Posts Tagged ‘children’s books’
My new book, Rabbit’s Song has a book trailer. That awesome voice on the sound track you hear is one of the authors –S.J. Tucker.
I am truly excited about this project. It was so wonderful to be able to work with such talented and extraordinary ladies.
The beginning of the month I was initiated into Cronehood. It was amazing and peaceful and the year of planning and waiting finally ended.
Today, I sent my baby off to high school. Well, she’s not a baby any more, obviously. But still, I miss her small head laid in my lap and her requests for me to “scratch my belly, Mommy.” Now-a-days she spends most of her free time with friends or holed up in her room writing fan fic on her lap top. She’s awesomely talented, by the way.
It seems so hard to believe that this is the same girl I wrote and illustrated my first book for. She was my model and my inspiration for An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child which came out in 2005 as a paperback.
It took me so long to find a publisher for that first book, she out grew it before it was ever printed.
Still, the last thing she said to me this morning as she poked her head back in the door on her way to school this morning was “Get to work on your pictures!” She is still an inspiration. I am so proud of the woman she is becoming. *snif*
An article in the Atlantic entitled Is Google Making us Stupid came to my attention this morning. The author starts out by writing about his inability to concentrate on long articles or books. I have to admit I have noticed the same affliction in myself. In fact, I ended up skimming through his rather longish article as well.
I had put the phenomenon down to too much television watching. As a result, I decided to watch less and read more. Unfortunately, I haven’t curtailed my use of the internet as well. Less TV has helped some, I have been able to devour a few more books in the last months, but they haven’t been really thick ones, and on top of that, they’ve been mid grade and young adult fiction titles. The non-fiction 500+ pages books I have on my to-read pile have remained untouched.
I wonder if this changing of our minds and the sound bites our brains are now accustomed to receiving via the web, the phone and the TV haven’t been the reason for the sharp reduction of the word count in picture book text. I have children’s books from my childhood. There was a lot more story intermingled in the illustrations. I also have books from my daughter’s younger years. Again the word count is much more than today’s typical picture book.
Publishers Weekly has been reporting for years that the publishing industry is in trouble. Children’s books are among the hardest hit. Kids just aren’t being read bedtime stories on a regular basis anymore. There is too much competition for their attention. Even pre-schoolers have access to the net these days, with tons of sites geared just to them and their level of development.
Think about it, when was the last time you actually picked up a pen and scribbled a letter? I’m not talking about signing you name to a get well card or the annual holiday season greeting card. I’m talking about an actual letter where you relay your life’s doings to a friend or family member, fold up and place in an envelope, address and place a stamp on and deposit in the mail box for the postman to pick up. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that. It’s been even longer since I received one. The last handwritten letter I got was so long ago, I don’t even remember when it was. I do receive typed (most likely on a PC in a word program of some description) letters on occasion. The last one was in late January. I have it on my desk, still awaiting a reply, which I have on my to-do list, but that’s another story.
Will the future of picture books see the reduction of the text part reduced into nothingness? Will the picture books in 10-20 years be all wordless books?
Not sure if I should be happy or sad about this one. I have a google alert on my book titles, and this popped into my in box a few days ago Ax Murderers at the Library. The blog is talking about the controversy surrounding another book, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding and goes on to discuss whether a Fundamentalist’s list of books that shouldn’t be in the library actually are.
In the section where the blogger names books for the “Devil Worshipers” portion of the list, two of my books are named. Granted the blogger states that athiests and Wiccans wouldn’t consider themselves devil worshipers, but the other guy might.
Since one of the reasons I wrote the books was to educate the general public that we are NOT devil worshipers, I a bit perturbed to have my children’s books listed in such a place, even with the disclaimer.
I honestly don’t know what to say.
Lerner Publishing Group is teaming with USA TODAY to produce a program of new educational books for children and young adults. The first series being released is USA TODAY Lifeline Biographies, which will feature titles about some of the world’s most compelling people—both historical and popular. Four new titles aimed at middle school, high school, and public libraries will be available in Fall 2008 under Lerner’s Twenty-First Century Books division, with an additional four titles scheduled to be released in 2009. Other new series are under development.
The first four titles being released include Bill Gates: Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Oprah Winfrey: Global Media Leader, Tiger Woods: Golf’s Master, and Vera Wang: Enduring Style. Additional offerings planned for future seasons include biographies of presidents, Hollywood stars, and more. A number of other series are planned for upcoming years.
A new review for both Aidan’s First Full Moon Circle and for Watchers by W. Lyon Martin have been posted to the internet by Michael Gleason. Thank you for the wonderful words, Michael!
Aidan’s First Full Moon Circle by W. Lyon Martin (© 2008 Magical Child Books, ISBN:978-0979683442, 32 pages, Hardbound, $16.95 U.S.)
This is going to be a short review, simply because the book itself is very short. Ms. Martin has created a book which fulfills multiple purposes in spite of the shortness of the story. She has captured, in easily understandable form, the feelings that everyone – child or adult – has when they finally celebrate a ritual with more than just their family.
The illustrations are soft and pretty. Little ones will enjoy looking at them as they read this story.
As well as learning a few simple ritual terms and actions there is a simple mystery. Seamus the squirrel needs to find his acorns in order to survive the winter. There are different numbers of them in each picture and they will inspire those too young to read on their own to find them.
The story is simple but the lessons are important – accept responsibility, take help if you need it, open yourself to new experiences, and act responsibly. This is a wonderful introduction to group workings and interactions.
And…
Watchers by W. Lyon Martin (© 2008, Magical Child Books, ISBN:978-0979683459, 32 pages, Hardbound, $16.95 U.S.)
Lyon Martin met a lady who shared a poem she learned from her grandmother. That poem inspired this book.
Thomas is being stalked by monsters at night. He can’t see them, but he can see their eyes in the dark. A plan is made to catch them. A trap is set – and triggered. Then the “monsters” are revealed as…Nope, I’m not telling. You need to get this book and share it with your little ones. It is a positive approach to childhood anxieties, as well as a fun story.
The illustrations, although some of them are dark (hey, it’s bedtime and lights out) are not in the least threatening, and because of their softness and depth of detail, will entertain your child almost as much as the story itself.
I highly recommend this book, as well as others by the same author. Her books are fun, the bindings are library reinforced (so they will hold up for the long run), and are printed on recycled paper.
If it’s been a while since you’ve been by, you’ll notice the web site has a completely new look. Things have finally slowed down enough for me (or maybe I am getting more organized?) to spend some time updating and redecorating the place. I could be in nesting mode or something, I have been renovating and painting the real life house as well.
Since I am an artist and not a programmer, some of the things I still want to do are really giving the old brain pan a work out. I will get them figured out eventually. After all, other people have managed to get such things done on their sites, it’ll just take me while to get that light bulb going off over my head. Now that’s an image.
I am so thrilled with my progress through my to-do list for this week. I have managed to cross off nearly all the items I needed to get done. The last item on the list is the pencil rough for Rabbit’s Song. When I finish it up it will be scanned into the computer and sent to the people who need to approve it. I am half way there, so getting it out by Thursday should be no trouble.
On Friday I head out to Ozark Avalon for a very full 4th of July weekend. The land’s wardens are being handfasted on the 4th. On Saturday I will be giving a craft workshop of Sparkling Spiral Mobiles. On Sunday morning the very popular Family Story time is to occur. I have been rereading and memorizing some of my favorite childhood animal myths and adding the re-tellings to my line up of picture books. The kids love to be read to. I am just amazed at their faces when they hear new stories. I am reminded why I became a picture book author in the first place. 
The only thing I didn’t do this week was check my calendar for appointments on Monday. So, all things being equal, I forgot about an appointment yesterday. Der. My daughter was scheduled to have her braces removed. You think she might have remembered as it was her mouth. Oh well, I was able to reschedule for next week. I had better NOT forget again.
Also next week, I have an appointment for an interview. I will be heading into the city to have my entrance interview for Voices for Children to be a child’s advocate in the court system. I’ve spoken to the director several times on the phone, she said I most likely will be accepted into the program. Training starts in August.
A wonderful book review site with children’s book reviews, interviews and more. Check it out.
The Children’s Book Council has released the schedule of official events in New York City for Children’s Book Week, which begins this weekend. As we previously reported, this marks the first time Children’s Book Week will be held in the spring, instead of the traditional week in November. Though schools, libraries and bookstores nationwide will celebrate the week, each year the CBC will add a city, beginning with New York City, where official events will take place. Additional information is available on the Children’s Book Week Web site.
The NYC events are:
Saturday, May 10: Kick-Off Event, Bryant Park Reading Room. Readings and signings will take place from 12 to 5 PM, with authors, illustrators and children’s book characters in attendance.
Monday, May 12: Commerce Bank Breakfast. The finalists for the Children’s Choice Book Awards will receive certificates. Leonard S. Marcus (Minders of Make Believe, Houghton) will discuss children’s book history.
Tuesday, May 13: Children’s Choice Book Awards Gala. The winners of the CBC’s first Children’s Choice Book Awards will be announced in an evening event hosted by Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.
Thursday, May 15: NBA Store Reading and Signing. Walter Dean Myers (Game) and Bob Krech (Rebound) will read from and sign their books. Members of the WNBA’s New York Liberty will also be in attendance.
Saturday, May 17: The Little Big Read. Grand Central Terminal will become home to a mystery scavenger hunt, with clues derived from Bruce Hale’s book, The Malted Falcon (Harcourt), the official book of the 2008 Big Read for Kids. Jon Scieszka will serve as host.
Sunday, May 18: Closing Event, Bryant Park Reading Room. Writers from WritopiaLab, an organization that conducts writing seminars for youth in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Westchester County, will read their stories, poetry and other works.
Question for the Ages: What Books When? – washingtonpost.com
Posted by: Lyon
April 10th, 2008 >> Books
Question for the Ages: What Books When? – washingtonpost.com
