Kids say the darnedest things!

One of the (many) sheer joys of parenting is hearing some of the great words your kids make up. I'm not talking about mispronunciation, which is also precious, but rather, those times when a child can't find the right word to describe something so they make up a new one. They're often very clever and sometimes you can't help but wonder why these perfectly descriptive words aren't real words. When one of our daughters was much younger and saw an elephant at the zoo for the first time, she exclaimed that he was "humormous." We cherished the moment. More recently, two of our daughters were arguing because one wanted the other to play a game with her and her sister wasn't interested. "It's owement. You don't have a choice," said the child who wanted to play. "It's what?" I asked. "Owement. Y'know, when you owe someone something". Of course. Owement. Why not? Needless to say, the game was played because you really can't mess with owement. I wonder at what point made up words or the people who make them up go from being precocious and clever to unintelligent and maybe not very well-read. Let's face it, we are not so enamored of an adult who makes up a new word when they can't think of or don't know the one that already exists for whatever it is they're trying to say. But with kids... it's priceless!

One of my favorite newer kids' books that considers words is one I wrote about a couple of months ago. It's 13 Words by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Maira Kalman. It's so much fun and so clever that it's worth repeating. It's one of those edgy picture books that's fun for the whole family. Before you know it, you'll all be walking around saying "haberdashery" and "panache".

When you consider the fact that the vast majority of books by young people are written by people older then them, you have to revisit the proposition that the window for creating words is open only to youngsters. Part of the charm of the Harry Potter series is the creation of a world and plenty of words to fill it. And, of course, who could forget Andrew Clements' beloved Frindle? Looking at some of the more recently published books, I had to pause over titles like Scumble and Incarceron because it seems to me a fair amount of creativity went into those words. Scumble is the sequel to Ingrid Law's Savvy. In Savvy, we were introduced to the magical powers the protagonist inherited when she turned 13. In Scumble, we meet her cousin who turns 13 and aquires a version of those same powers but one that seems to go all wrong so he must scumble his savvy into control. It's an interesting use of a word that, according to Merriam Webster means "to make (as color or a painting) less brilliant by covering with a thin coat of opaque or semiopaque color applied with a nearly dry brush". Still, it is a real word, liberally and figuratively used. I like that and I like this book as an early middle grade choice.

How about Incarceron? Not a real word but one that certainly makes sense when it's used as the name of a prison. The twist in Incarceron is that the prisoners are not convinced that Outside Incarceron exists, making escape attempts unlikely. Only one person has ever escaped... Consider shifting landscapes reminiscent of The Hunger Games, invincible teenagers (or teenagers who think they're invincible) and a crystal key and your teenager who didn't know where to go after Mockingjay may have found a destination.

Baby Names Revisited

Regular readers of this blog will remember that a colleague of mine has withheld the name she and her husband selected for their "baby-on-the-way" and guessing the name has proven to be a great source of excitement and amusement around my office these last months. Well, I am delighted to shout from the hilltops that the lovely ZOE ELIZABETH was born yesterday and the CBC team, which considers her one of our own, couldn't be happier with the name selection. We are all over the moon. Big, warm congrats to Kelly and Mark and Baby Zoe! We can't wait to meet her. I'm looking forward to hearing Kelly's stories as life with the new baby unfolds and suspect that many of the stories will make it into the blog. Stay tuned...

Today's book references come courtesy of another blog I happened upon today. Many thanks to Anna Reads for a list of what she considers to be the most unfortunate character names in books. Here's her list:

1. Thresh from Hunger Games: I'm sorry, and I know he was supposed to be an intimidating warrior, but all I could think was: "Trash? Rash? Thrash? What was that guy's name again?" And if his name stands out in a book of REALLY crazy names, you know how much it irked me.

2. Remus Lupin from Harry Potter: Gray wolf = Canis lupus. Remus = co-founder of Rome, was raised by a she-wolf. Could there BE a more obvious name for a dude who turns into a wolf?

3. Philip Pirrip aka Pip from Great Expectations: Pip? Seriously?

4. Padraig Seeley from Impossible: Is it just me or are fairies always named Seeley?

5. Angel Clare from Tess of the d'Urbervilles: Oh, I'm sorry, you wanted me to take him seriously as a romantic lead? Well, then don't name him the MOST GIRLIEST NAME EVER!

6. Any girl named Fanny in any Jane Austen novel: Maybe this name didn't have negative connotations back then, but that doesn't stop me from snickering...

7. Renesmee Carlie Cullen from Breaking Dawn: 'Nuff said.

8. Polyhymnia O'Keefe from Madeleine L'Engle's books: The daughter of my beloved Meg and Calvin. But why, oh why, did such a terrific couple have to do such a terrible thing to their daughter? Granted, her brother's name was Dennys so maybe odd ones run in the family?

9. Sookie Stackhouse from True Blood: Ugh. If you agree with me on this, watch this video.

10. Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games: Oh, sorry. I couldn't leave it with just one. Like everyone else, ALL I COULD THINK WAS "CATNIP!"

Meanwhile...create your own Hunger Games name (Mine = Riena H. Swingrose). Or your own Harry Potter name (Odila Lejeune). Or your own Jane Austen name (Lady Elizabeth King). And, of course, a fairy name (Gossamer Moonfly).

Thanks Anna!

The amazing story of First Book

One of my favorite people in the book world is a woman named Kyle Zimmer. Like me, Kyle is a recovering attorney who found her calling in the world of books and literacy. In all other respects, Kyle is really my hero and, quite honestly, she's who I want be when I grow up! In 1992, after volunteering in a soup kitchen and learning that none of the kids she was meeting had access to books, she and two friends decided they had to do something. They recognized that literacy is a strong predictor of a child’s future success and that a child without access to books won’t have the chance to become an engaged and capable reader so they established First Book, a brilliantly run organization based in DC that is all about putting new books in the hands of the kids who need them most. To date, First Book has distributed more than 80 million free or low-priced books. First Book is a sophisticated and effective model of all that a social entrepreneurial entity should be. At the core of the vision and mission is the most incredible, smart, passionate and wonderful group of people you could ever hope to know. Kyle's team includes Chandler Arnold, Jane Robinson, Erica Perl, Mitali Chakraborty and many more all-stars that I am privileged to know and consider friends. Hats off to First Book for the important work they do and for the lessons they have taught the rest of us about getting things done. The geniuses at First Book are constantly coming up with new and fun ideas to get their message out there and add to their vast following. Check out the video below, featuring celebrities in the children's book world (and my First Book friends were kind enough to let me crash the party!) and tell me you aren't hooked - then show your support!!





The Story of First Book from First Book on Vimeo.

Trichotillomania

In a list of unusually long and interesting words, Merriam-Webster Online includes Trichotillomania, an abnormal desire to pull out one's hair. Trichotillomania is classified as an impulse-control disorder that is estimated to afflict 2-4% of the population. How much you wanna bet the percentage is really much higher and those afflicted are mostly the mothers of teenagers?! I have no words of wisdom to impart to those mothers. We all need to hang on to the reality that it really does get better. Personally, I find that a good sense of humor and a really cute dog go a long, long way. Add in a really good book where you can get delightfully lost in an amazing story and you've got it made.

Maybe you'll want to combine all of the above and you can - with Louise Yates' Dog Loves Books. Dog, who owns a bookstore and reads while he awaits customers, gets lost in his reading adventures.  Dog is lovable. I can't help but want to package this book with How Rocket Learned to Read and Miss Brooks Loves Books (And I Don't) as a gift for a Kindergartner.

There are three sides to every story

Teaching a child to consider different perspectives can be a challenge but, without doubt, well worth the effort. If we truly want our children to be active participants in their own lives and in the global community they have been thrust in, it is incumbent upon us to teach them and make sure they understand that there are at least 3 sides to every story (his side, her side and the truth). Our kids need to learn how to effectively communicate their sides of the story and how to listen carefully to the other side(s). So much easier said than done, right?! Not surprisingly, books can be a powerful tool to drive the point home.

Jon Sciezska gave the wolf a voice in The True Story of The Three Little Pigs and created a "side" that was so compelling that one of our daughters used to get very sad and cry about the mistreatment of the wolf.

It's brave for an author to take on the presentation of perspectives other than the protagonist. When it's done well, though, the reading experience is so much richer and the thoughts provoked, so much more profound. One such brave foray was Sharon Dogar's Annexed, the fictionalized story of Peter van Pels, the very real teenage boy who hid in the attic for more than two years with Anne Frank during the Holocaust. I hope schools will consider using this book as a companion novel to the entirely non-fiction classic Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl when teaching about the Holocaust or man's inhumanity to man and the triumph of the human spirit. Dogar uses the diary to set parameters, provide historical accuracy and set the stage for Peter's story. It's a very smart work of historical fiction, a heart-wrenching tale and a powerful example of the strength of a new perspective.

A recurring topic throughout this blog and a hot topic at schools and among kids, seemingly now and forever, is the issue of bullying. Consider the brave and clever work of Mark Shulman in Scrawl, a story from the perspective of the bully. You may not want to feel sympathy for or like a bully but it's never a bad idea to see where someone or something is coming from, to gain understanding and insight into what makes them tick.

The pot of gold at the end of the RAINBOW

I love my job. I am grateful each and every day to be able to say that and to do what I do. I am passionate about the work and I have the great fortune to work with and meet the most wonderful people. Today I met with four extraordinary people who, I have every confidence, will change the game when it comes to getting good  books into the hands of kids who will get lost in them (in the best possible way). Cultivating a lifelong love of reading begins with empowering kids to choose the books that interest and excite them and this impressive group is well on its way to bringing kids and books together in new and different ways. They are the powerhouse team of Mark Wolfe, Asra Rasheed, Sangita Patel and ... wait for it ... LeVar Burton. They are each as delightful as they are impressive. LeVar Burton, known for his indelibly memorable roles like Kunta Kinte in Roots and Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, is perhaps most beloved for his 26-year run as the host of Reading Rainbow, the award-winning PBS series that brought books to life. Each episode centered on a theme from a book or other children's literature which was explored through a number of segments or stories. The show also provided book recommendations that kids could look for when they'd go to the library. It is the third-longest running children's series in PBS history, after Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Sesame Street. The show was taken off the air in 2009 and the children's book loving world mourned its demise. The void has not been filled but after today's meeting, I suspect that it will soon. At the helm are 4 passionate and dedicated people who recognize the importance of letting kids know what's available to them and giving them the power to make choices. More and more, I can't shake the feeling that we have entered a very exciting era for children's books.

In honor of LeVar Burton, who is truly as charming and wonderful in person as you could possibly imagine, today's book recommendations are made in celebration of Kunta and Geordi. In recognition of Kunta, and particularly compelling during Black History Month, is David Adler's Frederick Douglass: A Noble Life. Douglass fled to freedom in 1838 and subsequently became one of America's most celebrated abolitionists, orators, and passionate champions of freedom. Quotations attributed to him are legion but, in the spirit of this blog, consider this one: "Once you learn to read, you will forever be free."  And then remember that he was a fugutive slave with no formal education - just innate brilliance and the will to survive, succeed and fight injustice.

Switching gears a little, Geordi La Forge, inspires two book choices. The first is David Bristow's Sky Sailors.  This book is full of stories of balloon flights, the first kind of human flight allowing man to explore the sky. The stories of aeronauts, the precursor to pilots and astronauts, are fascinating and thrilling.

Finally, if you ever watched Star Trek, any generation, you must have developed an appreciation for alien life forms. Should you be planning any of your own space travel, you can brush up on your knowledge of those creatures by studying Alienology: The Complete Book of Extraterrestrials by Professor Allen Gray. This book will teach you how to identify aliens who have already infiltrated human society and so much more. My favorite part of this book is a foldout page with pictures of different alien species. Some are terrifying but some are downright adorable!

Happy Black History Month!

Black History month started out as a week in 1926 when Carter G. Woodson created it.  In 1976 it became a month long celebration and February was assigned its designated month.  Ever since, February has been another reason to look at the great accomplishments made by African-Americans. Be sure to look at A&E Television Network's Biography/Black History website for facts, featured biographies, historical time-lines and trivia. And be sure to take a look at some of the new books for children and young adults that speak to the African American experience. Philip Hoose's 2009 Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice tells the true story of a 15-year old Montgomery, Alabama, high-school student who was arrested and jailed for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger in 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks’ history-making protest on a city bus. Not only does this book provide a fascinating glimpse into history, it is also testament to the crucial role young people can take in social movements. 

 

Another teen trying to believe in himself and effect change is 14-year old Reese in Walter Dean Myers' Lockdown, a contemporary look at the life and struggles of an inner city youth.

Finally, middle graders might consider reading last year's National Book Award winner, Rita Williams-Garcia's One Crazy Summer and visit a summer camp run by the Black Panthers along with Delphine and her sisters. This book is also the 2011 Coretta Scott King (Author) Award winner and a 2011 Newbery Honor book.