|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Children's Literature Choice List is a national book award that annually recognizes 150 children's books of excellence chosen from over 3000 children's books that our reviewers receive each year. Children's Literature, an international monthly newsletter of children's book reviews helps teachers, librarians, childcare providers and parents choose quality books for kids of all ages. In addition to exceptional writing, creative story lines (for fiction) and factual accuracy (for nonfiction and historical fiction), the criteria for selection are age-appropriate subject matter, fresh themes, new approaches to known stories and relevance to the lives of today's kids. In the category of books for children age three and younger, six books were named; among them is Bedtime by Kate Duke, which is a humorous take on the familiar in a delightful board book that parents and kids will enjoy (Dutton); and Trucks Trucks Trucks by Peter Sís in which the illustrations spread over two pages until near the end where one unfolds to reveal a crane stretching upward on three pages (Greenwillow). Deceptively simple, there is more here than initially may meet the eye. Thirty-three books were named in the picture book category for children ages four to eight, including the humorous Bark George by Jules Feiffer (HarperCollins) in which the vet gets to the bottom of the problem and you'll be surprised at what he pulls out of George. A familiar story takes a real twist in The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philemon Sturges with delightful collage illustrations by Amy Walrod (Dutton), and David Wiesner takes kids on an amusing wordless journey to Sector 7 (Clarion) where clouds are formed and dispersed. In the young reader category, consisting of short books and picture books with more text than usual for children ages five to ten, thirty-six books were selected. They include the heartwarming A Band of Angels by Deborah Hopkins accompanied by Raúl Colón's soft-tone illustrations depicting the struggles to save Fisk College and the jubilee songs (Atheneum); a peek at the life of a plucky young girl in Korea during the 17th century, which is the subject of The Seesaw Girl by Linda Sue Park with illustrations by award winning artists Jean and Mou-sien Tseng (Clarion); 26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola, a Newbery Honor Book, a truly enjoyable reminiscence about his childhood and the building of his family home (Penguin Putnam); William Shakespeare and the Globe by Aliki, which turns learning about Shakespeare into a great adventure-one that starts with his birth in 1564 and ends with the reconstruction of his beloved Globe theater in modern-day times (HarperCollins). The group of longer books with more sophisticated themes for middle readers ages eight to twelve garnered thirty-five titles. Aside from the marvelous Harry Potter stories, kids will also love The Adventures of Blue Avenger by Norma Howe (Henry Holt) with its wonderfully quirky, compassionate, and ingratiating main character David Schumacher; Bud, Not Buddy, a captivating story in which Newbery Medal author Christopher Paul Curtis brings kids into Bud Caldwell's search for the jazz-musician father he's never met (Delacorte); Once a Wolf by Stephen R. Swinburne, a enlightening piece of nonfiction that describes how wildlife biologists fought to bring back the Gray Wolf (Houghton); The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich, which immerses readers in the life of the Ojibwa in the mid-nineteenth century Lake Superior region-their lifestyle, survival techniques, and the changes occurring with the arrival of the white man (Hyperion); and Roots Shoots Buckets and Boots by Sharon Lovejoy, a powerhouse book on gardening for kids (Workman). Thirty-three books were named in the young adult category, including an outstanding biography about Babe Didrikson Zaharias by Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman that provides an insightful and balanced account of this incredible woman athlete (Clarion); Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, a riveting novel told in short, titled passages rather than traditional chapters, which gives the novel a stylish contemporary feel, and Melinda's intelligent, ironic, often humorous voice has a truly authentic ring (Farrar Straus Giroux); Two Suns in the Sky by Miriam Bat-Ami, which showcases two teens-one a Jewish WWII refugee and the other a Catholic American girl-who struggle to understand bigotry, friendship and love (Front Street/Cricket); and The Cure by Sonia Levitin, a novel whose power rests in the details of the hardships and tragedies that befell 14th century European Jews (Morrow). Seven books were honored in the poetry category, among them were Flicker Flash by Joan Bransfield Graham, which features twenty-three poems celebrating all kinds of light (Houghton); A Child's Calendar by John Updike with illustrations by Caldecott Honor artist Trina Schart Hyman that celebrates the seasons (Holiday), and My Man Blue by Nikki Grimes which uses poetic form to provide a realistic and emotional account of a contemporary friendship set in Harlem (Dial). "Children's Literature" is currently offering a special one-year newsletter subscription rate of $24 for 12 issues on all orders placed by June 30, 2000. To order by credit card or to inquire about other products, call 1-800-469-2070. Orders and inquiries also can be mailed to-Subscription Department, Children's Literature, 7513 Shadywood Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817.
|
