Crafty Chloe kicks off new series

Crafty Chloe by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrations by Heather Ross; published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, New York; 2012.

Note: This review is based on an uncorrected color proof provided for free by the publisher.  The book is due on shelves February 21, 2012.

Chloe isn’t good at sports or video games but she is very good at making things.  Just give her a pile of scraps or found materials and her imagination goes wild.  With her best friend’s birthday just around the corner, Chloe goes shopping for the perfect gift only to discover a classmate has selected the same doll.  How will Chloe find another “perfect” gift?  With a pad of paper and a pencil, Chloe doodles a few ideas and creates the perfect gift to make.  Her gift is not only a hit with her best friend, but Chloe also saves the day for her classmate.

DiPucchio’s story captures the creative spirit perfectly.  Ross’ pictures match the spirit of the story and illustrate the creative process (sketches, hard work, and even headstands).  Bright colors, a font that looks handwritten, and end pages featuring orange-handled scissors and macaroni necklaces all add to the story of Crafty Chloe.

Chloe was teased for making a gift.  Sounds typical for kids, right?  Making fun of the kid that does things differently is, unfortunately, the status quo.  I was thrilled to read about a character who is not only true-to-life but also responds like a typical kid would.  After being teased, Chloe decides to skip her best friend’s birthday party; but then she comes up with a homemade gift that is unique and perfectly purple, all things that her friend will appreciate.  As parents, we often tell our children that homemade gifts are the best, and DiPucchio’s character proves that.  I look forward to more installments of this series that fosters creativity.  At the time of this review, the Crafty Chloe website, which promises to provide instructions for creating the crafts in the book, was not available.  I hope it’s up soon.**  One of my pet peeves about education today is that the opportunities to be hands-on creative have all but disappeared.  A kid like Chloe, and the resources to learn to craft like her, is much needed to offer informal creative learning opportunities.

I have taken over the monthly drop-in craft at work (in a children’s library).  Chloe is my inspiration for creating easy but interesting projects.  I’d like to start an art club for tweens this autumn.  Although the Crafty Chloe series is intended for a much younger crowd (preschool to early elementary), I would not hesitate to introduce her to tweens and provide them with the link to the website.  Who doesn’t believe that adding googly eyes to anything makes it more interesting?  At a conference I attended, Denise Fleming suggested giving kids sticks, rocks and googly eyes, then encouraging them to take pictures of their creatures in different settings and write a story around those images.  Chloe would agree.

I’ve already passed my copy of Chloe around to librarian friends.  We’re all excited to have a creative hero to share with children, teachers and parents.  She has also inspired some programming ideas.  Since March is National Craft Month, it seems fitting to introduce Chloe and her creative bent with a series of crafts.

** NOTE: I checked the website over the weekend (today is March 5) and the website is live.  Chloe gives instructions for making her glow in the dark pajamas in the first installment of crafts to make at home.  The site is easy to navigate and will be attractive for kids to use.  Visit Crafty Chloe here: http://craftychloe.squarespace.com/.

Learn How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum

How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum written and illustrated by Jessie Hartland; published by Blue Apple Books, Maplewood, NJ; 2011.

Follow a diplodocus from its discovery in a Utah quarry to its grand opening as a display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.  Hartland researched the dinosaur’s tale then created a cumulative story around it.  The narrative builds from the dinosaur hunter who discovered it to the museum director who announces the exhibit’s grand opening.  I was impressed that she almost made this book a rebus by illustrating the job titles (and the diplodocus’ name) so that listeners and early readers will be able to determine what the jobs are as the story builds.  Resources abound in “A Little Bit of Dino Info” included at the end of the book.  Answers to frequently asked questions are included as are Web resources tied to Dinosaur National Monument (the National Park where this dino was discovered), the Smithsonian’s dino page, and “Dino Dig” websites.

Absolutely include this book in pathfinders about dinosaurs, especially for elementary aged students.  I would highly recommend this to parents before they make a trip to a natural history museum (especially the Smithsonian) so their family can discuss how artifacts make it to museums.  And for those who can’t visit the museums in person, I would recommend this book in conjunction with a virtual visit via a museum exhibit online.

Heart and Soul tells the story of America from another perspective

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson; published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, New York; 2011.

I didn’t think Kadir Nelson could outdo his We Are the Ship, but he has done just that in this book.  Once again, he uses an “everyman” (well, “everywoman” in this case) narrator which made me feel like a child sitting at the feet of a grandparent sharing treasured family history.  The rhythm of language reflects the pride and anger in the story of African Americans in American history.  Nelson’s words are so well-crafted that images would only serve to put a face to the stories, right?  Well, no.  Like in We Are the Ship, Nelson’s paintings express so much emotion that they could tell the story on their own.  It’s no wonder that Nelson got the Coretta Scott King Award for the words and the CSK honor for his art.

I’ve already used this in a display for African American History Month.  It definitely is a book that needs to be displayed, to be studied.  But it also belongs on pathfinders about American history, African American history, and teacher resource lists.

Me…Jane awarded Caldecott honor

Me…Jane illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell; published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc., New York; 2011.

With her stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee, a young Jane Goodall explored the world around her.  From her backyard, she dreamed of living in Africa among its creatures.  One day, she awoke to find her dream was realized.

I read this book then set it aside for a few days.  My initial reaction was that the illustrations were remarkable but the story lacked appeal for children.  Then I reread it.  Hmmmm.  A child with a dream.  A child whose hobbies reflect her future endeavors.  And the words that convey her story fit.  This is a book for cuddling up on the couch, reading together, and examining the images.  At the very end of the book, in fairly small type, is this Art Note:

This page features a cartoon that Jane Goodall made of her life in the forest at the Gombe Stream Game Reserve.  Readers will also find two facing pages of drawings and puzzles that Jane herself created when, as a young girl, she led a club called the Alligator Society.  Throughout the book, ornamental engravings from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are included, collectively evoking Jane’s lifelong passion for detailed, scientific observation of nature.

Aha!  McDonnell’s illustrations further portray the young Jane.  I think it would be lovely to tell children that the things that interest them now, the things they are passionate about, will help drive them toward their future selves.  Maybe that’s a great starting point to encourage journaling or even creating collection boxes.

Now  about the illustrations….  The cover appears to be the cover of a scrapbook or photo album, with pseudo-binding and corner protectors.  Each page is treated like a page in a scrapbook.  Almost all of the left-hand pages appear to be stamped with fading ink in shapes that would be in a collection of rubber stamps intended for children; the text is printed on this page, in a font and ink style that invokes a typewriter with a worn ribbon.  Then the corresponding right-hand page is an image rendered in India ink and watercolors.  McDonnell has captured the essence of the young zoologist for us.  By the final pages, photos of Dr. Goodall and biographical information, including a message from her, are included to remind us that this is her story.  That this child-dreamer with a penchant for exploring grew up and made her dreams reality.  In her message, Jane encourages us all to get involved to help make “the world a better place for people, animals and the environment” by joining a local Roots & Shoots group.  The end pages invoke African textiles which let us know as the book starts, and reminds us as the book ends, that this is the book about a zoologist working in Africa.

How They Croaked: wickedly gross, awfully interesting

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous written by Georgia Bragg, illustrated by Kevin O’Malley; published by Walker Publishing Company, a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc., New York; 2011.

Any book with a disclaimer disguised as an introduction is going to get the attention of readers.  Introductions that include lines like the following, will hook reluctant readers for sure:

There are nice things to say about everybody, but this book is full of bad news.  There are funny crying parts and disgusting stupid parts and hideous cool parts, but it’s pretty much one train wreck after another.  And who can tear their eyes away from a train wreck? (from page 2 of the introduction)

Ooh, the disclaimer is true.  It’s gasp out loud gross full of oohs, aahs, and icks.  It’s also a compendium of the infamous in a timeline ranging from King Tut to Albert Einstein.  In addition to the historical facts about very specific people and the times in which they lived (and died), the book includes a couple of fact-filled pages after each chapter and a rich library of sources (“Further Reading and Surfing”) at the end.  O’Malley’s black ink illustrations highlight important and obscure information brilliantly.  He has visually set the tone for Bragg’s words.  Black end pages also add to the macabre elements.

I. Love. This. Book.  Who’d’ve thought that a graphically gross book about how some famous folk passed would be so gripping and entertaining?  When I say “graphically gross,” there are some descriptions that are very explicit.  Some of the language is middle school worthy too (lots of bodily function discussion).  I cannot imagine this won’t have appeal to upper elementary and middle school boys in particular.

Why did I pick this up in the first place?  A patron challenged me to help her find nonfiction books that read like fiction.  Her two upper elementary aged children had to read 5 nonfiction books each and she wanted to show them that “nonfiction” does not mean “dry and unpalatable.”  Of course I took her straight to Sy Montgomery/Nic Bishop books and the “Who Was…” series.  I showed her Kadir Nelson’s We Are the Ship.  But was there more to choose from?  When this macabre book came up in a further search, we were intrigued.  We thumbed through it together.  Then we almost fought over who got to check it out first (okay, my professional ethics kicked in and she won).  Be sure to make good use of this book!

Theodore Boone: The Abduction offers crime thriller for kids

Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham; published by Dutton Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, New York; 2011.

Adults are familiar with John Grisham’s legal thriller genre.  Well, he expanded his market by creating “kid lawyer” (also the name of the first book in the series) Theodore “Theo” Boone.  This 8th grader is obsessed with the law.  Both parents are lawyers; in fact, other extended family members also practice law.  The courthouse is his second home.  In this installment, Theo’s friend April is missing and presumed dead.  With a little luck, covert tips from his uncle, and some ‘net skills, Theo finds out more about April and her family.  Of course, he helps solve the crime!  In the meantime, he stands before the judge in animal court, representing an immigrant classmate in the case of a parrot gone wild.

I can’t seem to summarize this book.  Perhaps it’s because it was a very light read for me, but I’m sure it will engross certain readers.  I read a few of Grisham’s early novels but was quickly bored by the boilerplate plots and resolutions.  Reading this book geared for kids (6th through 8th grade? really? not.) made me feel talked down to.  I don’t think he gets that writing for children does not mean writing simply.  Kids are far more sophisticated than most grown-ups realize.  So will middle school readers pick these up?  Maybe.  But discerning readers will get tired of the condescension and will read books really written to their age level.  I’d recommend this to 4th and 5th graders though as a way to introduce another genre.  Maybe it will turn reluctant readers into readers like Grisham’s books for older readers did for some adults I know.

Open Mysteries of the Jedi

Mysteries of the Jedi written by Elizabeth Dowsett and Shari Last; published by Dorling Kindersley, New York; 2011.

From the lightsaber duel on the end pages to the bleed pages rife with images from the Star Wars movie franchise, this book is an almost overwhelming source of information.  Can’t remember if a character is friend or foe?  It’s in here.  Want to know all the techniques for fighting with a lightsaber?  It’s in here.  This is not a book to be read in one sitting.  This is a reference book.  This is a book to return to just for reading the captions.

Star Wars continues to be a force for getting boys interested in books.  In just the past week, I’ve talked to the father of two early elementary aged boys that got the original trilogy for Christmas and came to the library for any of the DK or Eyewitness encyclopedia of all things Empire and Jedi.  I’ve had a mother beg me to order more Level 1 reader books about anything related to Star Wars.  I’ve had teenagers sheepishly ask if we have the Star Wars chapter books in.  Hooray for getting books in boys’ hands!  To tie in with this or any of the Star Wars books (fiction or non-fiction), be sure to check out the official website at www.StarWars.com.  There are games to play and content to watch.  It’s full of striking images and information.  In addition, DK has resources related to all of their Star Wars books.   I found an activity book full of puzzles, mazes, challenges and coloring pages (http://us.dk.com/static/cs/us/11/starwars/pdfs/dk_starwars_ActivityKit.pdf).  The materials will appeal to a wide age range.

This book will be checked out often.  I plan to make a display of all Star Wars related materials for this year’s summer reading program.  I hope you will too.  And may the Force be with you.

Newbery, Caldecott winners announced

ALA and ALSC announced the winners and honorees for the 2012 Youth Media Awards.  The most famous of these are the Newbery and Caldecott medals.  A complete list of winners, honorees, and descriptions of the criteria for all awards is available at the ALSC website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/2012-alsc-book-and-media-award-winners.

Newbery Medal:

Dead End in Norvelt written by Jack Gantos, published by Farrar Straus Giroux

Newbery Honor Books

Inside Out & Back Again written by Thanhha Lai, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers

Breaking Stalin’s Nose written by Eugene Yelchin, published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC

Caldecott Medal:

A Ball for Daisy illustrated and written by Chris Raschka, published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Caldecott Honor Books

Blackout illustrated and written by John Rocco, published by Disney/Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group

Grandpa Green illustrated and written by Lane Smith, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing

Me…Jane illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

2013 Arbuthnot Honor Lecture:

Michael Morpurgo

Batchelder Award:

Soldier Bear written by Bibi Dumon Tak, illustrated by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson, published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Batchelder Honor Book

The Lily Pond written by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenck, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award:

Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

King Author Honorees

Eloise Greenfield, author of The Great Migration: Journey to the North, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and Patricia C. McKissack, author of Never Forgotten, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon and published by Schwartz &Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

 Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

King Illustrator Honoree  

Kadir Nelson, illustrator and author of Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans, published by Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Ashley Bryan

Storyteller, artist, author, poet and musician, Bryan created his first children’s book in first grade. He grew up in the Bronx and in 1962, he became the first African American to both write and illustrate a children’s book. After a successful teaching career, Bryan left academia to pursue creation of his own artwork. He has since garnered numerous awards for his significant and lasting literary contribution of poetry, spirituals and story.

Pura Belpre (Illustrator) Award:

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS

Belpre (Illustrator) Honor Books

The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred illustrated by Rafael López, written by Samantha R. Vamos, published by Charlesbridge

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald no combina illustrated by Sara Palacios, written by Monica Brown, published by Children’s Books Press, an imprint of Lee and Low Books Inc.

Pura Belpre (Author) Award:

Under the Mesquite written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, published by Lee and Low Books Inc.

Belpre (Author) Honor Books

Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller written and illustrated by Xavier Garza, published by Cinco Puntos Press

Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck written by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC

Carnegie Award:

Children Make Terrible Pets produced by Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard, Weston Woods Studios, Inc.

Theodore Seuss Geisel Award:

Tales for Very Picky Eaters written and illustrated by Josh Schneider, published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Geisel Honor Books

I Broke My Trunk written and illustrated by Mo Willems, published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group

I Want My Hat Back written and illustrated by Jon Klassen, published by Candlewick Press

See Me Run written and illustrated by Paul Meisel, published by Holiday House

Sibert Medal:

Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade written and illustrated by Melissa Sweet, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Sibert Honor Books

Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor written by Larry Dane Brimner, published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc.

Drawing from Memory written and illustrated by Allen Say, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

The Elephant Scientist written by Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson, illustrated by Caitlin O’Connell and Timothy Rodwell, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Witches!: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem written and illustrated by Rosalyn Schanzer, published by National Geographic Society

Congratulations to all winners and honorees!

Now here’s a girl after my own heart: My Name Is Mina

My Name Is Mina by David Almond; published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, New York; 2010.

Nine year old Mina keeps a journal.  What was once a blank book by her bedside is quickly filled with observations of life from her perch in a tree.  After some defiant outbursts at school, her widowed mother has decided to homeschool her.  Mum offers loving nudges in one direction or another, but for the most part, Mina is exploring the world through her extraordinary writing and observation skills.  Although the book appears to be about nothing in particular, by the end Mina’s growth is apparent.  Maybe she’s ready to step back into the world of school and friendships.

I really don’t know how to describe this book.  Like Mina, it was extraordinary.  Almond’s inclusion of “extraordinary activity” suggestions blew me away; I can think of dozens of patrons and former students that would jump at the opportunity to read a book that challenges them to try things Mina tried; to think outside the norm.  Expressing Mina’s growth through observations, poems and short stories is remarkable.  I did feel like I was reading a diary found under a mattress.
So, who will read this?  It is certainly not a book that will appeal to the general population.  However, there are so many children, girls in particular, who feel isolated and are looking for characters like them.  Well, as Mina discovers at the end of the book, to make friends you only have to introduce yourself.  Hello, my name is Mina.

By the way, this book is promoted as the prequel to Skellig.  I did not read that book.  This one stands on its own as realistic fiction.  Don’t let the “prequel” or the “fantasy” terms prevent you from reading or recommending this book!

For more information about the books or the author, and resources that include audio excerpts, visit http://www.davidalmond.com/.

Reluctant eaters chant Rah, Rah, Radishes!

Rah, Rah, Radishes! A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre; published by Beach Lane Books, New York; 2011.

Rooting for vegetables after the overindulgences of the holidays?  Have a reluctant eater?  Perhaps April Sayre’s gorgeous photos from her local farmer’s market will heighten your appetite for veggies of all kinds and colors.  Along with the poetic chant celebrating all things veg, even vegetable snobs will be seeking out some color for their winter dinner plates.  Using appetite increasing colors and white fonts adds to the appeal of the harvest on each page.

Of course this is a wonderful book for spring (why we plant gardens) and harvest time (yum), but I would promote this book in the dead of winter just to remind the kids why vegetables are a great addition to the dinner plate.  Seriously, how much meat and potatoes can a family eat in the winter?  It’s already bland outside, so add color to your plate!

I also adore the author’s note (“A Few More Bites”) at the end of the book explaining what vegetables are and using powers of persuasion to get wee folk to try new veggies.  As a librarian, I nearly squealed out loud when I visited the author’s website (www.aprilsayre.com) because she has a list of resources (including a read-aloud of the Rah, Rah, Radishes chant) and story time plans (yes, I said, story time plans) and resources for teachers (standards based).  Her resources are listed here (be sure to scroll all the way down to see all options): http://www.aprilsayre.com/educator-resources/.  Since we’re chanting, can I get an “Author! Author!”