Category Archive

It could be argued that Roald Dahl is the reason I became a elementary school librarian. I’m not sure who is going to partake in that argument with me, but I am prepared if ever the time should come. Now the Brits have gone and done something smart: created a literary award in Mr. Dahl’s name that honors funny books.  This is one of the only places in children’s lit where serious stories need not apply. I have to say I like it.

To hear U.K. Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen explains the motivation behind the award, click the play button below.

[2 min. 58 sec.]

(Image: ‘Matilda‘
www.flickr.com/photos/45606113@N00/233081405)

This one was difficult to include in the ongoing Unfortunate Covers series (click here for #1 and #2), but unfortunate it seems to be - at least in the eyes of some of the students I work with.

“Bridge to Terabithia” is an outstanding story, a Newbery winner, and it made me cry like “Beaches” - all positives in my book (titled “Checklist of Things Great Books Need”). I just have trouble selling it to kids. The reason why? The cover just doesn’t strike them as something they want to dig into. I’ve been seeing a newly covered version in stores lately - here’s hoping it gives this classic the circulations it deserves.

Have you been looking for a way to work on your Jamaican patois? Not sure why you’re on a site devoted to children’s lit, but you are in luck nonetheless. In a strange bit of disparate worlds colliding, I came across the following instructional video for teaching the Jamaican accent through Dr. Seuss’s ABC:

Librarians and NPR go together like cardigans and nippy reading rooms. I guess I haven’t checked the fine print on my degree lately, but there actually may be a contractual obligation for bookish types to support National Public Radio. Part of my love for the station stems from the fact that they occasionally like to highlight children’s lit. Most recently they featured Nancy Drew. A favorite quote from the piece:

“I don’t think there is a casual reader of Nancy Drew,” says writer Fran Lebowitz. “There may be casual readers of Proust, but not of Nancy Drew.”

Indeed. It’s like asking if someone is a casual fan of scotcharoos - you’re either not interested or obsessed (well, if you’re me at least).

Click the play button below to find out more about the teenage detective who’s managed to stay relevant for over 70 (!) years.

[7 min. 21 sec.]

Flashback to ‘05. It’s my first year as an elementary school librarian and I’m eager to share my personal favorite books to students. I love Roald Dahl and I especially loved his funny, exciting, and poignant “Boy: Tales of Childhood“. Our library didn’t own a copy, so I fired off an order and waited with anticipation of how I was going to promote it to high heavens and watch the circulations pile up. When it arrived I pulled it out of the box and saw this:

It’s an unfortunate cover. An otherwise stellar book that is covered in something less than kid-friendly. Sure enough, try as I might, “Boy” was an extremely hard sell. Come to find out this is the cover for adult readers. Adult readers shmabult readers, this one just doesn’t work. Luckily there are many other versions available.

Time to answer some questions. Literate Lives blog has tagged me for the 7 Questions meme. Here’s the lowdown:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What were you doing ten years ago?

Ten years ago I was wrapping up my Junior year of high school in Northern Michigan. My favorite section of the school library at the time? Periodicals.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

• Continue library inventory
• Write two book reviews
• Catalog new books
• Work with the third grade classes coming in today
• Read reviews and add titles to an upcoming book order

What are some snacks you enjoy?

• Nutty Bars
• Peanut Butter
• Nutter Butter cookies
• Mixed nuts

What would you do if you were a billionaire?

• Nutty Bars for everyone
• Books for schools
• Donations to cancer research
• House in a cool location
• Save for family

What are your bad habits?

Knuckle-cracking, messiness.

What are five places where you have lived?

I’ve only lived in three, so I’ll add two completely false locations to the list (see if you can spot the impostors!)

• Cheboygan, MI
• Pestoskey, MI
• Holland, MI
• Camp Green Lake, TX
• Centerburg, OH

What are five jobs you have had?

• Fudge Shop employee (Favorite ice cream flavor: Peanut Butter Cup)
• Carpenter
• Barista (Days worked: 1)
• Computer skills teacher
• School Librarian (K-6)

What people do you want to tag?

Pink Me

Collecting Children’s Books

(Top Image: ‘Hatena‘
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21518596@N00/129759103)

(Image: ‘Rockin the USA‘
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12836528@N00/1291404922)

(Image: ‘Nuts‘
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43078695@N00/2138746075)

In my job as a school librarian, I occasionally run into books with unfortunate covers. By “unfortunate” I mean this: an otherwise solid book is saddled with cover art that does nothing for its kid appeal. You just know that no matter how hard you try to recommend it to a student, they’re gonna take one look at that cover, quietly put it back on the shelf and begin to think you’re nuts. In an effort to bring these transgressions to light, I present to you the first in a series of these unfortunate covers:

“Superfudge”

1982 Dell Yearling paperback edition. I dare you to take one look at this cover and not be at least a little creeped out. For me, its the facial expressions that do it. Thankfully “Superfudge” has undergone a few makeovers since this one.

Is anyone else intrigued by foreign edition book covers? Not only do they sometimes switch up the design, but there is the added bonus of the awkwardly translated, umlaut festooned title. Can I get a translation on “Dagbok för alla mina fans - Gregs Bravader” please?

Mishaps and Adventures just posted a gallery of various “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” covers from faraway lands.

Take a look at the cover for the Japanese edition:

Click here to visit Mishaps and Adventures and view the entire gallery.

I run into the problem regularly. Students have a hard time remembering where they pulled a book from if they decide they don’t want to check it out. This seems to happen more in the non-fiction section, where Dewey Decimal rules. We do our best, but the fact that it’s a challenge for kids means more can be done. Like this for example:

Animal shaped shelf markers.

Click here to visit the website (in Japanese).

(Thanks to Gawker for the link)

I open up my morning paper and what’s there on the front page? The results of a report done by Renaissance Learning laying out the “most read books” at each grade level. How do they know? Renaissance Learning makes a software program called Accelerated Reader that is used in thousands of schools nationwide. The software allows students to take reading comprehension quizzes on books that they have read, earning points and prizes. If you’re a school librarian, you know that this program is often controversial. Whether you like the concept of extrinsic motivation for reading or not, this report gives an idea of which books are popular at elementary schools using Accelerated Reader. Let’s take a look:

Click here to see the article in its entirety in The Washington Post.

First grade:

1. “Green Eggs and Ham,” Dr. Seuss

2. “The Foot Book,” Dr. Seuss

3. “Are You My Mother?” P.D. Eastman

Second grade:

1. “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” Laura Numeroff

2. “Green Eggs and Ham”

3. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” Eric Carle

Third grade:

1. “Charlotte’s Web,” E.B. White

2. “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” Judi Barrett

3. “Officer Buckle and Gloria,” Peggy Rathmann

Fourth grade:

1. “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing,” Judy Blume

2. “Sarah, Plain and Tall,” Patricia MacLachlan

3. “Because of Winn-Dixie,” Kate DiCamillo

Fifth grade:

1. “Bridge to Terabithia,” Katherine Paterson

2. “Hatchet,” Gary Paulsen

3. “Holes,” Louis Sachar

I’ve gotta say that the results are a bit surprising - quite a few classics. However, since Accelerated Reader quizzes are taken at school, the books kids are reading are from the school library. So, maybe some love should go to school librarians, who keep stocking the classics alongside the newest hits.

(Top Image: ‘Genetics Exhibit, San Jose Tech‘
www.flickr.com/photos/51035555243@N01/176219371)

I started a job at a new school district this year. One of the most pressing things we have to do is weed the collection. It’s bad, folks. My position is that school libraries should not strive to be the Library of Congress - i.e., it ain’t our place to be the preservers of all the information that ever was. Sometimes you have to decide what’s worth keeping and what’s not. Below, I present you with an example of what’s not:

I have no idea what this guy on the cover is doing. Published in 1982. I’m not saying that’s old in general (I received an “A” in age sensitivity training), but for a computer book to be published a year after my birth? We’ve got some catching up to do.

You are not hallucinating. The punch card you see is above the heading “Modern Computers”. This is akin to me rocking a top hat and spats to work each day, proclaiming I’m on the cutting edge of fashion.

I love how “input” is in quotes. “Yes, modern computers have the ability to do this brand new thing. We can ‘input’ information into them.”

My weeding project has turned up all sorts of other wildly out of date books such as:

• A book about space travel before anyone had landed on the moon.

• A book on Martin Luther King Jr. while the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing.

• Books from the 70’s that we have no record of ever being checked out. Ever.

Now, I’m not saying that these books weren’t valuable in their day or that the worth of a book is directly proportional to the amount of times it’s been checked out. Just that it’s important to stay current.

If you have any weeding hilarity you’d like to share, I’d love to hear about it. Let the weeding/healing begin!

I’m sure I’ll get better at this.

I have to admit it - I’m a pretty poor book signee. Friday I had the opportunity to meet three tops children’s book author/illustrators, and I don’t have many good stories to tell. I’m still perplexed with the etiquette at these events. I wasn’t sure if it was okay to have more than one book signed, or if I should ask for pictures, so I just went ahead and did it. Here’s how the day went:

After school, with books in tow, I beelined to the outstanding (and almost local) Pooh’s Corner children’s book store. There I met Jon J. Muth (of “Zen Shorts” fame) and Mordicai Gerstein (”The Man Who Walked Between the Towers“). Both books are regulars in my “picture books for upper elementary” recommendations, so I was about to lose a shoe over seeing them live. Both were nice enough to sign personalized copies of their books for the libraries where I work. Here’s a picture with Mordicai Gerstein and I:

Is it lame to hold the book up? You gotta help me out on these things.

After that I rolled over to Calvin College where Kadir Nelson was doing his John Hancock thing. The setting for that was very cool. He was signing in the middle of a gallery where original artwork from his books was being displayed. There were even some works from his latest “We Are the Ship” (which you definitely need to pick up if you haven’t - outstanding). I knew going in that most of the originals for that book were large (click here to listen to Mr. Nelson interviewed on NPR), but they were impressive in person. An amazingly talented guy. While sitting in a gallery showing my art as I was signing copies of my latest critically-acclaimed book would have given me a really big head, Mr. Nelson was a very nice guy and gracious enough to pose for a picture:

There I go again with the book.

My only regret was not testing out my “Year of Kadir” catch phrase on him to see what he thought. Here’s how I’m guessing that exchange would have gone:

Me: Hey, it’s the “Year of Kadir”!

(suddenly the sound of crickets chirping is noticeable, despite being indoors)

Me: (under my breath) Well, it is.

A great day.

The “Magic Tree House” series has been a staple in children’s libraries since it debuted with “Dinosaurs Before Dark” in 1992. 38 books later it’s still chuggin, adding new fans every year. My only complaint? They don’t sell these books with kevlar bindings - they get a ton of circs y’all. Click the logo below to watch a recent interview with Mary and her sister (and “Magic Tree House Research Guide” author) Natalie Pope Osborne. Kevlar bindings, I say.

(Thanks to Publishers Weekly for the link)

School librarians hold a unique place in America’s education system, and I don’t just mean because most are odd. I chalk it up to the fact that we straddle the line between teacher and librarian, a role which always seems to inspire a bit of confusion on the part of outsiders (and, let’s face it, insiders as well).

“School Libraries Work” is a study done by Scholastic that steps up to the mic and gives a research-based shout out to school librarians everywhere. Updated for 2008, it cites 19 individual state studies linking library media specialists to student achievement. If your working in the schools, it’s a must read. Click the page below to see the full document.

(Thanks to Stephen’s Lighthouse for the link)

• Jovial Bob Stine? When I first read that R.L. Stine had written joke books in the 70’s and 80’s under that moniker, I seriously thought it was a joke. “Jovial Bob”?! Looking into the matter, it’s true. To read more about R.L. and his plans to exhume the “Goosebumps” series (still a fan favorite in these parts), click the logo below. (thanks to the blog Big A little a for the link)

• I like to call them ‘Brarians. What do you do after reading the lamest ever attempt at a “hip” update of the term “librarian”? You can read about the hipsters themselves. The pop culture website Buzzfeed has a roundup of links on what they’re calling Hipster Librarians. Not sure what to make of this. Click the Buzzfeed logo to read more, or head straight to the NYT article on the subject by clicking here. Next time on the town, I’m so gonna order the 613.96 C.

(Top Image: ‘Change Your Mind‘
www.flickr.com/photos/99136715@N00/1199440)

Fancy Nancy. I can understand the appeal. How many girls come into the library asking for a story, any story, about princesses? Numerous. It is this sort of interest that makes it impossible to deny that Fancy Nancy is on a roll these days. New books popping up all over, tie-ins, you know the playbook. NPR recently chatted with “Fancy Nancy” author Jane O’Connor about her books. Sounds like Nancy has a lot of basis on the author’s life as a child. Click the play button to listen.

[5 min. 27 sec.]

What do these three have in common? You can visit them all during a trip to your local British shopping mall, of course.

(sound of crickets)

Well, you would if the British Minister of Culture has a say. Read about her ideas for updating the UK’s libraries at the London Times.

I’m curious if pop culture falls under her charge. If so I have three words for her: more Mr. Bean.

Click the logo below to read more.

Did you know “Harriet the Spy” was a controversial, culture-shifting force in the world of children’s lit? How about that “Harriet” was banned at some schools when it debuted in 1964? I was not aware. At least not until I listened to this clip from NPR’s Morning Edition Click the play button below to have a listen.

[7 min. 18 sec.]

The outstanding children’s lit blog Literate Lives posted a video with author/illustrator Jeff Kinney. The first half is interview, the second half is presentation. In fact, Mr. Kinney turns the in-store presentation on its head with a game of Wimpy Kid Jeopardy. My favorite part? The whole thing is filmed right here in the Great Lakes State at Boarders bookstore in Ann Arbor, MI. I know that town! Click the play button below to head over to Literate Lives and watch. You might just find out the title for the next Wimpy Kid book.

I don’t have to do much introductionin’ (new word) about “Diary of a Wimpy Kid“. Unless you call the earthy darkness beneath a rock your home, you know the books, and if you’re anything like me, you love them. This clip from NPR allows fans to go behind the scenes with creator Jeff Kinney. The interview brings to light some interesting stuff, such as the original intended audience for “Diary” (spoiler alert: not kids) and Mr. Kinney’s plans for more “Wimpy Kid” books. Yes, more are on the way. And not just one. Click the icon below to hear all the glorious details before I spill them.

When you get to the NPR website, click the Listen Now button

[7 min. 11 sec.]

I have to say that I have a love for all things independent - just call me the Patrick Henry of the school library world. I like my music, movies, and definitely my booksellers to let freedom ring whenever possible. That’s why I always link books featured on 100 Scope Notes to Schuler Books, a local Grand Rapids, Michigan indie bookseller. If a bookstore could wear a felt trifold hat, Schuler would do so with pride.
So what’s the haps on the stacks? See below. I present to you the Independent bestseller lists from the week ending 1/27/08

Children’s Interest

It looks like “Hugo Cabret” is enjoying the post-awards bump, while “Rodrick Rules” (100 Scope Notes review) makes its first appearance.

Children’s Illustrated

“Gallop” continues to reign in the illustrated category, and I couldn’t approve more (100 Scope Notes review). “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Goodnight Moon” continue to prove that you can’t keep a classic down.

Children’s Fiction Series

Magic Tree House makes a jump up to the top spot in the series category.

When NPR covers children’s lit, it’s like a school librarian’s dream come true. Well, to be honest, a cardigan sweater with built in bifocals is really a librarian’s dream - but this is close.

I have not yet had a chance to read “We Are the Ship“, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, but I’ve heard nothing but whisperings (okay, shoutings) of “modern classic” since the beginning of the year. In this excellent interview Mr. Nelson describes the making of the book, his process for creating artwork, and he even reads an excerpt. The page that contains the link also provides more information and artwork from “We Are the Ship”. Now, I’m going to go get started on that cardigan…

(8 min 16 sec)

I’ve mentioned before that I work in a school library, not a bookstore. I know what students are checking out, but I’m not so sure about the books folks are actually buying these days. Sure, I have my opinions about what these books should be, but I always want to know what’s really moving units. The following links from the American Booksellers Association provide a piece of the puzzle. The rankings are based on sales figures from independent bookstores across U.S.

from sales the week ending January 13, 2008
(click each link to see the whole list)

Children’s Interest

Illustrated

Fiction Series

The Today Show posted their interview with Caldcott and Newbery winners Brian Selznick and Laura Amy Schlitz on their website today. It left me thinking: Man, Ann Curry could use some decaf. Click the logo below to watch the madness.

UPDATE: Since this post, others have commented much more eloquently than I could have about this bizarre interview. Check out the following links:

A Fuse #8 Production (scroll down a bit)
BookMoot

On my Thanksgiving plate, I always leave a designated area for the mashed potatoes and gravy. If I don’t, they end up spilling over everything, spoiling the rest of my well placed meal.

With that in mind, tell me this: do book jacket designers like Thanksgiving? If so, you might just be able to infer that they like to leave a little extra space on “special” covers. And by “special” I mean likely to win one of the most coveted metalic discs in existence: a national book award.

No? I’m grabbing at straws? Okay. But it couldn’t hurt to pretend just for a moment, so here are my predictions for the Printz/Geisel awards and the award placements.

First up, the Printz…

“The Absoloutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” By Sherman Alexie. Normally I leave the YA stuff for the grown-ups, but I gotta get this one read! I can’t say I heard more praise for any single book this year. All that and the proverbial “bag of chips”: the Printz would fit nicely as well. It almost appears meant to be.

And as for Geisel…

“My Friend is Sad” By Mo Willems. Now, the Geisel is meant for books that can be enjoyed individually by emerging readers, and this one fits the bill quite nicely. As I’ve said in these pages before, word bubbles are almost always better digested by a lone reader. Kids, teachers, and librarians would be thrilled if this one took home gold.

We’ll find out where the awards will really go when they are announced live on January 14th at 7:45 am. Be sure to tune in!

Yesterday I wondered aloud if cover art illustrators/designers ever take award placement into consideration when doing their work. Do they ever toy with the thought, I pondered, that a big honkin’ award sticker might someday be slapped on top of their creation?

Cover Art Illustrator (to self): Dude, this book is good. Like award-winning good. Maybe I should leave just a little bit more room in the corner.

Cover Art Illustrator (out loud): Ha.

Cover Art Illustrator (to self): Don’t laugh. Just drop that title font by a couple points, switch it to arial narrow, and you’re golden.

Cover Art Illustrator: (quietly makes the changes.)

Uninformed musings? Yes. Is this a consideration? Well, I guess not. But, just for fun, let’s say that my predictions for the Caldecott and Newbery came true. Where would those award stickers go? First up, Caldecott…

“The Wall” By Peter Sis is up first. This one seems like a bit of a no-brainer. I think that high placement will typically win out over low placement and right side of the cover will usually win over left. So there it goes.

“Pssst!” By Adam Rex. The wonderful children’s lit blogger Wizard’s Wireless said that she sees this award fitting better under Mr. Rex’s name, which I could also see. But I’m going to stick to my thought yesterday and say it’s going up top.

“Leaves” By David Ezra Stein. This one looks best to me right under the title, just to the side of the tree trunk. If the book is called “Leaves” you gotta show the tree.

Now, Newbery…

“Elijah of Buxton”. Wow. Tell me that doesn’t belong. The perfect place for some Newbery recognition.

“Feathers” By Jacqueline Woodson. I’m going to guess low on this one. It kind of balances out the cover.

We’ll find out where the awards will really go when the awards are announced live on January 14th at 7:45 am. Be sure to tune in!

*Disclaimer* The book cover images contained in this post were altered for the purpose of discussion.

*Update* Actual award images were removed and replaced with blank circles. Fire up those imaginations!

How hard would it be to choose these awards? I’m still a youngster when it comes to the field of librarianship (3.5 years and going strong!), so excuse my wide-eyed flabbergastedness, but trying to nail down some likely candidates for the upcoming childrens lit awards is like trying to choose between Swiss Cake Rolls and Nutty Bars - even if you choose the Nutty, you’re still passing up something special. But those who participate have the most fun. So it is with an open heart and an empty stomach that I say unto thee:

Here are my wildly subjective and off-base picks for children’s lit glory*.

Newbery Medal

“Elijah of Buxton” By Christopher Paul Curtis.

Recently on “I Love the 80’s” someone said of the movie Amadeus: “It’s like the film was engineered to win Oscars”. Well, I get the same feeling when discussing “Elijah”. Except, not Oscars.

Newbery Honor

“Feathers” By Jacqueline Woodson.

This title just keeps popping up all over the place. Bound to bring home bacon.

Caldecott Medal

“The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain” By Peter Sis.

Hard to deny this one folks. It’s unique, personal, and was created by a giant in the field who has yet to win the big one.

Caldecott Honor

“Leaves” By David Ezra Stein.

This book received more critical love than you might think. Don’t count out “Leaves” to pick up some hardware.

“Pssst!” By Adam Rex.

I just have a feeling about this one. Do you ever wonder if Caldecott placement is taken into account when designing cover art? Well I don’t think so either (nervous laugh). But wouldn’t that honor medal look nice sitting right in that top right corner? You can’t deny THAT, right?

Be sure to tune in for the awards announcement live on January 14th at 7:45 am to find out the true winners. Good luck to all.

*Not really. I based my picks on two criteria: personal opinion and critical success.

by Mark A. Hicks, illustrator

Happy New Year!

Well, the holidays are over, my stomach will be shrinking back to size soon, and its back on the blog trail here at 100SN. How will ‘08 be the best one yet?

• Author interviews a comin’.
• Book giveaways aplenty.
• Highly opinionated/borderline confusing reviews of the latest in children’s lit.
• More of those kidlit related nuggets of semi-impracticable information loosely categorized as “news”.

I’m excited to be back. Hope to see you soon.

Part 5: Early Readers

Are you familiar with the Whitman’s Sampler? The Sampler takes the best chocolates in the world and throws them all in one box for you to enjoy. I can’t say that Whitman’s was the inspiration for The 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best, but I have to admit: I like their style.

The roundup continues today with a look at early readers. We’ve already rehashed fiction and non-fiction picture books, middle grade fiction, and graphic novels. The Best of the Best of the Best series may soon be reaching the end of the line, but the excitement in today’s post is fresh: my calculations found a three way tie for the top spot!

Similar to yesterday, our pool of candidates was small. What does this mean? Another piece of evidence supporting my emerging theory that “best of the year” lists leave certain genres out in the cold, no doubt. But more on that another time.

After compiling every year-end list I could find (see below) a list began to take shape. The list contained the books that garnered the most critical notice. It’s the 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best. Today, Aught 7’s Most Loved Early Readers.

Our three way tie was between…

“Today I Will Fly” By Mo Willems.

“There Is a Bird on Your Head” By Mo Willems.

“Jack Plank Tells Tales” By Natalie Babbitt.

A solid collection any emerging reader would love.

Stay tuned in the coming days for more 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best.

Best of 2007 Lists Consulted:

Washington Post
Hudson Booksellers
LA Times
Horn Book
Kansas City Star
School Library Journal
Amazon
Publisher’s Weekly
Parent’s Choice
New York Times
Miami Herald
Kirkus Reviews
TIME

(Did I miss a list? Do you disagree with my results? Let me know in the comments!)

Part 4: Graphic Novels

I’ve said it before: I love lists. I think that it’s an inherent trait librarians posses. I love lists so much (especially those of the “year-end”, “best-of” persuasion) that I decided to make a book-related master list to sum up 2007. Call it “Kidlit’s Greatest Hits”, call it “Now This is What I Call Children’s Literature” if you must; I call it one man’s humble attempt to recognize which books received the most critical notice in ‘07.

In case you’re new, we’ve already taken a look back at fiction and non-fiction picture books, along with middle grade titles.

Today, the focus is on the graphic novel. A small list? Indeed. It appears that the critics were fairly unified in their choices, as there were a small number of titles highlighted by a wide variety of publications. Either that or graphic novels are still not getting their due. But that is a discussion for another day!

While I was disappointed to see that Best New Book “Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow” didn’t make the cut, those that did are a deserving bunch. It’s the 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best. Today, Aught 7’s Most Loved Graphic Novels.

“Robot Dreams” By Sara Varon. (100 Scope Notes Review)

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” By Jeff Kinney.

My Guess? The taker of the top spot will not come as a shock to most. Overwhelmingly admired by critics, The Best of the Best of the Best Graphic Novel of the Year is:

“The Arrival” By Shaun Tan.

I’m thinking that we’ll be seeing plenty more of “The Arrival” before the 2007 dust settles…

Stay tuned in the coming days for more 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best.

Best of 2007 Lists Consulted:

Washington Post
Hudson Booksellers
LA Times
Horn Book
Kansas City Star
School Library Journal
Amazon
Publisher’s Weekly
Parent’s Choice
New York Times
Miami Herald
Kirkus Reviews
TIME

(Did I miss a list? Do you disagree with my results? Let me know in the comments!)

Part 3: Middle Grade Fiction

The 100 Scope Notes roundup continues today with a look back at middle grade fiction. In case you missed the recap of fiction and non-fiction picture books, let me explain. I’ve taken every year-end list I could find (see below), threw them in my children’s lit blender, and hit “frappé”. Well, actually it was more like I carefully entered each one in an Excel spreadsheet, but that doesn’t sound nearly as fun. How about this: I consulted multiple “best-of” lists to see which books have received the most notice in 2007.

The middle grade landscape featured plenty of books whose titles were shouted out by critics. I was hoping my pal and Best New Book, Winston Breen would have made the list, but such is life. It’s the 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best. Today, Aught 7’s Most Loved Middle Grade Fiction.

“No Talking” By Andrew Clements. (100 Scope Notes Review)

“I Am Not Joey Pigza” By Jack Gantos.

“How to Steal a Dog” By Barbara O’Connor.

“The Talented Clementine” By Sara Pennypacker.

“The Mysterious Benedict Society” By Trenton Lee Stewart.

“If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period” By Gennifer Choldenko.

“Elijah of Buxton” By Christopher Paul Curtis.

It was a tight battle, but one book was tops…

The Best of the Best of the Best Middle Grade Fiction Book of the Year is:

“The Invention of Hugo Cabret” By Brian Selznick.

“Hugo” edged out Elijah to take the top spot and allowed the “Cabret” train keep on chugging.

Stay tuned in the coming days for more 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best.

Best of 2007 Lists Consulted:

Washington Post
Hudson Booksellers
LA Times
Horn Book
Kansas City Star
School Library Journal
Amazon
Publisher’s Weekly
Parent’s Choice
New York Times
Miami Herald
Kirkus Reviews
TIME

(Did I miss a list? Do you disagree with my results? Let me know in the comments!)

Part 2: Picture Books (Non-fiction)

The wrapping up of the year in children’s lit continues today with non-fiction picture books. In case you’re new to the scene, I’ve looked at every year-end list I could find (see below) to see which books have received the most notice in 2007. I am no scientist, and the conclusions I came to are by no means scientific - but still worth a gander, in my humble opinion.

The non-fiction group was a difficult one to wrangle, with all the genre-bending and age-spanning going on this year. For instance, is our winner a picture book (as labeled by Parent’s Choice)? Maybe a middle grade/young adult non-fiction title (stated by the Cybils committee)? Or was it simply a children’s non-fiction selection (so says Horn Book)? Yep, that grinding sound you hear is a giant children’s literary monkey wrench being thrown into the gears of conventional wisdom. The result is an odd combination of titles that don’t really seem to belong together, yet don’t necessarily belong apart. Whatever the label, still a great batch. It’s the 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best: Aught 7’s Most Loved Picture Books (Non-fiction).

“Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village” By Laura Amy Schlitz, Illustrated by Robert Byrd.

“Dogs and Cats” By Steve Jenkins.

“The Girl’s Like Spaghetti” By Lynne Truss, Illustrated by Bonnie Timmons.

“May I Pet Your Dog?” By Stephanie Calmenson, Illustrated by Jan Ormerod.

But one book garnered more praise than all the others.

The Best of the Best of the Best Non-fiction Picture Book of the Year is:

“The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain” By Peter Sis.

Near-unanimous critical appreciation was bestowed upon “The Wall” this year. The clear cut favorite.
Stay tuned in the coming days for more 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best.

Best of 2007 Lists Consulted:

Washington Post
Hudson Booksellers
LA Times
Horn Book
Kansas City Star
School Library Journal
Amazon
Publisher’s Weekly
Parent’s Choice
New York Times
Miami Herald
Kirkus Reviews
TIME

(Did I miss a list? Do you disagree with my results? Let me know in the comments!)

Part 1: Picture Books (Fiction)

Well, it’s done. I picked over every single year end list I could get my hands on. From the big names (Horn Book, School Library Journal) to the names which carry lesser weight in the children’s lit world (Miami Herald anyone?), no list went un-poured over (see below). I noted which books appeared on these “best of” lists in painstaking detail. Tabulations were made. Was the process scientific? Nay. Could another librarian take a broad sampling of year-end lists and come up with different results? Yep. Is the resulting list still worth a look? I believe it is.

When the dust settled, there were some great books left out (”17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore”, “Grumpy Bird”, “The Incredible Book Eating Boy”, to name a few). The goal of this exercise? To determine which books received the most love in 2007, and possibly start formulatin’ some Newbery, Caldecott, and Geisel predictions along the way. It’s the 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best. Today, Aught 7’s Most Loved Picture Books (Fiction).

Let me tell you, it was a very close race. First, we have the contenders:

“Pssst!” By Adam Rex.

“Pictures From Our Vacation” By Lynn Rae Perkins.

“A Good Day” By Kevin Henkes.

“Orange Pear Apple Bear” By Emily Gravett.

“At Night” By Jonathan Bean.

“Fred Stays With Me” By Nancy Coffelt.

“Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity” By Mo Willems.

But one book edged out all the others.

The Best of the Best of the Best Fiction Picture Book of the Year is:

“Leaves” By David Ezra Stein.

Not flashy, but consistent. “Leaves” garnered more notice than any other picture book on our list.

Stay tuned in the coming days for more 100 Scope Notes Best of the Best of the Best.

Best of 2007 Lists Consulted:

Washington Post
Hudson Booksellers
LA Times
Horn Book
Kansas City Star
School Library Journal
Amazon
Publisher’s Weekly
Parent’s Choice
New York Times
Miami Herald
Kirkus Reviews
TIME

(Did I miss one? Let me know in the comments!)

A little bit back, Wizards Wireless tagged me for a “7 Things About Me” meme. I kept the tagging going and learned about some other savvy children’s lit bloggers in the process. Here are some of the folks who took part:

We learned a little about…

Book Buds
Breeni Books
A Wrung Sponge
A Year of Reading
Literary Safari

Thanks to all!

A shout goes out to Wizards Wireless, a canny individual and wonderful children’s lit blogger, who tagged me for the “Seven Facts About Me” meme.

Here are the rules (from the source):

1) Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2) Share 7 facts about yourself.
3) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4) Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Alright, lets get down to brass tacks …

#1. I have been told I could make a modest living as an Abe Lincoln impersonator. I wish I had a picture, but I don’t, so click here and kinda squint your eyes. That’s sort of what it looks like when I’ve got on the beard and stovepipe.

#2. I am an Elementary Library Media Specialist residing in the Great Lakes State.

#3. My all time favorite picture book is “The Wretched Stone” by Chris Van Allsburg. But it might also be “Arnie the Doughnut” by Laurie Keller

#4. I have hosted a radio show. WTHS 89.9.

#5. I once had an idea for a TV network. It was to be called the “How It’s Made” network. It was inspired by the following video clip from my youth (you might have seen it):

#6. My all time favorite chapter book is “Holes” by Louis Sachar. But it might also be “Donuthead” by Sue Stauffacher.

#7. Scope notes help to clarify the meaning of a term or instruct on its usage. 100 Scope Notes = a whole lot of clarifyin’.

I’m going to tag Literary Safari, A Year of Reading, Book Buds, Breeni Books, In the Pages, A Wrung Sponge, and Three Silly Chicks

Imagine if everyone’s workplace exterior represented what was going on inside. I know that the people at Longaberger would approve. In my web travelings I recently stumbled upon the following images. This one is of the exterior of the Cardiff, UK library:

This next one is of the library in Kansas City, MO:

More information and pictures can be found at deputydog.

Mwuuuuuuaaaaaahhahaha!* Apparently, this is the message that 4th and 5th graders want to proclaim from the mountain tops if given half a chance. Well, at least some.

When I first stated blogging with my students two years ago (Aught 5 y’all), I didn’t know how best to go about it. In my role as Media Specialist, each class period I spent with students was split down the middle - half of the time we were reading and learning about books in the library, the other half we were working on computer skills in the lab. I knew I wanted to use a blog to find out more about how students interacted with books - their likes, dislikes, and opinions - but I wasn’t sure how to go about it.

After setting up the site, I flew by the seat of my pants. The experience ended up being a valuable one. I talked to classes about writing for an audience and voicing their opinions. Students dug the fact that their work could be read by the world, and I liked the opportunity to get some honest responses from kids about books. Many students just loved the freedom of writing for the sake of expression, without having to abide by all of the typical rules. Some of the comments were thoughtful, others were more evil scientist-ish cries of freedom (see above).

I used the blog mainly as a discussion forum, starting out with some basic questions. What is your favorite genre? Who are your favorite characters? What is your all-time favorite series? The feedback I received was honest and valuable. If a class loved fantasy, you best believe my next read aloud would be “Harry Spiderwick and the Artemis Eragons”. If a class loved Judy Moody, I introduced them to my friend Clementine Amberbrown Ramonavitch. Worked like a charm? Yep.

After getting some practice with the basics, I looked for ways to up the ante. What I loved most was using the blog as a tool for students to do some critical thinking about a book. What do you think will happen next? How will the story end? Questions like these garnered some great responses, that I made sure to share with the rest of the class. Even those who initially liked to respond on the blog just so they could use IM language (to talk w/ their BFFs) started getting in on the action and posting some quality work.

So the experiment was a success in my book. Blogging with students allowed me to better understand and serve young readers. Now I have just one more thing to say: Yaaaaaaaahoooooooooooooooo!

*Excerpt from an actual blog post comment

Being a longtime listener, first time blogger in the children’s lit world I am excited to put forth my 2 Honest Abes. This shouldn’t be a surprise. As far as I know the olde tyme saying holds true: “if someone starts a web log and has nothing to say, does the blog exist?”. I would say no. The wonderful kidlit blogger MotherReader is hosting the November Carnival of Children’s Literature and has asked for submissions with the following theme (straight from the source):

“I want a tip as a reader, writer, illustrator, reviewer, publisher, or editor of children’s literature. I want a lesson learned from a teacher, librarian, author, or parent with regards to kids’ lit. It doesn’t have to be a post that you did in November or October, though you may consider tweaking and re-posting an older entry to use; you can pick a post from any point this year. If you have something from last year, polish that baby up and repost it.”

As a part time Abe Lincoln impersonator (my go-to Halloween costume), you know I’ll be adding to the discussion. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, November 27th, by 9:00 a.m. EST. You can submit right here.