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A lot to say and so little time to say it.  Let’s get started!

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Today, if you are at all feeling blue, I suggest you read The Toast piece Jaya Catches Up: A Little Princess which is a killer breakdown of what is inarguably a problematic book.  The Marie Antoinette portions are particularly choice.

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Next, the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award Winners were announced. What does that mean for you? It means you should be boning up on your international children’s book knowledge, of course.  Commit the names “Rotraut Susanne Berner of Germany” (who won for Illustration) and Cao Wenxuan of China (who won for Writing)” to memory. For more info on the books and the winners, go here.

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If you were speaking to the man on the street (or woman, or child, or what have you) and they said, “Boy, those children’s books took the hardest left turn a series ever took”, what series would you assume the person was speaking about?  Here is your answer and it’s a heckuva amusing post to boot.

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Seven Impossible Things features Gareth Hinds.  And all is right with the universe.

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Oh. In a weird way this makes sense.  They’re turning The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll, the biography of Dare Wright, creator of the Lonely Doll book series, in to a film with Naomi Watts and Jessica Lange.  You know what that means, don’t you?  Lonely Doll fever is poised to sweep the nation.  Be wary. Be warned.  And buy stock in frilly underwear.

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Remember when J.K Rowling said she had this “political fairytale” that was going to be her next non-Harry Potter children’s book?  Looks like it’s kaputski.  Which is to say, about 30 years after Ms. Rowling’s death someone will pull it out of that drawer and publish it anyway.  So it goes.

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This next one’s roundabout three years old but I only just found it.  The mom from the Cat in the Hat finally speaks.  Quite frankly, I always found that polka-dotted dress of hers rather fetching (to say nothing of her keen shoes) but that may just be me.

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If you had the great good fortune to see the NYPL exhibit The ABC of It then you would have noticed one section was dedicated to a fascinating array of Soviet children’s art.  I remember helping curator Leonard Marcus locate these books (of which NYPL owns a goodly number) and he picked and chose the best amongst them.  But where did they originate?  Having recently finished M.T. Anderson’s Symphony for the City of the Dead, I took the little bit of context I’d acquired and applied it to this fabulous piece on tygertale called Revolutionary Russian Children’s Books. Now I’m just beginning to understand. Thanks to Phil Nel (I’m pretty sure) for the link.

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Growing up my mom had a machine in the attic that could type out braille.  I don’t know why we owned it but I liked it a lot. Braille children’s books available in a mass market context have always been difficult to obtain, though.  With this in mind, I’m very pleased to see DK is now releasing a braille board book series.  Wow.  Way to go, DK!

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All right.  My four-year-old is upstairs asleep and in her room are all my Harry Potter books.  Otherwise I would check this myself.  You see, they just released the first look of the new Jim Kay illustrated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  And I am staring and staring at this cover and I need your help.  Look at the cover right here:

Am I crazy or is that car chock full of Weaselys?  And doesn’t Harry drive to Hogwarts with just Ron?  At least that’s what the old British cover told me:

So . . . huh?  [Note: Interestingly the Buzzfeed article has plenty of comments but no one is pointing this out so I may just be completely and utterly wrong about everything]

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In other news, the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy longlist was just released.  Frances Hardinge made the cut!!!  Wooty woot woot woot!!

Seriously Wicked, Tina Connolly (Tor Teen)
Court of Fives, Kate Elliott (Little, Brown)
Cuckoo Song, Frances Hardinge (Macmillan UK 5/14; Amulet)
Archivist Wasp, Nicole Kornher-Stace (Big Mouth House)
Zeroboxer, Fonda Lee (Flux)
Shadowshaper, Daniel José Older (Levine)
Bone Gap, Laura Ruby (Balzer + Bray)
Nimona, Noelle Stevenson (HarperTeen)
Updraft, Fran Wilde (Tor)

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Oh, I absolutely love this. Children’s art.  Not art for children, mind you, but art by children and its ramifications when studying history.  Again, I think I have Phil Nel to thank for this one.  He finds all the good stuff.

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Daily Image:

The Make Way for Ducklings statues are nothing new (nor are they the only ducklings as my old post on all the public children’s literature statues in America attests).  Nor is it new to put hats on them.  That said, this recent yarnbombing goes above and beyond the call of duty.  That’s some seriously good knitting!

Read more about them here.

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BuzzFeed exclusively revealed a first look at Jim Kay’s new work on the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of  Secrets. The pop-culture news site revealed the cover art, as well as one beautiful diagrammed image of a Phoenix.

Please take a look at the new images below. Visit the original BuzzFeed article here.

 

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Following speculations, Pottermore and Little Brown UK have just announced that the script book for Cursed Child will be released July 31st (Harry Potter / J.K. Rowling’s birthday)!

Pottermore reports:

A host of new print and digital publishing has been announced from J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World, including a Special Rehearsal Edition of the script book of new stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II. 

Print and digital editions will publish simultaneously after the play’s world premiere this summer, and will comprise of the version of the play script at the time of the play’s preview performances. 

Theatre previews allow the creative team the chance to rehearse and explore scenes further before a production’s official opening night. Harry Potter and the Cursed Childopens for previews several weeks before its official first performance on Saturday 30 July and the Special Rehearsal Edition of the script book will later be replaced by a Definitive Collector’s Edition.

The news confirms that fans around the world will be able to join this next venture into the Wizarding World, so don’t fret if you didn’t get tickets to the play!

Pottermore also announced the release of Special Editions, and Jim Kay’s next illustrated edition of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets!:

Next year will see the publication of four special editions of the first book in the UK, one for each of the four Hogwarts houses. There will also be a brand new edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2017, with new content by J.K. Rowling, as well as new formats and editions of the Hogwarts Library books – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. 

Pottermore doesn’t play favourites, but we’re especially looking forward to nabbing a copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets illustrated by Jim Kay. That’s coming a little sooner, in October 2016, and we’ll be prodding Jim for a look at his latest work soon because we’re nosy like that.

2016 is looking like a huge year – Cursed Child, Fantastic Beasts, more Jim Kay illustrations – what more could we want?!

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Last month, we reported that a signed Deluxe Edition of Jim Kay’s illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was to be auctioned for charity. Sotheby’s auctioned a Deluxe Edition of Philosopher’s Stone, signed by both J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay, to benefit Lumos.

The book was expected to be sold for 2,000-3,000 GBP. Not surprisingly, Harry Potter soared beyond expectations. The signed special edition book was able to raise 13,750 GBP for Lumos! We can only imagine how proud J.K. Rowling must be.

Sotheby’s gave details of the item up for auction, and the auction itself:

 

‘Hailed by the publishers as “the landmark publishing event of 2015″, the first full-colour illustrated edition of Rowling’s novel was released, as a trade edition, on 6 October. A sumptuous deluxe edition, in a larger format, was published on 5 November. THIS IS THE FIRST COPY OF THE DELUXE EDITION. It is accompanied by a letter of provenance from Publishing Director of Bloomsbury Children’s Books, that notes “this is the first advance copy of the Deluxe Edition. It was hand bound ahead of the binding of the rest of the print run and sent from our printer in Italy… ready for signing by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay.”‘

 

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A deluxe illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, written by J.K. Rowling and illustrated by Jim Kay, will be auctioned off to benefit charity. The auction is intended to take place on December 17, at Sotheby’s London.

The book contains a unique dragon illustration, as well as the inscriptions, “The book that changed my life. J.K. Rowling” and “Mine too! Thank you Jo. Jim Kay.” The book will be auctioned off to benefit Lumos, the charity founded by J.K. Rowling that works for the deinstitutionalization of children, reunite families, and provide aid to families in order to continue caring for their children. The charity hopes to end the institutionalization of children, and give children their right to a family, globally by 2050.

Fine Books & Collections Magazine says of the auctioned item:

 

It is accompanied by a letter of provenance from the Publishing Director of Bloomsbury Children’s Books: “this is the first advance copy of the Deluxe Edition. It was hand bound ahead of the binding of the rest of the print run and sent from our printer in Italy… ready for signing by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay.” 

Historic Harry Potter Prices at Sotheby’s

2007 saw the sale of J.K. Rowling’s “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” for an unprecedented £1,950,000 (est. £30,000-50,000). It was one of just seven copies of the book-each different from each other-hand-written and illustrated by J.K. Rowling.

In 2013, Sotheby’s auctioned the “Lumos Maxima” bracelet, a bespoke sterling silver charm bracelet made by Hamilton & Inches, based on designs by J.K Rowling and inspired by her Harry Potter books, for £20,000 (est. £15,000-20,000). The charms included Harry Potter’s bolt of lightning; glasses and broomstick; a Golden Snitch; Dark Mark skull set with amethyst eyes; Slytherin locket; a winged key; The Tales of Beedle the Bard book; the Sorting Hat; the Deathly Hallows symbol and a wand, which acts as the fastener. 100% of the net sale proceeds went directly to J.K. Rowling’s children’s charity, Lumos.

 

For more information about the auction, visit the original article, here.

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Yesterday, the Deluxe Edition of the new illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, illustrated by Jim Kay and written by J.K. Rowling, was released. Bloomsbury anticipated to release this £150 along side the beautiful, and much anticipated £30 edition. With the high price tag comes new features that enhance the beauty of the illustrated editions of Jim Kay’s Philosopher Stone.

 

Bloomsbury describes the Deluxe Editions enhancements and features, saying:

 

“The deluxe illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling’s timeless classic will feature an exclusive pull-out double gatefold of Diagon Alley; intricate foiled line art by Jim Kay on a real cloth cover and slipcase; gilt edges on premium grade paper; head and tail bands and two ribbon markers. It is the ultimate must-have edition for any fan, collector or bibliophile.“

 

“This special edition is an utterly enchanting feast of a book and something to treasure for a lifetime. Brimming with rich detail and humour, Jim Kay’s dazzling depiction of the wizarding world and much loved characters will captivate fans and new readers alike. In oil, pastel, pencil, watercolour, pixels and a myriad of other techniques, Jim Kay has created over 115 astonishing illustrations.“

 

The Deluxe Edition of Philosopher’s Stone will only be available through Bloomsbury’s website until March 2016. Next spring, the Deluxe Edition will be released to other retailers.

 

 

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Last night I made my kids roar with frustration. They hurled noisy complaints at me. Said that Life Wasn’t Fair.

And I couldn’t help feeling rather happy.

Not least because I can actually lay the blame for my kids’ despair at the feet of Jim Kay and J.K. Rowling; last night we finished Kay’s amazingly illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, our first ever family foray into the world of Hogwarts.

It’s been a brilliantly mesmerising experience. Taking a story that is so embedded in our culture, so ubiquitous and normalised as to have become something that didn’t excite or spark curiosity, and then to have the scales fall from our eyes in breathtaking fashion.

Yes, back in the late 90s I joined hundreds of thousands of other commuters on the London underground network reading the early books in the series. It was one of the first times I really experienced the community-building aspect of books. Books as bond builders, rather than something that marked you out as nerdy or posh or simply an outsider. I loved this new experience, the glances between otherwise total strangers as we smiled acknowledging the membership of the club we were both members of, proudly holding those brick-sized blue and red tomes in our hands.

But I never made it past book 4. I haven’t seen any of the films other than the first one, and… well, time moved on (marriage, babies, chaos… that sort of thing) and I didn’t take Harry Potter with me.

And then we arrive in October 2015 and it’s my turn to read at bedtime to my kids, 10 and 7, and in trying to find a book I think will appeal to them both I decide to give the new, fully illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone a go. Neither kid had read any JK Rowling themselves nor seen the films so I was starting with a blank canvas, their only experience of the Hogwarts’ world being witnessing other kids at school dressed up as HP characters on World Book Day, and a few hours’ very happy play in the attic at Seven Stories where they got their first taste of Kay’s illustrations.

And then something astonishing happened.

But before we get to that you need to know how bedtime reading normally works in our home.

One parent reads a novel to both kids at the same time once they are in their pyjamas. Whilst the parent is reading, the kids do NOT sit still. They dabble and doodle. They fiddle. They do all sorts of stuff that makes us grown-ups wonder if they are really listening to the story. I’ll freely admit neither of the adults in the home like this arrangement. It makes us uncomfortable and at times, on a bad day, I know we both wonder if it’s all worth it.

Despite our misgivings, it works well. As we stopped reading picture books, the kids didn’t feel the need to sit in our laps or next to us and moved onto their bedroom floor. They wanted more time to work on their various projects and we wanted to keep reading to them so we compromised. We read. They played. And we’ve gradually learned to trust that they do really listen to and hugely enjoy the story – all their questions and suggestions and corrections make that quite clear.

But still, it’s not like those good old days when we snuggled up in bed and had a cosy time calming down at the end of the day. Often a bedtime reading session leaves the bedroom messier than before with pencils strewn everywhere, detritus (or treasure, depending on your point of view) littering the floor.

But this was the astonishing thing which happened with Kay’s HP edition: suddenly we were all back in bed together (in our double bed to accommodate everyone), under the duvet, arms round each other or head leaning on shoulders as everyone was transfixed and transported by this wonderful tale of wizardry.

Kay’s illustrations brought us together. They acted like a hearth around which we gathered. Whilst I had other imagery in my head, my kids came with far fewer preconceptions so they weren’t playing a comparisons’ game. For them the illustrations acted like enchanting spells in their own rights. Something to amaze and to delight and (on the odd occasion) to frighten.

And then there was the story! I had forgotten how funny this book actually is and how thoughtful Rowling is with the nuances of friendship. Last night I actually cried when Neville won those extra points for Gryffindor which made all the difference to winning the House Cup. The kids, on the other hand, punched the air and leaped out from the bed whooping with exhilaration. Through my tears I couldn’t have been more delighted. Kay and Rowling and transported my kids into new parts of their imagination. They’d given them joy and wonder and enlarged their worlds and dreams.

But now what?

Do we move on to my old tube-train-grime encrusted copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets? I’m desperate to keep reading the stories with my kids as the last three weeks’ of bedtime reading as been such a wonderous delight for me (saying nothing of what it’s been like for the kids). The hour or so at bedtime has been the highlight of each day. I can’t imagine anything, really anything, having made me happier in such a satisfying way.

The kids have taken the decision out of my hands. There’s been debate of course, weighing up hunger for the story with the bewitchment of the illustrations but they’ve decided to… wait.

AARGH! Now it is me roaring with frustration!

So, dear Jim Kay and Bloomsbury please don’t keep us waiting long! Anticipation is delightful (as it was the first time round), but waiting is also HARD!

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by Addy Farmer

I wonder if you can summon up the image of a glorious sunset inside your head? Can you capture the nuance of colour in the sky, the shape of the sun, the texture of the scene? I'll leave that one with you for now.


This ability is sometimes referred to as 'the mind's eye':

The phrase "mind's eye" refers to the human ability to visualise i.e., to experience visual mental imagery; in other words, one's ability to "see" things with the mind.

A Brief Peer into Visual imagination. 

In an interesting blog summary I found:

"There was a debate, in the late 1800s, about whether "imagination" was simply a turn of phrase or a real phenomenon. That is, can people actually create images in their minds which they see vividly, or do they simply say "I saw it in my mind" as a metaphor for considering what it looked like?

Francis Galton, a nineteenth century psychologist, gave people some very detailed surveys, and found that some people did have mental imagery and others didn't. The ones who did had simply assumed everyone did, and the ones who didn't had simply assumed everyone didn't."

Francis Galton - close your eyes and then try and recall the detail of his lovely sideburns

Recently, a new word has been added to the medical lexicon, Aphantasia, which brings us back to that sunset. The University of Exeter has taken up the work of Galton and come up with a new study.

She ... realised that her ability to conjure a mental picture differed from her peers during management training in her 20s. She said: “We were told to ‘visualise a sunrise’, and I thought ‘what on Earth does that look like’ – I couldn’t picture it at all. I could describe it – I could tell you that the sun comes up over the horizon and the sky changes colour as it gets lighter, but I can’t actually see that image in my mind.”
Dame Gill has a successful career and does not feel hindered by her lack of a “mind’s eye”. But she said: “I became more aware of it when my mum died, as I can’t remember her face. I now realise that others can conjure up a picture of someone they love, and that did make me feel sad, although of course I remember her in other ways. I can describe the way she stood on the stairs for a photo for example, I just can’t see it.”

What does this mean for readers? Beyond being presented with images in a book full of pictures, is a reader hampered by an inability to conjure images in her head? Crucially - does it put someone off reading non-illustrated texts when they are older? In the Exeter summary, a bookshop worker says

Niel works in a bookshop and is an avid reader, but avoids books with vivid landscape descriptions as they bring nothing to mind for him. “I just find myself going through the motion of reading the words without any image coming to mind,” he said. “I usually have to go back and read a passage about a visual description several times – it’s almost meaningless.”

Okay - which part of my fevered brain did this come from?

Consider this, the strangest of facts: your thoughts, memories and emotions, your perceptions of the world, and your deepest intuitions of selfhood, are the product of three pounds of jellified fats, proteins, sugars and salts – the stuff of the brain and as tough as blancmange. It's absurd, wonderful and terrifying. The Guardian Review of The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks

Beware moving vehicles

Sit down and get yourself comfortable (not too comfy). Put the object on the table in front of you. Lean over where your face is two or three feet from the object. Now with your eyes open, look at the object. Study it in detail. Notice any glare from the light in the room. Pay attention to its texture. Is it smooth or is it coarse? Study it and get as many details as you can.

Now close your eyes. In your mind's eyes, picture the object as if you were still looking at it. If you have a rough time at first, just make something up. Try to get as many details correct as you can. Now open your eyes again and look again at the object. Study it in great detail for a few moments.

Keep going back and forth like this for five or ten minutes. Play around with the exercise a couple times a day to become good at this skill.
2. Staying in visualization situations. When he found himself in the just-before-sleep state, he stayed there for a while and played with imagery. But he reported no increase in his range of visualisation states or ability to visualise.
3. Object drawing. He tried 3D constructions of blocks and tried drawing them from different angles on paper. But there was no actual imagery or mental rotation involved.

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It is here–it is finally here. Since it was first announced in a press release in early 2012 (yes–we have been waiting for years), fans have been eagerly awaiting Bloomsbury’s illustrated editions of the Harry Potter books. As we wondered what these books would look like, Bloomsbury took their time, carefully picking an illustrator to take the job. Jim Kay was revealed as the new set of eyes that would be reimagining our beloved Harry Potter series–it wasn’t long before every fan knew his name.

Jim Kay has expressed the extreme pressure he has experienced, undertaking such a monumental project. Harry Potter is so beloved, that the critique of fans, the actors, publishers, and the approval of the author herself could make or break his endeavors. J.K. Rowling, publishers, and many others have expressed not only their approval, but their love for Jim Kay’s vision of Harry Potter’s world. The fans are probably the hardest group of people to win over.

After so many years of waiting, the fans are excited to get their hands on a new Harry Potter book–and because of this help from Father Time, whether or not the images are to individual fans’ taste, Jim Kay’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone will be eaten up from the moment bookstores open today, or UPS trucks show up at your front door.

Even though it is difficult to let go of Harry Potter envisioned in our own heads, by Mary GrandPre, and even by the films, after getting our hands on a copy of Jim Kay’s illustrated edition of Philosopher’s Stone, there is no denying that this Harry Potter book is a work of Art.

 

 

 

Though we hoping that Scholastic would keep the title of “Philosopher’s Stone” for Bloomsbury’s illustrated book project, the US editions of the illustrated books have maintained their US titles and rights of their US publishers. However this does not detract from the cover art of the book that we have seen over the last few months (it is even more beautiful in person).

 

 

 

Though it is a medieval castle full dungeons, cold and damp stone walls, and to Ron’s dismay, spiders, many of us picture Hogwarts as warm and welcoming. A place to call home for many of the lost character’s in Harry Potter–Harry, McGonnagall, and even Tom Riddle. Jim Kay’s sketches, though beautiful, are a bit more foreboding.

 

 

 

On page 91, Harry’s first glimpse of Hogwarts (not pictured) would remind fans of castles in gothic novels–inciting more fear than excitement.Though Harry’s arrival to Hogwarts was during a chilly September night, Hogwarts is an iconic image of beauty, with “it’s windows sparkling in the starry sky.” Some fans will like this new image of Hogwarts, others probably will not.

 

 

Even though the majority of artwork portraying Hogwarts is rather dark, there are two images that shine a more warm light on the beloved castle. The first is this scene of Draco during flying class with Madam Hooch, Hogwarts looks more inviting amongst the beautiful fall colors of the foliage in its grounds.

 

 

 

Chapter one throws us right into the lives of the Dursley’s along with J.K. Rowling’s opening words of the Harry Potter series. Jim Kay captures Dudley perfectly–as a over weight, spoiled, crying baby, who could not be more precious to his proud parents.

 

 

In the recent fansite interview with Jim Kay, the illustrator mentioned that one of his favorite illustrations in the book was the ghosts. We quite agree with him. The “reverse” method of painting that he used to layer on color, all the while making the ghosts still appear translucent was beautifully executed. The contrast of neon colors against the black make the ghosts glow off the page.

 

 

During the interview, when answering the same question about the ghosts, Jim Kay also mentioned that he was particularly fond of drawing the trolls. Famous Hufflepuff, Newt Scamander (who has been making news a lot recently in the muggle world), makes an appearance in Harry’s first year, as the author of one of his textbooks. Jim Kay was sure to high light this, in line with the large film project of Fantastic Beasts, with a two-page spread.

 

 

Other Fantastic Beasts make appearances, and are also highlighted across two-page spreads. The first is Hagrid’s precious baby Norwegian Ridgeback, who appears to be a lot more threatening than Baby Norbert (or should we say Norberta?). The adult dragon pictured above is very majestic, and perhaps gives us an idea of what the dragons will look like in book four.

 

 

 

One of the most beautiful images of a Fantastic Beast, is this piece of art portraying the unicorns that Harry, and the other in detention with Hagrid after Draco turns them in on the night Nobert(a) hatched, track in the Forbidden Forest. The image seems to have been made much in the same way as the ghosts earlier in the book, with a “reverse” painting process that makes the unicorn more transparent, and glow off the page.

 

 

The second to last image of the book is the famous scene of celebration. Harry won Gryffindor it’s first House Cup of his time at Hogwarts, and just defeated Voldemort for the first time that he can remember. The Great Hall of Hogwarts looks like the hall we are all familiar with, and we finally see Hogwarts as the community and family we know and love. The final image of the book leaves us with an outside perspective of the Great Hall, in a warm and colorful, less foreboding image of our favorite castle.

 

There is no denying that Jim Kay’s artwork is a masterpiece. And though the images are beautiful and well crafted, fans’ reactions are most likely to be mixed–given their strong feelings and associations with the books they have grown up with. Though adults will buy these books, and appreciate the artwork attached to their favorite stories, the book does have a more “child story book” feel. It will definitely more difficult to look at the illustrated editions of Harry Potter as novels, and easier to hold this book as children’s literature, with beautiful pictures that will help parents bring in the new generation of young Harry Potter fans. This is not necessarily a bad thing, for no matter how old we grow, most of us will always be children at heart, and associate Harry Potter with the important role it played within our childhood.

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So, fun fact. I read a serious 2017 Newbery contender a couple months ago and it looks like they may release it in the nearish future (February 2nd). I’m calling 2016 as The Year of the Fox, by the way, since both Sara Pennypacker and Kathi Appelt have fox related middle grades on the horizon. This is a particularly nice little book trailer for the Pennypacker book, and not just because they get my current workplace correct. It’s a classy little number.

Betcha bottom dollar you’ll need to read it.

You know, when I hear about librarian parody videos, I naturally assume that they’re done of the latest, hottest song. It’s almost a relief to see one of, of all things, Bohemian Rhapsody. What’s next? Eye of the Tiger? Cause I’ll take it!

Thanks to Aunt Judy for the link.

As you may have heard, the internet being what it is, there’s a new illustrator of Harry Potter in town and his name is Jim Kay.  A whole host of new images were released the other day, and that was swell, but sometimes it’s nice to hear from the artist himself.

You know, I thought I’d posted this video before but it appears I somehow didn’t.  Ah well.  It isn’t a Video Sunday without at least one 80s style toy ad.  Such as it is.

Thanks to Dana Sheridan for the link!

And for today’s Off-Topic Video I’m going to say, “YES! I KNOW HE DOESN’T HIT THE BRICKS WITH HIS HEAD BUT WITH HIS FIST! THIS IS STILL FUNNY, CONSARN IT!” Phew! Had to get that out there.

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Don’t you hate it when you’ve saved oodles of links for a Fusenews only to find your computer apparently ate them without informing you?  Fun times.  So if I promised some of you that I’d post something and then I didn’t, remind me of the fact.  Clearly me brain is running on fumes.

• Stop.  Before you go any farther I will show you something that will make you laugh.  It is this post by my sister on making a particularly unique gingerbread creation.  If nothing else the photos at the end will make you snort in a distinctly unladylike manner.

• Bookish wanted great children’s book recommendations from NYPL so Booklish now HAS great children’s book recommendations from NYPL.  Ha HA!

• Please remind me the next time I wish to garner outrage to simply tap Philip Pullman.  The man has sway.  Big time sway.

• This is fun:

The SCBWI is proud to announce the winner and honor recipients of the 2013 Jane Yolen Mid-List Author Award.  Congratulations to winner Eve Feldman, author of such works asBilly and Milly Short and Silly (Putnam) and Dog Crazy (Tambourine).  Eve has been a children’s book author and SCBWI member for over twenty years.  To learn more about Eve visit www.evebfeldman.com.

Two Honor Grants were also awarded to authors Verla Kay and Deborah Lynn Jacobs.  Verla Kay is the author of Civil War Drummer Boy (Putnam) and Hornbooks and Inkwells(Putnam) among others.  Learn more at www.verlakay.com.  Deborah Lynn Jacobs is the author of the young adult novels Choices (Roaring Brook Press) and Powers (Square Fish).  Learn more at www.deborahlynnjacobs.com.

• Gift giving to a young ‘un when you yourself are without young ‘uns?  Well, this post A Message to Those Without Children is dead on.  She doesn’t mention alternatives but I can: What about books instead?  Board books!  Give it a whirl, prospective gift givers.

• The most amusing part of this Harry Potter Swimsuit Line to my mind isn’t the content so much as it is the models they got to wear the outfits.  Most of them don’t seem to have any clue what they’re wearing.  However, #2 in the Snape dress model appears to have been cast solely for the part and #3 has the decency to look slightly embarrassed to be there at all.  Thanks to Liz Burns for the link.

• Speaking of HP, we all knew that the covers of the Harry Potter books were being re-illustrated here in the States.  But how many of us knew that the Brits were planning on releasing full-color illustrated books with art by Jim Kay?  Does the name Jim Kay ring a bell for you, by the way?  You might be thinking of the art he did for A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.  That was a far cry from that cutesy Harry picture included in the article.  Suddenly I can’t wait to see what the man can do with Dementors.  Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for the link.

• The site Latinas for Latino Lit has released their list of Remarkable Latino Children’s Literature of 2013.  It really is an excellent list.  And at least two of the titles mentioned appeared on NYPL’s recent 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing list too.

 

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The Water Castle
By Megan Frazer Blakemore
Illustrated by Jim Kay
Walker Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Bloomsbury)
$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-8027-2839-5
Ages 9-12
On shelves now

Where does fantasy stop and science fiction begin? Is it possible to ever draw a distinct line in the sand between the two? A book with a name like The Water Castle (mistakenly read by my library’s security guard as “White Castle”) could fall on either side of the equation, though castles generally are the stuff of fantastical fare. In this particular case, however, what we have here is a smart little bit of middle grade chapter book science fiction, complete with arson, obsession, genetic mutation, and a house any kid would kill to live in. Smarter than your average bear, this is one book that rewards its curious readers. It’s a pleasure through and through.

Welcome to Crystal Springs, Maine where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average. That last part seems to be true, anyway. When Ephraim Appledore, his two siblings, his mom, and his father (suffering from the after effects of a stroke) move to town he’s shocked to find that not only does everyone seem to know more about his family history than he does, they’re all geniuses to boot. The Appledores have taken over the old Water Castle built by their ancestors and harboring untold secrets. When he’s not exploring it with his siblings Ephraim finds two unlikely friends in fellow outcast Mallory Green and would-be family feuder Will Wylie. Together they discover that the regional obsession with the fountain of youth may have some basis in reality. A reality that the three of them are having trouble facing, for individual reasons.

When one encounters an old dusty castle hiding trapdoors and secret passageways around every corner, that usually means your feet are planted firm in fantasy soil. All the elements are in place with Ephraim akin to Edwin in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and a dusty old wardrobe even making a cheeky cameo at one point. What surprised me particularly was the book’s grounding instead in science fiction. That said, how far away from fantasy is science fiction in children’s literature? In both cases the fantastical is toyed with. In this particular case, eternal life finds its basis in discussions of mutant genes, electricity, radiation, and any number of other science-based theories. Interestingly, it’s actually hard to come up with many children’s books that even dwell on the fountain of youth. There’s Tuck Everlasting of course, but that’s about as far as it goes. One gets the impression that Babbitt did such a good job with the idea that no one’s had the guts to take it any farther since. Kudos to Blakemore then for rising to the challenge.

I’m very partial to children’s books that are magical if you want them to be and realistic if that’s what you’d prefer. This year’s Doll Bones by Holly Black, for example, could be an uber-creepy horror story or it could just be a tale of letting your imagination run away with you. Similarly The Water Castle could be about the true ramifications of eternal life, or it could be explained with logic and reason every step of the way. I was also rather interested in how Ms. Blakemore tackled that age-old question of how to allow your child heroes the freedom to come and go as they please without a droplet of parental supervision. In this case her solution (father with a stroke and a mother as his sole caretaker) not only worked effectively but also tied in swimmingly into our hero’s personal motivations.

In the midst of a review like this I sometimes have a bad habit of failing to praise the writing of a book. That would be a particular pity in this case since Ms. Blakemore sucked me in fairly early on. When Ephraim and his family drive into town for the first time we get some beautiful descriptions of the small town itself. “They rolled past the Wylie Five and Dime, which was advertising a sale on gourds, Ouija boards, and pumpkin-pie filling.” She also has a fine ear for antiquated formal speech, though the physical appearances of various characters are not of particular importance to her (example: we don’t learn that Ephraim’s little sister Brynn is blond until page 183).

An interesting aspect of the writing is its tackling of race, racism, and historical figures done wrong by their times. I was happy from the get-go that Ms. Blakemore chose to make her cast a multi-cultural one. Mallory is African-American, one of the few in town, and is constantly being offered subjects like Matthew Henson for class reports because . . . y’know. Henson himself plays nicely into a little subplot in the book. Deftly Ms. Blakemore draws some similarities between his work with Robert Peary and Tesla’s attitude towards Edison. Nothing too direct. Just enough information where kids can connect the dots themselves. For all this, I was a bit disappointed that when we read some flashbacks into the past there doesn’t seem to be ANY racism in sight. We follow the day-to-day activities of an African-American girl and the various rich white people she encounters and yet only ONE mention is made of their different races in a vague reference to the fact that our heroine’s family has never been slaves. This seemed well-intentioned but hugely misleading. Strange to discuss Henson and Peary in one breath and then ignore everyday realities on the other.

If the book has any other problems there is the fact that the author leaves the essential question about the mysterious water everyone searches for in this story just that. Mysterious. There are also some pretty heady clues dropped about Mallory’s own parents that remain unanswered by the tale’s end. Personally, I am of the opinion that Ms. Blakemore did this on purpose for the more intelligent of her child readers. I can already envision children’s bookgroups discussing this title at length, getting into arguments about what exactly it means that Mallory’s mom had that key around her neck.

In the end, The Water Castle is less about the search for eternal life and youth than it is about letting go of childhood and stories. Age can come when you put those things away. As Ephraim ponders late in the game, “No one back in Cambridge would believe that he’d been crawling around in dark tunnels, or climbing up steps with no destination. Maybe, he decided, growing up meant letting go of the stories, letting go in general, letting yourself fall just to see if you could catch yourself. And he had.” Whether or not Ms. Blakemore chooses to continue this book with the further adventures of Ephraim, Mallory and Will, she’s come up with a heckuva smart little creation. Equally pleasing to science fiction and fantasy fans alike, there’s enough meat in this puppy for any smart child reader or bored kid bookgroup. I hope whole droves of them find it on their own. And I hope they enjoy it thoroughly. A book that deserves love.

On shelves now.

Source: Final copy sent from publisher for review.

Like This? Then Try:
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Notes on the Cover: Is that or is that not a fantasy cover? The ivy strangled stone gargoyles and castle in the background all hint at it. I wasn’t overly in love with this jacket at first, but in time I’ve discovered that kids are actually quite drawn to it. Whether or not they find it misleading, time will tell. Not having read the bookflap description of this title, I spent an embarrassingly long amount of time trying to turn the kids on the cover into Ephraim and his siblings. It was quite a while before I realized my mistake.

Professional Reviews:

• A star from Kirkus
• Publishers Weekly
• The Wall Street Journal
• Jack and Jill

Other Blog Reviews: Cracking the Cover

Interviews: Portland Press Herald

Misc: Check out the Teacher’s Guide for this book.

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By Candy Gourlay Hilary Mantel (Photo: Harper Collins) Go, Hilary! After winning the Booker Prize a second time (with the second book of her trilogy), Hilary Mantel also grabbed the Costa Prize. £30,000 prize money. Blimey. Sally Gardner of course won the Children's Costa for Maggot Moon. Go, Sally ! Mantel's historic win brought back fond memories of the children's book industry's own

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This smartly crafted book trailer for Patrick Ness’s YA novel A Monster Calls actually makes me want to read the book. The After Effects animation was done by Eric Guémise based on artwork by Jim Kay.

(via Super Punch)

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Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: A Monster Calls, After Effects, Eric Guémise, Jim Kay

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A Monster Calls
By Patrick Ness
Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd
Illustrated by Jim Kay
Candlewick Press
$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5559-4
Ages 11 and up
On shelves now

I don’t mind metaphors as much as I might. I think that generally I’m supposed to hate them when they show up in children’s literature. I don’t if they’re done well, though. Maybe if I were an adult encountering The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe for the first time I’d find the Jesus allegory annoying, but as a kid it flew right over me. Similarly, if I were an eleven-years-old today and someone handed me A Monster Calls I could read this whole book and not once speculate as to what the monster “really means”. Author Patrick Ness (who also wrote a book called Monsters of Men just to confuse you) writes a layered story that can be taken straight or at an angle, depending on what you want out of the book. What I wanted was a great story, compelling characters, and a killer ending. That I got and so much more.

The monster comes at 12:07. It would probably be easier for everyone, the monster included, if Conor were afraid of it, but he isn’t. Conor’s afraid of much worse things at the moment. His mom has cancer and this time the treatments don’t seem to be working as well as they have in the past. He’s plagued by a nightmare so awful he believes that no one else ever need know of it. Bullies at school pound him regularly, his grandmother is annoying, and his dad lives with a different family in America. The crazy thing is that Conor kind of wants to be punished, but the monster has a different purpose in mind. It’s going to tell him three stories and when it’s done Conor will tell him a fourth. A fourth that is the truth and also the last thing he’d ever want to say.

For the record, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate a book that includes the word “monster” in the title and then proceeds to include lots o’ monster. Since we’re dealing with the serious subject matter of a boy learning to forgive himself as his mother dies of cancer, Ness could also be forgiven for just putting a dab of monster here or a dribble of monster there. Instead he starts with the monster (“The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.”) continues to pile on the monster scenes, and by the time you reach the end there’s not a kid alive who could say they were mislead by the cover or title. The monster in this book isn’t the only wild Green Man to be published this year. Season Of Secrets by Sally Nicholls

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I had heard so much that was so good about A Monster Calls, the Patrick Ness novel inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, that last night, when my arms were too achy to type a single letter more, I downloaded the book onto my iPad2.

Had I known that this book was so beautifully illustrated, I would have gone out to the store and bought myself a copy instead, so that I could, from time to time, look at these extraordinarily interesting, wildly textured Jim Kay drawings.  A Monster Calls would be a very different book without these images, just as Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, the Ransom Riggs books enlivened by surreal old photographs, would not be the book it is had not a publishing house decided that teens, too (and the adults who inevitably read teen books) need, every now and then, to stop and see the world not through words but through images.  Maile Meloy's new historical YA book, The Apothecary, is due out soon—a book that (if the preview pages on Amazon are accurate) features some very beautiful illustrations by Ian Schoenherr.  And let's not forget The Boneshaker by Kate Milford, with its beautiful Andrea Offermann images. (And, of course, there are so many, many more.)

A Monster Calls reminds me, in so many ways, of the great Roald Dahl story The BFG.  Dahl's books, illustrated by Quentin Blake, sit beside The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer) on my shelf—books that take me back to some of my favorite mother-son reading days.  We loved the stories.  We loved the illustrations, too.  We loved the entire package.

Maybe we have Brian Selznick to thank for this return to the visual—to ageless picture books.  Maybe it was just plain time.  I only (with absolute surety) know this:  I recently completed a young adult novel amplified by (in my eyes) gorgeous illustrations. I can't wait to see where that project goes, and on what kind of journey it takes me.

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