The Joy of Children's Literature

From NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, May 30, 2009 : There's a new book out by Anthony Brown called Little Beauty — and boy, is it ever that. Actually, given the subject matter, it's a very large beauty! Host Scott Simon speaks with Weekend Edition's ambassador to the world of children's literature Daniel Pinkwater about a new book for kids based on a real gorilla who won the hearts of Chicagoans for years.

Am I the only one who DIDN'T receive an ARC of Catching Fire ? Boy, all of the raving online reviews from those lucky folks who received advanced readers copies are making me happy and sad. Sad, because I want to read it NOW. Happy because I know it's worth the wait! So, those of you in my position (waiting....), we'll just have to settle for articles like this from Publisher's Weekly .

Sunday, May 31st, is my son's 17th birthday. He is a writer and has often written me poems for my birthday or Mother's Day. This year, I decided to write him a poem. See if you can recognize my inspiration! All the Difference So much depends upon a baby boy the one and only baby boy who made all the difference So much depends upon a toddling boy the one and only toddling boy who lights the room with his laugh and his smile So much depends upon a little boy the one and only little boy who loves to swing and rub tummies with his dad So much depends on a young boy the one and only young boy who has fun playing soccer and sighs over books with his mom So much depends on a young man the one and only young man who runs like a champion and loves to sing in the bathroom So much depends on a son our one and only son who has made all the difference in our lives Yes, you guessed it-- William Carlos Williams . But, also, Love That Dog . Beside each stanza, I put pictures that depict that p...

A couple of weeks ago at the International Reading Association's Annual Conference in Minneapolis , I had the great pleasure of presenting with Eileen Spinelli . I know, how lucky am I!!! The presentation was based on work I did with a second grade teacher, Wendy Melzer, who used author studies to assist students with writing (click on " Golden Threads " to view the PowerPoint). Reading and thinking about Eileen Spinelli's books proved to be a pivitol point in the second graders' understanding of reading like a writer. So, I invited Eileen to present with me and she graciously accepted. I was thrilled!! She is one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met. The audience of teachers loved her, as you can imagine. I know everyone at the session went back to their classrooms with information and inspiration to share with their students. Eileen brought several of her newest books to share with the audience. One of the books was an advance reader's copy of ...

I was soooooooooo excited to read the following blog post from the Library of Congress: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as Honorary Chairs of the 2009 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress. Now in its ninth year, this popular event celebrating the joys of reading and lifelong literacy will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th Streets from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (rain or shine). The event is free and open to the public. "We are delighted that the President and Mrs. Obama are committed to bringing this inspirational event to people of all ages nationwide," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "The National Book Festival has become a true American institution. It is a joyous and very popular celebration of books and reading in the Washington, D.C. area." The 2009 National Book Festival will feature about 70 award-winning authors, poe...

-- Publishers Weekly , 5/18/2009 The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman, illus. by David Roberts. Candlewick, $16.99 (56p) ISBN 978-0-7636-2498-9 The fiendish Miss Breakbone—a teacher with her own electric chair and a subscription to Guard Dog Lovers Monthly—is no match for her students, once they put their heads together. They have no choice: Miss Breakbone has insulted them (“doodling, dozing, don’t-knowing dunderheads!”), confiscated a cat figurine that Junkyard was saving for his mother’s birthday and then dared them to retaliate. Einstein, the genius hero, marshals his classmates’ skills (hypnotism, spitballs, perfect knowledge of movie plots) and pulls off the perfect break-in. Action and zaniness animate every page of this picture book/early reader hybrid, but the story’s real virtue is Newbery winner Fleischman’s (Joyful Noise) appreciation for kids whose loser exteriors hide unexpected talent (each gets an apt nickname). “I nodded to Clips,” Einstein says about the kid whose creat...

From School Library Journal , 5/21/2009 What better way to get kids talking about books than on one of their favorite pastimes— Facebook . Book Clubs is a new application on the hugely popular social networking site, offering students a free and convenient place to share ideas about books, authors, and related interests. Facebook members can instantly create or join a reading group devoted to any category, region, interest, or author. "If you want to connect with people who share your passion for books, this is the place to be," says Rusty Weston, cofounder of Book Clubs. “Online book clubs aren't intended to replace face-to-face meetings, but many book lovers can't make monthly gatherings or don't want to wait that long to discuss what they're reading." Launched in 2008, Book Clubs has 6,200 members. And although it missed out on the Harry Potter craze, mid-to-late teenage girls are talking about Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series quite a bit on the site....

-- Publishers Weekly, 5/5/2009 7:24:00 AM Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series comes to a close with the release of The Last Olympian, which goes on sale today and has a 1.2-million copy first printing. The PW review is below. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. Disney-Hyperion, $17.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-4231-0147-5. Percy Jackson’s fifth and final adventure begins with a blast and gets increasingly more explosive. It reads less like a novel than a 400-page battle scene set in Manhattan, pitting Percy, Annabeth, Grover & Co. against a pantheon of monsters intent on reaching the portal to Mount Olympus (located on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building). In other words: fans will not be disappointed. All the action takes place in the days before Percy’s 16th birthday, on which a prophecy has foretold "a single choice shall end his days." Readers who have watched their dyslexic hero grow into his considerable powers since age 12 will not be surprised by his brave ...

Mo Willems: Getting Adults To Draw (From NPR's All Things Considered , May 5, 2009) Somewhere along the way, we all were artists. Everyone picks up crayons or chalk as toddlers, but at some point, we just stop drawing. Radio cartoonist and children's author Mo Willems says that's a pity. Willems is obsessed with why adults don't draw — and he wants to do something about it. "One of the interesting things about cartooning and doodling and drawing," Willems tells Michele Norris, "is that people stop when they decide they're not good at it. Nobody stops playing basketball when they realize they're not going to become a professional. The same thing should apply to cartooning." Willems says just sitting and drawing a character brings out empathy in people, and that's something the world could use more of right now. One of the biggest reasons children stop drawing is that they see that adults don't do it, Willems says. When he goes into cl...