Thank You, Earth: a love letter to our planet by April Pulley Sayre. unpgd. Greenwillow Books/ HarperCollins Publishers, February, 2018. 9780062697349. (Review from copy borrowed from public library.)
Ah, thank you notes! A lost art! I am a pretty faithful thank you note writer who tries not to notice when thank you notes don't arrive after I've done some gift giving. After all, the pleasure should be in the giving, no? However, I will admit to feeling a certain amount of pleasure when I do receive a thank you note.
Gratitude is a practice. I practice yoga daily and most of my teachers devote part of our practice to identifying at least one thing to be grateful for. I like this ritual. It's stabilizing. Stopping to feel gratitude is humbling and helps with perspective.
Thank You, Earth is a beautiful meditation. It is an exercise in perspective and humility, an invitation to appreciate our planet. The gorgeous shots of nature pair beautifully with the spare and lovely sentiment in the text. A note from the author invites readers to find ways of not only thanking our planet but actively working to save it by investigating, sharing, participating, helping and acting. There is also a list of resources budding conservationists can consult. The extensive list of picture credits identify animals and landforms for interested readers.
Thank You, Earth is a vibrant example of #nevertoooldforpicturebooks and belongs in all kinds of libraries for readers young and not-so-young. Thank You, Earth needs to be shared widely.
Oh! The riches! I returned home from ALAAC18 Tuesday evening with a checked suitcase that was three pounds over the 50 lb. limit for checked bags. I removed three books and avoided a hundred dollar fee. My carry on wasn't weighed but was stuffed with books, so these three got stuffed in my backpack, which already had three airport reads, my computer and a gift for my husband. I also received this message from the friendly TSA:
It was nearly 50 pounds of books and dirty laundry folks. Nothing to see here!
Here's a photo of most of the books I received from many very generous publishers. There are a couple of doubles which I am shipping to my friend e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, who runs the non-profit, Never Counted Out, which gets books into the hands of at-risk kids. The website doesn't appear to be functional, but you can connect with them on Facebook.
I am so excited to read every one of these book. I've already read Winger and Killer of Enemies but had to pick them up as they both have been stolen permanently borrowed without being checked out. Both authors chuckled over that.
I checked in at my school on Wednesday to tie up some end-of-year paperwork since I missed the last to days of school to attend ALA. I discovered a package from Candlewick! Squee!
Lost Soul, Be at Peace by Maggie Thrash. 190 p. Candlewick Press, October 9, 2018. 9780763694197.
Publisher synopsis: A year and a half after the summer that changed her life, Maggie Thrash wishes she could change it all back. She’s trapped in a dark depression and flunking eleventh grade, befuddling her patrician mother while going unnoticed by her father, a workaholic federal judge. The only thing Maggie cares about is her cat, Tommi . . . who then disappears somewhere in the walls of her cavernous house. So her search begins — but Maggie’s not even really sure what she’s lost, and she has no idea what she’ll find. Lost Soul, Be at Peace is the continuation of Maggie’s story from her critically acclaimed memoir Honor Girl, one that brings her devastating honesty and humor to the before and after of depression.
Born Scared by Kevin Brooks. 244 p. Candlewick Press, September 11, 2018. 9780763695651.
Publisher synopsis: Elliot has lived his first thirteen years confined to his home, incapacitated by fear. Now he’s out of pills, snow is falling, and his only safe person is missing. A terrifying thriller from Carnegie Medalist Kevin Brooks.
From the moment of his birth, Elliot’s life has been governed by fear of almost everything, even of his own fear — a beast that holds him prisoner in his room. The beast is kept at bay, though not eliminated, with a daily regimen of pills. But on Christmas Eve, a mix-up at the pharmacy threatens to unleash the beast full force, and his mother must venture out in a raging snowstorm to a store that should be only minutes away. Hours later, when she still hasn’t returned, Elliot sees no choice but to push through his terror, leave the house, and hunt for her. What happens if the last of his medication wears off and the beast starts scratching at the doors of his mind? Everyone has a breaking point — will Elliot come to his? With plot twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats, multi-award-winning author Kevin Brooks offers a high-suspense exploration of fear and what it means to truly be afraid.
I have been a fan of Kevin Brooks since I read Martyn Pig. Can't wait to read this.
Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith. 298 p. Candlewick Press, October 9, 2018. 9780763681142.
Publisher synopsis: When Louise Wolfe’s first real boyfriend mocks and disrespects Native people in front of her, she breaks things off and dumps him over e-mail. It’s her senior year, anyway, and she’d rather spend her time with her family and friends and working on the school newspaper. The editors pair her up with Joey Kairouz, the ambitious new photojournalist, and in no time the paper’s staff find themselves with a major story to cover: the school musical director’s inclusive approach to casting The Wizard of Oz has been provoking backlash in their mostly white, middle-class Kansas town. From the newly formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater to anonymous threats, long-held prejudices are being laid bare and hostilities are spreading against teachers, parents, and students — especially the cast members at the center of the controversy, including Lou’s little brother, who’s playing the Tin Man. As tensions mount at school, so does a romance between Lou and Joey — but as she’s learned, “dating while Native” can be difficult. In trying to protect her own heart, will Lou break Joey’s?
When I realized that I missed the opportunity to meet the author at a signing of this, I was bummed. I am so happy that my Candlewick arc-fairy sent this! Thank you!
That's what's new with me. What's new with you? Post a link with your comments and I will visit!
The theme over at Broke and Bookish is gratitude. I decided to write about the gratitude I feel for all things children's literature.
1. I love my job. It's the best job in the world. I love working with children and helping them discover their next favorite book.
2. I work with the best, most brilliant and creative colleagues.
3. I love reviewing for School Library Journal. My editors are so helpful and supportive. I've been reviewing for over four years there and I am still thrilled to see my name in print.
4. I am thankful for the publishers that I have been able to form working relationship with, who send me books to review and invite me to previews.
5. I am thankful to my husband who has been nothing but supportive from the moment I decided to pursue a masters in library science and teaching credentials at the same time I worked full time. He also doesn't mind my traveling to ALA twice a year. (He even came once when it was in Seattle and had a grand old time touring while I conventioneer.) (He's coming to Denver with me next year.)
6. Ditto for my four sons who put up with all that plus attending the school where their mom worked.
7. I am thankful for authors who write for children. The depth and breadth of children's literature is amazing. Creative, caring and approachable.
8. I am thankful that I still enjoy posting to my blog. While my review output has significantly decreased over the years, I enjoy what I do put up and refuse to stress over it.
9. I am thankful for my professional community of bloggers and other children's lit professionals in my blog feed and social media. I learn so much from everyone.
10. I am thankful to have a large family to celebrate the holidays with. Even if they all can't be with me in person, I know they are with me in spirit.
Dear Darren Shan,
I had the pleasure of attending a Little, Brown breakfast preview at ALA Midwinter, in Seattle (I think). You were the super secret guest that LB previews are known for and you talked about your newest series, Zom-B. We all received finished copies and I waited on line for you to sign mine.
Now, I must say, horror is not my genre but I read it from time to time in order to have something to recommend in Reader's Advisory for my students who love horror. I read the first five books of your Cirque du Freak series and always have at least one student fly through all twelve books each school year. I read Zom-B and though it was a bit creepy for me, I knew it would appeal to some of my students so I booktalked it. Sure enough, it went out and was returned with a request for the next book.
Thankfully, you planned to drop a new one every six months so my students did not need to wait long. I need to make a confession here. I lost track of the series. Fans must've graduated and I must not have had students asking for horror so I stopped at five books. That changed this September.
Early this school year, the two eighth grade language arts teachers who co-teach the BSI (basic skills instruction) students came to me to schedule a booktalk. They had a goal for the year. They wanted their students to not only read, but develop a love for it. They asked me to compile a list of books to hook reluctant readers. I put Zom-B on the list. It went out immediately and generated a waiting list.
The first boy to read it, flew through it and asked for the second, then third, then fourth. When he checked out the fifth book, I realized that I had better get the sixth and seventh. I wasn't ready to commit to getting the rest that were available yet; but within a few weeks, I needed to run out to Barnes & Noble one weekend to grab them. When I gave him the eleventh book in early November, I told him that book twelve wasn't due out till spring, he hung his head and groaned.
At that point, the series was clearly a class favorite. Hoping to capitalize on the enthusiasm, the teachers asked me if you Skyped. Thanks to Victoria Stapleton, I was put in contact with someone who knew that you did! Not only that but your visit was free! You may remember the emails flying back and forth across the Atlantic because we had a hard time securing a date on our side. You may remember because we were your last Skype visit before your holiday break. You may remember because we were all wondering what the intermittent thundering noise was.
Our visit was amazing! We learned so much about you and the the series and that there was a secret Zom-B title (Zom-B Circus) available only as an ebook. (Of course, I put the order in post-haste.)
The students were so energized! They talked about it for days in and outside of their language arts classes. Other students began asking why they couldn't have a visit. I can't begin to thank you for what you did for them. They identify as readers thanks to you.
They didn't all get into the series but they loved hearing from a real author. They don't all read as quickly as your #1 fan, but more than a few are doggedly working through them. A second boy just checked out Zom-B Bride. I offered a high-five and proclaimed, "You have read eleven books this so far this year!" He is so proud.
I was reminded to check the publication date of Zom-B Goddess. It just released last week. There's no money left in my budget, but I'm springing for it. I spend a fair amount of my own money on books for my collection - usually books I have to have NOW, like Zom-B Goddess. I don't mind. These two boys NEED to read it before they leave middle school.
I am so lucky to have these teachers as colleagues. They never gave up on their goal to help their students love reading. I am so honored to have helped them. They are the best. I love my job. I get to share my love of children's literature with a community of young readers every single day. But moments like these, watching the enthusiasm of these students who didn't call themselves readers before this year and your books - it doesn't get better.
So, thank you sir.
