The Joy of Children's Literature

Click to read the first chapter I am a big fan of Gary Schmidt! The Wednesday Wars is one of my favorite books. One of the characters from The Wednesday Wars is starring in his new book, Okay For Now , which releases April 5. Though there is a cross over in characters, Okay for Now is not a sequel, but a companion to The Wednesday Wars .  Description : As a fourteen-year-old who just moved to a new town, with no friends and a louse for an older brother, Doug Swieteck has all the stats stacked against him. So begins a coming-of-age masterwork full of equal parts comedy and tragedy from Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt. As Doug struggles to be more than the “skinny thug” that his teachers and the police think him to be, he finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer—a fiery young lady who “smelled like daisies would smell if they were growing in a big field under a clearing sky after a rain.” In Lil, Doug finds the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a

From the CBC News : An Australian author and illustrator who nabbed an Oscar in February can now add the world's most lucrative children's literary award to his trophy case. Shaun Tan, author and illustrator of picture books The Arrival and The Lost Thing , is winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, organizers announced in Stockholm on Tuesday. The annual honour awards five million kroner (about $766,000 Cdn) to a writer, illustrator or storyteller for his or her outstanding contribution to children's or young adult literature. "Shaun Tan is a masterly visual storyteller, pointing the way ahead to new possibilities for picture books," the jury said in its citation. "His pictorial worlds constitute a separate universe where nothing is self-evident and anything is possible. Memories of childhood and adolescence are fixed reference points, but the pictorial narrative is universal and touches everyone." Tan will receive the award at

The following books will receive starred reviews in the May/June issue of The Horn Book Magazine : Tweak Tweak by Eve Bunting; illus. by Sergio Ruzzier (Clarion) RRRalph by Lois Ehlert (Beach Lane/Simon) Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus! and Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke; illus. by Lauren Tobia (Kane Miller) The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm; illus. by Adam Gustavson (Atheneum) The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson (HarperTeen/HarperCollins) Lark by Tracey Porter (HarperTeen/HarperCollins) Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey (Knopf) Encyclopedia Mythologica: Dragons & Monsters by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda (Candlewick) Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins; illus. by Vicky White (Candlewick) Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air by Stewart Ross; illus. by Stephen Biesty (Candlewick)

 From Publishers Weekly: More than a decade in the making, Christopher Paolini’s bestselling Inheritance Cycle draws to a close this fall with the publication of the fourth and final book, Inheritance , which Knopf Books for Young Readers will publish on November 8. Random House has announced a 2.5 million–copy first printing for the book. “The burning questions asked by fans around the world will finally be answered in this last installment,” said Paolini in a statement about the new book. “All will be revealed!”  Paolini’s is quite the publishing success story: he began writing the first book in the Inheritance Cycle, Eragon , at age 15, and self-published it through Lightning Source. Then Knopf signed up the book and published it in fall 2003 (when Paolini was 20), followed by Eldest (2005) and Brisingr (2008). Combined, the books have sold 25 million copies worldwide, and Eragon was made into a 2006 film that grossed more than $75 million in the U.S. and nearly $250 m

National Drop Everything and Read Day What is National D.E.A.R. Day? D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. National D.E.A.R. Day is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. Can I celebrate D.E.A.R. Day on another date? Yes, of course. Every day is a great day to Drop Everything and Read! The goal is to make reading a regular part of your routine. So, go ahead and read today, tomorrow, and every day! Who is leading the National D.E.A.R. Day Celebration? The National Education Association (NEA); Parent Teacher Association (PTA); the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association; Reading Rockets; The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC); the Newspaper Association of America Foundation (NAA); First Book; HarperCollins Children’s Books; Read Kiddo Read; Walden Media and Ramona Quimby. More about the partners When is N

Erin Gruwell: Darden Lecture in Education Presented by Old Dominion University at Ted Constant Convocation Center April 6, 2011 Erin Gruwell, whose life story inspired the 2007 film “Freedom Writers,” starring Hilary Swank, will give the 2011 Darden Lecture in Education. Nothing could have prepared Erin Gruwell for her first day of teaching at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. A recent college graduate, she landed her first job in Room 203, only to discover many of her students had been written off by the education system and deemed “unteachable.” As teenagers living in a racially divided urban community, they were already hardened by firsthand exposure to gang violence, juvenile detention and drugs. Enter Gruwell. By fostering an educational philosophy that valued and promoted diversity, she transformed her students’ lives. She encouraged them to rethink rigid beliefs about themselves and others, to reconsider daily decisi

Author of Newbery-winner Sarah, Plain and Tall to Write Boxcar Children Prequel On Tuesday, March 15, Albert Whitman & Company announced that Newbery-winning author Patricia MacLachlan will write the prequel to The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. To be published in September 2012, the prequel brings together two powerhouse brands of children’s literature. The book will be published simultaneously as an e-book by Open Road Integrated Media. The announcement was made at the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum in Putnam, Connecticut. Excited to be writing the prequel to The Boxcar Children , MacLachlan is particularly interested in the children themselves. “Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are kind to one another and embody the true sense of family. They are resourceful and positive. I find them both true children and true heroes at the same time. It occurs to me that perhaps their parents were the same. I’m looking forward to exploring that idea and mo

CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR CHILDREN’S CHOICE BOOK AWARDS Let the Voting Begin! NEW YORK, NY, March 14, 2011 – The Children’s Book Council (CBC) in association with Every Child A Reader, the CBC Foundation, hosts the fourth annual Children’s Choice Book Awards Program with the announcement of 30 finalists in six categories, including Author and Illustrator of the Year. The Children's Choice Book Awards is the only national children's book awards program where winning titles are selected by young readers of all ages. Children and teens are now able to cast their vote for their favorite books, author, and illustrator at bookstores, school libraries, and at www.BookWeekOnline.com until April 29, 2011. “This year’s outstanding roster of finalists represents the voices of over 16,000 children and teens, who read and selected the titles – fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels,  picture books - that appealed to them the most,” said Robin Adelson, Executive Di

From On Our Minds at Scholastic : Teachers and students – get ready for the second annual WordGirl Definition Competition , a free classroom webcast where kids can * dabble * in word domination (no cape required) on April 27th at 1:00 PM (ET) / 10:00 AM (PT)! In this 30-minute webcast, WordGirl will * engage * students in a fun and entertaining game-show style vocabulary challenge. Students will face villains (in the form of poor word choices) and have an opportunity to practice word usage, reading comprehension, definitions and using words in different contexts. And, as our official * Ambassador * of Summer Reading , WordGirl will kick off the Scholastic Summer Challenge to get students excited about books and reading all summer long. The event is not only a great way for students to build their * incredible * vocabulary strength, it’s also easy to incorporate into your lesson plans. Once you register your class , you’ll receive an Event Kit with WordGirl vocabulary activi

From The Horn Book Magazine Online: Women's History Books Picture Books Suggested grade level for each entry: K–3 Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty written by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Claire A. Nivola (Houghton) This account of how Emma Lazarus came to write her iconic poem is brief, yet telling — especially when complemented by eloquent illustrations. 32 pages. Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca (Roaring Brook/Flash Point/Porter) Choreographer Martha Graham, composer Aaron Copland, and sculptor/set designer Isamu Noguchi collaborate on the iconic Appalachian Spring . 48 pages. What to Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy! written by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Scholastic) Spunky and headstrong, Alice Roosevelt Longworth "was hungry to go places . . . d

2011 Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts The Children's Literature Assembly , a special interest group of the National Council of Teachers of English , announce their annual Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts list: Angleberger, Tom. (2010). The Strange Case of Origami Yoda . New York: Abrams. Appelt, Kathi. (2010). Keeper . New York: Simon & Schuster. Aronson, Marc and Budhos, Marina. (2010). Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science . New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Baker, Keith. LMNO Peas . (2010). New York: Simon & Schuster. Bond, Victoria and Simon, T.R. (2010). Zora and Me .  Somerville, MA: Candlewick. Burns, Loree Griffin. (2010).  The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe . Illustrated by Ellen Harasimowicz. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Cushman, Karen. (2010). Alchemy and Meggy Swann . New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Draper, Sharon M. (2010). Out of My Mind . N

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Art Announces Sixth Annual Carle Honors Honorees Amherst, MA (March 9, 2011). The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Art is delighted to announce the 2011 Carle Honor Honorees. This year's selection of luminaries include: Lois Ehlert, Artist - Caldecott Honor winning author and artist Jeanne Steig, Angel - Multimedia artist, donor of the William Steig picture book art archive to The Carle's permanent collection Michael di Capua, Mentor - Editor and art director of children's books for over 40 years Karen Nelson Hoyle, Bridge - Professor and curator of The Children's Literature Research Collection at the University of Minnesota. The Carle Honors celebrate the creative vision and long-term dedication of key individuals and organizations to the world of picture books and the many ways they open minds to art and literacy. The awards recognize for distinct forms: Artist , for lifelong innovation in the field; Angel , whose generous financia

I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to read aloud to an amazing third grade class at a local elementary school yesterday as a guest reader for Read Across America Day . I read Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! , written by Dr. Seuss with some help from Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith, and I think the kids enjoyed it. I know I did! I haven't sang, laughed, or danced that much in awhile (what does that say about my life?). I had so much fun! We all had a great time celebrating bookjoy! Below is a short clip of the read aloud. If you are not familiar with Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! , I encourage you to check it out.

$18.99 ISBN-10: 0547315813 Hardcover, 40 pages Publication Date: 04/04/2011 I just received an advance copy of Chris Van Allsburg's newest picturebook, Queen of the Falls ! It is stunning -- as is all of his artwork -- and it is also his first book of nonfiction. The publisher's description: She could remember standing in a park near the falls, hypnotized by the sight and sound, and holding her father’s hand as they took a walk that would lead them closer. That’s what everyone wonders when they see Niagara . . . How close will their courage let them get to it? At the turn of the nineteenth century, a retired sixty-two-year-old charm school instructor named Annie Edson Taylor, seeking fame and fortune, decided to do something that no one in the world had ever done before—she would go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. The publisher's website has a great interview with Van Allsburg in