Category Archives: Children’s literature

Book groups, Children's literature

Virtual Author Visit

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The details aren’t firmed up yet, so I won’t divulge the author’s name, but one of the authors of one of the February book group books has contacted me (via Barbara at the library, since I’m off this week) about joining our upcoming book group discussion via Skype.  How cool is that?!?!  The author even promised me that he/she would help me with my Skype naivete by doing a Skype dry run prior to the book group meeting (what a nice person, this author!). 

I can’t wait to tell the kids in the group that this will be happening, especially since the book was suggested by one of the book group members who advocated so strongly for the book that she got the rest of the kids in the group to vote for it as one of our choices.  And she’s stood up to a bit of gentle teasing, since the other kids in the group originally thought that she said the book is about a girl who sees goats…she really was saying “ghosts,” but somehow it kind of sounded like “goats.”  And that, dear friends, was a BIG hint for you.  I hope the detectives in my readership can track down which book and which author we’re talking about.  Another hint: I did list the book choices for all of the book groups for the rest of the year in a previous post.  I’d offer a fabulous prize for the person who can figure this out, but, alas, I’m quite broke.  But I will mention you by name on the blog if your detective skills lead you to the right book.

Meanwhile, I’m just thrilled that this author found us and is willing to visit with us via Skype.  Very, very, very cool.

Children's literature

Award follow-up

Well, this year was a first – when the ALA award-winning books were announced on Monday, there were a few that I did not know (including the Newbery winner and the two Caldecott honor books), and that I had not added to our collection.  That’s never happened to me before.  I’ll be very interested to read these books when they do arrive at the library – I’m anxious to see what I missed on the first go when reading reviews.  Perhaps these award winners will blow me away!

Children's literature, Young adult literature

Mock stuff

I’ve been trying to figure out why I have zero interest in all those Mock Newbery and Mock Caldecott awards and their accompanying lists of contenders.  Back when I was at Simmons studying children’s literature, I was hugely interested in all the Mock hype.  In several of our classes we had intense discussions over which books might win, and I remember passionately supporting Holes by Louis Sachar over all other possible winners (and I was right, it won, which made me feel pretty special). 

But now that I work in the “real” world as a children’s librarian – I don’t make predictions, nor do I care about or want to read the predictions made by others.  I did listen to the live webcast last year, with great enthusiasm, and I even jumped up with joy when one of my favorite books of the year got a Newbery Honor (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin).  I’ll be doing storytimes during the webcast this year, but if I weren’t, I would listen to the live feed again. 

So why do I have no interest in the Mock lists and awards?  I truly can’t figure it out.  It’s not for lack of enthusiasm for the awards themselves, nor is it because I haven’t read many of the books, since I’ve usually read all of the ultimate winners and honor books.  And it’s not because I don’t have strong opinions, because I do.  Maybe I’m just too busy to be bothered?  Or maybe the Mock hype stretches on for too long?  It’s a mystery, a true mystery.

Book groups, Children's literature

The Capture

As I write this, Pippa is sleeping on the ottoman by the woodstove, so totally and completely asleep that her mouth is hanging open a bit and her whiskers are twitching.  Ah, to be a cat who lives in a house with a woodstove…

Which, of course, has absolutely nothing to do with the book The Capture by Kathryn Lasky.  As I mentioned in a past post, we discussed The Capture at last Tuesday’s Teen Book Group meeting, and I wasn’t too thrilled about having to read the book (I may have even used the word “procrastinating”).  But I did read the whole book before the book group meeting, and I really don’t have any problems with it.  It’s not my favorite genre – as Jennifer says, talking animal books get old pretty fast – but for its chosen genre of animal fantasy, it is fairly well done.  Lasky is a very competent writer, and I was pleased that there weren’t glaring grammatical errors as I’ve seen in some other recently read children’s books.  I appreciate that the pace of her prose is smooth and clean, though I would agree with one of the teens in the group that character development is minimal, which is a serious flaw of the book.

(Pippa just woke up, suddenly, with glazed and confused eyes and a tiny bit of relaxed drool on her bottom lip.  Ah, woodstoves.)

As for the book group’s discussion on Tuesday – there wasn’t much to be said.  I had fears of this when the group voted nearly unanimously to read this book for the January meeting, but I thought that perhaps my fears were misplaced.  They weren’t.  The teen book group is made up of seventh, eighth, and ninth graders, and The Capture has an intended (and actual) readership of third and fourth graders.  Meaning that the older kids really couldn’t find much to discuss in this book.  I had suspected that we’d have a hard time filling the one hour book group meeting, so I had the DVD player set up and played the first twenty minutes of the recently released movie Legends of the Guardians at the start of our meeting, hoping that the compare/contrast between movie and book would help to fill our allotted time.  It did, somewhat, but conversation was definitely waning long before the group meeting was over.  As we were cleaning up at the end, three of the girls and I talked together about how difficult it was to find anything to discuss in this book.  And we did all agree that it was just plain too young for them, in this book group context.

Next month’s book should be much more conducive to discussion, though: we’ll be reading Demons of the Ocean, first in the Vampirates series, by Justin Somper.  Vampire pirates?  How totally cool.  And I have absolute faith in this book choice for the group, since it was suggested by a group member who has consistently made excellent choices for us.  She’s got great taste, and we all trust her!!

And Pippa is wide awake now, basking contentedly in the bright morning sun that is now coming through the window – double bliss, sunshine and woodstove.

Children's literature, Spare time - Culture

Books I’m Reading…

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These are the books on my to-be-read pile:

Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World by Mim Eichler Rivas ~ Wonder Horse by Emily Arnold McCully just came in to the library, and I got totally intrigued by this story of a black man in the late 1800’s who trained his horse – Jim Key – to do all sorts of things like read, do math, make change, etc.  Wonder Horse is a great book, but it’s a picture book, and I wanted to know more, so I tracked down this adult nonfiction book which the library happily owns.  I’ve read a few pages, and pored over the photographs, and can’t wait to find a little more time to read more.

The Capture by Kathryn Lasky ~ I need to read this one, the first in the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, before Tuesday’s Teen Book Group.  Guess I better get on that, huh?  (Can you tell I’m not too enthusiastic?)

Origami Art: 15 Exquisite Folded Paper Designs from the Origamido Studio by Michael LaFosse ~ Michael came to the library and did a fabulous program in October of 2008, just before he and Richard Alexander moved the Origamido Studio from Hopkinton, MA to Hawaii.  I’ve periodically borrowed his 2003 children’s book on origami from the library (and just bought myself a copy, finally), and thought it would be fun to get one of his sophisticated, adult-oriented books on origami.  Who knows if I’ll be able to do any of the projects, but it’s fun to imagine that I can…

And those are my top three books-to-read at the moment.  I’d love to hear what you’re reading at the start of this new year…

Children's literature, Etc.

Christmas memories

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Every Christmas, my parents would give me at least one, usually several, books for Christmas.  While the toys were always the most exciting presents to open, in the end I loved the books the most.  My best memories of Christmas days past are curling up in a chair mid-afternoon, sometimes surrounded by pieces of wrapping paper and ribbon, and reading my new book (or books) for hours on end. 

I just took a quick walk around my bookshelves and found a dozen of these Christmas books.  My personal library has been shrinking over the years, now that I’ve discovered the joy of less to dust and money from used book stores, but I have never, ever sold one of my Christmas books.  Here are the dozen I found this morning, with the inscriptions in them:

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, with pictures by Tasha Tudor:  Love to Abby from Mom & Dad Christmas 1973  [also signed by Tasha Tudor to me]

Father Christmas Goes on Holiday by Raymond Briggs: Love to Abby from Mom & Dad Christmas 1975

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle: To Abby Harper Christmas 1977 with love from Mom and Dad

The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton: Love to Abby from Mom and Dad Christmas 1979

Smoky the Cow Horse by Will James:  Ok, there’s no inscription in this one.  But I VIVIDLY remember getting it as a gift on Christmas

Treasury of World Masterpieces: Mark Twain (a collection of novels and short stories):  Love to Abigail from Mother and Father Christmas 1981

Around the World in Eighty Days ~ From The Earth to the Moon ~ 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne:  Love to our Voracious Reader, Abby, from Ma & Pa 1981 Christmas

H.M. Pulham, Esquire by John P. Marquand:  Once again, no inscription, but a vivid memory of receiving it

The Illustrated Sherlock Holmes Treasury by Arthur Conan Doyle:  To Abby with love from Mom and Dad 1983

My Antonia by Willa Cather:  (in my writing) – Abigail Harper from Mom and Dad Christmas ’86

The Rainbow by D.H. Lawrence:  Love to Abs from Mom and Dad [first book with Dad’s name written in his own writing!] 1995

The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis:  To Abby from Mom and Dad December 1996 [Dad’s writing]

I’m sure there are others hidden in my bookshelves – maybe I’ll find them and pull them out for next year’s Christmas post.  Meanwhile, I wonder what book or books I’ll get this year?  Merry Christmas, everyone.

Book groups, Children, Children's literature

Reading

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The 6th Grade Book Group met on Tuesday, and we had such a good meeting (eight attended the meeting – only one member abstained from attending, and that was because he hated the book).  This group of kids is smart, funny, well-read, and increasingly more mature and sophisticated.  It’s a joy to see them growing up and to see them developing and voicing their thoughts and opinions.

We discussed Michelle Harrison’s 13 Treasures, a book that I’ll cover in more detail in a separate post.  Though our discussion did mostly focus on this particular book, my favorite part of the group meeting was when we each answered a question from the book club edition of Table Topics cards:  “Why do you like to read?”  This question really sparked everyone’s interest, and there were some great responses.  As always, it’s hard to completely replicate this kind of intense, rapid-fire conversation, but here’s my best attempt to remember everyone’s comments:

  • “I really like to read, then create a movie in my mind.”  To which I replied, “That sounds like something a teacher might say…”, prompting this passionately spoken follow-up response: “Yeah, but I really DO like to create a movie in my mind.  I like to imagine what the characters look like, what the scenery looks like, and to imagine how the book would come to life.”
  • “I really really like suspense in a book.  I really like it when I don’t know what’s going to happen next, and I’m on the edge of my seat.”
  • “I love fantasy and action – I love imaginary things.”
  • “I love the way that when you’re reading a book you completely and totally forget about everything else in your life – you’re so busy reading and imagining that you can’t think about other things.”  [Lots of agreement to this statement – reminding me, the grown-up, how tough it is to be a sixth grader.]
  • “I’m completely the opposite of Jane – I HATE suspense!!!  I hate not knowing what’s going to come next!!!!”
  • “I love when you finish a book and you can move on to the sequel, and continue to find out more about the characters and what happens to them.”
  • “I love reading and reading and reading, as much as I can, as fast as I can.”

There were many other great comments, which my aging brain cannot, unfortunately, remember.  And then there was a lull in the discussion, and I said, “It’s interesting to me that you all had great responses to this question, but no one had the response that I have – that I love to read because I love to see how authors use language, especially in really well-written books.”  And the kids agreed that yes, they mostly read for plot, not language.  So I mentioned that one of my favorite children’s books has an incredibly lovely first paragraph that makes me misty eyed every time I read it.  Surprisingly, most of the kids had never read Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, though one or two had seen the movie (and I told them there is absolutely NO comparison between the book and the movie).  I could see some of the group was intrigued by the idea of this lovely first paragraph, so I asked Suzy to go out into the children’s room and see if the book was on the shelf, which it was.  And I asked the kids to really listen to the words – to even close their eyes if they were going to be distracted by their neighbors, and I read this wonderful paragraph out loud:

The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning.  The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot.  It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color.  Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone.  There is no thunder, no relieving rain.  These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after.  (Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1975.)

There was a moment of silence when I finished reading this paragraph, then one bright-eyed boy quietly said, “Could you read that again?”  Which I did.  And then there was more silence, and not much discussion of what I had just read, but I could tell that the kids were moved by Babbitt’s language.  Some things don’t need to be talked about – some things can just be understood by everyone in a room.

And then our time was up, and we had to clean up and distribute the books for our January meeting.  As the kids were leaving the room, I thanked them several times for a great meeting – and for being such a great group.  Thanks, guys, again, for your thoughts on books and reading.  It was inspiring!!

Book groups, Children's book reviews, Children's literature

Regarding the Fountain, the discussion

It’s been a loooong week, as I’ve been battling laryngitis all week – it is NO fun running storytimes when you can hardly speak, and definitely can’t sing.  But there was one really big highlight of the week: the 5th grade book group discussion of Regarding the Fountain, written by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise.

One reason that this was such a highlight is that this particular group of kids is fantastic.  Jennifer had this book group for the last two years, and she told me last May that she was really sad that they were moving up and becoming my group, because she had so enjoyed their conversations about books.  I totally agree with her – every one of the kids in this group is there because he or she loves reading, and they are sweet and intelligent and thoughtful and fun.

The other reason that this month’s meeting was so good is the book activity guide that I found on the Klise sisters’ website.  I usually take a look at discussion and activity guides that I find online, but I don’t often follow their suggestions to the letter.  In this case, though, the activities sounded engaging, so I pulled out the pad of chart paper and the markers and went for it.  We didn’t have time to do everything that is suggested on page 2 of the discussion guide, but we did brainstorm about modes of communication, both current and outdated; structural changes the kids would like to see happen at their school; idioms from the book and what they mean; and the names of characters in the book and the “translation” of those names.  We also spent about ten minutes doing a more traditional discussion about the book – what they liked, didn’t like, favorite parts, characters, etc.  I had hoped to also have them design their own stationery, but we simply ran out of time and didn’t get to do that.

Not every book lends itself to this type of interactive brainstorming session, but it fit the bill for Regarding the Fountain, and I highly recommend using the “official” discussion guide for this book.  And the best part about this group meeting was at the end, when I remembered to tell something to Joan, the girl who had nominated the book for us to read in the first place.  “Oh, Joan!” I said, “Did you know this???”  And I held up the first page of the discussion guide, the page that shows the four sequels to Regarding the Fountain.  She gasped with absolute delight – she didn’t know there were sequels to this book she loves – and I gave her the printout that lists all of them so that she could request the books for herself.  And I promised that our library would be adding them to our collection as soon as I put my next book order through…

Children's literature, Librarianship, Young adult literature

One of my favorite links…

As a children’s librarian, I’m constantly bombarded with patrons (both adults and children) who present me with odd-sounding pronunciations for difficult author names.  Eoin Colfer????  I can’t tell you how many different ways I’ve heard his name pronounced.  Rick Riordan???  Almost as bad.  And, until about a year ago, I was just as in the dark about the correct way to pronounce these authors’ names.  But then I discovered one of my favorite reference websites:  the “Author Name Pronunciation Guide” on TeachingBooks.net.  I love that they have an extensive resource of author name pronunciations, and that many living authors have recorded the correct pronunciations of their names, often with fun anecdotes to help the rest of us remember.  Go ahead – give it a try.  I guarantee you’ll be surprised by the right way to say some of your favorite authors’ names!!!

Book groups, Children's literature, Young adult literature

Democracy in action

At the November meetings of the 5th, 6th, and Teen Book Groups, the kids in each group nominated and voted for the books that we’ll be reading for the remainder of this school year (through May).  Here are the winning titles:

5th Grade Choices

  • Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise
  • Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
  • Olivia Kidney by Ellen Potter
  • Hoot by Carl Hiassen
  • The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
  • Raven’s Gate by Anthony Horowitz

6th Grade Choices

  • 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
  • The Glitch in Sleep by John Hulme and Michael Wexler
  • The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar
  • Raven’s Gate by Anthony Horowitz
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
  • Nick of Time by Ted Bell

Teen (Grades 7 to 9) Choices

  • Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
  • The Capture by Kathryn Lasky
  • Demons of the Ocean (book one in the Vampirates series) by Justin Somper
  • Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
  • Terrier by Tamora Pierce
  • The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

It’s a great line-up of books, and I’m psyched.  The only thing I’d change about these suggestions?  The books are primarily fantasy: I do like to mix in other genres, especially mystery and historical fiction.  But I’m very happy that the kids are so happy with the book choices; the democratic choosing of the books has been good for the groups’ dynamics and morale.