Mary Kay Carson's Blog, page 9

Bat Scientists named a 2011 Notable Children’s Book

The Bat Scientists was included on this year’s list for Middle Readers, saying, “Exceptional photography and clear text capture the lives of bats and explore the myths and threats to these amazing mammals.”

Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children’s books. According to the Notables Criteria, “notable” is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children’s books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children’s interests in exemplary ways.

Bat Scientists named a 2011 Notable Children's Book

The Bat Scientists was included on this year's list for Middle Readers, saying, "Exceptional photography and clear text capture the lives of bats and explore the myths and threats to these amazing mammals."

Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books. According to the Notables Criteria, "notable" is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children's books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways.

Bat Scientists on Top 10 Sci-Tech List

[image error] Booklist named its Top 10 Sci-Tech Books for Youth: 2010 on December 1st, and The Bat Scientists was included, stating: "This exciting title in the Scientists in the Field series follows a team of dedicated bat scientists, dispelling popular myths and delivering plenty of surprising facts about the often maligned animals."

The full *Starred* review by Booklist:
"With clear, informal prose and beautiful close-up color photos on every double-page spread, this exciting title in the Scientists in the Field series follows a team of dedicated bat specialists. Along the way, Carson dispels popular myths about the often maligned animals with solid information: bats are not blind, very few drink blood, and they are important pest controllers. The color photographs, including many full-page images, are spellbinding, from the image of a Texas cave filled with millions of adult bats to a close-up view of a single, walnut-sized baby. Many facts will be new to most readers—bats are the only mammals that fly; more than one-fifth of all the roughly 5,000 mammal species are bats—and young people will be easily drawn in by Carson's lucid, fascinating explanations of concepts and her vivid descriptions of scientists at work. The conservation message is urgent: bats' habitats are quickly disappearing because of overhunting, tourism, mining, and many other human-related causes. Whether describing the physics of echolocation or the present crisis of white-nose syndrome, Carson encourages readers to rethink stereotypes about creatures once scorned as flying vermin and shows how intricately their survival is tied to our own. Extensive back matter, including a glossary and a bibliography of books and Web sites, closes this standout resource." — Hazel Rochman

Starred Reviews for Inside Tornadoes!

[image error] Kirkus gave Inside Tornadoes a starred review, saying, "This visually tempting title defines and explains the storms people call twisters, gives examples of four particularly devastating ones in this country, describes tornado watchers at work, offers a hands-on activity and suggests precautions for tornado safety... Sidebars introduce extra information, vocabulary and short firsthand accounts of storm experiences with snapshots. Along with the clear explanations and visual interest, this volume and its companion, Carson's Inside Hurricanes (ISBN: 978-1-4027-5880-5), are thoughtfully designed. The many fold-out and fold-up pages work. A symbolic arrow directs the reader; pages are numbered clearly and consecutively. Even the backmatter--bibliography, source notes, further resources and glossary--is on a fold-up page... Impressive." Read the full review here.

Inside Tornadoes also received a starred review in School Library Journal.

Starred Review for Inside Tornadoes!

[image error] Kirkus gave Inside Tornadoes a starred review, saying, "This visually tempting title defines and explains the storms people call twisters, gives examples of four particularly devastating ones in this country, describes tornado watchers at work, offers a hands-on activity and suggests precautions for tornado safety... Sidebars introduce extra information, vocabulary and short firsthand accounts of storm experiences with snapshots. Along with the clear explanations and visual interest, this volume and its companion, Carson's Inside Hurricanes (ISBN: 978-1-4027-5880-5), are thoughtfully designed. The many fold-out and fold-up pages work. A symbolic arrow directs the reader; pages are numbered clearly and consecutively. Even the backmatter--bibliography, source notes, further resources and glossary--is on a fold-up page... Impressive."

Read the full review here.

A Batty Book Launch!

[image error] Saturday's launch of The Bat Scientists at the Blue Marble was a great success. Thanks for stopping by and devouring the bat cookies! Special thanks to our friend Mark Bowen for taking such great pics.

Books by the Banks is a Batty Success

[image error] Saturday's Books by the Banks book festival was a success! I shared a table with Christina Wald, illustrator of Little Red Bat, so we had lots of bat fans stop by.

I was especially encouraged by all the folks concerned about white-nose syndrome and eager to take the hand-outs on bats and bat houses from Bat Conservation International.

Booklist gives The Bat Scientists a Starred Review!

[image error] The October 15th issue of Booklist gives The Bat Scientists a starred review, calling the images "spellbinding" and stating that "young people will be easily drawn in by Carson's lucid, fascinating explanations of concepts and her vivid descriptions of scientists at work."

Read the review, watch the book trailer, and more here.

Watch The Bat Scientists book trailer!

[image error] The book trailer is finished, polished, and up on YouTube. Thanks Tom for all your hard work putting it together and a special thanks to Maggie Kelley who composed the music just for the book!

Click the book above or here to watch.