The
Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour, sponsored by the
Association of Jewish Libraries, kicks off today! One of the Honor Award Winners for Older Readers is
Resistance by Carla Jablonski with art by Leland Purvis (First Second, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group)
SE: I’m always curious about the manner in which great books are created. In graphic novels and nonfiction, is the story generally written in its entirety before the artwork is conceived, is it a collaborative effort, or something completely different?
LP: Not all graphic novels are made the same way. In the case where the writer and artist are different people, often the working method grows out of the creators themselves, and the skills they bring to the table. In this case Carla did a full script but (unusual in comics) no panel-by-panel descriptions. The page design, shot-choices, and character design were all on me. Also, Carla had never done comics before. There are peculiarities of visual storytelling unique to the medium. Carla was very collaborative when occasions arose where I thought things needed changing for clarity, and really open to suggestions of solutions, which made it very satisfying.
SE: In Resistance, you often use Paul’s sketchbook to portray people or events in the story. I found it interesting that, in most cases, Paul’s sketchbook depicts events not through the filtered
Just a reminder that the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour starts this Sunday. The Sydney Taylor Book Award and honors are "presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience."
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2011 tour schedule
Carla Jablonski, author of Resistance, Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category at Jewish Comics- Leland Purvis, illustrator of Resistance, Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category right here @ Shelf-Employed
- Sarah Gershman, author of Modeh Ani: A Good Morning Book, Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Younger Readers Category at Biblio File
See you Sunday!
At the Midwinter meeting of the Board and Council of the Association of Jewish Libraries held in New York January 11 and 12, we voted to support the Convention with national funds so that the registration fee could be held at last year’s price of $450 even though actual costs will be somewhat higher this year. The hotel rate will be $159 per night which is much cheaper than the ALA rates the following week. In addition to subsidizing the registration fee, we also our Convention subsidy budget to $30,000 to provide funds for those who need them. Forms for convention subsidies will be online very soon. If you need funding to get to the Convention this year, please be sure to apply!
Besides increasing budget lines to help our members, the Council voted to establish an advocacy award for the decision makers in institutions who support their library programs. A new committee will work on the details and present them at the annual meeting at Convention. It is our hope that recognizing those who support libraries will encourage more support.
Two regional conferences are planned for February –
Western Regional Children’s Literature Conference on using Holocaust literature will be held at the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance on February 1st. Contact Lisa Silverman at [email protected] for information.
Northwest Regional Conference “Teaching Values Through Children’s Literature” will take place on February 15 in Seattle. Contact Tessa Bennion at [email protected] for more information.
Ten AJL members will be presenting as part of two panels at the World Jewish Congress this August. We also are planning a joint program with ALA this summer. If you are planning to present at any upcoming conferences, please list AJL as one of your organizations. It is great PR!
The Blog tour with Sydney Taylor Award winners is underway. Congratulations to all the award winners and thanks to those hosting them on their blogs. The schedule is below:
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Karen Hesse, author of
Brooklyn Bridge
Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Older Readers Category
at
Jewish Books for ChildrenMonday, January 19, 2009
Richard Michelson
Author of As Good As Anybody, Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category
and
Author of A is for Abraham, Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category
at The Well-Read Child
Monday, January 19, 2009
Ron Mazellan, illustrator of A is for Abraham
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category
at Tales from the Rushmore Kid
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Jane Yolen, author of Naming Liberty
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category
at The Boston Bibliophile
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Anna Levine
Author of Freefall, Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Teen Readers Category
and
Author of Jodie’s Hanukkah Dig, Notable Book in the Younger Readers Category
at Abby (the) Librarian
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Jim Burke, illustrator of Naming Liberty
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category
at The Page Flipper
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Jacqueline Jules, author of Sarah Laughs
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category
at Chicken Spaghetti
Friday, January 23, 2009
Deborah Bodin Cohen, author of Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category
at Becky’s Book Reviews
Friday, January 23, 2009
Shahar Kober, illustrator of Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride
Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Younger Readers Category
at Into the Wardrobe
Please be sure to visit these blogs on and after these dates to read interviews with these amazing authors and illustrators.
Two new AJL publications are available on Amazon and Createspace — Creating a Collection by Merrily Hart and Jewish Classics for Kids by Linda Silver.
The Accreditation Committee is designing a logo that accredited libraries can post on their websites. In addition, a committee is exploring the idea of offering Judaic Librarian certification through online courses at teh University of Maryland.
JTN, Jewish Television Network, is providing AJL a link to their programming so that AJL members can access author interviews and other programs of interest. The reader will be on a page that can be accessed through the AJL web page.
A full report of the business transacted at Midwinter will be in the next AJL Newsletter. Please read it and share your thoughts!
B’shalom,
Susan Dubin
AJL President
From ALJ: Ten award-winning authors and illustrators who create books for children and teens will appear at the 42nd Annual Convention of the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), scheduled for June 17 to June 20. All ten received recognition this year from AJL's Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, which awards the best in Jewish children's literature. The convention usually brings in only three or four such author/illustrators, making 2007 a bonanza year for lovers of Judaic literature for young people.
"Authors and illustrators who win the Sydney Taylor Book Award's gold medal are always invited to the convention to accept their awards," explains Rachel Kamin, chair of the award committee. "Those who receive honor awards are always welcome too, but this year our invitation received an overwhelming response! We are very excited to be able to meet so many talented, creative people during the convention."
2007 is the first year AJL presented a book award for teen readers, and convention organizers are particularly pleased to welcome Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief (Knopf, 2006), the Teen Book Award Winner. Zusak will travel all the way from his home in Australia to receive the award. Other award-winning authors and illustrators who will be present include:
Author Stephen Krensky and illustrator Greg Harlin, creators of the picture book Hanukkah at Valley Forge (Dutton, 2006), the Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Younger Readers;
Brenda A. Ferber, author of the novel Julia's Kitchen (FSG, 2006), the Sydney Taylor Book Award Winner for Older Readers;
Ann Redisch Stampler, author of the picture book Shlemazel and the Remarkable Spoon of Pohost (Clarion, 2006), a Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner for Younger Readers;
Brynn Olenberg Sugarman, author of the picture book Rebecca's Journey Home (Kar-Ben, 2006), a Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner for Younger Readers;
Esme Raji Codell, author of the novel Vive La Paris (Hyperion, 2006), a Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner for Older Readers;
Jennifer Roy, author of the novel Yellow Star (Marshall Cavendish, 2006), a Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner for Older Readers;
Linda Press Wulf, author of the novel Night of the Burning: Devorah's Story (FSG, 2006), a Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner for Older Readers;
Dana Reinhardt, author of the teen novel A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life (Wendy Lamb, 2006), an AJL Honor Award Winner for Teens (this award will take on the Sydney Taylor name beginning in 2008).
All ten authors/illustrators will be presenting sessions during the convention on either Monday, June 18 or Tuesday, June 19. A reception and book signing will take place on Tuesday, June 19 followed by an evening awards banquet. The convention will be held at the Scottsdale Hilton Resort & Villas; information on attending the convention is available at www.jewishlibraries.org.
Cynsational Note
Read interviews with Brenda A. Ferber and Esme Raji Codell.
Brenda A. Ferber on Brenda A. Ferber: "I grew up in a happy home in Highland Park, Illinois, the third of four children. I attended the University of Michigan and created my own honors major called, 'Creative Writing for Mass Media.' It was basically a combination of creative writing, film/video, and communications classes. Lots of fun! For my honors thesis, I wrote a screenplay, which is currently sitting in the back of my file cabinet, exactly where it belongs.
"After graduation, I moved to Chicago with Alan, my college sweetheart. I worked for Leo Burnett advertising agency, got married, and had three kids in 19 months. (Yes, we have twins.) Suddenly I was a stay-at-home mom, living in the suburbs, and driving a mini-van. It was time to reassess life.
"I had always dreamed of becoming an author but never saw it as a practical career. Now I figured I had to give it a shot. I wasn't making any money anyway, so what did it hurt? I took a class through the Institute of Children's Literature, devoured everything in the children's department of our library, and started to write. A few years later I sold two stories to Ladybug. Then, amazingly, I sold my first novel to FSG!"
What about the writing life first called to you?
When I was ten years old, my aunt gave me a diary for Hannukah, and I've been journaling ever since. For me, writing equals thinking. I don't really understand something until I've written about it. Not only did writing in a diary help me tackle the ups and downs of life, but it also helped me discover my writing voice. Journaling and reading as much as possible (Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, and Constance Greene were childhood favorites) added up to a natural desire to become an author.
I wasn't one of those kids who wrote stories all the time, but I thought in story-mode, and I still do.
You know that inner voice you have? Well, mine is a story-telling voice. For example, right now I'm thinking, She tried to answer the interview questions while her ten-year-old son buzzed about the room and asked, "What's for dinner, Mom?" I thought everyone's inner voice worked like this until one day when I mentioned it to my husband, and he informed me otherwise. Who would have guessed?
What made you decide to write for young readers?
I'm much too hopeful and optimistic to write for adults. And I love examining the growing-up years. I find it fascinating.
Could you tell us about your path to publication, any sprints or stumbles along the way?
In 2003, I attended the SCBWI Mid-Year Conference in NY. One of the editors I heard speak there was Beverly Reingold, from Farrar Straus & Giroux. At that time, I was in the middle of my first draft of Julia's Kitchen, and Beverly struck me as the right editor for that manuscript. I can't explain exactly why. It was just a gut feeling.
I went home and read several books Beverly had edited, and I became even more convinced that she should be my editor. Of course, I couldn't send her a half-finished first draft, so I sent her a picture book manuscript instead. Soon after, I received a lovely rejection letter from her. I sent her another picture book manuscript, and another, and another. Each time, she sent a rejection requesting to see more of my work.
Finally, she asked me if I could possibly write something longer than a picture book, and I told her about Julia's Kitchen. She sent me a handwritten note saying to send it as soon as possible! I taped that note up to my computer and worked as fast as I could to finish the fourth draft.
Meanwhile, I had entered the third draft of Julia's Kitchen in the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Competition and was waiting to hear the results. Right around the time I heard I won, I finished the fourth draft and submitted it to Beverly. She loved it, and offered me a contract! I did one revision for her, and then we went straight to line editing. Working with Beverly was an amazing learning experience. She was every bit the editor I thought she would be... and more!
Congratulations on the publication of Julia's Kitchen (FSG, 2006)! What was your initial inspiration for writing this book?
In 2001, we were living in Austin, Texas, and there was a house fire in our neighborhood. A father and son died in the fire, and to make matters worse, the mother had died two years earlier in a car accident. There were two brothers who survived, and they went to live with relatives. I didn't know the family, only their house and their story. But every day as I would drive by the burned out house, I wondered about the two boys. I wondered how they were dealing with all this tragedy. I also wondered how I would have coped in their place.
Then 9/11 happened, and it seemed everyone was walking around with a new level of fear.
I asked the age-old question: Why does God let bad things happen? I figured I could try to answer that question in a book. I always loved novels about grief and loss (I just love a good cry!), and I noticed all the mainstream books about death had Christian characters. Where were the Jews? I wanted to write a universal story about a Jewish girl dealing with loss and trying to figure out why God lets bad things happen.
What was the timeline from spark to publication, and what were the major events along the way?
I let the initial spark simmer in my head for about a year before I tried to write anything. During that time, we moved back to the Chicago area. I enrolled in ICL's novel writing class and formed a critique group. I spent about a year writing the first draft, and six months writing the next three. I worked with Beverly for about a year, and then a year later, the book was released. So it was a total of four and a half years from spark to publication.
What were the challenges (literary, research, psychological, logistical) in bringing it to life?
I am a naturally happy and optimistic person, so it was very hard for me to go as deep as I had to into Cara's grief. I wanted her to get over it! I wanted her to be happy!
Thankfully, a member of my critique group is a social worker, and she kept pushing me to delve deeper inside Cara's feelings. Also, one of my dearest friends unfortunately lost her mother to cancer while I was writing the book, and we had many talks about the grieving process. Through my friend, I learned that grief isn't only painful, it's also beautiful, and absolutely necessary to heal.
At one point while working with Beverly, it dawned on me that this was a terribly sad book. I wondered who would ever want to read such a heartbreaking tale, and I felt a bit panicked about that! But Beverly told me it has to be sad because it's a sad situation. I had to be true to my character and her story. And of course, there is a hopeful and uplifting ending. Even in the depths of grief, there are happy moments, if you look for them.
Congratulations, too, on your Sydney Taylor Awards for Julia's Kitchen--best manuscript (2004) and best book for older readers (2007)! What did this recognition mean to you?
Thank you! Winning the manuscript award in 2004 was amazing because it validated me as an author. It made me think I might actually get published. And it did help me find a publisher right away! But winning the gold medal in 2007 was even more exciting because there were so many outstanding Jewish books written this year. I was shocked and thrilled and flabbergasted and grateful that they picked mine as the very best. (I'm still trying to wrap my head around it!)
What advice do you have for beginning novelists?
Read, read, read. And don't stop revising until your manuscript is as good as the best stuff out there today. Only then should you try to find a publisher.
What do you do when you're not writing?
I love to spend time with my family and friends. We go to White Sox games, play Monopoly or Scrabble, see movies, go out to eat. I also love to read, scrapbook, bake, and (when nobody's watching) sing and dance to my iPod. My non-writing time also includes running errands, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, driving carpools, settling fights, and figuring out what's for dinner. If I ever win the Newbery or write a best-seller, I'm getting a personal chef!
As a reader, what middle grade novels have you enjoyed lately and why?
I loved Sold by Patricia McCormick (Hyperion, 2006). It was hauntingly powerful, deeply sad, yet filled with hope. Right now I'm in the middle of Alabama Moon by Watt Key (FSG, 2006), and I'm loving it! The main character, Moon, is one in a million. I find myself thinking about him when I'm not reading and itching to get back to his story.
What can your fans look forward to next?
Jemma Hartman, Camper Extraordinaire, will be published by FSG in spring 2009. It's a middle grade novel about friendship, sailing, and growing up at an overnight camp in northern Wisconsin.
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I loved the Wooden Sword. Thank you for sharing this interview!