Jeremy Tankard and the Oprah Connection

09 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in Award News, For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, News Tags: , , , , ,

I have to admit that I’ve never been a big Oprah follower, possibly because daytime television has never been my thing.  I know, I know, she’s got her own magazine and now her own network, but I suspect that much of her popularity developed as a result of her talk show with her fans following her into various other media.  Of course I took note of the books on her Book Club list but I had no idea she had an interest in books for kids and teens. But, when I heard that one of my favorite author/illustrators, Jeremy Tankard’s Boo Hoo Bird landed on one of Oprah’s recommended reading lists for kids, I knew I had to check it out.   So, if like me, you haven’t been an Oprah follower, take a boo at Oprah’s kids’ reading lists.  You won’t see all of your favorites there, but I promise you, you’ll be impressed.  Oprah’s pages include: lists of  new and classics books for various ages, lists of books for boys, a list of historical books for kids, a list  with the 2010 Caldecott and Newbery Award winners, a list of  what First Lady Michelle Obama has been reading to children, and even a list of books you may want to steel from your teens.

September 8 is International Literacy Day

08 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents, Helping Hands, News, Worthy Causes Tags: , , , , , ,

Happy International Literacy Day! Today is a great day to celebrate literacy, but also to reflect on the riches that being literate has brought to each of us, our families and our communities.  Of course it’s a great day for those of us who want to celebrate, but what about the one in five adults who aren’t literate?  And what about the 67.4 million children who don’t have the chance to attend school?  There are so many ways to support literacy in your community with programs like “Raise a Reader”, nationally through organizations like ABC Life Literacy Canada, Literacy USA and internationally via UNESCO and CODE.   If we all do a small part to give others a chance to celebrate life with literacy, we’ll make our world a better place.

Poems and stories come in many shapes and sizes

06 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, For Kids, For Parents Tags: , , ,

I love serendipity.  Today my copy of New Suden Fiction arrived.  It’s a book of short-short stories edited by Robert Shapard and James Thomas, and I can’t wait to dig in since lately I’ve been totally enthralled with ultra short or flash fiction. Then, tonight I came across an article in The Guardian quoting the British Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy about how texting is like writing poetry.  Here’s what she says.

The poem is a form of texting … it’s the original text,” says Carol Ann Duffy. “It’s a perfecting of a feeling in language – it’s a way of saying more with less, just as texting is. We’ve got to realise that the Facebook generation is the future – and, oddly enough, poetry is the perfect form for them. It’s a kind of time capsule – it allows feelings and ideas to travel big distances in a very condensed form.”

Duffy also makes comparisons between poetry and rap music, and I think she’s right on here too.  In fact, you may want to check the whole article out. 

I couldn’t agree more with Duffy, but I’m inclined to go a little further…I’m excited about the idea of texts, tweets, and yes, even facebook status posts, as both poems and miniature stories. I’m not suggesting that all texts and tweets are poems and/or stories, but it’s so cool that they can be.

Science Festival coming up in Vancouver

02 Sep 2011 1 Comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, For Parents, Helping Hands, News Tags: , , , , , , ,

If you happen to be in or near Vancouver on September 24, this Science Festival which is a fundraiser for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre will be fabulous so check it out

Celebrate Science: A Festival of BC Science Writers for Kids and Teens takes place in Vancouver on September 24, 2011. A fundraiser in support of the work of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, this science extravaganza will appeal to teachers, teacher-librarians, student teachers, public librarians, child care workers and parents.

http://www.bookcentre.ca/news/celebrate_science_a_festival_bc_science_writers_kids_and_teens_september_24_2011

The half-day program (8:30 AM to 12:30 PM) will feature talented Canadian writers and illustrators whose books and passion for science spans all ages. They’ll explore scientific topics with the audience and highlight a wide range of books available for youth.

The featured speaker is Dr. Jeanette Whitton, Environmental biologist and Co-Director, Beaty Biodiversity Museum. Featured scientists include Dr. Amanda Vincent, Project Seahorse researcher and Dr. Eric Taylor, UBC Fish Collection. Science writers from the Children’s Writers and Illustrators of BC (CWILL BC) presenting their books will be: Fiona Bayrock, Tanya Kyi, Shar Levine & Leslie Johnstone, Cynthia Nicolson, Barry Shell, and Jim Wiese.

There will be a science book fair and sales with a 10% discount for attendees. The cost of Celebrate Science! is: $20.00 for students; $20.00 for CCBC members; and $40.00 for non-members. To become a CCBC member, please click here.

Space is limited. Registrations must be received by September 22, 2011. To register, download this form and return it to the address indicated on the form or register online.

For questions, contact Jo-Anne Naslund at joanne.naslund@ubc.ca or 604-822-0940.

Cheryl Rainfield talks about banned books and why we should read them

01 Sep 2011 3 Comments

by sherylbooks in For Educators, For Parents Tags: , , , , ,

Cheryl Rainfield talks about banned books and why we should be reading them.  She talks about some of my  favorite books like Speak and Crank and The Hunger Games and yes, her book, Scars

NYT article on Boys and Reading

23 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, For Parents, Help for writers, News Tags: , , , , , ,

Here’s an interesting article on boys and reading in the NYT.  The thing that puzzles me though is that there are some really fabulous male writers these days who are writing for kids and teens…Walter Dean Myers, M.T. Anderson, Art Slade, and Jon Scieszka to name a few.  Why are we still not doing well in keeping boys reading?

Check out the 2011 Chocolate Lily Short-List for a good summer read

13 Aug 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in Award News, For Educators, For Parents Tags: , ,

Yes, summer is starting to wind down.  If your children are starting to complain about being bored, here’s some great titles to keep them busy the for the rest of the summer… BC’s Chocolate Lily short-list for children’s books.

Novels:
Hannah and the Spindle Whorl by Carol Anne Shaw (Ronsdale Press)
Silver Rain by Lois Peterson (Orca Book Publishers)
Follow the Elephant by Beryl Young (Ronsdale Press)
Ghost of Heroes Past by Charles Reid (Ronsdale Press)
No Moon by Irene N. Watts (Tundra Books)
Dear George Clooney Please Marry My Mom by Susin Nielsen (Tundra Books)
Liars and Fools by Robin Stevenson (Orca Book Publishers)

Grade 3 to Grade 5 Chapter Books
Emily by Julie Lawson (Penguin)
The Ballad of Knuckles McGraw by Lois Peterson (Orca Book Publishers)
Ben’s Robot by Robin Stevenson (Orca Book Publishers)
Black Dog Dream Dog by Michelle Superle (Tradewind Books)
No Pets Allowed by Irene N. Watts (Tradewind Books)

Picture Books
Singing Away the Dark by Caroline Woodward, illustrated by Julie Morstad (Simply Read Books)
Great Lakes and Rugged Ground: Imagining Ontario by Sarah N. Harvey and Leslie Buffam, illustrated by Kasia Charko (Orca Book Publishers)
Stanley’s Little Sister by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Bill Slavin (Kids Can Press)
The Little Hummingbird by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas (Greystone Books)
Where are You Bear? by Frieda Wishinsky, illustrated by Sean L. Moore (Owl Kids)
Compost Stew: an A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals (Tricycle Press)

The importance of Public Libraries: Student Annika Tabovaradan makes and impassioned plea

30 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, News Tags:

It’s hard to believe that Toronto is even considering library closures!  When students like fourteen year old Anika are begging to keep our libraries open, it’s a very sad day.  Thestar.com – VideoZone – Student Annika Tabovaradan makes tearful plea.

Sci/Why: a science blog for kids and Adults

30 Jul 2011 2 Comments

by sherylbooks in Events, For Educators, News, Publishing News, Reviews Tags:

As a former science teacher, I love catching up on what’s going on in the world of science, so it was a treat to hear about a relatively new science blog launched by a group of writers who specialize in science for kids.  It’s called Sci/Why, and it’s fabulous. At Sci/Why, you can get questions answered, read book reviews and articles, and catch up on resources for kids and adults.  The articles are as diverse, covering a variety of science topics that include: geology, dragonflies, eyesight, and dinosaurs to name just a few. The common thread  (aside from science) in all the articles was that each was engaging, informative, assessable, and well written.  Bravo to the creators and contributors of Sci/Why.  Be sure to check them out.

Ellen Hopkins and 8 words

28 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by sherylbooks in For Educators, interviews, Writing Life Tags: , ,

 

One of my favorite authors is Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, and Fallout.  This is how she answered the following question:

Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?

Ellen. Time voyage–false starts, choppy seas, safe harbors.

See what I mean.  She’s awesome.  Each word is like a shiny polished pearl that really tells you something important.  Her books are exactly like that, spare and yet perfect.  Something else I really enjoy about her works is her characters. They don’t read like characters in a novel at all…thy are as real as you and I..except they’re not.  How does she do that!

How would you describe your life in only 8 words?

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