Category Archive

The apple bobbing is done and winners have been chosen:

Becky L. will be holding a copy of “Three Shadows” very soon.

Kari F. is going to receive “Bat’s Big Game”.

Thanks to everyone who entered. May Lady Luck be on your side next month.

I’ve got a mess of books to give away and I want to get these things movin’! Just for fun, I even threw in a book that was recently bestowed upon with Unfortunate Cover status. It’s the original folks, and sure to be a collectors item. Collectors everywhere are surely unimpressed by this statement.

If you like any of the books below, send me an email at scopenotes@gmail.com and include the title of the book that you are most interested in. If I get that message before midnight on Thursday, your name will be written on an apple. I will then put all the apples in a bucket and start bobbin’ for a winner. You may not know that besides children’s lit blogger, I’m also the founding member of the convoluted contest drawings fan club. Now lets see those books:

“Three Shadows” by Cyril Pedrosa.

“Bat’s Big Game” By Margaret Read MacDonald.

Unfortunate Cover (#1) recipient “Superfudge” by Judy Bloom

Good luck!

I keep an eye on both the New York Times Bestseller list and the American Bookseller Association list to see which kids books are popular, but I dream of a different list entirely. The dream list I speak of would be a national list of the most checked out children’s books from public and school libraries. See, the NYT and ABA give a snapshot of what’s moving units, but who is it making the purchases? Aside from the occasional busted piggie bank, it’s adults ponying up the cash. I want the unfiltered view of what kids like. Give me that and I would be a happy man. Until that becomes a reality, I bring you the books that may (or may not) be the most popular with America’s youngsters:

Gallop, folks, Gallop. The Scanimation powerhouse just keeps on keepin’ on. Look for Rufus Butler Seder’s new book “Swing!” when it is released on October 15.

Both “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” installments are still on top. I bet you a buck they’ll still be in the top 5 when the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw” comes out in January 17, 2009.

Yes indeed, the June edition of The Edge of the Forest is up. The online children’s lit journal is a veritable classy buffet of kid’s book knowledge. There are also a couple 100 Scope Notes reviews in the Graphic Novel and Picture Book sections if you’re interested. Click the image below to take a closer look.

Looks like John McCain’s daughter has gone and written a children’s book based on her father’s life. From the press release:

New York, NY June 11, 2008—Meghan McCain, daughter of Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain, has signed with Aladdin Books, an imprint with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, to write a children’s book about her father’s life. The yet-to-be-titled picture book will hit stores the first week of September 2008, to coincide with the Republican National Convention.

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and predict that the title will be “Raisin’ McCain”. Either that or they go the sentimental route with “Daddy I Love You”. I’ll give myself a dollar if either of those are correct. Click on the article above to head over to pop culture website BuzzFeed and read more.

Time again to look at the literary popularity contest also known as the New York Times bestseller list. Click here to view the complete lists.

Laura and Jenna Bush top the list with their recent release. Not everyone thinks this should be so. Click here for a review of “Read All About It” by Horn Book editor Roger Sutton.

You are not experiencing a sudden case of deja vu. “Wimpy Kid” retains the top two spots again.

Animator, author, illustrator, “Barack Obama of Children’s Lit”, and generally creative guy Mo Willems was recently interviewed on NPR discussing his easy-reader series “Elephant and Piggie”. Two new titles were just released: “I Love My New Toy!“, and “I Will Surprise My Friend!“. But is it an “easy reader” or “hard writer” series? Click the play button below to listen and decide.

[5 min. 48 sec.]

Looks like Scaredy Squirrel will soon be making the gentle glide to the small screen. From Publishers Weekly:

Kids Can Press has inked a deal with Nelvana Studios and Nelvana Entertainment to develop the character of Scaredy Squirrel, star of three picture books by Mélanie Watt, into a TV series.

After mulling over the idea, I have to say that I think it would make good TV. Scaredy would translate well into an animated series. We’ll find out soon.

(Thanks to Publishers Weekly for the link)

Scanimation, the technology behind national children’s bestseller (and “Best New Book“) “Gallop!”, is getting some attention. Click the image below to head over to BuzzFeed and peruse their roundup of links on the topic.

(click here for the 100 Scope Notes review of “Gallop”)

Wanna see how it works? Take a look at the video below, which features scanimation from the book “Magic Moving Images”:

Independent bestsellers for May 15th, 2008:

(Click the ABA logo to view a PDF file of all the lists)

Not a whole lot of commotion here. “Wimpy Kid” trumps the competition once again. Things could get scary when the next installment in the series, “The Last Straw” comes out.

Ah, spring. The end of winter, rebirth, and the purchasing of “Oh the Places You’ll Go” for high school graduates. Never fails.

The “Percy Jackson” series takes the top spot thanks to the recent release of “The Battle of the Labyrinth”.

The Children’s Book Council just announced the winners of the Children’s Choice Book Awards. From the press release:

Children across the country voted for their favorite books, author, and illustrator at bookstores, school libraries, and at www.BookWeekOnline.com. Close to 55,000 votes were received.

There’s been a bit of discussion/confusion over how the finalists were actually chosen (click here to witness some head scratching at Read Roger), but the winners are as follows:

(click on the image to go to the CBC website)

100 Scope Notes is opening up the vaults. Below the search box on the left side of the page there is a drop down menu titled “The Archives”. It collects posts from each month the blog has been in existence. Feel free to rummage through old posts from as far back as the good ol’ days of November ‘07.

(Image: ‘that way please‘
www.flickr.com/photos/65452140@N00/15811977)

The New York Times is nothing if not a choice operation. They do some pretty good reporting, but what they really excel at is keeping us informed about what kids books are moving units nationwide. Below are the results from their latest bestseller study.

Gallop refuses to halt its canter, while Jeff Foxworthy continues to wax poetic.

In a move worthy of Boyz II Men circa 1994, the “Wimpy Kid” books are dominating the top of the charts. I’ve got no problem with that. Or “On Bended Knee”.

(Click here to see the entire rundown)

In what is shaping up to be the Year of Kadir, illustrator (and now “We Are the Ship” author) Kadir Nelson will be appearing at Calvin College tonight, April 18 @ 6:30pm. If you hang your hat in the West Michigan region, be sure to check it out.

In my day job as an elementary librarian, I sometimes still marvel at the sustained appeal of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books. In the 5th-6th grade building I work at, they just cannot be kept on shelves. It’s a great thing. Another great thing is that the cover for the newest installment, “The Last Straw” was just released. Here it is:

The thing that’s not great: we won’t get to see it until January 17, 2009. I may pull a Rip Van Winkle on this one - wake me up when the snow flies! Click here to read more at Publishers Weekly.

(Thanks to PW for the link)

Sorry, got a little carried away with the Lake Superior State University List of Banished Words 2008. Click the logo below to see the whole list.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, the time is nigh to cover some recent children’s lit news and notes:

• Illustrations are enjoyable. It’s true - just look at recent smash hits “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”. New York Magazine recently ran an article on these titles and the ever growing popularity of graphic novels/comics in general. Click here to head over to Mishaps and Adventures, who provides the link and some great commentary.

• Free reading encouraged. The Chicago Tribune ran an excellent, Jon Scieszka quote-laden article about how some folks need to start broadening their view of what reading is. That’s the truth, y’all. Click here to head over to Under the Covers and get the whole scoop.

• It’s always funny when you discover a book or series that you had no idea kids were into. Earlier this year, I had one of those moments with “The Guardians of Ga’Hoole”. The children’s lit blog BookMoot just made me aware that an animated “Ga’Hoole” is in the works. Maybe the popularity is partially due to the enjoyment one gets when saying “Ga’Hoole”. I’ll look into that one. Click here to read more.

• I don’t usually like to do this, but you really should check out the Simpsons spoof of Harry Potter. Click the logo below to take a look. (Thanks to Gawker for the link)

(Top Image: ‘L9Arbre à Palabres #2‘
www.flickr.com/photos/26312642@N00/2227131202)

100 Scope Notes will be up on the shelf for about a week or so due to Spring Break travels. See you soon.

(Top Image: ‘flowr‘ www.flickr.com/photos/85388692@N00/147885524)

But were gonna name names anyway.

Congrats to the 100 Scope Notes Book Giveaway winners for March:

Carey S. will soon be enjoying “Sleeping Bear, The Legend”.

Linda S. is going to receive “Night of the Black Bear”.

Thanks to all the folks that entered, yet were frowned upon by lady luck this time. Look for more 100 Scope Notes book giveaways in the future.

Turns out the Pigeon is not only an animal, but an animal lover as well. “The Pigeon Wants a Puppy” will be the title of latest book in the much-loved series by author/illustrator Mo Willems. Click the link below to head over to Publishers Weekly and read more!

Here at 100 Scope Notes, the end of the month brings feeling of mirth and cordiality. Giving away books tend to have that affect. Below are some books that are free for the taking - all you need to do is email scopenotes@gmail.com to get in on the action. Be sure to include the book you are most interested in. If you send a message before the end of the day on April 2nd, you’re name gets put in the Abe Lincoln stovepipe for a random drawing. Best of luck!

Book #1 is…

“Sleeping Bear: The Legend” By Ann Margaret Lewis. Illustrated by Sarah Grant. Hardcover. 32 pgs.

Book #2 is…

“Knife Edge” By Malorie Blackman (The Sequel to Black and White). ARC. 360 pgs.

Number 3 is…

“Night of the Black Bear” by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson. 157 pgs.

This just in: Jeff Foxworthy is on the New York Times bestseller list. That low, methodical banging you hear is called “the doom drum”. To take a look at what else is movin’ units in bookstores nationwide, read on…

(click the logo above to see the complete list)

Best New Book-ed “Gallop” continues it’s reign. I cannot complain.

Another Best New Book, “Wimpy Kid” is tops, with “The Big Field” making noise.

Click below to take a look at the differences between the original Sweet Valley High series and it’s 2008 re-release. Looks like skinnier and more tech-savvy hijinks to come.

(thanks to Gawker for the link)

Keeping true to it’s name, Booklist just released a list of books. The title? “Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth”. Let’s see here, “The Arrival”, “Robot Dreams”, “Satchel Paige” - all outstanding. Click the logo below to read the rest of the list.

(thanks to Kids’ Comics for the link)

Seems like I’m not the only one with fourth wall on the dome. I mentioned the concept in my recent review of “Big and Little”, A Fuse #8 Production commented on some wall #4 tearing down in her review of “No! That’s Wrong”, and now there’s a discussion brewing over at the blog Editorial Anonymous. Click here to read more.

(Thanks to A Fuse #8 Production for the link)

I know it kinda just started, but Kadir Nelson is having a pretty solid Aught 8 already. In January, the Nelson-illustrated “Henry’s Freedom Box” was recognized by the ALSC as being awesome when they slapped a Caldecott Honor medal on the cover. Decent way to ease into the new year. For his next trick, Mr. Nelson tossed his hat into the authorial ring (joining his hat already in the illustratorial ring) with the beautiful “We Are the Ship”. The response for that one? Universal acclaim. I’m pretty excited to say that in this Year of Kadir, the man himself will be making a stop by my place of residence. An exhibition of Nelson’s work opened up today at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. The show will run between now and April 19, with a book signing event taking place on April 18th. Click the logo below to read the specifics.

Little known fact: Gary D. Schmidt, author of “The Wednesday Wars” and “Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy” is a professor of English at Calvin.

Click here to listen to an NPR interview with Kadir Nelson.

Three completely unrelated items:

1. The City of Ember movie is coming out 10.10.08. How do I know? The movie poster was just released. Well, I’m not sure if you’d call it a poster or a banner - oh, why not just click below and decide for yourself.

2. “Choose Your Own Adventure” map-making. I hereby declare that the last secret of childhood has been ruined. Someone went and mapped out “The Mystery of Chimney Rock”. Now excuse me while I build a time machine to give this little cheat-sheet to my 4th grade self. I am going to be so pumped! (thanks to Boing Boing for the link)

3. Social networking with cartoons. TOON books are now on Facebook. Click below to take a look at the page and become a fan of these “hardcover comics for early readers”. (thanks to Kids Comics for the link)

(Top image: ‘today in Chimayo‘
www.flickr.com/photos/91334391@N00/47324657)

During the month of March, two of the four elementary schools I work at hold Battle of the Books. Students work in teams and have a month to read 10 different books. When the month is over they go head to head with other teams in a winner take all trivia challenge. Inspired by my students I present to you my own B.O.B., only this one is going to be an all out pop and lock danceoff between the Indie bestsellers and the New York Times bestsellers. So pick a side because I’m about to start taking bets. How does one win this battle? I suppose the one with the most books I like takes the cake. Let’s start with the NYT lists:

Picture Books

Chapter Books

and now let’s see what the Independents are selling:

Children’s Illustrated

Children’s Intrest

Wow, this is pretty hard actually. I usually side with the Independents, but this Fancy Nancy takeover of the Indie charts is making me lean toward the Times. Yep, I think that’s it. New York Times bestsellers take the top prize this week. I’ll give you a chance to win your money back next time.

(Image: ‘Wired - The Battle Over Books‘
www.flickr.com/photos/35468141938@N01/70101799)

Issue numero uno of Notes from the Horn Book is now hitting inboxes. On top of having a great name, the monthly e-newsletter also has some great content to peruse. You’ve got your author interview with “Mr. NAYPL”, books to keep an eye out for, and even some children’s lit Q and A. Click the logo below to read all about it. And don’t forget to subscribe.

Well, the madness is over and the winner has been declared. Karin from good ol’ Minnesota is now the owner of “Canned” by Alex Shearer. Note to everyone who participated and didn’t win: with any luck we’ll be doing this whole giveaway thing again real soon-like.

Enjoyers of children’s lit: The February Edition of The Edge of the Forest is now available. The monthly online journal contains features and reviews for the kidlit enthusiast. I especially liked the interview with outstanding author/illustrator Eric Rohmann. Be sure to check out my reviews of the latest Alex Rider book - “Snakehead” by Anthony Horowitz and “The Scary States of America” by Michael Teitelbaum.

Click here to go to The Edge of the Forest.

(t-shirt from www.santacruzmoms.com)

Just like the McRib sandwich, I like to periodically appear to deliver the saucy goods. I don’t think a book has ever been classified as “saucy goods”, but I’m going with it anyway. This book giving away thing is not an original idea of mine, and in the spirit of giving credit where credit is due, allow me to name my sources: one Production #8 of Fuse and one Books of Breeni.

Now that we’ve got citations out of the way, let’s take a look at the books you could win just by sending me an email at scopenotes@gmail.com. Don’t forget to include the title of most interest to you. If you send that email by midnight March 1, you’re eligible. I’ll throw all the names into a hat and draw two winners.

“Canned” by Alex Shearer. ARC (Click here for the 100 Scope Notes Review).

“Night of the Black Bear” by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson.

Good luck!

It never ceases to amaze me which children’s books refuse to gather moss. Below are the independent bestsellers from the week ending February 17. Click on each list title to see the list in its entirety.

Children’s Interest

The “Wimpy Kid” books continue to top the charts, with some recent award winners (”Part-Time Indian”, “Hugo Cabret”) in the mix as well. In my eyes a thoroughly agreeable bunch.

Children’s Illustrated

“Gallop!” maintains as the top seller this week, holding off Fancy Nancy’s bid for world domination for at least one more week. Publishers Weekly just ran the following “Behind the Bestsellers” piece on “Gallop!”:

Gallop! shot out of the gate last December, and hasn’t slowed down. It was the first-ever children’s book acquisition for Raquel Jaramillo, director of children’s books at Workman. The book utilizes a patented technology called Scanimation to animate the movements of several animals as the page is turned. More than 800,000 copies are in print, after 14 printings. And creator Rufus Butler Seder is hard at work on a followup, Swing!, using the same technology, this time featuring people in motion. (Publishers Weekly Children’s Bookshelf February 21, 2008)

Children’s Fiction Series

I don’t know much about the “Twilight” series (a bit to YA for my K-6 tastes), but the others are consistently in demand in the school libraries where I work.

One thing 100 Scope Notes is not known for is the roundup. Typically, I like to stick to an uncompromising “one topic, one post” mentality. But as a wise man once said, “I make my own rules… and I break ‘em all”. So let’s get down to business.

• Goodreads. It’s blowing up lately as evidenced by recent posts by children’s lit bloggers Wizards Wireless and Kids Lit. I’m also a lover and user of the only social network that matters (well, for those that prefer cardigans at least). So click on the Goodreads logo and we can be friends.

• Controversy continues to surround the film version of “Where the Wild Things Are“. Earlier this week I posted a clip that may or may not have been from the movie. Now it looks like the future of the Spike Jonze directed project is getting cloudier, according to this New York Magazine article.

• RIF still needs help. The program that helps bring free books to students is on the chopping block. Visit the Reading is Fundamental website to help keep RIF alive. They have a simple template for sending a message to your legislators.

• Reviews are in for “The Spiderwick Chronicles” movie. The verdict? Not too shabby, not to un-shabby. Head on over to Read Roger, who has posted the very well done Horn Book review of the film.

Top Image: ‘Lobby Lighting‘
www.flickr.com/photos/44124458380@N01/306304179

Can you really argue with free books? Reading is Fundamental (RIF) has been dispensing books to kids for years, and now the program is in jeopardy. The four elementary schools I work at all take part in RIF and it is a highlight of the year. Here’s the scene:

1. Books are purchased with a combination of school and RIF funds.

2. Books are put out for display.

3. Kids enter the library with their class to choose a book.

4. Christmas morning-like feelings ensue.

I think Jeanette Larson sums it up best over at the ALSC Blog:

As a children’s librarian I support programs like Reading Is Fundamental, as a volunteer, donor, and partner. We know that children, especially in low income families, need to own books that they will treasure.

The President’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 eliminates the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program, which is the RIF Book Distribution Program. Unless Congress reinstates funding for this program, RIF would be unable to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children. Please consider writing a letter or email to the President and your state senators and representative asking that funding for this program be reinstated.

Please go to http://capwiz.com/rif/issues/alert/?alertid=10932481 or click the thumbnail below to ask your legislator for RIF funding to be reinstated. It only takes a minute.

Well, so do I. The writer/illustrator who has brought forth such gems as “Time Flies”, “My Friend Rabbit”, and the just-released “A Kitten Tale” is interviewed today at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. If you haven’t already done so, click the logo below to head on over.

Thanks to all those that entered the January 100 Scope Notes book giveaway. Here are the lucky ducks that will be receiving free books:
Sally will soon be enjoying “A Little Friendly Advice”.
Cheryl will be receiving “Getting It” for her trouble.
Congrats to the winners. Look for more books next month!

It’s time for another round of book philanthropy. The Office of Development here at 100 Scope Notes (see: me) has a fresh batch of books and is excited for the opportunity to give back. If you’ve got your eye on one of these titles and are interested in calling dibs, send an email to scopenotes@gmail.com. Be sure to include the title of most interest to you. If you send that email by midnight February 1, you’re eligible. I’ll throw all the names into a hat and draw three winners.

“Getting It” By Alex Sanchez. ARC.

“Canned” By Alex Shearer. ARC. Click here to read the 100 Scope Notes review.

“A Little Friendly Advice” By Siobhan Vivian. ARC.

Best of luck!

I just wanted to say thanks to the wonderful children’s lit blog BreeniBooks for including 100 Scope Notes in “Blogs That Make My Day“. It’s always nice to be singled out (unless it’s for something bad, which this is definitely not).

Or “Wheeze-ner”? As a person who often has to explain how to pronounce my name (hard J? soft J?), I can see how the following website could be a lifesaver for those struggling to name that author. Thanks to the outstanding children’s lit blog The Longstockings, I now know how to pronounce just about every author name I’ve been butchering all these years. Teachingbooks.net has a very helpful and extensive audio clip collection of authors pronouncing their names. Click here to head over to The Longstockings and start speakin’ good, or click the logo below.

I recently posted about what books were selling at the nations independent bookstores. Now for the other side of the coin. The New York Times Bestseller list gives another perspective on what books are inspiring people to say “I would like to own that”.  Excerpts from the most recent list appear below.

(click on the links to see the entire list)

Picture Books

Chapter Books

Paperback Books

Series Books

Looking for some good kidlit info, but don’t have a lot of scratch? The January Carnival of Children’s Literature is open for business, offering up knowledge for the low low price of free. This month, Wizards Wireless is hosting the festivities, which are all based on the theme of “award winners”. Click here to have a look.

Don’t be shy about visiting The Edge of the Forest, the outstanding monthly online journal devoted to children’s lit. The January edition has just been posted, with articles, insights, and reviews. I even make an appearance, reviewing the picture book “Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly”. Click the banner below to take a look.

Does that include children’s lit? Best believe it. Click the logo below to listen to a very well done radio segment on the newly minted Newbery and Caldecott winners. I think The Today Show should take out their fancy pencils and start taking some notes on how to cover this sort of event.

When you get to the website, click on the “Listen Now” button.

(From NPR’s “All Things Considered”. 3 min. 3 sec.)

…who are going to be excited as all get out for this one. Here’s the word from Publishers Weekly:

Knopf Books for Young Readers has revealed the name and cover of the third title in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance series. The book, called Brisingr, will have a first printing of 2.5 million, which is the largest initial print run to date for the Random House Children’s Books division.

Not only is the book coming, but readers will also be able to partake in a little midnight madness. Quoth PW:

Brisingr had been scheduled for release on September 23, 2008, but will now go on sale at 12:01 a.m. on September 20. “After the initial announcement of Book Three’s release, we received an outpouring of requests from booksellers hoping to host midnight launch parties,” said Nancy Hinkel, publishing director at Knopf Books for Young Readers.

I can see it now - late night showings of Eragon, games, costumes, the full Harry Potter treatment. Possibly even some … officially licensed swords? Sounds like a good time to me.

Newbery Award:

“Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!” by Laura Amy Schlitz

Newbery Honor:
“The Wednesday Wars” by Gary D. Schmidt
“Elijah of Buxton” by Christopher Paul Curtis
“Feathers” by Jacqueline Woodson

Caldecott Award:

“The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick

Caldecott Honor:
“Henry’s Freedom Box” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine
“First the Egg” by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
“The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtin” by Peter Sís
“Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity” by Mo Willems

Geisel Award:

“There is a Bird on Your Head” by Mo Willems

Geisel Honor:
“First the Egg” by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
“Hello, Bumblebee Bat” by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne
“Jazz Baby” by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
“Vulture View” by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins

Sibert Award: