PW’s Spring 2014 Sneak Previews

| Tasha

Publisher’s Weekly gives us a glimpse into the children’s titles coming next spring.  Hot picks will include:

The fifth book in the Origami Yoda series

The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems

W.A.R.P. Book Two: The Hangman’s Revolution by Eoin Colfer

Fancy Nancy and the Wedding of the Century by Jane O’Connor

Chu’s First Day of School by Neil Gaiman and Adam Rex

Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure by James Dean

Panic by Lauren Oliver

The final book in the Hero’s Guide Series: The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw

Rupert Can Dance by Jules Feiffer

 

What can you spot on the list that would make your must-read pile for next year?

Review: Wait! Wait! by Hatsue Nakawaki

| Tasha

wait wait

Wait! Wait! by Hatsue Nakawaki, illustrated by Komako Sakai

Translated from the Japanese, this little book is perfect for busy toddlers.  It follows some time in a toddler’s day when they move from one distraction to the next.  First, there is the butterfly fluttering past that won’t wait.  Then the lizard on the sidewalk slithers off without waiting.  Then come pigeons and next cats.  Finally, the little child is scooped up by a grown up and carried off on their shoulders with obvious delight.

This simple little book captures so nicely the speed of a toddler’s thoughts and the way that they can keep so busy with new discoveries in their day.  There is a wonderful gentleness to the book, where the animals and then the adult are just as much fun and intriguing as one another.  At the same time, there is a sense of discovery and awe as each new creature is found.

The text is very simple with the title repeated throughout and then one additional sentence added for each creature.  The illustrations shine.  They are wonderfully organic with textures while the colors remain subtle and natural. 

This book begs to be shared with one little child at a time, so that the animals can be identified and new discoveries of their own can be shared.  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy received from Enchanted Lion.

Review: The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck

| Tasha

mouse with the question mark tail

The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck

I thoroughly enjoyed Peck’s first mouse characters in Secrets at Sea, so I looked forward to meeting more whiskered characters in this new book.  The two books are unrelated except for Peck’s elaborate mouse society which has the same charm as The Borrowers or The Littles.  In this book, we meet a little mouse who really doesn’t even have a name.  He has no idea where he came from, but he is now cared for by his Aunt Marigold who is the Head Needlemouse in the Royal Mews in London.  He is sent to school at the Royal Mews Mouse Academy, where he is quickly bullied by bigger mice.  Finally, he ruins all of his prospects by appearing in front of a human wearing clothing.  Now he has to find his own way, his destiny and his past. 

Peck weaves a fine adventure in this book.  The romp of mishaps and close scrapes make for fun reading as does the mystery of this little mouse’s past.  Add to that the appeal of being near royalty, even speaking directly with Queen Victoria herself, and you have a book where you never know what is going to happen next. 

The writing is skilled and detailed.  Peck offers action enough for any book but also builds a wonderful second, shadow society with the mice too.  There is just enough detail to tantalize and clearly visualize the world, but not so much that the story slows.  In fact, the pacing here is superb.

Fans of Stuart Little and The Borrowers will enjoy discovering life in the Royal Mews and a little nameless mouse with a big destiny.  Appropriate for ages 7-10.

Reviewed from ARC received from Dial.

This Week’s Tweets & Pins

| Tasha

Here are the links I shared on my Twitter and Pinterest accounts this week that you might find interesting:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Get your kids involved in their reading with these 12 best interactive books! (via Hands on as we Grow)

Jeremy Strong’s top 10 funniest fictional families | Children’s books http://buff.ly/132acKw #kidlit

Leigh Bardugo’s top 10 childhood reads | Books http://buff.ly/12oACBL #kidlit

Making your writing the best it can be: top tips from children’s books editors | Children’s books http://buff.ly/15joepz

We’re Going On a Bear Hunt games for your teddy bear’s picnic | Children’s books http://buff.ly/15jxDxu #kidlit

Why Do Kids’ Books Matter? Here, Look – Steven Heller – The Atlantic http://buff.ly/15jEas3 #kidlit

The Wildest Children’s Books of 2013 — @100scopenotes 100 Scope Notes http://buff.ly/18bviuz #kidlit

EBOOKS

Apple Violated Antitrust Law By Conspiring To Raise eBook Prices, Judge Rules http://buff.ly/12rjjQz #ebooks

Does E-Reading Change the Way You Read? http://buff.ly/1dnPPsP #ebooks #reading

Dutch public libraries are commencing a test case on e-lending http://buff.ly/189qDJM #ebooks

The Future of Books: Library Apps http://buff.ly/1b3WT0U #ebooks #libraries

LEADERSHIP

The Network Secrets of Great Change Agents – Harvard Business Review http://buff.ly/1dnOrqi

Fairytale Portraits Blur Lines Between Reality and Fiction

LIBRARIES

NEWS: A bill would help libraries help job seekers – Library Worklife: http://buff.ly/1dnPqqx #libraries

Understanding Social Capital | American Libraries Magazine http://buff.ly/12pw4jk #libraries

Why public libraries should follow Chicago’s lead and build maker labs — Tech News and Analysis http://buff.ly/15wpd8l

Yup.

SOCIAL MEDIA

11 Unique Ways to Boost Your Social Sharing with Buffer | Search Engine Journal http://buff.ly/1b3Y00K

Google Reader post-mortem: The death of the API, the rise of the all-in-one, and the return of the RSS reader – http://buff.ly/12eqpYC

Why Twitter Finally Killed The “Auto Follow” For Good | TechCrunch http://buff.ly/15u1HsD

TEEN LIT

Judy Blume is awesome: The author stands up for kids fighting censorship in Chicago. http://buff.ly/132g2vv

Patrick Ness ‏@Patrick_Ness 9 Jul – I believe that if you don’t engage with darkness, you’re leaving a teen alone to face it by themselves. I think THAT’s the amoral position.

Yes.

Movie News

| Tasha

EarlyWord has some fresh news on two movie projects based on children’s books:

Trash

The 2010 novel, Trash by Andy Mulligan is scheduled to be released in May 2014.  Martin Sheen and Rooney Mara are set to star in it.

Revenge of the Witch (The Last Apprentice / Wardstone Chronicles, #1)

The Seventh Son, a movie based on The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney has a first trailer out.  The film has been delayed multiple times and now is scheduled for a January 2014 release. Here is the trailer:

 

Review: The Life of Ty: Penguin Problems by Lauren Myracle

| Tasha

life of ty

The Life of Ty: Penguin Problems by Lauren Myracle, illustrated by Jed Henry

Ty is seven years old and has a pretty complicated life.  He has a new baby sister who is taking all of his mom’s time and attention.  His older sisters won’t walk him into school like his mom used to, insisting that he can do it all on his own.  His best friend is in the hospital battling cancer, and Ty’s other friends can be confusing and even alarming.  Ty keeps getting into trouble at home for things like chasing the cat with a Dustbuster.  Then on the school trip to the aquarium, Ty takes a baby penguin home with him.  This is one wild boy who is also big hearted and caring, just not sure how best to show it. 

Myracle, who writes teen books primarily, has created a truly exceptional book for younger readers.  Ty is a character who is easily relatable, even when he does some extremely unusual things, like stealing a penguin.  His home life will be familiar to many children, who will have older siblings and babies in their families too.  Add to that the universal feelings of being asked to do big-kid things too early and also being treated like a baby, and you get a book that is universally appealing.

Myracle’s writing has an outstanding humor throughout.  In the more dramatic moments, children will understand that things will be alright in the end.  The black and white illustrations by Henry convey that humor and lightness as well. 

Perfect for both reading aloud and for a child reading on their own, this book will be enjoyed by fans of the Stink series as well as those who like Clementine.  This book would pair well with The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from copy received from Dutton.

Amazon’s Best Books of the Year So Far 2013

| Tasha

amazon-logo

Amazon has released their lists of the best books of the year so far.  For children’s books, they have broken it into the Top 15 in several categories:  Board Books, Picture Books, Chapter Books, and Middle Grade Books.  They also have a list specifically for Teens & Young Adults.

The lists are mixes of books getting great critical reviews and those that are immensely popular.  These are definitely lists that librarians will want to take a look at for collection development.

Review: The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

| Tasha

year of billy miller

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

After getting a big lump on his head from a fall during their family vacation, Billy is worried that he’s not going to be smart enough for 2nd grade.  And when he starts 2nd grade, he still has a lump on his head!  The year doesn’t start easily with Billy accidentally insulting his new teacher on the very first day.  He has to figure out how to fix the misunderstanding before she gets the wrong idea about him.  Then Billy’s father who is a stay-at-home dad and an artist is trying to find his next breakthrough in his art.  It is Billy who has to learn how to deal with a grumpy father but along the way he also serves as inspiration for his dad.  When his parents go to his father’s gallery show, Billy tries to stay up all night, keeping his little sister up with him for as long as he can.  Finally, he selects his mother as the person he wants to write a poem about.  But it’s not that easy, since he has to make sure he doesn’t insult anyone with his choice and then has to read his poem aloud in front of an audience.  Along the way, Billy learns a lot about how to act in a family, how to support one another but mostly how to love each other.

Henkes has written a book about a boy that will be perfect for fans of Clementine and Ramona.  Happily, he does not resort to grossness, bodily functions, farting or any of the other plot devices so often used in books about boys.  Here instead we have a real boy, one who makes mistakes but also tries to do what is right for his family.  Broken into chapters that are focused on a single relationship: teacher, father, sister, and mother, this book is welcoming to young readers thanks to its logical structure and clear focus.

The black and white art in the book is done by Henkes.  Unfortunately, the digital galley I read did not include much of the art.  What was in the galley adds much to the book, nicely breaking the text into more manageable parts.

A tip top chapter book, this one is destined to be a classic.  I’d think that sharing it would be a great way to start any 2nd grade school year.  Appropriate for ages 5-7.

Reviewed from digital galley received from Edelweiss and Greenwillow Books.

Review: The Boy Who Loved Math by Deborah Heiligman

| Tasha

boy who loved math

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Paul Erdos grew up loving math from a very young age.  Growing up in Budapest, Hungary, Paul loved to think about numbers.  Unfortunately, he didn’t love school with all of its rules, so he was homeschooled by Fraulein, his nanny, until he went to high school.  Paul grew famous for his math but he still could not take care of himself and do his own laundry, cook his meals or even butter his own bread.  So when at age 21 he was invited to go to England to work on his math, he was worried about whether he could do it.  It turned out that buttering bread was not that difficult and that he would follow his own sort of lifestyle that ignored the rules.  So he traveled and did math around the world, staying with fellow mathematicians and relying on them to take care of him and his laundry and his meals.  He was the furthest thing from a stereotypical solitary mathematician to the point that people now have an “Erdos number” that shows how closely they worked with the amazing mathematician Paul Erdos.

This is such a wonderful biography.  It is a breath of fresh air in so many ways.  First, it plays against the stereotype of introverted and shy mathematicians working in solitude on formulas and instead shows Erdos as a vivacious man who didn’t just work with others, but depended on them.  Second, it shows mathematics as ever changing and new, something that is enticing and exciting.  Heiligman uses a light tone throughout as well as an obvious respect for Erdos’ brilliance and accomplishments. 

The illustrations share the same playful feel of the text.  Done in bold colors and dynamic motion, they have a humor that is welcome as well.  The look on Erdos’ face as he tries to butter his own bread for the first time is priceless and wonderful.  Children will be amazed that such a bright man would struggle with basic tasks.

A pleasure to read, this is an unusual biography that will make a welcome addition to nonfiction shelves.  Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from library copy.