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In this part of focus we will revisit a topic we have discussed before many times will be talking about children's books and we thought to be a good time since we are coming up to a holiday period. Sometimes people like to exchange gifts maybe you're thinking about a book as a gift for a child in your life we encourage that but maybe you're well a little out of the loop as far as children's literature is concerned and you might like some suggestions. Well that is what we're going to try to do this morning as we talk with two guests. Here in the studio with me is Deborah Stevenson. She is the associate editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books which is something that comes out of the library school here at the U of I. It's a publication that's designed to help teachers and librarians and then anyone who's interested in children's literature. Keep up with that field because what they do is they they look at everything that gets published they write about it they write reviews. So that's a way to find out about new books for kids. And it is also the kind of thing that that will be in the library. So if you're interested it's the kind of thing that you can go and
check out it at the Public Library. Our other guest Janice Harrington has just entered the room. She is head of you services at Champaign public library and we're pleased to have her here will give you give you a chance to catch your breath. And at one point you'll want to put on the the earmuffs there. So when we have some callers you can hear them. So the idea is what we'll do is we'll try to talk about some some new and interesting titles some things that they have seen and they would like to recommend. And if people who are listening have a book they would like to recommend that would also be great. Maybe it's something that you've read recently with your children that you thought was really nice and you like to recommend it. That would be fine. We can also try to recommend particular books and we've done this before and sometimes it actually works pretty well with somebody calls and says OK I have this child that has this kind of interest. What can you actually suggest a title. And because I know that the two of our guests see an
awful lot of books and keep a lot of that information in their memory banks. We may be able to actually come up with a title or an author so we will draw any and all of this kind of stuff. And all you have to do your folks are listening all you have to do is call us here in Champaign Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5 0 0 0 number. Well thanks very much. Thanks for having us. Glad to have you here. I don't know how you want to start. So we just maybe start tossing out some titles What are some of the let me let me start just with some approaches to getting holiday books for your children I had the fortune of taking my five nephews and nieces out to a bookstore just this weekend to try to purchase books for them and they really drove home the point that you know kids are individuals and they have unique taste. One child immediately gravitated towards a Barbie doll book that had make up in the in the cover. And another one one of the sequel to Harry Potter while yet another had to have a Calvin and
Hobbes and it was just they were just all over the map. The other thing I had to be aware of in choosing for them was of course the parents values. My my sister has a woman of faith and she wants her children to share those values and she looks for that her book so that was another thing I had to consider in trying to get gifts for them. And of course the affordability question when I took them to the bookstore I mean I let them know that their Aunt Janice could not afford a $100 book. But anything below that would be considered. But if you if you can afford it. I think balance is good if you can get them something that's their choice and then give them something that maybe is your choice something that you want to give them a legacy. I think when you're talking holiday gifts you're probably talking books that will help them build a home library books possibly that they could grow into something enduring nonfiction as well as fiction I think people gravitate more toward the fiction they forget that kids have insatiable curiosity and nonfiction works just as well. And Kid appealing and enjoyable this is not the time to go out in and get you know some classic
written 500 years ago what that horrible last the Mohicans do not purchase last of the Mohicans No no no no just scratch that one off your holiday give especially if you haven't read it yourself. Oh please. And then also in addition to buying books for them. But there's other options too that I just 3A like to suggest one I mentioned before which is magazines with subscriptions are great. They are the gift that keeps on giving. And there are some wonderful children's magazines coming out. African-American parents may want to know that there's a new one for black history called foot steps put out by cobble stones and that would make a nice gift. There's activity books I mean think different. There's. The book called Something's happening on calabash street and I use this more to demonstrate the point not to say go out and buy this in droves. But it's a wonderful book just about the different celebrations in a neighborhood. But the book concludes with all sorts of recipes and I could see you know maybe you can give your child the person that you want to buy the book for and experience why not get a book like this and read it together then afterwards prepare the recipe so you can
sort of look at that that way magazine something it'll give you an activity or make a book make a book yourself and give it to the kids that you want to give gift to because a lot of family history is being lost and this is an opportunity to recover those memories still go ahead and make a book yourself your own your own life and give them that as well. All of the great suggestions I still I'm sure that they're still going to be tough for parents to you know for the parent who has the kid who wants to read Harry Potter and who is thinking himself you know what I really would like to give you is David Copperfield. And it's I'm sure always going to be sort of a struggle between something that you would kind of like to see them read either you because you think that it's it's really very good or it's just one of those things that it's probably good for everybody to be familiar you know everybody should have read a couple of wild things by Dickens one so you can you can do both. Yeah and definitely and and Dickens I think is still a very someone that kids can relate to today as stories are still still there OK with James Fenimore Cooper you're 12 Yeah.
Don't kid yourself OK. No no not I'm sure I'm still trying to get them to be myself. But I do not but I do not I do not rule out Moby Dick but I do rule out last week that when I did I would not bore. I think also it's good to remember that what a lot of people are looking for when they give David Copperfield the kind of experience that David Copperfield brought them. And it doesn't take exactly David Copperfield to give that experience I think you'll talk to many people who've read many famous and well-known and very respected books and had much of a similar engaged experience with it. And one of the things that I think people like Janice and myself who know a lot of the newer books can point out books that might provide that experience for them that they don't always know about. She we start start our tag team of the books. It works for me. You go first. You don't suggest in the book that however that I wanted to suggest my psychic powers right for of course I got most I wanted. Since today is I think a day where it's particularly relevant what with waiting for the tape from the Supreme Court there is. It doesn't sound like a classic holiday book
but a fabulous book out this year about the president saying it is a picture book of about 64 pages by Joost St. George called So You Want To Be President. The illustrator is Michael Small who is the illustrator of the Calcutta honor winning the gardener of a few years ago and he's blended this lively depiction with also attend a touch of political cartooning. And it's an overview both light hearted and serious of the experience of being in the White House talking about for instance if you want to be president it would help if your first name was James. Most presidents have been named James. But it also talks about Nixon and Clinton and histories of difficulties in the White House as well as you know pets in the White House. Race culture religion as far as presidents are concerned. It really is this glorious joyous gala Mauffray of the presidency that's extremely enticing I think to a lot of kids. What about if your name is Mary can you be president.
This book makes that point that it's still open for women to I think the interesting thing is at the end of that book I think it's a shot of the White House and they showed Nixon going down the steps head down. Obviously it's not the White House it's the Lincoln Memorial even more. Oh yeah the Lincoln is staring down right right but right behind him right behind him is Clinton coming down the steps to it. It's just you know you don't have to be a history junkie or a political buff to get the message that you're right often they are all will see I mean right. It's really good. OK so that's what I love book is. So you want to be president right. I think I'll jump in with my sort of fantasy. And you can I think you're top of the list and probably at this point most kids have already received this book for birthdays or whatever but it has to be Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It is a contemporary classic and I myself didn't think that J.K. Rowlings could pull it off a seven eight seven hundred page books for kids kids and you know I didn't think she could do it but she did. It's a little darker than the previous four but the rolling allows the reader to encounter evil in
that memorable villain Lord Voldemort and you know I don't really need say more than that but Harry Potter would be the perfect gift for a fan and if someone's new to that by the than by the whole wide realty Quadrilogy I can I can only count up to trilogy. OK whatever comes after a trilogy tetralogy. OK I'll write that OK. So that would be a winner. Another interesting little book is called space race by Sylvia Watt did you like that one. Okay what if you were secretly an alien. What if you came from another planet but it happened so long ago that you've forgotten. And what if time is running out now and you've got to return to your planet. This is a wonderful father and son story and the father and son are racing to get back to their spaceship which has been shrunken and buried next to a statue in a public park. They have to get that space ship reactivated and fly off. Well of course this is a story. Things go wrong and poor Thomas Durant the young boy in the stories alone in hospital hoping against hope that his father will find him. And it's a good story. Space Race by Sylvia well and I know you like I was a rat.
I haven't actually read that poem and you haven't read. I was right. It's fantasy I have to pry it out or you just don't like OK OK. Oh and his wife Joan. This is ALL couple in there alone one night there's a knock at the door. They open it there's this little boy there he says is a rat. And and that begins their adventure trying to deal with you know bumbling public officials and dastardly villains who want to harm the boy and they're trying to find a home for him and they fall in love with him. But this sort of falls of that idea of a book that is sort of the dickens Ian in them and is very good at that. Right and this young boy is Rhett napped in the story and that begins his rollicking adventure and the old couple who's trying to to save him and bring him comfort. And then there's that wonderful twist that this young boy really was a rat if you know the Cinderella story. Hint hint. And it was a good one I was a rat. Anybody will love that one. Another one is the wincing or have you read that. You know who's the author of that was William Nicholson. This I would say was for the
diehard fantasy lovers the kids who will. They don't care whether it's good or bad or whatever it's a fantasy I want to read it. And this is for the fantasy lovers who have read everything and you're scraping the barrel what to give them what to find. This is the new one out. It's a world very similar to our own family lives in the city of Amaranth and social rank in the city is determined by testing high achievers have a high standard of living and a low achievers Well let's just say it's not pretty. And this is again as a story with good and evil and you know this family caught in the middle so it's not a story with hobbits or are knights with wondrous swords but this loving family and their battle to change the system families fantasy lovers I think will go for this one. So cute. Well I've got a few but I also want to comment on two things one of the nice things about the first two which I'm familiar with is that they're fantasy for somewhat younger readers than a lot of the fantasy you'll find. Sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge when you're looking through the fantasy shelves and see lots of stuff or you know ninth grade and up. And these are fantasy vids that are really accessible to middle schoolers.
The other thing I wanted to point out is as you might have gathered Janice Harrington is one of the most gifted storytellers and readers allowed in this neck of the woods. So no scene no what now why is that. Just making all kinds of innocent here every once in a while I've entertained the notion of on the show here's we should just have someone come and read stories to us. We'll abandon the well ban the politics of the day and we'll just do that so you don't get up and do either one of the books that you want to suggest. OK apparently I'll be hit as long as we're talking about the world apart from reality. There I will actually kick back to Janice eventually there will be the what beyond Harry Potter but there's a couple interesting books out this year with a science fiction edge that are I think very likely to appeal to a lot of young readers. One of them is Rodman Philbrick the last book in the universe. And that's a post-apocalyptic world where most of the population blissing out on mind probs but the
narrator has a brain condition he has epilepsy and cannot actually tolerate the intrusion into his brain and he actually hooks up with an old man whose name is writer who's one of the few people who remembers books and then they're going off in search of his beloved foster sister who's very ill. And they join up with some of the people from the lucky side of the fence as there tends to be in such dystopia as the proof the genetically improved people in order to seek justice and a cure for a younger sister. Another book that I think a lot of kids would really like is called Blueprint. And I'm now going to space out on the name. It's from KERO to books in Minnesota and it's a German import we don't get that many imports in the U.S. which is I think a shame in a lot of ways but it's costly to translate to bring them over. And it's a book about the first clone. And her name is Siri her mother's sister's name is Iris. Her mother is a gifted musician who discovered she was suffering from multiple sclerosis and being a self-involved and determined person
decided that she would continue her career by creating a clone of herself. It is narrated by the daughter slash sister who talks about the extraordinary clash of wills and challenge of identity which is I think an extraordinary appealing teen theme as she grows up to become so much like this woman who created her but also so very different. I think it's interesting the kind of books that you talk about I'm sure that some people would be surprised to know that books for children or for younger readers were dealing with such serious and complicated themes. I think I think I found that a lot in. Fantasy and Science Fiction really seem to be pushing the envelope for kids and and dealing with topics that you're not finding in the more sort of mainstream books. So I think that's just maybe the nature of the type of book the genre we're dealing with. They're very philosophical literatures. I think a lot of readers who are interested in good and evil go there to really sort things out and explore possibilities. I'm going to try some nonfiction. Sure. OK. A good coffee table book for kids would
be spirit of in durance by Jennifer Armstrong and my colleague here is cheering wildly you can't hear what she is. Yes it's a huge a large coffee table book that describes the incredible true adventure survival story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his attempt to be to cross the Antarctic continent. It has original oil paints by William on as well as. Wonderful stunning photographs by the expedition photographer Frank Hurley but if you've got somebody who wants a true story who wants adventure who wants edge of your seat. My God did that happen. Then get spirit of insurance or any of the really there was really remarkable. You know now that I'm out you know there has to be either the pick the photographs have have toured they've been in some museums and their aerial museum right over there and and if you haven't seen these and there's a lot of there is also a book you should go down it's and see them because they're just really stunning some the most stunning pictures you're going to see and there also is a book about about the expedition and about how these people went what they went through
and the amazing fact that everybody came back to tell the story right nobody none of them none of the gross things and they still came back you know and didn't have to take baths. Well from picture books to books for older readers the shekel Tonio suddenly came out of nowhere and we're very grateful that there are wonderful books. And if you're trying to pick up a holiday book for a child you know narrowing what their interest is and if you've got a horse lover. I'm not into horses personally. Horse a good cup of cappuccino I'm going to go with a cup of cappuccino but a horse book that I read that I really did enjoy was the world according to horses how they run see and think by Stephen Budiansky. And it's a book that will definitely keep the interest of horse lovers. But what is I think unique about this book is that it explains how do we know what we know about horses it connects the conclusions with the research that produced it. And it's definitely a book that will I think help kids think better or think better about science and think it through better. Did you have some nonfiction favorites you toss in.
She keeps throwing me curves and I'm not ready for them. If you've got kids who are interested in building the stuff there are two very interesting books about building stuff from two different points of view. One of them is by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan who as a pair have written some of the best art books for kids in the last decade. And this is about Frank Gehry the architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. They have a way of making accessible both the artistic philosophies of contemporary artists and also the process of building in many ways. And it's a very engaging portrayal of a guy who was building a house that all the neighbors hated and just didn't get along with people his neighborhood and now presumably those neighbors are going oh cheeze he was a genius and we didn't know the whole time what there is also for the more hardcore enthusiastic building is. David Macaulay's building big companion volume to the PBS series The volume is taking a different track from the television series. It really is focusing much more
on the technical side. So especially kids who are really interested in the engineering aspect of it will find this an absolute field day. Well he says his books are so cool. If you have not seen them I believe person almost person of any age would be just fascinating because he he he's the guy that has done books about how things work and how things are built and done wonderful drawings kind of fabulous cross-sections and so that you can actually see how various kinds of machines work and how how the pyramids were built. And you know ocean liners and all that kind of stuff it's just the coolest thing and wonderful illustrations. As long as we're talking about big things you mentioned that the name of that book again so that people could hear it was big building building a big building big if you like big things another book to go for might be elephant Quest. It's by Ted and Betsy Lewin and it has stunning water colors very accessible language that pulls the readers into the author's experience on an African safari in search of the majestic elephant.
The loons meet Lions water buffaloes packs of wild dogs. They describe their experiences eating mopane worms which are these BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG grubs and they eat those by the damn glow of a kerosene lamp and that might be a probably what it was I think. That was elephant Quest spellbinder Have you read that the biography of life of Harry Houdini. Oh no I've seen that as yet that is another really good one if you've got again a kid who's who loves biography or loves learning history and true things it's definitely book to go for spellbinder the life of Harry Houdini by Tom leek and just gives you a sense of what that man did his is his athletic prowess and maybe a little his rigor and you know anybody who would lock himself in a can of beer and face the death from suffocation is somebody you want to read about I think. I agree entirely. Just a Prime Ear for interrupting here but I'm thinking Well we've already used up by half the time. And I we haven't been since sort of beginning the program that I've told people who you are so maybe that might be a
nice idea. OK. Introduce again the guest We're talking with Deborah Stevenson and Janice Harrington. Janice is head of u services at the champagne public library Deborah is the associate editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books a publication that comes out of the advice she's also the co-author along with Betsy hearn of a book which is titled choosing books for children a common sense guide. Excellent. Yeah maybe that you don't that's the kind of thing where if you're a.. If you sort of I actually I'm I'm told so does everyone. Janice told me once that if you didn't love her it would reflect very badly on you. So together so well I guess that's OK. Anyway so that if you're looking for suggestions that would be one place to go. You certainly can also look at the bulletin which should be available in your public library. The the children's department will have that have that so you can look at it and. And if you are interested in suggestions go talk to the librarians. You will not be bothering them. They love this. They live for this. So if you if you have a child with a particular kind of
interest you're looking for some books. Maybe they have there's a certain author they have read everything by that person and now you want to know. OK. Now what can I find for them or what. You know frankly I think I think everybody should be talking to everybody about books. That's how literacy is going to grow. That's how we make our kids readers. That's how we put people who aren't. That's how we make our democracy work people who are intelligent who have something dialogue to talk about are people who who can read so talk to everybody about books share the books that you're reading. But definitely keep your local librarians in mind we have a couple of callers and we'd be very happy to have you know maybe people who are listening have suggestions there's a book that they would like to suggest or they're looking for a particular kind of book. We can see if we can help you out we have a couple folks here. The numbers here in Champaign Urbana 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5 1 starting Taylorville line number four. Hello. Oh yes. I'm sure likely annoyed that your focus is on the present when
there's so much of the past we could start as a way. We could start with for example those marvelous things that are Iraq and illustrated for example Peter Pan and pencil chancing Mang gardens Rip Van Winkle. Those things have been reprinted and but it's quite special to get the they're original and if they read you can get the signed copies. But let's not digress. Oh yeah. Andersen's Fairy Tales illustrated by ghosts those things that folks like those show that you really care about your kids. That that is one of the most marvelous. One of the most beautiful
children's books I've ever come across. I don't know expect the guest would argue with the total in the last six. Totally agree in fact if you like classics I would strongly suggest the new fables illustrated by Jerry Pinkney Pinkney just knocks it out of the ballpark again his water colors are matchless there breathless he brings these timeless classic stories to life showing the diverse range of the human family and illustrations and it's a wonderful book that you want to put in any child's home library. Those great classics definitely we want to give those to children in fact I wish we could say to publishers let's reissue some of those and we'll simply and they and they've taken the opportunity to do that with some of at least the children's classics. The Trumpet of the swan by E.B. White has been reissued and real astray by Marcy. Liane again you here's you've got the story of the Trumpeter Swan was born without a voice. His father steals the trumpet so that he can have a voice. And then this is the story of Lewis's effort to become a musician save up enough money to pay for the
trumpet and restore his father's honor. So there's those both the great classics that we all remember from from. Our own childhoods end from school but there's also contemporary classics to share from child children. We live in a wonderful time there is a wealth of literature of all kinds to give to kids and it's all good it's all good. And I think well there's something very special Sharing with a child a book like as you say the Arthur Rackham illustrated versions that you had for instance your own childhood. So there's part of your history being shared with that child. There are also some wonderful new things coming up. And it can be a little deceptive Sometimes what we talk about in this kind of session because I think a lot of people are familiar with the Arthur Rock'em but might not be familiar with for instance the new Aesop's Fables. So often we're trying to bring new things to people in the hope that they already know some of the older good things but we agree entirely that there are some splendid things for children that have been out for a long time and we hope all will be well. Let's talk with another caller here this is Paris and its line 1. Hello hello. I would question for you I
have to give a book to my nieces. They're seven and nine. I'm trying to prepare them for books that I intend to give them as they get a little bit older and talking about things like Philip Pullman is a misfit and so forth. So that's what I'm hoping to find a way like to find something that would prepare them for English culture that would make it easier for them to understand the book. If there's something out there like that. I'm not sure whether you're talking about looking for a British book for 7 or 9 year old and some of the Pullmans are accessible I would say to 9 year olds don't count Karl Steen goes down fairly far doesn't it. Spring heel Jack or whether you're looking for fantasies for younger readers to prepare them for the sort of sweeping scope of a poem and were you thinking of both do you know or actually I'm thinking of a nonfiction book. I've already got tons of pics and lined up. I actually bought the book flight for the next five years but I don't know if you're diligent and
what I'm trying to do is to give them a little bit of a leg up on the culture so that they don't have any trouble with some of the terms like A-levels or prefect or things of the school system that are different that they might understand I would want them to put the book down because they didn't understand some of the the language the lingo for example you know it is necessary for example someone calling someone a brick. Perhaps they would understand that I would want them to lose out on the experience and because of that I think for that one she may want to take advantage of a wonderful free resource which would be the local library. Thank you this sounds like one that you probably want to come in and have a face to face dialogue with a librarian in that we sort of look through our collections and other sources to try to find something that would help you. The top of my head I think I'm stumped. Yes I've had difficulty finding anything and it is a rare subject and the matter of recommending something I've been delighted to find that there's been a reissue of Leon Garfield the two books actually and
black text which are excellent. So if someone if you could get a young reader who's interested in history. SMITH I think it's wonderful and it's just recently been reissued. I also think it's great you mentioned Leon Garfield since we've mentioned Dickens earlier and I think Leon Garfield is the author that comes to mind when you're talking about a writer for young people reasonably contemporarily since of course he's the lately on Garfield that has many of the Dickensian characteristics and also a strong appeal for contemporary children. Yes and very historically accurate yes. So that might satisfy parents that count. That's a very good point. OK thanks very much. Sure thank you. I wanted to share some books especially for African-American parents and families who might be listening for this holiday season. Top of the list would have to be wings by Christopher Meyers which I found to be just a stunning book. A young boy who has wings but seemingly can't fly. He's taunted by the other kids. But it's at the hand of friendship that's given to him that helps eventually discover flight
and his own ability to fly it's a moving moving story that will touch any readers hearts and the art in this is brilliant I mean it really Rominger Bearden and the great African collage you'll find reflected here. Big J by Judy Nolan. Addie is a quote house slave on Simon plenties plantation as she discovers a young boy floating in a wicker basket just like the biblical Moses. This is a young African-American child and he grows up to be big. And what he does is he helps the slaves to escape from the plantation and from the cruelty of Simon plenty. He creates a very memorable tall tale character that. Children will will will enjoy shades of black. I strongly suggest this book to families with preschool children. It's shades of black a celebration of our children by Sandra Pinkney and here's a work that shows the diversity of the African-American family that we come in every color and shade from creamy
white to gingery Brown. And it affirms it celebrates and it says with photographic eloquence that black is very beautiful. And that's an excellent book. Another one real quick would be in the hollow of your hand and these are slave lullabies by Alice McGill. The book comes with a CD that you can actually hear the 13 songs that were sung in her own family. And she tells you a little bit about the songs and you can hear those. And the last would be not the last there are so many excellent excellent books about African-American history put out this year but hurry freedom might be one you might miss. And this is about African-Americans in the gold rush and those families who are looking for role models or historical figures that will make their children feel a sense of pride will especially enjoy this book and the discussion of Mifflin Gibbs who established a successful business. And I was a conductor on the Underground Railroad and fought tirelessly for civil rights of African-Americans in California the man simply didn't seem to know the word give up. So those would be I think. Some books I would point you to if you were an African-American grandmother mother and whoever looking for good books this
year though if you're talking for older readers who like fiction I really love Jacqueline Woods and miracles ball I stopped as a good book that was just very good book amazing love story being brother yes. Yes it wasn't it wasn't the grim ghetto draw that picture all very much loving brothers it was going to look at that again. It's Miracle's Boys by Jacqueline Woodson a very always a very talented author and picture books and books for older readers as well. Let's tell you what we have another caller here and what do we get them in and what course we can continue to talk with Debra Stevenson and Janice Harrington and maybe I also should mention we are now moving into our last 15 minutes. So if there is oh I promise we can do this again you know it's not the last time we're going to do this. No I know you you could come back we got to talking fast but a little known. But y'all can come back another day. OK well let's talk with a caller here in champagne. Hello. I first want to say that though this is what I was calling about those last few Justin's are great and I
hope Caucasian parents will also get them for their kids. I think those would be a great thing for us to introduce to our kids so they don't grow up to be like some of my students who don't seem to know anything at all that African-American culture. OK the other thing though the main reason I'm calling is I just had a kind of humorous response to the previous caller which is that if her I guess she was she was an aunt of these kids right as a niece or nephew or whatever it was if they are you are reading the Harry Potter books. I'm sure that they will be very well-versed in British vocabulary. Hello. Yeah yeah yeah I think you know because they they are indeed set in in Britain and you learn things about British. Well I guess you would say public school life that's going around for example I mean that's you know that was one of the words she mentioned they certainly talk about prefects in there. Tonight a lot of that does get from contex and I would suspect I was going to ask and forgot that that's in fact where she picked it up that's really where I picked it up. Some books also have glossaries in the back there's a wonderful new British book that's considered the sort of Bridget Jones Diary for the younger
set Angus Thongs and full frontal snogging that in fact Harry Potter in America has actually changed a few bits of vocabulary. What they did with Angus Thongs and full frontal snogging is simply throw their hands up in the air and put a glossary in the back. It's a wonderful glossary to just screamingly funny to read. Right and I support your point entirely about which parents and who the bookstands are talking about of course. Wonderful books for all readers. It's one of these situations where sometimes people are looking for books and have a hard time looking in piles yaps for their specific needs but I mean it is a criticism it's just that I do think that a lot of white parents don't think to buy those for their kids and I think that's really important as a way important way to break up bring up children not to be racist. One little thing I want to add to you know I haven't heard all your show so you may have covered this but I just find that my son's a good reader He's a. But he really when he's reading something interesting and complicated he really likes to read to a parent or have a parent read to him or we take turns and so I thought of him.
And for me to pick books I like to definitely definitely. We've just started on the Chronicles of Narnia. All right. Good choice rather good choice. Well thanks for the fun so I want to just and maybe you have some the Add to this to just go into books that I would consider books dealing with faith that families might enjoy. This is in every tiny grain of sand a child's book of prayers and praise collected by Reeve Lindbergh. And here you have prayers poems bits of chants from all of the world's faiths but one generation passes away and another generation comes but the earth abides forever. The scripture from Ecclesiastes. You have the Gaelic prayers deep peace of the running wave to you deep peace the flowing air to you. So again families of faith might very much enjoy in every tiny grain of sand. Also related to that a little different would be David versus God.
You're dead you're pretty sure you're dead because you're seeing angels you're dead because all the other kids who were on a field trip with you in that bus they look dead and you're not happy about being dead so what do you do. Well David decides that he's going to have a debate because that's his talent he's going to debate God. And if he can win this debate then he'll be able to return to his life. But again if you're a family of faith it might be one that you enjoy. I wanted to go back a bit to the last caller's point because I don't think you can over stress issues talking about her son liking to read books back to her or with her. There's no need to make it an either or for read aloud or read aloud at any age. One of my classes this summer one student had been familiar with all this literature because her father had read it to her when she was well beyond read alone and continuing to share books as a family is a great experience and whether the child is reading to you or your real reading the child there's certainly no reason for a child to be rewarded by for learning to read by never being read to again and what's going to make them a reader
too is your own enjoyment of the woman. Say what you want to pick books that she enjoyed. Definitely I mean your your it's very important for the children to see that you love books too. That's how you turn it into readers. If you love books you might enjoy the amazing pop up house of inventions. This is a pop up book and each page is in a different room of the house. So let's go to an interesting room here let's go let's go to the bathroom when you. Go to the bathroom the bathroom pops up. There is for example your typical commode. But when you lift up the lid to the commode it tells you the quality of plumbing went downhill fast in the fall of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages people through their waste into the street. Boots were probably popular. Each each little part of this pop up explains to you how that that common item that you find in that room who invented it and where it was invented. Is that clear what I just. So for us a little down on the toilet with the lid down. I did but that's not so you know if you go into the kitchen it tells you who invented the vacuum cleaner or who invented the refrigerator.
Each little thing you can open it's a great pop up book lots of fun even adults would have fun with this one. So do you know who when the toaster was discovered or created. I have no idea tell us you don't know the first pop up toaster was created in one thousand twenty seven. I'm still thinking about a full frontal snogging. Actually I had when I quit now I don't know I mean it has been this is you know it's a historical book the authors Louise Rennison. It's we've graded I think for sixth grade and but I know Jenna still Negras daughter who is I believe in. You know the other here is finding a hilariously funny it's just the trials tribulations a teenager couple other books that I'll just toss into the hopper in honor of the day. One of the most wonderful books this year is called Blizzard by Jim Murphy and it's the story of the eighteen eighty eight great blizzard that paralyzed the northeast. And Murphy who is an amazingly gifted historian for young people has combined primary sources. So he's relating directly people's experiences in the blizzard
with some cultural historical assessment of just what the mistakes were that caused this to be such a terrible tragedy for the northeast. What they had done what they hadn't done why it might happen again and why it might not. Let's take another call here because we're getting close on time in Urbana line number one. Hello. I have wanted to get a clarification of the title you mentioned. I talked to you earlier about my nieces. Someone mentioned a book that might do you would have a glossary that is courting with terms like Angus. Something rather and I wanted to get help right away. OK it's Angus Thongs. I'd like thongs t h o n g s. OK. And full frontal snogging. OK. And I don't need to explain to you about snogging the author Louise Rennison and I S O N and N. O n o n thank you. What age is this book for. Then I would say most conservatively probably sixth grade and
she's I believe 13. But readers younger than that have definitely enjoyed it. Depending on reading sophistication and parental views it could go younger as well. OK two things I wanted to mention. Margaret May and many of her work will be excellent for children The second thing regarding blizzard by Jim Murphy there is a book by Richard Peck that deals with that in a supernatural sort of way. I believe it's called Voices from the past for both after midnight that's when the call to deal with that blizzard in an interesting way. Thank you. Thank you thank you we have about five minutes left. If somebody want to call in real quick nudge nudge say no more 333 W. while toll free 800 1:58 W while we can't leave without addressing the blizzard of wonderful poetry books too that have come out this year. One that I really enjoyed was Voices poetry and art from around the world by Barbara Brenner. And this is it stands out as a collection of poetry for children because it includes
poets and voices across time and cultures. A very very strong selection you're not seeing the same poets that you see anthologized over and over again a very. And it's also filled with just museum quality art works that that kids can enjoy and again that was Voices poetry and art from around the world. Do you have your poetry. Not a poetry book I was feeling like I should end on something noble but I'll opt for FO noble. There's a wonderfully enjoyable book by Meg Cabot Cabo tea called The Princess Diaries and it's sort of clueless meets the Grimaldi's an ordinary girl going to school in Manhattan is shocked to discover that because her father will not be able to have any more children her distant European father she is now the heir to the throne of his European principality which completely changes her life and she is now a princess going to school in Manhattan and she doesn't really like it very much and she has the breathy Alicia Silverstone voice that makes this just suck the readers right into the book and half envy her and half be thrilled that you're not in her position.
It's it's just the what happens if something came out of the sky and made me Royal and it just the pages with you you cannot get get out of this book without finding out what happens to the skirt. Will you know we didn't really mention anything for preschoolers so they should pick up the everything book by Denise Fleming which has everything finger plays nursery rhymes preschool concepts. It's there in a bright colorful package the toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy the new illustrated version of what both the little white duck. Really nice for preschoolers. For those of you maybe familiar with the song there's a little white dot. There's also a lovely collection of board books by Rebecca Amberley that are bilingual English and Spanish concept books colors shapes forms and shapes and forms to be the same thing color shapes opposites and something else you need those books and. I've forgotten my concept and they are splendid and beautiful and very straightforward about the bilingualism which is an effective concept as well in its own right.
We have a couple of the color skin trying to one more. Sure. No no it's just you know you can't you know I'm sorry you can't bear the line number one. Well I just want to suggest that people consider giving books or money to their local library which can spread the books. Kids who might not be able to make it to a public library or buy books and I have discovered there are area school library had been decimated by a severe attack of fungus or mold when my sample of the carpets and close up the doors for the summer and I came back and lots of books work on the Yankee Ridge. So I considered doing that when you're giving paper books to your favorite kids. I think supporting your library school libraries public library is a great idea. It's a good idea before you pick a book to give however to find out whether that's going to be for that particular library because you don't want to give a book even. No matter how much you love it that isn't you know one they already have they don't necessarily want another one or that is one that suits their
collection sometimes that can be a problem but if your interest in supporting your library I'm sure they'd be happy to help you. OK one more champagne line to hello. Yes I didn't get the name of that wonderful pop up book you were talking about. OK the name of that book is it's Robert Crothers amazing pop up house of inventions. It takes takes every room in the house and it pops up a picture and shows you tells you when that item was invented including nylon stockings and Crothers a c r o w t h e r Robert Crothers. Thank you. All right. Well I think we're about at a point we're going to have to stop for this time around with promise though I'm sure we can do this again. Yeah yeah. No I honestly really I wouldn't kid you and we could have our guests back and talk some more about it in a minute. In the meantime be looking for book suggestions go to the library. Talk with the librarians there. They would be very happy to help you out.
Definitely and also called the Center for the Study of the Center for Children's books. Thank you Deborah. Publishers of the Bulletin and they're at it here at the Ovide library school and that's also a publication that you should be able to find in the library and that you can look at because they do review all the the new books that come out or at least they review the ones they think are are good are worth recommending. So to our guest there were Stevenson Janice Harrington thank you very much thank you thank you for being here.
Program
Focus 580
Episode
Childrens Books for the Holidays
Producing Organization
WILL Illinois Public Media
Contributing Organization
WILL Illinois Public Media (Urbana, Illinois)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip-16-000000081h
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip-16-000000081h).
Description
Description
with Deborah Stevenson, Center for Children's Books, University of Illinois and Janice Del Negro, Head of Youth Services, Champaign Public Library
Broadcast Date
2000-12-01
Genres
Talk Show
Subjects
Books and Reading; Holidays; Education; community; Children and Parenting; Children; books
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:45:20
Embed Code
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Credits
Producer: Brighton, Jack
Producing Organization: WILL Illinois Public Media
AAPB Contributor Holdings
Illinois Public Media (WILL)
Identifier: cpb-aacip-1c119f5a9b9 (unknown)
Generation: Copy
Duration: 45:17
Illinois Public Media (WILL)
Identifier: cpb-aacip-0aecfbf545e (unknown)
Generation: Master
Duration: 45:17
If you have a copy of this asset and would like us to add it to our catalog, please contact us.
Citations
Chicago: “Focus 580; Childrens Books for the Holidays,” 2000-12-01, WILL Illinois Public Media, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 29, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-16-000000081h.
MLA: “Focus 580; Childrens Books for the Holidays.” 2000-12-01. WILL Illinois Public Media, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 29, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-16-000000081h>.
APA: Focus 580; Childrens Books for the Holidays. Boston, MA: WILL Illinois Public Media, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-16-000000081h