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Two Friends: A Dream Team Times Two

1/28/2016

Meet two of the most important and influential people in the history of the struggle of equal rights and equality of all Americans.
Susan B Anthony: a champion and tireless advocate for women's rights.
Frederick Douglass: a champion and tireless advocate for African American rights.

Meet two talented, generous, and gracious members of the children's book community.

Sean Qualls: illustrator of Dizzy, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Before John Was a Jazz Giant, and Schneider Family Book Award Winner Emmanuel's Dream.

Selina Alko: author and illustrator of twelve books including Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama, B is for Brooklyn, and a personal favorite (which I recommend frequently) Every-Day Dress-Up.
Together they also created the illustrations for A Case for Loving.

Sean and Selina worked in concert to create the illustrations for Two Friends, a picture book based on a statue in Rochester, New York which portrays Anthony and Douglass enjoying tea together.

The book, as well as the statue, is representative of the ongoing friendship and professional collaboration between these two leaders in the movement for equality and equal rights for all.

"Some people had rights, while others had none.
Why shouldn't they have them too?"

Text is an intrinsic and important part of the art: Ideas percolate in the tea and rise into the air. Beliefs become an integral part of clothing and are worn for all to view.

You can view Sean and Selina talking about their latest picture book in this Scholastic Spring 2016 online preview .

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Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

1/26/2016

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I received this gorgeous package and posted the unwrap on Twitter.

So gorgeous! Can't wait to read. Thank you @RutaSepetys @PenguinClass @PenguinTeen pic.twitter.com/NfwLpuPd8p
— Barbara Moon (@moonb2) October 13, 2015

Of course I was intrigued. Yes, It was exciting to untie the bow and find the cover reveal.
Yes! Yes! It is thrilling to find a new title from Ruta Sepytus.
Yes! Yes! Yes! It is historical fiction detailing a heart-wrenching episode in history. However I was not prepared for my husband's reaction. He generally looks down on YA literature, but the cover copy hooked him.
He immediately whisked the book away and located it on his nightstand.
The verdict: the man who never reads YA loved it!

In the winter of 1946 four individuals are brought together by forces beyond their control. Each carries his/her own secrets and pain. Each struggles to escape both a harrowing past and a fear filled future.

Joana "Guilt is a hunter."

"War had rearranged my priorities. I now clung to memories more than goals or material things."
"The hole in the ice spread farther, sending a deep crack running directly toward me."
"Four years rose to the surface. And I started to cry."

Florian "Fate is a hunter."

"There was something else I couldn't deny. Time was running out."
"The Gustloff was my only hope, as well."
"The fear never disappeared, but with each year it retreated slightly, a tide of memory sliding back out to sea."

Emilia "Shame is a hunter."

"'Per aspera ad astra, Papa, ' I whispered. Through hardships to the stars."
"Two warring nations gripped Poland like girls fighting over a doll. One held the leg, the other the arm. They pulled so hard that one day, the head popped off."
"The Wilhelm Gustloff was pregnant with lost souls conceived of war. They would crowd her belly and she would give birth to their freedom."

Alfred "Fear is a hunter."

"I will finally be at sea, traversing the waterways into the ocean..."
"I imagined myself home in Heidelberg when the war was over. Crowds of women and children would flock around me while I doled out oranges from burlap sacks."
"I pity the man who cannot overcome his cowardice, who cannot step on the neck of his own weakness...Death, it seems, has a mind of its own."

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Intersection: Pairing Fiction and Nonfiction

1/18/2016

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This Strange Wilderness meets Okay for Now

I am continually amazed at the fascinating intersection of events which on first glance appear to be unrelated. Connections between fiction and nonfiction can happen in ways that I never would have predicted.

This past year I served on the 2016 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Committee. One of the Honor Books selected by the Committee is This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon by Nancy Plain.
This outstanding example of nonfiction draws heavily on primary source documents, particularly the journals of Audubon. Plain seamlessly weaves in quotations from his journals into her narration to paint a compelling portrait of this American naturalist. Color plates of his work are reproduced in stunning detail. See the captivating image on the title facing page pictured below. The entire book is liberally sprinkled with full color examples of Audubon's work.

Four years ago I served on the 2012 Odyssey Award committee. This annual award is given to "the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States" and is jointly administered by ALSC and YALSA.

Okay for Now written by National Book Award finalist Gary D. Schmidt, narrated by Lincoln Hoppe and produced by Listening Library received an Earphones Award , was an Audies finalist and received an Odyssey Honor Award.
Hoppe attended the 2012 Odyssey Award presentation and chose to read a selection describing Doug Swieteck's first encounter with Aududon's art.
He captures that exquisite moment when with Doug is overcome with awe for the image of a bird with a "round and terrified eye."

This was recorded with my phone, so it's certainly not the best sound production. However, as I listened again I viewed the art from This Strange Wilderness and realized how perfectly Schmidt and Hoppe described my own reaction on viewing the works of Audubon. "I couldn't take my eyes off" them.

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Martin's Big Words in the library

1/16/2016

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Martin's Book Words:
The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
I love using this award-winning picture book with young students. A Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Honor are among the many awards which this book has received.
Author Doreen Rapport retells the life of Dr King with text that accessible for young readers. She perfectly pairs her narration with quotes from Dr. King.

Artist Bryan Collier brilliantly brings the words to life with illustrations which are big and bold. The warm color pallet and close up portraits are as striking as the text.
Together the narration, images, and quotations offer a powerful experience for young readers.

After sharing and discussing the book with young students, I invited them to select a quote from Dr. King. Students enjoyed revisiting the book and selecting a quote that was particularly meaningful to them. Using a selection of markers, students copied some of Martin's Big Words onto cardboard circles. We hung the circles of Big Words around the library and near the display of books about the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King. We all loved filling our library space with Martin's Big Words.
"Sooner or later, all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together."

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It's a Fact: Nonfiction Rocks!

1/13/2016

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2015. What a year. It seemed that almost daily a YA nonfiction book was delivered to my home. It was always exciting to open each book, filled with fresh possibilities of things to learn, worlds to explore. The deep dive into a year of informational text was exhilarating. I know firsthand that nonfiction is absorbing reading that can elicit strong emotional responses from readers.

YALSA's 2016 Award for Excellence in Nonfiction

And the winners are...

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War written by Steve Sheinkin, and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan’s Children’s Publishing Group

Sheinkin’s latest is a thrilling journalistic account of government insider Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers and exposed the questionable decisions that led to the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. This cinematic work simultaneously recounts a history of the Vietnam War, details the complete reversal of one man’s loyalties, chronicles the downfall of a presidential administration, examines First Amendment rights, and explores honor and morality. A timely exploration of American history that crackles with tension and excitement.

Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad written by M.T. Anderson, and published by Candlewick Press

Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony was completed during the horrors of the 900-day Siege of Leningrad during World War II. Anderson’s sweeping history of the first half of the twentieth century in Soviet Russia and his focus on the life of the slight, bespectacled composer is dramatic, challenging, and immersive. Political and cultural revolutions and upheavals enveloped Russia over the decades during which Shostakovich grew into one of the West’s most celebrated composers. Meticulous research and a captivating narrative celebrate courage, perseverance—and music.

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir written by Margarita Engle, and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

Cuban? American? Lush island paradise or fast-paced city living? These are the two worlds that Margarita Engle eloquently describes through lyrical, free-verse poems as she attempts to define herself, her family, and her country within the context of being biracial during the United States’ invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. The power of this book lies in the emotional connections and vivid imagery evoked by observing the simple differences between Engle’s two families as she deftly explores both cultures’ customs and traditions.

First Flight Around the World: The Adventures of the American Fliers Who Won the Race written by Tim Grove, and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS

In 1924, a team of American aviators embarked on a race to circumnavigate the globe. During their 150-day journey, the crew faced hostile weather, pesky reporters, mechanical failures, and agonizing disappointments. Drawing on archival materials, Grove enlivens this story of historical achievement with humor and fascinating travel anecdotes, while portraying the perseverance and dedication of the crew. This suspenseful tale is a visual feast with heart.

This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon written by Nancy Plain, and published by University of Nebraska Press

John James Audubon traveled the length and breadth of North America in service of his monumental Birds of America, the work that marked his lasting reputation as a naturalist. Plain’s account, drawn from Audubon’s journals and letters, conveys the artist’s determination (some regarded him as a madman) to document the continent’s rich variety of birds and other wildlife. This elegantly designed book deftly blends art and ornithology, and includes lovely reproductions of Audubon’s work.

2016 Excellence in Nonfiction Vetted Nomination List

If you're looking for additional nonfiction selections for teens published in 2015, this list is a great place to start.

A glimpse into the process: Photos from ALA 2016 Midwinter

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Reflections on Books and Book Awards

1/7/2016

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It's sticker time.
Time for the National Book Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Scott O'Dell Award and the John Newbery Medal. Bright and shiny embossed circlets will be popping up on books in the children's departments of libraries and bookstores. Oh so shiny. Oh so pretty. Certainly well-deserved.
It is a thrill to see children's books receiving the attention which they merit.

But today I found myself looking over my bookshelves and seeing many treasures in my personal collection with no affixed sticker. I lovingly took each book off my shelves and marveled at the stories within the covers. Each has stretched my mind, filled me with wonder, enlarged my understanding, filled my heart.
To each of those books and to the authors, editors, and publishers who have and will continue to publish such books, my gratitude.
Thank you for writing and publishing these books. Thank you for making my world and the worlds of children everywhere a better, richer place.
Please keep writing and publishing.
I will keep reading and sharing.

Just a few of my well-loved, well-read books. The pages are worn. The covers are in tatters. While they display no sticker, they have been shared with children, grandchildren, students, teachers, librarians, and friends. They are for always. They are priceless.

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Loss and Longing: Paper Wishes

1/4/2016

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"I hold up my picture of Yujiin and make a wish, raising my arm high above my head. The wind flaps the paper. Then it rips it from my hand, carrying it over the fence. I watch my paper until it is too far away to see.

I have added my paper promises to the air."

How I love Lois Sepahban's Paper Wishes, a tender portrait of ten-year-old Manami, forced to leave her home on Bainbridge Island and move with her family to the Manzanar prison camp.
The poignant and wistful cover perfectly captures her pain and longing as she leaves behind the life she knew and for reasons that are never quite clear to her, is confined to a hostile world of fences, barbed wire, tiny baracks, and dry red desert dust.
Her loss of is profound. Losing all that is familiar, especially her beloved family dog Yujiin affects her deeply and causes her to lose her voice.

Manami's Nine Truths

Longing Is Universal
Grandfather is like me
He is looking for Yujiin
He is waiting for Yujiin

Guilt
It is my fault that Yujiin is alone on the mainland.
It is my fault that Grandfather has stopped laughing.
Maybe it is even my fault that Ron is with us in this prison/village

Importance of Identity
"But only my face and my name are Japanese,” I say. “The rest of me is American."

Understanding Surpasses Knowledge
In the morning, I show Grandfather my fan. He inspects it as if he has never seen it before.
“You know,” he says, “your father spent many hours making this for you.”
I know.
“You see,” he says, “your father thinks of the island just like you.”
I see.
“You understand,” he says, “your father loves you very much.”
I understand.

A Barren Existence Produces It's Own Prison
Mother says “Desert. There’s no water. No green.”
Her cheeks are wet with tears.
“It is a prison,” she says.

Choking Sense of Loss of Empowerment
This wind pelts my face with dust. It glues my eyelashes closed until Mother presses a warm, wet cloth on my eyes to clean the dust away. It powders my hair until Mother brushes the dust free with her long strong strokes. It layers my tongue and throat. Too much for Mother to clean out. Not even two cups of hot water from the teapot can clean it out.

Resilience
“This garden never had enough rain. So it had to grow deep roots.”

Power of Sensory Experiences
Ron is silent on our way to school. In his silence there is a big space that I fill up with more wet smells. I remember the itchy wet smell of sand sticking to my skin. I remember the sticky wet smell of fog. I remember the furry wet smell of Yujiin. I breathe this smell into my body.

Endings and Beginnings
“Look at the ocean,” Grandfather says, “Where does it end? Where does it begin?”

Companion book

It is challenging to find books for younger readers which thoughtfully explore the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. This sad chapter of American history has been graphically detailed in adult literature. But finding treatment that is accurate while appropriate for young audiences can be difficult.
Fish for Jimmy: Inspired By One Family's Experience in a Japanese American Internment Camp is a picture book adaptation of Katie Yamasaki's family experience.

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Two Friends: A Dream Team Times Two

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Intersection: Pairing Fiction and Nonfiction

This Strange Wilderness meets Okay for Now

Martin's Big Words in the library

It's a Fact: Nonfiction Rocks!

YALSA's 2016 Award for Excellence in Nonfiction

2016 Excellence in Nonfiction Vetted Nomination List

Reflections on Books and Book Awards

Loss and Longing: Paper Wishes

Companion book

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Barbara Moon