Recently in Children's Book News Category

The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi held their annual Children's Book Preview earlier this month. Both of our recent releases, God's Promise and Roonie B. Moonie: Lost and Alone were on display for the local community to peruse. Karen Rowell, the event coordinator, tells us that "Roonie B. Moonie: Lost and Alone was a favorite of many of our visitors!"

The event also included storytelling and puppet shows. What a fun way for the university to reach out to the community!

This morning, Fuse #8 has links to a plethora of gorgeous picture books for your viewing pleasure.

First up is the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books 2008, a slideshow featuring interior views of some beautifully illustrated new books. Among them is We Are the Ship, written and illustrated by the amazing Kadir Nelson. We recently tried to get Nelson as an illustrator for one of our upcoming titles, A Home Run for Bunny, but sadly he is booked with projects for the next four years. I'm not surprised, though; the man is supremely talented.

Amazon.com also has a list of recommendations for the Best Children's Picture Books of 2008. Their list is split into two categories of Editors' Picks and Customers' Picks.

Any of these books would make a wonderful addition to your child's bookshelf.

Five lucky U.S. kids will win a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, to have tea with J.K. Rowling, where she will read from her new book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. If you're between the ages of 8 and 17, all you have to do is write a short essay of less than 200 words, describing how you've helped others. For more details, visit Scholastic's website.

[via School Library Journal]

If you're in the Chicago area and you like children's books, head on over to the Newberry Library for their new exhibit, Artifacts of Childhood: 700 Years of Children's Books:

Artifacts of Childhood features such treasures as: the first illustrated edition of Aesop's Fables (1485); the first edition of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865); a nineteenth-century collectible story, La Fille de L'Exile, that is similar in format to Pokemon cards; and ABCs from 1544 to 1992.

Admission to the library and its exhibits is free. If I were heading to Chicago any time soon, this is something I would not want to miss!

[via Educating Alice]

Tim Kreider of the Baltimore City Paper has a fascinating look at the importance of children's books in shaping people:

... the reading we do as children may be more serious than any reading we'll ever do again. Books for children and young people are unashamedly prescriptive: They're written, at least in part, to teach us what the world is like, how people are, and how we should behave--as my colleague Megan Kelso (The Squirrel Mother) puts it, "How to be a human being."

Perhaps I'm biased, as an unabashed book-lover, but like Kreider, some of my strongest childhood memories are centered around reading the very books the article focuses on. I'm certain they've shaped who I've become. What I'm curious to know is: is this true of most people, or only of people who grow up to revere the literary world?

The Buried Editor over at Buried in the Slush Pile has posted a challenge for kidlit readers throughout the internet: "read at least one banned book before the end of Banned Book Week on October 3."

In the past, I've posted about And Tango Makes Three, a picture book about two male penguins who raise a chick together. However, other than that, I've never heard much about picture books being banned.

Color me surprised when a quick Google search brought up this list of frequently challenged children's books, which includes several picture books--and their reasons for being challenged.

Did you know that Where's Waldo has been challenged because one of the (tiny) women in an illustration is laying face down sunbathing without a bathing suit top? Or that Robert Munsch's I Have to Go has been challenged for including the word "pee"?

It's always fascinating to find out what books people have tried to ban, and why. I, for one, will try to check out several of these books before Banned Book Week next month.

Election season is well upon us, and you may be looking for books on American history and politics for your children. Well, Illumination Arts may not have any history books just yet, but the latest issue of the Horn Book Newsletter has some short reviews of several good books for kids, including Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote and the "very funny" Madam President.

Looking for a new way to browse books online? A new application called Zoomii just launched. What's so unique about Zoomii? It offers a graphical interface for browsing books, creating the feel that you're in a bookstore browsing.

If you're anything like me, sites like Amazon and BN.com are great if you know exactly what you're looking for. But when you're just trying to find something new to read, nothing beats a good old-fashioned bookstore. Zoomii is a step in the right direction, toward melding the two book-buying mediums.

Of course, because the application is so graphics intensive, it can be a little slow to load, so be patient. If you want to try it out, why not jump straight into the children's books.

[via Persona Non Data]

A study by Scholastic found that a majority of children enjoy reading. 68% of all children, and 82% of young children ages 5-8, said they "like" or "love" reading books. The number decreases with age, though, so it seems that instilling a love of reading in your children early on is not enough.

If I had a solution for this, I'd be rich and famous, but the best advice I can give is: keep reading with your kids and providing them with books. When your eight-year-old proclaims, "I love reading!" don't assume your job is done. When they're 12 or 15 and reading is no longer "cool," it's important to make sure they are surrounded by reading options.

Over the weekend, Elizabeth Bird of Fuse #8 gave a talk at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Located in Amherst, MA, this museum is one I would love to visit. Unfortunately, I'm on the other side of the country, so I will have to settle for pictures and descriptions--for now at least. The virtual tour on the museum's website makes it look so fun and cheery. It's nice to see children's book art getting the appreciation it deserves.