Balkin Buddies

An interview with Eloise Greenfield, author of the Coretta Scott King Honor Book, THE GREAT MIGRATION: JOURNEY TO THE NORTH

2012-01-27T15:53:00.001-05:00

AN INTERVIEW WITH ELOISE GREENFIELD BY STEVEN WITHROW

Q: First, I’d like to go back to your poetic beginnings. I read your mother’s poems in Children of Long Ago last year, which led me to Childtimes. Both are beautiful books. Could you tell my readers a little about your mother and her writing, and the effect she had on your writing early on?

A: I’m happy that you like those two books. My mother’s work is precious to me. She didn’t begin writing until she was in her late sixties, years after I grew up and became a writer. Mama told me that when my siblings and I were small, she wrote one story that was rejected, and she didn’t try again. But she loved books, and she read to us. That was one of my early influences. Also, in my elementary school classes, we often read poems aloud, together, pretty much in the sing-song fashion of the time. I can still hear the melody of our voices, as we recited Stevenson’s poem, “The Swing.” Even so, I didn’t begin writing, except for school assignments, until I was in my early twenties, bored with my typing job and trying to think of another way to earn a living.

Q: How much has your childhood, particularly your years in Langston Terrace, stayed with you in the poems you’ve through the years? As a corollary, do you write for the child you were then, or for today’s children?

A: I don’t write for the child that I was. That child is with me still, but I write with today’s children in mind. Most of my work is not autobiographical, though there are pieces of my life that I do include, from time to time. For example, the “flying pool,” “going down the country,” and the laughing children, in the poem, “Honey, I Love,” are all from my childhood, including wonderful memories of Langston Terrace, the low-rent housing project where I lived from age 9 to 21. I devote a chapter to Langston Terrace in Childtimes: A Three-Generation Memoir.

Q: One thing I love about your work is how open you are about sharing strong and sometimes conflicting emotions with children. In what ways does poetry help children, even the youngest who cannot yet read, explore their own emotional experiences and those of others?

A: Thank you. Human beings are fascinating to me, our complexity, and especially our contradictions. I believe that, if children are able to see emotional conflicts in characters, it will help them to see themselves and accept their own emotions and to understand and empathize with other people, as well. These are important factors, but I never think about them when I’m writing. I think about trying to bring the characters to life, so that readers can see them, get to know them and become immersed in their lives.

Q: Your poems show that you have a keen ear for musical language and a gift for unity in sound that Donald Hall calls “sound-form.” How much attention do you pay to consonants and vowels, rhythms and line breaks, rhymes and repetitions, while you’re composing? Is much of it instinctive for you?

A: I’m sure that some of it is instinctive, because we are all born with a connection to music, with our beating hearts and vocal cords. In my family, music was a constant, when I was growing up—on the radio, at concerts and stage shows, in school and church choirs. We had a piano. My two sisters and I took piano lessons, and both of my parents played—not well, but often!

However, the composing I do, in writing poetry, requires conscious thought and revision. I hear the music as I am writing, and I am not satisfied until I achieve the sounds I am seeking. I revise and revise until I think I have it right. I use all of the elements you mentioned, and I would add “melody” to the list, because our voices go up and down as we talk, even in ordinary conversation. I would also add “punctuation.” For example, a period in the wrong place can bring the music to a full stop, instead of the brief pause I may want and that a comma would elicit.

Q: We are clearly facing a difficult market (some say a dire crisis) for publishing and selling children’s poetry collections and anthologies. Lee Bennett Hopkins said that only three new anthologies were published last year in the US. Do you see this as an especially troubling development, or is it a continual challenge for poets?

A: I see this as very troubling, but no more so than unemployment, generally, across the country. This is a rough period for millions of people, poets included, who can’t find enough work. I do think, though, that this is different from the earlier difficulties poets experienced in trying to build a wide audience. On my many visits with schoolchildren, teachers, librarians, and parents, I see a widespread and enormous love for poetry and excitement about reading and writing poems. An encouraging factor is the commercial and critical success of children’s poetry books before the economic crisis occurred.

Q: Many teachers are wary of encouraging meter and rhyme, as they have been taught that formal poetry is out of fashion, while others merely use forms as tools to teach grammar and vocabulary. Are meter and rhyme still vital and essential, and what does formal poetry offer young readers and writers that free verse does not?

A: I feel that all forms of poetry are valuable and should be taught to children. Is the poem well-crafted? Is it nurturing? Does it touch the heart, mind, and/or spirit? I think these are the important criteria for determining what children should be taught. Fashions come and go, of course, but I think it’s up to parents and educators to see that what is of value survives for children.

Q: Is your poetry a performance art? Is it best for children to read your poems aloud and “act out” the many voices? Are we missing some of your poetry’s power by simply reading silently or listening to another person’s voice?

A: I don’t see this as an either/or situation. One is theater; the other is reading. Both can elicit a range of experiences. They can be engrossing, enlightening, moving, deeply satisfying, fun, etc.—all the things we want when we experience the arts. Also, silent reading is not complete silence, in the way we usually think of it, as a total absence of sound. As we read, not our ears, but our minds “hear” the words, and if children have been read to, in their early years, they will be able to choose varying moods, tones, etc., for “hearing” the poet’s words. Children and adults can be drawn into a book, as well as into a performance.

When we read to children, we can see the signs that tell us they have gone into the world of the book. The signs are in their eyes, their breathing. At appropriate times, they will look sad or break into spontaneous laughter, and we know that we have reached them.

Q: If you would, please pick a poem of your own and talk a little about how the poem works from a craft standpoint? How is the poem constructed or formed? What are some of its salient features in sound or image?

A: Near the end of The Great Migration: Journey to the North, there’s a part called “Question,” in which the travelers on a train are silently questioning their decisions to leave their homes and embark on new lives. The poem begins with their question, as the train gets close to its destination. The travelers’ thoughts then take on the rhythm of the train, moving from apprehension to courage, optimism and determination. As the train gradually slows, so do the travelers’ thoughts. At least, that was my intention, and I hope it comes through. The train and the thoughts come to a stop simultaneously, with the finality of the words, “Going to make it. No matter what.”

Q: Could you talk a little about your process of arranging the structure and order of The Great Migration?

A: I wanted to tell the story of this movement chronologically, from the time the people in the South begin thinking about leaving, until they arrive in the North. At the same time, I wanted to go inside the movement and show some of the individuals who made this momentous trip. Why were they leaving? What were they thinking and feeling? Who and what did they have to leave behind? I wanted to show the courage it took for these people, in particular, and for people all over the world, to pick up and move when it became necessary, to do whatever they needed to do to survive and to make better lives for themselves and their children.

Q: Are you generally optimistic about the future of poetry for young people from both a quality and a popularity standpoint? Will we see a resurgence of poems for kids in the years and decades to come, do you think?

A: I’m optimistic that the situation will improve. I hope it’s sooner than later. From a popularity standpoint, a substantial and enthusiastic audience is there, waiting. They just have to be able to buy food, clothing, and shelter before they can buy books. Budgets for school and public libraries have to increase, at least to the point where they were before the crisis. From a quality standpoint, there will be innovations, some of which will be short-lived; others will stand the test of time.

In the meantime, poets will keep writing, holding to their standards of craft, as well as nourishment for children. Organizations such as PACYA serve to keep the issues of need and availability before the public and are crucial to the recovery and maintenance of a society where poetry is woven into the lives of children and contributes to their happiness and development as human beings.

******

REVIEW OF THE GREAT MIGRATION by Joyce Ray

Eloise Greenfield, THE GREAT MIGRATION: JOURNEY TO THE NORTH, illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. 32 pp. Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2011.

Eloise Greenfield, winner of the 11th NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, and award-winning artist and writer Jan Spivey Gilchrist have collaborated on a book of poems inspired by a little-talked-about period of American history. Train travel is almost foreign to today’s children. Yet a train ticket led to a better life in the North for hundreds of thousands of African-American children in the early part of the 20th century. The Great Migration: Journey to the North chronicles such a trip in nine poems. Collage artwork using archival material lends historical authenticity to the collection. An introduction tells Greenfield’s own story of her family’s migration.

Greenfield’s free verse lets us witness a family’s goodbyes—goodbyes to the land, to inequality, and to the Ku Klux Klan.

Goodbye, crazy signs, telling me

where I can go, what I can do.

I hear that train whistling

my name. Don’t worry, train,

I’m ready.

The poems book us a seat on the overnight trip with all its uncertainties.

I hope they’re right.

I think they’re right.

I know they’re right.

Finally, we arrive in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, or another northern city where

…the people keep coming,

keep coming, keep on coming,

filling up the cities with

their hopes and their courage.

And their dreams.

The rhythm in each of Greenfield’s poems lets us hear the click clack of train wheels on the track. We feel the hope in the hearts of the travelers. Gilchrist’s haunting illustrations combine layers of artwork and archival photos. The results were achieved through labor-intensive methods without computer graphics. They draw us into the poems as if we are watching a documentary. One moving illustration plants grainy photos of African Americans in a field, like ghostly witnesses to the train’s passing.

The Great Migration: Journey to the North is a stirring account in verse of a period that opened up opportunities for America’s Black citizens and changed American history. The jacket flap says the audience is Ages 3-8. The subject matter is more suited for an older audience, such as Grades 2-5.

YALSA’S 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults

2012-01-27T00:30:00.002-05:00

Each year, YALSA presents the Best Fiction for Young Adults list after ALA's Midwinter Meeting. The books, recommended for ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. The list comprises a wide range of genres and styles, including contemporary realistic fiction, fantasy, horror, historical fiction and novels in verse. In addition to the full list, the Best Fiction for Young Adults committee also created a Top Ten list of titles from the final list, denoted here by an asterisk.

Abel-Fattah, Randa. Where the Streets had a Name. Scholastic Incorporated/Scholastic Press, 2010; ISBN 13: 978-0545172929; $17.99.

Aguirre, Ann. Enclave. Feiwel & Friends, 2011; 978-0312650087; $16.99.

Almond, David. My Name is Mina. Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press, 2011; 978-0385740739; $15.99.

Altebrando, Tara. Dreamland Social Club. Penguin Group/Dutton Juvenile, 2011; 978-0525423256; $16.99.

Bauer, Joan. Close to Famous. Penguin Group/Viking Juvenile, 2011; 978-0670012824; $16.99.

Beam, Chris. I am J. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0316053617; $16.99.

Billingsley, Franny. Chime. Penguin Group/Dial Books, 2011; 978-0803735521; $17.99.

Black, Holly. Red Glove. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing /Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011; 978-14424033980; $17.99.

Blake, Kendare. Anna Dressed in Blood. Thomas Doherty Associates/Tor Teen, 2011; 978-0765328656; $17.99.

Blundell, Judy. Strings Attached. Scholastic Incorporated, 2011; 978-0545221269; $17.99.

Bondoux, Anne-Laure. A Time of Miracles. Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2010; 978-0385739221; $17.99.

Booth, Coe. Bronxwood. Scholastic Incorporated/Push, 2011; 978-0439925341; $17.99.

Bray, Libba. Beauty Queens. Scholastic Incorporated, 2011; 978-0439895972; $18.99.

Brezenoff, Steve. Brooklyn, Burning. Lerner Publishing Group/Carolrhoda Lab, 2011; 978-0761375265; $17.95.

Brooks, Martha. Queen of Hearts. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011; 978-0374342296; $17.99.

Brown, Jennifer. Bitter End. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0316086950; $17.99.

Bunce, Elizabeth C. Liar’s Moon. Scholastic Incorporated /Arthur A. Levine, 2011; 978-0545136082; $17.99.

Caletti, Deb. Stay. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Simon Pulse, 2011; 978-1442403734; $16.99.

*Carson, Rae. The Girl of Fire and Thorns. HarperCollins Publishers/Greenwillow Books, 2011; 978-0062026484; $17.99.

Castle, Jennifer. The Beginning of After. HarperCollins Publishers/HarperTeen, 2011; 978-0061985799; $17.99.

Chayil, Eishes. Hush. Walker and Company, 2010; 978-0802720887; $16.99.

Chow, Cara. Bitter Melon. Egmont USA, 2011; 978-1606841266; $16.99.

Clement-Moore, Rosemary. Texas Gothic. Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press, 2011; 978-03853736930; $17.99.

*Cohen, Joshua C. Leverage. Penguin Group USA/Dutton Juvenile, 2011; 978-0525423065; $17.99.

Cooper, Michelle. The FitzOsbornes in Exile. Random House Children’s Books/Alfred A. Knopf, 2011; 978-0375858659; $17.99.

Cross, Gillian. Where I Belong. Holiday House, 2011; 978-08234323323; $17.95.

de la Pena, Matt. I Will Save You. Random House Children's Books/Delacorte, 2010; 978-0385738279; $16.99.

Dessen, Sarah. What Happened to Goodbye. Penguin Group/ Viking Juvenile, 2011; 978-0670012947; $19.99.

DeStafano, Lauren. Wither. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2011; 978-1442409057; $17.99.

Deuker, Carl. Payback Time. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010; 978-0547279817; $16.00.

Dixon, Heather. Entwined. HarperCollins Publishers/Greenwillow Books, 2011; 978-0062001030; $17.99.

Dowell, Frances O'Roark. Ten Miles Past Normal. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing /Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-1416995852; $16.99.

Downham, Jenny. You Against Me. Random House Children's Books/David Fickling Books, 2011; 978-0385751605; $16.99.

Edwardson, Debby Dahl. My Name is Not Easy. Marshall Cavendish, 2011; 978-0376147598054; $17.99.

Fisher, Catherine. The Dark City. Penguin Group/Dial Books, 2011; 978-0803736733; $16.99.

Forman, Gayle. Where She Went. Penguin Group/Dutton Juvenile, 2011; 978-0525422945; $16.99.

Freitas, Donna. The Survival Kit. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011; 978-0373399177; $16.99.

Friesner, Esther. Threads and Flames. Penguin Group/Viking Juvenile, 2010; 978-0670012459; $17.99.

Gantos, Jack. Dead End in Norvelt. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011; 978-0374379933; $15.99.

Gier, Kerstin. Ruby Red. Henry Holt & Company, 2011; 978-0805092523; $16.99.

Goldberg Sloan, Holly. I’ll Be There. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0316122795; $17.99.

Goodman, Shawn. Something Like Hope. Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2010; 978-0385739399; $16.99.

Handler, Daniel; Why We Broke Up. Illus. by Maira Kalman. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0316127257; $19.99.

Hautman, Pete. The Big Crunch. Scholastic Incorporated/Scholastic Press. 2011; 978-0545240758; $17.99.

Herback, Geoff. Stupid Fast. Sourcebooks/Sourcebooks Fire, 2011; 978-1402256301; $9.99.

Johnson, Maureen. The Last Little Blue Envelope. HarperCollins Publishers /HarperTeen, 2011; 978-0061976797; $16.99.

Johnson, Maureen. The Name of the Star. Penguin Group/Putnam Juvenile, 2011; 978-0399256608; $16.99.

*King, A.S. Everybody Sees the Ants. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0316129282; $17.99.

Kirby, Matthew J. Icefall. Scholastic Incorporated/Scholastic Press, 2011; 978-0545274241; $17.99.

Kittredge, Caitlin. The Iron Thorn. Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press, 2011; 978-0385738293; $17.99.

Knowles, Jo. Pearl. Henry Holt & Company, 2011; 978-08050892073; $16.99.

Leavitt, Lindsey. Sean Griswold’s Head. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011; 978-1599904986; $16.99.

Lo, Malinda. Huntress. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0316040075; $17.99.

Lu, Marie. Legend. Penguin Group/Putnam Juvenile, 2011; 978-0399256752; $17.99.

Marchetta, Melina. The Piper’s Son. Candlewick Press, 2011; 978-0763647582; $17.99.|

Marcus, Kimberly. Exposed. Random House Children’s Books, 2011; 978-0375966954; $16.99.

Martinez, Jessica. Virtuosity. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Simon Pulse, 2011; 978-1442420526; $16.99.

*McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Under the Mesquite. Lee & Low Books, 2011; 978-1600604294; $17.95.

McMann, Lisa. Cryer's Cross. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Simon Pulse, 2011; 978-1416994817; $16.99.

Meloy, Maile. The Apothecary. Penguin Group/Putnam Juvenile, 2011; 978-0399256271; $16.99.

Mullin, Mike. Ashfall. Tanglewood, 2011; 978-1933718552; $16.95.

*Myracle, Lauren. Shine. Abrams/Amulet Books, 2011; 978-0810984172; $16.95.

Nelson, Blake. Recovery Road. Scholastic Incorporated/Scholastic Press, 2011; 978-0545107297; $17.99.

*Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls. Illus. by Jim Kay. Candlewick Press, 2011; 978-0763655594; $16.99.

Neumeier, Rachel. The Floating Islands. Random House Children’s Books/Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0375847059; $16.99.

O’Brien, Caragh. Prized. Roaring Brook Press, 2011; 978-1596435704; $16.99.

O’Neal, Eilis. The False Princess. Egmont, 2011; 978-1606840795; $16.99.

Ockler, Sarah. Fixing Delilah. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010; 978-0316052092; $16.99.

Okorafor, Nnedi. Akata Witch. Penguin Group/Viking, 2011; 978-0670011964; $17.99.

Oliver, Lauren. Delirium. HarperCollins Publishers, 2011; 978-0061726828; $17.99.

Oppel, Kenneth. This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-1442403154; $17.99.

Ostlere, Cathy. Karma, A Novel in Verse. Penguin Group/RazorBill, 2011. 978-1595143389; $18.99.

Perera, Anna. Guantanamo Boy. Albert Whitman & Company, 2011; 978-0807530771; $17.99.

Pérez, Ashley Hope. What Can(t) Wait. Lerner Publishing Group/CarolrhodaLAB, 2011; 978-0761361558; $17.95.

Perkins, Stephanie. Anna and the French Kiss. Penguin Group/Dutton Juvenile, 2010; 978-0525423270; $16.99.

Perkins, Stephanie. Lola and the Boy Next Door. Penguin Group/Dutton Juvenile, 2011; 978-0525423287; $16.99.

Porter, Tracey. Lark. HarperCollins Publishers/HarperTeen, 2011; 978-0061122873; $15.99.

Powers, J. L. This Thing Called the Future. Cinco Puntos Press, 2011; 978-1933693958; $16.95.

Price, Charlie. Desert Angel. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011; 978-0374317751; $15.99.

Riggs, Ransom. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Quirk Books, 2011; 978-1594744761; $17.99.

Reedy, Trent. Words in the Dust. Scholastic Incorporated/Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011; 978-0545261258; $17.99.

Reeve, Philip. A Web of Air. Scholastic Incorporated, 2011; 978-0545222167; $17.99.|

Resau, Laura & Maria Virginia Farinango. Queen of Water. Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0385738972; $16.99.

Riordan, Rick. The Lost Hero. Disney Book Group/Hyperion Press, 2010; 978-1423113393; $18.99.

Roth, Veronica. Divergent. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books, 2011; 978-0062024022; $17.99.

Sales, Leila. Past Perfect. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Simon Pulse, 2011; 978-1442406827; $16.99.

Schmidt, Gary. Okay for Now. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion Books, 2011; 978-0547152608; $16.99.

Sedgwick, Marcus. White Crow. Roaring Brook Press, 2011; 978-1596435940; $15.99.

Selznick, Brian. Wonderstruck. Scholastic Incorporated /Scholastic Press, 2011; 978-054527892; $29.99.

*Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray. Penguin Group/Philomel Books, 2011; 978-0399254123; $17.99.

Sharenow, Robert. The Berlin Boxing Club. HarperCollins Publishers /HarperTeen, 2011; 978-0061579684; $17.99.

Silvey, Craig. Jasper Jones. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf, 2011; 978-0375866661; $16.99.

Smith, Andrew. Stick. Feiwel and Friends, 2011; 978-0312613419; $17.99.

Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. Scholastic Incorporated/Scholastic Press, 2011; 978-0545224901; $17.99.

*Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Little, Brown, Books for Young Readers, 2011. 978-0316134026; $18.99.

Thompson, Holly. Orchards. Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press, 2011; 978-0385739771; $17.99.

Valente, Catherynne M. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. Feiwel & Friends, 2011; 978-0312649616; $16.99.

Van Allsberg, Chris, ed. The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2011; 978-0547548104; $24.99.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. The Running Dream. Random House Children’s Books/Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0375866678; $16.99.

Venkatraman, Padma. Island’s End. Penguin Group/Putnam Juvenile, 2011; 978-0399250996; $16.99.

Vernick, Shirley Reva. The Blood Lie. Cinco Puntos Press, 2011; 978-1933693842; $15.95.

Wallace, Jason. Out of Shadows. Holiday House, 2011; 978-0823423422; $17.95.

Warman, Jessica. Between. Walker & Company, 2011; 978-0802721822; $17.99.

Whaley, John Corey. Where Things Come Back. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-1442413337; $16.99.

Williams, Carol Lynch. Miles from Ordinary. St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin, 2011; 978-0312555122; $16.99.

Williams, Michael. Now is the Time for Running. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0316077903; $17.99.

Wolf, Allan. The Watch that Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic. Candlewick Press, 2011; 978-0763637033; $21.99.

Wynne-Jones, Tim. Blink and Caution. Candlewick Press, 2011; 978-0763639839; $16.99.

Yee, Lisa. Warp Speed. Scholastic Incorporated/Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011; 978-0545122764; $16.99.

Young, Moira. Blood Red Road. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011; 978-1442429987; $17.99.

Yovanoff, Brenna. The Space Between. Penguin Group/Razorbill, 2011; 978-1595143396; $17.99.

*Zarr, Sara. How to Save a Life. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011; 978-0316036061; $17.99.

Marilyn Singer's MIRROR MIRROR has been named a 2012 Notable Children's Recording by ALSC

2012-01-26T19:43:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce that Marilyn Singer's MIRROR MIRROR: A BOOK IN REVERSABLE VERSE Live Oak Media) is on this year's ALA/ALSC 2012 Notable Children's Recordings.

"Marilyn Singer and Joe Morton bring exuberance, humor and point of view to familiar fairy tales in 14 reverso poems," proclaims the annotation.

This list is developed annually from children's book recordings released in the U.S. during the preceding year. Recordings are judged by their respect for young people's intelligence and imagination; the way they reflect and encourage the natural interest of children and young adolescents; their ability to depict excellence through the effective use of voices, music, sound effects, and language; and their high standards in aesthetic and technical aspects. They must also exhibit venturesome creativity while remaining true to, expand, or complement the original work.

Please join us in congratulating Marilyn, and you can find the entire list of 2012 Notable Children's Recordings on the ALSC website.

What do Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Wendell Minor, Kevin O’Malley, and Elaine Scott have in common? They all have books on ALA’s 2012 Notable Children’s Books

2012-01-25T22:21:00.001-05:00

Among ALA’s 2012 Notable Children’s Books this year are books created by five Balkin Buddies:

THE GREAT MIGRATION: JOURNEY TO THE NORTH, by Eloise Greenfield and illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. HarperCollins (Middle)

NIGHT FLIGHT: AMELIA EARHART CROSSES THE ATLANTIC, illustrated by Wendell Minor. Paula Wiseman/Simon and Schuster (Middle)

HOW THEY CROAKED: THE AWFUL ENDS OF THE AWFULLY FAMOUS, illustrated by Kevin O'Malley. Bloomsbury/Walker (Older Readers)

SPACE, STARS, AND THE BEGINNING OF TIME: WHAT THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE SAW, by Elaine Scott. Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Older Readers)

Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books. According to the Notables Criteria, "notable" is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children's books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways. Here is the entire list of 2012 Notable Children's Books -- final but uncorrected for proofreading, formatting, and fact-checking:

YOUNGER

Tell Me the Day Backwards. By Albert Lamb, Illus. by David McPhail, Candlewick Press, $15.99, (9780763650551).

Mama bear and child reflect on the day, recounting its events in reverse order. Gentle and reassuring, this book wonderfully illustrates a sometimes difficult concept: the flow of time.

A Ball for Daisy. By Chris Raschka, Illus. by Chris Raschka, Schwartz & Wade Books.

A wordless tale of an irrepressible little dog whose most prized possession is accidently destroyed. A buoyant tale of loss, recovery, and friendship. (2012 Caldecott Medal Book)

Blackout. By John Rocco, Illus. by John Rocco. Hyperion Books for Children, $16.99. (9781423121909).

A summer power outage draws an urban family up to their building’s roof and then down to the street for an impromptu block party. (A 2012 Caldecott Honor Book)

Bring on the birds. By Susan Stockdale, Illus. by Susan Stockdale. Peachtree, $15.95, (9781561455607).

Rhyming couplets and clear, identifiable illustrations remind readers that birds vary in many ways, but all have feathers and are hatched from eggs. Colorful acrylics help provide just the right of information for preschool ornithologists.

The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred. By Samantha R. Vamos, Illus. by Rafael López. Charlesbridge, $17.95, (9781580892421).

Nothing is better than a delicious bowl of arroz con leche unless, of course, a host of farm animals have a hand in the preparation! (A 2012 Belpré Illustrator Honor Book)

Chirchir Is Singing. By Kelly Cunnane, Illus. by Jude Daly. Schwartz & Wade Books, $17.99. (9780375861987).

In this cumulative story set in Kenya, Chirchir sings as she tries to help with family chores. Acrylic folk art highlights the activities of daily life in this rural setting.

Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow?, By Susan A. Shea, Illus. by Tom Slaughter. Blue Apple Books, $16.99. (9781609050627).

This book playfully challenges children’s concepts of the growth capacity of living vs. non-living things in a fun and engaging way.

Dot. By Patricia Intriago, Illus. by Patricia Intriago. Farrar Straus Giroux, $14.99. (9780374318352).

To a child’s delight, bright dots and brief rhyming verses cleverly demonstrate antonyms and synonyms in this clever picture book.

Goodnight, goodnight, construction site. By Sherri Duskey Rinker, Illus. by Tom Lichtenheld. Chronicle Books, $16.99. (9780811877824).

Truck-loving toddlers will be willingly tucked into bed along with the vehicles in this superbly constructed goodnight poem.

Grandpa Green. By Lane Smith, Illus. by Lane Smith. Roaring Brook Press, $16.99. (9781596436077).

Elaborate topiary sculptures give visual form to memories in a wildly fanciful garden tended by a child and his beloved great-grandfather. (A 2012 Caldecott Honor Book)

Harry and Hopper. By Margaret Wild, Illus. by Freya Blackwood. Feiwel & Friends, $16.99. (9780312642617).

A poignant depiction of grief and acceptance at the loss of a beloved pet is relayed in this quietly moving story whose illustrations add emotional depth.

I broke my trunk. By Mo Willems. Illus. by the author. Hyperion Books for Children.

Piggie is very concerned about his best friend, Gerald the Elephant, who has broken his trunk, and Gerald tells him a long, rambling story about how it happened. (A 2012 Geisel Honor Book)

I want my hat back. By Jon Klassen, Illus. by the author. Candlewick Press, $15.99. (9780763655983).

After losing his hat, Bear politely and patiently questions his fellow forest dwellers as to the whereabouts of his “red pointy hat.” (A 2012 Geisel Honor Book)

King Jack and the Dragon. By Peter Bently, Illus. by Helen Oxenbury. Dial Books for Young Readers, $17.99. (9780803736986).

Enhanced by whimsical illustrations, this story of the wonders and terrors created by a child’s imagination, shows the power of playtime and the magic of make-believe.

Little Treasures : Endearments from around the World. By Jacqueline K. Ogburn. Illus. by Christopher Raschka. Houghton Mifflin. $16.99. (9780547428628).

Raschka’s pictures give distinct personalities to the subjects of these endearments and the book is a reminder of how much children are loved in every language and culture. Translations and pronunciation guides are included.

Little white rabbit. By Kevin Henkes, Illus. by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow Books, $16.99. (9780062006424).

Little white rabbit explores the springtime world wondering what it would be like to be different - green, tall, solid, or able to fly - but when he comes home he knows who loves him.

Me...Jane. By Patrick McDonnell, Illus. by Patrick McDonnell. Little, Brown, $15.99. (9780316045469).

Watching birds and squirrels in her yard, a young girl discovers the joy and wonder of nature. A glimpse of the childhood of renowned primatologist Jane Goodall. (A 2012 Caldecott Honor Book)

Mouse & Lion. By Rand Burkert, Illus. by Nancy Ekholm Burkert. di Capua/Scholastic, $17.95, (9780545101479).

Mouse is the center of this retelling of a familiar Aesop’s fable. Elegant illustrations place the story solidly in the natural world of Africa.

Naamah and the ark at night. By Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Illus. by Holly Meade. Candlewick Press, $16.99. (9780763642426).

As the waters rage, this lullaby reveals Noah’s wife as a nurturer of diverse creatures aboard the ark. Watercolor and collage illustrations amplify the text, a form of lyrical Arabic poetry, called ghazal.

A New Year's reunion: A Chinese story. By Li Qiong Yu, Illus. by Zhu Chen Liang, Candlewick Press, $15.99. (9780763658816).

Vibrant illustrations highlight a young girl’s joy when her father makes his annual visit for Chinese New Year in this tender story.

Over and Under the Snow. By Kate Messner, Illus. by Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle Books, $16.99. (9780811867849).

While skiing cross-country with her father, a girl envisions the “secret kingdom” under the snow, where small forest animals shelter in winter. Neal’s bright, snowy landscapes contrast with his depictions of shadowed, subterranean nests.

Prudence wants a pet. By Cathleen Daly, Illus. by Stephen Michael King. Roaring Brook Press, $16.99. (9781596434684).

In this quietly humorous picture book illustrated in soft colors, Prudence tries out a branch, a twig, a shoe, her little brother, a tire, and sea buddies until her parents finally give her a kitten as a pet.

See Me Run, By Paul Meisel, Illus. by the author. Holiday House

Dogs and more dogs are everywhere: running, sliding, jumping, splashing, and having fun. (A 2012 Geisel Honor Book)

Should I share my ice cream?, By Mo Willems, Illus. by Mo Willems. Hyperion Books for Children, $8.99. (9781423143437).

A common human problem is posed and solved with Willems’ minimal illustration and graceful humor.

Stars. By Mary Lyn Ray, Illus. by Marla Frazee. Beach Lane Books, $16.99. (9781442422490).

A duet of spare, poetic observations and ethereal illustrations explore the realities and possibilities of many kinds of stars, embracing the immediacy of a child’s experiences. A great read aloud.

Tales for Very Picky Eaters, By Josh Schneider, Illus. by Josh Schneider, Clarion Books.

Five chapters recount James’ refusal to eat yet another disgusting, smelly, repulsive, lumpy, or slimy food. (2012 Geisel Medal Book)

Ten little caterpillars. By Bill Martin, Illus. by Lois Ehlert. Beach Lane Books, $17.99. (9781442433854).

Ten different caterpillars inch their ways across vibrantly-illustrated environs in this newly-illustrated, rhyming story. Supplemental facts widen the book’s appeal and usefulness. Ehlert’s watercolor collages are remarkably entomologically accurate.

These hands. By Margaret H. Mason, Illus. by Floyd Cooper. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99. (9780547215662).

Both an affirmation of a nurturing relationship between grandfather and grandson and an explanation of one reason labor unions fought for workers’ rights, the brief text and warm illustrations tell an uplifting American story.

Tìa Isa wants a car. By Meg Medina, Illus. by Claudio Muñoz. Candlewick Press, $15.99. (9780763641566).

Using a cheerful positive tone, Medina depicts a warm relationship between Tia Isa and her niece and shows the strength of community as a life-long dream is realized.

Where's walrus?, By Stephen Savage, Illus. by Stephen Savage. Scholastic, $16.99. (9780439700498).

Walrus escapes from the zoo and cleverly disguises himself around the city; the zoopkeeper and the children reading the book search for him on each bold, bright page of this wordless book.

Who has what?: all about girls' bodies and boys' bodies. By Robie H. Harris, Illus. by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Candlewick Press, $15.99. (9780763629311).

In a cheerful, easy tone, Harris explains who’s got what body parts, their similarities of differences. Girls, boys and adults of many ethnicities – even animals – are included in the loose-lined illustrations depicting the “bare” facts.

MIDDLE

America is under attack: September 11, 2001: the day the towers fell. By Don Brown, Illus. by Don Brown. Roaring Brook Press, $16.99. (9781596436947).

A straightforward account of the September 11th tragedy, Brown’s restrained watercolors and sensitive text focuses on small stories of those who were in the Towers and the people who responded to the disaster.

Balloons over Broadway: the true story of the puppeteer of Macy's Parade. By Melissa Sweet, Illus. by the author. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, $16.99. (9780547199450).

This story of Tony Sarg, the artistic inventor who conceived the huge balloons that float through New York City each Thanksgiving, joyously celebrates his life’s creative process. (2012 Sibert Medal Book)

Breaking Stalin's Nose, By Eugene Yelchin, Illus. by Eugene Yelchin, Henry Holt and Company.

On the eve of his induction into the Young Pioneers, Sasha’s world is overturned when his father is arrested by Stalin’s guard. (A 2012 Newbery Honor Book)

The Cheshire Cheese cat: a Dickens of a tale. By Carmen Agra Deedy; Randall Wright, Illus. by Barry Moser. Peachtree Publishers, $16.95 (9781561455959).

Alley-cat Skilley finds a perfect home, gets help from a friend to return an injured raven to the Tower of London and saves all the Cheshire Cheese Inn mice from the evil Pinch.

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours, By Duncan Tonatiuh , Illus. by by Duncan Tonatiuh, Abrams Books for Young Readers

The accomplishments of Mexican painter, activist, and muralist Diego Rivera are highlighted in stylized illustrations. (2012 Belpré Illustrator Medal Book)

Dream something big : the story of the Watts Towers. By Dianna Hutts Aston, Illus. by Susan L.Roth. Dial Books for Young Readers, $17.99. (9780803732452).

The human desire to make a mark is celebrated in this fictionalized account of Simon Rodia’s process in building the Watts Towers – a singular, eccentric, artistic creation now recognized as a National Landmark.

E-mergency. By Tom Lichtenheld, Illus. by Ezra Fields-Meyer. Chronicle Books, $16.99. (9780811878982).

When the letter ‘E’ falls down the stairs and hurts her leg, the rest of the alphabet must do the best it can to limp along without its most-used letter. Puns aplenty pack every page.

Emma dilemma : big sister poems. By Kristine O'Connell George, Illus. by Nancy Carpenter. Clarion Books, $16.99. (9780618428427).

Sisterhood is complicated: partly embarrassing, partly affectionate, partly competitive, partly supportive, partly confining, partly empowering. The many facets of the relationship are deftly described by George’s poems and Carpenter’s pen and ink drawings.

The Great Migration: Journey to the North. By Eloise Greenfield, Illus. by Jan Spivey Gilchrist. HarperCollins Children's Books, $16.99. (9780061259210).

Muted mixed media illustrations set the tone for somber yet hopeful free verse honoring the author's family as they journeyed north from the Jim Crow South. A haunting view of a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

Inside out and back again. By Thanhha Lai. HarperCollins, $15.99. (9780061962783).

Hà and her family flee war-torn Vietnam for the American South. In spare, vivid verse, she chronicles her struggle to find her place in a new world. (A 2012 Newbery Honor Book)

Junonia. By Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow Books, $15.99. (9780061964176 ).

Alice knows just how her vacation on Sanibel Island should be: the same as the previous nine, except that this year she hopes to find a rare junonia shell. Alice's tenth birthday, however, brings unexpected changes.

Lemonade, and other poems squeezed from a single word. By Bob Raczka, Illus. by Nancy Doniger. Roaring Brook Press, $16.99. (9781596435414).

Think of a word, then compose a poem using only the letters in that word. Amusing challenges for poet and reader alike, these poem-puzzles are illustrated with similarly playful brush-paintings. Great fun for classroom or budding poets.

The Lily Pond, By Annika Thor. Trans. by Linda Schenck. Delacorte Press.

This sequel to “A Faraway Island” continues the story of thirteen-year-old Stephie Steiner, a Jewish refugee whose parents have sent her from Nazi-occupied Vienna to Sweden. (2012 Batchelder Honor Book)

The mangrove tree: planting trees to feed families. By Susan L. Roth;Cindy Trumbore, Illus. by Susan L. Roth. Lee & Low Books, (9781600604591).

Through a “This is the House That Jack Built” formula, the story of an ecological and environmental triumph is told so that even very young children can understand the interrelationships between plants, animals and people.

Marisol McDonald doesn't match /Marisol McDonald no combina, By Monica Brown, Illus. by Sara Palacios. Children's Book Press.

Bright, vivacious Marisol, a Peruvian-Scottish-American girl, loves peanut butter and jelly burritos and speaks both English and Spanish, but her teacher and classmates do not appreciate Marisol’s mashing of cultures. (A 2012 Belpré Illustrator Honor Book)

Maximilian and the mystery of the guardian angel: A bilingual lucha libre thriller. By Xavier Garza . Cinco Puntos Press.

Eleven-year-old Max discovers that his favorite Lucha Libre wrestler is coming to town and might have a strange connection with his own family. (A 2012 Belpré Author Honor Book)

Migrant. By Maxine Trottier, Illus. by Isabelle Arsenault. Groundwood Books, $18.95, (9780888999757).

This unique story about a group of migrant workers – Mennonites – is told through the eyes of young Anna, who reflects upon their peripatetic life and the hardships it creates.

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart crosses the Atlantic. By Robert Burleigh, Illus. by Wendell Minor, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $16.99. (9781416967330).

Sit with Amelia Earhart in her red Vega as she flies across the Atlantic and startles a farmer in Northern Ireland by landing in his field.

No Ordinary Day. By Deborah Ellis. Groundwood, $16.95, (97815544981342).

Valli, a resourceful homeless nine-year-old, learns she has leprosy. An encounter with a kind doctor gives her the chance to heal and find a home. Illuminates harsh realities in contemporary India.

Nursery rhyme comics: 50 timeless rhymes from 50 celebrated cartoonists. Illus. by Patrick McDonnell, et al. First Second, $18.99. (9781596436008).

A lively compilation of 50 nursery rhymes interpreted and illustrated in diverse and distinctive styles by a different cartoonist or graphic artists. The introduction by Leonard Marcus puts it all in focus.

Soldier Bear, By Bibi Dumon Tak, Illus. by by Philip Hopman. Trans. by Laura Watkinson. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

Based on a true story and set during World War II, the novel follows the journey of refugee Polish soldiers and the mischievous young bear they acquire in the Iranian desert. (2012 Batchelder Award Book)

The third gift. By Linda Sue Park, Illus. by Bagram Ibatoulline. Clarion Books, $16.99. (9780547201955).

Ibatoulline’s sumptuous, highly finished gouaches invite the reader into a distant time and landscape where a young Arab boy and his father harvest myrrh for three mysterious strangers.

Thunder birds: nature's flying predators. By Jim Arnosky, Illus. by Jim Arnosky. Sterling, $14.95, (9781402756610).

Arnosky describes and illustrates the qualities of magnificent raptors. Distinctive acrylic and chalk paintings depict birds gazing at readers from their natural environments. Four large fold out pages shows some birds in actual size.

Treasury of Greek mythology: classic stories of gods, goddesses, heroes & monsters. By Donna Jo Napoli, Illus. by Christina Balit. National Geographic Society, $24.95, (9781426308444).

From the chaos that spawned Gaia to the horrors of the Trojan War, this is the most comprehensive and lavishly illustrated compendium of Greek mythology since the D’Aulaires’ offering. Timeline, cast of characters, map appended.

The trouble with May Amelia. By Jennifer L. Holm. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $15.99. (9781416913733).

May Amelia is always in trouble but never more than when she translates an offer from a con man for her father. A companion to My Only May Amelia, it stands sturdily on its own.

Underground. By Shane Evans, Illus. by Shane Evans. Roaring Brook Press, $16.99. (9781596435384).

Spare text describes a long dangerous night time journey on the Underground Railroad. The striking illustrations with their dark palette burst into light as the travelers reach freedom.

The unforgotten coat. By Frank Cottrell Boyce, Illus. by Carl Hunter, and Clare Heney. Candlewick Press, $15.99. (9780763657291).

Julie recalls her sixth year classmates Chingis and Nergui, two Mongolian brothers, their strange polaroid photographs, sketchy descriptions of Mongolia, and their very real fear of demons in this offbeat, haunting story.

The watcher: Jane Goodall's life with the chimps. By Jeanette Winter, Illus. by Jeanette Winter. Schwartz & Wade Books, $17.99. (9780375867743).

Winter presents inquisitive and independent Goodall from girlhood to the Gombe Stream and beyond in her search to understand chimpanzees. Stylized acrylics show scientist and animals in the abundant foliage of Africa.

Wonderstruck. By Brian Selznick, Illus. by Brian Selznick. Scholastic (9780545027892).

Two parallel stories set 50 years apart converge in this textual and visual story of adventurous Ben and Rose as it explores topics of deafness, silence, wolves, and museums.

Won-Ton: a cat tale told in haiku. By Lee Wardlaw, Illus. by Eugene Yelchin. Henry Holt, $16.99. (9780805089950).

From animal shelter cage to a loving home, Won Ton’s experience is told from his point of view in senryu, a form of Japanese poetry similar to Haiku.

Young Fredle. By Cynthia Voigt, Illus. by Louise Yates. Alfred A. Knopf, $16.99. (9780375864575).

Exiled from his home in the pantry, Fredle, a mouse with a sweet tooth and unusual curiosity, discovers the wonders and dangers of the outside world. He learns to question the rules and returns home a changed mouse.

Zita the spacegirl. By Ben Hatke, Illus. by Ben Hatke. First Second, $17.99. (9781596436954).

When a little red button crashes to earth any self-respecting graphic novel character would push it. When Joseph is whisked through an inter-dimensional portal to an alien planet, Zita follows to rescue him.

OLDER

Amelia lost: the life and disappearance of amelia earhart. By Candace Fleming. Schwartz & Wade Books, $18.99. (9780375841989).

In her clear, readable style, Fleming shows how Earhart captured the public imagination. Chapters of background information alternate with the chilling account of her final flight. Enhanced with maps, archival documents, news photos, and other contemporary sources.

Anya's ghost. By Vera Brosgol. First Second (9781596437135).

This graphic novel tells the story of Anya, a Russian immigrant, whose lack of self-esteem changes when her life is almost taken over by a determined ghost.

Between shades of gray. By Ruta Sepetys. Philomel Books, $17.99. (9780399254123).

Stalin’s deportation and imprisonment of Lithuanian families in Siberia is brought to vivid life in Sepetys’ searing novel, narrated by Lina, a 15-year-old who writes, “They took me in my nightgown.”

Billions of years, amazing changes: The story of evolution. By Laurence Pringle, Illus. by Steve Jenkins. Boyds Mills Press, $17.95 (9781590787236).

Pringle looks at the evidence from geology, biology, botany and scientific reason to explain evolution. Readable text, pertinent illustrations matter of factly clarify concepts and the meaning of theory.

Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene 'Bull' Connor, Larry Dane Brimner. Calkins Creek.

This powerful examination of a crucial dichotomy in the civil rights movement focuses on two polar opposites—one man committed to ending segregation, and one just as determined to see it maintained. (A 2012 Sibert Honor Book)

Blizzard of glass: the Halifax explosion of 1917. By Sally M. Walker. Henry Holt, $18.99. (9780805089455).

Clear and compelling description and analysis of scientific evidence and historic events brings this little-known tragedy to life, a history made personal by its focus on five families, some who survived, some who perished.

Bluefish. By Pat Schmatz. Candlewick Press, $15.99. (9780763653347).

The significance of reading is personified by two eighth graders, functionally illiterate Travis and feisty, starved-for-affection Velveeta who come together in a tenuous, prickly relationship.

Bootleg: murder, moonshine, and the lawless years of prohibition. By Karen Blumenthal. Roaring Brook Press, $18.99. (9781596434493).

Lively prose and interesting anecdotes make the history of Prohibition accessible while the examination of unintended consequences make this chronicle relevant to today's political world.

Dead End in Norvelt. By Jack Gantos. Farrar Straus Giroux. $15.99. (9780374379933).

An achingly funny romp through a dying New Deal town. While mopping up epic nose bleeds, Jack narrates this screw-ball mystery in an endearing and believable voice. (2012 Newbery Medal Book)

Drawing from memory. By Allen Say, Illus. by the author. Scholastic Press, $17.99. (9780545176866).

Say, an esteemed children’s book creator, engagingly relays his early training, including the influences of his family and his artistic sensei. (A 2012 Sibert Honor Book)

The elephant scientist. By Caitlin O'Connell; Donna M. Jackson, Illus. by Caitlin O'Connell and Timothy Rodwell. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. (9780547053448).

Power-packed photos and prose transport readers to the dusty world of African elephants and a woman who studies them. (A 2012 Sibert Honor Book)

The fingertips of Duncan Dorfman. By Meg Wolitzer. Dutton Childrens Books, $16.99. (9780525423041).

Three 12-year-olds from different parts of the country participate in the national Youth Scrabble Tournament in Florida. Their discoveries about themselves, their friends and families turn out to be more important than winning in this perceptive story.

Flyaway. By Lucy Christopher. Chicken House, $16.99. (9780545317719).

While Isla’s father is in the hospital, she befriends another patient, Harry. In this touching story, Isla tries to help Harry, her father and a swan, all of whom are struggling to survive.

Hidden, By Helen Frost. Farrar Straus Giroux. (9780374382216).

Six years have passed since Darra's father stole a car in which Wren was hiding. Now 14, Darra and Wren, once again cross paths. A suspenseful verse novel, told in two distinct voices.

The house Baba built : an artist's childhood in China. By Ed Young; Libby Koponen, Illus. by Ed Young. Little, Brown and Co., $17.99. (9780316076289).

With multimedia scrapbook images that that intrigue, astonish, and surprise, Ed Young recalls his childhood in war-torn Shanghai, introduces his extended family, and describes their life in the house his father designed.

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous. By Georgia Bragg, Illus. by Kevin O'Malley. Walker & Co., $17.99. (9780802798176).

A wildly humorous collective biography featuring horrifying medical treatments and deaths of nineteen famous men and women, this surprisingly heavily researched compendium is terrific book bait for reluctant reader.

Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck. By Margarita Engle. Henry Holt & Co., $16.99. (9780805092400).

This historical novel in verse is the story of Quebrado, son of a Taíno Indian mother and a Spanish father, who is kidnapped in 1510 from his island village (present-day Cuba) and enslaved on a pirate’s ship. (A 2012 Belpré Author Honor Book)

Into the unknown: how great explorers found their way by land, sea, and air. By Stewart Ross, Illus. by Stephen Biesty. Candlewick Press. (9780763649487).

How did those great explorers travel? What did they wear? Where did they pee? And what did they find on their journeys? Much is revealed in the text and unfolding cross-sections of this fascinating volume.

Jefferson's sons: a founding father's secret children. By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Dial Books for Young Readers, $17.99. (9780803734999).

Told from the point of view of three young slaves, two of them fathered by Thomas Jefferson, this well- researched and moving novel provides insight into their lives as it raises important and difficult questions.

Lost & found. By Shaun Tan, Illus. by Shaun Tan. Arthur A. Levine Books, $21.99. (9780545229241).

By turns mysterious, dreamlike, nightmarish, goofily endearing or spookily surreal these stories by Shaun Tan seemingly transport us three very different worlds. Each page is a work of art.

A monster calls. By Patrick Ness. Candlewick Press, $16.99. (9780763655594).

Thirteen-year-old Conor deals with a monster who tells him three stories in exchange for facing his greatest fear.

Music was it: young Leonard Bernstein. By Susan Goldman Rubin. Charlesbridge, (9781580893442).

This exemplary, inspiring biography chronicles the life of Leonard Bernstein from early childhood to his triumphant debut at age twenty-five, as conductor of the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. Engaging social history with appeal beyond music students.

Okay for now. By Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion Books, $16.99. (9780547152608).

Unable to read and abused by his father, 13-year-old Doug befriends spunky Lili and a sensitive librarian who shows him how to draw Audubon’s birds. Both make a difference in his previously limited world.

Queen of hearts. By Martha Brooks. Farrar Straus Giroux, $17.99. (9780374342296).

In 1941 Manitoba, Marie-Claire, tells the moving story of her coming-of-age as a 16 year –old in a tuberculosis sanitorium.

Raggin', jazzin', rockin': American musical instrument makers. By Susan VanHecke. Boyds Mills Press, $17.95 (9781590785744).

Steinway on pianos, Zildjian on cymbals, Martin and Fender on guitars...we meet these people and their iconic instruments in this intriguing introduction. Generously illustrated with photographs of the instruments, musicians, and more.

The Scorpio Races. By Maggie Stiefvater. Scholastic Press, $17.99. (9780545224901).

Deadly horses emerge from the sea and collide with island inhabitants in a bloody annual race for prize money and the fulfillment of dreams. Rich language portrays characters, action, and setting leading to an intoxicating climax.

Sita's Ramayana. By Samhita Arni, Illus. by Moyna Chitrakar. Groundwood, $24.95, (9781554981458).

Using a graphic novel format, this powerful saga of Rama is told from his abducted and mistrusted wife Sita’s point of view.

Space, Stars, and the Beginning of Time: What the Hubble Telescope Saw. By Elaine Scott. Clarion Books, $17.99. (9780547241890).

An intriguing look at the creation and scientific revelations of the Hubble telescope. Complex science, clearly explained and beautifully illustrated with Hubble images.

Stones for my father. By Trilby Kent. Tundra Books of Northern New York (9781770492523).

In evocative prose, Kent creates a compelling survival story of young Corlie Roux, a Boer girl in South Africa during the Anglo-Boer War at the turn of the last century.

Tall story. By Candy Gourlay. David Fickling Books, $16.99. (9780385752176).

Andi’s half brother is finally joining the family from the Philippines. Eight feet tall, it’s obvious that Bernardo’s is going to have trouble fitting in. A poignant and humorous novel.

Terezin: voices from the Holocaust. By Ruth Thomson. Candlewick Press, $18.99. (9780763649630).

Secret diary entries, excerpts from memoirs, and inmate artwork illuminate the dark story of the Nazi' transit camp Terezin. Young readers will appreciate the oversized, magazine type layout.

Under the mesquite. By Guadalupe Garcia McCall. Lee & Low Books, $17.95, (9781600604294).

The story of fourteen-year-old Lupita, growing up in a bicultural community in Texas and dealing with her mother’s terminal illness, is told in emotionally riveting free verse. (2012 Belpré Author Medal Book)

Witches! the absolutely true tale of disaster in Salem. By Rosalyn Schanzer, Illus. by Rosalyn Schanzer. National Geographic Society, $16.95, (9781426308697).

ALL AGES

All the water in the world. By George Ella Lyon, Illus. by Katherine Tillotson, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $15.99, (9781416971306).

From deserts to the kitchen sink, the water cycle is lyrically yet economically described in Lyon’s poem emphasizing the importance of water conservation. Katherine Tillotson’s digital paintings splash, surge and drip off the page.

Can we save the tiger? By Martin Jenkins, Illus. by Vicky White. Candlewick Press, $16.99. (9780763649098).

White’s cover illustration of a regal tiger pulls readers into a balanced discussion of human interaction with nature and how we affect endangered species. Handsome pencil illustrations make readers care about creatures large and small.

Heart and soul: the story of America and African Americans. By Kadir Nelson, Illus. by Kadir Nelson. Balzer + Bray (9780061730740).

In just 100 pages, Nelson's narrator tells the story of American History through the eyes of African-Americans. 46 luminous oil paintings portray iconic and ordinary images and make the history accessible for younger students; older students will find it equally intriguing.

If rocks could sing: A Discovered Alphabet. By Leslie McGuirk, Illus. by Leslie McGuirk. Tricycle Press, $15.99. (9781582463704).

Children and teachers will be inspired by this quirky concept book that uses shaped rocks as letters and objects. An alphabet book like no other.

Never forgotten. By Pat McKissack, Illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon. Schwartz & Wade Books, $18.99. (9780375843846).

A boy captured by slave traders in 18th Century Africa is brought to the Americas. This verse novel answers the question “Were we missed?” asked by the descendants of slaves stolen from Africa.

Press here. By Hervé Tullet, Illus. by Hervé Tullet. Handprint Books/Chronicle (9780811879545).

A whimsical, interactive picture book that draws readers through its pages by having them tap, clap, and follow other simple but enticing instructions.

Swirl by swirl: spirals in nature. By Joyce Sidman, Illus. by Beth Krommes. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99. (9780547315836).

A poem about spirals in nature invites close contemplation of the versatile, expansive shape beautifully portrayed from simple snail to coiled snake, or snuggling woodchuck to swimming nautilus in Krommes’ scratchboard illustrations.

2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

2012-01-25T21:04:00.000-05:00

The Quick Picks list, presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting suggests books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure; it is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read. The 2012 list features 117 titles; the committee also selected a top ten list, denoted here by an asterisk. Here are the 2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers:

Nonfiction

*Almerico, Kendall and Tess Hottenroth. Whoogles: Can a Dog Make a Woman Pregnant?...and Hundreds of Other Searches That Make You Ask "Who Would Google That?” F + W Media/Adams Media, 2010. $10.95. 978-1-4405-1086-1.

Google has all the answers to every question, even the ones you never thought to ask.

Barton, Chris. Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities. Illus. by Paul Hoppe. Penguin Group/Dial, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-8037-3310-7.

Spies, robbers, runaways . . . could you get away with it?

Beecroft, Simon. Star Wars Character Encyclopedia. DK, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-7566-8253-8.

From Admiral Ackbar to Yoda.

*Beever, Julian. Pavement Chalk Artist: The Three-Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever. Illus. Firefly Books, 2010. $29.95. 978-1-55407-661-1.

Step into street art.

Benson, Richard. F in Exams, The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers. Chronicle Books, 2011. $9.95. 978-0-8118-7831-9.

“Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? At the bottom.”

Black, Jake. The Ultimate Guide to WWE. Penguin Group/Grosset & Dunlap, 2011. . $12.99. 978-0-448-45554-9.

Your favorite WWE wrestlers all in one place!

Bleiman, Andrew; Eastland, Chris. ZooBorns: The Newest, Cutest Animals From the World's Zoos and Aquariums. Simon & Schuster, 2010. $9.99. 978-1-4391-9531-4.

Baby animals...Awwwwww!

Brady Games. Guinness World Records, Gamers Edition 2011. The Jim Pattison Group/ Guinness World Records LTD, 2011. $14.99. 978-0-7440-1261-3.

Top characters, high scores, and all the best games.

Bragg, Georgia. How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous. Illus. by Kevin O'Malley. Walker & Company, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-8027-9817-6.

The down and dirty on great deaths in history.

Buchholz, Rachel. How to Survive Anything. Illus. by Chris Philpot. National Geographic, 2011. $12.95. 978-1-4263-0774-4.

From embarrassing parents to shark attacks.

Claybourne, Anna. 100 Most Awesome Things On The Planet. Scholastic, 2011.. $7.99. 978-0-545-26848-6.

Mount Everest, nanomachines, the Great Wall of China, and more.

Conrad, Lauren. Lauren Conrad Style. HarperCollins, 2010. $19.99. 978-0-06-198914-8.

Exceptional style for every day.

Cowsill, Alan. Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide. DK/Marvel, 2010. $16.99. 978-0-7566-6740-5.

Heroes and villians, from A-Z.

DK Publishing. Big Questions. DK Publishing /DK Children, 2011. $19.99. 978-0-7566-7579-0.

“Can you step into the same river twice?” and other deep questions.

*Dugard, Jaycee. A Stolen Life: A Memoir. Simon & Schuster, 2011. $24.99. 978-1-4516-2918-7.

Eighteen years in captivity—in her own words.

Guinness World Records. Guinness World Records 2011. Guinness Worlds Records, 2010. $28.95. 978-1-904994-58-9. T

he biggest, fastest, and strongest.

Hammond, Paula. The World's Strangest Animals. Scholastic/ Scholastic Paperbacks, 2011. $8.99. 978-0-545-34745-7.

From the tranquil seahorse to the ferocious honey badger.

*Haugen, Brenda. The Zodiac Killer: Terror and Mystery. 2010. Compass Point Books. $ 24.99. 978-0-7565-4357-0.

The killer that got away with it.

Kaelin, Lauren and Sophia Fraioli. When Parents Text, So Much Said...So Little Understood. Workman, 2011. $10.95. 978-0-7611-6604-7.

LOL!

Lee, J.H. Boo: The Life of the World’s Cutest Dog. Chronicle Books, 2011. $12.95. 978-1-4521-0306-8.

Boo’s Pomeranian life in pictures.

Levy, Joel. Phobiapedia: All the Things We Fear the Most!. Scholastic/Scholastic Paperbacks, 2011. $8.99. 978-0-545-34929-1.

Does anyone suffer from xanthophobia? The fear of yellow.

Murray, Peter and Angela Sanchez. Memorable Moments in NFL Football. Murray Books/Toots, 2010. $34.95. 978-0-9803829-8-3.

Get a feel for the game.

Murray, Peter. Soccer. Murray Books/Toots, 2010. $34.95. 978-0-9803131-7-8.

Goooooal!

Murray, Peter. Basketball. Murray Books/Toots, 2010. $34.95. 978-0-9803829-9-0.

Swish!

Murray, Peter. Memorable Moments in Baseball. Murray Books/Toots, 2010. $34.95. 978-0-9803131-1-6.

It’s out of the park.

Murrie, Steve and Matthew Murrie. Every Day on Earth. Illus. by Tom Bloom. Scholastic, 2011. $9.99. 978-0-545-29706-6.

2,740 miles of Twizzlers are made every day.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Curioddities. Scholastic, 2011. $12.99. 978-0-545-31654-5.

Off-the-wall facts like fingernails that are 33 feet long.

Scholastic. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Special Edition 2012. Scholastic, Inc./Ripley's Publishing, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-545-32975-0.

Strange but true!

Sherman, M. Zachary. Fighting Phantoms. Capstone, 2011. $18.99. 978-1-4342-2560-3.

Shot down behind enemy lines.

Shoket, Ann. Seventeen Ultimate Guide to Style: How to Find Your Perfect Look. Running Press, 2011. $19.95. 978-0-7624-4193-8.

What’s your look? Girly, glam, or indie?

Shoreline Publishing. Year in Sports 2012. Scholastic Paperbacks, 2011. $9.99. 9780545331500.

Big shots, big wins, and big buck$.

*Snider, Brandon T. DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide. DK, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-7566-8261-3.

From Aquaman to Wonder Woman.

Tebow, Tim. Through My Eyes: A Quarterback’s Journey. HarperCollins Publishers/Zondervan, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-310-72345-5.

Up-close and personal with a Heisman Trophy winner.

Tibballs, Geoff, Judy Barratt, and Sally McFall (eds). Ripley’s Believe it or Not!: Strikingly True. Ripley Entertainment, 2011. $28.95. 978-1-60991-000-6.

Unbelievably weird!

Willin, Melvyn, Dr. Monsters Caught on Film. David and Charles, 2010. $16.99. 978-0-7153-3774-5.

Real or not real? You decide.

Fiction

50 Cent. Playground. Illus. by Lizzi Akana. Penguin Group/Razorbill, 2011. $17.99. 978-1-59514-434-8.

How a bully became an artist.

*Aguirre, Ann. Enclave. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-312-65008-7.

The fight to survive continues underground.

Barnholdt, Lauren. Sometimes it Happens. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4424-1314-6.

Sometimes you fall for your best friend's boyfriend.

Beam, Cris. I am J. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-316-05361-7.

J was born a girl but feels like a boy.

Binns, B. A. Pull. WestSide Books, 2010. $16.95. 978-1-934813-43-0.

What happens after dad murders mom?

Blake, Kendare. Anna Dressed in Blood. Tom Doherty Associates/Tor Teen, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-7653-2865-6.

Cas kills the dead, it's his job.

*Booth, Coe. Bronxwood. Scholastic/Push, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-439-92534-1.

Too much pressure, too many choices, not enough options.

Brooks, Kevin. iBoy. Scholastic/The Chicken House, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-545-31768-9.

After Tom’s head-on collision with an iPhone, he’s out for revenge.

Brosgol, Vera. Anya's Ghost. Macmillan/First Second, 2011. $15.99. 978-1-59643-552-0.

Anya's new best friend is a ghost with a secret!

Busch, Jeff. Zombie High Yearbook '64. Sterling Publishing, 2011. $14.95. 978-1-4027-8471-2.

Not your typical yearbook.

Cerrito, Angela. The End of the Line. Holiday House, 2011. 17.95. 978-0-8234-2287-6.

Can Robbie change or will he be stuck in his own prison forever?

Dean, Carolee. Take Me There. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2010. $8.99. 978-1-4169-8950-9.

A father and son reunion on Death Row.

*Elkeles, Simone. Chain Reaction. Walker & Company, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-8027-2087-0.

Will Luis choose the girl or the gang?

Ford, Christopher. Stickman Odyssey: An Epic Doodle Book One. Penguin Group/Philomel, 2011. $12.99. 978-0-399-25426-0.

The Odyssey, like you’ve never seen it.

Gidwitz, Adam. A Tale Dark and Grimm. Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group, 2010. $16.99. 978-0-525-42334-8.

Hansel goes to hell and Gretel slays a demon.

Greenman, Catherine. Hooked. Random House/Delacorte, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-385-74008-1.

Seventeen and pregnant. Where do you turn?

Harrington, Kim. Clarity. Scholastic/Point, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-545-23050-6.

One touch can solve a murder.

Harris, Carrie. Bad Taste in Boys. Random House/Delacorte, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-385-73968-9.

Can Katie save her town from a zombie virus AND land the hot boy?

Hopkins, Ellen. Perfect. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011. $18.99. 978-1-4169-8324-8.

What is the price of perfection?

Hunter, Travis. Two the Hard Way. Kensington/Dafina, 2010. $9.95. 978-0-7582-4250-1.

Two brothers, two paths.

Riders of the Apocalypse Series.

Kessler, Jackie Morse. Hunger. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Graphia, 2010. $8.99. 978-0-54-734124-8.

While battling anorexia, Lisabeth becomes Famine, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Kessler, Jackie Morse. Rage. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Graphia, 2011. $8.99. 978-0-547-44528-1.

Missy is a cutter, now she wields a larger blade as War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Kowalski, William. The Barrio Kings. Orca Book Publishers/Raven Books, 2010. $9.95. 978-1-55469-244-6.

Can you ever walk away?

Lancaster, Mike A. Human.4. Egmont, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-60684-099-3.

Alien invasion or something else?

Lewis, Stewart. You Have Seven Messages. Random House/Delacorte Press, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-385-74028-9.

Was everything in Luna's life a lie?

Littman, Sarah Darer. Want to Go Private? Scholastic Press, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-545-15146-7.

Is Abby's online friend responsible for her disappearance?

Lore, Pittacus. I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1). HarperCollins Publishers/Harper, 2010. $17.99. 978-0-06-196955-3.

Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are dead. Now they are coming for number 4.

Lost Zombies. Dead Inside Do Not Enter: Notes from the Zombie Apocalypse. Chronicle Books, 2011. $19.95. 978-1-4521-0108-8.

All that remains are the notes they left behind.

Marcus, Kimberly. Exposed. Random House Children's Books, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-375-86693-7.

Who should Liz believe? Her best friend or her brother?

McClintock, Norah. She Said/She Saw. Orca, 2011. $12.95. 978-1-55469-335-1.

Two friends are dead. What did Tegan see?

McMann, Lisa. Cryer's Cross. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4169-9481-7.

Missing teens and mysterious messages.

Mlynowski, Sarah. Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have). HarperCollins Publishers/HarperTeen, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-06-170124-5.

April's crazy junior year starts with one big lie.

Nelson, Blake. Recovery Road. Scholastic Press, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-545-10729-7.

Does rehab love work in real life?

Northrop, Michael. Trapped. Scholastic Press, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-545-21012-6.

Seven teens stranded. Who will survive?

*Patterson, James. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life. Illus. by Lara Park and Chris Tebbets. Little, Brown and Company, 2011. $15.99. 978-0316101875.

It all started going wrong in middle school...

Peirce, Lincoln. Big Nate on a Roll. HarperCollins/Harper, 2011. $12.99. 978-0-06-194438-3.

Antics of a funny kid.

Proimos, James. 12 Things to Do Before You Crash and Burn. Roaring Book Press, 2011. $14.99. 978-1-56943-595-7.

The mission: find the unattainable and beautiful woman.

Reed, Amy. Clean. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4424-1344-3.

Five teenagers in rehab.

Restrepo, Bettina. Illegal. HarperCollins Publishers/Katherine Tegen Books, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-06-195342-2.

Nora will do anything to find her father.

Roth, Veronica. Divergent. HarperCollins Publishers/Katherine Tegen Books, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-06-202402-2.

In a perfect world, being different can be deadly.

Rue, Ginger. Jump. Random House/Tricycle Press, 2010. $15.99. 978-1-58246-334-6.

A mean girl is about to get a taste of her own medicine.

Sanchez, Alex. Boyfriends with Girlfriends. Simon & Schuster, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4169-3773-9.

Sergio and Kimiko, Lance and Allie—but who's attracted to whom?

Santat, Dan. Sidekicks. Scholastic, Inc./Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011. $12.99. 978-0-439-29819-3.

Captain Amazing is getting old and needs to choose a sidekick.

Urban Underground Series

Schraff, Anne. To Catch a Dream. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-269-9.

Able's job at the donut shop may be in jeopardy.

Schraff, Anne. The Unforgiven. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-586-7.

Can Naomi bring her family back together again?

Schraff, Anne. The Fairest. Saddleback Educational,2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-007-7.

The girls at Tubman High will stop at nothing to win Princess of the Fair.

Schraff, Anne. The Quality of Mercy. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-006-0.

Alonee and Oliver investigate who is vandalizing the school.

Schraff, Anne. Wildflower. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-009-1.

Chelsea rebels against her father's rules.

Schraff, Anne. Dark Secrets. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-267-5.

Ernesto tries to save Naomi from her abusive boyfriend.

Schraff, Anne. Deliverance. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-587-4.

Naomi needs her job, but not her stalker boss.

Schraff, Anne. Leap of Faith. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-588-1.

Ernesto witnesses a robbery.

Schraff, Anne. The Lost. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-585-0.

Is Carmen’s new boyfriend in a gang?

Schraff, Anne. No Fear. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-268-2.

Naomi stands up to her abusive father.

Schraff, Anne. The Stranger. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-266-8.

Ernesto, the new boy at school, falls for Naomi.

Schraff, Anne. Time of Courage. Saddleback Educational, 2010. $8.95. 978-1-61651-270-5.

Will Ernesto do what's right for the Barrio?

Schraff, Anne. The Water's Edge. Saddleback Educational, 2011. $8.95. 978-1-61651-589-8.

Ernesto hopes for a better future after graduation.

Schroeder, Lisa. The Day Before. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-44241-743-4.

Amber and Cade each hope for one perfect day.

Schreiber, Joe. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. $16.99. 978-0-547-57738-8.

One exchange student + 1 borrowed Jaguar + 5 assassinations = 1 epic prom night

Shepard, Sara. The Lying Game. HarperCollins Publishers/HarperTeen, 2010. $16.99. 978-0-06-186970-9.

Your best friends just may be your enemies.

Smith, Alexander Gordon. Death Sentence (Escape From Furnace #3). Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. $15.99. 978-0-374-32494-0.

Alex fights to keep his identity while transforming into what he hates most.

Springer, Kristina. My Fake Boyfriend is Better Than Yours. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010. $15.99. 978-0-374-39910-8.

Tell me about your boyfriend.

Strasnick, Lauren. Her and Me and You. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse, 2010. $16.99. 978-1-4169-8266-1.

Caught between a brother and a sister.

Summers, Courtney. Fall For Anything. Macmillan/St. Martin's Griffin, 2010. $9.99. 978-0-312-65673-7.

Eddie has unanswered questions about her father’s suicide.

*TenNapel, Doug. Ghostopolis. Scholastic, Inc./Graphix, 2010. $24.99. 978-0-545-21027-0.

Garth finds a new reason to live in the land of the dead.

Bluford Series

Folan, Karyn Langhorne. Breaking Point. Townsend Press, 2011. $4.95. 978-1-59194-232-0.

When trouble hits at home for Vicki, everything boils over.

Folan, Karyn Langhorne. Pretty Ugly. Townsend Press, 2011. $4.95. 978-1-59194-233-7.

Some girls will do anything to get on the cheer team.

Kern, Peggy. The Test. Townsend Press, 2011. $4.95. 978-159194-234-4.

Can Liselle handle being a mother at sixteen?

Various Authors: Night Fall Series

Atwood, Megan. Last Desserts. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-7811-2.

Can Ella use her baking skills to save herself and her best friend?

Carr, Elias. The Combination. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-7810-5.

The wrong locker combination can send you straight to hell!

Jasper, Rick. The Late Bus. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-7812-9.

Is the new school bus driver dead?

Harris, Ashley Rae. The Prank. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.99. 978-0-7613-7814-3.

Who’s next when practical jokes turn deadly?

Hoblin, Paul. Foul. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-7813-6.

Can Rhino make the shot when lives depend on it?

Surviving South Side Series

Fontes, Justine. Benito Runs. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6165-7.

Benny's father returns from Iraq with PTSD.

Korman, Susan. Bad Deal. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6166-4.

Everyone wants what Fish is selling.

Simon, Charnan. Shattered Star. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 2011. 978-0-7613-6168-8.

How far will Cassie go for fame?

Simon, Charnan. Plan B. 2011. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6163-3.

When Lucy gets pregnant, will Luke do the right thing?

Weyn, Suzanne. Beaten. 2011. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6164-0.

Paige's “perfect” boyfriend is not so perfect.

Weyn, Suzanne. Recruited. Lerner Publishing Group/Darby Creek, 2011. $7.95. 978-0-7613-6167-1.

Are the offers too good to be true?

Van Cleave, Ryan G. Unlocked. Bloomsbury Publishing/Walker Books for Young Readers, 2011. $15.99. 978-0-8027-2186-0.

Will Alex betray his best friend?

Vrettos, Adrienne Maria. Burnout. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011. $16.99. 978-1-4169-9469-5.

Halloween nightmare or reality?

Wells, Robison. Variant. HarperCollins Publishers/HarperTeen, 2011. $17.99. 978-0-06-20260-8-8.

Playing by the rules can be deadly.

Wilkerson, Lili. Pink. HarperCollins Publishers /HarperTeen, 2011. $16.99. 978-0061926532.

New school, new friends, new look.

Book trailers for WORDS SET ME FREE, by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome and James Ransome’s WHEN GRANDMAMA SINGS, by Margaree King Mitchell

2012-01-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

Starred in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, WORDS SET ME FREE, written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James Ransome, is the powerful story of Frederick Douglass's early life. Here is the book trailer to what School Library Journal calls "a concise, accessible, beautifully illustrated book based on Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass."

Here, too, is the book trailer to James Ransome’s WHEN GRANDMAMA SINGS, which Publishers Weekly called “a stirring reminder that it’s never too late to chase one’s dreams, no matter the obstacles” and Kirkus called a “gentle story that shows the everyday realities of segregation through the observant eye of a child.” Written by Margaree King Mitchell, it is it is filled, as Kirkus says, with “watercolors in warm tones of yellows and browns to reveal nuances of expression and the warmth of family and community."

We hope you enjoy them both.

Eloise Greenfield shares her first reaction upon hearing that THE GREAT MIGRATION was a 2012 Coretta Scott King Honor

2012-01-25T00:14:00.000-05:00

We asked Eloise Greenfield to tell us what it was like to hear that her book, THE GREAT MIGRATION: JOURNEY TO THE NORTH, had just won a 2012 Coretta Scott King Honor. Her response is below, but first let me explain the process. When the Coretta Scott King committee (usually 15 librarians, reviewers, and other children's book professionals) reaches their decision during the American Library Association Midwinter Conference, typically held in January, they contact the publishers for the winners' contact information. The chair of the committee then contacts the winners, and the whole committee is on hand to extend their congratulations. About six months later (usually in June), the winners attend the Summer American Library Association Conference, where they accept their awards at the Coretta Scott King Breakfast. At that time, the breakfast attendees hear the formal acceptance speeches. The following is not formal in any way, but Eloise Greenfield's spontaneous reaction to hearing that THE GREAT MIGRATION was a Coretta Scott King Honor Book:

"I was asleep when the phone rang, at 7:30 in the morning, but a few seconds later, as soon as I knew who was calling, I was wide awake. I can't remember the entire conversation. I can just hear myself saying, "I'm so excited!" several times, almost like punctuation to their comments. I was on speakerphone, and at the end, all the committee members shouted, "Congratulations!" I thanked them, hung up and waited impatiently for the hour when I could start calling friends and family."

Congratulations again, Eloise, from all the Balkin Buddies.

Eloise Greenfield's THE GREAT MIGRATION is named a 2012 Coretta Scott King Honor Book

2012-01-23T17:10:00.000-05:00

"In writing THE GREAT MIGRATION: JOURNEY TO THE NORTH," Eloise Greenfield once said, "I felt that poetry would take me where I wanted to go, to a deep place beneath the surface of facts. I also wanted to tell two stories simultaneously – that of this important movement itself, and that of some of the individuals inside the movement. These were people with hopes and dreams, apprehensions, determination, optimism, and most of all, courage.”

Today, Ms. Greenfield's stories about those people received one of the highest honors accorded to a children's book. THE GREAT MIGRATION: JOURNEY TO THE NORTH was named a 2012 Coretta Scott King Honor Book.

Please join me us congratulating Ms. Greenfield, and you can congratulate her yourself at the American Library Association Conference in Anaheim, where she'll be going to accept the honor at the Coretta Scott King Breakfast on June 26, 2012.

And the winners are….The 2012 Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Printz, and others….

2012-01-23T16:19:00.006-05:00

As you may know, the American Library Association announced the major ALA awards this morning in Dallas, Texas. Here are the winners and honors:

2012 Newbery Award winner: Jack Gantos: Dead End in Norvelt (Farrar Straus Giroux/Macmillan)

2012 Newbery Honor: Eugene Yelchin: Breaking Stalin’s Nose (Henry Holt/Macmillan)

2012 Newbery Honor: Thanhha Lai: Inside Out & Back Again (HarperCollins)

2012 Caldecott Winner: Chris Raschka: A Ball for Daisy (Random House)

2012 Caldecott Honor: John Rocco: Blackout (Hyperion/Disney)

2012 Caldecott Honor: Lane Smith: Grandpa Green (Roaring Brook/Macmillan/Holtzbrinck)

2012 Caldecott Honor: Patrick McDonnell: Me...Jane (Little Brown)

2012 Coretta Scott King Author Award winner: Kadir Nelson: Heart and Soul (Balzer & Bray, HarperCollins)

2012 Coretta Scott King Author Honor: Eloise Greenfield: The Great Migration: Journey to the North, illus. by Jan Spivey Gilchrist (HarperCollins)

2012 Coretta Scott King Author Honor: Patricia McKissack: Never Forgotten (Random House)

2012 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner: Shane Evans: Underground (Neal Porter/Roaring Brook/Macmillan/Holtzbrinck)

2012 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor: Kadir Nelson: (Balzar & Bray, HarperCollins)

2012 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement: Ashley Bryan (Simon & Schuster)

2012 Michael L. Printz Award winner: John Corey Whaley: Where Things Come Back (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)

2012 Michael L. Printz Honor: Craig Silvey: Jasper Jones (Random House)

2012 Michael L. Printz Honor: Christine Hinwood: The Returning (Dial/Penguin)

2012 Michael L. Printz Honor: Maggie Stiefvater: The Scorpio Races (Scholastic)

2012 Michael L. Printz Honor: Daniel Handler: Why We Broke Up (Little Brown)

2012 Margaret A. Edwards Award: Susan Cooper (Simon & Schuser)

2012 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award winner: Melissa Sweet: Balloons Over Broadway (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Honors:
2012 Robert F. Sibert Honor: Rosalyn Schanzer: Witches (National Geographic)

2012 Robert F. Sibert Honor: Larry Dane Brimner: Black & White (Boyds Mills Press)

2012 Robert F. Sibert Honor: Allen Say: Drawing from Memory (Scholastic)

2012 Robert F. Sibert Honor: Caitlin O’Connell and Donna M. Jackson, photographs by Caitlin O’Connell and Timothy Rodwell: The Elephant Scientist (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner: Josh Schneider: Tales for Very Picky Eaters (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Honors:

2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor: Mo Willems: I Broke My Trunk (Hyperion/Disney)

2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor: Jon Kassen: I Want My Hat Back (Candlewick Press)

2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor: Paul Meisel: See Me Run (Holiday House)

William C. Morris Debut YA Award winner: John Corey Whaley: Where Things Come Back (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster)

William C. Morris Debut YA Award Finalist: Ruta Sepetys: Between Shades of Gray (Philomel Books/Penguin)

William C. Morris Debut YA Award Finalist: Rae Carson: Girl of Fire and Thorns (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins)

William C. Morris Debut YA Award Finalist: Jenny Hubbard: Paper Covers Rock (Random House)

William C. Morris Debut YA Award Finalist: Guadalupe Garcia McCall: Under the Mesquite (Lee & Low)

Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Winner: Steve Sheinkin: The Notorious Benedict Arnold (Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan)

Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist: Karen Blumenthal: Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition (Roaring Brook/Macmillan)

Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist: Susan Goldman Rubin: Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein (Charlesbridge)

Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist: Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos: Sugar Changed the World (Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist: Sue Macy: Wheels of Change (National Geographic)

Pura Belpré Author Award winner: Guadalupe Garcia McCall: Under the Mesquite (Lee & Low)

Pura Belpré Author Honor: Margarita Engle: Hurricane Dancers (Holt/Macmillan)

Pura Belpré Author Honor: Xavier Garza: Maximilian and the Mystery of the Guardian Angel (Cinco Puntos Press)

Pura Belpré Illustrator winner: Duncan Tonatiuh: Diego Rivera (Abrams)

Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor: Rafael López: The Cazuela that the Farm Maiden Stirred, by Samantha R. Vamos (Charlesbridge)

Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor: Sara Palacios: Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match /Marisol McDonald no combina, by Monica Brown (Lee & Low)

Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobooks: Rotters (Listening Library/Random House)

Odyssey Honor: Okay for Now (Listening Library/Random House)

Odyssey Honor: The Scorpio Races (Scholastic Audiobooks)

Odyssey Honor: Young Freddie (Listening Library/Random House)

Mildred L. Batchelder Award Winner: Soldier Bear, by Bibi Durnon Tak, illus. by Philip Hopman, translated by Laura Watkinson (Eerdmans)

Mildred L. Batchelder Honor: The Lily Pond, by Annika Thor, translated by Linda Schenk (Random House)

Schneider Family Book Awards for Middle School: Joan Bauer: close to famoush (Penguin)

Schneider Family Book Awards for Middle School: Brian Selznick: Wonderstruck (Scholastic)

Schneider Family Book Award for Teens: Wendelin Van Draanen: The Running Dream (Knopf/Random House)

Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award winner: Bil Wright: Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy (Simon & Schuster)

Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Honor: Ilike Merey: a + e 4ever (Lethe Press, Inc.)

Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Honor: Paul Yee: Money Boy (Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press)

Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Honor: Lili Wilkinson: Pink (HarperCollins)

Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Honor: Brian Farrey: with or without you (Simon & Schuster)

Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers!

Danielle Joseph's SHRINKING VIOLET, premieres as RADIO REBEL on the Disney Channel on February 17, 201

2012-01-19T15:15:00.000-05:00

In September, Danielle Joseph talked about what it's like to have her young adult novel, SHRINKING VIOLET, become a Disney movie.

We just learned that the movie, re-titled RADIO REEL, will premiere on Friday, February 17 at 8/7C on the Disney Channel, and we thought you might be interested in meeting some of the cast before the show.

Danielle Joseph, who was born in Cape Town, South Africa; grew up in Boston and now lives in Miami, has worked as radio broadcaster herself. She has also been copywriter and a middle school English/Creative Writing teacher and is now available for author visits and Skype chats. If you would like to meet her in person or online, you can find out more about that at BalkinBuddies.

We hope you enjoy the show. We’d love to hear what differences you see between the book and the movie!

Yona Zeldis McDonough’s THE CATS IN THE DOLL SHOP just named a 2012 Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Older Readers

2012-01-18T15:41:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to announce that among the 2012 Sydney Taylor Book Award winners, THE CATS IN THE DOLL SHOP by Yona Zeldis McDonough, with illustrations by Heather Maione (Penguin), has been named a Notable Book for Older Readers.

The Sydney Taylor Book Award honors new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience. The award memorializes Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series and is presented annually by the Association of Jewish Libraries.

Please join us in congratulating Yona and Heather.

School Library Journal’s review calls Margery Cuyler’s TICK TOCK CLOCK a book “beginning readers will want to share with Grandma”

2012-01-17T11:01:00.000-05:00

Margery Cuyler’s new book, TICK TOCK CLOCK, was reviewed in the January 2012 issue of School Library Journal. Here’s what the reviewer had to say:

PreS-K – The daylong activities of twin girls and their grandmother are told through two- and three- word sentences all rhyming with “tock.” “Tick Tock/Ten o’clock/Tick Tock/Messy Socks.” Each hour sees the children playing with blocks, eating lunch on the dock, chasing a flock, and walking a block, until Mom comes to pick them up and Grandma and her cat can fall “Asleep like a rock!” This phonics reader uses word repetition, consistent vowel sound of the short “o,” and a steady rhythm to create a successful reading experience for new readers, and Neubecker’s energetic illustrations fill in the details. Children will also enjoy watching the antics of a busy cat throughout. Analog clocks appear on the endpapers but not in the text, making this story more about the reading experience and less about telling time. A solid edition that beginning readers will want to share with Grandma.

A writer, editor, and publisher, Margery Cuyler is also available for speaking engagements in schools and at conferences and other events. For further information about her, please contact Balkin Buddies.

Yona Zeldis McDonough’s The Doll Shop Downstairs inspires a young reluctant reader

2012-01-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

Yona Zeldis McDonough received an e-mail from the father of a little girl who was not a big fan of reading, but whose passion was suddenly ignited by her encounter with THE DOLL SHOP DOWNSTAIRS, (Penguin). McDonough was so touched by the father’s message that she offered to send the girl a bookmark. The father responded by sending this photo of a diorama based on the story that the girl made to share with her class. “I remember the books that I read and re-read as a child,” says McDonough, “the ones that took up residence in my soul, and gave me as much nourishment as food and drink. I feel such satisfaction to think that I might have written a book that will have a similar effect on a child.”

Book Links' “Lasting Connections of 2011” includes THE SILVER BOWL, A FULL MOON IS RISING, and THE GREAT MIGRATION

2012-01-12T13:52:00.001-05:00

BOOK LINKS has announced the annual annotated “Lasting Connections” list, spotlighting the editors’ selections of the 30 best 2011 picture books, novels and informational titles for K-8 libraries and classrooms. “Lasting Connections” is considered an essential collection development tool for children’s librarians, school library media specialists and K–8 educators. “It’s tough to choose only 30 selections from among the excellent fiction and informational youth books published each year,” said BOOKLIST Books for Youth Editorial Director Gillian Engberg.

The following titles are on this list, and the annotations are included here:

Language Arts

THE SILVER BOWL, by Diane Stanley (Harper)

Molly, a young scullery maid in the castle of King Edmund, sees visions and hears voices that offer glimpses of the future, but she hides her gift for fear of being viewed as a madwoman or witch. Then she learns that her visions hold important information about a curse on the royal family, and she is plunged into a wild, fantastical adventure. With rich detail, taut suspense, and the creative use of fairy-tale tropes, Stanley creates an enthralling story that will make a terrific classroom read-aloud.

Science

A FULL MOON IS RISING, by Marilyn Singer (Lee & Low)

In this picture-book collection, veteran children’s poet Singer offers a moving, informative “lunar journey” around the world. Each spread features an evocative verse vignette that often neatly folds scientific information into the lyrical lines, as in a scene of ghostly divers moving silently over a reef as the coral prepare to spawn under the full moon. Cairns’ watercolor images echo the words’ celebratory tone with joyful colors and compositions. More lunar information opens and closes this creative choice for cross-curricular sharing that taps into the moon’s mysterious, awe-inspiring allure.

Social Studies

THE GREAT MIGRATION, by Eloise Greenfield and illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist (HarperCollins)

Greenfield was among the more than a million African Americans who left their homes in the South and moved to the North between 1915 and 1930. Each spread in this powerful poetry collection looks at a different stage in the Great Migration, and the beat in Greenfield’s free verse amplifies the feeling of momentum, down to the rhythm of the train that is felt in a northbound passenger’s questions: “Will I make a good life / for my family, / for myself? / The wheels are singing, / ‘Yes, you will, / you will, you will!’” Greatly enhanced by Gilchrist’s moving mixed-media collages, this title offers a personal look at a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

Please join us in congratulating Diane Stanley, Marilyn Singer, Eloise Greenfield, and Jan Spivey Gilchrist.

An excerpt from S.A. Bodeen’s new page-turner, THE RAFT

2012-01-11T14:00:00.000-05:00

We recently learned that, after THE RAFT is published this August, S.A. Bodeen’s next book will be the sequel to THE COMPOUND.

But while you’re waiting, take a look at THE RAFT. Among the survivor tools in it are four flares, a little yellow cup, a small square mirror, a flashlight and some extra batteries, a sponge, seasick tablets, some gauze and bandages, a couple of packs of Tylenol, a patch kit for the raft, and a bag of Skittles. But will they be lost to Robie, the fifteen-year-old daughter of research biologists who live on Midway Island? THE RAFT is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat page-turner and the following excerpt is just one brief example:

From underneath the bottom of the galley’s shelves, he pulled something out and tossed it down the aisle in front of him. The cabin was still dark, and I couldn’t see what it was.

With a foot, he pushed it along as he walked, until he reached me.

Now I wanted to scream.

It was a yellow raft. An emergency raft.

But we would only need that if –

Max reached beneath a seat, yanked out a flotation device, and shoved it in my lap. Then he uttered the first words I’d heard him speak.

Those words weren’t Everything is okay or You’ll be okay or We’ll be landing at Midway soon. Instead, they were the worst words I’ve ever heard:

“We lost an engine and the hydraulics are acting up. We can’t get out of the storm, so Larry is going to ditch the plane while he can still control it.” He nodded at the flotation device in my lap. “Put that on.”

(chapter break)

My limbs froze and my heart pounded in my ears as I watched Max struggle to get back to the cockpit.

The flotation device was still in my lap, but I didn’t even try to put it on. I couldn’t make myself look at it. None of this was real, none of it.

Everything was fuzzy. Dull.

None of it could possibly be real.

The G-1 bounced all over, and then we went into a dive, so steep my belly strained against the seat belt, and then I couldn’t do anything but hold my hands over my face and scream into them.

I didn’t see Max coming until he was right there.

With one hand, he held on to the seat across the aisle. With the other, he grabbed my shoulder and shook, hard, until I stopped screaming. His face was inches from mine and his eyes narrowed. “Listen to me! If you want to get out of here, you have to listen!”

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do anything but listen.

His breath smelled of coffee as he continued to yell at me, face-to-face. “The G-one should stay on the surface for about five minutes. If we stand any chance at all, we’ve got to get the raft out the window exit, then inflate it. You can’t inflate it before it goes out the window, understand?”

He was so close, it seemed like I absorbed his words through my face, not my ears. I couldn’t do anything but look at him.

Leaning back a little, he grimaced and then yelled, “Do you understand?” A few flecks of spit landed on my face.

I just sat there.

He slapped me.

Shocked out of my paralysis, I set a hand on my cheek and nodded like a maniac.

“Five more minutes and we’re down. Get your life vest on; get ready to exit. We’ve got to be fast or…”

He hesitated, and then finished his sentence. “Or we’ll go down with the plane. Understand?”

Again, I nodded, even though I only wanted to scream.

Max stumbled back to the cockpit.

I wanted so badly to hear what was worse than this. I needed to know what was worse. There had to be something worse.

Didn’t there?

My hands shook so bad that I just sat there, cradling the one thing that might save my life. The one thing that would do absolutely no good if I didn’t get it on in time.

Things suddenly got quieter.

Then there were new sounds.

Shudders and squeaks and an anguished mechanical groan like something out of a horror movie. Max barreled down the aisle toward me and, with a loud grunt, ripped the exit window open. The wind and rain burst in and would have nearly blown me away if I hadn’t been strapped down.

But in one motion, Max clicked open my seat belt, gripped me under the armpits, and picked me up like a small child. Wobbling as the plane jostled us, he stepped to the opening.

The wind whistled and rain pelted my face. Putting up my hands to protect myself, I shouted, “My life vest!”

He just tightened his grip on me and screamed back, “Hold your breath and kick for the surface! The raft will be there!”

And then he threw me out the window.