Book Review: Ang Laro nina Rona at Powa

Dahil nalalapit na ang Lunar New Year, narito ang aking rebyu ng aklat pambata ni Becky Gerodias at Joanne Wong, Ang Laro nina Rona at Powa.

Ang Laro nina Rona at Powa 

Manunulat: Becky Gerodias

Illustrador: Joanne Wong

Maikling Rebyu (para sa mga guro, magulang, at tagapagbasa):

Sa gitna ng pagdiriwang ng Lunar New Year, inilalatag ng kuwento ang isang karaniwang damdamin ng bata: inggit. Nakita ni Rona ang bagong laruan ni Powa—at sa halip na manatili sa pagkukumpara, natuto siyang i-channel ang damdaming ito tungo sa paglikha. Dito pumapasok ang mahalagang mensahe ng aklat: agency at self-confidence na nagmumula sa sariling kakayahan.

Mga Lakas ng Aklat

1. Emosyonal na literasiya

Hindi dinidemonisa ang inggit. Sa halip, ipinapakita na maaari itong maging panimulang damdamin para sa pagkatuto at paglikha. Mainam itong lunsaran ng pag-uusap sa mga bata tungkol sa:

• Ano ang nararamdaman ko?

• Ano ang maaari kong gawin sa damdaming ito?

2. Pagpapahalaga sa kakayahan at pagkamalikhain

Sa paggawa ni Rona ng sarili niyang laruan, naipapakita ang growth mindset. Hindi kailangang magkaroon agad ng “bago” para maging masaya; maaari kang lumikha.

3. Reciprocal na pagkakaibigan

Ang pagbabago ni Rona ang naging tulay para kay Powa na magbahagi. Hindi ito sermon tungkol sa “dapat mag-share.” Ito ay ipinapakitang bunga ng kumpiyansa at seguridad sa sarili ang pagbabahagi.

4. Cultural grounding

Ang konteksto ng Chinese/Lunar New Year ay hindi lamang dekorasyon. Maaari itong magsilbing:

• Pagpapakilala sa mga simbolo ng pagdiriwang (kulay pula, mga palamuti, pamilya)

• Pagbubukas ng usapan sa cultural diversity sa Pilipinas at sa mga impluwensiya ng bansang China at Hong Kong sa mundo.

Mga Tanong sa Pagpapalalim (para sa read-aloud o classroom use)

• Kailan ka nakaramdam ng inggit? Ano ang ginawa mo?

• Ano ang kaya mong gawin gamit ang sarili mong talento?

• Paano nagbago ang kilos ni Powa dahil sa ginawa ni Rona?

• Ano ang kahulugan ng pagbabahagi kung pareho kayong may tiwala sa sarili?

Marami pang mga aklat pambata na puwedeng mabasa at basahin online. Ito ay libre. Pumunta lang sa Room to Read para makapili ng mga kuwento.

Book Review: May Mahaba Kaming Listahan sa Tindahan

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Book Preview: The New Bike

 

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Ang INK Panel 2023: What Makes A Good Picture Book?

 

Ang INK will be having another group/organization exhibit and part of the event is a panel that discuss picture books. They have invited four industry thought leaders in the panel and it is an honor to be a part of it. It will be on Saturday, April 15, 2023 at 3PM at the UP Fine Arts. 

For this purpose, the Inkies sent guide questions ahead of time. 

1. What is your favorite picture book? It can be foreign or local. Share why you think it is the best. 

2. What is your definition of a good picture book? 

3. What is NOT a good picture book?

I am assigned to answer more questions as a school librarian. Such questions excite me because, there are so many trends and movements in Children's Literature these days. Ang INK is one group I am excited to share my ideas and opinions with. 

For starters, here are some of  my thoughts:

* A picture book is a visual art. Consider the pages of a book as a canvas in sequence. It moves and it can be moved both by the creators and the reader/viewer. The intended reader for this matter, is the child. A well crafted picture book becomes the child's experience in appreciating a visual art. The picture book is an art experience or aesthetics. I think it is also important to ask, if the creators' intended audience is the child, how then can they communicate art and aesthetics to this specific audience? Now here is an amazing thing, even adults find joy in reading picture books.

* My response to definition of GOOD and NOT GOOD would be the question: who gives value to the picture book, especially if this is considered as a visual art?

* Primarily so, it is important to use the principles and foundations in the visual art or visual literature as criteria, guide or a standard when creating and evaluating picture books, vis-a-vis, the reader's intent and context.

* While there are principles of visual literature, as guide in selecting, reviewing and acquiring picture books, we need to expose our children and ourselves to different kinds of picture books.

These are all for now. I am putting them up here so I can remember. I hope to see you there, friends!  

Ang INK Asks: What makes a good picture book?

 

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Awards Round Up from The Well-Read Librarian

As I am subscribed to the newsletter of the The Well-Read Librarian, I get information on new books and readers services for Children and Young Adults. This week, I got a list of recommended books that won awards by readers and literacy groups. This is a good source for collection development geared towards the reading habits and readership of young people and those who take care and mentor them. It's amazing how reading groups continue to support the book industry. Such initiatives firm up and keep the robustness of the book industry.

The Goddard-CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice recognizes nonfiction books published in 2022 for children and teens related to life and issues that support values such as community, equality, opportunity, mutual understanding, respect, caring, and justice – in accordance with Goddard Riverside’s mission. The winning book will be announced at Goddard Riverside’s Annual Gala on October 13.

The Skipping Stones Honor Awards recommend outstanding multicultural and nature books every year. The honored titles offer various perspectives, and help us understand our diverse cultures, societies and their histories, as well as why people migrate for readers of all ages—from beginners to high schoolers, and educators.

The 2022 San Francisco Book Festival is an annual program celebrating the best books of the spring season and considers non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, compilations/anthologies, young adult, how-to, cookbooks, science fiction, business, history, wild card, gay, photography/art, poetry, unpublished, technology and spiritual/religious works.

The Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award was established by the Arkansas Elementary School Council in 1998 to encourage reading for students in Grades K-3. The name of the award reflects that Arkansas is the only diamond producing state. The Arkansas Diamond Award winner is selected by an annual vote. Student voting takes place in May each year.

International Latino Book Awards recognizes greatness in literature. Honoring authors, translators, and illustrators for their books written either in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

The Judy Lopez Memorial Award, established in 1985, honors authors who create works of literary excellence for children nine to twelve years old. The award is in remembrance of Judy Lopez who was a founding member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association.

The state of Texas has a long tradition of serving as a setting for and inspiring great storytelling. Honoring that tradition, the Writers’ League of Texas Book Awards were established in 1991 to recognize the year’s best among those stories and to celebrate the exceptional writers behind them.

The Sakura Medal program brings together students from international schools across Japan each year to vote for their favorite books. The mission of the Sakura medal award program is to create a community of lifelong readers in international schools in Japan, aiming for a diverse selection of fantastic and engaging books.

The Kids’ Book Choice Awards (previously the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards) are the only national book awards voted on solely by kids and teens. Launched in 2008 by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, the awards provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them.

The Missouri Readers Awards encourage students in grades one through twelve to explore new literary genres, to recognize excellence in writing and illustrating, and to experience the joy of literature.

When We Talked About Children's Books and Social Justice

Last November 29, 2020, Candy Gourlay and I were panelists at the Pandemic Playbook event. This is in part, an activity and discussion on books in general as it was the last few days of the Manila International Book Fair. 

Candy has blogged about her after thoughts on the panel we had. We were tasked to discuss the Teaching of Social Justice. As authors, we preferred to talk about how we Navigate Social Justice in Children's Books. 

Visit Candy's blog, and read up on the way she distilled her ideas about social justice, young readers and the author's life. The blog post includes links to our panel and the Manila International Book Fair YouTube channel. 

 As for me, I don't think social justice per se can be taught, but empathy and compassion can be nurtured and nourished. We can build the ethos among children. When a person recognizes another person's pain, as well as joy, it is easier to understand the other's emotions. An awareness of the emotions is the beginning of critical thinking. That is a good time for a teachable moment. Parents, teachers, school librarians, counselors and working adults who are caring and looking after children need to be perceptive of these teachable moments regardless of the given curriculum, subject matter, expected norms or social behavior. The ability to see another person as as an equal begins with kindness. This, I think is the seed bed for justice to grow.

 And because we are ever curious, we felt it is but proper to continue the conversations. So last night (Manila Time), Candy I went live on Instagram to talk about the picture book scene in the Philippines, the issues we Filipino children's authors grapple with that find its way in our fiction. 

Candy tweets below:

Filipino author & librarian Zarah Gagatiga clues me in on some truly brave and visionary #picturebooks in the Philippines that reflect the tough realities of child readers while offering hope and possibility

Our IG Live Chat👉https://t.co/JfJJIEQXnC @SCBWI_BI pic.twitter.com/3sXEYoRezc

— Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) December 7, 2020

Head on to Twitter and Instagram for the ongoing conversation. 

I am still working my way through the memory and experience of the live chat. These days I take things slow for my mental health. But definitely, I will pick up on another topic, especially the one on human capital, which we covered and pare it through another blog post.

Book Review: Sirena Ba 'Yan?

Sirena Ba 'Yan?
Is That A Mermaid?
By Candy Gourlay
Illustrated by Francesca Chessa
Billungual Edition
Adarna House, 2019

Sirena Ba 'Yan? (Is That A Mermaid?) is Candy Gourlay's new picture book. It is about a dugong (sea cow) claiming itself as a mermaid to the chagrin of two kids who met this gentle sea creature by the shore. Together they go on an adventure with the dugong consistently keeping its claim, I am a mermaid!

The book is both humorous and thought provoking. On the surface, the dugong sounds and looks silly but there is unwavering conviction each time it articulates its chosen identity. The children learned to accept this and allowed it to be. As gentle and tolerant as the dugong, they empathised and understood. What harm can a sea cow, who thinks it is a mermaid, do to them?

There are many layers to this playfully illustrated picture book that could lead to conversations about facts on sea creatures and marine animals, choices and self knowledge. What else could you expect from the award winning author of Tall Story (Anvil, 2012) but a tale of contradictions and opportunities to think and ask questions.

The book launching is on Saturday, March 16, 2019 2PM at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street.

2018 In Review: Books Reviewed

As 2018 winds down to its last days, I continue writing my blog's year in reviews. This one is about the books I have read and posted a review on the blog.

Fiction and Non-Fiction Book Review   of High School Hacks is a DIY-survival Guide for students enrolled in the IB Program. Plus, it has a short review on Lian Hearn's The Storyteller's Daughters. One of the more memorable read I have this 2018 is the Sycthe Series by Neal Shusterman. Read my review of book 2, Thunderhead in this link.

The Holiday Season is a time when I also catch up on my reading. So, to recall, here are links to
Christmas romcom books and more Christmas romance books I read over the holiday break in 2017 but posted reviews in January 2018. I also received advance reader copies of ebooks. I reviewed ARC of Cora Seton's A Seal's Purpose, a contemporary romance series and a college preparatory guidebook ACT Prep.

Since 2016, I followed through two young adult series by Alwyn Hamilton, the Rebel in Sand series and Sabaa Tahir's Ember in the Ashes series. Hamilton's final installment to Rebel, Hero at the Fall was a satisfying closure to the series. Tahir's Reaper at the Gates is the deep breathe before the end and conclusion to Elias and Leia's adventure.

Sadly, I am only able to post two reviews of books by Filipino authors in the blog. Read Eric Ramos, Author of Productivong Librarianship and Emiliana Kampilan's Dead Balagtas. The later won a National Book Award last month. The hype over this book is real. But, I am still seated on my chair on this one as I have read books and graphic novels of this kind before.

And then, there are book reviews I posted in the blog from books I picked from our library. Dialogue and Humble Inquiry, How Psychology Works. The Demon Haunted World and Other Books, Formative Five are all good reads I shared with the Beacon Academy community as well as readers of the blog.

It's been a good reading year, judging from this list of book reviews. To think that I have not posted fiction I read during the second half of 2018 is saying a lot about the concerns and the work that kept me busy. Lined up for 2019 are Candy Gourlay's Bone Talk, Hello, Universe,  Still Me by Jojo Moyes, and From the Library of CS Lewis.

Happy sigh. I am giving myself a pat on the back.

The 2016 Picture Book Month is On!

The 2016 Picture Book Month is on!

Head on to the website of Picture Book Month and read the post for the day. Today's featured author is Carmen Oliver. Read her essay on Why Picture Books Are Important and learn about her published books. You will also find a Literacy Activity to the theme of the day, which is on bears, recommended books to fill up your classroom library, your personal book collection, or your picture book collection in the school library, and links to the Teacher's Guide on using picture books in the classroom across subject areas.

There is also 2016 Picture Book Month Calendar (in colored and B&W) that can be downloaded for free!

Being a Picture Book Month Champion in 2013, I remain an ambassador of this awesome campaign on books, reading and literacy development through picture books!

For old time's sake, click this link to read my essay on the importance of picture books. I am not the lone Filipino in the roster of champions. Sergio Bumatay III was a 2012 Picture Book Month Champion. His illustration of Tight Times (Patindol, Adarna House 2012) was featured as well.

So, he believes that -

Picture books are important simply because they open the door of imagination. My love for books and art as a grown-up probably blossomed from the wonderful books when I was young. There is truth in saying that books are magical and that they can bring us anywhere we can imagine, no matter how cliché the statement seems. Picture books offer fun and adventure in ways that no toys nor gadgets can. Like works of art, they replenish our souls. Great picture books always stay in our memories.

On November 19, our very own, Isabel "Pepper" Roxas will tell us why this industry of books and magic making is very much important in the lives of children age 0 to 92!

November is Picture Book Month! It is an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book during the month of November. Founder, Dianne de Las Casas (author & storyteller) www.diannedelascasas.com, and Co-Founders, Katie Davis (author/illustrator) katiedavis.com, Elizabeth O. Dulemba (author/illustrator) www.dulemba.com, Tara Lazar (author) taralazar.wordpress.com, and Wendy Martin (author/illustrator) wendymartinillustration.com, put together their worldwide connections to make this happen.

Read*Share*Celebrate!

NCBA 2016 Best Reads: Guidelines for Nominations

Ncba 2016 guidelines from Zarah Gagatiga

12 Days of Christmas Book Review: The Saga of Santa Claus

The Saga of Santa Claus by M.D. Couturier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Saga of Santa Claus is an origin story of Norse background. It narrates the beginning of the Yuletide gift giving tradition; the man behind the happy red suit; the elves who helped him make toys; and other little bits of Christmas traditions we all recognize and practice. Take for example the stockings filled with gifts and the mistletoe that hangs on every homes' door or window. These practices are unique to western culture but, from where I am from, families have adopted the custom despite the absence of snow and mistletoe. Perhaps, people are attracted to the idea and the novelty of it all. Mark Couturier explains why it is so and it amused me that Thor is the reason for this.

There are is of course, the presence of the Norse Gods in the story, like Odin and Frigga. There are fairies and goblins too. A magic ring and a magic sleigh complete the gifts bestowed upon the chosen one. The book starts out as a legend and finishes off into a myth that children of all ages will find delightful.

The best part for me was Valdor's climactic turn into the kind hearted man that he truly is. Spoiled from childhood, this crown prince story arc is a classic, almost canonical change spelled the difference in the entire novella. It is a good read this Christmas as we keep in mind the message of the season despite turbulent times. Kindness and compassion, friendship and humility, will save us from our greedy, selfish selves. Valdor experienced this through friends who stuck with him and strangers who didn't give up on him.

I believe that every man and woman, and child, has that constant companion who will love him or her, no matter what.





View all my reviews

Afterthoughts on the ASEAN School Library Workshop and Meeting Dr. Maria

My trip to Bangkok is a brief one but just as memorable as the first two. Being with the ASEAN delegates and listening to their country reports made me realize how culturally diverse we all are but then, we share the same problems and challenges as far as school library development is concerned. What has changed since 2003 and then 2012?  ASEAN school librarians are now more aware of the need to advocate school library development. The impetus to create action plans that cover local, national, regional and international scope is more palpable now than in the last three, twelve years. The changes and challenges in economics, technology, educational reform and family dynamics all lend to a strengthening of human support systems. The school library is a support system of human development.

Apart from these insights and reflections, I met Dr. Maria Laosunthara after twelve years. She is a retired Filipina professor at the College of Education in Srinakharinwirot University. I remember her well because she was the reason that the Philippine delegate of 2003 to Bangkok was able to watch the puppet show about Rama and Sita. This is a memory that I will tell my grand children.

This reunion was a sweet one as Dr. Maria was very much surprised by our visit.

I was surprised myself since I only learned yesterday that Dr. Maria was the first to teach children's literature in the university. She was also responsible for setting up the library's first children's literature collection. For her exemplary services and innovation, the Central Library created The Maria Room, where books for children and reading services for children are provided for. Dr. Maria maintains her ties with family and friends in Antique by helping a public library there. She is 90 years old, has a very good command of English, and has a light in her eyes that bespeak of the wonders of childhood.

  

My question is this: Can someone tell me, please, if there is an academic or university library that has a collection of Philippine Children's and Young Adult Literature? And I do not mean a room of books only, but one that runs programs for children's and teens' reading needs?

Comment on the post or send me a PM if you have answers to my question.

Throwback Thursday: National Picture Book Month Champion

Read the full article by visiting the link to the National Picture Book Month website.

National Picture Book Month continues to make waves because the picture book featured every day is not only beautiful but also lovingly made for the child reader. Librarians can get a lot of insightful articles and valuable information from authors of the featured picture books. Included in each article are common core standards (US) and activities compatible to the curriculum. Nonetheless, school librarians from all over the world will also benefit from this literacy initiative.

Reading is a right! Books are for all!

Yan Ang Pinay: Lara Saguisag

Posting this for three reasons: 1. Ms. Lara Saguisag is Filipina. 2. Her research is about children and comic strips. 3. A librarian from the Library of Congress, Martha Kennedy, helped Ms. Saguisag finish her research.

The 2012 ALA Award Winners and Honors

Thanks to Jennifer Nelson Saracevic for the list of winners and honors of the 2012 American Library Association Award.

John Newbery Medal
“Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos
Two Newbery Honor Books also were named:
"Inside Out & Back Again," written by Thanhha Lai
"Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

Randolph Caldecott Medal
“A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka
Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named:
“Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco
"Grandpa Green" illustrated and written by Lane Smith
“Me … Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:
“Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley
Four Printz Honor Books also were named:
“Why We Broke Up,” written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman
“The Returning,” written by Christine Hinwood
“Jasper Jones,” written by Craig
“The Scorpio Races,” written by Maggie Stiefvater

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award
Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans”
Two King Author Honor Book recipients were selected:
Eloise Greenfield, author of “The Great Migration: Journey to the North,” illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
Patricia C. McKissack, author of “Never Forgotten,” illustrated by Leo and Diane

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of “Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom
One King Illustrator Honor Book recipient was selected:
Kadir Nelson, illustrator and author of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans”
Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:
Ashley Bryan is the winner of the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime achievement

Schneider Family Book Award
The Jury chose not to award a book in the category for children ages 0 – 8 because no submissions were deemed worthy of the award.
Two books were selected for the middle school award (ages 9 – 13):
“Close to famous,” written by Joan Bauer
“Wonderstruck: A Novel in Words and Pictures,” written by Brian Selznick
The teen (ages 14-18) award winner is “The Running Dream,” written by Wendelin Van Draanen

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:
• “Big Girl Small,” by Rachel DeWoskin
• “In Zanesville,” by Jo Ann Beard
• “The Lover’s Dictionary,” by David Levithan
• “The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens,” by Brooke Hauser
• “The Night Circus,” by Erin Morgenstern
• “Ready Player One,” by Ernest Cline
• “Robopocalypse: A Novel,” by Daniel H. Wilson
• “Salvage the Bones,” by Jesmyn Ward
• “The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures,” by Caroline Preston
• “The Talk-Funny Girl,” by Roland Merullo

Margaret A. Edwards Award
Susan Cooper is the 2012 Edwards Award winner
“Over Sea, Under Stone”
“The Dark Is Rising”
“Greenwitch”
“The Grey King”
“Silver on the Tree”

Live Blogging: Early Readers Online

Sigh.

Our presentation's done!

The Early Readers Online is a Community and Service project of high school students in Beacon Academy, Laguna. Students wrote and illustrated stories for kids age 5-7. These illustrated stories underwent an editing process and coaching-mentoring sessions by teachers who make up the team of facilitators. Once the stories were revised and final copies were made, the stories were uploaded to the website where members of the community can read, download, print and translate them.

Here's how to access the stories:

a. Go to Beacon Academy Mail - mail.beaconacademy.ph
b. Username - guest
c. Password - beaconacademy
d. Go to "SITES"
e. Click EARLY READERS
f. View the stories

Feel free to translate any of the stories in your mother tongue. Send your translations to library@beaconacademy.ph. Feedback is welcome as well.

2011 American Library Association Winners and Honors

Many thanks to Children's Plus for sending this in --

John Newbery Medal Most outstanding contribution to children’s literature

2011 Newbery Medal Winner:
“Moon over Manifest,” written by Clare Vanderpool

2011 Newbery Honor Books:
Turtle in Paradise,” by Jennifer L. Holm
“Heart of a Samurai,” written by Margi Preus
“Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night,” written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen
“One Crazy Summer,” by Rita Williams-Garcia

Randolph Caldecott Medal Most distinguished American picture book for children
2011 Caldecott Medal Winner:
“A Sick Day for Amos McGee,” illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead

2011 Caldecott Honor Books:
“Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill
“Interrupting Chicken,” written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein

Michael L. Printz Award Excellence in literature written for young adults
2011 Printz Award Winner:
“Ship Breaker,” written by Paolo Bacigalupi

2011 Printz Honor Books:
“Stolen,” by Lucy Christopher
“Please Ignore Vera Dietz,” by A.S. King
“Revolver,” by Marcus Sedgwick
“Nothing,” by Janne Teller

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award Recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults

2011 King Author Book Winner:
“One Crazy Summer,” written by Rita Williams-Garcia

2011 King Author Honor Book:
“Lockdown,” by Walter Dean Myers
“Ninth Ward,” by Jewell Parker Rhodes
“Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty,” written by G. Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award
2011 King Illustrator Book Winner:
“Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill

2011 King Illustrator Honor Book:
“Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix,” illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, written by Gary Golio Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award
2011 Steptoe New Talent Author Winner:
“Zora and Me,” written by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award
2011 Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Winner:
“Seeds of Change,” illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement This award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton

2011 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement Winner:
Dr. Henrietta Mays Smith


Pura Belpré (Illustrator) AwardHonoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience

2011 Belpré Illustrator Award Winner:
“Grandma’s Gift,” illustrated and written by Eric Velasquez 2011 Belpré Illustrator Honor Books:
“Fiesta Babies,” illustrated by Amy Córdova, written by Carmen Tafolla
“Me, Frida,” illustrated by David Diaz, written by Amy Novesky
“Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh

Pura Belpré (Author) Award 
2011 Belpré Author Award Winner:
“The Dreamer,” written by Pam Muñoz Ryan
2011 Belpré Author Honor Books:
“¡Olé! Flamenco,” written and illustrated by George Ancona
“The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba,” written by Margarita Engle
“90 Miles to Havana,” written by Enrique Flores-Galbis

Schneider Family Book Award Books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience

Schneider Family Book Award, Best Young Children’s (Ages 0-10):
“The Pirate of Kindergarten,” written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril

Schneider Family Book Award, Middle Grades (Ages 11-13):
“After Ever After,” written by Jordan Sonnenblic

Schneider Family Book Award, Teen (Ages 13-18):
“Five Flavors of Dumb,” written by Antony John

William C. Morris Award
Honors a book written by a first-time author for young adults

2011 Morris Award Winner “The Freak Observer,” written by Blythe Woolston

2011 Morris Award Finalists
“Hush,” by Eishes Chayil
“Guardian of the Dead,” by Karen Healey
“Hold Me Closer, Necromancer,” by Lish McBride
“Crossing the Tracks,” by Barbara Stuber

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Most distinguished beginning reader book
2011 Geisel Award Winner:
“Bink and Gollie,” written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee and illustrated by Tony Fucile

2011 Geisel Honor Books:
“Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!” written and illustrated by Grace Lin
“We Are in a Book!” written and illustrated by Mo Willems

Margaret A. Edwards Award Lifetime achievement in writing for young adults

2011 Edwards Award Winner:
Sir Terry Pratchett

Robert F. Sibert Medal Most distinguished informational book for children
2011 Sibert Award Winner:
“Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot,” written by Sy Montgomery,

2011 Sibert Honor Books:
“Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring,” written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca
“Lafayette and the American Revolution,” written by Russell Freedman

YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award 
2011 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award:
“Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing,” written by Ann Angel

2011 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Finalists
“They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group,” by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
“Spies of Mississippi:  The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement,” by Rick Bowers
“The Dark Game: True Spy Stories,” by Paul Janeczko
“Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates,” by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw


Mildred L. Batchelder Award Outstanding children’s book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States

2011 Batchelder Award Winner;
“A Time of Miracles, originally published in French in 2009 as “Le Temps des Miracles,” written by Anne-Laure Bondoux and translated by Y. Maudet,

2011 Batchelder Honor Books:
“Departure Time,” written by Truus Matti and translated by Nancy Forest-Flier
“Nothing,” written by Janne Teller and translated by Martin Aitken

Alex Awards The 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences

“The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel,” by Alden Bell
“The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: A Novel,” by Aimee Bender
“The House of Tomorrow,” by Peter Bognanni
“Room: A Novel,” by Emma Donoghue
“The Vanishing of Katharina Linden: A Novel,” by Helen Grant
“The Radleys,” by Matt Haig
“The Lock Artist,” by Steve Hamilton
“Girl in Translation,” by Jean Kwok
“Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard,” by Liz Murray
“The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To,” by DC Pierson

Asian Festival of Children's Content

R. Ramachandran, Executive Director of the National Book Development Council of Singapore, sent information and invite to the Asian Festival of Children's Content this May, 2010.

ASIAN FESTIVAL OF CHILDREN’S CONTENT
6 – 9 MAY 2010, SINGAPORE

Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) aims to foster excellence in the creation,
production and publication of children’s material with Asian content in all formats
and to facilitate their distribution and access, first in Asia and then to children worldwide.

Participants in AFCC will be empowered through learning, contact and working closely
with the prestigious international writers, illustrators, librarians, teachers, publishers, editors, translators literary agents and producers of media of Asian children’s content.
________________________________________________________________

The following events will be held as part of AFCC:
________________________________________________________________

(6 & 7 May 2010)

1. Asian Children’s Writers and Illustrators Conference

8 May 2010 (Saturday)

2. Asian Primary and Pre-School Teachers Congress
3. Asian Children’s Librarians Seminar
4. Asian Children’s Publishers Symposium

9 May 2010 (Sunday)

5. Asian Parents’ Forum

6-9 May 2010

6. Asian Children’s Media Mart
7. Children’s Book Illustrators Gallery
________________________________________________________________

AFCC is a joint collaboration between the National Book Development Council of
Singapore and The Arts House. For more information and registratiom, visit www.bookcouncil.sg or www.afcc.sg or drop us an email at jade@bookcouncil.sg

Book Review: Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief

As a child, I was enthralled by the stories of the Greek Gods. Zeus and the titans; Hercules and his labors; Aphrodite and her many lovers; these were stories that filled me with awe and wonder. I read books about these fantastic Olympians and their many scandalous, if not obscene, affairs with mortals. Yes, Western influence came at a very young age. Add some Hollywood movies (Clash of the Titans; Jason and the Argonauts) to this process of acculturation and viola! I was hooked on the Olympians for life.

Bulfinch was a buddy in high school. Edith Hamilton, a companion in freshman college. In this age of ICT and reality TV, I wonder the writers who could lure kids, my own included, into the realm of Greek mythology and the like. I found the answer to my question after reading Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief but with a few disappointments along the way.

What Worked
Riordan writes energetically. His work on the first book of the 39 Clues Series was exciting. In the The Lightning Thief, he kept his style of writing with the same verve and energy. The trip which Percy took from Long Island to Denver then Los Angeles and back to New York was arrayed with monster attacks, magical gifts to ward off the beings from hell and enough nymphs to sustain him and his companions. Reading Riordan is indeed a roller coaster ride.

The intertwining of myth and reality was carefully designed that for once, you would believe that the gods do walk among us mortals. While this conceit is not new, Riordan picks out places in modern United States as setting to establish one's suspension of disbelief. Thanks to Holywood. I had no difficulty imagining the Empire State Building as a gateway to Olympus and Los Angeles as a route to the Underworld. The mythological monsters that thrive in stories and grow in the imagination populate these places and other city states in between. Medusa tends a garden with sculptures, apparently, victims of her deadly gaze. The furies are a couple of retired old ladies on a vacation trip. And the fates, yes, my personal favorite, can be found in common flea markets spinning and cutting one's thread of life.

If only for these trivialities, The Lightning Thief is an engaging read. Sadly, it is not entirely so.

What Did Not Work
Percy has dyslexia and ADHD. He's a darling despite the disorder. Then again, what educational research try to find out and understand for years, Riordan demystifies in one novel for young adults. Kids with special needs are sired by the gods. So if one kid can't read English, try using some Greek texts. Yeah, right. This conceit is not for me. Sorry.

Percy's friends, Annabeth and Grover, are characters I've met before. Think Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Both were cut from the same mould except that neither did any significant actions or decisions to push the story further on. If there were, I did not find it relevant to stand out in Percy's quest. In the end, both ventured into their own internal and external quests by leaving Half-Blood Hill -- the summer camp for godlings. As for the adult characters, none of them appealed or grew on me. Even Poseidon's surfer dude persona lacked the yummies. The villains are too predictable, besides. There was effort on the characters' part to show tenderness and sensitivity to each other but it just does not bring home the bacon.

I think I've read too many Neil Gaimans and Dianne Wynn Joneses and Eva Ibbotsons. I've watched too many Miyazakis as well. For the late tweener and early teener, however, Percy Jackson and The Lghtning Thief is probably the book to bring at bedtime or in a long trip to grandma's house on a weekend visit. My twelve year old son is actually carrying Percy wherever he goes and has put aside the required Newberry book this semester.

Now if that's a sign of hope, then let the disappointments rot in the basement.

My rating -- 3/5 Bookmarks