Trees are so much a part of our daily lives, whether we take them for granted or find ourselves fighting for their survival: so it is perhaps unsurprising that there are many stories from all over the world that feature trees, woods or forests as a central theme or ‘character’… … Continue reading ... →

So many months (and so many adventures) have passed since my last post that I think I'm just going to have to skip over a ton of things and go straight to this:

Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing
by James Rumford, Cherokee translation by Anna … Continue reading ... →

What better way to introduce MWD’s new theme, ‘Branching Across the … Continue reading ... →

Well, I don't know where the week went, but here we are at Friday again!

Friday is a really excellent day.  It means we're about to get a weekend, and it means a list of Perfect Picture Books to enjoy over that weekend - an unbeatable combination!  All we need to make it true perfection is a nice chocolatey snack to go along with our picture books and our weekend :)

I had another book in mind for today.  Based on the jacket copy I thought I'd love it.  But when I read it my reaction could only be described as meh (not what you want for a Perfect Picture Book!) and then I read this one and loved it start to finish, so there was really no contest.  Preconceived idea out, awesome surprise book in :)  I hope you like it too :)

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

Guess what?

Next week is the 100th Perfect Picture Book Week!

Can you believe it?

We should probably have a party.

Except...

Next Friday - only one week from right this very second - the day of the 100th Perfect Picture Book post - is when I leave for the SCBWI conference I'm teaching at.

Teaching GROWNUPS!  IN REAL LIFE not online!

(Can you say petrified? :))

I am finishing the pile of critiques.  I am trying to prepare my workshop in a way that will hopefully sound coherent and give the participants a fun and meaningful experience.  I'm also winding up my May online class and starting my June one.  My children are arriving home from college which necessitates driving to pick up, loading and unloading cars, masses of laundry, and packing things away for the summer.  Oh, and I'm babysitting for my granddaughters on Sunday and in charge of the barn chores until my friend gets back from her mini break.  All good things in every way, but I'm feeling a little like I just don't have enough time in the day!

So I'm not sure if I'm going to manage to plan a party.

And you will also have to (please!) forgive me for recycling a Perfect Picture Book today!

I don't feel bad too about it, though, because this book is one of my all-time favorites.  I use it as an example of beautiful language in my class, and if you haven't had a chance to read it you're truly missing out.  Get thee to the library right quick!

Hi, friends!

Man oh man, how I've neglected this blog!
Somehow it is already MAY.
MAY 2014.
How did that happen?
Seriously, the year is flying.
FLYING!

A super quick update:
Since my last post in January I have . . .

-Moved out of Brooklyn, New York, and down to charming Baltimore, Maryland. A BIG change, but a very good one.

-Started and (almost) finished the art for a picture book titled YARD SALE, written by Eve Bunting (!Pinch me!), that will come out in spring 2015.

The Toronto Librarians are on strike. There is no need to panic… Ahhhhhhhh! Failing to reach a labour agreement over the weekend 2,400 librarians went on strike. All 98 library branches across Toronto are close as of Monday. The library is asking borrowers to hold on to all checked out books and materials. No overdue [...]

One of the biggest mysteries in children’s book publishing is ‘Who is Harris Burdick?’ His name is well known among authors and illustrators but his existence is a mystery. Harris Burdick simply vanished one day leaving behind no record except fourteen drawings to prove his existence. Keep reading… Chris Van Allsburg first came across Harris [...]

Admission Day, September 9, was a state holiday when I was a girl.  Today we look at our history with a more critical eye to get a better understanding of the human condition.  California became the 31st state to join the Union on September 9, 1850, not long after gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in 1848 in Coloma.  By 1869 the first westbound train arrived in San Francisco thanks in no small part to the Chinese and Irish Immigrants yet in 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act which banned all Chinese immigration.

California History is the fourth grade curriculum throughout California.  Here at Sts. Peter & Paul’s we use the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt History/Social Science textbook and follow the California State Standards and the Archdiocesan Curriculum Guidelines.  Students in fourth grade explore history, indigenous people of California, the Spanish and Russian influence in our history, the California Missions, the Gold Rush,  immigration to the Golden State, and of course geography.

You might want to check out some of these links to learn more about the great state of California and you too can exclaim Eureka! I have found it!

• California Kids Page, Just for Kids State of California
• Kids Zone, California Museum
• Houghton Mifflin GeoNet Game
• Learn California
• California Historical Society, History Online
• Library of Congress, California History Collection
• National Geographic Kids
• The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco

Graphic from Flickr Creative Commons by kevincole.

0 Comments on California, the 31st State as of 1/1/1900

A True Story of Medical Sleuthing by Suzanne Jurmain Houghton Mifflin 2010 A compelling account of how early medical researchers discovered and isolated the causes of yellow fever in the early part of the 20th century. Don't start this book if you have just eaten, and I might make the same recommendation for the following description of the symptoms that open The Secret of the Yellow Death: at

A Year of Haiku for Boys written by Bob Raczka drawings by Peter H. Reynolds Houghton Mifflin  2010 Haiku for and about boys, organized by seasons, full of the sort of things boys do. But not for haiku purists or people who want boys to really understand what haiku are really about. Full of observations of what it means to be a boy, full of mischief and the occasional moment of tenderness,

Poems for Advanced Children and Beginning Parents  by John Ciardi  illustrated by Becky Gaver  Houghton Mifflin  1975  A somewhat lackluster collection of poems for children by an otherwise great American poet who might have been caught in the trade winds of children's poetry...  I have read various collections of Ciardi's poems over the years and find him to be rather sturdy when it comes to

by Sandol Stoddard Warbugillustrated by Jacqueline ChwastHoughton Mifflin 1965My wife likes to say I have a sticky brain. This is a fairly accurate description of my proclivity to spout lots of useless bits of cultural flotsam that I can recall at a moment's notice. I can, for example, sing jingles from television commercials that haven't aired in over 35 years without the crutch of revisiting

One main reason to attend a national conference is to meet editors, listen to how they describe their lists, and find out what they are looking for. Attendees are usually offered an opportunity to submit for a short period of time, even if the house policy is no unsolicited manuscripts.

Needs Contemporary, Upper Middle Grade and YA

Jennifer B. Greene, Senior Editor at Clarion Books (an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Children’s Books) talks fast and passionately about the books she has published.

Clarion’s submission policy: Open to unsolicited, but will not respond unless interested. Do not include an SASE. NO email submissions. Greene adds that personally, she’s not a fan of query letters, but would rather see the entire fiction manuscript. For nonfiction, she needs to see a detailed proposal with sample chapters. Be aware, though, that for a first contract with an author, Clarion wants to see a completed nonfiction manuscript.

She handed out a long list of books that she has edited, or wishes she has edited. Like many other editors, she looks for fresh, distinctive and original books.

Specific needs:

• Preschool Picture books. Quirky & subversive, with illustrations that have vintage appeal. No bedtime stories. Books shouldn’t be for adults for should reflect the early experience of preschool or early elementary kids.
• Multicultural. Only 2 % of books feature Latino characters, yet our population has many bilingual families. Asian folktales, especially if they affirm our shared humanity.
• Nonfiction picture books. These are often for upper elementary students. Would like to see something on the topics of art, food, architecture, design.
• Nonfiction for older readers. Wide variety of nonfiction topics and biographies.
• Fiction. For either middle grade or YA readers, Greene looks for character oriented stories. Emotionally true. Not fast-paced action. Would like to see something in an alternate universe, apocalyptic stories, life after death. By or about emigres, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Something that includes the clash of cultures.

Does NOT want to see

• Rhymed picture books
• Picture books written for adults instead of kids
• No mass market ideas.
• For historical fiction, setting is secondary to characters. Make sure it’s a character driven, literary story.
• Chick-ick
• Romance
• Sports

There is MORE from the Conference coming this week! Subscribe to Revision Notes by Email.

Happy Nonfiction Monday! Today, I'm presenting another book that has been nominated in the Nonfiction Middle Grade/Young Adult category for the Cybils Awards.


Raucous Royals: Test your Royal Wits: Crack Codes, Solve Mysteries, and Deduce Which Royal Rumors are True is a very fun and engaging book that investigates whether or not common rumors about the world's most famous royalty throughout history are true or false. For example, did Anne Boleyn really have six fingers? Was Napolean Bonaparte as short as he was rumored to be? Was King Henry VIII so large that his servants had to carry him because he couldn't walk?

Throughout the book, readers encounter speech bubbles, quizzes, funny caricatures, tabloid magazine-style articles, and other interactive text that make readers become a part of the investigation and learn how over time, facts can be twisted. The information in the book is chunked into short segments so that readers never feel overwhelmed with content. A section at the end of the book even tells readers how they can begin to investigate other rumors they may have heard.

Carlyn Beccia made smart choices about which information to present, creating a book that makes history fun and appealing and that I believe will have kids interested in learning more. I'm definitely keeping my eye out for more books by her in the future.


Resources:

The Book's Blog and website include a lot of resources for further investigation. They're well worth checking out.

What Other Bloggers Are Saying:

I.N.K. "A book with wickedly appealing art and layout, little quizzes, juicy historical tidbits." (read more...)



More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; 1 edition (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618891307
• ISBN-13: 978-0618891306
• Source: Review copy from publisher

Today, I'm excited to present Barbara Shoup's first review at The Well-Read Child!



M+O 4EVR by Tonya Hegamin

Known as “M” and “O” to their families, Opal and Marianne have been best friends as long as they can remember. Their mothers are not the most reliable in the world; Opal’s dad is a long-haul trucker, and Marianne’s dad disappeared before she was born. Opal’s Gran has been the glue in their lives, taking Marianne in when she was a little girl and raising the two girls together. By the time they reach their senior year in high school, Opal is a serious student with college scholarships within her reach; Marianne is on the road to trouble, unhappy and reckless in her yearning to be popular.

This recklessness is depicted beautifully by Hegamin in the first chapter of the book, when Marianne appears drunk, her homecoming queen crown askew, and lures Opal away from her responsibilities to take a wild ride out into the country, where an encounter with a group of football players quickly turns ugly. It’s the last time Opal sees her friend.

Narrated by Opal, M+O 4EVR covers just a few days, but Hegamin so deftly weaves in memories of the girls’ complicated lives that at the end the reader fully understands what Opal has lost. My only quibble with the book is the undeveloped suggestion that Opal feels more than friendship for Marianne, which in my view confuses the story of their rich friendship.

The truth is, there aren’t enough good books about friendship, and M+O 4EVR’s insightful look at how childhood friendships evolve as young people enter their teen years was more than enough for me. Any girl who’s been left behind by a best friend will sympathize with Opal and learn something about how to move forward with her life.


More info:

• Age Range: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; 1 edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618495703
• ISBN-13: 978-0618495702
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

I See a Kookaburra!: Discovering Animal Habitats Around the World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (Houghton Mifflin, 2005)

Parents, teachers, and homeschool parents, here is a great resource for animal lovers and for lessons covering geography, ecosystems, species, habitats, colors, adjectives, and much much more. The superstar husband and wife team, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, introduce children to interesting information about animals and their habitats around the world in a very fun hide-and-seek format.

The book covers animals in six different habitats:

• Desert (American Southwest)
  
• Tide Pool (southern coast of England)
• Jungle (Amazon River basin of South America)
• Savanna (central Africa)
• Forest (eastern Australia)
• Pond (American Midwest)

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; 1 edition (May 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618507647
• ISBN-13: 978-0618507641
• Source of book: Library
  

by Melissa Sweet Houghton Mifflin 2008 Covers are funny things. You're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but a lot of time goes into making those covers appealing so that you'll pick them up. Also, after the umpteen-millionth time you decide to ignore your gut feeling and give a book a chance despite its cover, and get burned, you decide that maybe you should trust the gut a little

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (May 5, 2008)
Amazon Price: $11.56
ISBN-10: 0618862447
ISBN-13: 978-0618862443
Source of book: Review copy from publisher


If you're looking for a soothing and memorable bedtime story that will lull your little one to sleep, look no further. Inspired by the cumulative poem, "This is the key of the kingdom," The House in the Night is a cumulative poem that begins with a father handing his small child a key to the house. When the child opens the door, we see a bed, and "on that bed waits a book. In that book flies a bird." The child imagines hopping on this bird's back and flying through the dark, seeing the moon, the sun on the moon's face, and back into the house where the child is tucked into bed by her mother and falls sound asleep.

The text itself is simple enough for a beginning reader to understand, and young children learning new words will enjoy the repetition of the common objects presented in the book:

"Through the dark glows the moon.
On the moon's face shines the sun.
Sun in the moon,
moon in the dark,
dark in the song,
song in the bird,
bird in the book,
book on the bed..."

Sibling Relationships in the Animal World by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page Houghton Mifflin 2008 I learn more from picture books than I probably did back in high school. Of course, I have a different perspective on what interests me than when I was younger, and kid books are pretty much all I read these days so I'm probably not learning as much as I could. Still. Did you know that armadillos

by Gerald Morris illustrations by Aaron Renier Houghton Mifflin 2008 It's been way too long since I read me some Arthurian legend. And while I should probably go back and remind myself of everything I've forgotten from T.H. White's The Once and Future King, or perhaps Roger Lance Green's King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (with it's spiffy new Puffin Classics edition), it was more