It's true TCBR readers are fans of Greek myths! That's why, this month, the National Geographic Treasury of Greek Mythology is The Children's Book Review's best selling middle grade book.

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What better way to introduce MWD’s new theme, ‘Branching Across the … Continue reading ... →

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Sometimes we hear of those in the publishing industry who dissuade authors from writing in different genres. As if YA readers don't read various styles of storytelling. YA readers do, and so do YA writers. Therefore, writers like the freedom to crossover. We choose the best genre to tell our story. Because ultimately, it's all about good story.



I'm happy to share two books by authors writing in different genres than they usually do. The first is Skin by Donna Jo Napoli. I did expect fantasy when I picked up the work, but then quickly entered into Sep's world as she discovers she has vitiligo. The realistic work is paced well as Napoli draws us alongside Sep. We feel compassion, frustration, and ultimately empathize with a character accepting her new self and redefining normal.



The second work is by our own rgz diva, Melissa Walker: Ashes to Ashes. I expected a contemporary work, which, true enough, the story begins with, but the paranormal afterlife caught me by surprise. (I don't tend to read flaps. :~) Melissa's setting is fresh and will draw you to think and ponder your own beliefs. That is of course after you've run with Callie through her trial, been pulled and torn through her decisions, and cheered her character growth. And as always, Melissa writes of real, compelling love. My favorite quote: "Life is fragile, worthy of reverence and gently care." Great thoughts for the new year!

Find these, rgz, and let us know what you think, here or on facebook. Happy new year!



Skin
by Donna Jo Napoli
Skyscape, 2013

Ashes to Ashes
by Melissa Walker
Katherine Tegen Books, Inc. 2013

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I promised a little run down on my recent visit to Highlight's Foundation in Boyd's Mill, PA. It puts the TREAT in RETREAT. Here's one reason ...

 and here's another ...


Just in case we were feeling faint they fed us 3-4 times a day. And in between we were welcome to raid the pantry ... yee gads! Thankfully, all the top-notch food is locally sourced, cooked with care and healthfully. Which is good, because you wouldn't want to miss any of it! Especially 'Angel Poop' .. my fav dessert.

But there's more to Highlights than just good grub. If you've no idea what I'm talking about, here's a link to their website. They run fabby writing and illustrating workshops for the kidlit world at a wonderful facility in Pennsylvania. Highlights is allied to Boyd's Mill Publishers in Honesdale and the first day includes a tour if you get there a little early. Which I did. A day early because of flights (which they don't charge you for). I was collected from Scranton airport by a very nice chap called Bob. All the staff are very welcoming and helpful. It's a bit like being at a private country club for children's writers and artists, but with no boring golf or rubbish conversation at the bar.)


at Boyd's Mill ... some place to have your office ...


The Barn, where all workshops and meals take place. It's a beautiful building and very welcoming, with informal rooms to lounge around in and a big space for work and eating. Some nights we ate on the patio.



The workshop I attended (Advanced Children's Illustrators) had a great faculty - Eric Rohmann - Ruth Sanderson - Kelly Murphy - Floyd Cooper ... plus guests including Neal Porter (Roaring Brook Press), David Wiesner, Donna-Jo Napoli. During the week, staff and editors from Boyd's Mill popped in and shared mealtimes with us, which was very nice and friendly.



I wanted for nothing while I was there. Wifi is available most everywhere (phone service is a little squiffy, but there are house phones you can use a calling card on, or get folks to call you back). If there is anything you need - then you just have to ask. Did I say I worshiped the kitchen staff ...?

There is nothing, however, to top sitting down with seasoned professionals and listen to their experiences, chat around the dinner table or next to the outdoor fireplace and hear about experiences on a personal level. With only 24 or so attendees it was great to really get to know each other in intimate surroundings.

If you are looking for a different experience from the usual hurly-burly of the conference circuit, I suggest you give Highlights a try. The cost of the workshops are truly reasonable given the level of attention and accommodation. They also offer scholarships to those who qualify.

I leave you with some photos as they speak more eloquently than I ...

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Donna Jo Napoli's book, The Crossing, is subtitled "Lewis & Clark's historic journey seen through a brand-new pair of eyes".  That "brand-new pair of eyes" belongs to Sacagawea's baby, Jean Baptist.

The Crossing - NOT RECOMMENDED

On the first page, we see a tiny baby in a cradleboard on his mother's back. His mother and two men (and a grizzly bear) all look to the right (west). The accompanying text is:

Rolled in rabbit hide,
I am tucked snug
in a cradle pack
in the whipping cold
of new spring

Cradle pack? In the author's note on the last page, Napoli tells us that Jean Baptiste was in a cradle board (commonly written as one word). Why did Napoli use "cradle pack" in the text? It is likely that other Native readers (like me) and readers who know "cradleboard" is the right word, will ask that question, and those without that knowledge will "learn" something inaccurate about what that item is called.

On the next page, she writes:

Wind catches the sail,
swing and woop!
Over we go, Bia' and Ape' and me--
Mother and Father and Babe--
splash, shiver.

There are five men shown on that page. Presumably, one of them is the baby's father, Toussaint Charbonneau, a French-Canadian trader and trapper. "Bia'" is Shoshone for mother, and "Ape'" is Shoshone for father. We see Bia' and Ape' a couple of times. It suggests a lovely nuclear family. On most pages however, Madsen (the illustrator) shows us mother and child and two men. Those two men are likely meant to be Lewis and Clark.


Alongside the author's note is the Acknowledgement section, where the author notes that she consulted two different websites of English/Shoshone language. That is where I learned that Bia' means mother and Ape' means father. I also entered "cradleboard" and found that "gohno" is the Shoshone word. I wonder how the author decided when to (and when not to) use Shoshone words.


Did the baby learn Shoshone? Did he call his parents Bia' and Ape'?

It is nice that Napoli introduces her readers to two Shoshone words, but she could have given us more of that language.

I have many questions. On one page, Napoli writes:

The old chief speaks Chinook
to the prisoner, who speaks Shoshoni
to Bia', who speaks Hidatsa
to Ape', who speaks French
to his friend, who speaks English.

There was need, during that journey, for communication to occur in a chain like that, but I'm caught up wondering about that prisoner. Who is that? The previous pages in the book provide no context for having a prisoner.

Later, we read that:

Summer heat tires us.
Horses get stolen overnight and no one saw a thing.

The illustration shows Indian men walking away from a camp. Did Indians steal horses from Lewis and Clark's expedition? If yes, why? And, what was taken from them and all the other Native Nations at that time and in years prior to that?

Chronologically, events are out of order.

Overall, The Crossing is disappointing. In the acknowledgements, Napoli thanks Brenda Bowen for suggesting that Napoli write about the child on Sacagawea's back. The Crossing is not about that child. The child is a vehicle for telling the same glorified and romantic Lewis and Clark story. 

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First things first! The winner of the DAMNED ARC is Margo! I'll be emailing you with details...
Now, I've had several people ask me to give my thoughts about the conference. I know there is already so much out there about the phenomenal speakers and content. 40 years! Just look at that dessert above from the Golden Kite luncheon. It was truly an amazing time. The sheer number of icons had me absolutely dazzled and in awe. So I'm going to share a few of these people with you and what they mean to me.

1. Judy Blume. How can I even begin to describe what it was like to be so close to THE Judy Blume? The woman was so gracious, so kind, so intelligent, and so very REAL. The first novel I think I ever read was Are You There God? It's me, Margaret. I remember that special feeling of being entirely wrapped up in Margaret's world. I loved it. I loved it so much that I never stopped reading and seeking new worlds with new characters. Hearing about Judy's process and journey was inspiring beyond belief. 
2. Norton Juster. The first fantasy book I ever read was The Phantom Tollbooth. It was also the first book I ever read more than once. I had the opportunity to tell Norton Juster that, to which he looked me dead in the face and replied, "Fantasy? That's my life." How can I not love him? How can I not love a book that's remained AMAZING after 50 years, and that my own son loves just as much as I did? I think I might have to go read it again...
3. Laurie Halse Anderson. Speak. She gave voice to difficult subject matter that may make some uncomfortable, but saves lives on a daily basis. At the conference, she taught me to embrace my creative need for self-expression, and to nurture the "seed" in my soul. 
4. Donna Jo Napoli. Her speech was possibly my favorite. And that's really saying something as I gave more standing ovations than I have in my life. It was titled: How Writing About Terrible Things Makes Your Reader a Better Person. And she spoke to not just those who need to see others who've gone through similar things, but to the sheltered who benefit from exposure to truths beyond their own. 
5. Libba Bray. I saved my favorite for last of course. My hero. Her speech was just as amazing as I hoped and so was she. Funny, intelligent, friendly, and talented. Libba - I would have voted you Prom Queen in high school. I'm just sayin'. She let us know that even the super stars go through rough times, and are plagued by self-doubt. 

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The kidlitosphere was hopping this weekend with news, reviews, and commentary.  Here are some of the gems we uncovered while reading through our blogroll:

• Lee Wind at I’m Here, I’m Queer.  What the Hell Do I Read? went to the SCBWI Conference in Los Angeles and shared some of his favorite quotes.  I loved this one from Donna Jo Napoli: “Any civilization is built on empathy. If dreadful things happen to you, you learn empathy. …And for the protected child …the safest way for them to develop empathy is through a book.”  Yes.
• Oh, Roger.  We adore you.  Thanks so much for sharing your criticisms thoughts on the strike-through trend.
• Sarah’s YA Movie News posts on her blog GreenBeanTeenQueen are some of my favorites!  She mentions the Hunger Games movie stills many of us have seen – I’m not a fan, I have to admit.  Katniss and Peeta are fighting for their lives so why do they look so pretty and stagnant?  And what do you make of the upcoming Snow White movies?
• Chicken Spaghetti shares a great list of picture books about New York.  I’d also love to add SUBWAY by Christoph Niemann, which is one of my recent favorites that captures the energy and vitality of New York’s iconic subway system.
• Kiersten White’s blog is one of my favorite things – she is just completely charming and hilarious and silly.  Sure, her book PARANORMALCY just got a director…but what Kiersten is really excited about is Saved by the Bell’s Mr. Belding tweeting about it!  I would be too.  I mean, it’s Saved by the Bell!
• It’s been all over the web but, just in case you haven’t seen it, these minimalist posters of children’s stories from Flavorwire are a must-see.  Do you have a favorite?  This is mine:

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Fabulous speakers at the 40 year celebration of SCBWI in Los Angeles.

Write from the heart. Say thankyou to a fan.’ Bruce Coville

‘Write from your places of joy.’ Donna Jo Napoli multi award winning author

‘I felt lost…. and went inside myself’  David Small wrote ‘Stitches’ – powerful memoir and engaging wonderful picture books.

‘I like writing what entertains me’ in a joyous presentation of writing for kids – Jon Scieszka.

The talks made me laugh and cry. What a day!

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Donna Jo Napoli

Donna Jo Napoli is the award-winning author of numerous children's books, and she does everything from picture books such as THE BRAVEST THING to young adult novels such as BREATH.

She has taught linguistics at a variety of colleges, including Smith, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore.

Someone once asked Donna Jo why she ruined her perfectly good books with terrible things. She hadn't asked herself that question back then--she writes what she needs to write.

"But that's not a satisfying answer to anyone," she said. Her illuminating talk explained why these books are important, and why certain kids of censorship are "wrong-headed."

In 1999 she was asked to give a talk on censorship. She was working at it in her office (in the laundry room, which made a lot of sense when her five children were small, she said). She was reading articles about censorship and contacted a professor, who sent her a thick packet of reading material. She learned that the number of censorship episodes chronicled by the People for the American Way was seven times greater in 1996-97 than it had been in 1988-89. And it was increasing.

The top reason for censorship is "offensive language," she said. She can understand that--whether or not she agrees with it.

Other things on the list are explicit sexual descriptions. With these, too, she understands why parents would want to introduce their kids to this topic, rather than encountering it in a book for the first time.

But parents who want to keep their kids away from the following are "thinking the wrong way," she said: incidents of violence or brutality including rape, examples of racism, examples of substance abuse, text that include anti-feminism or sexism, derogatory images of the handicapped, and materials including depressing, morbid topics.

For both protected and unprotected kids, these book serve a vital purpose.

Protected children are talked to and listened to, she says.

"And then we have the other children. Children who are unprotected. You know them as well as I do. Sometimes this is no fault of the parents. It can be built into the system." (For example, when a family is living in grinding poverty.) And then there are kids who are abused by their families. "All kinds of things happen behind closed doors. We know that."

When children read about other unprotected children, "It can be wonderful. If you are unprotected, you can get the sense that you're alone. That it's only you."

These kids often keep their troubles to themselves out of loyalty or pride.

"When you think you're all alone, you can and sometimes do blame yourself," she said. "You can feel guilty that that rotten thing happened to you ... Then you meet somebody in a book and you become that person in the book and they're a perfectly good pers

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Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli with illustrations by Caldecott Honor Winner, Kadir Nelson, is about the great Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Muta Maathai, from Kenya. I have written about her on my blog before because this is one woman that I just REALLY admire, and I think her story is important to share with children. She helped Kenyan women and children by suggesting they plant trees and getting back in touch with nature. She educated herself and then went back to her country to show girls that they can too educate themselves and work for the common good. If anyone deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, it’s certainly Wangari.

This book is a little different than Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson

in that Mama Miti focuses mostly on how women came from all over Kenya to ask Wangari for help. Her advice was to plant certain types of trees to take care of the problems the women were having. If the woman complained of a lack of food, Wangari told her to plant a tree and gave her seeds. If the woman complained of the cattle being sick, Wangari told her to plant a certain type of tree with leaves that cure disease. Mama Miti shows how nature can really provide and make a difference, and how strong women can also take care of themselves–especially with a little guidance from someone as knowledgeable and loving as Wangari Maathai.

This book also has wonderful illustrations by Kadir Nelson and resources and author’s notes in the back as well as a glossary of Kikuyu terms, which are used throughout the book.

Why share Mama Miti with your students or children? Use this book to start a discussion about how people can take care of themselves and maybe with a little help–it reminds me of the organization, Heifer International. You can also talk about the importance of planting trees and taking care of nature as well as going green tips. This book can also bring up a history lesson about how much people used to rely on nature, crops, and so on in the past when there weren’t grocery stores to visit or farmers growing food for all of us. You can also use this book to teach about a strong and wonderful woman who can be a role model for young girls all around the world.

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Sometimes I love the books I read with my daughters because of the delightful, uninhibited play they inspire. Other times I love the books we read together because they engage us with something bigger; they cause us to reflect upon our actions and the world around us and encourage thoughtfulness and care. Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli and Kadir Nelson is a recent find that has done both these things for us.

Mama Miti is an enduring story with fable-like quality about a woman who loves trees. She knows which trees are good to harvest for firewood, which trees are best for building with, which tree leaves have medicinal properties as well as the trees which provide food for both people or animals and she happily shares this knowledge with the women she meets. In doing so, these women, armed with knowledge (and saplings!) are able to build better homes and communities, to provide more for their families and to build a more sustainable future – in fact all the things I try to do in my own small way.

It’s a fantastic book for stimulating discussion with your kids about plants and trees around you and what uses they have, what you can harvest from them, and why we might want to ensure that we continue to have plenty of trees and plants around us.

It’s a brilliant book for encouraging you to keep faith in the idea that small changes will eventually add up to something substantial that makes a difference.

It’s an inspirational book for anyone, but particularly girls wanting to read about amazing, strong women – it is actually a biography of Wangari Muta Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. I left out this fact till now as Mama Miti is one of those non-fiction books which probably provide librarians with a puzzle – should it be shelved with literature, perhaps amongst picture books for slightly older children, or on the non fiction shelves (Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca which I reviewed here is another such dilemma posing book). Mama Miti is definitely a story that can be enjoyed for its writing and resonance first and foremost – the revelation that it is actually a true story about a real woman only further delighted M (and me!)

Kadir Nelson’s illustrations are amazing – yet another reason to love this book! He has created artwork primarily using scraps of African cloth, providing his illustrations with great visual texture which reward repeated, detailed observation. The use of African fabrics paradoxically really roots Napoli’s t

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Last week I volunteered to drive students in my son’s class to a local theatre to see Cinderellas. This wasn’t the regular run-of-the mill Cinderella play though, so instead of just dropping the kids off, I purchased a ticket for the show. Put on by ABC Let’s Act, this production presented the story of Cinderella as told in four different traditions: Walt Disney’s, the Chinese, the First Nations and the Korean versions. Did you know that there are over 300 versions of the story of Cinderella throughout the world?

The young cast did a wonderful job of telling the story of four Cinderellas from four different cultures and proved that Cinderella can indeed have brown eyes and black hair! It truly was a multicultural experience with aspects of traditional Chinese theatre, a Korean fan dance, Tae Kwon Do martial arts and the singing of a sacred First Nations song that has been passed down from generation to generation. Director Mandy Tulloch says she wanted to ensure that each version of Cinderella was shown in a manner that was true to its respective culture:

Advisors were consulted to make sure the play was as culturally responsible as possible. In the segment from China, we utilize the traditional method in Chinese theatre where the audience is asked for permission for the performance to take place. We also have the property men as well. For the First Nations piece, we were granted permission by the local elders for the performance to take place. They also blessed the show and worked with us on the music and mask making. In the Korean segment, which was written specifically for this show, you will see an authentic Korean Fan Dance performed by kids as well as award winning Tae Kwon Do artists.

Multicultural versions of Cinderella abound in children’s and young adult books too. To get a sense of what’s out there, check out our blog posts Globe-trotting Cinderella and Bound by Donna Jo Napoli and Books at Bedtime: Fairy Tales (2); and read this review of Abadeha: The Philippine Cinderella, which forms part of our current focus on the Philippines…

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by Donna Jo Napoli

It is one thing to retell a fairy tale and bring new, unique elements to it. It is quite another to find small, seemingly unimportant elements in the original tale and completely reinvent those elements; making them have a huge impact on the story. Zel falls firmly into the latter category. It is an altogether amazing book.

This is one of the best fairy tale retellings I've read. It's told from the point of view of three characters: Zel, Count Konrad, and Mother. It gave a whole new perspective on the tale of Rapunzel, while, as I said, staying more than true to the original. The writing is great and the descriptions are powerful. While short, this book was surprisingly moving. I even cried at the ending, not because it's sad, but because . . . well, read it for yourself.

(I do want to note that there is a brief bit of sexual innuendo. Nothing graphic, but it rather surprised me, so I wanted to caution people about that.)

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A linguist and writer of children's books, Donna Jo Napoli doesn't put much faith in the adage more experienced writers often share with young writers about writing what you know. If anything, Napoli writes stories about what she doesn't know, and takes great pleasure in discovering the world through writing. "Writing allows me to find out about the world," Napoli writes. "If I write a story

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