Jen Robinson's Book Page

May Issue of the Edge of the Forest

Sheesh! I go one day without reading any blog posts (because of, you know, that whole work thing, plus taking 3 hours out to go to the event at Hicklebee's). And that's the day that Kelly Herold publishes the new issue of The Edge of the Forest (THE online children's literature journal). Isn't that always the way? But seriously, it looks like another great issue. Here are the highlights (borrowed from Big A little a):

• An interview with Elizabeth C. Bunce, by Julie M. Prince
• Little Willow takes us to the Prom
• An interview with Brandon Mull, by Rebecca Laney
• Linda Urban is this month's Blogging Writer, interviewed by Julie M. Prince
• We have two great columns this month: Candice Ransom considers Magic Elizabeth for A Backward Glance and Sarah Mulhern tells us what her students are reading in our Backpacks column.
• Reviews in all categories—from Picture book to Young Adult.

Happy reading! The Edge of the Forest will be back in early June.

Rick Riordan at Hicklebee's

All I really have to say is: Vivian (HipWriterMama) was right. Seeing Rick Riordan speak is an inspiration. I was fortunate to be able to attend Rick's event yesterday at Hicklebee's Children's Books in San Jose. And OK, I do have a bit more to say. It was 100 degrees out, and didn't seem that much cooler inside the store, which was completely packed (see photo below). But it was completely and totally worth it to see so many kids so excited to hear from an author. 

God bless the people at Hicklebee's. The event extremely well-organized, despite the heat and the crowds. They gave out numbers as you arrived, so that people didn't have to stand in line. Being compulsively early by nature, and not having to wait for any kids to get out of school, I was fifth. (To the young woman who was first, if you're reading this, I hope it was worth the trip, and I look forward to seeing your books on the bestseller list one day in the future). So I got to meet Rick, and get a photo taken, and have a couple of copies of the new book signed. He knew who I was right away, which was very cool. Of course my Hunters of Artemis shirt was a bit of a clue. But still, it was great to finally meet Rick in person, after interviewing him last year and all, although the crowd was too big for much of a chat.

[My Hunters of Artemis shirt was a source of considerable admiration among the kids, and the adults, in the audience. If you ever want to meet people, wear something related to the Percy Jackson books while in a crowd of children's book lovers. That's my advice.]

He spoke for a half hour or so. And because the Hicklebee's team cares passionately about kids, the kids were all on the floor in front, where they could see, with the adults standing in the back and around the sides of the store. Rick read from the new book (and man, can he ever channel Percy - you can tell he's spent lots of time with middle school boys in his life). He also spoke a bit about the background of the book, and then he mostly just took questions. I can't even express how great it was to see all of those kids, eager and excited and asking great questions (like, could a God and a demi-god ever have a child together? Answer: well, that would be interesting, wouldn't it, but the demi-gods don't usually live that long). As Vivian noted, there was much rejoicing about the prospect of the movie version of The Lightning Thief (scheduled for release in fall of 2009, and being directed by Chris Columbus). The kids were also very excited to learn that there will be another series after the Percy Jackson books wrap up, featuring the same world, but different, younger characters. Rick also talked a bit about his upcoming 39 Clues books, and the kids were pretty keen on that, too.

Honestly, you had the feeling that if his schedule permitted (and if it hadn't been so crazily hot), Rick would have stood there in front of the room until every kid had every question answered. He clearly loves seeing kids excited about books. And he doesn't talk down to them, or let the attention go to his head in any way. For me, it was a validating experience, to see how much of an impact one person with a passion can have on kids and reading. Of course he had a lot of help, especially from his family and his publisher. But still, one person sat down and wrote these books - and kids all across the country and around the world are enthralled, engaged, and READING. That, my friends, is how you make a difference in the world. I'm so glad that I went to the event!

Making the afternoon even better - I was able to hang out with Becky Levine and her son. Becky and I had a great chat, and it was wonderful to finally meet her in person, after exchanging blog comments for ages. Her son wasn't much of a conversationalist, because, you know, he had the book in his hands, but it was fun to see him completely tune out the crowd, in favor of the real reason we were all there - the wonderful Percy Jackson books. Becky's thoughts on the event are here.

Mheir came, too. He was a bit late, and wasn't able to meet Rick (because he - Mheir - had to go back to work), but he was able to hear the talk, and see the buzz. And now we have two copies of The Battle of the Labyrinth to read. So, if you don't hear from me for a bit, you'll know that I'm reading.

A Meme about Various Things

Okay, okay (as Kelly put it). I don't usually do memes, especially if they aren't directly book related. But both Megan Germano from Read, Read, Read and Sarah from The Reading Zone tagged me for this one. And they're both very nice people, who comment on my blog, and whose blogs I appreciate. And this meme does seem to be everywhere. And I don't really feel like working, after a very long day yesterday. So here I go:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Okay, now the heart of the meme:

What were you doing ten years ago?

10 years ago I was living in Boston, consulting and working on my Ph.D. in industrial engineering, while Mheir was in medical school. In June of that year we moved to Houston, Texas.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

1. Follow up with sales contacts (for my paying job)
2. Send out my work newsletter (in process as I write, it takes a long time to send)
3. Go to the grocery store, and put steaks in to marinate (done)
4. Fill out my absentee ballot for some small-scale election that's coming up (in CA you can do a permanent absentee ballot that lets you vote by mail for everything - for me I find that it makes me more likely to vote for these smaller elections than I would be otherwise). (done)
5. Post about several recent book award announcements (done)

What are some snacks you enjoy?

- Chips and salsa (the hotter the better)
- Cheese and crackers (or bread)
- Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate

What would you do if you were a billionaire?

Retire from my job so that I could work full-time on things related to children's books and literacy. Buy houses on the East and West Coasts (to live where I want, but be able to visit with family and friends back east frequently). Start some sort of foundation that gives books to kids (though I would want to hire someone to deal with anything administrative). I would probably still have to travel a lot, but I would at least be able to fly first class.

What are three of your bad habits?

1. I don't exercise enough (this is partly because I hurt my knee, but I know that it's an excuse).
2. I email or write people who I should just call, because I don't like talking on the phone.
3. I sometimes make decisions too quickly, without thinking through the consequences.

What are five places where you have lived?

1. Boston (Lexington and Chestnut Hill)
2. Durham, North Carolina (for undergrad at Duke)
3. Austin, Texas (for grad school at UT)
4. Houston, Texas (2 years at the start of Mheir's residency)
5. San Jose, CA (with one year in Menlo Park when we first moved out here)

What are five jobs you have had?

1. Clerk in a hardware store
2. Clerk and deli person in a convenience store
3. Ticket seller for a box office on campus
4. Intern for a town engineering department
5. Founder and COO of a software firm

(There were some other steps between 4 and 5)

What six people do you want to tag?

If I rarely do memes, I even more rarely tag other people. But I will give a nod to Nan from Anokaberry, Jenny from Wildwood Cottage, Patty from Capturing Joy, Kathy from Library Stew, Aerin from In Search of Giants and Anamaria from Books Together Blog, because I've commented back and forth with all of them recently, and I haven't seen any of them tagged yet. Truly, though, my friends, feel free to skip the meme if you aren't interested.

That was more fun than I expected. Thanks, Megan and Sarah! 

Seeing People Who Love What They Do

In light of recent bleak world events, MotherReader shared some news that brightened her day, and asked: "What’s lightening your heart these days?" In the comments, I posted a link to this post at Cynthia Lord's journal, in which Cindy expresses her joy at winning a kid's choice award (the Great Stone Face award) in her home state of New Hampshire. You can't help but be happy for all of the accolades that Rules has won, if you read Cindy's blog, because her joy and gratitude are so genuine.

I wanted to share another example here too. This past weekend Mheir and I went to a talent show sponsored by St. Andrew Armenian Church (where Mheir is on the Parish Council). It was a much higher-end production than I expected when I heard the phrase "talent show", featuring both home-grown and professional talent. We saw a number of great performers (I especially liked the Gypsy Dance). But the act that brought down the house was by Felix Amirian and Nasser Bobmoradi, two members of the band Gypsy Tribe. Felix played guitar, Nasser played rhythm guitar, and they did two songs initially, plus an encore later. It was a simple act, really. Two guys on guitars, no lyrics, up on the stage. The music was great, but what made the act special was the sheer joy that both Nasser and Felix brought to the performance. They started out sitting down, but eventually they were standing up at the front of the stage, audience clapping along, as though they simply couldn't help it. The music and the audience drew them forward. They were laughing and smiling throughout - and it just had to be genuine enthusiasm shining forth. I can't tell you how much that resonated with and energized the crowd. Mheir and I liked the music a lot, but I think that we bought the CD because we wanted to hang onto that joy a little bit longer.

Seeing people who truly love what they do is inspirational. I wish you all the opportunity, and the determination, to find that joy in your own lives.

Three Book Awards

Today I have three book award-related announcements. First up, from Skipping Stones Magazine, and via Mitali Perkins, I found the following press release. I was especially pleased to see a book by friends Ken Beller and Heather Chase (Great Peacemakers) on the list. Way to go Ken, Heather, and Mitali! It's wonderful to see you all making a difference through books.

The 15th Annual Skipping Stones Honor Awards recognize 26 exceptional books and teaching resources. Together, they encourage an understanding of the world's diverse cultures, as well as nature and ecological richness. The selection promotes cooperation, nonviolence, respect for differing viewpoints, and close relationships in human societies. We present these great books to you as the summer season stretches before us. It's a time of year when many travel to explore new places in the world, or to revisit meaningful ones. Reading books is another way you can explore cultures, places and even other time periods. The winners are featured in our summer issue. Welcome to the wonderful world of words!

Download the official
press release here.

Multicultural & International Awareness Books:

One City, Two Brothers by Chris Smith, illustr. Aurélia Fronty. Barefoot Books; www.barefootbooks.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-84686-042-3

When The Shadbush Blooms by Carla Messinger with Susan Katz, illustr. David Kanietakeron Fadden. Tricycle. www.tricyclepress.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-58246-192-2

Armando and the Blue Tarp School by Edith Hope Fine and Judith Pinkerton Josephson, illustr. Hernán Sosa. Lee & Low; www.leeandlow.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-58430-278-0. See also the Blue Tarp School website.

I Remember Abuelito: A Day of the Dead Story / Yo Recuerdo a Abuelito: Un Cuento del Dia de los Muertos by Janice Levy, illustr. Loretta Lopez. Albert Whitman; www.albertwhitman.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-0-8075-3516-5

The Best Eid Ever by Asma Mobin-Uddin, illustr. Laura Jacobsen. Boyds Mills Press www.boydsmillspress.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-59078-431-0

Romina's Rangoli by Malathi Michelle Iyengar, illustr. Jennifer Wanardi. Shen's Books; www.shens.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-885008-32-9

Sky Sweeper by Phillis Gershator, illustr. Holly Meade. Farrar, Straus & Giroux; www.fsgkidsbooks.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-0-374-37007-7

One Hen by Katie Smith Milway, illustr. Eugenie Fernandes. Kids Can Press; www.kidscanpress.com. Picture Book. Ages 7 and up. ISBN: 978-1-55453-028-1

Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins, illustr. Jamie Hogan. Charlesbridge; www.charlesbridge.com. Ages 7-10. ISBN: 978-1-58089-308-4

Great Peacemakers: True Stories from Around the World (Teacher's guide available) by Ken Beller & Heather Chase. LTS Press; www.greatpeacemakers.com. Ages 12-80. ISBN: 978-0-9801382-0-7

We Are One: The Story of Bayard Rustin by Larry Dane Brimner. Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills Press; www.boydsmillspress.com. Ages 10-15. ISBN: 978-1-59078-498-3

Chess Rumble by G. Neri, illustr. Jesse Joshua Watson. Lee and Low; www.leeandlow.com. Ages 11-15. ISBN: 978-1-58430-279-7

Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer, a biography by Gretchen Woelfle. Calkins Creek/ Boyds Mills Press; www.boydsmillspress.com. Ages 11-17. ISBN: 978-1-59078-437-2

Tasting The Sky: A Palestinian Childhood, a memoir by Ibtisam Barakat. Farrar, Straus & Giroux; www.fsgkidsbooks.com. Ages 11-15. ISBN: 978-0374-35733-7

The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect with others to Create Social Change by Barbara A. Lewis. Free Spirit; www.freespirit.com. Ages 12-17. ISBN: 978-1-57542-266-4

A Shout in the Sunshine, a novel by Mara W. Cohen Ioannides. Jewish Publication Society; www.jewishpub.org. Ages 12-17. ISBN: 978-0-8276-0838-2

Windows into My World: Latino Youth Write Their Lives, ed. by Sarah Cortez. Piñata Books; www.artepublicopress.com. Ages 13-18. ISBN: 978-1-55885-482-6

The Ocean in the Closet, a debut novel by Yuko Taniguchi. Coffee House Press; www.coffehousepress.org. Ages 15 to adults. ISBN: 978-1-56689-194-3

Nature and Ecology Books:

Nature's Yucky! 2: The Desert Southwest by Lee Ann Landstrom & Karen I. Schragg, illustr. Rachel Rogge. Mountain Press; www.mountain-press.org. ISBN: 978-0-87842-529-7

River Song with the Banana Slug String Band by Steve Van Zandt, illustr. Katherine Zecca. Dawn Publications; www.dawnpub.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-1-58469-093-1

The Bee Tree by Stephen Buchmann and Diana Cohn, illustr. Paul Mirocha. Cinco Puntos Press; www.cincopuntos.com. Picture Book. ISBN: 978-0-938317-98-2

The Inuit Thought Of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations by Alootook Ipellie with David MacDonald. Annick Press; www.annickpress.com. Ages 9-12. ISBN 978-1-55451-087-0

The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon. Scholastic Inc.; www.scholastic.com. Ages 8-13. ISBN: 978-0-439-02494-5

Teaching and Parenting Resources:

2008 World Diversity Calendar, Orison Publishers; www.worlddiversitycalendar.com. This interfaith, multilingual calendar belongs on every classroom wall! ISBN: 978-0-9763800-5-4.

What Kids REALLY Want to Ask: Using Movies to Start Meaningful Conversations -- A Guidebook for Parents and Children Ages 10-14 by Rhonda A. Richardson, Ph.D. and A. Margaret Pevec, M.A. VanderWyk & Burnham; www.vandb.com. ISBN: 978-1-889242-31-6

My Imaginary Friend by Shirley Ann Povondra and Kathryn Andrew. Llumina Kids; www.llumina.com. For parents and educators to read with children. ISBN: 978-1-59526-669-9

I also received the following notice from the Association of Jewish Libraries that the Sydney Taylor Book Awards are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year.

Cleveland, OH - May, 2008 - The Sydney Taylor Book Award, established in 1968 by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), commemorates its fortieth anniversary this year. Authors, publishers, and librarians will gather to celebrate Taylor's legacy during the Association's annual convention in Cleveland, Ohio.

Named in memory of Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series, the Sydney Taylor Book Award recognizes the best in Judaic literature for children and teens. Medals are awarded annually for outstanding books that authentically portray the Jewish experience. 

The celebration will kick off on the evening of Tuesday, June 24 with the presentation of the 2008 Sydney Taylor Book Awards during the convention's annual banquet. Winners Sonia Levitin (Strange Relations), Sid Fleischman (The Entertainer and the Dybbuk), and Sarah Gershman and Kristina Swarner (The Bedtime Sh'ma) will be honored at the banquet.  Honor Award winners will also be recognized. A full-day program on Wednesday, June 25 includes panels on the history of Jewish children's literature, teen fiction, picture books, illustrated non-fiction, trends in publishing, and a keynote address by Sid Fleischman. A book signing and dessert reception will conclude the festivities.

Organizer Rachel Kamin says "Sydney Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family books changed the way American readers viewed Jewish literature. Readers of all backgrounds embraced these characters, and continue to connect with the Jewish characters in our award-winning books. It's so exciting to have reached the forty year milestone, and we look forward to another forty years of top quality Jewish literature!"

Click here for a full-color PDF listing of the 2008 Sydney Taylor Book Award winners. Additional information about the award and the celebration may be found at www.jewishlibraries.org.

And finally, via Goodman Media, the Children's Choice Awards were announced this week.

Frankie Stein, Big Cats, and Encyclopedia Horrifica Voted Favorite Reads by Kids - J.K. Rowling Voted Favorite Author and Ian Falconer Voted Favorite Illustrator - Close to 55,000 Votes Received

NEW YORK, NY May  13, 2008 – The Children’s Book Council (CBC) in association with the CBC Foundation, announced the winners of the first annual Children’s Choice Book Awards  at a gala in New York City, hosted by Jon Scieszka, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. 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.

The Children’s Choice Book Award winners are as follows:

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year: Frankie Stein written by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Kevan Atteberry (Marshall Cavendish Corporation)

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year: Big Cats by Elaine Landau (Enslow Publishers)

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year: Encyclopedia Horrifica by Joshua Gee (Scholastic)

Illustrator of the Year Award: Ian Falconer, Olivia Helps with Christmas (Simon & Schuster)

Author of the Year Award: J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Scholastic)

The Children’s Choice Book Awards program was created to provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them and to help develop a reading list that will motivate children to read. The program is a new component of Children’s Book Week, the longest running literacy event in the country. 

Growing Bookworms Newsletter: May 13, 2008

Tonight I will be sending out the new issue of the Growing Bookworms weekly email newsletter. (If you would like to subscribe, you can find a sign-up form here.) The Growing Bookworms newsletter contains content from my blog focused on children's books and raising readers. There are currently more than 260 subscribers.

This week I have two picture book reviews, a young adult review (The Compound), an installment of my "reviews that made me want to read the book" feature, a children's literacy and reading news round-up, a Kidlitosphere round-up with links to useful posts from the week, an announcement about RIF's Reading is Fun week, and a post about the six criteria that I use in selecting and evaluating books (my 6 P's of Book Appreciation). Recent posts not included in this newsletter include:

• An announcement about an article that I recently had published in Escape Adulthood Magazine (about why adults should continue reading children's books), together with some links about finding your passion.
• An announcement about a book previously viewed (the dead and the gone) now available for purchase.
• A link to a post well worth reading asking why our kids don't read more.

It's great to feel like I'm finally getting the blog back on track. Thanks for reading, and for growing bookworms!

Sunday Afternoon Visits: May 11

Happy Mother's Day, to all of the Moms out there. It's a beautiful day here in California, though I'm feeling a bit under the weather. Still, I managed to get some reviews written, finally. And for once I'm feeling relatively caught up on the doings of the Kidlitosphere. This makes me happy. And you know what? It makes my Mom happy, too, because she knows it's how I want to spend my time (and she's 3000 miles away, so I can't spend it with her today). And that's what Moms are all about, wanting their kids to be happy and fulfilled and all of that. Anyway, here is some news from around the Kidlitosphere:

• First off, congratulations to Readergirlz for winning a James Patterson PageTurner grant!! Here's a bit from the press release: With recent reports showing a decline in reading among adults and teens, and federal budget cuts reducing book distribution, the promotion of books and reading is more important than ever. James Patterson's true passion has always been to get people of all ages excited about books and reading, and for years he has proudly supported people and organizations who dedicate themselves to keeping the fun and excitement of books and reading alive. This year's PageTurner Award winners are the cream of the crop..." Well, certainly if they include Readergirlz, they must be!
• At The Places You Will Go, Daphne uses her Tots to Teens column to vent about celebrity and child authors. She writes, sarcasm evident, "I'm certain celebrity authors write for children because it's something that they've worked on for years and years, and are willing to continue to work at until they have perfected their craft or died in the attempt. Yes. Of course." She also says: "I have nothing against child authors per se, but I don't think children should be published simply because they are children (just as celebs shouldn't be encouraged to write and publish books simply because they've recorded and sold millions of CDs). If a child's work is published I feel it should be judged (reviewed) without consideration for the age of its writer/illustrator." I agree! The author's age makes for interesting backstory, if and only if the book can stand on its own in the first place.
• Shelf Elf shares a SMART List of Gripping Greek Mythology. As noted in the comments of the post, this list could be an excellent jumping off point for young fans of the Percy Jackson books.
• At Big A little a, Kelly Herold shares a post of special interest to writers of young adult and middle grade fiction for boys, linking to a conversation between two real-life teens and their mother at Writing as Jo(e).
• Meanwhile at Educating Alice, Monica Edinger shares her thoughts about the recent Renaissance Learning study about kids' reading habits. Her post title pretty much sums it up: So What? But you should go read the entire post, and the comments, which give perspectives from people in the trenches, teaching. See also Susan's follow-on post on the subject at Chicken Spaghetti. She also links to a variety of recent discussions on reading.
• At the Reading Rockets Sound It Out blog, Joanne Meier shares 5 ways to appreciate a teacher AND build literacy skills. The ideas are quite practical and inexpensive, starting with: "Donate a copy of your favorite read aloud to the class. Teachers are always looking for tried and true read alouds. If a book worked for you, it might work for the class too!"
• At I.N.K. (Interesting Nonfiction for Kids), Vicki Cobb writes about the selling of books at an author's school visits. I found this interesting, because it's not something I've ever given thought to (not working at a school, or having kids). Vicki makes the point that "If an author excites and interests kids, the author is invariably asked, "Where can I get your books? If the books are not at hand, the moment is lost. What baffles me is why a school that has spent some of its limited resources to bring an author to the school, obviously caring about "enrichment," does not understand how to optimize the educational experience it has created." Sounds reasonable to me.
• At Confessions of a Bibliovore, Maureen writes about the trust that she has in certain authors, which makes her pick up their new books, even if she doesn't know anything about them. She adds: "The deepest author trust is when you hear the synopsis and go, ". . . Huh. I dunno about that one. If another author were writing it, I'd pass it over, but it's X. So I'll give it a whirl."" She also shares an off the cuff list of some of her most trusted authors, like Meg Cabot and Eva Ibbotson, and asks readers to share their trusted author lists. I touched on this myself, in my recent "six P's of book appreciation" post, when I said that there are certain authors who I'll read, even if I'm skeptical of the premise of a book. Kindred spirits, Maureen, kindred spirits. 
• Elaine Magliaro shares some links for Children's Book Week (May 12-18) at Wild Rose Reader. She also links to a variety of book lists. 
• Lots of people have sent greetings to their mothers on their blogs this weekend, but do check out Vivian's letter to her mom at HipWriterMama. Any mother would be proud to have her for a daughter. See also Peter's extensive post at Collecting Children's Books: "a mamacentric collection of thoughts, opinions and information dedicated to all the mothers out there -- especially mine!"

And that's it for today. Happy reading!

The Compound: S. A. Bodeen

Book: The Compound
Author: S. A. Bodeen
Pages: 256
Age Range: 14 and up

The Compound by S. A. Bodeen is a fast-paced, compelling read with an exceptionally creepy premise. It grabs the reader from the very first page:

"T.S. Eliot was wrong. My world ended with a bang the minute we entered the Compound and that silver door closed behind us.
The sound was brutal.
Final.
An echoing, resounding boom that slashed my nine-year-old heart in two. My fists beat on the door. I bawled. The screaming left me hoarse and my feet hurt."

The book begins as nine-year-old Eli, his parents, and two sisters enter the family's secret, underground Compound, fleeing the start of a nuclear war. As though entering an underground lair, where you'll have to spend the next fifteen years, weren't drama enough - Eli is particularly traumatized because his beloved twin brother and grandmother didn't make it in time to join the rest of the family. They are left on the outside, presumed dead. And Eli is left drowning in guilt for the part that he played in their ending up on the wrong side of the door.

After a brief prologue describing the family's first day in the Compound, the book fast forwards six years. Fifteen-year-old Eli is damaged goods, refusing to let anyone touch him, and downright hostile to his two sisters. He still misses his twin brother, Eddy, every day. And he chafes against the control imposed by his father on absolutely everything. He also worries because the family is starting to run out of food, and blocks his mind from a truly terrible family secret, hidden behind an innocuous door. Then Eli starts to snoop around a bit, and learns that the situation is even more precarious than he had expected.

I read this book in one sitting - I simply couldn't put it down. The premise is fascinating, the setting is unique, and the action moves forward quickly, with layers of suspense that kept me turning the pages. Eli himself isn't the most likable character at the start of the book, but I found myself pulling for him anyway, because he was in such an impossible situation. And he does improve. Eli's younger sister, Terese, is also a strong character, functioning a bit as Eli's conscience. She watches a video of Mary Poppins at least once a day, and speaks with an affected English accent. Of course one would expect characters who have lived for six years underground, with no outside contact, to be a bit quirky.

I read this book so compulsively that I didn't even stop to flag any passages to share with you. But in truth, I don't want to give too much information away here, anyway, because I don't want to spoil the surprises of this book. I highly recommend this title for readers age 14 and up, especially for teen boys who crave suspense and like books with a dark atmosphere. I would hesitate to give this book to younger kids, however, although the writing style is quite accessible, because some of the concepts addressed are more than a bit disturbing. Overall, The Compound is an emotional roller-coaster of a book. It had me on the edge of my seat, made me contemplate certain philosophical questions, and also brought tears to my eyes. Don't miss it!

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: April 2008
Source of Book: Advance review copy from the publisher. Quotes are from the advance review copy, and may not reflect the final, printed edition of the book.
Other Blog Reviews: Worlds of Wonder, Charlotte's Library
Author Interviews: The Story Siren, Cynsations

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod: Eugene W. Field

Book: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod
Author: Eugene W. Field
Illustrator: Giselle Potter
Pages: 40
Age Range: 0-5

Eugene Field's Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, written in 1889, was one of my favorite poems as a child. My grandparents had a battered, illustrated copy. I don't remember the details very well, but the couplet:

"Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe"

still has the power to make me smile. There's something about the promise of these three sailing off one night, combined with the whimsy of their vessel being a wooden shoe, that has a timeless appeal. (You can find the complete poem here, at the UMass Amherst website.)

Illustrator Giselle Potter apparently felt the same way when she ran across this poem, and that spark led to this new picture book version of the poem. She says in an illustrator's note: "Although it is one of the shortest, simplest texts I've ever illustrated, it was by far the most challenging." I think that she pulled it off. Her illustrations are a combination of pencil, ink, gouache, gesso, and watercolor, with a luminous, blue and green palette that reflects the night sky and the sea. The text is hand-lettered, giving a bit of an old-fashioned flavor to the book, and is closely integrated with the pictures, increasing visual interest. The moon and the "little stars (that) were the herring fish" both have a slightly unearthly glow, while Wynken, Blynken and Nod are identical triplets with oddly mature features (see Pinot and Prose on this topic). I think that their appearance adds to the nostalgic feel of the book, and to the otherworldly nature of the poem.

The poem itself is beautiful ("Sailed on a river of crystal light/Into a sea of dew"), with a rhythm that begs to be read aloud. Like this:

"All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam ~
Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,
Bringing the fishermen home."

Don't you want to read it aloud?

Potter uses the illustrations to play a bit with the poem's end, in which the reader learns that:

"Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little head,
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one's trundle-bed."

She show the boy lying in bed, holding on to two of the herring fish, with the expressive moon in the background. Is the boy real? Are the fish real? Or is it all a dream? I found this part a bit spooky, for some reason. But I think that kids, and their parents, will enjoy this as a bedtime read. It's nice to see such a classic poem refreshed by modern, loving illustrations. This title would make an excellent new baby gift.

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Publication Date: May 13, 2008
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher
Other Blog Reviews: A Patchwork of Books, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Author Interviews: Spraygraphic

Trainstop: Barbara Lehman

Book: Trainstop
Author: Barbara Lehman
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-8

Trainstop by Barbara Lehman is a wordless picture book about a young girl who has a magical experience on what is an otherwise ordinary train ride. The unnamed girl and her parents get on the train in the city. The parents are preoccupied reading their newspaper and the other adults on the train are all reading or talking on the phone or sleeping. But our heroine spends her time looking out the window at the gray city. Then the train goes through a tunnel. On the other side, the girl finds a country setting dotted with tiny houses and windmills. The train stops, and she alights to a lilliputian world, where, with her considerable height, she is able to save the day. One might suspect, by the way everyone else on the train sleeps through the whole incident, that the girl's experience is a dream. However, the magic follows her home, and the reader is left with an impression that magic can sprout up anytime in the midst of an ordinary day. I think that kids will love it!

With a wordless picture book, the illustrations are, of course, everything. In this case, Lehman's watercolor, gouache, and ink pictures convey mood through clever perspective shifts and the subtle use of color. The girl's pink and yellow striped shirt stands out, compared to the more somber clothes of the other adults and the muted colors of the train car. Only the train's route map is equally colorful, representing, perhaps, the possibilities of travel. Several of the illustrations feature the girl looking out of the window - in some we see her profile and the view, in others we look from outside of the train back in at her interested face. My favorite page is the one where the girl is deciding whether to leave the train on her own. She looks around, and everyone else is sleeping. Even the man on his cell phone sleeps, phone propped up to his ear. She looks a bit doubtful, but of course she can't resist the adventure. And neither will kids. The Lilliputians are priceless. They drive wind-up cars, and wear striped and polka-dotted clothes, and funny hats.

The miracle of this book is how much Lehman is able to get across without words, how unnecessary words are to tell the story. The girl's face isn't even very detailed, with tiny dots for eyes, and a single line for a mouth. And yet, her thoughts are clear from her expressions and posture. The other thing that I think is genius is the way Lehman juxtaposes whimsical fantasy against a relatively bleak city background. It reminds me a bit of Dorothy leaving the gray Kansas farm and entering Oz.

I highly recommend this title, especially for kids who are interested in trains, or fascinated by the idea of 'little people". I think this would be an excellent fit for older preschoolers who aren't quite reading yet, but understand the notion of using a book to tell a story.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: April 2008
Source of Book: A review copy from the publisher
Other Blog Reviews: Pink Me, the Excelsior File. See also my review of Rainstorm, another lovely wordless picture book by the author.
Author Interviews: BookPage (a fun, illustrated interview that I found through World of Words). Also, though not exactly an interview, don't miss The Excelsior File's Robert's Snow feature about Barbara Lehman.

Children's Literacy Round-Up: Mother's Day Weekend Edition

There have been a host of literacy and reading related news stories and blog posts in the past few days. This is, in part, because the International Reading Association annual conference was held last week in Atlanta, and in part because this coming week is the Children's Book Council's Children's Book Week. Here are a few highlights:

• The International Reading Association's blog, News from Reading Today Daily, has published various short articles describing the goings-on at the annual reading conference. I especially enjoyed this one, about IRA President Linda Gambrell's presentation at the opening general session. Gambrell spoke in support of pleasure reading in the classroom, and the importance of instilling the joy of reading in students. This session, about "engaging adolescent African American males in reading", also sounds like it was pretty interesting. It was led by "noted educator Alfred Tatum and award-winning author Walter Dean Myers". Follow this link to see other articles at IRA blog about the convention.
• Charlotte shares a link at Charlotte's Library, to "a rather cheering story from today's Providence Journal, about a book club formed last year at Hope High School. Hope is an urban, largely minority school that was in such a bad way a few years ago that the state intervened. It's better now, thanks in large part to dedicated teachers like those who founded the book club-- Jodi Timpani and Laura Almagno." The article includes quotes like this from students: "the book club “really opened my eyes that books can be interesting.”". The article concludes with a quote that "thanks to the book club, “it’s now cool for teenagers to read.”" Do click through to read it - I'm sure that it will brighten your day.
• I linked a few days ago to a post by Sarah from The Reading Zone about how "NCLB is destroying our classrooms and the education we should be giving our children." An interesting discussion has sprung up in the comments there, ranging into censorship issues to "cultivating a culture of conversation and of acceptance" (the latter quote is from Jenny). I don't happen to agree with one of the other commenters (who feels that the ALA is deliberately promoting sexualized content), but I think that she's sparked some interesting discussion.
• Sarah's post at the Reading Zone also helped inspire Jenny to write her own post on this topic, at Read. Imagine. Talk. Jenny says: "Somewhere along the way, we have forgotten to teach our kids how to think, talk and listen when it comes to books," and concludes: "there has to be some way to bypass what seems to be happening and get our 12th graders to read more than 4 books a year". We certainly have to try!
• I've recently discovered, thanks to a friend at RIF, the Literacy and Reading News blog, from the staff of LiteracyNews