Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953 by Elizabeth Winder. HarperCollins. 2013. Personal Copy. Vacation reads — when I review not-teen books that people may be interested in reading! It’s About: In June, 1953, Sylvia Plath was a guest editor for the fashion magazine, Mademoiselle. The guest editor program was prestigious. The [...]
Pick of the Day: On a Beam of Light
By on April 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
A picture book that focuses on Albert Einstein’s intellect hrough the concepts that puzzled and excited him. Check out SLJ’s starred review.
With ‘42’ in Theaters, Here’s a Free Movie Starring Jackie Robinson
By on April 13, 2013
Alfred Green’s 1950 film, made at the height of Robinson’s career, is in the public domain…
Q: How to Connect Critical Thinking, Research, and Information Literacy? A: Fandom
By on April 2, 2013
The task for educators is not to drain this sense of open-ended exploration from student-fans but rather to make sure that it is accompanied by the Jiminy Cricket-like voice of critical literacy…
Review of the Day – Diego Rivera: An Artist for the People by Susan Goldman Rubin
By on February 16, 2013
Diego Rivera: An Artist for the People By Susan Goldman Rubin Abrams Books for Young Readers $21.95 ISBN: 978-0-8109-8411-0 Ages 10 and up On shelves now National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th. How many folks could tell you that off the top of their heads? Meanwhile, few awards are specifically [...]
SLJ Talks to Author Andrea Cheng: Her latest book, ‘Etched in Clay,’ charts the courageous life of Dave the potter | Under Cover
By on February 13, 2013 2 Comments
Author Andrea Cheng’s latest book, ‘Etched in Clay,’ charts the courageous life of Dave the potter, a 19th-century slave who became an accomplished artist.
Review: Steve Jobs
By on January 21, 2013
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal. Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. 2012. Review copy from publisher. Finalist for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award. It’s About: A biography of Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, Inc. The Good: Reading books like Bomb, Titanic or We’ve Got a Job [...]
Review of the Day: The Boy Who Loved Math by Deborah Heiligman
By on January 21, 2013
The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdős By Deborah Heiligman Illustrated by LeUyen Pham Roaring Brook (an imprint of Macmillan) ISBN: 978-1-59643-307-6 Ages 6 and up On shelves June 25th Make a beeline for your local library’s children’s biography section and learn firsthand the shocking truth about picture book bios of [...]
Review: Listening for Madeleine
By on January 1, 2013
Listening for Madeleine: A Portrait of Madeleine L’Engle in Many Voices by Leonard S. Marcus. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2012. Review copy from publisher. It’s About: Madeleine L’Engle, beloved author of A Wrinkle In Time (Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1962). The Good: How to write a biography of Madeleine L’Engle, especially when so many people [...]
Pick of the Day: Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey
By on December 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
GOLIO, Gary. Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey. illus. by Rudy Gutierrez. 48p. bibliog. discography. further reading. websites. Clarion. 2012. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-547-23994-1.
Gr 4-6–A well-conceived marriage of art and text breathes life and passion into this picture biography. Swirling strokes of vibrant colors give the book an almost cinematic quality, animating Coltrane’s passionate journey from a joyous, nurturing early childhood with a loving extended family to the despair of losing too many loved ones in a short time. The [...]
Sandra McLeod Humphrey, Children’s Book Author, Killed in House Fire
By on November 27, 2012 10 Comments
Sandra McLeod Humphrey, 76, an award-winning author of children’s books on character development, was killed in a house fire on November 23.
Pick of the Day: Colorful Dreamer
By on November 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
PARKER, Marjorie Blain. Colorful Dreamer: The Story of Artist Henri Matisse. illus. by Holly Berry. 32p. further reading. CIP. Dial. Nov. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3758-7. LC 2011035446.
Gr 2-5–This picture-book biography covers Matisse’s entire life but focuses on his career aspirations and achievements. The straightforward text takes a lighthearted approach by including details such as young Henri’s dream of becoming a magician and his skill with a peashooter. Berry’s illustrations are the star of the show; dignified black-and-white drawings [...]
Larger Than Life: Biography | Series Made Simple Fall 2012
By on November 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
Readers of this season’s biographies can expect to travel through time to meet characters from long ago, investigate various careers by meeting stars of today, and be inspired to invent and create.
Interview: Gary Golio Talks About ‘Spirit Seeker’
By on October 28, 2012 2 Comments
Gary Golio speaks to SLJ about his latest picture book, Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey (Clarion, 2012), which deals with the tumultuous life of the legendary jazz musician.
On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: Sports Books Score Touchdowns
By on September 17, 2012
With the onset of September comes the roar of the crowd—the football crowd. From Pop Warner leagues to professional sports, there are plenty of games to attend or watch. Whether on the bleachers, in the field, or cheering from the living room couch, here are some new titles to fill in the gap during half-time.
All the Way to America
By on April 3, 2012
Link to youtube video All the way to america After reading All The Way to America by Dan Yaccarino, we asked the 2nd graders to draw a picture of objects or ideas that are passed down in families. Some of the objects that came up in the discussion, a hand-cranked coffee grinder, a ceremonial wine cup, [...]
All The Way To America
By on March 11, 2012
High Schoolers Return to Enjoy Irma Black Finalists
By on February 26, 2012
If anyone is worried about picture books being too young for their 1st and 2nd graders, may I present you with exhibit A. These high schoolers returned to visit during their Winter Break. They immediately grabbed the Irma Black Finalists and began reading them aloud to each other. I grabbed my IPAD and captured their obvious [...]
