Monica Edinger's Blog, page 27

Lewis Carroll’s Caucus Race

As we in the US await the results of the Iowa caucuses, here’sa look at Lewis Carroll’s take on caucuses. (First part inked and illustrated by moi):

and were quite dry again, the Dodo suddenly called out ‘The race is over!’ and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking, ‘But who has won?’

This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it sat for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead (the position in which you usually see Shakespeare, in the...

SLJ’s Battle of the Kids’ Books 2016 Edition

We’ve announced the contenders and later this week will begin revealing this year’s judges (who are yet again awesome).The Battle Commander (myself, Roxanne Feldman, and Jonathan Hunt) and our SLJ operatorShelly Diaz can’t wait for this year’s battle to commence. Meanwhile please read Shelley’s “Primed for a Fight: SLJ’s 2016 Battle of the Kids’ Books Contenders Revealed” for an overview and a comment from me about the possibility of this year’s YMA honors changing the game going forward.

Andrea Davis Pinkney’s Sit-In and Martin & Mahalia

Some weeks ago I was preparing a lesson for our 4th graders as part of our Martin Luther King, Jr Day observances. The school (grades 4-8) was focusing on the music at the March on Washington and I thought of Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney’s Martin & Mahalia. When I talked about it this week I mentioned that a recent book Andrea had editedwasgetting negativeattention. The kids remembered she’d been to the school a few years earlier to share with themSit-In. I then read both books to t...

Coming Soon: Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale

Kate DiCamillo burst onto the children’s book world with a flash, receiving a Newbery Honor for her very first book, the realistic and much belovedBecause of Winn-Dixie. Ever since she hasexplored different genres, piling up well-deserved honors along the way; her books includewitty stories for early readersfeaturing atoast-loving pig, a fairy tale celebrating a sensitive and bravemouse, fables ofelephants, tigers,and (china) rabbits, andher most recent Newbery winner — a delightfullysurreal...

Coming Soon: Kate DeCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale

Kate DiCamillo burst onto the children’s book world with a flash, receiving a Newbery Honor for her very first book, the realistic and much belovedBecause of Winn-Dixie. Ever since she hasexplored different genres, piling up well-deserved honors along the way; her books includewitty stories for early readersfeaturing atoast-loving pig, a fairy tale celebrating a sensitive and bravemouse, fables ofelephants, tigers,and (china) rabbits, andher most recent Newbery winner — a delightfullysurreal...

For Fans of Megan Whalen Turner’s The Queen’s Thief Series….

…. a little bird told me the next two are in the home stretch of being finishedand coming out in the near future*. First the publisher will reissue the originalfour to bring a new generation of readers to them and then….numbers five and six. Excited moi? Just a bit.

*Of course “near future” may be another year or so, but they ARE coming!

Thoughts on Newbery: A New Day After

Yesterday was quite a day. Boy oh boy, was it! Congratulations to all the honorees and everyone involved. What follows are a few personal responses to all of it.

First of all, it is important to celebrate the committee members — they worked hard all year and this past weekend to come together to honor a group of books. The process is intense, well-designed, and carefully led and I’m sure each committee member will remember this experience as unique and like no other. Bravo to all of them.

Sec...

Thoughts on Newbery: My Personal Druthers (for More Than the Newbery)

The announcement for this year’s ALA’s Youth Media Awards is this coming Monday, January 11th and as is true every year there are a large number of potential and worthy honorees, somehaving received more public scrutiny and attention than others. Having served on the 2008 Newbery committee I know how hard the members of all of this year’s committeeswill have worked — not just those days coming up thatthey will be spending together making their selections, but all year long — reading, rereadin...

Rita Williams-Garcia’s Gone Crazy in Alabama

Ah, sisters…for all of us it is complicated. I have one who is two years younger. Because we traveled and moved a lot when we were children, we depended on each other for playmates and more. We fought, physically and emotionally — when we annoyed each other, when we wanted something the other had, for space, and so on; we played intensively, I remember an ongoing story we told each other on long car trips where I got to be the younger for a change (interesting how we both felt the other was m...

For 2016 I want…

a better world for children now;

forgiveness instead of vengeance;

trust, lots and lots of trust;

hope.