buy as a gift for younger siblings.
At my daughter’s school, which is a PreK-1, I worked the last day of the fair. It was pretty quiet, as most of the kids had already come in to purchase their books. At that fair, I saw our book, Grandma Lena’s Big Ol’ Turnip. They also had a Lego and Star Wars display. Not surprising, they still had stacks of Diary of a Wimpy Kid—it’s a little too old for that school. My daughter picked up a chapter book about a puppy (no surprise) and an easy reader based on the movie Dolphin Tale, along with a cool pen, of course!
0 Comments on as of 1/1/1900
The annual conference of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) was held in Chicago earlier this month. Several of us headed downtown to wander the exhibits, meet with attendees, and attend some sessions.
I was lucky enough to attend a program entitled “Stop the Bullying,” which featured a number of specialists and celebrities in the anti-bullying world. We heard the stats and the studies about what works best. We learned about some books that might help — Teri Lesesne introduced us to some newer novels. I sat in on a round-table discussion of novels featuring “Bullycide” by CJ Bott.
But the highlight of the session — and indeed the part that I am still unable to process completely — was a talk by Judy Shepard, Matthew Shepard’s mother.
This small, soft spoken woman talked to her fellow teachers about how hard being the classroom really is — she made them understand that she understood their issues first. Then she said that the murder of her son is what happens when “bullying goes unchecked.”
I wasn’t taking notes, so this might not be her exact words, but there was silence when she softly said:
Am I saying that the teachers have responsibility in Matt’s death?
Yes.
Am I saying that the school has responsibility in Matt’s death?
Yes.
Am I saying the whole community has responsibility in Matt’s death?
Yes.
Am I saying we all have responsibility in Matt’s death?
Yes.
To be honest, I don’t remember much of the rest of the speech. A week and a half later, I’m still stuck in that moment.
When I’m ready, I think I’ll go read some of those recommended books. And in the meantime, I recommend seeking some out on your own. Here is a list of our titles on bullying for a start.
By Caity in Sales
With the holidays approaching, it may be tempting to want to give a real live furry friend to the child or children in your lives. I know my daughter would leap with joy if Santa left a golden retriever puppy under the tree for her. But thankfully, as Santa says in Christmas Kitten, Home at Last, by Robin Pulver, illustrated by Layne Johnson, “We don’t give pets for Christmas unless parents say it’s OK.” Whew! Thanks, Santa!
If you are considering giving a pet as a gift, there are many questions you need to ask yourself first. Both the ASPCA and the American Kennel Club offer some excellent guidelines. Some of the tips include:
- What kind of a pet is right for you?
- Do you have enough time for training, grooming, exercising?
- Do you have the finances to cover the health and well-being of your pet?
- Do you have enough space in your home?
If you have determined that a pet, and more specifically a cat or a dog, is the perfect holiday gift, then adopting a pet from a shelter is one of the best things you could do. Your family will have a lovable new friend and you will offer a warm and loving home to an animal that really needs one.
Here are some of our favorite Albert Whitman stories about dogs and the families that adopted them from a shelter:
The Christmas Pups by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by John Kanzler
The Buddy Files series by Dori Hillestad Butler
Shelter Dogs: Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays by Peg Kehret
And don’t forget the prequel to Christmas Kitten, Home at Last:
Christmas for a Kitten by Robin Pulver, illustrated by Layne Johnson
0 Comments on Advice on Adopting Pets (As Holiday Presents or Otherwise) as of 1/1/1900
When I was Marketing Director of the Children’s Book Council, the Early Career Committee had their first few Extreme Trivia Nights — held annually in November. For those first few years, I sat in the back sitting on my hands because I could not compete. Of course, I’d helped with some of the questions, so it would not have been fair.
Since then, I have not competed because I was never in NYC at the time of the event…but that changed last night. As I spent two days meeting with editors, librarians, and other children’s literature opinionmakers, my mind often drifted elsewhere — to Tuesday night — when I could compete in my first Extreme Trivia Challenge!
Hosts: Gabrielle Zvirin and Carolyn Mackler
So last night, I approached the Scholastic building in Soho with eager anticipation. I ran into old friends and met a few new ones, but then it was on to round one. We were assigned teams (roughly randomly, but I did notice that all of the former winners were on separate teams) — here is my team: Team 1
Sarah Barley (Harper); Julie Leung (Random House), Michelle Bayuk (Albert Whitman), Amy Allen (Henry Holt), Dana Bergman (Penguin)
I told them immediately that I wanted to win. We talked specialities — mine being that I have read all the Newberys. One woman was a fantasy fiction fan. Another read very widely as an editorial assistant in a paperback house. We felt we had a fighting chance.
So, round one had NO NEWBERY QUESTIONS and for a run of about 5-6 questions in the middle I had not read any of the books mentioned. On the plus side, we had to name three of the dwarfs from THE HOBBIT and one of our team members could remember four. We did very well on the name the movie based on a children’s/YA book based on the actor — just missed one. And we completely guess on one question — and we got it exactly right!
In the end, we were in the middle of the pack – perhaps in the upper half — but the first round went to Team 5 and Team 10.
Round Two featured a Jeapardy-style board with various categories — including “Book Meets Book.” This category featured the best question of the night — I don’t remember the clue, but the answer was BOXCAR CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS.
This category helped propel Team 10 to the win in round two — but then came the final question where both teams had to wager points based on the category (again Jeapordy-style, but the answers were not in the form of a question in any round).
And there was my Newbery question — and I would not have had the answer. I knew I’d read the book in question — the clue was a quote from the book. The answer: MANIA MAGEE.
Neither team had the answer, but Team 5 wagered more points than Team 10 — so Team 10 won the treasured Golden Bunny statues. My friend Heather Scott (Scholastic) won her second first place Golden Bunny! (She’d also been on a second place team awhile back.) Congratulations!
I wonder if I can be in NYC at the right time next year?
2 Comments on CBC Extreme Trivia Night, last added: 11/17/2011
I’m not a convert to National Novel Writing Month in the way you might think. I’ve never completed a manuscript during NaNoWriMo (and in fact have only attempted it once). My conversion has to do with the fact that I used to really sort of hate NaNoWriMo. As a writer, I felt it reduced the book-writing process to a hacky speed-typing game, and as an editor I’d shudder at the thought of thousands of novella-length rough drafts heading straight to my inbox in December. NaNoWriMo was for dilettantes, I thought.
But in time I changed my mind. Something about that surge of collective writing energy rearing up every November as the weather grew colder was—I had to admit—extremely appealing. And if any underdeveloped NaNoWriMo novel manuscripts wound up in the slush pile, I couldn’t tell them apart from the many underdeveloped novel manuscripts that were already there.
Eventually I began to just appreciate NaNo for the unique creative opportunity that it is. Because if there’s one pet peeve I’ve developed from working in this business, it’s talking to people (acquaintances, strangers on airplanes, fellow cocktail party attendees) who find out what I do and tell me they have an idea for a book, a book that they will write someday. The peevish part is that because of my vocation, these folks often expect me to help them by giving them a complete explanation of the publishing process, or my agent’s email address, or even a book deal. But honestly, when someone has just an idea for book, the only way I can help is to say, “Well, then you should write the book.”
So I’m grateful now that every November, pretty much the entire internet comes out to rally behind those words: YOU SHOULD WRITE THE BOOK. Stop talking about “someday.” WRITE THE BOOK. Look, here’s a whole month where you can WRITE THE BOOK!
I believe NaNoWriMo can be serve you beset when you approach it not as gimmicky experiment, but as a starting point. Personally I don’t think NaNo’s official word count requirement and the “don’t delete anything, ever” rule is necessarily useful for everyone—for me, for example, taking the extra step to shape a sentence from time to time helps me think. And reading about this guy’s non-NaNoWriMo experience of writing a book in two months gives me pause when he says that he “barely left the apartment” while writing 1500 words a day, making me wonder how people who work day jobs manage to produce the 1667 words/day that NaNo requires. But as Justine Larbalestier points out, taking the time to write and think and learn about what kind of a writer you are is more important than the word count.
For that matter, there’s nothing saying you can’t start NaNoWriMo now, ten days into November, if hearing about thousands of people deciding to WRITE THE BOOK inspires you to WRITE THE BOOK. Why wait until next November?
0 Comments on Notes From a NaNoWriMo Convert as of 1/1/1900
by Kristin in Editorial
Last Friday afternoon, I had the pleasure of visiting the wonderful Book Stall at Chestnut Court in Winnetka, Illinois. Winnetka is a beautiful suburb north of Chicago—and it is particularly gorgeous in the fall, with leafy trees hanging over every street.
Winnetka’s downtown shopping center is very quaint and adorable and welcoming, with independent clothing boutiques and a high-end pet-supply store and restaurants. Nestled right in the middle is the Book Stall at Chestnut Court.
The children’s section at the Book Stall is one of the best kids’ sections in Chicagoland. It’s extremely well-curated by Robert McDonald, who I had the pleasure of meeting during my visit.
The care that goes into stocking the shelves here is evident upon walking inside the children’s section, where you are welcomed by an open space with seating surrounded by picture books, board books, and other titles for very young readers. (While I was there, a couple of little boys sat reading and giggling their heads off.) To the left, the bookshelves holding titles for older readers span out in front of you.
One of the most fabulous things about the Book Stall’s kid section is its gigantic YA section. Many an indie book store carries a somewhat slim margin of YA in comparison. The Book Stall, however, has an entire wall of shelves devoted to the genre. For a YA reader like me, it’s a dream.
The chapter book and middle grade sections are similarly swelling with fabulous titles. The Book Stall even has a section devoted to toys and games. Whether you’re looking for a book or a toy, the Book Stall really is an excellent place to shop for that perfect birthday present.
"Staff Recommendations"
All told, I spent about an hour at the Book Stall and left reluctantly—but not before buying a few books for myself. If there’s any drawback at all about a visit to the Book Stall, it’s that your already-burgeoning list of fabulous children’s books to read will grow exponentially.
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Following in the tradition of New York City and several other locations around the country, Chicago now has its own KidLit Drinks Night! Librarians, teachers, authors, and publishing people gather to hand out, talk books and the industry, and…well…drink and be merry.
This past Saturday, Wendy and I attended the second Chicagoland KidLit Drinks Night at The Grafton in Lincoln Square. (Note: We missed the first one because Wendy got married that night!)
Here’s most of the folks who were there by the time things started to get in gear. (The blurriness is my fault—or well, my phone’s fault.)
We had great conversations with everyone, including Chicago librarians, suburban school librarians, and a young man who currently works in the comic book world and is working on his MFA from Hamline University—a middle grade novel in the works. (Wendy was a little surprised there weren’t more writers, but then she’s used to SCBWI events.)
Among the topics of conversation: the current political and economic state of the Chicago Public Library (we were all against the proposed cuts), why the Newbery Medal tends to favor middle grade fiction, and possible origins of the term “slush pile.”
I’m looking forward to going next time—probably in January. Let us know if you want to be added to the Facebook group!
We recently learned that the first Saturday in Novemeber is Book Lovers Day. In celebration, we’re sharing some of our personal bookshelves with you. (To be honest, I think it’s more an excuse to see each other’s bookshelves.)
Let’s start with mine:
This photo makes it look like I have a nicely curated collection of children’s books (this shelf has children’s publishing history and Newbery winners), but what I really have is a haphazzardly found pile of books that have now successfully made it on to two (well three and counting) bookcases. But I love it — you never know what gem you might find while browsing.
And from Josalyn:
These bookshelves are favored by my daughter’s daughters.
And from Kristin:
The way I arrange my books is pretty nonsensical. But this one is my favorite bookshelf. The top row contains some favorites of recent years, including books by Curtis Sittenfeld, Ian McEwan, and Geraldine Brooks. The next shelf proudly holds Bossypants and some of my kids’ favorites, including the Hunger Games trilogy. This shelf is a bit empty now because I foisted most of my Harry Potters onto my mother, who needs to read them already. (Mom, if you’re reading this…) Then there’s a shelf of some random novelty books (a mini version of The Little Engine That Could, for example) and poetry. And the bottom three are sort of a showcase of my time spent at Penguin—a whole row of Penguin Classics and two rows filled with Mad Libs, a series I edited lovingly for four years.
And here’s Caity’s:
The top two shelves of this bookcase hold some of my greatest treasures – the complete series of Anne of Green Gables along with other books by and about L.M. Montgomery that I acquired when I went to the Anne of Green Gables Festival on Prince Edward Island, my incomplete set of Harry Potter books including the advanced readers copy of Year 2, some of my personal favorite children’s books that I don’t want to stick on my kids’ bookshelves because they are signed copies, and some travel books that I purchased abroad in Budapest, Jerusalem, and Prague.
THIS TREE COUNTS! Wins Green!
by Alison Formento
The trees in Southern California aren’t sporting fall colors like the ones here in the Northeast, but they are still lovely.
This eucalyptus tree was outside McKinley Elementary where I met students who love nature and writing as much as I do. Not only was it a thrill to share This Tree Counts! with them, but I was impressed by the stories Ms. Suomu’s first graders are creating in their Writers’ Workshop. They already know the value of planting idea seeds and how you have to revise and edit to make a story grow.
McKinley’s students are lucky enough to take frequent trips to the Santa Monica Public Library, only a few short blocks away from their school. This gorgeous 104,000 square foot facility is a nationally recognized green building, designed and opened in 2006 with the intent of significantly reducing the building’s negative impact on the environment. There is everything and more that you’d expect at a library—the “more” includes several peaceful reading gardens and weekly green living workshops on every environmental topic imaginable.
Last week the Santa Monica Public Library hosted a special green event entitled “Sense & Sustainability and the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature.” This Tree Counts! won the 2011 prize in the category for Youth Fiction, and it was an honor to attend the ceremony with my wonderful illustrator Sarah Snow to accept the award for our book. This is the fifth year the library has presented the Green Prize to encourage and commend authors,
illustrators, and publishers who produce quality books that support the ideas and broaden public awareness of sustainability.
We received a hefty, stylish award made out of recycled glass and then joined in a lively discussion on current sustainable and environmental trends led by Andrew Basmajian representing the Office of Sustainability and the Environment for the City of Santa Monica. And yes, that long title fits on his business card made from recycled paper, just
like our book.
It was a special honor to receive green recognition for This Tree Counts!, especially since it came from librarians who love trees, too.
Alison Formento is the au
Oh, we’ve done plenty of Halloween books over the years, and we have a fine selection of them out this season and on our backlist. But the creepiest and most terrifying book our company has ever published isn’t a Halloween book at all.
It’s this book:
Published in 1945 with an exclusively black-and-white pallette, Time to Eat presents “correct ideas on a proper, balanced diet for children,” according to the flap copy. Clearly, though, the book does far more than kill all the fun of mealtimes, and must have been used as an instrument of terror.
Scroll down, and brace yourself. What follows are some of the most haunting images ever produced for children.
Yes, just “stew.”
I think the use of shadow in this one is especially effective.
Oh, no.
And now, the worst one of all:
THE HORROR.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
3 Comments on From the Archives: The Scariest Children’s Book We’ve Ever Published, last added: 10/31/2011
The Best Seats in Town
by Josalyn Moran
Last week I was delighted to visit the new location of Pudd’nhead Books (www.puddnheadbooks.com) in Webster Groves, MO.
From the front doorway announcement of “Famous Authors Inside”…
to the Skippyjon Jones piñata…
one is struck by the touches of joy and whimsy throughout the store .
The great selection of chairs and sofas…
complemented with a telephone table…
and even a mini-chaise lounge…
allows one to feel welcomed and hugged by the furnishings themselves.
Thanks to store manager, Jennifer Casady, for letting me snap the pics.
by Caity in Sales
These past few weeks Chicago has experienced unseasonably warm weather, but now the temperature is dropping and the days are getting shorter. It’s the perfect time to relax on the couch with a good book. Our staff is reading everything from the latest YA to best-selling fiction to the personal letters of a famed editor and his confidante.
Sue (customer service): The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Josalyn (editorial): The Maisie Dobbs mystery series by Jacqueline Winspear; Robert McCloskey: A Private Life in Words & Pictures by Jane McCloskey; Troublemaker by Andrew Clements; That Used to be Us by Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum; and As Ever Yours: The Letters of Max Perkins & Elizabeth Lemmon edited by Rodger Tarr
Kiki (customer service): The Elegance of Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Wendy (editorial): Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife by Francine Prose, about the writing and publication of The Diary of a Young Girl.
Kristin (editorial): The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Michelle (marketing): Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Margaret (sales): Juliet by Anne Fortier
Kristie (Digital & International): The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin and Invisible Man/你睇我唔到 by Chan Keung/陳強 (Chinese title published in Hong Kong)
Since I didn’t have the chance to read our new YA novels before they were published, I recently brought them home. Having just finished Guantanamo Boy, I am now reading The Poisoned House (right before bed, probably not such a good idea). In the car I am listening to Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
Hope you have a good book to curl up with too.
Last week, we happnened to be visiting Iowa, where Dori Butler, author of The Buddy Files, lives. We knew Dori had a big black dog named Mouse, just like Buddy’s friend in the books, and we wanted to meet him! Then Dori mentioned that Mouse was a shelter dog. Since October is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month, it seemed like a good time to write about how Mouse came to Dori’s house…
Meet Mouse! by Dori Butler
Three years ago, unbeknownst to my husband, I started reading online profiles of all the dogs that were in animal shelters within a 120-mile radius of our house. I sensed that Molly, our 14-year-old cocker spaniel wasn’t going to be around much longer. I also decided I wanted to get involved in a pet partner (i.e. therapy dog) program, so I was also searching for a dog that would have the right temperament to be a therapy dog. I figured I’d find the dog first, then worry about bringing my husband on board.
I came across a profile that read: Mowgli never met a human or animal he didn’t like. He was a golden retriever mix, 9 months old, and housebroken. That all sounded promising. I talked to the shelter people on the phone (they were 30 miles away) and then they made an appointment to bring Mowgli to our home. They wanted to meet everyone in our home, both two-footed and four-footed, before we filled out any paperwork to see how everyone got along.
When Mowgli walked into our house for the first time I thought, “Oh, boy. He’s BIG. Really big.” Then he walked over to our kitchen table and rested his chin on it…which, if you’re a BIG dog, is not the way to make a positive first impression.
But there was something about those warm, brown eyes. And he definitely had all the qualities you look for in a therapy dog. He was friendly, confident, smart, and eager to please. My kids took to him right away, especially when he caught a treat in his mouth. He got along well with Molly and our cat (well, he liked the cat; the cat wasn’t so sure about him). And despite the fact my husband wasn’t convinced we absolutely needed a second dog at this point, I could tell he really liked this dog. He liked him more than I expected him to.
We decided to go ahead and adopt him!
Let me introduce you to my dog, Mouse.
Yes, Mouse. “Mowgli” and “Molly” sounded too similar, so we changed Mowgli’s name. To Mouse. My kids liked the irony of a big dog named Mouse. But the idea wasn’t originally theirs. They stole the idea from science fiction author, Jim Butcher, whose hero Harry Dresden has a big, gray dog named Mouse.
Just the facts:
Breed: 50% Golden Retriever, 25% English Setter, 8% Parson Russell Terrier, with a little Akita, Border Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier and Poodle thrown in
Date of birth: February 29, 2008
Date of Adoption: November 26, 2008
Weight: 100 pounds
Favorite Food: BUTTER! cheese, apples, hot dogs, liver treats
Favorite Activity: greeting children at the bus stop on our morning walk, visiting people, being read to at the library, playing hide and seek
Favorite Toy: Kong wubba…and any plush, squeaky toy
Favorite Tricks: bringing in the newspaper, turning the
by Anne M. Lewis
At a recent visit to the Hale, Michigan Balloon Festival What Am I? Halloween was the featured book for the children’s reading time.
I was amazed to see children of all ages ranging from 2-10 excited to answer the theme questions of the book, “What am I? What could I be?” And the media specialist reading the book couldn’t wait to turn the page to give them another clue for the next item hidden behind the flap.
The teachers that saw the book commented on how these books utilized site word and they loved the repeat questions for young readers to feel the success of reading a familiar phrase.
Parents were excited to purchase copies of What Am I? Halloween so they could share with their little ones Halloween in a fun-filled enchanting and not-to-scary way.
I was thrilled to see the response to my new Halloween book as I really wanted to share Halloween, my second most favorite holiday, with younger children.
We’ve just published the first four books in a great new series for preschoolers. WHAT AM I? is a series of lift-the-page books that inspires educated guessing and contains a wonderful repetitive scheme perfect for teaching sight words. Of course, the books are also just fun.
Two of the titles are holidays — Halloween and Christmas. Author Anne M. Lewis will talk about the Halloween book tomorrow.
Today, I want to share the State books with you. Now, from a marketing perspective, perhaps we should have started with Texas and Florida (we’re doing those in Spring 2012). But, we’re located in Illinois and the author and illustrator live in Michigan — and we just couldn’t resist.
In What Am I? Illinois, kids are asked to guess a number of the state symbols using both visual and verbal clues. Here are the before and after shots for one of the spreads:
This book was particularly useful to me — as a relative newcomer to Illinois, all my memorized-in-elementary-school State facts are from New York. For instance, I learned that the Monarch Butterfly is the state insect. Truth is, I should have known that since I’ve known for years that one of the children’s choice awards in Illinois is called the Monarch Book Award.
Here is the before and after for What Am I? Michigan.
As you can see, the simply refrain of “What am I? What could I be?” will keep little kids bouncing on their knees during storytime!
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Are you a newcomer to Twitter? Or else the realm of young adult publishing? Or both? Don’t be intimidated—you can learn a lot about the YA book world AND the way it uses Twitter by following a number of great people and conversations.
In my experience, Twitter provides a great happy medium between the kind of industry news stories you get from Publishers Weekly and the here’s-a-video-of-my-cat minutiae of Facebook—often focusing more on real discussions, opinions, and networking. I remember hearing someone say once that the difference between Facebook and Twitter is that Facebook is where you follow people you already know, and Twitter is where you follow people you want to know more about. While some of the folks linked below will already be familiar to you, following them can be a good starting point—from there, check out the profiles of the people they reply to, and check out the links they post. The rest, of course, are definitely worth knowing more about.
Authors: In addition to favorites like Maureen Johnson, Libba Bray, and John Green, you’ll find authors who often work a particular angle on Twitter: Cheryl Rainfield often talks about bullying, Ellen Hopkins and Laurie Halse Anderson address censorship, and Cynthia Leitich Smith offers great writing and reading resource links. Want to follow current and forthcoming Whitman Teen authors? Deborah Blumenthal, Anna Perera, Irfan Master, and Jon Blake are on Twitter now.
Editors and Agents: While publishing company Twitter accounts usually consist of announcements and promotional tweets, YA editors like Stacy Whitman, Molly O’Neill, and Andrew Karre offer more personal insights and represent a range of perspectives from both big and smaller houses. (As for the Whitman editors, I’m on Twitter, too, and so is Kristin!) And there are plenty of agents, including Sara Crowe, Laura Bradford, Jill Corcoran, and Nathan Bransford (who is no longer an agent, but still an inspirational guy to follow if you’re an aspiring writer), who talk about craft as well as industry trends.
Reviewers and Booksellers: For straight-up book talk and a great look at new and upcoming titles, check out 4EverYA, YABookShelf, Chasing Ray (aka Colleen Mondor, Bookslut columnist and soon-t0-be author, and does she ever sleep?), and Mitali Perkins (also an author, and a force for good in the book world). And some of our favorite booksellers on Twitter include
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By Margaret Read MacDonald
The first weekend of October every year a remarkable event takes place in the tiny town of Jonesborough, Tennessee. Around 10,000 people flock into the four block long main street to flow into huge white tents and listen to stories.
This year over 25 tellers are performing. Some of America’s favorite tellers will be there…Donald Davis with his drawling accounts of his own Aunt Laura and other personal tales….Carmen Deedy with her laugh out-loud tales from her Cuban-American heritage….Eth-Noh-Tec with their dramatized Asian folktale classics….and more.
Autumn in Jonesborough is settle-back-and listen time. Somehow those huge crowds just meld into the soft fall landscape.
Everyone feels at home in Jonesborough. Come along and you will too!
The National Storytelling Festival, October 7-9, 2011….or first week of October ANY year. If you haven’t been yet….it’s time to go.
Margaret Read MacDonald is the author of folktale collections and picture books from her own storytelling repertoire…such as The Boy from the Dragon Palace (which has received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and a wonderful review in The New York Times, Bat’s Big Game, and Teeny Weeny Bop!
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It’s important that there is a young adult book like this about Guantanamo and the abuses there. This young reviewer wrote an intelligent and well-expressed review. I hope more kids his age and older learn about this injustice.