Stranger Things, I credit you with this finally happening.
Let’s think about doing a Girl With the Silver Eyes film next! Thanks to Liz Burns for the link.
Now when I heard that Nieman Marcus was offering 36 Caldecott Award winning picture books for $10,000 . . . *checks notes* I’m sorry. I typed the wrong number there. I’ll begin again.
When I heard that Nieman Marcus was offering 36 Caldecott Award winning picture books for $100,000 (that’s better) I was a bit baffled. Perhaps these would be books that were all signed by their authors and illustrators? Well, they are first printings, or early editions, yes. But one can assume that you could purchase 36 such similar titles for far less money. This is part of Nieman Marcus’s “Fantasy Gifts” collection, and the idea is that they’ll donate $10,000 to their own charity if you buy this collection.
Now the collection of 36 has been curated by Johnnycake Books and E.M. Maurice Books. Here is the video that accompanies it. See if you see what I saw. Click on the image below:
Did you notice the books chosen to appear on this list? I am a librarian, so my take on curation is going to be different from that of a bookseller. That said, I have to wonder how many booksellers today would hand a child a stack of Caldecott books that included problematic titles like They Were Strong and Good. This is not to say that I think the book should be removed from library or bookstore shelves or anything like that. But if you’re looking for books that speak to kids today, then for the love of all that is good and holy switch that book out for something with some contemporary gravitas like Jerry Pinkney’s The Lion and the Mouse. My two cents. Thanks to Sharyn November for the link.
Oo! This is neat. Matthew Reinhart goes in-depth on pop-up books.
Interesting that he cites Transformers toys as being so influential on him. Sorry, Autobots. Thanks to 100 Scope Notes for the link.
This is neat. Kidlit TV created a livestream of the Bank Street Bookfest this year, and now the full series of events is available in full. Would that the Newbery/Caldecott/Wilder Award ceremonies were done in the same way. I dare to dream!
I know some of you out there harbor unkind thoughts about Amanda Palmer. That’s fine. But she apparently has an album out with her dad, Jack Palmer, who has a pleasant Leonard Cohenish quality to his voice, and one of their songs was turned into an animated video akin to the Brothers Quay. I just like the song:
And if you prefer, you could watch this one with the world’s GREATEST sleeping baby. Seriously. He wakes up ONCE in the course of this film (if you don’t count the end). I don’t think that’s a trick. Plus it was filmed with the cast of Welcome to Night Vale. So. Right there.
In terms of this latest Series of Unfortunate Events trailer, my thoughts are that they get two points for including Klaus’s glasses (thereby already improving upon the film) but one point is deducted for Violet’s hair ribbons, or lack thereof. Interesting that they made her SO much older. Not that I wanted a 12-year-old mock-married to Olaf. Ugh.
Zut! I wish I’d seen this next book trailer before Halloween! It would have tied in so beautifully. I tell you, it is hard to come up with an original trailer for picture books in this day and age. Perl knocks it out of the park.
As for our off-topic review of the day, this one’s a no-brainer. There really isn’t a connection to children’s books here, and I should probably save it for Christmas but . . . aw, I just can’t. For the Stranger Things fans out there:
It's one thing to read about censorship in a news article; it's another to become aware of the threat at a nearby library or school. For Banned Books Week this year, we reviewed hundreds of documented appeals to remove materials from a local public library, school library, or course curriculum. Below are 30 books that [...]
I’m happy to report that my master plan for world domination is well under way.
Yes, I’ve got Vermont!
Yes, Kentucky too!
And now, at long last, Oklahoma is mine! All mine!
BWA-HA-HA-HAAAA!
Three states down, 47 to go. I feel like Alf Landon in the 1936 elections, staring up at the big board as the electoral vote trickled in. How’d that work out for old Alf, I wonder?
Answer: He lost to FDR, 8 electoral votes to 525.
This Alf might have fared better.
Seriously, what an honor to be nominated. It’s so great when you throw a book out into the world and something positive bounces back. (Imagine, I just griped about this the other day.)
I received an email from Christopher Elliott, which said:
Congratulations!! You have been nominated for the Oklahoma Library Association’s Sequoyah Book Award. The Sequoyah Book Award program is one of the most prestigious of the state student choice awards in the nation.
<snip>
I am pleased to notify you personally that your book “Bystander” has been nominated for the 2011-2012 Intermediate Masterlist. I am attaching a list of this year’s nominees. You have been nominated for the 2011-2012 program that will be promoted from May 2011 until the voting deadline of March 31, 2012. Votes will be counted in early April, 2012 and the winning author(s) will be notified by April 30, 2012.
The OLA Conference will be held either late March or early April 2013. If your book is selected as a winner, I look forward to contacting you to arrange for your trip to Oklahoma to accept the Sequoyah Award from Oklahoma students.
Here is a list of the Nominations for the 2011-2012 Intermediate Award. Remember the students of Oklahoma will choose the winner.
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, James Swanson
Darkwood , M.E. Breen
Watersmeet, Ellen Abbott
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies , Mick Cochrane
Closed for the Season, Mary Downing Hahn
The Brooklyn Nine, Alan Gratz
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice , Phillip Hoose
The Amaranth Enchantment, Julie Berry
Positively
New York, she is so snowy these days! I’ve lived in this pleasant burg roundabout six years, by my count, but this is the first winter where the weather decided to bring back memories of my Michiganian (Michigander? Michiganolian?) youth. Well, a good Fusenews is the perfect solution for any snowy day. On to the top stories!
- Some of us know Shaun Tan best because of his remarkable book The Arrival. Others first became aware of him through his Tales from Outer Suburbia. Now expect a whole new crew of folks to be introduced to him thanks to . . . his recent Academy Award nomination. Yup. I kid you not. Check out the nominees for Short Film (Animated) and there he is alongside one Andrew Ruhemann for an animated adaptation of The Lost Thing. It’s based on his picture book of the same name. Haven’t read it? Well, you lucky bum, you’re in for a treat. Perhaps anticipating this Arthur A. Levine is releasing a collection of three Tan picture books in one volume called Lost & Found. It’s due out on shelves this coming April. If you can wait that long, of course. In the meantime you can watch the trailer for the film here. Thanks to Marjorie Ingall for bringing the nomination to my attention!
- Say, this is fairly big news that’s making the rounds relatively slowly. Are you aware that they have hired a new New York Times Book Review editor of children’s books? Yes, they’ve been a little low-key in the announcement but thanks to this podcast from the National Book Critics Circle we have learned that Pamela Paul has garnered the choice position. PW confirmed the choice here. Ms. Paul has a blog of her own, which will give you a better sense of who she is and what she has done.
- History Question: Has a paperback edition of a work of children’s fiction ever incorporated the awards it won into the design of its new cover? If you answered, “No, and I doubt it ever will be,” think again.
- One of my favorite little ole imprints is one that dedicates its time and attention to bringing out some of the strongest graphic novels for kids you will ever lay hands upon. I hope you will all help me raise a glass and offer many congrats to First Second for celebrating their 5th Anniversary this year. I’ve read a bit of that Zita the Spacegirl GN due out February 1st and it’s a fine example of what First Second does best. Cheers to all!
- Hrm. The Scribd site is fast becoming the most dangerous one on the web. I say this because I pretty much could read
(Clarion Books, September 6, 2010)
After reading this middle-grade novel, it becomes clear why Mary Downing Hahn is such a popular author and has won so many awards. The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall is a deliciously written gothic story, hovering over that “safe,” fine line that exits between the mildly scary and horror.
Twelve-year-old Florence has spent the last seven years of her life in a London orphanage. Then, one day, her rich Uncle James sends for her, and she goes to live in his mysterious old mansion in the English countryside. Besides her uncle, her Aunt Eugene and her cousin James also inhabit the house. Unlike her uncle, who is warm and kind, her aunt is a cold, severe middle-age woman.
Florence isn’t able to have any interaction with James because, for some mysterious reason, he is bedridden and unable to receive visits. Everybody in the house, including the few servants, seems to be under the dark memory of Sophia, James’ 12-year-old sister, who died tragically one year before.
Not long after Florence moves in, she realizes there’s a supernatural presence in the house, none other than Sophia’s ghost, with whom Florence shares a striking resemblance. Thus begins the dark “friendship” between the girl and the ghost. Evil and manipulative Sophia has her own agenda, and she wants Florence to help her achieve her goals. Will Florence be strong enough to fight Sophia’s revengeful and controlling will?
The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall is filled with tight yet evocative, lyrical prose that appeals to the senses.
“The wind rustled the leaves and blew through the grass on Sophia’s grave. Its sound was as low and sad as the mourning doves calling to one another on the church roof.”
There is a threatening, chilling tone throughout—enough to keep readers on the edge of their seats without giving them too much horror. Though the story wouldn’t really be scary for 12 year olds, 9 year olds might be slightly affected by it.
The author’s carefully chosen descriptions serve to create the perfect atmosphere for this engrossing, historical ghost story. The characters are distinct and interesting in their own way. Florence is a smart, practical young girl who will capture the imaginations of middle-grade readers. The novel has a little of Wuthering Heights, The Secret Garden, and Rebecca in it.
For this reviewer, it was a wonderful experience discovering this talented author.
**My review previously appeared in The New York Journal of Books.
Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story
by Mary Downing Hahn. Clarion Books 1986. Sandpiper Paperback Reissue 2008. Brilliance Audio 2009. Narrated by Ellen Grafton.
The Plot: Molly, younger brother Michael, and stepsister Heather, a newly blended family, have moved to a house in the country. Heather has never been the most likable child, and she gets even worse now that she has a friend. Helen. A ghost child only Heather can see. Heather's father, Dave, thinks his daughter is imaginative and doesn't understand Molly's concern.
Molly finds out that a nearby home burnt down over a hundred years ago, killing a young girl named Helen. Several children have drowned in a nearby pond. Molly becomes convinced that Heather is in danger. Can she save her stepsister?
The Good: Wait Till Helen Comes is a scary as hell ghost story about not one, but two, mean little girls. Is there anything more terrifying than an evil child? How about an evil child that everyone else thinks is young and nice and harmless?
Heather, seven, is a brat even before Helen enters the picture. She manipulates all those around her and is particularly gifted at getting her father to take sides against his new stepchildren, Molly and Michael, and against his new wife. Helen is not just the ghost egging Heather on; Helen is also a ghost responsible for the drowning deaths of several children over the years.
But that's not the scary part. Oh, it is scary, and kids looking to be scared will love this book. Creepy, atmospheric, spooky, with a very real danger.
That's not what scared me as an adult. As an adult reader, I was appalled at how the stepfather, Dave, treats his stepchildren, his wife, and his own daughter. No physical abuse; but enough nastiness and neglect that I couldn't help but wonder at what type of rebellions Molly, Michael and Heather would have in high school. Molly, given the model that to have a man, you put up with his garbage, is Most Likely To Be In Abusive Relationship. Scientist Michael stops escaping to woods and bugs and starts escaping with drugs. And Heather, looking for the love she doesn't get from Daddy, will be Sixteen and Pregnant.
Let me give some examples. Dave, talking to his ten year old stepson, Michael, says "what kind of little monster are you anyway." And the mother, hearing her child called a monster, does . . . Nothing. Instead, mom tells her children to be nicer. Basically, setting the stage of future dysfunction by modeling the "if you don't piss him off, he won't get mad, just be good so he will stay with us" relationship, rather than the "he's being irrational and over the top in his anger, and I won't put up with me and my kids being treated that way" relationship.
Frankly, it's upsetting. And honestly? Dave isn't that much better with Heather. He flips flops between spoiling her and ignoring her. No wonder Heather is obnoxious -- her father repeatedly rewards her worst behaviour and totally plays into a very uncomfortable wife versus child struggle.
And -- here is the best part
! I loved the event and I’m sad I didn’t know about the Literary Salon sooner as I am a recent NYC transplant via the Washington, DC area. 
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But doesn’t Violet use the hair ribbons when she needs to think, chew over something? I don’t recall her wearing them all the time. I’m guessing they will appear when called for.
Also, I work in a middle school and 12 year-olds come in a remarkable range of sizes. This Violet looks plausibly the correct age to me:)
“See if you see what I saw.”
I don’t know what you saw, but I heard him say Arthur Lobel’s Fables is about some of the best know fables. Mr. Lobel made up his own fables because he thought some of the traditional ones were boring!
Oh, and it is Arnold Lobel! Not Arthur. He and I made the same mistake
Perhaps the Brett Helquist art has turned my head on the matter.