Check out Andrew Arnold‘s cover art for Little Green Men at the Mercury Inn by Greg Leitich Smith (Roaring Brook, 2014). According to Greg, “It’s a middle-grade story of three friends at a motel in Cocoa Beach and what happens the day after a space shuttle launch is scrubbed due to the presence of a UFO over Cape Canaveral…”
2013 Orbis Pictus Award & Honor Books
Monsieur Marceau: Actor without Words by Leda Schubert, illustrated by Gérard DuBois (Roaring Brook) is the winner of the 2013 Orbis Pictus Award. See a Cynsations guest post by Leda about the book.
The Honor Books are:
- Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns, photographs by Ellen Harasimonwicz (Henry Holt)
- Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin by Robert Byrd (Dial)
- The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch (Houghton Mifflin)
- Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara Kerley, illustrated by Edward Fotheringham (Scholastic)
- We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March by Cynthia Levinson (Peachtree) See a Cynsations guest post by Cynthia about the book.
See also Orbis Pictus Recommended Books.
More News & Giveaways
Dyslexia in Middle Grade Fiction
by Joy McCullough-Carranza from Project Mayhem. Peek: “Seeing characters like Percy and his demigod friends turn their challenges into real advantages as they save the world is incredibly powerful for other kids with similar struggles. But not all kids are epic fantasy types, and Percy Jackson isn’t the only dyslexic in middle grade.”
Keeping a Professional Distance from Our Book by Elizabeth S. Craig from Mystery Writing Is Murder. Peek: “I’d be crazy not to listen to these, but it does reach a point where I realize only I know what’s best for my stories. I’m not writing my own fan fiction, here.”
Pay Proper Attention to Your Bio by Jane Friedman from Writer Unboxed. Peek: “…a brief bio has never stopped me from investigating a person I’m super interested in. But it’s an unnecessary stumbling block, and it’s usually the people with the super-short bios who have no websites or easy contact information.”
A Caricature, Not a Compliment by Kayla Whaley from CBC Diversity. Peek: “…the ‘disabled saint’—the good little cripple, perfect in personality in spite of being wholly imperfect physically. Innocent and pure and forever denied their humanity. The classic example is Tiny Tim…”
What Really Makes Katniss Stand Out? Peeta, Her Movie Girlfriend by Linda Holms from YPR Baltimore. Peek: “…one of the most unusual things about Katniss isn’t the way she defies typical gender roles for heroines, but the way Peeta, her arena partner and one of her two love interests, defies typical Hollywood versions of gender roles for boyfriends.”
KidLit for the Philippines: An On-Line Auction to Benefit Typhoon Survivors from Michelle Cusolito at Polliwog on Safari. Peek: “…an online talent auction to benefit Mercy Corps and UNICEF relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan (AKA Yolanda). Agents, editors, authors, and illustrators have donated various services and items to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with donations being made directly to Mercy Corps and UNICEF.”
Write Outside The Lines of Your Book by Josin L. McQuein from Adventures in YA Publishing. Peek: “That’s the beauty of an organic medium; new ideas and methods won’t break it. Things can be strange and uncomfortable. Characters can – and will – surprise you, if you stay true to the personalities and voices that develop as the story progresses.”
Keeping Your Eyes to Yourself by Lydia Kang from Adventures in YA Publishing. Peek: “Not only are you not writing, but you’re taking little pecks of confidence away from yourself when you need it the most. It’s disheartening and can seriously cripple your muse.”
What Happens at Frankfurt Book Fair? by Keith Yatsuhashi from QueryTracker Blog. Peek: “Frankfurt is all about selling and acquiring rights.”
Cynsational Giveaways
- signed copy of Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst (YA)(U.S. only)
- one of two sets of Mitchell Goes Driving and Mitchell Goes Bowling by Hallie Durand (PB)(North America)
This Week at Cynsations
- Anne Broyles on “In Its Own Sweet Time”
- Kathi Appelt & Hallie Durand on Mitchell Goes Bowling
- Event Photo Report: Florida Association for Media in Education
Cynsational Screening Room
Award-winning children’s book illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh employs both modern images and ancient iconographies to tell the untold story of loss that Mexicans feel for their family members who make the dangerous journey to America as undocumented workers. He speaks below about his work and influences.
More Personally
Happy (U.S.) Thanksgiving, and happy Hanukkah! Cynsations posts are abbreviated this week due to the holidays and will resume on Monday.
Last week’s highlight was speaking at the 2013 conference of the Florida Association for Media in Education. Thank you, Florida librarians! I also managed to sneak in a little fun time in Orlando.
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| At Downtown Disney |
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| Who’s having more fun, me or the LEGO sea serpent? (Also at Downtown Disney) |
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| At the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Islands of Adventure) |
Personal Links
I love the title and cover of Little Green Men… Thanks for the links. I'm especially interested in the posts from Elizabeth S. Craig and Lydia Kang. I'm off to check them out now.
Thank you for spreading the word about #KidLitPhil.
Bidders are needed! Some items close Sunday at 10 PM EST. More close each day from then on until Friday the 6th when the final items should close.