KIDSREAD

I'm BACCCCKKKK!

Cathy — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:53:55 +0100

Gosh, how did real life get in the way for so long? But I have had several really good experiences lately so will relate those to you.

Last Sat. March 15, 2008, I attended the Libraries Limited annual meeting in Tucson where their 2007 Judy Goddard award was presented to Marjorie Sharmat. A grand lady of many years, Marjorie & her husband Mitch attended & appeared to be ever the doting couple who continue to work together on Nate the Great stories. This series is so perfect for the young reader who is making the switch from picture books being read to them to reading beginning chapter books themselves. Another episode is to be out soon!

Also, in attendance was the venerable Byrd Baylor who has recently been ill with cancer. She looked just like she's looked for many years though wore an attractive scarf on her head. She spoke briefly & said she was glad to be there & glad not to be incarcerated! She went on to tell about the many border crossers who come to her door for help & how several times she has had to call the Border Patrol to get them help. The BP often accuses her of harboring aliens. She lives in the desert without electricity or plumbing and has many pets from a roadrunner to pack rats. What could be a better read than her picture books like EVERYBODY NEEDS A ROCK or THE TABLE WHERE RICH PEOPLE SIT or HAWK I'M YOUR BROTHER or THE WAY TO START A DAY. Her new book is to be a collection of autobiographical essays including one about her love of old manual typewritters.

Another participant & past recipient of the award was Ron Himler, a Tucson resident. His many illustrations have adorned numerous books including many by Byrd Baylor. His beautiful book THE WALL by Eve Bunting is among my favorites--about the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. There is a Reading Rainbow program using that book which includes an interiew with the architect of the memorial. You might not know that Ron is also a "fine artist" of cowboy art.

Joan Sandin who won their award several years ago gave a lively presentation as Eulalia Bourne who was the very first winner of the Judy Goddard award for children's literature and who is the subject of Joan's book COYOTE SCHOOL NEWS which is historical fiction about the remote schools for ranch children in rural AZ. Joan has done much to preserve the history of those Little Cowpuncher newspapers the kids wrote under the teaching of Ms. Bourne.

The weekend before that, March 7 & 8 I also spent in Tucson at the University of AZ Children's Literature conference. The keynote speakers were author Cynthia Kadohata and author/illustrator Ted Lewin. I have heard Cynthia speak several times & have gotten to know her quite well but never tire of hearing about her research for WEEDFLOWER about the Japanese internment camps in Posten AZ where her father was held. KIRA-KIRA is also a semi-autobiographical novel that won the Newbery award several years ago & tells some of the story of her parents & her childhood growing up in the south. Cynthia's newest novel for older readers is CRACKER, the story of the many dogs trained & used during the Vietnam war. All books for the middle to upper grades.

I have had a long time love for the art of Ted Lewin. I once flew to Abilene TX just to see an exhibit of his original art and it's not easy getting to Abilene TX! But it was so worth the trouble to see this huge exhibit of beautiful watercolors at the Center for Illustrated Art. What an interesting career he has had including being a teenage professional wrestler! He has written an autobiography about that period of his life of that same title. It's for older readers but a wonderful story of perserverance & working towards one's dream and the only book that is not a picture book. Since the wrestling exhibitions paid rather well he was able to pay his way through the Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn where he & his wife Betsy Lewin still live. Now they frequently travel around the world and then write together. He paints the most beautiful watercolors and Betsy uses her cartoon style to illustrate their travels. An interesting part of his presentation was telling how many mistakes he has made in books due to relying on research done by others & being given photographs that were not what they were labled. So now he tries to always do his own research & photograph the places he's writing about. I had contacted Mr. Lewin ahead of this conference & asked him if he would be able to bring along some small pieces of original art he might want to sell as I collect original art from children's books. I am happy to say I am now the proud owner of a piece from THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD by Lynne Reid Banks as well as 2 small pieces from THE GREATEST ELEPHANT IN THE WORLD. I so enjoyed his session after the keynote which was more like sitting around talking with another children's book enthusiast. The books he illustrated that I bought at this conference are PENNIES IN A JAR by Dori Chaconas, THE DOORMAN by Edward Grimm, WINTER SHOES FOR SHADOW HORSE by Linda Oatman High, SUNSETS OF THE WEST by Tony Johnston, THE ALWAYS PRAYER SHAWL by Sheldon Oberman, AT GLEASON'S GYM by Ted Lewin, THE STORYTELLERS by Ted Lewin, TOP TO BOTTOM DOWN UNDER by Ted and Betsy Lewin, TIGER TREK by Ted Lewin, HIGH RIDGE GOBBLER by David Stemple, THE ORIGINALS: ANIMALS THAT TIME FORGOT by Jane Yolen. I love them all!!

Speaking of Lynne Reid Banks--she & her husband who reside in England, often vacation during the winter in AZ. Over the years of having her for author visits at various schools where I've worked, she & Chaim have become friends I look forward to having them visit. They joined me for several hours of TV viewing on the night of the Academy Awards as we are all movie enhusiasts. She is now working on her memoirs!

Recently Ocotillo School where I now work was the fortunate recipient of a one-session visit by author Phil Bildner & author/illustrator Loren Long who were in AZ on a book tour to promote their new series THE BARNSTORMERS--for middle grade readers--also see the webstie for the series readbarnstormers.com. This is a 3 book series--so far, supposed to be 9-- of historical fiction about exhibition baseball in the late 1800's but includes mystery & magic. After meeting these 2 exuberant guys and listening to them tell the kids about writing & perserverance & hard work, one couldn't help but want to read these books. The 6th graders who got to see this presentation are now literally fighting over the books. Both guys have several other books: Phil 's include THE SHOT HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD and SHOELESS JOE & BLACK BETSY. His web site is quite enjoyable: philbildner.com

Loren Long (lorenlong.com) has had many interesting illustration jobs including a book for Madonna (I heard him speak about that 2 summers ago at the Mazza Institute in Findlay OH--hilarious!) and a new version of the classic LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD which is incredibly beautiful--about 2 years old now. His newest picture book is THE TOY BOAT by Randall de Seve. During the Ocotillo School presentation, Mr. Long drew an illustration for us to keep of one of the Barnstormer players.

OK enough for now--I'm sorry I've been absent so long but hope to do better.
CAthy

Give a Child the Gift of Reading!

Cathy — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:47:32 +0100

Encourage a child in your life to read books that make them laugh, take them on trips to faraway places, or simply make them wild about books. These children's books, all published in 2007, are perfect gifts for any occasion, all year round. (Thanks to the nice folks at the Chicago Public Library for their help in compiling this list).

FOR THE YOUNGEST BOOK LOVER

BABY BEAR, BABY BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? by Bill Martin Jr. illustrated by Eric Carle. (Holt) ages 1-4
Baby bear sets off to find his mama and on the way meets a cast of North American animals in this final collaboration between Martin and Carle.

BOUNCE by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Scott Menchin (Atheneum) ages 2-5
Jump, hop, leap and ....bounce the day away in this rhyming romp.

A GOOD DAY by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow) ages 2-5
What begins as a bad day for a bird, a puppy, a fox and a squirrel turns into a very good one for each of them and their young neighbor.

KATY DUCK by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illustrated by Henry Cole (Little Simon) ages 2-5
Katy loves to twirl, stretch and float, but even little ballerinas can sometimes be shy.

MOUSE SHAPES by Ellen Stoll Walsh (Harcourt) ages 2-6
All it takes is some circles,squares, triangels and imagination for three mice to outsmart the cat.

PICTURE BOOKS

KNUFFLE BUNNY TOO: A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY by Mo Willems (Hyperion) ages 3-7
Trixie and her Knuffle Bunny are back and ready for school.

MRS. O'LEARY'S COW by Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Jenny Mattheson (Little Brown) ages 3-8
Did the poor old cow do it? Sing along to find out!

PUNK FARM ON TOUR by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf) ages 3-7
Watch the wheels of the tour van go round and round as these musical farm animals rock and roll all over America. Sequel to PUNK FARM.

PIRATES DON'T CHANGE DIAPERS by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon (Harcourt) ages 4-8
Maybe so, but they can be good babysitters, and that's something any big brother or sister will appreciate.

A TRAIN GOES CLICKEY-CLACK by Jonathan London, illustrated by Denis Roche (Holt) ages 2-5
All aboard for a rockin' and rhymin' ride through town and country.

PICK A POEM

ANIMAL POEMS by Valerie Worth, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (FSG) ages 8-12
Dozens of poems crawl, fly, slither, swim and hop.

GOOD SPORTS: RHYMES ABOUT RUNNING, JUMPING, THROWING AND MORE by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Chris Raschka (Knopf) ages 6-11
This one hits it out of the park!

HERE'S A LITTLE POEM: A VERY FIRST BOOK OF POETRY collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, illustrated by Polly Dunbar (Candlewick) ages 6-11
More than 60 delicious selections will create new poetry fans as readers play with rhythm and rhyme.

CRAFTY CREATURES

*****BADGER'S FANCY MEAL by Keiko Kasza (Putnam) ages 4-7***** THIS IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE FOR STORY & ILLUSTRATION!!!
Badger has a taste for gourmet food, but it seems the ingredients he's after are hungrier and quicker than he is. A dual story unfolds in this clever tale.

BEETLE BOP by Denise Fleming (Harcourt) ages 4-8
Beetles are all around us, in the city and on every pages of this colorful and informative guide.

DOG by Matthew Van Fleet, photographs by Brian Stanton (Simon and Schuster/PaulaWiseman) ages 1-5
This sturdy interactive book introduces action words and concepts and features many different breeds and one cat.

GATOR by Randy Cecil (Candlewick) ages 3-6
Gator is left with an ache in his heart after jumping off an unused carousel.

VULTURE VIEW by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins (Holt) ages 5-8
The world from a turkey vulture's perspective is a stinky and rotten place full of tasty food, told in rhyme.

TERRIFIC TALES: THE CHICKEN-CHASING QUEEN OF LAMAR COUNTY by Janice N. Harrington, illustrated by Shelley Jackson (FSG/Melanie Kroupa) ages 4-8
A smart young girl tries hard everyday to get her hands on a hen depicted in charming country collages.

FIONA'S LUCK by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (Charlesbridge) ages 7-11
Anyone who gets to enjoy this delightful original Irish folktale is lucky.

PAPI'S GIFT by Karen Stanton, illustrated by Rene King Moreno (Boyds Mills) ages 5-8
Because her father lives in a different country, he can only wish Graciela feliz cumpleanos over the phone.

BOOKS TO READ ALOUD TOGETHER

DO UNTO OTTERS: A BOOK ABOUT MANNERS by Laurie Keller (Holt) ages 5-8
When new neighbors move in, Mr. Rabbit is worried about how they will get along.

FRED AND TED LIKE TO FLY by Peter Eastman (Random House) ages 4-8
These small and tall friends are taking off in their red and green airplanes for adventures.

*****A SEED IS SLEEPY by Dianna Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long (Chronicle) ages 6-9*******THIS IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE FOR ILLUSTRATION!!!!!!
Gentle and clear language, along with exquisite watercolor drawings, shows the secrets and miracles of seeds.

THE TALENTED CLEMENTINE by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee (Hyperion) ages 8-10
Clementine may not be a very good Elvis impersonator but she is funny, fantastic and talented!

TODAY I WILL FLY!: AN ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE BOOK by Mo Willems (Hyperion) ages 8-10
Just as Piggie is confident about flying, this new series will increase the confidence of beginning readers.

WILL YOU READ TO ME? by Denys Cazet (Atheneum/Richard Jackson) ages 6-8
It takes Hamlet a long time to find someone on the farm who loves to read and write as much as he does.

BOOKS TO GET CAUGHT READING

THE DOWN-TO-EARTH GUIDE TO GLOBAL WARMING by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon (Scholastic/Orchard) ages 8-14
Kids and teens concerned about the environment will find this a dynamic book which features important infomation and practical tips on reducing their carbon footprint.

ELIJAH OF BUXTON by Christopher Paul Curtis (Scholastic) ages 9-13
As the first child in his family born into freedom, 11-year-old Elijah finds the courage to leave the safety of his Canadian home and travel to the American South to right a wrong.

HORSERADISH: BITTER TRUTHS YOU CAN'T AVOID by Lemony Snicket (HarperCollins) ages 9-13
Lots of observations and advice to enlighten and entertain those brave enough to read this book.

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick (Scholastic) ages 9-13
A truly original creation blends pictures and words as never before to present the mystery of a Parisian orphan who hides himself and a big secret from the outside world.

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY by Trenton Lee Stewart (Little brown) ages 10-13
The ad for "gifted children looking for special opportunities" intrigues 11 year old Reynie and begins his quest through distant places where he and his friends must fight against forces trying to take over the world.

**********PAINT THE WIND by Pam Munoz Ryan (Scholastic) ages 9-12***********EXCELLENT!!
Sent to live with relatives she doesn't know in a place she's never been, Maya finds a new life and a love for horses in Wyoming in this story about love, adventure and wide open spaces.

SLAM DUNK! by Sharon Robinson (Scholastic) ages 9-12
Even though Jumper is gifted on both the basketball court and in school, getting used to sixth grade in the big city can still be tricky.

READS FOR ALL

BOOK CRUSH: FOR KIDS AND TEENS--RECOMMENDED READING FOR EVERY MOOD, MOMENT AND INTEREST by Nancy Pearl (Sasquatch) all ages
Don't know which book to read or share next? Open this first and you're sure to find at least one to fall in love with.

LET IT SHINE: THREE FAVORITE SPIRTUALS by Ashley Bryan (Atheneum) all ages
Unique and colorful cut paper illustrations bring these traditional and celebratory songs to life.

MAZEWAYS A TO Z by Roxie Munro (Sterling) ages 4 and up
Bring your clever minds and fingers along on these 26 alpha-adventures and find your way through mazes while searching for hidden objects.

Happy Holidays to you all!!

These are a few of my favorite things!

Cathy — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:38:20 +0100

I certainly hope you are not fretting over holiday gifts for anyone when there are so many millions of books to choose from. If you want to save a little money for this type of gift, then get out to Gardner's Book Service between Dec. 1 through 22 and get a 35% discount on personal purchases. If you can attend their annual open house, it's this Sat. Dec. 1 from 9AM to 5PM--prizes & refreshments too! Gardner's is at 16461 N. 25th Ave. Phoenix, 602-863-6000. It's just east of the I-17 & south of Bell. Or go to GBSbooks.com for complete map--a tiny bit tricky to find.

While there look for one of the many versions & parodies of Clement C. Moore's famous poem A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS with the first line Twas the Night Before Christmas. I collect different versions of this poem in children's literature & have approximately 75 different ones! (There are over 200). One of my favorites is by Richard Jesse Watson released in 2006 by HarperCollins--Santa's sleigh is a marvel of technology & a sub story of elves runs through the illustrations. Don't miss the interview with Santa at the end! I was so thrilled to purchase one of the elf paintings last year--the candy-cane carrying one on the first page--to add to my collection of picture book art from Christmas books.

HOLLY'S CHRISTMAS EVE by Wendy Watson is another favorite of mine--the tree ornaments come to life in the quiet house and help each other survive things like the vaccuum. Bold colorful illustrations in this oversized picture book are just beautiful & a very sweet story. Look for the cat sleeping under the tree--another painting in my collection.

I like holiday stories that remind us of the simplicity of the season in days gone by. Two of my favorites in that line are APPLE TREE CHRISTMAS by Trinka Hakes Noble and YEAR OF THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE by Gloria Houston & illustrated by the incomparable Barbara Cooney. APPLE TREE was reissued maybe last year so you should be able to find it in the stores again this year--it tells the story of a family that lives on a farm with the animals in the barn attached to their home. The family's beloved apple tree is lost during a blizzard causing much saddness to the 2 young girls who played, climbed & sat drawing in the tree. But on Chrsitmas morning they see how their father has preserved parts of the tree for them.

Gloria Houston gave the rights of her book YEAR OF THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE to a small town in NC near where she grew up to help stabilize their economy when much of the furniture making industry was taken overseas. A huge cottage industry has evolved from this charitable act in which handmade items depicting parts of the story are sold in their country store & from the web site. Just Google the title of the book & the website will come up. I have tried to purchase many items from them for gifts as some of the profits go to administer a program to help keep kids in school. Unfortunately, recently our own Jeff Flake persuaded the Congress to drop a mere $125,000 funding from another bill to help fund this effort. My letter to the editor went unpublished. BUT, the story is very important, keeping one's word, making do with what one has & being part of a community, historical fiction from WWII--don't miss it! OH, AND, DanceMotion Performing Company ballet school has adapted the story to a holdiay performance being presented on Sat. 12-8 at 7:30PM and Sun. 12-9 at 2PM at the Orpheum. Call the Orpheum for tickets (602-262-7272)--these are kids from performing the adapted story. $12.00 for adults & $10.00 for children.

Another fun story about the "less-is-more" hope for the holidays is CRISPIN THE PIG WHO HAD IT ALL by Ted DeWan. This British import works well for instilling that anti-greed message we want our kids to get.

Happy Holidays to one & all--more later!
Cathy

NY Times, Nat'l Book Award & AZ library conference

Cathy — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:48:05 +0100

Hi friends--the New York Times Book Review names the best illustrated books of 2007 in their Nov. 11 edition. Every year since 1952 a panel of judges makes selections from among the thousands published every year. This years judges included Caldecott Medalist David Wiesner who you heard about previously from me. So here they are:
     EVERY FRIDAY written & illustrated by Dan Yaccarino (Holt)
     JABBERWOCKY illustrated by Christopher Myers (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion)
     THE ARRIVAL by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic)
     FIRST THE EGG written & illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook)
     NOT A BOX written & illustrated by Antoinette Portis (HarperCollins)
     600 BLACK SPOTS written & illustrated by David A. Carter (Little Simon)
     THE FROG WHO WANTED TO SEE THE SEA written & illustrated by Guy Billout (Creative Ed)
     THE WALL: growing up behind the Iron Curtain written & illustrated by Peter Sis (Frances Foster/FSG)
     OLD PENN STATION written & illustrated by William Low (Holt)
     THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET written & illustrated by Brian Selznick (Scholastic)

The only one of these I have actually seen & read if THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET which is fantastic--for the middle grade children, perhaps a high 2nd grade reader & up. Though it's 533 pages, it's a cross between a graphic novel & a picture book. Kids are thrilled to carry around a huge book & this will fill the bill--sparse text & much of the story is told through the black & white illustrations.

This year the National Book Awards also honored HUGO CABRET as a finalist in the Young People category which was the only one of the 5 for younger readers. The winner & the other 4 finalists are all geared for young adult readers:
     WINNER--THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie
     OTHER FINALISTS--SKIN HUNGER: A RESURRECTION OF MAGIC, BOOK 1 by Kathleen Duey
                                   TOUCHING SNOW by M. Sindy Felin
                                   THE STORY OF A GIRL by Sara Zarr

Last week I attended the AZ Library Association state conference in Mesa where the highlights were hearing authors Gordon Korman & Janelle Cannon speak. I won't tell you about the food at the 40.00 lunch where the 2007 Grand Canyon Reader Awards were presented to these authors for SON OF THE MOB and PINDULI respectively! But thanks to Ann Ewbank for introducing me as the founder of that program.

Gordon Korman's books are extremely popular with older readers & have some controversial subjects, therefore making adults a little uneasy but sure winners with kids. His message, he said is, "lighten up". He isn't trying to send messages in his books but to deal with issues with humor. He urged us to teach humor in school among our literary skills. Many of his books are set in schools--he has a connection to schools as his wife is a 3rd grade teacher. He says that in order to be a teacher, one has to be able to laminate everything in sight. His ideas come from being observant like Jerry Seinfeld's bit of "did you ever notice....."When he was 12 his teacher told him he had written something good enough for others to read so he sent it to Scholastic Book clubs' address as he was the book club monitor. The manuscript got to the right place & he was published! He laughed that his mother had to drive him to his first author visit. He does about 50 school visits a year which is where he does "research". Kids tell him his books are so real which lead him to think kids have a different "willing suspension of disbelief" than adults.

Janelle Cannon first saw a striped hyena in the San Diego Zoo & was able to observe it with a handler & that became her character Pinduli. Pinduli means catalyst or change in Swahili. Her favorite book as a child was FERDINAND THE BULL which tells about a bull who does not want to fight but ends up in the bullring due to funny circumstances. She loved that art & began using some of those expressions on the animals faces she drew. She is inspired by anecdotes about animals from experts she knows. She never finished high school but has never stopped learning. She draws in colored pencils & is left handed. As a free lance graphic artist, she wrote & drew STELLALUNA, her first book on the weekends & nights & sent it to an agent she met who only dealt with adult books. But that agent took her on & her book was published within weeks of submission. Janelle says she tries to draw animals as real as possible so children will recognize them when they see them again. Her new book promised to be a new style & new format but about animals.

Happy Thanksgiving--there's still time to read my favorite T. book: 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING by Dav Pilkey. Notice the dedication page quote & the similarites to Van Gogh's skies & Grant Wood's American Gothic.
Cathy

NY Times, Nat'l Book Award & AZ library conference

Cathy — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 10:47:56 +0100

A week in which I substitute in 4th grade, buy no books, & meet a wolf!

Cathy — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:56:53 +0100

I'm still steaming that I had to close the library to 7, count 'em, 7, classes last Thursday and go substitute in a 4th grade class. Not that the day went badly, I rather enjoyed the change & the chance to see how & what these kids are doing (which is another story)but I just can't believe that there wasn't another certified person around the school who could have taken that class & not denied those 7 classes as well as the rest of the school to the use of the library. OK perhaps I can let it go now?

Monday evening I went to Poisoned Pen Book Shop in Scottsdale to hear young adult British author David Clement-Davies and while I enjoyed his talk very much, I did not buy a book! I know, it's hard to believe. He writes animal fantasy that deals with some big life issues & since that's not my favorite genre, I knew I wouldn't be reading his books if I did buy them. He will be at the AZ Library Assoc. state conference today & tomorrow so I still have a chance--perhaps a gift.

One of David's books, I'm sorry to say I'm not 100% sure of the title--maybe THE SIGHT & the sequel called FELL, has main characters who are wolves. When the owner of PP was introducing David, she suddenly remembered she had a friend who lived around the corner who has a pet wolf. She got him on the phone, & soon he strolled in with his wolf on a leash! A very big, German shepard-looking dog, I was the least thrilled in the small group. A certain percentage of dog allows this man to keep the wolf as a pet. The author who had just returned from a week in the Grand Canyon area with many stories to tell including being part of the group who was in the canyon when the ranger died of the plague. He's also a travel writer in the UK so he had quite a bit of new material.

OK for now--I'm off the library conference for the day & evening!
Cathy

United States Board of Books for Youth

Cathy — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:49:58 +0100

dear friends--Where to start? You must trust me on this: I just attended one of the best small conferences I have ever gone to in my 31 years of going to educational conferences!! (Just learn to live with my exclamation points, please). I just can't imagine why I never went to a USBBY conference before!! Well, yes I do know--IT WAS EXPENSIVE!! And it has never been in the Southwest before.

IBBY is the International Board on Books for Youth & you can go to google & get their web site to read all about how they have 60 nations joining together to promote children's literature. USBBY is the United States chapter which held their conference in Tucson last weekend. The conference was limited to 250 participants & the only vendor there was a local book store selling only the IBBY honor books that are biennial awards--1 from each country member for text & 1 for illustration (let me know if you want that list as I have a bookmark with them listed), books of the speakers & the local authors & illustrators who attended Friday night.

Thanks to my principal who let me hit the road Friday early to get to Tucson early enough to check into my hotel, register, & then have time to study the program offerings before the conference started. Dinner with friend Jim Deem & his wife (he writes many nonfiction mummy books & is somewhat of an expert in that field now--glacier mummies is next), then to the opening session at 7PM.

Yuyi (pronounced JuJi) Morales from Mexico though now lives in San Francisco opened the conference with a spirited session about her willingness to stay in her seat & keep working until she produced works she was proud of. She is the illustrator of HARVESTING HOPE by Kathleen Krull--picture book bio of Ceasar Chavez, which I use every year at the end of March for CC's birth date--many students don't know he was born in Yuma AZ. Two years ago I heard Yuyi speak at a conference at the U of A & she was very meek & timid. WELL, she has gained her confidence & since has published 2 books she wrote & illustrated: JUST A MINUTE: A TRICKSTER TALE & COUNTING BOOK and LITTLE NIGHT which is just new. Her presentation included entirely changing her outfit while on stage to show the transformation she has been through. Google her for a great web site.

Sat. morning's session began with a very inspiring talk by Palistinian writer Ibtisam Barakat who now lives in the US in MO. Her book for older students is TASTING THE SKY about her experiences growning up in Ramallah, West Bank. I went to this conference pledging not to buy any books but 1/2 through the talk when the mike failed, I found myself rushing outside to purchase it. The person ahead of me got the last copy & I was OH, so diappointed until I found a colleague willing to drive down to the U of A bookstore with me & purchase it there. You would think Ibtisam would write with hatred for what's happened to her & her homeland, but she doesn't--her message of kindness, helpfulness & social justice came through loud & clear. She said she has found that she is comforted by learning that we are all suffering in some way so she tries to be kind knowing everyone is fighting a great battle. Another book is THE TIP OF A PIECE OF WHITE CHALK which tells about coming to NYC & going to the UN building but not finding the Palistian flag. So the next day she came back & drew it on the sidewalk with chalk. She also said that kids need our full attention to grow up to be caring adults--full attention from everyone.

A very big treat for me was the unexpected presence of children's author/illustrator David Weisner who has won the Caldecott Medal for best illustrated children's book THREE times: recently for FLOTSUM (see previous blog entry) and previously for TUESDAY, and also for THE THREE PIGS. I still can't believe I stood in the breezeway of this fabulous resort just casually talking to him about his work, his art & telling him how the kids in my school FLIPPED over his books. A very shy, quiet, unassuming super star of children's literature, he is the US nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen award for illustration.

I better stop! I could go on & on about this conference. More later!!
Cathy

It's beginning to look a lot like Halloween!

Cathy — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:13:39 +0100

In my job as a school librarian, I have been reading the following books to classes to rave reviews:
     THE HALLOWEINER by Dav Pilkey.
            This is such a fun but educational book on many levels. You can talk about the author/illustrator who also writes the Captain Underpants series (I know, adults are not big fans but kids adore them) & how his career started as a child when he won a contest to write & illustrate a book which was published as the prize. You can talk about his art schooling where he studied the masters to learn his style & then find the similarities between the skies in his work & the skies of Van Gogh's work. Then there's the whole bullying theme & the turn the other cheek theme. I'm not sure kids will see all these things without a little adult guidance, so get it & enjoy reading it with your darlings.

     TRICK OR TREAT, SMELL MY FEET by Diane de Groat.
             Diane de Groat has written a series of semi-realistic holiday stories with Gilbert the opossom and his family but mostly set at school. All have catchy titles & all are right on for the school authenticity. But the great thing about the series is helping kids solve those everyday problems that happen & can either be catasrophies--like mixing up the bags your costumes are in with your little sister & instead of Captain Zigg you have the ballerina one--or a learning experience. I pause at the crucial parts & ask kids what do they think will happen or what would they do in the same situation. All ends well & the lesson does not hit you over the head.

     GRIMERICKS by Susan Pearson.
             A treat for 4th grade up who might have ever heard a limerick. I ask the kids to listen to the pattern & see if they can explain the basic form of a limerick. It doesn't take long to get it with these mildly scary poems illustrated with very cool creepy looking creatures.

Today was one of those days you live for in sharing books with kids! And, of course I should have done this long long ago. Sat. 10-27-07, I attended the AZ Reading Association conference in Casa Grande where I heard children's author Jon Scieszka speak. I have heard him speak several times in the past but not since his GUYS READ anthology came out. Here is a guy who has written some of the most quirky books in children's literature:
      THE TRUE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
      THE STINKY CHEESE MAN
      MATH CURSE
      SCIENCE VERSE
     The Time Warp Trio series
who refuses to rest on his laurels. He was a former teacher of elementary school students who saw what we continue to see today, that boys in about 5th-6th grade stop reading. He has started a non-profit foundation to work on this problem & has created a website: www.guysread.com
WARNING: when I typed that address in today, I got a dating service! So then I went to Google & typed in Jon Scieszka & got many choices regarding GUYS READ.
The book is a series of short stories by top children's authors & illustrators who describe their lives or an incident in their lives at about 5th -6th grade. I read Scieszka's own essay to 3 classes today & had everyone howling with laughter. Yes, 5th & 6th grade boys. GET THIS BOOK NOW if you know a 5th or 6th grade boy. It will send you to other titles, authors & suggestions.
I set up a table in the library with those titles & a sign GUYS READ & books were being literally fought over.
I do brag on the girls as we talked about all this GUYS READ stuff--that girls have it together, will read more widely than boys & enjoy reading so I decided to use Esme Codell's list of books to read before you turn 13 for another table that the girls flocked to.
What a great day!

TA TA for now--Cathy

A Visit to 3 San Diego author/illustrators

Cathy — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:04:17 +0200

A recent visit to San Diego gave me the opportunity to visit 3 children's book author/illustrators: Kathleen Krull, Janell Cannon, & David Diaz. ALL IN ONE DAY, too!! What a whirlwind day it was but exhillarating.

Kathy Krull lives near La Jolla in a "normal neighborhood, normal house". One would think the esteemed author of numerous biographies for children should live in a palatial mansion and while not a mansion, it is indeed interesting. Lots of art & collections cover the walls & shelves & I always breathe a sigh of relief to see someone else who collects so many odd things as I do. Kathy happily autographed the books I had brought along & showed me the galley for the new book she has written with her husband about an unusual vaudeville entertainer in France.

My favorite book of Kathy Krull's was HARVESTING HOPE: THE STORY OF CESAR CHAVEZ. which I have used in recent years to introduce students to the many accomplishments of C. Chavez. Most AZ kids don't know he was born in Yuma & will soon have a state holiday named for him. Now my favorite title of hers is POCAHONTAS: PRINCESS OF THE NEW WORLD beautifully illustrated by David Diaz. While the reading levels might be high (4th-5th grade) on Kathy's books, the text is written very friendly--like you are talking to her. Her biography about Dr. Seuss is one of the best: THE BOY ON FAIRFIELD STREET: HOW TED GEISEL GREW UP TO BECOME DR. SEUSS. And, while most of us think Hillary Clinton is the first woman to run for president, if you read A WOMAN FOR PRESIDENT: THE STORY OF VICTORIA WOODHULL, you'll get set straight.

David Diaz also lives in a regular house in a regular neighborhood but his collections set his home apart also. With many many groups of a brillant orange glass he collects all over the house, you can't help but get in a sunny mood upon entering. His distinctive art style won him the prestigous Caldecott Medal for SMOKY NIGHT by Eve Bunting in 1995 & he continues to illustrate numerous books each year. He has illustrated two other Eve Bunting books--a very prolific author--DECEMBER and GOING HOME, both with latino themes. My favorite book of David Diaz's has been FELIZ NAVIDAD by Jose Feliciano but I love Christmas books & Christmas art from children's books. I'm happy to say I will soon be the proud owner of a piece of original art from this book--as soon as David locates it & I send a check! A new one he illustrated for author Sarah Weeks is COUNTING OVEJAS for the very young & just beautifully done--Spanish words sprinkled thoughout.

Another important book illustrated by David Diaz is THE POT THAT JUAN BUILT about the Mexican potter Juan Quesada of Mata Ortiz Mexico. This tells the incredible story of how one man began a pottery making industry in this tiny town and turned over 300 persons there into artists. David Diaz's illustrations show the beautiful colors of the area & the pottery.

Janell Cannon of STELLALUNA fame is the free spirit I wish I could be. Just doing what she wants, when she wants & enjoying every minute of life. She lives near Encinitas where she met me at her favorite Peruvian restaurant & soon introduced me to some delicious eats & drinks. Her love of nature & animals began during her childhood in MN & continues to the deserts around the southwest. Her book PINDULI was named last year's winner of the children's choice award in the AZ called The Grand Canyon Reader Award & she will be in AZ to accept that award in Nov. at the AZ Library Conference. She delights in her work & spent time drawing little sketches in each book she autographed for me. She's a very unassuming super-star of children's literature & you might enjoy her other work including CRICKWING, VERDI, AND TRUPP.

AND, be sure to stop by & see children's book author Pam Munoz Ryan on Wed. 9-19 at Gardner's Book Service at 5PM. Call Gardner's for directions at 863-6000. It's south of Bell Rd. & east of the I-17 freeway.

So long for now--

Cathy

Jane Dyer

Cathy — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 17:59:56 +0200

I was just about to send off a pile of books for one of my favorite children's book illustrators to autograph & decided I'd talk about some of her work this time.

Jane Dyer lives in a restored home in Northampton, MA where I visited her & her adorable puppy (even though I'm not a dog person, this is an adorable pupply)almost 2 years ago. She took us to her country home about an hour away which is a very rustic ancient home on a vast amount of land that you can see in her book LITTLE BROWN BEAR WON'T TAKE A NAP (a book about hibernation but works for children & naps too). It's a 2 page spread just before the story starts & you see her little yellow VW bug parked in front of the house. The part that juts out the back of the main (yellow) house is her studio. Up the hill from the yellow house that is Little Brown Bear's house is really a play house for Jane's grandchildren. There you have THE most magnificant view of the countryside & millions of trees & is so green it hurts your eyes. So she has lots of inspiration right in front of her.

Little Brown bear is a character in a 3 book series. He is going through the normal growing pains of young children & is surrounded by a loving family. I use LITTLE BROWN BEAR WON'T GO TO SCHOOL at the beginning of the school year to let younger students know that a bit of anxiety about going to school is perfectly normal. The importance of school & learning subtly comes through.

Then there's LITTLE BROWN BEAR AND THE BUNDLE OF JOY about, you guessed it, a new baby in the family. The very real situation is dealt with in human terms & with humor--a good read for those families about to experience this event.

Some of Jane Dyer's other recent work includes illustrating MOVE OVER, ROVER! written by Karen Beaumont. The book received the 2007 T. Seuss Geisel Award for beginning readers. It's the classic story of THE MITTEN--too many animals crowded into the doghouse during a rain storm. Jane's yellow country house appears on page one in this book as well & I'm thinking Rover is that adorable puppy of hers. Illustrators often say they use animal characters because they are easier to draw than humans & this delightful story in rhyme is "chuck full" of forest animals.

An older favorite book Jane illustrated that I love is OH MY BABY, LITTLE ONE, written by Kathi Appelt. A very tender story of Mother leaving her child for the day. Mother's love is repeated in rhyme throughout her little one's activities till they meet again at the end of the day. A very sweet story and the illustrations are Jane's beautiful animals.

Along that same vein is WHEN MAMA COMES HOME TONIGHT by Eileen Spinelli but with human characters illustrated by Jane Dyer. Again written in rhyme, I get an old fashioned feel from the soft pastel colors but purple pops out too. It's no wonder Jane is in such high demand to illustrate, every book is beautiful.

And lastly ANIMAL CRACKERS is one of my favorite baby gifts: a delectable collection of pictures, poems and lullabies for the very young. If this is the only book a child had been exposed to before going to school, they would be ready to learn. Nursery rhymes, ABC's, colors, shapes, and animals--it's all here. Jane has illustrated many many more books & a Christmas book coming out soon.

I often find some very useful books at Bookmans at 19th Ave & Northern & at very good prices--NW corner, behind Walgreens. Also at the Half Price Book Store next to Target west of PV mall. Good children's sections.

Have fun reading to your someone special.

Cathy