How to Get Suspended and Influence People

How to Get Suspended and Influence People
Adam Selzer
Leon is one of the kids in the gifted pool of his junior high. While he considers himself a metal-head to avoid being labeled nerd, Leon feels like he comes from pretty pathetic stock. His dad loves to come up with things that have already been invented and his mom’s hobby is to cook really gross food from other eras, like the 1950’s. At least the other kids in the gifted pool are pretty cool, rebellious kids. When Leon’s teacher assigns a project to make new films for the younger grades, Leon chooses to make a sex-ed film. He figures that there are lots of things kids need to know that never get mentioned in the old films and he sets out to make the best, most memorable sex-ed film he can. To get around the censors, Leon decides he will use nudes from famous paintings; no one can object to great art, right? Wrong. Before Leon’s film is even finished, he gets in big trouble. Will his new infamy land him in the doghouse or make him really popular? This hilarious look at censorship is engaging and depicts a realistic school social class system.
BIBLIO: 2006, Delacorte Press/Random House, 12 up, $15.99.

Time of the Eagle

Okay, this one doesn't come out until July, but it may be the best thing I've read in years, so mark it down and look for it this summer!

Time of the Eagle
Sherryl Jordan
The Shinali people have been exiled from their land for many years, but rather than being discouraged, they look forward to the Time of the Eagle, a time when they will rise up with other displaced peoples and take back their land as the prophecy foretold. Avala is the daughter of a healing woman and a peacemaker who came from the enemy Navorans. On her sixteenth borning-day, Avala receives a new prophecy; that she is to usher in the long-awaited Time of the Eagle, as a peacemaker between all enemy peoples. With so much responsibility on her shoulders, Avala longs to shrug off her destiny and follow her own path. But no one can hide from fate; Avala is swept into powerful events that will change the course of history. The award-winning Jordan crafts a sweeping and unforgettable fantasy epic in a world she has created to parallel our own. Full of love, betrayal, adventure, and memorable characters, this sequel to Secret Sacrament can stand alone as a novel in its own right.
BIBLIO: 2007, Eos/HarperCollins, Ages 14 up, $16.99.

Song of the Sparrow

Song of the Sparrow
Lisa Ann Sandell
Elaine lives among the men and boys of Arthur’s Round Table as a sister, healer, and friend. She is happy with her place in that world and her relationship with Lancelot, Arthur, Gawain, and the others, but is afraid of what will become of them all in the never-ending wars. With Picts invading from the north and Saxons from the south, the Britons are constantly at war. When a new woman arrives in camp, Elaine hopes to find a sister and friend to share her life in this world of men. Instead, she meets the beautiful and divisive Gwynivere. What follows traces the beginnings of Arthur’s reign and plants the seeds for the well-known story of love, loyalty, and betrayal. Told in Elaine’s voice and written in lyrical verse, with lovely depictions of the natural world around her, this is a welcome addition to the ranks of Arthurian novels. Elaine of Astolat, or the Lady of Shalott, is a character of Arthurian legend who has inspired poets and artists for generations; this revisionist novel tells her story in an entirely new and humanizing way.
BIBLIO: 2007, Scholastic, Ages 12 up, $16.99.

Dragon Slippers

Here is the official review of Dragon Slippers. I hope you can tell that I love it! Please ignore the clunky cover art, in this case, you really can't tell a book by its cover!

Dragon Slippers
Jessica Day George
Creel is a poor, orphaned, farm girl with a talent for embroidery. When her aunt decides to sacrifice her to a dragon in order to lure a knight or prince who might marry her, Creel sees it as a way to escape her boring life. She doesn’t expect to meet a real dragon in the caves above her village, so she is even more surprised when the real dragon doesn’t want to eat her. Creel makes a deal to keep the approaching mob away from the dragon’s lair if he gives her a pair of fabulous shoes from his hoard. The shoes Creel picks turn out to be the most valuable treasure in all of her kingdom and they enable her to communicate with the dragons. As she sets off on her way to pursue her dream of working in a dress shop in the king’s city, Creel is rescued from bandits by another friendly dragon. Creel and the dragon Shardas strike up a special friendship that becomes the centerpiece of the novel. Creel continues on to the king’s city where she finds work, friends, and adventure. As the story goes on, Creel discovers that her special shoes have the power to save or destroy the kingdom and she must face the future with bravery. The novel’s female characters are spunky, the dragon lore is well-crafted, and the story is a balance of comic and tragic elements. This is a fun first novel from George that would delight fantasy fans of Shannon Hale or Gail Carson Levine.

Library News

I have been catching up on my library-related stories of the day and have a few that were of particular interest to me and so I must share:

"'Shhh' -- the one thing you won't hear in a library" from the L.A. Times

"Trolley book wins odd title prize" from the BBC

"Libraries Must Follow Rules of Secrecy to Get New 'Potter' Book" from Fox News

And finally, a sad one, "Bookstore gets perilously close to final chapter" from the Chicago Tribune

Austenland

Oh my gosh!

My colleague just forwarded me this great website for Shannon Hale's new adult novel Austenland. If you are a reader of this blog you KNOW what an Austenite I am and this is the book for me! I also just adore Hale's award-winning young adult novels, so this is really going to be a treat.

The novel doesn't hit shelves until May 29, and I'm tempted to make a countdown chain like at Christmas! This book is not only for Austen freaks but also for those fans obsessed with the BBC's wonderful mini-series of Pride and Prejudice. If you check out the website, be sure to read Hale's letter to Colin Firth (the best Mr. Darcy ever). Fun, fun, fun!

New Socks

New Socks
Bob Shea
A little chick named Leon wants to show you something new. Is it his glasses? No! It’s his great new socks! They’re orange, they slide on hardwood floors, and they help make Leon brave on the big kids’ slide. Leon thinks the socks can help him do anything. When the President calls and invites Leon to the White House, it seals the deal. Now Leon can’t wait to get new pants too! Simple three-color digital graphics are vivid and eye-catching and give the book a retro feel. While the pictures and text convey obvious enthusiasm, that’s as far as this book goes. The disconnected and overwrought incidents may amuse adults, but kids might not sit through the whole thing or ask for a repeat telling. Similar in design and attitude to Mo Willems’ Pigeon books, the chick central to Bob Shea’s first foray into picture books lacks the humor and sparkle that make Willems’ books so fun for kids. Rather, this title has the feel of an art school assignment, with the text stuck on as an afterthought.
BIBLIO: 2007, Little, Brown, Ages 3 to 6, $12.99.
FORMAT: Picture Book
ISBN: 0-316-01357-9
ISBN: 978-0-316-01357-4

My Weird School: Mr. Macky Is Wacky!

Mr. Macky Is Wacky!
Dan Gutman
Pictures by Jim Paillot
A.J. hates school and when he grows up, he’s going to be President so he can outlaw school for everyone! President’s Day is coming up, so the teachers at A.J.’s school want the students to elect a school president and do oral reports about United States presidents. All A.J. wants is the day off from school and maybe a big screen TV! This is a weird school though, so elections and reports are not as boring as they sound–on Crazy Pets Day, a ferret runs for school president against the teachers! Mr. Macky, the wacky reading specialist, dresses up as all of the presidents to help the kids learn quirky facts, like how FDR’s mom made him wear a dress until he was five years old or who was the shortest president. This fun story sneaks in other information too, such as how a democracy works and which famous Americans are on our money. The comic illustrations help the reader get an idea of how A.J.’s mind works. Filled with goofy humor, this fifteenth title in the “My Weird School” series will attract the most reluctant reader.
BIBLIO: 2007, HarperTrophy/HarperCollins, Ages 7 to 10, $3.99.
FORMAT: Chapter Book
ISBN: 0-06-114151-8
ISBN: 978-0-06-114151-5

New Job, New Reviews

Just look at this! It's been well over a month since I last wrote anything! I do have to say that this may have been the busiest month ever, though. I travelled to San Francisco and Seattle, had a friend in from Boston, got a new job, and started reviewing for the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. Whew!

I'm going back to full-time children's lit, so my posts may start to mirror that again. Sorry adult interest readers! We'll see if I have time to read adult stuff, let alone write about it! And I'll be reading tons of stuff for Children's Lit, so I'll post all that stuff on here too.

Exciting times!

In the meantime, all my favorite authors have had terrific new novels out this spring and they're keeping me on my toes. Why does it happen this way? I mean, I understand the publishing cycle, but even "retired" Maeve Binchy had a new book and how often does that happen? I'm just swamped! Here's a quick list of my favorite people and their new books:

Whitethorn Woods, by Maeve Binchy
Friends in High Places, by Marne Davis Kellogg
Aunt Dimity Goes West, by Nancy Atherton
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, by Alexander McCall Smith

I'm also currently reading the young adult samurai mystery The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Thomas and Dorothy Hoobler. It's really great so far.

In addition to all this reading, I'm trying to re-design my landscaping and I'm reading tons of dry land gardening books. We'll see how far I get either on the gardening or on the reading! Ha!

This weekend I also finally put my home library in Dewey order. I know, NERD, right? What else is a librarian supposed to do at home for fun! :)

Your Friendly Librarian

Bookshelf

I haven't shared my bookshelf in a while. Mainly because there hasn't been very interesting stuff on it. Right now I'm back on an art history kick and I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately. I've also been trying to expand my horizons with some manga. Here it is:

Loot, by Aaron Elkins
The Man Who Stole the Mona Lisa, by Robert Noah
Chibi Vampire, Vol. 1, by Yuna Kagesaki
Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud
Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Tasmanian Tiger: The Tragic Tale of How the World Lost Its Most Mysterious Predator, by David Owen
Enthusiasm, by Polly Shulman
Evil Hour in Colombia, by Forrest Hylton
One-Eye! Two-Eyes! Three-Eyes! by Aaron Shepard

Hugo Cabret

I want to talk about the most incredible book I read this week. It is called The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic, 1/07), by Brian Selznick, and it's a children's novel with illustrations. Well, at it's most basic, that's what it is. It's like nothing that has been done before, completely original. It is this gorgeous melding of the graphic novel format (sort of) and the written word, with some fantastic historical photos as well. About half of the novel is told in words and half in pencil drawings that could be enjoyed by all ages. It's just so original and the story is beautiful and the illustrations are amazing. Could I rave any more? It's a masterpiece!

Set in the 1930's, the story follows a young boy, Hugo, who has been orphaned and lives inside the walls of a train station in Paris where he continues in the tradition of his dead uncle to keep all of the clocks in the building wound and accurate. He is fascinated with mechanics and clockworks and steals parts from a toy seller in the station to build his own wind-up creations. Hugo is obsessed with repairing an automaton that his father rescued from a burning museum because of the beauty of its design. He is also convinced that it will bring him a message from beyond the grave. What it does eventually bring to Hugo's life is connections to real people and a surprising and wonderful story about the origins of cinema. I really can't do justice to the plot at all, you'll just need to have a look for yourself.

What I love about the use of the illustrations is how cinematic they are. Each image has a specific purpose and they are often zoomed views of the character's face to show an emotion. The text will break and we see what is going on. The text story always resumes after the pictures have finished the story they are telling, fitting together as a cohesive whole. And it works so well because the story partially revolves around the cinema. Rave, rave, rave. This is fine art, folks.

I would love to see this book get a lot of interest, especially during awards season. I read in my Entertainment Weekly this week that Martin Scorsese has the film rights and plans to start working on a film adaptation soon. That will be really interesting. The book made me want to see the original films that are described and maybe those would be incorporated into a film version. It's also super scary to think of this getting into anyone's hands as a film, but you gotta trust Marty, right?

A colleague of mine said this was the best children's novel she'd read in a couple of years and I, too, think it's wonderful. Please try it yourself and pass it on to a young friend.

A+!

Here is the official website for The Invention of Hugo Cabret.

Here is a link to a photo and story about the automaton that Selznick studied while writing the novel. It is housed at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Here is a link to Brian Selznick talking about the book on NPR.

Here is a link to a Variety article about Scorsese and the film.

Happy Birthday, Cat in the Hat

Today was the 50th anniversary of Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat. There was a really great story on NPR today that talked about the history of the book. My favorite professor from library school, Anita Silvey, spoke on the program, which I enjoyed.

I do feel the need to fess up, though. I don't like The Cat in the Hat! In the program, the commentator mentioned that those who grew up with the Cat pass the Cat on to their children, while those who didn't, generally don't. My mom didn't like Dr. Seuss and now I find myself similarly impatient with Seuss. Also, like the fish in The Cat in the Hat, I am made very nervous by the Cat's antics. (Okay, extremely stressed out.)

Enough confessions. Go out and re-read The Cat in the Hat and decide for yourself.

Lazy

I have been extremely lazy about keeping up with this blog! Look at it! Over a month since I last posted. In fact, I'm so lazy that I could write about all of the books that won the big awards, but instead, I'm just going to give you a link to links. (Yawn, stretch)

By the way, the new Pants book was awesome!

And I am reading tons of great stuff. Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime. :)

Ann Brashares photo gallery

I just heard this week that the final installment in the popular teen series Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares is due out tomorrow. It is called Forever in Blue. I can't wait!

I stumbled across an interesting article with good dirt on Ann Brashares, and a photo gallery of her newly renovated carriage house in New York. Indulge yourself!

Bookshelf

There are a lot of books on my bookshelf now, but I've been spending a lot of time online, watching season 4 of 24 to get caught up, and reading the piles of magazines that came after the snow. Got to start reading this stuff!

The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan

The World to Come, by Dara Horn

Framed, by Frank Cottrel Boyce

The Crimson Portrait, by Jody Shields

Insatiable, by Marne Davis Kellogg

London Calling, by Edward Bloor

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, by Ally Carter

Blood on the River: James Town 1607, by Elisa Carbone

Clementine, by Sara Pennypacker

I also recently read the amazing and well-reviewed What is the What , by Dave Eggers. It's been reviewed to death by everyone from People magazine to NPR to the New York Times Book Review. Needless to say, I loved it.

Newbery Medal Speculation

Last month I wrote about Caldecott award speculation. This week, my colleagues are getting together to discuss the young readers' novels they think may be contenders for the American Library Association's Newbery prize.

Here is the short list, according to Denver Public Library librarians:

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting
Blood on the River by Elisa Carbone
Victory by Susan Cooper
Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman
The Braid by Helen Frost
The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Drita, My Homegirl by Lombard
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Bread and Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson
Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

I have Clementine, Blood on the River, and The Loud Silence of Francine Green on my bookshelf right now, so I'll let you know how they are.

Kiki Strike

I just finished reading the girl-power young adult novel Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller. What an awesome book!

The story follows a group of girls with spy power skills as they navigate an old city under New York and fight crime. It couldn't get any better - with tips on disguises, how to tell if someone's lying to you, and self-defense, this is a sure-fire winner.

I love it!

Caldecott discussion

As the American Library Associaton's all-important award announcements loom closer - they'll be announced January 22, from Seattle - discussion has begun to buzz in the children's library community. Who will win the Caldecott medal for illustrated books? Who will win the Newbury for distinguished children's fiction? It is usually a huge and mystifying announcement, no matter how much we discuss and debate the merits of the year's best. Last year's dismaying win by The Hello Goodbye Window, illustrated by Chris Raschka, threw us all for a loop and makes trying to guess all the harder.

I met with a group of children's librarians from around the Denver Public Library and we discussed books with lovely illustrations and some others that we're not crazy about, but feel could win anyway. Some of these may make great gifts, too!

Flotsam, by David Wiesner. Wiesner is an extraordinarily talented illustrator and has numerous Caldecott honors and medals under his belt for books such as The Three Pigs, Tuesday, and Sector 7. Flotsam is not my favorite of his books, but the committee obviously likes him.

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Carol Boston Weatherford. I am a fan of Kadir Nelson's rich and gorgeous illustration style, but I wasn't as crazy about this offering. However, the serious nature of the subject might sway the judges. The critics have certainly given this book lots of praise this year. I would love to see Nelson get an honor, but I liked last year's He's Got the Whole World In His Hands better.

Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building, illustrated by James E. Ransome, written by Deborah Hopkinson. We all thought that this one could be a contender since the author writes with such detail about the construction site and the illustrations are so beautiful and painterly. It has style.

So Sleepy Story, by Uri Shulevitz. The line and use of color in this one are really amazing and convey the language beautifully. Shulevitz has won awards and honors for others such as The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship and Snow.

Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct, by Mo Willems. Willems' books are engaging and fun read-alouds, but I'm not really sure why he keeps getting awards for them. This is one of those where we thought we'd throw it into the mix, but weren't too sure about it. This one would be a great gift book, though. His other honor books are the wonderful Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny.

Beach, by Elisha Cooper. The watercolor illustrations in this book really convey the atmosphere and feeling of an East Coast beach in summer. They are fairly impressionistic and fun to look at. A contender? Maybe not, but we like it.

Tiger of the Snows: Tenzing Norgay: The Boy Whose Dream Was Everest, illustrated by Ed Young, and written by Robert Burleigh. I really like Ed Young's unique style. I love the way he characterizes the mountain as an animal. Last year I was rooting for Beyond the Great Mountains. I always like to think his books are in the running because they're unusual and exotic.

Snow Sounds, by David Johnson. This was one of my favorites, partly because it celebrates onomatopoeia and makes a good book for a young one. The illustrations are perfect, grainy and pixilated, like snow. Snow books have a history of winning the award, look at Snowflake Bently; Snowy Day; White Snow, Bright Snow; The Big Snow, etc.

Check some of these out and enjoy some of the best illustrations of the year!

On Judging the National Book Awards

Here is a terrific post on Linda Sue Park's personal blog. She is a Newbery award-winning children's author who sat on the children's literature panel of the National Book Awards and discusses the process in depth while maintaining confidentiality. Very enlightening!

Lois Lenski

One of my favorite picture book authors/illustrators is Lois Lenski. Lenski was most prolific during the 1940's and some of her work is out of date, but much of it has stood the test of time and is dear to me still as an adult.

The Horn Book magazine's website periodically revisits contributions from past issues and this month they're featuring a piece written by Lenski in 1946, titled, "Christmas at Huckleberry Mountain Library." It's fun for me to hear Ms. Lenski's adult voice and opinions. And of course it's fun for me to hear about an old, rural library.

Lois Lenski won the 1946 Newbery medal for distinguished children's literature for her novel, Strawberry Girl. I particularly like her illustrated Mr. Small series, especially Papa Small. Colorized reissues of her picture books have come out recently and her seasonal set, with titles like I Like Winter, are still fun to read with kids.

Lenski also illustrated the Betsy-Tacy series, by Maud Hart Lovelace, my all-time favorite children's series.

On a side note, the Horn Book just released their year-end fanfare of children's books, so here's their list for your holiday shopping.

Your Friendly Librarian