The notable children’s book list has been posted, and I’m so pleased to see that the listings are annotated. That’s helpful.
I’d like to send out particular congratulations to Deborah Hopkinson, author of Apples to Oregon: Being the (Slightly) True Narrative of How a Brave Pioneer Father Brought Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Grapes,
I’m thrilled that my fave YA of the year, Sammy And Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz (Cinco Puntos, 2004) was named a Top Ten BBYA. See the complete list on the ALA Web site.
Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood also was unanimously voted onto the BBYA list.
Storky: How I Lost My Nickname and Won The Girl by D.L. Garfinkle (Putnam, 2005). Told in a diary format by high school freshman Michael “Storky” Pomerantz, this sparkling debut novel chronicles its hero (1) befriending a Scrabble geezer, (2) embracing a family that “includes” Mom’s boyfriend “Dr. Vermin” and Dad’s rotating bimbos delight, (3) landing a first girlfriend (which one?),
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From The Writers’ League of Texas: “Four married couples, who also happen to write or illustrate books for children and young adults, will share their stories of working together, as well as the craft of writing. Join authors and illustrators Lila and Rick Guzmán, Frances Hill and Brian Yansky,
Speaking of Sharyn November, I’m a November author with Joseph Bruchac in the Perma-Bound Author & Illustrator Birthday Calendar 2005. Other featured authors include:
January: Mem Fox
February: Jacqueline Woodson
March: Eoin Colfer
April: Jane Yolen
May: Linda Sue Park
June: Jamie Lee Curtis
July: Robert Munsch
August: Paula Danziger
September: David Diaz
October: Cornelia Funke
November: Cynthia Leitich Smith and Joseph Bruchac
December: Andrew Clements
Greg‘s Observations:
Of late, the Newbery winners tend to be historical.
Take a look at the list since 1990. Of sixteen medal winners, eleven are historicals or historical-ish (Despereaux refers to a French princess, which has not existed to any significant degree since at least 1871); two of the contemporaries (Holes, Maniac Mcgee) are “tale-talish”
“Why Nerds Are Unpopular” by Paul Graham (February 2003).
I found the link to that article on YA editor Sharyn November‘s Web site. She offers outreach to teen readers, mega lists of links, and some info on submissions. Also fabu are the numerous references to her personal interests. When you’re done, go to Firebird–a must-visit for fantasy and sci fi fans.
Oh, my! Tonight, Greg and I saw “The Polar Express” in 3-D at the Imax Theater at the Texas History Museum in Austin. It was incredible! Hands-down, this is the way to experience the movie, which, by the way, based on a top-notch picture book by Chris Van Allsburg. Excellent way to celebrate the ALA awards,
Uma Krishnaswami‘s 10-week web-based Advanced Workshop on Writing for Children, begins January 31. Participants will be sent a web site URL and class code along with login instructions. Unlike the introductory class, the advanced workshop will not offer weekly exercises or lectures, but will focus entirely on participants’ own work in progress. Expect to post work in progress once a week,
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The American Library Association chose the bilingual picture book My Pal Victor / Mi Amigo Victor by Diane Gonzales Bertrand to receive the Scheider Family Book Award given to a children’s title that emphasizes an “artistic expression of the disability experience for children.”