Reading Spaces

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel wins CLA Children's and YA Book Awards

The author reports on his double award on his blog. Half Brother is an excellent book -- challenging, interesting, timely, beautifully written and suitable for all ages. I loved it. But, I can't decide how I feel about the same title being granted both awards. The cons for me: 1) it makes it seem as though the field of production is so small, that we need to double up awards, 2) it takes away the uniqueness of the young adult field if books that are suitable for all ages can be nominated and win the YA award. For what it's worth, Half Brother for me, is solidly in the YA camp, but that wouldn't stop me from recommending it to strong younger readers. The pros: 1) really good books float to the top, regardless of age category, 2) the resistance of age categories suggests the kind of wiliness that is such a big part of reading -- you just can't pin readers down.

Breaking News: And Tango Makes Three is the most challenged book in US, again

No surprise there, but I was (kinda) surprised to see Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian on the list. Of course, super popular books like Twilight and The Hunger Games are on the top 10. In fact, 7 of the top 10 most challenged books are YA novels, and when you add Parnell and Richardson's books, that makes 8 for books for young people. But, perhaps, the oddest addition this year is Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. As this Associated Press release tells us,

"One curious addition was Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich's non-fiction work about how difficult it is to live as a waitress, maid or Walmart worker. The book is cited for offensive language, drugs and as "inaccurate."

I just finished reading Ehrenreich's Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Undermines America, I wonder if it will be challenged too? To my mind, it's potentially more controversial than Nickel and Dimed. I highly recommend both titles.

Over at I'm Here, I'm Queer. What the Hell Do I Read, Lee Wind has issued a reading challenge to his readers -- Read the Top 10 and protest these challenges! I've already read 7 of the 10 but have added Lush, What My Mother Doesn't Know (ok -- I read half of it) and Revolutionary Voices to the pile of things to be read.

Interdisciplinary conference on "dark novels" for YA

Noted critic of children's literature, Maria Nikolajeva pulled together a conference of neuroscientists, education, media and literary specialists to discuss whether books such as Twilight and Hunger Games are "affecting children's brains in a worrying way" -- see the report by Lucy Tobin in guardian.co.uk. Much of the rhetoric here sounds familiar re: the dangers of gothic, escapist fiction...Here's more information from the Cambridge/Homerton Research and Teaching Centre for Children's Literature at Cambridge about the conference: The Emergent Adult: Adolescent Literature and Culture.

Handbook of Research on Children's and Young Adult Literature

I'm pleased to say that I will have a chapter in the forthcoming Handbook of Research on Children's and Young Adult Literature published by Routledge, edited by Shelby Wolf, Karen Coats, Patricia Enciso and Christine Jenkins. It is a unique handbook that covers children's literature from a variety of perspectives: language and literacy, reading, language arts, literary studies, librarianship and writing and publishing. There is a stunning list of contributors and I'm very proud to be a part of the project. My co-writers are Virginia Walter and Kathleen Weibel and the title of our chapter is "Public Libraries in the Lives of Young Readers: Past, Present, and Future". Look for it in your library in November!

"It's a Book" by Lane Smith: Trailer

coming August 31! from Roaring Book Press/Macmillan

Neil Gaiman wins Carnegie Medal for The Graveyard Book

See the CILIP Press Release for more on the Carnegie and also the Kate Greenaway Medal that went to Freya Blackwood for her illustrations for Harry & Hopper (written by Margaret Wild).

The [VERY] Sad Tale of Mrs. Mole and Mrs. Mouse

In my research into the history of the Toronto Public Library, I just came across this catalogue entry for a very cool manuscript of an early Canadian children's story called "The Sad Tale of Mrs. Mole and Mrs. Mouse". I've seen the original manuscript a few times in the collection at the Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books, but I hadn't seen the scanned version.

CFP: Grad Conference: Conference on Children's Lit and Cultural Texts, UBC

Call for Paper Proposals

“Second to the Right and Straight on Till Morning:” Navigating the
Narrative Realm(s) of Children’s Texts

A Peer Reviewed Graduate Conference on Children’s Literature and Cultural Texts

With keynote speakers Philip Nel and Maria Tatar

The University of British Columbia

May 1, 2010

This is a one-day conference showcasing graduate research that explores and questions any facet of children’s literature. You are invited to submit a paper proposal that contributes to and extends existing research in the area of children’s texts, which may include novels, film, picture books, and other culturally produced modes of children’s literature. We are particularly interested in research that draws upon the broadly interpreted themes of navigation, exploration, and narrative.

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

   * The child or young adult as explorer/explored, navigator/navigated
   * Navigating (or negotiating) identity, gender, race or religion
   * Literary trends such as the history/future of children’s texts
   * Pathways of adaptation such as literary translations of  texts to film, games, merchandise or graphic novels
   * Exploring place, the child as traveller/runaway/adventurer
   * Curtailed freedom, boundaries, restrictions
   * Cultural, physical, psychological, ideological, or literary restrictions and barriers to exploration and imagination

Papers on any children’s or young adult’s genre are welcome, as are submissions that discuss other children’s texts such as film, virtual texts, or graphic novels.

Please send a 250 word abstract, the title of your paper, a 50-word biography, your name, your university affiliation, email address, and phone number to Annie Low-Beer at GradConference2010@gmail.com by
March 21, 2010. Please put “Conference Proposal” in the subject line of your email. A proposal form is available on our website at: http://lled.educ.ubc.ca/conf2010/.

The conference fee of $16 for students and presenters, and $32 for faculty and professionals includes morning and afternoon refreshments and a catered lunch.

Deborah Ellis @ UWO, Faculty of Education, February 23

Download Deborah Ellis Presentation 20100121 for additional details. Admission is free.

Location: Althouse auditorium

Date: February 23, 4:30-6:30 pm.

Katherine Paterson's response to the threat of the iPad

making the rounds on the blogosphere: Katherine Paterson's response to the threat to printed and bound books; from an OpEd piece in the NY Daily News.