School Library Journal Cover Controversy
December 10, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
Cover of November's School Library Journal
Cover controversies are nothing new to the world of children’s publishing. Recently, Justine Larbalestier’s Liar stirred opinions across the web when a caucasian appeared on the cover, despite the fact that the character was an African-American. Now it seems School Library Journal has got people talking with their November 2009 cover.
Some readers objected to the November cover shot of five prominent kid lit bloggers photographed in a bar holding fake pink cocktails. The women who were profiled in Elizabeth Bird’s feature “This Blog’s For You” has prompted some heated reactions from readers, sparking an ongoing debate about the timeless topic of the image of librarians.The readers expressed their distaste in the letters section of the December issue…
“I found your choice of cover picture quite inappropriate and disturbing. Do you really want to promote librarians sitting at a bar, drinks in hand, with a row of liquor bottles behind them?”
“I found the November cover to be totally inappropriate for a publication aimed at teachers and mainly delivered to schools. Pretty hard to explain to a bunch of adolescents promoting drug- and alcohol-free lifestyles during red ribbon week what the school librarian is doing promoting alcohol use in school.”
Read Roger says, “Honestly, you never know what’s going to bring in complaints–and Letters to the Editor are far more frequently objections than compliments.”
Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace, & A Tea Cozy, who is featured on the cover, is turning the whole issue into something positive by doing what bloggers do best–make a list! She asks you head on over and add to the list of books for kids and teens that don’t paint alcoholics or drug addicts as evil people.
May Carnival of Children's Literature
June 2, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
Wow! Wow! and Wow! Have you checked out the May Carnival of Children’s Literature? Tarie at Into the Wardrobe has gathered an incredible amount of quality children’s literature posts from the month of May. If you’re a kidlit junkie and are looking for book reviews that will make you want to read the book, enjoyable and enlightening author profiles, insightful reading experiences, great resources and fun videos, then look no further! Head on over to Into the Wardrobe and settle in for some fun reading!
Bridget Zinn Auction
May 8, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
I’m always amazed at the camaraderie, friendship, and support given by the Kidlitosphere. It’s awesome to see people come together over a cause they all believe in: children’s literacy. The Kidlitosphere has come together yet again for another cause we all believe in. Librarian, Young Adult writer, and kidlitosphere friend Bridget Zinn is battling cancer, so many wonderful people in the kidlit community have come together to create an online auction fundraiser at bridgetzinnauction.wordpress.com.
Looking for an advance, signed copy of Laini Taylor’s next novel, Faeries of Dreamdark: Silksinger? Signed copies of Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm’s Babymouse: The Musical, Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee, Don’t Die Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton, or Far From You by Lisa Schroeder? A book launch consultation from Mitali Perkins, or a manuscript critique from Cynthia Lord? A signed first edition of Stephenie Meyer’s Eclipse?
The auction goes until May 31st. All proceeds go toward treatment expenses. Read Bridget’s blog and leave her a comment of support.
Share a Story…Shape a Future is this week!
March 10, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
Just a reminder that the Share a Story…Shape a Future Blog tour is going down RIGHT NOW! If you missed it yesterday, you can still hop over to The Reading Tub where Terry Doherty talks about “Raising Readers: Look for the Clues – Tips and Tricks to Uncover and Help a Remedial Reader.”
Today, it’s being hosted by Sarah Mulhern at The Reading Zone.
Day 1: Raising Readers
hosted by Terry Doherty at Scrub-a-Dub-Tub
Day 2: Selecting Reading Material
hosted by Sarah Mulhern at The Reading Zone
Day 3: Reading Aloud – It’s Fun, It’s Easy
hosted by Susan Stephenson at the Book Chook
Day 4: A Visit to the Library
hosted by Eva Mitnick at Eva’s Book Addiction
Day 5: Technology and Reading – What the Future Holds
hosted by Elizabeth O. Dulemba at dulemba.com
Visit Share a Story – Shape a Future to learn more and see the full schedule of contributors. Happy Reading!
Share a Story…Shape a Future
February 26, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
The Kidlitosphere is coming together (yet again!) with an amazing blog event for literacy called Share a Story- Shape a Future. Buckle down for a week of A LOT of blog reading because from March 9th to March 13th, 2009, blogging librarians, teachers, parents, authors, illustrators and people passionate about literacy will offer ideas on ways to promote reading and books.
The organizers have several giveaways planned, and will offer free, downloadable content. Share a Story – Shape a Future is an opportunity to share ideas, encourage each other, and spread the word about children’s literacy. Sounds like fun, right?
Day 1: Raising Readers
hosted by Terry Doherty at Scrub-a-Dub-Tub
Day 2: Selecting Reading Material
hosted by Sarah Mulhern at The Reading Zone
Day 3: Reading Aloud – It’s Fun, It’s Easy
hosted by Susan Stephenson at the Book Chook
Day 4: A Visit to the Library
hosted by Eva Mitnick at Eva’s Book Addiction
Day 5: Technology and Reading – What the Future Holds
hosted by Elizabeth O. Dulemba at dulemba.com
Visit Share a Story – Shape a Future to learn more and see the full schedule of contributors. This sounds like one blog tour you won’t want to miss!
11 Planets- Cybils Finalist
January 29, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System
Author: David A. Aguilar
Publisher:National Geographic Children’s Books (March 11, 2008)
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 48 pages
Who isn’t amazed by the possibility of life on Jupiter’s moons, the freeze-dried atmosphere of Pluto, and a potential planet the author calls Eggland?
Since the last time I went to science class, astronomers have come up with a new way to think about our planetary system which is why I found this book fascinating. The planets are broken into three groups- terrestrial (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars), gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), and then the dwarf planets (Ceres, Pluto, and Eris). Aguilar devotes a two-page spread to each of the eleven planets and additional two-page spreads explain other extraterrestrial bodies such as moons, meteorites, and comets. There are great facts such as, “Unlike any other planet in our solar system, Uranus has a 98-degree tilt to its axis. Scientists think that really early in its history, it was hit by something really big that knocked it completely over on its side.” In addition, Aguilar has a skill of making a difficult subject very easy to understand. “You can think of our solar system as neighborhoods in space.”
David A. Aguilar is Director of Science Information at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and in addition to writing and making art about space, he loves building telescopes, leading astronomy expeditions, and telling people about the latest discoveries. Aguilar’s artwork in this book is breathtaking and will have you dreaming of hopping on a spaceship and soaring to outer space.
What I really like about this book are the hidden gems. For instance, a trick to remember the names of the planets in order from the Sun, and “The Solar System in a Grocery Bag.” The size of the solar system is immense to us, so Aguilar provides a way to put it into better perspective with items you can find at a grocery store. What a great lesson to do with young readers!
Read these other great reviews…
Carol Wilcox at Carol’s Corner
Sarah Rettger at Archimedes Forgets
Body Drama- Cybils Finalist
January 28, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers
Author: Nancy Amanda Redd
Publisher: Gotham; 1st edition (December 27, 2007)
Pages: 272 pages
I searched all over to find this book in a Connecticut library and when I was finally successful, it was checked out! Ugh! Fortunately, I took out a bunch of other Cybils finalists and by the time those needed to be returned, it was checked back in- phew! When I first thumbed through the book, I have to admit, I was a little shocked at the pictures. Redd holds nothing back and I think it’s fantastic! A book like this needs to tell (and show!) the whole truth and nothing but the truth! The cover says it all: Real girls, real bodies, real issues, real answers. I agree with other reviewers of this book when they say, “I wish I had this book in high school and college.” It should be recommended reading. I think it’s a great resource for women of all ages (even I learned a few things), and a handy tool for the mom or dad who doesn’t quite know the right things to say when it comes to body issues.
All of us are concerned about our bodies, so it’s nice to have a book that shows how women’s bodies actually look, smell, feel, behave, and change. Nobody’s perfect and we all have that one thing (or two!) that makes us wonder, “Is this normal?” Well, now you can find out. Body Drama talks about all the issues that every girl should know about and presents the facts in a fun, conversational way. The photos of real girls show us how most bodies look, not the usual ‘perfect’ ones we see gracing magazine covers. I especially love the section that covers airbrushing and how magazine pictures come to be what they are, and the tips on how to give yourself a great facial are excellent! It’s great to see a book educate women about real life and what women’s bodies naturally go through.
Check out Nancy Amanda Redd’s website for information about the author and extras that go with the book.
Read these other great reviews…
We Are the Ship- Award Winner!
January 27, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
The big announcements were made yesterday as ALA announced the literary award winners. I was glued to the feed on my computer! I was very excited that JudyAnn Grant’s Chicken Said, “Cluck!” (My First I Can Read)
Another author I was excited to see win was Kadir Nelson who walked away with the Coretta Scott King Award (Author Award and Illustrator Honor Book!). We Are the Ship is also nominated for the Cybils‘ Middle Grade/ YA Nonfiction Category. I reviewed We Are the Ship last year, but I wanted to talk about it again, since I’m celebrating the Cybils here this week!
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
Author/ Illustrator: Kadir Nelson.
Publisher: Jump at the Sun/ Hyperion, January 2008
Reading Level: Ages 9 and up
Illustrator and first time author, Kadir Nelson brings us this magnificent book on the story of Negro League Baseball. As long as there has been baseball in America, there have been African-American ballplayers. Rube Foster was the founder of the Negro National League and said of his men, “We are the ship: all else the sea.” On February 20, 1920, Rube Foster called together the owners of African-American baseball teams and the Negro National League was formed. This book is jam packed with information and facts about the men who played the sport, the hardships they faced, including the low pay and the dangers of playing in the South, and also, the great plays, crazy rules, and the stars that broke out. I have a new respect for the players in the Negro League after reading this book because of things like, “…throwing at a batter was common. The pitcher would knock you down just to mess with your head. Look up at the umpire, and he’d just say, “Get up and play ball, son.” That’s why the batting helmet was invented.” The book climaxes with Jackie Robinson making it into Major League Baseball, thus the end of the Negro League, but Nelson’s story will leave a lasting impression with you.
Hank Aaron writes the foreword and says he’s grateful for Kadir’s fresh approach. We should ALL be grateful for Kadir’s fresh approach, and his desire to share the story of a group of men that changed the sport of baseball and made it what it is today. After reading this again for the Cybils, I fell even more in love with it. The voice that it is written in is truly unique and makes you feel as though you’re sitting alongside a group of old players reminiscing about the glory days. This book is unlike any other and each illustration makes you feel as though you’re in the heart of the action. Kadir has been drawing since the age of three, and painting since the age of ten and that’s evident in his amazing illustrations.
Visit Kadir Nelson’s website. It’s worth a visit to see his amazing gallery and if you’re interested, Nelson offers limited edition prints from this book. Visit the NPR website for an interesting interview with Kadir Nelson. He states that this book took him nearly eight years to complete and it offers an excerpt from the book.
The 2008 Cybils Finalists Have Been Announced!
January 2, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
Let’s give a big KUDOS to all of the Cybils panelists who narrowed down enormous lists of titles- Frankly, I’d love to know when they slept! But the day has finally come and the 2008 Cybils Finalists have been announced. Head on over to the Cybils blog to check out all of the finalists in the following categories…
Easy Readers
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Fiction Picture Books
Graphic Novels
Middle Grade Fiction
Non-Fiction MG/YA
Non-Fiction Picture Books
Poetry
Young Adult Fiction
Since I’m a judge for the Middle Grade/ Young Adult Non-Fiction category, I’m excited to get reading, talking books and help choose a winner. Thanks to the Panelists in the Middle Grade/ Young Adult Non-Fiction category for selecting the finalists…
Jill Tullo The Well-Read Child
Kathy M. Burnette The Brain Lair
Sarah Rettger Archimedes Forgets
Carol Wilcox Carol’s Corner
Vivian Mahoney HipWriterMama
And, of course, a big congratulations to the finalists in the Middle Grade/ Young Adult Non-Fiction category…
11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System
written by David Aguilar
National Geographic Children’s Books
My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants (10-year-old Maryn Smith’s winning entry for the National Geographic Children’s Book Planetary Mnemonic Contest). So begins this engaging introduction to the newly classified solar system. Stunning artwork, cool facts on how the planets are named after different gods and goddesses, simple explanations and an informative glossary make this a book young astronomers will enjoy reading.
–Vivian Mahoney, HipWriterMama
Ain’t Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry
written by Scott Reynolds Nelson
National Geographic Children’s Books
A field trip into the mind of a historian. Historian Scott Reynolds Nelson invites readers to follow him as he uses artifacts, photographs, and other documents to put together the pieces of a real- life historical mystery.
–Carol Wilcox, Carol’s Corner
Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers
written by Nancy Amanda Redd
Gotham Books
Leave your embarrassment at the door, because this book combines refreshing candor with no-holds barred topics, untouched photos, and information backed by a leading physician to help empower teen girls. The photos are somewhat shocking, but important for girls to see so they know their body is normal. Don’t let your teens get the wrong information from their friends…let them get empowered with real information and love the body they’re in.
–Vivian Mahoney, HipWriterMama
King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn’t Tell You About the American Revolution
written by Steve Sheinkin
Roaring Brook
Historian and textbook author Steve Sheinkin provides a factual, fun chronicle that traces the American Revolution from start to finish. Humorous chapter titles and illustrations, entertaining facts, and labeled maps make learning history lots of fun.
–Jill Tullo, The Well-Read Child
Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life
written by Martin S
andler
Walker Books for Young Readers
John F. Kennedy may have been the first television president, but Lincoln Through the Lens makes a strong case for recognizing Abraham Lincoln as the first photographic president. From the earliest known photo of Lincoln to the only one taken after his death, Martin Sandler shows how the sixteenth president was captured on film, and how he used the images to his advantage.
–Sarah Rettger, Archimedes Forgets
Swords: An Artist’s Devotion
written and illustrated by Ben Boos
Candlewick Press
Ben Boos’ well written and visually stimulating book was a pleasure to read. The illustrations were detailed and the history fascinating. Children of all ages will pore over this book as they trace the sword designs through the ages. Ben relayed the use of the sword throughout the ages including the Middle Ages and the age of the Samurai. Ben’s drawings illuminated not only the variety of swords used but his love for this “formidable tool”.
–Kathy Burnette, The Brainlair
The Year We Disappeared: A Father-Daughter Memoir
written by Cylin Busby and John Busby
Bloomsbury USA
In summer, 1979, Cylin Busby was nine years old, living with her parents and two older brothers on Cape Cod, Massachusetts when her life changed in a matter of minutes. Cylin’s father, John Busby, a policeman, was on his way to work when a car pulled up next to him and shot off the bottom half of his jaw. THE YEAR WE DISAPPEARED is a memoir, told by Cylin Busby and her father John, in alternating chapters, of the terrible year following Busby’s shooting. A terrific real life crime read!
–Carol Wilcox, Carol’s Corner
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Hyperion
Kadir Nelson connects with readers in his history of Negro League baseball told from the first person point of view of an “everyman” player. The engaging narrative combined with stunning oil paintings capture the joy and passion of the players who were surrounded by hatred and inequality.
–Jill Tullo, The Well-Read Child
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