Women’s History Month

by Kittenpie

Did you know March was Women’s History Month? I think it’s interesting to use these opportunities to remind us to talk with our kids, but I will say right up front that I find a lot of the books related to topics like this are more factual than fun, more history than story. And while there are biographies and stories talking about hundreds of important and interesting women, I’m not sure this what parents are looking for as shared reading with our kids. Instead, we as parents can teach more gently, reading books that open discussion and lead to questions, rather than providing a straight history, per se. To that end, here are just a few books that I particularly like for just opening a topic or approaching women’s history obliquely. These are told in fun picture book form, though they are sophisticated enough to appeal to older kids, too. They are, rather than non-fiction, stories built upon events or people in history, sometimes embellished for effect, to help make them a good read. Who says history has to be dull?

Amelia and Eleanor Go For A Ride
Pam Munoz Ryan, ill. Brian Selznick
This gorgeous book is based on a night when Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt dined together, and takes off with the possibility of what two such daring women might get up to together. It’s lovely, and a nice way to introduce these women without being too information-heavy. Instead, they are real, fun people who are a little less demure than their age expected of them.
You should also take a look at the same duo’s breathtaking tribute to Marian Anderson, When Marian Sang, which I neglected when I posted for Black History Month.

She’s Wearing a Dead Bird On Her Head!
Kathryn Lasky, ill. David Catrow
Two well-heeled Boston women star in this look at the way a woman can make a change when she perceives something wrong. Appalled at the trend in hats that was endangering birds, Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall rounded up the women of society, as well as a good number of men, and began the Audubon Society. They not only made their voices heard, but got laws passed and enforced through their determination, even at a time when, as the book notes, women had little voice and power. This story includes a little more context about the time, but not enough to drag it down, especially with Catrow’s amusing illustrations to brighten things up.

You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer!
Shana Corey and Chesley McLaren
A silly look at the stir caused by the arrival of bloomers and the shedding of massive underpinnings. More symbolic of a sweeping change than being one itself, this is a cute way to talk about how much life has changed for women in the past century or so.

Moms of girls might also want to make this month a chance to take a look at one of the many bibliographies of great books for kids featuring girl-power-friendly characters. The library carries a few of these:

Once Upon a Heroine
Alison Cooper-Mullin and Jennifer Marmaduke Coye

100 Books For Girls To Grow On
Shireen Dodson

Let’s Hear It For The Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14
Erica Bauermeister and Holly Smith


These and other great books for boys and girls can be found at your local public library!

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A career Children’s Librarian, kittenpie has worked in library systems in both New York and Toronto, and delights in sharing favourite books with kids of all ages. Settled back in Toronto, she now brings work home to read to her own little Pumpkinpie.

Celebrity Authors! Who’s Hot! Who’s Not!

by Kittenpie

It is often remarked in children’s literature circles that everyone thinks they can write books for kids. They’re shorter, they’re for kids, it must be easy, right? No. Really, there’s a knack and a sensibility that is not possessed by everyone – even people who know and love children. And the proliferation of books for kids published by celebrities in recent years only goes to prove it. There are hits, a couple of people who get it right, and there are most certainly misses – those who are clearly riding on star power alone. So unless you are willing to preview every one, what to do? Avoid them altogether? Take your chances? Read on, I’ll give you the goods on a few of the famous to avoid, and a few who are worth a try.


Katie Couric
The Brand-New Kid
The Blue-Ribbon Day
She’s peppy and earnest on television. She’s peppy and earnest on paper. But way more annoying, too. Yes, the situations she takes on are worth talking about. But she’s not subtle. And yes, it’s nice to try to talk about things like ostracized classmates and not making the team without being a total downer. But I’m not sure bouncy verse is the way to go, either. Especially when the rhymes and meter are a mite strained. I don’t dislike Katie (although her makeup artist pisses me off with the dark lipstick he keeps unsuccessfully putting on her). I think she’s got a great heart and wants to do good things. I just think well-meaning does not translate into well-executed in this case.


Madonna
The English Roses
Lotsa de Casha
Yakov and the Seven Thieves
Mr. Peabody’s Apples
Let me put it this way: these books are designed to teach five key lessons of Kabbalah to children through stories. Yup. It is rare that a book can survive such intent without being crippled under the weight of the message – and these ones don’t manage it (hell, Madonna never made a name for herself being subtle, now, did she?). To be fair, the artist do their level best to add charm, with gorgeous nostalgic Americana for the small-town story (Peabody’s Apples), jaunty, sassy sketches for the sassy girls (The English Roses), lovely Eastern-European-influenced paintings for Yakov, and a renaissance feel for the tale of a rich merchant (Lotsa de Casha, which, to be honest, I couldn’t even finish, it was so bad and even further mutilated by a hideous attempt at an Italian accent applieda throughouta). I think it’s lovely and softening that The Big M is all maternal and spiritual and stuff now, but this should not be the result. A children’s album, perhaps? Madge knows from music, after all, but a writer she is not.


Jamie Lee Curtis
When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old’s Memoir of Her Youth
Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born
Today I Feel Silly: & Other Moods That Make My Day
Where Do Balloons Go?: An Uplifting Mystery
I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem
It’s Hard To Be Five: Learning to Work My Control Panel
Is There Really a Human Race?
To put it up front: I like a few of these, while a few are middling. Her first outing was a fun and slightly silly look at the ways in which you’ve grown up by the time you are four. Next came Tell Me Again, a sweet and sometimes funny remembrance of the excitement adoptive parents feel about the birth of their long-awaited child. This one particularly has a warm and familiar feel without straying into the sappy – it’s clear from the telling that the tale is well-worn and much told. I also enjoyed the imaginative questions of Where Do Balloons Go? and found Curtis in tune with the sort of things that might make a child happy or grumpy in Today I Feel Silly. I’m Gonna Like Me does avoid the trap of being earnest and instructive when tackling self-esteem, although it is a hard subject to make a great book about, so my reaction is pretty much, “Enh.” I’m less impressed with Hard to Be Five and last fall’s Human Race, but will cut her some slack and hope it’s just a little slump given that she seems, for the most part, to be on a good wavelength for this.


Billy Crystal
I Already Know I Love You
Grandpa’s Little One
I would love for Billy Crystal to be a great entry. He’s funny, I like goofy kids’ books, maybe it could work… Or not so much. Problem is, Billy’s tuning into his sappy side and while this might appeal to some parents and grandparents (but not me – I like to keep my blood sugar balanced), it’s really not for kids. (Also the metre in the second one doesn’t really work, which annoys me.)


John Lithgow
The Remarkable Farkle McBride
Marsupial Sue
I’m a Manatee
Micawber
One of the less splashy and publicized authors in the group is turning out to be one of the few who really do it well. It may be a distinct advantage that he is a comedian, and a particularly goofy one at that. It certainly helps that he started out singing for kids and writing his own songs. This sideline of his was well-received even before he started turning to books, so his ability to connect with kids was pretty clear. Indeed, two of the books are songs, and include musical scores and CDs of him singing them. These are both cute and well-orchestrated– particularly Marsupial Sue, which has a slight and rather amusing oom-pah sound to it. I’m a Manatee is really fun on CD, too, but it doesn’t seem to translate onto paper quite as well. I am also fond of the story of Farkle McBride, which has a quick rhythm and reminds me somewhat of one of my old favourites, The Fabulous Song, by Don Gilmore (out of print, but available at the library), though far more hyperactive.

Jay Leno
If Roast Beef Could Fly
Please don’t make me write about this. Let me just say that the library didn’t even buy it, and if you want to see it, go look in a remainders store, where they all live now.


These books and more are available through your local Toronto Public Library!

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A career Children’s Librarian, kittenpie has worked in library systems in both New York and Toronto, and delights in sharing favourite books with kids of all ages. Settled back in Toronto, she now brings work home to read to her own little Pumpkinpie.

Books for Accessing Black History

by Kittenpie

February, as you may be aware, is Black History Month. There are a lot of ways to celebrate this with children and books, depending on the age of the child and your own comfort level and interest in wading into the topic.

One nice, simple, low-key and apolitical way to bring black history and culture into your child’s world is to read some African folk tales. There is a wealth of these at every library, and many are great stories with gorgeous illustrations. You could also find books with black characters. I particularly like to focus on Ezra Jack Keats, who created the first picture books to focus on a main character of colour, in an urban setting. I point out to them that these were an important step in representing children who had never before seen themselves in the books that they read. (Plus, Snowy Day, the very first, also won a Caldecott and is the perfect winter book!)

For older kids, though, I think it is important to begin talking about the struggle for civil rights. It’s a tricky topic. I am uncomfortable focussing on hateful people, it makes me upset and I find it hard to talk then, yet I think it’s important for people to understand history and know that these are things to watch for so they don’t creep back. To that end, I like to focus on a few key figures in the civil rights movement, as well as some people who made contributions in other areas but happen to be black. Here are a few books that take on aspects of the civil rights movement, but keep it gentle enough to be accessible for kids.

Goin’ Someplace Special
Patricia C. McKissack, ill. Jerry Pinkney
This book follows a young girl on her first solo trip downtown, as she encounters Jim Crow laws and becomes discouraged. The voices of her elders urge her to stand tall and remember that she was no better or worse than anyone else, and she swallows her frustration in time to make it to one place where everyone was welcome: the public library. Features Pinkney’s beautiful signature watercolours.

A Picture Book of Rosa Parks
David A. Adler, ill. Robert Casilla
Adler has a series of these junior biographies, including many figures in black history (Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, etc.). This is my favourite on Rosa Parks thus far, a fairly straightforward account made ready for children with clear language and lovely images.

Martin’s Big Words
Doreen Rappaport, ill. Bryan Collier
This multi-award winner (Coretta Scott King Award, Caldecott Honour, NY Times Book Review) is a large-format picture book much lauded for its gorgeous, textured paint-and-collage illustrations. I also love it for its treatment of a very difficult subject, though. As the book walks through his life and work, it focuses on his positive messages and the powerful words that made him a leader in the civil rights movement. It’s a great introduction for younger people for it is short and written to be accessible and easy to understand.

I Have A Dream
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ill. By various artists
Martin Luther King’s most famous speech has been stirringly illustrated by a host of artists for this gorgeous illustrated edition.

The Story of Ruby Bridges
Robert Coles, ill. George Ford
Ruby Bridges was the first black children to attend an all-white school in Mississipi, and she faced fierce opposition, ultimately taking her lessons alone as the white children were withdrawn from her class. This story and its images strikes me as especially powerful for the hatred displayed on the faces of June Cleaver housewives hollering at a tiny young girl on her way to school – it is a shock to consider how threatening she was to them. This is another moment in the civil rights movement that I think really speaks to children for being about one of them, and being so dissonant with their own experiences. It is also one episode that does not end in violence, so it, along with Rosa Parks, are great places to start talking about this time in history.

Bessie Smith and the Night Riders
Sue Stauffacher, ill. John Holyfield
There are lots of great books about jazz and blues figures – a list for another time – but this one specifically focuses on a factual confrontation between the Empress of the Blues and a group of KKK “nightriders.” Told by a young girl, it partially fictionalizes the encounter for better effect, but adds a note at the back explaining what was known about that night. So what happened? A handful of KKK members were found to be approaching a tent where Bessie was singing and were pulling up tent pegs. Because they were stopped by Bessie and her prop boys, it isn’t certain what they intended to do, but this makes for a gentler way to talk about things that were done to blacks in the south and even about the KKK without getting too gory. (On a side note, it also doesn’t address her death, which many have said would have been preventable if she had been able to get the kind of care a white person would have, another example of how blacks were treated that could be addressed as an extension of this story.)


Let’s Talk About Race
Julius Lester, ill. Karen Barbour

Julius Lester takes the question of race and what it says about someone head on in this book. He asks questions: What race are you? How does your story begin? He talks about how everyone has the same insides, everyone has their own story, their own personality, regardless of colour. This is the frankest book I’ve seen, yet it emphasizes the positive and focuses on belief in yourself. It’s a kind of conversation, with the author asking about the reader’s experiences and talking about his own. I really quite like it, though I think it’s more appropriate for a one-on-one discussion than the kind of group use I’d need it for at the library. I might just be perfect for you.

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A career Children’s Librarian, kittenpie has worked in library systems in both New York and Toronto, and delights in sharing favourite books with kids of all ages. Settled back in Toronto, she now brings work home to read to her own little Pumpkinpie.

The ABC’s

by Kittenpie

ABC books are a great tool for introducing the alphabet, which is in itself a rather self-evident part of pre-literacy skills. There is available an abundance of ABC books, each more arsty than the next. So how to get a few in your collection without going crazy? Here are a few of my favourites and some things to look for.

I find alphabets most useful when they are clear. By that I mean the letters are clearly identified in large and simple font. Stephen Johnson’s Caldecott Honour book Alphabet City and Kjell Bloch Sandved’s Butterfly Alphabet are gorgeous, but prime examples of alphabet books that have become too focused on their own concept to be useful as alphabet books for younger kids (though they are fun for see-if-you-can-find-it games with kids who are already comfy and confident with their ABCs). I also sometimes find the choice of items to illustrate the letters are very busy being clever or artsy or esoteric, and ignore the fact that their target audience is pretty young, with a relatively limited vocabulary and knowledge base. The Metropolitan Museum’s out-of-print ABC book, for example, is a lovely idea, and many of the items are very appropriate, but some are not words of a child’s vocabulary or are not obvious from the accompanying art. The Tiffany vase illustrating V doesn’t look much like one likely to be found in an average child’s home, for example. A few I find clear and yet lovely or interesting or fun enough to keep parents happy?

The New Alphabet of Animals
Christopher Wormell
Wormell’s signature bold woodcuts and gorgeous colouration are at work on ivory pages here, giving the piece an heirloom feel. Each spread features a very large letter (both upper and lower cases) and the animal’s name in a bold serifed font on the left, with a large framed image on the right. The animals are a nice mix of the obvious (Horse, Sheep, Lion, etc.) and the unusual (Armadillo, Ibex, Zorilla). It passes my “What are the Q, X, and Z?” test with style, and even has a page with short descriptions of the “less familiar” animals at the back, should you be interested.
Unfortunately, this lovely is only available for purchase in paperback now (0762418478).

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, ill. Lois Ehlert
A modern classic – and I say that as someone who hates it when publishers say new stuff has “the makings of a classic.” Clear, bold, brightly coloured, boasting a fun rhythm and enough storyline to keep it moving, this is also one of the few books that really focuses on the lower case in the illustrations, though the text shows the upper case. (067167979X, also available with just the first half as an abbreviated board book: Chicka Chicka ABC: 067187893X)

Flora McDonnell’s ABC
Flora McDonnell
This quirky painter brings her smiling animals to pages featuring colourful backgrounds and bright, bold letters in upper and lower case. Most pages have two articles that begin with the letter, and they are also spelled out. Her paintings are very slightly offbeat, but I quite like them. (0763601187 also available in board book: 0763613991)

Dr. Seuss’s ABC
Dr. Seuss
Need I explain this one? I like that there are several words for each letter, even if a few of them are purely Seussian. And … well, it’s Seuss. Duh. (03948100303 or in board 0679882812) (Oh, and it’s in Beginning Readers, not Picture Books, at the library.

The Hidden Alphabet
Laura Vaccaro Seeger
This one is more artsy than any of the others on this list, but so interesting and lovely, I couldn’t help myself. It’s a big, thick book with hinged cardstock pages, each with a die-cut frame that lifts to reveal the letter beneath. I will confess that I have included this one despite my usual constraints against anything that sacrifices clear fonts for artsiness, but I do so because it’s gorgeous and unusual, although I’m not entirely sure it’s for kids. (0761319417)

And one CD:
Sesame Street: Sing the Alphabet
This is packed with great stuff, beginning with Big Bird’s classic song about finding a word that turns out to be the alphabet, and moving through a song for every letter. No, I’m not kidding. Bert contributes a few great ones – La La La La and The National Association of W Lovers. And of course, C is for Cookie reps the third letter. Genius.

A few Out of Print lovelies worth borrowing from the library or buying used:

The ABC Exhibit
Leonard Everett Fisher
Lovely paintings illustrate each word, one per letter. So gorgeous it’s tempting to frame them, and the object is clear in each, each thing being accessible to a child. Just beautiful.

A, B, See!
Tana Hoban
Photographer Tana Hoban turns to the little-used technique of photograms for her alphabet book, and includes several different items in each black-and-white image. The letter is shown in the context of the full alphabet on each page in clear sans serif. Lovely and unusual, this is a favourite choice of mine.

ABC Pop!
Rachel Isadora
This out-of-print treasure is worth going to the library for. In the comic pop-art style of Lichtenstein, Rachel Isadora illustrates the alphabet in a decidedly urban setting. The choices are familiar and recognizable on every page but perhaps one or two (my only real complaint is with Z = comic book sounds Zing! Zoom! Zap!), the font is a large clear sans-serif, and the illustrations are fantastic and fun.

Ah! Belle Cité! / A Beautiful City
Stéphane Poulin
I was so shocked to find this was out of print – it’s one that should be a Canadian classic. It is seriously one of my faves and especially brilliant because he has, for each letter, found something that starts with the same letter in both official languages. The lovely scenes are from in and around Montreal, representing urban life with loving detail and plenty of humour.

Find these and other alphabet books at your local library!

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A career Children’s Librarian, kittenpie has worked in library systems in both New York and Toronto, and delights in sharing favourite books with kids of all ages. Settled back in Toronto, she now brings work home to read to her own little Pumpkinpie.

Great Books of the Year

by Kittenpie

It’s the end of the year, and all the great wrap-up, best-of lists are flying fast and furious.
The problem with this that I haven’t even seen some of these yet! But I will only review books I have read, so it does help me narrow things down. Here are some of the most fun or interesting books I’ve read this year.

A note about ages: I do hate putting ages on book reviews because kids are all different, and some kids are ahead or behind the curve in emotional development or reading level. If you know the child, you can take that into consideration. If not, I suppose guidelines are helpful… It’s also worth noting that children are found to read at a much higher level in books of high interest, so if you know a little one who has a real passion, it’s worth tapping into it even if the book is a smidge advanced for the child’s age.

Mrs. Crump’s Cat
Linda Smith, ill. David Roberts
Mrs. Crump had no use for a cat. But somehow it found its way in and then it was one thing after another and it was the strangest thing, but she never quite managed to turn it out as she had planned, until one night she found herself, as the grocer had predicted, sitting with the cat on her lap and wondering how she ever got along without it. The woman’s slyly amusing resistance to her own gradual warming will appeal to some kids and be missed by others. For the right kid, this book is cute and funny in a wry, winking kind of way. The illustrations, too, are lovely, with a funky modern/retro feel and a comic slant that is as subtle as the text. Ages might range from 3 to 9 on this one because I think it reveals itself slowly. It will really depend on the kid, though, as it requires a little sophistication. (0060283025)


Duck & Goose
Tad Hills
When Duck and Goose both stumble on a large, round, spotted object in the park and decide it’s an egg, each becomes instantly possessive. The squabbling that ensues is funny and spot on, and gradually a friendship forms as they find common ground. By the time they discover their mistake, they are feeling downright cooperative. Sweet without a trace of saccharine, every moment is perfectly matched to the bright, fun, deceptively simple illustrations. A current favourite chez ‘pie, I’d suggest this for ages roughly 2-6. (037583611X)


Clip-Clop
Nicola Smee
A great choice for a young child who loves playing horsey, this one just begs to be read aloud with knee bounces. Bold, simple drawings and text keep it just right for the preschool set (0-5 years would be a good range here). (1905417098)

Did You Say Pears?
Arlene Alda
Fun photographs illustrate this book of homophones, pairing (heh heh) them to amusing and philosophical effect. No range on this one, they’ll get more from it as they get older, but it’s great at any age, and I know all of us grammar-freaks and word-lovers will adore sharing it. (0887767397)

Lilly’s Big Day
Kevin Henkes
I’m a huge fan of Kevin Henkes, and have made an ass of myself in front of him to prove it. Lilly is my diva of choice, cute as Olivia might be. So you know she’s convinced she’ll be the centre of everything at her teacher’s wedding… but he has a niece. Lilly las to be the bigger mouse in this story, and she comes through with flying colours. Because you know, it’s just not fabulous to sulk. For the boa-obssessed 3-7 year old in your life. (0060742372)

Ugly Fish
Karen LaReau, ill. Scott Magoon
Ugly fish is indeed ugly. He is also mean and doesn’t want to share his home, so when a smaller fish shows up… it’s not around for long. Neither is the next intruder. But one day the new interloper is bigger than him, at least as ugly, and most certainly as mean. Gulp. What’s an Ugly Fish to do now? Funny and slightly twisted, this would appeal to a kid who is a little bit older, so that they are beyond the point of being really fearful and could get the humour in it, maybe 4-9 years old. (0152050825)


Once Upon a Banana
Jennifer Armstrong, ill. David Small
The slapstick comedy in this book starts with an old classic – the banana peel. The action doesn’t stop there, though, and the simple slip is elevated to a crazy rollicking trip right around the block, following the chaos as one mishap begets another. The book is nearly wordless, but the sharp-eyed will note the added jokes tucked on the signs that are more than just background. Great for older kids who can get it alone as well as ones who love to seek and discuss small details. The humour in it gives it a pretty wide-ranging a-peel (hyuk hyuk), from ages 3 to 9 or so. (0689842511)


The Cow Who Clucked
Denise Fleming
One of the very few authors who I would recommend without even seeing her new books, Denise Fleming almost never misses the mark. Her trademark vibrant pictures and simple, preschool-friendly text make for perfect read-alouds for ages 0-5. (08050726590

Owen and Mzee
Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Paula Kahumbu, photos by Peter Greste
The only non-fiction on this list, this longer and more difficult picture book tells the story of the hippo and tortoise who became fast friends – even family, some say – after the baby hippo lost his mother in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. This is, in the name of fair warning, a story that may well require being prepared to talk about disaster and death, but it’s also a lovely, poignant tale of starting over. Ages 4-10 would enjoy this, I think. (0439829739).

Wolves
Emily Gravett
One of a pair of strange but really fun and interesting picture books that I’m including. This is for a somewhat older kid with a slightly dark sense of humour (maybe 6-9 years). It sees a rabbit reading a book about wolves from the library and encountering a less-than-comfy truth about their eating habits when the wolf comes right out of the pages. (There’s an alternate ending for the squeamish, though…) (1405050829)

Flotsam
David Wiesner
David Wiesner is a master of fantastical, wordless, and utterly stunning picture books, garnering multiple Caldecott medals and honours and making even Chris van Allsburg look tame. His latest is one of my favourites (along with Sector 7). A young boy finds an underwater camera at the beach containing images of amazing worlds under the sea, and one that shows child after child through the years holding photos from the camera. He keeps the chain going by taking his own picture and tossing the camera back to the sea, where it once again finds unseen and unimagined things to photograph. A wide range of ages can enjoy this one because it has so much to find in it and, being wordless, kids of different stages can impose on it what they want (0-10, perhaps?). (0618194576)


Houndsley and Catina
James Howe, ill. Marie-Louise Gay
An early chapter book, this one is contains three sweet stories of two friends on their search for their niche and perhaps even a little fame. I am a sucker for friend stories, especially for the young, and these are particularly good in that they avoid the trap of being too sweet but are warm and fuzzy, too. Gay’s illustration add to everything she touches, too, and this is no exception. (She has a book out this year that sounds hilarious for middle grades: Travels With My Family, about childhood road trips, but I have yet to see it, so won’t review it. I love her sense of humour though, so it’s a good bet nevertheless.) This is a book aimed at grade 2/3, though there is room for it up or down a grade depending on the reading level. (0763624047)

Me and the Blondes
Teresa Toten
Having a murderer for a father has driven Sophia out of school after school, but she has learned along the way, and at her new school, she’s got a plan. First and most important is to get in with the Blondes. But the Blondes aren’t as “blonde” as she thought. Turns out they have problems too, and the friendships are solid, cemented by secrets and support. Reads like chicklit with a heart and a brain. Good stuff! It’s in the teen section in Toronto’s libraries, but could be read by a grade 6 or possibly even a very mature grade 5, while I think a kid over grade 9 might find it too young. Nominated for the Governor General’s Award for literature. (0143053078)


Friendships: Stories
Budge Wilson
Wilson sets out by telling us that the friendships in these are not all regular friendships, some are not even between people. I wasn’t impressed by the first story, but it is I think the weakest, for I quite enjoyed most of the others. I am a sucker for a tale of friendship, but these are not, as he forewarns, your typical sappy stuff, and there is indeed a nice variety here. Another Governor General’s Award nominee for literature. I think a more mature grade 5 would be okay with this, but for most kids, grade 6-9 or 10 seems a better range. (0143017667)


Casey At The Bat
Ernest L. Thayer, ill. Joe Morse
Another in Kids Can Press’s Visions In Poetry series, which has been garnering so much acclaim for making some classics new and accessible. I think that’s particularly the case with this one, made edgy and current with the simple devices of font and illustration. Instead of going Rockwellian as so many do with this poem, Morse has made it into a multicultural, tough, urban showdown, and it really works. Even the text is not set in neat poetical lines, but encircled in speech bubbles and made forceful with two different very modern fonts. It really takes the whole thing from sweet nostalgic tale to the kind of inner city grittiness that could hold appeal for even those too enamoured of thug culture to read much else. A Governor General’s Award nominee for illustration. The text is accessible to younger kids, but this setting really puts this book in a wide range, say grades 5-12. (155337827X)

Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow
Faiza Guene
and
Ask Me No Questions
Marina Budhos
These books both feature teenaged muslim girls as main characters, and each grows and comes into her own over the course of the novel. In Kiffe Kiffe, a poor girl in the projects outside of Paris is beginning to shut out hope of anything better until people around her – her mother and an older friend - start to find ways of improving their situation and their outlook, and she too starts to see things looking up. (0156030489) The beautifully written Ask Me No Questions is centred around a family of Bangladeshi illegal aliens living in Queens. When the climate changes after 9/11, the father panics, and the family flees to seek asylum in Canada, and are turned away by immigration officials who are swamped with applicants, her father detained. As her older sister sinks into despair, the younger daughter finds her voice, and becomes the hero of the family. (1416903518)
I would suggest both of these as teen titles for high schoolers.

We All Fall Down
Eric Walters
This is one of the first books to deal directly with 9/11 for kids and teens, and does so quite well. The story is told realistically, and really gives a sense of what it must have been like to be in the midst of it. I also liked the way the boy’s relationship with his father changes over the course of just a couple of extraordinary hours. My only beef was that the ending was a bit false, but I think even for a teen book, the author really wanted to put one happy ending on this day, and I can certainly understand that impulse. Grades 6-11.
(0385661924)

Half Moon Investigations
Eoin Colfer
Colfer (author of the fantastic Artemis Fowl series) is a master of writing the kind of action that you can see playing out on the big screen. Here he turns to a young boy who finds himself in hot water when his detective career goes awry and he becomes a suspect himself. Fast, brilliant fun for grades 4/5 to 9.
(0786849576)

My Childhood Under Fire: A Sarajevo Diary
Nadja Halilbegovich
This book has been described as a modern Anne Frank for the war in Bosnia-Herzigovina, with its diary format. The young girl in hiding is indeed poignant in many of the same ways, but I found this interesting for two important differences. This girl had a fair bit of information about what was going on due to the radio and newspapers, so her writing is surprisingly informed for a young girl. I find her more mature than the older Anne, in fact. Secondly, this girl survives. This does change how you read the diary, of course, and has also allowed her to intersperse her diary entries with remembrances, giving it further context and the perspective of an adult looking back on her experiences. A vivid and important reminder about the horrors of war, and a rare look at that particular conflict, this is a strong book for an older child or a teen grade 6 and up.
(1553377974)
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A career Children’s Librarian, kittenpie has worked in library systems in both New York and Toronto, and delights in sharing favourite books with kids of all ages. Settled back in Toronto, she now brings work home to read to her own little Pumpkinpie.

Books for Discussing Bereavement with Children

by Kittenpie

It seems odd to start with books on endings…
I’ve been reading a few stories of loss recently, though, and my immediate reaction is to recommend a book or two for the young ones. It is often said in library services to children that we need to have books about things like this to show our children that they are not alone, help them understand, and provide jumping-off points for discussion. And so I share with you a few books on bereavement that I have found especially sensitive, beautiful in execution and sentiment, and open-minded in terms of religion or traditions surrounding death. In choosing these two titles, I have avoided the many books on the death of a father, for example, in favour of one on the death of a pet that could be applied more generally and one that takes a wider view. I think these titles are also appropriate for a wide age range, perhaps 2 to 10 years old, as they are gentle, but not simplistic in a way that would make them too young for older children.

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
By Judith Viorst, ill. Erik Blegvad.
ISBN: 0689206887

A small picture book with simple black-and-white line drawings, this book is the classic, go-to picture book about bereavement for children. Centred around the death of a cat, the young narrator is encouraged to think of ten good things to say at a simple backyard funeral. The child (sex unclear?) argues with a sister about whether Barney is in heaven or in the ground, a debate that is left open by the intervening father, who tells them that we don’t really know about heaven. I like that this leaves the subject open for valuable discussion between parent and child, allowing for use by people of many faiths or none at all. The father then talks, as he and the child garden, about how things change in the ground and how Barney will help grow flowers. That, he says, is a pretty nice job for a cat, and the boy agrees. So do I, for that matter. I also like the simplicity of this book, the way the ten good things are ones a child might think of. I think it really talks on a child’s level, not down to them.

Lifetimes
By Bryan Mellonie
ISBN: 0553344021

This gorgeously illustrated book is described as “a beautiful way to explain death to children,” and so it is. Poetic, repetitious language depicts death as part of life for all beings, plant, animal, or person. We all share, as the book puts it, “beginnings and endings, with lifetimes in between.” It discusses some of the reasons for death, some of the responses to death, and the rituals we observe after death in broad, general terms that allow room for discussion and various different traditions while remaining straight-forward. This is my favourite book on the topic for its wonderful combination of soothing rhythm and direct answers to many of the questions a child might have.

For these and other books on the loss of a loved one, visit your public library!

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A career Children’s Librarian, kittenpie has worked in library systems in both New York and Toronto, and delights in sharing favourite books with kids of all ages. Settled back in Toronto, she now brings work home to read to her own little Pumpkinpie.

Pick of the Litter

by Kittenpie

MommyBlogsToronto’s own Children’s Librarian lets you in on some great stuff for kids

Do you sometimes find yourself in a library or bookstore, standing in front of a dizzying array of colourful titles and feeling a bit lost?
Pick of the Litter is here to recommend favourites old and new.
Occasional author spotlights will point the way to a whole shelf full of greatness to read through, a wonderful way to introduce children to the idea of favourite writers.
I will also post periodic shortlists of titles on hot topics for parent-child discussion – if there’s a topic you’d like to see covered, feel free to ask.
The librarian is in!