Jamie Hogan Chosen – 100 Great Children’s Books | 100 Years
The New York Public Library has declared that “great stories never grow old!” with the announcement of “100 Great Children’s Books | 100 Years” featuring “inspiring tales that have thrilled generations of children and their parents.” Maine has been the home to both Classic and Contemporary children’s book creators and the list pays tribute to the state’s storytelling traditions. Readers will not be surprised to discover Maine creations Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, and The Giver by Lois Lowry...
Read MoreSmidgen of Vermont Children’s Lit
Thinking of my hometown this morning as it prepares for the Brattleboro Literary Festival. Curious City spoke with Chris Lenois on WKVT’s Live & Local about A Smidgen of Vermont Children’s Literature. Listen here! There are SO many great children’s book creators in the Green Mountains, but we have SO little time on the show. What did I miss? What Vermont Kids Lit do you love? ___________________________________________________________________________________ Llama Llama Time to Share By Anna Dewdney Published by Penguin Group USA Ages 1-4 Locate a copy at Local...
Read MoreSeparation in Children’s Lit
Separated by miles and miles, but connected through the power of radio, Curious City spoke with Chris Lenois on WKVT’s Live & Local about Separation in Children’s Literature. Listen here! With the school buses again rolling across our cities and towns and first-day-of-school pictures flooding Facebook, it seemed a good time to talk about how children grow with and grow apart from their parents through reading. Below are some of the books we mentioned and some swell resources! What are your favorite back-to-school books? Books on separation? Books where the parents are...
Read MoreAfrican American Children’s Lit on Live & Local
Once again joined the indomitable Chris Lenois on WKVT’s Live & Local to talk children’s literature. Listen here! This month, the conversation focused on President Obama’s call for America to do some “soul searching” about racial bias. One way to help children grow up with less bias is to feed them a steady diet of multicultural books. In honor of Trayvon Martin, we discussed contemporary African American (and cross-group friendship) books from toddler to teen. These books are a “mirror” for African American children showing them themselves in...
Read MoreOnline Flapdoodle
Curious City just finished up a website for author Amy MacDonald. Having just released, Too Much Flapdoodle that includes the same line up of eccentric characters as her chapter books, No More Nice and No More Nasty, we decided to create a greater “series presence” for her books.As the third book did not follow the naming mechanism of “No More…” we created a themed website based on the character’s names and quirks.As the books deal with the formerly straight-laced boys, Simon and Parker spending time with their wacky luddite Maine relatives, we decided...
Read MoreBig Books in the Big Apple
Just back from a swoop through the New York publishing offices on a buying trip for Raising Readers.I have over 237 board and picture books in play (and stacked on my office floor) to select from for the literacy group’s upcoming book selection committee meeting.The group gives 12-15 books to Maine kids from birth to age 5 at their well child doctor visits. The organization has given out 1.2 million books in the last seven years!If under pen point I had to choose the work I love the most, it would be hunting down and narrowing down what books amongst 1000’s published each year,...
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