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Why did you decide to write the story in a sort of prose poetry form? Was it just to give Ivan a believable voice, or was there another reason?
I am not entirely sure. I tend to look at structure before I look even at plot,* which is probably why plot is a struggle for me.** I think about what the book looks like and how it feels.*** Maybe that discipline is helpful for me in terms of finding the right words.
But when I look at big sprawly novels, sometimes… my husband just finished [writing] 500 pages. I marvel at it, because it’s so symphony and I’m so chamber music.**** I just don’t think that way, and it seemed really appropriate that since I was working with an animal voice that it would be small and poetic.
Read the rest of the interview at School Library Journal's
Meet the Latest Newbery Winner: How Katherine Applegate Created a Modern-Day Classic
*yes
** oh, yes
*** yes siree
****exactly!
A new star was discovered today. It's called School Library Journal, and joins Kirkus, PW, and The Horn Book in the ever brighter constellation of the Duck.
A small green duck has lost his new blue socks. He looks for them in his toy box and consults his friends the fox and the ox. He does not find them among other socks on the rocks, but his peacock friends help him find them. The short, repetitive rhyming sentences are a good fit for beginning readers, and the large trim size allows plenty of space for the watercolor and [pen] illustrations to provide clues to solve the humorous mystery. This is a whimsical delight for children whose parents clamor for phonics-based books.–Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI
So
I've stayed away from School Library Journal's Heavy Medal blog all of a couple days. Not so hot on discipline, am I?
This quote is from a post there called
The Art of Writing. It really struck me in its loveliness.
We have to muddle our way through a lot of really good work, hold each up against the other, try calling it distinguished, disagree, find something better…in order to identify the best out there. I always hope, in the end, that the medals go to works that truly achieve “liftoff.” Our job (most of us) is one of connecting readers with great books, medal or not. Though the Newbery award is certainly for those readers, in my mind, it’s more important that it’s for the writers/creators: awarding them for the struggle, so that they’ll continue, and so that others have a standard to shoot for.
Let's celebrate Newbery winners today, those whose struggles have set the bar high and have given us books we love. Who's on your list?
Our very own Michael Dahl has truly outdone himself this time. His epic fantasy tale involving trolls, teens, and the stars isn’t set to run wild until August 1st, but I thought I’d give our blog’s readers a sneak peek at what’s to come.
First off, we’ve already received a handful of glowing reviews, including this testimonial from School Library Journal. Kirkus Reviews cited the story's “Compulsive plot, non-stop action … fast-moving narrative [with] lots of suspense ... A page-turner.”
Another review compared the book to a younger version of the His Dark Materials series of books by Phillip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Amber Spyglass, etc.). Good company, to say the least.
Last but definitely not least, nearly every review thus far has mentioned the amazing illustrations done by Ben Kovar. But don’t take my word for it, or theirs—judge for yourselves.
Make sure to mark August 1st on your calendars! In the meantime, keep your eyes on the skies!
Sean Tulien, Editor
It's here at last: the final Big Kahuna Round of School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books:
The battle is heating up!
On to Round 3 tomorrow....
Who will win?
Between Shades of Gray or Chime?
Drawing from Memory or Life: An Exploded Diagram?
The battle heats up starting tomorrow!
Who will move on to Round 3?
Amelia Lost or Between Shades of Gray?
Chime or Daughter of Smoke and Bone?
Drawing from Memory or Inside Out & Back Again?
Let me assure you, this was one tough job.
|
Allan Say vs Uma Krishnaswami |
Both books were wonderful...
..and quite different.
But it was fun to examine books so closely and to analyze their parts and their wholes.
It was an honor to have been asked to participate in this event.
I've learned a lot about the process of critical analysis - not only by being a judge but from the other commentators and reader comments.
Drawing from Memory or The Grand Plan to Fix Everything?
(And the judge for this one? Um, little ole ME!)
Heart and Soul or Inside Out & Back Again?
Life: An Exploded Diagram or A Monster Calls?
Okay for Now or Wonderstruck?
Tomorrow's the day!
Woohoo!!
Amelia Lost or Anya's Ghost?
Between Shades of Gray or Bootleg?
The Cheshire Cheese Cat or Chime?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone or Deadend in Norvelt
By:
Annie Beth Ericsson,
on 3/5/2012
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In case you missed it, this week’s results for School Library Journal’s Fuse #8 Re-Seussify Seuss challenge were in, and they were pretty spectacular! The mission, as set forth by children’s lit guru Betsy Bird, was to draw a spread from a Dr. Seuss book, but in the style of ANOTHER famous picture book artist. I was inspired by the fun mash-up idea, and pulled off the image of Yertle The Turtle in the style of Arnold Lobel, above.
The idea for the image itself came to me pretty easily. It’s no surprise that I love drawing turtles, and Yertle The Turtle is a family favorite. The reptile vs. amphibian factor – Yertle crossed with Frog and Toad - was amusing to me as well. In particular, I wanted to try my hand at Arnold Lobel’s style. I thought the limited palette with textured graphite would be fun, and his characters and watercolors lend themselves easily to my own style. Plus, he’s a fellow Pratt alum!
I learned a lot about Arnold Lobel’s creative process from this video with his daughter, Anita Lobel. She sought to replicate her father’s paintings when she colored Arnold Lobel’s unfinished The Frogs and Toads All Sang:
I am very interested in Lobel’s use of color separations to make the Frog and Toad illustrations, and I wish I could find more on the subject. While Anita went with full-color in her recent interpretation, I wanted to imitate the 2-color (and black) separations by sticking to a green layer, a brown layer, and dark graphite. I’m pleased with the result and think it was rather successful, if I do say so myself.
Now go check out Betsy’s post for the other mind-blowing creative Re-Seussification mash-ups!
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Now's your chance to vote for which book will come back from the dead in School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books.
Here's how it works: the book with the highest number of votes gets a second chance in the final judging. (Like going to Redemption Island, if you watch Survivor, which probably nobody does but me.)
Finally! The judges and their books all announced for School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books.
Woohoo!
I've been about to bust a gut keeping this secret.
I have a feeling the Battle Commanders heard me bouncing around the back room with my hands clamped over my mouth and figured they'd better spill the beans before I do.
I love, love, love this battle.
But NOW I have to STILL keep a secret.
I can't tell you which books I judged.
Nope.
Can't do it.
By:
Emma Walton Hamilton,
on 2/19/2012
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“If you’re dreaming of becoming the next J. K. Rowling, we’ve got the perfect place for you—the Southampton Children’s Literature Conference!” So said School Library Journal last year after Rocco Staino paid a visit to the Stony Brook Southampton campus to observe the Conference in action.
As Director of the Conference, I am delighted to announce that applications are now being accepted for our July 2012 workshops. We have a truly stellar line-up of faculty members this year, every one of whom is an esteemed, award-winning author in his (or her) own right, including:
Every workshop is capped at 12 students, which makes for a uniquely individualized experience and an incredible opportunity for specific and direct feedback and support. It also means they fill up quickly – so don’t delay if you’re thinking of applying!
A bit more information about the Conference… this year there will be two sessions, a five day one (July 11-15) featuring workshops in picture book, middle grade and YA with Peter H. Reynolds, Kate McMullan and Cynthia and Greg Leitich-Smith, respectively, and a 12-day session (July 18-29) in YA with Patricia McCormick. Mornings are spent in workshop, and in the afternoons a series of electives are offered such as craft lectures, panel discussions and mini-workshops. You can also choose to spend time writing at one of the beautiful Hamptons beaches or on the gorgeous campus grounds.
Because the Childrens Literature Conference is part of the Southampton Arts Summer, it runs concurrently with workshops in playwriting and screenwriting, as well as with adult workshops in poetry, memoir, novel, creative non-fiction, and even acting and visual arts. Evening events feature well-known authors, playwrights, and filmmakers. The schedule of formal and informal social gatherings is rich—from author receptions to an open-mic night—with a few surprises, too. And because Southampton Arts sponsors an esteemed and long-standing MFA in Creative Writing and Literature at Stony Brook Southampton, as well as new MFA’s in Theatre, Film and Visual Arts, the workshops may be taken for credit. There are even a few partial scholarships available.
To find out more, or to download an application, visit http://www.southamptonchildrenslit.com
The review for
Annie Jump Cannon Astronomer just came out from
School Library Journal!
From the review:"This inspiring picture-book biography of a trailblazer in the field presents insight into the challenges of women interested in science during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... The realistic illustrations capture the time period and complement the text. They’re scientifically accurate, including a physics equation on the professor’s chalkboard. Some of the pictures have helpful labels to inform readers that the building is Harvard Observatory, the man is Edward Pickering, or to make a scientific explanation understandable."http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissue/currentissue/892676-427/preschool_to_grade_4.html.csp#nonfiction
The reviewer even noticed the equation on the blackboard! It was by a famous French female mathematician.Here is more about the art in a previous blog post http://christinawald.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-trailer-annie-jump-cannon.htmlAlso, cool news: Carole heard from some relatives of Annie's who enjoyed our book!
By:
Susanne Gervay,
on 11/19/2011
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“* This hopeful, heartfelt novel will give teens an understanding of what it means to have a reason to be self-conscious. Librarians won’t be able to keep it on the shelf.” - School Library Journal (Starred Review)
‘Heart wrenching and beautiful are the two words that immediately came to mind as I read “Butterflies’ …
Gervay paints a picture of Katherine as she grows and changes allowing the reader to believe in her as a real person. Unlike other teen angst books, Katherine does not dwell in her angst, but moves beyond it and chooses to leave the misery and find joy in her daily life.
Gervay allows Katherine to win at the end- not because she suddenly becomes amazingly beautiful, but because she always was beautiful and knew that within herself.
…. Kudos to Gervay for painting the reader a picture of a self-reliant teen girl who does not depend on a boy to make herself feel valuable. Highly recommended for libraries- school, public and personal- who want to add to their girl power collections.” -
SWON Libraries Royal Reviews; http://www.swonlibraries.org/royal-reviews?a=dr&id=6255
By: Laura,
on 9/29/2011
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Banned Books Week goes on and today’s booktalk is GEOGRAPHY CLUB by Brent Hartinger. It was successfully banned for its homosexual content in Brent’s own hometown in 2005 – read Brent’s great post about it – and has continued to appear on the most challenged lists. In Brent’s blog post, he quotes a local parent who defended GEOGRAPHY CLUB at the time: “This is the most bogus thing I’ve heard of [...] It is about gay students. However, the most important part of the book is that it’s about bullying, outcasts, about tolerance [...] This is a really good book for any student to read.”
Generously contributing a booktalk today is the eloquent, often provocative, teacher, librarian, and blogger Jonathan Hunt (you can also visit him over at School Library Journal‘s blog Heavy Medal):
When is a Geography Club not a Geography Club? When it’s the front for a Gay-Straight Alliance, of course! Russel Middlebrook believes himself to be the only gay student at his high school, but when he makes an online connection with a job from his school, he begins to realize there may be others, too. Ultimately, seven students will come together to form the Geography Club, offering support to each other through thick and thin. Readers will fall in love with Russell – regardless of sexual orientation – because his voice just rings so true: funny, angsty, yet wise. There’s been an explosion of gay and lesbian young adult fiction in recent years, but this gem remains one of the very best.
Thanks so much, Jonathan! For more information, you can see this interview with Brent, check out Brent’s website (in particular, his information for LGBTQ kids is a wonderful resource), and follow Brent on Twitter.
By: Laura,
on 9/20/2011
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The day has come! Shel Silverstein’s newest poetry collection, EVERY THING ON IT, is on sale today!
You can get a peek at the book by using our Browse Inside feature, and check out the downloadable activities. The New York Times also wrote a lovely piece about Shel Silverstein as an unexpected “authority on education.” And don’t forget to check out Shel’s poems on NPR’s Morning Edition (seriously, you haven’t lived until you hear Shel’s editor Toni Markiet read “Italian Food” out loud!).
The reviews are coming in and they positively glow about EVERY THING ON IT:
“This posthumous collection of Silverstein’s poems and illustrations is not only familiar in design, but chockfull of the whimsical humor, eccentric characters, childhood fantasies, and iconoclastic glee that his many fans adore.” ~ Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Like the boy holding the delightfully absurd hot dog with everything piled upon it, this collection offers a Silverstein smorgasbord that won’t linger on the library shelves.” ~ School Library Journal (starred review)
“Adults who grew up with Uncle Shelby will find themselves wiping their eyes by the time they get to the end of this collection; children new to the master will find themselves hooked.” ~ Kirkus Reviews
It’s a historic day, and we’re so excited to share it with you, readers. And if you’d like to share memories and/or favorite poems by Shel Silverstein in the comments, please feel free – we’d love to hear it!
By: Laura,
on 9/8/2011
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With villain names like Professor Von Evil and the Flaming Eyeball, how can you not be dying to read Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon’s debut picture book THE ASTONISHING SECRET OF AWESOME MAN, illustrated by Jake Parker? With short text and plenty of derring-do action (take a peek inside), this picture book will be a favorite of kids who love comics, as well as kids in your storytime programs.
In its starred review, School Library Journal said “the depiction of a showdown between Awesome Man and his nemesis-the Flaming Eyeball-is priceless. Readers may notice that there’s a moral peeking out from Awesome Man’s cape, but they’ll still grab this story in their ‘ginormous Awesome Power Grip’ and not let go.”
Monica Edinger (of Educating Alice and Huffington Post fame) recently had the chance to interview Michael Chabon himself! Here’s how the conversation went:
Photo by Jennifer Chaney
From reading your Pulitzer Prize-winning adult novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, fans probably know you have a long-term relationship with superhero comics. Can you give us a taste of your own childhood introduction to them and how that might have inspired this story of Awesome Man?
Well, of course I remember seeing Batman and the first animated Spider-Man show on television when I was very small… but my first true plunge into the world of superheroes came through the comic books that my father began to bring home for me, as soon as I could read. He had grown up reading them himself, and felt they were an important part of a kid’s education.
You clearly revel in language and names — Professor Von Evil, Moskowitz the Awesome Dog, positrons, and…pooped (and what kid doesn’t like saying “pooped!”). As an adult author known for reveling in words and language, how did you manage to balance that with the need to keep things relatively simple for a picture book audience?
I was really thinking about the parents here–how much it meant to me, when I was reading a book aloud to my children for the 33832nd time, if there was a little verve or snap to the language. Probably the all time champ, in that regard–to me, at least–is William Steig. Nobody used English, in kids’ books, the way he did.
You have children of your own — were they helpful in the creation of this book?
I wrote this book for my younger son (I have two, and two daughters), Abe. He was the direct inspiration, in every way, for the main character of AWESOME MAN.
Are you a reader of children’s books yourself and if so, what are some of your favorites?
One of the greatest, and most lasting, pleasures of having children, for me, has been the excuse and the opportunity that bedtime reading has given me to revisit, and re-relish (usually), so many of the books I loved a
By: Laura,
on 9/6/2011
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I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday weekend! It seems that Mother Nature decided this weekend really did herald in the autumn, as it’s drizzly and chilly in NYC today. It turns out it’s the best weather to hunker down and catch up on blog reading. Here are some interesting links we’ve been reading lately:
- The Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2011 shortlist just came out and CONGRATULATIONS to author Veronica Roth (DIVERGENT) for her nomination in the “Published Author Blog” category. Thanks to Lee Wind at I’m Here, I’m Queer, What the Hell Do I Read? for the link (and congrats to his nomination as well)!
- There’s still time to have the teens in your library or classroom vote for YALSA’S Teens’ Top 10 – they have until September 16th.
- Family of robots? Bookshelves of Doom does it again: makes me laugh hysterically first thing in the morning before I’ve even had coffee.
- The time has come: awards buzz is in full effect. Heavy Medal has started their coverage of all things Newbery. There doesn’t appear to be a link yet, but keep an eye out for Horn Book‘s own blog, Calling Caldecott.
- Liz Burns over at A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy had quite the ordeal, courtesy of Hurricane Irene. Read her story and check out her links of other bloggers with Irene stories.
- Snape voted the favorite Harry Potter character? Really??? It’s a total upset. Me, I’m a Hermione fan through and through. And you?
- Sam over at Parenthetical has a fascinating blog post, “To RSS or not to RSS?” Really? Only 6% of North American, Internet-using consumers use an RSS feed once a week or more? That floors me, as I couldn’t live without Google Reader to help me keep it all organized (and I couldn’t live without my Bloglines before that, nor could Liz). What do you think? When everyone and their brother has a blog out there, how do you keep it all organized?
- Once again, Seattle Public Library closes for a week due to budget cuts. I think the quote at the end really gets to the crux of the problem: “You kind of take it for granted – and then suddenly you miss it when it’s gone.”
- Doing last-minute book buying for school? Here’s a list of some back-to-school titles from the New York Times.
Have a great (short!) week, everyone, and enjoy the cooler weather!
By: Laura,
on 8/30/2011
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It’s been an eventful couple of days: earthquakes! hurricanes! But even Mother Nature can’t put a stop to Book Birthdays! Today is the birthday for WILDWOOD by Colin Meloy (of Decemberists’ fame) and illustrated by his wife, Carson Ellis. We’re so thrilled that it’s out there for everyone to read now!
Check out the reviews:
“Meloy has an immediately recognizable verbal style and creates a fully realized fantasy world…. Ellis’s illustrations perfectly capture the original world and contribute to the feel of an instant timeless classic.” ~ School Library Journal (starred review)
“Fantasy lovers of all ages will be enthralled by fast-moving plot lines, evocative descriptions, and smart, snappy dialogue.” ~ VOYA (5P, 5Q)
“A satisfying blend of fantasy, adventure story, eco-fable and political satire with broad appeal; especially recommended for preteen boys.” ~ Kirkus
Interested in teaching WILDWOOD in your classroom? The discussion guide is here to help, and you can read the first four chapters here!
Get to know Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis:
And take a look at the book trailer to whet your appetite:
Happy publication day to WILDWOOD!
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Wow, so great! Congrats, Sergio and Ms. Bunting! Can't wait to see it.