A Keepsake For Rickshaw Girl

My Lupine Honor Book Award for Rickshaw Girl (Charlesbridge) arrived yesterday. It's a handmade stoneware platter crafted by Portland, Maine potter Toby Rosenberg. Thank you, Libraries of Maine!

Asian Pacific American Literature Awards

The Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) announced the winners of the 2007 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature, one of the few ethnic book awards that aren't based on the race of the author but on the content in the book. The prizes promote Asian/Pacific American culture and heritage and are awarded based on literary and artistic merit. The Fire Escape is pleased to present the winners for illustration in children's literature and young adult literature along with the committees' annotations.

Illustration in Children Literature Winner

Crowe, Ellie. Surfer of the Century. Illustrated by Richard Waldrep. New York: Lee and Low, 2007. This book tells the story of "the Father of Modern Surfing," Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, from his childhood on Waikiki Beach, to his participation in five Olympics, through his lifelong promotion and development of surfing, and to his becoming the official State of Hawai'i Ambassador of Aloha. Each page of text describing his life has an opposite full-page painting-style illustration that shows the progression of his successes in spite of discrimination and his achievements through his creed of Aloha. The final two pages in the book are a timeline of Duke Kahanamoku's life and legacy and a world map showing the major cities of his lifetime accomplishments. The author includes a bibliography of her sources on the back of the title page.

Illustration in Children Literature Honorable Mention

Barasch, Lynne. Hiromi's Hands. New York: Lee and Low, 2007. This first-person narrative tells the story of Hiromi's breaking away from the Japanese tradition in the male dominated sushi culinary and becoming an itamae san, professional sushi chef. The author vividly depicts two generations, beginning with her father's long and grueling training as an apprentice before emerging as a successful sushi chef in a Tokyo restaurant. Hiromi is very enthusiastic in learning about fish as she goes to the fish market with her father in New York. At thirteen, she wants to know how to make sushi. Her father, a man receptive to American ideas, says, "And this is America. Girls can do things here that they cannot do in Japan." So begins the sushi career for Hiromi. The story spans two cultures, Japanese and American. The quiet style of narration complemented by the soft ink and watercolor drawings of two fish markets in Tokyo and Manhattan, the New York subway, and an array of sushi convey authenticity.

Young Adult Literature Winner

Easton, Kelly. Hiroshima Dreams. New York: Dutton, 2007. Hiroshima Dreams portrays the family dynamics of three generations living under one roof: a grandmother adjusting to life in America, a mother who has let go of her roots, and two sisters, one quiet and shy, the other defiant. The struggles and joys of growing up in an interracial family and coping with loss are important issues in the book. The focus of the story is the relationship between the grandmother, Obaachan, and granddaughter, Lin. Both are resistant to change-Lin to her grandmother's presence at home and her grandmother with her longing for Japan-but they soon find themselves inseparable and share the gift of seeing the future. Obaachan's guidance allows Lin to apply Japanese beliefs and meditation to help her overcome her fears. Through touches of mysticism, careful observation, and reflection, Lin learns to accept and understand the changes and consequences of one's actions. The wisdom of Obaachan is explained with meaningful, descriptive examples that create a sense of calmness and security for Lin.

Young Adult Literature Honorable Mention

Sheth, Kashmira. Keeping Corner. New York: Hyperion, 2007. Keeping Corner provides an enriching and eye-opening view of the cultural and social dynamics within a family and community in India during the early 20th century. As a daughter in a high-ranking Brahman family, Leela is overindulged and carefree of worries. Married at the age of nine, Leela, now twelve, prepares for her move to her husband's home. Her world is turned upside down when her husband dies, and instead of donning a silk wedding sari, she is given a chidri, a coarse widow's sari. She is confined to her house for a year, thus "keeping corner." Tradition holds her to having a shaved head, no hope of remarrying, and being viewed and shunned as a burden. Leela's growth and her frustrations of being a child-widow is portrayed in a heartfelt and realistic way. She is able to overcome her confinement by continuing her studies, reading, and journaling. The social reform ideologies of Gandhi and Narmad take hold in her heart, and with the help and permission of her family, she is determined to become a voice in society. The imagery and sensory perceptions are told so vividly that it creates in the reader a sense of familiarity and longing to be a part of that time period. Sheth's usage of Indian words flows well, and she provides good, short explanations and a glossary. This is definitely a fascinating read.

PEN Literary Awards Ceremony

I'm doing a school visit in Eastchester, New York today (I'm on lunch break right now - two sessions to go), and then heading down to Lincoln Center tonight to present the PEN Phyllis Naylor Award to Theresa Nelson (JULIA DELANEY, Simon & Schuster) on behalf of our judging committee. I'm actually as nervous about my brief laudatory intro as I would be if I were an honoree and had to give a real speech. The point, though, is that while all the entries were amazingly good, the character of Julia and her funny, heartfelt story captured me from the start. Congratulations, Theresa, and thanks to Christopher Paul Curtis and Sid Fleischman, the other two judges.

Soirée at the Boston Public Library

Seems like we're talking a lot about awards on the Fire Escape lately, doesn't it? Well, I'm not complaining. Today I'll be at the Boston Public Library where the Boston Authors Club is hosting the 11th Annual Boston Authors Club Award Luncheon. The 2008 Young Reader Award Recipients are:

Brian Selznick, THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET

Elizabeth Alexander and Marilynn Nelson, MISS CRANDALL’S SCHOOL FOR YOUNG LADIES AND LITTLE MISSES OF COLOR

Mark Peter Hughes, LEMONADE MOUTH

Highly recommended titles include:

Loree Griffin Burns, TRACKING TRASH

Ralph Fletcher, THE ONE O’CLOCK CHOP 

Jack Gantos, I AM NOT JOEY PIGZA

Peter Johnson, WHAT HAPPENED

Mitali Perkins, RICKSHAW GIRL (yippee!)

Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris, THE ROGUES

Here's a complete list of the Boston Author Club 2008 Awards as well as details on today's award luncheon. The library itself, founded in 1848 and hosting over 2.2 million patrons a year, is a definite destination when you come to Boston.

The 2008 Skipping Stones Honor Awards

From Skipping Stones Magazine comes an announcement about their annual awards, bringing more good news for Rickshaw Girl:

The 15th Annual Skipping Stones Honor Awards recognize 26 exceptional books and teaching resources. Together, they encourage an understanding of the world's diverse cultures, as well as nature and ecological richness. The selection promotes cooperation, nonviolence, respect for differing viewpoints, and close relationships in human societies. We present these great books to you as the summer season stretches before us. It's a time of year when many travel to explore new places in the world, or to revisit meaningful ones. Reading books is another way you can explore cultures, places and even other time periods. The winners are featured in our summer issue. Welcome to the wonderful world of words!

Download the official
press release here.

Multicultural & International Awareness Books:

One City, Two Brothers by Chris Smith, illustr. Aurélia Fronty. Barefoot Books; www.barefootbooks.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-84686-042-3

When The Shadbush Blooms by Carla Messinger with Susan Katz, illustr. David Kanietakeron Fadden. Tricycle. www.tricyclepress.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-58246-192-2

Armando and the Blue Tarp School by Edith Hope Fine and Judith Pinkerton Josephson, illustr. Hernán Sosa. Lee & Low; www.leeandlow.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-58430-278-0

I Remember Abuelito: A Day of the Dead Story / Yo Recuerdo a Abuelito: Un Cuento del Dia de los Muertos by Janice Levy, illustr. Loretta Lopez. Albert Whitman; www.albertwhitman.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-0-8075-3516-5

The Best Eid Ever by Asma Mobin-Uddin, illustr. Laura Jacobsen. Boyds Mills Press www.boydsmillspress.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-59078-431-0

Romina's Rangoli by Malathi Michelle Iyengar, illustr. Jennifer Wanardi. Shen's Books; www.shens.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-885008-32-9

Sky Sweeper by Phillis Gershator, illustr. Holly Meade. Farrar, Straus & Giroux; www.fsgkidsbooks.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-0-374-37007-7

One Hen by Katie Smith Milway, illustr. Eugenie Fernandes. Kids Can Press; www.kidscanpress.com. Picture Book. Ages 7 and up. ISBN: 978-1-55453-028-1

Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins, illustr. Jamie Hogan. Charlesbridge; www.charlesbridge.com. Ages 7-10. ISBN: 978-1-58089-308-4

Great Peacemakers: True Stories from Around the World (Teacher's guide available) by Ken Beller & Heather Chase. LTS Press; www.greatpeacemakers.com. Ages 12-80. ISBN: 978-0-9801382-0-7

We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin by Larry Dane Brimner. Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills Press; www.boydsmillspress.com. Ages 10-15. ISBN: 978-1-59078-498-3

Chess Rumble by G. Neri, illustr. Jesse Joshua Watson. Lee and Low; www.leeandlow.com. Ages 11-15. ISBN: 978-1-58430-279-7

Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer, a biography by Gretchen Woelfle. Calkins Creek/ Boyds Mills Press; www.boydsmillspress.com. Ages 11-17. ISBN: 978-1-59078-437-2

Tasting The Sky: A Palestinian Childhood, a memoir by Ibtisam Barakat. Farrar, Straus & Giroux; www.fsgkidsbooks.com. Ages 11-15. ISBN: 978-0374-35733-7

The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect with others to Create Social Change by Barbara A. Lewis. Free Spirit; www.freespirit.com. Ages 12-17. ISBN: 978-1-57542-266-4

A Shout in the Sunshine, a novel by Mara W. Cohen Ioannides. Jewish Publication Society; www.jewishpub.org. Ages 12-17. ISBN: 978-0-8276-0838-2

Windows into My World: Latino Youth Write Their Lives, ed. by Sarah Cortez. Piñata Books; www.artepublicopress.com. Ages 13-18. ISBN: 978-1-55885-482-6

The Ocean in the Closet, a debut novel by Yuko Taniguchi. Coffee House Press; www.coffehousepress.org. Ages 15 to adults. ISBN: 978-1-56689-194-3

Nature and Ecology Books:

Nature's Yucky! 2: The Desert Southwest by Lee Ann Landstrom & Karen I. Schragg, illustr. Rachel Rogge. Mountain Press; www.mountain-press.org. ISBN: 978-0-87842-529-7

River Song with the Banana Slug String Band by Steve Van Zandt, illustr. Katherine Zecca. Dawn Publications; www.dawnpub.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-58469-093-1

The Bee Tree by Stephen Buchmann and Diana Cohn, illustr. Paul Mirocha. Cinco Puntos Press; www.cincopuntos.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-0-938317-98-2

The Inuit Thought Of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations by Alootook Ipellie with David MacDonald. Annick Press; www.annickpress.com. Ages 9-12. ISBN 978-1-55451-087-0

The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon. Scholastic Inc.; www.scholastic.com. Ages 8-13. ISBN: 978-0-439-02494-5

Teaching and Parenting Resources:

2008 World Diversity Calendar, Orison Publishers; www.worlddiversitycalendar.com. This interfaith, multilingual calendar belongs on every classroom wall! ISBN: 978-0-9763800-5-4.

What Kids REALLY Want to Ask: Using Movies to Start Meaningful Conversations -- A Guidebook for Parents and Children Ages 10-14 by Rhonda A. Richardson, Ph.D. and A. Margaret Pevec, M.A. VanderWyk & Burnham; www.vandb.com. ISBN: 978-1-889242-31-6

My Imaginary Friend by Shirley Ann Povondra and Kathryn Andrew. Llumina Kids; www.llumina.com. For parents and educators to read with children. ISBN: 978-1-59526-669-9

Américas Book Award Winners

The 2008 Américas Awards for Children's and Young Adult Literature, sponsored by the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs, are given each year in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected nonfiction published in the previous year in English or Spanish that "authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States."

This years winners are Red Glass by Laura Resau (Delacorte) and Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Que Rico!: America's Sproutings by Pat Mora, illustrated by Rafael López (Lee & Low). Honorable mentions went to Nochecita/Little Night by Yuyi Morales (Roaring Brook/Porter) and Raining Sardines by Enrique Flores-Galbis (Roaring Brook).

Commended Titles:

ABUELITA FULL OF LIFE / LLENA DE VIDA by Amy Costales. Illustrated by Martha Avilés. Flagstaff: Luna Rising, 2007. 32 pgs. ISBN 978-0-87358-914-7

ALFREDITO REGRESA VOLANDO A SU CASA / ALFREDITO FLIES HOME by Jorge
Argueta. Illustrated by Luis Garay. Toronto: Groundwood, 2007. 36 pgs. ISBN 978-0-88899-
586-5 Spanish / ISBN 978-0-88899-585-8 English (simultaneous editions)

ANGELINA'S ISLAND By Jeanette Winter. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux / Frances
Foster Books, 2007. 32 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-374-30349-5

CAPOEIRA: GAME! DANCE! MARTIAL ART! by George Ancona. New York: Lee &
Low, 2007. 48 pgs. ISBN 978-1-58430-268-1

A CARIBBEAN JOURNEY FROM A TO Y: READ AND DISCOVER WHAT
HAPPENED TO Z by Mario Picayo. Illustrated by Earleen Griswold. New York: Campanita,
2007. 64 pgs. ISBN 978-0-9725611-8-1

COME LOOK WITH ME: LATIN AMERICAN ART by Kimberly Lane. Watertown:
Charlesbridge, 2007. 32 pgs. ISBN 978-1-890674-20-5

FRIDA: ¡VIVA LA VIDA! / LONG LIVE LIFE! by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand. Tarrytown:
Marshall Cavendish, 2007. 64 pgs. ISBN 978-0-7614-5336-9

HIP, HIP, HOORAY, IT’S MONSOON DAY! / ¡AJUA, YA LLEGO EL CHUBASCO! by
Roni Rivera-Ashford. Illustrated by Richard Johnsen. Tucson: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Press, 2007. 42 pgs. ISBN 1-886679-36-8 (bilingual)

MARTINA THE BEAUTIFUL COCKROACH: A CUBAN FOLKTALE / MARTINA
UNA CUCARACHITA MUY LINDA: UN CUENTO CUBANO by Carmen Agra Deedy.
Illustrated by Michael Austin. Atlanta: Peachtree, 2007. 32 pgs. ISBN 978-1-56145-399-3
English / ISBN 978-1-56145-425-9 Spanish (simultaneous editions)

MY COLORS, MY WORLD / MIS COLORES, MI MUNDO by Maya Christina González.
San Francisco: Children’s Book Press, 2007. 24 pgs. ISBN 978-0-89239-221-6 (bilingual)

MY NAME IS GABITO / ME LLAMO GABITO: THE LIFE OF GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ/LA VIDA DE GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ by Monica Brown. Illustrated by Raúl Colón. Flagstaff: Luna Rising, 2007. 32 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-87358-908-6 (bilingual)

N IS FOR NAVIDAD by Susan Middleton Elya and Merry Banks. Illustrated by Joe Cepeda. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2007. 40 pgs. ISBN 978-0-8118-5205-0

NANA’S BIG SURPRISE / NANA, ¡QUE SORPRESA! by Amada Irma Pérez. Illustrated by Maya Christina González. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press, 2007. 32 pgs. ISBN 978-0-89239-190-5 (bilingual)

OLD DOG by Teresa Cárdenas. Translated by David Unger. Toronto: Groundwood, 2007. 104 pgs. ISBN 978-0-88899-757-9 (First published in Cuba as Perro Viejo, 2006)

SACRED LEAF by Deborah Ellis. Toronto: Groundwood, 2007. 206 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-88899-751-7

A SMALL NATIVITY by Aquiles Nazoa. Illustrated by Ana Palmero Cáceres. Translated by Hugh Hazelton. Toronto: Groundwood, 2007. 32 pgs. ISBN: 978-0-88899-839-2

TOUCHING SNOW by M. Sindy Felin. New York: Atheneum, 2007. 234 pgs. ISBN 978-1-4169-1795-3

TRICYCLE by Elisa Amado and Alfonso Ruano. Toronto: Groundwood, 2007. 32 pgs. ISBN 978-0-88899-614-5

Great Women, Great Awards

Let's dream a bit about our posthumous presence in the world of children's literature. If your name were to be affiliated with a book award someday, what criteria would you want to see define the selection process? Stories that feature the empowerment of women? Novels that promote peace or social justice? Or would you want your name to honor books that instruct and delight at the same time, like author John Newbery, who adopted John Locke's motto deluctando monemus as his vocational vision?

It's always an honor when your book is nominated for or wins an award, but this year four kudos have special meaning because they're named after a quartet of my personal heroes -- Amelia Bloomer, women's rights advocate, Jane Addams, founder of Hull House, Julia Ward Howe, abolitionist and poet, and Maud Hart Lovelace, author of my beloved Betsy-Tacy books (I was recently informed that Monsoon Summer is one of Minnesota's 2008-2009 Maud Hart Lovelace nominees -- hooray!)

Rickshaw Girl Wins Jane Addams Honor!

I'm thrilled to announce that Rickshaw Girl is a Jane Addams Honor Book for 2008. I got a phone call last week from Susan Griffith, chair of the committee, telling me the news. 

Here's the official press release:

JANE ADDAMS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCED

April 28, 2008 — Winners of the 2008 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards were announced today by the Jane Addams Peace Association.

The Escape of Oney Judge: Martha Washington’s Slave Finds Freedom, the winner in the Books for Younger Children Category, is written and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully and published by Farrar Strauss Giroux. Mrs. Washington’s declares that young Oney is just like one of the Washington’s own children, but Oney is not fooled. On the night Mrs. Washington tells Oney she will not grant her freedom upon her death, Oney thinks quickly, acts courageously and flees. Expressive watercolors within this well-researched biography portray the bravery of Ona Maria Judge, an African-American woman who claimed, and fought for, the right to have “no mistress but herself.”

We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin by Larry Dane Brimner, published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc., is the winner in the Books for Older Children Category. Working behind the scenes because of his sexual orientation and unpopular political stands, African-American pacifist and civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, a trusted adviser to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., organized the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Succinct prose, powerful quotations and fresh historical photographs place the story of Rustin’s life alongside the story of the March, revealing the breadth and depth of Rustin’s decades of commitment to confronting racism and promoting peace in the United States and in countries around the world.

One book has won honors in the Books for Younger Children Category. One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II, written and illustrated by Lita Judge is published by Hyperion Books for Children. After discovering one thousand yellowed foot tracings in her grandmother’s attic, Lita Judge wrote this tribute to her grandmother who had used these newspaper tracings to find appropriately-sized shoes to send to needy German families in the aftermath of World War II. A combination of paintings, collages of original photographs and reproductions of foot tracings underscore the message of compassion at the heart of this family story.

Three books have won honors in the Books for Older Children category. Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins, with illustrations by Jamie Hogan and published by Charlesbridge, is a contemporary novel set in Bangladesh. In clear prose and detailed black-and-white drawings, ten-year-old Naima excels at painting alpanas, traditional designs created by Bangladeshi women and girls. Her talent, though valued by her family, cannot buy rice or pay back the loan on her father’s rickshaw as a son’s contribution would do. Determined to help financially, Naima disguises herself as a boy and sparks surprising events that reveal an expanding world for herself and women in her community.

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., is a sensitively-written historical novel infused with the spirit of youth. Eleven-year-old Elijah bursts with pride at being the first child born free in Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves just across the border from Detroit. When a scoundrel steals money saved to buy an enslaved family’s freedom, Elijah impulsively pursues the thief into Michigan. The journey brings him face-to-face with the terrors of slavery, pushing him to act courageously and compassionately in the name of freedom.

Birmingham, 1963 by Carole Boston Weatherford is published by Wordsong, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc. Deftly-written free verse and expertly-chosen archival photographs lay open the horror of the 1963 Birmingham church bombing by telling the story in the voice of an imagined girl in the “year I turned ten.” Four memorial poems, each a tribute to one of the four girls murdered in the bombing, conclude this slim, powerful volume and carry its emphatic message: No More Birminghams!

Since 1953, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award annually acknowledges books published in the U.S. during the previous year. Books commended by the Award address themes or topics that engage children in thinking about peace, justice, world community, and/or equality of the sexes and all races. The books also must meet conventional standards of literary and artistic excellence.

A national committee chooses winners and honor books for older and younger children. Members of the 2007 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards Committee are Susan C. Griffith, Chair (Mt. Pleasant, Michigan), Barbara Bair (Washington, D. C.), Ann Bower (Harwich, Massachusetts), Sonja Cherry-Paul (Yonkers, New York), Eliza T. Dresang (Tallahassee, Florida), Oralia Garza de Cortes (Pasadena, California), MJ Grande (Juneau, Alaska), Daisy Gutierrez (Houston, Texas), Margaret Jensen (Madison, Wisconsin), Jo Montie (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Sarah Park (Long Beach, California), Pat Wiser (Sewanee,Tennessee) and Junko Yokota (Skokie, Illinois). Regional reading and discussion groups participated with many of the committee members throughout the jury’s evaluation and selection process.

The 2008 Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards will be presented Friday, October 17th in New York City. Details about the award event and about securing winner and honor book seals are available from the Jane Addams Peace Association (JAPA). Contact JAPA Executive Director Linda B. Belle, 777 United Nations Plaza, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017-3521; by phone 212-682-8830; and by e-mail japa@igc.org.

For additional information about the Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards and a complete list of books honored since 1953, see www.janeaddamspeace.org.

Founded in 1948, JAPA is the educational arm of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). In addition to sponsoring the Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards and many other educational projects, JAPA houses the U.N. office of WILPF in New York City and owns the Jane Addams House in Philadelphia where the U.S. section of WILPF is located. Organized on April 28th in 1915, WILPF is celebrating its 93rd year. For information, visit www.wilpf.int.ch/.

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Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship

I had the privilege of serving as one of the judges this year for the PEN Phyllis Naylor Fellowship (along with Sid Fleischman and Christopher Paul Curtis), and our decision was announced this week:

This year the fellowship goes to Theresa Nelson, author of the forthcoming novel Julia Delaney: The American Version, to be published by Atheneum Books.

From the judges' citation: “It’s 1910 when her grandmother dies, and Irish-American orphan Julia Delaney and her sister are carted off to a Catholic institution, sustained only by her beloved older brother’s promise to reunite them. This historical novel is told with engaging humor, rich language, and details that are superbly consistent with the setting. From the outset, Julia leaps out of the past, off the page, and straight into your heart.”

Yet Another Reason To Love Maine

While I was traveling hither and yon last week (New Hampshire, Texas, California, and Colorado), illustrator Jamie Hogan attended the Reading Round-Up Conference in Augusta to accept the Maine Library Association's Lupine Honor Award for Rickshaw Girl. Thank you so much, Pine Tree State!

Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts

From Monica Edinger comes the announcement of this year's Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts. Here are the 30 books selected by the committee:

2008 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts

Poetry and Drama

• Dillons, Leo and Diane. (2007). Jazz on a Saturday Night. New York: Blue Sky Press/Scholastic.

• Forman, Ruth. (2007). Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon. Illustrations by Cbabi Bayoc. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.

• Neri, G. (2007). Chess Rumble. Illustrations by Jesse Joshua Watson. New York: Lee & Low.

• Park, Linda Sue. (2007). Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo Poems. Illustrations by Istvan Banyai. New York: Clarion/Houghton Mifflin.

• Schlitz, Laura Amy. (2007). Good Masters, Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick.

Historical and Realistic Fiction

• Compestine, Ying Chang. (2007). Revolution is Not a Dinner Party. New York: Henry Holt.

• Ellsworth, Loretta. (2007). In Search of Mockingbird. New York: Henry Holt.

• Gifford, Peggy. (2007). Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little. Photographs by Valorie Fisher. New York: Schwartz & Wade/Random House.

• Murphy, Pat. (2007). The Wild Girls. New York: Viking/Penguin.

• Schmidt, Gary D. (2007). The Wednesday Wars. New York: Clarion/Houghton Mifflin.

• Selznick, Brian. (2007). The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic.

• Sheth, Kashmira. (2007). Keeping Corner. New York: Hyperion.

• Woodson, Jacqueline. (2007). Feathers. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin.

Fantasy/Folklore

• Fleischman, Paul. (2007). Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella. Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. New York: Henry Holt.

• Higgins, F.E. (2007). The Black Book of Secrets. New York: Feiwel and Friends/Holtzbrinck.

• Varon, Sara. (2007). Robot Dreams. New York: First Second/Holtzbrinck.

Information/Biography/Autobiography/Memoir

• Bausum, Ann. (2007). Muckrakers. Washington, DC: National Geographic.

• Fletcher, Ralph. (2007). How to Write Your Life Story. New York: Collins/Harper Collins.

• Marcus, Leonard S. (2007). Pass it Down: Five Picture-Book Families Make Their Mark. New York: Walker/Holtzbrinck.

• Sis, Peter. (2007). The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

• Sullivan, George. (2007). Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures. New York: Scholastic.

Picture Books

• Baretta, Gene. (2007). Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones. New York: Henry Holt.

• Gravett, Emily. (2007). Orange Pear Apple Bear. New York: Simon & Schuster.

• Harrington, Janice N. (2007). The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County. Illustrations by Shelley Jackson. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

• Judge, Lita. (2007). One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II. New York: Hyperion.

• Lee, S. (2007). The Zoo. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller.

• Messinger, Carla and Katz, Susan. (2007). When the Shadbush Blooms. Illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle.

• Tan, Shaun. (2007). The Arrival. New York: Scholastic.

• Watt, Melanie. (2007). Chester. Toronto, ON: Kids Can.

• Wild, Margaret. (2007). Woolvs in the Sitee. Illustrated by Anne Spudvilas. Honesdale, PA: Front Street/Boyds Mills Press.

This is an outstanding, diverse list, but I've got to whinge about something out on the Fire Escape to keep things interesting, right? This time, I'm wondering about humor. I haven't read all the books listed above, but do any of them make kids giggle? 

After all, the criteria for selection are books that (1) deal explicitly with language, such as plays on words, word origins, or the history of language; (2) demonstrate uniqueness in the use of language or style; and/or (3) invite child response or participation. 

The skill of using wordplay and storytelling to make kids laugh while reading is rarely lauded in the awards machinery, apart from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Don't we value humor in the book world?  

The Mystery of the Children's Choice Awards

I was glad to see that When The Shadbush Blooms, the only "multicultural" book on IRA-CBC's list of nominees for the Children's Choice Awards, was lauded by Debbie Reese and Oyate.

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised by the list -- the books were donated by publishers and chosen in six cities of the country not particularly renowned for a diverse demographic: Chico, California, Middletown, Delaware, Crete, Illinois, Starkville, Mississippi, Bellevue, Nebraska, and Omaha, Nebraska (here's a .pdf describing the process.) Of course, I've only been to Chico, which does have a fair share of immigrants, so maybe the other cities are home to all sorts of kids.

Unfortunately, on the official Children's Book Choices site, there's no explanation of selection criteria to be found -- or maybe I'm missing it. The nominees are great, I'm sure, but this award reminds me that for kids and adults to venture outside the story comfort zone, we often need a nudge from a trusted source.

When The Librarians Call

I'm not quite sure why, but most of us love to hear about the early morning phone call informing authors and illustrators about winning the Newbery.

Maybe it's a fascination with transformational, "extreme makeover" moments, when a life morphs instantly from daily grind into whirlwind glam. Or maybe it's just that "we like to watch," as Chauncey Gardener (Peter Sellers) told Eve Rand (Shirley Maclaine) in the 1970s classic flick Being There.

While we're waiting for Laura Amy Schlitz to give us the juicy, here's what happened to Cynthia Kadohata, Susan Patron, Lynne Rae Perkins, and Linda Sue Park on wintry Monday mornings in recent years.

Our Ambassador: Jon Scieszka

This year, the Library of Congress, the Children's Book Council, and Cheerios hope to see more guys read. Author of "fractured fairy tales" like The Stinky Cheese Man, Jon Scieszka (pronounced "SHEH-ska") was born in Flint, Michigan in 1954 and is known as a fierce and funny advocate for reluctant male readers.

Our new ambassador demonstrates yet again how the circumstances of childhood can shape a satisfying vocation: Jon had five brothers and a father who loved to teach. Sounds like it took the Ambassador a while to follow his bliss, as he went to military school and studied to be a doctor first before getting his MFA from Columbia University. "I write books because I love to make kids laugh," he says. What a wonderful mission statement. Here's the full announcement in the Post.

Illustrious Company

Announcing the judges for the PEN 2008 Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Working Writer Fellowship: Christopher Paul Curtis, Sid Fleischman, and ... yep, you guessed it, me. Nice gig, eh? Apart from feeling a tad like an understudy, it's all good. Here's the info:

The PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship of $5,000 is offered annually to an author of children's or young-adult fiction. The Fellowship has been developed to help writers whose work is of high literary caliber but who have not yet attracted a broad readership. As a result, an author's books may not have achieved the sales that would allow the writer to support him or herself solely from writing.

The Fellowship is designed to assist a writer at a crucial moment in his or her career, when monetary support is particularly needed to complete a book-length work-in-progress.

The Fellowship is made possible by a substantial contribution from PEN Member Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, the prolific author of more than 125 works of fiction, including the novels Alice in the Know, the 21st and most recent in the acclaimed "Alice" series, as well as Sang Spell and Shiloh, the first novel in a trilogy, which won the 1992 Newbery Medal.

On establishing the Fellowship Mrs. Naylor said: "We truly work 'blind,' with no assurance whatsoever that anyone will be interested in our final product. It takes enormous stamina and resolve and optimism to live with our characters for a year or more—and it's my hope that the Working Writer's Fellowship, modest as it is, will let the author know that an expert panel of PEN judges has faith in the writer, admires his work, and trusts that he will be able to bring to paper what he sees in his head."

A candidate is a writer of children or young-adult fiction in financial need; candidates have published at least two books (and no more than five) during the past 10 years, which have been warmly received by literary critics but have not generated sufficient income to support the author. The writer's books must be published by a U.S. publisher.

Writers must be nominated by an editor or a fellow writer. The nominator should write a letter of support, describing in some detail how the candidate meets the criteria for the Fellowship. The nominator should also provide:

1. A list of the candidate's published work, accompanied by copies of reviews, where possible.

2. Three copies of the following: the outline and a maximum of 75 pages of the text of the current work, intended as part of a new book.

3. On a separate piece of paper, a brief description of the candidate's recent earnings and a statement about why monetary support is particularly needed at this time (e.g., child care, research expenses, etc.)

Letters of nomination must be received between September 1, 2007 and January 14, 2008. Send letters of nomination (or requests for more information) to:

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship
PEN American Center
588 Broadway, Suite 303
New York, NY 10012

For more information on the PEN Literary Awards, call: (212) 334-1660 ext. 108 or e-mail awards@pen.org.

Texas Bluebonnet List

The massive Texas Library Association has once again compiled a great group of middle grade titles vying for the annual Bluebonnet Award. Here's the full 2008-2009 Master List of nominees:

• Auch, Mary Jane. One Handed Catch. Henry Holt, 2006.
• Carman, Patrick. Atherton: the House of Power. Little, Brown, 2007.
• Cheaney, J. B. The Middle of Somewhere. Alfred A. Knopf, 2007.
• Day, Karen. Tall Tales. Wendy Lamb Books, 2007.
  
• DeFelice, Cynthia. One Potato, Two Potato. Illustrated by Andrea U’Ren. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.
• Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars. Harcourt, Inc., 2007.
• Graff, Lisa. The Thing About Georgie. Laura Geringer Books, 2006.
• Harper, Charise Mericle. Just Grace. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.
• Hart, Alison. Gabriel’s Horses. Peachtree, 2007.
• Jenkins, Emily. Toys Go Out. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Schwartz & Wade Books, 2006.
• Lauber, Patricia. What You Never Knew About Beds, Bedrooms, and Pajamas. Illustrated by John Meanders. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2006.
• McCully, Emily Arnold. Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.
• O’Connor, Barbara. How to Steal a Dog. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
• Patterson, Nancy Ruth. The Winner’s Walk. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006.
• Paulsen, Gary. Lawn Boy. Wendy Lamb Books, 2007.
• Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Scholastic Press, 2007.
• Sidman, Joyce. This is Just to Say. Illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
• Thimmesh, Catherine. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
• Tingle, Tim. Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom. Illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. Cinco Puntos Press, 2006.
• White, Ruth. Way Down Deep. Farrar, Strass and Giroux, 2007.

Hooray For Alexie's Great Escape!

By now you've heard that Sherman Alexie's Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (edited by Jennifer Hunt at Little Brown) won the National Book Award for young people's literature. Sherman Alexie described his hope for the book in his hometown rag, the Seattle Times: "I hope it encourages all sorts of trapped people to feel like they can escape."

LaCapa Children's Book Awards

While reading Debbie Reese's illuminating American Indians in Children's Literature blog, I learned that the LaCapa Children's Book Awards is now accepting submissions.

Named for Michael Lacapa, children’s book illustrator and writer who died in 2005, the award honors the legacy of his artistic vision and talent for storytelling. This prize acknowledges great books for children that best embody the spirit of the peoples, culture, and natural landscape of the Southwest. Books published in the two years prior to the award are eligible for consideration.

Submissions for the 2008 prize are due December 10, 2007 and winners will be announced in January.

APALA Children's Book Awards

The Fire Escape is delighted to announce the children's literature winners of the 2007 Asian Pacific American Literature Awards:

• Annie Sibley O'Brien's graphic novel The Legend of Hong Kil Dong (Charlesbridge) for illustration.
  
  
• Justina Chen Headley's Nothing But The Truth And A Few White Lies (Little Brown) for text.

Grace Lin's Year Of The Dog (Little Brown) received an honor in text, and Brothers (Philomel), written by Yin and illustrated by Chris Soentpiet, received an honor in the illustration category. Hooray for these wonderful books, writers, and artists! Also, congratulations to Alvina Ling, who edited both of the award-winning books in the text category.

Mitali and Justina celebrating at ALA

Roker Picks Swordbird

Thirteen-year-old Nancy Yi Fan's bestselling fantasy, Swordbird (HarperCollins, February 2007), is the new Today Show's children's book pick.