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moderator Roger Sutton with panelists Cathie Mercier, Nancy Werlin, and Charlotte Taylor

What makes a book award-worthy? Who decides, and how? These questions were the focus of “Winners, Losers, and Something in Between: An Inside Look at Book Awards,” a panel sponsored by Children’s Books Boston that met at Simmons College on Tuesday.

The panelists and moderator had years of experience choosing book award winners among them. The moderator, our own Roger Sutton, and panelist Cathie Mercier, Director of the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons, have both served on committees for a number of long-running book awards, including plenty of American Library Association Youth Media awards. Panelist and author Nancy Werlin has served as a judge for the National Book Award and the Edgar Awards, and has been a finalist for both those awards and a winner of the Edgar. Panelist Charlotte Taylor is a blogger and longtime judge of the Cybils Awards.

Committee composition was a hot topic, with various types of diversity coming up again and again — gender and ethnic diversity, but also diversity of professional experience. Are the judges librarians? Booksellers? Authors? Bloggers? Do they have opportunities to share books with kids? Do those kids come from different backgrounds? Do they have a variety of genre preferences, and can they get past their preferences? And how big is the committee? Will it be dominated by one or two strong personalities? (Or not-so-obviously-strong personalities — as Nancy put it, quiet committee members in the back of the room are just as capable of digging in their heels as anyone else.)

Another big question was how the books get into the committee members’ hands. In most cases, publishers submit books for consideration, sometimes with a submission fee, sometimes without. ALA award judges are expected to read beyond what’s sent to them; National Book Award committees can “call in” a book from a publisher (and if the publisher is a small one, the submission fee is waived). The Cybils, an award judged by book bloggers, has a completely different process: anyone can nominate a book for the first round of judging, in which one group chooses a shortlist that’s handed off to a second round of judges.

Clearly, there’s a lot of work involved in being on an award committee. Cathie emphasized the importance of preparation before meetings, since time is short and there are so many books to discuss. When she chaired the Sibert committee, she insisted that committee members write annotations of the books they were supporting. (I’ll bet she did, thought all the Simmons alums in the room.) “You have to be able to see what people are thinking,” she explained.

The perspectives of the panelists varied most widely on the question of what makes an award-worthy book, and how one decides. While ALSC awards use terms like “most distinguished” in their criteria, the Cybils emphasize “kid appeal,” a term Charlotte admitted is subjective, since the adult judges bring their own biases. Cathie expressed that she feels “really, really inept at determining what kid appeal is,” but Charlotte said that the Cybils rely on the experience of the judges, many of whom work with kids.

All in all, the discussion was lively as advertised. And if you enjoy lively CBB events, join us for the liveliest of the year: Wicked Boston Children’s Book Trivia Challenge, hosted by Jack Gantos, at M. J. O’Connor’s on June 13.

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Grace Lin

Boston is starting 2016 off with a bang. There are a ton of children’s literature related events coming up this month in and around Boston — including ALA Midwinter this weekend! Here are just a few highlights; see our calendar for even more events.

• ALA’s 2016 Midwinter Meeting begins Friday, January 8th, and runs through Tuesday, January 12th, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The Youth Media Awards announcements will take place Monday the 11th at 8:00 am in the ballroom. See the full schedule and register.
• The Jumbies author and Creative Writing MA faculty member Tracy Baptiste will speak at Lesley University’s Marran Theater on Friday, January 8th, at 5:00 pm. The presentation is free and open to the public.
• Also on Friday the 8th: at 7:00 pm, Brookline Booksmith will host a “Real Teen Lives in YA” panel with authors Marieke Nijkamp (This is Where It Ends), Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (Firsts), Annie Cardi (The Chance You Won’t Return), and Emily Martin (The Year We Fell Apart).
• On Saturday, January 9th at 4:00 pm, Mac Barnett and Jory John will hold a prankster’s workshop at An Unlikely Story to celebrate the publication of The Terrible Two Get Worse. The (terrible?) two will also visit Barnes & Noble on Sunday the 10th at 12:00 pm.
• As part of the low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program, Lesley University will host a morning of Picture Book Seminars on Sunday the 10th. Author and faculty member Michelle Knudsen will cover “Picture Book Basics” from 9:30 am–11:00 am. Author/illustrator Brian Lies will discuss “Vision, Revision, and Re-revision” from 11:00 am–12:30 pm. The seminars are free and open to the public.
• FableVision Studios will hold a reception for winners of the Massachusetts Book Awards on Sunday the 10th from 3:00 pm–4:30 pm.
• KidLit Drink Night celebrates ALA with a gathering at Pastoral Boston at 5:30 pm on Sunday the 10th. Come socialize with fellow children’s literature aficionados!
• The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial author and Creative Writing MA faculty member Susan E. Goodman will speak at Lesley University’s Marran Theater on Sunday the 10th at 6:30 pm. The presentation is free and open to the public.
• Peter H. Reynolds will participate in the Family Film Festival at Arlington’s The Regent Theateron Saturday, January 16th. The event includes screenings of animated films based on several of his books, a presentation, and a book signing. It begins at 10:30 am (ages 3 and up; $6).
• On Saturday the 16th at 2:00 pm, The Writers’ Loft will host YA authors MarcyKate Connolly (Monstrous), Camille DeAngelis (Bones & All), Mackenzi Lee (This Monstrous Thing), and Marika McCoola (Baba Yaga’s Assistant) for a panel discussion on “Writing Monsters.” Free for Writers’ Loft members; donation requested for nonmembers.
• Grace Lin will give her presentation “The Mirrors and Windows of Your Child’s Bookshelf” at The Carle Museum on Saturday the 16th (1:00 pm; free with museum admission) and as part of TEDxNatick on Saturday, January 23rd (9:30 am–3:30 pm; $27).
• Jarrett Krosoczka will be visiting An Unlikely Story at 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 30th, to celebrate the release of Comics Squad: Lunch! Register here beginning January 16th.

See our monthly events calendar for more events and all details. Hosting — or attending — a local event and want to see it listed? Email the info to cbb (at) hbook.com.

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When the Cambridge Public Library announced that Brown Girl Dreaming would be this year’s Cambridge Reads book I was beyond thrilled. Now Jacqueline Woodson and I would be best friends! I’d say, Jacqueline, you are my hero, thank you for your perspective, your advocacy and for creating windows and mirrors for my students! Then she would say, Liz, I love your outfit and I would be like, I love your shoes! And together we would join forces to bring children representative literature and diversity to publishing practices and live happily ever after librarian and author best friends. The end.

While this particular fantasy did not come to fruition, she did in other ways fulfill my dreams for myself and my students who I brought with me. I don’t know if you have seen Jacqueline Woodson in person or heard her speak, but do yourself a favor and try to do just that. She is not only a dynamic author and speaker but also quite relatable, adding another layer to her already great capacity as a social commentator and leader in the field.

The audience was immediately endeared by her “Just Like Us” struggle to find the right outfit for that night (OMG you guys — I never know what to wear!). And just as you might think, she brought a deeper meaning to that seeming mundanity — recounting to the audience the advice passed down through the women in her family, now including Jacqueline’s thirteen-year-old daughter, about always looking smart. It’s a reminder that when you enter a room, your arms enter, your legs, your butt, your body…so wrap them up presentably. Jacqueline told us that’s why she usually wraps herself up in black.

The evening continued like this, bringing meaning and enlightenment to the audience. Adults were clearly moved. But it was the children in the audience — they added the poignancy and importance to the night. I felt immense pride as I looked over to see my students leaning forward not to miss a word, how they dutifully looked through the copies of their books to find the passages she was reading from, how when they asked questions, there were forethought, curiosity, and eagerness in their words.

The question-and-answer line went on for miles — all children! and all great questions (people were really interested in Jacqueline’s little brother, Roman). Close to the end, one girl in the audience asked  earnestly, “Why are you so poet?”I am not sure, little girl, but thank god she is.

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Jacqueline Woodson. Photo: Marty Umans

November is absolutely packed with children’s literature related events in and near Boston. Here are just a few highlights; see our calendar for even more events.

• It’s National Novel Writing Month! Check the calendar for write-in events throughout the month in various venues.
• Tonight, November 5th at 7:00 pm, author Mike Lupica will be signing his new book Fast Break. The event is free and hosted by Wellesley Books.
• Wondermore is hosting its annual “What’s New in Children’s Books” conference on Saturday, November 7th, at Lesley University. The half-day conference will run from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. Speakers include former HB editor in chief Anita Silvey; author/illustrators Rebecca Bond, Marika McCoola, and Dan Moynihan; authors Elaine Dimopoulos and Megan Dowd Lambert; Children’s Bookshop owner Terri Schmidt; and librarian Christian Porter. Registration fees are $65 for individuals; $25 for students (with valid ID); and $40 for Lesley University alums.
• Also on Saturday the 7th: Tomie dePaola and Barbara Elleman will discuss dePaola’s new collection The Magical World of Strega Nona at 1:00 pm at The Carle Museum.This event is sold out; call 413-658-1126 to be added to the waitlist.
• On Sunday, November 8th, the 26th annual “Children’s Illustration Celebration” exhibit will open at the R. Michelson Galleries. An opening reception will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.
• Gabi, A Girl in Pieces author Isabel Quintero will be speaking at the BPL’s Connolly Branch at 6:30 pm on Monday, November 9th, and at the East Boston Branch at 3:00 pm on Tuesday the 10th.
• Porter Square Books will hold a launch party for Manners & Mutiny with author Gail Carriger on Tuesday the 10th at 7:00 pm.
• George author Alex Gino will visit The Blue Bunny on Wednesday, November 11th, at 4:30 pm.
• Gregory Maguire will discuss and sign his new book After Alice at the CPL’s Main Branch on Thursday, November 12th, at 6:30.
• Exhibit “Magic, Color, Flair: The World of Mary Blair” opens at The Carle Museum on Saturday, November 14th, with a members’ reception at 5:00 pm.
• Jacqueline Woodson will speak about her multi-award-winning verse memoir Brown Girl Dreaming at the CPL’s Main Branch on Wednesday, November 18th, at 6:30 pm as part of the CPL’s Cambridge Reads initiative. On Thursday the 19th,  she will visit the BPL’s Codman Square Branch at 10:00 am and the Dudley Branch at 7:00 pm.
• The Carle will host an “All About Alice” Day on Saturday, November 22nd, to celebrate the 150th publication anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Events include a gallery talk, crafts, a tea party, and a presentation by Leonard Marcus, Barry Moser, and Charles Santore.

See our monthly events calendar for lots more events and all the details. Have a local event you’d like to see listed? Email the info to cbb (at) hbook.com.

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What an invigorating weekend here on the Simmons College campus, as current students, alums, authors, illustrators, teachers, librarians, academics, booksellers, book lovers, etc., etc., etc., came together for the 2015 Summer Children’s Literature Institute: Homecoming. Some highlights are below, and in no particular order. We know. We tried to make it brief. But we just couldn’t. Sorry not sorry.

Shoshana:

Though Michelle H. Martin, who’d taught the longer Symposium class, was unfortunately unable to attend the weekend Institute, Cathie Mercier, director of the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons College, read a brief message from Michelle and then opened the floor to her students, who stepped up and opened the Institute with a glimpse into the work they’d done in her class. We heard astute comparisons between seemingly disparate books, and more about those books’ reflections of home. It was a reminder of the depth of analysis that’s common here at Simmons, and should have been required listening for anyone with any doubts that children’s literature is a serious field of study.

Bright and early on Saturday morning, Vicky Smith, children’s and teen editor at Kirkus Reviews, moderated a panel with illustrators Shadra Strickland, Hyewon Yum, and David Hyde Costello, citing images of home from each panelist’s work and asking about the thoughts behind the images. We learned that Shadra feels it’s important to show children of color in happy, whimsical settings; that Hyewon remembers leaving home to start school but now identifies more with the mother being left at home; and that David thought hardest about a minor character in Little Pig Joins the Band. All three illustrators’ work had enough images of home — some comforting and some unsettling — to drive home (ha!) the importance, especially in childhood, of having a familiar place to return to.

I attended several of the Master Seminars that were offered throughout the weekend. Lauren Rizzuto’s seminar examined the politics of sentiment in children’s literature, and the valuing of emotion both within texts and in response to texts. Amy Pattee borrowed Cathie’s impossible and totally unfair often-difficult exercise of asking those present to divide themselves into those who emphasize books and those who emphasize readers. From those perspectives, we examined some critically successful books and some that were popular in terms of sales, and discussed what each metric values. Jeannine Atkins shared some thoughts about what makes a verse novel work, offering specific, technical advice as well as larger observations. I left Lauren’s seminar feeling a bit more justified in my own feelings of affection toward literary characters; Amy’s with a greater understanding of how my bookselling past informs my thinking; and Jeannine’s with a few ideas of my own.

Joan Tieman, Susan Bloom, and Barbara Harrison at the post-lecture reception.

On Friday night Barbara Harrison and Gregory Maguire turned the Mary Nagel Sweetser Lecture into a two-voice, three-act play about a subject dear to many of our hearts: the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons College. Harrison, the Center’s founder, and Maguire, its first graduate, performed the story of how they got here and how the Center developed. That story, of course, included quotes from quite a few children’s books, words that many of us at Simmons have heard echoing in our ears. Between that and the photos of some familiar faces in bygone years, it was quite the multimedia presentation, and struck a chord with many in the audience.

On Saturday night Jack Gantos gave the most straightforward presentation I’d ever heard from him. It took us back to his childhood home; climbed stairs and trudged through snow to his writing home at the Boston Athenaeum; and scrawled its way through his writing process, but there were no leaps this time to, say, a hypothetical mausoleum. Instead, he connected his thoughts back to the idea of home so relentlessly, the repetition was almost as big a joke as the other actual jokes peppered throughout the speech. Jack Gantos can home in on one idea…who knew?

On Sunday morning M. T. Anderson recalled his adventurous travels abroad, featuring miscommunications that resulted from his learned-from-opera French and a fight with feral cats over a poorly prepared chicken. He realized it might be easier to instead write about places he’d never seen and extrapolate based on books and maps, an epiphany that resulted in the highly creative version of Delaware that appears in some of his books. We were even treated to his rendition of Delaware’s anthem.

Elissa:

Roger Sutton talks with Bryan Collier.

Friday morning, Bryan Collier, in conversation with Roger — and both in snappy bow ties! — talked about his Maryland hometown (and the chicken farms that he knew were not a part of his future plans). Growing up he was an athlete but also an artist. He didn’t know any other artists, so he left home to find some. The prolific illustrator talked about the work ethic involved in creating art, and he compared creativity to a body of water: some people dip in a toe, some wade in, and others will “jump off a cliff, backwards.” “What do you do when you feel like you’re drowning?” asked Roger. “Trust it. Surrender,” he said. (And speaking of liquids: later I was sitting next to Bryan, in his slick beige suit, and terrified I’d spill my iced coffee on him. Didn’t happen. Phew!)

“Tall, dark, and handsome” Newbery winner Kwame Alexander.

Horn Book intern Alex introduced 2015 Newbery Award winner (for The Crossover, like I had to tell you that) Kwame Alexander to the crowd, forgetting the salient point — as the man himself was quick to point out — “Kwame Alexander is tall, dark, and handsome.” He is also an amazing speaker, as everyone who was at this year’s CSK Breakfast and Newbery-Caldecott Banquet already knows, both hypnotizing the audience with his confident flow of words and keeping them on their toes, with brains a-buzzing (there was some audience participation involved).

Rita Williams-Garcia. And yes she is (see quote above).

And how do you follow a speech that is by turns hilarious, heart-breaking, thought-provoking, swoon-worthy (those ladies at church never had a chance), eye-opening, electric, improvisatory…etc. etc.? First, with a standing ovation. Then with a talk by Rita Williams-Garcia, who talked to…herself. Williams-Garcia played the parts of both present-day Rita and thirty-three-year-old (“the age of Jesus”) Rita, discussing her work, her views, her past, future, and in-between times. She talked about the effect The Horn Book’s words had on her — “Rita Williams-Gracia may well turn out to be among the most prominent African-American literary artists of the next generation” — and her evolving thoughts on book awards, who-can-write-for-whom?, and the n-word. It was moving. And deep. And we don’t even mind that Big Ma wasn’t based on a real person.

Martha:

Editor Neal Porter and artist Laura Vaccaro Seeger (whose art was on display in Simmons’s Trustman Gallery all weekend) took us, step by step, through her creative process — with the added bonus that we also got an illuminating glimpse into their working relationship. They shared (mostly late-night) emails, the journals in which Laura loosely brainstorms ideas (but retroactively goes back and gives tables of contents — she’s a born organizer, apparently), and how three of her picture books came to be: Green; a new book coming out this September called I Used to Be Afraid; and a work in progress, a companion to Green called Blue. As usual, their affection and respect for each other permeated the presentation, whether Laura was demonstrating the challenges of using die-cuts or Neal was exhorting the value of the printed picture book. To paraphrase: No one has yet come up with a more efficient format for telling a story in words and pictures than a picture book you can hold in your hand. It’s all about the page turns, and swiping through an e-book doesn’t provide that. (And his analogy — something about slapping an iPad with a dead fish in order to “page” through a picture book? — is pretty hard to get out of your mind.)

Katie:

Molly Idle, an artist from age three.

Molly Idle doesn’t write presentation notes, but she doesn’t need to — charming, high-energy, and insightful, she captivated the crowd. (One tweet read, “I think everyone here has a crush on Molly Idle right now. I know I do” to which Molly herself replied, “It’s a mutual admiration society. :)” How great is that?) She talked about her trajectory from animation to illustration, how becoming an illustrator felt like a kind of homecoming, and the logistics of sharing studio space with her family. I was lucky enough to get to pick her brain about how illustration is like dance — “If you could just say it, you wouldn’t need to draw it!” — at dinner afterwards.

Moving from commune to commune during her childhood, Emily Jenkins (a.k.a. E. Lockhart) found home in books and in shared reading experiences that represented stability in her otherwise uprooted life. As a result of her nomadic upbringing, she came to believe that home is not a nostalgic place to return to (i.e., your parents’ house) but rather something you make for yourself every day. She went on to examine some fascinating examples of literary independent children, such as Pippi Longstocking and the Boxcar Children, and how they create home for themselves. Emily closed with a moving passage from her book Toys Come Home:

“Why are we here?” asks Plastic.
“We are here,” says StingRay, “for each other.”
Oh.
Of course we are.
Of course we are here for each other.

Elaine Dimopoulos, debut author of fashion-meets-dystopian novel Material Girls, is really super smart. (She’s also a grad school classmate and good friend of mine, so I am probably a little bit biased. But even Emily Jenkins says Elaine is “crazy smart.”) Elaine discussed the ways that the traditional narrative structures of home–away–home (for younger kids’ fiction) and home–away (for YA) are no longer realistic, and offered some solutions to help writers get grown-ups out of the picture and allow child/teen characters some breathing room. Elaine also told us the story of how, as a Simmons grad student, she introduced speaker M. T. Anderson at the 2005 Summer Institute (and how it changed her life), as well as a little about being a Writer in Residence at the BPL.

And that was it! You know, just all that. There was a wrap-up by Cathie and Megan Dowd Lambert, and everyone went *home* (or wherever), recharged, refreshed, rejuvenated. For a recap in verse (and in homage), check out Shoshana’s “Good Night, Paresky Room.”

See you in two years…

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With apologies to Margaret Wise Brown, a recap of Homecoming inspired by the homiest book of them all.

In the Paresky room,
there were tweeting phones
and thought balloons
with pictures of
the places we’ve dwelt, and with whom.
There were dogs and bears,¹ and familiar chairs,
and pulses² that quicken at art, not at chickens.
Home, and publishing house,³
and a pig and his spouse,⁴
and a book-signing rush, and the impulse to gush,
and a dean in her teacher voice begging us, “Hush.”
Thank you room
with hallowed aura.
Thank you silent, dancing Flora.⁵
Thank you artists who fuss and fuss.⁶
Thank you authors who board the bus.⁷
Thank you Rita
and thank you Rita.⁸
Thank you fashion
and thank you passion.⁹
Thank you shelves
that locate selves.¹⁰
Thank you Jack, who kept to theme.¹¹
Thank you Tobin’s Delaware dream.¹²
The stories of Simmons could fill quite a tome.¹³
We’re clicking our heels, for there’s no place like home.

_______________________________________

1. and Laura Vaccaro Seeger
2. like Bryan Collier’s
3. such as Neal Porter Books
4. David Hyde Costello’s example of casual porcine diversity
5. created by the delightfully talkative Molly Idle
6. including but not limited to Hyewon Yum
7. led by Kwame Alexander
8. Rita Williams-Garcia, age 33, and Rita Williams-Garcia, age 58, who held an enlightening conversation
9. and thank you Elaine Dimopoulos, who has both
10. because, as Emily Jenkins put it, “Home is where you keep your books”
11. Jack Gantos brings home the record for use of the word “home.”
12. M. T. Anderson’s version of Delaware may have involved some imagination
13. Or a three-act play performed by Barbara Harrison and Gregory Maguire

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Jack Gantos

June is a busy, busy, busy month for children’s book aficionados in and around Boston (pretty close to an event a day — whew!) Here are some events you definitely won’t want to miss:

• NE-SCBWI hosts author Nancy Werlin for a revision workshop entitled “Less is More: Artful Cutting and Shaping” on Sunday, June 7th, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Workshop registration is $30 for SCBWI members, $40 for nonmembers.
• Somewhat tangential to kids’ books, but certainly of interest: Lev Grossman and Gregory Maguire will discuss Grossman’s final Magicians trilogy entry, The Magician’s Land, at the Brattle Theater at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, June 10th. Tickets for the event, which is hosted by Harvard Book Store, are $5.
• Worth the drive: the 21st Century Children’s Nonfiction Conference takes place at Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY on the weekend of June 12th–14th. Registration is $440.
• At 1:00 pm on Sunday, June 14th, at The Carle Musuem, Caldecott winner David Macaulay will discuss his work in honor of the museum’s new exhibit “Gray Matter: David Macaulay’s Black and White.” The presentation is free with museum admission; book signing to follow. 1 PDP.
• Children’s Books Boston will hold our second annual Wicked Boston Children’s Books Trivia Night — hosted by the incomparable Jack Gantos — at 5:30 pm Monday, June 15th, at M. J. O’Connor’s. We are currently at capacity but accepting names for the waitlist. $10 (cash only, please) at the door.
• Boston Book Festival launches its latest project, Hubbub: Creative Commotion for Kids, on Saturday, June 20th, in Copley Square. The festival is free and will feature a range of events and activities (author meet-and-greets! storytimes! music! puppet shows!) for kids of all ages.
• Again, not strictly a children’s book event (but who cares?): Judy Bloom will discuss her brand-new adult book, In the Unlikely Event, with Tom Ashbrook at the Coolidge Corner Theater at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, June 24th. The event is hosted by Brookline Booksmith; tickets are $5.

See our monthly events calendar for all events and more details. Have a local event you’d like to see listed? Email the info to cbb (at) hbook.com.

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There are a ton of star-studded children’s lit events coming up later this month in the Boston area. Here are some highlights:

Mother-and-daughter team Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple will read and sign their new picture book You Nest Here with Me at The Blue Bunny in Dedham on Saturday, April 11th, at 11:00 am.

Susan Campbell Bartoletti will lead two multigenerational book discussions based around her books at middle schools in reading. The first session (at Parker Middle School on Wednesday, April 15th, at 12:00 pm) will focus on the theme of youth in Nazi Germany. The second session (at Coolidge Middle School on Thursday the 16th at 8:15 am) will focus on the Irish Potato Famine.

Graphic novelist Gareth Hinds (who has an article coming up in the May/June magazine) will be signing at The Blue Bunny at 6:30 pm on Friday, April 17th.

Frequent HB contributor Megan Dowd Lambert will give a presentation called “Looking at the Whole Book: Exploring A Crow of His Own” with the book’s illustrator, David Hyde Costello. The event will take place at The Carle Museum at 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 18th, and is free with museum admission.

The New England SCBWI Conference 2015: “Think Outside the Crayon Box!” will be held Friday, April 24th, through Sunday, April 26th, at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel.

Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney will give the fifth annual Barbara Elleman Research Library (BERL) Lecture on the theme of “Art as a Manuscript” at The Carle Museum on Saturday, April 25th, at 2:00pm.

Pinkney’s fellow Medalist David Díaz will be giving a series of children’s art workshops on Wednesday, April 29th, to celebrate Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros. He’ll be at the BPL’s Connolly Branch at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm and at the East Boston Branch at 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm.

CSK winner Rita Williams-Garcia will discuss and sign Gone Crazy in Alabama, the final book in her trilogy about the Gaither sisters, at Wellesley Books at 7:00 pm on Thursday, April 30th.

Also on Thursday the 30th at 7:00 pm, Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry wraps up a month of The Giver–centric programming for West Roxbury Reads with a lecture and Q&A at the West Roxbury Branch library.

Dazzling, right? And that’s just a sampling! Head over to our monthly events calendar for all the details and for even more great upcoming events.

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The other night, Martha Parravano and I attended an “Ink and Drink” at Candlewick Press for visiting author Chris Haughton. Boston was a stopover for Haughton, an Irishman who lives in London, on his way to Mississippi to accept the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award for Shh! We Have a Plan, which received a starred review in the November/December 2014 Horn Book Magazine. His other books include Little Owl Lost and Oh No, George! and he developed a snazzy-looking app called Hat Monkey.

Haughton started as a graphic designer, then got hooked in to People Tree, a fair trade organization specializing in fashion/textiles and gifties. He talked about his time in Nepal, including co-founding a free-trade carpet and knitwear organization called Node that works with an adult education and support center to train and employ women, many of whom are domestic violence survivors or otherwise victims of oppression. This little guy — a George hand puppet (from Oh No, George!) — is one of the projects.

Just when you thought he couldn’t get any more big-hearted, he also created the artwork for a hospital children’s ward. And he read Shh! We Have a Plan aloud to us. And all with an Irish accent. The evening was lots of fun. Thanks for hosting, Candlewick!

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When my favorite books get made into movies, I’m there. But I’m usually wearing a t-shirt with this logo (courtesy of Unshelved):

So when Children’s Books Boston announced its latest event, “From Page to Screen: An Inside Look at Children’s Book Adaptations,” I was intrigued. I was even more intrigued when I saw the range of perspectives represented. Moderator and panel participant Deborah Kovacs, senior vice president at Walden Media and publisher at Walden Pond Press, has been involved with many book-to-film collaborations, including The Giver (a feature film in 2014) and The Watsons Go to Birmingham (which aired on the Hallmark Channel in 2013). Panelist Ammi-Joan Paquette, senior agent with Erin Murphy Literary Agency and an author herself, has seen the work of several of her author clients begin the transition from book to film. Panelist Carol Greenwald, senior executive producer of children’s programs at WGBH Boston, helped create the television adaptations of Arthur, Curious George, and Martha Speaks. And Randy Testa, vice president of education and professional development at Walden Media, contributed to the discussion with in-depth reports of his involvement with The Watsons Go to Birmingham.

L.-R.: Debbie Kovacs, Carol Greenwald, and Ammi-Joan Paquette

Almost immediately, Kovacs invoked The Giver author Lois Lowry, whose novel went through about two decades of attempts to bring it to the screen. According to Kovacs, Lowry has said that she considers a film faithful if it’s “true to the spirit of the book.” Lowry participated closely in the 2014 Giver film’s development, helping to write voiceover narration to clarify scenes that test audiences had trouble following. Kovacs and the other panelists agreed that adapters should consider the most important factors of a story’s appeal. She pointed out that when a movie has a long list of end credits, “about half of those people…have opinions” that can alter the way a film is adapted. “In their defense,” she added, “they’re putting up a whole lot of money.”

Paquette also emphasized the number of people and steps involved in the adaptation process; she warns authors not to expect that their books will be adapted for the screen. Even when books are optioned for adaptation, much in the adaptation process is beyond authors’ control. She did cite a success story, though: her client Jennifer A. Nielsen met with a scriptwriter working on the movie adaptation of her intermediate novel The False Prince. Nielsen had the opportunity to share what would happen later in the book series with the screenwriter so he could write with future events in mind.

For WGBH executive producer Greenwald, “the television series is not the book,” but part of the purpose of an educational book-to-television adaptation is to encourage kids’ continued reading about the characters. Converting brief picture books to long television series means fleshing out characters, giving them backstories, and specifying their parents’ jobs, for instance, but it’s important to preserve the spirit of the source material. The TV show’s Curious George might go on new adventures that aren’t in the book series, but (for example) the animals in his TV world can’t — and shouldn’t — talk, since they can’t in the books.

Testa spoke passionately about the Watsons film, which coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of the bombing of Birmingham’s 16^th Street Baptist Church. Although the film kept many of the episodes from the book, the bombing and issues of segregation became a more continuous part of the movie’s narrative arc. Later Testa declared, “we have to, have to, have to” depict more people of color on screen, naming Esperanza Rising and Monster as books that are waiting to be made into movies.

As you can see, book-to-film adaptations aren’t as simple as my t-shirt might have you believe, and there was a lot to talk about. Luckily, the conversation doesn’t have to end! Visit Children’s Books Boston for information on future events. Next up: a trivia rematch (date TBA)!

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You may be wondering, “What the heck does bellydancing have to do with children’s books?” Having seen Bellydance Evolution’s production of Alice in Wonderland on Wednesday night, I can assure you that the two do play together nicely when brought together in a thoughtful way.

According to the mission statement on their site, dance company Bellydance Evolution “explores, celebrates, and re-imagines Middle Eastern dance for the 21st century. By fusing bellydance with dance forms more specific to the West, Bellydance Evolution takes you on a spectacular journey that will excite both mainstream audiences and bellydance enthusiasts.” The company — led by director Jillina — tours its productions with a small core cast, filling out the ensemble cast by video-auditioning local dancers at each stop. The Boston performance on Wednesday, January 7th included two Boston dancers (one a troupemate and dear friend of mine) and several NYC dancers.

“Evolution,” indeed: Alice in Wonderland was one of the most innovative and truly fusion dance productions I’ve ever seen. The dance forms showcased ranged from traditional Middle Eastern dance to contemporary styles including tribal fusion bellydance, hip-hop, and breakdance. Much of the score was symphonic-plus-electronic music, composed specifically for the show by Paul Dinletir; other pieces were classical Arabic, Arabic pop, or played live by drummer Issam Houshan. (The dancers also contributed drumming for a handful of scenes.)

The story line followed Disney’s animated adaptation more than the original Carroll novel. All the various styles of music and dance were well integrated, both “bellydancey” and serving the narrative with a playfulness appropriate to the source materials. A quarrelsome duet by Tweedledee and Tweedledum paid homage to raqs al assaya, a folkloric cane dance, with the spinning of the dancers’ canes reflecting the that of the propellers on their caps — and, of course, every so often one twin using her cane to wallop the other. The virtuosic, breakdancing White Rabbit almost stole the show. He was pursued through the audience at various points by (bellydancing) Alice and the Queen of Hearts.

The use of (lots of) props and costumes was especially well considered and creative. In one scene, dancers with parasols milled around the stage, then came together into a phalanx-like formation with the parasols’ tops facing the audience… suddenly creating the gigantic, grinning, floating face of the Cheshire Cat. In the croquet scene, dancers in pale pink, flapper-inspired costumes sported one beaked glove and one feather fan to represent the flamingos-cum-croquet mallets.

These are just a few of Alice in Wonderland‘s many inspired moments; see more in the trailer. I’m familiar with the story, but without a program I still occasionally found it difficult to follow the narrative and to identify minor characters — “Oh, she’s the March Hare!” (It seems programs were available at a merch table downstairs from my ticketed seat.) The caliber of dancing and staging was so high that even when I was a bit confused I was having a blast. I’m an aficionado of both bellydancing and kids’ books, but you needn’t be a super-fan of either to enjoy this immensely entertaining production.

And if you’re intrigued by the idea of bellydancing children’s books, come on down to the Geeky Bellydance Show at Arisia sci-fi and fantasy convention on January 17th! I’ll be performing as Sabriel from Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom Chronicles; other dancers will pay tribute to Tolkien and Gaiman, as well as many other geek-culture icons.

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Happy New Year! Here is a (very long) list of events to look forward to in the first weeks of 2015.

Tonight, January 8th, at 5:00 pm, join the Odyssey Bookshop for a mermaid party to celebrate the release of Jennifer Donnelly’s Rogue Wave, the second entry in her Waterfire fantasy saga.

The Writers’ Loft kicks off its series of regular writing critique and think tank groups:

• Picture Book Crit Group: tonight, January 8th, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Nonfiction Think Tank: Thursday, January 9th, 10:00 am – 11:30 am
• Scribe & Snack Monthly Friday Write-In, Friday, January 16 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
• Query Support Group: Saturday, January 17th, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
• YA Think Tank: Saturday, January 17th, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Middle-Grade Morning Critique Group: Thursday, January 22nd, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Picture Book Crit Group: Thursday, January 22nd, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Tomorrow evening at 6:00 pm, Odyssey Bookshop welcomes YA authors Chris Lynch and Jason Reynolds will discuss and sign their latest books (Killing Time in Crystal City and Boy in the Black Suit). They will also appear for a similar event at the Peabody Barnes & Noble on Saturday, January 10th, at 2:00 pm.

Also on Saturday the 10th, beginning at 2:00 pm: the Writers’ Loft will host a (free and open to the public) launch party for Loft member Anna Staniszewsk’s The Gossip File, the third book in her Dirt Diary series.

Learn about the Simmons College Graduate Study in Children’s Literature satellite program at The Carle Museum on Sunday, January 11th, at 10:30 am. Email [email protected] for more information.

GrubStreet’s Young Adult Novel In Progress class begins Tuesday, January 13th, and meets every Tuesday from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm for ten weeks. Instructor Mary Sullivan will lead class participants in discussion of “what works and what doesn’t, focusing on character, point of view, dialogue, and plot/conflict” as well as critique of manuscripts in progress. Class fees are $455 for GrubStreet members, $480 for nonmembers.

Holly Black will sign her new YA novel The Darkest Part of the Forest at launch party events at the Odyssey Bookshop (Tuesday the 13th at 7:00 pm) and the Brookline Public Library Teen Room (Wednesday, January 14th, at 7:00 pm).

The Writers’ Loft will hold a brainstorming meetup to discuss potential programing for writers of adult fiction and nonfiction on Tuesday, January 13th, at 7:00 pm.

The R. Michelson Galleries’ 25th annual Children’s Illustration Exhibit closes on Thursday, January 15th.

GrubStreet’s six-week “Realist Children’s Literature” class begins Thursday the 15th from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. Instructor Ursula DeYoung will cover classic children’s realistic novels from 1910 to 2005. Tuition is $305 for members, $330 for nonmembers.

Puppeteer Matthias Kuchta presents an adaptation of “Snow White” at The Carle Museum with showings on Saturday, January 17th, and Sunday, January 18th, at 1:00 pm. Ticket prices are $7.50 for Carle members, $8.50 for nonmembers.

NESCBWI members and “anyone interested in children’s books — authors, illustrators, librarians, booksellers, agents, editors, readers” — are invited to a social meet up at Aprile’s European Restaurant in North Chelmsford on Tuesday, January 20th, from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

Instructor Jane Kohuth will lead a GrubStreet class on writing for children for six Thursdays, beginning Thursday, January 22nd, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Class members will examine “extensive examples from contemporary children’s literature” and participate in class writing exercises and writing critique. Tuition is $305 for GrubStreet members, $330 for nonmembers. Classes will be held at the Newton JCC.

Kate Axelrod (The Law of Loving Others) and Wendy Wunder (The Museum of Intangible Things) will discuss and sign their books at Porter Square Books on Friday, January 23rd, at 7:00 pm.

Geoff Edgers will talk about his recent biography Who Is Stan Lee? and discuss writing and editing in a presentation for students in grades 4-8. The event will be at the Concord Free Public Library’s Fowler Branch on Saturday, January 24th, at 11:00 am.

On Saturday the 24th at 1:00 pm, The Writers’ Loft will host an “All-Star Nonfiction Author” panel discussion with nonfiction writers Sarah Albee, Leslie Bulion, Loree Griffin Burns, Susan Goodman, and April Jones Prince. A book signing will follow the discussion. $5 donation; Loft members free.

Sarah Mylnowski will be a special guest at the Odyssey Bookshop’s “Just like Frozen” party on Saturday the 24th at 2:00 pm. Mylnowski will read from Whatever After: Cold As Ice (which, like Frozen, is inspired by “The Snow Queen”), and there will be a Frozen costume contest and a “Let it Go” sing-along.

Also on Saturday the 24th at 2:00 pm, Book Ends Winchester welcomes Elisabeth Wolf to read from and talk about her intermediate novel Lulu in Honolulu.

Brandon Sanderson will discuss his new book Firefight (second entry in YA series Reckoners) at Brookline Booksmith on Wednesday, January 28th, at 7:00 pm.

Author/illustrator Mary Lundquist will discuss and sign her debut picture book, Cat & Bunny, at Porter Square Books on Thursday, January 29th, at 7:00 pm.

GrubStreet’s “What Kind of Kids’ Writer Am I?” class, taught by author Beth Raisner Glass, will take place on Friday, January 30th, from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. The workshop “will finally help you determine what kind of children’s book you want to write (or have written) from picture books to YA.” Class fees are $55 for GrubStreet members, $65 for nonmembers.

In GrubStreet’s “Young Adult Writing: Finding and Developing Your Ideas” seminar, instructor and author Holly Thompson will “introduce techniques for gathering YA story ideas and developing them into creative works of powerful fiction.” The six-hour seminar will be held Saturday, January 31st, from 10:00 am to 5 pm; cost is $110 for GrubStreet members, $130 for nonmembers.

Author Jen Malone will discuss creative marketing strategies in her “Thinking Outside the Box to Market Your Book” presentation at the Writers’ Loft on Saturday the 31st at 10:00 am. Cost is $20 for Writers’ Loft Members, $30 for nonmembers.

Graphic novelist George O’Connor will discuss Ares: Bringer of War, the seventh book in his Olympians series, at the Odyssey Bookshop on Saturday the 31st, at 4:00 pm.

The post Boston-area events for January 2015 appeared first on The Horn Book.

Author/illustrator Susan Bonners and friends will read from Bonners’s books in a special storytime this Saturday, November 8th, from 10 am to noon. As Ms. Bonners is a Roslindale resident, the event will take place in the Community Room of the Roslindale Public Library.

Ms. Bonners’s many books include A Penguin Year (1982 National Book Award: Nonfiction Children’s Book winner), The Silver Balloon (1997 Christopher Award winner), Edwina Victorious, Making Music, The Wooden Doll, and Why Does the Cat Do That?

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year — we hope to see you tomorrow night at the Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards ceremony (omg, what to wear?!) and on Saturday for the Mind the Gaps: Books for All Young Readers colloquium. Let the swag-bag stuffing begin!

The post HBAS is coming. appeared first on The Horn Book.

On October 2, the Harvard Book Store hosted B. J. Novak (from TV’s The Office, Saving Mr. Banks, and many others; also a Harvard University grad, thank you very much) reading his new picture book — The Book with No Pictures — at the Brattle Theatre. He invited kids on to the stage for a rollicking reading of his hilarious book. At least I thought that was rollicking, until I saw him read again the next day in front of about two hundred first-through-third-graders at a nearby elementary school. Pure kid bliss, complete with Q&A at the end (Kid: “Did you write books when you were little?” BJN: “Yes! Spooky books for Halloween, stories about the beach when it was summertime…”) and an invitation to send him story ideas (um… Uncle Shelby, anyone?! If you don’t get that reference, read on). We spoke afterward about standup comedy, childhood rebellion, and metafiction.

(BTW, as @RogerReads asked: “Is @bjnovak ‘s THE BOOK WITH NO PICTURES still technically a picture book? I hope it makes the Caldecott committee squirm.”)

EG: How involved were you in designing The Book with No Pictures?

BJN: I was extremely hands on — I think I drove everyone crazy.

EG: Who were the editor and designer on this project?

BJN: I worked with two designers: Lily Malcom at Penguin and Kate Harmer, an independent designer I’ve worked with before, with Hum Creative in Seattle. The editor was Lauri Hornik. My approach is always to ask a million people for advice.

B.J. Novak at the Brattle Theatre.

EG: Were kids involved in that part?

BJN: Not knowingly, not wittingly. I would observe kids as they were read to, not just by me. I would ask parents to read so I could watch what they would naturally do. My original draft of what we call the “mayhem spread,” with all those crazy syllables, was very intimidating for a parent to read, I found. I mean, kids loved it. I showed my original black-and-white version to a two-year-old, and he started cracking up as soon as he saw the page. It had a lot of Hs in it, a lot of silent letters — I wanted it to look complicated. And while kids were delighted, I thought a parent would give up. So I simplified a lot of those syllables. That was a combined design/editorial decision.

EG: Who reined this book in? Because for all of its wackiness, it is very controlled and subtle. It could have gone crazy…

His head is made of blueberry pizza.

BJN: Yeah, controlled rebellion. That was my approach. I looked at the original copy I made — I bought an 8 ½ x 12 moleskin journal and printed out pages and paper-clipped them in, with the font the size that I pictured and typewriter font. I glue-sticked a cover onto the journal so that a little kid would think it was a real book, so I could get a real reaction. It took like fifteen minutes per book, so you can’t just give them away, but I would carry them around places. And when I looked at that original paper-clipped version recently, it is almost identical to the finished book. So when I first had the idea, the tone of it was part of the idea. It was something that’s very rebellious for a three-year-old but actually not that edgy. “I am a monkey who taught myself to read” is very unedgy. “BooBoo Butt” is about as borderline as we get. A kindergartner once asked if he could whisper something in my ear so the grownups couldn’t hear, and he whispered, “I liked when you said BooBoo Butt.” He thought it was extremely rebellious and transgressive that I had said that. Controlled rebellion is the key to enjoyment because it makes a kid feel safe. And I’ve noticed that since I was a kid, trying to make other kids laugh, which I did, that younger kids — and especially, I’ve found, younger girls — can be scared of a book that is too wild. And a way to combat that is to keep assuring a kid that this is silly. This is ridiculous, what’s going on here. So the book repeats many times, “This is so silly,” which is partly to make a kid feel safe. Nothing too crazy is going to happen.

EG: It’s not Sendak.

The mayhem spread, mid badoongy-face.

BJN: Yeah, who I loved, but whose work can be a little scary — you don’t know where it’s going. So with this book I wanted kids to feel safe in this rebelliously experimental environment.

EG: Was “preposterous” in your original draft?

BJN: No, “preposterous” I added later because I had said “silly” and “ridiculous” too many times. I was working on the movie Saving Mr. Banks, which was about the making of Mary Poppins, and I was enamored of the way kids learned certain words aspirationally. And I thought it’d be nice to have one word in this book that kids don’t recognize, that sounds funny, and it would be nice if they went around saying “preposterous” because they knew it from the book. So that was the one word I added to give a little… aspirational vocabulary.

EG: The Horn Book’s winter company outing last year was to see Saving Mr. Banks.

BJN: Well, I definitely identified with P. L. Travers, because I had written this book that I had intended to cause nothing but easy joy, and here I was being pretty much a monster the way P. L. Travers was. “No, no, that color is all wrong. This font is ridiculous. You can’t have pictures in the book.” I said no picture of me on the flap jacket. I even asked, at one point, if we could take off the little penguin logo on the spine of the book.

EG: They said no?

BJN: Well, I actually changed my mind on that. I think the brand is so wonderful and inviting that I decided technically the jacket isn’t the book, the jacket is the cover. But I was really a monster in the P. L. Travers mold.

EG: Had you read Mary Poppins?

BJN: I hadn’t, but then I read it when we started making the movie. What I was struck by is that the book is so sweet and clever, that I can only imagine how stunned the Sherman brothers must’ve been to meet this sour, negative person. You’d expect it to be a breeze. It’s not like she wrote The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

EG: Or Where the Wild Things Are. Were you a reader as a kid?

BJN: Yes. My very favorite was Matt Christopher who wrote sort of wish-fulfillment sports books. The Kid Who Only Hit Homers I loved. Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen.

EG: Do you know the story about how librarians used to pencil in little diapers on the kid?

BJN: I think they had a point! Reading it again recently I thought, “This is insane.” But at the time I thought it was spooky and exciting. I loved Amelia Bedelia, Harriet the Spy. I was caught under my covers reading Harriet the Spy with a flashlight. My mom was very angry because I had promised I’d go to bed. Danny, the Champion of the World. Roald Dahl in general but especially that. And Shel Silverstein I really liked. As I write both for kids and adults, he’s someone who comes up, for me, as a role model. Even the way he maintained his aesthetic, so deliberately, with black and white and a certain font.

EG: Do you read those books differently now than when you were a kid?

BJN: Actually, I probably read them the same. I flip through the Silverstein poems, I never read them in order. My book for adults, One More Thing, is influenced by that, too, the different lengths and playfulness, the black-and-white cover.

EG: The slightly transgressive nature… or more than slightly.

BJN: The important thing for me about The Book with No Pictures, and Shel Silverstein embodied it well, and Dr. Seuss embodied it extremely well too, is that it does encourage kids who will inevitably be rebellious to think of books as their allies. I was very lucky to grow up thinking that every time I was sort of angry and ambitious and didn’t fit in and wanted to do something cooler, I thought of books as the place where you’d find that. As a teenager it would be Jack Kerouac and Bukowski. And as a little kid it might be Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss was never on the side of your parent or the authority. He seemed completely anti-authority. And even though he’s so rightly accoladed for his educational books now, when you’re a kid you think: this is the opposite of learning. You think: this is freedom. And that, to me, is an extremely important decision that gets made in a kid’s mind, whether books are the ally or the enemy when they are feeling certain feelings. And I think that what excites me about something like The Book with No Pictures is making kids feel words are on their side, not their parents’ side. Words are this incredible code that can make people do things that they want them to do.

EG: It’s really a performance, reading this book, in a way that some picture books are not. You really have to, as a grownup, embody all of it.

BJN: On the one hand you do, on the other hand you don’t. Performers really take to this book, and I’ve especially found it to be good as a dad book. Dads often want to be a little more wild and rowdy with sons, and a lot of picture books are very gentle, so this is a rowdy book. But I’ve also found people who are not performers, who are shy about picking it up, get wonderful reactions, too. A shy or more quiet parent saying these things, even in a flat, straightforward voice, can be especially funny to a kid, because they’re not the type of parent who would normally say, “My only friend in the whole wide world is a hippo named BooBoo Butt.”

EG: Is the experience different reading to groups rather than one on one?

BJN: Well, I love groups because of all the years I spent as a standup comedian. You just want an audience. It’s a universal truth that comedy’s better with an audience. When I was growing up watching Seinfeld with my family we would all laugh, and now when people tell me they watch The Office on their laptop or on Netflix it’s a little sad. I think that’s why there’s so much activity on Twitter and Facebook about TV shows because you want to be watching this with everybody.

EG: You’ve really thought about all this.

BJN: Yes.

EG: It seems like many projects you’re involved in have this sort of meta quality to them.

BJN: Yes! Nice observation. What else?

EG: Well, even Punk’d is kind of meta. The Office goes without saying. Saving Mr. Banks — a movie about a book about the making of a movie. It’s just that you’re really smart, right?

BJN: I think it’s taste. My friend Mindy Kaling, equally smart, has no patience for meta.

EG: Some of it is really poorly done.

BJN: There seems to be a really sort of clever-teenage-boy drive toward the meta. I loved Mr. Show because it was meta. I loved early Simpsons. And when I was a teenager I loved Borges for being meta. So, yes, that’s always been my taste. The Book with No Pictures — even that title is meta. It’s commenting on itself, its own existence as a funny idea. So I’m always drawn to that. The conceptual, the meta.

EG: Could you write an article for us on gender and meta?

BJN: Interesting. Well, it’s a very small sample set, but I’ve tended to find that equally smart, equally literate people of opposite genders — meta is a dividing line, often. That and Bob Dylan.

EG: You are not a typical celebrity author.

BJN: I think the crazy thing is that I’m a celebrity, not that I’m an author. I’m an author by nature. My father is an author. I went to Harvard and studied literature. I was an ambitious and successful television writer. And then I started doing stand-up and acting, and for years I think the quiet nudge from my friends was, “Are you sure about this acting thing? You’re so clearly meant to be a writer.” And so now I actually take it as a compliment when people are skeptical about celebrity books. I’m like, “Really? You think I’m a celebrity? Wow! No one ever thought I could do it.” No one ever doubted I could be an author growing up, they doubted that I could be a celebrity.

EG: Do you have both these introvert and extrovert sides to you?

BJN: I’m very much both, in the way that very many comedy performers are, famously. And really this is my  ideal career. Most of the time I love being alone, writing, in my own mind, no one bothering me, dreaming up things, like a teenage boy in his basement laboratory. Plotting about how the world is going to crazy with excitement about what he’s writing.

EG: Sounds like your next middle-grade novel.

BJN: And then I want to go out and show it to the world and see people’s faces. So I really feel that what my real goal is, and always has been, is to be a public author. There was an era in which Mark Twain was America’s author. Everyone knew he was a writer. Dickens, too, performed live. All these guys performed their writing live and were public personas as writers. And in Europe there’s still something of a public persona as a writer. But it’s not really the case in America. You’re an author or a celebrity.

EG: Although now with Twitter, John Green and people like that…

BJN: Yes! I think it’s changing somewhat. And I would like to be that. What John Green is for his audience and his genre, I would like to be for mine. Which is meta comedy, I suppose. I would like to be the representative of it. Someone who is a hero of mine that I also want to be like is Rod Serling. He presented his writing, looked like his writing, embodied his writing. He wasn’t an actor, he was a public writer. So that’s what I want to be.

EG: So, picture book is your niche? Or are you going to come out with a YA — what was that toilet zombie book the kid suggested during the Q&A?

BJN: My first book, the short story book, is very personal expression. And this book is an expression of what I want to write for kids. Yeah, I would like to write YA as well, and middle-grade…

EG: See, you know what the words “middle-grade” mean. That’s great.

BJN: Well, again, I’m not a celebrity. That’s our secret.

Liz (the school’s hip librarian; cameo appearance): HA!

EG: He knows “middle-grade.” He used it in conversation! Oh, Shel Silverstein… Liz sending you all the kids’ story ideas… it makes me think of Silverstein’s ABZ book.

BJN: Yes! I loved it as a kid.

EG: As a kid you read it?

BJN: My father gently introduced me to it with the explanation that this is a fake kids’ book. I got the joke, I loved it…

EG: “L is for lye…”

BJN: I remember: “Steal your parents’ money and mail it to Uncle Shelby.”

EG: So there weren’t any books that you weren’t allowed to read as a kid? Was everything up for grabs?

BJN: Everything was up for grabs, in fact probably more than for most kids because my father had a library at home of all the books he would do for research. He had written a book on marijuana use. There were books on heroine in our house. There were books on Iran-Contra. Books on all kinds of things. And he never stopped me from reading any of that. I think he was secretly quite happy. Again, if your rebellion comes… look, rebellion’s going to come, for every kid. And if it comes in the form of literature, you’re much better off than if it comes in opposition to it.

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Well, after the glorious, gleeful exhaustion brought on by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, your intrepid intern still had a whole conference to attend.

For those of you who haven’t heard of LeakyCon, it originally started as a Harry Potter–themed fan conference in 2009, but has since morphed into an all-out geek-fest in which fan communities from all kinds of media platforms come together to celebrate the power of story and fandom. In fact, the conference has been renamed and will be known as GeekyCon from here on — opening up to the wide, wide world of geekdom!

It will not surprise any of you that I spent most of my time at the conference at the LeakyCon Lit panels. Organized by YA authors Maureen Johnson and Robin Wasserman, LeakyCon Lit brings together YA authors from all over to talk about writing, their books, and plenty of weird, awesome, totally unrelated things. This year’s speakers were Stephanie Perkins, Laurie Halse Anderson, Malinda Lo, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Holly Black, Gayle Forman, John Green, Varian Johnson, Kazu Kibuishi, Lauren Myracle, Rainbow Rowell, and Scott Westerfeld. With such a diverse group presenting, we got to hear about everything from designing love interests to killing off beloved characters, from graphic novels to world-building, from Stephanie Perkins’s morning jigsaw puzzle routine to Alaya Dawn Johnson’s near miss with quicksand.

The programming ranged widely between serious panels (such as “Diversity in YA” and the “War Against YA Lit”) to game shows (including Jeopardy and a variation on The Lying Game, an old British game show). Maureen Johnson interviewed John Green in a Between Two Ferns–eqsue style, providing a hilarious exposé of their friendship. Johnson also moderated the panel about killing off characters — which meant, unfortunately, that the audience didn’t get any new information about a certain beloved [spoiler] she killed off in [spoiler]. But we did have the opportunity to harangue some of the other authors, who discussed the tension between emotional attachment and resonance and deciding when a character’s death serves the story best.

The panel centered on diversity in YA was especially powerful. The panelists discussed YA literature’s erasure and misrepresentation of people with diverse gender identities and sexuality, people of color, and people with disabilities — as well as the kind of backlash faced by authors who create those characters. I found it provocative when the authors on the panel discussed a question they often get regarding their characters of color: “Why did you make that character a specific race if your story isn’t about racism…why bother?”  The discussion which followed emphasized the importance of recognizing the bountiful diversity of experience in the world and the role literature plays in representing that diversity to its readership.

While most of the programming at LeakyCon Lit this year was phenomenal, a couple of the panels were better in conception than they were in execution. One panel called “I Made You, You’re Perfect” focused on romance in YA and how to construct romantic relationships and compatible characters. The panel, however, was comprised entirely of straight women; this lack of diversity was particularly apparent during a mishandled question on asexuality. The “War on YA” panel was concerned with the way that YA as a genre has been either denigrated by the media as too sweet and too small (especially for adult readers) or lambasted as the source of all evil for young people. Rather than exploring this phenomenon and its impact in depth, however, the speakers on the panel mostly reiterated what many of us had seen them write on Twitter and their blogs in recent months.

Overall, however, LeakyCon Lit was a perfect mix of whimsy, banter, and critical discussion. The authors are all knowledgeable and engaging, and their comments and discussions were accessible and enjoyable. I’ve been attending this track for the past four years and I can say with certainty that there is plenty to enjoy for both teens and adults.

The rest of the LeakyCon is not devoid of book-related fun for kids and grown-ups, of course. The subjects of the panels range from investigations into Harry Potter canon and characters to sing-alongs and debates. Each night there’s a concert by bands who get their material from Harry Potter (or The West Wing, or Doctor Who, or a whole host of other awesome platforms and stories). Pemberly Digital, a production company which creates modern adaptions of well-loved classics, premiered the first two episodes of Frankenstein, M.D., which follows Victoria Frankenstein, a young doctor determined to prove herself in a male-dominated field. Pemberly Digital is the same group who created the Emmy award–winning adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Which you should watch right now. Don’t worry. I’ll wait!

Seriously though, they are really good – as is Emma Approved (adapted from Jane Austen’s Emma), which is currently airing on Pemberly’s YouTube channel.

By the time we woke up on Sunday morning, we were about ready to lounge the day away by the pool. But we were in Orlando, and there is no such thing as a trip to Orlando without a visit to the Magic Kingdom. We did have to put down all our new books and our new geeky swag…but books are always there when you get back!

The post Sometimes, reading the book just isn’t enough – LeakyCon Lit appeared first on The Horn Book.

The other day my friend’s four-year-old daughter asked me, “Guess what I wished for?”

I was a little nervous about this — after all, isn’t it bad luck to tell others your wish? — but she insisted.

“A puppy? A pony? A baby elephant?”

“No, it wasn’t an animal at all. It was the second star to the right!” I didn’t follow this logic, so she patiently(ish) explained, “I wished to go to Neverland!” Well, obviously. What a dumb grown-up moment.

Brand-new musical Finding Neverland, based on the 2004 Johnny Depp movie about author J.M. Barrie and his friendship with the Llewelyn Davies family, opens tomorrow at Cambridge’s American Repertory Theater. I should probably go and get back in touch with my inner lost kid.

What’s your favorite Peter Pan adaptation? Hook will always have my heart. (Bangerang!)

The post And straight on ’til morning appeared first on The Horn Book.

May: baseball season is in full swing (har-har), Mother’s Day is quickly approaching, and graduations are beginning. Make sure you squeeze a few of these great children’s lit–related events into your jam-packed schedule! Check our monthly events calendar for all the details.

May is Asian American Heritage Month!

Both GrubStreet’s The Muse and the Marketplace annual conference (at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel) and NE-SCBWI’s Regional Spring Conference — Create Bravely: Make Your Mark (at the Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place) begin today and conclude on Sunday. Create Bravely is sold out, but spots are still available for The Muse and the Marketplace.

Wellesley Books will host a benefit book fair for The Foundation for Children’s Books beginning today and running through Sunday. The sale is open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm today and tomorrow, Saturday, May 3rd, and from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday the 4th.

Carle Museum Chief Curator Nick Clark will lead a guided tour of the exhibit The Art of Bernard Waber at 1:00 pm tomorrow the 3rd.

Also tomorrow at the Carle, author-illustrator Elizabeth Rose Stanton will read and sign her debut picture book Henny. The event begins at 2:00 pm and is free with museum admission.

Author Sara Hoagland Hunter will read from her newest children’s book, Every Turtle Counts, at Wellesley Books tomorrow at 3:00 pm.

The Brookline Public Library hosts Tee Off, an adult evening of mini-golf, refreshments, and special author guests tomorrow night beginning at 7:30 pm.

John Rocco and Jay Primiano, authors of YA novel Swim That Rock, will speak and sign the book at the Walpole Barnes & Noble at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, May 6th.

ChopChop Magazine editor Sally Sampson will lead two cooking classes for children and sign her new cookbook CHOPCHOP: The Kids’ Guide to Cooking Real Food with Your Family on Wednesday, May 7th, at Wellesley Books. A class for children ages 5 to 8 takes place at 2:30 pm, followed by a class for 9 to 12 at 3:30 pm. Both classes are $5 per participant.

Calling all baseball fans! Book Ends Winchester hosts author David A. Kelly (Miracle Mud, Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse, and The Ballpark Mystery series) for a reading and signing at 3:30 pm on Thursday, May 8th. Please call 781-721-5933 or email [email protected] to RSVP.

Louise Borden, author of The Journey that Saved Curious George, will discuss her research for the book at the Cambridge Public Library on Thursday the 8th at 6:30 pm.

The Writers’ Loft’s picture book manuscript critique group meets Thursday the 8th at 7:00 pm. Manuscripts for critique should be submitted by the Monday prior to the meeting.

Andrea Cremer, author of the YA fantasy series Nightshade, will share her latest novel and series starter The Inventor’s Secret at Wellesley Books at 7:00 pm on Thursday the 8th.

Writers interested in breaking into nonfiction freelancing work or critiquing a nonfiction manuscript are welcome at the Writers’ Loft’s  Nonfiction Think Tank, which meets this month on Friday, May 9th, at 10:00 am.

Author/illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka will sign his new picture book Peanut Butter and Jellyfish at The Blue Bunny at 4:00 pm on Friday the 9th.

On Friday the 9th at 7:00 pm, Open Mic: Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices editor Mitali Perkins and contributors Francisco X. Stork and David Yoo will discuss their experiences of “growing up between cultures” at the Parker Middle School Auditorium.

Instructor Annie Hartnett will teach day-long writing workshop “The Adult in Young Adult: Writing about Sex and Violence in Novels for Teens” at GrubStreet on Saturday, May 10th. The class runs from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; fees are $110 for GrubStreet members and $130 for non-members. Please bring a notebook or laptop for in-class writing exercises.

On Monday, May 12th, at 6:30 pm, the Cambridge Public Library will host a panel discussion by Break These Rules: 35 YA Authors on Speaking Up, Standing Out, and Being Yourself editor Luke Reynolds and contributors Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Anna Staniszewski, and Francisco X. Stork.

As part of its “Gateway to Reading” Lowell Lecture Series, the Boston Public Library main branch will host a panel discussion entitled “Different Paths to Reading” at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, May 13th. Panelists will be Carle Museum Executive Director Alexandra Kennedy; Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita of Language, Literacy, and Culture for the College of Education at UMass Amherst; and author/illustrator Grace Lin. Cathie Mercier, Director of the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons College, will moderate.

Call Me Oklahoma author/illustrator Miriam Glassman will lead a discussion on crafting chapter books at The Writers’ Loft on Tuesday the 13th at 7:30.

The Writers’ Loft will host its new Middle Grade Morning Critique group on Thursday, May 15th, and Thursday, May 29th, at 10:00 am. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in submitting a middle-grade manuscript in progress for critique.

Rees Literary agent Rebecca Podos and Candlewick Press assistant editor Carter Hasegawa are offering manuscript critiques at the Writers’ Loft on Saturday, May 17th, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. Registration is required; cost is $65 for Loft members, $85 for non-members

Author Tania Unsworth will read from her YA dystopian novel One Safe Place at 11:00 am on Saturday the 17th at the Boston Public Library’s Jamaica Plain branch.

Wellesley Books will host a kids’ writing workshop in celebration of Children’s Book Week with authors Jennifer Ann Mann (Sunny Sweet is So Not Sorry) and Jennifer Salvato Doktorski (Famous Last Words) on Saturday the 17th at 3:30 pm.

Paul Dubois Jacobs and Jennifer Swender will read their new picture book Count on the Subway at a special storytime at The Carle on Sunday, May 18th, at 2:00 pm.

At 3:00 pm on Sunday the 18th at Concord Bookshop, author and illustrator team Barbara Kerley and Edwin Fotheringham will read and sign their latest picture book bio A Home for Mr. Emerson.

Moira Young will celebrate the publication of Raging Star, the concluding volume in her Dust Lands dystopian YA trilogy, at 4:00 pm at Porter Square Books on Sunday the 18th.

The monthly YA Think Tank writing group will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, May 19th. Participants will workshop their YA works-in-progress; manuscripts for critique should be submitted one week prior to the meeting.

The Carle’s special exhibit Harriet the Spy Turns Fifty opens on Tuesday, May 20th, and will run through November 30.

On Wednesday, May 21st, at 4:00 pm, middle-grade fantasy authors J.A. White (The Thickety) and Paul Durham (The Luck Uglies) will discuss and sign their novels at Wellesley Books.

Newbery Medalist Jack Gantos will speak as part of the “Gateway to Reading” Lowell Lecture Series at 6:00 pm on Thursday, May 22nd, at the Boston Public Library main branch.

Mr. Eric Carle himself will make an appearance at The Carle Museum on Saturday, May 24th, at 10:00 am. Tickets are free, but limited in number. Check the museum’s website for signing line guidelines.

The Writers’ Loft will host a panel on world-building with YA fantasy authors Leah Cypess, Erin Cashman, A.C. Gaughen, and Adi Rule at 2:00 pm on Sunday, May 25th. The panel is free for members; a $5 donation is suggested for non-members.

Wellesley Books celebrates the release of City of Heavenly Fire, the conclusion to YA author Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, with a conversation between Clare and author Jodi Picoult. The evening will also include audience Q&A, trivia, and a book signing. Tickets are $30, which includes a signed hardcover of City of Heavenly Fire.

Do you have the inside scoop on more upcoming Boston area children’s book–related events? Let us know in the comments or email [email protected].

The post Boston-area children’s lit events for May appeared first on The Horn Book.

There’s lots to celebrate this month: National Poetry Month, D.E.A.R. Day, World Book Night, Poem in Your Pocket Day, El día de los niños/El día de los libros — and let’s not forget much nicer weather! See below for children’s lit–related events coming up in the greater Boston area. Be sure to check our monthly events calendar for all the details.

April is National Poetry Month!

Paleontologist Barnas Monteith will read from his new book The Furious Case of the Fraudulent Fossil and lead paleontology activities at Wellesley Books this afternoon at 4:00 pm.

Also today at 4:00 pm, Vermont’s cartoonist laureate James Kochalka will celebrate the publication of The Glorkian Warrior Delivers a Pizza at the Cambridge Public Library. Pizza included (while it lasts).

The Phantom Tollbooth author Norton Juster will speak as part of the “Gateway to Reading” Lowell Lecture Series tonight at 6:00 pm at the Boston Public Library main branch.

The John F. Kennedy NHS and John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum will hold “To Light the World: Stories of Hope & Courage for Challenging Times,” a conference for educators and librarians for grades 3-8, tomorrow, April 3rd, beginning at 8:00 am. Registration is $100.

The Writers’ Loft will host its new Middle Grade Morning Critique group tomorrow and on Thursday, April 17th, at 10:00 am. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in submitting a middle-grade manuscript in progress for critique.

Nonfiction author Susan E. Goodman will speak about and sign her space travel guide How Do You Burp in Space? at The Clay Center Observatory at Dexter Southfield school at 6:30 pm tomorrow.

The Writers’ Loft’s picture book manuscript critique group meets Thursday, April 10th, at 10:00 am. Manuscripts for critique should be submitted by the Monday prior to the meeting.

Trident Booksellers and Cafe will host a panel on self-publishing — including YA author Brendan Halpin and middle-grade author Meg Wilson — at 7:00 pm on Thursday the 10th.

Writers interested in breaking into nonfiction freelancing work or critiquing a nonfiction manuscript are welcome at the Loft’s new Nonfiction Think Tank, which meets this month on Friday, April 11th, at 10:00 am.

The annual Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day, inspired by Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Quimby, Age 8, will be celebrated on Saturday, April 12th.

The Foundation for Children’s Books will hold their spring half-day conference “What’s New in Children’s Books?” on Saturday the 12th, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at Lesley University. Authors Steve Sheinkin, Jason Chin, Kathryn Lasky, Michael Tougias, and Melissa Stewart will be special guests. Registration is $65 for individuals, $25 for students, and $40 for each member of an institutional group.

The Writers’ Loft will host a historical fiction panel with Alisa Libby, Susan Meyer, and Marissa Doyle at 2:00 pm on Saturday the 12th.

Learn about Simmons College’s satellite MA and MFA Children’s Literature programs at the Carle Museum by attending an informational session at the museum on Sunday, April 13th, at 12:00 pm.

On Sunday the 13th at 2:00 pm, Caldecott Medal winner Mordicai Gerstein will read and discuss his latest picture book The First Drawing at the Carle Museum. A drawing demonstration and book signing will follow.

Frances Driscoll will read and sign her picture book The Swan Boat Ride at the Boston Public Library main branch on Sunday the 13th at 2:00 pm.

Also at 2:00 pm on Sunday the 13th, the Belmont Gallery of Art will host an opening reception for its new exhibition “Books on the Charles,” a celebration of illustration in Boston-based publisher Charlesbridge’s picture books.

Meet more than twenty children’s book authors and illustrators at Authorfest, held at Winchester Town Hall on Tuesday, April 15th, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. The authors will also be visiting Winchester schools during the school day.

Author/illustrator Tad Hills will read and sign his latest picture book Duck & Goose Go to the Beach at the Burlington Barnes & Noble on Wednesday, April 16th, at 10:00 am.

The monthly YA Think Tank writing group will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, April 19th. Participants will workshop their YA works-in-progress; manuscripts for critique should be submitted one week prior to the meeting.

Susan Schwake, author of 3-D Art Lab for Kids, will lead a free paper sculpture activity for children at the Carle Museum on Saturday the 19th at 1:00 pm. A book signing will follow.

Hampshire College Theatre’s Seedling Productions presents Lily Plants a Garden by José Cruz González at The Carle on Saturday the 19th with performances at 1:00 and 3:00 pm. Tickets are $4 in addition to museum admission.

This year’s World Book Night will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 23rd.

CactusHead Puppets presents The Bremen Town Musicians at The Carle Museum with performances at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm on Wednesday the 23rd, Thursday the 24th, and Friday the 25th. On Saturday the 26th, performances will be held at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. Tickets are $5 (members $4.50) in addition to museum admission.

On Wednesday the 23rd at 7:00 pm, YA author Laini Taylor will celebrate the publication of Dreams of Gods and Monsters, the final entry in her Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy, at the Brookline Library.

Poem in Your Pocket Day will be celebrated on Thursday, April 24th.

Grub Street instructor Jane Kohuth will lead a three-hour crash-course in picture-book writing at Wellesley Books on Thursday the 24th at 6:00 pm. Registration is $55 for Grub Street members and $65 for non-members.

The Massachusetts chapter of the national kidlit book club Chapter & Verse will meet in the Stevens Memorial Library at 6:30 pm on Thursday the 24th. This month, author Anne Broyles and librarian Marina Salenikas will lead discussion of poetry collection What the Heart Knows: Chants, Charms & Blessings by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski and verse novel Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger, illustrated by Matthew Cordell.

Instructor Emily Prabhaker will guide participants through the history of the Caldecott Medal in The Carle Museum’s workshop “A Caldecott Celebration” at 9:30 am on Friday, April 25th. Registration is $34 for Carle members and $40 for non-members. (3 PDPs)

Author/illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka will read and sign his new picture book Peanut Butter and Jellyfish at The Carle on Saturday, April 26th, at 2:00 pm. A drawing activity is included.

On Saturday the 26th, at 2:30 pm, Timothy Young will present the 2014 Annual Barbara Elleman Research Library Lecture entitled “Extinct Monsters: What Scholars Learn from Children’s Books” at The Carle. (1 PDP)

Join acclaimed children’s poets Jane Yolen, Richard Michelson, Jeannine Atkins, Heidi Stemple, and Steven Withrow for The Carle’s Family Poetry Jam on Sunday, April 27th, at 1:00 pm.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series author/illustrator Jeff Kinney will speak as part of the “Gateway to Reading” Lowell Lecture Series on Sunday the 27th at 2:00 pm at the Boston Public Library main branch.

Annie Cardi will present and sign her debut YA novel, The Chance You Won’t Return, at Porter Square Books on Tuesday, April 29th, at 7:00 pm.

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 30th.

Local author Michelle Chalmers will lead a diversity workshop for children at the Boston Public Library main branch on Wednesday the 30th at 4:00 pm. The workshop includes a reading of Chalmers’s picture book The Skin on My Chin, discussion of diversity, and a craft activity.

On Wednesday the 30th at 7:00 pm, The School for Good and Evil #2: A World without Princes author Soman Chainani will discuss fairy tales and literature with fairy tale/folklore scholar Maria Tatar and Wicked author Gregory Maguire at the Harvard Coop.

Do you have the inside scoop on more upcoming Boston area children’s book–related events? Let us know in the comments or email [email protected].

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