The winners of the 2013 Edgar Awards given to the best mystery writing of the year have been announced:
BEST JUVENILE
The Quick Fix by Jack D. Ferraiolo
BEST YOUNG ADULT
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Month: May 2013
Review: Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell
Rainbow Stew by Cathryn Falwell
Released on June 15, 2013.
Three children scramble out of bed at their grandpa’s house to a rainy day. But they don’t want to stay inside, so Grandpa sends them outside to find colors to add to his Rainbow Stew. They splash their way into the garden and look under the wet green leaves to find what colors are hidden beneath. They find all sorts of green vegetables like beans, spinach, and cucumbers, some rosy radishes, some purple cabbage, yellow peppers, red tomatoes and brown potatoes. Soon their basket is full and the three children are muddy and happy. They all head inside to cook the stew together, each child helping in their own way. Then there is quiet time inside as the stew cooks, until finally they can all enjoy Rainbow Stew!
Falwell merrily combines a love of gardening and a willingness to get muddy in this book. She uses quick rhymes that add a bouncy feel to the book, maintaining that sense of joy that is everywhere in this book. I am particularly pleased to see a book with a grandfather taking expert care of grandchildren in this book.
The illustrations are filled with falling rain, but also small faces turned up into it and knees plunked down into the mud. The completely African-American family is also great to see in a picture book that easily integrates into rain or gardening or color units and story times.
Ripe and ready to be picked, this is a great choice for sharing aloud in spring or fall. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from digital galley received from Lee & Low Books via NetGalley.
Review: A Special Gift for Grammy by Jean Craighead George
A Special Gift for Grammy by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher
Hunter collected a big pile of stones and put them on his grandmother’s porch. When his father and grandmother ask him what she is meant to do with them, Hunter replied, “What everyone does with a pile of stones.” Hunter turned out to be right. Everyone who saw the stack of stones knew just how to use one or more of them. The postal carrier used one to weigh down the mail on a breezy day. Workmen used them as hammers or weights. They are used to stop wheels from rolling and show people what way to turn. When Hunter returned only six little stones were left. But this time it’s Grammy who knows just what to do with them.
I have one big issue with this book: the title. It does very little to convey the charm that is inside this book. I love the idea of a pile of stones that everyone borrows from and uses. Then the end of the book is intensely satisfying. I must admit though that with the uninteresting title, I almost passed on this book, expecting it to be a book about the death of a grandparent or a saccharine poem about familial love. Instead it is a well-designed look at community, family and connections. I’d much rather have had the title reference the stone pile or stones or rocks.
The illustrations are done in collage, acrylic and pencil. They have gorgeous deep colors, combined with lots of texture from the collage. The collage is done in such a subtle way that it is almost invisible, just adding a level of texture and pattern to the paintings.
This book truly is a special gift, but one that could use a new title. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Reviewed from copy received from HarperCollins Publishers.
Review: Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker
Steam Train, Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
The author/illustrator team that brought you the bestselling Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site returns with another gorgeous transportation-themed bedtime book. The cheerful rhyme invites children to explore the different types of train cars and what sorts of items are stowed in each one. This is done by a monkey crew who move monkey bars into the boxcars with tumbling moves and lots of bananas. The hopper car is filled with bouncy balls by kangaroos and a helpful giraffe. Elephants squirt paints into tankers with their trunks, each train car a different color. The cold reefer car holds ice cream treats as well as polar bears and penguins. Gondolas are filled with sand, beach balls and toys. The autorack has lots of fast racecars. The well cars have dinosaurs and their lunches. Finally there are the flatbeds made into beds and the red caboose, the train heads off to a new day.
First let me comment on the endpages which are done in train engineer cloth pattern and really invite young train enthusiasts to read on. The book has that wonderful rhyme that is playful and youthful, dancing along merrily to the beat. That sense of play is evident throughout the book, as the different animals load the train with things that will interest very young readers. All of it has a silly tone that makes it great fun to read.
Lichtenheld’s illustrations add to that silliness with small touches that are such fun to discover. Done in a soft yet rich style, the illustrations invite you to dream along with the book. Their deep color captures the nighttime setting while the softness will have little heads snuggling in close.
A worthy companion to the first book, get this into the hands of little engineers and fans of Thomas the Tank Engine. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.
This Week’s Tweets and Pins
Here are the links I shared on my Twitter and Pinterest accounts this week that you might find interesting:
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
BEA 2013: Children’s Galleys to Grab http://buff.ly/ZfrEq5 #kidlit #BEA
A Manifesto for Children’s Literature; or, Reading Harold as a Teenager http://buff.ly/ZL6nt4 #kidlit
Maurice Sendak Tribute: Children’s Illustrators Donate Art For Auction http://buff.ly/10YzzyK
Middle Grade Saved My Life – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/10W58Jw #kidlit
Top book award named for Margaret Mahy – Newstalk ZB http://buff.ly/10qronc #kidlit
Winnie the Pooh author AA Milne was first world war propagandist | The Guardian http://buff.ly/10O6hT8
LIBRARIES
25 Vintage Photos of Librarians Being Awesome – Flavorwire http://buff.ly/ZTOH91
Architects of Dreams: Anythink’s Pam Sandlian Smith on the Power of Children’s Librarians | School Library Journal http://buff.ly/13PiwM7
CHANGE NEEDS A BRAND: don’t fear labels, leverage them – The Ubiquitous Librarian http://buff.ly/Z0rEKB #libraries
Christian Zabriskie: Libraries in New York City: Why We Give a Damn and Why You Should Too http://buff.ly/ZmsFNe #libraries
Hiring and Training Internet Mentors | TechSoup for Libraries http://buff.ly/YZIER3 #libraries
Seth’s Blog: Getting picked (need to vs. want to) http://buff.ly/11CjQ3o – I can see libraries helping people pick themselves!
Voices for the Library » The Importance of Librarians and Libraries http://buff.ly/Zpgvqi #libraries
READING
Anna Dewdney’s Fostering Lifelong Learners conference speech – The Horn Book http://buff.ly/101deib #reading
Free Comic Book Day 2013 – May 4th | Mighty Action http://buff.ly/10VUZMM
TECHNOLOGY
7 Myths of the Digital Divide » Cyborgology http://buff.ly/ZLY7Jk
Check out the New Ghost Blogging Platform Kickstarter: Funded in under 12 Hours! : @ProBlogger http://buff.ly/10VoLBi
Facebook deserted by millions of users in biggest markets |The Guardian http://buff.ly/ZfG9u8
Flexible 20 micron thick RFID tags can be embedded in paper | Chips http://buff.ly/ZBSqN9
FTC Guidelines: How to Ensure Compliance | How to Avoid Deceptive Ads http://buff.ly/10nv2ye #blogging
I’m still here: back online after a year without the internet | The Verge http://buff.ly/10YCZBt
The Webby Award Winners http://buff.ly/Zy1hiX
Will the Kalq keyboard finally spell the end for qwerty? | Technology|The Guardian http://buff.ly/14VCKs9
TEEN READS
Anne Frank’s Diary Too ‘Pornographic’ For 7th-Grade Students, Claims Michigan Parent http://buff.ly/ZmsKAw #yalit
Marie Lu on ‘Champion’ cover | Shelf Life – Gorgeous!! http://buff.ly/13PrF7u #yalit
WORK LIFE
Review: Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis
Renegade Magic by Stephanie Burgis
Somehow I lost track of this wonderful magical series, so I’m a little late in reading the last two books. This is the second in the series, following Kat, Incorrigible. Kat’s oldest sister is wed at the beginning of this book, but not before her wedding is disrupted by the angry mother of another sister’s suitor. Once again Kat’s feud with Lady Fotherington has caused catastrophe. When Kat confronts Lady Fotherington about what she has done, she goes too far and loses her right to learn how to use her Guardian magic. Soon after the wedding, the suitor has reluctantly left and the family heads to Bath to escape the scandal for a time. Little do they know, but they are heading directly into a huge magical situation where Kat will be unable to avoid the Guardians.
Burgis weaves actual history into her story of Bath which adds a fine solid foundation to a story that is frothy with fun and sparkling with magic. Perhaps the best part of this book is the frumpery and finery of the upper class, making sure they are seen in the proper way and fretting about the smallest things. Through it all, Kat is a fierce heroine, determined to regain her right to learn Guardian magic and do what is best for her family.
A strong second book in a delight of a series, this book has a strong ending that sets readers up nicely for the final book in the series. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
Reviewed from copy received from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Fredrick McKissack Dies
The St. Louis Post Dispatch carries the news of the death of Fredrick McKissack. Mr. McKissack co-authored many books with his wife, Patricia McKissack. According to the article, he also helped with research on books that did not bear his name as well.
Fredrick McKissack died on Sunday at the age of 73. Together with his wife, they wrote more than 100 books for children and adults many of which focused on African-Americans and civil rights.
2013 Golden Kite Award Winners
The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) has announced the winners of their 2013 Golden Kite Award and the winners of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award. These are presented for excellence in books for young readers published in 2012.
Here are the winners:
FICTION
The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin
NONFICTION
Noah Webster & His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris, illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch
PICTURE BOOK TEXT
Me and Momma and Big John by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by William Low
PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATION
Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters by K. G. Campbell
SID FLEISCHMAN AWARD FOR HUMOR
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
HONOR BOOKS
FICTION
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
NONFICTION
We’ve Got a Job by Cynthia Levinson
PICTURE BOOK TEXT
A Leaf Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Violeta Dabija
PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATION
Electric Ben by Robert Byrd
Review: Peace, Baby! by Linda Ashman
Peace, Baby! by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
So many children’s books about strong emotions come off as mini-lectures about proper behavior. This one has a stirring call for people to not react with violence or anger, but instead with peace and understanding while continuing to be understanding about those negative emotions that can overwhelm. The rhyme helps make the book fun and jaunty while offering the idea of just saying “Peace, Baby!” when you get upset. This is the most basic of conflict resolution, yet it is also the start of something bigger, taking responsibility for your own reactions and controlling them. This cheery book invites others to be happy and peaceful.
Ashman’s rhyme is at the heart of this book, carrying the entire idea of being peaceful and calm forward with a jolly rhyme. Thanks to the playful nature of the rhymes and the “Peace, Baby!” the book does not lecture but instead recommends hugs, conversations and compromise.
Lew-Vriethoff’s illustrations add a lovely softness to the book. With their pastel shades, the book continues to feel playful but also has a lightness to it that keeps the message from feeling heavy handed at all.
A strong addition to library collections, this will be a great way to talk about emotions as a group and also the proper responses to when you feel angry. Peace out! Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.
Waking Brain Cells 