Blog Posts by Subject: Children's Literature

People may not be aware of how much they eat, wear, buy and throw out in their lifetimes. This book brings in the numbers.

In your lifetime, you will drive 627,000 miles in a car, eat enough bread to equal your body weight every three years, take 28,433 showers, and eat 12,888 oranges. You will spend $52,972 on clothes, and you will likely own 12 cars.

Dolores came from a privileged family, and she grew up to be a teacher. Cesar's family were migrant laborers and they worked under harsh conditions. One day, the two met, and they agreed to work together for better living and working conditions for farm employees. They organized the workers and urged them to fight for justice.

Jeff Stone is one busy guy. A Detroit native, he is an avid mountain biker and martial artist in addition to being an author of several children's books. I read his latest book last year, the first in a new series, and throughly enjoyed it. I had a few questions for Mr. Stone about most recent work, his diverse cast of characters, and what's next for him. I thought it was only fair to share his amazing responses with all of you. 

April is Immigrant Heritage Month. In New York City, April 17th to 24th is Immigrant Heritage Week. In honor of both celebrations of Immigrant Heritage, this blog will focus on the multiculturalism of the 7 train.

If you live in Queens, New York, and you work in midtown like me, there might be a possibility that you often take the MTA train to work, particularly the 7 line which runs from Main Street, Queens to Times Square, New York.

One of the most interesting things about this line is that it runs into various ethnic pockets of Queens. The train brings and transports a multicultural group of people from all over the world from Queens to Manhattan on a daily basis. Here 

I love the cat breed illustrations on the inside of the front and back covers of this book. All of the cats look so happy! The book is full of poems that indicate the nature of cats, and anyone who has experience with cats or who has lived with cats knows exactly what Crawley is talking about in these cat poems.

Where in the world are you reading about? Fiction finds its settings in all corners of the world (and some places only imagined in our minds) but there's something special about fiction set in a familiar city or neighborhood. This week I thought I'd tackle another famous neighborhood of Manhattan, but now we're traveling uptown to Harlem.

This is a story about bats taking over the library at night when it is closed: "Bat night at the library." What could be better? It is a bat holiday that bats wait for all year, like Christmas.

A shopping trip with mama and baby. But Llama Llama is disappointed because he wants to play. Countless other types of animals also shop at the Shop-O-Rama. Llama Llama does not like shopping for clothes... or food.

Every year the Young Adult Librarian Association (YALSA) awards the William C. Morris YA Debut Award for the best novel by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature. It is named for William Morris, a legend in children's and teen publishing who worked tirelessly promoting children's and teen literature and the importance of libraries.

The award honors books that have compelling or high quality writing, that have proven or potential appeal to teen readers and the integrity of the book as a whole. This past year I was honored to serve on the 2013 committee. It was a tough decision choosing a winner and four honor books but 

Ever wanted a yellow cow? How about a green salamander? Or a turquoise frog? You will not find any salamanders or frogs in this book. And if you did, they would not be green or blue. However, the yellow cow is a winner in this tale.

Comparta con nosotros esta breve selección de libros de ficción y no-ficción recientemente adquiridos que contienen adivinanzas, cuentos y temas informativos para niños en edad escolar. A brief selection of recent fiction and nonfiction titles for your enjoyment, including riddles, stories and informational topics for school-age children.

Today's pic pick is a book about being in a book? A book?

It's a book? Wait, I am confused and amused!

Yes, you read right, today's pic pick includes books about books, with the words book in the title.

Where in the world are you reading about? Fiction finds its settings in all corners of the world (and some places only imagined in our minds) but there's something special about fiction set in a familiar city or neighborhood. I thought it might be useful to kick this series of posts off with a very local list. Working here at Seward Park Library, nestled on the Lower East Side, I get to experience the neighborhood first hand, and see it changing around me. The rich history and long memories of those who grew up on these streets has been the inspiration behind any number of books, including children's books to stage their stories here.

Four hours of homework a night, dance three times a week... and school. But it is worth it for one thirteen-year-old dancer who has been dancing since she was four. Dancing makes her feel free, and she loves expressing her emotions through movement. Her Ailey friends keep her company in the dance studio, and she chats with another set of friends at school. She loves being in the dance studio, and she may become a professional dancer one day.

To be honest, I have been puzzling over the meaning of the title of this panel (Middle Grade Fiction: Surviving the YA Onslaught) from the time I heard about it until I saw the "It's a Children's Book (Not Young Adult)" blog on the projected screen of the South Court Auditorium where this Children's Literary Salon occurred in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The fact that these salons explore areas that I was not previously aware of is precisely why I love these lit salons so much. Also, there was a synergy that evolved between the panelists of this middle grade salon. There was a refreshing energy in the air that sparked intriguing conversation.

Maryann Macdonald's Odette's Secrets is a fictional retelling of a young Jewish girl's life in hiding during the Nazi occupation of France. This middle-grade historical fiction novel brings little new to the genre of Holocaust fiction, but is a strong introduction to the topic in the same tradition as classics such as When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit or Number the Stars. Odette's story opens as WWII is just beginning and persecution of Jews in France is escalating. After Paris falls to the Nazis, Odette must be rushed to the countryside, where she hides in plain sight by living with a Christian foster family and pretending to be Catholic.

I'm a big fan of the fantasy genre and have been reading it most of my life. So, of course when it comes to our booklist this year, I'm very happy about the Fantasy titles included, and delighted to talk about them. But before I do, I wanted to talk about the nature of the fantasy genre itself.

The best fantasies are real.

I think an overt moral lesson (such as don't take other people's things, or be yourself even if that is different from those around you) can flatten an illustrated story. Recently I saw the children's author and illustrator Peter Brown (Chowder, Creepy Carrots) speak about his creative process. One of my clever colleagues asked him about moral messages in children's books. His answer surprised me. He said each of his books contains a message and teaches a lesson.

I have been curious about independent publishing since I have heard other panelists in the Children's Literary Salons talking about it, so I was thrilled to be able to experience a Kid Lit Salon solely on that topic on December 8, 2012 in the South Court Auditorium of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.