Waiting for Wuffles

I am eagerly looking forward to David Wiesner's new fall release, Mr. Wuffles.  If you want a sneak preview, check out this video.  (Mr. Wiesner even explains the unusual title.)

Looking Ahead to Genius

With the first quarter of the year nearly over, and my to-read stack considerably shorter than it was in February, I am looking forward to several books that will be released in the next few months.  Here are a half dozen:

• Again! by Emily Gravett has already released in the UK, but the US version is set to release in April.  This story about a dragon who wants his bedtime story read again and again ends with a fiery surprise.

• On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein is a picture book written by Jennifer Berne and illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky.  Robin Smith over at Calling Caldecott said, "I think this is one to watch."  Watch it I shall.

• Deborah Heiligman and LeUyen Pham teamed up to create a nonfiction picture book that releases in June: The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos.  I've had this one on my list for months, but I have not seen it yet.  I guess I'll just have to wait until June.

• The Story of Fish & Snail by Deborah Freedman, she of Blue Chicken fame, also comes out in June, and judging only from the cover (and the brief description provided by the publisher) it looks like it's worth finding a copy to read.

• Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by the marvelous Tony Fucile should be on shelves in April.  I don't think I can tell you how much we love Bink and Gollie at our house.

• Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz is a book I'm looking forward to rereading and recommending  when it goes on sale next month.  You should read it. 

So, as the weather warms up and the school year winds down, what books are you looking forward to reading?

Link to It: Sadness and Award Anticipation

On Thursday last week, I returned home from story time at the elementary school where I had read, to the general delight of  twenty or so children, Monkey: A Trickster Tale from India, retold and illustrated by Gerald McDermott, and found this sad announcement  from PW Children's Bookshelf of McDermott's passing.  I always looked forward to his new books--one of the great talents whose books I love.  You can  also read an obituary from School Library Journal on their website.

In happier news, the finalists for the 2012 Cybils Awards have been announced.  Check out the finalists on their website.

And soon we'll see the contenders for School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books.  Lots of good commentary, and it's fun to play along.

Speaking of awards, we are about two weeks away from the 2013 ALA Youth Media Awards announcements which, of course, include the announcement of the Newbery and Caldecott Award winners.  You can watch the announcements in person on January 28 at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Seattle or stream them live via the internet here.

If you want to know how winning one of those gold, shiny medals changes an author's or illustrator's life, you can read the Publishers Weekly article, "The Call That Changes Everything -- or Not," on their website.

tara recommends Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

I have always considered myself to be pretty independent. I had a job at 16, worked my way through college and lived on my own. I can put things together and will even unclog a sink or hang a light fixture if the need arises. Overall, I am pretty confident I can tackle most problems that may come up - but after reading Hattie Big Sky, my confidence was put in check.

Hattie Big Sky was inspired by the author’s great-grandmother, who independently ran a Montana homestead as a young woman. Knowing the story was based on true experiences makes this book even more inspirational and fun to read.

Hattie was orphaned “before [she’d] lost [her] baby teeth” and was passed around between poor relatives until Aunt Ivy and Uncle Holt (a distant cousin) took her in when she was 13. Aunt Ivy was not a loving influence and delighted in telling Hattie that she had “nothing and no one” and that she should “count [her] blessings.” Luckily, Hattie had a sometimes ally in her reserved Uncle Holt, and just when Aunt Ivy was ready to send her to work at a boardinghouse, he produced a letter. The letter was from her recently deceased Uncle Chester, who had a 320-acre claim staked in Montana and has left it to her. If she is able to meet the remaining requirements, the land would be hers.

So, as a 16-year old girl, she sets off to Montana where she finds a rundown house, (“Aunt Ivy’s chicken’s had better accommodations”), an ornery milk cow, an old horse, and a lot of work. To top it all off, there is unrest everywhere because of the war and she finds herself caught between perceived loyalty to her country and loyalty to her new friends.

Hattie is spunky and her letters to Uncle Holt and to her best friend Charlie (who is fighting the war in France) show off her humorous side. Uncle Holt even shares her letters with a local newspaper where they print her unique insights and experiences.

The rest of the story is almost unbelievable, but becomes remarkable because of her resourcefulness, hard work, stubbornness, kindness and integrity. It is hard to believe that a young girl should ever have that kind of pressure, but through it all she becomes stronger and she finally finds a family.

The title doesn’t do this book any favors, but the story is a great one and I look forward to reading the sequel, Hattie Ever After, coming out February 12, 2013.

Hattie Big Sky
by Kirby Larson
2007 Newbery Honor book
Recommended for ages 9 and up

Paperback:  304 pages
Publisher:  Yearling; Reissue edition (December 23, 2008)

Dive Into Reading with Mo Willems

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a book signing at The King’s English Bookshop, where Mo Willems read his new book, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs.  It is always a treat to hear an author read their own books, and he was no exception.  He was funny and quirky, a true representation of the books he writes and the line around the block was proof of his broad appeal to kids and adults.

We love Mo Willems' books at our house.  It started with Knuffle Bunny (pronounced k-nuffle), we added Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct and Leonardo the Terrible Monster.  Then we picked up Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator!.  Last year for Mother's Day, the kids presented me with The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? and with a new reader in the house, we are now collecting the Elephant & Piggie books.

REALLY?!?  How many Mo Willems books do we need?  I guess the answer is very simple . . . supply and demand.  The kids love them, thus we will continue to fill our shelves.  I have had I Broke My Trunk on my shelf for over a year and thought it was cute, but didn’t think I would be rushing out to buy more.  Then I read it with my 5-year-old.  Or, rather, she read it to me.  She laughed out loud and wanted to read it again. 

What is it about Mo Willems that is so compelling?  When I looked at the sheer volume of Elephant and Piggie books, I just shrugged them off as being a little gimmicky – but now, I own 6 of them and we are excited for the new arrival, Let’s Go for a Drive, that comes out next month.

Where Dr. Seuss has rhymes, Mo Willems has mini plays.  He is accomplished at making you feel like you are watching a show, and if you could put just down the book, you could act out the scenes yourself.  Elephant and Piggie become these compelling and real characters who are just going about their day, living their lives – and when funny things happen, you get to watch!

These books are a little long (57 pages), but with good repetition and bursts of unexpected humor – it works.  The interaction between Gerald and Piggie is accomplished entirely with speech bubbles.  There are no unnecessary “he said” or “she said’s.”  The pictures show the action and the speech bubbles convey the rest.  There is no doubt about how Piggie is feeling when she yells,  “HOW DID YOU BREAK YOUR TRUNK!?!” with arms flapping in complete frustration or the embarrassment of Elephant when he finishes his story and says “. . . and broke my trunk.”  

These are not sterile stories.  Even the youngest readers are drawn into reading with emotion as the font size changes to extra big (for emphasis) or extra small (for shyness) and italics are added.  Whether you are a little withdrawn and careful like Elephant, or you are creative and bold like Piggie, you are sure to find something to smile about.   

*If you have never picked up an Elephant & Piggie book, I recommend I Broke My Trunk! or Can I Play Too? (my 5-year-old also loves Happy Pig Day!).   

Looking Forward

It's the last day of August, the kids are back in school, and I am hoping to get some quiet reading time soon.  Here's a quick list of my must-reads for the month:

• What Came from the Stars by Gary Schmidt

I have tried to avoid reading reviews (which has not been easy) for Gary Schmidt's new fantasy because I hate spoilers, but the brief summary I did read sounds intriguing.  And . . . it's Gary Schmidt.

• The Impossible Rescue: The True Story of an Amazing Adventure by Martin Sandler

Rescue story = good.  True rescue story = better.  In his review for The Horn Book Magazine, Jonathan Hunt calls The Impossible Rescue, "a spirited adventure tale".  I'm hoping.  

• Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

Sheinkin's The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery from 2010 was one of my favorite books from that year.  Where was he when I was in school?  I swear I would have loved history taught the way he tells it.  

What's on your list?

It's That Time of Year

One of my favorite blogs--"Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog," authored by Nina Lindsay and Jonathan Hunt--published its first post of the season today.  They only post during the fall and winter, ending for the season shortly after the Newbery announcements, and today's post was really just an announcement that they will be back on September 4th.  If you haven't read their blog, you should check it out next month.  You can follow the link from our tab "Reading About Reading."  In the meantime, here is a list of some of my favorite books of the year so far:

• May B. by Caroline Starr Rose
• Crow by Barbara Wright
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
• The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson
• Three Times Lucky by Shelia Turnage
• Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead

I still have a list of books that I am looking forward to reading:

• Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
• Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz
• Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin
• What Came from the Stars by Gary Schmidt

What books am I missing from my lists?  Any favorites from this year?

Just Something to Start

I can hardly wait until next month when Rebecca Stead, Shannon Hale, and Laura Amy Schlitz release new books.  Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead and Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz have already received three starred reviews a piece.  Long summer days with good books = delicious.