Post #txla16

It's been a few weeks since #txla16, and I have my pictures and memories to remind me of how amazing it was.  Many of those lovely memories came from the "Notably Newbery" panel I moderated. Joining me were authors Katherine Applegate (The One and Only Ivan), Kathi Appelt (The Underneath), Joan Bauer, (Hope Was Here),  Linda Sue Park (A Single Shard), and Kirby Larson (Hattie Big Sky).

Seated, left to right: Kathi Appelt, Katherine Applegate, Joan Bauer
Back, left to right: Me, Kirby Larson, and Linda Sue Park

In this post, I wanted to share the latest works by these authors: 

Linda Sue Park begins a middle grade series entitled Wing & Claw.  The first installment is Forest of Wonders (HarperCollins). 

Kathi Appelt (along with Allison McGhee) has give us Maybe a Fox (Simon & Schuster):

Katherine Applegate's Crenshaw (Macmillan Kids), is now a nominee for the Texas Bluebonnet Award: 

And Joan Bauer's Soar (Penguin) was released in January: 

Kirby Larson's Audacity Jones to the Rescue was also published in January: 

And I also wanted to reflect a bit: 

It was an incredible honor to introduce these authors at TLA --- I cannot thank them enough for coming to Houston, TX and sharing their process with us. They were a delight individually and even more so together. Afterwards, I'm sure just about everyone in the audience  (including me) wanted to go home and reread their award-winning books. In fact, I've already reread Hope Was Here. 

I truly wish I could remember every wonderful part of that panel. What I do remember is that several times I stood there and said to myself: "Look where books have brought you." 

Books and reading have afforded me amazing opportunities. And this is what I hope it continues to do for the readers in my library. 

Read on, friends! See where books will take YOU! 

                     

                                                                           

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

 

De la Peña, Matt. Last Stop on Market Street. Illus. by Christian Robinson. New York: Penguin, 2015. Print.

The rain is coming down, and Nana and CJ are on foot. As CJ complains about getting wet, and not having a car like his friend, Nana responds with positivity, and takes him on the No. 5 Bus for a special trip. Nana greets fellow bus passengers warmly (including a blind man tuning a guitar, a woman with a jar of butterflies, and two teens listening to music), and in her interactions, models kindness and empathy. As the blind man plays a tune, CJ is moved by the music, and his mind swirls with visions of butterflies, hawks and freedom. Their trip ends with a walk down a run-down neighborhood, and the final destination is revealed: a soup kitchen where Nana and CJ serve meals together. As CJ takes this journey with Nana, he sees that with the right outlook, beauty can be found in any place.

I first read this book in January, 2015. Of course, it won the Newbery Medal for 2016, and when the award was announced in Boston at ALA MidWinter, I was fortunate enough to be there to hear it. As I sat in my seat beforehand, chatting with fellow librarians, someone from the press asked the whole row if we had any predictions. I remember my reply was "Last Stop on Market Street: Caldecott". Of course I was partially right about this, as it did win a Caldecott Honor Medal as well as a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award.

It is now February, and our Scholastic Book Fair Week is upon us. One of the featured books is indeed Last Stop on Market Street. As I visited some classes to talk about the book fair, I brought this book along with me, and read it aloud. I could tell that our readers were enjoying the story, but I also re-discovered several gems about this book which I shall share:

• First, the stained-glass windows on the church (opening of the book) are lovely. The alternating triangles remind me of work by illustrator Molly Bang. 

• Two people in the street outside the church are holding umbrellas -- a signal of what is to come.  Nana has brought her umbrella as well, showing us that no matter the weather, she will go to the soup kitchen to help. 

• See the location of the gutter on the double-page spread where Nana and CJ first encounter rain. The trunk really does resemble a straw, just as Nana says. 

• Mr. Dennis, the bus driver, gives CJ a coin by pulling it out of his ear. (The coin is mentioned later in the book.) There are people around us who enjoy their work, and do little acts of kindness like this every day. This is part of the beauty that Nana wants us to notice. 

• The woman with the butterflies in the jar intrigues me. Where does one go with butterflies in a jar? (This character has found beauty for herself.) This line always causes wonder when I read it aloud to classes. 

• Nana's hand offers comfort/empathy/agreement to those around her: the blind man on the bus, and to CJ when they get off the bus. 

• The double-page spread where CJ closes his eyes to listen to the music is a stopping point. You do pause here because you know CJ is changing in some way. The music, Nana's words, and the passengers on the bus have all had an effect on CJ. And from then on, when he asks a question, he is asking for a different reason -- not because he is complaining any more, but because he is truly wondering. 

I still think about CJ's story, even though it has been on my shelves for over a year, and I have read it several times. I find it comforting to know that no matter how many times I  turn to this book, I find something that will make me wonder or pause (just like CJ), proving once again that picture books are meant to be enjoyed repeatedly. One quick read of a picture book is never sufficient to appreciate its full meaning.

TCTELA 2015

This weekend, I attended one day of the TCTELA Conference in Houston. I was honored to present with book friends (and esteemed colleagues) Teri Lesesne, Donalyn Miller, and Karin Perry.

Because TCTELA was celebrating its 50th anniversary, our presentation was called "50 Books in 50 Minutes". Can you imagine how difficult it was for us to name 50 books as a group? Altogether, we have read MANY books. We each chose 10 to represent a decade, then a few to represent 2005-2015.

Here are three of the books I included in my portion:

How I love this book! I love the persistence of this little kitten. He is on a quest for the unattainable. And though he finally does give up, he is rewarded. 

This book was the 2005 Caldecott Winner and also received the Charlotte Zolotow Award. The artwork is gouache and colored pencil, and perfect. 

I read this one with fourth graders as a classroom teacher years ago. I remember so many lines from this book. How brave Sarah was to leave her home in Maine!  But also, I know the children needed her so! 

Winner of the 1986 Newbery Medal as well as the Scott O'Dell Award. 

My favorite lines: "I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall." 

I saw an exhibit of Ed Young's work when it came to our area last spring. I got swallowed up in the beauty of the pieces. I walked around quietly and respectfully, taking in every image and bit of color. Lon Po Po's red and other dark colors created a surreal yet vivid backdrop for the Little Red Riding Hood story. And the panels! How glorious! 

Winner of the 1990 Caldecott Medal 

A book you could -- and should -- read again and again. 

It was a joy to present with Teri, Donalyn, and Karin. These book friends help me grow in my own love of children's literature. I am grateful for them! 

Award-Winning Books = Great Reading



 

Since attending the Newbery Caldecott Banquet last month, I've been very interested in reading more of these award-winning books. Though I've been teaching a few years (okay more than a few ;-), and I did read throughout those years, I am especially attune now to children's literature and its quality. I can say that there are several titles I have picked up and looked at and said to myself: "I have read this before!" However, I cannot say I took enough time to enjoy them or truly appreciate them. So, I am going back and rereading some of these with a different set of eyes--eyes opened with time, more reading, and experience.

 

Now, whenever I see or hear about a Caldecott or Newbery book, I want to know more. If I could, I would memorize the winners (as well as the Honors). I'm curious about the author, the artwork, the process, and everything that makes the book unique. I started the Newbery and Caldecott challenges in 2012, too. (I've been making some progress on this, but I haven't gotten as far along as I should have because I keep stopping to read the new books.)

 

So I'm trying fit in more of these books. And in that, I feel as if I 'm giving myself the very best education. I am taking it up on myself to learn from experts about these books, and I'm finding that there is much to learn. But that doesn't dissuade me from the pursuit of the learning because I care very much about it. It IS my passion. (Isn't this what we seek for our students? Yes. And because I live this, I want to help every student who is in my charge to find their passion as well.)

 

In pursuit of learning, and because it is a complete joy to me, I read these titles this week:



  

 

 

A SINGLE SHARD by Linda Sue Park

Published: April 23, 2001

First published by: Clarion Books

 

What a rich and beautiful story this is! Tree-ear, an orphan, is the main character living in Korea in the 12th century. He wants nothing more than to learn the craft. But many things go against Tree-ear. The storytelling is stunning, and I highly recommend it.  I learned more about the art of celadon glaze pottery in this book, and I want to learn more about that, too. Linda Sue Park won the Newbery Medal for this book in 2002.

 

 

 

 JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT by Simms Taback

Published: Oct. 1, 1999

Published by: Viking

 

Simms Taback both wrote and illustrated this Caldecott Medal winner for the year 2000. (His book POSTCARDS FROM CAMP won the Texas Bluebonnet Award in 2013.) In  JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT, Taback uses cutouts to create the art and tell the story, and each time you turn the page, the cutout is used in a new way. How many versions of this book have been published?



 

BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL by Robert McCloskey  

Published: Sept. 17, 1948

Published by: Viking Juvenile

 

This delightful picture book was a Caldecott Honor book in 1949. I have been to Maine only once in my life, but I remember it well, and often think of it. (Once my life isn't so busy, I'd love to travel there and vacation for awhile.) So when I reread this book, I saw it through Caldecott eyes, and with good memories. But this book didn't need any of those things to make it wonderful. The story is sweet, and the illustrations make the reader go back to look each time. Little things are noticed. Little but truly amazing things. Robert McCloskey's work will bring a smile to your face, and will make you want to go to Maine and eat blueberries.

 

 Hope your day is filled with wonderful books, and that you are learning about things that you love, too!