This is a repost of a blog entry I wrote on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012. – The Book Bear There is a place, set in a reality and time unlike our own where the eating of small children is not necessarily frowned upon; where beings of extraordinary power can destroy entire villages with only “because…
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Emma Dryden has “the rare ability to combine insightful overviews of the broad picture with detailed suggestions”
We speak a lot about the mindsets, activities and creative processes of children’s book authors and illustrators, but rarely does the discussion delve into the work of those critical yet unsung heroes of the genre: editors. “Emma Dryden has the rare ability to combine insightful overviews of the broad picture, combined with detailed suggestions regarding…
Young People’s Pavilion to Serve as Official Liveblog for Beat Coach Pete Race
by Michael Strickland “The Book Bear” BOISE, ID: Alain Rodrigue, Associate Director of Recreational Sports at Boise State University, announced that YOUNG PEOPLE’S PAVILION will be the official blog of the Beat Coach Pete Scholarship Run/Walk. We will be updating you with facts, opportunities to give, restaurant promotions and donations, and other colorful commentary before,…
Steven Kellogg’s Illustrations in Jack and the Beanstalk Possess Extraordinary Texture and Dimension
Though his text remains true to the popular version of this English fairy tale, Kellogg’s ( Paul Bunyan ; Pecos Bill ) typically antic art gives this rendition a visual dimension that is uniquely his. Created with colored inks, watercolors and acrylics, the full-page illustrations have extraordinary texture and dimension. With a mouthful of pointy…
Four Seasons by Jane Breskin Zalben: A classic celebration of the challenges and opportunities of growing up gifted
Just thinking of giving up the piano makes me break out in hives. Big fat red ones. But I think about it all the time. Allegra Katz—Alley Cat to her mother, just plain Ally to her friends—is struggling to decide whether music is really worth giving up her Saturdays with BFF Opal and just being…
Young People’s Pavilion – P is for Potato: An Idaho Alphabet (Discover America State by State)
By The Book Bear I first met Stan “The Bookman” Steiner at a reading conference many years ago. He was dubbed “The Bookman” by his students because of his vast knowledge of children’s literature. That is why I was very pleased to see that the acclaimed Discover America State by State series continued with his…
Rich, Beautiful and Popular: Foul-mouthed Characters in Teen Books Have it All
“To swear is neither brave, polite, nor wise.” -Alexander Pope Bestselling authors of teen literature portray their more foul-mouthed characters as rich, attractive and popular, a new study finds. Sarah Coyne analyzed the use of profanity in 40 books on an adolescent bestsellers list. On average, teen novels contain 38 instances of profanity between the…
When Thunder Comes: Poems for Civil Rights Leaders is a Must-have Literary Treasure
In moving verse, Children’s Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis gives new voice to seventeen heroes of civil rights. Exquisitely illustrated by five extraordinary artists, this commanding collection of poems invites the reader to hear in each verse the thunder that lies in every voice, no matter how small. Featuring civil rights luminaries Coretta Scott King,…
Jane Yolen on FOILED: “As for the illustrations by Mike Cavallero, he put his heart and soul into them”
FOILED is a graphic novel, first of two, about a New York City high school fencer who finds out she is the Last Defender of Faerie, illustrated by Mike Cavallero. About the work, Jane Yolen wrote: FOILED began when my then eleven-year-old granddaughter Maddison became an avid fencer. But the story was also about my…
Floyd Cooper’s stirring pictures celebrate the historic civil rights and union protests
“For all the many titles that appear on segregation and protest for younger readers,” wrote the Kirkus review, “this one stands tall not just for delving into a piece of labor history not previously covered, but for its ability to relate history with heart and resonance.” Publishers Weekly called it “a moving study of multigenerational…
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