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Lost Children of the Far Islands, by Emily Raabe (Knopf, April 2014), is a middle grade fantasy that takes the magical creatures of the oceans around the British Isles and transplants them to the coastal waters of Maine.   It's the story of three siblings who find themselves visited one night by a mysterious messenger, and taken out to sea to the island far off the coast where their grandmother lives....where they find that they are shapeshifters, able to take seal form.  And they find (much more disturbingly!) that their destiny is to take part in a age old battle against the darkest creature of them all--a destroyer who wants to ravage the oceans until there is no life left.

I found it a gripping, fast read that I was able to enjoy even in the midst of a frenzied, stressful week, and I appreciated the fact that it stands alone just fine (there's one unanswered question, but it doesn't materially affect this particular story).  

When I read a book about children in our world facing off against ancient folkloric evil, I have a rubric (which I am putting into words for the first time here, so I might well be missing something obvious!) by which I judge it.  Here's how Lost Children of the Far Islands came out in my mind.

1.  Are the young protagonists distinct people, or simply child-shaped spaces?  The kids here are two almost 11-year-old twins, a girl (Gus) and a boy (Leo), and their little sister, Ila.  The story's told mostly from Gus's point of view, but the other two gets some page time as well.  Gus is a girl primary character of the sort whose gender is a non-issue-- if you want your random boy to read books with girls, this is one that won't present problems in that regard.

All three kids are all individuals, especially young Ila, who is tremendously vibrant (she can also shapeshift into fox form, and I have a fondness for young fox shifters).   There are tensions between the siblings that all of us who have siblings can relate to just fine.  The kids have interests and personality traits that set them apart which for the most part become clear organically in the story, as opposed to traits that appear blatantly pinned on the character by the authorial hand. 

2.  Is there a reason for these particular kids being the ones that have to help save the world?   I like to have a clear sense that only these particular characters are in the position to do what needs to be done, and I like it when "specialness" is balanced by a dash of reality.  Harry Potter is convincing as a hero because he has so much support; likewise Will Stanton from The Dark is Rising couldn't have done squat alone.    I get especially nervous when a prophecy is involved (as is the case here), not just because so many fictional prophecies are truly tortured verse (this one was unobjectionable), but because there's often not a satisfying reason why a particular character is the Destined Child of Prophecy.  I think destiny is a fine thing, and can be a good source of character tension, but sometimes I can't help but feel that prophecies are window dressings.  And if I'm not clear that there's a reason it's these particular kids by about a third of the way through the story, it's hard for me to care.

Lost Children of the Far Islands passes this test just fine. The kids aren't simply plunked down into the middle of Destiny...it sneaks up on them with a nicely growing sense of danger, and they have to discover secrets about their mother, and their ancient grandmother, before realizing what exactly they are part of.  Likewise, the catalyst for confrontation comes not from the playing out of predestined roles, but because something goes wrong--there is a betrayal--which is more satisfying, I think.

3.  Are the mythological elements made into something fresh and convincing?  Does the fantasy make sense?   I think in metaphors, and I'm finding myself thinking of this question in Christmasy terms--the single tree, made beautiful, as opposed to the sensory overwhelmingness of Christmas-tree land box stores, too shiny-full for any coherent story to emerge.   This test is also passed just fine--  Emily Raabe doesn't try to bring every single last bit of Celtic mythology into the story--she sticks pretty much to the mythological creatures, and they fill the story just fine.

4.  (This one might be just a matter of personal taste)  Is there a reason for the places that are important in the story to be those places, and are the places described in such a way as to make clear pictures in my mind?  My favorite part of this book was the time spent on the mysterious far island where the magical grandmother lives--it is a lovely island, with lost mundane treasures and a library holding a far from mundane book.   It's not at all clear to me why all the magical opposition of good and evil should have ended up off the coast of Maine, instead of home in the British Isles, but this didn't bother me enough to be an actual objection.

So in short, Lost Children of the Far Island is a fine story, though best, I think, for those that don't already have tons and tons of fantasy under their belts already.  It's one I'll offer to my ten year old, who has yet to meet any seal folk in his reading, but I don't think it's appeal goes far beyond that target audience, which isn't a criticism, just a reality.  I think that to be a book for grown-ups to truly love, there has to be something of the numinous--the sort of magical beauty that leave the reader stunned--and that's a very rare thing indeed, so much so that I don't even include it in my list of mental criteria.

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher

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The Shark King, a Toon Book by R. Kikuo Johnson (April, 2012, 40 pages), is an easy reader graphic novel that's multicultural, intellectually interesting, and emotionally engaging, which is just about the swellest combination of descriptive phrases I can imagine combining (and the pictures are nice too!).

It's the story of Kalei, a girl in long ago Hawaii, who all unwittingly marries the Shark King, a shape-shifting deity. On the night before their child is born, her husband returns to the sea, leaving her to raise the boy alone. But Nanaue is no ordinary child. His inherited enough of his father's shape shifting magic so as to appear monstrous at times (jaws snapping from his back!), and his appetite is insatiable. So much so that the fisher folk of the nearby village grow hungry....and when they realize Nanaue is to blame, they try to hunt him down.

But the father Nanaue longed to meet is waiting for him, and so all ends well. Except that poor Kalei is left alone, which I found sad (in as much as I automatically relate, quite naturally, to the mother. I would be very sad if my boys dove off into the sea and I never saw them again, and the handful of shells Kalei gets as a memento would not be much comfort. Young readers doubtless won't have this particular issue).

The story is simple enough so that the young reader can read it independently, and enjoy it as an adventure story, but complex enough, with it's themes of finding one's true self, parent/child relationships, and being different, that the young mind will be fed on a deeper level. As a bonus feature, there's a little guide at the end on how to read comics with kids.

I'd have loved another bonus feature giving more information about the original myth, but that's my only complaint.



disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher

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Today you can win a copy of indie author Tammy Blackwell's book, Destiny Binds (Timber Wolves, Book 1). OR if you have already read Destiny Binds, you can have Time Mends (Timber Wolves, Book 2) instead.



The winner also gets to choose whether they get a paperback or Kindle copy.

Why did I pick Tammy Blackwell and her books to feature for the Indie Author Giveaway Hop?

• She's a librarian.
• Her books are laugh-out-loud funny!
• Look at those covers. There are some "real" publishers whose covers aren't as good as these!

Seriously, even if you don't win my giveaway, if you love YA paranormal romance (and laughter) you should give these a go. The third book is due out later this year! You can find out more about Tammy at her blog, www.misstammywrites.com.

Remember to check out all the other great blogs on this hop for more chances to win!

Rules:

Open internationally. To enter you must be over 13 years old or have the permission of a parent/guardian since you may be sharing personal info such as your email address. The winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter. The winner gets to choose either a paperback or a Kindle copy of the book, Destiny Binds, by Tammy Blackwell. Good luck!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I am fascinated by shape shifter books--not so much the paranormal variety seen in so many contemporary YA books, but the quieter kind of shape shifting, the sort that has a magical, fairy tale quality to it. The Old Country, by Mordicai Gerstein (Roaring Brook Press, 2005, middle grade, 144 pages), has this fairy tale quality in spades (although I think it is perhaps more fable than fairy tale, because there is a Moral). It tells of a girl who stares too long into the eyes of a fox, in country long ago and far away.

"In the Old Country, every winter was a hundred years and every spring a miracle; in the Old country, the water was like music and the music was like water. It's where all the fairy tales come from, where there was magic and there was war. It's where I was a little girl, and where I was a fox" (pp 2-3).

When the fox and Gisella meet each other's eyes, the fox steals the girl's human form from her. Gisella, lonely and bereft in her new shape, must learn to hunt; the fox hopes to learn to make music. But war comes soon after the forced exchange...and the fox girl disappears along with Gisella's family, who have become refugees displaced by the cruelty of the senseless violence. To get her human self back, Gisella must find the fox...and so, in the company of a cat, a chicken, a bear and a fairy (of the small winged variety) she sets off on her four fox feet along a path that takes her to the court of the king.

So far so good on the plot front--a company of magical animals, performing as a circus act to travel through a war torn country is fine with me (the fairy doesn't do much, and is unobtrusive). But then it gets a bit odd.

Once in the king's court, where they find Gisella's people imprisoned behind barbed wire, her brother blinded by the war, and the fox girl unable to play music (turns out foxes aren't great at music) things get strange. The magical folk of the world (kin of Gisella's fairy) are in trouble--the war has destroyed their place on earth. So all the birds and beasts and magical creatures bring the rival rulers to trial, the rulers are found guilty, and anarchy (with the hope of stability to come) ensues.

I wasn't convinced by the story at this point, and my doubts about the book as a whole were intensified by the following issues I had.

My Issues:

--Popping up within this somewhat strange story are elements of magic that are almost random, such as a chicken that lays golden eggs, and the magical healing of Gisella's brother's blinded eyes (involving dew from a corpse).

--The level of violence and horror is great, but almost farcical at times, and the moral (war is bad) is both obvious and intrusive.

--The story is being told by an old woman to a young child, in somewhat formal language, and perhaps because of this I felt a certain distance between myself and the characters. I was interested, but not deeply vested emotionally.

--I don't think the fairies added anything useful to the mix.

You might conclude from this that I didn't like the book...but it was fascinating, and I read it in almost a single sitting. Gisella the fox is a beautiful creation, poised at a tipping point between the world of animals, the world of magic, and the unhappy human condition. I might not have loved this one, but not only did I find it thought-provoking, I even found it, at times, full of the Magical Storieness that is that is the main reason I read fantasy--the sense of wonder that the words

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The Grey Horse, by R.A. MacAvoy (1987, YA, although it was marketed as an adult book--there wasn't much fantasy marketed as YA per se back in the day, 247 pages)

Before the explosion of paranormal romances, before fairy lovers were as common as all get out, before the myths of Ireland had been written about and written about, there was The Grey Horse, by R.A. MacAvoy.

A hundred and thirty years or so ago, when the English ruled all of Ireland, an old man named Anrai met a grey horse on the hill. And Anrai, Irish through and through, was much taken with the animal, which was clearly a native born and bred, just like himself. When the horse offered him a ride, Anrai cast off common sense and mounted...and the grey horse took him for a wild ride, over the hills and through the town, past its staring inhabitants:

"God to you, Anrai O Reachtaire!" called one of them, "I have the weaving your own Aine spoke for!" Anrai stared straight ahead of him with a face of forbidding majesty, and affected not to hear. One hand he carried clenched at the horse's withers, as though it held a rein of such fine and narrow leather it could not be seen from a distance, while with the other he fished in his waistcoat pocket and drew out his silver pocket watch, which he held in front of his face in a preoccupied, businesslike manner." (pp 8-9)

Clearly this is no ordinary horse. In fact, not a horse at all, but one of the other folk...Ruairi Mac Eibhir, who has come back to the mortal world to find a bride. But will the woman who has entered his dreams agree to his proposal? Maire Standon is no weak reed, to fall for fairy magic--she is is as strong and stalwart as a young tree, more than a match for any fairy foolery. To win her heart, Ruairi will need more than magic. He will need to prove himself by his actions in the human world.

And the world of Maire and Anrai and their families is not a happy one. The Troubles are at their height, and Ireland is a volatile powder keg of injustice. In the real world, real people are suffering, at a personal, homely scale as well as in the larger political realm. And Ruairi, the gray horse of Ireland, can only do so much...

This is a book with just tons of heart, and tons of magic made intimate and real through R.A. MacAvoy's loving and detailed world-building and people-building. If you like a. shapeshifters b. fairy lovers c. historical fiction about Ireland, in which ordinary people can do extraordinary things d. books about old couples, very much in love still, keeping their dignity in the face of fierce odds e. horses, or f. any combination of the above, find this book!

(although I really would have liked a bit more romance...there was lots of chemistry, but not quite enough, um...er...)

Apologetic end note: sorry I didn't put in the fadas on the names (that's the acute accent)--I don't know how...

Every Friday Angie at Angieville hosts Retro Friday, and I am have been meaning to write this one up and contribute it for ages! Yay for getting something off the mental to-do list.

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The Underneath
by Kathi Appelt

A lonely calico cat, pregnant and abandoned by her owner in the bayous of East Texas, befriends an abused hound dog named Ranger whom she finds chained outside a rundown shack. Ranger belongs to the owner of the shack, a cruel man known as Gar Face, who shoots anything that moves, and who has chained Ranger permanently in a twenty-foot circle after a hunting accident left him lame.

Ranger warns the calico cat to beware of Gar Face, but in their loneliness, the two can't bear to part. The cat moves under the shack, where she can stay with Ranger but be out of sight of Gar Face. There, she has her kittens, and the cat and the hound dog raise them together as a family. The kittens grow up in the Underneath, with the one strict rule that they must never leave the Underneath. But kittens are kittens, and it's only a matter of time before one ventures out.

Meanwhile, an ancient creature, who has been trapped under the bayou for a thousand years, struggles to deal with a thousand-year-old pain that still feels fresh. And Gar Face sets his sights on trapping the granddaddy of alligators, a beast so large that it will finally earn Gar Face the respect that he craves.

I don't often engage in Newbery predictions, mainly because the type of books I usually read tend not to be the kind of books favored by the Newbery committee. But as soon as I started reading The Underneath, I felt that here was a Newbery-worthy book. The writing is exceptional; the story, moving and poignant. I won't be surprised if it turns up as a Newbery medal or honor book next month.

There are really multiple stories here. The story of Ranger and the cats is intertwined with Gar Face's story, past and present, and a thousand-year-old love story involving shapeshifters and the now-vanished Caddo tribe, former inhabitants of the forest. Kathy Appelt masterfully brings these diverse threads together in a poignant story of love and loss courage and redemption. The writing is poetic and vivid, creating a strong sense of place in the dark forest and bayous; the setting is so vividly described it's almost a character.

As much as I loved this book, I think that some young readers may have trouble with it. It's not a very fast-paced book; there is suspense and conflict, but it builds slowly. And the alternating stories, which jump between characters and time periods, may confuse some readers. Good readers who love good writing and moving stories will enjoy it, and I think that many other readers who might not pick it up on their own can also enjoy it in the context of classroom reading, with support from a teacher.

It's also a dark book, at times; bad things happen, and there is loss and sadness. Some children may find it too much, but others will love it for its poignancy. And in spite of the sadness, it's ultimately an uplifting book.

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The election polls for the 2008 American Library Association’s Elections open March 17, 2008. ALSC members will also have the opportunity to select from the 2008 slate of ALSC Candidates. The ALSC 2008 Ballot will also include proposed changes to the ALSC Bylaws.

The following bylaws change proposals have been published in the March 2008 edition of ALSConnect, our electronic newsletter, and have been sent out on ALSC-L, our association’s main electronic discussion list. Many members have commented about the proposed changes on the ALSC Electronic Discussion List. If you aren’t subscribed and would like to read the discussion threads, you may access the ALSC-L archives through this page. The most comments, so far, have been made in February 2008, so to read those, after selecting ALSC-L Archives, you will need to select the 02 (February) in the 2008 portion of archive box in the top right of the page. Of course, you are welcome to share your thoughts here on the ALSC Blog.

Proposed Bylaws Changes

I. Changes to Nominating Committee

Current wording, ALSC Bylaws X, Sec. 1:

At the Midwinter Meeting of the Board of Directors, the president-elect shall recommend for appointment by the Board a Nominating Committee of not less than three members to select candidates for election the following year. No member of the Board of Directors shall be appointed to this committee.

Proposed new wording:

No later than the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, the ALSC Vice President/President-Elect appoints a Nominating Committee of four members plus the chair to select candidates for election the following year. No member of the Board of Directors shall be appointed to this committee. Members may serve more than once on the Nominating Committee, but not more than three times, and not more than once in five years, except for chairs, who may serve a chair term within five years of a term as a member of this committee.

Rationale:

It has been practice for a number of years for the Vice President/President-Elect to appoint the ALSC Nominating Committee; this change codifies that practice into our Bylaws. Also, it is desirable that the pool of candidates for this committee be as wide as possible, including candidates with experience. This bylaws change allows those with experience to serve again, but also encourages the appointment of those who have not had the opportunity to serve by placing a lifetime cap on the number of times a member may serve, and spacing the terms across five-year periods, as is done for the Newbery, Caldecott, and Sibert Committees.

II. Changes to Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert, and Wilder Committees

Current wording, ALSC Bylaws VIII, Sec. 2:

The Newbery Award Committee shall consist of the following fifteen (15) members: Seven (7) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than fourteen (14), a chairperson elected annually from a slate of two (2), and seven (7) members appointed by the president.

The Caldecott Award Committee shall consist of the following fifteen (15) members: Seven (7) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than fourteen (14), a chairperson elected annually from a slate of two (2), and seven (7) members appointed by the president.

The Sibert Award Committee shall consist of the following nine (9) members: Four (4) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than eight (8), a chairperson elected annually from a slate of two (2), and four (4) members appointed by the president.

Proposed changes IN CAPS:

The Newbery Award Committee shall consist of the following fifteen (15) members: EIGHT (8) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than SIXTEEN (16), a chairperson APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT, and SIX (6) members appointed by the president.

The Caldecott Award Committee shall consist of the following fifteen (15) members: EIGHT (8) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than SIXTEEN (16), a chairperson APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT, and SIX (6) members appointed by the president.

The Sibert Award Committee shall consist of the following nine (9) members: FIVE (5) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than TEN (10), a chairperson APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT, and THREE (3) members appointed by the president.

THE WILDER AWARD COMMITTEE SHALL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING FIVE (5) MEMBERS: THREE (3) MEMBERS TO BE ELECTED ANNUALLY FROM A SLATE OF NO FEWER THAN SIX (6), A CHAIRPERSON APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT, AND ONE (1) MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT.

Rationale

Currently, only four committees have any members at all that are elected rather than appointed: Caldecott, Newbery, Sibert, and Wilder; only three are currently listed in the Bylaws. While the Wilder Committee’s membership statement was changed by the Board in 1998 to indicate that 2 members plus the chair would be elected by the membership rather than appointed by the president, this change never made it into the Bylaws.

In addition, given the special administrative and managerial responsibilities of the award committee chairs, the ALSC Board suggests the appointment rather than election of chairs. The number of total positions voted on by the ALSC membership at large would not change.

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A wiki is a website which allows people to add and edit content collectively. Several ALSC committees (including the Children and Technology Committee, the Legislation Committee, and the National Planning of Special Collections) are taking advantage of the ALSC Wiki. This resource is an excellent place for members to do committee work, to share best practices and to network.

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The Association for Library Service to Children is now accepting proposals for innovative, creative programs that have broad appeal for the 2009 ALA Annual Conference to be held July 9 - 15, 2009 in Chicago, IL.

You can find the ALSC Program Proposal forms here.

If you have any questions you may send them to Doris Gebel at [email protected]

Doris Gebel
ALSC Program Coordinating Committee, chair

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For those of you interested in “under the hood” kinds of things, we’re going to offer a regular blog post from one of the ALSC office staffers about once a month. Last month, new Marketing Specialist Jenny Najduch introduced herself. This month, it’s my turn!
–Diane Foote, Executive Director
Q: How did you learn about ALSC?
A: As soon as I began working as a children’s books publicity assistant in 1991 , I quickly learned how important ALSC and ALA are in connecting good books with young readers.

Q: What are your job responsibilities?
A: Working with the ALSC Board to advance ALSC’s mission and strategic plan, interpreting ALSC policies and developing effective procedures, administering the ALSC budget, and supervising our hardworking staff.

Q: What questions do you answer most frequently?
A: It’s an impressive sign of ALSC’s standing that we are approached several times a month by other groups or companies wishing to “partner” with us. I put “partner” in quotes because often what’s wanted isn’t a true partnership, but rather a way to market the other group’s products or services to librarians. We work hard to make sure our efforts benefit OUR members first and foremost, so we try to be careful about the partnerships we pursue. The Candlewick Light the Way project, in which Candlewick Press raised money through a series of teas with Kate DiCamillo to benefit ALA member libraries conducting exemplary outreach to underserved populations, is an example of a recent exciting and successful partnership.

Q: How long have you been part of the ALSC team?
A: Officially, in this seat, since Midwinter 2006. But I was a member prior to that, and even before joining, I’ve always thought ALSC was cool. But what children’s books marketing director doesn’t?

Q: What are some of your favorite ALSC activities and/or initiatives?
A: That’s like asking a parent to pick a favorite child! Since my background is in children’s books, I confess I am very partial to our awards programs. I get as giddy as anyone waiting to hear the winners each year.

Q: Please share a childhood memory of a librarian and/or library.
A: I remember always wanting to check out too many books, and my mom finally said I could take out as many as my age. I think I was about 7 at the time. What joy when I turned 10! (and no, I don’t check out 40 at any one time these days…)

Q: What are some of your favorite children’s books/media?
A: Naturally, I think all of our selection committees’ choices are the best!

Q: What do you think is ALSC’s biggest challenge?
A: We as an association are very ambitious, which is good, except I think we are spread too thin across too many projects. ALSC staff and members have creative ideas for how to move many of our current initiatives forward, but too often time constraints prevent us from doing everything we’d like to do. We want to innovate and keep up with what our members need and expect from us, and sometimes that means making difficult choices about programs and services that may have been in place for a long time.

Q: When should ALSC members contact you?
A: Any time at all; especially, any time you cannot find an answer to a question you have by looking on the Web site, or, for those involved in ALSC committee work, by checking with your committee chair or priority group consultant. I work for YOU! Also, I encourage everyone to get involved by filling out a committee volunteer form on the ALSC Web site at http://www.ala.org/alsc and sending it to me. ALSC Vice President/President-Elect Pat Scales will begin the next round of appointments, which take effect at the close of Annual Conference 2008, in March.

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Technology plays an important part in your role as a children’s librarian, school library media specialist, or other stakeholder in providing quality library service to children. Do you feel the need for easy access to updates and information about cutting-edge technology and its use with the kids you serve?

The ALSC Children and Technology Committee needs your input. Please complete the brief survey we have created for you. The survey will be available until Saturday, March 1, 2008.

Thank you!

Christopher J. Borawski, MSI
Chair, ALSC Children and Technology Committee

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I can remember the excitement in her voice as she came over the hill, “Grandfather! Grandfather!” Nestled in a small cabin in the Swiss Alps, with porridge on the stove and a goat at the door, Heidi was coming home—the same way I felt every time my mom opened that book.

It was the sound of Heidi’s voice, the silky softness of the Velveteen Rabbit’s coat and the warmth of my fur jacket upon entering Narnia that made me love to read as a child. Many years later and still an avid reader, I find myself once again in the presence of greatness—children’s books!

As the new marketing specialist for ALSC, I work on cultivating new members as well as maintaining current members. In the end, my goal (much like everyone else’s) is to make ALSC a stronger organization.

Over the next six months, you will hear from Diane, Amy, Linda, Laura, Marsha and Angela here at the ALSC office, about who they are and what they do. Although not always as glamorous as you might imagine, we work hard for the organization and hope that you enjoy a behind the scenes peek of “A day in the life”…

Happy Holidays!
Jenny Najduch

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I am currently serving on the ALSC 2008 Institute Planning Committee. The Institute will be held in Salt Lake City in Sept. 2008.

We would like to have a panel of libraries who have had different, unique, great programs!

Please e-mail me if your library would be interested in sharing your great programs with others.

–Carla Morris

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We are pleased to announce the ALSC slate for the 2008 ALA election:

Vice-President/President-Elect

Maralita (Micki) Freeny, Prince George’s Library System, Hyattsville, MD

Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, CT

Board of Directors

Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, Menasha, WI

Bernadette Nowakowski, Harold Washington Public Library, Chicago, IL

Leslie Molnar, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH

Bruce Farrar, Harris County Public Library, Houston, TX

Patricia “Pabby” Arnold, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, Baton Rouge, LA

Georgene DeFilippo, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

2010 (John) Newbery Medal Selection Committee Chair

Katie O’Dell, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Junko Yokota, National-Louis University, Evanston, IL

2010 (Randolph) Caldecott Medal Selection Committee Chair

Rita Auerbach, New York, NY

Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library, Washington, DC

2010 (Robert F.) Sibert Medal Selection Committee Chair

Susan Veltfort, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

Vicky Smith, McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, ME

2011 (Laura Ingalls) Wilder Medal Selection Committee Chair

Megan Schliesman, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI

William Teale, University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, IL

2010 (John) Newbery Medal Selection Committee

Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles, CA

Deborah Wright, Newport News Public Library System, Newport News, VA

Deborah Stevenson, Bulletin of the Center for Children Books, Champaign, IL

Meaghan Battle, Ann Arbor District Library, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Maria Mena, Leon County Public Library System, Tallahassee, FL

Linnea Hendrickson, Bandelier Elementary School, Albuquerque, NM

Maureen McCoy, Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY

Teresa Brantley, Salem Middle School, Apex, NC

Maria Salvadore, Washington, DC

Holly Jin, Skokie Public Library, Skokie, IL

Myra Katz, Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, Largo, MD

Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN

Elva Garza, Austin Public Library, Austin, TX

2010 (Randolph) Caldecott Medal Selection Committee

Zahra Mirjehan Baird, Chappaqua Library, Chappaqua, NY

Susannah Richards, Eastern Connecticut State University, Storrs, CT

Joanna Ward, Temple City Library, Temple City, CA

Meagan Albright, Alvin Sherman Library, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Chris Caputo, The Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

Becky A. White, Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN

Henrietta Smith, University of South Florida, Tamp, FL

Jan Watkins, Skokie Public Library, Skokie, IL

Carole DeJardin, Appleton Public Library, Appleton, WI

Ann Crewdson, Issaquah Library, Issaquah, WA

Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, MA

Merri Lindgren, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI

Christy Estrovitz, San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA

Anna Healy, Rochelle Lee Fund, Evanston, IL

2010 (Robert F.) Sibert Medal Selection Committee

Roxane Bartelt, Kenosha Public Library, Kenosha, WI

Anne Callaghan, Racine Public Library, Racine, WI

JoAnn Jonas, Chula Vista Public Library, Chula Vista, CA

Ed Sullivan, Hardin Valley Elementary School, Knoxville, TN

Becki Bishop, Campbell Court Elementary, Bassett, VA

David Mowery, Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY

Lisa Dennis, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Margaret Tassia, Lancaster, PA

2011 (Laura Ingalls) Wilder Medal Selection Committee

Anne Heidemann, Canton Public Library, Canton, MI

Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, Chicago, IL

Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS CANADA

Carla Morris, Provo City Library, Provo, UT

We appreciate the excellent work done by the ALSC Nominating Committee to come up with this slate. The 2008 Election polls open March 17th. In order to be eligible to vote in the election, members must be in good standing (i.e. have their dues paid up) by January 31st, 2008. For more information on the ALA election, please visit the ALA Election web page.
–Diane Foote, ALSC Executive Director

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As Priority Consultant for ALSC Priority Group IV, Organizational Support, my role is to facilitate the committees that review, recommend and prepare polices and budgets and to advise on issues affecting the organizational structure of the division.  Sounds kind of dry, doesn’t it?  But it’s not, because this group of committees contains the backbone of ALSC.  There are nine committees within this group:

• Organization and Bylaws Committee develops for presentation to the Board of Directors a plan for the structure and function of each new committee or discussion group.  They also study, review and, if necessary, make recommendations to the board for revision of structure or function, addition, or discontinuation of committees and discussion groups.  They make recommendations to the Board on organization matters affecting ALSC as a whole, and to serve as liaison with the ALA Committee on Organization upon request of the Board, in an advisory capacity to priority group consultants, committee, and discussion groups on organizational matters in ALSC or between ALSC and other
  ALA divisions. They consider, develop, and present to the Board and subsequently to membership, suggested amendments to the Bylaws, as well as assist in interpretation of the Bylaws to the Board, the membership, and the ALA Constitution and Bylaws Committee.
• Budget Committee advises the ALSC Executive Director in preparation of an annual budget based on the priorities established by the Board, submits the budget to the ALSC Board for approval and reviews on a regular basis the dues structure and interacts with ALA and other divisions on the Planning and Budget Assembly.
• Charlemae Rollins President’s Program Committee plans the program to the membership at the annual conference from a noted person in the library or related field.  At annual 2007 the President’s Program sponsored Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund.  This year’s committee is in contact with a dynamic and exciting speaker, but it’s a surprise, so stay tuned!
• Local Arrangements Committee makes it possible for us to have our conference in their fair city.  Without them no conference would be possible.  Philadelphia and Anaheim are tremendous places for our Midwinter and Annual conferences!
• Membership Committee plans campaigns for recruiting and keeping ALSC members. Their efforts fill our rolls with fresh new faces.  They plan and facilitate orientation sessions to welcome and introduce new members to ALSC.
• Nominating Committee selects candidates for election for the following year and fills any vacancies.
• Preconference Planning Committee makes possible the informative and valuable preconference programs at annual.
• Program Coordinating Committee serves as a liaison between ALSC committees and groups who are developing programs for conferences, institutes and preconferences to ensure quality and eliminate overlap.  It also works within the organization to encourage and stimulate creative programming that will provide a wide range of themes and topics appealing to a diverse membership.  It reviews program proposals for membership appeal, relevancy, quality and value.  Finally, it provides support in actual planning and implementation once approved.
• National Institute Planning Task Force provides an opportunity for concentrated training outside the usual time frame of a conference.  The institutes are held in different locations each time making the training available to attendees in all parts of the nation over several years time.  The two-day 2006 institute was centered on the topic “Children’s Services Today and Tomorrow” and was held in
  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Wow!  Isn’t this a great group of committees?!  Don’t forget you too can become a member of an ALSC committee by filling out a volunteer form and expressing an interest in one of these and other committees.

As I receive updates on what each committee is doing I’ll update here on the blog.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail me, Cecilia P. McGowan at [email protected], Priority Consultant for Group IV.

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