All things Dr. Seuss were in the air Monday at the 42nd branch of the New York Public Library, including a sea of students sporting Cat in the Hat  hats in an attempt to set a Guinness Book World Record, a read-aloud of Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, and even a visit from the Cat in the Hat himself. These festivities marked Random House Children’s Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ launch of the “Hats Off to Dr. Seuss!” campaign, a yearlong celebration of the famed children’s book author that coincides with the 75th anniversary of The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.

This first stop for the campaign also included an announcement of a new partnership between Random House Children’s Books, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for pediatric cancer.

Financial literacy and entrepreneurship: Are any of your students ages 7 to 16 budding entrepreneurs? Well, it’s time to encourage them to create a new business idea for the Second Annual Secret Millionaires Club “Grow Your Own Business Challenge.” There are ten questions and two optional questions that participants must answer such as: How did you come up with your business idea? Who will your customers be? What goods or services will your business sell? How much money do you need to set up your business and how will you raise it? How will you sell and market your goods and services? What makes your new business product or service different from other businesses out there? How can your business have a positive effect on a community? The competition is opened to individuals or teams of two to four students. Make sure to check out the contest’s rules and access the entry form. Entries must be submitted by February 15, 2013.

Four individual finalists and two team finalists will present their winning ideas to Warren Buffett and a panel of judges in Omaha, NE, in May 2013. A teacher who inspired the finalists in creating their business idea can join them and win up to $1,000. A grand prize of $5,000 will be awarded to one individual and one team.

The Secret Millionaires Club is an animated series featuring the voice of financial guru Warren Buffet mentoring a group of kids who encounter and solve financial and business problems. The series currently features 20 short online webisodes and two TV specials. The Secret Millionaires Learn & Earn Learn & Earn Program teaches financial literacy and entrepreneurship. The program offers materials for educators and parents to extend the financial lessons into classrooms.  In March 2013, there will be a new 22-epsode TV series launching on the HUB cable network.   

Minigrant Program

Programs that inspire: The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, established by the late Caldecott award-winning children’s book author and illustrator, is offering 70 minigrants of $500 each to teachers and librarians in public schools and libraries who submit proposals for a program that fosters “creativity, cooperation and interaction with a diverse community.” There’s a video tutorial and a gallery of past recipients that you can check out. Once you design and plan the program, there’s a short application form to complete and submit by March 15, 2013. Recipients of the grants will be notified beginning May 15th.

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation supports arts and literacy programs in public schools and libraries across the country. This is the 25th year that the Foundation is offering the minigrant program.

Publishing News

Randomhousekids.com: Random House Children’s Books has redesigned and re-launched their website to help kids and their parents learn about dozens of Random House favorite brands and series (Dr. Seuss, “Magic Tree House,” “Junie B. Jones,” “A to Z Mysteries,” “Dragon Keepers,” “Five Ancestors,” etc.) as well as new books. The site also features author interviews, and kids can have fun with book-related games and activities.

The redesign incorporates two new features: “Book Finder” and “For Parents.” Parents and kids can search for books based on a variety of criteria—age, genre, subject, etc.—using “Book Finder, while the “For Parents” section includes blog posts on topics ranging from how to be a good storyteller to the use of audiobooks with reluctant readers. “It’s a fantastic resource for parents and a destination for their children to have fun interacting with our authors and books in a safe environment,” noted Linda Leonard, Random House Children’s Books’ executive director of digital marketing.

Children’s book publishing: The Book: The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children, published by The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is an updated edition of the SCBWI Publications Guide. The 300-page revamped book, an essential tool for children’s book writers and illustrators, features current articles about the children’s book publishing industry on topics such as maximizing social media, creating book trailers, independent publishing, and promotion. The “Market Survey” lists editors, art directors, and key personnel at all the publishing houses. There’s also “The International Market Survey,” “The Book Reviewers Directory,” “The Agents Directory,” and “Edited By,” a new feature that offers a history of editors’ recent acquisitions. The Book is available online and in hard copy to SCBWI members.

It’s Magic: Ruth Chew’s 29 tales of magic and fantasy, written in the 1970s for elementary graders, will be reissued by Random House Books for Young Readers beginning in the fall of 2013. According to the press release, Chew “made magic available to younger readers before any other author.” New cover art will be created, but the original artwork will be retained for the interior illustrations. Each season, two titles will be released in collectible hardcover and paperback editions as well as ebook versions. In time for Halloween 2013, No Such Thing as a Witch and What the Witch Left will be published. Each season, a collection of three stories will also be released. The first one, in fall 2013, will include The Witch’s Buttons, The Witch’s Garden, and Witch’s Cat. Looking ahead to spring 2014, The Trouble with Magic and Magic in the Park will be reissued.

In the tablet market, the push to unseat the iPad had competitors slapping an HD tag on every supersize device they produced, while Apple went small, releasing its seven-inch iPad Mini in October.

Nothing small about ebook prices for libraries, with Random House tripling prices for that market, with $28 titles ratcheted to $84, and Hachette doubling prices on their backlisted titles. Amazon finally devised a school model—but using it as intended violates their terms of service.

So what’s in store for 2013? I see three key areas: changing ebook business models, access to more content, and affordable new hardware. The first two points are strongly linked. By exploring new business models, we could access collections of resources, which have been previously unavailable to schools. To make this work, we have to find ways to overcome the roadblocks to ebook lending experienced by public libraries.

School libraries, I believe, will be the coming focal point for ebook licensing. We have strong relationships with our K–12 publishing partners, but now we must reach out to the trade houses. As the print market weakens, the time is right for schools to present a new business proposal.

The fact is, the big trade houses aren’t very keen on “selling” ebooks to libraries. To justify its $84 ebooks, Random House implied that libraries owned the titles, but applied so many restrictions that ownership was effectively obviated by all the fine print.

So let’s give them another option. Rather than seeking to own ebooks, school libraries should instead seek more favorable deals in a short-term lease market. Support classroom instruction with two-month book rentals, or license titles for three-year terms to avoid locking the school into endless recycling of the same novels.

If publishers are concerned about the impact on consumer sales, we can point out that these ebooks are for instructional use and not pleasure reading. By writing licenses that restrict ebook use in classroom settings, we’re giving up some access but opening up a huge new world of content. Besides, we can always buy print books for independent reading.

Finally, 2013 should be an exciting year for hardware. By year’s end, I expect we’ll see sub-$100 tablets, not knock-off brands, but fully supported devices akin to the Kindle and Nook. We might also see color digital ink readers with better support for illustrated books. But the main hardware issue will be accessibility. Two high-profile lawsuits in 2012 established that schools and libraries purchasing ebook readers must buy accessible devices. Currently, none of the E-Ink based devices (Kindle Paperwhite or Nook Simple Touch, for example) are accessible, according to ADA definitions. Make sure your district considers accessibility if it’s planning to buy mobile computing and reading devices this year.

 Christopher Harris (infomancy@gmail.com) is coordinator of the school library system of the Genesee Valley (NY) Educational Partnership.

Hurricane Sandy benefit:

Literacy Campaign

Books for kids in need: Scholastic, The UPS Store, and Marine Toys for Tots are launching a holiday literacy drive that’s part of Scholastic’s literacy campaign, Read Every Day, Lead a Better Life. The aim of the campaign is to “help all children experience the love of reading and owning a book,” including those who lost books due to Hurricane Sandy that devastated the East Coast. There are a number of ways that families can help.

When you download Storia, Scholastic’s teacher-recommended children’s ereading app, you will receive five free ebooks. For every additional ebook you purchase on Storia through December 31, Scholastic will donate a children’s book to a child in need through Toys for Tots Literacy Program (they’ve committed to donating a minimum of 50,000 books).

You can also donate to the Toys for Tots Literacy Program by purchasing a donation card or donating online at The UPS Store Facebook page. Furthermore, the UPS Store that raises the most money during the holidays will get 500 books for families in their community.

Awards

Life changer: The chances are that you know a K–12 school district educator or employee who exemplifies excellence, positive influence, and leadership. Well, it’s time to nominate them for the Life Changer of the Year Award sponsored by National Life Group (National Life Insurance Co.). School employees and administrators can nominate full-time educators, teachers, principals, or any member of the school’s staff.

Winners will be selected on the basis of their ability to make a difference in the lives of students and their ability to positively add to the development of the school’s atmospheres. They must also be a leader in their activities at the school and/or district level, have a proven record of excellence at the professional level, and be committed to producing a nurturing atmosphere. Be sure to check out the official rules and complete the nomination form. Nominations can be made through January 25.

The grand prize winner will receive $5,000 with a matching award going to their school. The first runner-up will receive $3,500 with an equal amount awarded to their school. The second runner-up and their school will each get $2,500. There will also be seven LifeChanger awards—the employee and the school will each receive $1,500.

And the Winner Is…

Service to the community: Five libraries and five museums were presented with the 2012 National Medal for Museum and Library Service by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) at a ceremony at the White House on November 14. The Medal winners are selected from nominations of institutions nationwide that “demonstrate innovative approaches to public service, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach” and make a difference for individuals, families, and the communities. Anyone can nominate a library or museum for the National Medal, including the institutions employees, board members, community members, and elected officials.

This year’s honorees include Bootheel Youth Museum, Malden, MO; Contra Costa County Library, Pleasant Hill, CA; Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC; Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago, IL; Long Island Children’s Museum, Garden City, NY; Museum of Contemporary Art, N. Miami, FL; Naturita Community Library, CO; Pacific Science Center, Seattle, WA; Park View High School Library Media Center, Sterling, VA; and Shaler North Hills Library, Glenshaw, PA. Make sure to check out just how these institutions have reached out to the communities they serve. “By pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and embracing new ideas and approaches, these award winners have challenged the conventional notions of what a library or museum can and should be,” said First Lady Michelle Obama.

Industry News

Infobase Learning has acquired Learn 360, an interactive media-on-demand service from AIM Education. The Learn360 platform is a subscription service used by more than 25,00 schools that offers digital video titles, video clips, speeches, images, songs, research articles, and more from over 60 educational producers. Infobase provides digital reference content to schools and libraries under brands such as Facts On File, The World Almanac, Chelsea House, and Films Media Group. “This acquisition greatly expands our existing reach within the elementary, middle, and high school markets,” noted Mark McDonnell, president and CEO of Infobase Learning. “Learn360’s extensive multimedia assets and virtual classroom platform complement Infobase’s award-winning digital reference products.”

On the move: Maria Modugno joined Random House as editorial director, picture books for the Random House and Golden Books for Young Readers Group on November 26. Modugo’s career includes numerous positions at Little, Brown Children’s Books where she published such classics as I Love You Like Crazy Cakes (2000 by Rose Lewis and Jane Dyers and oversaw Marc Brown’s “Arthur” series. She also was editorial director of children’s books at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. She is leaving her position as vice president/editorial director at HarperCollins Children’s Books where she acquired and edited books such as Victoria Kann’s Pinkalicious (2006) and Rob Scotton’s Splat the Cat (2008).

Random House’s Melanie Fallon-Houska (right) and first-place winner Mary Andrews.

This morning, Random House Foundation, Inc., announced the winners of its inaugural Random House Teacher Awards for Literacy given to part-time and full-time public school teachers in the US.

The annual awards recognize “several of the nation’s most dynamic and resourceful teachers” who “use their creativity and experience to inspire and successfully instill a love of reading in students,” according to a press release.

The award recipients will put their award money toward innovative reading programs at their schools and will also receive book donations from Random House, Inc.

The three winning teachers were announced this morning by Sandy Hayes, president-elect and annual convention program chair of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) at the convention’s “Mentoring Matters” breakfast in Las Vegas, attended by some 400 educators.

Mary Andrews, an early literacy specialist at the Estes Hill Elementary School in Chapel Hill, NC, received the first place prize and a grant of $10,000. Andrews is a long-time literacy specialist who has worked with low-income and disadvantaged students.

The second-place award of $5,000 went to Margo Nauert, a sixth grade teacher at the Jay Stream Middle School in Carol Stream, IL.

Lisa Muller, an English teacher at the Castle High School in Newburgh, IN, won third place and a $2,500 grant.

Rebecca Stead
Photo: Joanne Dugan

Where did the idea for Liar & Spy come from?

I began with just a glimmer of the main character, Georges. And then the story grew, fueled mostly by my memory of school and childhood.

I heard that you initially wrote the book for younger kids. Why’d you change your mind?

I didn’t actually write it for younger kids, though that was my initial approach. But there was just too much material. I needed more space to unpack it.

Liar & Spy is a much quieter book than your Newbery-winning When You Reach Me (Random, 2009). Was that intentional?

Yes and no. I never thought to myself, “And now, I will write a quiet book!” But as soon as I began to recognize the characters in Liar & Spy, I knew it would be different from When You Reach Me.

Many people read a book with the expectation that the emotional impact will line up with the story’s “big events.” But Liar & Spy isn’t written that way—for me, the book’s loudest moments are in the aftershocks, places where the characters drop their guards and allow themselves to be vulnerable.

Safer and Georges have a complicated relationship. What message were you trying to send about friendships?

I’m rarely trying to send a message, but I think if there is a message to be taken from their relationship, it’s that friendship is messy sometimes.  Forgiveness may be necessary.

What inspires the quirky characters in your books?

I’m big on specificity when it comes to characters, because they usually reveal themselves in small details. But I feel the same way about actual people. Maybe it’s just how I see the world.

How do you write so convincingly in a kid’s voice and make your characters so real?

None of it is easy for me, because the discovery of the story is such an agonizing process. And finding the characters is part of finding the story—it’s all intertwined.The story is written on the characters, I think—you have to be able to read their experience in their actions and their words. And that’s why writing, all of it, is hard.

Both Liar & Spy and When You Reach Me are set in New York. Tell us about your connection to the Big Apple and why your books tend to take place here?

Ha! Well, it’s the most obvious connection:I grew up in New York City and have lived here my whole life. Observation and memory are 90 percent of my writing, and most of my observations and memories were made in New York…if I thought I could write convincingly about life in a suburb or in the country, I might do it. But so far, I can’t. The truth is that I’m always driven by what I believe I can do pretty well. Writing is terrifying enough without adding a high wire act.

What impact, if any, did winning the Newbery have on your writing?

It made me shy about writing for a while, but it also gave me confidence. Neither the shyness nor the confidence lasted long, though.

I remember running into you and your son on the upper west side a while back. I think you said you were touring middle schools. Do your kids give you inspiration—whether dialogue or stories—for your books?

I don’t draw directly from my kids’ lives, but I’m sure that living with them informs my dialogue. I also know that watching my sons navigate life sometimes taps my own memory of childhood in ways that are helpful to me as a writer. (And I’m happy to report that we found a great middle school. Five weeks in, and he’s loving it.)

Glad your son is happy with his new school. Did you have a difficult time in middle school?

Yes, in the sense that there was unrelenting name-calling by a small group of kids. I felt that I was never really safe from them. I walked around in a state of high alert. But I had one close friend (to whom Liar & Spy is dedicated), and a handful of less-close friends with whom I killed time, and some perfectly kind teachers. When I think about it carefully, I realize that the put-downs were a tiny part of my school experience. And yet they completely colored my life at the time.

Do you think you’d still be a lawyer if your then four-year-old son hadn’t dropped your laptop?

Good question. I have no idea. I wonder about things like that all the time.

What advice do you have for kids who aspire to become writers or someone who wants to write but is either scared or has no time?

Time is an interesting issue. There are many days when I don’t write at all. Sometimes I’m grocery shopping or running down the steps to the subway and something will hit me—a line of dialogue or description, or an idea about a place where my storylines might touch. Whatever it is, I stop and write it down. Often it’s the only real writing I get done that day. Other days I’m able to do much more. But there isn’t a clear relationship between how much time I have and how much I actually write. My advice is, begin.

As for fear: Almost everyone is afraid, because when you write you expose yourself to 1) the risk that you will be disappointed by your own work, and 2) the risk that others will not understand your work as you yearn for it to be understood.

In fact, these risks are more than possibilities—they’re almost certainties. But if you think about it, these things aren’t so terrifying. Disappointment is where the work begins, for every writer. So come, join us.

What are you working on now?

A middle-grade novel. I’m at that part right before the beginning.

Bloom, a seemingly regular teenager, discovers her true identity as a fairy and travels to the dimension of Magix to attend Alfea College, a much-respected fairy school, and hone her magical powers. Here, she forms friendships with five other students: carefree and charismatic Stella, Fairy of the Shining Sun; Flora, group peacemaker and Fairy of Nature; Musa, Fairy of Music and resident mystery-solver; science-savvy Tecna, Fairy of Technology; and audacious and athletic Aisha, Fairy of Waves (voiced by Keke Palmer). Calling themselves the Winx Club, the girls work hard at their studies and have fun spending time together. When threatened by evil forces, including a trio of mischief-making witches from Cloudtower Academy known as the Trix, Bloom and her cohorts transform from trendily dressed teens into winged fairies and band together to use their unique abilities to vanquish their foes. The girls often team up—and hang out—with the Specialists, a group of wizards/warriors-in-training from nearby Red Fountain School. Themes of identity, exploring one’s strengths (magical and otherwise), and friendships and romances are mixed with humor and good-versus-evil adventures.

Kids can visit Nickelodeon’s Winx website to find out more about the characters, watch videos and full episodes, take quizzes (“Which Winx are you?”), and sample a variety of online games. For newcomers to the series, a “Winx 101” option provides background on the personalities and plotlines with a click-on timeline of images and clips.

Book Tie-ins: Novels and Graphic Novels

Followers of these fashion-forward fairy friends will enjoy reading about their heroines’ adventures in two new book series that emphasize teamwork, camaraderie, and self-discovery. Random House has launched a series of fast-reading chapter books based on the show’s plot, each featuring an inviting cover image of a bright-eyed Bloom. Welcome to Alfea reveals how the ordinary sixteen-year-old protagonist discovers her hidden talents when she stumbles upon Stella, a blonde-haired girl with wings, being bullied by a bunch of gruesome creatures at the park. Wanting to help, Bloom somehow taps into her magical powers, thus discovering her true identity as a fairy. Heading off to the Magic Dimension with Stella, she settles in and makes new friends, has her first run in with the wicked witch triumvirate, and starts to truly believe in her newfound abilities. In the second volume, Bloom begins to uncover the secrets of her past, while encountering Trouble with Trix (both Random, 2012; Gr 2-5), who are determined to steal Bloom’s greatest strength, the power of the Dragon Flame. Both tales are clearly written with accessible vocabulary, concisely described action, and entertaining dialogue. Magical adventures and battles with monsters alternate with friendship issues and personal dilemmas. Each volume includes eight pages of full-color photos from the show. Series viewers will appreciate learning about or revisiting Bloom’s beginnings.

Readers with a taste for storytelling that blends succinct narrative with vibrant visuals will be drawn to Viz Media’s graphic novel series. Adorned with sherbet-hued images of the fairies and title logos that sparkle, each volume includes two stand-alone stories. Bloom’s Discovery of her identity as a fairy is recapped in the first book, along with a tale about her “First Day in Magix” and first skirmish with the Trix. In Secrets of Alfea, the fairies are getting ready to host a party for the Red Fountain boys, and it’s up to Bloom to stop the Trix from making mischief.

The Red Fountain Boys return in the second adventure, when their decision to detour from a troll-transporting mission and pay a visit to the girls ends up in disaster and they must all work together to set things right. The Magic of Friendship (all Viz Media, 2012; Gr 3-6) describes how hard-working Bloom beats out two other girls for a part-time waitressing job, and then takes on a terrifying swamp monster (and the evil Trix) with the help of her friends. The show’s mix of humor, action, and fantasy translates well into the graphic novel format. The artwork emphasizes exaggerated facial expressions for comic beats, dynamically delineates rampaging monsters and magical-forces wielding fairies, and colorfully depicts the other-worldly settings and dazzling transformations. With lithe lines and sharp angles, the illustrations have a sophisticated look, and dabs of personal drama—friendship issues and crushes—will also reel in tween readers.

Expand their Horizons

Encourage Winx Club viewers as well fans of the Disney Fairies to stretch their wings and dip into other fairy fare. Starring a feisty protagonist, The Night Fairy (Candlewick, 2010; Gr 1-5) details the adventures of Flora, a young fairy with injured wings who must learn to fend for herself in the wilds of a giantess’s (aka human woman’s) garden. Laura Amy Schlitz’s vivacious storytelling and Angela Barrett’s elegant and atmospheric artwork present an evocatively imagined fairy’s-eye view of the world, while providing a suspenseful tale that percolates with exciting danger, fortitude-testing challenges, and newfound friendships.

Beginning with Silence and Stone (2010; Gr 2-5), Kathleen Duey’s easy chapter book series, “The Faeries’ Promise,” serves as a companion to her popular “Unicorn’s Secret” series (both S & S). Alida, a young faerie princess, has been locked away in a castle for years by Lord Dunraven, a man determined to stop any contact between people and magical creatures. With the help of a daring human boy named Gavin, she makes her escape and embarks on a quest to find the rest of her family. Though she finally has the opportunity to tap into her fairy powers, danger lurks everywhere, and the two friends are continually threatened by capture. Sandara Tang’s fine-lined drawings depict the dramatic high points and add to the magical mood.

Gail Carson Levine and David Christiana’s Fairies and the Quest for Never Land (Disney, 2010; Gr 2-5) stars Gwendolyn Carlisle, a descendant of the famed Wendy Darling and latest recipient of the “kiss” necklace (actually an old button made from an acorn), given by Peter Pan to Wendy long ago and passed down for years from mother to daughter. She breathlessly awaits a magical nighttime visit, but when Peter Pan finally comes to fetch her to Never Land, things do not go as expected: not only is the evil dragon Kyto on the loose, but Gwendolyn must work hard to earn the trust of  the fairies who are determined to recapture the flame-spewing beast. A resourceful heroine, short and suspenseful chapters, and whimsical full-color artwork add up to a fun-filled, sprinkled-with-shimmer adventure. Readers may also want to check out the other well-written and handsomely illustrated entries in the duo’s “Disney Fairies” series.

Looking for more offerings to tempt fairy devotees? Check out “Gossamer Wings and Magical Charms: Tales of the Fairy Realm.”

Publication Information

REISFELD, Randi, adapt. Winx Club: Welcome to Alfea. Vol. 1. ISBN 978-0-307-97994-0.

_____. Winx Club: Trouble with Trix. Vol. 2. ISBN 978-0-307-97995-7.

ea vol: Random. 2012. pap. $4.99.

Winx Club: Volume 1: Bloom’s Discovery. ISBN 978-1-4215-4159-4.

Winx Club: Volume 2: Secrets of Alfea. ISBN 978-1-4215-4160-0.

Winx Club: Volume 3: The Magic of Friendship. ISBN 978-1-4215-4161-7.

ea vol: Viz Media. 2012. pap. $6.99.

SCHLITZ, Amy. The Night Fairy. illus. by Angela Barrett. Candlewick. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780763636746; pap. $6.99. ISBN 9780763652951; ebook $6.99. ISBN 9780763654399.

DUEY, Kathleen. Silence and Stone. illus. by Sandara Tang. (The Faeries’ Promise Series). S & S. 2010. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9781416984566; pap. $4.99. ISBN 9781416984573; ebook $5.99. ISBN 9781442413016.

LEVINE, Gail Carson. Fairies and the Quest for Never Land. illus. by David Christiana. Disney. 2010. Tr $18.99. ISBN 978-1423109358; pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-1423160120.