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Robie Harris and Michael Emberley have written the creative 'It's Not the Stork! A Book about Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends.' |
WHEN THE "Academy
Rebecca Purdy, youth services manager at the headquarters library, is serving on this year's Sibert Committee, which chooses the creators of the year's most distinguished informational book for readers through age 14.
I am serving on the Caldecott Committee, which selects the most distinguished picture book of the year.
Both of us are spending all our spare time between now and then rereading, taking notes and checking reviews in preparation for our three days of intensive discussion in Seattle.
Here in Fredericksburg, the library's youth services staff is planning a mock awards discussion of our own. While we make no promises that we've chosen the winning book, here's a look at what we're considering for Sibert.
"The Adventures of Marco Polo" by Russell Freedman recounts the marvelous stories that have entertained readers for more than 600 years--deadly sandstorms, treacherous expeditions over mountains, and a lengthy stay in the court of Kublai Khan among them. But Freedman goes beyond the "wow" factor to discuss how much of the story is actually true. Citing contemporary scholarship as well as the reactions of Polo's own family (who begged him to confess on his deathbed that he had made it all up), Freedman weaves a story filled with mystery as well as adventure.
In "It's Not the Stork! A Book about Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends" by Robie Harris and Michael Emberley, two cartoon characters, a bird and a bee, ask and answer the normal questions about their bodies that most kids between
"Pompeii: Lost and Found" by Mary Pope Osborne is remarkable not just for the text, which tells a compelling story, but also for Bonnie Christensen's fresco illustrations. Their antique, cracked texture offers an authentic accompaniment to the tale, while also distancing young readers from the tragic events. A quiz, discussion of daily life and a note on frescoes round out the book.
"Saving the Buffalo" by Albert Marrin tells the dramatic story of how the animal once known as the Lord of the Great Plains was decimated by the end of the 19th century, only to make a gradual comeback over the last hundred years. Marrin's story includes everything from Teddy Roosevelt to the characteristics of buffalo (poor eyesight but a good sense of smell) and the hunting methods of Indian tribes in a fascinating mix of history and zoology.
"Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon" by Catherine Thimmesh points out that the astronauts were only a few of the people who made this historic event possible. There were engineers, seamstresses and other workers behind the scenes. A generous use of direct quotes from those involved, combined with a dramatic use of photographs, make this a lively and authentic history.
To hear more about these books, join us this afternoon at 3 in the Headquarters library theater. Next week, I'll present our Caldecott suggestions and let you know which books won at our mock awards discussion.
You can phone CAROLINE PARR, coordinator of children's services for Central Rappahannock Regional Library, at 540/372-1160 or e-mail her at
Email: cparr@crrl.org.
