The pure pleasure of poetry - a shining memory of #ALA11

A shining moment in my memory of the American Library Association's annual conference was the pure pleasure of the ALSC Poetry Blast. Although I was tired and spent after a long weekend, listening to these poets renewed me with energy and enthusiasm for sharing poetry with children of all ages.

As Joyce Sidman says, we all need time to ponder:

“Time alone, without noise and distraction.  This is when ideas come--when things sort themselves out, when you see visions and solutions.  Not just for writing, but for life.” 

The ALSC Poetry Blast brought a bit of this pondering time to me on Monday afternoon. I was able to listen and be transported to place within myself that has room for pondering.

Stephanie Calmenson started the afternoon by shared poems for the very young. She captures the voice and thoughts of the very young perfectly, reading with enthusiasm and pure joy. Her poems for babies, toddlers and preschoolers are filled with irresistible energy, and hearing Stephanie read them woke me up and spread a smile across my face as she made me remember reading to my own children when they were very young. I can't wait to check out her books Good for You! and Dinner at the Panda Palace.

I have long admired Nikki Grimes, and so it was a special honor to hear her read a selection of her poems, especially ones inspired by her own parents. She read from Dark Sons, from A Dime a Dozen, Planet Middle School, and more. I am continually amazed how she is able to capture the voice of tweens and teens, whether it’s the young tween smiling secretly as her mother whispers mushy Puerto Rican on the subway, or the confusion of middle school as friendships seem to change on a daily basis. I know our students are going to love Planet Middle School, due out this September.

I made sure to go to this event because I had been receiving weekly updates on Facebook through the Fans of the ALSC Poetry Blast page - yes, social marketing in this new age really has an impact! Make sure to check into Sylvia Vardell’s wonderful blog Poetry for Children; over the next several weeks, she will be sharing videos and more from this wonderful event. Even from home, you too will be inspired to share the pure pleasure of poetry with children.

Whirling, spinning, with books in hand at #ALA11

I'm away for a long weekend at the American Library Association, known in my household as "Librarians Gone Wild," the annual meeting where librarians from around the country (and world) gather to talk, share and trade. It's hard to put into words how wonderful this experience is so far, but I think the greatest part of it has been making connections with people whose work I've read - authors, bloggers, friends on GoodReads, librarians on list-serves, reviewers.

On the first day, I walked into the exhibit hall's graphic novel artist's lane because I knew my students adore graphic novels. I'm quite a shy person, not very good at asserting myself into conversations, so I was waiting patiently to say hi to Raina Telgemeier, the author of our most popular graphic novel Smile, when she saw me and shouted, "Mary Ann! Hello!!!" and gave me a huge hug. I've never met Raina or her husband Dave Roman before, but I've shared my enthusiasm for their stories on my blog and on Twitter. My support (and truly, the support of my students) has meant a lot to them, and Raina recognized me immediately from my blog - I was stunned!

I'm just thrilled to connect with the people who create these stories that mean so much to our children. That's really the heart of it. These stories enrich our children's lives, help them make meaning out of the confusing times, bring them hope and joy when they may be sinking low, and keep them company when they may feel alone. And I want to be able to share that appreciation with the artists who make huge efforts and take tremendous risks to share these stories.

I also have loved meeting and connecting with other librarians, bloggers and book lovers at the conference. Today I met three bloggers and librarians I really admire: Brenda Kahn of ProseandKahn, Travis Jonker of 100 Scope Notes, John Schumacher a.k.a. Mr.Schu, a Library Journal Mover and Shaker of the Year. I had connected with all of these amazing book-loving librarians online, but had never met in person. And yet we've had great connections. MrSchu and I have shared late night book swaps on Twitter. Brenda leaves encouraging messages on my blog and amazes me with the breadth and depth of her reading and amount of books she reviews on her blog. And Travis amazes me with his creative reviews, always seeking new ways to share books he's loving. I've felt connected to each one, but to finally meet them in person has me whirling and spinning!

I would like to give special thanks to two people who have truly inspired me, in more ways than these simple words can convey: Kathy Shepler and Jenni Holm. Kathy is a librarian and book-lover extraordinaire who invited me to join her Mock Newbery book club several years ago, where a group of passionate, fun-loving adults read the best children's books of the year. Kathy has introduced me to a world of literature, with grace and passion that have made me sparkle with joy. This year, Kathy served on the Newbery Committee and it was amazing to watch and listen as she read more than I could ever imagine, considering each book thoughtfully and deeply. And Jenni has not only brought such joy to the students at our school and to me as a reader, as the author of the Babymouse series and the Newbery Honor winning Turtle in Paradise, but she has welcomed me, inviting me to dinner with her editor and sitting at her table. So tomorrow night I will be able to sit at the Random House table at the Newbery / Caldecott Awards banquet with Jenni's family.

Never in my wildest dreams as a child would I have ever imagined such a small world, where we could reach out and connect to authors we admire, to people far across the country.

Summer reading - what are you reading (plus give away!)

I've had a great start to summer. Our weather has turned gloriously sunny, after long stretches of rain and cold all through May. We've been going on lovely after-dinner neighborhood walks, enjoying summer evenings. And my children are enjoying both time with friends and time with each other, in a nice balance (for the moment!). But best of all has been time to read!

Summer can be such a fun time to read what you want to read, not what other people are telling you to. I loved taking my tweens to the library with friends and watch them recommend books to each other. I love sneak-peaking what other people are reading at the pool or on the airplane. And I love stealing quiet moments to read in the middle of the afternoon or late at night - just those times when you're really not supposed to. But it's summer, so all rules can be broken a little, can't they?!!

This summer I've had the delicious treat of reading an advance copy of Brian Selznick's newest amazing work, Wonderstruck. It's written in the amazing style of Hugo Cabret, but weaves an even more intricate, interwoven story. I'll share more about it when it's published in September. And I loved reading a graphic novel Sidekicks, by Dan Santat. If your child inhales graphic novels and loves superheroes, this is definitely worth looking out for - it will be released next week.

Next up for my summer reading are:

• Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity, by Dave Roman - this graphic novel got great advanced reviews by the 4th and 5th graders at Emerson. They loved its humor, illustrations and overall blend of fantasy and real life.
• The Friendship Doll, by Kirby Larson - I've just started this wonderful historical fiction book. My youngest was drawn to the doll story, but I think it's more suited to older elementary readers (ages 9 - 12) who enjoy the detailed historical fiction that Larson does so well.

• The Boy Who Howled, by Timothy Powers - I've just started this as well (OK, it's a bad habit), and am having fun with this take on the classic story of a boy raised by wolves. Powers creates humorous dialog, imagining what the wolves were saying to one another and how they tried to talk with Callum, the young boy they took in. He's just been sent back to live with the humans, and I'm sure there are many adventures to come.
• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente - I've heard wonderful things about this new fantasy, with its twisted, turning story as September, a young girl from Omaha, Nebraska, finds herself whisked away to Fairyland to retrieve a witch's spoon. One book-loving friend, Donalyn Miller (a.k.a. The Book Whisperer), describes this as a blend between the Phantom Tollbooth, Alice in Wonderland and the Oz books.
• When Life Gives You O.J., by Erica Perl - Our neighbors are getting a puppy today, and my daughter has been yearning for her own puppy. Well, this book's trailer just made me laugh so much and think of her. In this sweet story, Zeely's eccentric grandfather Ace hatches a ridiculous plan involving a "practice dog" named OJ, but Zelly's not so sure how far she's willing to go to win a dog of her own. Is Ace's plan so crazy it just might work . . . or is it just plain crazy?
  

Come enjoy the trailer for When Life Gives You O.J., and you'll want to try it with you children:



Come join me in summer reading! I'd love to share your thoughts about what books you're enjoying with your children. Enter a chance to win a free copy of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland by leaving a comment on yesterday's post here.

If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support.


Review ©2011 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books.
 

Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (ages 10 - 14) - giveaway!

I loved reading fairy tales and fantasy stories when I was a child. Nothing was better than slipping into another world, whether it was entering a magical world through the back of a wardrobe with C.S. Lewis, or joining Milo as he traveled through the doldrums with his watchdog Tock, or flying with dragons through the land of Pern in Anne McCaffrey's series. Children, especially ages 9 - 12, still love fantasies. They're drawn to magical worlds, with extremes of good and evil and sometimes blurry in-betweens, where children have to navigate their way through challenges and quests with only the help of trusted allies they discover along the way.

I am excited to read a new fantasy novel for children: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne Valente. This novel has received high praise from many quarters: starred reviews from several book review journals, praise from numerous authors such as Neil Gaiman, Cory Doctorow and Tamora Pierce, and one of Amazon's Books of the Month for May 2011. If you would like to win a free copy of this book, keep reading!

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
by Catherynne Valente
NY: Feiwel and Friends, 2011
ages 10 - 14
available on Amazon and at your local library

With a twisted, turning story, Valente tells the tale of September, a young girl from Omaha, Nebraska, who finds herself whisked away to Fairyland to retrieve a witch's spoon. One book-loving friend, Donalyn Miller (a.k.a. The Book Whisperer), describes this as a blend between the Phantom Tollbooth, Alice in Wonderland and the Oz books. I'm intrigued, and not sure I want to read much more!

Here's an intriguing book trailer for The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland...



To learn more about this story, head over to Catherynne Valente's website. She offers a wonderful chance to read the first several chapters and to listen to her reading them aloud. She also tells the intriguing story of how this story came to life, taking flight first as a free web-based novel and eventually being published with gorgeous illustrations and support from all corners.

Giveaway opportunity:
Join me in a summer reading! The publishers of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making have offered a copy to one of my readers. Hooray!

Contest rules:

1. Leave a comment on this post, sharing your favorite fantasy story (or one your children have loved).
2. Share this contest on Facebook or Twitter with a link to this post, and leave another comment so I can give you an extra entry.
3. Follow this blog, either by signing up for emails (see the right hand column) or through Google Connect or Facebook. Leave another entry letting me know you follow this blog.
4. You must live in the United States and have a U.S. shipping address in order to qualify.
5. Make sure you leave a valid email address in your comments, so I can get in touch with you.
6. Contest ends Thursday, June 30th at midnight P.S.T. Winners will be announced on July 1st.

Many thanks to Feiwel and Friends for this kind give away offer. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support.


Review ©2011 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books.