The Joy of Children's Literature

As I read the posts of many of the blogs I follow, I've noticed that quite a few bloggers have posted their New Year's resolutions. One of the things I have struggled with since I started this blog is how much personal information to post. I started the blog as a way to share resources about children's literature for the readers of The Joy of Children's Literature and anyone else who happens upon this blog. Surely no one is interested in my personal life. However, if there is anything I know for sure, it's that for reading to be meaningful, it must be personal. As I wrote JCL , one of my goals was for my passion for children's literature to be palpable. I want the reader to know that I care deeply for children's literature and one reason for that is how it has touched me personally. The way I conveyed that feeling in the book was to share stories from my own childhood and from my work with children as a teacher and a mother that exemplified the affect child

I love the beginning of a new year! It brings with it the sense of a fresh beginning and the hope for all that is to come the rest of the year. I always think about the year of new books ahead (okay, and summer vacation!). As much as I'd like to be the girl bringing in the new year with champagne and dancing, most often I'm watching the ball drop on TV like many others in the US. However, New Year's Day is celebrated many different ways (and times) around the world. So, below is a list of a few great books that can be shared with children in celebration of the New Year everywhere! Happy New Year, Everywhere! by Arlene Erlbach (2000, Millbrook Press) Through interesting text and colorful, dynamic illustrations, this excellent book briefly describes traditional New Year's celebrations and customs in 20 countries. The introduction explains that varying cultures observe different calendars and seasonal celebrations. Each spread highlights a different country, providing the

From NPR by Renee Montagne: Author Judy Blume talks with Renee Montagne about how a suburban housewife in New Jersey turned into one of the country's most celebrated children's writers and how her own childhood inspired her fiction writing. Listen to the story here !

The Newbery Medal has been the gold standard in children's literature for more than eight decades. On the January day when the annual winner is announced, bookstores nationwide sell out, libraries clamor for copies and teachers add the work to lesson plans. Now the literary world is debating the Newbery's value, asking whether the books that have won recently are so complicated and inaccessible to most children that they are effectively turning off kids to reading. Of the 25 winners and runners-up chosen from 2000 to 2005, four of the books deal with death, six with the absence of one or both parents and four with such mental challenges as autism. Most of the rest deal with tough social issues. An article in October's School Library Journal — "Has the Newbery Lost Its Way?" by children's literary expert Anita Silvey—touched off the debate, now in full bloom on blogs and in e-mails. The Association for Library Service to Children, the organization that awards

The International Reading Association has launched IRA Gateway, a new monthly e-newsletter offering practical tips from IRA publications and links to valuable resources online. To view a sample issue or to subscribe, visit the IRA website.

Reading Rockets has a new video interview with Helen Oxenbury! You can watch the interview below, view the interview transcript , or see a selected list of her children's books. You can also see our exclusive video interview with writer Mem Fox , Oxenbury's partner on Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes .

And the "best of 2008" lists keep coming. Check out Hornbook's list .

Another list to add to your best books of the year compilation: NYT Notable children's Books of 2008 and Best Illustrated Children's books . No suprises here.

It's that time of year when "the best books of 2008" lists start appearing. Two such lists are SLJ's Best Books of 2008 and the CCBC's preliminary list of Choices 2009 . From the preface of the SLJ list: Of the more than 5000 books reviewed in SLJ’s pages in 2008, the 67 books listed below stood out as having distinctive voices, singular vision, and/or innovative approaches. They include books for toddlers and preschoolers, terrific picture books and easy readers, and some highly original novels. Fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, humor, mystery, affecting family stories, and adventure all make an appearance. SLJ also states, "It was an amazingly strong year for YA novels, several with hard-hitting, powerful themes. " I completely agree. As I looked through the list, I found that I had read all of the young-adult books list. I had not, however, done such a good job reading the nonfiction:-( How about you?

NPR.org , November 20, 2008 · Children's author Jon Scieszka has written two dozen children's books, including The Stinky Cheese Man and the Time Warp Trio series, but his most recent work is a memoir. Knucklehead, an autobiography for young readers, details Scieszka's experiences growing up in Flint, Mich., where he was the second-oldest of six brothers. In one chapter, Scieszka writes about his own experience as a young reader encountering the "strange alien family" of Dick and Jane and wondering why the characters repeated each other's names so frequently. "If Jane didn't see the dog, Dick would say, 'Look Jane, look. There is the dog next to Sally, Jane,' " Scieszka says. "I thought they were afraid they might forget each other's names, because they always said each other's names — a lot." 'Oh Man, Here's My Audience' Dick And Jane never made Scieszka want to read, but Dr. Seuss's The Cat In The Hat

A survey conducted by Recorded Books found that the biggest concern teachers have about audiobooks is that it isn't really reading. I've written an article with my opinion, but I'd like to know what others think. Do you agree that listening to audiobooks isn't really reading? Leave a comment and let me know!

Students in the $6 billion Reading First program have not made greater progress in understanding what they read than have peers outside the program, according to a congressionally mandated study. The final version of the study, released November 18, 2008, by the U.S. Department of Education, found that students in schools that use Reading First, a program at the core of the No Child Left Behind law, scored no better on comprehension tests than students in similar schools that do not get the funding. "It is a program that needs to be improved," said Grover J. "Russ" Whitehurst, director of the Institute of Education Sciences, the department's research arm. "I don't think anyone should be celebrating that the federal government has spent $6 billion on a reading program that has had no impact on reading comprehension." Read the article in The Washington Post online .

YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE WINNER: Judy Blundell , What I Saw and How I Lied (Scholastic) - Interview Finalists: Laurie Halse Anderson , Chains (Simon & Schuster) Kathi Appelt , The Underneath (Atheneum) - Interview E. Lockhart , The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (Hyperion) - Interview Tim Tharp , The Spectacular Now (Alfred A. Knopf) - Interview Young People’s Literature Judges: Daniel Handler (chair), Holly Black , Angela Johnson , Carolyn Mackler , Cynthia Voigt .

A few months ago, I posted a review of the book, The Mysterious Universe , written by Ellen Jackson with photographs and illustrations by Nic Bishop (Houghton Mifflin, 2008), which takes an in depth look at the expanding universe. Of course, our understanding of the universe today is based upon the work of scientists of the past. A new exhibition of science books at the Huntingtion library in California called " Beautiful Science: Ideas That Changed the World " highlights many of the books that influenced or were written by some of the greatest scientist of the past. The exhibition focuses on four areas of science: astronomy, natural history, medicine and light. Some of the books featured are Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica , the book where Newton codified the laws of motion and gravity; Nicolaus Copernicus' De Revolutionibus , the description of a solar system which had the sun, not the Earth, at its center; and Petrus Apianus' Astronomicum Caesarium , a co

From Reading Today Daily : The countdown is already on for the 2009 Read Across America celebration, which will take place on March 2. Each year, millions of people participate in this National Education Association-sponsored reading promotion event honoring the late Dr. Seuss. One of the resources offered for this year's celebration is a Read Across America calendar, with each month featuring a special book. You can access the calendar and other resources at the Read Across America website. Through a partnership with kidthing, inc., selected books in the Read Across America calendar (or excerpts from the books) will be featured free downloables on a special site. November features Crossing Bok Chitto, an award-winning book by Native American author and storyteller Tim Tingle.

Every autumn since 1952, the New York Times Book Review has invited a panel of judges to survey the year’s output of children’s books and to select the top 10 best illustrated. This year’s trio of judges were: author and illustrator Christopher Myers, whose Jabberwocky (Hyperion) was a Best Illustrated Book of 2007; Caroline Ward, Head of Children’s Services at the Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT, who recently co-curated the exhibition “Children Should be Seen: The Changing Image of the Child in American Picture-Book Art”; and Luann Toth, Managing Editor of School Library Journal’s Book Review , who was a member of the 2002 Randolph Caldecott Award Committee. Top 10 best illustrated books of 2008: A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet , written and illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson (S & S/A Paula Wiseman Bk.) The Black Book of Colors , written and illustrated by Menena Cottin and Rosana Faría (Groundwood) Ghosts in the House!, written and illustrated by Kazuno Kohara (Roaring Brook

From Publishers Weekly , 11/10/2008: With publishers and booksellers nervous about Christmas sales, a little $12.95 book might be the season's savior. The Tales of Beedle the Bard , a Harry Potter offshoot by J.K. Rowling, is being published by Scholastic on Dec. 4. This will be the first Rowling book to be published at the height of the holiday season; all her previous Harry Potters were published in the summer—and the timing, although ideal in the gift-giving sense, may present some logistical distribution challenges. The Tales of Beedle the Bard , a slim collection of five stories, including “The Tale of the Three Brothers,” which appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , will have to ship from wholesalers during the Thanksgiving rush. Ingram Book Group's director of merchandising Mary McCarthy says the logistics will be “challenging.” The company meets weekly to review orders and transportation to ensure that everything will go smoothly. Although she doesn't e

I recently read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and loved it! The starred review below by Megan Whalen Turner appeared in this week's Publisher Weekly : If there really are only seven original plots in the world, it's odd that “boy meets girl” is always mentioned, and “society goes bad and attacks the good guy” never is. Yet we have Fahrenheit 451 , The Giver , The House of the Scorpion —and now, following a long tradition of Brave New Worlds, The Hunger Games . Collins hasn't tied her future to a specific date, or weighted it down with too much finger wagging. Rather less 1984 and rather more Death Race 2000 , hers is a gripping story set in a postapocalyptic world where a replacement for the United States demands a tribute from each of its territories: two children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight to the death. Katniss, from what was once Appalachia, offers to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, but after this ultimate sacrifice, she is en

Save the Date for the Second Annual Celebration of Latino Children’s Literature conference to be held in Columbia, SC on April 24th and 25th, 2009. This exciting, two day conference includes performances and appearances by several Latina authors/illustrators including Maya Christina Gonzalez, Lulu Delacre, Lucia Gonzalez, and Irania Patterson. The keynote address will be delivered by nationally-recognized, Puerto Rican Children's Literature and Multicultural Education scholar Dr. Sonia Nieto. Conference participants will have a choice of over a dozen breakout sessions on topics related to Latino children's literature and literacy. As part of the theme "Connecting Cultures and Celebrating Cuentos," the conference will host an El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day) family and community event on the evening of April 24th at one of the local public libraries. Festivities will include storytelling and intergenerational art exploration. Regi

From the NCTE inbox: National American Indian Heritage Month is recognized each November as a time to learn more about the history and heritage of Native American peoples. These resources provide strategies to explore Native American literature and heritage in your own classroom. The Language Arts article " Proceed with Caution: Using Native American Folktales in the Classroom " (E) explains the importance of selecting texts that include realistic and accurate presentations of Native American peoples. The article includes guidelines for evaluating and selecting Native American literature. Examine two speeches by Shawnee Chief Tecumseh with the ReadWriteThink lesson Battling for Liberty: Tecumseh's and Patrick Henry's Language of Resistance (M) and ask students to consider Tecumseh's politically effective and poetic use of language. See the ReadWriteThink calendar entry for National American Indian Heritage Month for links to additional lesson plans and resources

Children's book publishers and school librarians are trying a new strategy to build the buzz about forthcoming titles: sharing Advance Readers' Copies (ARCs) or book galleys. "The kids' enthusiasm for a title then creates in-school, pre-pub buzz about the book that can, in some cases, have a positive effect on sales," writes Sally Lodge in Publishers Weekly. "It's a chain reaction that is beneficial to all concerned--and one that appears to be happening with increasing frequency." At Coppell Middle School West in Coppell, Texas, library media specialist Rose Brock runs five separate student book clubs using ARCs. Suzanne Fox, library media teacher at two middle schools in Napa, California, brings ARCs into classrooms and asks students to read and review the books. "Kids love reading a book that no one else knows about, and it's even better if it's a sequel to a book that other kids do know about," Fox says. For further information,

Article by Sue Corbett in Publishers Weekly (10/27/08)... The Baudelaire orphans' sad story may be over but, like a post-apocalyptic cockroach, Lemony Snicket persists—to the great delight of booksellers, children, HarperCollins and Daniel Handler himself. “I miss them,” Handler admits of Violet, Klaus and Sunny, whose adventures concluded in 2006 with The End—60 million copies from his Unfortunate Events series have sold worldwide. “Every so often I instinctively jot down notes about more bad things happening to them before I remember, 'Oh, that series is over.' It's disorienting.” Never fear, readers. This fall Snicket returns with A Lump of Coal (HarperCollins), a companion title to last year's Hanukkah-themed picture book, The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming . In his trademark glass-almost-completely-empty fashion, Handler writes about Christmas by anthropomorphizing the traditional gift left by Santa for very bad children. He'll visit eight cities,

NPR, October 17, 2008 · The night a mystical killer murders his family, a child toddles off into a graveyard, where he's adopted by a loving, even-keeled ghost couple. The premise for The Graveyard Book is macabre, but author Neil Gaiman has a strange ability to make otherworldly characters quaint — loveable, even — and the story is anything but grave. Children as young as 9 will enjoy this sweet, funny and gentle tale; adults will appreciate its deeper undertones. Gaiman is the author of the ground-breaking (rocked-my-world) comic Sandman and the best-sellers Anansi Boys and Coraline. (The latter is being made into a stop-action animated motion picture, with Dakota Fanning voicing the lead.) In the past, he's personified Death as a punk-rock chick and the Dream King as her brooding, self-conscious brother. Among Gaiman's fans are Tori Amos, who sang the line, "…me and Neil'll be hanging out with the Dream King" on her breakout album, Little Earthquakes. Th

Check out the finalists for the National Book Award in the Young People's Literature section: Laurie Halse Anderson , Chains (Simon & Schuster) Kathi Appelt , The Underneath (Atheneum) Judy Blundell , What I Saw and How I Lied (Scholastic) E. Lockhart , The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (Hyperion) Tim Tharp , The Spectacular Now (Alfred A. Knopf) Now, check out the judges! Young People’s Literature Judges: Daniel Handler (chair), Holly Black , Angela Johnson , Carolyn Mackler , Cynthia Voigt .

Neil Gaiman is on a 9-city video tour for his new book The Graveyard Book. At each stop on the tour, he will read one chapter from The Graveyard Book beginning on October 1st. By the end of the tour, on October 9th, you will be able to watch the master storyteller himself read The Graveyard Book in its entirety. Chapter one is available right now!

Mary Ann Hoberman Named Children's Poet Laureate Below is an excerpt from the article on the Poetry Foundation's website : The best children’s poets look at the subjects most parents are terrified of introducing to their little children—death, for instance—and invite them, gracefully, to dance. A rather Williamseque lyric on mortality, Mary Ann Hoberman ’s “Mayfly” couldn’t be simpler, because eloquent simplicity is the key to writing poetry for children: Think how fast a year flies by A month flies by A week flies by Think how fast a day flies by A Mayfly’s life lasts but a day A single day To live and die A single day How fast it goes The day The Mayfly Both of those. A Mayfly flies a single day The daylight dies and darkness grows A single day How fast it flies A Mayfly’s life How fast it goes. But of course the poem could be simpler—it could unfurl without all of those unpredictable rhymes, tumbling us along with inevitable momentum, like life’s arrow itself, ending only w

What a fantastic way to celebrate my 100th post with this video. Amazing!

From NPR's All Things Considered , October 6, 2008 · Illustrator David Macaulay, who has used drawings to teach himself — and then the rest of the world — how things work, has taken on another daunting task: the human body. In The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body, Macaulay illustrates such complexities as cellular chemistry, how peoples' limbs move when they walk and how blood flows through the body. "I knew actually nothing about myself, which was one of the reasons for doing the book," Macaulay tells NPR's Robert Siegel. "I had a complete ignorance of basic information. I don't know how that happened. My kids, who are 9 and 11, know much more than I do, and I thought I'd better catch up." For six intense years, the best-selling author of Castle, Cathedral and, more recently, The Way Things Work read, talked to people, watched videotapes, sat in on a few operations and took a couple of anatomy courses. And then he let the cre

Each morning I anxiously click through all of the new blog posts on children's literature brought to my attention by my blog reader. I really enjoy the insight, perspective, news and events on children books and related topics the various book bloggers provide. However, since the presidential election has swung into high gear, I have started approaching my blog reader a little more tentatively each day since more and more bloggers are posting about their political views in addition to children's literature. I understand. Blogs are web logs--online journals--and no one takes an oath prior to starting a blog stating that they will stick to a particular topic. So, yesterday, when I read Lois Lowery's blog on which she discussed who she thinks should win the election and why, I cringed. Not Lois, too. You see, I am a huge Lois Lowry admirer. In addition to reading her books, I have heard her speak at least a dozen times. Most of the time, I cry before she reaches the end of her

The Children's Choices Project conducted annually by the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council since 1974 provides childrenwith an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books written for them. Children from across the country vote on books that were published the previous year and the winning books are developed into an annual annotated reading list of new books that young readers enjoy reading. These lists can assist teachers, librarians, booksellers, parents, and others with finding books that will encourage young readers to read more. An annotated list is published annually in the October issue of The Reading Teacher and provided free of charge on the IRA website. Additionally, a bookmark listing the winning choices is available.

Would you like your class to meet an award-winning author? The MYVisit Virtual Author Series is a fantastic opportunity for your class to interact with some of today's best children's book creators LIVE! Each visit brings the creator into your classroom via interactive video, discussion forums, and downloadable learning activities to create a unique learning experience that truly expand some of today's most popular children's titles. DOREEN CRONIN & BETSY LEWIN : Broadcast date: October 7, 2008 Go to the MYVisit website to sign-up now! Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin are the award-winning team behind the Caldecott Honor book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type . Ms. Cronin is the successful author of many bestselling picture books, including Wiggle ; Duck for President ; Giggle, Giggle, Quack ; Dooby Dooby Moo ; and the upcoming Thump, Quack, Moo . Ms. Lewin is the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type and its sequels, Giggle, Giggle,

Today, the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, presented author Jon Scieszka with the first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Medal as part of the National Book Festival celebration. Announced in January, the position was created to raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people. Additionally, an official National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature website has been created for parents, educators and children that includes background information on the Ambassador initiative, Jon Scieszka, and a schedule of Scieszka’s tour stops over the next year. The website features photos from Scieszka’s travels but also provides the opportunity for anyone to upload photos from Jon’s appearances in their city. Most importantly, the “Ask Jon” button allows kids to ask Scieszka questions directly. “The website is meant to serve as an inf

A free School Library Journal webcast sponsored by Capstone Publishers will bring together a panel of experts in reading, media center services, and children’s literacy--including school librarians, educators, and a representative from Capstone Press and Stone Arch Books--to cover a range of processes, programs, and ideas that can bolster reading skills, comprehension, and literacy in the K-6 library and classroom. The webcast will be held from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday, October 8. Attendees will learn best practices to engage struggling and reluctant readers, discover multi-level reading resources for classroom and school library integration, and pick up techniques and programming ideas that will encourage the use of fiction and nonfiction. Time will be reserved for questions and answers at the end of the webcast. Who should attend: School librarians and library media specialists working with grades K-6, classroom teachers and reading specialists, and public libraria

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the Read It LOUD! Foundation have formed a partnership to encourage parents and other caregivers to read to their children daily. The goal of the partnership is to inspire 5 million parents and caregivers to read daily to their children by 2014. “The Read It LOUD! program is a natural partnership for the Center for the Book, which has promoted reading and literacy since its establishment in 1977,” said John Y. Cole, the center’s director. “We sponsor several reading-promotion programs specifically for young people, such as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, the Letters About Literature project, the River of Words program, and a lifelong literacy initiative. The Read It LOUD! program will be advertised in shopping malls throughout the United States, through websites, in libraries, and at other locations. Popular children’s characters such as the Cat in the Hat, Curious George, and Clifford the Big Red

The countdown is on! Exactly one week fr om today, I will drive to Washington DC with my husband and son, check into the hotel, and go to Politics and Prose , a bookstore and coffeehouse on Connecticut Avenue. In all the times I've been to DC, I've never been to Politics and Prose , but I hear it is fabulous AND at 4:30 Mary Brigid Barrett, Steven Kellogg, Katherine Patterson, and Lynda Johnson Robb will be there! They are four of over 100 authors an illustrators of a new book titled, Our White House . It is a collection of essays, personal accounts, historical fiction, poetry, and original art that offers a multifaceted look at America's history through the prism of the White House. The next day, we will attend the 2008 National Book Festival ! (See my previous post about the National Book Festival) Over 70 authors will give talks about their books on the National Mall. Just talk a look at the line up of children's and young adult authors: Tiki Barber , Jan Brett , M

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is an online professional development magazine funded by the National Science Foundation for elementary teachers which focuses on preparing teachers to teach polar science concepts in an already congested curriculum by integrating inquiry-based science with literacy teaching. Such an integrated approach can increase students' science knowledge, academic language, reading comprehension, and written and oral discourse abilities. The topic for issue 6 is Rocks and Minerals . Each issue include a strategy specific to the topic , a monthly virtual bookshelf highlighting children’s literature that relates to the theme of the issue, a nonfiction article for students, and monthly science and literacy lessons to promote a real and meaningful integration of the two subjects. Check it out! Now, if you want to hit the jackpot on science and literacy, you must check out the "Teaching Physical Science with Children's Literature" series at Open Wide

From the International Reading Association: Adults with low literacy skills are less likely to get married or buy their own house, British research suggests. A National Literacy Trust report looking at the effects of literacy on the nation's happiness found stark differences between those with good literacy skills and those without. The report, which looked in particular at men's happiness, found that only half of men with poor reading skills were satisfied with their life so far, compared with 78% of men with good reading levels. Read the article by The Press Association online or the report itself, available on the National Literacy Trust website .

...are both on September 8! International Literacy Day is sponsored annually by the International Reading Association and is designed to focus attention on literacy issues. The day is marked by many events throughout the world, including the presentation of a U.S. $20,000 UNESCO International Reading Association Literacy Prize . The International Reading Association estimates that 780 million adults, nearly two-thirds of whom are women, do not know how to read and write. They also estimate that 94–115 million children worldwide do not have access to education. International Literacy Day is just one way the Association strives to increase literacy around the world. Spend the day participating in a readathon, kicking off a cross-grade reading buddy program, or making original books to share with others in the community. For additional ideas, visit the IRA’s collection of ideas: Idea Starters! International Literacy Day Activities and Events . And an International Literacy Day Toolkit is

Bookwink "Bookwink's mission is to inspire kids to read. Through podcasting and web video, we hope to connect kids in Grades 3 through 8 with books that will make them excited about reading. The videos are approximately 3 minutes long and are updated monthly. Each video booktalk is about a different topic, and additional read-alikes can be found on the Bookwink website. You can look for books by subject, grade level, author or title. We are constantly updating the booklists with our newest favorite books." Choice Literacy: Successful Groups This week's Big Fresh Newsletter from Choice Literacy is about making small group instruction successful. The issue includes Part II of the interview with Debbie Miller who gives advice on the importance of waiting before grouping early in the year, especially if you are using criteria beyond levels for groups. Starting Out Bright: Early Literacy and Preschool from Reading ockets : "Long before young children learn to rea

This is a picture of Wendy Melzer, a second grade teacher. In the picture, she is presenting her students with a gift. The gift is a writing notebook for each child. What you don't know is that she has already given her students the greatest gift a teacher can give...the joy of reading! Wendy loves to read and her students know this about her. She shares her reading habits and her enthusiasm for reading with them every day. She tells them about the books she is reading at home written by her favorite authors. Wendy reads aloud to her students many times every day, she reads with them during guided reading groups, and she provides time every day for students to read independently. She overwhelmingly sends the message that reading is an important part of her personal life and an important part of her teaching. And it's contagious. By the end of the school year, the students who entered her classroom with less than an enthusiastic attitude toward reading have completely transfor