Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. There are lots of book lists this week, as well as several links that reflect the continuation of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks conversation. 

Book Lists and Awards

Some fine titles: 2014 YALSA Teens’ Top Ten Nominees @tashrow http://ow.ly/wReZE #yalit

New Stacked #booklist: Get Genrefied: Historical Fantasy http://ow.ly/wRf90 #yalit @catagator

So You Want To Read Middle Grade: More 2014 Titles to Look Forward To from @greenbeanblog #kidlit http://ow.ly/wOg7s

Fun! Top Ten Books to Get Kids Moving by Annie Orsini and Kendra Limback | @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/wLy3s #booklist

Nonfiction Summer Reading List from @momandkiddo http://ow.ly/wLwMn #booklist

May 12: International Nurses' Day, three book suggestions from @bkshelvesofdoom http://ow.ly/wLv3x

10 to Note: Summer #kidlit Preview 2014 — @100scopenotes http://ow.ly/wGofZ

Stacked: A Look at YA Horror in 2014 #yalit @catagator http://ow.ly/wGo7U

For Mother's Day, 5 Awesome Moms in #KidLit {Friday’s Five} @5M4B http://ow.ly/wGn7i

The 2014 Locus Awards Finalists have been announced #yalit #kidlit http://ow.ly/wGnRz @bkshelvesofdoom

From Jewish (Muslim) to Ms. Marvel: A Brief Survey of YA with Muslim Characters @yahighway http://ow.ly/wGnIp via @CynLeitichSmith

UK Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2014 Shortlist (for #kidlit that communicates science) @tashrow http://ow.ly/wGmXa

Great Kid Books: #CommonCore IRL: In Real Libraries -- Baseball LineUp (ages 5-13) @MaryAnnScheuer http://ow.ly/wLxRD #kidlit

Diversity

The #48HBC is Nigh! and a Sobering Realization on the challenge of finding #diverse books from @mosylu http://ow.ly/wOh0w

How reading Cross-Racial Scenes in Picture Books Build Acceptance as kids play together | @sljournal http://ow.ly/wOjyh

An Expanded Cultural #Diversity Booklist: SLJ Readers Respond | @sljournal http://ow.ly/wOj93 #kidlit

Great stuff! @FirstBook Pledges to Buy #Diverse Books reports @PublishersWkly http://ow.ly/wOhs0

A Little Bit More on Diversity, link roundup and reading plans from Becky Levine http://ow.ly/wOgFY #WeNeedDiverseBooks

MAKING OUR OWN MARKET, new series at The Brown Bookshelf: Creating Our Own Publishing Houses | http://ow.ly/wLxKK #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Important post | We Need #Diverse Books . . . But Are We Willing to Discuss Them With Our Kids? — @fuseeight http://ow.ly/wLxs6

Talking #Diversity With Young Children | @medinger responds to @FuseEight post, from a teacher's perspective http://ow.ly/wLxAV

The timely theme for #KidLitCon14 is Blogging #Diversity in Young Adult and Children’s Lit: What’s Next? http://www.kidlitosphere.org/kidlitcon/

Events

2014 Children's Book Week Celebrations Begin Today! Are you a children's book champion? @randomlyreading http://ow.ly/wLuIP

Celebrate children's books and reading with @CBCBook May 12-18, 2014! http://bookweekonline.com #CBW14

Growing Bookworms

Read, Kids, Read! Strong op-ed by Frank Brunl in @NYTimes about the benefits of reading http://ow.ly/wOi0L via @PWKidsBookshelf

I could relate to Being a Mom of Growing Readers @growingbbb http://ow.ly/wIHKf | Happy Mother's Day, all!

Lovely! Heartwarming Story of the Day: Book 'Em Cops and Kids #Literacy Initiative from @bkshelvesofdoom http://ow.ly/wOgl7

Kidlitosphere

RT @MitaliPerkins I get to talk about kids on the margins, books, *and* blogs? How fun. MT @JensBookPage Announcing #KidLitCon14 http://bit.ly/1iL7gKg

Leila @bkshelvesofdoom is in for Kidlitosphere Conference 2014 in Sacramento. Are you? http://ow.ly/wO3qc #kidlitcon14

Ninth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge FAQ's @MotherReader http://ow.ly/wLufR #diversity #48hbc

On Reading, Writing, and Publishing

Pioneers in Pigtails: Remembering the First Heroines Who Made Us Mighty @MeganJeanSovern @HuffPostBooks http://ow.ly/wGnnM via @tashrow

Take Some Cues from Gilligan: Build a Nation of Readers, Not an Island by Naomi @yabooksandmore @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/wGo2v

Research

It’s an #Ebook World for Young Readers 13 and Under Says PlayCollective Report | @sljournal http://ow.ly/wRe4e

This is depressing! Teen Reading Declining & Racial Reading Gaps Continue | @tashrow at Waking Brain Cells http://ow.ly/wLu9x

Schools and Libraries

I do love these: Little Free Libraries take off in the East Bay - Oakland Magazine http://ow.ly/wOk6avia Sharon Levin

Summer Reading

Nice resource: 2014 #SummerReading Recommendations, organized lists from picture book through YA from @HornBook http://ow.ly/wOjKo

Invitations to Imagination | #SummerReading ideas for K-3 | Jennifer M. Brown @sljournal http://ow.ly/wOiW9 #kidlit

Creep around Graveyards, Search for Spies | #SummerReading for Grades 4-8 | Elisabeth G. Marrocolla @sljournal http://ow.ly/wOiPi

Classics are Cool, But… | #SummerReading suggestions for Grades 9-12 | Jennifer Hubert Swan @sljournal http://ow.ly/wOiET

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

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Book: Build, Dogs, Build: A Tall Tail
Author: James Horvath
Pages: 40
Age Range: 4-8

In Build, Dogs, Build: A Tall Tail, a six-dog construction crew gets a job to tear down an old building and build a new skyscraper, all in one day. The adult engineer in me is a bit annoyed at the presentation of the entire construction of a tall building as a one day project. But I do appreciate the thoroughness of the construction details, from clearing away rubble to digging trenches for pipes to pouring concrete to (eventually) painting the interior rooms. There's much here to please construction-obsessed preschoolers. There's also a dash of whimsey added by the dogs (at one point there's a ball-chasing break). 

Horvath's rhyming text is accessible for the youngest of listeners, with a fair bit of construction-specific vocabulary. Like this:

"This building is bare,
with strong steel for bones.
We'll need mortar and bricks,
concrete and stones.

"The beams go up fast,
building room upon room.
As the pumper pumps
liquid cement through its boom." 

The digitally-generated illustrations are bright and stay mainly focused on the construction site, but there are a few whimsical touches. For example, the one female dog is pink in color, which I'll bet it will be a kid-pleaser in this age range. The scene at the end of the book, when the dogs all swim in the penthouse swimming pool, is the very picture of fun. The illustrations are in general detailed regarding the construction equipment, and engaging in the dogs' expressions. 

Fans of the first book, Dig, Dogs, Dig: A Construction Tail, are sure to enjoy this one, too. Recommended for any kid who is interested in dogs or trucks and buildings, boys or girls, in the preschool age range. 

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: December 31, 2013
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

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Book: The Baby Tree
Author: Sophie Blackall
Pages: 40
Age Range: 4-8

The Baby Tree by Sophie Blackall is a very well-done picture book about a boy's quest to understand where babies come from. After a boy's parents tell him that a new baby will be joining their family, he asks various people in his life if they can tell him where babies come from. They give him answers like "you plant a seed and it grows into a baby tree" and "a stork brings your baby in the night." Finally, when the boy is thoroughly confused, his parents explain it to him properly. The explanation is age appropriate in level of detail and content, I thought: "a seed from their dad ... planted in an egg inside their mom", etc. An afterword suggests sample text for answering other questions that kids may have. That text mentions body parts by name, but this terminology is not in the main text. 

This book does so many things right. First of all, the illustrations are hilarious. The "baby tree" is shown on the cover. Even better is a picture of a hospital chock-full of babies, with a line of swaddled babies (basically heads atop blankets) somehow upright and making their way out the front door. Other aspects of the illustrations are more subtle, but also pleasing. The babies are a multi-cultural rainbow, also bearing a diverse assortment of blankets. The expressions on the faces of the people the boy asks about babies are priceless. The mailman looks positively sheepish as he scratches his head and says something about eggs. (And oh, the baby face peeking out of a bird's egg is adorable.) 

The other thing that I like about this book is that even though it's about something (where babies come from), there are lots of other details that are simply true to the life of a preschooler. I know that my daughter is going to laugh when she reads about the boy waking up Dad, then eventually waking up Dad again. And she'll relate to when the boy uses his parents' excitement about the baby to finagle a second bowl of cocopops. Kids have priorities, you know. There are a few tidbits in here for parents, too, as when the teacher gives the briefest possible answer to the boy's question, and then immediately says: "Boys and girls, it's time to wash our brushes." The adult reader can practically hear her thinking: "Because I don't want to get into this discussion here at school." 

The fact that the boy's parents tell him their news at a time when they have to rush off, leaving him to ask all of these other people, is a tiny bit contrived. But I will cheerfully forgive Sophie Blackall for that. Because this book is wonderful. In the end, it answers children's questions about where babies come from, simply and honestly. But along the way, it provides delightful, whimsical pictures set against realistic depictions of the life of a preschooler. This is a must-purchase for parents expecting another baby, and for libraries. Highly recommended. 

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (@PenguinKids) 
Publication Date: May 1, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

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The 8th annual Kidlitosphere Conference, aka KidLitCon, will be held October 10th and 11th at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria in Sacramento, CA. 

KidLitCon is a gathering of people who blog about children’s and young adult books, including librarians, authors, teachers, parents, booksellers, publishers, and readers. Attendees share a love of children’s books, as well as a determination to get the right books into young readers’ hands. People attend KidLitCon to talk about issues like the publisher/blogger relationship, the benefits and pitfalls of writing critical reviews, and overcoming blogger burnout. People also attend KidLitCon for the chance to spend time face to face with kindred spirits, other adults who care passionately for children’s and YA literature. 

This year’s theme for KidLitCon is: Blogging Diversity in Young Adult and Children’s Lit: What’s Next?

Members of the Kidlitosphere have been talking about the need for more diversity in children’s books for several years now, starting back when Paper Tigers launched with a view of discussing multicultural children’s literature. There was outrage within the community when the cover of Justine Larbalestier’s LIAR was whitewashed, and discussions of other books followed. More recently, children’s and young adult authors have used blogs, Tumblr, and Twitter to make a much louder demand for more diversity in publishing, through the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign. Other bloggers are listening and responding. Pam Coughlan just announced that the focus of this year’s 48-Hour Book Challenge at MotherReader will be on reading diverse books. The Cybils organization has been combing through past shortlists, to come up with lists of diverse titles. The pictures and posts on this topic are too many to count. And that’s a fine thing.

What we would like to do with this year’s KidLitCon (along with our usual goals) is discuss what book bloggers can do to make a meaningful difference in increasing diversity in children’s and young adult literature. This year’s keynote speaker will be Mitali Perkins, an author whose focus has long been on “books between cultures for young readers". Among other things, Mitali will talk about how bloggers can be agents of change in the conversation about diversity in children’s and young adult literature. Shannon Hale, who has written eloquently on the need for writing non-neutral characters, and who helped launch the Great Green Heist Challenge, is also expected to participate in the conference via Skype.

We will talk about other issues of interest to children’s and YA book bloggers, too. But it is also our hope to make a bit of noise on behalf of diversity in children’s literature. It is past time for that. 

The Tsakopoulos Library Galleria is a beautiful meeting space, located in California’s State Capitol. We are finalizing details on a room block at a nearby hotel. Registration information and a call for session proposals will be published soon. While we do not have the final schedule yet, we are planning to have sessions starting mid-morning on Friday and going through Saturday, with evening events Friday and Saturday nights. 

We hope that you will mark October 10th and 11th on your calendar, and start thinking about how you would like to contribute to the conversation on children’s and young adult book blogging. Please help us to spread the word. Thank you!

Tanita Davis and Sarah Stevenson, Finding Wonderland
Jen Robinson, Jen Robinson’s Book Page

Please help by spreading the word! Be a fan on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! This announcement is also posted at the Kidlitosphere Central website, where we will be sharing the registration form and call for papers soon. 

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Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Note that I published diversity and gender-related links in a separate post, because there were quite a few. 

Book Lists

2014 Mini Trend: #kidlit featuring Ninjas from @100scopenotes http://goo.gl/zsjgd6

A Tuesday Ten for Mother's Day: SFF #kidlit w/ mom as a main character from Views From the Tesseract http://goo.gl/h3BOsC

Great Kid Books: Common Core In Real Life: Baseball Edition by @MaryAnnScheuer http://ow.ly/wvKt7

#CommonCore IRL: Baseball books for middle grade fans (ages 8-10) @MaryAnnScheuer http://goo.gl/EhhARg

Let's Celebrate Mother's Day with Kids (and books) @BookChook http://ow.ly/wt4h8

An eclectic 4th Grade Summer Reading List from @momandkiddo http://ow.ly/wvKAj #kidlit

Every Dog Has Its Day: Dog Adoption Stories from the SSHEL blog http://ow.ly/wo9Q9 #booklist

Diversity + Gender

Those links published separately.

Events + Announcements

#Nonfiction in Picture Books: A Panel Discussion, report in @PublishersWkly http://ow.ly/wDQGw

Where The Wild Things Really Are, @PublishersWkly report on recent panel on Sex and Violence in Children's Literature http://ow.ly/wyJFj

Seems like a no-brainer: Eoin Colfer Named children's literature Laureate in Ireland http://ow.ly/wDQKd3rd #kidlit @PublishersWkly

The 2013 Agatha Awards have been announced. Kudos to @CGrabenstein for Mr. Lemoncello's Library http://ow.ly/wASon via @bkshelvesofdoom

The Edgar Award winners have been announced: http://ow.ly/wqoE6 via @bkshelvesofdoom #kidlit #mystery

Poetry Friday: Wrapping Up #NationalPoetryMonth by @JoneMac53 at Check It Out http://ow.ly/wqsdX

GottaBook: 30 Poets/2 Years/1 Day, @gregpincus wraps up this year's #NationalPoetryMonth posts http://ow.ly/wqrFs

Growing Bookworms

Raising Readers: Using a Whiteboard @SunlitPages - this post made me want a huge whiteboard http://ow.ly/wyM5n

Nice! Top Ten Lessons My 4th Graders and I Have Learned from Chapter Books this Year by Suzanne Buhner @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/wt553

On creating a "Take a Book – Leave a Book" program, so that kids could have books at home by @MrsSKK @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/wqrsK

Kidlitosphere

Love to see the mention of #kidlit bloggers in acknowledgements of I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora @Semicolon http://ow.ly/wvKkn

Big news! @MotherReader has announced the Ninth Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge | June 6-8 http://ow.ly/wyLdQ #kidlit #48hbc

On Reading, Writing, and Publishing

I can relate: "Simply put, I needed to read in order to feel balanced" by @librarytif @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/wvJD8

"They’re not just books—they’re a part of who we are and how we got that way" #kidlit @pshares http://ow.ly/wyJPZ via @PWKidsBookshelf

Why the Smart Reading Device of the Future May Be … Paper | @wired via @tashrow http://ow.ly/wqpqj #ebooks

Parenting

Thoughts on “How Parents are Ruining Youth Sports” from @StaceyLoscalzo | Well worth reading, if no great answers http://goo.gl/irdG7K

Can Lego Help Return Play to Children’s Lives and Education? | Peter Gray at Freedom to Learn blog http://goo.gl/uEV1TU

Screens & Screen Time: a Precarious Balance (Soapbox Series #10), a parent's struggle | @ReadingTub http://ow.ly/wvKd0

Schools and Libraries

School Librarian Unravels Mystery of Robert McCloskey Art Work Found in Westchester Elementary School | @sljournal http://ow.ly/woaTk

Libraries Working To Bridge The Cultural Divide | Starr LaTronica @HuffPostBooks http://ow.ly/woaN9 via @PWKidsBookshelf

New York Public Library Scraps Controversial Redesign Plans @WSJ http://ow.ly/wDtst @NYPL

Federal Test Shows U.S. 12th Graders Aren't Improving in Reading or Math, ethnic + gender gaps remain @WSJ http://ow.ly/wDtkH

How Can Principals Support Effective #Literacy Instruction? http://goo.gl/Jef0KK @readbyexample

News: @PhilipPullman leads authors condemning inadequate prison libraries | @GuardianBooks http://ow.ly/wyK7R via @PWKidsBookshelf

Elite Colleges Don't Buy Happiness for Graduates (but mentors help), reports @WSJ http://ow.ly/wyJvz

"Learning should be joyous. Teaching too. Joy and tests are not two words I see together." @medinger on testing http://ow.ly/wqqVL

SpeakWell, ReadWell: Explore the Core (#CommonCore State Standards) by @jwstickel http://ow.ly/wqp35

Summer Reading

#SummerReading After Dark | 10 tips from @Scholastic for making the most of bedtime reading this summer http://ow.ly/wDxaf

This sounds fabulous | The No Stress #SummerReading Picture Book Challenge from @greenbeanblog http://ow.ly/wyLud

Press release: Avoid the Summer Slump - Get Kids Excited about Reading with @bookopolis http://ow.ly/wB2ck #SummerReading

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

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Normally on Friday I do a post that rounds up article/blog post links that I shared on Twitter over the previous week. But as I was working on my roundup for this week, I discovered that, what with the whole #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign and all, I had shared a LOT of links related to diversity. So I decided to pull those into a separate post. There's a lot here to absorb. I hope you all find things of interest. Also, please note that MotherReader's 48 Hour Book Challenge this year (the 9th annual) will focus on the reading of diverse books. 

Links on Diversity + Gender

18 Adorable Reasons #WeNeedDiverseBooks | selected @leeandlow shared @buzzfeed http://ow.ly/wq7Ix via @compelledtoread

A Rambling Rant on Race and Writing | @lisayee1 at Red Room |"Do not presume -- but do dare to imagine." http://ow.ly/wvKNK #diversity

Let the Handsell-Off Begin: Booksellers Take The #GreatGreeneChallenge http://ow.ly/wDQXc @PublishersWkly #kidlit #WeNeedDiverseBooks

A success! ReedPOP Adds diversity BookCon Panel in response to #DiverseNeedDiverseBooks campaign http://ow.ly/wDQtA @PublishersWkly

Good stuff on encouraging girls in math | @Girlstart, STEM, and a Surprise from @varianjohnson http://ow.ly/wDvla #GreatGreenChallenge

Because books are mirrors, some of @RIFWEB favorite images from the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign http://ow.ly/wBgLj

Our kids’ grey matter is neither pink nor blue – when will book publishers realise this? @katyguest36912 @Independent http://ow.ly/wyJZb

YA #LGBTQ Novels Where the Focus Isn't Coming Out - list from @NinaTyndall at Small Avalanches http://ow.ly/wt60B #diversity

Writing as Feminist, Mariko Tamaki @NerdyBookClub I try not to write about chars that are white + straight by default http://ow.ly/wt4tX

squeetus: Thoughts on whether white writers can write non-white characters from @haleshannon (who has) http://ow.ly/wvJ0H

Paying Attention to #Diversity | Recent link roundup @medinger http://ow.ly/wt4no #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Great resource @cybils blog: Diverse Book Recommendations from Cybils titles for #WeNeedDiverseBooks http://ow.ly/wt4Eg

LGBTQ & You: How to Support Your Students as a librarian | @sljournal http://ow.ly/woc5p

Program #Diversity: Do Libraries Serve Kids with Disabilities? | @sljournal http://ow.ly/woc0D

5 Cultures #Kidlit Readers Can Explore for #WeNeedDiverseBooks @jendonn @5M4B http://ow.ly/wqst0

#WeNeedDiverseBooks …and What We Can Do About It, an action plan from Becky Levine http://ow.ly/wqrZl

My most favorite sci fi and fantasy books with diversities of various sorts from @charlotteslib http://ow.ly/wqqOw #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Presenting Lenore creates a #WeNeedDiverseBooks categorized Review Archive http://ow.ly/wqqGM @lenoreva

#WeNeedDiverseBooks diversity campaign goes viral, thoughts + images from @Devas_T at The Brown Bookshelf http://ow.ly/wqqp8

Putting your money where your mouth is at Biblio File: Diverse Book Reading List http://ow.ly/wqpA4 #WeNeedDiverseBooks

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

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Book: A Pet for Fly Guy
Author: Tedd Arnold
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-8

I must confess that I have not read the books in the Fly Guy series of early readers, though I believe we have the first one around here somewhere. But I just read the first Fly Guy picture book, A Pet for Fly Guy, and I thought that it was fabulous. It's funny, and it's also warm without being cloying or message-y. And of course, Tedd Arnold's illustrations are a lot of fun.

The premise is introduced easily enough on the first page:

"A boy had a pet fly.
He named him --
FLY GUY!

Fly Guy was the smartest pet
in the world. He could say
the boy's name --
BUZZ!"

Here "FLY GUY" and "BUZZ" are shown as colorful text call-outs by the boy and the fly, respectively.

In the story that follows, Fly Guy and Buzz go on a picnic to the park. Upon witnessing lots of kids playing with their pets, Fly Guy becomes sad that he doesn't have a pet of his own. A search ensues, but finding the right pet for a fly is a bit tricky. Fortunately, a happy resolutions is found at the end.

A Pet for Fly Guy includes both subtle and overt humor. When Buzz and Fly Guy eat lunch together, we see Buzz eating a sandwich, while Fly Guy samples from an odorous trash can. The pets that the other kids bring to the park include a large fish in a tank (pulled along on a wagon) and a protective-suit-wearing kid playing with his porcupine. The possible pets considered include a frog, which chases Fly Guy and tries to eat him. 

This is one of those books in which the tight connection between text and illustrations is essential. Nothing needs to be said about the over-the-top pets belonging to the other kids - the pictures tell the story. Arnold's characters, animal and human, all have huge round eyes with tiny pupils, keeping the fly motif consistent. Fly Guy, though small, wears a range of expressions, through his expressions and posture. Arnold's digitally-generated art includes faint scribble-type markings in the background, lending an unusual texture to the brightly colored pages. 

Fly Guy's migration to the picture book format seems like a success to me! A Pet for Fly Guy is original, humorous, and kid-friendly. It's sure to be a hit, and will be a nice way to introduce new readers to the Fly Guy universe. 

Publisher: Orchard Books (@Scholastic) 
Publication Date: April 29, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

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The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Announces 2014 Carle Honors Honorees

Ninth annual awards celebrate the creative vision and long-term dedication of leaders in the world of picture books

Amherst, MA (May 7, 2014) - The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is pleased to announce the 2014 Carle Honors honorees to be awarded at Guastavino’s in New York City on Thursday, September 18, 2014. The ninth annual gala and fundraiser will fête the talented people who have played an instrumental role in making children’s books a vibrant and influential art and literary form in America. This year, the Carle Honors will award the following: 

Artist: Jerry Pinkney

Celebrated illustrator of over 100 children’s books and winner of numerous awards, including the 2010 Caldecott Medal for The Lion and the Mouse.

Angel: Reach Out and Read represented by Brian Gallagher and Dr. Perri Klass

Tireless promoters of early literacy and school readiness, as exemplified through the Reach Out and Read program established in thousands of pediatric exam rooms nationwide.

Mentor: Henrietta Smith

Influential children’s librarian, scholar, and author; leading advocate for quality and diversity in children’s literature.

Bridge: Françoise Mouly

Publisher and editorial director for TOON Books, high-quality comics for young children; art editor of The New Yorker.

The Carle Honors celebrates individuals and organizations who bring creative vision and long-term dedication to children’s books and the many ways they open children’s minds to art and literacy. The awards are selected each year by a committee chaired by children’s literature historian and critic Leonard S. Marcus, who was central to the founding of the Honors. The committee recognizes four distinct awards: Artist, for lifelong innovation in the field; Angel, whose generous financial support is crucial to making illustrated children’s book art exhibitions, education programs, and related projects a reality; Mentor, editors, designers, and educators who champion the art form; and Bridge, individuals who have found inspired ways to bring the art of the picture book to larger audiences through work in other fields.

The Carle Honors is a critical fundraiser for The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, helping to support the Museum’s in its mission to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. The annual event also includes a silent auction featuring artwork from top illustrators, including Eric Carle.  For ticket and sponsorship information, please contact Rebecca Miller Goggins, Director of Development at 413-658-1118 or [email protected].

About The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art:

The mission for The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, a non-profit organization in Amherst, MA, is to inspire a love of art and reading. The only full-scale museum of its kind in the United States, The Carle collects, preserves, presents, and celebrates picture books and picture book illustrations from around the world. In addition to underscoring the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of picture books and their art form, The Carle offers educational programs that provide a foundation for arts integration and literacy.

See more details at the Museum’s website at www.carlemuseum.org.

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• Growing Bookworms Newsletter: March 12

Today I will be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's and young adult books and raising readers. I currently send out the newsletter once every two weeks.

Newsletter Update: In this issue I have four book reviews (picture book and young adult) and two posts with links that I shared on Twitter recently (including a ton of links related to the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign). I also have two posts with content from Scholastic about Summer Reading. Not included in the newsletter, I posted:

• A news release about Screen Free Week (going on now); and
• My reaction to having my blog celebrated last week at A Year of Reading.

I do have more picture book reviews coming up in the next couple of weeks, for those who are interested in those. 

Reading Update: In the last two weeks I read two young adult and three adult books:

• Laini Taylor: Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, Book 3). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Young Adult. Completed April 24, 2014, on Kindle. My review.
• Amber Kizer: Pieces of Me. Delacorte Press. Young Adult. Completed April 25, 2014. My review.
• Jo Nesbo: The Bat (the first Harry Hole novel). Vintage. Adult Mystery. Completed April 27, 2014, on Kindle (library copy).I found the characters well-developed and the mystery intriguing in this, my first of Nesbo's books. But there were too many digressions for allegorical stories told by the characters for my personal taste. 
• Sue Grafton: U is for Undertow. Putnam. Adult Mystery. Completed May 1, 2014, on Kindle (library copy). I'm finding these good exercise bike books, for some reason. I'll be sorry when I finish catching up. 
• Jodi Picoult: Second Glance. Atria Books. Adult Fiction. Completed May 3, 2014, on MP3. This book got off to a slow start for me, but I enjoyed it once I became invested in the story. It's a book that will make readers think. 

I'm currently reading Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life by P.J. Hoover in print and Expiration Day by William Campbell Powell on Kindle. I'm listening to Influx by Daniel Suarez. Baby Bookworm is obsessed with Moldylocks and the Three Beards by Noah Z. Jones. You can check out the complete list of books we've read to her this year if you are interested to see more. You can see on the list the impact of her recent visit to the library, from which she brought home a host of TV tie-in and Little Critter-type books. 

What are you and your family reading these days? Thanks for reading the newsletter, and for growing bookworms. 

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

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• Growing Bookworms Newsletter: April 9
• Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: April 25

As I posted on Monday, Scholastic's Summer Reading Challenge launched this week. As a life-long fan of outdoor reading, I like this year's theme of "Reading Under the Stars". Scholastic prepared this companion infographic, which I thought parents might find useful. It's somewhat tied to the Summer Reading Challenge, with emphasis on tracking time spent reading, but there are also tips here (with references) that could benefit any parent.

I especially like tip #1: Let Kids Choose. I think that's so important. And of course I'm an expert at Tip #8: Be a Reading Role Model. Click to expand the image. 

This post (c) Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. The infographic copyright belongs to Scholastic. 

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Book: Pieces of Me
Author: Amber Kizer
Pages: 304
Age Range: 12 and up

I very much enjoyed Amber Kizer's post-apocalyptic survival story A Matter of Days. In Pieces of Me she takes on a very different topic. Pieces of Me is about a high school girl named Jessica who finds her life connected with those of four other teenagers, after a terrible accident. 

Stop here if you prefer to know nothing about a book, because I can't discuss this book without telling you what it's about. The truth is strongly hinted at by the title and jacket copy, and becomes clear quite early in the book anyway. 

So what happens is that Jessica, who always felt more or less invisible in high school, ends up brain dead in a car crash. Her various organs are donated and transplanted into the bodies of four other teens, three of them local and one from another state. Jessica's consciousness remains tied to these four teens, and in alternating chapters we hear her thoughts on their continued experiences (though she is not able to communicate with them). Eventually, the threads of Jessica that connect these teens bring them together. 

I found this to be an interesting premise. The alternating chapters lend a certain suspense to the story, and seeing the characters (eventually) as they see one another helps to give a clear view. There's a fairly overt pro-organ donation message to this book, which is addressed directly in an author's note at the end. There's also a fair bit of detail about what it's like to have a chronic, life-threatening illness such as cystic fibrosis. This is a book that I do think will expand readers' perspectives, giving them a look into the lives of people whose problems may be bigger than their own. 

However, as a reader, I personally had trouble with the viewpoint. Each chapter is kind of a mix of Jessica's viewpoint and that of whichever other kid she is inhabiting (or however you would put it). These sections are in limited third person perspective, from each teen's viewpoint, but then Jessica's thoughts are there, too, sometimes. This is probably deliberate, showing how Jessica's consciousness is becoming intertwined with her organ recipients. But I had trouble wrapping my head around it, and tell what thoughts were from Jessica and what were from Samuel, Vivian, Leif, and Misty. Like this:

"The more time we spent here, the more I felt the humble and special appeal it held for Misty. There was peace here. Answers.... Dropping her backpack on the ground, she slid into a massive leather armchair that was surprisingly comfortable." (Page 61, at the library). 

Does Jessica know that Misty is comfortable, and she's telling us? Or is it Misty telling us? Probably this is nit-picking, but thinking things like this kept taking me out of the book. There are also some IM exchanges between the (living) kids, full of abbreviations, that I found hard going, though the target teen audience will probably enjoy them.  

I did find the end of the book moving, and Pieces of Me definitely made me think. I probably would have found the premise irresistible when I was a teenager, and I do think that teens today will enjoy it, too. The protagonists are all sympathetic, and quite varied, giving a wide range of readers someone to root for. There's a modern feel to the text, too, with message boards, blogs, and of course hospitals. All in all, I think that Piece of Me is well worth a look by librarians who serve teens, even though it didn't quite work for me personally. 

Publisher: Delacorte Press (@RandomHouseKids) 
Publication Date: February 11, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

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Students Log Reading Minutes as They Seek to Break the World Record for Summer Reading; Teachers/Schools Can Register All Their Students

Prizes and Sweepstakes for Kids; Free Resources for Parents and Teachers

New York, NY – May 5, 2014 – Today, Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL) announces the launch of the 2014 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, a free, global reading program that motivates children to read throughout the out-of-school summer months by logging their reading minutes, and earning rewards, with the goal of setting a new world record for summer reading. Last year’s participants set the world record of 176,438,473 minutes read. Teachers, schools and families can register their children in grades K–8 starting today at scholastic.com/summer and children can log minutes from today through September 5th, 2014.

The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge was created to give schools and families a free and engaging way to encourage more children to read during the summer and prevent the ‘summer slide’– the learning losses that set children back academically when they do not read during the out-of-school summer months. Children sign up to read on behalf of their school and the schools compete to win top prizes. The top elementary school with the most minutes read will win a visit from bestselling author-illustrator David Shannon (Bugs in My Hair!) and the top middle school will win a visit from bestselling author Gordon Korman (The Hypnotists). The top 20 U.S. schools with the most reading minutes recorded by September 5th will be featured in the 2015 Scholastic Book of World Records.  

This year’s Summer Reading theme is Reading Under the Stars, and is powered by EVEREADY®, the maker of batteries and flashlights, to encourage families to discover new and fun ways to explore reading outside this summer. Reading Under the Stars comes to life for children online as they enter reading minutes and, throughout the summer, the site will unlock interactive star constellations containing special video messages from NASA astronaut Leland Melvin. Children will also have the opportunity to take an extra “Chapter Challenge” and learn more about space from Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist from the SETI and Mars Institute and author of Mission: Mars. Parents can support their child’s reading all summer with the free “Reading Under the Stars Guide,” which includes summer reading book lists, curated by Scholastic experts, Read Under the Stars videos, expert articles, tips and family activities.

“We know that the more children read, the more they succeed and time spent with books is especially important during the summer months so students return to school ready to tackle more challenging texts,” said Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer at Scholastic. “In the summer, we want our kids finding books that fit their personal interests because those are the books that will make them fall in love with reading.  Being part of the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge motivates kids to build up their reading minutes and earn rewards, while parents and teachers can monitor progress. Everybody wins!”

Here are ways parents, children and educators can get involved in the 2014 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge.

FREE SUMMER READING TOOLS FOR PARENTS:

• Facebook calendar app and live chats:  Parents can find something every day on the Scholastic Parents Facebook including a summer calendar app with expert tips and articles and activities. Every Friday, parents can enter for the chance to win an EVEREADY® “Reading Under the Stars” prize pack including a picnic blanket, EVEREADY® flashlights and headlamps and EVEREADY® Gold® batteries. Plus, parents can join “Book Swap” live chats all summer with top parenting and reading experts.
  • The first live chat will be hosted by Lori Ess, Associate Director of Title Presentation, Scholastic, and Betsy Bird, Youth Materials Collections Specialist New York Public Library, tonight, May 5th at 9 p.m. ET.
• Reading minutes mobile app: Parents can monitor their children’s progress and help their children enter minutes on-the-go via mobile on the Scholastic Reading Timer app.
• 2014 summer book list:  Curated by Scholastic experts, this list features more than 700 books for children in Pre-K–8, including this year’s “Reading Under the Stars” themed list, which showcases books about space, stars and astronomy, as well as spooky stories to read by a campfire.
• EVEREADY® free book on pack program – Parents can receive a free Scholastic book by mail when they buy two specially marked packs of EVEREADY® Gold® batteries or EVEREADY® flashlights and redeem the package codes online. Visit eveready.com/reader to learn more. 

FREE SUMMER READING TOOLS FOR CHILDREN:

• Events at museums and planetariums: Special “Reading Under the Stars”–inspired overnight events with free books, EVEREADY® flashlights and activity sheets for attendees.  Events will take place at planetariums and museums across the country including:
  • Carnegie Science Center “Science Sleepovers” (Pittsburgh, PA, May 9)
  • Milwaukee Public Museum “Overnights” (Milwaukee, WI, May 16)
  • The Smithsonian: National Museum of Natural History “Smithsonian Sleepovers” (Washington, D.C., May 17)
  • Adler Planetarium “Astro Overnights” (Chicago, IL June 6)
  • California Academy of Sciences “Penguins + Pajamas” (San Francisco, CA, June 13)
• Reading rewards & prizes: Throughout the summer, children who join the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge read to earn digital badges and take the extra Chapter Challenge and win a chapter from a favorite book.  Elementary school readers will win weekly chapters that make up a full Geronimo Stilton:Mini-Mystery book. Middle School readers will win weekly chapters from a variety of bestselling titles including The 39 Clues®, Spirit Animals™ and more.
• Monthly sweepstakes: Once children log minutes, they will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win Ricky Ricotta series books, a Harry Potter paperback box set, Jedi Academy series books, and a multiplatform prize pack (The 39 Clues Book 1: Maze of Bones, Infinity Ring Book 1: Mutiny in Time, Spirit Animals Book 1: Wild Born).
• Virtual map: Children can track their school (and any other participating school) to see how many minutes have been read and keep tabs on which schools are in the lead.

FREE SUMMER READING TOOLS FOR EDUCATORS:

• Educator dashboard: Teachers can register up to 100 students and track their reading throughout the summer. Teachers who register by June 30th can enter a sweepstakes for the chance to win a Scholastic classroom library.
• Emails to parents: The educator dashboard provides automatic emails for teachers to send to all their students’ parents to ensure children are entering their reading minutes all summer, when they are out of school. Emails are available in English and Spanish.
• Free resources in English and Spanish: Teachers can access bi-lingual information including: letters to parents, printable activity sheets, reading logs and reading certificates in addition to videos for parents.

To support the students in their states and encourage summer reading throughout America, many of the U.S. Governors and Governors’ Spouses are joining Scholastic as “Reading Ambassadors” for the 2014 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. The 2014 Reading Ambassadors, whose names will be announced soon, will host summer reading events at schools in their respective states, and, in honor of each Reading Ambassador, Scholastic is donating 500 books to the school of his or her choice.

For more information about Scholastic and the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, please visit the Scholastic media room.

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Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. Please note that I am not sharing my many #WeNeedDiverseBooks retweets, because there are quite a few of them, and they are links to photos, rather than links to articles and blog posts. Instead, I refer you to the #WeNeedDiverseBooks hashtag, where you can find tons of interesting stuff. I do have many other diversity-themed links here. 

Book Lists

What’s Old is New: Recent YA Books with Allusions to Classic Lit | @sljournal Spotlight | http://ow.ly/wipb1

What Makes a Family?: Novels for Middle Grade Readers | JLG’s Booktalks to Go | @sljournal http://ow.ly/wijkW #kidlit

10 Books With Meaning, suggested by @Book_Nut http://ow.ly/wg5sG #kidlit #yalit

Very nice list: 10 Books for Teaching Kids About Responsibility from @PragmaticMom http://ow.ly/wgmUx #kidlit #parenting

Nice list of Rick Riordan Read Alikes from @alibrarymama http://ow.ly/wg3My #kidlit @CampHalfBlood

Diversity

Diversity Social Media Campaign Goes Viral, reports @PublishersWkly http://ow.ly/woaA3 #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Have you heard about the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign? 3 days starting May 1 | Details here: http://ow.ly/wg5gP via @CynLeitichSmith

3..2..1..Action, the steps to take to support the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign, starting tomorrow! http://ow.ly/wlYzz

Tanita Davis "Diverse books remind us that our stories are varicolored, many shaped, multi-shaded http://ow.ly/wo9Lk @WeNeedDiverseBooks

Photo of Charlotte's son + focus on diversity in MG fantasy/science fiction from @charlotteslib #WeNeedDiverseBooks http://ow.ly/wojhV 

.@thereadingzone | #WeNeedDiverseBooks in Class "The world is more diverse than panels... would lead us to believe" http://ow.ly/wo9jS 

(My #WeNeedDiverseBooksPhoto to the right, click to enlarge)

Thoughts @greenbeanblog on why #WeNeedDiverseBooks and what you can do as a librarian to support this http://ow.ly/wo8Wf

"All I want are books that reflect the world I live in" - Jennie @kidsilkhaze on #WeNeedDiverseBooks http://ow.ly/wlAlJ

Sprout's Bookshelf: #WeNeedDiverseBooks - For My Family and Yours http://ow.ly/wlzA1 @SproutsBkshelf

Melissa from @Book_Nut on why #WeNeedDiverseBooks and the #greatgreenchallenge at the bookstore where she works http://ow.ly/wo8up

Handsell-Off for Varian Johnson's upcoming novel: Here's what's going down, launched by @KateMessner via @haleshannon http://ow.ly/wg3UV

Update on The Great Greene Heist Challenge from Varian Johnson http://ow.ly/wlBIE #kidlit #diversity

Leila from @bkshelvesofdoom shares highlights from @sljournal : The Diversity Issue. http://ow.ly/wo8hz #WeNeedDiverseBooks

How Author G. Neri and Librarian Kimberly DeFusco Changed a Life | @sljournal via @medinger http://ow.ly/wgmNk #diversity

Should white people write about people of color? @malindalo via @FuseEight http://ow.ly/wg4T5 #diversity

#Diversity, Authenticity, and Literature | Pretti Chhibber @bookriot http://ow.ly/waRKA

eBooks and Screens

I like this idea | @lochwouters library to having "Less Screen Week" b/c true screen free is "practically impossible" http://ow.ly/wg6ef

What You Need to Know Before Letting Your Kids Read E-Books | @Time via @PWKidsBookshelf http://ow.ly/wiYUs

Online skimming probably hasn’t affected serious reading after all | Valerie Strauss in @washingtonpost http://ow.ly/waTgI via @tashrow

Growing Bookworms

10 Steps to Raising a Lifelong Reader | @HarperChildrens via @tashrow (great references too) http://ow.ly/waSWq #GrowingBookworms

Raising readers: How to share a love of literature with your kids. Thoughts from Anna Quindlen @cnnhttp://ow.ly/wob2U

Press Release Fun: A Virtual Book Swap on #SummerReading — @fuseeight + Lori Ess + @Scholastic http://ow.ly/wg6rf

What a fun idea! Story-inspired decor @365gcb | Using picture book jacket covers as art! http://ow.ly/wg4uY

Great stuff from @SproutsBkshelf | 7 Gifts of Read-Aloud, Or Why I'll Read (Almost) Any Book to My Kid http://ow.ly/waVDF #literacy

The 5 Rs of Boosting Your Toddler's Vocabulary | Anjali Joshi @HuffPost http://ow.ly/wbklx via @ReachOutAndRead

Teaching Kids How to Take Care of Books - @growingbbb http://ow.ly/w8451 #GrowingBookworms

National Poetry Month

Blackout Poetry and the New York Times | @medinger wraps up her #NationalPoetryMonth posts http://ow.ly/wlB29

Liz In Ink shares Haiku 30 for #NationalPoetryMonth http://ow.ly/wlzKf

GottaBook: Wrapping up 30 Poets/30 Days for #NationalPoetryMonth w/ Pat Mora and Walter Dean Myers http://ow.ly/wlBfG @gregpincus

Wrapping up #NationalPoetryMonth from @MaryLeeHahn Our Wonderful World 30: People http://ow.ly/wlB9u

#NationalPoetryMonth - Recap and Reflections from @missrumphius http://ow.ly/wo8GH

Wrapping up Science Poetry Pairings @missrumphius with All Things Science http://ow.ly/wlBlT #NationalPoetryMonth

Tanita Davis wraps up her poem a day series for #NationalPoetryMonth http://ow.ly/wlzld

Poetry Reading Challenge for Kids {Final Week} @momandkiddo http://ow.ly/w84aQ #NationalPoetryMonth

On Reading, Writing, and Publishing

Why I Am Mad at the New York Times Best Seller List by @StaceyLoscalzo on Frozen adaptation topping the list http://ow.ly/wlAOZ

On the joy of talking about books by #literacy specialist Lindsey Jones @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/waTPg

Programs and Research

Cheerios launches 11th year of putting kids' books in cereal boxes, now including chapter books http://ow.ly/waQqQ via @rosemondcates

El Paso Public Library, Parks and Recreation give 25,000 books given to area children - @bobmoorenews http://ow.ly/wijDg via @FirstBook

If you send a Mother's Day ecard Macy's will donate $2 to @RIFWEB | Details: http://ow.ly/wg4lh

Schools and Libraries

Books to help teachers get ready for summer vacation (and recommend titles to kids) @frankisibberson @ChoiceLiteracy http://ow.ly/wfZb5

Getting rid of weekly prizes in #SummerReading program by @lochwouters #libraries http://ow.ly/wg4aG

Good advice for what to say when you don't know the answer from @mollyidle @NerdyBookClub on impact of great teachers http://ow.ly/wg5Qs

Girls Do Better Than Boys in School at All Ages and Subjects, Study Finds - @NBCNews http://ow.ly/wj72Q

7 Big Myths About #Libraries | Erinn Batykefer @HuffPostBooks via @somers_library http://ow.ly/wj5AK

Interesting post at the relaunched blog The Uncommon Corps: Thinking About Graphical #Literacy http://ow.ly/wg54m

"Standards of some form, and hopefully #CommonCore, should still be in place for schools" @ReadByExample http://ow.ly/w85vt

Supporting the #CommonCore State Standards: #Librarians at the Center by @MaryAnnScheuer http://ow.ly/waSJk

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

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I've been having kind of a hectic day: work, laundry, doctor's appointment (with shots!) for my daughter, etc. But finally I sat down to my personal email, and found this email from Reading is Fundamental: 

"A gift was given to Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) in your honor. The nation’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit, RIF helps get books to kids in need. For many of the kids RIF serves, their RIF books are their only books. The books provided through this gift made in your honor can spark lifetimes of ambition."

There was an accompanying note from Mary Lee Hahn and Franki Sibberson. When I traveled to their wonderful blog, A Year of Reading, I found this post: Celebrating Jen Robinson with a donation to RIF. I had been following Franki and Mary Lee's year-long celebration of their blog's eighth birthday, in which they highlight fellow bloggers whose work has inspired them, and make donations to relevant charities in those bloggers' names. But it never even crossed my mind that they might pick me. I feel so honored and grateful that I am nearly at a loss for words. 

Their post is full of reminders of my very earliest days of blogging, when those of us who discovered blogging started coming together. My lists of Cool Girls of Children's Literature and Cool Boys of Children's Literature helped lead to Mary Lee and Franki's list of 100 Cool Teachers in Children's Literature. And the rest is history! We all had so much FUN blogging back then. I mean, I still do, but there was such a relief for me when I first started in finding kindred spirits, other adults who cared about children's books even more than I did. 

Later, when my daughter was born, Mary Lee and Franki were among a group of wonderful online friends who had become real friends who gave me a virtual book shower. Franki and Mary Lee sent me two books that remain among my favorites (though my daughter now declares them to be for babies): Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox & Helen Oxenbury and Ten Tiny Babies by Karen Katz. I have in turn passed on copies of these books to many other friends and family members in the four years since. 

I've been fortunate enough to meet Mary Lee and Franki in person at a conference or two over the years, and I hope to see them in person again before too long. They have brightened my blogging experience over the years, and today they made me stop in the middle of a not so fun day and remember the value of finding kindred spirits. I hope you'll check out their post. Thanks, Franki and Mary Lee! It's an honor to know you. 

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

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• Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: April 18
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Book: Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy, Book 3)
Author: Laini Taylor
Pages: 624
Age Range: 13 and up

Dreams of Gods & Monsters is the final books in Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. (See my reviews of Book 1 and Book 2). If you have read the previous books, you will certainly wish to read Dreams of Gods and Monsters. I think that it wraps up the series in a quite satisfactory manner, while leaving the door open for other books set in the same world. 

As in all of Laini's books, the prose in Dreams of Gods and Monsters is rich and evocative, particularly when addressing love and longing. The characters are so fully developed that even when they surprise you, you find their change/growth consistent. The world-building in this series is very strong, with this third book in particular making the history of Eretz (and Earth as conceived by Laini) more clear. The plot is full of twists and surprises, including a character newly introduced in the final book who plays a pivotal role. 

I will confess that I had to put this book aside about half-way through, and read something else. The characters were facing so much suffering that I needed a break. But once I came back to Dreams of Gods and Monsters, I read eagerly to the end, and was pleased by the interweaving of plot strands as well as the personal resolution for Karou. 

Here are a few of my favorite quotes (though in truth one could open this book at random and find something lyrical and worth quoting on nearly every page):

"Out of betrayal and desperation, amid hostile beasts and invading angels and a deception that felt like an explosion waiting to happen, somehow, here was a beginning." (Page 30, Karou)

"So much to rue, but to what end? All unlived lives cancel one another out. She had nothing but now. The clothes on her back, the blood in her veins, and the promise made by her comrades. If only they would keep it." (Page 110, Karou)

""My wife likes to say that the mind is a palace with room for many guest. Perhaps the butler takes care to install the delegates of Science in a different wing from the emissaries of Faith, lest they take up arguing in the passages."" (Page 274, a Professor of Science)

"No one would understand it, but who cares? She'd just glare at them until they went away. That worked in almost any situation." (Page 419, Zuze) 

Dreams of Gods and Monsters is a must-read conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. If you haven't read the first two books, and you enjoy fantasy novels with strong characters (particularly strong female characters) and lavish world-building, you are in for a treat. Gather up all three books, and immerse yourself in Laini Taylor's world of angels and monsters, battles and resurrections, suffering and love. 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (@LBKids) 
Publication Date: April 8, 2014
Source of Book: Purchased it on Kindle

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Related Stories

• We Were Liars: E. Lockhart
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Screen-Free Week is May 5 – 11, 2014! 

Kids, families, schools, and communities pledge to spend 7 days unplugged.

BOSTON -- April 28 -- Children are spending way too much time with screens -- and it’s not good for them.

• School-age children spend more time with screen media -- television, video games, computers, and hand-held devices -- than in any other activity but sleeping.
• Screen media use is at an all-time high among preschoolers -- according to Nielsen, young children spend, on average, more than 32 hours a week watching just television.
• A recent survey found that the amount of time children ages 0-8 spend using mobile devices tripled in two years.
• Screen time is habit forming and linked to poor school performance, childhood obesity, poor sleep habits, and attention problems.
• 64% of children ages 12 to 24 months watch TV and videos for an average of just over two hours a day -- even though the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends discouraging screen time for children under two.

For these reasons and more, so many leading health, education, and childcare organizations actively support this year’s Screen-Free Week (May 5 – 11, 2014), the annual celebration where children, families, schools, and communities turn on life by turning off screens for entertainment. Endorsers include the National Head Start Association, the National WIC Association, KaBOOM!, the US Play Coalition, the Association of Children’s Museums, the National Black Child Development Institute, and the American Public Health Association.

“Such wide-ranging support for Screen-Free Week reflects the growing national consensus that kids spend too much time with television, video games, apps, and computers,” said Dr. Susan Linn, director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the official home of Screen-Free Week. “More screen time means less time for hands-on play, reading, exploring nature, and dreaming -- activities crucial to a healthy, happy childhood."

Since 1996, millions of children and their families have participated in Screen-Free Week (formerly TV Turnoff). Each year, thousands of parents, teachers, PTA members, librarians, scoutmasters, and clergy organize Screen-Free Weeks in their communities. Here are just a few of the upcoming festivities:

• The Irving (TX) Public Library is hosting events all week long including sidewalk chalk art, a bubble bonanza, a science experiment, and opportunities to create books and build with construction materials.
• In NYC, The Uni Project will take up residency all week on a wide stretch of sidewalk in the Lower East Side with their pop-up, open-air reading rooms.
• The Wooden Horse toy store in Los Gatos, CA has a week of activities planned, starting with a pajama party and story time and ending with a play day that will be filled with arts & crafts, games, and races. A game night and nature-themed activities will also be offered during the week.
• Spring Garden Recreation in York, PA will be joining with local businesses and Recreation departments to offer an activity for each day of the week free of charge. They’re starting the week off with a kids’ biathlon.
• In Cambridge, MA families will celebrate Screen-Free (Screen-Wise) Week with cooking from the garden, building and playing with cardboard tubes, a kids’ walk and picnic at Fresh Pond, exploring materials with magical properties, and sketching plants and trees. They’ll end the week with a Mother’s Day bike ride.

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (www.commercialfreechildhood.org) is a national coalition that counters the harmful effects of marketing to children. CCFC is a project of Third Sector New England (www.tsne.org).

_______________________________

See also my post about my family's experience with Screen Free Week last year. I'm going to try for "Less Screen Week" this year (see a post by Marge Loch-Wouters on this topic), but I think that's all I'll be able to manage right now. 

Related Stories

• A Tip for Growing Bookworms: Avoid Bookshaming
• Half a Chance: Cynthia Lord
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Book: Torn Away
Author: Jennifer Brown
Pages: 288
Age Range: 12 and up

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown is about a teenage girl living in a small midwestern town who loses everything in a tornado. I hadn't read any of Brown's novels up to this point, though I was vaguely familiar with them (particularly Hate List, about a school shooting). She is known for taking on ripped from the headlines stories and making them stand out. I found Torn Away to be a definite page-turner, with gripping descriptions of the tornado and the devastation that it caused. It is a rather depressing book, but one that wrung a few tears out of me in the end. 

Jersey is likable without being perfect (a bit pudgier than she might like, and one who prefers to stay behind the scenes, rather than be in the limelight). Prior to the tornado, she is frequently irritated by her irrepressible five year old half sister, Marin. She eventually comes to regret not being nicer to Marin when she had the chance. I personally found this point to be hammered at a tiny heavily. But it did make me resolve to be more patient with the irrepressible preschooler living in my own house. And I respected the author's decision not to sugar-coat Jersey's relationship with her sister. Teens are not always kind to their much-younger siblings - this is a fact of life. Other characters, even those that don't survive, are allowed not to be perfect, which is a big part of what makes the book work. 

Jersey's experience after the tornado, when she is sent to live with her estranged father and his heinous family, is in some ways worse than the tornado itself. Brown's tone is somewhat matter of fact, rather than overly melodramatic, which helps to keep Torn Away from being too sad to bear. Here are a couple of snippets:

"Had I not know I was standing in my living room, I never would have guessed this was my house. The roof was completely missing. The whole thing. No holes or tears--gone. Some of the outside walls were also missing, and the remaining walls were in perilously bad conditions. One was leaning outward, the window blown and the frame hanging by a corner. Farther away, where the living room and the kitchen normally, met, the house just... ended." (Chapter Four, ARC).

"What the news crews couldn't show was the real damage Elizabeth's monster tornado had left behind. How do you record the wreckage left in someone's heart? I pulled out a piece of gum and popped it into my mouth, then smoothed out the foil. I found a pen on the nightstand and drew a picture of a big stick figure holding a little stick figure." (Chapter Eleven, ARC)

When I was a teenager, I would have adored this book. A natural disaster! A compelling plot full of terrible things happening to someone delightfully ordinary. Complex family relationships. Torn Away has a lot going for it. As an adult reader I enjoyed it, despite feeling the tiniest bit emotionally manipulated. My inkling to read Hate List has increased, in any case. 

Torn Away is a book that I think will reach teen readers, and give them (at least for a little while) a new appreciation of their families. And perhaps they'll feel a bit more empathy towards the victims of natural disasters seen on the evening news. 

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (@LBKids)
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

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Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. We are light on book lists this week, but heavy on events (World Book Night, Children's Choice Awards, National Poetry Month, etc.). 

Authors

Author Tanita Davis on why she's supporting the ALTERED PERCEPTIONS anthology in support of author Robison Wells http://ow.ly/w84Wy

squeetus: What do writers and mental illness have in common? Why @haleshannon is participating in Altered Perceptions http://ow.ly/w6a6N

Book Lists

A Tuesday Ten: Speculative Environmentals | Views From the Tesseract http://ow.ly/w5qyf #booklist #kidlit

11 Jewish Folktales for Kids from @momandkiddo http://ow.ly/w00w3 #kidlit #booklist

Diversity + Gender

Diversity in #KidLit: 7 must reads from @rosemondcates "you can find the uniqueness of each character while relating" http://ow.ly/w83Ej

A Diverse Dozen in #yalit http://ow.ly/w03aO #booklist @diversityinya

CCBlogC: Same Old Story: The Stats on Multicultural Literature http://ow.ly/w3xrF #diversity

Heartening post @Freakonomics on father/daughter initiative to encourage McDonalds to not make gender assumptions http://ow.ly/w3z6C

"it’s our job to represent humanity in literature. And humanity is #diverse" | @haleshannon on "Neutral characters" http://ow.ly/w02g2

Boys, Reading and Misogynistic Crap | @tashrow takes on Jonathan Emmett's recent Times of London piece http://ow.ly/vZZz1 #literacy

Events

World Book Night (tonight!) and a Proper Celebration of the Day of Shakespeare’s Birth — @fuseeight http://ow.ly/w5qiK

Voice your choice! Voting for @CBCBook's Children's & Teen Choice Book Awards is open through May 12: http://ccbookawards.com #CCBA14

Is anyone participating in Screen-Free Week 2014, May 5-11? | @CommercialFree Childhood Campaign http://ow.ly/w3wZw

Can you commit to 20 min of reading as a family for 20 days? #Read20 — @jendonn @5M4B is taking @Scholastic Challenge http://ow.ly/w01Qd

Celebrating Earth Day: A focus on Molly Bang's science picture books (ages 4-10) from @MaryAnnScheuer http://ow.ly/w01jW #kidlit

Poetry Challenge for Kids {Week 4} from @momandkiddo for #NationalPoetryMonth http://ow.ly/vVOlL

Growing Bookworms

Teaching Kids How to Take Care of Books - @growingbbb http://ow.ly/w8451 #GrowingBookworms

7 Book-Related Things I’d Like to Destruct by Here Comes Destructosaurus author Aaron Reynolds | @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/w5qdK

Another well-put reminder: "All books are worthy of being read. Just let kids read" by @mentortexts @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/w00Ld

Study finds mothers share rich Information when Reading Picture Books (narrative and non) reports @tashrow http://ow.ly/w815v #literacy

On Reading, Writing, and Publishing

"No matter how long a book has been out, the first time you read it, it’s new to you" Michael Guevara @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/w84sR

Parenting

Literacy, families and learning: Fifteen Creative Ideas to Try During Holidays from @TrevorHCairney http://ow.ly/w5qNy

Schools, Libraries, and Homeschooling

12 Big Ideas About Homeschooling from @PenelopeTrunk @escapeadulthood http://ow.ly/w82ci

Growing Our Reading Community: Learning from Older Readers (on reading buddies) by @cathymere http://ow.ly/w02Cw

"the books our kids want to read, and the books we want to share", Mumbai school librarian @ShirinPetit @KirbyLarson http://ow.ly/w82HQ

The joy of sharing (recommending) books, by Hong Kong Academy teacher librarian @tgaletti @KirbyLarson http://ow.ly/w8349

Going to the #Library Gives You the Same Boost as Getting a Raise! | @tashrow Sites and Soundbytes http://ow.ly/w80sz

Depressing | Modesto to Replace School Librarians with Teachers in response to #CommonCore http://ow.ly/w3vKt via @PWKidsBookshelf

Common Core Flip-Flop: Gov Cuomo Changes Mind About Using #CommonCore Results For Teacher Evaluations | @sljournal http://ow.ly/vUiip

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

Related Stories

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Book: Zoe's Jungle
Author: Bethanie Deeney Murguia
Pages: 40
Age Range: 3-5

My daughter and I both enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) Bethanie Murguia's two previous picture books about Zoe (Zoe Gets Ready and Zoe's Room: No Sister's Allowed). In this third installment, the irrepressible Zoe and her younger sister Addie pretend that a playground is a jungle. Some tension is added to the story by the fact that Mama has decreed that they'll be leaving the park in five minutes. But as it turns out, five minutes is enough time for a jungle adventure, if you have sufficient imagination.

Alternating page spreads show the jungle that Zoe is picturing, vs. the playground as it actually looks. This may be a bit confusing for the youngest readers (my four-year-old wasn't sure what was going on, the first time we read this). But once they understand the device that Murguia is using, I think that kids will enjoy it. For instance, Zoe crosses over an alligator-filled river on a fallen log. The "log" is revealed on the next page to be a wooden bench, passing near some kids playing in a puddle. Not until the final endpages do we see the full view of the park. (And I must say, it's a very nice park!)

Although this is still clearly Zoe's story, it's nice to see her sister growing a bit bigger, and more able to actively take part in things (this is clear from just looking at the cover). The "Addiebeast" runs away and hides, and the brave explorer Zoe must track her down. Addie's polka-dotted dress is echoed in the Addiebeast's spotted tail. 

I also, as a parent, enjoyed the by-play between Zoe and her Mama over when they would leave the park. Zoe goes on a huge rant over how five more minutes is "NOT" enough time. At the end of the rant, Mama just says: "Four minutes!". Zoe slumps over, saying: "Is there no respect for the explorer and her quest?" But then Addie distracts her, and the game is on. 

I love the green jungle palette of Zoe's Jungle, and the images of kids climbing trees and riding wild beasts, as well as the images of kids just playing in a playground. Mostly I love that Zoe's Jungle is a celebration of imaginative play, as well as a celebration of sibling bonds. Recommended, and sure to become a Baby Bookworm favorite!

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (@Scholastic) 
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

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Today I will be sending out a new issue of the Growing Bookworms email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's and young adult books and raising readers. I currently send out the newsletter once every two weeks. (I'm sending one day early right now because TypePad has been a bit unreliable of late, and I want to get it out while I can.)

Newsletter Update: In this issue I have four book reviews (picture book through young adult) and two posts with links that I shared on Twitter recently. I also have a post documenting my Baby Bookworm's plan to turn her bedroom into a library. 

Reading Update: In the last two weeks I read four young adult and three adult titles. I skewed towards the older age range because most of this reading took place during a cross-country trip that I took (to attend my college reunion at Duke). A high point of the trip for me was a friend telling me that reading my blog had encouraged her to continue reading aloud to her kids. So nice to have the chance to make a difference (and to hear about it)! Anyway, I read:

• Jennifer Brown: Hate List. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Young Adult. Completed April 10, 2014, on Kindle (library copy).
• Meg Rosoff: Picture Me Gone. Putnam Juvenile. Young Adult. Completed April 11, 2014, on Kindle (library copy). 
• Ashley Elston: The Rules for Breaking. Disney-Hyperion. Young Adult. Completed April 13, 2014, digital ARC on Kindle. I must admit that I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did the first book: The Rules for Disappearing. But for fans of YA thrillers (including a teen in the witness protection program), this 2-book series is worth a look. 
• Stephen Chbosky: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. MTV Books. Young Adult. Completed April 22, 2014, on MP3. I enjoyed this book, but my appreciation was diminished a bit by the fact that I had already seen the movie, and knew how it would end. Both book and movie are well done, though. 
• Sue Grafton: S is for Silence (Kinsey Millhone series). Berkley. Adult Mystery. Completed April 13, on Kindle (library copy).
• Harlan Coben: Missing You. Dutton. Adult Mystery. Completed April 18, on MP3.
• Sue Grafton: T is for Trespass (Kinsey Millhone series). Berkley. Adult Mystery. Completed April 21, 2014, on Kindle (library copy).

I'm currently reading Dreams of Gods and Monsters, the conclusion to Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone series on Kindle, and Pieces of Me by Amber Kizer in print. Baby Bookworm's policy these days is to immediately ask to be read aloud any new book that comes into the house, from board books through early readers. You can check out the complete list of books we've read to her this year if you are interested to see more. 

What are you and your family reading these days? Thanks for reading the newsletter, and for growing bookworms. 

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Related Stories

• Growing Bookworms Newsletter: March 12
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On Sunday the Easter Bunny brought my daughter a book (among other things). When asked how the Easter Bunny could have known that she liked books, she said: "He would just have to look in my room. There's about a million books in there." When her father responded that, yes, she practically had a mini library in their, she got a little gleam in her eye. Without missing a beat she told us: "When I am 10 or 8 I'm going to have a real library in my room."

Over dinner, we fleshed out the whole plan. The requirement to wait until she is 10 or 8 quickly fell by the wayside. Here are some highlights:

• Kids will be able to borrow books Anyone checking out books now will be able to check out four books (because she is four), but by the time she is 25 they will be able to check out 25 books.
• She will hold separate storytimes for boys and for girls (though she plans to read them the same books). 
• We discussed sending out invitations to all of her friends to visit the library, and even made a list of which friends would receive invites. (Though we did not actually get to the point of making the invitations.)

When she proposed that we move to the middle of the country, so that it would be easier for her cousins to also visit the library, we decided that things had gotten out of hand, and we moved onto something else. But not before she declared her new "what I'm going to be when I grow up" plan. She's going to be a doctor and a librarian. When she's not busy taking care of patients, she can read books to people. 

I thought that those of you who've been following this blog might appreciate this little window into the evolving life of a Baby Bookworm. If you give a kid "about a million" books, and make time to read them, you might end up having to let her open a library one day. 

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. This site is an Amazon Affiliate. 

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Book: Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile
Author: Marcia Wells
Illustrator: Marcos Calo
Pages: 256
Age Range: 9-12 (lightly illustrated middle grade)

Mystery of the Museum Mile is the first book of the new Eddie Red Undercover series by Marcia Wells. Eddie Red is a code name for Edmund Xavier Lonnrot, a sixth grader with a photographic memory and the ability to draw (well) anyone he has seen. When Eddie's talents are inadvertently discovered by the New York Police Department, he is hired to help on a special case involving art theft. He's only supposed to visit some museums and draw the people he sees, under the guidance of a grouchy but protective cop named Bovano. But of course things get more complicated, and more dangerous, than that. 

So, ok, there are a couple of points here requiring suspension of disbelief. The NYPD hiring an 11-year-old? Said 11-year-old's parents going along with it? The photographic memory AND drawing skill? But personally, I found it well worth letting those points go and enjoying the ride.

Edmund (or Eddie Red, as you may prefer to think of him) is a solid character. Smart, sure, but realistically insecure about it. Loyal to his best friend, who has pretty serious OCD. Eddie breaks the rules in order to learn more about the case, but he's nervous about that. He's not your young James Bond, able to do everything. He's more your regular kid who has one particular skill. He desperately wants to solve the case so that he can make enough money to remain in his private school. 

Eddie is also pretty matter-of-fact about being a young African-American male in the city. The color of his skin isn't a big deal, but it's not glossed over, either. It's an integral part of who he is, and who his parents are. This, together with his white friend Jonah's quirks, makes this a mystery that should feel relevant to a wider range of kids than many. Eddie does have a very mild love interest, which didn't really feel necessary to me, but there's not enough to it to be off-putting for younger kids. 

The mystery involves following clues, putting things together, and applying a bit of geometry (Jonah is helpful here). A fair number of scenes take place in Jonah and Eddie's school for gifted kids, which I found interesting. 

Here are a few snippets, to give you a feel for Wells' writing:

"People always ask how to spell my name. It's European and looks pretty unusual, but it's easy to pronounce: Lawn-rot. Some family down south owned my ancestors back in the slave days, and the name stuck." (Page 16)

"I try to follow. Sadie, our cat-who-may-be-an-evil-overlord-in-disguise, heads me off. Leaping in front of the kitchen door, she arches her back in a ripple of fur and hisses." (Page 39)

"He remains standing, staring out the window. He has quite a pasta/beer belly packed onto his tall body. This man is what my mother would call a touch cookie. Only he's more like a tough loaf of old and angry Italian break, with too much garlic mixed in." (Page 53)

There are also occasional full-page illustrations, representing Eddie's drawings of important characters in the story. Calo's pencil (charcoal?) sketches are a bit professional to actually be created by a sixth grader, but they are a nice addition to book, fleshing out Eddie's talent and giving readers a glimpse of the characters. 

All in all, Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile is a nice addition to the ranks of middle grade mysteries. I look forward to Eddie's further adventures. Recommended!

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (@HMHBooks)
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Related Stories

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Here are highlights from the links that I shared on Twitter this week @JensBookPage. There are a few more than usual, as I was traveling late last week, and then had a big burst of catch-up links on Monday and Tuesday. Lots of links this week about diversity and about libraries. 

Book Lists and Awards

RT @tashrow James Patterson wins the 2014 Chicago Tribune Young Adult Literary Award. http://buff.ly/1l1S0Yk #kidlit

Make 'Em Laugh: Gut-Busting Picture Books That'll Have 'Em Rolling in the Aisles | @FuseEight for @NYPL http://ow.ly/vUt6f #kidlit

Booklist for Easter from @cjfriess | Favourite picture book bunnies http://ow.ly/vPivI #kidlit

Chapter Books for the New Chapter Book Reader | @ReadingWithBean http://ow.ly/vPhZO

20 Books for Tween Boys Reading Up » Children's Book Reviews by @StorySnoops http://ow.ly/vPjw7 #kidlit

So You Want To Read Middle Grade: #Nonfiction for Middle Grade by Sarah Albee @greenbeanblog http://ow.ly/vPfr1 #kidlit

15 Adorable Children's Books For Your Little Architect from @buzzfeed via @PWKidsBookshelf http://ow.ly/vPsvr #booklist

A fine list: 22 Great Non-fiction Books for Boys (& Girls) from @TrevorHCairney http://ow.ly/vPgjr #nonfiction #kidlit

The top 10 most frequently challenged books of 2013, from @GuardianBooks + @bkshelvesofdoom http://ow.ly/vN1Bm #censorship

Great Books About Eggs and Chicks | @sljournal #booklist http://ow.ly/vMQAl #kidlit

Diversity + Gender

We Need Bigger Megaphones for #Diversity in #KidLit | "Why aren't more people" speaking up? @catagator @bookriot http://ow.ly/vPeKy

Becoming More Diverse – A #Library Journey by Crystal Brunelle @librarygrl2 @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/vVOsw #diversity

Shattering the Multicultural Myth of the Market. Let's go, urges @MitaliPerkins http://ow.ly/vUtir #yalit #diversity

Diversity in young adult literature: Where's the 'Mexican Katniss'? ask #yalit authors @cnn http://ow.ly/vMQMW via @PWKidsBookshelf

Stacked: TeenGirls Reading: What Are They Seeing (or Not Seeing)? asks @catagator http://ow.ly/vUsRL #yalit

Men: let us know about female characters you admire | @GuardianBooks campaign #LetBooksBeBooks http://ow.ly/vPgUg

Boys Read Girls (Let Books Be Books) @bookzone http://ow.ly/vPgIy via @charlotteslib #kidlit #gender

RT @ElisabethElling "Are Teen Girls Seeing Themselves Reflected in What They Read?" #yalitclass http://feedly.com/e/YKzivZyN

Sigh: "Being male still seems to present an advantage when it comes to recognition, prestige, and awards" in #kidlit http://ow.ly/vMRKY

eBooks / Online Reading

It’s an #Ebook World for Young Readers 13 and Under Says PlayCollective Report | @sljournal http://ow.ly/vVO9q via @tashrow

RT @tashrow Serious reading takes a hit from online scanning and skimming, researchers say – Washington Post http://buff.ly/1qkngTN #reading

Author @MitaliPerkins is proposing once a week Device-Free Day. Are you in? http://ow.ly/vN1m3

Events (inc. National Poetry Month)

Support @readergirlz Teen Literature Day & "Rock the Drop", @CynLeitichSmith @melissacwalker http://ow.ly/vUsyl

5 Great Poetry Collections for Kids #NationalPoetryMonth — @jenndon @5M4B http://ow.ly/vVNQZ

10 Ways to Get Kids Excited About #Poetry by @smozer at @KirbyLarson blog http://ow.ly/vPjjb

Forgiving Buckner by John Hodgen, #poetry @missrumphius | "Can baseball be the true harbinger of spring?" http://ow.ly/vPiKz #redsox

Poetry Challenge for Kids {Week 3} from @momandkiddo http://ow.ly/vPiro #NationalPoetryMonth

Kidlitosphere

This post made me happy + sad| Children’s Literature Online at a Glance: A Look Back at Friends Long Gone @fuseeight http://ow.ly/vN1Um

On Reading, Writing, and Publishing

Lovely! The Top 10 Reasons Why I Can’t Stop Reading Children’s & Young Adult Literature by @EsMteach @NerdyBookClub http://ow.ly/vPhG5

Growing Up As an Only Child, Fictional Characters Were My Siblings | @BookishHQ http://ow.ly/vMS12 via @PWKidsBookshelf

Dare to Disturb the Universe: Madeleine L’Engle on Creativity, Censorship, Writing + Duty of #kidlit | @brainpicker http://ow.ly/vMRsK

Schools and Libraries

This is interesting | (Much of) Parental Involvement (at school) is Overrated @NYTimes Opinionator http://ow.ly/vPqwg

Shanahan on #Literacy: How Much In-Class Reading? (On reading aloud and silently in the classroom) http://ow.ly/vPhhi

How VA Middle School Librarian + Book Club Raised Funds to Provide 15k Meals for Students in South Sudan | @sljournal http://ow.ly/vUhW5

Thanks to NBA Star LeBron James, Akron Public Schools Has One of the Largest E-Libraries in Country | @sljournal http://ow.ly/vUh45

12 ways to Save Money at Your Public #Library from @AboutKidsBooks - Borrow Kids Books eBooks Audiobooks DVDs http://ow.ly/vRqJ3

Betsy @FuseEight has set up a very cool #Literary Salon @NYPL on Podcasting Children’s Books w/ @KatieDavisBurps + more http://ow.ly/vRq7K

RT: AboutKidsBooks: 6 picture books about libraries and librarians and 1 article about how to save money at your public library. http://abt.cm/1hHgTtt

What you should do to help libraries in crisis (instead of holding a spontaneous book drive) — @lizb http://ow.ly/vN2ar

Think libraries are dying? Think again @cnn shares #library photos and reports on their enduring popularity http://ow.ly/vPb68

Reasons why you should be taking your child to the #library from @HuffPost + @tashrow http://ow.ly/vN1ru

In Arizona, After Girl Scouts’ #Library Project Set on Fire, Public Support Pours In | @sljournal http://ow.ly/vMQqc

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.

Related Stories

• Links I Shared on Twitter this Week: March 21
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Book: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Pages: 240
Age Range: 12 and up

We Were Liars, e. lockhart's upcoming young adult novel, is fabulous. I couldn't put it down, particularly the last third. On finishing it, I had to go back and immediately re-read large chunks of the book. This is something I never do. Yes, it is that good.

Really, if you are an e. lockhart fan, or a fan of suspenseful young adult fiction of any stripe, that should be enough. You should stop reading here. Because this is NOT a book that you want spoiled. You want to go into it knowing as little about it as possible.

The protagonist isn't wholly likable. She's wealthy, beautiful and spoiled (with heavy parallels to the Kennedy family). She doesn't even know the names of the people who work for her extended family every summer. But it doesn't matter. She is compelling anyway - I promise.

The primary setting, a private island near Martha's Vineyard, isn't one that will resonate with most readers' personal experience. But that doesn't matter, either. Lockhart draws the island so clearly, and the characters so sharply (for good and ill) that you feel like you're there with them. 

In terms of mature content, there is some kissing, and some drinking, and some talk of (but no action regarding) sex. But this is a powerful book, and I would not give it to kids under 12. 

And honestly, that's all I have to say. Pre-order it, read it when it's available, and try not to read any detailed reviews in the meantime. Highly recommended for teen and adult readers, male or female. I won't stop thinking about We Were Liars for a while. 

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (@RandomHouseKids)  
Publication Date: May 13, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher

FTC Required Disclosure:

This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

Related Stories

• Moldylocks and the Three Beards: Noah Z. Jones
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Books: Pottytime for Chickies and Bedtime for Chickies
Author: Janee Trasler
Pages: 24 each
Age Range: 2-4 (padded board books)

Pottytime for Chickies and Bedtime for Chickies, both by Janee Trasler, are part of a new series of padded board books focused on issues of interest to toddlers and early preschoolers (upcoming titles discuss the arrival of a new chick, and the development of table manners). Both books feature three little round chicks, apparently parented by three farm animals (Pig, Cow, and Sheep). The parent figures all look male to me, though this isn't completely, which makes for a nice, subtle message about varied types of families. 

In Pottytime for Chickies, the chicks are, as you might suspect, learning how to use the toilet. They have their own ideas about what the potty is for, however, and when left to their own devices they do things like swim in the potty (ick!), and use the toilet paper like a trapeze. Each time, one of the parents returns, passes out hugs or kisses, and tries to get them onto the right track. So, for example, we have:

"Pottytime, Chickies.
Just two things.

First wipe your tail feathers,
then wash your wings.

Goodbye, Sheep.
Shut the door.
We know what the potty's for."

Followed by jumping off the back of the potty onto a pile of towels, followed by hugs and gentle redirection from Sheep. And in the space of a few short pages, the chicks figure out what to do. So, no, not the most realistic potty training book that parents can add to their arsenals. But it is pretty fun! My already potty-trained daughter pealed with laughter over the chicks in the potty. 

Bedtime for Chickies tackles another common issue - the ways that kids will delay going to bed. Even as the adults are settling into their own beds, the chick are thirsty, have to go potty, and need a story, to the increasing chagrin of the three tired adults. Eventually, each chick ends up falling asleep in the lap of a similarly sleeping grown up animal (a more realistic ending than the first book). 

One thing I liked about Bedtime for Chickies was the way the author teased kids, by making them think that a rhyme was coming when it wasn't. Like this:

It's bedtime for chickies.
It's bedtime for sheep.
It's bedtime for pig and cow.
Let's all go to ..."

My four-year-old immediately chimed in with "sleep." But in face, on the next page the text is:

"cheep, cheep, cheep.
We can't sleep.
We have to go potty."

The disruption in the text mirrors that disruption in the actual bedtime process. Nice.

Trasler's illustrations aren't realistic, of course, but the three round chicks are cute and kid-friendly, and the adult animals are quirky (and wear clothes). The adults come across as more nurturing in the potty book, vs. just exhausted in the bedtime book (both of which seem appropriate to me). The colors are soothing - not to bright, and the energy of the chicks is apparent on nearly every page. 

I think this is a nice addition to the ranks of toddler-focused board books. These take a very light tone, and focus more on the universal humor of things kids do than on "teaching" a certain behavior. And I do love that the adult caregivers are apparently male and of different species than the kids. Not only does this make the book more visually interesting, it quietly tosses stereotypes aside (an usual thing in the board book world). Recommended new baby gifts or first through third birthdays. I look forward to seeing the other books in this fun new series.  

Publisher: Harper (@HarperChildrens) 
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Source of Book: Review copies from the publisher

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© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook. 

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