Month: June 2008

No Age Branding!

| Tasha

Great news on the age labeling of British children’s books!  Philip Pullman is leading the protest against the labels.  According to the latest news, over 80 authors, illustrators, librarians, teachers and booksellers have joined together in protest.  Good golly, one would think there would be hundreds of British librarians joining in!

You can support the cause by heading to No to Age Branding and signing the petition.  Their list of reasons to oppose the branding alone is worth the click to visit the site.  The petition has grown incredibly since the new article was published with over 200 signatures waiting to the posted!

Manfish

| Tasha

Manfish: a story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Eric Puybaret.

Learn the story of the journey of Jacques Cousteau from a young boy to the scientist and filmmaker through this vibrant picture book.  Cousteau was fascinated by both film and the sea from a young age, dreaming of breathing underwater as a child.  It was his invention of the aqualung that made all of his exploration possible.  This is also the story of the Calypso and Cousteau’s best friends who worked with him throughout his life. 

Berne’s words make this a vibrant book.  Her ability to tie Cousteau’s dreams of the ocean to children of today is powerful.  The tone of the book is one of wonder at Cousteau’s accomplishments, completely appropriate for a figure of such discovery and adventure.  Puybaret’s illustrations continue this tone as we venture underwater visually.  There is a whimsy about them, a playfulness that was also part of Cousteau’s own work.  And again there is the sense of wonder that matches the text so well.

Recommended as a great biography for elementary students.  This could be used in science classes about the environment or when studying different habitats.  It should also be given to those children who shun picture books in favor of nonfiction, because it is a lovely blending of the two.

The Red Necklace

| Tasha

 

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner.

This book had me immediately upon reading the first page.  The writing was flowery but intense, filled with images but equally gripping and fast paced.  It was the tone of the French Revolution itself.

Set during the French Revolution, this is a tale of Gypsies and aristocracy, vengeace and wealth.  Yann Margoza works in a magic show with Topolain, the magician and Tetu, a dwarf who can move objects with his mind.  Yann himself can throw his voice and read minds.  All of their skills are used when they animate their latest act, a wooden Pierrot.  Their act is brought to a bloody end when they are asked to perform for Count Kalliovski and Topolain in killed.  In the aftermath of the murder, Yann meets Sido, neglected daughter of a rich marquis.  Sido slips closer and closer to the trap Count Kalliovski has laid for her while Yann is sent to England for safety.  But he will be unable to leave France behind that easily.

Sally Gardner, author of I, Coriander, returns with an equally stunning book.  Her language is incredible, filled with details but still nimble, evocative but not verbose.  And the story she tells is not only riveting but unique.  One never knows where the story is headed, as it twists and turns in unexpected ways.  Her characterizations are flawless, never stereotypical, but always revealing and interesting.  Even the villains have great backstory and reasons for being who they are. 

This is a glory of a book.  Highly recommended and one of the best of the year.  Appropriate for ages 13-16.  There is plenty of romance but no sexuality in the book, and there is plenty of gore and death as well.  What more would you expect from the French Revolution?

Trout Are Made of Trees

| Tasha

 

Trout Are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Kate Endle.

The title will immediately have children puzzled and intrigued.  Fish made of trees?  Will they be wooden fish?  What could it possibly mean?  Is this another of those strange surreal books mommy sometimes finds?  But slowly and lyrically the story is told of tree leaves falling into the stream, settling to the bottom, bacteria feeding on them, and then small creatures eating the leaves.  The cycle of life is right before our eyes as the trout feed on the creatures and the leaves become part of them. 

The author has created a book that is pure fascination.  Even if you know the book is about the cycle of life, it’s impossible to not want to follow the story.  The illustrations are an interesting combination of cartoon friendliness and detailed naturalism.  They manage to be warm and factual at the same time.  The text walks this same line, creating a story where pure fact could have been cold and impersonal.

Highly recommended for elementary science classes looking at the life cycle.  My children immediately realized that we too are made of trees and started listing all of the other things we are made of: grass, rocks, and much more.  I love any book that immediately sparks such interested conversation and animated sharing of ideas.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Horrible Labeling Idea

| Tasha

According to the Guardian, several British authors spoke out at the Hay Festival about the plans for some publishers to begin labeling books with age ranges.  Mal Peet spoke out for reluctant readers and its impact on them.  He also brought up my main concern:

According to Peet the complicated question of whether the books are suitable for children of a certain age in terms of language or in terms of subject matter is "not being addressed at all."

"Sooner or later this age ranging is going to degenerate into a moral code," he said, "which would be terrible."

It certainly would.  Think of teen novels in particular and the age labeling that could happen not on the basis of reading difficulty but of content.  And who decides what is and is not appropriate?  Another hidden panel like the movie ratings?  So nothing can be done?

We recently had a challenge to a couple of books at our public school.  One "solution" was for the librarians to label books with ages.  And this was not for reading level, but solely for content.  When publishers start thinking along the same lines as censors, there is something wrong.

Bully Bib

| Tasha

The CCBC has another one of their wonderful bibliographies up online.  This one is called Thick-skinned, Thin-skinned, the Skin I’m In: Books about Bullying, Teasing, Relational Aggression and School Violence.  Whew!  It has so many amazing titles, several of which caught my eye and reminded me that they dealt with teasing. 

I was going to list some of my favorites from the list, but so many of my favorite books appear that there wouldn’t be room.  Just take a look, what a wonderful bibliography to share with teachers and parents.

Slow Summer Learning Loss at the Library

| Tasha

 

When I was a children’s librarian I always spoke with great pride about the role of the public library in slowing the loss of kids’ educational levels over the summer.  Nice to know that nothing has changed, libraries are still vital, kids still need us.  Wonderfully, the partnership of libraries and families is what leads to stronger communities as a whole.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has some figures to make your case even stronger.  Did you know that the average student who doesn’t read or engage in learning activities over the summer can lose as much as 2.5 months of learning over the course of the summer?!  And how many of our children pass the summer parked in front of a TV in the cool air conditioning or playing video games?  Let’s get them outside, reading, playing imaginative games, engaging their brains and being active learners!  And libraries can help!