Library of the Early Mind

We trust you are following the progress of the “Library of the Early Mind,” which is a feature-length documentary film about children’s literature directed by Edward J. Delaney and produced by Edward J. Delaney and Steven Withrow. The excerpt below is provided to tantalize you … screenings are being arranged. You’ll find a schedule listed below the video, with links provided for further details.

Those of you in Nashville, TN, may see a screening on October 10, 2010, at the Southern Festival of Books.

On October 19, 2010, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm, you can catch a screening at Askwith Auditorium, Longfellow Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. The event is free and open to the public.

There’s a screening scheduled for New York City, at the New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, which is also free and open to the public, on November 2, 2010, from 6 to 8 pm.

50th anniversary for two Seuss books

To Kill a Mockingbird isn’t the only 50th anniversary worth celebrating this year. The year 1960 also saw the beginning of the Beginner Books imprint at Random House when Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote and illustrated Green Eggs & Ham and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Read the short version of the story in the Lincoln Journal Star.

Read the longer version of the story in Dr. Philip Nel’s Dr. Seuss: American Icon (Continuum, 2003). Nel’s biography and critical analysis of Geisel’s work was inspired by the Kansas State University professor’s own sense of thankfulness to Geisel: Dr. Seuss’ books taught Nel how to read.

How about you? What’s the first Seuss book you remember reading? Or did you, too, learn how to read with Green Eggs & Ham?

Four Stars!

Congratulations to Margi Preus, whose new book, Heart of a Samurai, has received four starred reviews, one each from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal. We all know how rare a four-star book is. Telling the story of 14-year-old Manjiro, a young Japanese boy whose fishing crew is stranded on an island and rescued by an American whaling ship at a time when isolationism meant the Japanese thought Americans were “godless cannibals,” this is a tale which tells the fictional story of a true-life event. From the Kirkus review: “Capturing his wonder, remarkable willingness to learn, the prejudice he encountered and the way he eventually influenced officials in Japan to open the country,” this is a book to incorporate into many history and cultural diversity units.

It is especially fitting that this news coincides with the celebration of the America-Japan Grassroots Summit, with opening ceremonies on Wednesday, August 25th. “This year, for the first time in the history of the summit, the descendants of John Manjiro, Captain Whitfield, Commodore Matthew Perry, and the 18th Head of the Tokugawa Shogunate family will participate together in the opening ceremony.” If you plan to be in the San Francisco Bay Area, we encourage you to think about attending this historic event.

Oprah Reads Children’s Books!

The American Library Association, sponsored by Target Corporation, has lists of books on Oprah.com, divided by ages and interests, current books and classics. A good place to start. What do you think of the lists? We’re glad to see books by CLN members on the list, especially:

Kids’ Reading List: Infant to 2 Years
Nibble, Nibble by Margaret Wise Brown, illus by Wendell Minor (HarperCollins, 2007)

Kids’ Reading List: 3 to 5 Years
The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illus by Beth Krommes (Houghton, 2008)
A Kitten Tale by Eric Rohmann (Knopf, 2008)
Dog and Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook, 2007)

Kids’ Reading List: 10 to 12 Years
The Magician’s Elephant, Kate DiCamillo, illus by Yoko Tanaka (Candlewick, 2009)

Read On, Wisconsin!

John Coy‘s book Top of the Order has been selected as the intermediate choice for Read On, Wisconsin! in May 2011. This program was created by First Lady Jessica Doyle. It includes a visit to the Governor’s mansion, lesson plans, and an online connection with Wisconsin schools. Best of all, kids all over the state will read this sports-themed novel about four good friends.

What a great model for programs in other states. Do you have a program like this in your state? Let us know.

A Fabulous Fair Alphabet on TV

Just hours before the Minnesota State Fair, the Great Get-Together, Corbin Seitz of KARE-11, the NCB affiliate in the Twin Cities, interviewed Debra Frasier about being the first-ever author-in-residence at the State Fair and all the activities you and your family can take part in at the Alphabet Forest across from the 4-H Building. Watch the video so you, too, know about everything’s that going on. Most importantly, leave the State Fair with more words than you brought!

Cover Girl

Congratulations to Barbara O’Connor, whose most recent book, The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester, has been chosen to grace the cover of the upcoming Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. The book itself is a delight, with O’Connor’s gift for that particularly Southern way of looking at the surrounding world, which translates into Owen Jester’s way of solving the dilemmas that crop up in his summer. He’s not sure, but it sounds as though something fell off the freight train that rumbles through on its way to larger towns. Owen enlists his friends, builds a cage for the enormous bullfrog he’s so proud of catching, and tries to avoid Viola, the girl next-door who thinks she knows more than he does. You’ll know Barbara’s name from a string of books that crop up regularly on state reading lists, including How to Steal a Dog (FS&G) and The Small Adventure of Popeye & Elvis (FS&G).

Author in Residence … at the State Fair!

For the first time ever, the Minnesota State Fair will promote literacy and reading by hosting an Author-in-Residence during the 12-day run of the Fair, from August 26th through September 6th. People travel from all 50 states to attend this gollywhopper of a fair, so we’re giving you a heads-up. Appearing each day from noon to 2:00 pm at the Bailey House across from the Horticulture Building, author/illustrator Debra Frasier will talk with Fair-goers and sign copies of her homage to state fairs everywhere, A Fabulous Fair Alphabet (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster). It’s especially fitting for Frasier to launch her book in Minnesota … she spent years photographing the signs and letters at the Fair, preparing to turn them into an alphabet book for all ages.

Debra and Laura

Families will have fun picking out which letters came from which signs (my favorite is from the Viper … it’s the V, of course) as they read the book. In partnership with Frasier, the Minnesota State Fair Foundation and Target Corporation are upping the ante by promoting literacy with a vocabulary game that can be played at the Fair to win a blue ribbon. Game cards will be available at the entrance gates as well as all MELSA libraries. To claim your blue ribbon, find the Author-in-Residence cabin in The Alphabet Forest (the other place to meet Debra Frasier, across from the 4-H Building). You’ll also be able to spell out words and take a photo for your own Fair memory-book, create mini-banners, sit quietly for a few minutes to read the book, and discover a few surprises (you’ll be hunting all over the Fair for an alphabet crown … this is your I-know-how-to-find-one clue). Those of you who just can’t make it to the Minnesota State Fair (we’ll miss you) can download prodigious activities from Frasier’s website, learning fun specifically developed for families, educators, and librarians.

Color-Themed Children’s Literature Celebrations

What a great idea! The Larchmont Library in Larchmont, NY is hosting a Pink Party on August 26th from 3pm to 4pm.  The event will celebrate two children’s titles.

The library posted the following description: “We’re tickled pink to be honoring a popular color in Children’s Literature, from Pinkalicious to Miss Lily’s Fabulous Pink Feather Boa. We’ll hear our favorite pink stories, enjoy cotton candy, decorate cupcakes and create a pink craft on the front lawn. Dressing in pink is not required, but is highly encouraged.”

CONTEST! CLN will post the color-themed reading lists (with short book descriptions) we receive and one of the submissions, drawn at random, will receive an autographed copy of Beyond the Great Mountains by Ed Young (Chronicle Books) … an incredibly colorful book. Send us your color-themed reading lists before August 30th.

Good reading about writing

Don’t miss Loretta Ellsworth‘s article in Writer Magazine‘s September issue, “What Harper Lee Taught Me about Writing and the Writing Life.” You’ll know Loretta’s most recent book as In a Heartbeat (Walker), but she frequently speaks to Big Read groups around the country about her book In Search of Mockingbird (Henry Holt), based on a tremendous amount of research into To Kill a Mockingbird and Harper Lee’s life and hometown, Montgomeryville, Alabama. Loretta’s a great resource for this 50th anniversary year of To Kill a Mockingbird.

3 Great Poets out of 15

How wonderful to see the 15 Great Poetry Books for Kids list on Grandparents.com and to find not one but three of our CLN members’ books on the list. You’ll find one book by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, one book by Laura Purdie Salas, and one book by Joyce Sidman. Which of their books? Check out the slide show list and see. Thanks to Amy Scheibe for her excellent choices.

Curious George Saves the Day: the Art of Margret and H.A. Rey

We hope you were able to partake of the summer exhibition by that name at The Jewish Museum in New York City. It ended on August 1st, but there are a couple of websites that will inspire you to include Curious George in your lesson plans. If you haven’t yet read Louise Borden and Allen Drummond’s book: The Journey That Saved Curious George: the True Wartime Escape of Margaret and H.A. Rey, it comes highly recommended. There’s far more to the Curious George story than a monkey and the Man in the Yellow Hat. It’s a good way to blend history, social studies, language arts, and art (illustration) into an across-the-curriculum unit. As Jennifer Burek Pierce reminds us in “It’s Not Monkey Business” (American Libraries), the Reys lived through political experiences that shaped their lives … and ours. Their books and their personal stories are worth studying. There are excellent links on both pages to assist you in sharing this information with your students … a thrilling escape and war survivors who became heroes to millions of children across generations.