One Book Two Book - Books for Kids of All Ages

2008 Cybils Finalists Announced

The 2008 Cybils Finalists were announced today.

Ah, what are the Cybils Awards? Simply put:

“We wanted a literary competition that combined the freewheeling democracy of the Internet with the thoughtfulness of a book club. Cybils lets the public nominate books here on our Cybils blog, but then bloggers team up to pick the finalists and winners. The winning books must combine quality and “kid appeal.”

Click on each category to view the finalists.

What I love about these books is that they are not the “Amazon” winners…they are good, true fiction.

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Happy New Year’s One Book Two Book Readers

Wishing You a Very Happy New Year & Fantastic 2009

We’re ready to start a new year and plan for it to be a fantastic one.  If we look for greater things we’re more likely to find then than perceiving the worst.  I always try to look with hope toward each coming year.  Teach our children to look for small joys which will add up to greater joy.

As we look back upon the year we’ve finished, what did we learn from our experiences…good or not so good?  Are these life lessons we can carry with us?

Show our children coping skills, of finding needles in the haystacks (you can see I came from a farming background!), and enjoying a New Year’s celebration filled with expectations.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Doo Wop POP

Award winning Bryan Collier is back again with a musical collaboration with the equally talented award winning author Roni Schotter in Doo Wop Pop.

When several shy students take up with the Doo Wop janitor of their school they find they have talents and friendships they never knew they had.

As African American History Month approaches, why not include a book like this in all classrooms, especially music classes? Even though it is fictional it is based on real events, real people, and people like this did exist.

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Word of the Week

puny (adjective)

\PYOO-nee\ 

 

What does it mean?

weak, small

 

How do you use it?

“Next year I’ll use more fertilizer,” declared Janet, as she compared her puny pumpkins to the enormous ones in her neighbor’s garden.

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Government Control of Books and Internet - Do You Agree?

We often encounter discussions about the censorship or control of books published, read in schools, and available in libraries.  The debate ranges from free access to books to strict government control of the ideas presented.  This often becomes a heated topic.

What about more control of the Internet and thus what is available there for kids, as well as adults?  When is control/governmental restrictions a good idea, and when does it infringe upon individual control and parents’ responsibility for raising their children?

Aaron Brazell, at Tchnosailor, has an interesting post, UK Plans to Keep Kids Safe on the Web, Ignores Hisory, that gives insight into a UK proposal for more Internet control and the hope of the British Cultural Secretary for US cooperation once Barack Obama becomes President.  While we want to have safe surfing for our youngsters, when is there too much control that results in less parental responsibility and decision making about their children?

Does this fall into the same category as too much outside control over what our children will read?

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Snow by Cynthia Rylant

To me, snow stirs up excitement, anticipation, memories. I love snow. And, obviously so does Cynthia Rylant.

She writes eloquently about snowfall, how enticing it is to see, to anticipate more, to experience all their is about the touch, the sight, the feel of snow.

It’s not just about snow but about emotion and feeling.

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How Do We Know When To Believe Autobiographies?

Autobiographical Fraud

The third in a recent flurry of autobiographies has been proven a contrived story, one that was praised on Oprah’s show, as well as by others.  Berkley Books cancelled a Holocast love story, Angel in the Fence, due to come out in February, after they found out the story was not true as initially claimed.

This book follows two published books, A Million Little Pieces and Love and Consequences, which the authors eventually admitted were fabricated.  A children’s book, Angel Girl, based on the supposed Holocaust love story, appeared in print earlier this year.

With these widely publicized books coming to light as contrived stories, it becomes difficult to know what’s true and what isn’t when you’re reading about someone’s life.  Some, perhaps all of the books, may have made good fiction novels if labeled as such.  It’s when the author tries to pass them off as true stories of his/her life that the trouble begins.

One’s memory of their life often become hazy without notes and journals.  Also, members of a family will remember incidents somewhat differently, yet they know that those things happened.  My sister and I frequently discuss childhood incidents, and one recalls more details than the other.  However, we know that they occurred.

What do you think?  Have you begun to doubt the truth as written in autobiographies you read, whether they’re for children or adults?

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10 Favorite One Book Two Book Posts of 2008 (Mary Emma)

Favorite Posts

Some posts I enjoyed researching and writing more than others.  Some were posts readers seemed to especially enjoy.  Although it’s difficult to select just ten from the year’s worth, I’ll give it  try.

1. Spencer Family Books - Writing as a Family
2. Is Christmas Being Undermined to Push Global Warming Agenda?
3. Memories About Pearl Harbor Day
4. A Thankful Poem
5. What Does the Rainbow Fish Mean?  Is There an Underlying Meaning?
6. Reading Aloud to Children Before and After Birth
7. JK Rowling Invites School Children to Tea
8. Novels Inspired by Family History
9. Remembering 9/11 at School and Home
10. Lunch Box Memories

Do you have other One Book Two Book posts that are favorites?

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Mary Emma’s Writing Tip - Write as a Family

  Have you ever considered drawing upon your family memories, ideas and talents to write together?  In the post, Spencer Family Books, I wrote about this family who combine their talents (storytelling, writing, and illustrating) to publish books.

 You don’t even have to think about book publication.  Simply write down individual and collective memories and experiences.  This eventually may branch out into fiction and writing totally unrelated to family affairs.

 However, getting together, whether the whole family or a few members, can be a fun time to work on projects together.  You might include family journals, scrapbooks, or a family blog. 

 The holiday season is a good time to write down current happenings as well as memories of past celebrations.

 If you have family writing projects under way, I’d enjoy hearing about them.

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Sugar Plum Ballerinas

Even though this book, Sugar Plum Ballerinas, is primarily about ballet the moral or lesson is the most important part of the story. So, children concerned about staying true to themselves and to their friendships should be reading this.

It is not just a superficial book about ballet or about friendship but rather it is a book that any young girl can relate to…any young girl should be able to relate to. The lesson is that if a girl stays true to herself and her dreams she can succeed.

The story?

Alexandra is not happy when her eccentric mom decides to move from Georgia to Harlem. She is also not happy that she is being forced to take ballet. She really just wants to speed skate. Not only that but her mother makes her wear crazy outfits…and she is not even very good!

by Whoopi Goldberg and Deborah Underwood

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